So it hasn't been too long since I last wrote you... but it still kinda feels that way ha.
This week we found a couple new investigators.
Yesterday we had quite a time..... blah.
So we said we'd pick her [Tami, an investigator] up at 8:45 a.m. for church... that morning we got a call from the bishopric that church was postponed until 10:30 a.m. and we'd just be having Sacrament Meeting due to the "weather". We tried calling her and leaving messages but no go. So we go out to our car at 10:15 and it has a solid 1/4 inch sheet of ice on our car. I literally cleared 5 square inches of the windshield in TEN MINUTES. The day before it'd heated up to 37 degrees and got super watery and slushy all over and then plummeted to 9 degrees and froze everything solid. So by the time we got to Tami's trailer it was 10:40. They were almost ready when we got there, however! So when they finished getting ready, we left and got to the church at about 10:55. We happily walked in, glad we'd made it, and sat down while they were singing a hymn... and then someone started walking toward the podium and I thought, "Oh noooo....." and sure enough Bro. Humbard went up and offered the benediction. BAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! Are you KIDDING ME???!! Apparently the scheduled talks couldn't make it to church so they just ended the meeting after the Sacrament. And the whole thing was kinda stupid because IT WASN'T EVEN SNOWING HARD. Yeah it was icy, but if people had already come out here ya might as well give 'em some spiritual nourishment on top of the Sacrament!....
Luckily, the Spanish ward was meeting after that. I asked Tami how much Spanish she understood and she goes, "De nada?" I said, "Well.... you'll still feel the Spirit." So we took her and her daughters into a classroom and decided to use the time to teach them a lesson. Sis. Wheatley took her daughters with her daughter and played in another room.
So we went to the Spanish ward and then to Primary (which is basically held in English) because we thought her girls would like it. And then the branch pres. canceled the 3rd hour so people could start to get home. (and once again we were a bit puzzled.... there was no storm!) So it was kind of a weird day. But she afterward said she felt welcomed and good and safe at church and that it was good to get out of the house on the weekend.
Another person we taught this week was Lonnie. We were going through our PMF list and knocked on his door looking for some people who had since moved. We asked if we could come back and teach him and he said yeah and that he gets off work at 3 every day. Sa-weet!
So we went back on Saturday and taught him (And kinda his roommate who was in and out) and they were interesting to talk to. Lonnie's super down-to-earth and laid back. Tattoos, been in prison and jail, used to do drugs, smokes and drinks. His kids live in Texas (Houston) and he's 42. He said, "Ya know, the older you get, the more you realize, 'I'm gonna have to answer for this... I better stop doin it...' " So he believes in God, he read a little of the Bible in prison, he believes we'll be held accountable for what we do someday. He's tried a few churches around town but didn't like any of them. We'll see what we can do there...
We talked with Charles yesterday about the resurrection and eternal marriage. They're from Nigeria! They are SO funny and so great. He's very intellectual and it's hard to explain things to him at the right angle. I was reading the other day in Luke 20 about when the Savior is answering some Sadducees or something about whose wife a woman will be in the resurrection and Jesus says people neither marry nor are given in marriage in the resurrection. So to Charles that meant our doctrine of eternal marriage is false. Oh and we read Alma 40 and he thinks it contradicts the Bible because it says everything will be restored to its proper and perfect frame and Christ still had His scars and how will we recognize each other if we don't have the same features? So I'd like to open this up for discussion because I want to return with a good answer for him. What did Jesus mean when He answered that in Luke 20:35??? Are we reading "marry neither are given in marriage" in a different context than He said it in? Is He saying all marriages will be final by the time everyone is resurrected? . . . . . . .
Well, my time is up!
I will hope to hear from you all very soon.
I love you and pray for you! Thank you, in turn, for your prayers in my behalf. They work.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Enero 19
Well, you probably figured out why there wasn't any email on Monday... And then Tuesday was our zone conference in Wichita.
My new comp Hna. Nuckles is great! She is super nice and we get along very, very well. I love her perspective in lessons and in comp study and when talking about investigators, etc.
We had SO many crazy, interesting, powerful, poignant, out-there experiences last week. I'll try to pick a couple.
On Friday, we had been trying to contact a bunch of part member families without success and by then it was after 8 (and people don't want you in their house after 8 unless you were already there) so we were on our way home to practice some Spanish when we passed by the Church of Deliverance. A strong surge of curiosity caught us and we turned around, parked and walked in. We were ushered into a row toward the front and heard a lady preacher. I was surprised at how many things we agreed with. They were AMAZING at fellowshipping, that's for sure. The whole congregation told us they loved us. Twice. And then afterward basically everyone there hugged us, told us "God bless" and how much they wanted to see us again. We were invited to their Bible Study on Tuesday. And the craziest thing... one of our investigators was in the audience: Trujilda, the Colombian, and her sister. We came home and I just had an overwhelming feeling that we had been there for a reason, but I wasn't totally sure what it was.
Saturday... we ate at a Spanish branch member's home--SO good--and then not much success to speak of that night.
Saturday night/Sunday morning I kept waking up with the worst stomach ache and nausea I've had in years. Finally, after hours of it, at 5:30 a.m. I got up and puked. Puking is such a weird experience. You sweat (and I'm not a sweat-er), your heart rate is like 130, you go all pale and dizzy.... yuckgh.
Then I went back to bed.
Then I got up again at 6:45 and puked again.
And my comp made me go back to bed again.
Then I puked again at 10.
I was in bad shape all day Sunday. I was obviously super dehydrated so I had the massive headache and then the hot 'n cold thing and the achy skin and nausea. I was super mad cuz we had an appt. that night with Diana and Pele, our main Spanish investigators, and we can only see them on Sunday evenings so it would be another week before we could see them. Plus we had a team up with the Vegas... GRRR. But whatdya do? Sunday was super long and we both just read a lot of scriptures and I slept a lot.
Monday I woke up a little better. Not throwing up, but definitely not back to normal. And then we drove to Wichita that night and spent the night there.
