Shocking TP Day

So I will explain the reasoning behind the unusual title of the email.
First, I will start with the TP Day. It stands for Temple Preparation
Day (aka today). I am emailing today instead of yesterday because it
was finally time to go to the temple again. It was absolutely amazing
as usual. I love the way I feel when I am in the temple and I am so
excited for the day when I can be sealed for time and eternity to my
future husband in the House of the Lord. But aside from that topic
since it won't happen till 12-13-14; Lets move on for now to the
"shocking" part of the email title.

Yesterday was a fun/interesting day. Let's start at the beginning.
During our study time in the morning one of our appointments for the
day texts and asks us if we could push back our appt time from 12:30pm
to later in the evening. We offered 5:30 and she agreed. We finished
studying then went to District Meeting. It was great! We played a form
of Jeopardy to test our missionary knowledge...I was not so good at
the beginning but ended up in second place (stinking elders) ;) After
that we went to District lunch and then we went home and changed
clothes because another one of our appts for the day texted us during
our meeting and said that she wasn't going to be able to meet because
she was doing yard work but knew that we would want to help because we
would be able to wear pants. We said that we would absolutely come and
help. We got there and ended up helping for 2 hours. I got an ugly
scratch on my ankle to prove to me that I should wear jeans instead of
basketball shorts, haha!

After that we went to a normal member visit where we teach The
Doctrine of Christ, show a short movie (The Robles Family) and then
ask for referrals. Well, when we got there the husband and the wife
were there who we were expecting to be there but the husbands brother
and sister were both there too. As we were doing introductions, the
husband says after everyone is silent that they are all less active.
It kind of threw us off guard because we had met this couple at
church. We ended up being there quite a bit longer than expected as we
tried to help the whole family with the brother and sister not even
being in our ward. It ended well and then we ran to dinner and then
off to the 5:30 appt.

This is where it gets shocking if you are not already shocked enough.
We go into Sherry's house and she has a couch right by her front door
that she it needing to get put into  a bedroom down the hallway. We
offer to do it because she is a very very sick lady and we knew that
if we didn't do it then she would try to do it by herself which would
be even worse. We take the bedroom door off its hinges and then
proceed to push, shove, lift, pull and tug this couch into the room.
We finally get it in and then Sherry says, she is too hot and that she
is going to have a seizure. Unfortunately, this is not and uncommon
feeling for Sherry. Sis. McMurtrey and I have know idea what to do so
we ask her what she needs. She took a pill, drank some water, we sat
outside to cool off with a cold wet cloth on her head and face. She
says that she is going to be okay and foolishly we believed her. We
went back inside and she sat down on the couch we just moved while we
attempted to put the door back on the hinges. Next thing you know I
turn around and look at her and she is in the middle of a seizure! I
tell Sis. McMurtrey and luckily and amazingly Sherry is still alert
enough to tell us what to do to help her. We got her oxygen machine
and I was trying to plug it into a super messed up outlet in the wall.
As I do so I get electrocuted. Well Sherry needs her machine, so I
tried again and I get shocked again. Then she says to try another one
on the other side of the room. Duh, Sister Brox! We get that all going
and get her a shot that gave herself in the stomach and the whole time
I am freaking out in the inside and just praying for her to please
just be okay. Finally, after about 20 minutes she is talking to us
pretty normally and telling us how sorry she is and how glad she was
that is wasn't that bad of a seizure. We told her to stop apologizing
and to just relax. Relaxing is not something that Sherry is good at.
haha! We were able to read an Ensign article with her so that she
would have to stay sitting down for a while. Then we put the door on
its hinges and I once again tried to plug something into the stupid
outlet and I get zapped for the third time and I quit! We got her
house put together enough so that she could rest for the remainder of
the evening and we headed to our next appointment.

I thought the craziness was over but once again I was wrong. We got to
our family home evening appt and we go in thinking that everyone was
home but it turned out to be just the two teenage daughters because
the mom had gone for a run. We were standing in the kitchen getting
ready to make cookies and half waiting for mom to get there already.
When one of the girls decided to sit on the counter. No big deal,
right? Wrong! She is facing away from the edge and has crossed her
legs in front of her and next thing you know she is falling backwards
off of the counter onto the tile kitchen floor. I about had a
heart attack! Thankfully and miraculously she was ok, and we could all
laugh about it. The rest of the night went over well. And then I could
not sleep well last night because my allergies are KILLING ME!!!!! I
guess it got so bad because of all the yard work we did yesterday.
ugh!

