OH…IO 10.6.15

OH....IO.

Well I'm in Ohio now and it is completely crazy that I am actually a REAL missionary. 

First off here are a few moments from my last few days in the MTC:

On my P-Day we were getting ready for the temple and my companion, Sister Nissalke thought her recommend was in the classroom. While we got to the classroom and she realized it was back in the room...as we were walking back to the room my comp was saying she felt horrible and guilty that we had to walk back to the room. I turned to her and said "you know, through the Atonement you can become guilt free." And my sweet comp goes.."don't go all missionary on me." Hahahaha. Love her.

Another time..(as many of you know I sing ALL the time) well I was singing at the top of many lungs and she goes "you know the worst part of having a companion...is when they do things like this...you can run away." Goodness, I loved Sister Nissalke so much. She seriously became my best friend. She is quieter compared to me but we laughed 24/7.

So I obviously had to say goodbye to my best friend Kira aka Sister Kutterer in the MTC. She left a day before me and it was not easy at all. She has been my #1 but we will be okay. She is in Georgia and serving two hrs away from my oldest sister. Love it!

Random facts: Elder Burrup ripped his pants in the MTC, my district called me Sister Delaware, Sister Nissalke and I switched badges without knowing, We kicked butt at volleyball, and I miss the MTC ):

Well I left the MTC at 3:45 AM last Wednesday. GROSS. Ha. My first flight was at 7:30 AM and it was three hrs long. I landed in Detroit at 12:35 pm their time then had a flight 1:35-2:55 to Columbus. So my companion from the MTC had a track phone to call home from and as I was calling my sisters to say I landed my mission president was at the bottom of the escalator. So the first time my mission president and his wife saw me was with a phone to my ear. #AWKWARD. Lol he understands...hopefully (; I spent my first night in the mission home and it was beautiful. I had the opportunity to go contacting at OSU and that was so cool!! Haha.

So my first companion here in OHIO is Sister Wolf. She is from California and is way awesome! She has been out for almost 5 months. We are serving in Fairborn...which I found out where my dad would spend his childhood to spend time with my grandpa Detamore. Also guess what people? We have a car. #BLESSEDBLESSEDBLESSED. But really haha I'm so happy I'm in a car.

I LOVE IT HERE. I have met a lot of members. We get feed by members every single night and have meals for the next week. #blessed The members are so solid here. I have met a lot of them...I especially love the Wards, Masters, and Miledbrants.

HOLY GOODNESS. WE HAVE A MILLION INVESTIGATORS. We have at least 16 so we are always busy, never bored. Seriously we have a hard time planning because we have so much to do. So we have 3 people who will be baptized on October 31st. One of them is “K”..and I love “K” with my whole heart. Like she just progresses every time we teach her and I adore her kids. She tells me all the time that she is counting down the days to baptism. So my first lesson in the field was to this guy (“J”) and the entire time he was blowing cigarette smoke in my face BUT I extended baptism to him for Nov. 1st and he said yes so #swag. But yeah first lesson in Ohio and I got someone to say yes which was a huge tender mercies. We did refer him to the elders along side another guy in his apartment complex who has a baptismal date the dame day. We are hoping to extend baptism to a cute 9 year old tonight. Her parents are less actives so we are so excited to help her get baptized!!! We have two investigators (a mom and daughter) who are little INCHES to bring baptized...like its so crazy. I love them! We have another lady with a baptismal date but I haven't met her..hopefully I will soon. So I have at least 4-5 baptisms... Maybe more by the end of the week. So my first day with my trainer was the only day I've done contacting so far. We were walking up to a door and just felt good. We met a girl named “S” and we were just talking to her and she told us she was trying to fix things from the past and trying to rely on God..we asked if we could come back to share a message and she said yes! We are going back this week and I feel so good about her! Also while we were contacting, we were talking to this girl and her dad asked who we were..we explained who we were and she goes "THEYRE WITH JESUS." Hahahahahahaha.

General conference was so killer. Like I got SOOOOOOO much out of it. My favorite was when “M”, her mom, and her 4 little girls came to watch conference with us. We are hoping to get a baptismal date for one of “M's” daughter. The daughter dad isn't approving of baptism right now but she always tells me that she can't wait to be baptized..her dad will come around I know it.

There is so much work that I could email you about but it would take hours to email because we are doing so much in our area. To sum it all up: when we plan, we have hard time figuring out what to do because we have so much to do and so many people to teach.

