The One with Pineapple Pruning

Week 74 (Jan 16th-22nd 2018)

One year ago this week I packed my bags and transferred out of my first area and away from my second companion, Sister Carter. This week I packed an overnight bag and went on an exchange to New Smyrna with my Sister Training Leader, Sister Carter(!). That’s right! Belleview Beauties back at it and reunited for one day only to hasten the work of the Lord!

It was such a blast to spend the day with Sister Carter and reminisce about our beloved Belleview and the hilarious people and experiences we had therein. What was really amazing was being able to see how much each of us have grown over the course of our missions. When Sister Carter and I were first put together I was just out of training with three months in the field under my belt and she had been out only one transfer longer than me, a total of 4.5 months. At the time, we felt totally inadequate and under-qualified to be together on our own without a more seasoned missionary to guide us.

Now Sister Carter is nearing the end of her mission, this next week will be her final in the field and her exchange with me was her last. After our companionship she has trained a new missionary herself and has been an STL for a few months now. I have since had 9 other companions and am currently training a new sister on my own. It’s surreal to realize that we are the seasoned seniors now.

When we contacted a woman while she was in her front yard, we were both silently impressed at the others progress in confidence, ease, and power in teaching simple truths of the restored gospel. It’s reassuring to recognize that I have changed for the better, and that I really am progressing as a missionary and as a daughter of God each day through my continued diligence and Christ’s grace.

Sister Carter and I started our day helping a member tend to their small garden of potted pineapples by weeding and pruning. While doing so, I remarked to her that I was reminded of the allegory of the olive tree in Jacob chapter 5, and compared it to our service as laborers in the Lords vineyard in Florida; with pineapples instead of olive trees. It seemed fitting.

Then we got to give service at a thrift store in their area by tagging and hanging donated clothes. The place was slammed because apparently a very wealthy gentleman had donated the entirety of his wardrobe in his mansion in preparation for his trip to Costa Rica. There were tens of boxes of men’s shirts and pants from expensive designers and brands such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, etc. Most of them still had the tags and had never been worn. It’s crazy how what a person donates to a thrift store can reveal so much about the kind of person they are.

While we were there we saw a couple of nude mannequins in the front window that were quite anatomically correct and made us somewhat uncomfortable; so we asked if we could dress them and we got the go ahead. So that was fun finding the gems in the store and mix and matching to create a chic look. When we were done they were styling and modest. A sign of a Sister Missionaries touch.

Then we got a real treat: we got permission to Skype Lillian! If you’ve been following my mission for a while, you’ll know that Lillian is a recent convert that Sister Carter and I taught and helped prepare to enter the waters of baptism a year ago next month. She’s had quite the journey and has the strongest faith. We video called her and read Moroni 10 and discussed gifts of the spirit! She just received her patriarchal blessing a few weeks ago (so proud of her!), and so she’s been wanting to learn more about that. What an angel.

Innocent left for Boston this week, we helped him prep to go. Sister Russell packed his bags while I helped him with his ticket and boarding pass. His original flight was cancelled, and so I helped him with a new one. Booking, cancelling, rebooking Innocents ticket squelched any desire in me to be a jet-setter. It’s so difficult to navigate; and it really shouldn’t be. I mean, we’ve been flying for 100+ years people. There has to be an easier way to do this.

On his last full day in Deltona he went out with our Elders for a few hours and had a blast. When we heard the stories both from his side and the elders we were dying of laughter. He was dressed up and wearing his suit, and apparently at one door they knocked the person asked if they were detectives/officers, to which Innocent responded, “We are officers of Jesus Christ.” The Elders said that at one point when they were driving in silence, they heard innocent say quietly in the backseat, “Fishers of men. We are... fishing”. He’s the perfect missionary.

This is the last week of the transfer; this last one has come and gone so fast. We’re loving Deltona and looking forward to sticking around here together. We get the call this Saturday with the actual transfer news, however it’s very unlikely that I will be sent anywhere else. I’m glad, Sister Russell and I are just getting started.

-Sister Olivia Petty🍍

The One with Manatees and Rocketships

Week 72 (Jan 2nd-8th) & Week 73 (Jan 9th-15th 2018)

Deltona’s misfortune is Bostons immense luck because we’re losing Innocent to the red sox. Sister Russell and my hearts are actually in pieces, so we don’t think about it for more than 30 seconds at a time otherwise we’ll weep endlessly.

Innocent is currently living/working at an assisted living group home and it’s a rough situation. The woman he is working for was an acquaintance from where he’s from in Uganda, but she’s really been exploiting him and his work since he doesn’t have a work visa yet. He works literally 21/7 (minus the three hours he gets off for church each week which he has to fight tooth and nail for) and is the only employee over 8 patients. She refuses to hire anyone else so she can save money, but she’s barely paying Innocent anyway. We calculated it out, and she’s only paying him roughly $1.50 an hour. It’s the definition of messed up.

Originally Innocents goal was to work there long enough to get his own apartment and continue working there while obtaining necessary visas; but he’s been working so hard non-stop he hasn’t had any time to work on his papers and his employer is resisting his leaving to go to church on Sundays- which is non negotiable to him. So Innocent has been fasting and praying about other options.

