Check out these cute Montana hats! Montana Pride! Sister Bonn and me!

                                               Oh, Rhenon, Rhenon, what an incredible woman!

                                                           Sister Bonn, Rhenon, and me.

Hola Hola Hola from Bozeman,

AAAANNNNDDD I am STAYING! WOOT WOOT! Life is good. Life is real real good.  Sister Bonn and I are both staying in Bozeman together.  Our companionship and the zone leaders are the only companionship's that are staying the same.  Everyone else is either leaving or getting another companion.  I know that there is more work for me to do here and I am stoked. I also know that we are both staying here for Rhenon.  No doubt about that.

This week was so weird time wise.  It went by fast, but when I think of the beginning of last week it seems like ages ago. It was definitely a crazy week.  There were quite a few ups and downs with Rhenon.  She called us twice this week and told us she couldn't do this and she didn't want to meet with us anymore.  But that is all over now and things are okay.  I can't even begin to understand how hard this truly is for her.  But she has come so far and is making great progress.  It really is just so emotionally draining to be constantly lifting people up all day long. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy it, it is hard work though.  Quote of the week, we were with Rhenon last night and she was so miffed that the stake president made her go to this older singles FHE.  Apparently he told her to go because he wanted her to socialize with a good group of singles.  hahaha you have talked to Rhenon a little so you may remember that she does not take any crap from anyone and says what is on her mind,  Straight up.  She told us that all of these super weird guys were talking to her and all the people there were super old and strange.  Then she goes on to say, " going to that FHE makes me want to associate with A LOT of felons." hahahahaha oh Rhenon you silly little girl.  Now that I am writing it out it doesn't seem as funny...but I promise, it was.  Rhenon is amazing and I love her so much.  She was having a really hard time this week with the idea of Sister Bonn and I leaving.  She also is really tight with the zone leaders who we bring to a lot of lessons and she was really worried about all of us leaving and her having no one to help her along this path.  It is no coincidence that we are the only two companionship's that are staying.  I am sure it is for Rhenon.  

Earlier this week Sister Bonn and I went down main street and thought we would try and talk to people and just be seen among the people.  We stopped into a few stores and had some really great conversations with some great people.  We went into another store and started talking to a lady that worked there and once she found out we were missionaries she tore into us.  It actually was a very interesting conversation and really opened up my eyes.  She basically believed that there are no such things as morals and ethics because they come from the "world" and anything from the world is not of God.  If we made it, it is not of God. She even got into saying that stealing and committing adultery are okay......what?  she talked about how if you steal someone's possession it is not of God anyway, it is of the world.  ANd that sleeping with your neighbor's wife is fine because love is a worldly term. There is only love from our God.  Honestly...I did not get it at all.  She got so worked up and as she was talking to us all I could think about is how everything she is saying is justifying her actions.  We asked her about the Ten Commandments and she said that they weren't literal, but that they were of a spiritual nature and the whole point of the Bible is to have the Holy Spirit in you.  I just felt so sad for this woman.  She wouldn't listen to anything we had to say and told us that we are being punished while on earth because we didn't want to be with our Heavenly Father.  It made me so grateful for the GLAD message that our gospel brings.  That our Heavenly Father does love us and he sent us here to learn and grown and progress into the beings he saw us becoming.  And we have a Savior as an example of who we want to be, who showed us how to be kind and love one another and live a way that would bring us true happiness.  It was so interesting. I am not explaining it very well. But it was definitely a testimony builder. 

AH! So I don't know if I have told you all about the Fuqua's.  If I have, forgive me for writing all this out again.  Basically the story is similar to last week in the sense that we were given them from the ward to find and the NEVER answered the door. One day they did and Sister Greenfield and I asked if we could practice the lessons on their family.  The husband is an inactive member and his wife is not a member.  They have twin 4 year old girls and an 18 month old boy.  Bascially most adorable family ever. It became evident that after the first lesson we weren't practicing but that we were really teaching their family.  We have been meeting with them pretty regularly and talking  with the wife a lot.  She always does the reading and has questions and last week we asked her to pray and ask God if she should be baptized.  When we went over there she told us that she had had a dream the night after our last lesson and that it was the end of the world.  She was in sheer panic and fright as she was running around trying to prepare for the end of the world.  And what caused her so much more stress and panic was that she wasn't with her family.  She told us that she couldn't be because of some decisions that she had made.  WHAT.  When she told us all this she said that she believed it was a sign that she needed to listen to what the missionaries were telling her and that it truly was divine intervention when we came knocking on their door. So we pulled out a calendar and she picked a date to be baptized.  BEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE.  What excites me even more than her being baptized is all the doors it opens to her kids, and her family that has already passed on.  What a blessing.  I am so excited.  We are going over again tonight.

