Rats

Haha I don't even know what to think about this week. So much happens throughout the week that you don't have time to explain through email.

Miracles are still happening, they ALWAYS are! Whenever I'm nervous to testify of things I always testify of miracles, which can then lead to the miracle of the restoration of the gospel! 

A few weeks ago Sister Fuller woke up and our butter was gone, along with droppings on the counter.

It was a mouse/rat thing.

GROSS.

We called the landlord and he came and set up traps in our kitchen. One under the stove and the other under the sink. 

Here's how that night went down:

10:30 - lights out.

10:33 - SNAP. 

-- I was with the OTHER Sister Brown on exchange when it happened. I made her hold my hand down the stairs haha. I was FREAKING OUT! I made her check the traps. Sure enough we caught a mouse/rat thing under the stove. 

10:40 - we rush over to our neighbor, Brother Johnson's house to have him come and take the mouse out.

10:51 - he takes the mouse/rat thing out of our house.

{Brother Johnson, the mouse/rat thing, and me in my moo moo. }

{There's the mouse/rat thing. I don't want to know if it's a mouse, or a rat, I'm just glad it's GONE!! EEEEEKKKK!!!! }

11:00 (aka 5 am for missionaries) - we are dead as a mouse in bed.

There's that...

On a different note:

WE HAVE A NEW INVESTIGATOR AND PROBABLY ANOTHER NEW INVESTIGATOR NEXT WEEK!!!!!!!!! HOLY HANNAH THE WORK MOVES FORWARD!!!

Her name is Charlotte. She is a referral. Her husband, Arthur, is a former investigator. 

Our first lesson is on Tuesday at 3! I am so excited!!!

Francisco: I think he might be avoiding us. We'll see how it turns out. I want him to have the gospel I know he wants!! We keep visiting him at work and he doesn't ask questions. We'll do our best to bring him into the fold! 

Ray and Barbera: I love them!! Ray, as we speak, is in a court case facing jail. If he goes to jail then BARBERA CAN GET BAPTIZED!!! Because of Barbera, her siblings in other areas of New England are receiving the gospel and are getting baptized. After 4 years of investigating, now might be her chance!

This last Sunday we had a missionary leave for the Salt Lake South Mission. His brother spoke, his dad sang, it was touching. Sister Fuller was BAAAWWLING!! All the residents at Dartmouth and their families are in our ward. They all love each other so much!

It made me reflect on love during my mission. 

How before my mission I could love my family, and my friends, and the different ways I would show my love. I thought a lot about how I couldn't show my love like I had growing up. Being a missionary you are to harness all other forms of love into one love: the pure love of Christ. It is remarkable to feel His love for all of His brothers and sisters, and to feel God's love for all of His children, and then to act on it. I love strangers here. Everyone, I LOVE THEM ALL!! It's wonderful! 

You truly do lose a sense of self on your mission, which is good because then you are filled with the love of Christ. It's interesting as the transition takes place, I really don't even care how I feel anymore. All I want is for others to experience love.

Barbera really touches my heart. I really cannot even express the feeling of love I have for her, when I feel how Heavenly Father feels for her. We testify of it to her, and her continence changes. She knows of her identity as a daughter of God. 

As missionaries, it is our job to help the lost sheep find the Shepard. When they see the Shepard, they will always recognize Him. God is our Father in Heaven, and He loves us DEARLY.

As we extend a HUGE hand to the ward and try to visit at least one member a day, we are seeing the blessings. We have so many referrals!! 14 REFERRALS!!! Our ideas of bringing the ward together are starting to work. The spirit of missionary work is going to EXPLODE in the Hanover ward!! They better be ready to fellowship tons of recent converts because a WAVE is commin! We are merging the ecclesiastical church, and the missionary church. This is happening. Miracles are FLOWING!! 

{Passing the famous QUECHEE GORGE (Vermont's grand canyon). I'd never heard of it before, but it's a big deal here. Where anywhere South of New York is considered "south."}

{Ray taking us to the park.}

{Sister Fuller and I doing WORK!!!}

THE HARVEST

Another week FLEW BY!! In a week and a half the transfer is over. I really want to stay in my area... I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!! I firmly believe I have the best area in the entire mission! 