He has a colleague up in Boston who is willing to let Innocent stay with him while he works his legalities out, so he is leaving on Thursday. We’re saddened by this turn of events for selfish reasons, but we genuinely want what is best for him and right now that is getting out of dodge. Innocent didn’t want to leave his new home Ward either, feeling he was just planting his roots, so he is planning to come back to the area after he’s done in Boston in a month or two. Pray- really pray- that this works out because Sister Russell and I are about to be very lost with a lot more free time.

We already have his records set in his new ward and have contacted his new missionaries (that we are fighting to not break the 10th commandment over) and so he will be able to continue his new member lessons and prepare for the temple there. He was ordained a Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood, so now he will be preparing to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood! He is so on fire and has the strongest testimony, we are so blessed to know him and we will be keeping in contact with him while he’s gone and hopefully having an occasional Skype lesson.

To console us, Heavenly Father has blessed us with bounteous tender mercies and super cool experiences. Throughout my mission, I have raved about Florida’s wildlife and wondrous variety of all creatures great and small, but these last two weeks were something else. Are you ready for one of the great creatures? Get this: Manatees. MANATEES.

We live approximately 7 miles away from Blue Springs State Park: Winter Home of the Manatee. So this last P-day guess what we did? WE SAW THE MANATEES. It was an absolutely beautiful park! This crystal clear river spring, with amazing trees everywhere, very peaceful and super quiet! This river was filled with all different kinds of fish, like hundreds of different fishies. There were an astounding variety of birds as well, and of course... the manatees. I have never seen anything like it. Fat blobs swimming in the water, chilling at the bottom, and occasionally surfacing for a second to take a big breath. It was enchanting.

Apparently Manatees have zero tolerance for cold, so they always have to be in water that is at least 70 degrees. Well according to a post card I bought at the gift shop, “Blue Spring pumps out 100 million gallons of 72 degree water each day.” So when it gets “cold” here in Florida (I’m from Utah so Florida’s definition of cold doesn’t phase me) literally hundreds of manatee flock to the blue spring for warmth and to socialize. The manatee count for the springs that day was 384. That’s right. 384.

And now for a small creature: baby goats. Also known as a kid, of which I got to hold one. We have a member couple that live in the middle of this forest and then when you finally reach their home you find a gate beyond which cattle, goats, geese and ducks roam freely around a quaint little pond adjacent to a huge gorgeous house. It was so whimsical we could barely stand it. When we drove in we basically had to nudge the cows with our car to get them to move, they were so zen hahaha. But when we saw their baby goats, we begged to hold one. And that we did. I truly felt like a representative of the Savior, who is our shepherd, and we are his sheep (or in this case, baby goats).

As if the wildlife in and of itself wasn’t enough of a selling point of the Florida Orlando Mission, we also have within our bounds NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. And even though it’s about 50 miles away from Deltona, that doesn’t mean that you can’t see the occasional shuttle launch in the skyline. The only problem is that since missionaries are so disconnected with the world, we never know when the launches are unless someone tells us. I’ve never been given a heads up to tilt my head up, so we were blessed by chance last week.

Sister Russell and I were driving home after a lesson in the evening when a bright burning light in the sky caught our attention. Perplexed, we stared at it unable to tell what it was. It appeared to be a ball of fire ascending? Was this the Second Coming? We just kept staring until Sister Russell finally said, “Wait aren’t their shuttle launches around he-“ then the light went out instantaneously; leaving us speechless.

We looked around the sky searching for the F.O. (flying object that we had identified), when a burst of purple lights illuminated the heavens and manifested in the likeness of the Milky Way. This galactic display had us in ecstatics and desperately calling our Elders and screaming at them to look at the sky. “Look at the sky? Why? What do you- HOLY CRAP!” and we all marveled together. It was cosmic in every sense.

As for the miracles of this week, we have 3 new investigators! All compliments to the Elders we share the ward with because they are bomb at giving us referrals. One of the new investigators, Lanie, is very interested in our message of peace. She has had some very hard things in her life and is seeking comfort. We felt the spirit so strong as we got to know her and listened to her testimony of faith and sense her desire for the clarity that the restored gospel can bring to her and her family. That lesson was a pass off with the Elders and afterward they were so sweet and said things like, “Dang, that was just a lesson for us on charity.” because they were so impressed by how much Lanie opened up to us.

Finally, a few words about our beloved Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. How dear he is to the Lord and to the saints that he stewarded over. I am and always will be grateful for him and his sweet and tender spirit and unfailing optimism. His influence on my testimony today is monumental and his teachings unforgettable.

We had the opportunity to be at the chapel to watch the funeral broadcast with several other missionaries. Unfortunately, WiFi in church buildings is infamously terrible and so we were only able to get bits and pieces between the crashing of several devices and buffering. At one point it ended up being quite humorous because instead of pausing to buffer, the stream would loop back a few seconds and replay about 3 times before proceeding. So we listened to the choir sing Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd for about 9 minutes and can tell you each of the Pallbearers and who dedicated the grave. By the time it got to the closing prayer, we decided to turn off the broadcast and kneel and pray on our own.

