Life Is Beautiful!

Monday, 4 April 2016

Dear family and friends,

What a week this has been! Miracles and hardships. Through Christ we have conquered, and through Christ we have become better individuals! I am so thankful for General Conference and the incredible opportunity we had to hear from a living prophet who is called of God, and also from the many inspired speakers who were also called of God.

What an incredible blessing it is to be serving the Lord! Each of us can reach out to others in love and service as we seek to. God will guide us to the people who stand in need of comfort. That is one of the covenants we make at baptism, to comfort those who stand in need of comfort.

Speaking of baptisms...

One of our amazing investigators (which I am sure I have talked about before), Christian L, is getting baptized this Saturday! I am so thrilled for her--she is taking a big step in her life, and she has done so well in progressing towards it! The Lord has truly blessed her as she has sought to do His will and stay on the path that He desires for her.

My invitation to you this week is to ponder on General Conference, and seek to apply what you've learned from it. If you haven't watched all the sessions, I would encourage you to do so. They will bring spiritual strength and the peace that you need to continue pressing forward. 

You are all so amazing! Keep smiling! I love you!

Open Your Eyes

Monday, 28 March 2016

Dear family and friends,

This week has been so amazing! We've had our ups and downs as usual, but we have seen so many miracles! 

Here are just a few that I shared with my mission president:

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Each Monday, there has been the same man at the library that we greet every time we go to email. He is always there, and he always gives us a big smile. Last Monday, I gave him a #Hallelujah card and invited him to watch the video. When I saw him today, I asked him if he had watched the video and he said he did and that he really enjoyed it. We started to talk a bit about Easter, and eventually I asked if he would be interested in learning more. He said that he would! So now we have a return appointment with him this Wednesday! 

It is amazing what can happen, even on Preparation days, when we open our eyes to those around us. God is always placing people in our paths so that we can help them to come unto Christ. He is aware of each step we take, and He will guide us in the directions that He wants us to be.

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This past week, we were finally able to contact some people over the phone that we had lost contact with! Tiffany Z, one of the women we were able to contact, was really excited to meet with us. After our first visit this past week, we were able to get a return appointment! She is excited to continue letting us practice teaching the 5 lessons. 

I testify that the 5 lessons approach does work! People are searching for ways to serve. Many people love helping others. They greatly appreciate it when they feel needed. As we reach out to others and ask for their help, they are more open to us sharing more, and they are touched by the Spirit!

​​Update on the weather: Everything is turning green and beautiful! Spring is in the air... and so is pollen. Pollen in GA is everywhere. It coats everything, blows around (making the air look like yellow fog), and gives us allergies. ;) But despite the pollen, everything is so beautiful!

My invitation to you this week is to open your eyes and enjoy God's creations! They are everywhere. Nature is a beautiful gift from God--take the time to appreciate it! I testify that you will begin to be more thankful for the life that God has blessed you with. You will also be filled with more happiness as you look for the good. :)

Keep smiling, and have a blessed day! I love y'all!

The fun side of mission life!

Free ice cream cones at DQ!! Yumness. It made us happy after a long, frustrating day.

The elders surprised us with pizza and ice cream after another long, hard day. It made our night! We were sitting in the car recording miles, and they raced up and dropped it off on the roof of our car and took off running. Then Elder Owens raced back and threw a green apple at us while yelling "Don't get cavities!" and then he took off. It was quite the experience!

The next day, we left plastic Easter eggs full of chocolate (that we had doodled on) all over their doorstep. We also scattered candy and Easter grass and made it look like a nest. Then on the door we left sticky notes that said "You make us hoppy"! It was a fun way to "pay them back"! :)

We did a service project with the Sister Training Leaders (they are currently in a Tri-companionship), which was... interesting... The guys who were "in charge" were drinking beer while we worked, so they were a little rude to us, which was frustrating. But I kept thinking about how they are children of God. I had to remind myself of that over and over again. I was blessed with patience with them despite the frustration, because I kept praying for God to help me feel His love for them. :) 

From left to right: Sister Erekson, Sister Barron, me, Sister Barry, Sister Carpentier.

Ignore the awkwardness of me in the middle. ;) I suddenly felt really tall around them... ;) Plus I'm just awkward in pictures like that. You know me.

:)

Monday, 21 March 2016

Dear family and friends,

I apologize for the shorter letter, but I don't have much time to write this time. This week has been crazy busy, and I have appreciated every minute of it despite the frustrations!

Ray of sunshine for this week:

One of our investigators, Christian, has chosen her baptism date! She is so amazing and we are so thrilled for her! On Saturday, we called her and talked to her for a bit about her concerns about baptism. She was originally preparing to be baptized that day (the 19th). But she didn't feel ready. So we resolved her concerns, and then she told us that she had been thinking and praying about it and she felt like she wanted to be baptized on the 10th of April, because it is her mom's birthday! She is so prepared and ready to receive the gospel. I am so excited for her!

Then, on Sunday, she came to church! That was her third time coming. She loves church so much, and this time she told us that she wants her son and her husband to come. She is so excited to continue progressing and she is doing so well!

Blessings come from showing love for everyone!

I am going to extend the same invitation that I shared last week: Watch the video #Hallelujah (FollowHim.mormon.org) with your friends, and share it on social media! It is amazing and it can bring so much peace and joy into your home. I have watched it many times and I am still not tired of it.

Keep smiling! You are all so amazing and I love you!

Have a blessed day,

A new companion and their new friend!

This was my last district. From left to right-- Sister Jones (in the front), Sister Barron, me, Sister Stewart, Elder Achter (behind Sister Stewart and me), Elder Flitton, Elder Dickson, and Elder Owens.

