Letter Date 5/11/2015

 

Dear Everyone,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mothers Day and I am so glad that I got to talk to my family yesterday and say hello to them :) Miss them tons but I know I am right where I am supposed to be. 

I can't believe how fast the time is flying by!!!! This Wednesday I hit my halfway mark and I don't even know what to think! Its weird how the time just slips away from you when you aren't even paying attention to it.

Well its a new transfer so that means that there was some changes. I am still in the Elk Grove Zone they just moved me to two new wards here. So I said my goodbyes to Vineyard (even though I do have to drive through Vineyard to get to one of my areas) and said hello to my next door neighbor Gerber and also said hello to Wilton! :) I am super excited to be serving in these wards and am looking forward to getting to know all of the members in these wards. :) New adventures are waiting out there!!!! :)

I also got a new companion Sister Boata and she is from a place that is in the Pacific Ocean. I think its part of the Gilbert Islands. But she is super cool and still working on her English so I am glad to be helping her with that :) Been out 13 months so she is just right ahead of me :) She's a super good missionary and I love her and am really excited to get to know her more these coming weeks.

Not too much is happening in my areas at the moment. Its hard when you first shotgun them because its like starting from scratch. But that's the most exciting part! :) You get to go and visit everyone in the area book because you and your companion don't know anyone! :)

Since I am getting ready to hit my halfway mark, I have been thinking a lot about my mission so far. I have been thinking about the kind of person I was in the beginning when I first started and the kind of person I am now. I have changed a lot and its all for the better. Before I left I was unsure of who I was, what I wanted in life and where I was suppose to be heading. But now I KNOW my purpose, I KNOW who I am and I KNOW  that my Father in Heaven has a plan for me. He has something that he wants me to do and he has someone that he wants me to become. I am so grateful to be serving a mission right now at this time and I am grateful to be here in Sacramento. I know that this is where I was suppose to be. The people that have touched me and the friends that I have made, I am grateful for each and everyone of them. If I was to go back and start all over, I wouldn't change a thing because every choice I have made so far as made me the person that I am today. 

I want to leave  you all with my testimony. I know that this church is the true church, that this is Christ gospel here on the earth in its fullness. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet called of God to do a mighty work and a miracle! He was chose for who he was and for his faith and trust in Heaven Father. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each and everyone of his children. He wants the best for us and he wants us to return home to him. And some times he gives us trials so we can grow and become the best person that we can be. Without the hard times we wouldn't know how to be grateful for the good times. I love this gospel with all my heart and I know its where I find the most pure happiness. I love you all and am grateful for everything that  you have done for me. I love my family and the support that they have given me. I wouldn't be able to do it without them! I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Alma 26:12!  Matthew 19:26

Love,

Sister Calton 

Sister Wheelwright and Sister Calton at the Sacramento Temple :)

Letter Date 04/27/2015

Dear Everyone,

So this week was a good week. Went out and visited lots of people and did lots of missionary work :) Keeping ourselves busy trying to find those that are prepared to hear the word of the Lord. We did end up adding two new investigators and one of them her name is Audrey and she is a baptized Catholic, but hasn't been to church in three years. She has a young daughter around 10 years old who has never been baptized. She just recently had a death in the family and so she said that she would listen to the message that we have to share!!!! It was awesome because as we were leaving she said that she would see us next week!!! :) We are guessing that means that she will actually be there when we get there! :) So please pray for Audrey. 

Not too much else has happened in the Ward. We keep running into all the other language Elders and so that's been fun. Guess our ward has a lot of different nationalities in it :) Got to love good old California! :) 

 

 

So this is my district. We call it Relief Society because the only Elders are our District Leader and his companion. This was our last district meeting because we have Zone Training this Friday right before transfers. Elder Greenwood is my District Leader and he is super amazing. He came out with me so its cool to see how the mission has changed him and helped him become someone that is super spiritual and yet can at the same time have fun :) But I love my district and its been a good transfer with them.

Well I hope you are all out sharing the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone. Keep up all of your good work and don't be scared to talk to people about the gospel. Its where we find the most peace and happiness and where we can recieve all the blessings that our Father in Heaven wants for each and everyone of us. So go out and bring others the happiness they are searching for!!!! 

I love you all and hope that you have an amazing week!!!!

Love,

Sister Calton 

Letter Date 4/20/15

Dear Everyone,

Sorry it has been so long since I have written a weekly email. Life has just been so crazy here in the Vineyard Ward! Full time bike has been keeping us busy! But Sister Wheelwright and I love to spend so much time in the sun. Full time bike is better than car because we actually get to talk to everyone we see! (Not that everyone of them wants to talk to us but its worth a shot :)) 

On Tuesday we had a Zone Conference because our mission got the little black boxes in our cars....its called the Driver Accountability Program which means that it gets reported to our president if we drive too fast, stop too fast or really do anything that isn't safe. So another reason to be grateful to be on full time bike :) But other than that Zone Conference was good. Loved seeing some other missionaries and getting to see some of them before they go home this next transfer.

The week has been kind of slow, just biking and making the best of everything! I love missionary work and its fun here in the Vineyard Ward. The members are the best and they always take care of us so that is a plus :) We just need to find those that are searching for the gospel!

We had one investigator drop us this week. Her name is Shannon, we haven't been able to meet with her in over a month so we figure that it would happen. When we went by she told us that we helped her faith in the bible and helped her really want to stay with her church....ya....not what we wanted but its ok. We know that one day she will understand the importance of the restored gospel! Oh but we started talking to her about temples and church history and she was super interested in the temples so we are taking her on a temple tour next week!!!! :) Super excited for that!!!! :) Some times you have to teach people in different ways :)

 

I hope all of you are doing ok and keep up all of your good missionary work up at home! Share the gospel with all those that you know and if you don't know how then go and ask a missionary to teach you how! They would love you too :) Go and help them do the work of the Lord!

