Taking the Shots

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

New Family??

HEY! HEY! Welcome back to the blog.. Many new things have popped up and new things have changed in my so called crazy life. So lets get to the story....

Flashback to Christmas of 2017, my parents, aunts and uncles decided to get my grandparents the AncestryDNA kit, which allows for people to spit in a cup and it is then sent of to the lab to be tested. The tests then share exactly where our ancestors are from. Something cool the test also does is it allows for the opportunity to match other DNA strands with others who have done the test. This allows for you to find cousins, and other family members. And that's exactly what happened to us.

A little side note, my grandma on my moms side, Debbie, is the only one left out of her side of the family. My grandma had an older sister named Pam, a younger brother named Bobby, and her younger sister Cindy. They have all passed away, as well as her parents.

So, my grandma and grandpa sent the test in and received they then received their results back. There were a few matches, but not a whole ton of new family that we received.

Jump to Father's Day which was in the month of June. Another person had received the same test by AncestryDNA from his sons. He received his results back as well and through the app that you can get for the test, it stated that there was a 99% match with someone who could possibly be a family member.

My grandma Debbie also received the same notification. This man named Mark ended up messaging my grandma. They were both a match for being HIGHLY RELATED! Basically saying they were family. They talked for a few months through the app and then they finally found each other on Facebook. They talked for a few months and planned a day where they could meet each other.

On September 20th, 2018, my grandma, grandpa and I drove up to Salt Lake City, Utah. The next day was the day my grandma Debbie and her long lost brother were going to meet.

September 21st, 2018, was a day that I would of never thought would of happened in our family. It was such a great experience to be able to witness this sight.

How did my grandma end up having a long-lost brother? Well, my great-grandmother, Grandma Dottie and my great-grandfather, Grandpa Charlie, were not doing so well in their marriage. They were fixed to have a divorce. Apparently, my grandma Dottie ended up being pregnant and couldn't raise 5 kids, so she and grandpa Charlie ended up giving up the baby that Dottie was pregnant with (which is also Mark). For years my grandma and Mark never knew each other. The only way that they found out that they were related was through AncestryDNA.

I also don't believe in coincidences... How is it that both Mark and my grandma Debbie had the same exact test? If either one of them used a different DNA test company, they would of never found out they were family.

Hopefully this all makes sense. I know I am still kind of trying to process such a thing, and I can't imagine what my grandma Debbie is even going through as she finds out she has a brother.

It's amazing to know that we have great technology which makes these things possible. Below are some pictures of when they first met, and the two families which just became one.

Love, Hannah

The first hug

Going through pictures!

More pictues!

Mark is the one with the blue background, and the other pic is of my grandma (middle) and her siblings.

The addition to the family.

Mark and my Grandma Debbie

Monday, September 3, 2018

Welcome Back to the Real WORLD!

PEOPLE!!! It has been a really long time since I have actually told you all what I have been doing in my life. I honestly wanted to share a few things I have been thinking about lately... Soo bear with me as I get kind of deep and personal here.

So, I got home last March. March 30, 2017 to be exact. Coming home from this grand adventure I just had was not easy. I had been away from my family and friends for a total of 18 1/2 months. Honestly, its a really long time, but during the time I was on my mission, I grew so much. Individually, I became a stronger person who was able to take care of myself. Mentally, I also grew stronger because I had to get through tough times by myself with the help of my Savior Jesus Christ. Emotionally, I had to go through so many ups and downs that I didn't know was actually going to happen while on my mission, but I definitely grew in those 18 months. I am so grateful for the time I was able to serve my Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ.

For those of you who don't know, I struggled coming home. I honestly didn't want to even come home from my mission. I feel as if I could of stayed out there just a little bit longer, but I knew I NEEDED to come home to help others here in my hometown learn about the gospel and family members who were struggling. Stepping off the plane to come home was a weird feeling. So many thoughts were running through my head. Some of them were what was going to happen in this next chapter in my life and how am I going to have ANY purpose whatsoever. I was an emotional wreck and honestly even today I still have breakdowns about what to do with my next chapter. (Sooo if anyone wants to help a women out, please help me as I work on this chapter...) Haha! Just kidding! Something I am working on right now.

I have almost been home for 18 months which is a mission. In those months I have had many ups and plenty of downs in my life. I am soooo grateful for the ups that I have had, of course not so much the downs. You know how it goes... There were a few things that were totally different as I came home and I am still struggling to figure out.. Here's my list....

