Vernal Utah

Howdy Ya'll!

Welcome to vernal Utah, land of the dinosaurs! So I have experienced the most coldest weather in Utah ever! with most nights in the negatives. So Long Johns, Tights, and 4 pairs of socks have become my best friend. Today, is P-day, and we went and did cross fit with the elders, and that was fun, I nearly died doing just the warm ups. Cross Fit is just super crazy. Then woke up this morning to 4 inches of snow O___O more snow on the way, what can I say.

So last week we went to the Dinosaur museum here in Vernal, and that is really cool, and if it wasn't -100 degrees out side and with out that blanket of snow I would have liked to gone out to the dinosaur quarry. But just so you know my theory on dinosaurs... i don't think that they were ever on the earth. I personally think that Heavenly Father took earth from other planets that has been created and used that to create the earth. He couldn't have made the earth from nothing. So in that earth were the dinosaurs... really i don't know don't care they'r just fascinating.

Sad news, found out on Tuesday last week that my grandpa McFarlane passed away in Corpus Christi Texas. I'm not quite sure of the details, but the elders in my district(s) were very sweet and made me a basket of things, mostly stuffed toy's and a glass mug from Elder Fry.  Haha. And they delivered it to our Apartment the day after I found out about my grandfather's passing. They'r so sweet. Except it wasn't a original idea, because I did it last week of one of the elders, but that doesn't really matter right.

Went to the Vernal Temple for the first time on Thursday, and its such a beautiful temple And then I went again with the Elders on Friday. Elder Aguirre (ah-gee-rey) was on Splits with Elder Hatch, because Elder Hatch's Companion is only a trial missionary for 12 weeks and has not gone through the temple, so Elder Hatch went with Elder Aguirre.  (they're the two that brought the basket over.)  I just love my elders here, they're so Great!

Me and Sister Quinnelly (Quin, nelly)

Elder Aguirre, Elder Hatch, Sister Quinnelly, and Me

Vernal Temple Sign

Yeah, don't ask

Beatuiful Companionship right there!

Yup. Then Elder Guzman, haha he's Elder Aguirre's companion from texas, oh wait they're both from texas. And Last monday Elder Guzman let his companion cut his hair and ended up with a bald spot on the top of his head. It was Super funny. :) there are random dinosaurs around Vernal, in which i'll eventually get pictures of. Going to the FBI office today and will get pictures of that, and this will be fun!

 

Then some epic moments happened Just this morning..... So this morning we were going to go meet up with the Elders at CrossFit.... Well my companion was cleaning the snow off of the car and tried to get into the car and she's like Sister McFarlane, the Car doors are frozen shut! and I'm like are you serious.  She's like yeah, we need to figure out to get them unfrozen, and call the elders. So i call the elders, and i'm like elders, our car doors are frozen shut we either we can't make it to Crossfit, or someone has to come get us. and in the background I hear "We're coming to save you!" and Elder Aguirre is like we're coming to get you. We hung up. I walk over to the car and tried to open the car doors, and it didn't act like it was un locked. and I'm like Sister Quinnelly, are you sure that you un locked the car? And She's like yeah, but i can try it again. So she un locks the car and i pull the door open... The Car was only Locked!!! So I called the Elders back and said Never Mind we were saved by a miracle. :) Then we tried to drive out of te drive way, but we could not get out of the drive way there was too much snow, so we had to shovel some snow so that we could leave.  Then we couldn't find the crossfit place, and I was half convinced that the lord did not want us there. But eventually we made it.  Later that morning after Cross Fit, we were making breakfast and I was going through our Freezer. And i remembered the Elders got me a bar of ice cream, so i pull it out and opened it to realize that it was just bubbles, no ice cream what so ever.  I felt like an idiot! was like dang it, its just a bottle of bubbles, told the elders and they just laughed. 

 

Yeah life is going great here in Vernal.!

