JANUARY 27

 Sister Turley and her little acts of kindness... 

 THE MAP...

 four pairs of socks, chubby ankles, anything to keep warm!

Vestige for the Future

Cool. So. This week. 

My companion and I are best friends. It really is like we've known each other all along, we're just picking up where we left off. Grateful for her, we have yet to be discouraged or sad! She's happy like I am, and it's contagious! I LOVE IT. Did I mention she's taught me how to cook? Haha...

We have a lot of little things we're doing to try and boost things here. We made all our visuals, have a HUGE map on the wall labeled with where people are at, and also a poster size list of all the members in our area. We also made copies of our testimonies to place in the copies of the Book of Mormon we hand out with basically a road map through the major points and doctrine taught in it.

This past week I read all the miraculous stories of Alma, Ammon, and the Sons of Mosiah during my studies. They started in chapter 8 with the members. Alma and Amulek do work together! I finished off today by reading Alma 26. It was incredible. I feel the words are mine. I feel myself owning the scriptures and the experiences in them. I am truly being blessed with an outpouring of JOY! In Alma 26:22-23 we read that these experiences do not come from the natural man! They come from God. This missionary joy is a mystery of God being unfolded to us dependent on our actions and intentions! I could just SCREAM to EVERYONE we see THEY MUST READ THE BOOK OF MORMON!!!! We read from it everyday because it has the power to changes us, to allow us to repent, to alter our thoughts, words, and ACTIONS to be in line with the precepts and principles of the Gospel! The Book of Mormon indeed has the power of God, the power to help us to become clean! We repent as we read from it! We receive revelation for ourselves when we read from it daily! PLEASE I urge you, read from it daily! It will belie all that the adversary throws at you, it will protect you. Every time we talk with someone I want them to know this. They have NO idea what they're turning down. Ignorance doesn't get you anywhere. Our Father in Heaven stretches his arms out to us! He wants us to return to Him! 

I feel very peaceful and SO happy, I really cannot even believe it! 

Anyways, something cool happened yesterday! We walked to a less active to see if she still lived there and to try and teach her. She wasn't there, and signs showed that she might've moved. We walk home and CALL HER at the PERFECT time. We ask her if we could stop by and she said YES that she would LOVE it and that she now has two daughters! Miracles! We are calling her at the same time on Wednesday to try and set something up. I can't wait! 

JoAnne came to church, she's coming back to the fold!! She has a heart of gold and showers compassion on everyone. She loves easily and is easily loved. We have 3 lessons with her this week and GOT MEMBERS TO COME TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM! CANNOT WAIT!!! 

Getting the members involved takes one thing: just ASK. They will when they can if you consistently  but politely ASK them! Once they feel that raging missionary spirit they will spread it! This is our starting point.

The wheels are ROLLING.

We have this thing in our mission where we are memorizing one scripture a day with a promise that we will have a photographic memory. Honestly I am remembering everything! I definitely feel the Lord qualifying me as I put forth the effort to do this daily. I speak scripture. The individual scripture nudge their place into my heart and I refer back to them all the time. I use them when talking, which is funny. I think I've gotten to that point on your mission where you no longer relate to normal people... QUICK TIP use color pens when writing scriptures on cards to memorize. I memorize by color and visually, like I have with my mission scriptures. It works!

Gotta go! Sorry such limited time! Gah...

WRITE ME PLEASE! The Bedford address.

MANCHESTER

So I have SUCH limited time today. I'll just let you know where I am
and what's happening here!

I am with Sister Turley. Our enthusiasm and energy combined is
dangerous. I've never met someone so similar to me in those ways!
She's the SWEETEST sister. She has taught me how to cook, probably
because I cannot let her continue to cook me meals twice a day. She's
incredible. Little acts of service is her thing, so I'm gonna get
really creative with ways to serve her! She has a heart of GOLD. I am
so lucky.

Leaving Hanover was really difficult... I cried and cried not wanting
to leave the area or Sister Korman, or the people!! Funny thing
happens when you get transferred, I heard President Stoker calling my
name and telling me I was serving in Manchester and I knew I belonged
there. The same feelings came when I opened my call to the Manchester
New Hampshire Mission. I knew it was the place. I felt peace and
excitement. I AM WHERE MY FEET ARE.