1. Friends: Literally this has been one thing I have honestly struggled with since being home. After being gone for 18 months and experiencing so many things and growing so much, it was and is still super hard to feel pretty normal in the real world. While on your mission your life kind of gets put on hold. You aren't going to school, work, most missionaries don't even have social media. So while you are growing in so many different ways, your friends are still living their own lives. Coming home you are just kind of jumping back into a routine they kind of already had. It's a pretty rough situation. People don't necessarily forget about you, but they do kind of move on in a way and its hard to remember that.

2. Family: This is probably one the HARDEST things too. It's honestly very similar to how friends are. I have a younger brother and a younger sister. Trenton is 3 years younger than me, and my sister Madalyn is 6 years younger. While you are gone they still end up growing. Honestly, they start living like you aren't even there anymore. I know HARSH.. And when you get back you honestly have to just jump back into their routine (which you just came back with probably one of the craziest routines you will ever have as a human being). Relationships that I had before my mission were definitely different and continue to be different. That is definitely something that I have been trying to work out. Learning to work with relationships and trying to definitely strengthen them again.

3. Trying to fit in: This is still something that I am currently working on. Even after being home for a year and a half I am still honestly struggling with not saying stupid things and honestly not being a weirdo and making some weird comment (happens to me all the time). Haha!

4. Clothing Style: As a missionary you literally wear like one clothing style basically. All you wear for 18 months is straight skirts and a nice top or dresses. Occasionally, you have the opportunity to wear pants but thats for service projects. Other than those times we have our workout clothing. But coming back into the real world its honestly not super fashionable to always wear skirts or dresses. So clothing to me has been a struggle to see exactly what is "me."

I hope someone is in need of this. Just know you aren't alone and that there are other people out in the world who are struggling with coming home from the greatest 18 months or even 2 years. It slowly does get better. Just remember that Heavenly Father and Our Savior Jesus Christ truly do love you and know you personally. I have been wanting to write something along these lines for a while now and I just never knew how to write it and what exactly I needed to say. Something lately happened and made me really think about all of these experiences I have had which made me write this post.

Below are a few pictures of my homecoming. I am seriously so grateful for my mission and the many things I was able to learn. I am grateful also for the things that I have been learning since being home.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post. I honestly hope this helps someone out..

Love you all!

<3 div="" hannah="" nbsp="">

Flying home! AHHHHH!! Sister Tibbits, Hermana Howard, Sister Johns, and Sister Olson.

Lauren and I!

Koben showing me his sign he made!

First hug was my momma! <3 td="">

The best hug you will ever get! <3 td="">

Alix and I. Hadn't seen her forever!!!

Alix again!! <3 td="">

Hugging my not so little sister! <3 td="">

Hugging my great grandma!

Cheesin with the grams <3 td="">

Another great hug!! with my Dad <3 td="">

Haha wet her sweatshirt with my happy tears!

He never wears t-shirts but he did for me! <3 td="">

Hugging so many people! <3 td="">

My Aunt Steph! haha don't know about the whole family!<3 br="">
So many friends and family were able to come and I am so grateful for the support that they gave me as I served the Lord. <3 nbsp="" td="">

Monday, May 21, 2018

"I'M COMING HOME, TELL THE WORLD I'M COMING HOME! 💕" (Week 81: 3/20-3/27/17)

Well, this is it.. I have so many emotions flooding through my head right now, so pray that this email actually makes sense.

In 2015 I started the best experience of my life. I started my mission papers. I never ever had thought about serving a mission. EVER. People asked me what my plans were and what I was doing with my life. I had no idea. So I decided to start praying, that when I found out that I could receive personal answers and revelation for myself. I asked my Heavenly Father what I needed to do with my next couple of years. Whether that was school or to serve a mission.. so I got on my knees and prayed. I received the answer to go and serve a mission. That's when I talked to my Bishop and started my papers. A few months later after, dentist appointments and doctor appointments and filing out a lot of paperwork, my bishop sent them in. I was then able to meet with the Stake President over our Stake. I was then able to serve a mission. After meeting with my Stake president, he sent my papers up to Salt Lake City where I was then able to be assigned to a mission anywhere around the world. They sent them in May and three weeks later I received an envelope in my mailbox. BEST LETTER EVER!

That next day, with much anticipation, I read my call to friends and family. I GOT CALLED TO THE VIRGINIA RICHMOND MISSION! My report date was September 9th, 2015 and I would serve for a period of 18 months.