Tuesday was zone conference. AMAAAAZING. The last one (Every one) was (is) very good. But I gleaned a lot more from this one and it was just better all around for me. And the Lord blessed me to start feeling better as zone conf. wore on. That night when we got back to JC and went to the Bible Study..... I dunno. It was just super interesting to me. A new experience. Something I believed but hadn't experienced up to that point for myself. After the spiritual feast at zone conf... the Bible Study.... it was like a drop in the ocean, basically. They went off on tangents. Only a bit of it was doctrinally incorrect, but the full force of the Spirit of the Lord just wasn't directing that meeting and it was so evident after the Spirit we'd felt just a few hours before.
Haha, so I found some black boots in our pantry someone left here that I tromp around the snow in.... they are HIDEOUS. I'm wearing them right now. =0)
And they're too big for me. But hey, if you can't wear deplorable boots on your mish when can ya? Another thing, I chopped my hair again!! Yay. It's so fun. I'll send pics soon.
So today it's blizzarding. Good thing I know how to drive in the snow... But we're not going to go to our dinner appt. in Enterprise cuz that's 30 min away via freeway and farm road... just not smart, right? What else is new... well, lots of things actually, like we've been finding a lot of people to teach lately so we have a large pool. It's just terrifying when you get sick or have other things happen you can't control that thwart your visiting them and teaching them. You don't want to lose 'em.
Now for a blog shoutout:
Emily Blotter~ WHERE IS MY LETTER??? I hope you got mine. And I know school's busy... but I need updates from you on MANY topics!!!!!.....
Brady: Hahahaha so the story of how I finally got your package is kind of funny/ridiculous. But I did get it and it was awesome and the letter [aka novel] you wrote me was awesome and I hope you are doing grrrrrreat. I'm jealous of your temple working opportunity every single day. But it's ok. Cuz I'm here!
Rachel P: Hope to hear from you soon! I dreamed about you the other night!
Okey dokey, I need to wrap it up and write Pres.
I love you all "so muches" (as Hna Morelos would say) and hope to hear from y'all very soon.
Tengan una buena semana.
My new comp Hna. Nuckles is great! She is super nice and we get along very, very well. I love her perspective in lessons and in comp study and when talking about investigators, etc.
We had SO many crazy, interesting, powerful, poignant, out-there experiences last week. I'll try to pick a couple.
On Friday, we had been trying to contact a bunch of part member families without success and by then it was after 8 (and people don't want you in their house after 8 unless you were already there) so we were on our way home to practice some Spanish when we passed by the Church of Deliverance. A strong surge of curiosity caught us and we turned around, parked and walked in. We were ushered into a row toward the front and heard a lady preacher. I was surprised at how many things we agreed with. They were AMAZING at fellowshipping, that's for sure. The whole congregation told us they loved us. Twice. And then afterward basically everyone there hugged us, told us "God bless" and how much they wanted to see us again. We were invited to their Bible Study on Tuesday. And the craziest thing... one of our investigators was in the audience: Trujilda, the Colombian, and her sister. We came home and I just had an overwhelming feeling that we had been there for a reason, but I wasn't totally sure what it was.
Saturday... we ate at a Spanish branch member's home--SO good--and then not much success to speak of that night.
Saturday night/Sunday morning I kept waking up with the worst stomach ache and nausea I've had in years. Finally, after hours of it, at 5:30 a.m. I got up and puked. Puking is such a weird experience. You sweat (and I'm not a sweat-er), your heart rate is like 130, you go all pale and dizzy.... yuckgh.
Then I went back to bed.
Then I got up again at 6:45 and puked again.
And my comp made me go back to bed again.
Then I puked again at 10.
I was in bad shape all day Sunday. I was obviously super dehydrated so I had the massive headache and then the hot 'n cold thing and the achy skin and nausea. I was super mad cuz we had an appt. that night with Diana and Pele, our main Spanish investigators, and we can only see them on Sunday evenings so it would be another week before we could see them. Plus we had a team up with the Vegas... GRRR. But whatdya do? Sunday was super long and we both just read a lot of scriptures and I slept a lot.
Monday I woke up a little better. Not throwing up, but definitely not back to normal. And then we drove to Wichita that night and spent the night there.
Tuesday was zone conference. AMAAAAZING. The last one (Every one) was (is) very good. But I gleaned a lot more from this one and it was just better all around for me. And the Lord blessed me to start feeling better as zone conf. wore on. That night when we got back to JC and went to the Bible Study..... I dunno. It was just super interesting to me. A new experience. Something I believed but hadn't experienced up to that point for myself. After the spiritual feast at zone conf... the Bible Study.... it was like a drop in the ocean, basically. They went off on tangents. Only a bit of it was doctrinally incorrect, but the full force of the Spirit of the Lord just wasn't directing that meeting and it was so evident after the Spirit we'd felt just a few hours before.
Haha, so I found some black boots in our pantry someone left here that I tromp around the snow in.... they are HIDEOUS. I'm wearing them right now. =0)
And they're too big for me. But hey, if you can't wear deplorable boots on your mish when can ya? Another thing, I chopped my hair again!! Yay. It's so fun. I'll send pics soon.
So today it's blizzarding. Good thing I know how to drive in the snow... But we're not going to go to our dinner appt. in Enterprise cuz that's 30 min away via freeway and farm road... just not smart, right? What else is new... well, lots of things actually, like we've been finding a lot of people to teach lately so we have a large pool. It's just terrifying when you get sick or have other things happen you can't control that thwart your visiting them and teaching them. You don't want to lose 'em.
Now for a blog shoutout:
Emily Blotter~ WHERE IS MY LETTER??? I hope you got mine. And I know school's busy... but I need updates from you on MANY topics!!!!!.....
Brady: Hahahaha so the story of how I finally got your package is kind of funny/ridiculous. But I did get it and it was awesome and the letter [aka novel] you wrote me was awesome and I hope you are doing grrrrrreat. I'm jealous of your temple working opportunity every single day. But it's ok. Cuz I'm here!