I know I say this every week... BUT THIS WEEK WE HAD MIRACLES!! 

The week had a rough start to it. One of our investigators dropped us... But we chose to use it as FUEL to our miracles. To keep us going. 

This week Sister Fuller went on two exchanges, so I got the chance to rule the area for two days. Here's how it went down:

Obedience. EXACT OBEDIENCE. I tolerate nothing less. This is the Lord's time, and I am on HIS errand. 

Wednesday or Thursday (I can't tell the difference, all the days are the same to me!) I was with Sister Lundahl. We fulled our day with three appointments. She taught me this amazing way to plan lessons! What do we want our investigators to KNOW, FEEL, and DO? What are we following up on? How do we accomplish our goal and teach what in the lessons? All put onto one sticky note. IT IS BEAUTIFUL!

We had great result from it. I hope our investigators more than anything, feel the love of their Savior.

Saturday I was with Sister Sumsion. MIRACLES EVERYONE!!!! MIRACLES HAPPEN!!!!!! The field really is "white and ready to harvest" and obedience truly 

brings about miracles!!! 

While planning the night before I was nervous, I looked at my planner and there was literally NOTHING to do ALLSaturday.

We planned out a route to visit all the less actives in Havover. Few answered their doors..

surprise, surprise.

So we felt prompted to stop by a members home. We dropped in and the daughter, a former missionary, convinced her parents to let us share a super quick message. At the end she told us of a family who just moved in next door. THAT COUNTS AS A REFERRAL!!! WHOOP WHOOP!! So we immediately went next door. A woman opened the door and openly listened to our message. Quickly, you must always refer to a gospel principle to tie into the restoration. She took the family, a proclamation to the world. and we're visiting next week to follow up with what she thought. She's a Jewish woman. We'll see how it goes.

We went about the rest of our day, being exactly obedient.

After dinner we planned to visit another less active. As we drove past the gas station, we saw one of our "potential-potentials" (someone who was nice and could potentially be a potential investigator). We turned around and pulled in. As we were purchasing some snacks, he asked us if we got a scholarship for being out on a mission. We answered him and tied in the restoration. 

NOTE: After dinner I felt prompted to write my testimony in a Book of Mormon and highlight a few of my favorite scriptures. I have never done this before. 

He told us about how he left Brooklyn, NY for a better life here. He wants to give back to the world. 5-6 months ago he started wondering about his purpose in life, and what God wanted him to do.He wants to be cleaned of his sins by being BAPTIZED. YES. B A P T I Z E D !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sister Sumsion and I were DYING!!!!!!!!! EVERYTHING he wants, a community of people who learn off each other, a God who knows us personally, the restored gospel, is everything we have!! I could go on and on about all he said about wanting the gospel. He even said, "who better to learn from then you sisters."

When I invited him to church he said "Wow, yeah I'll come! I've never been invited before!"

He quit drinking and smoking months ago.

He believes in family being the way to build society.

He desires to do good, and works just so he can someday give back to his community.

He wants to build a place where people can find refuge from the things of this world... JUST WAIT UNTIL HE GOES THROUGH THE TEMPLE!!!!

We gave the first lesson to him while he was working at the gas station and talked for an hour and a half.

His face LIT UP when he heard about Joseph Smith and God and Jesus Christ coming back to the earth.

He wants it.

He literally is the perfect investigator. My first find, and wonderful investigator! I want him to have everything we have. I want him to feel of the Saviors love for him.

I want everyone to come unto Christ.

Now that I see people like Fracisco really do exist, I want to find them. I will do everything and anything to help fulfill my purpose: to invite others to come unto Christ.

Obedience truly brings about miracles. All the work in the world is worth what I am experiencing here. I have never felt more joy in my life, from seeing others feel the love of Jesus Christ.

People really are out there, are ready. We need not be afraid of being bold. McCord emailed me this week and said, "it's not our name on the line, it's God's, SO BE BOLD!"

I know that God has my back. That he really does have a body like ours. His son, Jesus Christ LIVES! And He KNOWS us! And He LOVES US!!! 

This week in my studies the work DILIGENCE had shown up everywhere. "labor diligently." What does it mean to truly labor diligently, that we might fulfill our callings? 