I love you all and I love this work! The Gospel of Jesus Christ is simple and it is true!!! Never forget that! Have an amazing week!!!!!

Love,

Sister Amy Calton 

 

Sister Wheelwright and I :)

 

Letter date 03/02/2015

Dear Everyone,

So this week has been an amazing week in the Vineyard Ward. Sister Wheelwright and I have added 3 new promising investigators!!!! :)

The first one  was a former that we found in the area book that the Elders have taught her in the past. We went over there on Thursday and we taught her the Restoration and she said that she would pray and come to find out for herself if Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and if the Book of Mormon is true!!! Also she said that if she comes to know this gospel is true than she will be baptized in April!!! :) It is super exciting and we can't wait!

The second one we found while out riding our bikes one day. Sister Wheelwright wanted to stop and talk to her so we did. The first thing that She told us is that she has already been saved. We started asking her about her religion and what she believes and how she was already saved and it turns out that she is very active in her first Baptist church. She is super nice and so we continued to talk to her. We talked about Joseph Smith and we asked her if she wanted to know for herself it all of what we were saying is true and she said yes!!!! So we gave her a book of Mormon and a Plan of Salvation Pamphlet and she said that she would read them and to come back next Friday! So we are excited to be meeting with her this week!

The last one is also a former from the Elders and it turns out that he was going to get baptized last year but he didn't because his wife wouldn't leave her church. He knows the church is true and he knows that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. His wife now is looking for a church now and he said that she would love talking to Sisters because the Elders made her uncomfortable. Ya!!!!!! :) This is why they put Sisters in this area :) 

So that is the exciting news for this week and I hope you all have a great week. I know that is gospel is true and that the Lord has a timing and a purpose for everything in our lives. We are where we are for reasons that may only be known to him. So trust his guidance and just let him lead you to where he wants you to go! I love you all and please keep all our new investigators in your prayers!!!!

Love,

Sister Calton 

Letter Date 02/23/2014

 

Dear Everyone,

So I don't have too much time to write a long email, but I wanted you to all know that I had an amazing week!!!! :) Siste Wheelwright and I have had tons of good contacts, but still haven't been able to add any new investigators!!! Oh well the time will come when we are able to do that! I can feel those times coming :) We have a few appointments this week that hopefully they will pan out and that we may be able to add some new promising investigators! :)

I went on exchanges this week and I was able to go back to my very first area, Mather and Anatolia!!!! :) It was a blast to see everyone and to be able to talk to so many of the people that I love and miss.

But real fast I want to share a spiritual experience that I had. We were walking out in Anatolia when this lady came up to us and told us that she is a missionary for the pentecostal church. She wants everyone to know that the Holy Ghost is amazing and that we can speak in tongues too. We wanted to talk to her, but she was busy in that moment so we went back to her house in an hour to talk to her. All she wanted to do was just say how much the Holy Ghost loves us (she thinks the holy ghost, the father, and the son are all the same being) and that we are missing something in our lives. She tried to tell us that we haven't ever felt the holy ghost, and that kind of hurt me. So I shared with her my personal experience when I have felt the holy ghost strongly in my life. When I testified so strongly, the spirit filled the room. It was so cool! But still she didn't understand it. It was way sad....I wish I had time tell the whole amazing story and to explain everything that happened but I am running out of time. just know that I do have a testimoy of the gospel and I know that it is true without a doubt! I am not missing anything, I have the fullness of the gospel and that is the best thing that I could have! 

I hope you all have an amazing week and that you all can go out and share the gospel with one person around you! Be the best person that you can be and stay strong in the faith!!!! Love you all!!!! :)

Love,

Sister Amy Calton 

Letter Date 02/16/2015

Dear Everyone,

I told  you all last week about being transferred to Vineyard Ward in the Elk Grove Stake.  Well its been an interesting ride out here! :) Fun but very interesting.... This ward here has never had Sister Missionaries so they are still trying to adjust to us. Its pretty funny at some times cause they don't always think that we do what the Elders do, they even asked us if we go tracting! We had to explain to them that we do everything that the Elders do, the only difference is that we can't hug guys and we can hug women. So its fun and Sister Wheelwright and I love being here! :)  

It was sad to say goodbye in Carmichael and I will miss everyone there. It was fun to serve around the Senior missionaries and the office Elders, I sure will miss all of them! I still have a year so I could get sent back at some point, you never know! :) But right now its about this ward and this area and making it the best that it can be! We moved into an old Elder's apartment, but surprisingly enough it was actually super clean! We were really surprised about that, but it was nice. 

I am full time bike and we don't even have a car for P-days so the other sisters are nice enough to pick us up for shopping and everything else, so it all works out.

I hope you all had a great Valentines Day and I hope everything is going great for all of you. Remember to always be bareing your testimony to everyone around you and never lose a chance to talk to someone about the Book of Mormon! Its the foundation of our church and it has the fullness of the gospel! Everyone go and give someone the Book of Mormon!!!!! It will greatly bless their lives!!!! :)

Have an amazing week!!!!! :)

Love,

Sister Amy Calton 

Letter Date 02/02/2015

Dear Everyone,

This past week was a good week. Sister Weaver and I were kept busy seeing tons of less actives and biking around looking for new people to teach. The only problems that we are running into is that people don't seem to want to talk to us, or when we do set up an appointment they decide that they don't want to be home at that time! So our less actives keep us pretty busy and its good :).  

