June 6, 2016

This is so weird. I can't believe this is my last full week as a missionary! I feel like I was just at the MTC a month or two ago! This was the shortest longest thing of my life. Or the longest shortest. 

So, I left my planner and my journal at home today. So I have no idea what happened this week but I'll see if I can remember anything.

We had our LAST district meeting on Wednesday! If you'll notice from the picture, I'm in a sistrict. (Sistrict = a district full of all sisters except the district leader and his companion.) So Tuesday evening we got a call from the district leader asking us to give a training on Wednesday. We weren't too fond of the idea, but the topic was diligence and we learned SO MUCH. 

So listen: we were trying to figure out the difference between diligent and hardworking, so we looked up hardworking, which led us to industrious, which led us to busy, which led us to busywork, which said something along the lines of "Being occupied but not necessarily being productive," which blew our minds. So basically the difference between working hard and being diligent is the difference between sacrifice and consecration. Sacrifice is giving something up, but consecration is giving something to the Lord. It was just awesome to study. I would recommend it.

Well, that's really all I remember. Here are some random tidbits from the week: 

- Fireflies have started to come out! 

- We weren't at the trail center for 3 days straight and it was really sad.

- The trail center is ridiculously busy now that it's summer. I never get to sit down anymore.

- Sister Munger came to the trail center on Saturday with 2 of my favorite members from Lincoln and I didn't know they would be there but it made my life.

- I'm going to cry if there are no tornadoes in Omaha in the next 10 days. So that's something to keep in your prayers. Hahaha just kidding. (Kind of...)

- Our investigator James came to church yesterday for 2 hours!!! I love when that happens.

- A group of BYU-Idaho students came to the trail center yesterday and it was really weird to give them a tour. 

- One of the senior couples in the trail center gave me a packet of their favorite quotes! How did they know that's the best gift ever? (Fun fact: the senior couple actually came out at the same time as me and they were in my first district when I was in York! I'm so glad I get to serve with them again.)

This is what happens when you accidentally leave your camera at the front desk.

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Quote of the Week (from my new packet of quotes):​ 

"Faith can move mountains but don't be surprised when God hands you a shovel."

Bonus quote!

"When you find people who not only tolerate your quirks but celebrate them with cries of 'me too!' be sure to cherish them. Because those weirdos are your tribe."

​~Sister Temp

May 30, 2016

This week was so busy! We had zone conference on Tuesday and afterwards we had zone olympics!! I was so excited to try again since I didn't win anything last year. I tried for pushups (and failed) and for arm curls (and failed) and for stick pull and I actually won the stick pull! I finally got an official NOMlympics medal!

This is me and Sister Pinhey after zone olympics with our medals! She's awesome. Everyone says we look like twins.

On Saturday we got to take a field trip to a bunch of different historic sites in the area! We talk about these places all the time when we give tours, so they thought it would be good for us to go and learn a bit more about them and actually experience it. We went to some different spots on the Mormon trail, and Mosquito Creek (accurately named. I've never seen a bigger swarm of mosquitoes in my life.) and Hyde Park and other places like that.

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Working at the trail center has been crazy busy this week because school just got out, so you basically never sit down for your entire 6 hour shift. But it's fun! I've given a bunch of solo tours and I feel like I really mostly know what I'm talking about now, so that's good. I'm working on making a time line because all the different dates kill me.

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On Monday we had a huge storm, but Sister Borla is crazy and called it perfect exercise weather so we went out and ran in the rain.​

Quote of the Week! (It's a pioneer quote too!)
"We came through with the absolute knowledge that God lives for we became acquainted with him in our extremities. I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I said, I can go only that far and there I must give up for I cannot pull my load through it. I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there. Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then nor one moment of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay and I am thankful that I was privileged to come to Zion in the Martin Handcart Company” ~Francis Webster

~Sister Temp

May 23, 2016

Sorry I'm terrible at taking pictures lately. Working at the trail center is crazy. You have almost no time for anything, you're always running around everywhere. It reminds me of being in the MTC. We've spent 4 of the 7 nights this past week at other sisters' apartments because we live about 20 minutes from the trail center so it's easier to stay with closer sisters so we can get there faster.

I gave a solo tour for the first time this week! It wasn't even that bad! The trail center gets crazy busy during the summer so usually everyone has to take tours by themselves.

On Friday we met this guy named James and we started talking to him and asking what he believed and he's so cool. He said he already has a Book of Mormon and we told him about 3 Nephi 11 when Christ comes to visit the Nephites and he was like, "Hey that's cool! I never actually started reading it yet, but I'm gonna read that chapter first thing when I wake up tomorrow." It was sweet.