COOL STORY. So ya know how William just left the MTC for his mission?
The new sister, the ONLY sister coming into our mission, is taking my
place in Hanover. She's going to paradise. She came up to me and told
me she met my brother! What are the chances. Just little miracles
everywhere.

The ward is great. It looks more like a branch, but I love it. The
people are all converts! SO much fun! They call me a "firecracker."
The Bishop could be a football coach, he's all about game plans, and
kind of looks like a football coach to be honest! Funniest man. He
works for Pepsi. But the members are SO funny! I get to speak in
sacrament next week about the plan of salvation, lucky me because
that's one of my favorite topics! Probably where the vast majority of
my testimony comes from.

A little about the area: I am serving in MANCHESTER, the largest city
in our mission! It's GREAT. We are in a car share with the Elders
(there are 8 missionaries in our ward, we are the only sisters). We
walk a lot. I had a strange feeling I was going to walk a lot in my
next area. I love love love it! Though I wish they'd plow the
sidewalks more. We walked an hour to get to this computer. It's
wonderful to feel healthy again. Also, it's warmer here, so that's
nice! Manchester has little flashing lights when the city is having a
"snow emergency" but really, it is a lot of snow. We live next to a
ski resort. Looks more like a sledding hill. But it's across the
street from our house haha and we live downtown! Strange. The area
opened up to sisters two transfers ago. Our boundaries chaged, we have
no investigators in our area. The elders are letting us teach a little
boy named Magnus in their area. So not much to tell other than we are
FINDING!!!

Something I keep coming back to is the creation of the earth. All
things were created spiritually before they were created temporaly. So
we are spiritually creating our area, getting a game plan, praying
with faith, doing all the nitty gritty of preping the area so we can
get out and FIND. It'll be fun to see an area grow again! Sister
Turley and I are ready to get the tires rolling. This area is indeed a
tracting area, so we're going to get really creative. If anyone has
any finding ideas, let us know!

Just send my mail to the mission office. It's like down the street haha!

Sorry no pictures, this computer is slightly ghetto!

Love y'all!

Yoga?

The day has come. I am being transferred tomorrow, not sure where I'm going. I want always feel the way I do now, I want to leave every area with the freedom of mind I've been given. I believe the Lord knows I've done my best here and that I've given it my "heart, might, mind, and strength." O have worked to earn His trust. He is grateful for what I've done here with Him in Hanover. I have been changed by the people here and will never be the same. It's been everything from a paradisaical haven to a jail chamber in the refiner's fire. It's like yoga: if you hold a position long enough, you become numb to the pain, but also receive stretching benefits. Other times when I was released from the painful positions I could feel the rush of blood rejuvenate my body and soul. Life is like yoga. It's been a strength training: lifting little by little, frequently, "line upon line." I've learned the things I've needed to over time. In myself I see the tiny muscles of my testimony accentuate like never before. Every now and then it's been like body building, lifting HUGE loads of weight, for shorter amounts of time, while growing larger and stronger each time. Just like our bodies, I have been broken down and built back up to be who the Lord would have me be. Wherever I go, the Lord will continue this pattern.

Goal: to sprinkle everyone with compassion. It is a language everyone understands. Love and compassion come from God and are gifts of the Spirit. All love comes from God, that's why everyone understands it. People don't understand why there's hate in the world, they don't understand pride, it's confusing. Confusion is a tactic of the adversary. The Gospel emits love, transparency, purity, it is something everyone can feel unless if they open their hearts. 

I think Hanover has taught me that questions are okay, in fact, they are encouraged. Revelation comes best in response to a question. I think it's taken me to this point to realize how many questions I do have! Yesterday Sister Grampp taught us that the questions we ask determine our success, I know that to be true because I've seen it! Many times I ask "why" questions, I need to be asking more "how" and "what" questions! I see that I need to doubt more of my doubts, and hold more onto what I know, and admit what I don't know.