We do have one person we are teaching, she is a 10 year old girl and her mom is completely inactive so the only way she comes to church is with her grandpa. She hasn't been baptized yet because her mom wouldn't let her, but now she has changed her mind, so we are teaching her the dicussions. She has a baptism date of February 28th! Hopefully we will be able to get her ready by then! :) So everyone please pray for her and her family!

So here is just a fun picture of me and my new friend! :) I was just so glad to see a horse!!! :) Too bad that missionaries can't ride them!

Anyways we had zone Conference this week so I got to see some of the missionaries that I came out with. Its always nice to see them and see how they are doing. We had a good Zone Conference on the importance of letting the scriptures teach and not us. They made us do role plays and we realized that we really do have to study and know them to be able to allow the scriptures to teach. They are the word of God and He knows how it should be said to people so that is why we should use the scriptures! Everyone go and study your scriptures and know them by heart so you can teach others! I know it will help you cause it has helped me and the spirit is always stronger when you use scriptures! Plus always memorize your favorite scriptures!!!!!! :)

Love  you all and I hope that you all have a wonderful week!!!!!

Love,

Sister Amy Calton 

Letter Date 01/26/2015

Dear Everyone!

This week has been a good week. We were able to teach a lot of other lessons tons of people on the streets. That's the beauty of being on bikes! :) You are able to talk to a lot more people cause its not too awkward when you try and stop and talk to everyone. Most of them were nice and were really glad that we talked to them. A lot of them told us that they have been missing something and that we helped remind them of what they are looking for. In those moments its what makes missionary work the best. You get to spend every minute of everyday reminding people that there is hope for something better out there, that this isn't all of it.  Its sad to see people that don't believe that there really could be something more, but I am grateful to know that there is something more.  Its what helps me get through the day, its sad to see people rejecting this glad message! But as a missionary all we can do is invite! That's our purpose and all we can do is pray for each and everyone of these people! When it all comes down to it, they have to make their own choice as to what they want. Its the greatest gift that God has given us, our agency. 

Well the funniest thing that happened for us this week was the Family Festival! 

Our stake did this to help bring non members into our church. It was kind of like a carnival minus the rides. There was tons of different kinds of food, music and just fun being with everyone. It was super good and all the missionaries in our Zone sang Called to Serve and also Families Can Be Together Forever! 

Sister Weaver and I trying to be funny :)

 

Our crazy Zone :) Love them all! Ok we are missing two of our Sisters cause they didn't hear that we were taking a picture.

Just another picture of Sister Weaver and I. It does get cold out here believe it or not! So we bundle and we ride our bikes and talk to everyone! :)

Well I hope you all have a good week and please go out and help the missionaries in your area find those that are searching for the gospel! Whether it be non members or less actives, we all can use the gospel in our lives. Never forget that! Stay strong and never give up!!!!

Love, 

Sister Calton 

Letter Date 01/19/2015

Dear Everyone!

Sorry its been so long since I have done an email, but life has just been so crazy!!!! I sent Sister Zenger home at the end of her mission, got transferred to a new area, and now have a new companion!!! Welcome to 2015!!! :)  

I hope everyone is having a good year so far and that they are out spreading the gospel for everyone to hear! Or at least has it as one of their New Years resolution cause I know that you will gain a greater testimony as you spread the gospel to everyone around you!!!!

Well so like I said I am in a new area with a new companion. I am now in the La Sierra Ward in the Carmichael Zone. So I have the mission office in my Zone and the AP also are in our zone (which the new AP was my last Zone leader so its nice having someone I know in the area with me!) My companion is Sister Weaver and goes home in March, so if I stay with her for another transfer than I will kill yet another missionary! Crazy right?!?

As you can see in this picture, I am the one driving the car. My companion does not have her license so I am the one who drives, but luckily we are full time bike and only use the car on P-days and to get to District Meeting. But I have learned to drive with the California drives so I am very proud of myself :)

Not too much is happening in our area. The APs are always giving us referrals, but they all end up being crazy people and so we can't really teach them, but its a nice thought :). We are working with lots of less actives and trying to get them to church and also trying to build the members, so that is taking a lot of our time. It is good to be on a bike and we love it because we can talk to a lot more people this way! Its nice to get some exercise too! :)

I got a surprise visit from Sister S on Sunday and it was amazing to see her!!!! :) She is the best ever and I am grateful to her for coming and seeing me. It was exactly what I needed this week. 

Also my wonderful sister Whitney sent me a wonderful package and I had to take forever to put this puzzle together!!!!! But it was wonderful and I loved it!!!!! :) She is amazing and I wish I was as thoughtful as she is.....I love her so much and I can't believe that she gets home in just a few short weeks! :) 

Well everyone have a wonderful week and be the best that you can be! Keep up all your good work and go out and spread the gospel!!!!  :)

Love,

Sister Amy Calton 

Letter Date 12/15/2014

Dear Everyone,

 

This week was a pretty good week over all. Starting with last Monday.  For P-day as a zone we made Ginger Bread houses! :) My district made a plantation house with a wrap around porch and then one of the other districts made the temple. I guess you can tell who more gospel minded :) Kidding we all are :). 

