My district before transers at a dinasaur museum

                                                         Christmas Nativity investigators

                                                My new companion Sister Bonn.  She's a gem!

                                                                        Sister Bonn

                                                             All the sisters in my district.

December 23, 2013

HOLA HOLA FAMILIA!

THIS WEEK! IT IS HAPPENING!! WE GET TO SKYPE! AHH! I am so stoked! I cannot wait.  We will be spending Christmas at Rhenon's with her mom and dad and son, so I will be skyping from there.  I wrote down tanner's skype name and will find him to skype.  You can count on me getting on to skype at around 2:30-3:00my time.  I believe I can call you beforehand and let you know when I am getting on skype.  Sound good? GOOOOOOD! GET READYY!!  WOOT WOOT!  

I am so happy to hear you got my package! I was so rushed to send it out that I didn't get to wrap anything.  I got your packages!! They are sitting under our little Christmas tree in our room! I am so excited :) And I got Grandma's package as well!  We also got home one night this week and two of my favorite families in the ward made us a wreath to put up in our apartment.  It smells divine! it's nice to have some Christmas cheer in our apartment.

Sister Bonn is absolutely wonderful! I love love love her.  We get along great and have such a good time together. I honestly don't feel like I am even training her. She knows what she is doing. With Sister Greenfield and I, it took a little while to get into the groove of teaching together, but with Sister Bonn when we teach it clicks.  We work very well together.  She is a natural, and it helps because she wants to work and obey and get things done.  She has caught on to the missionary schedule really quick and has been a joy to work with especially with figuring out the bus system.  Speaking of which we now have no car at all.  NONE.  At least we got it for 2 days a week, but they have given the car to the 1st ward Sisters completely.  AHHHHH! They did this because their area isn't even covered by the bus.  It is seriously a struggle not having a car.  We waste so much time riding and walking.  One time this week we waited for the bus for 30 minutes and it never showed which caused us to miss appointments we had set and waste 2 hours of prime proselyting time.  It was very frustrating. Our ward is the biggest ward in the stake and yesterday our Bishop gave us a ward list that is 26 pages long.  26!!! There are so many people we could go out and find but with the bus is makes it very difficult because by the time we ride and walk to the persons home 30-60 minutes has been lost and if they aren't home we have to wait another 60 minutes for the next bus. AND the bus doesn't even run on Sunday and only two lines run on Saturday.  I am pretty frustrated about the situation but we will have to make it work.  Ward members are great, but even then it is hard to schedule with us, our investigators and a member/bus.  We will see what happens.

This week we had Zone conference in Billings and as always, it was FANTASTIC.  They had a slide show of everyone's baby pictures around Christmas time.  haha I saw mine! Good choice family, good choice. Hahaha it was really fun! Then they gave us a goodie bag with letters from everyone! I LOVED that more than anything.  It was such a fun surprise and so much fun to read from everyone. I so loved hearing your testimonies. Not going to lie, looking at everyone's Christmas pictures and reading the letters made me really miss being home at this time of year.  It was fun, but really stunk at the same time.  The Assistants dressed up as Santa and his little helpers so we got pictures with Santa which was fun. P.S. I got a little package from Sharon and Van! They sent me peanut brittle and peanut butter fudge! HOW NICE! What a wonderful surprise.  

We left for zone conference at 4:30...ohmygosh, worst morning of my life.  I died.  And I had to drive!! Holy Moses, I feared for everyone's lives that morning.  Haha but we arrived safely.  One of the Assistants spoke and talked about when Jesus asks Peter, Peter do you love me?  and Peter answers yes Lord, you know that I love thee.  But Christ continues to ask him 3 more times and finishes  by saying if you love me feed my sheep.  It really hit home to me. Because I love my Savior, I have grown to love him a lot more on my mission and I want to show him that I love him.  I want to show that I cherish my relationship with Him more than anything else.  I love my Savior, and because I do, I am going to feed His sheep.  I am going to do and be the best missionary that I can possibly be and bring people unto the same understanding and love that I have for my Savior.  Because I love Him I will serve my mission with love and purpose.  