The MTC was probably one of the funniest times of my life. And one of the hardest. It was hard to say goodbye to my family for 18 months, but I knew that the Lord was going to bless them! All of the missionaries there said, "Just make it to Sunday!" Well I made it.. reasoning why, because I got to see my best friend Alix for the first couple of days before she was shipped off to Russia to server her mission! I gained some of my closest friends and had so many amazing experience!

My first area (one of my favorite areas): HARRISONBURG! One of my favorite places. I had so many amazing experiences and received so many opportunities to learn how to be a great missionary by my trainer Sister Johnsen! We got to meet so many people and got to work a long side young single adults as well as families! It was amazing! After 4 1/2 months I was transferred up to my next area!

My second area: WOODBRIDGE- DALE CITY! I spent only 6 weeks here and it was probably one of the longest six weeks of my life. I learned to truly be humble and to truly rely on the Lord. I was also able to meet one of my closest friends/sisters now in the gospel! Ann was baptized on March 6th, 2016. It was one of the most sacred experiences! She has a close place in my heart, and I will truly miss her soo much!

My third area: TAPPAHANNOCK- WARSAW! I spent 3 months here in this area. I learned to love those who didn't want to change and I learned how we can not force anyone to do anything that they don't want to do, because have agency! I was able to help 2 young girls of a part member family come into the waters of baptism and it was an amazing thing to do. I love how Christ's church invites everyone to come unto Him! I also learned that bugs really like me!! Yikes! Still have scars from the wonderful mosquitoes and chiggers that infested the grass that we tracked in. After 3 months, I left.

My fourth area: FREDERICKSBURG!!!!! Wahoo! Such a fun place! I got to help my companions out and help people strengthen their faith! It was a beautiful opportunity to help the members become involved in missionary work as well! :) sometimes we are sent to areas to help members strengthen their testimonies to help share the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ! After 3 months of being there and getting bit by bugs, I again packed my bags and left to my next area!

My fifth area: CROZET-(Charlottesville 2nd): what a fun area. It was a refiners fire and it wasn't easy! But it was soo great! I loved every single minute of it, and love the members of that area! I learned to truly be okay with stress and to have fun in the work and to continue to serve others!

My sixth area/ last area!!!! WOW! Here we are! After 6 months of being here in this area in Charlottesville YSA, I am soo sad to leave! I have come to love this beautiful area and the members of the Ward! It was so great to be able to serve here for this long! I loved every minute of it. I got to serve as a Sister Training Leader and helped the sisters in the zone strengthen their missionary efforts to fight at the front of the battle. I served as a sister Training Leader for 3 months before becoming a trainer. I was able to finish training Sister Caswell and I also got to be the first trainer for a new missionary, a Sister LeFevre. I have learned so many things. One is that sometimes you can't see your efforts of missionary work, I was able to have a member in Harrisonburg (my first area) give a referral to the sisters down here in Charlottesville at the beginning of the year, and a couple months later and a few areas later, I was able to be part of the baptism of John Mourad! It's so cool how the Lord blesses you for your efforts! I have also come to love the people of Virginia while I have been serving here.

"30 And now it came to pass that all this was done in Mormon, yea, by the waters of Mormon, in the forest that was near the waters of Mormon; yea, the place of Mormon, the waters of Mormon, the forest of Mormon, how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall sing to his praise forever." (Mosiah 18:30)

VIRGINIA IS MY WATERS OF MORMON!!

I will definitely miss Virginia, but more importantly I will miss he opportunity to serve as a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I love being a missionary for the Lord and I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have had to be the Lord's instrument! I have come to have a deep love for my Savior Jesus Christ. I know that our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ know us personally. They hear and answer our prayers! Talk to them!

I know this church is the true church of Jesus Christ. He is at the head! I know that Joseph Smith through the power of God and direction of him restored the church that Jesus Christ once had. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God as well as the Holy Bible and I know that Thomas S. Monsoon holds the keys of the priesthood here on the earth. If you want to know if this is true.. PRAY! It works! I know that I have served and done all that I could. And I pray that the Lord accepts my efforts! I love you all soo much! And I can't wait to see you in Thursday! Love you!

Love,

Sister Pewtress

Pictures:

1: Homecoming Talk, I'd love for you to come!!

2: went to Humpback rock last week (Zone P-Day)

3: My companions "killed" me.. not really.. but they are sending me home!!

