Awareness

GREAT WEEK!!!

Sister Korman is my new companion. She is also an answer to so many pleading prayers!! I know that the Lord knows my heart, and what I need, because He brought us together. We are becoming so unified! Our teaching is by the spirit. She plans lessons! Our ideas are coming together and the Lord is definitely helping us to light this area ON FIRE!!

This week we have really taken some time to organize and plan. It's the stacking wood in the fireplace before you light the fire... We did a lot of that this week! Sister Korman has a wonderful way of planning out the area. If I learn all that she has to teach me she can help to become the best missionary I can be! Her planning ideas are grand. We do what PMG tells us to do! Then miracles follow!

In New England they do everything the old school way... Houses are heated by wood and oil. EVERYONE stacks wood, and they all need people to stack it! I've become pro at one-handed wood stacking.

Friday we had our trunk or treat activity! We spent $2 and were missionary zombies. Not like we looked any different from our normal day ha!

This is the craziest part of the week:

Saturday we had ward coordination. At the end of it Sister Korman (a professional photographer) asked Brother Knowlton if they needed a photographer for Christmas or anything. She had special permission to use her camera on her mission for finding. Not long ago Bro Knowlton had a dream where they had a fireside slideshow of EVERY MEMBER and their testimonies. He didn't know how it was to be done. But she is here and now we are going to fulfill the dream! Once the ward sees who everyone is it'll get them excited to go out and meet these people! That was the dream! And now it's going to happen! HOW COOL IS THAT!?!?!?

Satan is real, which is scary. He will work as hard as he can to stop people from seeing truth. We just have to remind people to step up 5000 ft. in the air and look down and realize how they feel when they're engaged in the gospel and the members vs how they feel when they are being fed anti. Moroni 7 is a wonderful guide for how to discern truth! If the Book of Mormon is really true, the Restoration is true along with those precious truths that came with the Restoration!

{Wood stacking, barn raising dog!!! LOVE HIM!!!}

{last trio pic!}

pictures

{We made Sister Fuller's birthday a special one. (we got the little packaged ones in the middle).}

{Dinner out of a pumpkin!!}

{Birthday cake for all of us!!}

{there it is!}

{Love the Haven. Best service!}

Looking UP

9-30: Freakin out!

10-1: Gooood (Surgery Day) 

10-2: Not good.

10-3: Better

10-4: OK

10-5: Good

10-6: Great

So much happened this week, yet nothing happened at all! Strange! OK!

Tuesday I had my surgery. Went GREAT. They gave me a block so I had a limp hand the entire rest of the day. I went back to the apartment and rested until the rest of the day, waking for the occasional ward visit (this ward is the best).

Wednesday we tried to go get the mail, but I felt like puking so we retreated! We literally spent all dayinside. I thought my brain would melt out of my ears. I was going INSANE. I had a tough transition from being able to do everything by myself to having to ask for help to unscrew a bottle, button my shirts, and many many other tasks we too often take for granted. 

THURSDAY we had interviews with the pres!! Man that was wonderful. He gave great council!! I felt the spirit of peace. We met up with KAITANA!!!!! SHE IS AWESOME. Referral from a past mission pres who taught her the first discussion. She is from Sun Valley and plays bball at Dartmouth. Funny story!! So she played high school bball and was besties with my old roommate Haley Thompson!! She updated me on her and how BOTH OF THEM are taking the discussions! MIRACLES HAPPEN!!!! PRAY FOR THEM. EXPECT THEM. THEY ARE REAL.

Friday we spent most of the day out about, which was wonderful.

Conference:

The second question of the baptismal interview is sustaining the prophet and believing he is a prophet! So who better to give him a testimony of him other than the man himself! If you can throw your faith on any living man, it's the prophet. SOOO John came to conference (sunday afternoon). John always laughs at how prophets end their books in the sciptures (example: "brethren, ADIEU"). President Monson did the same thing when he ended his talk... Awesome. He's a prophet. We'll follow up with John later this week.

It really is amazing to see this area grow. Looking at my first planner, to now, is amazing. Things ARE happening!! 

It's BEAUTIFUL AND FULL ON FALL!!!!!! No words or pictures describe this...

