i asked how to have fun and the lord send me sister fifita
transfers happened and i'm now with sister fifita!! it's sometimes weird to be with someone you came out with, i feel like i'm definitely being stretched (and also being prepared to be a trainer someday which terrifies me). i asked how to have fun and the lord sent me sister fifita. proof that prayers are heard and answered. what's neat about this companionship, is that i feel like we were friends to begin with. that it wasn't a companionship that was put together and then we ended up being friends, but the other way around. it's such a blessing that we were roommates in the MTC and that we've already gotten to know each other. sister fifita is such an asset in the YSA group. her personality is perfect for them! we've already had so many miracles and it hasn't even been a full week yet. we finally got a group mission leader!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i am dying with excitement right now! we have been asking for one for quite some time now and it finally happened! he is going to be soooo good for the group and i really think the missionary work in this area will start to pick up. miracle mission leader. get this: this girl natalie just moved back from college in hawaii. she has a brother greg, who is less active, who we've tried calling and texting a few times without much luck. sister fifita met natalie at the VC and they became quick friends (such is the life of sister fifita). then natalie and her friend came to institute. we had dinner with natalie last night and greg was home and it was SOOOOO GOOD! we hadn't had dinner yet because of our crazy schedule yesterday (VC and a meeting) and we had no idea they were going to feed us but they did and it was amazing! home cooked meals are the best! as much as i love going out, i love a home cooked meal even more - something we don't get often in YSA. we were able to get to know both of them better, and i was able to see that the lord sends me to people who i can relate to. greg is into fashion so we were able talk to him about that a bit, and it was just so so so good! i can see that it really is essential that we meet all these 400+ less actives face to face and invite them that way. the random phone call and random text is useless. they don't care about your message or invitation until they know how much you care. last night really showed me that it's true when people say you learn to love the people. i just barely met greg and natalie and i love them both so much. wholeheartedly love them and i know it's because of jesus christ and his love for them. i feel that when i teach people, i feel his love for them and i then feel that same love. i thought it would be weird to love strangers, but they aren't strangers! they are my brothers and sisters! we shared a mormon message and the spirit was so strong. i think we were able to really touch greg and i pray that we are able to continue working with him and that he'll start to come back to church. miracle meeting, miracle dinner, miracle lesson, miracle feelings of love.
i'm starting to really see the importance of companion study. i was reading in helaman 3:29 earlier in the week (you probably saw it on FB) and when i saw the word quick i sort of stopped and wondered what that meant. i was then prompted to ask sister fifita. we were talking about it in personal study and she ended up reminded me about elder zwick's simplify & intensify. i definitely wouldn't have come up with that on my own, it was together that we were able to have a great discussion and learn what heavenly father wanted us to learn that day. and then we got to share it on facebook! online proselyting is the best! i even got to talk about it yesterday at a stake coordination meeting we have with all the missionaries in the stake, the ward mission leaders, bishops, and stake presidency, as well as president cooke. the topic of sharing the gospel online came up and president cooke was sitting right in front of me. he looked back and pretty much told me i needed to say something. before i knew it, i was up in front of everyone talking about online proselyting. speaking of, if any of you have any friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, ANYBODY that might be interested in learning more about the church or talking to missionaries... let's do it together!!!! you can start talking to them on facebook, you can then add me into the conversation and we can together give someone the opportunity to learn more about the gospel. we could be the ones that prepare them to meet with the missionaries in their area. there are some people who aren't ready for missionaries yet, and this is a really good way for us to help break down that nervousness about meeting with missionaries! think about it and let me know if you have anyone you want to reach out to together! it will be the best thing ever, to share something you love so dear with someone else. something i have learned as a missionary, your own testimony really grows as you share it with others. you do it for another, and end up gaining so much yourself.
