Another week gone in a snap! Where does the time go??

Monday was crazy. Tuesday was even crazier because we went to the CARDINALS GAME!

Oh it was so much fun! I got to see so many people from my old areas because it was Mormon night and there were just a lot of people there. It was awesome! Seeing my friends was definitely my favorite part since the Cardinals played horribly and totally lost to the Rays. What the heck?

Then after the game the family that took us there took us to get Ted Drews- which is the best ice cream eva! But we didn't get home until midnight. Which is REALLY late for missionaries who are used to always going to bed by 10:30 and we still had to of course wake up at 6:30 the next morning. Oh we were so tired. Sister Masino and I were laughing all day because we were totally delusional and nothing we said made any sense.

We've been teaching the Smith Family and they are doing awesome! The mom and dad came to church yesterday and really want to be baptized. Their daughter who is 12 wants to be baptized as well and her little brother who is seven is so cute. Oh I just love this family. They have been meeting with missionaries for a while now and are really trying to get baptized before they move to Texas at the end of the month. We are praying and hoping that everything goes the way they want it to. We've had some really good lessons with them.

I love teaching with Sister Masino. We are so unified and always on the same page. Our lessons are powerful and really generate the Spirit. We are also teaching a sweet old lady named Jean who has been taking the lessons for a while as well. We talked with her about the Book of Mormon and she is really enjoying reading it. She will be coming to church next Sunday. :)

Sister Masino got really sick on Thursday and so we worked it out so that she could stay home with one of the other sister missionaries in our district while I went out and taught with her companion. Poor Sister Masino was feeling horrible. She got to sleep and I was happy to be able to still meet with our investigators.

Franchesca is a girl we are teaching in the Gilberts home. She is an amazing individual and is really searching for truth. She grew up Catholic and is in her last year of college. We taught her the restoration and she was very open and receptive to it. She is a very spiritual person and gave a beautiful prayer at the end of our discussion. She was really talking to our Heavenly Father and asking for direction. I can't wait to meet with her again. She said she will be baptized when she knows it's true.

That night we also went to teach Sarah and Andrew. They are open to all religions and are just awesome people. I would honestly hang out with them outside of being a missionary. They currently go to a Baptist church but are always searching for more truth. They had so many questions that we were there for almost two hours... probably the longest lesson I have ever had on my mission. But it was really good! We will meet with them every Thursday.

Oh! We also had zone conference for the St. Louis zone! That was awesome. We helped our investigator Sandy pack up her house. Planned for Columbia's zone conference. Saw other people. It's just been an awesome week! Lot's of miracles happening! I wish I could tell you all everything but my fingers hurt from typing so fast and so much haha!

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so happy.

Sister Masino and I get along perfectly. We are so alike and are always on the same page. We say the same thing all the time and are really unified. I am so lucky to have her as my companion!

The ward is awesome. Area is beautiful. We have a pretty big teaching pool. I love the apartment and my bed is so comfy!

Being an STL is great but we spend a lot of time planning and going to meetings. We are over six sister companionships and will be going on exchanges about twice a week and I'm so excited! It's going to be awesome!

Tomorrow is Mormon Night at the Cardinals stadium and about half our mission is going! I am so stoked!!! If you guys want to turn on the game, you might see me on TV!

It's really fun to be involved in planning zone conferences and trainings and all that stuff. The ward is great and we are working hard. This is my first time in my mission I have not been senior companion! We are co-senior and we can switch off driving and just do everything together. It's so fun to finally be with an experienced missionary. Totally different. This is going to be the best transfer and definitely the fastest.

We got a less active to church! And we got a new investigator on our first day together. Awesome. Love you all!!!!!!

Sister Collett

Totally thought that I would end out my mission in Jacksonville... Nope! Wrong-o! I have been called to be the new Sister Training Leader for the North St. Louis Zone! Just in case you are reading this and have no idea what it means to be a Sister Training Leader... the mission is split up into zones that consist of districts which are small groups of missionaries in an area. There are Zone Leaders (elders) and Sister Training Leaders who are responsible for each zone. My job will be to go on exchanges with all of the sisters in that zone as well as go to the meetings and give trainings at zone conference. I'm pretty stoked. And I will be serving in O'Fallon with Sister Masino! I hear from everyone that O'Fallon is awesome- that the members are great and always willing to help. Some missionaries have told me it was their favorite area to serve in.

I'm also going to be in a really nice apartment, which is a huge plus! I can't even tell you how blessed I feel. I often sit and just reflect on how much the Lord loves me. I really don't even understand why he loves me so much and why I have had such a perfect mission. It's not over yet, but so far it has been exactly what I needed and wanted. I love everything about my mission and am so excited to finish out this last transfer with a bang. I'm going to give my absolute all and make sure that I come home completely exhausted.

Sister Sims is getting a sister named Sister Fernandez and she is awesome. Sister Sims is nervous and I'm going to miss her but I know they will do great together. There are a lot of people here in Jacksonville that I have come to know and love and will definitely miss. I am so grateful for the Jacksonville ward and all the things I have learned here. Here are some pictures to highlight my time here.

The last one is of Teresa who is getting baptized in August!

I'm so bad at emailing now.... I think I'm just going to send pictures now :)