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Transfers were bittersweet. I miss Sister Stewart. She was an amazing trainer! 

But... this is my new companion!

{Imagine a picture of her new companion with her eyes crossed and a bottle of Sparkling Cider in her mouth, making silly faces.  I was asked not to post that pic, but it gives a great glimpse of how much fun her new companion is!}

Sister Barry is fun-loving, crazy, and adventurous! She is from the ghetto California (but originally from the Marshall Islands).

As you can see, she gives me something to laugh at every day!

Another thing--she was Sister Stewart's companion before me! It made it a lot easier to get to know each other because we had heard about each other through Sister Stewart.

By the way, the bottle in her hands is Mormon wine. Just to clarify. ;)

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A tiny glimpse of GA skies. :) They are spectacular!

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Sister Selfies! (We were parked and making calls. Being safe drivers. Oh, by the way, I have a TIWI card now! I am the designated driver!! :D)

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Sister selfies! (Yes, Sister Barry can move her eyes to do weird things!)

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Guess what "friend" we found in our backyard while we were heading into our apartment last night? 

Yeeeeaaauuukkkk!!! It freaked us out. It was huge and disgusting. We thought that it was a baby tarantula, but we're not sure anymore. It was in the middle of the sidewalk and we didn't want to try and jump over it because we were worried that it would try and bite us or something... or move... So we took pictures and then made a plan to get past it. Sister Barry threw a stick at it. It missed. She threw another one at it. It missed. She threw one more. It struck the target and the spider ran into the grass. We nearly squealed, took another picture and then bolted into the apartment.

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​Needless to say, we were paranoid of spiders all night.​

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We had "non alcoholic beverages" at a Mexican restaurant with a friend from the ward, Ayesha. Tasty and fun! ;) She introduced them to us.

(Mom comment:  The look on her face says, "My companion is a goof!  I'm having such a great time!")

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Spring is coming! Sister Barry calls these "Fishie Flowers" because they smell like fish. But they are beautiful!

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Spring flowers! :) They are everywhere in GA!

Spring is Coming!

Monday, 14 March 2016

Dear family and friends,

Spring is finally coming! And so is Easter. This is a fantastic time of year to share the joy that our Savior brings into our lives. I would encourage you to go to mormon.org/easter and watch the video that is on it. It is amazing!

Transfers came and went really quickly. I miss Sister Stewart. Goodbyes were bittersweet. But I am so thankful for Sister Barry, my new companion. She has given me a new perspective on mission life and helped me to enjoy every minute of it!

This week, we focused a lot on service. A lot of opportunities have been showing up lately because of the warm weather. I am so thankful for all the opportunities we have had to serve others. It builds friendship and trust, it fills us with the joy that service brings, and it also helps others to recognize the joy that comes from serving the Lord.

My invitation to you this week is to visit mormon.org/easter and watch the Easter video with your family. Then share it with others! I testify that it will bring joy into your lives and a renewed remembrance of our Savior. He is the reason for Easter! Let us celebrate His resurrection as we experience this wonderful time of year!

I love you all. You are all so amazing!

Keep smiling and have a blessed day,

The Beauty of Music

7 March 2016

Dear family and friends,

I have developed a greater appreciation for music over the three short months that I've served. Sister Stewart (my companion) has an incredible voice and I have loved singing with her. We have had many opportunities to sing for others as service. It always brings in the Spirit immediately as we sing hymns. There is great power in music!

​We had an Easter Music Fireside this past Sunday at the church. It was amazing! ​

The fireside reminded me of the great power that music has. It brings so much peace and joy into my heart and the hearts of many others. One of our investigators, Claudette, attended the fireside, and she was touched by the music. She has always been hard to reach because she struggles to believe, but the music had a way of bringing the Spirit into her heart in a way that we could not through teaching her. It was a beautiful reminder that hymns are truly prayers to our Heavenly Father, and as we sing praises to Him, we invite the Spirit into our hearts.

We also had an opportunity to sing hymns at an assisted living home this week. They kept asking for more, because they loved and appreciated the music so much. When we were getting ready to leave, a woman came up to us and asked us to sing for her father, who was unable to leave his room to come and listen. So we went in and sang to him. The Spirit was so strong as we shared our testimonies of the Savior through hymns. Afterwards, we found out that both him and his son-in-law (who was there) were pastors. We had touched their hearts and helped them to feel the Spirit. It was an amazing reminder to me that we are all children of God, and that God loves us all, no matter how old we are, what religion we are, or who we are. 

There is great power in music. It is so touching. It fills the heart with joy and peace. It invites the Spirit. It is an amazing gift from our Heavenly Father, and I am so thankful for it!

​A big change is happening soon. Sister Stewart is going home. Her mission has come to an end. :( She has served faithfully and valiantly for 18 months. She is so amazing and I will miss her very much. I am so thankful for her example for me and all that she has done to help me grow and become a more successful missionary. I love her!

Transfers are this Wednesday, and I am staying in the Lost Mountain area. I will meet my new companion soon. I know that everything will work out for the good. God has a great plan for all of us and He will help things to work out! 

​RAY OF SUNSHINE!

-W​e had two investigators at Church! One was entirely unexpected! It was a tender mercy!

My invitation to you this week is to read one verse (or more if desired) in the Book of Mormon each day. I testify that you will receive guidance and direction in your life. You will be filled with peace as you do so. The Book of Mormon has blessed my life, and I know that it will bless yours!

You are all so amazing. Keep smiling!

Have a blessed day,​