It was a tender experience as we all knelt while an Elder offered the prayer of thanks for our dear Prophet, I realized that each and every one of the mission calls and ministerial certificates of each missionary in that room had the signature of President Thomas S. Monson. It was by his divinely appointed authority that we were called to be ambassadors of Jesus Christ and His Gospel. To close, a quote from President Monson that has touched me in my life:

“As you serve, you will build rich eternal memories and friendships. I know of no field which produces a more bounteous harvest of happiness than the mission field.”

Count your blessings,
-Sister Olivia Petty🚀

The One with Innocent

Week 70 (Dec 19th-25th 2017) & Week 71 (Dec 26th- Jan 1st 2018)

Buckle in, this one is a doozy. The past two weeks were probably the most eventful of my mission; featuring my brand new trainee, Christmas, a trip to the emergency room, and a baptism. Are you excited yet? Good, let’s begin.

First of all, I was late to the trainer meeting. I was late to my birth, my high school graduation, my mission farewell, and I’ll probably be late to my wedding and my own funeral. President Clark was standing outside the door and said, “Not the best way to start off training...” but the good news is that I still got there before the trainees did. Blessed. I’ll get it together someday.

My 11th companion and first trainee is Sister Russell from Lindon, Utah! Turns out, we went to the same high school and she was a sophomore when I was a senior. We never knew each other, but she had heard of my younger sisters through mutual friends. She even listened to Jane’s radio show on KPGR every once in a while👌🏼 The Mormon world is a small world indeed. She was a medical assistant prior to her mission and loves working with children. According to our Sister Training Leaders we also sound exactly alike over the phone, so I guess that means we have solid comp unity.

Our first week was so insane and busy that for the first five days I didn’t even know we had a washer and a dryer in the apartment because I hadn’t had enough time/presence of mind to look in the hallway closet 😂 I had to call one of the sisters that served here previously and ask where they did their laundry before I found out.

It was the good kind of busy, though; the kind that missionaries dream of. We’ve been having lessons with someone who we are teaching every day. His name is Innocent. Innocent moved to America from Uganda two months ago and diligently requested a copy of the Book of Mormon online three times! For some reason the first two times there was a lapse of communication and the referral never went through to the missionaries until the third time when he wrote a lengthy message pleading for the Book of Mormon to be brought to him. He said he checked the mailbox everyday for weeks! When the sisters finally got the referral on December 13th, they went over to deliver it and he hugged it in his arms! In his words he said, “I was the happiest creature on the planet”.

Innocent progressed rapidly, in the first lesson he agreed to be baptized on January 20th, and during the second lesson the next day he said that wasn’t soon enough! So his date was moved up to the end of the month, two weeks after receiving the Book of Mormon and meeting the missionaries for the first time! By the time Sister Russell and I showed up on the 19th, he had already had the first three lessons and was eager to learn more.

He was converted before any missionary met him. The Spirit had touched his heart and confirmed the truth to him on its own. It would be borderline blasphemous for me or anyone else to take any sort of credit for his conversion, because it was a decision he made on his own before we even got there. If you look up ‘Elect’ in the guide to the scriptures, it perfectly describes Innocent. I have felt so honored and blessed to have met him, let alone teach him and be an instrument in the Lord’s hands to play the smallest part in his conversion and coming unto Christ. Sometimes we’d be sitting there in a lesson and he’d be talking and I’d think “Dang. We don’t have enough time in our schedule after this to just sit there and cry for 20 minutes” because I was just so grateful and overcome with the Spirit. We’ve basically just been keeping him from jumping in the font and you can look for him in general conference as a member of the Seventy within the next few years.

At the end of the day after one of our lessons with Innocent, Sister Russell and I thought of a scripture in 1 Nephi 1:7 that encapsulated how we felt perfectly:
“And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen.”

Yesterday Innocent was baptized and I am positive concourses of angels rejoiced. One of the missionaries, Elder Rockwood, who share the ward with us baptized him. Afterward I asked him if he was aware of the eternal significance of what he just did and he replied, “When I was standing there in the font with him I felt like John the Baptist. Like, I am not even worthy to loose the latchet of your shoes!”

Other people I’ve been beyond blessed to meet here are Melissa and George, a married couple of about 45 years that have met with missionaries before and are the best storytellers and most hilarious people I have ever met. We cried for over half the lesson each time just dying. They have three grandchildren that as teenagers met with missionaries and decided to be baptized all by themselves. They are so proud of them and are even encouraging them to serve missions! Melissa & George ADORE Mormons so much. They even have their grandsons Aaronic Priesthood Ordination certificate framed on their wall. They have been to church several times when they lived in Washington state. They even read the Book of Mormon regularly! They have a few hesitancies and conflicting beliefs, but otherwise are very open and kind. Melissa just had surgery and received a priesthood blessing right before it two weeks ago. There is definitely something missing that we haven’t figured out yet, but they are basically unbaptized members. So funny and so kind, and they have such strong faith in God. The first time we went over, they even had Christmas presents for us! Sister Russell and I felt so loved and so absolutely spoiled for walking into such a blessed area.

