Am I crazy? 7-28-14

Am I crazy? 
 
Who am I kidding? I know I'm crazy and the last 12 months as a 
missionary has just solidified that knowledge. I mean seriously, in 
what world can someone work 16 hours a day, bike in the middle of the 
hot/humid Florida summer (wearing a SKIRT), talk to 100 people in 
hopes that maybe one will care enough to listen and still manage to be 
happy about it all? Everything that could have gone wrong this week 
did, yet I still feel like we had a great week and am happy as can be! 
Don't get me wrong I'm not claiming I didn't have a few solid break 
downs, but at the end of the day I wouldn't want to be anywhere else! 
Man missionary life is the life for me! (sung to the tune of the Rap 
"gangster life") 
 
How is everything in the motherland? Oh man this week I have gotten SO 
MUCH grief about being from Vegas! President Cusick made a comment 
about how we shouldn't be handing out Mormon.org cards like we are 
"Vegas card pushers" so my whole district is like, "well Sister Upshaw 
is one." -_- not funny. On top of that everyone thinks that because I 
worked at Ceasars Palace that I was a scandalous individual... Keep in 
mind I don't volunteer any of this information, but my comp finds it 
fascinating so she proudly tells everyone! Lol it is actually pretty 
funny to watch them mentally picture a Mormon in Vegas. Then I remind 
them that we have a temple there so clearly we aren't that scarce. 
 
So we had a meeting with our Bishop on Tuesday and in his office he 
has a picture of Christ (I attached it to this email) with a quote 
that says, "In the end, if you haven't chosen Jesus Christ, it doesn't 
matter what you chose." I love that! It made me think how Heavenly 
Father and Jesus Christ love us so much and there is no way they would 
ask us to do something that, in the end, wouldn't make us the happiest 
and best we have ever been. If we chose Christ we really are choosing 
ourselves! It is kind of a no brainer! I love you all so much! I hope 
you have an amazing week! 
 
Love always and forever, 
Sister Upshaw 
 
 
"In the end, if you haven't chosen Jesus Christ, it doesn't matter 
what you chose." 

 


She loves the rain (good thing because it rains a lot)!!!


They had a Pioneer Day activity, but forgot

                to take pictures before the event These are

                from when they were cleaning up. 













Some random statue
The sidewalks just end randomly for some reason 







These hedges make her feel like she is in the

                  Tri-Wizard Tournament and the hedges are closing

                  in on her









Dinner, yum.  I guess that is one way to stretch 

                 your monthly budget, road kill!!  jk 

Slurp, ponder and Pray

This week was kind of a strange one. It started out on Tuesday when we 
 got a call that we needed to have the keys to our old apartment turned 
 in by the end of the week.  We were told we had till the 31st so we 
 hadn't really made it a priority to scrub it all down yet. For such a 
 small apartment it sure took us a long time! Then Thursday we were 
 home for dinner and I hear the phone ring. I looked at the number and 
 it was a 435 area code (southern Utah) I knew it was sister Skeem's 
 family! I don't know why, but I just knew it! I answered and it was 
 sister Skeem's mom! The first thing my companion says when I go to 
 hand her the phone is, "DOES SHE HAVE PERMISSION!?" Haha I figured she 
 did...otherwise she is really lucky and just happened to pocket dial 
 our number. She was calling to tell sister Skeem that her grandmother 
 passed away. It has been really hard on her, but she has borne a 
 powerful testimony of the plan of salvation this week and it has given 
 me an opportunity to serve her which has strengthened our 
 companionship a lot. It has really helped me appreciate my testimony. 
 How even when hard things happen we can still have hope and peace. 
 
 Wednesday was a day of miracles! We went on exchanges and the sister I 
 went with is stellar! Her name is Sister Snow and she is the one that 
 looks freakishly like Danae. Seriously it tripped me out the entire 
 day... Anyway so the entire day we were crazy busy and then it was 
 8:45 and I was so stink'n tired. We were coming out of a lesson and I 
 figured we were going to head home. Negative. Sister Snow was like, we 
 have 10 minutes left in the night. Whose life are we going to change? 
 I thought she was kind of crazy seeing as it would take 5 minutes to 
 get home. I mean I am all about working hard to the very end of the 
 day, but what are you going to do with 5 minutes? We went to this CVS 
 and the first person we see was someone Sister Snow and her companion 
 had met about a month ago. We talked to Him for 20 minutes about 
 baptism and prophets and the savior. It was amazing and he gave us his 
 information and came to a baptism on Saturday to see what it is like. 
 Crazy right? Man, I will never look at 10 short minutes the same 
 again. 
 