​This is our beautiful house :) We all worked very hard on it then it fell apart because of all of the frosting :)But it was fun and we all worked our very hardest! :)

 

Tuesday was a really good day. It was our Christmas Zone Conference and so we got to go to the temple with our mission President and his wife. It was my Zone (Rancho Cordova), Folsom and Sacramento Zones that were in my group. Then later for the actual Zone Conference, Mantica and South Sac joined us. That means that some of my MTC district was there! :)

Here is an awkward picture of all of us that were there :). I have really missed them so we had a good time talking to each other and seeing how each of our areas are doing. The mission has given us new phones as well so that has been an adventure for this week. We had two phones for each of our areas, but now they combined the phones so we are having to give everyone our new number and also carry around the two other phones until they don't work anymore. Its a challenge but we are grateful for a phone that now works. :)

 

Christmas Zone Conference was so amazing. It was way spiritual and it was good to go to the temple and to feel of the spirit there. There isn't a better thing to do around Christmas then spend time in the Lord's house. That's what Christmas is all about, helping others to come unto Christ. He is the true gift of Christmas.

 

Me and my amazing companion together at the temple! :) I can't believe that she is going home in two weeks!!!!! So sad :(

 

Anyways, Wednesday was exchanges and I went to spend the day in South Sac with Sister Diamond (don't have a picture) but we spent the day moving the sisters into a new apartment, one that they could all fit into. So that was an adventure and it was fun. Its always interesting going to other Zones and seeing how they work.

 

Thursday was a big storm day. It was supposed to be a very bad storm. All of northen California was freaking out about it and were so worried that the power was going to go out and they were canceling everything cause of this big storm. Well it only rained all day and the wind wasn't even bad. So it wasn't that bad of a storm, we survived and all of us from Utah were just calm it wasn't even a storm for us, but the rain was nice :).

 

Friday was service at the Food Bank and that always goes good. Just helping people get food for the holidays and so its always feel great to help them out.

 

Saturday was just a regular day of missionary work and went out and tried to go teach.

 

Sunday was 8 hours of church. Which I do not recommend to anyone. By hour 4 you are gone and just want to sleep, plus when the high council is speaking in both wards and their talks are word for word the same, its kind of boring. So I just caught up on my journal writing :). But Sunday we taught a lesson to a great guy and we are super excited about him! I have lots of faith in him and he is so prepared for the gospel. He told us that there is something that keeps telling him to look for a religion and that all the ones that he has tried just aren't right. Also he hasn't ever heard about Joseph Smith so that was cool to tell him about the Restoration! Its always nice when a person hasn't had anti Mormon stuff told to them :).

 

So that was my week. It was full of adventure and exciting times. We are getting ready for Christmas and trying to make the best of everything that is happening! We know that Heavenly Father is there for us and leading and guiding us each and everyday.

 

I love you all and I hope you have a Christ centered Christmas! Don't forget the true meaning of Christmas and keep passing out those pass along cards! Share the gospel with everyone you know! Christmas is the time to do it.

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

 

Love,

Sister Amy Calton the younger

Letter Date 12/08/2014

Dear Everyone,

Don't have much time to write a lot, but I just wanted to tell you all that I had an amazing week this week and we finally dropped one of our investigators!  :) Its been a long time coming and Sister Zenger and I know that it will bring us blessing from our Heavenly Father as we open new door ways for those that are ready to come unto the gospel!

Well I hope everyone has found their pass along cards in the Ensign for He is the Gift cause I want you to pass them all out before Christmas! Go and spread the Christmas cheer with everyone you know and help them find Christ this Christmas season! We all need him and we need to be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas. Its not the gifts or the parties or the shopping or anything, its all about Christ and what he has done for us. So please go and spread that out! It will greatly bless you and help you come to know your Savior even more. I know that as I have studied the scripture John 3:16 that I have come to see my Savior in a different light, seen a deeper meanin g to why Heavenly Father has sent him to us. He sent him to save us from ourselves, to find those lost sheep and become the best people that we can be. The main word being BECOME. Study that word this week as you read your scriptures and pray and go to church. Study what it means to become like our Savior. How do we become like him? 

Well I hope you all have an amazing week and do your best in everything that you do. I am praying for all of you and hope that you are all doing well and having a great Christmas holiday! Don't forget the true meaning of Christmas and what it is all about!

Love,

Sister Amy Calton 

Letter date 12/1/2014

Dear Everyone,

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! There isn't much to say about the past few days. Just keeping busy with missionary work and trying our hardest everyday to find new people to teach. Thanksgiving night was very interesting. We had two Thanksgiving dinners and the first one was with one of our members so it was great. Our member's sister just got home from her mission, but she came home 3 months early. But the best part is that she was in Whitney's mission!!!! Sister Mendenhall is her name and she told me that she actually went out to St. Louis with Whitney, so she knows her! It was really nice to talk to her a little bit about my sister and to see how she is doing.  Later Sister Zenger told me that everyone in our ward that has a missionary out in a place where I know someone, they get sent home because they are sick, which this has only happened twice! Guess I am just bad luck! :)

The second dinner was with an investigator and it didn't go too well. Lets just say that. But we were grateful for the opportunity to go and eat there with them.

Well if you hadn't heard about He is the Gift yet then you are about to hear about it. Its this thing that the church is doing everywhere so that all the missionaries and members have the chance to go out and share what Christmas is all about. Why we really celebrate Christmas and what was the very first gift that was given. If you hadn't seen the movie yet, go and watch it!!!!! Its amazing! Once you watch it then go and share it with other around you! Everyone can benefit from hearing about the true meaning a Christmas. In the Ensign for the month of December they have put pass along cards in there for everyone to go out and share the message! So I encourage everyone to go and do that. to pass out one card to a non member that they know. We as members of the church know the importance of the gospel and we know the blessings that we get from living it, so its our duty to go out and share it with others. Please go and share the message!!!! :)

Well I love you all and I am having a blast out here in the mission field. I just miss the snow of home, but that is ok! We get rain instead and so that is almost as good :)

Have a wonderful week and get out there and share the gospel!