Diligence: Focusing on the task at hand, doing everything in our power to complete it, putting everything into it, our whole heart and soul. WILLING to put in the work to make the goal; willing to plan to make the goals. There are so many examples of how Nephi and Jacob, and all the leaders and prophets in the Book of Mormon labored DILIGENTLY. 

A leader labors diligently for the good of the people. 

My heart is willing. 

Forget myself, and get to work - I often tell myself that. 

I must be the missionary my parents think I am! Strive to remember the PRECIOUS council my parents and grandparents gave me before going out here.

A missionary who LABORS DILIGENTLY to complete their PURPOSE!!! KNOW the missionary purpose, which is crucial. 

BE exactly obedient. 

Always go about doing good, people are watching.

LOOK for opportunities everywhere you go to serve. 

I'm always looking for examples and promises the Lord gives us. There are so many. 

One of the biggest ways I see improvement here is to not only set high goals, but plan towards them every single day. Know that the Lord is going to back you up. He  always answers you prayers. "knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

CHALLENGE HIM!!! THE LORD LOVES A CHALLENGE!!!!

This week we have our first interviews with the mission president! 15 minutes of revelation. That's what it'll be. I can't wait to get to know President Stoker better, I want to follow him so closely.

FUNNIEST MOMENT:

We went over to a members home to celebrate the departure of a missionary in our area who is going to serve in the Salt lake South mission (Elder Knowlton, soon to be).

His mom wanted everyone to experience some kind of cultural food. So she went on Pinterest and found a Utah-specific cultural food. 

HAWAIIAN HAYSTACKS IS WHAT SHE MADE!!!! She had me introduce them as the food her son will be eating every night. Hahaha SO TRUE THOUGH.

Also, none of the people at the party had ever heard of Hawaiian haystacks. I was dying. Seriously so funny! 

{The cutest little area next to Dartmouth and the Connecticut River, we frequently do lessons there because it is SO BEAUTIFUL!!! This is me, on the Vermont side of the bridge.}

{With Zone, District, and white handbook permission we were able to go to a fair with the District Leader in our area and Megan and I got to RIDE A RIDE!!!! }

{I am obsessed with all the cute old homes here. Some of them even have the original stoves and fireplaces from the 1700's!! BEFORE THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION ! (awesome) }

{This is main street in Hanover - it rains EVERYDAY. I feel like I'm in Seattle sometimes. I haven't taken my rain boots off since I bought them.}

I Refuse to Sink

This week was crazy! Sister Fuller and I were everywhere BUT our area due to meetings, exchanges... etc. She's Sister Training Leader (the new zone leader for sisters) so she has to go on exchanges with everyone in our zone which means I get to be companions with EVERYONE!!! It is so much fun! Exchanges on my part are like a big sleepover where you go to bed at 10:30 and wake up at 6:30! 

This week I was with Sister Brown (long hair) and Sister Brown (short hair) (we have a lot of Sister and Elder Browns in the mission, including my MTC companion, a different Sister Brown) but we had so much fun!

This week was one of opposition. The ward is NOT missionary minded. I don't think any of them watched the World-Wide Missionary Broadcast - which is a total bummer! Our ideas for strengthening our mostly less active ward is to visit them and check up on visiting/home teaching (hard to do when no assignments have been made yet), have one member lesson a day (HUGE), and post a missionary quote on a poster out in the foyer. We want to strengthen this ward to that the work can progress faster! Which can't be done without the members!

Suzan: called and told us the church just isn't for her. There's no place for her down syndrome son.

Whenever people reject the gospel of Jesus Christ, they reject the greatest gift God has given them: ETERNAL LIFE WITH GOD AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND ULTIMATE AND FULL ACCESS TO THE ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST!!!

It rips me heart out knowing that they are rejecting that! I don't think they know that THEIR SALVATION is on the line!!!

I FORMALLY MET THE NEW MISSION PRESIDENT AND HIS WIFE!!!!!! They are AWESOME!!! And you can tell that they are frantic and stressed haha! We have 206 missionaries. That's 206 brand new kids for these two. You can tell he is called of God. He has great plans for our mission! He also told us that WE ARE WHITE HANDBOOK MISSIONARIES!!!!! He thinks we have enough rules. He wants us to STOP tracting and instead find service opportunities everywhere to get our name out there. I love it. 