Rachel P: Hope to hear from you soon! I dreamed about you the other night!
Okey dokey, I need to wrap it up and write Pres.
I love you all "so muches" (as Hna Morelos would say) and hope to hear from y'all very soon.
Tengan una buena semana.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Enero 10
This week was... of course... awesome. :)
It's so crazy to me every week how the beginning of the week seems like a year ago, how the end of the week is so different from how it began. At the beginning of last week, my companion Hna. Morelos was so sick. She ran a fever and her throat was killing her and I did as best I could to take care of her. On Tuesday we got the transfer call. Sister Morelos was to be transfered to Concordia, MO ..... where my former comp Sis. Birch is!! They are like night and day, but I love both of them SO MUCH and they'll be wonderful. They're ushering a couple Spanish families into the Gospel! On Wednesday, I took Hna. M to an NP to get her checked out. Luckily she didn't have strep. They gave her some amoxicillin and tylenol with codeine (THAT helped lol) and then she was outa here on Thursday morning. So needless to say, Tuesday thru Thursday was a bit rough. It was so hard to say goodbye to each other. We just kept on giving each other things and telling each other things... She did NOT want to go. Not at ALL. And I didn't want her to go either. But I was blessed to receive Sis. Nuckles as my new companion--Hna. Morelos's other favorite companion. :) Haha, a couple weeks ago we were driving and she goes, "You're not supposed to have favorites... but... mine are you and Sis. Nuckles." hahaha
So Sis. N came in Thurs. morning and it has been great serving with her and getting to know her. We've taught some really good lessons since Thursday and both gave talks in the Spanish branch yesterday haha. crazy! And last night we gave the first lesson to a young Spanish family. Son MUY buenos! haha But yeah, it's a little stressful to take over an area when you've only been out 6 weeks! It's almost like training. But Hna. N is already a good missionary so it's easier than training, I'm sure, ha. But yeah, just keeping track of everything that needs to be done in both the ward and the branch and with all the investigators is a tall job at times.
So we're trying our best to take care of our investigators and 'los menos activos' and being obedient so that we can actually do that. I love this quotation in PMG: "Your calling gives you authority and your obedience gives you power." something like that...
Thanks, Mom, for having those tights resent. I've really been missing them! But yeah, actually last night/today has been our first snow here in JC. So far it has snowed like 6 inches!! So great. Today is my comp's birthday so we're going to try and do something kinda fun today for p-day... not sure how much we can do, though, because the roads are covered ha. Good thing I know how to drive in the snow. She's from St. George and has only driven in it once so on our way out today she goes, "Umm... you wanna drive today?"
Por favor busque oportunidades misionales!!!! iCompartan el evangelio! Gracias.
Tengo que emailar mi presidente misional ahorita. iHasta luego!
Hna. Underlin
It's so crazy to me every week how the beginning of the week seems like a year ago, how the end of the week is so different from how it began. At the beginning of last week, my companion Hna. Morelos was so sick. She ran a fever and her throat was killing her and I did as best I could to take care of her. On Tuesday we got the transfer call. Sister Morelos was to be transfered to Concordia, MO ..... where my former comp Sis. Birch is!! They are like night and day, but I love both of them SO MUCH and they'll be wonderful. They're ushering a couple Spanish families into the Gospel! On Wednesday, I took Hna. M to an NP to get her checked out. Luckily she didn't have strep. They gave her some amoxicillin and tylenol with codeine (THAT helped lol) and then she was outa here on Thursday morning. So needless to say, Tuesday thru Thursday was a bit rough. It was so hard to say goodbye to each other. We just kept on giving each other things and telling each other things... She did NOT want to go. Not at ALL. And I didn't want her to go either. But I was blessed to receive Sis. Nuckles as my new companion--Hna. Morelos's other favorite companion. :) Haha, a couple weeks ago we were driving and she goes, "You're not supposed to have favorites... but... mine are you and Sis. Nuckles." hahaha
So Sis. N came in Thurs. morning and it has been great serving with her and getting to know her. We've taught some really good lessons since Thursday and both gave talks in the Spanish branch yesterday haha. crazy! And last night we gave the first lesson to a young Spanish family. Son MUY buenos! haha But yeah, it's a little stressful to take over an area when you've only been out 6 weeks! It's almost like training. But Hna. N is already a good missionary so it's easier than training, I'm sure, ha. But yeah, just keeping track of everything that needs to be done in both the ward and the branch and with all the investigators is a tall job at times.
So we're trying our best to take care of our investigators and 'los menos activos' and being obedient so that we can actually do that. I love this quotation in PMG: "Your calling gives you authority and your obedience gives you power." something like that...
Thanks, Mom, for having those tights resent. I've really been missing them! But yeah, actually last night/today has been our first snow here in JC. So far it has snowed like 6 inches!! So great. Today is my comp's birthday so we're going to try and do something kinda fun today for p-day... not sure how much we can do, though, because the roads are covered ha. Good thing I know how to drive in the snow. She's from St. George and has only driven in it once so on our way out today she goes, "Umm... you wanna drive today?"
Por favor busque oportunidades misionales!!!! iCompartan el evangelio! Gracias.
Tengo que emailar mi presidente misional ahorita. iHasta luego!
Hna. Underlin
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Enero 3, 2011
This past week was really, really good. Especially Friday--Sunday. On Thursday we increased our commitment to be exactly obedient, to not even let the small things slip, and the Lord blessed us immensely. He used us to find SEVEN new investigators. Now the trick'll be KEEPING them all. Not letting any slip through the cracks, things like that. But I love these people already. They're all so different... It's interesting how everyone's life has taught them different things. I know I've already said this, but it's SO TRUE.... The Holy Ghost is the ONLY One who knows them intimately and perfectly and can communicate through us to these people exactly what they need. It's a big responsibility to make sure we're the clean, willing, loving, at least somewhat knowledgeable vessels through which He can do that.