Ciao

Sister McFarlane

Transfers 1-16-13

Today, we the missionaries of the Utah-Provo Mission (UPM) recieved our Transfer Calls from the Mission President and this Assistants. President McCune Called us this morning and told me and my companions the results of our transfers. My companion sister wood, is being transferred to my old area back in Orem with Sister Smith. I miss that area and I know that Sister Wood will enjoy it. My other companions sister Mamea is staying in American Fork and she is training a new sister fresh from the MTC. And I your beloved Sister Whitney AnnMarie McFarlane is getting transferred out to Vernal, Utah. Where right now its -3 with a low of -12 tonight. But the rest of the week looks promising with lows above zero. So here in American Fork it's currently 5 degrees and I'm out running around in Sandals and a sweater and jeans, because it's P-day and we felt like going to do emails and then go home. I'm enjoying this warm weather before i go out to Vernal. haha, I'm crazy. But what can you say. Normally i'm wearing layers and I'm still cold when it's 12 degrees out, but now i'm going out somewhere that will barely get that high, i'm going to Freeze to death. haha.

This past weekend we have been having fun in our new apartment. For the first week there, we didn't have a microwave and we were making lemon bars and we forgot to take the butter out to soften it over night. SO me and my loverly companions had to stick the butter in the oven to soften it, and again it melted most of it. haha.

 

Yeah, and thats my HUGE bowl of Oatmeal too. But this is how we sister missionaries roll when we don't have the proper equipment to bake things. Lemon Bars are the best.

 

For the past couple of weeks me and my companions were battling the cold bug, and it has been said that Utah has the worst case of the Flu, and I haven't had my flu shot yet, yikes i just pray that i don't get the flu, being down while on the mission is no good, because you then have to figure out who can stay with you while your companion goes out with someone else. But I am so grateful for our American Fork Dad and Mom that we could go back to their house after we've moved out to still get our oil treatments from mom and finally got a blessing from Dad, and after we got the blessing we all felt better the next day, which i'm really grateful. But we still have the lingering Cough, but i'm no longer coughing things up, or waking up with head aches. Which is a great blessing.

 

Well my friends, his is sister McFarlane signing out for the week!

 

Peace

New Years

Well 2012 is finally coming to the end, and what does that mean for us? A new start on new things, new goals to achieve and such. A complete start over.  Just this past week we get a call from our mission office, saying that they had found us a new place to stay and that we had to move on January 3rd. We were quite upset because we didn't want to move out of our apartment that we were staying, we love our land lords they're quite awesome. But they (the mission) said that we had to move out because our landlord's twin boys will be 16 in march and their oldest son will be home from his mission in June, so it was inappropriate for Sister Missionaries to be living there. We completely understand that, but the only thing we don't understand is that why they decided to move us in the middle of the transfer instead at the end, which is in two weeks. But I guess its a new start to a new year. :)

So we went and checked out the new house, its just as nice as the one that we're living in right now. And we are the first people to live in their downstairs apartment, that they just got done building. So that's pretty exciting. We also are now living with an elderly couple just down the street from the Tempanogos Temple.. oh wait we were already living down the street from there. :) So now this week we are going to be packing up and cleaning up our apartment and getting ready to move out. So this will be fun.

I'm just going to say that Me + Snow+ Ice+ Shuffling= A bruised bum! Just this morning as i was walking down the stairs to our apartment to get my wallet, I slipped and fell on the stairs, just adding more bruises to my bottom! Then last night while I was Shuffling (if you don't know what Shuffling is, look up truffle shuffle on youtube) and down i went landing on my elbow, that hurt. My companions laughed, because sometimes I purposely slip and slide on the ice and i say i'm not going to fall, then when i slipp accidently I fall.. >_< so epic.

