HEY. Find my hidden message.

Week 12 - July 20, 2020

Why have I not lived in Ohio my whole life?! I literally ask myself this every day, I love it here!! This week locked it in; I'll be moving back here someday. 

SIGN

This week's adventures: 

     -NEW COMP. The sweetest Sister Stockman! Initiated her into the Morley Girls by taking her to the harbor for the sunset with Martinellis 

     -'Scones and Sisters' while watching The Chosen - it's all about Christ's life on earth, I recommend!!

     -Our president treats us to dinner before our movie on Wednesdays, this week was Chick fil a and the Greatest Showmannnn what more can one ask for??

     -Holden Arboretum - felt like I was on a safari adventure, climbing the tower and bouncing along the canopies and exploring the gardens!!

     -Catching fireflies after our evening walk to the temple

     -Asian lantern festival at the Cleveland Zoo 

     -Night games in the VC after the power went out

     -We've begun a study group every sunday morning and MAN is this a powerful group of girls!

UP

But with all of these big fun activities, my favorite moments are the little ones! Studying on the porch of the Whitney store, waving as we pass each other on virtual tours, dancing in the rain, memorizing scriptures as we cook and bake together, seeing the guidance of the spirit as we open our mouths and hear words coming out, grinning as we chase after the setting sun. "These are days never to be forgotten." 

FOR

It's the small things that bring me the most joy! It's the small things that turn a good tour into a great tour. It's the small things that get us through each day. 

A 

Before leaving, I was told to "find the small successes in each day and hold on to them." There are days where it seems impossible for me to see any form of success. But as I am aware and LOOK, the easier it is to find success. And it's those small successes keep me moving forward!

VIRTUAL

See your success each day, no matter how big or small! 

TOUR

Love big! Love hard!

Sister Rex

***You may have noticed my hidden message:') Sign up for a virtual tour!!! We LOVE to get our days packed! Spread the word, Kirtland is ready for you. 

Sister Stockman!!! We love this girl!

The top of the tower!! I couldn't soak in enough of that 360 view of all the trees

We were GIDDY running along the suspended canopy bridges, surrounded by all that green

Sister Anderson took on the role of being 3 men at once, quite an entertaining presentation 

Sister tREX hehe

They keep giving me these cute little companions, I just want to put them in my pocket!

One of those moments where you think you are the funniest people in the world, we tried to see how many nilla wafers we could fit in her mouth

Asian Lantern Fest @ the Zoo! 

Winner Takes Prayer

Week 11 - July 13, 2020

Me: "Okay guys just one more round. Winner takes all."
Sister Hansen: "Winner takes PRAYER."

The table went wild. Classic missionaries.

While we ooohed and laughed about it, prayer really is better than any winnings!

At the Morley Farm we have a prayer order, but when we play our games, the winner GETS to say the prayer. Because that's what prayer is, a reward! As much as we pray, I find myself constantly having to remind myself the power of prayer. We should pray for people, we should pray for guidance, we should pray for specifics because God is in the details. He hears and answers every single prayer, even though the answers are never what we expect.

Every single one of the sisters here is incredible, but every single one of them is different. With changes in companionships starting today, President Isaac told us to "Ask the Lord. Inquire of Him and ask for guidance in getting to know and love your new sisters. He knows them and He knows you." A new companion gives me a new opportunity to trust Heavenly Father and pray to help me get to know and love her.

We are all winners because there is no limit to prayer! "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Little update: we now have 3 designated movie nights a week, learned karate (SO EMPOWERING), memorized part of the Living Christ, told ourselves we were going to limit our treats and then had ice cream, made banana cake, indoor s'mores, chocolate cake and scotcheroos. But don't worry, we walk so much that we're not gaining weight (yet). The virtual tours continue but our unlimited data is no longer unlimited so we're going through a block of technical difficulties #firstworldproblems the seniors are working hard to perfect the wi-fi. It brings us so much joy to share even just a slice of Kirtland with people, even if technology gives us grief it is so amazing that we can show people from Norway to California the beauty of this place. I love it!!

Love big! Love hard!
Sister Rex

New tag, who dis. We got name tags that have Historic Kirtland on them!!! Simple joys

The Castle of Ohio 

Our favorite road to go on walks

One of our many game nights

After receiving the news that Smex is split up:(

Many a laugh and tour down this path

The view from our house- I love these misty mornings!