So I'm so sad because I took a lot of pictures on my camera but i am emailing from my iPad so can't send those pictures #sad but I do have a few on my iPad!

My first full day I was sitting at dinner at a members house and randomly homesickness just hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought to myself...the next 18 months are going to be like this. Every single day. I can't talk to friends, family, take a nap, do what I want when I want, have alone time, and all of the sudden I was sitting at a dinner table trying to hold back Nigeria Fall of tears. That night I pleaded with my Heavenly Father that I so badly wanted to be serving a full-time mission and that I didn't want to feel this sadness anymore. It then hit me....there is no way I'd be out here if it wasn't for my Heavenly Father and Savior. Because of them I can do hard things. I love this gospel so much. I want to share it with everyone...literally everyone. I'm so grateful I get to be out her serving the Lords children. When you are struggling, rely on our Savior and Heavenly Father. They will be there for you every step of the way.

To end my email I want to share with you a quote I found in "The Missionaries a little Quote Book" the other day. It days: This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it- or use it for good, but what I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it! When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something that I traded for it. I want it to be a gain, and not loss; good, and not evil; success, and not failure, in order that I shall not regret the price that I have paid for it. - Dr. Hartsell Wilson

God gives us a new day. How will we use the new day we are giving? I love you all so much and so grateful for all the love and support I get! Ohio is beautiful and so so amazing! Can't wait to hear from everyone!

XOXO SISTER DETAMORE

Oh PS; I haven't had put heat on my hair since Sept. 20th so that's a HUGE accomplishment.

A quick ps. A lot of you know how much I HATE running. My comp makes me run every day and if I don't die yay!

Hi Ho Hi Ho off to Ohio She Goes 9.30.15

Sister Detamore made it safely to Ohio today! She had to meet at the MTC travel office bright and early at 3:30 am this morning. After making it through security she got to call our mom and talked for about 40 min. Sister Detamore said she misses everybody, but she’s not homesick. She continues to emphasize how much she LOVES being a missionary.

She had a quick layover in Michigan and landed around 2:30 in Ohio. We feel pretty blessed that all three sisters had a chance to talk very briefly on the phone with her before heading to the mission home. She sounds awesome, happy, and so excited to get to work. P-Day is on Monday so we’re excited to get an email and hear more.
Here’s a picture that was emailed to our parents the other night. This is Sister Detamore, her companion and the MTC president and his wife. Pretty neat!

Along with this picture a couple other pictures have been sent to my parents. We find these tender mercies from the Lord. Below is a couple of pictures from the MTC, one of missionaries from her District sent from another missionary mom, one sent just a few days after Sister Detamore entered the MTC. This one from one of the kitchen volunteers, Sister Detamore told this person she LOVES french toast sticks!, The last from an old friend and member of their ward in Utah. Joann Stoddard moved to Ohio and likes to welcome the missionaries and was at the meeting for Sister Detamore’s first transfer. Not only did we get a picture the day after she got to Ohio, but we know she is serving in the Fairborn area, which happens to be where my dad spent many summers with his grandparents. Blessings from heaven!