People always talk about Christmas on the mission and how amazing it is, and I think that I have just now come to that point.  It truly is an incredible experience focusing completely on Christ this Christmas season, and not being influenced by all the commercial aspects of Christmas.  I have come to this realization that if Christ was not born we would have absolutely no chance to return. And how badly I want to return.  I want nothing more than to return to my Heavenly Father and live and know Him again.  I have always heard that Christ is the author of our Salvation and it hasn't been until my mission that I have truly come to understand that.  He led a life paving the way for us to return and what a simple path it is. As humans we have a tendency to complicate things much more than they need to be.  We were teaching the Fuqua's, a part member family this week and we were talking about dropping the last syllable in Spirit of Christmas and it becomes Spirit of Christ. And I got to talking with them about how there is so much more to our existence than what we crack it up to be.  There is so much more than our jobs and our home and the places that we live and the friends that we have.  That Christ has opened up a door of monumental opportunity and eternal progression and potential.  I wish I could better express this understanding that I have received.  It truly is an amazing gift that we have been given.  How grateful I am for the gift of my Savior and all that he has done for me.  At zone conference they gave us choir music and we split up into sections and learned our parts and came together and sang these Christmas songs and I couldn't even sing because of how much love I felt for my Savior at that moment.  One of the songs repeats over and over "Christ came here for you, Christ came here for you" I know that he did.  Like I mentioned in emails before, there are many things that I don't yet "know" but only "believe" but I KNOW that Christ came here for me. 

I am to grateful for this Christmas season. Although it is hard being away from home and family right now I know this is where the Lord needs me and wants me right now.  I love my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.  Thank you mom and dad for helping me understand his role in my life. Thank you for your testimonies and your love of the Savior.  Thank you for raising me in a home with Christ at the center.  I will forever be grateful for the home you raised me in full of love and the gospel.

I will write Grandma and Grandpa. Send them my love

I LOVE YOU! MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

talk to you soooooooonn!

Sister MOLINNEEEEE

                                                                    Bozeman Sisters!!

                                                                 My Bingo Ladies!

                                                        The Allen family!   I love them!

December 9, 2013

Let me tell you something family....you have baby winters! Winters for children! This entire week it hasn't gotten above -3! NEGATIVE THREE! The majority of the week it was -13 - 18.  Yeah.  Don't be complaining to me about the cold hokay?  Hahaha just kidding...but really. It is SUPER freaking cold.  Luckily I am staying warm.  A member gave us some fleece jackets to wear under our coats and wool socks to wear.  Members are wonderful.  

okay transfer news....drumroll pleaseeeeeee  BOZEMAN! WOOT WOOT! I am stickin around! Sister Greenfield is being transferred to Stevensville on Wednesday.  I am actually super sad about it.  We have become really good friends and are able to just work off of each other in our lessons.  My new companion is NEW. I will be training a Sister Jackson from California.  I got a call from one of the AP'son Wednesday and he interviewed me. So I knew then that I would probably end up training this transfer. OHman.  I don't know how I feel about it.  I am pretty scared and nervous about it all.  I feel like I don't know enough to be able to train.  I depend a lot on Sister Greenfield in our lessons to answer questions and refer to the scriptures if I can't.  I was feeling pretty anxious last night when I went to bed and something President always says is to pray for a confirmation about where you are being transferred.  So I did and I just was filled with peace that this is where the Lord needs me and Sister Jackson is who I need to be with. Although I am freaked out of my mind about it I know that this is right and I can do all things with the Lord.  He knows my concerns and he knows this area and he will back me up. I am scared, but it will be an adventure and I know I will learn a lot.  I just hope as new as I am that I can be what she needs at the beginning of her mission.  Oh jeez.  They are actually also taking the other Elders out and putting in two Sisters so now my district is all Sisters and the zone leaders.  Hahaha awesssoommmeee! ALSO I have to drive in the snow.....yep, no thanks ladies and gentlemen.  THat is not a good idea.  The Texan driving in Montana winter...nope not a good idea.  Haha

THIS WEEEEEK! 

First off funny story! So we were eating dinner at the Allen's house last night.  Another favorite family of the ward.  They have 4 little girls and Sister Allen comes out with us all the time.  Anyway we were eating and Sister Allen was telling me about how they all watched a movie called Minor Details last night as a family and the girls were obsessed with it.  And I was like, Minor Details?! The movie Kelsey Edwards is in!! So I bragged about how my good friend was in that movie.  hahah so funny.  Also one of their little girls in the middle of dinner stood up on her chair and yelled, "raise your hand if you love glitter and Jesus!"  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH YES! Fantastic.  Kids are the best.  