i learned the ultimate lesson from sister chappell last week (she has been my roomie my whole mission, until this transfer). i was really stressing about whether or not we should be going to institute as missionaries because i kept wondering if we should be out finding or teaching. anyways, when i was asking her what she would do she showed me the bigger picture. she said that our first priority as missionaries is (i jumped in... "teaching!") no, the first priority we have is to develop christlike attributes. that is what matters most as missionaries. that matters even more than us teaching the restored gospel. it's amazing to see how heavenly father always comes full circle with lessons like that. sister fifita had been studying the christlike attributes chapter of PMG with her last companion. we are going to continue doing that together. we started at the beginning with faith & hope and i have already learned so much. i read in Hebrews 11:1
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
PMG tells you to focus on the footnote "substance". when i looked it up i discovered that faith is the ASSURANCE for hope. i think that hope is sort of the part of the Lord. we trust in him, we trust that he can do anything, and he always does it. we then must do our part, have faith. and faith requires action. we can't have faith without hope and we cannot have hope without faith. hope would just be wishful thinking if we didn't have the faith in the lord, in his timing, in his ability to help us accomplish much, and in ourselves and our ability to follow him. i have seen that faith and hope is what is helping me help the group right now. AHHH I LOVE THE GOSPEL AND I LOVE WHAT I AM LEARNING!! i especially love sharing it with you in these emails (crying againnnnn - story of my life).
LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!
be missionaries! invite people to the salt lake visitors center! invite people to come over and FEED THE MISSIONARIES!!!!!! thank you for the prayers, i feel them and i am so grateful to have all of your support and your examples.
Learning lessons from being sick
Happy Presidents' Day! Are you doing anything fun with your day off?
I got sick again. As we were leaving the VC Wednesday night I got
really lightheaded and dizzy again. I ended up throwing up all the way
home. Worst. Thing. Ever. Thank goodness we took a trash can from the
VC with us. Elder Crandal (one of the senior elders who works at the
VC) gave me a blessing before we left that night. It was very short
and simple but the words really touched me. I was essentially told
that Heavenly Father wanted me to be more aware of my limitations, and
I was also reminded that He is very happy I'm here serving and is
proud of me. I cannot be 100% all day every day, nor am I expected to.
I need to be a human first! If I can't function or feel happy because
I gave myself time to get better or even relax a little and
decompress, I will not be in a position to feel the spirit. Feeling
the spirit is essential to missionary work so it's pretty much
essential that I give myself more opportunities to do what Kylee wants
to do. #lessonlearnedthehardway
On Friday, the departing sisters sang us a rewritten version of "don't
worry, be happy". I know they planned that song for everyone, but I
also know that Heavenly Father had a very personal message in it for
me. Later that night we ended up teaching a lesson (something that
doesn't happen too often in our area), and I realized that I'm
happiest when I'm teaching the gospel and giving someone else that
opportunity to grow closer to Christ. The spirit was so strong that
night and I was able to see what true happiness is. I also experienced
another situation in which agency is exercised and I'm left
devastated. We had to officially drop T, she says she'll never be
baptized into our church but I pray that she someday reflects a little
more on the things she's learned and felt from us and the holy ghost
and eventually changes her heart and mind. I was also able to use that
song to help sister busath. She had written me a letter later that
week and those words kept popping into my head as I wrote back. I've
been praying that we can be companions, if not now then sometime in
the next 13-ish months. Woooaaaa, down to thirteen! Weird! Sometimes
it feels like time is still moving really slow, but other times it
feels like it's flying.
We had a why I believe event at the VC last Sunday. We have them every
month. New converts to the church say prayers, some share their
testimony, and we also have all the most recent converts for the month
stand up and introduce themselves. Then we have a keynote speaker. It
was the oaks this time, they are currently serving here in the DC
north mission and have served tons of missions prior. Some of the
missionaries here had the opportunity to perform a special musical
number. The song is called A marvelous work, and it also has part of
the spirit of god in it. It's a super great song and I'm glad I got to
be part of a missionary choir! I can't sing for the life of me, but it
is fun to sing with missionaries about missionary work! The oaks
talked about senior couples serving missions, but I was able to learn
a few things about my own mission. They repeatedly said that they saw
how serving a mission blessed their family more than if they had
stayed home to be with their family. That thought really stuck with me
that night and I know that you are all being blessed because of my
willingness to serve. That right there is reason enough to be here.
LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!! How is everyone back home?! What's happening
with everyone's lives?!
pics of the week
JAM! homemade jam! i literally danced for joy when i opened that up. THANK YOU SO MUCH MOM! best thing of my life. for reals though.
one morning i accidentally sat on my banana. and then heavenly father blessed me with a new one. one of our YSAs brought breakfast to church for the group to eat during sundayschool and guess what she had - bananas!
as i was reading in jesus the christ the other day i read something super super cool. i highlighted it there in the picture. isn't that amazing?!!? that as christ was about to experience every sorrow and pain he comforted his apostles when in reality he is the one who would be in need of comfort. i was blown away by that and reminded that i have that same potential. i have plenty of problems and trials, but i have the same opportunity to instead focus on how i can help others. easier said than done, but i'm grateful to have christ as the ultimate example.
hello biggest area of the mission. this is our map that we finally finished a few weeks ago!! there is another picture further down that shows how massive it really is compared to me.
so they put new paintings in the temple and we somehow ended up with one of the old ones in our apartment! coolest thing ever!!
i finally hung up the flag that brother wing sent me, thank him for me please!!! i will have sister mendenhall be the first to sign it :)
You know you're a missionary when...