{My homie Bruce and I.} 

{keep in mind I am doing make up and hair with one hand}

{This week in a nutshell. Go Aggies.}

Funny moments:

Writing conference notes with my left hand! 

There it is.

{look how big my thumb is...}

{there it is again.} 

Peace & CAKE

9-16: Tired

9-17: Sleepy

9-18: Melancholy

9-19: Aight

9-20: Good

9-21: Awesome!

9-22: Weak

We saw some wicked sweet miracles this week. Man. I don't know how or why all this good stuff is happening!! Carolina and her family are continuing to learn about the gospel! I can't believe we are teaching a family! I HOPE AND PRAY that she has spiritual experiences that will give this gospel a place in her heart. All we can do is pray, teach, and testify. The Lord is the master of the vineyard. He controls this mission. He knows Carolina and her family and what will help them. It's amazing that He can do it through us missionaries. If she gets baptized, that's the first person to live in Hanover and be baptized in around two decades (not counting students).

I see why we must be separate from the world. We have to be united with Him, "at one" through Christ.

NEW INVESTIGATOR, ROB!!!! I know I say this with everyone... but I really mean it. I could see him being baptized soon. He drinks a LOT of coffee, but anything is possible with the Lord on our side! He told us he liked talking with us, I asked him why, he said he felt warm. That is how he feels the spirit, and he knows it! I just want people to feel that connection with Heavenly Father, because He'll do the real work. I trust that He is doing it with Rob. He was SO into church and the talks. He told us he felt a warm feeling! That's the spirit. Crazy how the talk in sacrament meeting was exactly what we shared with him the first lesson we taught him (Alma 7:11-13, Alma's conversion in Alma 36). He's totally on the ball and ready to roll into the font!! 

We could all have OUR FIRST BAPTISMS.

MISSION BIRTHDAYS ARE THE BOMB!!!!

I woke up to a heart attacked apartment from my wonderful companions. They gave my Lindt hot chocolate (my new favorite). They know me.

We went out to lunch downtown White River Junction (wanna-be liberal artsy hipster town). 

We then went to the Balch farm and helped pick pumpkins and organize everything there! It was a beautiful fall day!! Chris and Bruce surprised me with a birthday CAKE!!! I LOVE THEM!!

After the farm we went straight to a members home and pressed apple cider! These people know how to do fall. They made their own apple press by taking a garbage disposal, pitting the apples into that, having them come out into a bucket, then putting them into the press with the juice flowing into the gallon containers. Freshest apple cider I have ever had in my life, most delicious drink ever! It was so cool! 

We went over to the Jarrett's (they had Carolina and family over for dinner who are now our investigators) for the rest of the night and they celebrated my birthday!

HOW SWEET ARE THEY!?!?! 

People have the largest hearts! I am SO GRATEFUL!!!!

{Lunch with Sister Blodgett and Sue Clark in Hanover!}

DOCTOR RESULTS

My mission president wanted me to email you all the results from the appointment.

We looked at my MRI together. My joint (the thumb knuckle) is partially out of line because I ruptured the ligament around it. I need surgery to reattach the ligaments to my bone. I have a scheduled date of October 1 for surgery. I will be in a cast for 4-6 weeks and cannot use my right hand. There will be therapy afterwards for a few months. Sister Stoker gave me the option of going home but I am staying here! I cannot go home!! 

If I do not get surgery I risk permanent damage to my joint and will have arthritis early on. The surgery reduces the chances of arthritis by a lot! Also, if I don't get surgery I will probably need to have a replacement joint later in my life. So I chose to go forward with the surgery, because it will not heal on its own. It's like an ACL tear, but in my thumb!!

Any advice or comments?

This is my MRI. The top bone should be straight up and down, like my other thumb, but its not. The ligaments aren't attached so there's nothing to hold it straight.

Triple Threat

9-9: Alright

9-10: Great

9-11: Good

9-12: Happy

9-13: Great... and tired

9-14: Exhausted

9-15: Sleepy

SHE'S HERE!!! MY THIRD COMPANION!! THE TRIO INSPIRED BY GOD!!! Good news is, she's awesome, super easy to live with and be around, is humble, had wonderful ideas, and is ready to WORK WORK WORK!