Love,
Sister Calton

Pictures: When Sister Calton first left

 

Letter date 10/20/2014

Dear Everyone,

So the big story of this week is how I tripped while running.... Just like the title states, Don't sing while you are running. So we were jogging to the gym, my companion and I, the other morning so I could go run on the tredmill and she could do the bike.  Well I was singing a lovely song in my head and the next thing I knew I was on the ground sliding.  Ya...my arms got pretty scrapped up, but I am ok! Everyone just keeps asking me about them and Sister Zenger keeps telling everyone a different story about how I got them. Once I was practicing my diving, then I was trying to defend myself from her and so the list goes on. But ya, I am ok and just have a huge scrape on my arm.

Anyways, this week was a good week. We stayed busy everyday running around trying to get everything done and trying to work on the things that Elder Johnson told us to do. Sometimes they work and other times they don't work so much, but we are really trying to build our members right now so they will feel excited about doing missionary work.  Most of them are already trying so hard to befriend their neighbors and bring them to church and things, but sometimes its just not working out too much. This is just the beginning though and I know that it will get better.

Well not much of anything too exciting happened this week. Just out preaching the gospel and being the best missionaries that we can be.  We did have one of our investigators come to church yesterday with her two daughters and so that was super exciting and fun.  Also she got a blessing to help give her strength to stop smoking. First time she has ever gotten a blessing and she was so nervous at first, but then after it was done she said that she could feel a warmth that started in her head where their hands were then it went all the way to her toes. She is just an amazing lady and I am so blessed to know her and see her grow everyday. She has come so far in the past two months and I know that she is going to continue to grow and become better everyday.  Oh one of our members gave her a quad and she got super excited about it. She saw the footnotes in the Bible and then shouted "Now I can tell my son that Alma is in the Bible!!!" Ya she is still learning about the footnotes and everything else. It was just funny to hear it. :)

I hope everyone has a good week and that you are all looking for opportunities to spread the gospel to everyone around you. Remember that every member is a missionary and that it is our duty to help others come unto Christ.  Pray for opportunities and I know that you will get some! Love you all and hope that you all have an amazing week!!!

Love,

Sister Calton 

Letter date 10/14/2014

Dear Everyone,

Well I have just been keeping busy and trying to spread the gospel to everyone. It was Zone Conference yesterday so that is why I couldn't email.  Elder Daniel L. Johnson from the 70 came and spoke to us. It was all about how members and missionaries really have to start working together to get the work moving forward. Its only the way that we are going to see truly converted people coming into our church. He said that everyone  you know isn't by coincidence. You know them for a reason, so write down all the nonmembers that you know and then pray about them and see which ones you should give the missionaries for the week. So we shall see if this is going to help or not. I really hope it is. One other thing that he talked to us about is how the next missionaries are going to be better than us, then the ones after them are going to be even better. What this tells me is that Heavenly Father is really getting his work moving forward and fast. Are we keeping up with him? I just encourage  you and everyone else to really help out the missionaries and really start talking to your nonmember friends! Its up to each and everyone of us to be missionaries not just the missionaries! :) So lets all go be great member missionaries!!!! :)

The best part about this week is that I got to go to 2 different churches and serve with another one! We were having an open house for our church on Saturday so we went to the next door baptist church and invited them! I even got to say a prayer! They are very strange in their church, don't really accepting when others have new incites about scriptures and if you are going to say something it has to be directly from the scriptures. Well none of them showed up, but it was a good experience to go to their church.  Then on Thursday we had this Interfaith choir thing that a bunch of the different churches from Sacramento go and sing songs from their religion. It was in a Catholic Cathedral, it was a super good experience, but very creepy. They had a life size figure of Christ hanging on a cross in the middle of the church over an alter. It was so uncomfortable to see that. He was dead and his head hung all to the side, it was really very not spiritual. I am so glad that as part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we focus on the resurrection of Christ about him being happy, whole, and seeing that we can become like that some day. It is just such an amazing thing to think about. I love this church and I will never go to a different one. One of our Less Actives that we are working with, she said that yes she is less active, but she will never go to a different church. Once  you have found our church you will stay because you will see that it has everything that you need and could ever want. Then she started to cry when she talked about her testimony of the church and asked us to come teach her 10 year old son and her nonmember friend that is living with them! So that was pretty exciting!!!! :)  Super cool and super fun :)

So this week has been pretty crazy, but full of fun times and great experiences. The mission field is much different than home, but its good. I am so grateful to be a missionary, its the hardest but best thing that anyone could ever do in their life. If anyone is thinking about going, I would encourage you to go! Really pray about it, but it will only change you life for the better! I promise! :)

Hope everything is going well for everyone! Hope you all have a great week!!!!

Love,

Sister Calton the younger

P.S. If you haven't seen Meet the Mormons you need to go and take as many nonmembers that you can! It will be amazing for them to see!!!!! :)

Letter date 10/7/2014

Dear Everyone,

It was transfers last night and so me and my companion are staying in Mather for another transfer and she will continue to train me.  She is the best trainer in the world and she is the best ever!

Well for this week it was kind of crazy. Zone training, MLC, and service again on Friday, but over all it was a good week. Talked to a lot of people and did the best that we could.