First Email! 9.24.15

Well. First week in the mission field is done. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. I can't begin to tell you everything because I would be here for hours!! The first was crazy. I cant begin to tell you how excited i was to receive my badge...Having Sister Detamore and Jesus Christ on me everyday is an amazing feeling. CLASS EVERY SINGLE DAY for hours haha. So a normal schedule for me is get up at 6:15...gym 6:40-7:30...breakfast 8-8:30...planning, personal study and comp study 8:30-11:30 11:50 teach...lunch class 1:35-4:35....teach then dinner at 5:30..class 6:30-9:30. I learn so much that by the time I get to my room, I am SO ready for bed.
My companions name is Sister Nissalke. She is from Sandy, Utah. She is the amazing. She is shy compared to me especially in big groups but we are so CLOSE. We love almost every second together. She is a huge volleyball player and so..#VOLLEYBALLEVERYDAY. I love it. She is so funny and we get alone so well. We have different personally but we are so close already. I also room with Sister Nelson and Sister Williams..i met these girls through Facebook before i entered the MTC so it was nice to finally meet them. We all (including my comp) are going to OHIO and it seriously is so nice to be so close to them already. SLEEPOVERS EVERY NIGHT. We also kneel and say prayer every night together. I love my district. Seriously, they are family. The elders are super crazy and weird but they are like brothers to me now. 
This may not be surprising..BUT i am known as the emotional one in our district. I CRY ALL THE TIME (for good reasons). I just feel the spirit so strong and so I Cry A Lot lol.
I love my teachers Brother Stanley and Sister Steck. I have learned so much from them. Sister Steck reminds of my oldest sister Jennifer A lot...it is such a small tender mercy. 
I was able to see my best friend Sister Kutterer (KIRA) within 10-15 minutes of being in the MTC and I baled my eyes out. Being the MTC together is the most amazing thing EVA. TENDER MERCY. I see her every day even though we don't have the same schedule. 
My comp and I's first lesson was amazing.  We taught our progressing investigator who knew almost nothing about the gospel. We ended with talking about the Atonement and then challenged him to be baptized and HE SAID YES. First lesson ever on my mission and it was so powerful.
I have two TRC which is our two investigators. Erika knows SO MUCH about the gospel. She is trying to get over a really hard break up with a member and i know she just needs to feel gods love. She says she could see herself as a member and a good member...the only one holding her back is herself...she needs to have FAITH. The only thing holding her back from baptism is really herself.
Elsie is our second TRC. She is sorta hard to teach because she doesn't really open up and i am so OUTGOING. That is where my comp comes in. She knows what its like to be like that and so we had to adjust our teaching towards her. She doesn't know too much about the gospel but she does live with members. She is engaged and the lesson on Saturday we are going to teach the plan of salvation and how she can be married for time and all ETERNITY. 
I love being a missionary so so so much. My testimony has grown so much. The Atonement is so really. I testify that if you access the Atonement of Jesus Christ every single day that you will feel is love for you. I promise you that if you search the Book of Mormon with really intent and try to understand it...you will learn so much out of it! I challenge everyone to read the last two paragraphs of the intro in the Book of Mormon then read Moroni 10:3-5. 
The church is so true people. I love it so much. I love being a representative of Christ! Next time i email, i will be in OHIO. AWWW! I love this gospel so much.
XOXO Sister Detamore 
Pictures!!!
Her first letter
The sisters in her Zone
“Sister Hartvigsen, she is literally me. She is in the other district in my zone/branch”
Her Zone
First Package
BFF picture with their companions

The sisters in her zone (?)
Finally got the name badge, she has been so excited to get it
Her companion Sister Nissalke District leader Elder Jarvis companion Elder Wagner
Her District

Entering the MTC 9.16.15

Heading down to the MTC Dad, Mom, Jackie, and Grandma hit a crazy storm. Jenessa was following behind with her two kiddos, but after hydro-planeing and seeing a couple of accidents she made a tough decision and decided to go back home. I’m sure angels were surrounding the car as they drove down to Provo to drop Sister Detamore off at the MTC. Jes stopped by earlier that morning to say goodbye. She wasn't able to drive down with the rest of that gang because of work. Sister Detamore and I (Jen) had a nice chat on the phone for a good portion of the drive and she also said good-bye to Nes and the kids over the phone. A quick bite to eat for lunch and they pulled up to the Provo temple. Thankfully the clouds parted and the rain stopped so they could get some pictures before she was to be dropped off. Sister Detamore randomly met up with two other missionaries who happened to be going to Ohio as well, I’m sure they are in her District in the MTC, She was also able to take pictures with her best friend Kira and of course our parents.
Mom kept it together as they dropped her off and parted ways. Sister Detamore was so excited and ready to get her badge (she mentioned this several times) and start getting to work.

Sister Detamore just before they headed to the MTC

Three new missionaries all headed to Ohio that happened to meet up right before they were dropped off at the MTC, Sister Detamore and Sister Kutterer, Sister Detamore and mom and dad.
 

Sister Detamore’s Missionary Pictures

Hey friends and family! This is Jackie's oldest sister Jen. I have the honor of keeping Sister Detamore's mission blog up to date while she is serving the Lord in the state of Ohio. We received an email today! But before I make that post I'd like to share some of her stunning missionary pictures that our very talented brother-in-law Gary and sis Jenessa took. Enjoy!