Sorry this is short, I forgot my journal at home so I don't remember anything that happened this week.

Here's an awesome quote we shared with an investigator this week and it really touched her:

"True conversion is more than merely having a knowledge of gospel principles and implies even more than just having a testimony of those principles. It is possible to have a testimony of the gospel without living it. Being truly converted means we are acting upon what we believe and allowing it to create "a mighty change in us, or in our hearts. "In the booklet True to the Faith, we learn that "conversion is a process, not an event. You become converted as a result ofrighteous efforts to follow the Savior." It takes time, effort, and work...

The prophet Moroni in the Book of Mormon taught, "I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute notbecause ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." In our world, where instant gratification is the expectation, we are often guilty of expecting the reward without having to work for it. I believe Moroni is telling usthat we must do the work first and exercise faith by living the gospel; then we receive the witness that it is true. True conversion occurs as you continue to act upon the doctrines you know are true and keep the commandments day afterday, month after month." ~Bonnie L. Oscarson

~Sister Temp

May 16, 2016

I found my camera! But this computer is being slow and it doesn't know how to upload pictures but maybe I'll send some next week. Actually maybe it'll figure it out. We'll see. So Saturday was Florence Day! And on Florence Day all the sisters get to dress up in pioneer clothes and march in the big parade. It was so much fun. I'm finally starting to learn all the information. I almost know enough to be able to give a tour by myself, but not quite. I just love working in the trail center and learning about the pioneers and their history. I want to go on a church history tour so bad after my mission.

A couple days ago this guy walked into the trail center and I recognized him and it was this guy that Sister Christensen had taught in her first area and we got to go to his baptism in Omaha last March! I seriously can't believe that was over a year ago. That's just so weird. I can't believe I'm going home a month from today. June 16 is coming way too fast. 

Well, that's all I have time for. Maybe I'll actually send a full email soon.

Ugh, other missionaries keep reading sad scriptures to me. Well, not sad. Just about going home. Like D&C 126:

1 Dear and well-beloved brother, Brigham Young, verily thus saith the Lord unto you: My servant Brigham, it is no more required at your hand to leave your family as in times past, for your offering is acceptable to me.
2 I have seen your labor and toil in journeyings for my name.
3 I therefore command you to send my word abroad, and take especial care of your family from this time, henceforth and forever. Amen.

And 2 Timothy 4:7:

6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

Quote of the week:  "God the Father watches over us, fills our hearts with breathtaking joy, brightens our darkest hours with blessed peace, distills upon our minds precious truths, shepherds us through times of distress, rejoices when we rejoice, and answers our righteous petitions. He offers to His children the promise of a glorious and infinite existence and has provided a way for us to progress in knowledge and glory until we receive a fulness of joy. He has promised us all that He has. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect,He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely. What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us." ~Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Bonus Quote because I forgot to send one last week: 

"Though none of us will ever have to experience the depth of what our Lord suffered, we each will have our own dark and bitter hours—times when our sorrow and grief may appear to be greater than we can bear. There will be times when the weight and remorse of our sins will press mercilessly upon us.  Even so, if we will lift our hearts to the Lord during those times, surely He will know and understand. He who suffered so selflessly for us in the garden and on the cross will not leave us comfortless now. He will strengthen, encourage, and bless us. He will encircle us in His gentle arms. He will be more than an angel to us. He will bring us blessed comfort, healing, hope, and forgiveness. For He is our Redeemer. Our Deliverer. Our merciful Savior and our blessed God." ~Dieter F. Uchtdorf

~Sister Temp

May 9, 2016

SO I am now officially in the trail center! I'm in the Elmwood ward and my new companion is Sister Borla. She's basically the coolest person ever. Her spirit animal is probably a butterfly because she talks so softly and she's super nice and she kind of flutters around majestically. 

I lost my camera a couple days ago so I don't have any pictures for you today. Hopefully it turns up. I've looked for it everywhere and it's gone, but I know there can be miracles if I believe so I'm not too worried.

Working in the trail center is AWESOME. I wish I had been here sooner, I love it so much. There's so much to learn about everything before I can give tours. It's too bad I didn't actually get to go to the MTC for this so I could've been studying it already, but I'll get it. 

Kay bye!

Oh, and to send me mail, you can just send it directly to the trail center. It's a lot easier that way. 

