Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Family and Friends, 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

Happy Birthday Eden and Ivy!!!!! Wow you both are getting old. I think about and pray for you often! What cute, amazing girls!

I am going to Medicine Lake (little africa) this week at transfers to be a Sister Training Leader with Sister Smith...the one who trained me. I had a feeling I would be a Sister Training Leader but I had no idea I would go there. It is usually unheard of that you are companions again with your trainer...especially after two transfers! I am so excited though! It means we will spend Thanksgiving and Christmas together. If I am going to leave, I feel grateful I am going there. I broke down crying a bit last night after President called me. The reality of leaving set it. I hope I stay friends with the people, members and investigators I have met here. I love them so much. Steve and Keri were really nice to me last night. Keri even played with my hair...you know how I love that!

Sister Bone is training someone new!!! She is excited and a little intimidated. I know she is ready. The Lord has prepared her. I feel lucky to have participated in her progression.

Quick bullet points because I only have two hours to email and shop...our preparation day is on Thanksgiving:)

-Leslie's family has had a few struggles so she has felt she couldn’t ask them to go to Church or to meet with us. We were able to meet with her this week finally and she came to Church! Thank you for your prayers! It made a difference. She has studied the Seminary manual on her own because her Mom and Dad won’t let her wake up that early to go. She reads her scriptures daily! I pray that she may get baptized soon and that I may get to be there!

-Angie is doing well. Sister Bone really connects well with her now. I know she will take good care of her.

-Sonia is doing well. She is getting baptized on the 13 of December. Sometimes Sister Bone and I would need to remind ourselves that we are teaching her! Often times it feels like she teaches us. She is dating Brother Picco's son who attends a difference ward. She will get baptized in that ward. Brother Picco is the Coach for the Vikings team. Sometimes he would come to lessons. It has been a great experience learning from him. What a sweet, tender man! He has such a testimony of the gospel and influences all his players for good! I feel blessed. Sonia is a great girl! I hope I can go to her baptism.

This week we had the Baptism and Confirmation of Mercy. This week we had a lesson in a member’s home every night leading up to Saturday. It was an amazing experience to see those she loves and those who love her come to support her and participate in the program. What a neat experience to have had the chance to see her entire conversion! It is an incredible thing to watch the light of the gospel change someone. Mercy ended up having Steve Nelson ( the member I live with) baptize her. It felt like an extra tender Mercy. Her testimony made me cry. She expressed her gratitude for us as missionaries, and for the Savior Jesus Christ, and the restored gospel. I couldn't hold back tears. I am working on getting a copy of it(she was so nervous she wrote it down) I have come to recognize the significance of my call this last transfer. After the baptism, we met with her later that night. She told us she had never felt more joyful! She said she was able to let every mistake she had made and every bad feeling she has had go. We testified to her of the power of the Priesthood and the blessings of baptism. It was a weekend I will never forget. The confirmation went well. It was beautiful. How fitting that the young women sang "Come Unto Christ" afterwards.

We can now listen to anything on youth.lds.org and lds.org

(as long as it follows the white missionary handbook). I download the free downloads onto a flash drive I bought....our car plays flash drives. Weird!)

This week, Sister Bone and I made a resolution to teach Restorations. We saw a man behind us while making phone calls in a car. I felt we should get out immediately and go talk to him. When we got out, we realized he was walking too fast and we would not be able to catch up to him. We saw what turned out to be a 16 year old boy on the curb. We started talking and asked if we could move into the entrance of the apartment building nearby for warmth while we talked. When we entered, we ran into the boy we saw previously in the rear window of our car with his brother. We ended up teaching all three of the boys in the entrance to the apartment building. They all said they wanted to read the Book Of Mormon. I wish I could have recorded their faces as we handed them their very own books! I felt grateful for the experience. The boys are ages 18, 17 and 16. The elders will teach them but we felt humbled to find them!

The people in this area have been prepared for Sister Bone and her new companion. Both of us have felt the Lord preparing these people for something new these last few weeks. The Lord prepares his people. I have a sure testimony of that. When we finally connect with those whom we have been prepared for and who have been prepared for us, miracles occur!

Come unto Christ has played continuously in my head this last week. The Lyrics read "Come unto Christ, come unto him, and by his grace be made holy again. He is calling your name, he is calling for you. With arms open wide. Come unto Christ." Every transfer, my love and appreciation for the Savior has grown. How lucky I feel to serve Him. I have come to recognize the significance and weight of my calling. What a miraculous time. I am excited to serve His people, missionaries and those in the Medicine Lake area this transfer. I pray the Lord will qualify me.