We found one lady by going out earlier than usual. We decided that I would do my language study when we came back to the apt. that night and to go out at 10 a.m. :) We went to talk to a potential investigator named Virginia (veer-hin-ee-uh) at a Mexican store, but she wasn't there. We were about to leave when some crazy zebra shoes caught my comp's eye and she window shopped for a second. The lady inside opened the door and said, "Well, come in!" and then she said it in Spanish to my companion. Spanish always makes us perk our ears because you really have to search for the Spanish in JC. So we went into the store. At first I just wanted to get out of the store because it wasn't pday... but there wasn't anybody in the store and she said it was fine to sit down with her and "talk about the Bible". So we sat there behind the front desk and taught her! We talked about the Book of Mormon and the Restoration, mostly. She's from Columbia and speaks English with a Jamaican accent and obviously fluent Spanish.... even though she looks like she's from Kenya.
Then there's Miss Faye. We volunteer with her at the food pantry every Thursday, service day, and she lives in a senior apt. complex. We visited her and taught the Restoration. She's sweet. She's from Ireland, has the accent and all. :) I think for now she passes us off as extra-religious-young-people haha and ya know she says how she appreciates that there are still some young people who are religious because all the stuff she hears the kids say today is..... yeah. Not exactly "God-fearing".
Mary is the daughter-in-law of Sis. H. in the ward. Apparently she had a good friendship with a couple of sisters a few years ago, but she said they mostly just talked with her and were her friends but didn't teach her formal lessons, etc. We got to know her, shared a message about the Book of Mormon, and gave her the same challenge our mission pres. gave us to read the Book of Mormon in 60 days (about 10 pages a day if YOU guys wanna do it!!) and she accepted. :) She's a great person, very friendly. She and Sis. H. talked about their trip to England.... where they visited MANCHESTER AND YORKSHIRE and London.... I was all sorts of excited/envious/hanging on their every word haha. Someday, I tell you, someday...... I WILL do a study abroad in London.... Anyway.....
Marina is the friend of a less-active, Cristina. She said she wonders what the correct religion is and is apprehensive about joining the wrong one. She's currently Catholic. It's super hard to find her, get a hold of her, but we are definitely not letting her go. She actually came to sacrament yesterday (and brought her son!) and I had a strong prompting to bear my testimony. While we were sitting there, I just wanted so badly to be able to share with them what I know and feel because I'm usually not able to do it in lessons as easily. I got up and bore my testimony with all my heart to them, hoping that somehow they'd open their hearts to the Spirit that the sacrament meeting holds, to let it touch them so that they might have the desire to investigate more...
After the meeting, the way they looked at me changed. The way they talked changed. In a good way. I could tell that they had felt the Holy Ghost during that meeting, at some point, and that they could tell from the testimonies they heard from the wonderful members of the branch, that there's something different about this church. I hope that doesn't die. I hope it grows and grows.........
Well, we have more new investigators, great ones that we ... ugh... the feeling that comes is so hard to describe.
But I'm thankful for the extra measure of Spirit Heavenly Father gives His missionaries. For the opportunity to be used in His hands for the welfare of my brothers and sisters. It's so humbling and motivates you to be the best you can because it's someone else that is involved and you LOVE them because he/she is your brother/sister. And to claim that I love Christ, my Savior and Friend, I must love all men and women.
I hope everyone is well. My companera is sick right now and I'm doing my best to use what little nursing experience I have to take care of her. :)
And yes, transfers are tomorrow... but I don't think either of us are leaving. Neither of us will allow it haha.
We found one lady by going out earlier than usual. We decided that I would do my language study when we came back to the apt. that night and to go out at 10 a.m. :) We went to talk to a potential investigator named Virginia (veer-hin-ee-uh) at a Mexican store, but she wasn't there. We were about to leave when some crazy zebra shoes caught my comp's eye and she window shopped for a second. The lady inside opened the door and said, "Well, come in!" and then she said it in Spanish to my companion. Spanish always makes us perk our ears because you really have to search for the Spanish in JC. So we went into the store. At first I just wanted to get out of the store because it wasn't pday... but there wasn't anybody in the store and she said it was fine to sit down with her and "talk about the Bible". So we sat there behind the front desk and taught her! We talked about the Book of Mormon and the Restoration, mostly. She's from Columbia and speaks English with a Jamaican accent and obviously fluent Spanish.... even though she looks like she's from Kenya.
Then there's Miss Faye. We volunteer with her at the food pantry every Thursday, service day, and she lives in a senior apt. complex. We visited her and taught the Restoration. She's sweet. She's from Ireland, has the accent and all. :) I think for now she passes us off as extra-religious-young-people haha and ya know she says how she appreciates that there are still some young people who are religious because all the stuff she hears the kids say today is..... yeah. Not exactly "God-fearing".
Mary is the daughter-in-law of Sis. H. in the ward. Apparently she had a good friendship with a couple of sisters a few years ago, but she said they mostly just talked with her and were her friends but didn't teach her formal lessons, etc. We got to know her, shared a message about the Book of Mormon, and gave her the same challenge our mission pres. gave us to read the Book of Mormon in 60 days (about 10 pages a day if YOU guys wanna do it!!) and she accepted. :) She's a great person, very friendly. She and Sis. H. talked about their trip to England.... where they visited MANCHESTER AND YORKSHIRE and London.... I was all sorts of excited/envious/hanging on their every word haha. Someday, I tell you, someday...... I WILL do a study abroad in London.... Anyway.....
Marina is the friend of a less-active, Cristina. She said she wonders what the correct religion is and is apprehensive about joining the wrong one. She's currently Catholic. It's super hard to find her, get a hold of her, but we are definitely not letting her go. She actually came to sacrament yesterday (and brought her son!) and I had a strong prompting to bear my testimony. While we were sitting there, I just wanted so badly to be able to share with them what I know and feel because I'm usually not able to do it in lessons as easily. I got up and bore my testimony with all my heart to them, hoping that somehow they'd open their hearts to the Spirit that the sacrament meeting holds, to let it touch them so that they might have the desire to investigate more...