As a result, this week was full of service! We helped Ray and Barbera raise money for their sons daycare on the 4th of July by selling flowers that we made.

4th of July MIRACLE:

We ended up not being able to sell the flowers there. All the sudden it started POURING rain and everyone ran under the tent for coverage. All four of us missionaries were stuck with a ton of other people stuck there as well. What a beautiful opportunity to FIND people! I know the Lord places us there for a reason. I got talking with this lady and she asked us about the trinity and what we believe. I was able to testify that God and Jesus Christ live, and that they have separate bodies of flesh and bone, and that we are created in their image! That we are sons and daughters of God! And that the Holy Ghost can be with all of us! It was awesome and I felt the spirit full my body as I testified. She took a mormon.org card with our number on it (go Adrian, those cards are our business cards!).

Hopefully she'll call us soon.

I didn't feel scared to talk with EVERYONE!!

President Stoker says we should be the kind of missionaries our parents think we are. I'm sure doing my best and know that they are being blessed. 

{ We went to Joseph Smith's birthplace this week! Literally 15 minutes away from where we live. }

{ Exchanges: we got cool Mo-Mo's at Walmart. }

Funny/awkward Moment:

At the meet and greet meeting to meet President Stoker he asked us to share two qualities about our companion, where we were from, and our testimony;

He asked the member drivers to share as well. 

One of the guys that drove brought his son who is leaving on a mission later this year.

He stand up and says: "I guess right now my dad is my companion, he's really cool. But my real companion, MY GIRLFRIEND, has the most amazing qualities. Because of her I am serving a mission.... ETC."

Way to make a fool of yourself in front of the new mission president. Things got real awkward when he said that haha. Maybe he'll learn from that and NOW say that when he gets to his real mission!

Love you all, 

Sister Morgan

A Field of MIRACLES

{ The Connecticut River that divides VT and NH is literally in our backyard. }

PURE JOY

that is what a mission is.

THE GOSPEL IS EVERYTHING!!!!! To some people it is their only source of hope. I want to bring it to everyone so that they can find joy.

there is no better sight than what you see when people realize that there is a Father in Heaven who LOVES YOU more than anyone on earth.

When you testify of God's love for us, you feel it, then you feel it for your investigators, then THEY FEEL IT because YOU LOVE THEM!!

The Lord is blessing me with love. I can feel it. I wouldn't normally love strangers this much. It's cool to be a part of.

I never before realized what a blessing my membership in this church was, and how it's all about finding joy in life. The Restoration is proof that God loves us, how could He leave us stranded? 

I have witnessed MIRACLES this week!! One of our investigators moved out of her boyfriend(ish)'s house and even though she is now homeless, is putting forth the faith that God will prepare a way. She has decided to move to Utah where she will begin a future for herself. It's amazing to watch it all align. Her visiting teachers visit her and felt prompted to tell her that she needed to move (after she had made the choice) from this guy who really isn't good for her and who treated her horribly. She knows that God will prepare a way, AND HE IS. Jobs in Utah are lining up, apartments are coming into place. Miracles are happening BECAUSE SHE IS ACTING ON HER FAITH!!!!!!! 

Faith = VERB= ACTION

That's the formula for a miracle. Faith + obedience always = Miracles

When we do our part, the Lord will always do His. ALWAYS. 

This gospel is a blessing. Our membership is a KEY TO HAPPINESS. When we see that Jesus Christ has made it possible for us to LIVE ETERNALLY by taking upon Himself the sins of the world, we start to realize how much He loves us. There is power in his love.

THE HOLY GHOST IS STRAIGHT UP POWER!!!!!! Tap into it. USE IT. It is God's GIFT to us to help us return to Him!!! We can receive revelation and inspiration as we are obedient, and the Lord often does so through the holy ghost. 

