Im gonna be a Momma!!!!!!!! I am Training !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So Saturday I got a call form President!!! I was sacred out of my mind because president only calls for leadership when it is the end of the transfer. When I was talking to him he told me that I will be training a new missionary fresh from the Mission Training Center.

So you can understand the title of my email. In my mission when you train a new missionary you are called there mom, because you are teaching them the ways of being a missionary. Just like a mom teaches her child the ways of being a good human. So because i will be training I am going to be a MOM!!! And have my first and only mission baby!!! I will be picking her up on Wednesday and boy oh boy am I excited!!!! I know that this is Heavenly Fathers way of helping me finish my mission strong!!

So this week has been crazy we had exchanges on Friday and that was oddly enjoyable. I got to see some of the old people I taught when I was in New Hartford. So that was such a tender mercy because I honestly hate exchanges. So That was a bonus!!!! 

Also on Saturday, Our branch had a Pioneer Day celebration. Oh that was lots of fun!! We did the Famous Joseph Smith Stick pull. Had a really good Cook Out (BBQ) and had a wonderful time talking to all the Branch members out side of Church. 

Also on Sunday I had the wonderful opportunity to speak in church!!! I spoke about "How the Gospel can change Attitude and Behavior" I would like to share with you all a few things that I shared in my talk. For me I like to refer to this change as a " Mighty Change of Heart" In Alma 5 its says, " And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.  And behold, he preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved. And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your heart?" I love the concept of a mighty change of heart because it always refers to becoming converted unto the Lord and having that firm testimony that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. I wont to take a moment and reflect on the story of the 10 virgins. Everyone knows the parable for the most part, 5 had only before the bridegroom came and the other 5 did not. So lets look at the Lamp that holds the only as a testimony. All 10 of the virgins had a testimonial of the Restored Gospel. Now lets look at the oil as a conversion. In the parable only 5 had the oil need to shine the way. Our life here on earth is to become truly converted unto the Lord, Jesus Christ. How else are we suppose to prepare for when he comes again. So here is my question to you all, Are you going to be of the 5 that are converted and have the oil ready to shine the way to meet our savior? or are you going to be of the 5 that just has a lamp with no oil that is wondering in the darkness trying to go get some only? 

i know that as we are converted unto our Savior and his gospel we will be ready for when he comes again and he will know us for his light will shine about us. 

Thank you all for all the Love and support!!!! You are all amazing sons and Daughters of God!!!

Storms all day everyday!!!

Well this week has been one rain storm after another. We really can no catch a break! Almost everyday this week it has rained and its not just a little rain it is like fluid the streets rain. It is kinda outrageous.   On Wednesday we had the wonderful privilege of helping one of our investigators stack hay in there hay mount. It was so much fun!!!! Oh how i miss working on a farm!!! This Wednesday we are going back to help some more. Keith ( our investigator) loves having us over because i don't wait to be asked to come help. Back to my story last Wednesday after we helped with hay we went to their house and had supper. Then the storm of all storms hit!!! We were on tornado warning there was hail falling from the sky and the wind was blowing up to 60 mph. It was crazy!!! there was so many trees knocked down I just had to laugh!!! It took the town about 2 days to clean it all up. The storms here are super cool!!!

The work in Hamilton is going pretty good, We had a small hiccup this week because we had to go to the Urgent care for Sister Fausett on Friday. So that was a adventure! but i can now say i went to the Doctors on my mission just not for me. I feel really blessed that I have not need to go to the Doctors while I have been serving the Lord. Its been a kinda slower week, why i have no idea but it just has been. So this week we have set the goal to keep the day busy no matter what. I hope we can do this because last time we set this as a goal I almost killed my companion so I pray that all will go well. 

So the past few weeks I have been so blessed in being able to do singing time in primary!!! Oh how I love primary!!! The last few weeks we have been learning I love to see the Temple. It was so much fun because as we were going though the song we talked about why the temple is so important and how we can prepare to go to the temple now. I have come to understand what the Savior meant when he said "become as a little child" Through primary i have been able to truly understand that the Gospel is really so simple but yet so complex. It is so important to remember if a child can bare their testimony that they know the Restored Gospel to be true. We to can gain that testimony and bear witness of its truth and divinity to those around us.

Thank you all for all your love and support i am so grateful to have such a great support system behind me as I go forth and do the work the Lord has sent me forth to do here in New York.

Miracles happen everyday!!!!!