After the meeting, the way they looked at me changed. The way they talked changed. In a good way. I could tell that they had felt the Holy Ghost during that meeting, at some point, and that they could tell from the testimonies they heard from the wonderful members of the branch, that there's something different about this church. I hope that doesn't die. I hope it grows and grows.........
Well, we have more new investigators, great ones that we ... ugh... the feeling that comes is so hard to describe.
But I'm thankful for the extra measure of Spirit Heavenly Father gives His missionaries. For the opportunity to be used in His hands for the welfare of my brothers and sisters. It's so humbling and motivates you to be the best you can because it's someone else that is involved and you LOVE them because he/she is your brother/sister. And to claim that I love Christ, my Savior and Friend, I must love all men and women.
I hope everyone is well. My companera is sick right now and I'm doing my best to use what little nursing experience I have to take care of her. :)
And yes, transfers are tomorrow... but I don't think either of us are leaving. Neither of us will allow it haha.
December 20, 2010
Oh boybee this week was interesting. As always. :) Last week was hard and disappointing... and this week naturally had some of that too, haha, but I testify of the power of the Atonement through the sacrament once again because it's real. The Lord blessed our efforts this week. We visited more members than usual this week in order to give them copies of the Book of Mormon that they will prayerfully place and give to people they feel inspired to give them to. Hopefully we will gain some investigators through this, but more than that, I hope that it will at least plant seeds, or start some balls rolling, even if that's not an immediate missionary visit or baptism. And we're really trying to get the ward and branch more involved in the missionary work by having more of a relationship with them and asking them to help us with different things, etc. And we're seeing that it's helping. We're receiving more referrals and feel closer to the ward members.
We have two new investigators: Chenoah ("Shen-oh-uh"), the new wife of a returning-to-activity Tongan RM, Bro. L.--he wants to take her to the temple very much, but there are a few issues that have to be worked out. :) And Don, his friend, whom I contacted at the wedding. They live far away (our area is huge) so that's an issue, but yeah. Pray for them. Boy, at one point in the lesson (we taught them both at the same time last week), their friend Petie came in who's a very strong Christian and completely chased away the Spirit, which had been very palpable before. Very argumentative and we tried the best we could to keep the Spirit there, answer calmly, but he was just kinda one of those who was bent on disproving us and not really listening anyway... which then planted some bad seeds in Chenoah's and Don's minds....
It... was an interesting lesson.... :)
But we know they felt the Spirit. Don even said that, as he read the introduction to the B of M, he felt a burning in his chest. I'm not trying to blow it out of proportion--he's not reading the B of M on his own, sadly, and he didn't come to church, but I hope that he remembers that. Sometimes it takes people 8 or 34 times of feeling the Spirit strongly to to soften their heart. :) He believes in Christ, though. I believe he's been prepared to hear the Gospel. Maybe we're the ones who'll bring it to him, maybe not. But we're doing our best to bring him closer to Christ than he was before, at least.
Thank you for telling me some of the things Dev said in his homecoming talk. I LOVE that kid. He's amazing and now he's even better! :) Zach also just returned from the mission. So weird to me... and Tanner... And Brant comes home in February.
Anyway, I love you all so very much and thank you for the package! I received a package today straight from the mailman's truck haha. We had just checked our mail (empty) and came around the corner to get in the car and we both screamed (my comp and I) at the mail truck hahahaha and he slammed on his brakes, jumped out, and said, "I have a package for you!" I have NO idea how he knew he had a package for me--it's still a mystery to us both haha--but he handed me my package! And I haven't even told you guys our apt (#207) number yet so it's amazing I've been getting mail.
I love you all again! I really gotta go now!!
Con mucho amor,
Hna. Underlin
We have two new investigators: Chenoah ("Shen-oh-uh"), the new wife of a returning-to-activity Tongan RM, Bro. L.--he wants to take her to the temple very much, but there are a few issues that have to be worked out. :) And Don, his friend, whom I contacted at the wedding. They live far away (our area is huge) so that's an issue, but yeah. Pray for them. Boy, at one point in the lesson (we taught them both at the same time last week), their friend Petie came in who's a very strong Christian and completely chased away the Spirit, which had been very palpable before. Very argumentative and we tried the best we could to keep the Spirit there, answer calmly, but he was just kinda one of those who was bent on disproving us and not really listening anyway... which then planted some bad seeds in Chenoah's and Don's minds....
It... was an interesting lesson.... :)
But we know they felt the Spirit. Don even said that, as he read the introduction to the B of M, he felt a burning in his chest. I'm not trying to blow it out of proportion--he's not reading the B of M on his own, sadly, and he didn't come to church, but I hope that he remembers that. Sometimes it takes people 8 or 34 times of feeling the Spirit strongly to to soften their heart. :) He believes in Christ, though. I believe he's been prepared to hear the Gospel. Maybe we're the ones who'll bring it to him, maybe not. But we're doing our best to bring him closer to Christ than he was before, at least.
Thank you for telling me some of the things Dev said in his homecoming talk. I LOVE that kid. He's amazing and now he's even better! :) Zach also just returned from the mission. So weird to me... and Tanner... And Brant comes home in February.
Anyway, I love you all so very much and thank you for the package! I received a package today straight from the mailman's truck haha. We had just checked our mail (empty) and came around the corner to get in the car and we both screamed (my comp and I) at the mail truck hahahaha and he slammed on his brakes, jumped out, and said, "I have a package for you!" I have NO idea how he knew he had a package for me--it's still a mystery to us both haha--but he handed me my package! And I haven't even told you guys our apt (#207) number yet so it's amazing I've been getting mail.
I love you all again! I really gotta go now!!
Con mucho amor,
Hna. Underlin
Sunday, December 12, 2010
December 6, 2010
Hola mi amorosa familia. Les amo mucho y les extrano. iPero estoy trabajando por mi Padre y por la estarbien de mis hermanos!
Pues.... Como estan??