We got a new mission president today. Probably the craziest day thus far. The Lord is stretching my patience. Learning to LISTEN TO NEW ENGLANDERS who talk about WHO KNOWS WHAT haha! After probably the most frustrating lesson I've ever had, my companion and I walked out feeling pretty down on ourselves. ALL BAD. We went to a baptism afterward and PRESIDENT STOKER WAS THERE!!! I turned around and there he was. Definitely not how I pictured meeting him! Still, it was really good. We pulled ourselves together and introduced ourselves. It was scary! I think he'll be a good one though, he seemed really nice and I can't wait to get to know him better.

I love personal study. I love it I love it I LOVE IT!! I love seeing how I use it throughout my day, it always prepares me for events that follow. I wish we had more time even! Crazy!

Maple syrup here is amazing. A guy from the ward gave us some straight from his trees. I pretty much drink that stuff. It's so good. I love the food out here! SO FRESH!! I pour maple syrup all over my Ben and Jerry's ice cream. I soak my blueberry pancakes in it. SO GOOD.

I wish I could give you a slightest insight as to how much has happened. There's so many blessings that happen when people want to have the gospel in their life.

WILLIAM SHOUT OUT TO YOU FOR FINISHING YOUR PAPERS!!!!!!!!! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE YOU GOT YOURSELF INTO!!!! Wish I could be there to hear your blessing! I love you so much!!

 love you all so much!! WRITE ME I have more time to write letters. 

{ This is Megan WHO IS LIVING IN A FIELD OF MIRACLES!!! }

{ They have an ORIGINAL copy of the Book of Mormon that you can hold and read at Dartmouth! It is the rarest book publication in the 19th century. }

-Funny Moments-

We got pulled over last Sunday. In VT you have to have a front plate on your car, ours didn't. We were let go with a warning.

Sister Fuller called the mission office to get another plate. 

He told her he sent us two, but we couldn't find the other one. He told us to look to see if we screwed the two together on the back. 

Sure enough we unscrew the back plate and two pop off! Hahaha!

We felt like the biggest idiots! So funny!

They don't think I know a buttload about the gospel, BUT I DOOOOO!!! -Nacho Libre

                                                                            { That's how we pray in the MTC }

                          { Elder Thorley and I at our temple walk! We had IDENTICAL schedules!! It was crazy!! }

           

FAMILY AND FRIENDS HOLA!!! 

I am serving in Hanover! Which is an area covering Vermont and New Hampshire. I have Dartmouth College in my area! It is beautiful!

I feel like I'm swallowed in trees. They give a whole new meaning to the first vision. Now I can picture Joseph Smith kneeling and asking in sincere prayer what is true! In the morning fog layers the tops of the trees. IT IS SO GREEN I cannot get over it! I love it here!

THE HOUSES. They are so cute and so old! I cannot believe how beautiful it is here!

My investigators are great. We have mostly less active members and are STRIVING to build to ward up, because it definitely needs it. 

Ray and Barbera have been seeing the missionaries for over 6 years. They've seen 30+ misisonaries. They know the church is true, but struggle because Ray is an alcoholic and they live together and have the cutest little kid Dominic! Ray is going to prison so he cannot get baptized for a while. Hopefully we'll be able to get Barbara to commit!

Ray seriously goes through 4-5 tall cans of beer and 4 cigarettes by the time we leave. CRAZY.

Susan likes the programs of the church but has a hard time seeing that the gospel is all about Christ, not the programs.

She's great.

I feel like most of the members here have "testimonies" but are in no way CONVERTED unto the Lord.

ASK YOURSELF: "what will it take for you to become TRULY converted to the Lord?"

NOW DO IT!!

This work revolves around members. I invite all of you to seek those who you think are ready to hear about the gospel!

I love my trainer. She's wonderful. We get along very well! 

There is nothing you can't do with the Lord. In Luke there's a scripture that says "with God nothing is impossible."

I am a firm believer of that.

Jesus Christ needs to be the center of all of our lives. Is what we are doing moving us closer to Him, or further away?

Today in personal studies (I love studies, maybe my favorite part of the day, other that making it to bed at night) I researched more about Lehi's dream and the tree of life. All the sudden everything clicked into place. THE TREE IS EVERLASTING LIFE. They tell us that all the time! Everything about the temple clicked in my mind. My questions were answered. 

