3-12-14

The Sun has shown itself once more in Missoula! Life is good! The days are longer and I am so ready for spring.  Alas, I hear that Montana pulls your tail and gets you excited for spring and then snows again....boooooo.  But at least there is sun! It is amazing what the sun can do for your mood.  

Sorry I didn't email on Monday. This weekend was very long and very stressful and Sister Session and I couldn't email on Monday due to that.  Saturday we had a baptism of an 8 year old girl that Sister Session and Sister Bakly had been teaching which was exciting. It went really well and there were many Less Actives and non member family and friends that came.  Afterward we got a call from the Zone Leaders informing us that a Sister from a companionship left her companion and walked all the way back to their home and locked herself in her room and refused to come out.  We were asked to take care of the situation, so we drove the hour to these Sisters area.  We spent all weekend there with them trying to sort out the issues and problems these two sisters were facing.  Needless to say it was a very stressful time.  We got there Saturday and didn't get back till 1:30am and then ended up having to go back on Sunday because another problem arose and we stayed until Monday.  Why can't we all just get along! Ha and then we came back on Monday and two other Sisters pulled me aside and were either having personal issues or companionship problems.  It was very overwhelming. Ha, but we were able to take care of most everything and for the most part everything is taken care of. 

On Tuesday Sister Session and I and our zone leaders went to Helena for Mission Leadership Council.  Which is basically all the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders coming together with President and Sister Mecham.  We talk about the mission and discuss things that need improvement and how that can be achieved.  We found out that our mission is the top baptizing mission in the United States by 300% DATS WHATS UP! It was a really neat experience to be able to sit with 40 other missionaries that actually wanted to be here and that have dedicated this time of their lives to their Lord and Savior.  The stake President from Helena came and sat in on the meeting for a little while and when he got up to leave he was so overwhelmed by the dedication of these missionaries and the spirit that they carried with them.  It really was an amazing sight to see these missionaries striving to serve not only the people in their area but genuinely care about the missionaries they were over.  Both President and Sister Mecham got emotional near the end of the meeting and thanked us for our service.  I came from that meeting, on top of the world.  It was an amazing contrast from what I was having to deal with previously to those I was with at this meeting.  There came a lot of power knowing that we are not all doing this on our own.  We are all striving for the same goal and we all are experiencing hardships together.  Watching President and Sister Mecham gave me so much more respect for the two of them and knowing what they have to deal with on a daily basis.  What an emotionally taxing job they both have.  We split up Sisters and Elders and Sister Mecham spoke to us and as tears ran down her face she bore her testimony that there is nowhere else she would rather be than here.  It bore a powerful witness to me as she spoke knowing hours earlier she was on the phone with Sister Ayala and talking to me and Sister Session about how to deal with this issue.  I am sure they have many sleepless nights worrying about many of the missionaries.  I am so thankful for them.  I am thankful for their service and their dedication and love of the Savior.  

I am leaving tonight to go on exchanges in Stevensville.  Sister Session and I cover the Missoula zone and the Stevensville zone with a total of 15 sisters! Hahaha It is going to be hard to keep up our own area as well as fulfill our calling as STL's and go on exchanges with each set of missionaries.  Sister Greenfield is in the Stevensville zone so that will be interesting to go on exchanges with her.  I am a little nervous, but I know that the Lord has put me in this calling to uplift and inspire his missionaries.

Also, a guy came up to me in a gas station yesterday and asked for my number...hahahahahaha if only he knew I was a nun.  Haha once he saw my name tag he backed off pretty quickly. 

We taught Gracie last night.....ohmygosh.  She told us about 10 of her personalities.  We tried teaching the Plan of Salvation but that definitely did not happen. Hahaha she changed into her two year old alter, Izzy.  I am at a loss of what to do there....It was sad to listen to her explain how she came to be diagnosed with MPD.  She has had some pretty traumatic things happen in her life and she uses this disorder as a coping mechanism.  The best way I can explain it is it looks a lot like a child playing pretend.  So interesting. It really is quite intriguing. 

Miracle of the week! We received a referral from a lady in Sister Session's last area.  Her husband was at the pre release here in Missoula and she asked us to go visit him.  We did and he was very excited to see us. He couldn't meet with us that night, but was more than willing to set up another appointment and even asked if he needed to bring along his Bible.  Ha, we got talking with him and he has a lot of potential.  I am so excited to teach him! I miss teaching investigators! WOOT! Tender mercy of the Lord!

I am so jealous of all of you! It sounds like you are all having a blast skiing and seeing everyone! I too am an advocate for the Tanner and Mackell campaign. Let's make that happen por favor!  

I love you all so much! This is the Lord's work. I am honored and see it is as such a privilege to be out here as one of His servants. I love this gospel.  I know I say that all the time, but I really and truly do. I love it with all of my heart.  I don't remember if I told you or not, but my stake president in Bozeman once talked to us as missionaries about how in the church we say a lot of "i know"s. " I know that families can be together forever," or "I know this church is true" and since the Holy Ghost can only testify of truth we need to be careful in what words we choose to use.  The words, " I believe" are just as powerful to use. And as we testify of things that we may not have come to a complete knowledge of, but we believe in the Holy Ghost can better testify of the truths we have spoken. It really got me to think of what I "know" to be true and what I merely "believe". I was thinking about that the other day and I can with confidence say that I know that this is the restored gospel Jesus Christ on the earth today, made up of prophets and apostles called of God. I know that Joseph Smith did nothing more than what we are asked to do on a daily basis and saw God the Father and our Savior Jesus Christ. I know my Savior and I love Him.  I know that God has a plan for each and every one of His children.  I know that. I have a firm testimony that there is a plan greater than we can imagine that God has laid out for each and everyone of us.  He knows what is going on in our lives and He is involved. He is in the very details of our lives. It is so interesting how even when everything in the day may seem to fall apart I see the hand of God in the smallest thing.  He is aware. I know that to be true. 

I love you family! You are amazing and I am so grateful to have you all on my side cheering me on! I love my mission and I am so thankful that God has trusted me to come out here.  Although I have a million weaknesses and I am no where near where I should be, he sees me for who I can become.  I love you! Until next weeeeeek! 

Love ya!

The Moline Machine