Tuesday, September 29, 2015

This Week

This transfer has gone by SO fast! We are already to week 6( the last week) of the transfer! This week was another great one, with Zone Conference, the General Women's Meeting, and exchanges.
I have loved having the opportunity to get together with missionaries that I love so many times over the past 2 weeks, and getting to see President and Sister Johnson, and the many other visitors that we have had. This week we had Zone conference (3 zones were at ours and most only have 2) I was so motivated to do better through all that was said and more importantly felt. To be diligent in my work. I also really love the story of Peter walking on water. I never really gave this story much credit until coming out on my mission, but it is now one of my favorites. It reminds me that I need to constantly keep my focus on the Savior and everything will be okay.
We also had the opportunity to go on an exchange with the Ephrata sisters. I was able to go there with Sister Zaugg. We were able to have an awesome lesson with their investigator Amanda, and their Bishop was able to come to that as well, Amanda seems so prepared to get baptized and had such a wonderful spirit. Sister Zaugg is also trunky. She is an awesome missionary, but you can also really tell that her mission is coming to an end and she is ready to start the next phase of life. She goes home next week!
General Conference has started and I am SO excited! The Women's meeting was so great! One thing I loved was how President Uchtdorf used a parable and how we are to get what we are supposed to from them from the Spirit. One thing that the spirit was teaching me during Sister Mckonckie's talk was that as we recognize that all of us are to work together the work can go forward. To quote High School Musical "We're all in this together".
MAKE SURE TO WATCH CONFERENCE THIS WEEKEND! :) I KNOW that something said will stand out to you and help you with something that you may need at this time in your life! :)

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Crazy Busy Week!



Sister Landa and I :)
 Super pretty sunset and Susquehanna
 Went on exchanges this week with Lewisberry, I was with Sister Young
Me, Landa, Taunima, Young




A church in Our area has this wall and it's pretty great
  Wheeling dream team reunited! Hoyt, May, Smith, me, and President Johnson in the back haha.
East side of the mission with Elder Stanfill! (I'm in the bottom right) clearly there were a lot of people who were not aware this picture was being taken..
 Me and sis Bennett on exchanges.
 Bad pic, back window is dirty but horse and Buggy parking at Costco.,
 So we decided to explode a pumpkin today..
 What a busy, amazing, exhausting, spirit filled week. We had the opportunity to go on exchanges with the Lewis-berry sisters.  I got to stay in Etown with Sister Young, she has only been out 4 weeks and is in training. We were able to pick up a new investigator (who sadly we had to drop Saturday, let's just say I am grateful for the spirit that lead us out of the situation that could have been worse.) and that morning while doing training we talked about the Plan of Salvation, and she was able to lead out in starting that, it was really awesome! She has a great testimony of this gospel. Friday was also a day FILLED with the spirit! We had a meeting with half of our mission with Elder Stanfill, he was called as a 70 in the last general conference. I am so grateful for the opportunity to spend that time learning from Elder Stanfill! I could just feel the love that he has for our Savior, thus showing us so much love, and it just allowed the spirit to teach me personally what I can do better! So he wanted to zone leaders and sister training leaders to sit on the stand to observe the other missionaires. It was really awesome to be able to see the other missionaries as their total countenance would change, and how you could see who was really engaged in that meeting. After the whole mission met we had an MLC with the leadership and at the end Elder Stanfill suggested we have a kneeling prayer. It was SO powerful! I could just feel the Love of our Savior and the spirit was so strong! Such a wonderful day, that I know it will change the rest of my mission, and life!
So we also got to go to another 'Why I Believe' fireside in Harrisburg! The spirit felt while singing, and hearing the testimonies was great. I loved singing that end part of Armies of Helaman when we all sang together as missionaries, POWERFUL! I was really trying to hold back the tears! I love and cherish the opportunities to get together with missionaries!

