Wonderful week full of laughs!!!

So this week has gone by super fast!!! Like I dont even know what happen to this week all i know its that it is gone and its now my favorite day of the week MONDAY!!!! once again. But it still has been a fun week!!! So this week we were able to do probably the best service ever!!! We helped our neighbor run her TACO TRUCK!!! It was so much fun!! I got to help her make all the food as Sister Fausett was outside making the menu boards. I had so much fun!!!! It reminded me how much fun it is to cook and make people happy with the food you make them. That just brought me so much joy and i got to talk with all the people at the Antique show that was going on. Our neighbor was very grateful as well because she learned she was kinda way over her head with the Taco Truck... lets just say it is a good thing i can work very fast under pressure because i think if we weren't there helping during Lunch time she would have had to stop. Everyone that came and got tacos left happy people and it let the town know who we are as well. So it was like blessing pilled on top of even more blessings.

All of our investigator and less actives are doing wonderfully! One of our Returning Less Actives has the goal of going to the temple. So we are helping him prepare to recieve the Melchizedek priesthood and then work towards the temple so that is super exciting!!! We also were able to meet some really awesome people as we were trying to find some less actives. One was actually a referral from a member in Utah. Her name is Janet she is 86 years old and she is a spit fire!!! She is in assisted living facility. She is super friendly and willing to learn about the church. She truly i such a sweet heart. Today we also met a pervious investigator named Josh as we were shopping. We have a appointment to see him Wednesday. Boy oh Boy is Hamilton prepared!!! It truly think it is amazing to see the Lords hand in his work and see how you are just the instrument for him.

So awesome news!! I am now in 3 Nephi with my Book of Mormon reading!!! and if anyone knows me this is a huge deal because on a rare occasion have I ever gotten this far in the Book of Mormon. I have come to know and love the Book of Mormon very much! Before I left on my mission it was like pulling teeth to get me to ever want to read and now here I am a year into my mission and I feel like it is more like pulling teeth to get me to put the scriptures done. Every morning as i get to study for a hour i get so energized to feel the powerful spirit that comes from reading the scriptures and feel the spirit testify to you that what you are reading is true. It is just so amazing!!!!! 

This week we have had many opportunity to share and read Joseph Smiths first vision. It truly is a amazing time in church history. It is such a great opportunity to serve here in New York were it all began! In Joseph Smith History verse 11-17 when Joseph Smith tells of his experience and how he acted on the knowledge that he did have. I want to focus on verse 16 for just a minute it reads, " But, exerting all my power to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction.- not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being- just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, about the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until if fell upon me." Out of all the thing Joseph Smith shares with his experience this is for some odd reason always the part that stands out to me because it shows 1. how merciful and loving our Heavenly Father truly has for all of his children 2. it shows the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how infinite it can be in our lives and 3. it shows how we and children of God should never give up when times get rough because he will always be there to pull us up and help us though all of our trials. I never though about the first vision in this way till I gained a testimony of the First vision and of the Atonement. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and that he did see God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. I have a shirt that I got on my mission, it has a picture of the Scared Grove on the Back and around the picture it says, " This past changed the world, now let it change your life. I would like to invite yo all to let this experience that Joseph Smith had change you life. I know that it is though knowing that Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration that makes it so powerful of a experience to read the Book of Mormon. Because " no evil man would write such a book" I invite you all to watch this video and truly listen to the powerful words in which Elder Holland speaks and then to get your knees and do as I have said over and over again in all my emails and ask God if Joseph Smith is truly the prophet of Restorations and if he really did bring the same church that Christ established on the earth again.

I love you all and i am so truly grateful for all your love and support! I know Heavenly Father hears all your prayers and will answer you though the power of the Holy Ghost. 

https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/testimony-of-the-book-of-mormon-2

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2010-03-08-testimony-of-the-book-of-mormon?lang=eng

What are you GRATEFUL for?

So this week has been crazy busy!!! We have a awesome investigator Dustin!!! I really have never seen anyone more ready.... well I have but its awesome to see it again! All in one day we taught Dustin the 3 different lessons ( the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Plan of Salvation, and the Word of Wisdom) We were able to do this because he asked us to come back all in the same day!!! His Girlfriend is a Less active member so we taught him once with her and the second time just with him on the porch. He has been reading the Book of Mormon for 3 years and has never been taught by Missionaries before!!! I just thought that was crazy!!! Why would any missionary let a Golden investigator just slip though there fingers!!! So also awesome news!! Dustin came to church this Sunday too!!!! He already is trying to quite smoking and drinking, i truly love being able to see how the Restored Gospel can change someones life so much!!!

