May 28, 2013

Hey how's it going? I am doing great! Our area is slow but we are working on it. It has been hard and discouraging sometimes but it is good. We know we will find more people!

Last week there was a day where we had been tracting for a few hours and no one was being receptive at all. We ended up knocking on a members door and they told us about some of their neighbors we could visit that they had kind of been working with. So then by the time we left their house one of the part-member/less actives families was outside. We almost didn't talk to them because they didn't look like they would be interested and seemed kind of intimidating. But we turned around and started talking to them. They are navajo and recently moved from a reservation not too far from St George. The dad is a member but his wife and children are not. He has not gone to church in a long time too! We talked with him for a good while. It was so great! It was the first time that I really felt comfortable with someone who wasn't a member. I have been praying to be more bold and I was able to be with them. I've learned that you have to be bold as a missionary, in a loving way of course. It is a lot easier to walk away but the reward is so much greater if you don't give up so easily. They agreed to have us over for a lesson tonight actually! So pray that will go well! I think it will, they are a really great family.

Then after that we were walking home and there was a guy standing on the side walk smoking and talking on his phone but right as we were right by him he hung up! Again, right when we thought we weren't having an success the Lord put people in our way. Both these people weren't people we had door knocked but people that the Lord just had them out right in front of us at the perfect time. This guy is a less active and agreed to meet with us. It was actually his idea, he has been wanting to get back into church. Well we had an appointment for Saturday and he flaked :/ so I'm praying he won't flake on our next appointment.

Ok now funny story time! Last week we went to a members home for dinner and the lady had her 85 year old sister over for dinner too. She is so looney! It was hilarious! She was like so hyper and would tell us the same thing a million times. She served a mission when she was 27 to Uruguay and so she would try to talk to my companion in Spanish but my companion, Sister Sporl, could not really understand her. Haha and then after dinner she wanted to drop us off more in our area that we were going to be in that night. So we get in her jeep which is older than both of us. And guess what? Our seat belts don't work! And let's just say this lady probably shouldn't have a drivers license! She is going so fast around all these corners hahaha! Sounds scary but all I could do was laugh! It definitely made our day!

The Visitors Center is going great still! Sunday was probably our busiest day yet! We had like at least 14 tour buses I think! I was out in the Annex room the whole time, the room that we talk about the construction of the temple. This girl came in from Manchester England and I started talking to her. She was very receptive and interested in our church. I taught her the first lesson right there and of course about Brigham young and the construction of the temple. Which of course led us to talking about eternal families and more about temples! I gave her a Book of Mormon and she said she would read it. I was going to sacrament about an hour after and invited her and she said she would come if she was back from the Brigham Young home. Well she didn't come :( and I'll never know what happens with her but hey maybe you, mom and dad will meet her. She said Leeds is about 1 hour from Manchester. I swear I keep hearing things about England all the time know. I keep meeting people from there or people who served there or know people who have served there, just everything! It's so funny.

Anyways, my time is about up. I love you guys!!!!

Chaynee and Braxton

Mom, remember her? Sister Waiane from Vanautu! She is the cutest! I love her!!!!!

We got flags to wear with our tags at the Visitors Center :) This is a new thing so it is exciting!! Haha :)

May 21, 2013

Hi hows it going? We are at the Family History center right now. I just know you would fit right in here Mom! Haha! Alright so much has happened since my last pday! It's been over a week so I don't even remember what I told you last time so sorry if I repeat stuff! Well I am in St George!!!!!! But first I want to tell you about my experiences at Temple Square like a week and a half ago before we left the MTC! Our second day we got to go up we got paired up with a sister missionary that was working there and walked around, gave tours and talked to people. Well my companion (for the day) and I had to be over this desk area so we didn't have much to do and finally she told me to just go talk to someone. There was 3 separate sitting areas. One had a young boy probably around 12, the next was an old man on a phone and the next was a Vietnamese lady. Well of course I wanted to go talk to the 12 year old boy because he was the least intimidating but he was falling asleep on the couch so I decided to talk to the Vietnamese lady. I just sat by her on the couch and struck up a conversation. That was her third time being to Temple Square and had never talked to a missionary there. But she has been going to BYU for the past three years so knows a little about our church. We had an amazing talk on the plan of salvation, eternal families, and temples! She told me she wanted to get converted!!!!!!! Ya I guess missionaries had actually stopped by her home a few days before but she was busy so just got their number. She said she would call them to meet with them. I didn't get her information and I kick myself every time I think about it! But it was such an amazing experience.