You start quoting the district. "I don't swim, man!"
You eat top raman again, even though you swore you never would after
the obsession in middle school. Hello cheap & easy food.
You go ice skating in a skirt. #likeaboss
You eat green beans and instant potatoes and not only do you refrain
from complaining, but you actually like them. Pretty sure Heavenly
Father has been blessing my taste buds.
Leftovers are no longer gross and instead an absolute blessing. The
microwave is my best friend.
By 8pm you're wanting to go to bed. Who am I kidding?! It's more like 4pm.
Your mom sends deodarant and you're super excited about it because
it's one less thing you have to buy yourself. Yay for amazing,
thoughtful, and logical moms!
You start re-writing "worldly" songs in public places. Eve 6 helped us
invite people to read The Book of Mormon.
Instead of drowning out a snoring companion by sticking in headphones
and blasting your iPod, you pray for quiet, pull the covers over your
head, and plug your ears. Let it be known that prayers are heard and
answered.
You start using hashtags in your journal, emails, and even your daily
conversations. #itsfine
You look in your closet and realize that all those years you used to
say "I have nothing to wear" were years of lies. Sister missionaries
are pros when it comes to the mix & match.
At the library or grocery store you get mistaken for an employee. Name
tag mixups are perfect segues for gospel discussions.
a late email from a sick sister missionary
i have SO much to talk about and definitely not enough time!
i was super sick on monday - throwing up & everything. let it be known, there is such a thing has too much pepper (my throat wanted to die). TMI? sorry. i did learn some real lessons from being sick monday. i learned how much i love mom. there's nothing worse than being sick and sitting on the bathroom floor crying for your mom. i already appreciated her leaving home like this, but i really really appreciated her even more on monday. LOVE YOU MOM! i also learned that i'm human, i can't do it all and i'm not expected to. if i don't feel well, i have to sleep & let my body heal. if it means staying home during golden proselyting hours to eat a good meal instead of skipping dinner, then so be it. a lesson i learned the hard way. i'm so glad that i'm feeling better now, and i'm especially glad that all of my roomies took good care of me. i had to rest again yesterday during our shift at the VC, but i'm learning to be okay with that. it's okay to be sick and it's okay to need rest! i can't be 100% all day every day and heavenly father knows that.
i had an experience earlier last week where we were out searching for less active YSAs and not finding any of them home. i became frustrated and after sister mendenhall had prayed that they would be home i asked in doubt why we even prayed for such a thing when it never seems to happen. she was patient with me and said it was because that was the true desire of hearts, we truly hope that they are home and that we can invite them to the group. we walked to the house and knocked on the door... they were home. sometimes heavenly father shows me very quickly what lesson he wants me to learn. words and thoughts of faith are soooo important as a missionary and especially hard for me. time and time again i am learning that heavenly father hears and answers prayers.
we've recently had some really great lessons with some less actives. the spirit has been really strong and i've been able to see that even though i'm not teaching investigators, i am helping others grow closer to christ. during one of the lessons i learned something about feeling the spirit. i often feel like i'm not good enough or that i don't have the holy ghost directing me, but i now for a fact that i am good enough and i do have him with me. there are times when i am guided to share a specific story or experience, to share a specific movie, or to even change topics to something else. i know that means i am feeling the holy ghost in my life and he is directing me to better help the specific people i am talking with. just yesterday we met these awesome guys kevin & ariel at the VC. they had just walked in and wanted to know more. we were talking about the temple a little but i felt impressed (in a small and subtle way, just like the spirit works) to change the topic. we instead taught them about the restoration and book of mormon. because we had switched to that topic kevin was quick to ask if there was any literature he could read. as sis. mendenhall was reciting the first vision in my mind i was thinking that i should give them the joseph smith pamphlet. and then he asked for literature!!! amazing! we gave them both the JS pamphlet, and also one about temples. we even invited them to receive their own BOM and a visit from missionaries. it's unbelievable when some people are so quick to say yes to such invitations. heavenly father really does prepare the elect and send them to us. more and more i am coming to love the visitors center and i see what an honor it is to be serving there. i get to represent the temple and the blessings that come from an eternal family!!! i get to be the first contact that some people have with the church! that is truly an amazing honor. it's scary, super scary, but i'm learning to be more confident in myself. elder petramalo, one of the senior elders here, one time told me that he recognizes that within me - confidence. he sees that i am bold and and that i do have confidence. i just need to see that in myself. he even walked by one day and randomly said, "you're going to be a great mother some day" it was so random but also so neat because taylor had sent a letter to me that week, bryndy also, that had some of the same thoughts! heavenly father is so aware of us its' sooo amazing!