Esta semana fue [ok English now so y'all can understand me] good. It was a roller coaster though. You've probably heard that about missionary work--the roller coaster aspect. Last week we had some amazing lessons with Jen and her friend Sheryl. Then we couldn't get a hold of Jen. She wasn't home whenever we'd go over and her phone was disconnected (her boyfriend's ex-wife has been .... yeah... so she changed her phone number.) So that was basically Sunday/Monday... with regard to Jen at least. Then she called us and we taught her again and then the next time was with Sheryl again.
And we committed them both to baptism!!!!
Now pray for these wonderful women that they will have the will and strength and faith to quit smoking, marry their boyfriends and quit drinking coffee. Our lessons are so powerful and they feel the Spirit very strongly and they have committed to quit smoking. We still need to commit them to quit drinking coffee and yeah the other thing. Jen's boyfriend is deployed and they're getting married when he gets home--she already calls his mother her mother-in-law and has a ring. Her mother-in-law has been very instrumental. She is a member and is who Jen calls when we're away. But Tony, her boyfriend, wants her to wait until he gets home for R&R to get baptized. IN JULY. Ummmm... NO. When people wait to be baptized, the Spirit leaves and Satan has that time to convince them of his agenda instead. He won't give up so we can't give up. And whenever a person is committed for baptism, he always turns up the heat because he knows that their having the gift of the Holy Ghost is so important. So please please pray your hardest for Jen and Sheryl.... and Josie. Josie's husband is also deployed and she's all set for baptism, but she wants to wait until March to be baptized so he can do it. NO! In the first place, the Spirit, as I said, ceases when they wait too long and it's just simply important for them to be baptized asap (and put the Lord FIRST), but their husbands are less-active or inactive and so it'll take more time once they're home to have their priesthood reactivated and blah blah blah stuff always seems to happen.... SO THIS CAN'T HAPPEN. I need to study about how to teach them this and correctly convey the importance of not waiting until their husbands come home.
We also went to visit a less active last week who happened to have a non-member, Marina, over at the time. NOT a coincidence. We spoke primarily in Spanish, which made it hard for me to keep up, but she said how she had gone to different churches, had prayed for God to show her which church was right and that she was scared of joining the wrong one. Umm... has she been prepared to hear the message? I think SO. But she has many doubts. And it will take some time to understand what she needs and help her to understand that this is the direction God intends her to follow, but I have never been so sure in my life of how great the love of God is for His children and how much He wants them to come into His fold, to accept the true and living Christ through His restored Gospel. The key for us as missionaries is to make sure are always the people God can use as ample instruments. Because goodness knows it's not us who's teaching in those lessons...
So much more happened too this week with various people, investigators and random people we contacted and less actives, but ya know. Good thing it's being recorded in Heaven because I can't write it all down! :)
So this week we have Zone Conference! My companion is so excited for this she reminds me of it about every 4.5 hours lol. So I guess they're pretty good or something.... :) It's in Wichita this time. That'll take place on Friday. And we have a baptism this Saturday with Blayne McKinney and it's also the Spanish branch's Christmas party. Busy wizzy week.
Oh, ha, so the mission pres. gave us permission to listen to Christmas music and the "Mr. Grinch" song came on when we were in the car and, Rach, when he said your favorite line I had to bust up laughing: "You're a nasty wasty skunk!" Oh I miss our movie quotations....
What is going on at home?? I haven't heard from anybody, really, in FAR too long.... Just because you now have to pay for postage doesn't mean you have permission to stop writing to meeee!! :)
And now for the portion to my darling friends....
Emily Blotter~ A letter is currently being written!! I LOVED your last letter. When does USU get out for the break?
Brady~ Yes, I know I'm behind lol, but you've been on a mission--you KNOW there's no time to write. :) Be patient. Hope you're doing well.
Ervin~ Hi. Umm.... yeah I'll just write you a letter cuz I ain't sayin this stuff on a blog lol.
Rachie P~ I miss hearing from you! I know it's not fair, but write to me even though I may not have written to you in the interim. I want to know what's going on!
Zach Blackhurst~........ AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!! You're home!!!!!!!!! Did you get my letter????? Can't wait to hear from you!!
Jake W.~ Did you die? Did you get the letter I sent to your parents' house? Did you get a girlfriend or something? That's usually when guys tend to suddenly fall off the face of the earth and lose contact with everyone else hahahahaha......
Well, my dears, I love you mucho.
Can't wait to hear from you SOON.
Send letters to
104 W. Fourth St.
Junction City, KS 66441
Con amor,
Hermana Underlin
Pues.... Como estan??
Esta semana fue [ok English now so y'all can understand me] good. It was a roller coaster though. You've probably heard that about missionary work--the roller coaster aspect. Last week we had some amazing lessons with Jen and her friend Sheryl. Then we couldn't get a hold of Jen. She wasn't home whenever we'd go over and her phone was disconnected (her boyfriend's ex-wife has been .... yeah... so she changed her phone number.) So that was basically Sunday/Monday... with regard to Jen at least. Then she called us and we taught her again and then the next time was with Sheryl again.
And we committed them both to baptism!!!!
Now pray for these wonderful women that they will have the will and strength and faith to quit smoking, marry their boyfriends and quit drinking coffee. Our lessons are so powerful and they feel the Spirit very strongly and they have committed to quit smoking. We still need to commit them to quit drinking coffee and yeah the other thing. Jen's boyfriend is deployed and they're getting married when he gets home--she already calls his mother her mother-in-law and has a ring. Her mother-in-law has been very instrumental. She is a member and is who Jen calls when we're away. But Tony, her boyfriend, wants her to wait until he gets home for R&R to get baptized. IN JULY. Ummmm... NO. When people wait to be baptized, the Spirit leaves and Satan has that time to convince them of his agenda instead. He won't give up so we can't give up. And whenever a person is committed for baptism, he always turns up the heat because he knows that their having the gift of the Holy Ghost is so important. So please please pray your hardest for Jen and Sheryl.... and Josie. Josie's husband is also deployed and she's all set for baptism, but she wants to wait until March to be baptized so he can do it. NO! In the first place, the Spirit, as I said, ceases when they wait too long and it's just simply important for them to be baptized asap (and put the Lord FIRST), but their husbands are less-active or inactive and so it'll take more time once they're home to have their priesthood reactivated and blah blah blah stuff always seems to happen.... SO THIS CAN'T HAPPEN. I need to study about how to teach them this and correctly convey the importance of not waiting until their husbands come home.
