Monday: For p-day, it was a pretty chill day. I introduced Sister Hamblin to the Mexican restaurant that I have talked about many times lol. She is OBSESSED with it. It is seriously so good. The rest of the day we talked to family and then our friend Amy asked if we could go out to dinner with her so we went to this place called Bob Evans and Sister Hamblin and I split a meal and we basically licked that plate clean. We were a lot more hungry than we both thought. 

Tuesday: We went and did service at this place called first step and we just shred documents from the 90s and it is really fun and interesting. After that, we went to Dennis and Renee's and then to the Clouses. Nothing special happened in Fostoria. When we got back to town we had a lesson with our friend Preston and we taught him the Plan of Salvation. He basically already knew everything but it was a good lesson. His mom even came and she had told us her little sister died that morning but she still came. It was kind of perfect timing. 

Wednesday: We had district council and it was a lot more fun than last week. Everyone was a bit more relaxed and it wasn't as awkward. After district council, Sister Hamblin really wanted the Mexican restaurant so we went and split a meal because missionaries are poor lol. It was so good like always. We went to service and just taped boxes. While we are at service, we entertain ourselves by talking about our future weddings. Sister Hamblin loves anything to do with weddings.

Thursday: We did some more service. That night we had another lesson with Preston and we taught him the 10 commandments with the coordinating hand signs. For #2 (it is don't worship any graven image) So for the sign you put your pinky and pointer finger up kind of like a cow head. My niece Emma would say "don't pray to cows" and that is definitely how I explained it in our lesson hehe. 

Friday: It was a slower day because it was weekly planning day. We went to the local library and we were able to download some music so that is fun. I would also love any music recommendations from anyone. They are much appreciated.

Saturday: It would normally be a Fostoria day but Sister Hamblin was on zoom for her grandpa's funeral all day so we skipped out on that. While she was on zoom, I was able to make chicken pot pie and it was really good. I also would appreciate any church podcasts or talks that are good to listen to when doing stuff like that. I've listened to some and they are just so good. 

Sunday: We went to church and President and Sister Johnson were there. The branch presidency invited president to say a few words and he invited the branch to pray for the help of the ancestors on the other side in missionary work. I am excited about that and I know it will change Tiffin. I felt the Spirit so strongly all day and it was the first time that I felt the presence of my Grandpa Rich and John while out on my mission and it was really special. I know I will see them again and I know they are busy on the other side doing exactly what I am doing. 

I hope you all have an amazing week and I always love hearing from you guys individually. I love you all so much (and so does Heavenly Father) 

Trust in the Lord

Love,

Sister Welch

pics

Service mirror pic

A little card we left w a statue

Why does my hair look brown?

Selfie

Monday: We had our last district activity as my first District in the mission field. We went over to the Baldwins and they made us biscuits and gravy. We then went and played sand volleyball and it was so fun! While we were there, Elder Parry literally chased down a lady to give her a book of Mormon. I told him if I was her and saw him charging at me I would've started running and/or crying ahaha. 

Tuesday: It was a busy day. Because it's the end of the transfer, Sister Nelson and I went to Walmart to print out all the pictures we had taken. It was so much fun! We also discovered that our water got shut off without us knowing and we didn't know when it would be turned back on. It was really inconvenient because we needed to finish laundry, do dishes, and shower. It was one of those things though that all we could do was laugh. We went to Fostoria to help the Clouse's finish up cleaning because their inspection was Wednesday. While we were there, they had me carry a lot of stuff up their servant quarters stairs which is terrifying alone but try doing it while you can't see anything. Also because I was focusing on not buffing it, I didn't realize how low the ceiling was and I hit my head on it really hard like 3 times. I literally thought I was concussed. I still might be. We left Fostoria and headed back to Tiffin because we had a lesson with Preston!! We talked about the restoration and it went so well! I'm excited for him! That night we got transfer news. We found out that Sister Nelson was getting transferred. We were both shocked because you're technically supposed to stay with your trainer for all of your training (2 transfers). We didn't find out who my new companion was going to be until Wednesday so the next 24 hours were kind of difficult. I don't like the unknown or change.