 Thursday I woke up at 3am feeling like my legs were on fire. Turns out 
 I had 87 fresh new mosquito bites... Apparently that means I have 
 healthy blood that is rich in vitamins. (That's what a nurse in our 
 ward told me) haha when she saw my legs she was like, "cover those 
 things up! You are single handedly providing all Sarasota skeeters 
 with an endless food supply." Oh also remember how I am allergic to 
 fancy face wash like proactive? Well I ran out of my face wash so I 
 used another missionaries proactive face wash and spent the rest of 
 the day with an adorable swollen, red face! I didn't think about it 
 all until I was getting in bed and my face started itching like crazy. 
 Between my face and my legs I looked diseased! 
 
 Then to finish off the week.... Saturday we went over to our Bishops 
 house so Sister Skeem could receive a blessing. The elders were there 
 too and as we were talking with Bishop he gets a text that one of the 
 people speaking in Sacrament meeting was sick and wouldn't make it the 
 following day. So he turns and asks Elder Leavitt to speak. The poor 
 Elder already was teaching a class on Sunday so I suggested maybe the 
 four of us do a musical number to fill some time. Then Bishop goes, 
 "to take some of the pressure off you Elder Leavitt, Sister Upshaw 
 will speak too." That's what I get for speaking up -__- haha just 
 kidding! It was actually really awesome! I spoke on how missionary 
 work is about love. It doesn't matter if it is someone who isn't a 
 member or someone who has just forgotten their way, we reach out and 
 share those things we hold so dear because we love them. As I was 
 sitting up on the stand I realized that it was exactly one year ago 
 today that I gave my farewell talk! Crazy right!? It was really cool 
 for me to look back on the growth I have made. A year ago I prepared 
 for over a month for that talk! This time around I had less then 24 
 hours and it was probably better... Not because I know more or I am 
 more confident in public speaking, but because I have realized that I 
 don't really have to say that much. If I bare sincere witness of 
 simple truths, then the spirit will do the rest. 
 
 
 All in all it was a really great week. This transfer is going by 
 really fast! Everyone keeps telling me how I probably will leave this 
 transfer... I don't want to leave!! Like EVER!  I love you all so  so 
 so so so so MUCH!! 
 
 Love always, 
 
 Sista Upshaw<3 
 
 Here is a pic of that sister that looks like Nae! (Only from the side 
 so that's why it's a profile shot) 
 #SlushtialKingdom 
 #WeLoveSlurpees 
 Oh and one of the men in our ward is on the wheelchair basketball USA 
 team. He just got back from the world championships and USA took 
 silver! So that's his metal and the Man wearing it is one of the 
 senior missionaries in our ward. We thought it was pretty cool… 

Needed a shower curtain in their new apartment and they only had Superman

Dinner with the Perkos family

Didn't want to get dressed for the day after exercising

Her bug bites a couple of days later

Sis. Hurdman

Sis Hurdman now

Sis & Bro. Hurdman they were married 65 yrs before Bro. Hurdman passed away

7-11 free Slurpee's

Missionary in Chelsea's area that looks like Danae

Reminder from Zone Leaders of free slurpees

My favorite Irish lady! 7-14-14

We finally moved! Hallelujah! We have been trying to move apartments 
since May...funny story, true story, the second we finished loading 
our stuff into the back of a member's truck it started pouring rain! 
We laughed at the thought of trying to dry out our mattresses, books, 
and whatever else was now being soaked by the rain. When we unloaded 
the stuff only some of it was a little damp, but nothing was too bad. 
I don't know if you have experienced a Florida rain storm, but our 
things should have need destroyed! Miracle? I think YES! 
 
I had one of the sweetest experiences of my mission this week. Let me 
back track a bit.... So about two weeks ago we got a call from the 
other missionaries we share the area with. Elder Ronfeldt was the one 
speaking and he says, "sisters, I am about to do something I will 
regret for the rest of my life." "Uhhh okay Ronfeldt? What's up?" He 
told us about a lady named Paula and how he and elder Leavitt felt she 
would be better off being taught by sisters. He told us how much he 
loved this lady and how hard it was to pass her over to us. Before he 
hung up he said, "sisters, I know you take care of all the people you 
teach, but PLEASE take EXTRA care of her." We set up an appointment 
with her for the following night and from the moment we met her we 
definitely understood why he loved her so much and why it was so hard 
for him to pass her off. 
 