So other things that have happen this week, well we found 3 new Less actives that we are starting to teach next week!!! We are praying that we will be able to find people though them as we ask for referrals. I know are prays can be answered we just got to exercise our faith! 

Things have been super fun here in Hamilton!!! My goal right now is to not kill my companion. She doesn't have the best health and get tired very quickly so i am trying to pace the work in a way that doesn't ware her out to quickly and get her sick. All I can say is that is I am so grateful that the Lord has blessed me with good health and a strong body that can go through a lot of stress and still be able to go forth and do His work.

So no the reason for my title today... I ask what are you grateful for? simply because Sunday during church I here a very profound statement in one of the talks that were given and that was, " The things we take for granted. someone else is praying for." That statement sunk deep in my heart as i hear those words. On Sunday i had a lot of time to ponder this, because my companion got food poisoning from eating some bad Pork. Yeah that was a lovely sight to see... lol not really! So back to what I was saying, as I pondered this profound statement i quickly realized how truly blessed i am and how i need to stop and just be grateful for everything the Lord has given my and my family. So at the instant i got on my knees and just offered a prayer of Gratitude to the the Lord and all i can say is Wow!!! That was the most spirit filled prayer I have ever had in my life. I would like to invite you all to get on your knees when ever you have the opportunity and just give thanks to your Heavenly Father for everything he had given you and your family! Because seriously I know that it is just as important to give thanks to our Heavenly Father and Savior as it is to ask them for help. Alma 7:23 reads, " And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive." It is so important for us to give thanks because as we give thanks we show our love for your Father in Heaven.

Thank you for all that your do and all your loving support!! Remember you are all loved by your Father in Heaven and he is always there for you when you are in need. He is always waiting for you to take his hand and let him help you.

One week full of service and fun!!!!

So this week we have had many opportunities to serve a part member family in the cute little Hamilton Branch! We got to help them build a enclosed porch! (we were more the heavy lifers) We also played alot of softball with there 5 boys to keep them busy and out of the way! Goodness me am i sore from all of that fun work!!! :) We are going over again today to have Family home evening with them, we will be going on a Restoration treasure hunt!!! HAHA!!! Me and Sister Fausett are just a little creative :)

We also were kept very busy with teaching our investigators! WOW!!! We really dont ever have time to breathe! Between all the serves we do and the people we teach, I am honestly surprised that I can get up and walk everyday. We had a wonderful lesson with our some of our Less Actives about Temples and the Plan of Salvation. This week really was just full of all ups and lots and lots of spiritual moments!!! All I can say is I love being a missionary!!!

So this weeks email is a little short simply because I am a little short on time. We have lessons starting at 3 today and we have to also finish our Restoration treasure hunt. But being busy is a good thing :) Because that is a sign that people are truly prepared here in Hamilton! 

So this week we have been doing alot of focusing on the Doctrine of Christ. I absolutely love the Doctrine of Christ! There are so many chapters on the Book of Mormon that talks about the amazing Doctrine that Christ taught. My personal favorite chapter (even though i shouldn't have favorites) is 2 Nephi 31. Nephi teaches and testifies so simply the power of this doctrine! In verse 10-13 it reads; " And he said unto the children of man: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus Save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father? And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son. And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism- yea, be following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, than shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel." I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is so simple and so wonderful! I know that as we live the Gospel of Christ and let it sink deep in to our hearts and be firmly rooted to the marrow of our bones that no temptations can over come our faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ and that we will be able to keep the commandments in which He has given us for we will truly know that Jesus in the Christ.

I love you all and I am so grateful for all your love and support :) I would like to invite you all to pray and ask God the Eternal Father if this gospel is true, I know and I can promise you as you do this you will see you testimony grow and you will feel the spirit of the Lord more abundantly in your life.

P.S. I met the Elder in my mission that is from my Grandma and Grandpa Loveland's ward! He is in my Distric :)

1 year and 3 days!!!

Well its offical i have hit my year mark!! Before I know it I will be home with my wonderful family. Goodness my mission has really flown by!!! There is nothing more rewarding then being on a mission at this time in my life.