So I first want to start out telling you about a amazing miracle that happened this week. It may not be super big but it is a big deal to me, because i have been praying about it for the last 3 weeks. So on Friday, Sister Fausett and i felt we needed to go into Morrisville and try a Former Investigator and try a family we have been teaching that we haven't been able to contact in a while. We went and tried April the former investigator. All I can say is WOW the spirit sure was in control of that lesson. We taught the restoration and at the end when we invited her to pray all of a sudden out comes, " April when you come to know that what we have shared with you is true, will you be baptized by someone holding the Priesthood Authority of God?" April looked at us and said, " Yes, none of the sisters that have ever came to see me has ever asked me that." Right then we sent a Baptismal date for August 27th. So you all know what i was praying for, I was praying that we would be able to set a baptismal date for someone I would know Heavenly Father truly had prepared and on Friday i saw just that! I know Heavenly Father truly does hear and answer all of our prayers!

This Sunday our mission President and his grand kids attended our sacrament meeting. That was a really special opportunity our mission president talked about missionary work and the doctrine of Christ. But for me the best part was President Rogers grand kids sang the new primary song, "A God of Miracles" IT goes like this;

" Jesus walked

Upon the water

He stilled the storm

And calmed the angry sea

With his hands

He healed the leper

He made the lame to walk

The blind to see

He fed a thousand people

With a loaf or two of bread

And when the ruler’s daughter died

 He raised her from the dead

Jesus is a God of miracles

Nothing is at all impossible to Him

But I know this

Of all his miracles

The most incredible

Must be the miracle that rescues me

Jesus bled and died to save me

A price that I could never pay alone

When He rose again He gave me

The greatest gift the world has ever known

Yes I can be forgiven

Every time that I repent

And some day he will lift me up

To live with Him again

Jesus is a God of miracles

Nothing is at all impossible to Him

But I know this

Of all his miracles

The most incredible

Must be the miracle that rescues me

The miracle that rescues you and me"

I am so grateful I was able to ear these sweet words on Sunday. I want to bare my testimony that I know with all my heart that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is for everyone and that it is though is Atonement we can feel whole and know that we are not Alone. I am so grateful I am able to share this knowledge with Gods Children here in New York.

Thank you all for all your love and support! I hope and pray that you all have the oppritunity to take a minute and reflect upon how the Atonement has helped you in your life. You are all amazing and keep building you testimony stronger and stronger as you relay on the mercy of your loving Savior Jesus Christ.

A wonderful week finished with the Temple

So I am emailing on Tuesday (today) because I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Palmyra Temple this morning. Oh!!! How I missed the temple so much!!!! I first want you all to know that i know the Temple is the House of the Lord and it is the most Holiest place here on Earth. I was ready to cry as I had to walk out of that wonderful sacred place. But what a privilege it was to be able to feel of the powerful spirit with in those walls.

So this week was kinda crazy!!! My companion hasn't been feeling well so that has added a few hick ups, but that's ok it want stop me from finding ways to do the work. We are working with 2 investigators particularly on acting on there faith and moving forward towards baptism. They both know the church is true and they both know how the Restored Gospel can bless their lives the only down fall right now is they have little hang ups, like one is struggling with quitting smoking and the other is keeping her loyalty still kinda to the Catholic church. So we are working with them to act on their faith and to move forward and take the next step which is Baptism by someone holding the Priesthood Authority of God. We have been doing a lot of praying for them.

Also this week was a little miracle our Mission President is encouraging us to do a hours worth of Finding each day. So as much as i am not the number one fan of finding we started to do it a little more. On Tuesday Morning we had planned to go tracking for a hour on the street right behind us. So before we left we said a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to lead us to those he is preparing on this street. So we head off. We knock on about 4 doors and we had about 2 people that kinda interested. Then we knock on the 5th door. We met this awesome guy named Luke, he came outside and let us share the messages of the Restorations. Then he told us " well this is actually my business, i live up stairs." Then we got talking and He had a lot of questions about the Plan of Salvation and what will happen after we die. I have never met anyone so prepared!!!!!

So thats about it other then the 4th of July!!! We had some members invite us to there bbq's. It was wonderful!!!Monday wasn't our Pday so we still were trying to teach people and had some fun crashing peoples parties. Nothing really happened other then we got really fat off of all the good food members fed us!

It truly has been a wonderful week and thank you so much for all your love and support!!!

Time flies when your having fun!!!

Well, how is everyone doing? I hope everyone is doing just wonderful!!!! You are all amazing and I hope you all remember that! So  this week has been pretty crazy! I honestly can barely remember what happened all i know is we worked hard and by the end of the week i felt like i was hit by a truck.