Here is a list of things I learned this transfer... I started to make the list a little earlier this time. The quotes are from people in my ward or the member of the 70 when he came.

The Savior Stands at the door and knocks. He hopes we will open the door to let him in. I am grateful for all the tools Heavenly Father has given us to let the Savior in!

Have a great Thanksgiving!

I Love the Snow!

Dear Family and Friends,

Even though they are calling it an arctic invasion on the news, surprisingly,  we didn't get more than about 5 inches of snow on Monday! The roads were bad though. I am grateful we had the day to take it easy. Saturday we had another storm and had to drive in it. We prayed before we went anywhere this week. Sister Bone, I, and even our car survived! It hasn’t seemed so cold! A sister looked at my coat last night at President’s Fireside and said, “I like your sleeping bag!:) It keeps me quite warm!

Keri and Steve went out of town last week. They came back late last night. We sleep in the basement of their home. Usually we can hear Steve in the morning upstairs getting ready for work. When they leave, we normally hear nothing. Tuesday morning, both Sister Bone and I woke up at 5:40 in the morning to the sound of stomping feet and shuffling above us. We listened for a half an hour and started to panic when we realized that someone unexpected might be upstairs. We called Steve to check if they had come home early. He said he hadn't and after much discussion told us to call 911. I was terrified... Sister Bone called. I couldn't hear much of the 911 receiver but I thought Sister Bone said in a whisper that the policemen would go around the house, look for a way in, and then if they couldn't, we would go upstairs and scare the people in the house and meet the policemen by the front door. I thought I was living a movie... It turns out they said that they would look to see if someone could have gotten in, if there was an opening, and then we would meet the policemen at the front door IF they saw it was safe. Turns out they found who made all of the sounds....  it was two men shoveling the walk way by the stairs to the basement! We, as the well as the snow shovelers, were very embarrassed. We laughed so hard about it later. I was terrified! :)

This last week, we prepared Mercy for her Baptismal interview which took place on Saturday. I have gained a testimony of Satan's power on my mission. He tries all he can to keep people away from the saving ordinances that allow us to return to live with Heavenly Father. Mercy had many people telling her anti-Mormon comments this last week. She came with many questions about the Plan of Salvation to our lessons. We taught her three times. We clarified the things we had taught her. On Friday, we had a lesson with the Bishop and talked over the baptismal interview questions with her. What an incredible experience to hear her testimony of all the truths we have taught her. Her live has changed so much. She no longer has nightmares. She said she can forgive people more easily. She has greater peace and has developed more love for people. She said she has drawn closer to Heavenly Father. I have watched her eyes fill with light. Earlier in the week, we wondered if she had prayed to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet. Some days she seemed at peace about her baptism and on others she seemed unsure. On Friday, she explained that she continued to pray and something told her to keep moving forward toward baptism. She had faith she would receive an answer. It touched me because I had a similar experience in deciding to go on a mission. Friday night her family and friends again told her she was making the wrong decision. She told us she wanted to cancel the interview and baptism. Sister Bone and I have never prayed harder. We promised her as representatives of Christ that if she prayed before she went to bed and in the morning she would receive her answer. The next morning, as Sister Bone and I were praying as a companionship for her, the phone buzzed. She asked us what time she needed to be at the church for the interview. It was just like that moment in The Best Two Years. We knew she had received her answer. I know the adversity she has experienced has prepared her to receive more blessings at baptism.

This Saturday a less active member and non member were married at the church by our Bishop. We have visited with them for months and it seemed that marriage was impossible for them financially. Through many small miracles they were able to get married this weekend. Earlier this week, we stopped by to wish them good luck. I have never felt more prompted to teach about temples. We read from Mosiah about turning your tent or family toward the temple. The less active said that she actually considered it and pointed to her boyfriend and said "he needs to get baptized first:)" I saw hope in both of their eyes. On Saturday we had some appointments so we didn't think we would have the chance to attend their wedding. An investigator got sick so we were able to attend at last minute. It turns out because of a snow storm, many of their family members could not attend. They were grateful, as were we, to have the chance to be there. By small and simple means....