For the past few weeks Sister Russell has felt this weird pressure behind her eye that has been irritating her and causing all sorts of symptoms. This week she finally contacted our mission nurse and described her condition. After consulting with the region missionary medical doctor, they decided that Sister Russell should go to the emergency room. This made her very unhappy, as she sees the ER as an option only taken in an absolute emergency. But because we have faith that our leaders are inspired, we obeyed and headed toward the nearest hospital (after our regularly scheduled lesson with Innocent, of course 😉). They decided that the ER would run all the tests right then and there so we’d have immediate results and not have to go through a million appointments before getting a solid result. Basically, they wanted to make sure she didn't have a tumor.

After some blood work, an EKG, a chest x-ray and a CAT scan, my companion was suffering some pretty severe anxiety. So we called our Elders and they came and gave her a beautiful blessing of comfort and healing. After the blessing they asked if there was anything else they could do while we waited for the test results and I said that Sister Russell’s stomach was screaming at me and we were both starving, and so we asked them to run to the chick-fil-a on the corner and grab us dinner. Sister Russell busted out her bank card and tried to give it to Elder Rockwood, who refused saying, “You’re in a hospital bed, I can’t take your money!” Eventually Elder Westover took it because he knew if they didn’t Sister Russell would get mad hahaha bless their hearts. These Elders are so amazing and have restored my faith in Elders.

Then Sister Russell and I hung out eating waffle fries and watching Johnny Lingo while waiting for the test results. It was a good time. Finally we found out that the good news is that there is no tumor (hooray!) and they referred us to a neurologist, so we’ll see how that goes. The most probable culprit at this point is an ocular migraine. Sister Russell was a little peeved that going to the ER was unnecessary, but we have faith that we will be blessed for our obedience.

To wrap this saga up let me tell you about what I unwrapped on Christmas! Christmas was magical, I love Christmases on my mission because I know of a surety that there is no better way to celebrate the birth of our Savior than by teaching others of Him and His restored gospel. Christmas morning Sister Russell and I went on a beautiful bicycle ride and explored the bike trail next to our complex by the lake before going back and having pancakes and bacon. Bliss. It was so fun being with Sister Russell as she marveled excitedly at the beauty of the Florida nature that I have grown accustomed to. It felt like I was seeing it through new eyes.

My Family sent the sweetest care package full of much needed prezzies, including a flash drive to back up my iPad (bless) and our traditional chocolate orange. Of course none of this compared to being able to talk to them and see their faces and hear their voices! It was a joy catching up with them and laughing and simply having a wonderful Christmas time.

As cliche as it sounds, this last year is one I truly will never forget. It has been a precious gift from my loving Heavenly Father and Savior to me. I am eternally grateful for my year in Florida in the service of my Lord. and I dedicate this next year to His service as well, even after I take off the name tag; because I have changed as a person an have new understanding of what it is to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. But the mission isn’t over yet, so hold on tight for another rip-roaring three months of adventures in the service of the Lord! Happy New Year!


Cheers!
-Sister Olivia Petty🎆

The One with Whitewash Training

Week 69 (Dec 12th- 18th 2017)

Six months has been and will be the longest I’ve served in one area during my mission. Winter Garden has been an absolute delight and is a place with a people that I will cherish eternally. It’s been so so good to me and the companions I’ve been blessed to serve with while here. Although I am heartbroken to leave my love, especially 1 week before Christmas, I’m just so grateful I’ve been able to be here for so long. I will miss this ward, and this Zone (9 months in Orlando South!).

So I’m leaving, where am I going? Are you sitting down? I am going to Deltona, and I will be training! Yes, this means I will be whitewashing the area. Yes, this is the first time I have trained. Yes, I will (very likely) spend the rest of my mission in Deltona in the DeLand Zone! This will fulfill two mission dreams of mine, to train and to go to the beach. Get ready for a cliche name tag in the sand photo! 📸

Tomorrow is a very big day wherein I will meet my trainee and depart to my new home. I will be following some rockstar sisters, including one of my favs; my almost trio companion Sister Smith. She is ending her mission and leaving her legacy to me; so very blessed. There are some really awesome people they are teaching and even one who is preparing for baptism! I’m so excited to meet everyone!

Although I am daunted by the task of raising up a new missionary, I feel humbled that Heavenly Father has trusted me with such a sacred duty. I hope and pray that my experiences will help me to give this Sister the start she needs. I’m blessed with the example of my angel trainer, Sister Phelps. With her example and the Spirit, I know that we will do the work the way we were called to. We are so blessed to be representatives of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and to have a portion of His perfect love for those we meet. She will love it.

There is a lot to do today, mostly packing, so there is not a lot of time to write. I’ll update on all when we meet again. Tune in next week for a special Christmas edition Sister Petty update!

-Sister Olivia Petty🎁

The One with a Mulch Party

Week 68 (Dec 5th- 11th 2017)

The dazzling topic of conversation this week is the weather. Florida has begun its annual “cold snap” where it has dropped to 50 degrees and will last approximately a week. I am absolutely loving it. You can definitely tell a local from a tourist as the residents are bundled up in coats and boots and the visitors flip flops and shorts. In Utah, this is basically swimsuit weather.

