Born & Raised

I'm realizing more and more that I would NOT be who I am without being raised by my parents. They had to let me choose the Gospel on my own. They were caring enough to allow me to choose, they carefully watched over me as I cultivated my own path towards our Father in Heaven. There influence and testimony shaped me because I allowed it to. No one can tell you what to do, or how you're doing to do it. No one can force you to find God, and no one but yourself can find Him. All the power we have comes from an inner decision, a commitment WE make between ourselves and the Lord that we will follow Him. I am a disciple of Christ because I choose to do so. He is beside my. As Alma said, there's more evidence that there IS a living God than not. He cannot inflict any decision on us, He carefully sits back and guides us when we allow Him to.

With that in mind, all I can do as a missionary is INVITE and HELP. my part is to present the doctrine, testify of it, and invite. 

Funny story this week: we took Molly, whose papers are going in in just days, tracting. She opens the Book of Mormon to the painting of Jesus and asks the cop in the car if he's seen "this man" and that we were looking for him. We have a funny conversation and left him with the Book of Mormon. We have almost handed out all of our books. Every time we do it's CRUCIAL that they understand that THIS IS IMPORTANT! We testify, and invite. 

We continue to have luck with JoAnne. We have a Joseph Smith Memorial date scheduled!!!! WAHHOOO!!! Now we just have to find someone to take us, but that's the least of my worries.... haa...

I love this ward. One by one each of them are making places in my heart. It isn't that the quality of the love I feel towards members decreases as the quantity increases, but that they increase together! All love is a gift from Heavenly Father. He has given me the ability to LOVE! 

Below is a little from this weeks LTP telling y'all what we did this week. For the most part we are realizing that we are here to build these relationships and to overlap the differences between us and the members. I'm really REALLY excited for all the things Sister Turley and I have planned.

K I know I've said this before, but Sister Turley and I are like the Bible and the Book of Mormon. We are best friends. I love how the Lord always has a plan, and I feel it so strongly! 

"A ship in a port is safe, but that is not what ships were built for."
- Captain Hopper

That describes what Manchester Ward is. They play it "safe" by doing what has been done for transfers on end. We have such a blessing of having 4 sets of missionaries in one ward, it is time we tap into this potential and coordinate with one another to get some wheels on this bus! I keep thinking about courage, and how we can use it at this point and lost nothing. Satan keeps us back by putting a block on our creativity by telling us "you can't do that, the ward won't do that, the Bishop won't like that... etc." We have been praying for courage and collaboration.

An answer to prayer: Elder Kunz (zone leader) called us this morning telling us that we are getting more miles, and that they don't want to be so distant from us as it has been in the past. He asked for a preview of our ideas and we were able to come up with ideas to gather the missionary forces together and unify! We are meeting as missionaries in Manchester during district lunch to come up with ideas that we can then present to our ward mission leader, but this time as a unified group. This week especially my studies have lead me around that Gathering! How the Lord works in numbers. He uses them because there is strength in them! This was the best phone call we'd had! So I count that as our miracle.

Last night Sister Turley and I sat down and goal planned. We made a vision statement that will require creativity, collaboration, stretching, and of course, the help of the Lord! I feel so strongly as we prayed that these are the Lord's goals, not our own. The Spirit confirmed this to us. It was incredible, we are working with the Lord to set the ground work for the fire that will ignite here. Our goal is that by the end of next transfer, the ward members will be excited to work with us. The requirements to fulfill this goal is that members must come to US and ask when they can teach with us, or, of course, a SME (significant missionary experience)! We will get them EXCITED. We have individual plans in each area to do this. For the ward, ward council, bishopric, district, leadership (you and Sister Reid), Manch Elders, companionship, and individuals, we have set a plan to match our vision, and have a plan of action. We are accountable to the Lord and each other. It was amazing receiving the revelation we have asked for as to HOW to start things in this area MOST EFFECTIVELY. 

Now for the application... We are going to use our weekly plannings to apply these goals.

I feel like I'm praying all the time.

Opened my scriptures during comp study and found this... Each one is tabbed under a missionary scripture she had found during her studies! She's a blast. I don't even know how to describe all the fun we have! She's adorable. Anyone have any creative ideas for serving your companion? I'm pushing the limits on my creativity ha!

SUPER FUN!!! So today we ran three miles to the Elders to pick up the car. She's a rockstar. She's lost over 20 POUNDS since she's been on her mission! She didn't think she could run that far, but I got her out the door and she was 5 steps ahead of me the entire run! So fun to have a companion who likes to go running with me!

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!!!}