Now Arriving at Terminal Two

(This is a post from the mission blog):

Everyone else took the escalator.  

Elder Thorpe took the stairs.  

We applaud how anxious he was to 

arrive.... nothing to do now but wait!

Here they are now!  If it's the bottom 

of the escalator this must be Riverside!

President Mullen, you're pointing the wrong way.  

Headed to get luggage.

Gathering to get acquainted, receive new companions...

and share first testimonies.

Introducing our new missionaries and their trainers:

Elder Bryner (L) 

with his new companion, Elder Smith

Elder Hansen (L) 

with his new companion, Elder Moss. 

Elder Hansen (R)

with his new companion, Elder Eldridge. 

Sister Harper (L)

with her new companion, Sister Garcia.

Sister Harris (L)

with her new companion, Sister Keith. 

Elder Hite (L)

with his new companion, Elder Wood.

Sister Moran (R)

with her new companion, Sister Stone.

Sister Palmer (R)

with her new companion, Sister Wilde.

Elder Riding (L)

with his new companion, Elder Cornaby.  

Elder Thorpe (R)

with his new companion, Elder Frost.

Elder Williams (R)

with his new companion, Elder Young.  

Sister Tonini (L)

with her new companion, Sister Chandler.  

Welcome to the California Riverside Mission!

http://downbythecaliforniariverside.blogspot.com/2017/03/now-arriving-at-terminal-two.html

I Thought You Looked Familiar

It is a small world - especially when you are a Romney.  Would you believe that Corina is related to her mission president?!?

                                                                                Hermana Tonini
                                                                                         |
President Mullen                                                           Mom
            |                                                                             |
Charlotte Romney                                                Grandpa Romney
            |                                                                             |
Gordon Romney                                                    Ianthus B. Romney Sr
            |                                                                             |
Miles Archibald Romney  -----  brothers -----       Eugene Romney
            \                                                                             /
              \                                                                          /
                \ --------------     Miles Park Romney --------  /


To make the relationship even closer, President Mullen's dad was in the El Paso stake presidency with Corina's maternal great-grandfather, IB Romney Sr, at the same time that her paternal grandfather, Daryl Tonini, was on the High Council.

Small world indeed.

Arrival Letter & Pics

1 March 2017

Gregory and Raena Tonini

Minot, ND 58701

USA

Dear Brother and Sister Tonini,

We are so grateful to have Sister Corina Tonini join us here in the California Riverside Mission! It was exciting to meet her at the airport. I had the opportunity to interview your missionary and we were able to hear her testimony before having dinner together. We have been impressed with her testimony and desire to serve. It has been a privilege to get to know her.

Sister Tonini is now hard at work in her new area, the HEMET Zone with her companion Sister Kyandra Delaware Chandler.

Preparation day is Monday; most missionaries choose to email their family on that day. We encourage you to write or email weekly as well. Thank you for keeping your letters positive, uplifting and encouraging Sister Tonini to work hard and take advantage of the time spent here in doing the work of the Lord.

As we visited with her, this is what she said about her family: "We love baseball!!"  She is most excited about bringing others and herself to Christ.

We look forward to a wonderful experience together with your missionary.  Thank you for preparing one worthy to serve.  May God continue to bless you.

Sincerely,

John H. Mullen, President

If You Are In an Airport and You See Mormon Missionaries...

...ask them if they would like to borrow your phone to call home.

We received this gem while she was in transit in Mexico City.  She described the photographer as "a nonmember Canadian guy originally from Mexico...he was really nice!"

And then, shortly before she was to board her flight to California, she was able to borrow another traveler's phone to make a quick call.  Raena couldn't find me (I was outside shoveling snow) so by the time I got my hands on the phone, I only had a few seconds to tell her I love her and that we can't wait to talk to her in May.  Afterwards, Raena exchanged this IM with the owner of the phone:

Thank you for letting my sweet missionary call!  It meant the world!

For anything! I heard them behind me on the escalator

and they sounded so heartbroken.  I wish they could have

had more time.  She looked energetic and ready to get to work!  

You'd be very proud!

Thanks.  We really are proud of her.  Miss her so much.  Thanks for the gift!

Mexico MTC - TONINI/CORINA - Back to the States!

This is a pretty nice itinerary - I imagine they will get to the mission home tomorrow night, go to bed, and then get after it on Tuesday.

Monday 27 February 2017

American Airlines AA 389

Departure

27 February 02:19 PM

Mexico City, (Benito Juarez Intl) (+)

Terminal: 1

Arrival

27 February 05:05 PM

Dallas, (Dallas Ft Worth Intl) (+)

Terminal: D

Duration

02:46 (Non stop)

Distance

937 Miles

Booking status

Confirmed

Class

Economy (S)

Seat

24A (Left side of aircraft, Window seat, No smoking seat) confirmed for Corina Tonini

Equipment

BOEING 737-800

Flight meal

Food for purchase

.

Monday 27 February 2017

American Airlines AA 1605

Departure

27 February 07:00 PM

Dallas, (Dallas Ft Worth Intl) (+)

Terminal: 0

Arrival

27 February 08:13 PM

Ontario, (La/Ontario Intl) (+)

Terminal: 4

Duration

03:13 (Non stop)

Distance

1,185 Miles

Booking status

Confirmed

Class

Economy (S)

Seat

22A (Left side of aircraft, Window seat, No smoking seat) confirmed for Corina Tonini

Equipment

BOEING 737-800

Flight meal

Food for purchase

Snail Mail!

Hola mi familia!

I officially leave in less than 48 hours from the CCM.  How crazy is that?  However, I'm waiting to send this until I get back to the States because the postal system in Mexico is not super reliable.  Leaving here is...bittersweet.  I love love love my district.  We really are a family.  We joke, we laugh, we fight, we cry...everything.  Most of all, we endured the longest six weeks of our lives together.