This week we have been busy teaching so many people! We are trying to contact all the less actives in the Branch and some of the Former investigators that were taught in the past and WOW that is so much fun and alot of work! Because all at the same time we are trying to find new people to teach so we are trying to talk to literally everyone! But We are still having lots and lots of fun!!!!

We recently found a awesome New Investigator Dustin! He is the Boy-Friend of a Less Active. He is super nice and has just about finished the Book of Mormon. I am so excited we will be teaching him again on Tuesday and man his he prepared! Also we have found some new less actives that haven't been contacted in a while and the best part is they want us to meet with them and help them start coming back to church!! Oh my Goodness the Gospel is true and there are miracles happening here!!!!

So today I want to talk a little bit about the 2,000 stripling warrior. They are some amazing men with in the Book of Mormon the truly show that as you put your loyalty first to the Lord then to your families you will be able to see miracles! In the Book of Mormon it describes them as men with great courage, they did not fear death, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt God would deliver them. I want to focus on the first part they were men of Great Courage! I truly love the word Courage! My sweet family has a wonderful saying that is ," Courage not Compromise" I remember when i was young not knowing why we had this as our family saying. But now as I go though my mission often times I hear my sweet mothers voice in the back of my head saying those sweet word. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints we need to have courage to stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things and in all places. " be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest" The prophet Thomas S. Monson once said, "Dare to be a Mormon, Dare to Stand Alone, Dare to have a Purpose Firm, Dare to make it known." I invite you all to go forth and share the truth and knowledge that you know to be true. Have the courage to stand out and be a true decipcle of Jesus Christ!

I love you all and thank you so much for all that your have done for me and all your support in helping me be able to be on my mission. I am so grateful for all your loving support! My the Lord bless you in all you do!

P.s. it decided to snow Sunday!!! Oh what fun it is to be in New York!

A Fun busy Week!

So training a new missionary is fun and interesting, but the best part is seeing them grown in their ability to teach the message of the restored gospel.

So I am second transfer training, a wonderful Sister; Sister Fausett! She is amazing with her desire to share the gospel. We are working hard to organize our apartment and area. All I can say is it was a mess!!!! There are so many old records that are pointless simply because the people no longer are there and this a a college town so most everyone here are college students so year there are alot of people moving all the time. So we have spent many of hours going though finding the people that no long live her and just simply de-junking our area. Its super fun! Especially doing it with a new missionary because then you get to help them learn of how they can help future areas.

So the Hamilton Branch is so cute and tiny!!!! We have about 21 active families and there really isn't to many young families so we have about 35 active members with in the branch. Because it is so small we sadly dont have our own building we meet inside a chapel inside a medical building. All i can say is i have come to truly be so very very grateful for my cute church building back home. Truly the saints in the west are basically spoiled rotten compared to the east. But i have never met so many saints that have such a strong faith like i do here in the eastern part of the US. Goodness i love it here!!!! i truly cant believe that i am on my last stretch then i will be able to see my lovely family at the airport welcoming me home. 

Oh by the way Mothers day was wonderful!!!! It truly is such a blessing to have the amazing mother that i do! She has been such a blessing and a wonderful example of letting your faith be first in all thing that you do and that come your way. On Sunday I was able to speak in church on mothers as well and wow all i can say after writing that talk being a mother is truly the most divine calling any women can ever have. 

Sorry is this seems jumbled my brain is just going 100 miles a hour!!!!

Also we had a few changes in our mission, we are now able to go to the temple every 6 months or 1 time a transfer with new converts. So that is a hidden blessing! Because now I will have the blessing of being able to go the temple more then once before i go home!So yeah it is pretty sweet!!! 

Oh also I had cow tongue taco's one of my first nights here. And all i can say is Heavenly Father must bless his missionaries with a stomach of steel!! Because i have no idea how i ate them because they were so gross!!! But i did it!!!! 

I wont to share with you all one of the many women in the scriptures that has strongly influenced my life and helped so much to  gain my testimony of the Atonement. That person is Marry Magdalene. Her love for her savior and what he did for me truly inspired me as a young women. in John 20: 11-16 it reads, " But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master."

I absolutely love these verses because they have truly change my out look on how much we truly need to love our Savior. My first time reading this a thought came to my mind of, " how would i feel if i found my saviors tomb empty?" would i react as Marry did? I know that our saviors love is real and is around us all each and every day. Now its are job to let our love for our savior change other peoples live.