RHONDA! Okay listen up. Rhonda's hold up for the past while was her husband Ted.  He wasn't interested and she didn't want to follow through with getting baptized if he wouldn't go with her.  She has since then come over that and is moving forward.  The other night we went over and had dinner over there with Ted and Rhonda and taught the Plan of Salvation.  Ted sat in on the lesson and was so involved.  He was asking so many questions and commenting on the things we taught.  He made the comment that wherever Rhonda ends up in the next life, that he wants to be with her.  We went back over later in the week and taught Ted the First lesson and it was awesome.  He said, " So why is it that Mormons are so happy all the time?  I know a lot of Mormons and I have met a lot of them and all of them seem to be so happy, they have this look about them."  I have always heard stories of people saying that and always thought that that was cool, but it was really neat to be able to hear someone actually say that.  We talked about how we know the answers to some of life's greatest questions of where we came from, what our purpose is on earth and where do we go after we die.  Ted seemed to really enjoy the lesson and agreed to read the Book of Mormon with Rhonda.  Something interesting about Ted is that he is really into genealogy, he loves family history, and he told us that recently he has been feeling this extra help in his work and life and Sister Greenfield made the comment to me later that it must be his family on the other side pushing him to hear the gospel and to be baptized.  Because if he is baptized, think of all the people on the other side that will be able to be baptized as well. Interesting. Interesting.

We met again with Sarah the 15 year old this week.  We talked to her about talking to her mom and being straight up with her mom about meeting with us.  And her friend Amy in our ward told us after church that Sarah talked to her mom and her mom said that she has noticed a difference in Sarah since she started to meet with us and that she is fine with her meeting with us but she can't get baptized till she is 18.  Sarah told us in our lesson even that when she meets with us that it feels right and she feels good but when she talks to her Mom about religion or goes to her church it doesn't feel that way.  Sarah also said that she feels different, she sees herself differently and her relationship with God is improving.  THose are the moments that make all of this worth it.   Although her mom said she can't get baptized till she is 18, it is a miracle that she is still allowing her to visit with us. Annnnnd who is to say that miracles can't happen.  

Sadly NO ONE came to church.  STAB IN THE HEART! Danny said he would come, a less active family said they would come, Rhonda said she would come and so did Cara.  BOO. BUT! Cara's car wouldn't start so she had an excuse.  Actually earlier this week we went help Cara Jump start her car in -15 degrees. Let me tell you.  I have never been so freezing in my life! Holy moly! AH! And! Yesterday morning I got up to take a shower and we had NO hot water. Zip zero NOTHING.  Luckily Cara loves us and let us use her shower and made us banana pancakes.  Man, I love people that love us. 

I think I told you that I have been reading a lot about the Atonement and trying to learn more about my Savior so that I can better testify of Him in lessons and truly KNOW and BELIEVE what I am teaching. Last night we watched the Christmas Devotional and it was one of those moments where I just knew, I knew that Jesus Christ came to the earth as the Son of God.   I knew that he performed the Atonement and that he performed it for me so that I can have the chance to live with my Heavenly Father again.  Because of Him I have the potential to make it back, because of Him I can be free from the vile feelings of the world. I am so grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ and for His selfless gift of the Atonement.  I love this gospel.  If there is one thing that I know, I know that this gospel and this church is true.  I know it and I believe with all of my heart.  I love it.  I can't even tell you how amazing it is to have it just click with people.  We aren't telling them things they have never heard before, we are just reminding them of what they already knew.  This message is a message that brings happiness and joy into our lives if only we as members truly knew what we have.  I am nervous about this next transfer but I know Heavenly Father has a plan for the people here in Bozeman and he needs me here with Sister Jackson to make it work.  I love my Savior and I love my Father.  I am truly grateful for the knowledge that I have of them and the roles they play in our lives.  

I love you all and I miss you! I look forward to talking to you on Christmas!

Love you lots
Sure love ya, Moline's Rock, Missionaries Rule!

Sista Freezy Moleezy

                                                         A sign that says . . . Jarrett!!!

                                         Why yes, that is a dead deer on someone's porch. NBD.

                                                                     Hello Montana!

December 2, 2013

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Basically this week was THE BOMB! 