We also went to visit a less active last week who happened to have a non-member, Marina, over at the time. NOT a coincidence. We spoke primarily in Spanish, which made it hard for me to keep up, but she said how she had gone to different churches, had prayed for God to show her which church was right and that she was scared of joining the wrong one. Umm... has she been prepared to hear the message? I think SO. But she has many doubts. And it will take some time to understand what she needs and help her to understand that this is the direction God intends her to follow, but I have never been so sure in my life of how great the love of God is for His children and how much He wants them to come into His fold, to accept the true and living Christ through His restored Gospel. The key for us as missionaries is to make sure are always the people God can use as ample instruments. Because goodness knows it's not us who's teaching in those lessons...
So much more happened too this week with various people, investigators and random people we contacted and less actives, but ya know. Good thing it's being recorded in Heaven because I can't write it all down! :)
So this week we have Zone Conference! My companion is so excited for this she reminds me of it about every 4.5 hours lol. So I guess they're pretty good or something.... :) It's in Wichita this time. That'll take place on Friday. And we have a baptism this Saturday with Blayne McKinney and it's also the Spanish branch's Christmas party. Busy wizzy week.
Oh, ha, so the mission pres. gave us permission to listen to Christmas music and the "Mr. Grinch" song came on when we were in the car and, Rach, when he said your favorite line I had to bust up laughing: "You're a nasty wasty skunk!" Oh I miss our movie quotations....
What is going on at home?? I haven't heard from anybody, really, in FAR too long.... Just because you now have to pay for postage doesn't mean you have permission to stop writing to meeee!! :)
And now for the portion to my darling friends....
Emily Blotter~ A letter is currently being written!! I LOVED your last letter. When does USU get out for the break?
Brady~ Yes, I know I'm behind lol, but you've been on a mission--you KNOW there's no time to write. :) Be patient. Hope you're doing well.
Ervin~ Hi. Umm.... yeah I'll just write you a letter cuz I ain't sayin this stuff on a blog lol.
Rachie P~ I miss hearing from you! I know it's not fair, but write to me even though I may not have written to you in the interim. I want to know what's going on!
Zach Blackhurst~........ AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!! You're home!!!!!!!!! Did you get my letter????? Can't wait to hear from you!!
Jake W.~ Did you die? Did you get the letter I sent to your parents' house? Did you get a girlfriend or something? That's usually when guys tend to suddenly fall off the face of the earth and lose contact with everyone else hahahahaha......
Well, my dears, I love you mucho.
Can't wait to hear from you SOON.
Send letters to
104 W. Fourth St.
Junction City, KS 66441
Con amor,
Hermana Underlin
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Letters from the Field
November 29, 2010
Hola mi querida familia~
Que tal?
Wow. The field!
I am currently in a town called Junction City, Kansas--right outside of the army base. So the vast majority of people that we teach, talk to, have contact with have some connection with the army. Usually the case is that their boyfriend is currently deployed. So we're teaching mostly women. Luckily. That makes things easier. :) But we are teaching some men and children too.
Boy, it's so different out here. The mantle of a missionary completely changes the way you view your surroundings. I've never noticed the stark contrast between one who has the gift of the Holy Ghost and one who doesn't before. In their very eyes, faces, countenances. It's so different. And in the homes.
On Friday we had a return apt. with a person named Jen. The first time we went over, we helped her clean her house (she's having back problems) and shared a message. I had the inspiration to share the story of Jesus ministering to the children in 3 Nephi. I could feel she is one of those natural mothers. Her countenance just changed when we shared that with her.
On the return apt., we were surprised to find 3 more people at her house, friends. I was a little apprehensive about it, but we proceeded. We watched the Restoration video with Jen and one of her friends while another took her child into the other room and another went upstairs to take medicine.
During the movie there were a few seating or person changes (the woman who went to take medicine came in and sat down and the other person who was watching left). We talked with them about the video, how they felt, questions they had, etc.
Then the conversation turned so that Jen shared a personal experience with us, one that she didn't tell many people because they didn't believe her. There were two instances when she saw her deceased grandparents. They told her things that gave her immense comfort in the situation she was in at the time. The Spirit of the Lord was very present and told me once again how much God prepares His children personally to hear His message. Her friend also felt it. She was silently crying and I asked quietly if she'd like to share something. She was hesitant, but then also shared a story about the Hand of God being undeniable. I honestly don't remember the scriptures we shared. We did our best to follow the Spirit. I testified of the Restoration, of the literal ministering of angels, of the same Priesthood that Christ gave to His apostles being restored to the earth, of the Book of Mormon, and of course, of Jesus Christ as our Savior and that baptism is what He has commanded and said is necessary. I was amazed to see them nodding emphatically as I testified of these things, marvelous as they are. Jen's friend told about how her ex father in law was a completely different person after he joined our church. He no longer beat his family or drank or swore. Again, God prepares His children. We gave Jen a Book of Mormon and her friend already had one and committed them to read and pray and if they find it to be true to be baptized by the correct authority. These kinds of lessons are kind of rare. It was very amazing. We are visiting Jen again today and her friend lives in Topeka but coming back Thurs. and Fri. so we should see her again as well. Please pray for them and for us.
Last night we visited a less active whom we knew was having a hard, hard time, but didn't exactly know how. She finally let us in last night, along with Sister Vega her VT. That was one of the most powerful lessons I have ever been in. I won't go into the details we talked about, but we all came out of that lesson once again marveling at the incredible love Heavenly Father has for His children and what a miracle the Atonement of Jesus Christ is--how it can literally heal every part of everybody's life, heal relationships, strengthen to bear burdens, endow with faith.