P.s. sorry we are emailing today, the library was closed yesterday because of Martin Luther King Day. 

OH! Sister Glenn is the new Sister Training Leader in bozeman! Cray Cray!  

Mom, did my ward mission leader email you?  Brother Giullian?  

The weather has been oh so fantastic.  You don't realize how much you miss the sun until you have it again.  I LOVE IT.

I feel like I say this all the time.  But I love this gospel.  It is absolutely amazing to see the Spirit work with people and to see the wheels turning in their head.  Once it clicks, it makes all the hard times this week and in past weeks SO WORTH IT.  Sometimes I cannot believe that I am actually on a mission, that I have been trusted to come to Bozeman and work with the children of our Heavenly Father.  I know that I am here for a reason and I know that I am supposed to be.  I am so thankful for my Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ and for what he did for each and every one of us.  I often think how did I get so lucky to have been born into the gospel.  But I now know it is because I was meant to be one of the Lord's servants and find those that were not and bring them back to Him.

I love you all! Thank you for always writing me :) 

And don't have too much skiing!!!! hahaha I am so jealous.  Come to Montana! It is great skiing weather now :)

Love you all and pray for you daily! 

Talk to you soon

Sister Moline

January 13, 2013

The time is seriously just whizzing by.  It is insane.  I feel like I was just sitting here emailing yesterday.  I cannot believe that this week is already week 6 of the transfer! We find out this Sunday what the transfer news is......I feel like my time in Bozeman may be up ladies and gentleman.  Which really makes me sad. :( BUT! Cross your fingers! There is hope! There is an Elder here that has served in Bozeman for his entire mission! 10 months.  There is hope! 

Let me first off tell you about this wonderful lesson we had with Rhonda.  We were talking in ward council how we need to start bringing other ward members to the new member lessons, so we invited a woman from our ward.  We decided to go over temples, eternal marriage  and family history and all that good stuff with her.  It rocked.  Straight up rocked.  The woman that came to the lesson with us unknown to me and Sister Bonn had a son that died when he was 15 years old.  Talk about inspiration to bring her! She bore a sweet sweet testimony of families and being sealed in the temple.  Rhonda was once told by someone that she could never go into a temple. FALSE.  We cleared that up real fast.  And when we explained that she could do baptisms for her grandparents and parents and be sealed to them, Rhonda began to cry.  She was so excited to hear that she could be sealed to her parents and grandparents.  She kept saying over and over this is so right, it just feels so right.  Then she said, why doesn't everyone get baptized!?  This is such wonderful news! We ask ourselves that everyday Rhonda.  Anyway, just a tender lesson this week.  

Basically Rhenon is the love of my life.  I love her so much.  I know that I am supposed to be in Bozeman for Rhenon.  This week was a little rough for her, but we pulled through together. I love her.  I cannot even begin to explain the love that I have for Rhenon.  Yesterday night we stopped by to share a video with her and I bore my testimony to Rhenon and we both just cried.  She is an incredible woman.  I am so proud of her.  She will be the hardest to leave if I get transferred.  

MIRACLE OF THE WEEK! Listen up! So Sister Greenfield and I were asked to go track down a less active in the ward a few months back.  We finally tracked down he house and turns out that this man had moved.  We went to the address and no one answered.  We know he lives there cause I may or may not have creeped in the mail.....federal offense...I know.  But it had to be done. Anyway for the past few months we would stop by and no one would ever answer.  Lights would be on, but no answer.  I am serious when  I say months and months.  He turned into one of those people if we had 15 minutes before an appointment we would knock on his door with the expectation that he would never answer.  BUT this week Sister Bonn and I were in the neighborhood and we had 20 minutes, so we knocked on the door and lo and behold he answered the door.  I was kind of shocked when it happened, but we introduced ourselves and asked if there was another time we could come by.  He said we could and that was the end of it.  I was jumping for joy after he shut the door. I was so happy! THEN we get a call the next day and it is this man's brother who is active in another ward.  He said that his brother called him right after we had left to tell him that two missionaries just came to his door.  He went on to say that his brother got choked up on the phone saying that he felt the spirit so strong when we were talking with him at his door and he is ready to come back.  The man I was on the phone with said, do not give up on him.  Don't be afraid to be bold and stern, but do not give up on him. Tender mercies.