Fast forward to yesterday. She came to church for the second time and 
I was amazed by all the things that touched her so deeply. From the 
talks given, songs sung, and even some of the paintings on the wall. 
During one of the hymns she teared up and eventually tears fell freely 
as the song progressed. She apologized and of course we told her she 
had nothing to apologize for and that her heart had been touched by 
the spirit. She said, "He didn't just touch it. He grabbed it!" I was 
so grateful that not only was she feeling the spirit, but she 
recognized it! 
 
In between classes she needed to walk around a bit so we decided to 
show her the baptismal font. (That is were baptisms take place inside 
the chapel. It is kind of like a giant bathtub. Haha) We opened the 
doors and as she leaned over the glass she asked what else she needed 
to do to be baptized. We told her we would continue teaching her so 
she could better understand what the church is all about. She looked 
at me and said, "oh Hunny, I already know what this church is all 
about. I have seen it in the members." I gave her a big hug and she 
continued, "You have no idea how long I have searched for a place 
where I belong. I finally feel like I am home." Tears filled her eyes 
as she threw her arms around my neck. She thanked us for coming into 
her life and said she feels we have brought her something she didn't 
know she was looking for. I realized how much I take for granted. I am 
so use to feeling the happiness the gospel brings and the peace the 
spirit offers. It was an amazing experience to see someone 
experiencing it all for the first time and really soaking it in. 
 
I couldn't be happier right now. Not just because things are going so 
well, but because I really feel like I am changing. I LOVE this gospel 
and I am understanding more each day what it means to LIVE it! I love 
my family and I am so grateful for all the support I get from you 
guys. I hope you have an amazing week! 
 
 
Love always, 
 
Sister Upshaw 

Chelsea's new address:

8449 Gardens Cir.

Apt. #1

Sarasota, FL  34243

They are now allowed on the beach

But they still can't go in the water

I think they are a little excited about being able to go on the beach

They went to the dentist because Sis. Skeem thought she chipped a tooth.

The dentist gave them both free cleanings, because he likes what the 

Missionaries do.  Chelsea thought that was "sweet"!!  Plus, they got

these cool t-shirts.

                                                    Your guess is as good as mine on these

Moving Day

She wants to bring this little boy home with her, too.