So the next day was Mothers day and I was having kinda a tough morning. I wasn't feeling well.. Bobbi had just had her Baby, Gunner had got baptized, Brooke was due soon, and then Mothers Day.. It just made me miss home. But Relief Society and Music and the Spoken Word were awesome!!!! For Relief Society we had Janice Kapp Perry come and speak which was amazing. She is the lady who wrote As Sisters in Zion and lots of other church songs. Well she changed As Sisters in Zion a little bit and called it The Sisters of Zion and we were the FIRST people to sing it. It was awesome! Pretty sure there wasn't a dry eye in the room. They said there are going to sing it every Sunday now in Relief Society in the MTC so maybe you will get to sing it soon Mom ;) So Sunday ended up actually being a great day, the spirit was so strong the rest of the day. Monday and Tuesday were normal Visitors Center Training. Tuesday night we had a devotional and Russell M Nelson came and spoke! It was so great! His wife and him both spoke on missionary work and how to involve Family History into it.

We left the next morning at 4AM for St George! I think there was 20 of us who all went to St George, and I think maybe 1 or 2 more Sisters than Elders even. It is the strangest/neatest thing, because I have felt so much calmness throughout my whole mission. Everyone on the bus to the airport was all quiet and I was all excited! Maybe it was just cause it was 4 in the morning and everyone was dead and I was just slap happy.. I don't know. But when we landed in St George President Leonard, his wife, and a few other people were there to great us. We then went to the Stake Center ate waffles and had some orientation things. Oh and got my companion! Her name is Sister Sporl. She was born in Brazil and lived there til she was 7, and then lived in Salt Lake since. She has been out 16 months, but extended a transfer so she will go home the beginning of August. Before we got our companions President interviewed us all and asked what we wanted in a companion. All I told him was someone exactly obedient but can still have fun and enjoy doing the Lords work. Well I definitely got that. She is great! So after that we then dropped my stuff off at the apartment and headed to the Visitors Center the first night. Everyday we have half the day at the Visitors Center and half day proselyting. It's been tough with proselyting because we were white washed. Meaning neither of us have been in this area so we know nothing. Oh and we are walking which is great exercise but hard because we will walk far and the people won't even be home half the time. But it's good. I already have a tan line from my watch and shoes. Haha it'll be interesting to see what that'll be like at the end of the summer.

Oh and because I am in training I know I will be with my trainer and in this area til she leaves. My mission has you be with your trainer for 2 transfers aka 3 months. So in our area we have 3 and a half wards. We split the stake with other sisters and we share the Young Married ward which is why we have half a ward too. Haha. So far we don't really have any investigators. Well actually we've already had 2 baptisms on Saturday, but other than that we weren't left with investigators. The 2 kids baptized were Chanee and Braxton-13 and 9. We gave them their last lesson before their baptism. Which was amazing! Their parents are members but have been inactive for a long time but let them still get baptized which is great. I think their parents know the truth but aren't ready to give up their lifestyle. The dad really opened up last week when we were teaching the kids. He has been offended by some people in the church but I think we cleared things up for him a bit and made him more comfortable with us and the church. He told us it was an honor to have us in his home! So amazing! The parents came to church on Sunday when Chanee and Braxton were confirmed. Both the talks were on Priesthood which I think the dad needed to hear. So perfect!

Then Sunday night was my first night I got to give tours at the Brigham Young home. I will get to do that about once a week I think. It was neat to meet that lady that you have been talking to on the Missionary Mom website or whatever. She is so sweet and brought me my favorite snacks and gave me her number in case I ever need anything! It was so sweet of her especially because we had like no food at our house because we couldn't go grocery shopping til today! So I have lived off of puffy cheetos the past few days ;) Actually we have gotten fed dinner every single night I have been here! It blows my mind how willing all the members are to help us. We either get food dropped off at the Visitors Center or eat at their home if we are proselyting at night. We have eaten at our ward mission leaders home twice and they have given us a few rides. They are the sweetest! Sunday Aunt Barbara and the clan came by too! It was good to see them! I barely missed them on Wednesday at the Visitors Center I guess. Well other than all that not too much is new ;) The Visitors Center is great.. Still trying to get the hang of things but it is good. And hopefully our area will pick up. So pray for us and for our area that we can find people. Love you!!!! Summer

This was us and our companions for the day at Temple Square.

On the way to the airport at 4AM! Sister Luebbert, me, Sister Sordes, and Hermano Moyano!

My companion Sister Sporl and I the first day!

May 19, 2013

 Sister Allen had two visitors today. One from a sister I met on LDS Missionary Moms email group and the other from the Elder's. She looks happy.

