102 days: be still and know that I am God

Hola Chamacos!

 

I am staying in Moses Lake! And I'm training! and Sister Tippetts is staying and training too! We are training the new sister together so we'll be in a trio. I am so, so, SO happy to stay in Moses Lake and stay with Sister Tippetts. I just didn't want the goodness to end so quickly. And I'm glad that I get to train with Sister Tippetts. I was super stressed that I would be called to train already and I just wasn't feeling prepared enough. There is still so much to learn everyday! But I am glad that it can be a team effort with my dear friend, Sister Tippetts.

 

I was so touched this week by her kindness. She's really taught me a lot about charity. So remember Chico's pizza, Dad? Long ago you told me that Brother Bouck said that it was the best pizza around and you wanted me to try it out. There never seemed to be time with Sister Hicks and so when Sister Tippetts came I asked her if we'd ever be able to go. She's the best so of course we made plans to go on one of our P-Days. BUT--Chico's opens at 4 pm and our P-Day ends at 6 pm and so we realized it just would be a big hassle to go. I wasn't overly concerned. I figured that someday I'd come back to visit my mission and I could try Chico's then. Then on Friday night, as we were making our plans for Saturday, and trying to fill our time for the 4 o' clock slot, Sister Tippetts suggested Chico's cause we didn't know if I'd get transferred or not and she didn't think I could truly leave Moses without trying this pizza! It wasn't a huge deal or anything momentous. But it was kind of her to think of me. And to remember this little suggestion my dad made to me (because she can appreciate how great dad's are) and I was just touched by her thoughtfulness. It's made me really reflect on the idea of "thinking of others first". That's what I want to do all my mission and all my life. There is joy in bringing others happiness and thinking of them. I'm really grateful for this responsibility to be a trainer to a new sister. I know that the impression she gets from me and Sister Tippetts will really impact the rest of her mission. And so I want her to feel loved and appreciated. I want to think of her and help her transition into the new missionary life. I was just there. I know how un-easy it is and I want to help her so it's not so hard.

 

I'm so grateful to be in Moses Lake to watch Lorena and Daniel be baptized. They are wonderful, amazing! I love them so much. Their desire to follow Christ and choose the right always humbles and surprises me. I feel so blessed to be the missionary to bring them the sweetness of the gospel. Lorena is a fast reader. She reads everyday and she is almost done with 1 Nephi. This is huge. It is SO hard for people to start and continue reading the Book of Mormon. It's hard for anyone-members or nonmembers- to truly get into it and read and ponder it. But she does! She understands and really enjoys it. She was so prepared to recieve the gospel. I am so excited that I can be here for their baptism and I pray everyday that they will make their date of February 2nd. They are excited so we've just got to keep that fire ignited in them.

 

I love working with the Laurels and YSA girls preparing for missions. It makes me think of Jacob and Elder Davis and how he loved going out and helping the missionaries. We love these girls here and see so much good and potential in them. It's helped me to see that the Lord has prepared these younger girls to serve missions now. It's funny because I'm probably the youngest sister in the mission field right now, so many of the sisters of older like 23 or 24 and I love having them around as my big sisters and examples. I hope that there are still older sisters who keep coming out and Sister Tippetts and I figure that it will probably be a while before there will be solid 19 year-old girls, but I know that the Lord trusts all His missionaries. I am learning everyday how much He trusts me and I so badly want to do all that He asks.

 

As I set my goals for this year I realized there is so much I want to do and become as a missionary but I know it's all possible. I can be the missionary I want to be and the Lord sees me to be. There is no time like this in my whole life where I can prepare myself spiritually, mentally and physically. I love it, love it, love it!

 

Welp, here's some pictures from the last little while.

I don't know the order but here's what's going on:

 

1. This was the first time we tried Chicos and discovered it was closed. My eyes are closed and we probably won't ever go back to take another picture so you gotta take what you can get.

 

2. This was our missionary white elephant party with the Moses Lake missionaries. It was really fun/funny. I was glad that the Elders came through and got good gifts.

 

3. This is us christmas morning at 6 am, ready to open are presents by the Christmas tree. Nevermind our glasses and PJs.

(She's wearing the Caine's Arcade shirt we made for her!)

 

4. This is the magic of the Christmas tree and Sister Tippetts opening our presents by the Christmas light. Pure bliss!

 

I don't know how many pictures it will let me send at once so I'll send another email with more.

 

Kay love ju bye!

 

Hermana Em

More pictures:
  

1. This is the aftermath of Chico's pizza. There slogan is "If you can count the toppings, it's not Chico's". Which is true and gross. I let Sister Tippetts pick and she likes meat on her pizza. needless to say, I picked it all off, but this was what was left in the box, even after the whole thing was gone. Pepporoni, bacon and canadian bacon. 