On Saturday it was the first genuinely chilly day, and it happened to be the day that our ward was tasked to get a work party together and mulch the church property. There were two huge mounds of mulch sitting in the parking lot, but with a few faithful members with tractors, wheelbarrows and various shoveling instruments, we were able to successfully spread the mulch across the church yard. I got to put the rake and work gloves that I invested in after Hurricane Irma to good use. Because my mind is such a jumble, for some reason I kept calling the event a mulch party. Due to the fact that the term “work party” and “mulch” were being used together frequently when planning it.

This is the final week of the transfer, so there is a high possibility I will be leaving my beloved Winter Garden a week before Christmas. However I know that wherever I’ll be is where the Lord needs me. Also, send mail to the mission office for now, I’ll let you know next week if anything changes.

There was a day this week that I felt like an absolute garbage missionary. I was lacking in my studies, motivation, energy and teaching. By the end of the day I felt as though I had accomplished nothing to hasten the work of the Lord and I was quite honestly ashamed of my efforts. That night I knelt in prayer and let my Father in Heaven know how I felt. I covenanted with Him that tomorrow would be better, that I would be better. and you know what? It was. and I was.

We started Thursday off with a zone service activity volunteering at an annual local event for children with autism in the nearby school districts. It was kind of like a fair with fun activities like face painting, pony rides, inflatables, etc. Sister Bullard and I were helping with the hay ride. It was a very enjoyable time for all present and we loved being able to help out. I even saw some members I knew from when I was serving in Lake Crescent! Not only that but I recognized and a former investigator I saw! I approached her and said Hi and her name and said that I had met with her once or twice several months ago (we’re talking like, April. I’ve been serving in this Zone/Stake for a long time) and she was like, “Oh yes! I thought you looked familiar! Wow, you have a really good memory!” and that was really neat. I told the Elders now serving in the area that maybe it was a sign to check up on her and see if maybe now she is ready to learn more.

After that service we had a busy day and really good study sessions. That night we had dinner with a favorite member family (I have a lot of those here, I just adore everyone) the Wagstaffs. We love going over there because most of the time it’s beautiful good old fashioned family chaos. It feels much more homey than when we go somewhere for dinner and everyone is proper and the good china is brought out for the missionaries. Don’t get me wrong, I am very grateful either way no matter what, but we feel more at home when things are just a tad crazy.

After dinner we dropped by to deliver a bible to a woman named Deborah who ordered it for free off of Mormon.org forever ago. It had always been phone tag and she was never home when we tried to drop by. We decided to just go over and give it another shot and she was home with her family and we were finally able to meet her! We taught her about the Restoration and she was interested. She drank it all in and her whole family listened in as well. She then referred her niece to us, who happened to be moving to Georgia, so we got her number and address and sent it to the missionaries there. Then a former investigator showed up who happens to be related to Deborah! Her name is Consuela and I’ve been trying to meet this woman ever since I got here. She met with the elders in the past, but was never home whenever we have stopped by. When we realized who she was, I was so excited I went up and hugged her. She said she had a hectic schedule, but that she’d be willing to meet with us again.

At the end we got to pray with the entire family! We all held hands while I offered the prayer and several family members audibly added occasional “amen”s throughout it. This is a southern norm, and it means things went well. They loved having us there and tears were shed and both Deborah and Consuela set times we could come back.

After that, our apartment complex put on a Christmas party for all the residents! We got to meet with so many people that live nearby and make some friends. What a magnificent opportunity. And I got to pet a corgi puppy. Ugh. It was perfect. There was even a woman there who said that she saw me earlier in the day at the fair during the hay ride! Small world! Or is it?

To end the night off we stopped by another woman who isn’t quite an investigator yet, but we have done a lot of service for who we hadn’t seen in a while. She was so glad to see us and she said that she had lost our number and feared she’d never see us again! It was great to assure her that Heavenly Father was watching after her and wouldn’t leave her alone... and to program our number into her phone.

When we got home I was amazed at how well the day went, and I offered a prayer of gratitude. The Lord heard my prayer and consecrated my efforts. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who is mindful of us and for His perfect Son who extends mercy there for us always.

Account with the Lord and tell him how you feel, and make a plan with Him. You’ll be surprised what you can accomplish with Heavens help.


Fear sin and nothing else,
-Sister Olivia Petty💩

The One with Elder Klebingat

Week 67 (Nov 28th- Dec 4th 2017)

False alarm, Sister Bullard didn’t have strep throat after all. Still, it was pretty gnarly. Come Tuesday morning, we decided to take a chance and go do our regularly scheduled service on the temple grounds. Granted, probably not the best idea to do yard work while on the mend, but she said as long as we did something mild like weeding she’d be fine.

Which brings me to a quick side note digressing from the story; but weeding in Florida is an absolute dream. Seriously, it’s one of my favorite things. Due to the fact that the “dirt” here is really just sand, when you go to pull a weed it just pops out easy-peasy. And because the soil is so soft the roots have little resistance and they grow straight down so you pull the whole weed root and all in one go. It’s absolutely glorious. Okay, moving on.

So, weed we did and fine she was. However she was ready to head back to the apartment and take it easy and reenergize before our next appointment. Unfortunately, that didn’t end up happening that way. We received a desperate call from Sister Sharpe who was in need of help cleaning the aftermath of a spill that had happened the night before. We were blessed enough to find a last minute ride to drop us off for what we thought would be a quick clean up.