I finally met the ward and the branch we are over yesterday. :) Both are awesome. :) I had the opportunity to teach Sunday School and I felt that I should teach about charity and love. And when you teach about those things, there is no WAY you cannot include the Atonement as well. Toward the end, 2 people walked in. A lady and another man. After they walked in, a man in the service shared about how the things we were talking about could relate to a soldier. The woman started bawling and raised her hand to comment next. She said how she did not just walk in to that class, but that she was led there, and that what that brother shared and the other that walked in with her shared were exactly what she needed to hear--that her husband is currently in Iraq and is having a very hard time.
We had the opportunity to go to the Omaha temple on Saturday! Missionaries only go if a recent convert is going so that was why we went. Bro. Humbard was baptized a few weeks ago and it was his first time. We also visited the Visitors' Center, talked to the Sisters there, watched the Joseph Smith movie (gracious, it's powerful).
Oh! And my companion is Sister Morelos from New Jersey. Native Spanish speaker (mom from Puerto Rico, dad from Mexico). So it's super funny talking with her cuz she has a hispanic accent with a New Jersey twist and she pronounces "pot luck" "Pop luck" and "ask" "axe" and "faith" "fafe" and she LOVES pink and shopping ;) ;) and she's been out over a year now. She tells me every day how she's never going home, she's going to run away when they try and release her lol.
The address you should use for the mission is
517 W. Walnut St.
Independence, MO 64050
But my current apt. address is
104 W. Fifth Street
Junction City, KS 66441
I love you all so very much. I hope that you are getting excited for Christmas.
Con amor,
Hna. Underlin
Hola mi querida familia~
Que tal?
Wow. The field!
I am currently in a town called Junction City, Kansas--right outside of the army base. So the vast majority of people that we teach, talk to, have contact with have some connection with the army. Usually the case is that their boyfriend is currently deployed. So we're teaching mostly women. Luckily. That makes things easier. :) But we are teaching some men and children too.
Boy, it's so different out here. The mantle of a missionary completely changes the way you view your surroundings. I've never noticed the stark contrast between one who has the gift of the Holy Ghost and one who doesn't before. In their very eyes, faces, countenances. It's so different. And in the homes.
On Friday we had a return apt. with a person named Jen. The first time we went over, we helped her clean her house (she's having back problems) and shared a message. I had the inspiration to share the story of Jesus ministering to the children in 3 Nephi. I could feel she is one of those natural mothers. Her countenance just changed when we shared that with her.
On the return apt., we were surprised to find 3 more people at her house, friends. I was a little apprehensive about it, but we proceeded. We watched the Restoration video with Jen and one of her friends while another took her child into the other room and another went upstairs to take medicine.
During the movie there were a few seating or person changes (the woman who went to take medicine came in and sat down and the other person who was watching left). We talked with them about the video, how they felt, questions they had, etc.
Then the conversation turned so that Jen shared a personal experience with us, one that she didn't tell many people because they didn't believe her. There were two instances when she saw her deceased grandparents. They told her things that gave her immense comfort in the situation she was in at the time. The Spirit of the Lord was very present and told me once again how much God prepares His children personally to hear His message. Her friend also felt it. She was silently crying and I asked quietly if she'd like to share something. She was hesitant, but then also shared a story about the Hand of God being undeniable. I honestly don't remember the scriptures we shared. We did our best to follow the Spirit. I testified of the Restoration, of the literal ministering of angels, of the same Priesthood that Christ gave to His apostles being restored to the earth, of the Book of Mormon, and of course, of Jesus Christ as our Savior and that baptism is what He has commanded and said is necessary. I was amazed to see them nodding emphatically as I testified of these things, marvelous as they are. Jen's friend told about how her ex father in law was a completely different person after he joined our church. He no longer beat his family or drank or swore. Again, God prepares His children. We gave Jen a Book of Mormon and her friend already had one and committed them to read and pray and if they find it to be true to be baptized by the correct authority. These kinds of lessons are kind of rare. It was very amazing. We are visiting Jen again today and her friend lives in Topeka but coming back Thurs. and Fri. so we should see her again as well. Please pray for them and for us.
Last night we visited a less active whom we knew was having a hard, hard time, but didn't exactly know how. She finally let us in last night, along with Sister Vega her VT. That was one of the most powerful lessons I have ever been in. I won't go into the details we talked about, but we all came out of that lesson once again marveling at the incredible love Heavenly Father has for His children and what a miracle the Atonement of Jesus Christ is--how it can literally heal every part of everybody's life, heal relationships, strengthen to bear burdens, endow with faith.
I finally met the ward and the branch we are over yesterday. :) Both are awesome. :) I had the opportunity to teach Sunday School and I felt that I should teach about charity and love. And when you teach about those things, there is no WAY you cannot include the Atonement as well. Toward the end, 2 people walked in. A lady and another man. After they walked in, a man in the service shared about how the things we were talking about could relate to a soldier. The woman started bawling and raised her hand to comment next. She said how she did not just walk in to that class, but that she was led there, and that what that brother shared and the other that walked in with her shared were exactly what she needed to hear--that her husband is currently in Iraq and is having a very hard time.
We had the opportunity to go to the Omaha temple on Saturday! Missionaries only go if a recent convert is going so that was why we went. Bro. Humbard was baptized a few weeks ago and it was his first time. We also visited the Visitors' Center, talked to the Sisters there, watched the Joseph Smith movie (gracious, it's powerful).
Oh! And my companion is Sister Morelos from New Jersey. Native Spanish speaker (mom from Puerto Rico, dad from Mexico). So it's super funny talking with her cuz she has a hispanic accent with a New Jersey twist and she pronounces "pot luck" "Pop luck" and "ask" "axe" and "faith" "fafe" and she LOVES pink and shopping ;) ;) and she's been out over a year now. She tells me every day how she's never going home, she's going to run away when they try and release her lol.
The address you should use for the mission is
517 W. Walnut St.
Independence, MO 64050
But my current apt. address is
104 W. Fifth Street
Junction City, KS 66441
I love you all so very much. I hope that you are getting excited for Christmas.
Con amor,
Hna. Underlin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)