Then it gets even more epic, we went to little ceaser's to get a pizza, crazy bread and italian cheese bread for our new years party. So we were there at a quarter to 9 and i ordered. We went to the store to get ranch for our pizza. Didn't even think to look at the pizza to make sure that everything was right. So now at home, we're doing our planning and I just wanted to eat my bread sticks, mouth watering and such. So after planning I opened the box to find a Heart Shaped Cheese pizza inside. I was FURIOUS! So freaking mad! (mind you this is at 10 pm now) and I was like We need to go back to little ceasers and get this corrected. I was taking everything that happened to me during the day really well, but when i saw that cheese pizza that blew the top, I had enough and i had to go and correct it. So we go back to little ceasers, past curfew and I walk in (mind you i'm in my footie pajamas) and I'm like, "I was here about an hour ago and I had ordered italian cheese bread and when i opened the box I found this," I opened the box. and the manager's like "We were looking for that, because one of our employees had made it for his girlfriend. We're glad you brought it back. So they gave me my cheese bread. I walked out with a grin on my face, my companions were in the car parked next to the store, and I'm happy as can be. Next thing you know, I'm on the ground. Stupid ice! I officially hate ICE, i don't want to move anywhere that has snow! UGH. My companions start laughing, i myself didn't care if I was hurt, i was more worried about ruining my Cheese bread, went though all that to get it just to have it ruined by the snow. But to my luck the only thing was hurt was my bottom and ankle. I promise you it will never ever happen again!

 Weill Report again next monday!

Snow in American Fork.

Alright, so I haven't seen snow since 2010 when I went up to Wisconsin for my grandfather's funeral. Then I get my Mission Call to Provo Utah, I'm like ok, that mean's i'm going to be experiencing snow. And driving in it. Well, now i don't have to drive in it cause of my incident back in September, but i am sure now experiencing it :) Here are some loverly pictures of my snowy day's in Utah. I prayed for a white Christmas, and thats what i Got!

This is In Orem, back in November, this is an investigators

house that had a LOT of snow.

Got a little bit of snow in American Fork, so I wrote

on the Car windows

Epic Snow Man that me and my Companions built

with our landlord's son Logan

After building the snow man, we made Snow angels,

Mine is on the Left, Sister Mamea's in the center and Sister

Wood on the Right, Logan is on top

Snow Christmas Eve

This here was when I kidnapped my Companions bunny and put him in

a bag on the car mirror.

Here I am in Sandals standing in about 2 inches of snow :)

Helping the LandLords son's Bronson and Lincolin shovel snow from the

drive way.

We're working so hard! :P

12-26-2012 Snow fort built by Bronson, Sister McFarlane and

Sister Wood! :) It was epic

our Supply of snow balls that got snowed on during the night.

12-26-2012 Snow Fort built by Logan, Lincolin and sister Mamea,

They built it almost like a igloo

Beautiful picture of the sun set on the snow in the trees. 

Taken at the mission home in Provo.

My Name written on the car

Snow man, that kinda sort of looks like Elmo. Built at the Mission home

with my bare hands, no gloves, gee can't you tell i'm from the south.

Looking at these pictures, can't you tell how much fun i'm having here in the Utah-Provo Mission. All of ya'll that are in California (meaning you elder reinhardt) Bragging about how nice it is, well i'm just going to say, Too bad ya'll aren't here enjoying the fun snow with me. :P I love you.   Now there is about a foot of snow on the ground and its going to stay for a while.

Picks from the Mission

Shoveling The Snow

Shayliah Lassen's Baptism

Serge Katawalabala's Baptism, he's from Congo

Brayden Hurt's Baptism

Damage from Hitting the Fire Hydrant

Jeremy Jordan's Baptism

Louis Johnson's Baptism

Kallie Terry's Baptism

Aaron Serine's Baptism

Mike Jones' baptism, we had to throw this together last minute

He's from texas and watned to be baptized by his future father in law

so he comes to Utah and we had to put it together.

Carolyn Mitchell's baptism, 79 Years old

Adrian Beltran's Baptism

Aidan Smith's baptism

Nathe Lovetts baptism taught him in 2 weeks

Me and Sister Barrera, she's from Houston Texas

This is what happenes when you leave your camera laying round with

a room full of Elders >__<

Snow!