Christmas in July! 7-7-14

 Hello hello mi familia! I hope your celebration of America's Birthday was 
> stupendous! Ours was pretty good. We got to know the entire Bradenton 
> police force pretty well. Haha they had this Fourth of July event that we 
> went to go see and try to talk to people there and the member that came 
> with us knew all of the cops because her husband is a sergeant. It was a 
> blast, but we had to leave pretty much right as the fireworks started so we 
> could get home on time. We tried to get permission to be out later and 
> this is the response we got, "woah woah woah! Sisters! That's borderline 
> APOSTATE!" Haha our ZLs are weirdos. ;P 
> 
> 
> Speaking of weirdos... All of the people here, including the 
> missionaries I serve around, think I NEVER EAT and that when I do eat, 
> I eat "delicately". Can we just take that in for a second? I have 
> heard a lot of different words people have used to describe my eating 
> habits, but delicate has never been one of them. They clearly aren't 
> paying close enough attention at the dinner table... My whole life I 
> have been told I eat too much too fast!  Clearly I belong in the 
> south! These people know how to eat! Another fun fact... The mission 
> doctor thinks I may be lactose intolerant. You know how I have been 
> saying I haven't really been feeling well? I started keeping track of 
> when it happened and what the symptoms were and it kind of seemed like 
> it was mostly happening after I had a glass of milk. After an hour or 
> two I would be fine again. So he told me to cut out dairy for two 
> weeks.... That has been a struggle because I typically go through a 
> gallon of milk a week. I thought it was crazy when he suggested that! 
> I have never had an issue in the past! Apparently turning 20 means 
> everything about life changes too? I do have to say though, I haven't 
> felt sick all week... 
> 
> Ahhhh man, happy July everyone! I can't believe the year is half over! 
> Oh hey it's July 7th...happy 11 month birthday to me! One of the 
> elders that was in the MTC with me is now in my ward here, (well we 
> have been serving in this ward together since March) but anyway... He 
> always tells me the stats on our missions. It's kind of fun because I 
> feel like I  have a limited understanding of how time works out here. 
> I mean I am not positive, but I am pretty sure every once in a while 
> we have a few weeks that are shorter than a day and days that are 
> longer than weeks. If that doesn't make sense... Well then I'm not 
> surprised so.... Moving on. 
> 
> A few weeks ago we went to the hospital to visit a member. She is One 
> sweet lady, but was pretty out of it and didn't feel much like 
> talking. We decided to sing her a few hymns and she just lit up. 
> Sister Skeem and I both love a song called "Master the tempest is 
> Raging" so we saved that one for last. If you have never heard it 
> before you should look it up because it is so powerful! It is a 
> desperate call for the savior to calm the trials in our lives, yet 
> there is still so much trust that all things are in His control. This 
> sister asked us to sing it 3 times in a row. I am sure the entire 
> facility wanted to kick us out, but she closed her eyes and soaked in 
> every word! I've never seen music touch someone so deeply and trust 
> me, it wasn't our singing that touched her. Haha a few weeks after 
> that we went to see her in the nursing home where she is now. As soon 
> as she saw us she asked us to sing that song. After we finished we 
> asked if there was another song we could sing. She thought for a 
> moment, "well with Christmas just around the corner how about a 
> Christmas song?" I couldn't help but smile. We didn't bother to 
> correct her. So we sat and sang Christmas songs... In July. 
> 
> I thought about that a lot this week. Her frail frame and her soft 
> voice saying, "Christmas is just around the corner." It brought a 
> smile to her face as she said it. I thought about what the Christmas 
> season should bring; joy, excitement, and a closeness to our Savior. 
> With those things in mind we should always be preparing for that 
> holiday season. We should be close to our savior year round. That is 
> sort of my new motto whenever I feel down, "Christmas is just around 
> the corner!" It cheers me right up! I love the people here and I am 
> excited to be staying in the area for at least one more transfer! 
> 
> Oh ya, I forgot to mention transfers are this week and I am staying! 
> Whoo I have never had a comp longer than 2 transfers (I guess I scare 
> them off?) so this is kind of monumental for me! Haha I love you mucho 
> have an amazing week! 
> 
> Love, Sister Upshaw 
> 
> P.S. Welcome home Dyliedoo! (In two days) It is super weird/ exciting 
> to think that two years ago Dylan and Randy were on missions while 
> Kels and I were at home and now it's reversed! Who would have guessed? 

Sarasota Missionaries

She is trying to find a way to bring this dog home with her

 Chelsea has always been the jokester in our home.  It's nice to see that

she still finds ways to "entertain" herself.

My week in a very large nutshell... 6-30-14

 For those of you that get Chelsea's letters from me by email, I have been 

told that the whole message didn't come through.  So, here is the 

whole thing. 