So the funny story for this week was that we locked our keys in our trunk.  The problem with this is that our lever for the trunk is broken inside our car.  We texted all of our Elders to see if any of them knew how to lower the back seat so we could get into the trunk that way. The Spanish Elders told us that the answer would be to look in the owners manual. (this has got to be my first time ever reading the owners manual for anything!) Well now the problem with this is that the owners manual said that the way to lower the back seat was to pull the lever in the trunk.... Ya so we had to get a spare key from the mission home. But we met an amazing lady who cried when we started talking to her about how much God loves her and is proud of the person that she has become. It was so nice to see that and so this shows me that Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways :).

Well this is kind of short today don't have too much time. But I hope everyone enjoyed Conference and learned a lot from it. I know I did and so did some of our investigatiors! Listen to what they prophets have to say becasue everything is true. Its time for all of us to be member missionaries and to get out and not be scared to tell people who we are! Also everyone needs to go and see Meet the Mormons! It is the best movie ever and it had even some of our Elders crying, so go and invite some non members to go with you!!!! 

I love you all and have an amazing week!

 Love, 

Sister Calton the younger 

Letter Date 9/25/14
Dear Everyone,

This week was super crazy but super fun! I have got to say that I am loving being a missionary and loving spreading the gospel to everyone around me! It is such a blessing to be serving in Sacramento to these wonderful people and to be serving with such a great companion.  

Last Monday for P-day we played a game called Zombies and it is the funniest game in the world! Our whole Zone played and we all had a blast.  Where some of these Elders come up with ideas is crazy. But Zombies is like tag and steal the flag put into one game. A couple people start out as the Zombies then the Humans have marshmallows to hit the Zombies who have a spot were they go to, to get back alive. Then there is a freebie that turns the zombies into humans again. It makes no sense but when I get home I can explain it a lot more.  But it was probably the funniest thing that I have done so far on my mission. 

Tuesday was an amazing day. It was New Missionary Training so I got to see my MTC district again. It was so wonderful to see how they were all doing in their new areas with their new companions. I have missed them all so much and it was great to see that they were all doing well.  Elder Riplie has made a change, not so homesick any more and he is ready to get out and get to work.  Then Sister Amos was glowing!  So everyone is doing really well.  I just loved hearing their stories and talking to him. 

Wednesday was exchanges and so I was in Anatolia with Sister Faudree.  We had a good time biking all day (yes Mom I do ride my bike) and then Sister Faudree's bike got a flat tire so we walked a little bit.  But it was all good :).

Thursday was good. Just went out and taught and went tracking.  Had some awesome times with my companion and were just building the church!

Friday was a crazy day.  We usually do weekly planning after our studies in the morning, but our mission is starting the Just Serve thing and my zone was the first one to try it.  So we spent 6 hours at a food bank helping people get their food, organizing food, and weighing food. Yes I had to use my math skills that I never really had :).  Its nice to see that there are people out there that are working to help others so that they can survive in a world that is tearing them down. Its nice to see that there are really good people out there that put in their time and money to bring food and shelter to others so that they don't have to worry about where their next meal is going to come from or whether or not they have food for the week.  Its great to see that everyone is being offered a chance.  It was a great experience and I am excited to see what other service projects that they are going to have us do. 

Saturday was the General Women's Conference and that was nice to listen to. I can't wait for conference!!! Its going to be amazing as always and we are going to try and get some investigators to listen to it with us! Oh and Saturday one of the girls we have been teaching set a date for November 1st to be baptized!!! It is so cool to see how much she has changed and how far she has come since the day we were going to drop her.  Now she is planning on getting married and working hard to stop smoking! So I can't wait for her to be baptized!

Sunday we had 4 investigatiors at church and it was a wonderful day! 

Well I love you all and can't wait to see what Miracles the Lord has in store for us this week. He works by our faith and so I am building my faith everyday in him! Have a good week and get ready for conference!!!!

Love, 

Sister Calton the younger 

Letter Date 9/21/14

​This is everyone that is in my Zone. 

Dear Everyone,

This week has been an amazing week.  Its been lots of fun and its been kind of crazy. Last Monday our Zone all went to Old Sacramento and did a picture scavenger hunt. It was cool to just run around and try to find all these different things while also seeing some awesome sights!  (Pictures to come). 

Its fun to be with the Elders on P-day and to get to know them better, they are all super amazing!  

Tuesday was Exchanges and so I went with Sister Kandare to her area, Anatolia, and that was a new experience. It was weird being away from my companion and it was kind of hard to be in an area where you didn't really do much but riding the bike.  But that is how missionary life is some times, so it is all good.  It was a neat experience and it made me appreciate my companion and my area a lot more. 

       Wednesday was back to normal, and that I was grateful for.  It was just another day of missionary work and trying to find people to teach.  So just a lot of driving around and knocking on people's houses.  But it was great.  Love tracking!!!!

      Thursdays are our busy days. We have a couple of different people that we go and see. One of the is from Germany and she is so amazing. She has a 3 year old daughter and she is the cutest thing ever!!! We have been teaching her for 3 weeks and she hasn't ever really felt the spirit yet, but this last time she really felt it. It was so amazing to see her finally opening up and talking about what she wants and how she likes reading the Book of Mormon and how it is just more prophets talking of Jesus Christ. (I can't tell you how glad I was to here that because honestly I think that was the first time that I have heard it on my mission, everyone else only believes in the bible.) She is getting so strong and she has tons of potential and I am super excited for her.