When we knocked on Sister Sharpe’s door, she had been resting and started to get out of the bed to answer the door, but she slipped and fell and was unable to get up. Her faithful dog Penny knew that something was wrong and began barking wildly for help. Meanwhile outside, Sister Bullard and I reason that Sister Sharpe was just taking longer than usual to get to the door. We heard her yelling inside, but it turns out “Petty” sounds a lot like “Penny”, so we thought she was scolding her dog to be quiet. Eventually we finally figured out what was going on but her front door was locked, and long story shorter we got her daughter, who lives in the house in front of Sister Sharpe’s and is also in a wheelchair, to come open the door.

Sister Sharpe didn’t know what we were going to do to help, because she supposed that she was too heavy for us to lift, and her son in law who usually helps when she falls was at work. “You can’t lift me! I’m too fat!” she protested. “Watch us.” I replied. With the help of Sister Bullard, I picked Sister Sharpe up onto a chair that she could then get on to her power wheelchair from. The look on her face was total shock. She said that we must have had divine strength from the Lord. Which I think we did, but not in the way that she thought, because she really wasn’t that heavy.

Meanwhile Sister Bullard is going downhill quick, as I’m helping clean she completely crashed on the couch. Sister Sharpe is recovering from her fall, I have a headache, my companion is in an illness induced coma, and we have no way home. This is when an actual angel saved us; Sister Melissa Lowe, the bishops wife. She came and helped me finish up, ministered to Sister Sharpe with her friendship, and gave us a ride home so Sister Bullard could rest. Wow I’m so grateful for people who give us rides. It’s lifeblood. On bike weeks, I feel like I’m flying by the seat of my pants every five minutes whenever we make a plan and just cross our fingers that we’ll get there somehow. Almost every time now someone has showed up last minute and snatched us out of the furnace by our waistbands. It’s such a blessing.

We’re also massively blessed that pediatric includes up to 21 years of age. And even more blessed that Sister Bullard is 20. After being dropped off 10 minutes late to an appointment at the walgreens clinic on the corner from our apartment, all we could do was walk home with no help and no answers. That’s what would have happened, if there wasn’t an after hours pediatric urgent care clinic in the business park in front of our apartment complex. I’m telling you, blessed beyond belief. The tests for flu and strep came back negative! Turns out it was one nasty sinus infection. She’s been on antibiotics and is recovering smashingly.

Now for the highlight of the week and among the crowning jewels of my mission: Zone Conference featuring Elder Jörg Klebingat of the Quorum of the Seventy. It was such a spiritually enriching and edifying experience that has truly shifted my perspective and shaped my future efforts during and after my mission. His presence was kind of intimidating and his countenance was electrifying; it held the attention of everyone in the room when he spoke. He gave us instruction, insight and wisdom for several hours and we all did our best to keep up and absorb it all.

My favorite thing that he taught us was that our mission experience isn’t just meant to bless ourselves and others for just the 18-24 months we serve, but for the next 60+ years and onward. Our mission is not supposed to be just something that we do for a year or two and come back from unchanged. It’s supposed to be a time where we are learning, growing, and ultimately changing permanently for the better; and our progression shouldn’t stop when we return either. We’re not just to “maintain” our spirituality, but continually develop.

Elder Klebingat also expressed (and impressively exercised) the importance of memorizing scripture references, where they are and what they are about down to the verse. He has well over 1,000 scriptures memorized. He not only demonstrated an example, but taught us how. He has developed a mnemonic that included association of people and images to numbers 1-100 and a memory palace(!).

As well as being smart as a whip, Elder Klebingat was hilarious. When he asked to borrow a missionary’s tablet to read a scripture, he saw that some missionaries had an iPad and some a Samsung tablet. Confused, he turned to President Clark to ask why, and President replied that they had switched which device was mainstream, so all the newer missionaries had Samsung’s. Elder Klebingat responded, “Well that really is a sign of the times if we are going that far downhill.” and later on in the conference after grabbing another Samsung tablet for an example he said, “I feel unclean now.” 😂

Lastly, the church’s Christmas initiative Light the World launched this week, I admonish you to check it out on Mormon.org and consider participating. Today is Day 4, which is Love your Neighbor, inspired by the Saviors teaching in Matthew 22:39. Sister Bullard and I are starting by making cookies and delivering them to our neighbors surrounding our apartment. It’s fun to get into it, remembering always that it is Jesus Christ whose example we emulate as we fulfill our baptismal covenant of taking His name to be upon us. You don’t have to be a full time missionary to be an example of Jesus Christ in others lives.

All is bright,
-Sister Olivia Petty🇩🇪

The One with probable Streptococcus Tonsilitis

Week 66 (Nov 21st- 27th 2017)

After 5+ months of Lake Nona being my Sister Training Leaders, I finally got to be on an exchange there; and even better, I got to kick it with Sister Sorensen. Monday and Tuesday night I slept over, which is always exciting even though technically the whole mission is like a sleepover. I got an extra night because we were switching back Wednesday morning at our Zone Training Meeting (which was superb, by the way).

