Sister Jamie Szabo: "God grades on the cross not the curve."

HHHHHHEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLOOOOO!!!

We had a WILD week.

Monday we went to New Bern and watched Meet the Mormons. We had FHE at Ben and Tori's and for our lesson we talked about following the Prophet (because it was general conference and you know we couldn't miss that opportunity) and we watched "Love the Essence of the Gospel" by President Monson and we all played Conference Bingo. Your bingo boards are still being put to good use Mom :) I knew there was a reason I brought them with me from VA Beach :) You should probably get ready to pull them out for next gencon since y'all are party poopers and don't play when I'm not there :)

Tuesday we had lunch at a LA's house who we just recently met and is super awesome. We also talked about following the prophet (I was kidding about using this opportunity) and we watched "Dare to Stand Alone" and she was bawling by the end of it. It was neat. Very inspired. She's probably going to come back to church and baptize her whole family. It's fine :) That night we drove to New Bern to meet the zone leaders and got to drive with them up to Elizabeth City in their cool mini-van to spend the night for MLC. Elder Matheson and Elder Wardell are HILARIOUS. They're cute little best friends and they makes me happy. Elder Matheson is the new Assistant and it makes my heart happy. We drove through Nags Head on the way up there (where we passed that NC sign that you sent me a picture of Mom) because Sister Hymas served there and then we spent the night with 2 Hermanas who I had never met before in Elizabeth City. GHETTO. It was a hoot and a holler.

Wednesday we had MLC at the Bennetts Creek chapel because there was a funeral in Portsmouth. After they were showing Meet the Mormons to all of the Chesapeake Stake missionaries so we got to see Sister Hurley and I felt like I was seeing a long lost friend. I love her SO much. She goes home tomorrow and she'll be in Utah right around the time that I get home so that works out nicely :) That girl changed my life and I'll love her forever for it.

After MLC when we got back to New Bern Sister Hymas and I went to dinner at The Chelsea. We went there once before after a zone meeting and I've been obsessed with it ever since. What we didn't know though was that their dinner menu is WAY more expensive than their lunch menu. YOLO. Sister Hymas and I are both as cheapys as they come.

Thursday we had to weekly plan and the only real exciting thing that happened was we had an in-home lesson. President Walker feels like in-home lessons are the way the Lord needs us to do missionary work. Good thing Sister Hymas and I already had a goal to have at least one a week for our entire companionship and we've done it so far.

Friday we had District Leader Council and Zone Meeting. It was in Havelock this time because there was a funeral at the New Bern building. We were all crammed into our tiny Relief Society room and it was HILARIOUS. Sister Hymas and I had to give a training on why and how we have in-home lessons so we decided to play family feud for it and it was a good time. Later on that night Willow came out with us and we went and had a lesson with a referral that the elders gave us while they were proximity knocking last transfer (because we suck and we almost never go out to Newport and last time we went we didn't have her address) and she was home and let us right in and is pumped about learning more and reading from the Book of Mormon.

Saturday and Sunday were of course GenCon and I loved every second of it. I received so SO much revelation. Watching it at the church doesn't really compare to watching it while playing bingo on the couch but it does keep me awake and it was a lot of fun. Sunday afternoon was definitely my favorite session. Soo many good talks. Funny too that that's usually the session I fall asleep in at home. #isuck I especially loved Richard G. Scott's talk. I run out of breath talking about those "foundation" aspects of the gospel because I love them so much. I KNOW that if we'll read our scriptures, pray, go to the temple, and have fhe that we'll be on the path the Lord needs us to be on. I've seen it in my life. Even with mistakes that I made I didn't go off the deep end and I know it was because I was already in the habit of doing those things. Fun fact: I got 2nd place for guessing which apostles were going to speak during which session :)

Oh and I almost forgot to tell you. Mostly just because I wanted to see if y'all would make it to the end of the this email because this is definitely the best part. Because President Baker has some training he has to go to next week we had transfer calls this week. So on Sunday in between and after Conference they happened and I would have paid money that I was going to get transferred because there are just so many of us STL's that go home at the same time and well....I was wrong. SISTER HYMAS AND I ARE STAYING TOGETHER FOR MY LAST ONE. And I couldn't be happier. We're going to do work. I'm so happy to stay in Havelock and with her. I love these people way too much to leave them already.

That's a rundown of my week. Maybe next week I'll be better about actually talking about the proselyting part of what I do :)

Have a beautiful week!

It feels like Utah fall here today and it's making me a happy missionary :)

LOVE YOU!

Love, Sister Szabo/J

AKA your favorite state-side missionary

Selfie Sunday

We spent all of Saturday and Sunday with Laura at General Conference and at lessons! She's awesome! She's going back to Utah at the end of the month and we've already made plans to hang out for days when I get home.

#ldsconf