3215 State Street
Omaha, Nebraska 6811

Bonus picture I stole from Sister Borla's camera! We went to the zoo this morning.​

~Sister Temp

May 2, 2016

This week has been awesome! We found out on Tuesday that our member housing got approved by the mission office and they wanted us moved in with the Leavitts by Saturday, so that was a little crazy. The Capitol sisters ended up moving into our old apartment and now we're living in the Leavitt's basement! I've never stayed in such a nice basement. The ground is all tile and it's HEATED. And the shower is amazing. And basically all of it is so much better than living in a run-down apartment in the sketchiest part of town. We could actually go outside this morning to exercise and we went for a run and they live in such a nice neighborhood. I love it. I'm just sad that I'm probably only staying for 2 more days because I'm almost 100% sure I'm getting transferred on Wednesday. So I would give you my new address, but it'll be different by next week anyway.

On Tuesday we aaaaaaaalmost had a tornado, but not really. We just had a really awesome thunderstorm. Like almost shaking the house awesome. The sky was barely barely tinted green (it didn't really look green at all but the Nebraskans said it was a little green) so we got hopeful but then nothing happened.

MIRACLE: We got a media referral from named Queen (she is so cool, she's from Nigeria) and we went to see her on Wednesday and she's the most prepared person I've ever met on my mission. We invited her to be baptized and she was so excited! She told us that her mom went to a different church and doesn't like the LDS church but Queen wanted to at least take a couple lessons and then talk to her mom more about it. So we had 2 AMAZING lessons with her and thenon Friday she texted and told us she had all the materials she needed and she would keep reading the Book of Mormon but that she didn't want to cause any disunity in her family so she doesn't want any more lessons. But I know she's going to be baptized someday! I've never seen anyone love the gospel so much.

I got to hold a Gecko named Sir Winston Churchill.

We were making frosting at a member's house for dinner last night and their mixer was broken, so we improvised and it was awesome. I now know that drills work waaaaay better than hand mixers.

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Last district picture!

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Quote of the Week:

"In all the pain we must go through, we have to remember the pain that is in others." ~Robert D. Hales

Bonus Quote:

"If we look for imperfections or irritation in others, we will certainly find them, because everyone has some. On the other hand, if we look for the good, we will surely find it, because everyone has many good qualities too." ~Dieter F. Uchtdorf

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​~Sister Temp

April 25, 2016

The flippin sky is beautiful! I am so excited for storm season. We've had some sweet storms already, the thunder makes it hard to sleep sometimes because it's so loud! (The sirens make it hard too . . . we live in a suuuuuper nice part of Lincoln. But don't worry, we feel safe because there's always a ton of cops in our neighborhood.)

We had interviews with President Gardner on Wednesday and they were awesome! I actually found out that I most likely (almost 100% definitely) will be transferred next week. So that's good to know. Transfers came so fast, they're on Wednesday, May 4. So if you have any mail to send, you should probably send it either today or tomorrow or maaayybe the next day. But after that, you should just wait for my new address. If what President told me actually happens, then I'm gonna have the coolest transfer ever. Except it's still a secret, so you'll find out in 2 weeks.

Do you want to hear the coolest miracle EVER? So yesterday morning, Sister Morrin and I were at the church building talking to the Spanish elders in our ward in the foyer and then all of a sudden this guy walks in. None of us knew who he was, so of course we start talking to him and asking him all these questions and he told us that his name is Denver, that he had just moved to Lincoln from Iowa, that missionaries had just met him in Iowa before he left and they gave him all the pamphlets, and then he had looked up online where and when church was, and then he came! And he was like 40 minutes early too. And we asked if he had thought about baptism and he said, "Oh yeah, the last missionaries said I could be baptized on May 28 so I'm hoping to still make that date." He is so cool! Nobody just walks in asking to be baptized! He even said he watched general conference! He actually said that he was glad our ward met at 9 because in Iowa they met at 11 and he likes church earlier so he jokingly called them "The Church of Jesus Christ of the later-in-the-day Saints." He is the coolest guy ever. We won't get to teach him because he'll be going to the singles ward, but it was so cool to meet him.

Sister Morrin finally got her voice back on Friday, so it was only gone for 7 days straight, which is apparently not as bad as last time.

