blessed

It's P daaaay again!?! That was one fast week. I feel like I blinked and it was over. 

But we like P days so it's good. Today we are back in the CITAY. (Sister Taylor has never been to NYC!! so I promised her I would take her on some city adventures.)

We were planning on riding bikes in the Central Park. But it's raining. So we might go to the natural history museum or the Gugenheim. Probs going to get frozen hot chocolate from serendipity. And then my favorite member from the New Canaan Ward is taking us to Julliard for dinner. HA. We are such blessed sisters. So that's today!! 

Okay so ..  The week! It was great! Ups and downs as always :)

President and Sister Smith invited us to their home to have dinner and for the General Women's Conference. YEAAAAH. That was special. It was me and my comp and then Sister Eastman (ma bestie) and her comp sister vassau. And the smiths of course. And a family in their Scarsdale Ward. IT WAS SO GOOD. We ate girly food. (Salad) and then had brownies. Then watched the conference. And I rediscovered my love for President Uchtdorf. I love him every. time. He is somethin else. (Best part of his talk was when he said "stalker cat" and "creepy cat") hahaha and the cat wasn't even that important in his story. It was like story time though and I was happy about it. I love him. And that was a good night. I'm grateful for the Smiths and their kindness and love they've shown me since they've been here. 

Sister Vassau and I. She is new. We have all the same clothes. It's funny. She's cute.

I have actually had a cold for about two weeks. I started getting it RIGHT before I got transferred. And then the cold really came. And I have been sick. I'm really bad at resting on my mission when I'm sick. I just hate resting as a missionary. Doesn't feel quite right. So my cold got pretty yucky. I went deaf. Hahaha!! My ears were just about as plugged as could be. And I kept pretending like nothing was wrong. (But I knew the whole time I wasn't well) soooo... It got worse and I had to call the doctor because I got an ear infection. BOOOO.

I had to stay home all day Friday. That was lame. And then I got the other sister in our apartment sick. HAHA. Woops. (Sorry hermana smith) but she made a great sick companion for the day. Our companions went out and went to our appointments while we stayed in and slept and drank water and stared at the wall for like the whole day. So fun. (No ew I hate being sick as a missionary more than anything.) but Docter Braithwaite got me a prescription and my ears came back to life and I can HEAR again. And now I'm back at it going strong. I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK. 

A new challenge we have: We are car-less. You guys. Remember one year ago when my companion and I didn't have a car in Connecticut? Because of our car accident? Well lucky me. Our car had a messed up bumper from the previous sisters and so we had to take it into the shop. And now we are left to find rides and walk everywhere. ITS MUY DIFICIL. But hey. Through the challenges we grow. So I'm like waiting for my growth to happen after this challenge. hah!! #growsistergrow

We also had interviews with President Smith!!! I love that man. We talked about life. Talked about school. Marriage. Family. Scriptures. All the good things. I LOVE him. 

We went to this Russian lady investigator's home to help her get everything ready for a tag sale and BOY she needs some helping hands. (She lets us have anything we want in her house. I picked a funny looking wet suit. I'll have to include a picture of me wearing it hahaha) anyways. We decided to round up the whole zone and we are going to go in like an army of missionaries to help her out. I feel really bad for her because she lives alone, and she needs to move and she can't do it on her own and she has no family and she hardly speaks English. So my heart aches for her. And I have loved talking to her and getting to know her. I've learned more about Russia. And that's always cool!! She's taught me some Russian and I decided that out of all the languages I've learned here in New York, Russian is the HARDEST for sure. Like what. This is how you say hello... "Zdravstvuyte" doesn't it look like mumbled letters? Yeah that's what it sounds like too. Hahahaha. Oh man.

Also. We got a baptismal date last week with an investigator in the YSA Ward. For November 21st. Woooooo. Happy. He is a Jehovah's Witness. So it's WAAAAY INTERESTING teaching him. But he's reading the Book of Mormon so all is going well. It's fabulous. 

So we have another YSA investigator. Haha. Let me just explain him in one word. SASSY.