Also I love singing to people at appointments.  I just love it.  Sister Bonn sings like an angel of the Lord and it is absolutely wonderful.  We went and visited an older woman who has cancer in a medical care center this week.  She couldn't talk very well and seemed so unhappy, but we sang to her and she just cried and cried.  One of the nurses came in as we were singing Be Still My Soul and got a little teary eyed as well.  The spirit speaks so strongly through music.  I just love it.  

I am so glad to hear about Grandma and how she is doing.  She emailed me this week.  What a wonderful woman :) I love her.  It sounds like the time you spent with her one on one was a really neat experience.  Tell her I love her.  Please keep me updated. 

Sorry this email is so short.  Next week you will find out if I am staying or going.  I hope I never leave this place!  

I love you all so much! 

Until next week!

Sister Moreen

Hello from the stinken north,

Greetings from freezing Montana! MOM YOUR GLOVES ARE THE BEST THING OF MY LIFE. THANK YOU!. Haha it got pretty cold this week.  But luckily we got the car most of the week because the other Sister's are not authorized to drive for whatever reason.  Im sad for them....but I am very happy.  hahaha

Anyway this week went by so fast, but at the same time.  Not at all.  I am having a hard time remembering what we even did this week. Well here is the story of a lifetime..  Get ready.  So a few nights ago Sister Bonn and I had the car and decided that we would go out in areas where the bus doesn't run and try and find some Less Actives.  So we are driving all over the town and at around 8:00 we put in someone's address into the GPS and Patricia, our GPS is taking us WAAAAYY far away.  Like at the base of the mountain far away.  By this time it is pretty dark out and for some reason Montana does not have street lights. I do not understand.  So we are driving in straight up darkness when we pull up to a house that is totally dark.  Not a single light on.  I don't know if I mentioned how dark it was.  It was dark.  We were walking towards the house and can't even see where the path leading to the door is, it is so dark.  But we are walking and I look down and see some animal prints in the snow leading to the door and I think "oh cuuuuttee a little deer." when Sister Bonn grabs my arm and half yells half whispers, "THERE'S AN ANIMAL" And just takes off running.  I am totally startled and have no idea what is happening, so I take off running behind her.  Okay pause, visual, please just imagine me in my black pencil skirt, big puffy coat, scarf, hat, mittens the whole sha bang trying to run away from this house.  Maybe swift waddling is a better term to be using.  AND then I biff it and straight up face plant it in the snow.  Straight up ate it.  And I CANT GET UP! All I know is there is some sort of beast right behind me about to eat me alive so I begin to yell at Sister Bonn.  Hahaha Sister Bonn's perspective is that as we were walking to the house she notices the back fence leading into the great wilderness of nature is wide open and then she notices the animal prints and thinks it was a deer until she looked closer and noticed they were big paw prints.  She says she followed the footprints up to the porch and sees this giant black mass moving around on the porch and that's when she grabbed my arm and took off.   Only to look back at me laying in the snow yelling "Sister Bonn I fell! I fell!"  And she just yells, GET UP! GET UP! Don't worry we made it out alive.  But it was a terrifying experience. How I got out of the snow I have no idea. But it was one of the funniest things that has ever happened.  I feel like this doesn't nearly explain how hilarious it was. oh but it was.

Anyway onto more spiritual things of my life.  We have been teaching a woman named Faith  for about a month or so and when Sister Greenfield left, she fell off planet earth.  BUT we were finally able to see her this week and I just love her to pieces.  She is so spiritual and wonderful. When we met with her the Spirit was totally there.  I can't say that I even did any of the talking.  It truly is an incredible experience when you know that the Spirit is working through you.  We met with her and set up another appointment for Saturday and when we came there was a note on the door labled, To my Sisters in Christ.  Tender.  She was sick so she couldn't meet, but I have high hopes for her.  Her and another family, the Fuquas.  I might have mentioned them before.  But the husband is a less active and the wife is not a member.  They have 3 little kids.  A set of 4 year old twins and a little boy.  ADORABLE family.  We have been teaching Bethany for a little while and asked her this last time to pray about baptism.  She always does all of the reading that we assign to her and our lessons always go very very well.  This last lesson we taught I think really hit home to her.  She started crying as she was talking about praying to God about baptism.  She will get there.  It is totally going to happen. We just have to go slow with her because she is taking what we say very seriously and wants to make the right decision. We are meeting with her tomorrow and hopefully she will have the answer.  Pray for her would you? 

