I've relocated

Well People,
Its about time I wrote you all, huh? Sorry but there has been so much going on that at times it is difficult to write you all and tell you what's going on. Ok so I have been transferred for the first time. I am now in Susquehanna ward and serving in the Baltimore Stake. Unfortunately, I think this is somewhat the closest I'll ever get to serving in/by/near Baltimore. My companion is Sis. Garbett. She is a Temple Square Sister and will only be here for one more transfer after this. I miss my last companion Sis. Faamoe but that's how the mission goes. You love em them leave em. It's sad but hey at least you have lifetime friends. I went to church yesterday and the ward seems pretty friendly. It's a lot more populated that my last area so im able to do a lot of street contact and we knocked our apts last week. Everyone was really nice, let's be honest you dont get that too much. It was really difficult last week when i was leaving my area because i had been in that ward for 6 months and when the members found out i was leaving they didnt help by calling and telling me all these really nice things. They were sad i was sad we were ALL sad.. lol. I took it kinda hard i guess. Your heart just grows so much for all the people then youre told you have to leave and start all over with a new area. It's tough but every part is worth it. Although none of you really faithful friends have sent me a letter in a while i guess i'll still post my address in case someone decides to be nice... LOL. I officially realized that i've been out awhile when no one remembers me. I would put LOL but im crying inside... lol JKJK. Anyways I love you all. And I'll be sure to keep you all posted and i promise next week ill add more pics. So dont worry

New Addy:
Sister Phylicia Norris
317 Stevens Cir apt 2d
Aberdeen, MD 21001

I'm Back!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello EVERYONE!!! I know you guys thought I forgot about you and well maybe I did... Lol no i'm kiddin i'm kiddin. I miss you all and I've been so busy that i literally spend no time writing people on Monday I just hang out and try to do as much as nothing as I possibly can. Sounds crazy but you have no idea. By the time Monday hits I just want to sleep but instead we go play soccer of volleyball or something else and then do lunch and somehow by the time we do that P-day is over and were ready to go teach. So these past two weeks or so have been pretty tough. I didnt receive a letter or anything for about 2 weeks and that was really hard. I guess my greenie phase is over. I'm at the part of my mission where I get no love and everyone just forgets about you. LOL! It seems as if the world is getting smaller and smaller by the way every week or so i get an email or something saying they know someone who's serving in my mission. From Ozzie in Brasil to Susan in Washington to Bishop Seegmiller in Tennessee. I have come to realize that is a REALLY REALLY small world. I want everyone to know that the work is progressing and we should be having another baptism at the end of the month. I have been in the area since i got here so i dont know if i will make it another transfer without being transferred somewhere else unfortunately. I just love the people here and that would be so hard for me but i know its coming so i might as well "man up" and deal with it. On the other hand i love you all and will write again sometime. Hope everyone is doing well!!!

BURRRRHHHHH FROM THE STATE OF MARYLAND !!!! Its been so cold here its unreal. We have had over 3 ft of snow since last fri and We have been grounded inside the house since basically last fri and now its Wednesday... UGHHH its horrible, the worst thing you can do as a missionary is nothing. You begin to go insane, An hour or two of down town is fine but after that you're just driving yourself nuts. So my companion and i have been reading the scriptures all day long you know kinda like we do everyday but this time from cover to cover in the Book of Mormon. We are having a load of fun actually learning from one another and understanding what we're reading its pretty awesome. We have had the amazing opportunity to help our neighbors shovel their intensely long driveways and talking to them has been fun, introducing ourselves and tell them that we actually LIKE to shovel yards... Its so funny seeing the looks on their faces they think we are absolutely crazy! And we probably are. but oh well its awesome!! Service is amazing!! I woke up the other day and i was sooo sore from shoveling it was unreal. I thought about Alma in the Book of Mormon when he was talking about his sins and he said "and oh what marvelous light i did behold; yea and my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain... there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy" thats exactly how i felt. i was in soo much pain but at the same time my joy exceeded everything that i was feeling knowing that i had helped someone. it was great. By the way i would like everyone to know i have missed more days of church on my mission than i have when i was back home. (I didnt miss any back home by the way). But since i have been here church has been cancelled about 5 or 6 times because of the weather. These Marylanders are trying to tell me that this doesnt happen every winter but i'll believe it the next winter when im here if it doesnt happen again. Ok well i dont want to make this long i havent been able to really teach to tell you all some good stuff but i miss you all and love you greatly. oh and a little ps our recently baptized convert is still not a member of the Church because she has not been confirmed since church has been cancelled ever since... Boy what an adventure i tell you. "FIND JOY IN THE JOURNEY NOW PEOPLE"- President Thomas S. Monson