And do you know what. My "sasster" side tends to come out when we're teaching him. So there's kind of a big background story to him. Let's see if I can be brief. Ok. So Heinen has been meeting with missionaries for like 2 years. And, no he is not progressing. (I'm so not about that no progression life.) Well I guess like a week before I was transferred here he told the sisters that he had a dream that the next sister would be the one to "baptize him." And so.. here I am. And like I'm not messin around. He is just a great big flirt. And sassy. And my first few times meeting with him I was like thinking to myself that it just hadn't felt like he had real intent. And I don't want to waste my last few months as a missionary messin around with young single adults. (Not to be rude) but like I want to meet with people that ACTUALLY want to progress. And want to come closer to Christ. So moving forward... Basically. We told Heinen that we couldn't continue to meet with him every week if he wasn't going to do his part and keep commitments. And argue with us. Haha. He always has an argument to the things we teach. (Waste of time.) so anyways. We told him that. And he was like a sassy master in that moment. I can't even explain. Well THEN. At testimony meeting at church he got up and apologized to us. In front of everyone!!!! HAHA. Awkward. I was dyyying. (That was an interesting testimony meeting.... Like Taylor swift was brought up three times over the pulpit) HA. Yeah. Then we met with him again. And he read some of the Book of Mormon!!! And then we invited him to be baptized and he said yes!!! We didn't set a date but STILL. He prayed too at our lesson yesterday and I was like WOOOOO. Maybe his heart is being softened!!! So he's great. When he swallows his sassiness. :)

K remember how we've been tracting and tracting? And not really finding and finding through tracting and tracting? .. WELL. My testimony of tracting is still SO STRONG. Because I'm not kidding you Heavenly Father blesses us when we JUST do the work. When we put our shoulder to the wheel and just do it. (He doesn't necessarily bless us in the way WE think He will... But He does bless us for our efforts.) Example: Yesterday we were at Target and there was a worker who came up to us and said "hey, are you Mormon?" We were like YEah we are.. And then he said "I'd love to learn more about what you believe." My jaw like dropped and I quickly responded um YEAH. So we are meeting with him tomorrow. And he is so normal. And so nice. And he just seems so sincere. I'm so excited to meet with him. We are going to bring a member and we are going to try to set a baptismal date with him. #FAITH so yeah. I totally believe that Heavenly Father blesses us with people to teach when we show him we want people to teach. He is real. And He knows my desires. He listens to my prayers!! He blesses me. He blesses me in the way that is best helping me to grow. I love Him. I know He does the same thing for ALL of His children. 

And a short thought that I've been pondering as I've been approaching the last bit of my mission:

"What lack I yet?" 

These words are in the lovely book of Matthew in the New Testament. Matthew 19. 

There was a rich man that came to the Savior and said "Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" And Christ basically said keep the commandments. Matthew 19:20 says "The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?" Okay. How cool. This young rich man is basically.. probably.. pretty close to perfection. (He has been keeping ALL at the commandments his whole life) and what a BOLD and humble question to ask. What lack I yet?? We ALL have things we need to overcome and improve before we can reach eternal life. Right? Let's be honest. We are JUST imperfect. 

Well Christ tells this man to go and sell what he has!!!! (This guy was rich) Christ was asking him to consecrate EVERYTHING. To give it all. And some of the saddest words in the bible are in

Mathew 19:22 "But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions." WAH. It's wasn't necessarily something he needed to stop doing that was keeping him from wholeness, but something he needed to DO. What more can WE DO to receive eternal life? What more can we give to the Savior? What are we holding back? What do we lack??? 

These are my questions I'm asking myself. I am just happy to still have time left in my mission. Time to give it MORE. To give it 120%. I'm so happy I came on my mission. I love what it's making out of me. Thanks to the atonement I am a better me :) I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love youuuu!!

Love abbeymariedunford 

upstate groovin

YOU GUYS. 

This is weird I feel like I am back home!! Hahaha but like my Connecticut home. This is where I was born as a missionary!! I keep asking myself if this is real life. AM I REALLY BACK HERE!?! It's beautiful. It's amazing. It's home!!! I LOVE IT. Feel like my city life was a dream. It's so weird. 

Also today we are going to get pedicures. YESSSSS. My feet deserve it after those long city walking months. I'm so excited. 

This next thing I'm going to say, I say out of all the charity in my heart but .... I first got to the apartment and I was dying over how unclean it was... OH MY. You guys some missionaries don't know how to clean. I was dying. I cleaned out the fridge, the closet, the bathroom, rearranged the furniture, cleaned out the shelf with all our pamphlets and Book of Mormons. I was NOT going to unpack until it was clean and felt like my new home. So Sister Taylor and the other two sisters got to see the clean side of me come out :) GOOD heavens people. Keep your homes clean. We have a VERY nice apartment. It has got to be taken care of!! So that the spirit can be with us!!! CLEAN Abigail gets real... Haha. 

ANYWAYS. IM BACK UPSTATE. Wooooooo PARTY. Let's talk about my week!!!