Wednesday: Our water still wasn't on and now that we knew Sister Nelson was leaving, we really needed to do laundry. We ended up taking it to a friend's house. We went to our last district council and before we got there, we really wanted to prank Elder Parry by jumping out of the closet where we get the tables to set up. As we were hiding, we heard the Elders come in and instead of Elder Parry, Elder Ashworth's voice was getting closer and closer. He opened the door and we got him soooo good. It was hilarious!! That night we spent packing. We also had a Relief Society taco night but Sister Nelson and I couldn't concentrate because we were waiting for transfer boards to find out where she was going and who I was getting. We finally got the message around 9:30. My new companion's name is Sister Hamblin and I was sooo excited because I've met her once but everyone loves her so I was relieved. Sister Nelson is being sent up to Southfield Michigan which is where the mission home/office is. 

Thursday: We got all of Sister Nelson's stuff in the car and I got to drive all the way up to Southfield/Detroit!! I hadn't driven in 2 months so I was soooo excited. The only downside is Michigan drivers are barely worse than Utah drivers. I didn't think it was possible. We got there safely though. We got to the mission office at 12:45 and we just talked to all the missionaries. I LOVE being around other missionaries. It's just so fun. I found Sister Hamblin and we got her loaded up into the car. I said goodbye to Sister Nelson and I wasn't expecting to get teary-eyed but I definitely did. I think that's when it hit me that this was really happening. We drove back to Tiffin and Sister Hamblin unpacked. 

Friday: This was the day everything got flipped upside down. It started out with us sleeping in by accident. I hadn't even done that yet! Anyway, it was pretty normal after that. We went to lunch at this Japanese place and it wasn't bad. We went to a library to do weekly planning and it was going soooo well. Up until Sister Hamblin got a call from her mom telling her that her grandpa passed away. That was crazy to both of us because my grandpa passed exactly a week before, so we know how each other feels. Literally, the night before this Sister Hamblin was telling me she doesn't know how I feel and she hasn't had to suffer a loss. We definitely don't think it's a coincidence that we were put together. We treated ourselves that night to a fancy dinner because we needed it emotionally ahaha. 

Saturday: We woke up and Sister Hamblin got hit in the middle of the night with a really bad cold. As a result of that, we couldn't leave the apartment. To keep me distracted I was able to call my family because my grandpa's funeral was Saturday. I luckily got to watch it over zoom and it was a beautiful service. I was really sad I couldn't be there in person but I am sooo grateful for technology and that we can now facetime our families. Without that, I don't know how I'd be. 

Sunday: Sister Hamblin still wasn't feeling well so we couldn't even go to church. I always look forward to church because it's like a reset for my brain. My mom ended up sending me my home ward zoom link because my branch doesn't zoom ours and I got to watch it!! It was so good and everything I needed to hear! Seriously. Elder and Sister Baldwin came to our apartment and gave us blessings, soup, hot chocolate, and watermelon. I just love them they're the best!! 

Something I learned this week is even though when we're going through something hard and you feel like God isn't there or paying attention, he really is. I still have to remind myself of that. This past weekend has been one of the hardest if not the hardest weekend in my mission so far. I just felt like one thing after the other just kept coming to push me down. Even though nothing has changed, I know that I am going through this to become stronger and gain experience. If we came to earth to only experience happiness and not sadness, we wouldn't appreciate the good as much. I'm grateful for the power of prayer and the comfort I get from that. I am soooo grateful for all of you and your love and support you show me!! I hope you have an amazing week and if not, just look for the good! Love ya! 