 

2. Here's a district and a funny district picture. Love these peeps. Sad that changes are coming, but I know I will always love working and serving with whoever is around me.

 

3. Brother and Sister Anderson with their Christmas brunch table. So cute. Miss them already. But I love Sister Bruce, our new lady we live with. She's 86 and she's a widow and she's precious. Who knew that I would get this extra bonus on my mission of living with and loving these cuties here!

 

Kay, that's all!

 

There's always more but I never have enough time.

I know this gospel is true. I love testifying of the Book of Mormon and my Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

Love you all. Happy Monday!

Hermanita Em

 

Day 89: "Rediscovering the Christmas spirit!"

Dearest friends and family,

Merry Christmas eve! Oh, today is the best day ever! There is no better time to be a missionary than during the Christmas season. As excited as I am to talk to you tomorrow, I am a little sad that it means that Christmas is over. I wish it was Christmas time every day! It's so much easier to talk to people and teach lessons. We ask people if we can share the story of Christ's birth with them and people are so much more willing to let us in. And then we always share a little more about the restoration and Joseph Smith and it leads to us teaching more lessons. The spirit of Christ and His birth is so beautiful and strong! 

We had a really good week. Sometimes I get a little discouraged because even for how many lessons we teach and new investigators we find, people aren't coming to church-which is just so important! We do everything we can but still people have their own agency to choose and so even after all we can do, they decide not to act. I've been learning to look forward, with brightness of hope. Truly, it's all I can do. Just be patient and trust in the timing of the Lord. When we first meet so many people, we come away from the first lesson filled with the spirit, SO excited to see them progress and change their lives. We see so much potential and feel so much love. The trick is keeping that vision for our investigators, even when they start slipping and not keeping commitments. We have to see everyone the way the Lord sees them-their true and magnificent potential-and we have to love them the way the Lord loves them. He loves everyone SO much. The more I understand that, and feel that for others, the more I see how much the Lord loves me, and trusts me and sees my grand potential. Sister Tippetts was explaining to me that the further out she gets on her mission, and the more she learns, the more she sees how much more there is to learn. The more our testimonies grow and our knowledge of the scriptures increase, the more room we see for improvement! 

Like in Ether 12:27 where it talks about how when we come closer to God, the more we recognize our weaknesses.

"27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their^aweakness. I ^bgive unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my ^cgrace is sufficient for all men that ^dhumble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make ^eweak things become strong unto them."

This week I went to Othello for exchanges! I was so excited because I've just been itching to get to Othello since I first got my call. It was so great because one of my SOAR students, Keave, happened to be one of the members going out to teach with us for the night. It felt so funny because I knew it was only this past summer that I was living in a far off land of Provo, helping out with SOAR. It feels like worlds ago. 

I also got to see the Boucks! It was precious. They were beyond thrilled to see me and I just felt so happy like they were an extra part of my family on my mission. It was a little confirmation to me that I am serving in my mission-Spokane Washington. It's my place to be and serve and love. I love it so much.

Today, we are doing a white elephant gift exchange with all the missionaries in Moses Lake (thanks to me of course! Sister Tippetts and I were trying to think of a fun way to spend our P-day Christmas eve and I thought of getting cheap dollar item things and doing a little exchange! We are super excited!). One thing I didn't expect from my mission was the friendships you make with all the missionaries serving around you. Especially for the elders in my district, we have so much fun together. I just always think of my little brothers going out to serve soon (and someday soon) and I love them so much. Moses Lake is probably the biggest area with the most missionaries (well on this side of the mission) and so it will be a great little fiesta. I can't wait to explain more when I talk to you tomorrow because there are so many details of missionary life that you never hear about. Being a missionary is the best thing ever.

I never thought I would feel this way, but I am so grateful I have two mission Christmases. I know that I have 812379 more wonderful Christmases with my family for the rest of my life but right now, right here in Moses Lake, I get to spread the joy of Christmas with those who really, really need it. I've never been so full of joy. We are visiting a single, less-active sister tomorrow who has no plans, no family, hardly ever any visitors, and we are going to bring her treats and the love of Christ. She was so surprised and touched when we showed up on her doorstep and asked her if we could come back on Christmas. Oh, I am just so excited to cheer her up! This is what Christmas is about. Like Elder Holland's message in the Ensign, "I can truly say that because of my mission, Christmas, like so many other aspects of the gospel, has meant more to me every year since that experience." I know I really am learning the importance of the message of Christ. So many people need the joy and peace of the gospel. 

I know this message is true! I love the Book of Mormon so much. Everyday I read it, I find new things and learn more about my Savior. I'm having the best time of my life as a missionary! 

Love you all!

Can't wait to talk to you!

Hermana Em

Em with the Grandparent Boucks!