4: Teaching a lesson (Aaron and Julius)

"EXPECT MIRACLES" (Week 80: 3/13-3/20)

What a week. It was such a good week!

We went on exchanges this week with the Hermanas! And that is always just a good time! They are such great missionaries and just have a love to share the gospel! We got together on Monday night and then spent the whole day Tuesday together. We saw so many miracles and had some really great lessons! We met a lot of cool people this week that were definitely open to hearing Christ's message. It's always great to have people who are willing to hear Christ's message. And it's sometimes really sad to see when people don't accept it. It hurts a lot. You have seen the gospel help you so much in your live and you want to share it with others, so you try to do that and they are just not ready. I sometimes say to myself, "that darn agency!" But then again I am just so very grateful for it! :)

Wednesday to Thursday we had President Smith's daughter stay the night and help us with some missionary work! It was so fun to have an extra person staying with us. Ali is her name and she just returned from her mission from Jacksonville, Florida about 3 weeks ago. So I actually got to talk to her about coming home.. and what it's like. It was so much fun and we laughed a ton! We saw so many other cool miracles with her here!

This week was kind of slow... but it was soo good. There were a lot of hard times that we all had, and it's hard working in a trio, but there are so many great things as well and it all works!

Oh and another cool thing happened. So we were at church and we didn't have any investigators or potentials coming to church and so we weren't really on the lookout. Until we see this familiar face.. CLAIRE CAME TO CHURCH! This whole past week we haven't been able to get in contact with her and so it was cool to see that she was coming to church! When we expect miracles we truly see them! The Lord blesses us soo much!

So at the beginning of my mission I had the chance to start the Standard Works. The Standard Works are; the Holy Bible- Old and New Testaments, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Well I started it on September 9th, 2015 and on March 17th, 2017; I was able to say the I have read all scripture that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has as scripture. It was so cool to see how all of them went together and how much our Heavenly Father will not leave us without prophets! I am so grateful for the knowledge.

This gospel is sooo great! And I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to serve a mission in Virginia for the past 18 months. I am so grateful for the people I have met, and the opportunity that I have had to change others to draw closer to Jesus Christ and the opportunity that I have changed myself!

Love,

Sister Pewtress

Pics:

1: district Meeting

2: exchanges with Ali Smith

3: St. Patrick's Day cupcakes

4: St. Patrick's day fun!

5: SAME AS ABOVE

6: OUR HUGE MIRACLE!!!!- Claire came to church finally!

"ANIMAL FARM 🐸🐷🐣🐝🐐🐕🐈" (Week 79: 3/6-3/13/17)

What a great week! This week was pretty different.

We had a car for about 3 days this week, due to our car getting hit a month ago.

So we actually walked a ton, which was kind of fun. Luckily we had some good weather.

We had some fun opportunities to get to know each other (my companions.)

This week I have had so many amazing opportunities to feel the Atonement work in my life.

I am so grateful for that and the opportunity to learn and keep making progress in my life.

The Atonement is so great and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have my Savior Jesus Christ gave

his life for me and for others who are struggling.

This week was spring break and so we didn't have a lot of opportunities to go on UVA Grounds,

but we did have some awesome lessons with a Claire and Allie.

Allie is doing well. She works at the UVA hospital so she wasn't able to come to church yesterday

but that's okay. she came to a church tour this week and had lots of questions.

And questions are soooo great! I hope they as she continues to learn that she will be able to

change and that she will see the gospel bless her life. It's so amazing how people do change

because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Claire is doing well too. She sees that the things we

teach her are true, but she just doesn't realized exactly how much this gospel will bless her life.

She has told us many times that's she knows this gospel is true.

Oh and we went to dinner in the middle of nowhere... and there

were so many animals, hence my subject line. It was like we were at a zoo!

Such a great place to live here in Virginia!!!

Also I hit 18 months on Thursday! Crazy! Time just flies!

I know that this gospel is soo true and that the Atonement works in our lives every day!

I am so grateful for the opportunity that we have to repent every single day. How great is that??!!

Soo great!

There were two scriptures that I was able to turn to this week and I just loved them.

They are found in the Doctrine and Covenants.

Here are the scriptures:

Doctrine and Covenants 100:

“12 Therefore, continue your journey and let your hearts rejoice; for behold, and lo,

I am with you even unto the end.

15 Therefore, let your hearts be comforted; for all things shall work together

for good to them that walk uprightly, and to the sanctification of the church.”

I know that everything will work out in the end! I love you all!