This Isn't Goodbye...It Is Simply See You Later

Wow. In 18 hours I will be set apart as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I can't begin to tell you the emotions I feel at the time because it is simply too hard. The past week has been very bittersweet. I can't begin to tell you all the memories I made, laughs, cries, and every other thing that has happened. But the one thing that stings the most is the goodbyes.I did not know it would be this hard until this past week came. It was so hard to hug people and realize it was the last time I would see them...for some, I don't know if they will be here when I get home or part of my life when I get home....that is the hardest part. Every time I said goodbye to someone, another piece of my heart would break and endless tears would follow as I watched them leave. I think one of my hardest goodbyes will be my family. What hurts the most is knowing that my hardest goodbye will be my last one and won't be until I am inches from the MTC doors. There are so many people that I have made a huge impact in my life:

Oh my dear family...

oh my loving friends..

What I learned is that this isn't goodbye...it is simply see you later. I know that I am not saying goodbye to my life. In 18 months, I will be a new me but my life will not be different. I learned how much my Heavenly Father blessed my life. He knew exactly what He was doing when he put certain people in my life. I can't begin to explain how grateful I am for the examples in my life. Heavenly Father have blessed me with amazing examples. I am so grateful for this gospel. I am grateful for what it has done for me. I cannot wait to serve the people of Ohio. Thank you to everyone who has impacted my life. Even if you are not in one of the photos posted, know that you have impacted my life in one way or another (and plus, if I added a picture for every person that impacted my life there would be 1,000+ pictures haha). I love you all so much! until next time...

XOXOXO Sister Detamore

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly....I'll Take It!

Wow, I have 30 days and I'm gone for 18 months. When I opened my call, I had 90 days until I reported to the Provo MTC and now I have 30 days. WHERE IN THE CRAP DID THE LAST 60 DAYS GO?!? The past 60 days since I got my call have been eventful... trips to Bear Lake, Team Leader at a summer camp, volleyball 24/7, mission prep, camping, and much more.

Of all the past 60 days, July 30th will be the most memorable. July 30th I took some of my closest friends and family members to the Ogden Temple as I received my own endowments. The temple is a very special place and I hope all can one day enter The House of The Lord like I did. David A. Bednar said something that I love, he stated that "The temple is a point of intersection between heaven and earth." I can't begin to tell you how true this is. I have never felt so close to heaven than I did the moment I entered the temple. The moment you enter the doors, the world can no longer touch you. You become separated from the world and you feel so close to heaven. The temple is a piece of heaven that our Heavenly Father has given us. Please take time to go to the temple as much as you can. Whether it is baptisms, endowments, or simply sitting on the grounds. We have been blessed with so many temples close to us. I can testify that when you feel as everything is falling apart, you will feel the peace you are searching for at the temple.

Let me tell you something, after I enter The House of The Lord, the next two weeks I felt as everything was falling apart. I felt empty inside, depressed, and alone. I would randomly start bursting into tears for no reason. I was an emotional wreck, making me embarrassed and ashamed. As I was sitting outside the temple at 1:00 AM I received a text that I want to share. It said:

"these next several weeks are going to be the hardest you'll ever go through. Satan knows the influence and power you will have, he knows you are going to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who don't have it and he wants to stop you. Don't let him win, don't let him get you down. Never forget you're a child of our Heavenly Father and sister to our Savior. They will never leave you alone, they will never stop loving you."

 I took this text to heart and I gained the greatest lesson out of this trial. When you are making the greatest decisions in life or simply living a Christlike life, it doesn't mean it's always going to be rays of sunshine. Satan will attack and trials will come. There is always light at the end of the tunnel but you can't stop in the middle of the tunnel and give up, you have to endure to the end of the tunnel to feel the light once more. A dear friend of mine once said "Remember that Jesus Christ never gave up on you in the Garden of Gethsemane so don't you dare give up on him." We have someone who understands every joy, pain, happiness, sadness, and any emotion we feel. When you feel as if you can't go on, remember that someone knows exactly what you are going through. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is powerful if you apply it to your life daily.

The good, the bad, the ugly.... I'll take it if that means I'm one step closer to living with my Father in Heaven and my Savior. I can testify to you that you are NEVER alone. Someone is always there for you. Seek for the Lords hand in your life everyday. I promise you that if you make a point, to look for miracles everyday, you will see how much our Heavenly Father and Savior are in your life. I love this gospel and the peace I recieve from it. I know that it's not always going to be easy but in the end, it'll be worth it. I love you all so much.

XOXO
Soon to be Sister Detamore