It was real good. Getting back into the upstate groove. It's such an adjustment!! The first thing that I was dying over was how quiet it was. I kept trying to pop my ears to see if I could like clear them out or something but I've realized it's just really so quiet!!! Wow!! I like it. 

The second thing I was dying over was the fact that I am now driving a car again!!!! I was actually horrified when I first put my foot on the gas. But then my driving skills quickly came back to me. And I feel as though I never left the driver seat to begin with. Cars are a blessing. We have a nice car. 

My new companion is Sister Taylor! She's from St. George UT. Yes! She's very sweet! We are different but getting along great! Working hard together!! 

There's definitely less work to do here than there was in my last area... So I kinda feel like we are starting over... BUT I've been so pumped to find people. I think Sister Taylor thinks I'm weird because of how excited I get when we go out to FIND. I'm like searching everywhere for a golden investigator. I love to share the gospel with people. 

Yesterday we went out to go tracting and I'm PRETTY sure that all 30 doors we knocked on we're Jewish. And guess what holiday it was.. Yom Kippur. Were they happy? NO. Hahahahahaha. It. Was. So. Funny. There was one door we knocked on and she screamed when she saw us and ran away. I was like okay.... It's not Halloween yet... And I didn't think I looked that bad?? Haha oh dear. GOOD OL TRACTING. Also it takes like 5 times as long to knock doors because the houses are SO far apart! But #exercise

Speaking of exercise, we have a gym at our apartment! Holla. LOVE IT. I've been listening to conference talks as I run. SO MOTIVATING. Hah. Kinda :)

Oh, another door we knocked on opened and literally said "hail satan." Then slammed the door shut. And then we looked at each other and shamelessly walked away. .. And then we also knocked on the minister of the Methodist church's door. He wasn't smiling at all when he opened the door. SO trying to find that golden investigator is going OH SO WELL. But I have so much faith that someone is ready here. Just need to keep searching for them.

Another funny thing. I was dying. One of the less actives we meet with told me that I need to go be an actress. WHAT. Again? Another person. That's like the tenth time I been told that. This is beginning to freak me out! Hahaha I honestly don't understand why. I mean I'm just me? Just abbey. I don't know man. I don't know.

We went to a YSA members wedding. So that would make her not so YSA anymore. But it was fabulous. It was in DARIEN. My old home. Hot dog!!! you guys... I forgot how big the homes are here. And also Greenwich CT is the richest zip code in the USA. HAHA. Jimmy Fallon has a home here. Also I heard Justin Bieber's mom has a home in Greenwich. I'm going to knock every door in the stinkin town. (Well all the ones that don't have a huge gate blockin their home) HA. Which would make our job easy. Narrowing down the homes to NONE. No teasin but really this is a wealthy wealthy wealthy place.... 

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. I've really been pondering how amazing missions are. And the growth that comes from them. I'm so excited to continue to push myself as hard as I can these last few months. I love my mission. I wish I had a really good spiritual thought to end this email but I don't really have the time right now! But here's a reminder: "Remember the words of your God; pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name by night. Let your hearts rejoice." 

I love prayer. I really like talking to Heavenly Father. It's always a relieving few moments when I pray :)

LOVE YOU!!!

Love Abigail.

OHMYGOODNESS

Helllllo! It's a big week!! You'll NEVER believe where I'm being transferred to... 

Haha. Back to CONNECTICUT!!!!!! Oh my goodness I LOVE CONNECTICUT. What a dream come truuuuueeeee!!!!! I kid you not I have wished my whole mission that I could go back to Connecticut again!!! It's beautiful. And I will be there for THE FALL again. Those Connecticut falls man.... I'm so blessed. I'm so blessed. I'm so blessed. I'm so blessed. I have been in the best areas my whole mission. WOWEEEEEEE. The Stamford zone. The best. I'm so happy. Oooooooooo. I will be in ANOTHER YSA Ward hahaha. And another family Ward. And I will still be training a new missionary. (I just can't quite get away from training new missionaries...) ha! Her name is Sister Taylor. She seems cute! My area is GIANT. Just to name a few of my favorite places there: Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, Weston, Westport, New Canaan, and much more.... HAPPY. Oh my goodness. I can't wait to go back and see some of my favorite people. YES CONNECTICUT. I love. Oh!!! And my cutey baby companion Sister Sam will be training a brand new missionary too!! I'm so proud of her. Good things coming. 

It is unreal that I was able to pack everything. HA. My suitcases are well over 50 pounds. Looks like something's gotta change there before I make my way back on an airplane hahaha. (I still got time folks. I still got time.)