Brother Gifford, the highlight of Christmas!

Christmas in the Mission

First off, its finally Christmas and as a Mission we have done alot.  On wedensday December 19th all the sisters in the mission got together and had an activity. We first went to Pizza Pie Cafe off of University Parkway in Provo for lunch. I Love that place! I can't tell you how many pizza eating contest i've had with the elder's there when we had district lunch.  After that we went to the mission home, where Sister McCune shared a spiritual thought on Sister Dibb's Conference talk "Know it, Live it, Love it." In which we all made bracelets, the Blue bead represented Know it, the Gold represent Live it and Red for Love it. It was fun, i made an anklet, but then it broke! :( So had to fix it. We then made Gingerbread houses, and frosted Cookies. I happened to be the only Sister covered in Frosting, why me? haha. We did a white elephant exchange and that was a lot of fun, we all ended up liking the gifts we picked. So that was good, because i've been to white elephants before where it turned real ugly real quick. So that was good. Around 6:00pm we went to Riverwood an outdoor mall, and we sang christmas carols.  Let's just say that by the end of the night, my toes were numb, i could not feel them. ((Also i built a mini snowman with my bare hands, no gloves, my fingers were bright red)

When we were in provo on Wednesday, there was about 3-4 inches of snow on the ground, same with Orem, but American Fork where I'm at, its like a bubble, NO snow! :( So we're praying for a white christmas. Snow snow snow! :)

Then On Thursday December 20th, we had A zone conference. There were three of the six zones there. We had the opportunity to hear from the artist Greg Olsen. That was an amazing experiance, he talked about how he was inspired to do each of his paintings. After that President McCune talked to us (and I being in the front row was picked on to read scriptures!) We then heard from elder Bedenbaugh, and Elder bishop they gave their final testimonies. Then we had lunch, which was DELICIOIUS! Loved it. We had a talent show, where a few of us got up and did something. There were some really good talents. 3 elders put together a skit and a video, impersonating President McCune and the Assistant to the Presidents, it was too funny. Then Me and my companion Sister wood played a clarinet duet, two songs, O little town of Bethlehem and Silent night. We had planned to play It came upon a midnight clear and Hark the Hearld Angels sing, but for some reason when we were practing right before we went up, my clarinet was not making the connections from a low note to the high note, and I did everything i knew to fix it but it still continued to do so.

At the end of the conference, we were given our packages that they had been holding since Dec 10. And I want to thank my brother Jason for the Blanket that he Sent me. And my sister Melissa for the two things of Stamps, i now have over 70 stamps! Keep em coming. I have letters to write. haha. But seeing all the other missionaries get a lot of packages and stuff it bummed me out. I got really sad thinking that no one really misses me or what not, but then i was like you know what, its not about the gifts, its about the birth of Christ! So i got over it really quickly. 

I hope all of you have a very merry christmas, and hope to hear from ya'll soon! My address is

Sister Whitney A. McFarlane
Ut-Provo Mission
85 N 600 E
Provo Ut, 84606

:) love ya'll

BRRR and a snowman or two

Well, it is December. Do we know what that all means? Temperature under 30's during the day and down in the 20's at night, Snow, and more snow and Ice.  Yup, let me tell you this little suthern girl is just loving the Freezing weather out here! Ha Ha

Updates.

I am now currently in American Fork, Utah. I had been transfered from Orem after being there for 4 1/2 months. I have had 7 baptisms down in Orem and now looking for ward for 3 more in which i can go down and witness. My companion from japan went home in October. And i was joined by Sister Smith from Canada, and Sister Barrera from Houston Texas.  We were together for a total of 6 weeks and then I was moved. I was bummed, because I love Orem! I love the people there. Now here in American For, I am with Sister Wood from California, and Sister Mamea from American Samoa.  THEY ARE AWESOME

There are some of the weirdest things found here in utah, and I'm just so glad to have the camera on hand to take some of these epic pictures :) 

I want to wish all of you a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I thank all of you for your support and love. 

Whit