Trust in the Lord

Love,

Sister Welch

The praying mantis lives here

Lesson with Prestonnn

Last district picture (I look really tall but it's an illusion)

Last district selfie

The last supper

Last district activity:(

Last picture w sister Nelson

Selfie w elder parry

Video of us scaring elder Ashworth 

Monday: On p day we had more than enough miles so we ended up driving to Toledo to go to the zoo. While we were driving there, it was a straight-up monsoon. The rain was so bad we couldn't even see. When we got to the zoo it had stopped raining and was 91 degrees. It was by far the hottest most humid day ever. We were miserable. While we were at the zoo, we got to feed giraffes. I was in heaven!! The giraffe I fed was named Charlotte and her tongue hung like a foot out of her mouth. It was crazy. 

Tuesday: It was a Fostoria day so we went to Clouse's and helped them paint their house. It was a fun time.

Wednesday: We got to go to Perrysburg for District Council. When we got to District Council, President and Sister Johnson were there and they were taking us by companionships to do interviews. It was good to talk to them and tell them everything that was going on. After District council, we went to Chick-fil-a and it was the best!! We LOVE Chick-fil-a. That night we met with a lady named Francis that I think I talked about last week and we figured out she has some serious memory loss. She didn't remember us and then in the 30 minutes we were there, she told us the same 3 stories probably 10 times. She is so nice though. 

Thursday: We met up with one of our friends named Kade and he is so interested in learning more about the church! He has a lot of questions which is always good. After the lesson, me and sister Nelson did some service. While we were there, sister Nelson accidentally stapled her finger lolol. After service, I got a text that my grandpa John passed away. I had been anticipating that text all week and when it finally came, so did the tears. I got permission to call my family and while we were all crying, we were all so comforted by the knowledge we have of eternal families and where we go after this life. I know my grandpa is in a better place and he's partying it up with his parents and almost all of his siblings. The week leading up to his passing, I had been studying and reading a lot about angels just for fun and I now realize it wasn't for nothing. I know he is watching over me along with my grandpa Rich and that makes me so excited for the miracles I am going to see. That night sister Nelson also burned her palm because she didn't realize the handle of a pot was over a hot burner and she grabbed it. It was a tearful day for both of us needless to say. 

Friday: Friday was a pretty normal day. To add to sister nelson's injuries, she was dishing up some really hot rice at lunch and the rice just perfectly flew off the spoon and landed on her wrist. she couldn't really move because she was holding a lot of stuff so she just let her wrist burn. She now has 2 little red dots from the rice on her wrist. Poor girl. We went out to dinner with our friend Amy and her friend Rosanne to a place called Big Boy. It wasn't bad. After dinner, we went and knocked on a lot of doors, and then we had our STL call-ins. I made everyone cry on the call so that was fun. It was a pretty solid day. 

Saturday: Saturday was another Fostoria day. We went to the Clouse's and they fed us some really good meatballs for lunch. I didn't think I was going to like them that much because they were sweet but they were so good!! That night we knocked on even more doors and we called it a night.

Sunday: Today was fast and testimony meeting and there was definitely a theme which was anxiety and eternal families. It was pretty fitting with the week I had ahaha. We had dinner with the Haga's from the branch and I love them!! We had hamburgers and hotdogs and it was so good. I felt bad they were grilling because it was raining really hard. As I'm writing this it's Sunday night and sister Nelson is in the shower. I just heard her scream and call my name. She opened the door and she semi-flooded the bathroom so that's amazing because we don't have a mop lolol. 

This week has definitely made me realize that it is in times of trial that we need to trust in the Lord more than ever even when our brain is telling us otherwise. I know all of us have been through times in our life where it just feels like one thing after the other keeps happening. If we stay strong through those times, we will come out even stronger and more humbled than before. Just remember the blessings in your life instead of the negative even though one of those things is easier than the other hehe. I love you all and I hope you have the best week ever and look for the miracles!!

Trust in the Lord

Love,

Sister Welch

picssss

me and sister nelson at the zoo

Look at its tongue!!!!

feeding the giraffe

"if you came out of an egg, it would be that one because you're tall"

-Sister Nelson

cute sign at the zoo

pretty sunset

a sign me and sis nelson laugh at every time

rainbowww

knocking doors selfie