WELL WELL WELL people where do i begin... Training is kicking my behind!! I must say the minute I think I have it together the Lord tells me that i don't. SO it's been quite the experience! I love it though. I have done a lot of learning and laughing i can tell you that. My companion, Sister Faamoe, is just AWESOME!!! I LOVE THIS GIRL!!!! We tell the funniest stories at night about all of our friends and family man i can not wait for you all to meet this girl. She will for sure come visit when I'm home and she gets off her mission!! I love her just as much as i did my first companion SIster KIteau... equally but differently!! I have been truly learning more about God's Plan for us and how he really wants to return to HIm. I have also been learning to follow the promptings of the Spirit. Its just great. It really is essential in this work. God is without a doubt keeping me grounded and showing me how much he wants me to grow by giving 2million and 1 trials and stumbling blocks, just so i can feel a portion of what our Savior did. To let everyone im still in the same area and we have a baptsm set up for this weekend. WE have been teaching an amazing girl named Catrina and we love her so much she is overcoming some obstacles and we have walked with her every step of the way, and she knows it. Which is the best part!!! SHe trust us and it feels amazing. This will be the first baptism this ward has had in almost two years. I'm estatic and hope and pray that everything goes through! I love her sooo much and she is truly becoming more and more converted each and everyday to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!! AHHH i cant say enough how much i love her. I will keep you all posted. She has an amazingly strong testimony and its great. I dont have much to say this time but i love you all and will talk to you all soon!!! HAHA SOON??? that was funny anyways love you all

Ohhh my goodness friends and family where do i begin!! So this is my third transfer in the field and guess what??? I'M TRAINING!!! What in the world is Heavenly Father thinking putting me in the position. I don't think i have ever questioned Him before but this has got to be some kind of mistake. I have no idea what I'm doing and I'm suppose to teach someone else?? What is going on?? lol Ok so maybe it's not that bad but guys here's the truth this is a really challenging calling. I was so scared, president called me the day of transfers at 7:30 in the morning and told me "the Lord put it in his heart to call me as a trainer." I couldn't believe it. I was soo nervous, taking over my area and i don't know much. Everything took me back to my farewell talk when I quoted Harold B. Lee "Whom God calls He qualifies." I want to be honest I have never been more scared in my life. I felt (and still feel) so inadequate, incompetent, small, unprepared etc when he called me to be a trainer. This is the Lord's work i didn't want anything to stop the progression of it. Then I read my Patriarchal Blessing and it says "You will be able to lead in leadership roles. You will be able to teach these brothers and sisters that you will be called to work with the things they need to know." Way to wake me up, huh. I have truly learned a valuable lesson in this past week and that is to "trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." Guys, I want to semi-quote Bishop Seegmiller here for a minute and let you all know that i did NOT get called to be a trainer because I'm some GREAT missionary, but because I probably need the most work to improve myself. I took my trainer for granted a lot and I can see that now. She taught me a lot she truly was/is great!! Now I'm on my own teaching someone straight from the MTC, the same place i was 3 months ago. I pray so hard that I will teach her what she needs to know so she too can love the people and teach them by the Spirit of the Lord that is going to guide and direct her path. I want you all to know that I love this work and although this is now the toughest time I've had so far I would change it for the world. I have become a strong believer of sacrifice brings forth blessings. I have yet to have a baptism but my success isn't measured in that. What's amazing is how converted I'm becoming from all the experiences that I have. Don't get me wrong I didn't come on a mission to serve myself but anyone who has served knows you go out to serve the people but you learn a lot more than you probably will ever teach them. WE'LL YOU'S GUYS (I mean i am in MD) Until next time, I LOVE YOU ALL. DON'T FORGET TO WRITE ME!!!!!!!!