The other investigator I want to mention is one amazing women.  She has been through a lot in her life and she really knows what God wants for her.  She is super amazing and has such a strong spirit.  Her and her two daughters wanted to come to church yesterday and they were planning on it, but the dog got sick.  Sister Zenger is convinced that Satan has control over dogs and that is why so many people won't get baptized because their dogs mess up lessons or they get sick so they can't come to church or something.  But she said that she is coming to church no matter what next week. She doesn't care if she is sick or anything else, she is coming. So I am excited for her!!!

One last thing. So anyone that really knows me knows that I hate spiders, like I am deathly scared of spiders. Here is the story of California. No one knows how to kill spiders.  They have them all over their door steps and all over their houses.  And these aren't small spiders they are big spiders! Well we were doing a service project for this member the other day and she had us pick up ceramic molds out of her back yard on Friday.  They have been sitting out there for 4 years. You should have seen the spiders. They were big and so I just kind of helped out the best that I could (which meant that once they got all the spiders off I would pick up the mold and put it in a pile). But it was nice to do service and help people with their lives.  Its what Christ would do and I am so grateful that this mission is helping me face my fears. Its what God wants for us and its what we need.

I love you all and I am growing in the gospel everyday. I challenge everyone to help out their ward
missionaries to help them find the people that are searching for the gospel. Also memorize the Articles of Faith and tell them to a non member!!! They will help you become better missionaries and they will open the door for great missionary opportunities!!! It will bless your life!

Keep smiling and remember what the Savior has done for you!

Love,

Sister Amy Calton 

Some of the Elders in my Zone. We were at a Halloween Shop :)
​

Letter Date 9/15/14
Dear Everyone,

This week everything kind of slowed down a little bit so that is good.  Sister Zenger and I have found some new people to teach and they are all going great.  We were actually going to drop someone on Tuesday but when we got to her house, the first thing that she told us was that she had a dream that she should come to church.  The thing about this investigator is that she is knows that what we are teaching her is what she should do and that all these things are right, she just doesn't have an desire to follow them or commit to anything.  So when she told us that, we were so surprised and we knew it was Heavenly Father's way of telling us that we need to give her another chance.  I know that she is prepared and Heavenly Father knows it, but now it is up to her. She will get there :)

Anyways, my companion and I got to speak in church yesterday.  My very first time so that was exciting.  I studied for my talk, but I didn't plan very well.  The youth speaker talked for like 5 minutes and then I talked for like 5 minutes so that left like 35 minutes for my companion. I felt so bad and I learned that next time I will be more ready to talk in sacrament meeting.  It feels like you are talking a lot, but then when you sit down, no time passed at all.  I am just grateful that my companion is very good at improvising. :)

Well the weather has been around in the hundreds this week so we have been having fun with that.  We are so grateful that we have a car that we can sit in after we have been biking around for a little bit or walking.  But its fun and now I can get that tan that I forgot to get this summer. :)

Nothing too exciting has been happening around here.  Just last P-day we played glow stick dodge ball.  Its just dodge ball with glow sticks.  We had the lights dimmed down (they couldn't be all the way down because of Sisters and Elders in the gym) but it was pretty great.  Loved every minute of it and our Zone has gotten a lot closer.  The Zone Leaders are the best and our District leader is pretty amazing too.  I am so grateful to be surrounded by so many amazing missionaries that show me what it is to work hard and how that hard work pays off over time.  I love you all and I hope you all know that I have a strong testimony of Joseph Smith, that he was a prophet of God and that he did restore the true gospel here on the Earth.  He did it out of obedience and love for each and everyone of us.  I know that my Redeemer lives and that he blesses me and others around me everyday.  I love you all and hope that you are all having fun times in your lives and making the most of every moment!!!  Remember to all be great ward missionaries and find the people that are looking for the gospel!!!!

Love,

Sister Calton (The Younger)

Picture from last P-day :)

Letter Date 9/8/14
Dear Everybody,

This week has been insanely crazy and super good.  I had my first baptism!!!! It was all put together in like 4 days because this investigator has been waiting for months to get baptized.  He just got out of prison in February and moved in with his convert sister and her family.  She set him up with the Sister Missionaries and they began teaching him.  He learned really quick and then he decided he wanted to get baptized but since he has been in prison he had to get permission from the First Presidency.  So when I got here they were just waiting for that letter and it came on Tuesday night.  I have never seen my trainer so excited before.  After President J called her, we rushed to J's house and told him and everyone was freaking out and crying and jumping.  It was a super neat experience to see that. It showed me the real reason I am here, to bring others those joys and happiness that only the gospel can bring.  His baptism was even better.  His soon to be father in law told us that he hasn't felt the spirit like he did on Saturday in 45 years since he has been on his mission.  That's how strong the Holy Ghost was there. Sister Z and I did a missionary moment ( we have to do the first discussion while the person that was baptized gets changed) and you could feel the spirit.  I don't even remember what I said, just that I could feel the spirit just pouring out of me.  It was an incredible experience.

​J with his fiancé and Sister S is the one closest to them.  She is the one that first started teaching J. 

Well so for the rest of the week, we moved our entire apartment on Saturday right after the baptism.  We were having 4 sisters live in a one bedroom one bathroom apartment.  Once our mission president heard about this he made sure that we got a two bedroom two bathroom apartment. Its a nice place and we made it our home. But from the baptism and the moving we didn't have too much time to get out and teach. But we did get 3 new investigators on Tuesday and so we are teaching them this week.  I will let you know how it goes.

