August 25, 2014

Hey!
We had a really amazing week. Last Monday, the Bishop told us about a friend he had that had some questions about what we believe. She is a pastor at another church. So we were really nervous that she would want to just bash but the Bishop came with us to the appointment and it was one of the biggest miracles. We taught the Plan of Salvation and about the origins of the Book of Mormon and the whole time she was so excited. She had never heard any of it before. She had just heard all the really weird rumors. She kept saying how she believed all that we were saying but no other church believed the same until now. A couple times she even looked at the bishop. They have been friends for a really long time and she would just say "I can't believe that you have never told me any of this before!" She is reading the Book of Mormon and has a lot of questions. 

We also had a miracle with another investigator, Brian, the one who asked if he could come to church a couple weeks ago. We had the Plan of Salvation with him and the Spirit was so strong. He told us some stories of his wife, who passed away about 10 years ago, and he bore a simple testimony of the Book of Mormon and the truthfulness of it, as well as his testimony of prayer. He told us that he had been praying for help the day that we knocked on his door and that we were the answer to his prayers. We have been able to just see so many miracles this week!

We also went on exchanges this week and last transfer our mission leaders moved to the Plattsmouth ward. So I got to go back for another exchange! No one really gets to go back to their old area especially twice. I have been so lucky! One of the best parts: the sisters had to move out of their housing for a week and 'just happened' to be staying with Sister Reveillac for the week and I got to stay there for one of the last nights that they were there!

We also had a zone conference all about the Book of Mormon. It was so amazing to really be able to see all the power that comes from the Book of Mormon and to really be able to see how we can best use it as missionaries and as members. We talked a lot about how the Book of Mormon can answer any question that we have and the power that comes as you read the Book of Mormon. President Weston gave us a really amazing challenge that I want to give to all of the family. He asked us to buy a brand new copy of the Book of Mormon, and it will be your "Atonement" Book of Mormon. Start reading it today and to read 5 pages every day, to mark every time it talks about Christ or mention his name, to circle every time it says the word "heart" or talks about a change of heart etc., to mark every time it talks about the Atonement, and to change every time it talks about grace to enabling power of the Atonement. The mission (and hopefully you) will finish the Book of Mormon by December 8.

Love you guys!

August 18, 2014

Hey! 

We had transfers about a week and a half ago. I am still in Shenandoah with Sister Simmons, which is good. Honestly I would have been fine with either. I would love to be able to go and experience more areas but I am also super glad that I get to stay here and be able to see people progress, especially Sara. She set her baptism date as September 13. So if everything works out, I will be able to see it before the next transfers. And I do think that I will be going after than transfer. And she is progressing so fast it's incredible. The other day we were having a lesson with her and she completely explained in her own words and with an experience a principle that we had taught her the previous lesson without even knowing it. She seems super excited too. She was telling everyone about her baptism and inviting everyone that she sees. It's amazing! 

It sounds like the open house was amazing. There were some members from our ward that went and they showed me a ton of pictures at dinner of the temple. It looks totally different! I honestly can't even believe that it is the same temple and I am so excited to see it again! 

This week was interesting with school starting up again. It's been an odd week. Everyone is taking the last vacations or going shopping for the last things they forgot. And shopping here, you pretty much have to go to Council Bluffs or Omaha. Or they already started school. And everyone is just trying to readjust with their schedule. So it was hard for people to keep their appointment and for us to see people. But even with all that we were able to meet some new less-active members and had a lot of people come to church again.

Also I got my "trunkie" papers this week and I think mom and Dad got a copy of them too. So i don't know if they have told you but my release date is December 10.  I will just be coming home and not having anyone come out to get me. It is definitely bitter sweet. I am excited to come home and start school again. But it also is so sad and I will miss having all the opportunities that I have every day as a missionary. It has changed my life and it will be really hard to leave.

Thanks for all you do. Love you!

August 11, 2014

Hey!
This week we were able to go to the trail center again this week, and I am so grateful for having it in my mission. We have gone a lot lately and it's so cool that they have so many things that we can take people to. The Spirit is so strong there. It's about as close to the feeling in the temple without actually being there. And it's so great! We took an investigator. They have a really cool art show going on this month depicting Christ's life and the pioneers' journey side by side and it is so incredible. Again the Spirit is just so strong there. Not sure how much our investigator liked it but after we went we decided that the elders would be able to relate with him a lot better than us. So they are going to start teaching him now.