Monday, September 14, 2015

This Week

Hello! My days are really all just blending together, so I'm going to do my best to actually remember what we did! 
So we went on exchanges this week with the Hershey sisters! I stayed in Etown with Sister Bennett. She is such a great missionary! She has been out for 12 months, I have actually been companions with all of the sisters that came out with her! Great group of missionaries! 
We had the opportunity to do a lot of service, and service really does soften hearts!!! We did service for a lady named Natasha, and by the end of the day we could see how much she was able to open up, and how trusting she was! 
We also had a really awesome lesson with our investigator Allen! So it has been POURING rain this week, and when it rains in PA, it pours. So we made sure we had our umbrellas, and went out, cause the Lords work never stops rain or shine! So one of the days it was pouring we had a lesson on Allens porch. We invited him to read from the Book of Mormon and pray, and he seemed so sincere when committing to do so, then we invited him to baptism if he comes to know it is true and he said yes! The spirit was so strong! 
We also had the opportunity to go to Chambersburg for a fireside! There is a Mormon message under His Grace, called "Gang member to Good man" you should for sure check it out!

The guy in that video came and told his story, it is so AMAZING to see the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ! To see how his life has changed so much, and is truly able to forgive, it's incredible. We as missionaries also had the opportunity to sing "As Zions Youth" and "Army of Helaman/Sisters in Zion" and the spirit was SO strong! I am so grateful for the Holy Ghost which testifies to me of truth. I could feel the love that our Heavenly Father has for us, and I know that I am in the right place! 
I know that no matter who you are, or what you are going through, there is someone who knows you perfectly, and that is our Savior Jesus Christ. He loves you PERFECTLY! I am so grateful for that love every single day.

 We found a kitten while on exchanges with sister Canseco


 Me, Landa, Bills, Davis, Canseco

 Sister Landa and I last Pday :)
 Hershey Sisters, me, Landa, Allen, Bennett

 U.S. With Bubba at the fireside

Thursday, September 10, 2015

This week!

This week I hit my half way! I have been a missionary for 9 months! CRAZY how time can fly! I only have 9 short months left to be a full time missionary!
So we also have a tennis court this is right by our house, and for some reason I hadn't played at all, BUT the other day we asked some members if we could borrow some of their racquets, and a few days later he had them in his car for us! So every morning at 6:30am we are out there playing tennis for our exercise!
 Funny story, so the other day we were walking by a little park, and there was a little girl who started yelling to her dad "look Princesses!" SO cute! I guess the skirts mae us princesses, made my day!
Another funny story, so Sister Landa was waiting for a package to come, and her mom had emailed her telling her it would be delivered yesterday so we were sitting in our apt, and I was joking around and said, "oh hey is that the FedEx truck?" after Sister Landa called me dumb, no kidding like ten seconds after I had said that, someone knocked on our door! It was our neighbor giving us the package telling us the delivery guy had dropped it off! I'm pretty psychic! Hahaha. 
Alright, so now for missionary moments,
We went on an exchange this week with the Columbia walk sisters, I was in Etwon with Sister Canseco, we went to Jens house, and she is a recent convert, and we set a date to go to the temple with her for  the 17th of October!
This week we also had a AWESOME lesson with Don. Sister Jarvis and I had picked him up as an investigator last transfer, but he didn't seem to be progressing much, not keeping commitments. But this week we went over and had a lesson and the spirit was so strong! Towards the end of the lesson he asked us what he could do, expressing that he thought we were a sign from God, but didn't necessarily went to change his faith. And we told him "we aren't asking you to change your faith, we are just asking you to BUILD on the faith that you already have" and it kinda just clicked! He then started asking when and where church was and said he would pray and read the Book of Mormon with an open mind to know if it is true! It is so amazing how the spirit can direct our words if we allow him to. 
I know that for my own strength I wouldn't be able to convert anyone to the gospel, and neither could the other 85,000+ missionaries, but the spirit can, the spirit is what touches our hearts and will testify to us of the truth. I know this because the spirit has testified to me of the many truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I know Christ is my Savior and anything is possible through him!