Sister Bonn and I also had the opportunity to go to one of the more popular churches in town this week.  Rhenon's good friend Jodie (who is man, thought I would clear up any misconceptions)  goes to this church and Rhenon said that if she went to church with him he had to come to the Mormon church with her.  We have met with Jodie a few times and had dinner with him, so we came along to show that we were willing to see what he believes and what his church teaches.  I was a little nervous going in there with name tags and everything but I figured we would just sit in the back.  FALSE.  We got there SOOOOO late with Rhenon and Jodie that the only spots available were at the VERY FRONT. So the usher escorted us up there.  Totes embarrassing.  But I have to say, sitting through that service really strengthened my testimony.  I was looking around and these people looked like good people, that were truly wanting to do what God would have them do.  And even the preacher, he was a nice man and had some wonderful things to say. He talked a lot about receiving the mansions our Father has for us in heaven, and how we just need to be good people and through the grace of God we can get there.  True and true.  But as I was sitting there it really hit me that there is no path.  No set way to get there.  Just be good and God will receive you.  That's something that I love love love about the Gospel, is that there is a way.  A set way.  Through having Faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ we are lead to act, to want to be more like him and do what he would have us do which leads us to Repentance.  And as we repent of our sins we qualify ourselves to baptism, which is the gate.  Christ himself was even baptized to show us that all men, even the Savior of the world needed to be baptized.  And after we have entered through that gate we are on the path that leads to the temple and then to the celestial kingdom with God.  We are constantly progressing, constantly growing and moving forward on this path as we continue to have faith, repent, and renew our covenants.  It gives us map of where we can go and how we can get there.  I don't know if that made a lot of sense.  I also thought a lot about how in the Bible Christ says to Peter, upon this rock I will build my church.  CHURCH. Not Churches.  Why then are there so many churches?  There has got to be one. And that also lead me to the authority and the organization of the church.  I don't have a lot of time to go into detail.  But I am so thankful for the organization of the church.  Built on apostles and prophets of the Lord.  It really just makes so much sense to me that God loves us and has called a prophet since the begging of time and because he loves us and is the same yesterday, today and forever, the way he shows his love for his children is the same.  I wish I could better express my thoughts right now. Basically, WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY OF GOD ON THE EARTH TODAY, WE HAVE A PROPHET AND APOSTLES. AND IT BLOWS MY MIND. 

Also, Brother Guillian our ward mission leader, whom I love and adore said he was searching his daughters name on google or something and he came across my blog.  Hahahahaha funny funny.  We had a meeting with him yesterday and as we were closing he just told Sister Bonn and I thank you for all the work we have been doing in the Bozeman 3rd ward.  And to take a moment and look at all the progress that has been made.  He got a little teary eyed as he told us that God is very pleased with our efforts, which totally had my eyes watering like a baby.  It's so nice to hear someone say that we are making a difference. I don't always feel that way, but I do know that Sister Bonn and I are working hard and that progress is being made here. 

Well I best be going.  I love you all like crazy. Thank you for always writing me and supporting me.  I can't imagine doing this without my family backing me up.  Thank YOU! LOVE YOU!

Sure love ya Moline's rock, missionaries rule!

Sista Molinator

So I look pretty sketch nasty, but this is Kita's pet chameleon.  SO COOL! Check out the little dude. 

Sister Horrucks and Sister Draney in my district.  

RHONDA RHONDA!! I love this lady so stinkin much!!

So proud of her!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR WOLRD!

Ohmygosh! Best week of my life.  FO REAl.  First off talking to all of you was the best thing ever.  I thought it would be weird but it wasn't at all and I felt like I was at home.  I loved loved loved being able to see all of you and to talk to you.  Haha Rhenon is awesome and totally crazy haha I am glad you got to talk to her.  I didn't cry after I hung up! It really wasn't that bad once we were out and moving again and teaching.  We had double dinners that night. I about died with how much food I ate.  I should have won a medal.  Haha we spent most of the day at Rhenon's and then went to another famiy's house for dinner where they had some non member friends come and then we went to a member's home and sang Christmas songs with them.  That made me miss home. I miss gathering around the piano and singing with mom and maur.  Anyway, then we went caroling to some investigators and less active's homes with some other missionaries.  WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL. 