I got to do a full day of service there, including several hours at a local thrift shop tagging clothing items with an instrument that looks exactly like what was used to pierce my ears. It gave me a taste of what working in retail would be like, which I concluded was not nearly as bad as I anticipated but I won’t pursue it. Still better than working in food service, though.

We had a splendid Thanksgiving with only two dinners! (pretty sure I had three last year.) One with Sister Sharpe and her family and I got to soften up her adult children (one less active daughter and her non-member husband and another daughter that isn’t a member) with my endless knowledge of television series and they were impressed. Our second dinner was at the Wagstaff home and there were 3 other member families there that we adore so that was quite a party. I love our members. They are the bees knees.

Thursday evening at our 2nd dinner Sister Bullard started noticing that her throat was getting swollen and scratchy. My throat did that the week before and I just lost my voice for two days and then got over it, so I didn’t think much of it. When she woke up Friday morning she was quite seriously ill. We had our Ward Mission Leader, Brother Watson, and the Bishop and his wife come over so Sister Bullard could receive a Priesthood blessing of healing. I’m so grateful for the Priesthood authority that has been restored to the earth and for worthy Priesthood holders who are readily available to minister to those in need.

In the blessing, Bishop Lowe admonished that Sister Bullard get plenty of rest. She definitely heeded that blessing. Sister Bullard slept almost all day Friday and 2/3 of Saturday. Sunday we made it to Ward Council and sacrament meeting, and then home to rest. She’s slowly improving, but we’re suspecting strep throat. So we’ll be headed to the clinic shortly.

Something that was neat on Friday is that we had scheduled to do service helping a member clean some of her pets cages, and we had accidentally flaked the week before and so we didn’t want to reschedule again. The YSA Ward in our Zone currently has a trio serving in it (one of which being my dearest Sister Angelo!), and we got permission to do a quick emergency exchange wherein Sister Knapp and Sister Angelo came with me to do the service and Sister Anderson stayed with Sister Bullard while she rested. It was kind of an adventure and we got to clean lots of poop.

Before we left our members house, I asked her the trademark missionary question, “Is there anything else we can help you with?” Usually the answer is no, but she responded, “Do you want to clean out the rain gutter?” so then we cleared the rain gutter that had not been tended to in 4 years. There were living weeds growing in it, which I thought was cool. A half hour later, it’s as empty as my bank account at the end of the month! (read: very)


I’m grateful for you and I’m grateful for this gospel,
-Sister Olivia Petty😷

The One with Caribbean Nights

Week 64 (Nov 7th-13th 2017) & Week 65 (Nov 14th-20th)

How much do you know about Tobago? Did you know that the limbo originated there? Or that anteaters, porcupines, leatherneck turtles and the great crest toad live there? I didn’t know these things either, until I got the chance to serve with the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association.

The PWSA had its national convention in Orlando on Friday and Saturday and missionaries from the nearby zones were invited to serve a whopping 9 hours both of those days. So people with Prader-Willi suffer from a birth defect with a chromosome disorder, and it manifests in a couple of ways similar to autism or Down syndrome, but the most distinct part of this syndrome is that they are always hungry. There is like a missing link from their stomach to their brain that is supposed to communicate when it is hungry or full, and so even if they have had enough to eat they are still hungry, no matter what.

Every other year PWSA has a national convention where about 150+ individuals with PWS and their families/caregivers come together. During the two day conference these parents and caregivers attend seminars about how to care for someone with Prader-Willi, new research and share experiences and stories etc. And for those with PWS there are a bunch of fun activities, events, and games planned. Here’s where the missionaries come in.

For the past 4 conferences the PWSA have had missionaries come and help run the activities and attend & participate in the events with those with PWS. They love the missionaries. So. Much. The conference used to be held on Saturday and Sunday, but then they changed it to Friday and Saturday so that the missionaries could be there! The families and members of the association adore the energy and spirit that the missionaries bring and get so excited for us to come.

The theme for this year was “Caribbean Nights: Together in Paradise” and everything was decked out and decorated to fit the theme. There were several groups sorted by age and they rotated to different rooms with different activities waiting for them throughout the day. Every room was named for a location in the Caribbean: Bahamas, Barbados, Aruba, Bonaire, St. Martin, St. Thomas, and you guessed it, Trinidad & Tobago! Sister Bullard and I were stationed in the Tobago room where on day 1 we made gods eyes out of yard, but that looked like turtles, and day 2 decorated foam picture frames with stickers and glue-ons for them to keep their “passport” photo booth photo in as a keepsake.

It was honestly such an amazing experience and it was honor to be apart of it. I feel so blessed with the service opportunities I have had in this place at this time. I was so humbled by the sweet and caring nature of each individual for each other and the love and joy that was found in their presence.

At the end of the conference there was a finale where all of the people in the program and the volunteers (that’s us) went into the conference hall where all the parents were and did a big dance number for them that was choreographed and practiced in one of the rooms as the activity. It was such a blast. We did the dance to Shakira’s “Try Everything” from Zootopia and that song has been stuck in my head since. If you’d like to see the video, it’s featured on the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association USA Facebook page. The missionaries are the ones in green t-shirts. You’re welcome.