We call our Ward Mission Leader "Google".  He knows the answer to every question you could ask, especially when it comes to the church! Last week, in correlation, he talked about the way our investigators look at us. It was the only time I have ever seen him choke up. He said that they look to us as you would an angel. He said that we truly represent Jesus Christ on Earth. I couldn't help but get teary. I felt overwhelmed with gratitude. He said the Lord has blessed us with investigators because he knows we will take care of them. I had never thought about it that way before. I feel like a mother of sorts to these investigators. It is a rewarding experience. On Saturday night, we had an adult session of Stake Conference. President Stacey, in the mission presidency, spoke. He had all of the missionaries in the stake stand. He said something to the extent of "these people represent the Lord. I present them to you." I suddenly realized the magnitude and gift of our calling as missionaries. It was an experience I will never forget.

After the Stake Conference meeting on Sunday, two Elders came up to us and said they had started teaching an amazing woman in our ward boundaries and wanted us to teach her! What a gift! After the Assistants came up to me and asked me if Sister Bone and I would drive Sister Forbes home. Needless to say...I got lost on the way to Bloomington and couldn’t get back on for a bit because of road construction. Good thing we have prayer! It all worked out! What a bonding adventure! haha Bless my Heart.

Sister Bone is doing really well! The Lord qualifies whom he calls. I have seen the way I have changed as I have been on a mission. I am grateful. I cannot express the joy, however, I have felt in watching the Lord mold Sister Bone. I have watched her grow in confidence and strength. The people love her here. I feel grateful for the chance I have had to let the Lord use me to help her. She continues to impress me. It is almost as if I can see her potential. I pray every day the Lord will put things in her path, whether trials or blessings, to help her reach it. She has taught me many things.

Transfers are a week from Wednesday. I am pretty sure I won’t serve in this area. I have loved watching the way the Lord has prepared the people for Sister Bone. We will see what happens.

P.S. Dont send packages or letters this weekend and after to Steve and Keri's. Send them to the mission home.

Love you all! Have a great week!

Crazy Storm, Eh?

Dear Family and Friends,

Our car was grounded yesterday. It was quite the storm! I guess this is a bit early for a big Minnesota storm…apparently this year is supposed to be worse than last year. Oh boy! I am enjoying it for now though. It is beautiful. It does concern me that the lakes have started to freeze. Someone told us last week that a few people build snow houses on the lake during the winter…not sure about that one. I know that ice fishing is a definite thing though! The storm yesterday wasn't anything too bad. It was just bad enough that everything was very icy. No one had plowed. Yesterday was actually our preparation day. We wrote letters and drank hot chocolate! It was nice to relax without the errands. We shopped and emailed today.

 

I can only send a short email. I am sorry!

Quickly…

This week during exchanges, Sister Bone and Sister Schwartz, who stayed in my area (I went to Bloomington) stopped by Pam’s. In the past, she had not seemed very open to learning but we repeatedly felt prompted to stop by her home. She has treated us so kindly, buying us lunch and dinner and talking to us about our missionary work. Gradually, we have started sharing scriptures with her and her husband. This week, we felt we needed to establish our purpose. Sister Schwartz and Sister Bone went and asked her if she wanted to learn what we teach. Apparently, she said she had been waiting for us to ask her! The Spirit had prepared her. She took us out to lunch on Thursday and we taught her the Restoration. She came to Church on Sunday! She cried during a lot of the talks. You could tell she felt that the Church was true. She thanked us later for the experience. She is out of town this next week but we will continue teaching her the following week. I learned the importance of waiting on the Lord and boldly inviting at the right time.

This week, Mercy said that she had lots of questions come up in her mind…Satan. She was worried she wasn't prepared for baptism. We assured her that she did not need to know everything. She has a great knowledge of the Bible and wanted to know how the verses in the Bible fit in with our teachings as well as the Book of Mormon. She had prayed about her questions. We took her to members’ houses this week who know the scriptures well and they were able to answer almost all her questions. Yesterday, we met again with her. She looked at us sincerely and said, I have decided…to be baptized but…I want to know more about the Plan of Salvation first. Relieved, we began to explain the Plan of Salvation in detail. We are grateful for her faith!

This week we bought a JEWISH man, whom we had previously met, a birthday present. After we dropped it off, he called and thanked us! He told us he would tell the story to many, many people. We later realized we gave him a CHRISTMAS mug…we died laughing. No Santa just Christmas Colors…way to go! It made h is day though nonetheless.

This week I have pondered much about the paths or choices laid before us and choosing the right one. Often, I think we find the "right road" as we act according to the knowledge we have received. If we go down the wrong road, the Lord will warn us or we will hit a dead end. That way, we will get on the right road quickly. Too often, I ponder the roads without acting. I wait for answers without "doing my part". I have come to know that as I act, the Lord will direct me.