But there is a few big highlights of the week! 1: We have a investigator with a baptismal date for Aug. 13th! His name is Josh, he had met with missionaries before and is progressing oh so nicely! I am so happy, we are working with him on coming to church and reading the Book of Mormon on his own. He prays every night and tell us every time we see him how he feels the spirit so strongly when he prays. 2: We will have 5 new investigators starting the beginning of July. We have a Family here in Hamilton, that i basically the most redneck family you could ever met and well they are having 5 new family members moving in that want to start taking the lessons. So That will be exciting. 3: on the 5th of July my companion and I will get to go to the Palmyra temple with some wonderful member's!!! We will be doing a members family names! I am so excited to go to the temple!!!! Its been a little over a year and I cant wait to be able to feel of the amazing spirit there!!!!

So we had a amazing Zone Conference all about the Atonement and Finding people to teach. It was great being able to learn more about the power of relying on our faith when we find. I know most of ya'll probably dont really care about the importance of finding new people to teach, but all i can say is that finding is one of the most important parts of the Lords work. And if we dont find people to teach then we as missionaries are not fulfilling our purpose. So the AP's explained why finding is apart of missionary work, they explained it like a 3 legged stool. How each leg represent represent the importance for each of us. The first leg represents our commitment to our calling, the second leg is our Faith in the Savior Jesus Christ and his Atonement, and the Third leg is our skill and desire. As we have all three of these things we are able to see the Lords hand more abundantly in his work and we will be able to find those in which the Lord has prepared for us.

Finally i want to talk a Little about the Atonement for just a minute. I want to share with you a story about a 1 room school house in Virgina. This story was told by President Gordon B. Hinkley;  

“Years ago there was a little one-room schoolhouse in the mountains of Virginia where the boys were so rough that no teacher had been able to handle them.

“A young, inexperienced teacher applied, and the old director scanned him and asked: ‘Young fellow, do you know that you are asking for an awful beating? Every teacher that we have had here for years has had to take one.’

“‘I will risk it,’ he replied.

“The first day of school came, and the teacher appeared for duty. One big fellow named Tom whispered: ‘I won’t need any help with this one. I can lick him myself.’

“The teacher said, ‘Good morning, boys, we have come to conduct school.’ They yelled and made fun at the top of their voices. ‘Now, I want a good school, but I confess that I do not know how unless you help me. Suppose we have a few rules. You tell me, and I will write them on the blackboard.’

“One fellow yelled, ‘No stealing!’ Another yelled, ‘On time.’ Finally, ten rules appeared on the blackboard.

“‘Now,’ said the teacher, ‘a law is not good unless there is a penalty attached. What shall we do with one who breaks the rules?’

“‘Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on,’ came the response from the class.

“‘That is pretty severe, boys. Are you sure that you are ready to stand by it?’ Another yelled, ‘I second the motion,’ and the teacher said, ‘All right, we will live by them! Class, come to order!’

“In a day or so, ‘Big Tom’ found that his lunch had been stolen. The thief was located—a little hungry fellow, about ten years old. ‘We have found the thief and he must be punished according to your rule—ten stripes across the back. Jim, come up here!’ the teacher said.

“The little fellow, trembling, came up slowly with a big coat fastened up to his neck and pleaded, ‘Teacher, you can lick me as hard as you like, but please, don’t take my coat off!’

“‘Take your coat off,’ the teacher said. ‘You helped make the rules!’

“‘Oh, teacher, don’t make me!’ He began to unbutton, and what did the teacher see? The boy had no shirt on, and revealed a bony little crippled body.

“‘How can I whip this child?’ he thought. ‘But I must, I must do something if I am to keep this school.’ Everything was quiet as death.

“‘How come you aren’t wearing a shirt, Jim?’

“He replied, ‘My father died and my mother is very poor. I have only one shirt and she is washing it today, and I wore my brother’s big coat to keep me warm.’

“The teacher, with rod in hand, hesitated. Just then ‘Big Tom’ jumped to his feet and said, ‘Teacher, if you don’t object, I will take Jim’s licking for him.’

“‘Very well, there is a certain law that one can become a substitute for another. Are you all agreed?’

“Off came Tom’s coat, and after five strokes the rod broke! The teacher bowed his head in his hands and thought, ‘How can I finish this awful task?’ Then he heard the class sobbing, and what did he see? Little Jim had reached up and caught Tom with both arms around his neck. ‘Tom, I’m sorry that I stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I will love you till I die for taking my licking for me! Yes, I will love you forever!’” 

Sense our Zone Conference I have thought about this story again and again and one thing always comes to mind. Our Savior Jesus Christ took our licks for us so we dont have to feel those pains on our own. How merciful is he for going through all that he did just so we can be able to stand on our own two feet. Oh, how i love our Savior. I would like to leave all of you with a quote form a scripture and that is, " Pure love casteth out all fear."

I love you all and i am so truly grateful for all your love and support!!!!

Hello People in the West!!!!!!