To add to the excitement of community service was when Second Harvest (the food bank we go to each week) caught on fire. There we were sorting through bins of sweet potatoes when the fire alarm goes off. The best part was one of the Elders immediately falling to his knees with his hands behind his head saying, “I didn’t do it!”

Apparently there was a grease fire in the kitchen and one of the ovens started up in flames. So everyone in the building awkwardly scrambled to the parking lot awaiting further instruction. On a positive note, the fire departments response time was absolutely fantastic. I think they were there within 5 minutes. They put out the fire quickly and everything was fine. We were all back to work in the building within 20-30 minutes. Still, wasn’t exactly what I expected to happen that day.

Thursday night we were riding our bicycles after dark from one sketchy part of town to another (which we try to avoid doing, but when you have an appointment and no car you gotta do what you gotta do), and a car pulls up next to us and briefly flashes red and blue lights.

“Are you ladies from around here?” The officer asks. We tell him that we are (kinda) and we live not too far and he asked us if we were aware that we were in/heading to a bad part of town. We told him that we did know, but that we had an appointment and we were being careful.

“Look, I know you are well intentioned and I admire the work you do, but there are evil-doers out there that don’t care. I’m sure that whoever that you are going to see is a good person but I’m concerned for your safety. Now I can’t keep you from going, but you gotta think that there is a reason that God put me in your path.”

I told him we were the right people to say that to and we went wee-wee-wee all the way home. So don’t worry everybody, we’re being watched over by some way or another.

November is an exciting time in my family, and a large part of that is due to my mothers birthday my parents anniversary! Happy Birthday, Mommy! Happy Anniversary, Parents! 25 years down, eternity to go. You’ve got this. I’m so grateful for the righteous example my mother and father have always been for me. I’m especially thankful that my mothers health has been so much better! That’s what I am most thankful for this season, so thank you all for the many faithful prayers offered on my family’s behalf.


Good times ahead,
-Sister Olivia Petty🇹🇹

The One with my 22nd Birthday

Week 63 (Oct 31st- Nov 6th 2017)

Good news everyone! I am staying in Winter Garden with Sister Bullard for another 6 weeks! The missionary groundhog has seen her shadow! This will make Winter Garden the area I have served in the longest on my mission. I genuinely was not expecting to stay, the last two weeks I’ve been subtly preparing myself and others for my departure; it was like I had a terminal illness or something. I was saying my goodbyes, putting my affairs in order, and then I was cured! I am absolutely delighted.

I had been praying and fasting that I would be sent to where the Lord needs me, so that if I did have to leave Winter Garden, I would have peace that I was really needed elsewhere. But I am grateful that for some reason, I am still needed here. I’m going to work my hardest to fulfill the purpose that I have been sent here to do at this place and this time.

For reasons unknown, prior to my mission when I thought of missionaries doing service for members, I had always envisioned them painting. So ever since the start of my mission, all I have wanted is to help someone paint. Finally I got to help when the Cryer’s said they needed help adding a long overdue fresh coat of paint. It was all I wanted and more. I don’t know why it’s so satisfying to do, but it just is. I can’t explain it. And to do it while helping someone else is even better!

Saturday Sister Bullard and I celebrated our birthday! I’ve been around for 22 years and I look forward to 22+ (hopefully + a lot) more. Our birthday was absolutely amazing! We both got the best packages from home that were like mini parties in a box (thank you mom!) and our members were so so wonderful to us! Wow! We were fed every meal and sung to many times, given many little gifts and gift cards (we had chick-fil-a todayyy). We are very spoiled. I can’t stress enough how amazing the members of this ward are. How amazing members of the church are! I’m so grateful to have a loving ward family to be apart of while I’m away from mine.

We even were blessed by the Lord with special birthday miracles! Sister Bullard and I had to stop by walgreens to pick up some prescriptions, and we saw two of our Investigators! Separately! Well, soon to be Investigators, we’ve been working with them and have provided service and have had return appointments, but they’ve called through. So, soon! They were excited to see us, and we were excited to see them! My recent convert back in Belleview, Lillian, first met the missionaries at a walgreens, so I’m starting to develop a testimony about that place.

Our other miracle was when we were having cake at Sister Sharpe’s house, there was an unexpected knock at the door. Sister Sharpe had requested more information about this life insurance company, and it turns out instead of just sending out some brochures, they send an agent to tell them about it (hmm, that sounds familiar). Her name was Kristine, and rather than send her away, we invited her in for cake! She said she couldn’t refuse red velvet cake!  So she just crashed and joined our little celebration for like 20minutes and it was awesome! We got to know her and tell her more about who we are and what we do. Before my mission, I was one of those people that thought that there were such things as coincidences, but recently I’ve started to change my tune. Especially after Elder Rasband’s talk this past conference called “By Divine Design”. So glad we were able to meet Kristine, we took a picture with her and got her Facebook contact info to send it to her 😊

I am so grateful for the many tender mercies and small miracles the Lord has blessed me with for the past 14 months, let alone 22 years. It is my hope that you can recognize the same blessings in your life.


Don’t drive angry,
-Sister Olivia Petty 2️⃣2️⃣🎉