Week 2 and lots more photos

We got emails and letters today!  Hooray :)

First some pictures of the glorious Sister Ormsby with her companion Sister L.

The idea of this picture is to make them into magnets with their phone number to give to the members.

                 
Following is some pictures for her apartment (for those who missed it on facebook) It's pretty amazing right?

Now to the wonderful words of our fantastic missionary sister!

Hello family!
So my life is crazy busy, hard & wonderful! :)
Here is a typical day in the life of Sister L & Ormsby:
6:22am - alarm goes off - we lay in bed till 6:30...
6:30am - work out/stretch
7:00am - shower, eat, get pretty
8:00am - shoes on & personal study. (We start with something called a "sacred grove experience" - we go into different rooms & for 10 minutes, have a personal, specific, humble vocal prayer.  It has changed my life & relationship with God - please try it!!!)  
9:00am - Companionship study; we sing a hymn, pray & read from the white handbook before we study.
10:00am - 12 week training - basically an infield training for new missionaries. (So even though transfers are every 6 weeks, I know that Sister L will be my trainer for 12 weeks). 
11:00am - Go out & teach!
12:00pm - Lunch
1:00pm - Go out & teach!
5:00pm - Dinner
6:00pm - Go out & teach!
9:30pm - Be at home, daily planing
10:00pm - relax! (write letters/unpack)
10:30pm - lights out.

I don't know that you'll care - but it is just interesting to me that the time we actually spend outside our apartment is so small!  It really shows what I learned in the MTC is true - 75% of what we do is preparation & only 25% teaching. It is the way it needs to be though! Like - exactly!!!  We had a correlation meeting this morning & Bishop P said: "We can't just work hard, it won't be enough - we need to work smart too!  It's so true! We are only as effective as we are organized!

So writing is getting harder & I'm sorry!
Here are my recent highlights:
Our Elders here are awesome!  Elders A & D have been so freaking helpful to us.  When we got here we had no area book & they have been so great in helping us learn about the ward & possible investigators, meeting with us & dividing their area book for us.  They are so nice & willing to help us & answer our questions!  We love 'em!! The Spanish Elders F & P are so funny & great too. They helped us out yesterday with catching 2 lizards in our apartment -- but that's a whole other story....

--Friday night (Aug 23) we went to a recent converts going away party - & we meet a lot of our amazing ward there.  This guy's house was right on the edge of Apollo Beach.  Like I mean RIGHT ON THE EDGE!!  His house was 4 stories & there was a deck out on the roof.   It was so pretty!  We could see all of Tampa, & even St. Pete across the bay. (Totally reminded me of the Gold Coast). We watched & heard a storm roll in as the sun was setting.

I LOVE FLORIDA!

- Saturday night (Aug 24) We had Stake Conference & Elder Christofferson & Elder Parker spoke.  It was basically incredible!  Revelation 3:20 --> READ IT!
It was an amazing invitation given to ALL MANKIND.  Brothers & Sisters across the world, Spirit to Spirit, we will 'SUP' with God!  And WHAT A FEAST IT WILL BE! :)
Also - watch the Hastening the Work videos! President has asked us to show each family we have dinner with a video & help them understand there important role as member missionaries. Will you watch one video each night before dinner & discuss while you eat the things the Spirit teaches you & the things you can do to follow those promptings?
Elder Christofferson talked about the brethren's apostolic responsibility to share & help everyone come to Christ - but they don't have the capacity to do it all. So they call other leaders & seventy.  But that's still not enough.  So they call missionaries - around 76,000 ... But we are still not enough. So the Lord is calling all of His children who know Him & His gospel to OPEN YOUR MOUTHS! YOU HAVE AN APOSTOLIC RESPONSIBILITY & THE LORD NEEDS YOUR HELP!!

-Sunday we got to meet him!  He came over to the missionaries before the meeting started.  This is from my journal:  "He just met me & wants to be best friends. Okay, but really - Elder D.Todd Christofferson shook my hand, said my name & "It's good to shake your hand."  But I think that's just best friend code for -"your awesome, let's hang out! :) He told us that we all had a bright glow - but I could feel his."
After the meeting, Sister L & I talked about the things we felt.  So this is my "Weekly inspiration from Sister L": first off we were talking about the importance of being a missionary as a member & forever:
"Really, our mission right now is like an MTC for being a member-missionary for the rest of our lives".  Profound, right?!  I just love her!!!

-We moved into our place finally on Tuesday! We love it here & we are so happy to actually be in our area! That is part of my excuse for taking so long with this letter - sorry!  We have spent all our spare time unpacking, cleaning & de-bugging our place!  AND drum roll please!
Tuesday night I taught my first lesson!!  Her name is Katie, she is so cute & so prepared!  We taught the first lesson & I kid you not - the Spirit was wonderful - SHE IS GETTING BAPTIZED ON SUNDAY :)

Ok, and I should probably mention she is 8 & a member & the date was set.... BUT STILL :p
Her parents wanted us to teach her the first lesson.  Haha, but still an awesome experience & they want one of us to speak a the baptism!
-Here are a few of the awesome less-actives we've met: Sister M, she is so wonderful! Has a testimony & has excuses - but we will get her there.  And the P's! AWESOME FAMILY! Totally feel the Spirit when we meet & they are coming to church this Sunday!  Her husband isn't a member - but we are working on him! :)

Oh- we are teaching YW's on Sunday - super excited!  Sorry this is rushed - I want to send this off.

See you in a week!  Love Sister Ormsby