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Quote of the Week:

"If all the talent, tact, wisdom, and refinement of the world had been sent to me with the Book of Mormon, and had declared, in the most exalted of earthly eloquence, the truth of it, undertaking to prove it by learning and worldly wisdom, they would have been to me like the smoke which arises only to vanish away. But when I saw a man without eloquence, or talents for public speaking, who could only say, “I know, by the power of the Holy Ghost, that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of the Lord,” the Holy Ghost proceeding from that individual illuminated my understanding, and light, glory, and immortality were before me. I was encircled by them, filled with them, and I knew for myself that the testimony of the man was true."  ~Brigham Young

​Twins!

~Sister Temp

April 18, 2016

Sister Morrin and I both got sick this week. I got over it after a couple days but she didn't. We're on day 4 now of her having no voice. So I've been doing a lot of talking the last couple-three days. Hopefully she can start talking sometime this week.

On Wednesday we got to go to Papillion for exchanges! It was sweet. And then after we all came back to the house at the end of the day we were all wiped out. So 3 of us passed out on the couch.

We really didn't get much done this week because we were both sick, plus Sister Morrin had a bad flair-up with her endometriosis so we had to stay in and rest a lot. But with all that rest I made a sweet scripture case! Rhonda gave me all the materials for it. (Oh and PS, Wes's surgery was a miracle and totally went great. They weren't able to come to church yesterday but they should be coming next week!) So here is my amazing scripture case.


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Quote of the Week: 
"Peace of mind, peace of conscience, and peace of heart are not determined by our ability toavoid trials, sorrow, or heartache. Despite our sincere pleas, not every storm will change course,not every infirmity will be healed, and we may not fully understand every doctrine, principle, orpractice taught by prophets, seers, and revelators. the Savior taught that despite the tribulations oflife, we can be of good cheer, we can be of good hope, and we need not fear, because Hedeclared, 'In me ye might have peace.' Faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice is, andforever will be, the first principle of the gospel and the foundation upon which our hope for 'peacein this world, and eternal life in the world to come' is built.
However far we may wander from the path, the Savior invites us to return and walk with Him. Thisinvitation to walk with Jesus Christ is an invitation to accompany Him to Gethsemane and fromGethsemane to Calvary and from Calvary to the Garden Tomb. It is an invitation to observe andapply His great atoning sacrifice, whose reach is as individual as it is infinite. It is an invitation torepent, to draw upon His cleansing power, and to grasp His loving, outstretched arms. It is aninvitation to be at peace."   ~W. Christopher Waddell

~Sister Temp

April 11, 2016

We had a miracle lesson this week! So there's this less active lady named Rhonda and her husband (Wes) isn't a member and hasn't come to church in ever. But on Tuesday we went to see them and they're super stressed out because Wes has this medical issue pop up and it's pretty serious and he's getting surgery for it today so hopefully it goes well. But on Tuesday we went and whenever we go to their house we just talk to Rhonda and then Wes leaves the room when we get there. So we were talking and I felt like I should share a scripture with her (D&C 121:7-8) so I did and she LOVED it. And then she asked us if we wanted to say a prayer (which is great because people don't usually ask to pray, we normally beg people to pray with us.) And THEN she said we should go in the other room and pray with Wes. Which was a miracle. And so we said the prayer and right after we said amen, she asked us if we had time to share that scripture with Wes too because she loved it so much, so we read it again and he loved it too and then out of the blue he's like, "What time does church start on Sunday?" AND THEY BOTH TOTALLY CAME TO CHURCH YESTERDAY. It was so sweet. After church he got a priesthood blessing for his surgery and he said that he felt so welcomed and comfortable and that he feels like he should come more often. So that's amazing.

On Wednesday we got to do zone training! And after zone training we had our zone olympic tryouts! I love zone olympics. I'm so glad I get to have 2 on my mission. Apparently I'm not nearly as buff as I used to be and so I failed at the stick-pull. And push-ups. BUT I'll be competing in the arm curls, so hopefully that goes well. Zone olympics aren't until next transfer in the second week of May. Here's a picture of our awkward zone.

Random highlights of the week:
--We had dinner with a family that lives on a farm kind of like the Byers in York and it made me homesick.
--Another time we had dinner and the kids were crazy and then I looked out the window and there was a donkey meandering around and I felt like I was in a movie. (But I didn't get to ride the donkey because apparently that's against mission rules. The sister before me figured that one out.)
--I tried Cafe Rio for the first time and found my new addiction.
--I learned how to plant a garden this week. It's not as hard as I thought. So I'm totally going to have a garden someday unless I live in Arizona then I'm not sure how that will work out. I'll just grow cacti and citrus. 

--I learned what goulash is. I don't like goulash.