Wow sooo I must confess my dearest bloggers, I was homesick for the past month. The holidays have been really hard. I have never, since I was born, spent a Thanksgiving away from my family. Isn't that crazy? It was hard for me to focus on the work and I wasn't fulfilling my duties as a missionary I guess you could say. I was obedient but it was just hard to focus. And then I read a quote in Preach My Gospel that said something along the lines of "If a missionary works theres is no time for homesickness..." Which is sooo true. I have loved this work since day one although it was difficult for me thinking about home, worrying about the family for no apparent reason. Now we're working our tails off even more and boy does it feel GOOD. I'm no longer homesick and I'm soo sad it took so long to get out of it. Christmas is right around the corner but i have no worries. I wanted to share another story that really touched my heart and soul. My companion and i are teaching a boy named Hayden (i may have talked about him before) Hayden is blind and partially deaf but has a hearing aid and communicates very well. HE teaches me a lot more than WE teach him, i can tell you that. Yesterday we took the elders to sing to Hayden. HE has heard them before at a baptism and was really impressed with them. The elders sang a song called "How Can I Be." It's a song about all the prophets in the Book of Mormon and how can we be like them (YOUTUBE it if you dont know what im talking about). When the elders were done HAyden immediatelt got up and just began to cry we asked him what was wrong and he said "the music was beautiful, and sometimes when people hear beautiful they cry, and those people are ME!" It was amazing, the spirit works through music like you wouldnt believe. I thought I loved music but i realized last night that i will never be able to understand how soothing the stroke of a keyboard or strum of a chord must sound to one who has never seen the emotions of a performers face or the scenes of a musical. I can never imagine how powerful the gift of song is to someone like Hayden. I held back my tears as I came to the realization that i will never understand all the things in this life but i do know that my Father in Heaven loves all his children and has made us all completely different and unique yet all equal. I love this work. I am dedicated to it and I appreciate EVERY MOMENT i get to come closer to my Savior its unreal!

ALrighty people this entry is going to be filled with just randomness so prepare yourselves...
My area is awesome im still in Damascus, MD the people are awesome. My comp and i are working super hard with members and providing service for everyone we can. So heres something cool, we help out one of our investigators one or two times a week and she has a barn. Its sooo cool this little girl from the suburbs gets to deal with horses, fed them, and walk them, put them in the stable, and talk to them. Man i would love to own a horse (theyre good listeners)... As my mom is probably shaking her head right now. Who woulda thunk that a girl had to leave texas to become a really country girl! We have also been shoveling snow, raking leaves moving stuff and doing whatever anyone asks us to do! MAn i love this work its sooo SELFLESS. Its amazing not having to worry about yourself. "Therefore Take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewithal shall we be clothed." HE knows all. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God..." (Matt 6:31-33) Anyways this is my last story you'll love it!!!!
Ok so i would like to tell you all the most awkward thing that has happened on my mission so far... last week we were teaching this super powerful spirit filled lesson to this lady whose husband, unfortunately, is a raging alcoholic. He was upstairs asleep when all of a sudden my companion and i (who are facing the staircase) see a set of really skinny hairy legs coming down the stairs... they keep coming, we keep looking, and its her husband coming down with no pants on it was the most AWKWARD AND DISGUSTING thing EVER. WE almost died!!! He was wearing a hoodie and tightie whities (his hoodie was tucked in the undies mind you)!!! UGHHH he gets to the bottom and his pants are hanging on the stairs and he's like "ohh HEllo Mormon GIrls!!" My companion and i are staring at the ground at this time. Our pure minds completely violated/shattered/whatever other word you wanna add here. ahh it was horrible... man it was hilarious! uhh i mean gross, yea gross. lol. I felt bad the lady was so embarrassed. HECK SO WERE WE! But that story is worth telling. Anyways my dearest friends and family i love you all, until next time! hopefully ill have some more funny stuff to tell.