Well, I hope you liked all the excitement! I gotta get going so that I
can email President before I run out of time! I love you all, I hope
you have an amazing week! Happy Easter! Happy Birthday Sara!

I can't believe I forgot to tell you....

.....We had Sister's conference this week! It was sooo good, as usual! It was on Friday and I have been looking forward to it since last sister's training in September. I am sure you can all remember me talking about that. Anyway, I was most excited to see Sister Mecham. She has been serving here in the Tri-Cities since this last transfer (Feb 28th) but I haven't been able to see her because she is in West Richland and I am here in the center of Kennewick two totally different zones. Anyway, I had been looking forward to seeing that cute thing all week, and Sister McMurtrey had been looking forward to seeing all of her MTC friends. We got to the stake center and dropped our stuff off in the Relief Society room and gave hugs to the following, Sisters: Greer (in charge of everything), Cockerham (in charge of phones and such), Bodmer (in charge of mail and such), and Stapelton (in charge of ?? but she is the 1st counselors wife). Then we went into the gym where everyone was eating breakfast already. I hugged someone ( I don't remember who) then searched for Sister Mecham. I went and gave her a hug from behind as she sat at the table. She jumped up real fast and said that she was going to cry. haha! Surprise Surprise, but she didn't...Anyways, we all sat down and ate breakfast and talked forever but not long enough. It was so good to see her and to hear about how much she is loving the Tri-Cities. It makes me happy that she is happy and that she is progressing in becoming the missionary she wants to be. She has always been amazing and I am excited to hear about all that success she has. It is so weird that I only have her and Sister McMurtrey as companions in the mission. I don't like it! I miss people so much after they go home. :*( I was talking about all this to Sis. McMurtrey and how much I look forward to hearing about her and how much good she is going to do here in the mission and she doesn't believe me.

I think we all feel that way as new missionaries. We never think we are very good until we get away from our trainers, then we begin to realize that we actually do know what we are doing (for the most part). I know I felt that way when I left Sister Chatwin. She was always talking about how I came "pre-trained" and I never believed her. Now that I have trained twice, I can see it in these two wonderful daughters of God. They did come pre-trained. All I had to do was show them the way and then they are off and doing it and making miracles happen though their faith. It is amazing to see the "Hastening of the Work" that is happening right now. There are more people who are being prepared to hear the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Because we have more people to find we need more workers, aka missionaries! And because of modern revelation, we are getting those much needed workers out in the field faster and sooner than ever before. We need those workers to be pre-trained! The people that they come in contact with need them to be pre-trained! How grateful I am for the programs in the church that get us trained to do this work. We start young and progress through primary, youth programs, seminary, institute, relief society (and priesthood meetings). We have to start young because Satan is tricky and He starts with the young ones. I am so thankful for you Mother and Daddy! Thank you for raising me right and for teaching and showing me THE way. I am thankful that I am prepared and trained to do what I do now. If I wasn't ready then this would be a lot more difficult than it already is, but not impossible. Nothing is impossible with the Lord on our side!

With all that being said, right after sister's conference and picture taking in front of the temple, we had our investigator's Tammy's baptismal interview with President Stapelton. We were running late and I am sure she was flustered about it and it was scheduled pretty last minute. I am thankful for it all coming together though. We watched the kids with Sister Stapelton in the gym while she was being interviewed. I had a scary feeling because I was worried that she might not be ready to be baptized. When they came back in the gym and said that she was all ready to go. I was so relieved. The date has been set (April 6th) the building is reserved and this amazing daughter of God it ready! It is so wonderful to be a missionary and to be able to see our Heavenly Father's children as they prepare to make covenants with Him. I know that she is ready for this next part of her life. To start over with a clean slate and the opportunity to raise her kids the way she wants to. They will be able to serve missions and bring souls, just like their mother, unto Christ. I will keep you posted on her progress as we continue to teach this wonderful family.