There's a reason the first step of repentance if acknowledgement. The closer I get to the Lord, the more I can acknowledge what I am doing wrong. He helps me see my holes, then He fills them over time.

John was baptized on Thursday. It was wonderful!! Such a Spirit of JOY and EXCITEMENT! During the baptism I felt two things: the MOST joy, and the MOST exhaustion. You think you know the two emotions until the Lord makes you feel them in extremes. There is nothing so special as making covenants with God. There is a spirit that comes when you talk about it, think about it, and especially witness it. The sacred ordinance of baptism cleanses us from sin. So much peace and joy swept over everyone in attendance as he went under the water and came up clean and fresh. He had been forgiven. I think the Lord wanted me to feel all the work that went into this event. 4 (we were only missing 2) of the 10 missionaries there had taught John over the course of 9 months! SO MUCH FUN!!! John is so amazing. If anyone needs ANYTHING he will do it for them. He is all about little acts of kindness, trying to make people happy little by little. I must say we as missionaries are totally spoiled by him. He is always there to help and is so dependable. What a man to have in the ward now!

 Maria, sweet sweet Maria.

 I love her!!! WHY MUST WE BE SEPARATED!!! (this is our comp inventory)

 CREED. WHO IS GETTING BAPTIZED THE 15TH OF FEBRUARY AND I WON'T BE THERE. He looks like the Elders Quorum President.

 The greatest district meeting. We are teaching Family Home Evenings now and so our meeting took place in a "home."

 All of us with John on his baptism!!!

DAWN!

BlueBird

Saturday to Sunday we were hit with a north-easterner. The only way I can explain it is comparing it to Steamboat Springs, CO. We spent around an hour Sunday digging ourselves out of the apartment. It gave me a new appreciation for the men who usually shovel for us ha! We woke up today to a perfect bluebird day, if only you could ski on your P day! … Besides the point, it is beautiful, charming, and COLD. Now I know what people mean when they talk about the cold going straight through your clothes and into your bones.

Does it get any better?

Yes.

Rob was baptized Saturday. It sets itself aside as probably the most sacred moment of my mission. It's been a lot of work preparing him for the promises he's just made with Heavenly Father, but he is so blessed for it. His eyes said everything. So full of gratitude, joy, and pure love. What a great chance I have to serve him and the Lord, to help bring him home. He thanked us for all we've done for him, and we continue to tell him that we did not do anything! Because kept his commitments and showed his faith, the Lord blessed him and gave him the testimony needed to get where he is. It's only the start of what's to come. My absolute DREAM would be to see him go through the temple in a year, because I'll be home in a year, which is strange. 

OK. So the baptism. Sorry I'm copy/paste-ing this from my Letter to the President, I just don't have time… WOW. Rob's baptism made everything worth it this week. I cannot even begin to explain the feelings the Spirit brought there. What a moment to remember, honestly one of the best, most sacred moments of my life. The day was beyond anything words can describe. He got to the church with Brother Ladd (who was baptizing him), they changed into their clothes. Rob came out all white, ready to be baptized, grinning from ear to ear. We took pictures then started the program. We sang hymn 86, How Great Thou Art. I conduct the music. I look over at Rob who is shedding tears, and look at Brother Ladd, who is also shedding tears. I couldn't hold back… Crying as I'm leading the music, that song definitely has a special place in my heart. Rob is so tender and loves the gospel. He "wants to shake people and say READ THE GOOD BOOK." Then I gave the talk on Baptism. Amazing how the Spirit leads you when you're prepared with ideas. There are three things that go along with every covenant we make: 1) the Priesthood Authority, 2) the actual covenant itself, and 3) the symbol, which in this case was going under the water then partaking of the bread and water. Then we head into the font room! He was baptized then just stood there for a while soaking it all in… so special. We walk back when JOHN TURNS TO BROTHER GRAMPP AND ASKS HIM TO BAPTIZE HIM!!! AMAZING. Sister Korman gave an amazing talk on the Holy Ghost which was very much so directed by the spirit. We have received many compliments from the members on our teaching, it's amazing!! Rob bore the sweetest testimony of how the Gospel has changed his life. "There's one less hater now." So grateful for the chance the Lord has given me to witness this. How grateful I am!!! Sister Korman and I have been working on a present for Rob - his own set of scriptures, tabbed, and in a case (or matching box, like us). We gave it to him. He looked me deep in the eyes with tears of absolute gratitude. He then said "you can tell what a person wants to say by their eyes." His eyes, that moment will be one I remember forever, or a truly grateful convert, who loves this gospel. 