May 19, 2013

GREETINGS FROM THE UTAH ST. GEORGE MISSION

Week Three MTC May 10, 2013

Hey it is going good! Yay I have new niece I am so excited!!!! I'm glad everything went well with the labor! How fun that you get to watch her kids ;) Best grandma ever! You think Brooke still has 2 weeks? That's crazy!!! That is so funny you found my companions blog. She is awesome, I really am so blessed to have her and all the girls I am with. So our whole district left earlier this week, and my comp and I started Visitor Center training on Wednesday so we got put in a district with just Visitor Center sisters. There is 5 of us, 4 of us going to St George and the other going to Washington DC. My comp and I got a new companion so we are now in a trio. Our new companions name is Sister Sordes. She is from France! Her sister served in the Mesa Visitors Center and got home about 2 months ago. One time London and I went to the Visitors Center and totally talked to her!!!! Londons cousin served in France and they know her cousin! Literally such a small world! Oh and our 3 new Visitor Center Teachers are awesome! One of them is like best friends with Kelsey Allen Stenquist. Her name is Sister Brinkerhoff she is from Mesa and went to Westwood. Everyday I am making connections with someone, I swear! So our first day of Visitor Center Training we got to go to Temple Square. It was so weird to get out of the MTC. Haha it was funny when we were at Temple Square there were all these asians taking pictures and video recording us hahaha! We just went through a tour and tomorrow we will go back to Temple Square and actually give the tours! Ah freaking out!! I'm excited for it but more excited for the first time to be over with haha. We also have been dong this thing called "Resource Center" which is where people go to mormon.org and click chat with the missionaries or something and we get to chat with people online! It's so cool! It's probably my favorite, I love it so much!!!! So we will do that in the Visitors Center too! Well gotta go switch over my laundry. Oh and I will call you next Wednesday morning anytime between like 5:30 and 7:30 so 4:30 and 6:30 AZ time? Haha sorry I know it's so early! Well love you all! Talk to ya soon :)

Week Two MTC May 7, 2013

Heyyy how's it going? Sounds like your roadtrip was fun and glad you guys got home safe! When do you think you will get your call??? I NEED to know ASAP! So excited for Bobbi and can't wait to see pics! Her and Brooke are in my prayers daily, as well as all the fam. Speaking of prayers, I feel like that's all we do! But it's great! I probably end up saying like 15 prayers a day. Literally we pray morning and night personal and companionship, every meal, and then every time before we study, before we teach and after we teach and just any other random times throughout our day too. Last week I felt like teaching was my weakness. It was really hard for me to get into roll plays and really know what to say but I LOVE teaching now! I have just learned to relax and teach from the spirit. It really is the neatest thing. I will be talking and all the sudden something will come out of my mouth that I had no idea I was gonna say. I think last week I told you a little about Claudia, one of our "investigators". So our first lesson with her was last Monday and we had our second last Wednesday and we got her to commit to baptism! Ah greatest thing ever!!!!! Even though she really is a member already and was just acting like an investigator it was so great. The spirit was so strong. I felt this great love for her and had such a desire to get her to come closer to Christ. What hit her the most was the after life and eteral families. I think that is something that really draws people in. We have also been teaching both our teachers aka "Max" and "Albert". They both started of rocky but have turned out so good. We got Albert to commit to baptism as well! we taught 4 lessons, it was a busy day. Which I know RMs probably laugh and think that is a slow day but it was busy for us. We got to teach a "member referral" and a "less active". They were both really great as well and I'm pretty positive they are both actually active members but it was great to really get into it and have these experiences as practice. K I seriously love the MTC so much! Oh so a little more about my companion, her name is Sister Luebbert. (You can look her up on my fb;) She is from Iowa and went to UVU in Orem for 2 years before. She is awesome! We get a long so well, I feel so blessed to be able to work with such great people. The other 2 sisters in my district are Sister Perez from New Mexico and Sister Kay from California. They are all the sweetest girls. They both leave for Salt Lake as well as the Elders in our district. Actually they leave this afternoon. They are awesome, literally such great examples! I'm gonna miss them all. So Lacey left this morning too! :( So sad, I literally would see her a few times a day, it was the best ever! I went to her room last night to say our final goodbyes.. We were in the same residence building so that was awesome. I see Karlie a lot too. It is so great to be able to have them both here. Everything is just great! So we had a great devotional. (I know.. great! haha) It was Chad Lewis, a member of the church who used to be in the NFL actually. Maybe the boys would know him. Anyways it was super motivational and got me even more pumped to get out there and convert everyone in St George. We also had testimony meeting in our branch and it was amazing. The spirit was so strong, I couldn't not get up. I thought my heart was gonna pop outta my chest, my heart was beating so fast. I hope you guys know how much I love this church and how much it means to me. It makes me want to be better. It's crazy I feel like I have already grown and changed so much just being here 2 weeks. My testimony has grown so much in every way. I know God is our Heavenly Father who loves us so much! So much that he sent his son Jesus Christ to atone for all of our sins. It is so comforting to me to know that They are always there for us and they are completley aware of everything going on in our lives. Jesus is so merciful and wants us all to return to Him and our Father. I am so thankful for Joseph Smith and for his courage and  faith he had to restore this gospel on this earth. It is crazy to think what some people have gone through just to have this gospel here in its fullness on the earth. Some times we take it for granted and I kick myself for taking it for granted sometimes before. This gospel has brought such peace and joy into my life though and I want everyone to have that. I want everyone to feel the happiness I have of knowing we can return to Him after this life and with our families. So blessed I get to be with all of you forever. It's the greatest blessing ever- eternal life with the ones we love. I love you all and hope you having a great day! I might get on later too btws, cause I have more computer time left!