Probably the funniest presentation I have ever been a part of. I definitely will not be playing the role of Joseph again anytime soon.

Is that..? No.. it is! Elders!

Week 10 - July 6, 2020

Living in our little community of 20 sisters and cutie grandparents, I often forget what the outside world is like. We live in such a dreamy place! One day, as Sister Smith and I were cooling off after sprinting up the hill to show our tour the temple, the bushes rustled and out popped...

AN ELDER. And then another one. And another one. They kept on a coming.

Haven't seen one of those in person in a hot minute.

And the minute that we did see them was rather unfortunate, I was quite sweaty from our uphill run in the heat of the day. #modestishottest

This week! I learned to love! Saying that you love someone is one thing and actually loving them is another. Tea: I struggled with one sister and as I tried to figure how to be better, I remembered the words of Elder Gleave's email: "Pray for it. Work for it. Live for it." I prayed for love. I worked for love. I lived to love this sister. And as I focused my efforts on loving her, I found my heart softened and full of compassion and admiration for her. Christ loves first; it is up to us to be the ones who actively love, regardless of how it is reciprocated.

Love. That really is what the gospel is all about! One word that means so much when it is put to action.

So take a minute today. Think of someone that you can love and reach out to them. The Lord works through us, I full heartedly believe that He places people in our lives for a reason.

I wish I could implant the feelings that I have had here! Ezra Taft Benson said "I feel that I have been walking on sacred ground in Kirtland and my soul is subdued and my feelings rather tender. There is no other Church History location that is more important than Kirtland." Ohio is where people learned that they are children of God, that God is our loving Heavenly Father. I am so grateful that we have this knowledge, that truth is what gets me through every day!

Love big! Love hard!
Sister Rex

2 MONTHS AS SISTER REX!!! Martinelli's on the beach at sunset for the WIN. *clink!* I'm a sucker for those blue skies.

Ditto

Ditto

Ditto

Oh these skirts? Yeah, we made them #seamstress

I'm not crying, you are. The senior couples get my heart melting!

Yeah the [sisters] round here, drinking their ice cold [water] talkin bout [Christ] talkin bout [life]

Add I've had a big problem with accents, I really don't know what my real voice is anymore. But these two are training me out of it, they grab me whenever it slips out!

My whole crew! Felt like an extended family gathering lolol

No one ever crushes a jumping pic the first time around. But please note the two patriotic girls in the center, in almost perfect sync. Working on our squat jumps!

How Much Milk is Acceptable in Cereal?

Week 9 - June 29, 2020

If anything, this week has taught me that you have to be actively and anxiously engaged to be successful. For every aspect of life. Whether it's learning to do the splits (why yes, yes I am working on my splits, I'm glad you noticed!) talking to someone or a change in attitude, there's only one thing to do: START! Recognize the strength that comes from taking that first step. It doesn't matter how big or small, just do it!

"Thy strength is in me." The Lord strengthens us through small and simple ways. Find joy in your small victories and hold on to them!

Our virtual tours have been SO much fun!!! I grin like a goober the whole time, they give me energy and have strengthened my faith in the guiding influence of the spirit. Every single tour is different. There have been many times where I hear the words coming out of my mouth before I've even thought them. Risky business, you never know what I'm going to say! But I know that the spirit is the real teacher. People won't remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.

On that note: how much milk do you put in your cereal? This is not a hypothetical question, I WILL be awaiting your response. I personally put just enough to moisten my cereal, drain the milk out of each bite and get judged hard for it. If you're on team #lessmilk I accidentally stumbled upon this GAME CHANGER: use a fork. It drains the milk for you! The mission really is the best 1.5 years FOR your life.

Love big! Love hard!
Sister Rex

Sister Ferrell: "no." I hope I handle all rejections as good as that one!

26.8lbs of study material in this bag!!!

Morley Farm be looking fineeee

Candid pic with our car that I'm not allowed to drive (yet)

"You're not going to like this..."

I could have sat on the porch all night long, the whole sky glowed!

Have trouble keeping track of your mask? A fashionable and efficient solution.

THE BOYS

The most shocking night of leg, arm and stick wrestling

PSA

Week 8 - June 22, 2020

POV: you're walking down the hill from the temple when you see it. A WALL of rain coming towards you.
RUN.
"I think we can make it to the VC!"
Boom. The rain pounded down from the sky, I have never seen it come down with such power so suddenly.