My comp is just wonderful.  She set expectations very high.  I've had a little taste of what marriage feels like.  It's crazy how we spend so much time together...Okay, ALL of our time together.  Except with marriage, I get to CHOOSE who I do it with so it will be even better!

I have learned so much and felt so much.  However, I'm ready.  I'm ready to teach people with real problems, stories, and concerns.  I can't wait to see my first investigator baptism and feel pure bliss.  People always ask what my happiest moment in life is and I know it's going to happen on my mission.  My happiness comes from this perfect and complete gospel so I can't even imagine the joy, bringing it to others, I will feel.  The Gospel answers so many questions.  I know why I'm here and how I can endure to the end.  I know through Christ I can reach my full potential and be cleansed despite my constant imperfections.

I'm so grateful for y'all and y'all's examples to me.  It's hard being away, but I know if I work hard and stay worthy then I will bring/send blessings to y'all at home. Know that I love you and I am always praying for y'all.

Love,

Hermana Tonini
#BeBold

Week Five - Going Out With a Bang

MY LAST WEEK IN THE CCM, IT'S A MILAGRO!

So on the 17th was my one month mark! Our teacher Hermana Martinez went to the Churroria and snuck us in FRESH MEXICAN CHURROS. To celebrate, the trio came into our room with a TON of cream soda. We decided to take pictures while making Hermana Gilman's "rat face" and we were zooming in on everyone's face and I made the mistake of drinking my cream soda while doing it and I laughed so hard it shot not only out of my mouth but OUT OF MY NOSE ALL ON THE BACK OF GILMAN'S HEAD.

So much came out of my nose that I ran to the bathroom and threw up in the sink because I couldn't breathe for a quick 30 seconds. I walked out of the bathroom with mascara streamed down my face because I cry when I throw up. And of course, they got a picture of it because the whole thing was dang funny.

On Sunday our devotionals were reaaaaaaally long and hard to sit through. Hermana Harper fell asleep during one of them and started snoring which was way funny.

So this week I ACTUALLY wore makeup twice. The first time, Hermana Martinez commented in front of the whole class the fact that I didn't actually look like a hobbit. And then yesterday I wore it again and Hermana Pavon and Hermana Monroy separately commented on it when they each walked in.....in front of the whole class. Me: thank you for acknowledging the fact that I usually never look good ever. It was way funny though, my comp died.

Here's my journal entry from last night:

We heard from President Nelson tonight and I sat in the third row, right in the middle. Best seat in the house. And every missionary had the opportunity to shake his hand. I shook the next prophet's hand. He looked into my eyes and looked at my name badge. He saw my family name that that I wear with honor and pride. Tears streamed down from my face from this simple interaction because it meant so much. 

We were supposed to go into the devotional with questions, so I had three. 1. What can I do to better represent Jesus Christ? 2. How can I be the missionary I was foreordained to become. 3. How can I bless a family member with his trials right now? 

I have been praying and fasting with these questions in mind all week. Harper asked me what my questions were and we realized we had very similar questions.  Once he was done speaking, Hermana Harper turned to me and said, "Our prayers were answered." I broke down with her because all three of my questions were answered by an apostle of God. 

Content:

1. When he shook our hands, he saw something different than what we see in the mirror every day. He sees what we WILL become, not what we are now. But how do we get there? How do we have that potential? Well, God uses the unlikely to accomplish the impossible. Gideon and his army. Moses and the Red Sea. Joshua crossing the Jordan River at flood time. Sarah having Isaac. A virgin to be the mother of Christ. A 14-year old boy to restore the gospel. We are unlikely and God will use us to accomplish the impossible.
2. We have been preserved for THIS time in order to gather the lost tribes of Israel.
3. He left his Book of Mormon in the car and all he said about it was, "demerit"
4. He was talking about how the Church is about light and then said, "Some churches especially use incense or smoke some weed to numb the senses. But no sir, not in this church!"
5. "By the keys of the apostleship I bless you with..." and gave us so many blessings. One in particular was that our family will be drawn to the Lord through our consecration and service. An apostle blessed my family back home. It was so powerful and brought peace to my soul.

He's human. He's funny. He's an apostle.

What a blessing today was.

It really was. It was such a perfect way to go out into the field. I think I'm ready. I really don't know what to expect but I feel like I'm not progressing as much as I when I got here to the CCM. I want to go teach real people and change real lives, you know?

I might have a chance to email Monday morning before I leave for the airport, but if not, it will be awhile before I email again because I will miss my pday out in the field.

I want a different with my testimony in Spanish which will probably only be 75% correct Spanish. But it's mine, it's from my heart, and it's what I know.

Sé que este evangelio es el evangelio restaurado. Me encanta esta abra porque puedo aprender más y mi testimonio ha crecido mucho. Sé que Dios es mi Padre Celestial y nos amo mucho. Y envió su hijo para nosostros y para mi. Mediante Jesucristo puedo hacer todas las cosas porque me da fortaleza durante mis pruebas y desafíos. Estoy muy agradecida por un profeta en este tiempo. Podemos aprender mucho de nuestros profetas. Testifico que Dios es activo y nos habla hoy. Puedo recibir revelación personal, y por esto, estoy muy agradecida por oración. Oraciíon es muy importante para mi porque necesito ayuda de Dios durante el día. Tengo calluses en mis rodillas de orando mucho aquí. Me encanta el Libro de Mormón porque me ayuda con mis pruebas en mi vida. Las historias en este libro son....marvillosos. Nunca quiere parar de leer mi Libro de Mormón. Hasta Ver, voy al campo. Estoy lista, lo sé.

Hermana Tonini