Lacey and Summer

1st District

Week One MTC May 1, 2013

Hiiiii! How's it going? How has the roadtrip been going?? How are Brooke and Bobbi doing? Still pregnant? Haha

Wow ok so the MTC has been awesome! So much to tell in little time! My companion is Sister Luebbert, it was the one I was telling you about that we actually talked over facebook before. She is awesome, I love her. In my district there is 4 elders and 4 sisters. Everyone else is going to Salt Lake besides Sister Luebbert and I which just makes me so sad because I love love love my district! All the girls and I have gotten really close so it's good and the elders are finally opening up to us now too. At first they were super quiet and would not talk to any of the sisters but it's good now haha I love them. They are such great examples to me. I've learned that you really can learn from anyone, even 18 year old elders. Haha!

So Sister Luebbert and I were made Sister Training Leaders which has been neat because it has helped us to reach out more and become closer to all the girls in our zone. So my very first day at dinner I was just sitting there and next thing I know there is Karlie AKA Soster Harrison. It was so exciting to see her! We were both freaking out and had tears of joy, people probably thought we were crazy. Haha everyone was staring at us in the cafeteria. Haha So she sat with me that night at dinner, and we got to talk for about a half an hour. It was awesome. I have seen her everyday I think since I've been here and also Chealsea Cloward and Lacey, I see them a lot. Well I just see a lot of people from Mesa in general. 

So the first few days here were awesome! I didn't feel home sick or sad at all, I was so pumped to get to work and to be a missionary. Although the first night I literally probably got like 2 hours of sleep. I don't know why cause I wasn't even thinking about anything I just was uncomfortable I guess. Every night since I have taken a melatonin and been fine though ;) Friday was awesome, it was our first day that we could check our mail. I got a bunch of dear elders, a hand written letter, and the package of cookies from you mom. So thank you thank you to everyone! Keep it up ;) I was so excited!!! It made my entire day. I felt so bad cause I just wanted to scream because I was so happy but some of the people in our district didn't get a single thing so I felt bad. So Saturday was probably the hardest day yet. Right when we got into class we got thrown into a first lesson, when we hadn't really gone over anything! People say you sit in your classroom for like 10 hours a day which is true but I guess I didn't realize like 8 of those hours is personal study. So it's been hard to get myself to focus and really teach myself. Saturday we had to teach the first lesson to a teacher, it was one we had never met because our actual teacher was sick. Literally I was at a lose of words during the lesson ( I know weird right?) Well it was just bad and and the teacher just made me feel worse. I felt like I didn't have the spirit with me as much as I would've liked and that killed me! People always say that the MTC is sooo spiritual and at that time I felt like I couldn't really say that. I have realized so much how sensitive the spirit is. However, Sunday is just what I needed. Every single person that spoke that day, whether in Relief Society or in the devotional, like I literally felt like they were speaking to me! It was perfect! We also went on a temple walk as a district which was so cool and so nice to get out and just breathe! Oh my goodness, I've had like no time to just sit and breathe but it's been good! We also get 1 hour for email but it's already been over 30 min haha not sure where any of my time goes here. Haha

Alright so yesterday we had our first lesson with a real investigator! Well they say they may just be a volunteer so like most likely a member but I swear ours is a real investigator! Haha her name is Claudia, just moved here from Madagascar last year with her husband and tweo kids. She is the cutest ever! And the lesson went so great. Everything we had to say she understood and really enjoyed! We got her to pray and tried to commit her to baptism.. She said "Yes... well I've already been baptised in the Catholic church." Ah Sister Luebbert and I were freaking out because we thought she was saying YES! We tried to explain the importance of our preisthood but she just wasn't getting it. We have our second lesson with her tomorrow so we will see!

Well I need to get off, we are going to lunch and then a temple session soon :) I'm going to see if I can borrow a SD Card converter and send some pictures later :) Cause I have about 15-20 minutes of email time left but gotta go now haha I love you guys and hope everything is going good!



This pic is of me and my comp infront of the infamous MTC map. 

 

District girls pic. Notice me and my comp match ;)

My Whole District at the Temple

 

After a Temple session. It was a perfect day!

Name tag!

My Comp Sister Caroline Luebbert