May 23, 2016 – BEcome an AWKWARTUNITY Seeker

Hello friends! I hope that your week has been as good as mine. I LOVE WEST VIRGINIA! Everyone here always asks me what my reaction was to opening this call and I always just say, “well, I kind of forgot it was a state”.  HAHA (: It is true. But all good treasure is hidden well. Because this place is the best.

I am also incredibly grateful for the Lord’s hand in picking out a mission president that was exactly what I needed. This week we had a huge conference and we got to listen to President talk all day! BLESSING. You know it’s good because afterwards you just want to sleep. It is spiritually exhausting to a whole new level. Sister Cook said she always relates it to the part in the Book of Mormon where Lehi casts himself on his bed after his dream. YUP. It is a thing (:

So our friends are progressing in the gospel! I don’t have a name by name update, but we are definitely finding, teaching, and preparing for baptizing here in Morgantown. I have thought a lot about how much I JUST LOVE this place. I remember being here one of the first nights wondering if this was ever going to feel remotely comfortable…and now I have just as much family here as I do back home. It really does just take effort. When we choose to just get at it whenever we start something new: we come to love it quicker! I have truly learned the importance in never wasting time in just doing the rightest thing, having the best attitude, or working the hardest we can. WE WILL NEVER REGRET THAT. 

Friends: I hope that all of you know this by now, but I am Awkward. Always have been, always will be (: I say hi when it is probably not socially acceptable and do things pretty out of the ordinary. When I came on a mission I thought I had mastered being awkward: well, that was a rude awakening. Missionary work takes awkward TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL. The saying I picked up for a long time was: “missionary work is awkward”. It was the best way I knew to be positive about all of the incredibly abnormal things we do from day to day, but the other day someone explained to me that EVERY AWKWARD SITUATION LEADS TO AN OPPORTUNITY—an AWKWARTUNITY (: HA. I have pondered on this so much this week and it is incredibly true. Everything we think may be semi awkward turns into an opportunity to defy the norm and beat the odds. See someone next to you at a park bench? Talk to them. Will it be awkward: OF COURSE, but it is an opportunity!!!

I hope you are catching the vision I am. (:  I know this church is true and that as we find more hope in this life, which includes finding all the optimism we can, then we can discover all of the peace our Father has to offer (:

Well, my time is up. I talked to my mom for way too long today. I sure do love her (:

P.S. I think emailing will be Tuesday next week.

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Sister Justina Campbell

West Virginia Charleston Mission

I went on exchanges in Fairmont this week and it was too good to be true. That place is gorgeous. We stopped to take a picture by the bridge. I have an obsession with bridges and they have them ALL over here. I am in love with this place!

This is Sister Cook. She is a HUGE tender mercy on my mission. She is my sister training leader so this is who I hung out with on Friday and Saturday. She has only been out for 6 months but she is an INCREDIBLE missionary (:

There are deer in this picture in the top corner. FURRY THINGS ARE EVERYWHERE here!

Bishops wife took us out to play tennis this morning. SHE WAS SO GOOD. She is the funniest lady. We love her. I played easy, but it was the first time I have done anything SPORTY without my brace. Progress!

There is so much humidity here it is CRAZZY. My hair is so curly that I can braid it and it will hold without a hair tie.