ahhh time to go and i still have so much to say! hopefully i have more time next week!
LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!
#considertheworkhastened
i got to have a little chat with the eyrings the other day. they are the sweetest people and i love working with them at the VC. we talked about home and they got to know me a little better - that's how i found out they're U of U fans. i forget when they go home, but it's just a little before me and they live in holliday so we've already planned things out. they want you (mom, dad, taylor) to come to their homecoming and then they will come to mine and we can all go to dinner some time! you will LOVE them so much!
we got a DVD of our christmas eve concert, so i plan on sending that home to you for safekeeping and so you can also watch it!
we had a miracle FHE last monday!!!! my very first sunday here was the very first sunday the YSA group met together. the FHEs have been rather small in the past but last week we had 25+ people there!!!! so many less actives and even tobie & gabriel were there! it was absolutely amazing. i couldn't stop smiling and i was just so proud of all the work the YSAs had done to get people there! they have really been stepping it up lately, doing so great at reaching out and fellowshipping. "where much is given, much is required" - i think it works the other way too - where much is required, much is given. heavenly father is asking a lot of these YSAs right now, and as they continue to reach out and build his kingdom he will bless them with so much!
we have eaten at cafe rio more times than i ever ate at home. for reals though. our YSAs love that place. #notcomplaining. we're going again today for dinner with nicole & her sister before FHE. also, since cafe rio isn't as popular out here as it is in utah, they have days where they do $5 meals and they even had $1 burrito day. one dollar! let's just say, pretty much every missionary that has a cafe rio in their area went. cheap food is a missionaries best friend. leftovers too (remember how much i hated leftovers before?).
as we were driving the other day we found a license plate that said the following: "god is in control. let go, and let god". i think that might be the hardest part of missionary work, it's really hard to let god have all the control. i'm learning a lot, and sometimes i'm learning the hard way, but i'm learning that heavenly father loves me and only wants what's best for me. that's my new motto, let go and let god.
i don't hate the calling room anymore at the VC! i've actually had some really good experiences in there this transfer. i had an inbound call once (emmanuel) and he wanted to order a bible so i offered to have missionaries drop it by and share a message with him and he was super open to letting them do that. i called him back and he's now been reading the BOM and plans on going to church and is meeting with missionaries! all because i offered! i do make a difference! even though i'm not the one specifically teaching him, i helped that happen! he is the nicest guy and when i called him the other day he told me that he loved me for what i've done for him and that he really appreciated me calling him and seeing how he's doing. he said he prays for me and asked that i continue to pray for him. what a privilege it is to pray for someone like that, someone i've never met and may not ever meet until after this life.
i also got to teach a man named livou ("leave-you") at the VC he is from russion descent but he grew up in NY. we got to teach him about temples and talk about the restoration when he was visiting that day. he wasn't interested in missionaries at the time, but i did get his number so i could follow up with him. he said he has a mormon co-worker and that he would talk to him. guess what, people actually do what they say they will! he talked to his co-worker! his co-worker told him about the Pennsylvania temple and invited him to go through before they dedicate it, livou was super interested in doing that. he was also invited to attend church one of these upcoming sundays and he also said he would try that out! he is the nicest guy and just like emmanuel, he expressed his appreciation for calling him and following up with him. i matter! people actually appreciate the phone calls we make!
what a blessing it is to be serving here in maryland as a VC sister and an online proselyting missionary. this is exactly as president cooke always says, "the best mission in the history of the world".
love you so much and appreciate all that you do for me! your prayers and letters mean the world to me so thank you!
called to serve in the washington d.c. north mission + washington d.c. temple visitors' center
september 25, 2013 - march 04, 2015