Okay okay okay but not to forget such an AMAZING last week in my lovely Central MANHATTAN Zone. I probably sound pretty dramatic in some of my emails but oh my goodness I want you to really know how I am feeling. I AM GOING TO MISS THE PEOPLE HERE SO MUCH!!!! 

Ahhhhhhhh. My heart has never been so full of love. I feel like I'm being torn away from some of my people. It's so sad you guys. We have so many baptisms coming up. I'm devastated that I won't be here. But it's going to be okay. The new missionary coming is so so so lucky. As I said goodbye to our investigators I just wanted to cry. But you know what's so great? ITS NOT goodbye. I will see them again I know it. New York can't keep me away. 

My lovely people Claver and Alaza and Marie and Saidou and Deshawn and Moddestine and Mike and Laraine and Natasha and EVERYONE. 

Oh my heavens it really has been sad leaving this favorite city of mine. I love New York City and you all know that. New York City is my home. One of them :) I'm so happy I got to serve there for almost a year!!! #blessed.

We ate dinner with some of my favorite members. (They're French) from France. Um coolest people you'll ever meet in you life. Literally everything about them is so French and I could cry of how much I want to be like them. We ate in their dreamy French style apartment and ate a Jerusalem dinner and had poached pears with melted chocolate for dinner. Heaven. Mai oui. J'étais heureux.

I feel so blessed. Oh dear.

Something I LOVED last week, (and I thought of my sista sista Ellie girl,) was when I went on exchanges with ma CHINATOWN sistas. I love them so much. We were having way too much fun. I have learned too much Chinese. I love it. I am probably so annoying now as I walk around speaking Chinese all the time. (Chow how shiow) that is how you say HILARIOUS. Haha Ellie correct me if I'm wrong. Oh goodness. I'm having so much fun speaking Chinese. The Chinese sisters were amazed at all the Chinese I already knew from my little sister Ellie! They were dying when I counted to 100 in Chinese. I loved it hahaha. Woo woo go China!! (Wo jiow du je me) I don't know. I think I just said I'm Sister Dunford. I love Chinese.

Sunday we got to go to the world wide broadcast of the YSA ces devotional. Elder Witney L. Clayton from the seventy spoke. He came up to Sister Sam and I before it started and started talking to us. Shook our hands. Was way way way nice. Asked us how the work was. So that was cool. The devotional was great but I liked the sacrament meeting before the devotional way better. It was all 3 YSA wards in Manhattan at the Manhattan temple/chapel. So cool. The spirit was amazing as the sacrament was passed to SO MANY people. It was silent. Awesomeness. 

HAHA oh my goodness. After the devotional there was a YSA member (he is not so normal) that's sounds rude but I don't mean that rude... Anyways. When he found out I was being transferred he told me he loved me. I will leave out the details. But it's probs a good thing I'm being transferred away. HAHAHAHAH. Too many Sister Dunford lovers. (I don't want that to sound cocky either Hahahaha) I honestly have just died at the amount of people that have confessed their love to me. ITS INSANE. Sister missionaries are not supposed to be loved like that. Ha ha ha. Ah. So funny.

I have felt this overwhelming feeling of love as I have been saying goodbye to my people here. OH my heavens. I'm so grateful. My heart is filled with gratitude. How happy I am that I got to come to this part of the world and meet people that I was ALWAYS supposed to meet. God was preparing me my whole life for these people and these experiences. I love Heavenly Father. I'm just happy. I love the gospel. I can't explain. I love my parents. Mom, dad, thank you so much for raising me in the gospel. I love it so much. I love you both. 

So now for a short closing thought. 

I LOVED when Elder Witney L Clayton spoke in sacrament meeting. He talked about being still. He told of when he went to the Manhattan temple for his first time and was amazed at the silence inside those walls. He said there are people here in NY that have never even heard the absence of sound like there is inside the temple walls. People that are born and raised in NY never hear complete silence. There's always a siren in the distance, or always traffic, people talking, loudness all around. He likened the temple to US. He said, we MUST learn to BE STILL inside of ourselves even with all the noises of the world outside of us. When we are "still" inside, we can receive revelation and build faith. When we build faith it starts the cycle of the doctrine of Christ. And we are being perfected more and more each day. We need to live the doctrine. We MUST "be still and know that He is God." D&C 101:17.

We should be wise enough to "be still." 

Be STILL. I love you. I love this whole situation that I'm in. I love Christ. I love God! I love. 

Love abba