I love you all so much and thank you for the support that you have given me! Please stay strong and true to the promises in which you have made with your heavenly father. I know that it is through those sacred promises our testimonies that we have in our savior and his atonement we will be able to one day dwell with our Father in Heaven once a gain and have eternal happiness. i invite you all to go forth this day and again your one testimony of the Saviors Atoning Sacrifice.

Hamilton NY

So I am getting transfered again!!!! I will be 2nd transfer training Sister Fausett in Hamilton NY! I am so excited but nervous at the same time!!! It truly will be a great and wonderful experience!!! So you all know Manchester VT will be closing so that means no more missionaries here. It is sad but it is a good thing all at the same time. This is only happening because we dont have enough sister missionaries coming in to keep every sister area open. But that is ok I did what I was suppose to do here in Vt and tat was to find the sweet little Loveland Family that i emailed about last week.

So this week not much happened, We just cleaned out our apartment and said good bye to everyone so there isnt much to report. But we still had lots of fun. We found every opportunity to serve and that was tons of fun!!! 

Sorry this email is so short, I am kinda short on time sense today i will be going into my new area and we are traveling alot today! I feel that this is what is suppose to happen, I dont know why but I feel so much peace going into my new area so fast. 

So as I have been studying the Book of Mormon in depth I have come to understand alot and one of the things in which I have come to understand is the mighty faith and strength of Captain Moroni! In Alma 48: 11-13, 17 it reads, " And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery; Yeah, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for  the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon he people; an man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safty of his people. Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood. yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, if all man had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men." I would like to invite you all to strengthen you faith like unto Moroni's so then we will all be able to be strong saints and have a firm steadfast testimony of this wonderful and restored Gospel!

What a Wonderful Sunday!!

So this week was great and super super busy!! I truly cant believe this week is over already!!! 

Vermont is treating me well!!! Right now it is a continue struggle to find people to teach but i know that with the Lords help we will and we will see miracles!!! 

So Sunday was by far my favorite day this week... well every Sunday is my favorite day. So in Sacrament meeting I heard probably the best talk i have ever heard it was by the 1st counselor in the Branch presidency. Brother Vaughn told a story about a biking race he did and how through out this race he met and made a lot of friend. But also during the race he have alot of road blocks. Such as hypothermia and his knee starting to give out on him. He talked about Trail Angles and how as he hit the road blocks and was ready to quite there was always a trail angle there to help. As he had many people back home cheering him on he know that he need to make it to the end but the only problem was there came a time he needed medical help with his knees. He then tied the story to our journey here on Earth and how we have people cheering us one here on earth and beyond the veil. (i didnt tell the sorry to well sorry) And how no matter what we can return to our father because we will have our own trail angles helping us get there.

Then we had a wonderful Sunday school lesson on Covenants. We talked about how a covenant is a 2 way promise and the through our obedience to the promises we make we will be able to see wonderful blessings and be able to dwell with our Heavenly Father again! A great scripture that describe the importance of keeping our covenants is D&C 82:10, " I, the Lord, am  bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." We must always follow all that the Lords asked of us so then we can all receive all the promised blessings the lord has for us! Sister Linda K. Burton once said, " The Best way to Strengthen a home is to Keep Covenants! Promises we've made to each other and to God." Build your faith in the lord and please strive to keep your covenants with the Lord.

So now for amazing story time!!!! So after church on Sunday, Sister Thao and I were going around town called Dorset trying some potential investigators. I needed to pull over to find which person was closes to where we were. As i was driving i felt i need to pull into a Cemetery on the side of the road, me being stubborn I thought to myself, "no, i will pull into the restaurant up the street." So i did just that after we figured out where we were going. I ended up making a right instead of the left, so then i felt I needed to turn around in the Cemetery again. Me being stubborn again said to myself, " Fine Heavenly Father I will!" So as we drove though the Cemetery one of the last head stones we say said in big letters LOVELAND. I was so happy! After i took some pictures, I felt I need to write down their names, as i did so I heard a faint voice say, "you found us!" I was ready to cry! I know that Heavenly Father was leading me to them so then they can have the wonderful gospel. 

It is such a blessing to be a missionary!!! Thank you all for all your thought and prayers and all of your support!!