Her name is Sister Sowards, from Provo! She loves the area, but how can you not?! It's beautiful! She says that Sister Fuller and I never forget that missionary work should be fun. Which I am a firm believer in. 

Missionary work IS fun, even though it's challenging. 

I feel calm and at peace.

Or maybe just REALLY TIRED... I am gaining muscles from all this heavy lifting we have to do.

Earlier today we moved a lady and packed her ENTIRE HUGE MOVING TRUCK in an hour and 20 minutes. 

Fall is in the air. We are picking tons of pumpkins and eating lots of soup and homemade cider. That stuff is so good.

WE HAD CANNED BROWN BREAD AT A DINNER THIS WEEK. HAVE ANY OF YOU EVER HEARD OF CANNED BREAD!?!?!?! DON'T EAT IT!!! You open it with a can opener, shake it onto a plate, and microwave it. Sister Fuller was up in the early hours of the morning SICK because of it. All bad.

We had three lessons as a trio this week. It requires a lot of tongue holding and taking turns, which is good for me! Everyone already loves Sister Sowards, which makes me SO happy.

Wednesday night we had the craziest thunder storm I've ever seen in my life. We were driving home from the church and there was thunder and lightening SURROUNDING US. Trees were fallen all over the interstate and all the power went out. We were able to use candles in our apartment because of it! It was insane! The sky was having a seizure! I wasn't sure if the second coming was happening or what, it just freaked me out. Everything was so dark.

Saturday the missionaries in the other ward had a BAPTISM!! We got John to go to it. As we were walking to the font, one lady turned around to John and says pointing at him "YOU'RE NEXT!" John hasn't talked to us since. 

NOT GOOD!! 

Saturday we had the chance to go to a BARN RAISING!!!!!!!! I HELPED BUILD A BARN!!! It was like a ward party. 

Miracle:

The zone leaders called a wrong number. It was this man who had a daughter who was interested in the church. He gave the Elders her contact information. The Elders called us and gave us her info. Turns out it was Carolina! Our new investigators (SUCH A MIRACLE) from last week!! They are ready to accept the gospel! It would be INSANE if they were to be baptized, and it's definitely not out of the question! It could totally happen! The Lord is helping us so much. We are putting everything on the table and are doing our best to be EXACTLY OBEDIENT and it is showing! Little miracles every day help me to know that things are OK and that good things are coming.

We are encouraged to go to institute (we are so lucky we have it, lucky for us we are at Dartmouth!) and got to go! It was wicked nice to be taught instead of teach for a chance. We got to know the students in our ward a LOT better, and most of them have friends who want to know more about the gospel. We are studying the four gospels. During our companionship studies we always find questions that we don't know the answers to, there are so many corners of our doctrines that we don't know. Many of our questions were answered in institute, and my testimony was strengthened. 

I love asking questions. Sometimes I feel like people are ashamed that they don't know everything about the church, and are even scared to tackle the questions they don't have answers to. They shouldn't be ashamed, because having questions is a good thing! We don't know all there is to know, God will teach us line upon line all His doctrine! I love asking Him questions and seeing Him strengthen my faith as I try to find answers. helping investigators find answers to their questions helps me to know that I can do the same. Everything I teach people I should also do myself!  

Something that is finally making sense to me is when Christ repeatedly says "The Father in me and me in the Father and we are one" (something along those lines). It always confused me. People would say, "they say that because they are one in purpose." Which I didn't doubt, I just didn't understand. 3 Nephi 19:23 was the answer to my question. Christ is teaching the Nephites about the Holy Ghost as He is praying to The Father. I love this chapter so much! I love that they KNEEL ALWAYS! It's remarkable! Christ is the advocate of Heavenly Father. He has the authority to act in His name. When we receive the Holy Ghost we do the same for Christ, because His spirit is with us. Christ reflects everything Heavenly Father is. When we take upon ourselves the name of Christ, we are covenanting to reflect Christ, and have the ability to do so through His spirit! Hopefully this all makes sense... It made sense to me!

{BARN RAISING!!}

{IT'S REALLY GREEN HERE!!! Look at all the cows.}