First off, THANKSGIVING! We went and studied at the church and while Sister Greenfield studied Portuguese I played around on the piano.  Man, how I miss playing, I love, love, love it.  Then we went to the Williams house for the Thanksgiving feast of champions.  Brother and Sister Williams used to be very active members and out of nowhere Brother Williams stopped coming to church.  She still comes but he would have nothing to do with us whenever we came over.  We have done a lot of service over there and one day after we were helping out, Sister Williams made us some lunch and he wouldn't even come out to eat with us.  But, she invited us over for Thanksgiving and he was there.  He is actually a very sweet man, he served his mission in Canada and 6 months of his mission in Germany so he talked and talked and talked all about his mission to us. It was really neat.  BUT! What was actually really neat is their daughter Ranone.  She is in her late 20's early 30s and was just released from prison the day before Thanksgiving.  She has had quite the life full of difficulties.  She has never wanted anything to do with the church or religion.  But, while she was in prison she read the Book of Mormon cover to cover in 2 months. It has completely turned her around. Seriously, a complete 180.  She has a notebook filled with notes and thoughts as she read the Book of Mormon.  She had Thanksgiving with us and she is just awesome.  She talked about how she came to know of the Savior's love for her, a inmate in a prison cell.  She even talks about how spending time in prison was almost a blessing because in no other circumstance would she have had the time or wanted to take the time to read the whole Book of Mormon.  She came to church yesterday and asked Sister Greenfield and I if we would come over with her and study the scriptures with her this week.  It truly is incredible what the Book of Mormon can do to us if we but let it.  Anyway, Sister Williams made all of the food by herself and after the meal was finished everyone left to take a nap leaving all the dishes everywhere, so Sister Greenfield and I did all the dishes for her. After that we went over to a member family's home, the Jacksons to stop by and say hi. Brother and Sister Jackson both served missions and have 5 CRAAAZZYYY kids.  Haha they are AWESOME.  Brother Jackson is a scientist so Sister Greenfield LOVES talking to him about all this smart people stuff and he served in Brazil so they talk about that as well.   After the Jackson's we went to our ward mission leaders home.  They are secretly my favorite family.  Brother and Sister Giullian have 5 kids with one at home.  Amy is their youngest and is Saryn's age we are actually teaching her friend right now that I will fill you in on later. :) I actually think Saryn and her would get along prettttyyy well. haha She is awesome. But we went over there and played some games with them and ate pie.  The Giullians remind me of our family a lot and make me feel so at home.  I loveeeee them.  Thanksgiving was awesome because we didn't have to hurry anywhere and were rushed with time and an agenda.  It was sooooo relaxing and wonderful.  There need to be more Thanksgiving holidays in the year. 

BUT ON TO THE GOOD STUFF!

We met with an investigator, Faith who we found in the area book.  We taught her the first lesson and extended the baptismal invitation with a date and everything. Pretty gutsy right? Yeah, I think so too.  Haha she is looking for religion right now and she has told us that out of all the churches she has studied out, she believes that the Mormons are the best.... Oh stop it Faith, stooopp it! Haha She has a lot to learn and has a lot of questions, but this could really happen.  We showed her a video of President Monson sharing his testimony of Christ and she said that she believes those same things too.  Her big hang up right now is prophets, so I think that helped in showing what our Prophet believes and teaches. 

Lehi and Christa WOOT WOOOOOT! I love these two people so freaking much! After we put Lehi on date to be baptized it is amazing the progress we have seen in him.  I remember when I first got here thinking that we were wasting our time.  Neither of them wanted this, and Lehi would always avoid answering questions or take stabs at us but within the past few weeks they have changed so much.  They are so much happier, and engaged in the lessons.  Lehi asks questions, gives thought to his answers and loves reading from the Book of Mormon.  We started them at the very beginning of the Book of Mormon and Lehi is eating it up.  Every time we go over there to read he talks about how much he loves it and before when it would be like pulling teeth to have him read out loud, he will read columns at a time.  We started the lessons over with them to get a feel of what they already know and when we asked Lehi and Christa to pray about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith they both talked about how they already know and how just reading a chapter everyday has made them so much happier.  GAH! I LOVE IT! The Book of Mormon is the converting power ladies and gentleman.  WE DO NOTHING.  