Ohio rain baby! Comes and goes and leaves you with a beautiful evening to enjoy.

As I said the words "Dear Heavenly Father," yesterday, I couldn't seem to picture my Heavenly Father. I tried to imagine what He looks like or what He's doing and I couldn't.

This frustrated me. My mind stretched to figure out why. And then I remembered a story that we share in the School of Prophets here in Kirtland. Heavenly Father appeared to a room of men. They SAW Him. And yet, as they tried to fully comprehend His personage, it slipped from them. "But it left on my mind the impression of love, for months that I never felt before to that degree."

John Murdock saw the face of God and when He later tried to picture Him, he couldn't fully see Him. But what he did know and FEEL was the love that Heavenly Father had for him.

And that hit me. I can't physically see my Heavenly Father, but as I look back in my life, I see and feel God's love. That's how He shows Himself to us, through love! He is there. For every single one of you. Take time today to recognize and feel the love that Heavenly Father has for you.

I do what I do because of love! I was one told, "you are only as bold as your love." Hence the reason that I close my emails like I do.

Love big! Love hard!
Sister Rex

PSA: our sites don't open for at least 3 more weeks, so our time is designated for virtual tours! Anyone and everyone can sign up for one, just shoot me an email:')

Come @ us virtual tours; we ready

No sidewalks, no problems

Started with 2, now we here

Ready for our evening stroll

Sister Eyre and I will be keeping our pics classy

You can't tell, but THE RAIN

Mr. Tom's birthday cupcakes

Let the studies begin

Pink skies, happy girl

She Back.

Week 7 - June 15, 2020

Think of all your very favorite little grandma and grandpas. Every single one of them is here in Kirtland, Ohio. These senior couples have us wrapped around their little finger.

Old people: smiles.
Us: hearts melt.

"Don't tell the Isaacs." This is the motto of the senior couples here. They are too stinkin funny, always cooking up some mischief. What makes it even funnier is that our Presidents, the Isaacs, are the most chill, sweet people, encouraging us to do all the things that the other senior couples tell us not to tell them.

20 sister missionaries. 6 cute senior couples. Beautiful and sacred Kirtland. I'll let you do the math. I am having the absolute time of my life here. The only time that I've cried is thinking about leaving this place. "It's so beautiful" comes out of my mouth a bazillion times a day.

To walk where Joseph Smith walked, to study revelations in the same rooms that they were received, to live where Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared (the Morley Farm was the first of four places where the Father and the Son appeared in Kirtland and I live on that farm with 3 sisters, just a mile away from the rest of the sites where everyone else lives.) The feelings and the experiences I have here are so raw and real. I AM SO HAPPY. MY HEART IS SO FULL. I wish that each of you could experience it for yourselves!

Speaking of experiencing Kirtland... we can give virtual tours to any family and friends! So come one, come all, give me an email if you ever want to take a peek at where the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints grew up.

Work hard play hard has never been a more true phrase. We are working our bums off studying, receiving and giving tours, but we are having way too much fun to be on a mission. A brief synopsis of our week: shopping (I need to be stopped, my closet is so full) walking up to the temple and getting ice cream, pj movie night in our theater room (anything Disney plus is a go) hiking, another temple walk and ice cream, games and dessert with our fav senior couple, game night with all the sisters, visiting the "beach," sightseeing every morning and hanging with our sisters and bestie grandparents when we're not studying. Imma have a hard time adjusting to Cali after this.

I wish I could send you a voice message so you could hear how much I feel this. IF YOU UNDERSTOOD SOMEONE'S STORY, YOU WOULD LOVE THEM. People need to be heard and they need to be loved. There is so much more to a person than what appears on the outside.This week there has been many a sweet experience getting to know and love not just my sisters, but the random people of Ohio that we run into. I encourage you all to take time to see those around you for who they are: children of God.

Sister Rex is back. And she is here to stay!

Love big! Love Hard!
Sister Rex

Airport crew.

Traveling in style.

Social distancing, but the second the camera was gone she was chatting right next to us.

The cutest back porch.

Your friendly district leaders, Sister Smith and Sister Rex. Take 1

Your friendly district leaders, Sister Smith and Sister Rex. Take 2

Just pretty stuff right here.

Game night! Code names makes or breaks some companionships. Human knot is also a great bonding experience and a good practice of social distancing.

Our walk up to the temple. Working off the ice cream.

Pictures give it no justice! I love our house!