We made him this:

So YEAH that happened this week. ALSO JOHN IS GETTING BAPTIZED ON HIS BIRTHDAY, JANUARY 9th!! He wanted to do it within the transfer so we would both be there. Such a neat guy with a heart of GOLD. He wants an answer so badly he came to us and told us he is getting baptized!!!!!! We've invited him many times before, but he's the kind of guy who says no at first then later is like "so… I chose hot chocolate over coffee this morning." We knew he'd come to us when he was ready. We asked him how he's felt since having a date and he said, "the only way I know how to describe it is that it's like falling in love."

MY HEART MELTED.

Also, we prayed specifically to find new investigators in our "dead" areas. All the sudden we have two new investigators! One for each dead area!! Creed (HOW COOL IS THAT NAME?!?!) is one, we just met him AT CHURCH. He's reading the Book of Mormon and is so prepared to hear the Gospel. Ed is another, he was at church the other week and is the husband of a part member family! We have to go on splits in order to get to these areas, but it's happening. Splits ARE happening!!

I know that faith is real. It works. I never thought I'd be here to see Hanover like this. I never thought I'd experience anything like I have this past transfer. I couldn't be more grateful for EVERYTHING!!

"But behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God" (Alma 26:11). Now I know how that feels.

I can't wait to call y'all on Christmas and TELL you in so much more detail what's been happening.

OH YES we also took Kaitana and Rob to the Joseph Smith Memorial! I'm leaving out so many details in this email, I apologize that it's all slapped on here in no order whatsoever… 

{The most amazing moment of my life.}

{SO MUCH OF IT!} 

Vessels

Just trying to soak all this in; I love being a missionary. 

Sacred, wonderful experiences happen all around here. Christ's fingerprints are on the hearts of all the people here, they are all around us! Moses 6:63. He is everywhere. 

I can truly testify that we are not the only ones working to hasten the work. It is hastening on both sides. Let me share a wonderful experience with y'all:

So Rob's brother passed in May. He never had the chance to be baptized. We haven't felt the time was right to share baptisms for the dead until this last Sunday. The King's invited us all over for dinner after church. It was us, the Dewey family, and Rob. We ate then opened up our lesson. We started telling him about baptisms for the dead, as we shared this tears were in the eyes of almost everyone in the room. The Spirit was so strong I could've grabbed it! It was INCREDIBLE. Rob's face was the greatest thing I've ever seen in my life. I KNOW that the timing is right for Rob. When we taught him the Plan of Salvation, we taught him that his brother is learning all the things he is. Now he can be baptized just like Rob is. Those brothers are close, and the veil was THIN. He cannot wait to go to the temple, and the temple is what's going to point him heavenward. I've never been so grateful to be a missionary, and to be able to tell someone that their family can be together forever. It was so powerful to have two additional families who had been sealed in the temple present with us. What a sacred privilege we had to share this with him, and his brother.

Next blessing: Maria. She's on FIRE. She invited herself to church with us this week! My goodness she loved it! She's thinking about making the big commitment. One of the councilors in the Mission Presidency came to our ward this last Sunday and invited her to think about being baptized haha! Amazing. She said she was really thinking about it. She loves church and LOVES talking with us!! She's so prepared it's insane. "I've been losing faith in God and my religion, but you two have brought me back to God." I just can't even begin to type all the miracles that are happening.

It's so fun seeing this area change and grow, and so wonderful to be a part of it.

John asked for a "Priestly blessing to answer [his] questions." He is doing all he knows, and all we know, we can do top obtain an answer from our Heavenly Father. He knows he'll get an answer and is waiting to know if the Book of Mormon is true or not. 