So tell me how is life for all my favorite humans?!?! Life is great here in the Eastern state of New York!!!! We are working hard! This week was pretty fun me and my companion has some fun dinner appointments with the best members in the world!!! Brother and Sister Smith are probably my all time favorite people ever! They treat us as if we are there own children! Sunday Brother Smith became our adoptive Dad and took us on a nice ride around the town with his wife and then we had dinner with them. Oh what fun!!!! Then at the end of the night we roasted marshmallows and sat around the fire and talked about fun scripture stories and they told us of there conversion story and how the Gospel has truly changed their lives. It was so wonderful!!!! I am so grateful for all they do for us!!!

So this week we had a few small tender mercies, some of our investigators after 3 weeks of not getting back to us. Called us and invited us over for a lesson tonight. We were so happy!!!! They were progressing sense we haven't seen or heard anything form them we thought they wanted to stop meeting with us and taking the lessons but we were wrong. They just were out of town for the last 3 weeks and Nikki ( the wife) had surgery. So we are so happy to be able to meet with them again!!! Other then that it has been about the same just working hard at finding people to teach and bring the message of the Restored Gospel into there lives!

So i want to take a minute and have you all ponder these questions, Why do you obey the commandment that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have given us? Is it because of fear of the punishment that would come if we didnt obey? Is it because we want to be rewarded for having a good life her on earth? Or is it because you have that yearning desire to be with your Heavenly Father and Savior again and want to serve them with all your heart? .... I want you all to remember that Obedience to all of the Commandment in which God has given us will bring us the riches blessing that our Father has to offer. We may not always understand why we have to obey them but we much act in faith all follow all that he has asked of us. I have always loved the example of Nephi when he says, " I will go and do the this in which the Lord has commanded for I know the Lord giveth no commandments unless he prepares a way for them to accomplish it" We as humans may not see how we can live certain commandment in the world we live it. But I testify to you all that it is always possible to live every commandment in which we have been given. God knows what the world is like, Christ knows how it feels to be us and be a out cast when you choose to follow the will of the Father. So it is worth the hardship, because after ever challenge comes great and mighty miracles! So let not yourself fall into temptation, stand tall and stand proud your represent the Lord, Jesus Christ! My dear friends and my beloved family, continue in faith each and every day and know " The Lord thy God is with you wither so ever thou goest" You can be obedience because though your obedience you will be blessed for the eternities!

Love you all so very much! Thank you for all your thought and prayers!!!

For the First time in Forever!!!!

So guess what for the first time in my mission i am staying in a area with the same companion for more then one transfer!!!!! So that is super exciting!!! We are going to work so hard core miracles here in Hamilton New York!!!!

So this week has been crazy busy!!!! We barely had time to breath!!! We picked up 2 new investigators Sean and Jannet. They are awesome!!! Sean is about to be a father for the 2nd time and he cant wait!!! Jannet was a referral she is 86 years old and she is the funniest lady in the world!!!! She cant hear a thing and when we talk to her we have to yell but its still fun hearing all her crazy stories and sharing the gospel with her!

Also we had exchange, that was pretty crazy! I got to go back to a old area and see all the humans there! I sure do miss New Hartford at times! Even though it was a rough time i miss all the people there. While we were on exchange we tried some crazy Asian fruit that is all prickly on the outside and looks like a grape on the inside. I was so confused on what it was, but either way it was good and a new experience for me. 

I thought I would explain one of the pictures I sent. The one of me holding a Unicorn. So I have this thing of asking the people in leadership for pets even though we arent aloud pets. So usually they give me a stuff animal of something. So this transfer I asked my  Zone Leaders and my Sister Training Leaders for a unicorn. Well my Sister Taining Leaders surprised me on exchange with a balloon Unicorn!!!! I was so happy!!!! Nothing better then getting a cute little unicorn to make your day!

Today I want to focus a little on the phrase "Charity never faileth" As I have gone though my mission I have learn that the center of missionary work is Charity. If you do not have charity for the people you meet you will never see the miracles of the tender mercies of the lord. Charity is the Pure love of Christ. This work is the Lords work and we need to have charity to go anywhere in our lives to become as Christ. President Thomas S. Monson once said, " Love is the very Essence of the Gospel and Jesus Christ is our Example." I cant help but think of the Atonement when i think of Charity. The Lord, Jesus Christ so loved all of Gods Children that he so willingly sacrificed his life for us so then Gods un-perfect children can find comfort when they are in need of it. His Charity of all of us will never fail because he will never give up on us. Because he loves us all. I am so grateful for charity i know that it is though the atonement of Jesus Christ that we are able to learn of the true power of having Christ like love for all of Gods Children. 

I love you all and thank you all so much for all your loving support! My the Lord bless you in all that you do and face! Just remember he is only a prayer away and he will be there!