--My companion likes to pretend that she's pregnant after big dinners and this little girl totally thought there was a baby in her stomach.

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--And here's a baby in a backpack. She's so cuuuuuuuuute. 

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Quote of the week:
"Every family has moments of awkwardness. Like when your parents ask you to take a 'selfie' ofthem, or when your great-aunt insists that you are still single because you are just too picky, orwhen your opinionated brother-in-law thinks his political view is the gospel view, or when your dadarranges a family portrait with everyone dressed like characters in his favorite movie. And you getthe Chewbacca costume. Families are like that." ~Dieter F. Uchtdorf literally said this in General Conference last week. If you didn't watch conference, you are seriously missing out.

Actual Quote of the Week:
"In real life, we face actual, not imagined, hardships. There is pain—physical, emotional, and spiritual. There are heartbreaks when circumstances are very different from what we had anticipated. There is injustice when we do not seem to deserve our situation. There are disappointments when someone we trusted failed us. There are health and financial setbacks that can be disorienting. There may be times of question when a matter of doctrine or history is beyond our current understanding.

When difficult things occur in our lives, what is our immediate response? Is it confusion or doubt or spiritual withdrawal? Is it a blow to our faith? Do we blame God or others for our circumstances? Or is our first response to remember who we are—that we are children of a loving God? Is that coupled with an absolute trust that He allows some earthly suffering because He knows it will bless us, like a refiner’s fire, to become like Him and to gain our eternal inheritance?" ~Donald L. Hallstrom

~Sister Temp

April 4, 2016

Are you ever just ridiculously happy for no apparent reason? Because that's how my week has been. (Even though I've had a cold this week. But it's mostly over now.) Basically I just love being a missionary in Nebraska in the Pioneer ward with Sister Morrin. We might even get to move in with the Leavitts, this awesome older couple in the ward! They have a sweet basement, so hopefully that works out. And they have like 7 birds! And the birds and I are friends now! I really hope we get to move in. The stake approved the housing last night so the mission just needs to approve it and then we get a new house! 

So there's this investigator we have named Kelly and the sisters have been teaching her for a while and she refuses to call us by our title. I've never met someone so adamant about using our first names. She kind of scares me. She asked me what my name was (after I told her it was Sister Temp she told me she wants my "real" name) and I just sat there for a second because I'm awkward and I can't say my name anymore and then she said she would guess and she guessed Rachel and I immediately said, "Yep! That's it. My name is Rachel." And she said, "I knew it, you really look like a Rachel." So now she calls me Rachel. And I'm a lying liar lie-face and now I don't know how to tell her that I awkwardly lied about my name so I guess I will forever be Rachel.

​Conference party! We had crepes that morning, and they were delicious.

General Conference was SOOOOO GOOOOOOD. I've never felt so excited for conference before. I can't believe it's already over. I just wish there were like 5 more sessions. I just loved it. Especially Hollands! It was a perfect conclusion.

Quote of the Week:
"Please remember tomorrow, and all the days after that, that the Lord blesses those who want to improve, who accept the need for commandments and try to keep them, who cherish Christlike virtues and strive to the best of their ability to acquire them. If you stumble in that pursuit, so does everyone; the Savior is there to help you keep going. Brothers and sisters, the first great commandment of all eternity is to love God with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. That’s the first great commandment. But the first great truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength." ~Jeffrey R. Holland

 Here's a link for the talk summaries! Go read all of them.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/talk-summaries?lang=eng

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These clouds are ridiculous. I just want a tornado.

~Sister (Rachel?) Temp

March 28, 2016

So I got transferred! And I went super far. I went all the way to the Pioneer ward in Lincoln. We literally meet in the same church building. Their apartment is about 7 minutes away from the Holmes Lake apartment. So it's basically just like having a sleepover with a friend at their house that you've been to a million times. My new companion's name is Sister Morrin! Sister Munger and I literally hung out with her and her last companion at their apartment like every P-day the last 2 transfers, so this was the smallest change ever. But I love it! Sister Morrin is so awesome, we're already best friends, and I still get to see Sister Munger and everyone from my last ward on Sunday at church when our blocks overlap. This is seriously the best little change ever.

And at transfer point I got to see my MTC friends, Elder Lindgren and Elder Clark! I haven't seen either of them in forever, and now they're companions here in Lincoln! They're in the other zone, so I don't really get to see them ever, but they meet in the same church building too, so I can run into them and the Holmes Lake sisters at church! Too bad Sister Johnson is in Iowa now, otherwise our MTC group would be complete!