Receiving revelation is the most amazing feeling in the world. I invite you all to live in a way where you can feel the Holy Ghost GUIDE YOU so closely!! Before Christ went into Gethsemane he told His disciples about how they can have HIS SPIRIT with them! Because Christ isn't on the earth, He can be in us. WE LITERALLY HOLD THE SPIRIT OF GOD IN US ONCE WE ARE BAPTIZED!!!! USE IT!!! Because of this constant companion, you can use it to draw closer to God. 

We are divine. We have Godly attributes that we can cling to. Because we have the Holy Ghost, we can know more about the nature of God by being worthy of His spirit. It's such a cool concept if you wrap your mind around it! 

New Englanders have lived in the same town their entire lives. Their parents have lived there as well. Same with THEIR parents and THEIR PARENTS PARENTS. People are dang STUBBORN and set in their ways! Pray that their hearts will soften! These people need this gospel. The town that I serve in has had THREE 8th graders commit suicide in the last week. It is CRAZY. People know everyone and everything about everyone. I want them to have the gospel. Another thing about here, everyone has had an abortion. It changes their lives for the worst because they regret it and dwell on it forever.

Christ can heal.

I desire to share this with everyone.

As a representative of Jesus Christ, I am in charge of these people's salvation in that I have to invite them all! I act for Jesus Christ as a missionary. I represent Him and I strive to live as He did.

PLEASE REMEMBER that EVERY member is a missionary. DO WORK at home!!! Find people! Don't be so caught up in your own lives, be like Christ. Go out and find people for the missionaries to teach.

{HER NEW ADDRESS}

P.O. Box 461

Wilder, VT

05088

Funny moments:

There have been so many I can't write them all down!!

I'll be better next week when I am a bit more focused ha!

                                   { Daisy's in one hand, Book of Mormon in another. DO WORK!!! }

Roughly, here is my farewell talk. This is the last time I will be updating my blog before I leave. My bestie Kenzie Keicher is updating my blog!!! Love her!

 Feel free to write me or send me packages! My MTC address is:

Sister Ashley Morgan

JUN17 NH-MAN

2009 N 900 E Unit 155

Provo, UT

84602

Throughout our lives, we each have trials and experiences that God places before us that teach us and prepare us for what is to come. Through obedience to the Lord, I have been able to overcome obstacles in my life that have molded my testimony into what is it today and have prepared me for the future, specifically, my mission.

         I feel like the Lord has carried me to this point, where I have been called to serve in the New Hampshire Manchester Mission, and will be leaving in 10 days. This mission covers most of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and parts of New York, and Massachusetts. I couldn’t be more excited to bring the light of the gospel, and eternal happiness, to the people in these areas.

When you obey God’s commandments, and strive to become more Christ-like, He guides you. As I’ve prayed, The Lord has answered through scriptures, miracles, and life experiences. Every time I go to the temple and ponder in the celestial room, I always open to a random scripture for guidance. Tuesday when I was with my mom, I opened my scriptures to Daniel chapter 2. As I read this chapter I knew that it was an answer to my prayers as to what I should speak about. In this chapter King Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by a dream. He called in all the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans to help him interpret his dream. When none could, he ordered that everyone who failed to interpret the dream was put to death. God revealed the interpretations and meanings behind King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to Daniel in a dream. The following day Daniel went to the king and revealed to him the meaning of his dream. The king dreamed of an image where the head was gold, the arms and breast were silver, his thighs brass, his legs were iron, and his feet were made of clay. The king then saw a stone cut without hands, which broke the image into pieces. The stone that smote the image became a great mountain and filled the entire earth. Daniel revealed to the king that the different metals and clay were different kingdoms, and that the stone cut without hands was a kingdom that would never be destroyed, and would fill the entire earth. The kingdom that would never be destroyed is the kingdom of God restored in the latter days. It is my job as a servant of the Lord to help fulfill this dream where the gospel of Christ will reign from all corners of the earth. When I read this chapter, I knew that God had called me to serve a mission and that I would play a part in spreading the gospel.