We had a huge miracle this week! We were trying to have a lesson with this girl, Jessica, that we have been trying to teach. A member in the ward had referred her. She is a teenager, but as we were talking to her, her dad Brian just blurts out "Can I come to church? I really want to try it out and see what it's like". Of course we were floored and told him of course and we showed him how to get there. He came and stayed for all 3 hours and knew like all of the ward! We were told that the lesson in Priesthood really touched him. We have an appointment this week and he told Brother Dahl who is a ward missionary that he will be back next week and he is going to bring his daughter!

And Sarah is still moving along great! She doesn't have a baptism date right now. She  was set to be baptized this weekend but we all felt like that was just too soon. She is still super excited to be baptized though. She will always talk about when she is baptized or after she is baptized. And she is moving along in the church really well. She seems to love it. She actually started Young Womens this week. She is going back to start her senior year next week. She is so excited about the program and mutual and all the activities. She is so amazing. She has had to deal with a lot of really extraordinarily hard things in her life, especially for only being 19. But she deals with them amazingly. And she is just moving along great!

Love you! 

August 4, 2014

Hey!

The weather was so nice this last week but I heard that it is supposed to get to real summer weather this week and pretty much stay that way for a while. But it has been so nice I really can't complain. 

Everyone is starting to get back into town because school is starting soon.
Well today was an interesting preparation day. We are emailing late because I was at the doctor for my leg. I had to have x-rays and an ultrasound in case I had a blood clot, but all was good. Just tissue damage. But at least I know now that nothing is wrong. Just have to wait for it to heal. And the worst part was that I never really liked baseball, especially pitching...
This week we had an amazing week! Most people I have ever seen at church! And I think that we had the most lessons I have ever had on my mission. Sarah was at church and she is honestly like a sponge. She just sucks in all the information she can and she loves it! She loved church and was great. And she is just getting more and more excited about her baptism! She was telling everyone at church about it and we are going over tonight to figure out all the details for it.
We also had a ton of less-actives that we have been working with come to church! It was such a miracle!

One of the brothers that came we had actually seen the night before. We went to Hamburg and Sidney (2 of the little towns in our area) and were trying to find all the less-actives and met Brother Nielson. He was just walking out of a shop and we were looking for a house that apparently doesn't exist. He said that it was his house and that they had it on the records wrong. He hadn't been to church in years and said that he felt like he needed something to do. We told him to come to church and we would work on a calling. He showed up at church and when we talked to him, he just told us that we were doing good work and that he wouldn't have come if we didn't stop. He just needed to be invited. 

We also were able to go to the trail center this weekend with Sarah. They were showing "17 Miracles" and she loves the church history in the area. She lived right by Manti, an old LDS settlement near Shen. She loved the movie and said that it just gave her hope. We talked to her about the many miracles that we have seen with her and she really realized then how much the Lord is in her life.

It has been an amazing week and an amazing transfer. Transfers are this week and I honestly would love to go or to stay. I would love to stay and see Sarah get baptized but I would love to go and experience another area too. Either one would be great! 
Thanks, love you guys!

July 28, 2014

Hey!

Honestly it has been really nice to not have to drive. I have really enjoyed it but I am super grateful that we have a car! I can't imagine having to cover our area without one! It is so big! Even just Shenandoah would be tough but manageable I am sure just not much fun. 

So I have no idea why but we really have had like the best weather ever. Last week we had a couple killer hot days like index of 120, but this whole week it is supposed to be back to the 70's and 80's.

I should get all my info in the next couple weeks of all my returning home info. It's really bittersweet still not sure what to think about it. I am excited but at the same time I never want to leave. But I am so excited for the baby! 

So this week like all of our investigators went out of town! It was crazy! But I guess that's just this time of year. 

We have been working with a lot of people that have a lot different needs and need to take the lessons a lot slower. Or we need to have really small goals for them to accomplish but even with that they are still progressing!
It's been amazing though. A couple weeks ago in ward council we talked about working with part member families and talked about working with certain people. And since we did we have had like 3 or 4 families come with their family that is non members. We are working with some and the elders are too. And we have been able to come in contact with almost all of the people that we decided as a ward to work with. 

We have also been trying to get a hold of everyone that is on the ward list and we have been able to meet up with a ton of the less-actives. Some haven't had anyone in the church see them in years. We found a lot of people that had moved. It was awesome. 

Also I forgot to tell you. Last week we were playing baseball on preparation day with a less-active, his grandson (who used to be investigating), and some of his friends. I was pitching (very badly) and the ball came and hit me in the shin. I have been dealing with that all week! Thankfully it's not broken or anything! 

Thanks for all you do!