Okay Chrismas was great, but what was even better was Rhonda's Baptism!!!! It was held on Saturday.  AH! So wonderful.  The spirit was so strong.  Amy Niedens is 20 and worked all through high school for Rhonda in the flower shop and the two of them are wicked close so she gave a talk on the Holy Ghost. There was not one dry eye in the place.  Rhonda's husband Ted even came.  I can't even tell you how happy that made me.  When we saw the two of them pull up I was like, Sister Bonn! Hug me! Today is a good day! hahaha Sister Ward, our Sister Training Leader started teaching Rhonda last year.  I saw her this week and told her she had to come and surprise Rhonda, so she did.  It was wonderful.  We talked to Rhonda at church yesterday and she said she is just so happy.  She had no other way of explaining the way she felt.  She was just happy.  She said I went to bed happy, I woke up happy.  I feel like a weight has been lifted and I am light.  AH! Rhonda you babe. Love her.  We taught her the Word of Wisdom on Thursday and I was pretty nervous with how close it was to the baptism on Saturday, but then I remember, it's Rhonda.  haha we taught the Word of Wisdom and she was like, girls, I love it.  I want this.  WHO SAYS THAT?!  The only issue she had was coffee and even then she was so excited to clean out her cupboards and start drinking lemon and honey water in the mornings.  Like what?! GOLDEN.  RHONDA IS GOLDEN.  It was funny, Rhonda went to a Christian bookstore earlier this week to find herself a nice Book of Mormon and she told us that when she asked the employee there he was just appalled that she would ask such a thing.  Then she went on to say, why wouldn't anyone want this!?  Why don't more people get baptized?  It's so wonderful! Hahahahaha I think God is thinking the same thing too Rhonda.  At the baptism though I was just so unbelievably happy.  Rhonda told us some pretty personal things that had happened in her past and it made the baptism that much more beautiful.  To know that she is washed clean.  I just got overwhelmed with this feeling of love for her and to think how happy and how proud our Heavenly Father is of her.  I can't even imagine.  I am so happy for this decicsion she has made and for this step she has taken.  She has entered in the gate and is that much closer to live with her Father again.  Nothing makes me happier.

Sister Bonn and I get along so freaking well.  I love her so much.  We are mission soul mates.  Haha I have never had so much fun doing missionary work.  It seriously is a relief.  We taught Gospel Principles and Young Women's yesterday and it was so much fun! Ha she is such a natural and connects with people so well.  I hope and pray we stay together here.  Cross your fingers. 

I cannot believe how fast the time has flown by.  Christmas has already happened! WHAT! When did that happen?  I feel like I just got here.  Weird.  I got an email from Sister Nine that made my life.  I need to email her back and tell her how wonderful that was.  I also got a package from the Harveys and a letter from the Heins and Goodmans.  Tenders! So thoughtful. 

It sounds like Christmas was so wonderful at home! Tanner! Solid job on Dad's present.  You all look so great! I love love love the pictures! Seriously.  We are one good lookin family.  Ha.  Sister Horrucks in my district saw a picture of our family and was very impressed with how attractive we all are.  And Maurie, without fail everyone that sees you thinks you are a babe.  It's true. 

Also some funny moments on my mission:  Sister Greenfield and I went to contact a referral we had received.  The woman told us thank you, but that she wasn't interested right now and would let us know if she ever was.  She had two guy roommates and Sister Greenfield says to her, "well hey if you ever need leaves raked or dishes done give us call, oh and if you ever want some female interaction!"........it took everything in my power not to die laughing.I kinda looked at her and back at the lady and thought to myself, did that really just happen?  WE left in silence then I look at sister greenfield and say, "female interaction huh?"  hahahahahah

Other golden moment, we went to find a less active and turns out the person no longer lived there but a college aged girl did, so Sister greenfield introduces us as missionaries and asks her if she has ever heard of the church and the girl says that she has.  Then Sister Greenfield pauses and says to her,  "do you have any friends?"  the awkwardness went on for what seemed like 700 years. She meant to say do you have any friends in the church? But left out that little importnat piece of information.  The girl responded and was like, ummm yes?  we were out of there in .5 seconds. 

I have developed an undying love for awkward situations.  If it aint awkward you aren't doing it right! And if it is....swim in it. Just swim in it. 

Anyway, I best be going.  I love you all! Take care and be safe! I am so happy to hear that evevryone is doing well. 

P.S. it made my life that we did sure love ya on skype

SURE LOVE YA! MOLINES ROCK, MISSIONARIES RULE!

Sister Moleezy