         Both of my parents served honorable fulltime missions. My dad served in Seville, Spain. My mom served in Roanoke, Virginia as an American Sign Language missionary. The example they set for my siblings and me has been huge. Both of my parents always tell us stories about their missions, and how they were the most rewarding times of their lives. They talk about the testimonies they gained while serving the Lord, and the satisfaction of being able to spread the gospel to people around the world. Because of their strong testimonies, we’ve been brought up in homes where missionary work is of crucial importance. It is their examples that have inspired me to choose to serve a mission.

When I was 9 years old, my parents decided to get a divorce. I never thought that this would be the case with my family; never before did the thought ever cross through my mind. Our bishop in Colorado counseled us to move. He felt inspired that we would be able to move on with our lives if we started fresh. When I was about 10 years old we took a trip to Seattle where my Mom’s mother lives where we stayed for a period of three weeks. I only have one memory of this trip. The memory of utter loneliness and despair lingers in my mind still. I felt alone. I had never felt more abandoned, or more pain than I did at that moment. Everything became so real, and I knew that my life would never be the same. We ended our “vacation” early and went back home. Our bishop repeatedly counseled my mom to move. He told us to move to Utah, so we did. We only lasted for a period of three short, painful months. Coming back to Colorado was safe for us. We didn’t feel broken and we felt like we could make things work. The bishop told us again to move to Utah. I was 13 when my mom got a call from her close friend about a rental home on the corner of Harvard Ave and 13^th East. She decided that we would try once more, to move to Utah. The bishop promised us that we would be able to move on, so my mom trusted him. If you ever hear my mom tell this story, she always compares it to a black hole, and that’s because that’s exactly what we were jumping into – a black hole. It wasn’t until a year after moving to Salt Lake City that I finally had a realization of the real power of the atonement. I was walking down Harvard where it hit me that I do not have to feel this anymore, and that I have a loving Heavenly Father who sent His son Jesus Christ down to the earth to go through all the pain, loneliness, and suffering that I felt, and that anyone on the face on the earth would feel. I didn’t have to feel this pain, because someone else, our savior Jesus Christ, had felt it for me. It was no longer in my hands, because it was in the hands of the Lord. It was in this moment that I gained a foundation of the true power of Christ’s infinite atonement. I knew that even though I had gone through years of confusion and sadness, I would never have to dwell on that.

When I think back to this story, I think about my mom. I think about her unwavering faith in priesthood authority, her strict obedience to counsel she was given, and her anchored testimony of Christ. She is my example. In the scriptures they repeatedly talk about revelations and blessing that come after a trial in faith. My mom is walking evidence that the Lord blessed those who keep their faith through trials.

I also think often about my dad, and his love for his children. Despite the geological difference between my dad and I, I still talk to him everyday. He knows what goes on in my life and makes an active effort to make sure we are happy and to make sure we know that he loves us. My dad is quick to defend the gospel. He knows of its truth and has a strong testimony of missionary work, and the impact it has on the missionary’s life, and the lives touched by the missionary.

My parents are good people. They’ve given everything they have to their children. They’ve loved us with their whole hearts. I feel so blessed to have been given so much throughout my life. They’ve invested 20 years into making sure that I know that God loves me, and that I know that my parents love me as well. They’ve invested their money into me, and almost all their time to making sure that I become successful. Starting in 10 days, the arrows of love that always pointed towards me will be turned and will point toward the people in the New Hampshire Manchester Mission. I will love and serve the people in my mission like my parents have loved and served me.

         This last Monday when I was waiting for my mom to pick me up from the temple, I felt prompted to go to the family history center. One of the missionaries led me to a computer and pulled up my family tree. I was shocked that my tree ended at my grandma. The missionary showed me how easy it was to put in a name and request temple work. It was amazing – that day I was able to find the work for many of my ancestors. I came home and told my mom about it and she told me that our ward already had a baptism date set for the next morning. When I did the work for my ancestors it gave me a whole new perspective on temple work, and missionary work. All I want is to be able for my family to be sealed to each other for the rest of eternity. I want to share the gospel with the people of my mission so that someday they can be sealed to one another and partake of the blessings the gospel. I want to share the gospel with others because it brings me so much happiness. Fulfilling King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is part of my dream, to share the happiness of the gospel with everyone, and have the ability to bring to others what my family is brought to me. I want the people to see that this church is all about change. Through Christ’s love for us, we can become perfect.