Kaitana! Man she's just the bomb. At Dartmouth they have this weird thing where they snap if they're agreeing with what you're saying, she snaps all the time. I love her. She's so prepared. She has so many questions I wouldn't even think about, that are such a treat to study and find out! I just LOVE her!! 

We have four people come to church today. That is a RECORD!!! And eight member present lessons. WAY RECORD!!! We are exhausted! And HAPPY!!! 

How cool is it that when you prepare yourself well, and do everything you can to fulfill the promises you've made to the Lord, He turns us into His vessels. Wise words from none other than Captain Moroni: "Now I would that ye should remember that God has said that the inward vessel shall be cleansed first, and then shall the outer vessel be cleansed also" (Alma 60:23). I love that. I try to apply it.

{John gave us a REAL WREATH!!! }

{Just take it in. It all looks like this now. The CUTEST thing people do here is put candles in the center of their windows. Everyone does it! It's so fun to see all these beautiful old homes have the same lights. Someday I'll own a New England home…}

{So Rob is on the right and John is on the left. I cannot tell you how funny these two men are. They smile everywhere else BUT photos haha.}

{Ok SEE we got him smiling!! This was at the ward Christmas party. Gotta love the red plaid VT hats... Thanks grandparents!}

{Last week with my MTC companion Sister Brown!!!}

The Good Book

GUESS WHAT!!!?!?! I AM STAYING IN HANOVER FOR MY 5TH TRANSFER!!! Sorry for the obnoxious caps but that's just how excited I am. I love everything about this place. 

Nowhere to start with this week. It was amazing!! I'll jump right in:

Monday I learned how to break dance... New skillz... Ha! What's really sad is that we did it to no music, and I couldn't move my arms for the next five days... P90X obviously isn't doing anything for us!

I feel like a sinner when I actually like music we listen to... Like Christmas music. 

I can't put events to days anymore. Sorry if I'm jumping around all over the place with this!

Thanksgiving on the mission is a blast, it's so fun house hopping seeing how everyone else does Thanksgiving! We finished the night at Lori's (she the food pantry coordinator at the Haven, not a member). Thanksgiving morning we went down to the Catholic church in Lebanon with John and packaged around 500 dinners for people to drive all around the area to people and families who needed a dinner, that was such a wonderful experience and a tradition I'd love to be a part of next year and years after. 

Some pretty big news for everyone.... ROB IS GETTING BAPTIZED IN TWO WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!! December 14th!!!!

This last Sunday we invited him to bear his testimony. He made me come up to the pulpit with him. I introduced him and then sat behind him as he spoke. He talked about the first time we met, how he was having the worst day trying to mourn the loss of some of his family members and couldn't get out of the rut he was in. He then went to talk about "The Good Book" aka THE BOOK OF MORMON and how he carries it everywhere he goes! He reads from it all the time! HE EVEN SLEEPS WITH IT!!!! He testified that it brings him joy, happiness, and everything good! I just sat behind him bawling like a baby. This was something I wanted so badly, and it was happening. I really can't even explain the joy I felt at that time. Our labors are bringing forth good fruit. The Lord has answered my prayers. Like Alma I can say, "my joy is full." We walked back to our seats, tears flowing down my face. I was so happy.

JOHN. HE FINISHED THE BOOK OF MORMON!!! So much good this week I can barely take it all in! He fasted on Sunday, got a new church outfit. Tonight we're going to talk with him. I really and truly can see him being baptized by the end of the transfer. It's incredible. He wants to drive Rob to Book of Mormon class, he wants to come to the ward Christmas party. He knows it's true and feels it!!

MARIA!! So she came to church with us and is coming again next week! She said it helped her feel comforted, and apologized for judging us beforehand. We gave her a Book of Mormon full of questions of the soul that Sister Korman had found. She called us later that night and shared one that spoke to her with us. How lucky we are to know her. She's prepared like no one I've ever met before!!! Wish I could just bring you all along to see the good lady she is!! 

Friday and Saturday night we had the Christmas Nativity at the Joseph Smith Memorial. John came with us! The next night we had everyone cancel on us, so with one hour until it started, we called around 30 people trying to get them to come. At last, Chris Balch said she could! What a wonderful night we had, both nights!!