Here's our awkward picture together, since you can't not take an awkward picture with elders . . .

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Fun fact about the Pioneer ward: It's 60% children. (Our bishop likes to do math.)

Other fun fact: 18% of the ward is moving in the next 3-8 weeks, including both of the bishop's counselors. So that should be interesting. Our ward is already kind of small to begin with, so we're not sure what's going to happen. All the bishop would say is, "Don't worry, there are things in the works." I think they might change all the ward boundaries, so it'll be interesting.

Other fun fact: Our ward is half Spanish! We have Spanish elders in the ward and everything. All the Spanish-speaking members sit in the back of the chapel and have headphones to hear the translation, so maybe I'll finally get to use my 4 years of Spanish class when we talk to them!

I'm SO EXCITED for General Conference this weekend! I've never been so excited for anything! The women's session Saturday night was awesome, here's a link if you missed out.https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04?cid=HP_SA_3-26-2016_dPFD_fGC_xLIDyL1-B_&lang=eng

Quote of the Week: 

"we must be careful, as we seek to become more and more godlike, that we do not become discouraged and lose hope. Becoming Christlike is a lifetime pursuit and very often involves growth andchange that is slow, almost imperceptible...We must not lose hope. Hope is an anchor to the souls of men. Satan would have us cast away that anchor. In this way he can bring discouragement andsurrender. But we must not lose hope. The Lord is pleased with every effort, even the tiny, daily ones in which we strive to be more like Him. Though we may see that we have far to go on the roadto perfection, we must not give up hope." ~Ezra Taft Benson

​~Sister Temp

Just kidding, I'm not done yet. (I have a great memory, it's fine.) Here's my new address.

1331 G St #309

Lincoln, NE 68508

And here's a cool Easter-y picture. Because I feel bad for emailing again.

​And the sky, of course.

March 21, 2016

This has been a long week, especially since Nebraska decided it wasn't actually done with winter yet, so the temperature went back to the 20s and 30s and we had snow 2 days ago. But it should be getting warm again this week. (Everyone was saying, "This is what March weather should actually be like!" And I was by myself saying, "I thought 70s and 80s in March was normal . . . ") We're still struggling with finding investigators, but we found some awesome potentials and got some solid referrals from members so this week should be way better!

On Friday, we were showing the #hallelujah video to a member (we visited like literally half of the active members this week and showed them the video, it was great) and as we were leaving we asked if she knew anyone in the neighborhood that she thought could use this Easter message. (We ask this every time we leave a member's house, and usually they just tattle on the neighbors they aren't particularly fond of.) So she told us that the neighbors next door are hardcore Catholics and the other neighbors are cranky and she was like, "Sorry sisters, there's just nobody I know who -- wait . . . There is one person . . . don't mention my name, because I work with him, but he and his wife lost one of their children as a newborn and I think this might touch them. And they actually live just down the street around the corner." It was SO COOL to see the Spirit just stop her and remind her of her co-worker. We haven't been able to get in contact with them yet because they're never home when we try them, but we're really excited to meet them.

I just can't get over how awesome the new Easter video is. I know I shared it last week, but here's a link if you haven't seen it, and if you have seen it you should just watch it again. followhim.mormon.org

Oh and TRANSFERS is this Wednesday. So we'll find out what's happening either tonight or tomorrow morning. I know that something is going to happen because Sister Munger and I know we won't stay together another transfer. We shall see.

District meeting on St. Patrick's Day.

"No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God . . . and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we came here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven." ~Spencer W. Kimball

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~Sister Temp

March 14, 2016

This week was ridiculously long. Out of the 16 appointments we had this week, 12 of them cancelled, so that was great. Even the stuff that never cancels on us got cancelled! Half of our dinner appointments even cancelled. It was just kind of funny. Hopefully we'll have like a billion appointments this next week to make up for all the cancelled ones.

This week it got up to 80 degrees, so that's pretty great. Wednesday night at about 9 pm, our district leader texted and asked me to do a training in district meeting on Thursday. I'm pretty sure that's not even the shortest notice I've gotten for a training, so it's fine.

We had a special sister meeting this week in Grand Island! It was awesome. It was basically like the general women's broadcast, where they just tell you what a great job you're doing, and make sure you remember you're a daughter of God and He loves you and don't be so hard on yourself or compare yourself to others and all that jazz. 

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Quote of the week! It's a cute little poem from the Friend.
There once was an oyster

Whose story I’ll tell,

Who found that some sand

Had worked under his shell.