This week was AWESOME! We have been having a pretty hard time in this 
> area lately and it has kind of been numbing me out. We noticed that 
> because we didn't have that many people to teach we had gotten pretty 
> lax in everything we were doing. This week we fixed that! We were more 
> diligent and worked harder and had a phenomenal week! We met all of 
> our goals and then some AND one of my favorite people decided this 
> week that she wants to be baptized! She is such a sweet girl and has 
> such a powerful testimony of gods love. I learn from Inita every time 
> we meet with her. Here are some other highlights from my week.... 
> 
> Happy part of my week: 
> 
> Tiwi has been unplugged! Okay so I don't remember if I told ya'll 
> about Tiwi... I think I have? Anyway, basically it is a little box 
> mounted on our windshield that records and reports anytime we speed, 
> make an aggressive maneuver, or do anything in the car Tiwi deems 
> "unsafe". Well... Last week our Tiwi was malfunctioning. It kept 
> saying this random phrase that we had never heard before, but we 
> really don't know what it was saying. It sounded like gibberish! I, 
> for one, am convinced Satan dwells within that little black box, but 
> the mission office seemed to think the box was just defective. They 
> gave us permission to unplug it until someone could come down and fix 
> it. Well they came down and just broke it even more! So we have been 
> driving without a Tiwi for 2 weeks and I am so dang happy! I swear I 
> actually drive better without it nagging me! It's like how Dad drives 
> better when Mom isn't in the car ;P (just kidding Mom! #loveyou) 
> 
> Sad part of my week: 
> 
> We went to firehouse subs for lunch on Thursday and everyone was glued 
> to the t.v. Sis Skeem goes, "I think Germany and U.S. Are playing" it 
> was the World Cup! Ahhh I almost cried! It was such a struggle to not 
> watch that beautiful game! She thought it was hilarious and took like 
> 7 years to finish eating! Haha that night a Colombian family we taught 
> who is obsessed with the World Cup (they have they're priorities 
> straight) told us ALL about the game. Literally I am surrounded by 
> people who don't care at all about soccer... My sweet Colombian family 
> are the only ones that have it together! Haha Florida needs to get 
> there priorities straight! 
> 
> Scary part of my week: 
> 
> Ahhhh we went out with a member and her driving was HORRIFYING! like 
> worse than my sister! (We all know which one) we were driving down a 
> dirt road going really fast and then someone PASSED us! I was like, 
> "wow! I am surprised he passed you! You are already going 60!" I think 
> I might have offended her because she immediately slowed down and said 
> she hoped she wasn't driving too roughly. I wanted to scream, YES YOU 
> ARE, WE ARE ALL GONNA DIE! Instead I assured her she was driving just 
> fine. Haha my comp was busting up in the back seat. She said she could 
> see the genuine fear in my eyes. lol The struggle is real! 
> 
> Obnoxious, yet still glorious, part of the week: 
> 
> Thursday night around 3 AM I wake up to a ridiculously loud siren and 
> blue flashing lights. The fire alarm was going off in our building. I 
> jump up and look outside and all of our neighbors are vacating. I go 
> back inside wake up Sis. Skeem who was still begging me to turn it 
> off... Haha So there we were at 3AM with all of our neighbors chillin' 
> in our PJs. We stood there for a solid 30 minutes while waiting for 
> the fire department. Meanwhile we got to know some of our neighbors 
> pretty well! Actually some of them who wouldn't even look at us before 
> are friendly now. Clearly we all bonded over our love for being awoken 
> suddenly at 3AM by a fire alarm when there isn't actually a fire... 
> Blessings come in unexpected ways right? 
> 
> TOTALLY MIND BLOWINGLY AWESOME PART OF MY WEEK: 
> 
> I got a picture from Sister Peterson last week. Two of my favorite 
> families were baptized back in Gibsonia! Is that cool or what?! I am 
> sooooooo happy! Two Sundays ago, the Prentices met with Bishop and 
   said they want to be baptized! When I was teaching them, they tried 
   dropping us twice, but because the member that referred them became 
   really good friends with 
> them, they stayed involved in church activities and always had a 
> connection to the gospel. I have such a testimony of fellowshipping! 
> Never give up! also the parkers was the very first family I found on my 
> mission! They are the greatest! When we met them that night she 
> was hesitant to let us in, but we said a prayer with her and her family and 
> she admitted to us that when we pulled up she had just finished saying a 
> prayer to know what it is that she and her family needed in their life (she 
> had felt like something was missing) I am so grateful for the spirit and 
> the miracles He works in people's hearts! 
> 
> 
> I love you all! The gospel is growing and so much good is happening! 
> 
> -Sister Upshaw 

They have an hour drive to District Meeting every week. This is what they do

(Sis. Skeem is very talented.  She makes up the little songs they do)

Sorry! Only pics this week... 6-23-14

This is part of her weekly report to her Mission President.  She sent lots  of

pictures this week.



I love this area! I love the people we teach, the missionaries here
are incredible, and these members have to be some of the most
inspiring saints I have ever met. I really mean that. I love it here!
However the last few weeks our lessons have dropped to about 12
lessons a week, and over half of those are less active visits. I feel
like we are doing great things here, but I definitely don't feel like
it is good enough.

I'm sorry my weekly letters have been so terrible. On another note in
my studies I have been reading about the motives of various people in
the Book of Mormon as they chose to do things. Like captain Moroni and
the title of liberty, or Lehi leaving Jerusalem, Alma and the sons of
Mosiah preaching to the Lamanites. All of them were motivated by Love
for their families and God. Really they all did what they did because
the had charity. That's the Christlike attribute I want to develop on
my mission. I always thought I had that one down, but I'm realizing
more and more that I am farther from the mark than I thought.


Love,



 -Sister Upshaw

The Elders attacked their car with pass along cards

Cleaned out their kitchen and found lots of dishes that don't  belong to them

This is for Bro. & Sis Dover (because she loves you)

FHE with a family in their area

They do visits in a nursing home

Lunch Elder & Sis. Clark

Sis. Calder her Mission BFF

Her Florida family (she says she just loves this family)  Sis. Evans passed away recently