We continue to knock on doors and search for more people who are ready. The ward it trying to help and that is wonderful! This week was a great one! I love weeks like this last week! I hope you had a great St. Patrick's day! I know I did! Yesterday was one of the best Sundays I have had in the mission so far. I was spiritually fed all day! It was awesome! I hope you all have a great week! I love you all so much! I can't wait to see you and give you hugs! :)

Testimony

Hello Everybody!

 

I was reading in the March Ensign this morning during my personal study and I read an article that talks about a family that decided to start sharing their testimonies as a part of their family home evening. It had a quote in the article by Elder David A. Bednar which said, “Feeling the power, the edification, and the constancy of testimony from a spouse, a parent, or a child is a rich blessing. Such testimony fortifies faith and provides direction. Such testimony generates light in a world that grows increasingly dark.” I love this quote and for some reason it really stuck out to me that while I am sharing my testimony everyday with those around me I have not taken the opportunity to share my entire testimony to those of you back home.I would like to start my letter this week with my testimony of the restored gospel.

 

I know that the entire gospel is centered on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is my personal exemplar, savior, and advocate with the Father. He came to this earth and taught His gospel and showed us THE way that we can be reunited with our Heavenly Father. Even though He was despised, rejected and crucified. He was also loved, cherished, and resurrected. I will never understand or comprehend all that He was able to endure. I can only be grateful and show my love and gratitude by being obedient. As the scripture says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

I am so grateful that even though the fullness of the gospel was taken from the earth again after the death of Christ's disciples, Heavenly Father reached out yet again in love and understanding and restored His church, His priesthood, and His words through another prophet. I admire Joseph Smith for his obedience. It couldn't have been easy. It would have been so easy to take back what he said; but then again, no it wouldn't have been easy, because he knew it was TRUE! Just as I know it is true. That is why the Holy Spirit is such a wonderful blessing. It is through him that we know all truth, for the Spirit of the Lord can not lie. I wouldn't trade anything for how happy this knowledge makes me.

I am so happy to be a missionary. Even when things get hard all I have to do it fall on my knees at the feet of my Savior and I know that He will help me. He loves me and I love Him. The power of prayer is real. I often time feel like Enos, where I feel like praying all day and all night. I roll out of bed in the morning and I could go on forever just thanking my Father for the bountiful gifts He has given me. I scan through hundreds of faces and places asking for His hand to be present in their lives and I know that it is worth every second.

 

I am forever grateful for the plan of happiness. The knowledge it gives me and the answers to the questions that so many people have. I feel like I know everything but I know that I don't. I have access to realms of eternal knowledge though the scriptures, living prophets and prayer.

To be worthy to enter the Temple will forever be a goal of mine. I never want to lose or take advantage of the opportunity to worthily hold a temple recommend. The peace and joy of that holy place I hope will always fill my heart. I look forward to the day when I will be sealed to my husband for time and all eternity. Knowing that I have my family forever keeps me going on days when I just want to give up.

I am so happy and grateful for all of these things and more. My testimony could fill a book I am sure. I will close it for now and I hope this has helped at least one of you receive more "light" as the quote in the beginning says. I know that I would not make it through a single say without my testimony and I am so grateful, eternally grateful, for the blessings in my life that my faith brings. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

I hope I didn't lose too many readers in the midst of that. :) I got excited... This week has been a good one. We taught a few people and met quite a few more. I love being able to work hard. This week seemed to go by really fast. Well they are all picking up speed as we go. Yesterday was ward conference and that was really good. We had ward council before hand and we were able to talk about some of the families in the ward that need help. One family that we were talking about, everyone seemed to know about them and the problems they were facing. They talked about how they have tried to help and no one seemed to have success. I asked if the missionaries had ever tried going over and they all said, "No." So the idea clicked in their heads to send us over there to see what we can do. I am excited to be able to go over and get to know this family and hopefully show the ward that you can never give up. I know that the Lord loves all of His sheep and He will provide a way for this family to come back into the fold. I love this gospel. I love that it has a doctrine of unity. We are a family! And we should treat each other the way God wants His children to be treated. I know that I didn't always understand this principal before and I was often mean and unloving to some. I am grateful for this lesson on charity. And if that lesson is the only thing that I take away from my mission, then so be it, It will benefit me for the remainder of my earth life and beyond.

I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful week! (Please write me, it will make everyone's week better!) Thanks for everything! :)