Just one little grain

But it gave him a pain,

For oysters have feelings

That are very plain.

Now did he berate

This working of fate,

That left him in such a

Deplorable state?

Did he curse the government,

Call for an election,

And say that the sea

Should have some protection?

No! He said to himself

As he sat on the shelf,

“Since I cannot remove it,

I think I’ll improve it.”

Well, years passed by,

As years always do,

Till he came to his destiny,

Oyster stew!

But the small grain of sand

That bothered him so

Was a beautiful pearl

All richly aglow.

Now this tale has a moral,

For isn’t it grand,

What an oyster can do

With a small grain of sand?

And what couldn’t we do

If we’d only begin

With all of the things

That get under our skin?

Wait! The new Easter video just came out yesterday! I totally forgot about that, sorry, I'm super tired today. But here's a link for it! Go share it with all your friends! Facebook and Twitter and Pinterest and whatever other social media you have nowadays!

https://www.mormon.org/easter

And here's a virtual hallelujah choir! I don't actually know what that is, because I can't watch it with sound at the library, but everyone keeps talking about how good it is.

https://www.mormon.org/easter/virtual-hallelujah-choir

Happy Pie Day!

(This was the only kind of pie picture on lds.org, which is my only resource.)

~Sister Temp

March 7, 2016

We had zone training this week and it was awesome! We found out that a new Easter video is coming out next Sunday so we get new pass-along cards!! That's like candy for missionaries. We're so excited.

​(The elder sitting on another elder's shoulders is our district leader. We have very formal and professional leadership in this mission.)

I tried a runza for the first time! It was weird. Not my favorite Nebraskan food, I only ate one bite and then went back to my bacon ranch salad (because I'm super healthy).

We got to go on exchanges with Sister Johnson and Sister Yancey on Friday and it was so fun!  Except I found out that Sister Johnson is going home in June instead of July because she's a traitor and has to go home for school and soccer and whatnot.


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​The weather has been ridiculously nice the last couple three weeks, like in the 50s and 60s and 70s. People keep saying that winter's not over yet, but I'm pretty sure they're lying. It's way too nice to go back to winter.


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Quote(s) of the Week:

"One of God's greatest gifts to us is the joy of trying again, for no failure ever need be final." ~President Thomas S. Monson

"Even if we've been a conscious, deliberate sinner or have repeatedly faced failure and disappointment, the moments we decide to try again, the Atonement of Christ can help us." ~Dale G. Renlund

~Sister Temp

February 29, 2016

This was such a good week! On Tuesday we were visiting a less-active lady in the ward and she told us her half-sister was in Lincoln that day for a dentist appointment and that they were going to go to lunch after. So about half an hour later, her half-sister walked in, and it was Sister Spiegel from the Aurora branch!!! It was so fun to see her and talk with her.

And then on Saturday we got to go to a baptism for the Nebraska City ward and I got to see all my Neb City peeps! It was so funny, Sister Munger and I walked in and we went up to Bishop and Sister Kunz and we were like, "Can we sit by you?" and then they were like, "Sister Temp!" and then everyone looked and after the baptism I got to say hi to all the ward members that came. It's just too bad I didn't see anyone from Elkhorn this week, otherwise that would've covered all my areas.

That's about it for this week. But here's the sky!

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And here's a TON of migrating birds if you can see them. There were like, 20 billion at least. This is just a small section of all the birds, it went on for like a mile. It was sweet.

Quotes of the Week:

"All that we call human history--money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery--is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy." ~C.S. Lewis

"Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping the commandments. But we cannot keep all the commandments without first knowing them, and we cannot expect to know all, or more than we now know unless we comply with or keep those we have already received." ~Joseph Smith

~Sister Temp

February 22, 2016

This last week has been so wonderful, it got up to like 70 degrees! It'll be back down to the 30s this week, but it was nice while it lasted.

We had dinner this week with this awesome family in the ward but only the mom and a couple kids are members, and she told us her conversion story and it was the best I've ever heard. Basically, she hit an elder with her car and totaled his bike and she felt so bad and was freaking out and offering to buy him a new bike and stuff but he was completely calm about it and told her it was fine and then he asked, "If I gave you a book, would you read it?" And of course she said yes because she felt so bad and she said she would do anything they asked, and the story of Ammon kept popping into my head along with the phrases, "wise, yet harmless" and  "thus she was caught with guile." I love the scriptures.

