Hey everyone!

So my first week in Mississippi has been amazing! I love it here and there are soo many things that remind me of home it's not even funny. For example...I walked outside and could smell a bonfire (someone was burning weeds or something) and I was loving life!! I threw my hands in the air and said oh my gosh I feel like I'm at home..."I want to go camping..." but I love the people. The southern accent is very strong here haha it makes me laugh. It's going to be wierd coming home to fast talking people. They either talk slow or they say things I don't understand. Story--I we went to go visit one of our investigators Lorie and her boyfriend (that we haven't met) answers the door. I start talking and he says...Mam...I'm like yeah haha... then sister Mapu whispers, "that means he doesn't know what you said." I felt so dumb because I just kept talking! He meant Mam as a question. Yep..it's great--all the members are determined to get me to start saying ya'll by next week. I love the members--we eat at a different members house everynight--some food is very interesting. But nothing out of the ordinary and nothing that I haven't had before. Nicole your letter cracked me up!! I love you...it was the shortest letter and the only letter I've recieved for a week and a half so I was pretty happy. The people here are so welcoming and nice.

Sometimes honestly on days that I wonder, "why am I here?" We go out and meet someone new that I can talk to so extremely well and then I realize that's why your here there is someone I will be able to connect with. I feel the lords hand everyday and I feel so blessed. Oh and guess what Utah haha it snowed only three inches here 2 weeks ago and that's all some people can talk about!! It's so funny everyone stays indoors and school is cancled with that much snow and nobody drives. I just laugh. There are so many different extremes here--Poor-rich and it's only a drive away. It makes me sad and I just want to share the gospel with everyone. I feel so much love to those we have taught and helped. My second day we went to go visit an old widow named sister Ferrish--she lives in an apartment all alone and it makes me so sad. Dorathy is her housekeeper and apparently she's been over there a lot but no one has talked to her about the gospel!! We started talking about temples and I pulled out my picture of my family and the temple and she looks at me and says you are the fifth missionary that I have met. Then I said, "I'm your lucky number five." She said, "i know, I just need to have religion in my life and I am here in Mississippi to find that but you are being sent to me to help me find it." So we'll see how it goes--we invited her to church next week and she's picking up sister Ferrish:) I love her though she's the sasiest black lady ever!! I love her---then 9 doors down from her we knocked and the blinds lifted and a lady said who is it? "The missionaries" she said hold on....we waited 2 min and she opened her door and told us to come in. We started talking and she said she has never met with the missionaries but she needs a religion to be a part of. Then we started telling her that god loves her and that we are always here for her. After a pause she started crying saying thank you. The spirit was so strong and we are meeting with her tomorrow. I love the gospel!!
There's a lady that I love to visit...she talks so much but I love her! Sister Barlow is 75 years of age and she is currently taking care of her 100 year old mother Sister Cronan. It amazes me at how much love for her mother this woman has. Right when we walked into her house the first time I met her she goes, "Hey ya'll! Oh my you look just like my grandaughter Rebecca!" I looked at Rebecca's picture and i was okay with looking like her well just say that. But anyways I love singing to her mom Sister Cronan. I love that family so much and I love listening to all the storiesSister Barlow has to share. Everyone here gives hugs! I love it haha well okay correction everyone in the ward gives hugs. But that's okay because I love it.
Soo tracking crackes me up sometimes. I thought i would be super sad if I ever got the door slammed in my face but I really just laugh! The best one was we started tracking this apartment complex and right when we started knocking all of a sudden everyone started coming out of their apartments and driving away! By the time we were done withknocking the parking lot was nearly empty:) Yep I'm a missionary you better run from me I'm on a mission to bring you to salvation! Some people...another lady yelled she was in the shower...from her living room. I was confused. Sowe said, "k well come back." We started walking and she ran out to her car and drove away! Haha I just laugh--the people that run must not be the "elect" is what Sister Mapu always says.
Oh and here's what else I find funny...my mission is the Mississippi Jackson Mission, but sisters aren't allowed to serve in Jackson. It's too dangerous! The Clinton Sisters (Sister Mapu and I) have a piece of Jackson and we are only allowed to be there until five p.m. The area of Jackson we have is very...ghetto. We drive by and all I keep telling myself is interesting oh and I'm like the only white girl when we drive into Jackson. But apparently Jackson is really dangerous. I didn't know this. But hey that's okay because Clinton is amazing! Everyone is religious though--there are soo many churches! No wonder Joseph Smith was so confused. My bishops family reminds me the most of dinners at my home with the Jenkins family. We ate at the "Boone Dinner" yesterday, there were so many children! But I felt like I was at home because it had that same feeling, Heavenly Keeps blessing me with all of these people and with all of these amazing experiences.
Anyways, Mississippi is the south I am definately in the heart of it! There are some extremely good Christian people out here--Everyone keeps saying that the South is a Sleeping Giant and it's soon going to wake up! I hope I get to experience that and see that here while I'm out here. I love you all and everyone is in my prayers always. Therestored gospel is our Savior Jesus Christs church and I will never ever deny it!! I know I am here for a divine purpose. I love the lord and I know his hand is in all things. "Ya'll have a good week now;)" haha just kidding I don't sound like that yet. But Sister Black says I need to stop saying "You guys" it's ya'll. I love the Yes mam and no sir thing!! it's soo polite! Surrender your life into the hands of the lord, be obedient, and have faith. Never forget how much he loves you! I love you:) I'll write next week!

With Love Sister Jenkins

Soo three nights ago our elders in our area (zone leaders) Elder Green and Elder Milligan--pulled out this orange vest and said, Elder Miles (Fleet cooridator) said that it's a new rule for all "greenies" to wear this when backing out the car...I looked at them both and said,"i refuse to look that stupid...there is no way I am wearing that vest." They both said, "well it's a rule now...only new missionaries have to." I said, "um...if I have to you should." Elder Green says, "um we don't have to because we have white shirts and we don't need it." I thought it was a bunch of bolony and was soo mad! But since they said it was a "rule" I being a good missionary wore the stupid thing. I was so upset and refused to wear it....so I would put it in my hand and back the car out with the orange vest in my hand. Yesterday we went to visit sister sample and on the way out...I started backing out the car and these two elders yelled wear the vest!! I looked at them ticked off...and put it on. They took a picture!! Apparently the whole thing was a joke come to find out we called the fleet coordinator and I told him I was mad at the new rule. He said, "what are you talking about? we don't have to do that." Um... yeah the whole thing was a scam!! I threw the vest at them this morning and said nice joke elders....they both laughed and said they were going to tell me wed. at the district meeting!! They were laughing soo hard! but here are the pictures....yep I look ridiculous. 

                                     

 

My Favorite House!

Love her!!  We had a sticker war:)

Love this little girl!

This sweet lady is 100 years old and went on a mission to Mississippi. That is her name tag on her pillow.

A sad house that we saw. "Tommy" lives there.

So this picture cracks me up!!! this was my first day in the field and we were playing soccer with the ward. Remember how I said Elder Green and I went to high school together? Well it's our personal joke now haha but whenever anyone in the ward asks if we went to the same school we always say "yes...we dated." hahaha the looks on everyone's faces are hilarious!! But this picture...he kicked the soccer ball super hard..and I was talking with a sister Cronan on the stage in the gym. While I'm talking to her the ball smacks me in the face extremely hard!! I was sooo mad all i could do was laugh though.