I am just having the time of my life getting used to being a missionary and being with so many new and fun people.  Life is great and I remind myself everyday to be like Christ.  I am his representative and I tell myself that I have to teach and do as he would do.  How would he teach the people that I am teaching, what would he say to them and how would he act?  Its great to think about that because it brings me closer to him everyday.  I love my Savior and I am grateful for everything that he has done for me.  

Love you all and please invite everyone you know to the gospel!!! Don't be scared just do what Christ would do! He loves each and everyone of us and would never give up on anyone!  Have an amazing week!!!!

Love,

Sister Amy Calton 

Letter Date 9/01/14

Dear Everyone,

 

So this is my 6th day in the mission field (instead of counting down the days I am counting up).  Things have been going great so far.  My trainer, Sister Zenger, is from Salt Lake and she is going home in January so I am her last trainee, she has trained 2 other times.  She is super amazing and teaching me a lot, and she is always the Sister Training Leader and so we are always super busy.  Something that she told me is that for my first week as a missionary we are doing great.  My first day here (Wednesday) we got a guy to commit to baptism on the 20th and two hours after we got to our apartment I taught my first lesson!!! So that was pretty exciting and I am loving it so far.

The guy that is set for baptism on the 20th is an older guy.  He is super nice and the best way to explain him is by calling him Bill Cosby.  Really he is  a lot like him and he is super funny and nice.  My companion has been trying to get him to come to church for the past four weeks and he wouldn't come, but guess what, yesterday he came!!!! It was so great :) Sister Zenger was crying and so excited that he finally came.  He had a great time and said that he is coming back next week so that is a good sign.  What he told us yesterday is that our church has a wonderful feeling about it and that is what he wants.  I am very hopeful that he will get baptized and I have faith that he will be a great Mormon :).

We have a couple of other people that we are teaching its just hard to get them to do much because they all have really hard lives.  One lady we are teaching, her husband got murdered the night after their youngest daughter turned 9.  Then our other lady has had a hard life since she was a young girl. It is so cool to see the gospel change the lives of these people.  They notice that Heavenly Father is blessing them and that he is their for them.  Some of the time they are slow to accept it, but they still see the great change that it brings to their lives and the happiness.  It is what missionary work is all about, building and lifting others. helping them become the best people that they can be. Its just that everything takes time.

Well I will tell you about one last person, she is probably my favorite person that we have taught so far she is amazing.  She is looking for a faith to belong to, but she has to know everything about anything before she will join.  Her faith in God is so amazing, she knows that when she prays that Heavenly Father will lead her to the church he wants her to join so she is studying all the different churches and prays about them.  She has so much trust in the Lord that it amazes me.  I want the faith and trust that she has in her Father in Heaven, ya I have faith and I trust him, but I don't think it is as much as hers.  She is super amazing and she wants to keep learning more and more.  I know that one day she will make it to our church, but when that time is I don't know, but I have faith that she will come to know the true gospel.

Missionary life is great and I am loving every minute of it.  I am grateful to be out here on the Lord's time and know that is taking care of everything and everyone back home.  I am grateful for this opportunity and I know that it will bless me and my family.  I love you all and here are some pictures of my MTC district.  I miss them like crazy! But we are all doing what we are supposed to be doing. 

Love,

Sister Amy Calton

P.S. More pictures to come later I promise!!!! :)

We weird picture is my companion Sister Zenger.

Letter date 8/19/14
Dear everybody,

I am really loving the MTC. It was super hard the first day and saying good by to my family.  I didn't want to leave them and say goodbye, but we all have to do things that sometimes we don't want to do.  I have two companions and I love them dearly.  they are super great.  Sister Amos is from Layton Utah and she actually has the same birthday as me, which she is the first person that I have met that has the same birthday as me.  Crazy right? Ya it is.  Sister Lavea is from New Zeland and she laughs at our "American" culture a lot.  Its ok though because we make fun of the words that she says all the time :).  Our Elders are the best ones in the field.  They take really good care of us and are always super nice.  Elder Benham is our district leader and then his companion is Elder West.  Then there is Elder Riplie and his companion is Elder Faniu and he is also from New Zeland.  They are really nice and yesterday they gave all us sisters blessings.  It was really nice cause none of them have given many blessings before, so they now have some experience.  Something is special about the way their hands shake when they were giving the blessings.  Really good experience.

Any ways the MTC has been awesome.  Other than the first day.  It is a very strict schedule but it makes the time fly.  The teachers are amazing and they are all really nice to us. They think our district is one of the best here because we are all so willing to learn and work with each other.  We all just get along great.  The food now on the other hand, I feel like they feed us WAY too much, and then they sit us in a classroom with out much exercise time.  I really think they are trying to fatten us up (which for some people they might need it. Elder West thinks he does.) The days here seem long but after a while you lose what day you did things and when you did them early that day you think you did them days ago.  So as Elder Benham likes to say, "It drags on but it flys by." Which is so true. Hard to think that we will have been here a week tomorrow!!!! :) Then out to Sacramento California, which by the way everyone in my district is going!!! :) We are all glad that we aren't going to be separated by too much space. 

Just one more thought before I have to go, I was reading in my scriptures last night and I had a thought.  Coming on the Lord's mission, I had to give up a year and a half of my life, family, friends, free time, movies, phones, school, etc.  But when I came to earth, Heavenly Father had to give me away to a world filled with sorrow, pain, temptations, and sin.  But he found a way for me to be safe and to return back to him, the atonement of Jesus Christ.  I am so grateful to him for that and I know that is gospel is true and what I am doing is what I am supposed to be doing.  So love you all and can't wait to hear from all of you! Have an amazing week!!!

Love, 

The other Sister Calton (Amy) :)