And if you didn't know, just a heads up!!! I will be speaking on April 9th at 9am.

It will be at the Sunrise Stake Center at 1825 North Hollywood Boulevard, Las Vegas, Nevada 89156

I would love to have you there. I can give you more updates as it gets closer.

Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Sister Pewtress

Pictures:

1: p day fun!

2: got to see Sister Olson at return and Report

"HAND STRETCHED OUT STILL" (Week 78: 2/27-3/6/17)

Hannah Megan Pewtress hannah.pewtress@myldsmail.net

3/6/17

to jlbarnhurst, franvandd, osmondsophia, Tabby.Rasco, emmawinder, rissa.jsp, kayladene7, wtevipes, kandzmommie, pinkypb16, emilylyncook, child.jacobs, espinoz27, speedspeller, lisahale411, levi.demke, kaylyn.forbes, tigi25, tayloralicea, Briberhoward6, davidrachelhol., bganigan, Lagatter, Haileykharper, vegashowe

Not much happened this week... but that's okay. Not really sure what to write today, either....

This week we focused a lot on the people that we are teaching right now. We had a wonderful lesson with a girl named Allie. She has learned from missionaries in the past, but has never kept a commitment that they had given her. Well since we started meeting with her, she has kept the commitments we have extended to her. She reads basically everyday, and is already farther through the Book of Mormon than I am. Now we just have to show her how she can know if it's true. Deep down we all think she knows it's true! She just doesn't want to accept it. But that's okay, because she will sooner or later. She also came to church on Sunday and is definitely learning a lot.

We stopped teaching Joseph. :( kind of sad, because I seriously had a super strong impression to stop by and teach him, but he truly isn't really interested in meeting with us. He told us that he believes in a higher power but it's not with us. It's just crazy. Not sure exactly what he wants, but we know later down the road he will want to change and want to be baptized.

We are still meeting with Claire. She is seriously one of the most sweetest people I have met on my mission. She is studying to be a teacher and is going to UVA. She is sooo sooo sooo nice. She is kind of like Allie. The first lesson we taught her was the Plan of Salvation. She seriously agreed with everything that we said. Then next lesson we had with her was a church tour and she just really loved how organized the church is. It's awesome. I hope that she will feel deep down that the things we are teaching her are for her and that she too can come into the Church of Jesus Christ.

Both Allie and Claire are super strong in their denominations. Which is sometimes frustrating. But then I think about if two or three random people come up to me (if I wasn't a member) and ask me if they can share a message about the restored gospel, what would I say?? Yes or no?? I have been thinking about that question a lot lately and I still don't know what I would do..

On Thursday, President and Sister Smith came up to do interviews. They also brought their daughter, Ali who just returned from the Florida Jacksonville Mission a few weeks ago. We had the opportunity to have her out with us on Thursday, before the other sisters had their interviews. It was sooo cool! I didn't have an interview with President Smith because he said he was cut for time and didn't want to rush it and so we would do mine the night before I left Virginia, in the mission home. Cool!

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has the fullness of the truth of the gospel and I know that all of the churches out in the world have truths. I am so grateful for the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and the opportunity that I have to live with my family. I have seen so many blessings come from serving a mission, that have definitely strengthened that testimony. How great is the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

This week Sister Caswell was reading in 2 Nephi in the Isaiah chapters, the scripture is.....

2 Nephi 19:21; ".......For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."

I am having a hard time coming home. Sometimes we are angry with Heavenly Father for the things that we are going through or the way that someone has harmed us. We turn our backs to Him and sometimes we turn away from him, leaving us apostatizing (in a way) him. Yet when we leave His side and no matter how long we are away from Him, His hand is stretched out still. Because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ, WILL NEVER LEAVE US! He loves us way to much to just let us fall. I love this quote by an Apostle from the Church...

“However many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made … , I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.” - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

I am so grateful for this knowledge... no matter how imperfect we are.. or how downtrodden we feel we will never ever be far enough to feel of our Saviors Atonement. How great is that. I know at this point in my life I am so grateful for that. I have been feeling somewhat sad. Knowing that Satan is making me think that I didn't fulfill all of my call while serving my mission, but I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ make up the difference that I didn't have.

Thank you all so much for the support these last couple of weeks. I have truly loved receiving letters/postcards and I can definitely feel your prayers that you have sent my way!

I love you all, and I will see you all tooo soon!

Love,

Sister Pewtress

Pictures:

1: Zone Meeting! Last one

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