On Saturday, we did service for like 6 hours so that was great. We did a lot of yard work for a family moving to Indiana and then we helped this other lady in the ward who is remodeling a house so our job is just to go in with hammers and take off all the drywall. It's my favorite job ever. Very therapeutic.

That was basically all this week, and I forgot to take pictures. But I have a really long quote so that makes up for it. 

"You dedicated to Him what you perhaps saw as the most valuable part, the most meaningful facet of you. And what happens? He throws a wrench in the whole consecrating process—or so it might seem. But He knows us. He loves us more than we can even imagine. He is never far away from us, especially when we are suffering. And we can rely on that love and support to sustain us no matter what. Though all else fails, though our fondest hopes and plans be dashed, though we be rejected or refused by the world or any who inhabit it, He is there. Though we feel devastated, He sees the lovable, beautiful, perfect facet at our core that is worthy of His sustenance and supportive grace. If we can sense His love, His concern, His attentive presence, then we can be at peace just putting one foot in front of another, attempting to walk uprightly before Him, willing to submit to all that He asks, being quick to set our path aright when we come to our senses and realize we have strayed, willing to sacrifice our talents or intentions or desires or position or a friendship or a son or . . . or . . . or, all because we know that everything will work to our best good in the end, that all loose ends will find reconciliation in Him.

Perhaps this is not just a two-week or two-year trial period for you. Perhaps you never will sing again, which would be difficult for many of us to understand. But perhaps this is a rough and irritating grain of sand that has been placed into that most tender, sensitive, essential part of you. Perhaps this is a struggle in your life that will continue to cause you a heavy heart and many sorrowful tears. If this all be the case, I would challenge you to use your bright mind, enormous energy, and vivid imagination to make your suffering fruitful. You can seize the opportunity to learn to be very sensitive and receptive to the Comforter and all the ministering angels that Father in Heaven puts into our paths.

You can use the experience to discover what the Lord wants you to know about yourself, and the full measure of your creation. Then you can learn to get more outside yourself to a greater appreciation of others, especially their dignity in the face of their own struggles and heartaches. And because of your own suffering, you can be a mortal “ministering angel” to their needs. Because of your suffering, you will know what to do and how to do it. And through such positive fruits of your sorrow, and by the atoning grace of the Savior, that painful, hard grain inside you can be coated again and again by your righteous efforts until the day you can place a beautiful, precious pearl into His sacred hand, all in appreciation for His atoning sacrifice and all He has taught you."

It's from this talk, if you want to read the whole thing: https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/ronald-staheli_comprehending-soul-open-minds-hearts/

~Sister Temp

February 16, 2016

Penny got BAPTIZED on Saturday! It was amazing. She was so happy and at church the next day when she got confirmed, everyone kept telling her, "you look different today, you kind of have a glow about you!" She's so cute, I'm so happy for her.


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Sister Munger and I did a musical number at zone conference, and then on Saturday at Penny's baptism somebody volunteered us to do a musical number, and then we did another musical number in sacrament meeting, and I am just so musical-numbered-out. I had no idea I would play the piano so much on my mission.

We met this AWESOME lady last week named Rachel. We just knocked on her door and talked with her and tried to give her a Book of Mormon but then she said, "Actually, I already have one of those. Could you just show me some chapters that I should start reading?" That was amazing. And so we set up an appointment for today and we went this morning and she was so excited to see us again and she told us that she's been searching for truth since she was little and she just wants to serve God and last week she was asking Him to send someone to her to show her the way and then we knocked on her door. Our lesson was cut short because one of her kids called and forgot their PE shoes so she had to go get those to him, but she felt so bad about it and wanted us to come back tomorrow to talk with her more and she said she would be baptized if she gets the answer that it's true!

​Our ward is so sweet. We got totally overloaded with chocolate on Valentine's day and then someone came and brought us bouquets so we put them in our super classy vase.
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​Here's a giant beetle we found on my wall. They keep showing up. I don't like it.

Quote of the week: It's a poem! 

"Father, where shall I work today?"

And my love flowed warm and free.

The He pointed out a tiny spot 

And said, "Tend that for me."

I answered quickly, "Oh no; not that!

Why, no one would ever see,

No matter how well my work was done;

Not that little place for me."

And the word He spoke, it was not stern;

He answered me tenderly:

"Ah, little one, search that heart of thine.

Art thou working for them or for me?"

Nazareth was a little place,

And so was Galilee.

And bonus quote:
"If you're on the right path, it will always be uphill." ~Henry B. Eyring

~Sister Temp