Have a great week!

Happy Turkey Month!

Dear Family and Friends,

HAPPY TURKEY MONTH!...there are stray turkeys everywhere!

I am finding out I am a VERY visual learner. It cracks me up and also drives me nuts. Whenever people give me directions or teach a concept, I have to ask them if they will show me or write it down. I can never give people an address to a house or a scripture reference but I can tell them where visually the person lives or where visually the scripture is on the page in a certain chapter (because I can picture the chapter heading on a page).

On one of my first exchanges here, Sister Schwartz told me that I sound a lot like Brian Regan when I make jokes. I am not sure I still do but every time I think of being "a visual learner" the Brain Regan accent comes to mind:)

This week we met three times with Mercy, our Kenyan investigator. She has a baptismal date for the 22nd of November. She absorbs everything she hears. Holy cow!  She has read about 120 pages in the Book of Mormon (in less than a month). She told us she takes it wherever she goes. She doesn't have any support from her family and yet she wants to still get baptized! She was thinking about waiting until they supported her but decided to go ahead with it anyway. She is a little bit worried no one will attend the service. We assured her that the members in the ward whom she has met and whom she will meet, will be there to support her. Monday night, we had a temple/family history family home evening at a member's home (the member's house we usually go to on preparation day). They invited an investigator from the Bloomington ward, the Bloomington sisters, the two men in our ward who were taught by the Elders and baptized in the last month, and a recent convert of less than a year. We ate dinner, had a lesson, then carved pumpkins. They decided to start a weekly get together on Sunday evenings to do family history and prepare for the temple without us missionaries. That way, they know they have built in member friendships if we leave the area. I have never seen members more involved in missionary work than in this ward! Later in the week, we had dinner and a lesson at a different member’s home with Mercy. Mercy bore her testimony of the Book of Mormon. She said that she knew it was of God and nothing could take that away from her. We are so grateful for the opportunity to teach her!

We have been teaching a girl named Sonya who goes to a different ward but lives in our boundaries. Only Elders serve in the Wakonia ward. Because she lives far away and needs Sisters, we get to teach her. Hooray! She is dating someone in the different ward (Wakonia) but doesn’t want him to sway her decision to get baptized. She is incredible. In the first few lessons we had with her, we felt something was missing. We have prayed about what to do. This week we had a lesson with her. She invited four members from the Wakonia Ward over. We had a very powerful lesson! She told us of some sacred experiences she has had since she started to read the Book of Mormon and following the commandments. We realized that night how important members are. We are supposed to teach her! Sister Bone and I feel grateful for the opportunity to get to teach and learn from her. It was a miracle!

Angie is doing well! Every time I meet with her I am amazed at how the Lord has prepared me to teach her. I hope she is able to get baptized soon.

Keep Leslie in your Prayers. We haven't had a chance to meet with her and she hasn't been able to come to Church these past few weeks. She loves John Bytheway! She listens to it every night...thank you mom!

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! People don't really trick or treat here because it is so dangerous...sad! Apparently not many people outside of Utah trick or treat much! There are many Halloween Parties for kids here though.  Halloween night, we helped out with a Halloween Party. They had an indoor football field with blow ups and games and a dance floor with a DJ that played kids songs. I have never seen something like it! It was fun to help out with it.

This week we had mission conference. Leading the songs went well:) It has been really fun to have the chance to do that! After hearing Elder Carlson of the Seventy speak, I have made some personal goals.

-I have felt repeated promptings that I need to teach by asking inspired questions.

The most effective instruction occurs when the teacher asks inspired questions and lets the student discover the answers.

-Exactly obedience; I need to use each moment efficiently. When I have a problem I need to get out and work. If I sit and wait for the answer it will take much longer to come than if I am serving.

The best medicine for worry is work.

-I made a resolution to pray out loud.

Praying out loud unlocks the door through which inspiration flows.

-I have feared man more than God. I made a commitment to do the will of Heavenly Father and not seek praise of men. When I struggle, I will have faith the Lord will help me as I seek to help others.

I am grateful for the chance I had to learn from Elder Carson. I hope one day to radiate light like he does. He was in a meeting with the general authorities of the Church. He heard an  apostle say something which inspired me! An apostle said, "in every person is a spark of the divine!" I love that insight.

Have a great week! I know that we will find miracles if we only seek for them! Love you!

Carving pumping with members and investigators

Mercy and Blessing