RHONDAAAAAAAAA!! Okay I know I have talked about Rhonda before, but quick recap.  She is in her 60's, owns a flower shop that we help out at, has met with Sister missionaries for almost a year, has super super good friends in the ward.  She has been super sick these past few weeks and we were finally able to set up a time to teach the first lesson.  Holy awesome.  SHE IS SO READY, IT IS INSANE! She just gets it.  She just takes everything in and loves it.  After we shared the first vision with her we invited her to be baptized on Dec 28.  She looked at us and just began to cry and said yes.  She said that she wants this more than anything and she doesn't know why, but she is drawn to everything we teach her, that it makes sense to her.  I wish I could better explain the feeling in that room.  The Spirit was so strong, I couldn't stop smiling, I just felt this immense love for her and how proud our Heavenly Father is of her. OHMYGOSH! YES! It just reconfirmed to me that this is what I need to be doing.  As a missionary I am supposed to find those that are ready, that the Lord has prepared.  Something that I love that she said is that she has felt so much love and care is in our message.  That it's not hell and damnation and fire and brimstone but that God loves us and he wants us to return to live with him.  AH! RHONDA I LOVE YOU!

SARAHHHH! Sarah is Amy Giullian's friend. She a sophomore and has been talking to Amy a lot about life and God.  She has had a hard time at home and just found out that she has cancer and has a lot of questions about why God lets bad things happen to us.  We met with her a few weeks ago and gave the first lesson and we just met with her again on Saturday and talked about the Plan of Salvation.  She has been reading the Book of Mormon like crazy.  She loves it. We extended the baptismal invitation our first visit with her and she told us this Saturday that it kinda freaked her out and was a little much, but it got her thinking that maybe this is what God wants her to do.  That the reason he has given her these difficult things in her life is because he wants her to grow closer to him and the way she can do that is through getting baptized.  YES SARAH! YES! GET BAPTIZED! OHmygoshhhhhh we didn't have to tell her any of that she just came to understand that through reading the Book of Mormon and mormon.org.  We talked about the Plan of Salvation and she loved it.  It just clicked with her.  She told us that she wants to be baptized but the only downfall are her parents.  She said that if her parents knew she was meeting with us that she would die.  Her mom is very devout in her own faith, so Sarah is really nervous about asking her parents and thinks she will have to wait until she 18. NOOOOOOOOO Buuutttt we shall see what happens.    Rhonda, Sarah and Lehi and Christa came to church yesterday! It is always a little nerve racking on fast sunday, but it went well.  Something that I have learned is that we as the missionaries don't do it.  Without Amy Giullian, the good friends of Rhonda's, and the home teachers and visiting teachers of Lehi and Christa none of progress that we saw this week would have happened.  The members are vital in the conversion of investigators.  VITAL! So family. Get with it, and go out with the Sisters in the ward. P.s. how is the work in the ward going?  How is the new missionary?  Mom, give her a hug, she is probably missing home.  Ha

So yes, awesome week.  Too bad transfers are next Monday.....LAAAMMMEE!! So don't send anything if you plan on sending something.  I am super bummed though if I get transferred away or even if Sister Greenfield gets transferred.  I LOVE HER.  But, I know that whatever happens, wherever I go is where the Lord needs me.  I am excited to see what this next transfer has in store.  

I was thinking about Christmas stuff and what if you just put some money in my account and I got myself some nice gloves and ear warmers as a Christmas gift?  Also about the music mom, I want the tulip book fo sho, and the binders you mentioned I do not think have the piano music I want.  The binder has piano music, like my Chopin Nocturnes and Beethoven.  I don't know where it would be.....hmmm

I love this gospel. I love it, I love it.  It has been absolutely incredible to see the change and the desires of our investigators grow.  Even though many of them are going through troubling times, they find peace in the Book of Mormon.  This is the work of the Lord and I am so grateful to be apart of it. I am honored that the Lord trusts me enough to put His children into my hands.  What an incredible opportunity that we have as missionaries.  I love my father in heaven.  He is so aware of His children, he has a plan for us and he knows us each individually. I am truly thankful to you mom and dad for all that you have taught me, for raising me in a Gospel centered home for giving me that direction in my life.  I love you all and miss you!  

Wish me luck with transfers! Cross your fingers that I stayyyyyyyy! 

Sister Mcksizzle