September 28, 2015

​Look at that face. Moose is seriously the cutest dog ever. I'm so glad I live with people who have dogs.

OH MY GOODNESS. I can't believe Elder Richard G. Scott passed away this week! That's too many. They better stop this, I don't like it. I even happened to use and Elder Scott quote as my quote of the week last week! Augh. But I am so excited for General Conference. I just want it to be today. The Womens Broadcast was awesome! I normally don't really like the women's broadcast because they're all too sugary sweet, but it wasn't that bad this time. I LOVED Elder Uchtdorf's talk. It's probably my favorite talk ever. Everyone should read/watch it. Here's a link, so you know I 'm serious. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/watch/2015/10?lang=eng&vid=4512255275001&cid=10 I don't know if that's exactly the right link. . . But you know how to find it.

Oh, fun story. We set someone for baptism! The stake president, President Perkes, is in our ward and he is the best member missionary ever. He's been responsible for 4 of the 8 baptisms that our ward has had this year. He invited us to his house to teach this guy that he's been working on for a couple three years. His name is Mohsen (he's from Iran) and he's dating this woman who's a member but has been less active for years. Her name is Nancy (She's from Columbia (so basically we have trouble understanding either of them)). She came to our lesson too. We taught him the Restoration and he wants to be baptized and have Christ in His life. He's so humble and sincere, he kept apologizing for crying. He and Nancy came to church yesterday and they're just awesome.

We had a lesson with Amanda. I don't know if I talked about her yet. Her husband got baptized last spring and then they moved here from Kansas and nobody has any clue why she's not baptized too. She comes to church every week with her family and has had missionaries coming to teach her for like a year. She's heard all the lessons 4 times. Our bishop and ward mission leader both told us that they believe she'll be baptized by sisters, and we're the first sister missionaries she's ever met. We met with her and her visiting teachers and one of them had the idea for all of us to do Personal Progress together. So we've been working on that for a couple weeks and it's kinda fun. And she's actually doing it! She's like the first person I've ever taught who actually keeps commitments. I was shocked that she actually did it, which I shouldn't have been. I need more faith. Good thing we're on the faith section in Personal Progress.

We got to see Joe and he asks a LOT of deep questions that we don't really know the answers to. . . like a lot about the apostasy and comparing the LDS church to the Catholic church and stuff. So it's a really good thing that our team-up is a seminary teacher and he answered all of his questions perfectly. I got to play his piano and it's the most beautiful grand piano I've ever played. Joe is so excited to watch general conference with us! I'm excited. He really has a desire to learn.

Quote of the week from Women's Conference: “There is enough that doesn’t go right in life, so anyone can work themselves into a puddle of pessimism and a mess of melancholy. But I know people who, even when things don’t work out, focus on the wonders and miracles of life… God didn’t design us to be sad. He created us to have joy! So if we trust Him, He will help us to notice the good, bright, hopeful things of life. And sure enough, the world will become brighter. No, it doesn’t happen instantly, but honestly, how many good things do?" ~Dieter F. Uchtdorf

​The clouds kinda look like cotton candy. Or just cotton I guess, but I like cotton candy better.

There was a blood moon last night! It looked a lot cooler than it does in this picture. I wish my camera took better pictures of the sky.

​~Sister Temp

September 21, 2015

We got to go to the zoo today!!! This is my favorite picture. This fish has a great nose.

​Here's us at the desert dome! It felt like home to me. There were tons of cacti. That was my favorite part.

Here's a penguin!

The cacti felt like home.

I really can't think of anything else to talk about this week. Ummmm we had exchanges on Saturday and Sister Peters and Sister Manning and Sister Allan found an AWESOME new investigator! Probably. I've heard he's awesome but I haven't actually met him yet. His name is Joe and he's in his 50s and he asks a lot of really good questions. They also said that he really wanted one of them to play the piano but none of them play the piano. Augh I wish I had been there! Apparently he has a really nice piano. So Immina play it next time we go. It's cool because a member in York told me that when we get into people's houses I'll convert them by playing the piano. Sweet! Prophesy fulfilled!

We're getting closer to cracking the Elkhorn elders. They still won't approach us (ever) but now when we talk to them, they'll talk back to us a little longer than they used to. They actually just walked into the library and they're sitting at computers like 8 feet away and they didn't even wave or nod or anything. But they're getting there.

We had stake conference and it was awesoooome. Elder Stacy of the 70 came and he is so inspired. It was amazing. I wish I had taken more notes.

Quote of the week: "Scriptures can calm an agitated soul, giving peace, hope, and a restoration of confidence in one's ability to overcome the challenges of life." ~Richard G. Scott

~Sister Temp
​

September 14, 2015

We got to go to the temple! Again. When Sister P and I asked President Gardner if we could go to the temple instead of the game last week, we didn't realize that our zone temple trip was scheduled for the week after. So we got to go 2 weeks in a row! That was really nice. Except now we don't get to go back for 12 weeks.  I hope we survive.

But we had this really cool experience at the temple! After the session we were all sitting and I grabbed some scriptures and opened up randomly and read this verse that I knew Sister Peters would like so I beckoned her over and showed her and she really loved it and then I looked down the page and saw another verse that had to do with something we had been talking about a couple three days ago so I pointed it out and said "Hey this answers your other question," but I don't know why I worded it like that because she hadn't asked me anything, but then she looked at me and was super shocked and she was like, "How did you know? I was literally just praying to Heavenly Father about that!" So that was really cool.

Here's a lovely picture of my awkward zone. The Elkhorn elders are not in this picture because they are very awkward and decided to leave as we were taking a group picture. We told them to come back, but they just threw peace signs over their shoulders and kept walking. Yup, those are our elders.

And then Saturday we got to do this ward project of scraping and painting a house! That was really fun. We got to wear the Helping Hands vests!

​temple selfie!

isn't it pretty?​

​and the sky. It's been a while.

Quote of the Week: "Faith is believing that although we do not understand all things, He does. Faith is knowing that although our power is limited, His is not. Faith in Jesus Christ consists of complete reliance on Him."

That's from a really cool talk called "But if Not." Here's a link. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2004/04/but-if-not?lang=eng

Second quote of the week: "It is better to prepare and prevent than to repair and repent."

And that's all I have for this week.

~Sister Temp

Well we've officially moved in to our member housing! That's always good. So here in my new official address that you can send stuff to. 2327 South 191st St, Omaha, NE 68130

​It's a pretty nice house. I got my wall put back up! Here's a lovely mirror that shows me taking a picture of it.

We got to go to the LIVE BYU football fireside the night before the big BYU vs. Huskers game. So that was awesome. They did it at our stake center even though the game is happening in Lincoln so we totally lucked out. I was originally gonna root for Huskers because this is Nebraska and it's practically required if you live here, but the fireside changed my mind. The football players are so awesome. And I totally got a couple of their autographs. And then BYU miraculously won the football game at like the last second or something like that (I wouldn't know cuz I didn't watch it) and we were super happy for a second and then we realized that now we can't go tracting for a while because everyone in Nebraska will hate us. But most Husker fans are actually pretty gracious losers so it's not that bad. We haven't had anything thrown at us. Yet. 

Here's a picture of their bus!

Sister Peters and I got to go to the temple on Saturday instead of the football game and it was . . . amazing. I really love going to the temple and feeling the peace of being in God's house. I don't get why missionaries aren't required to go to the temple all the time because we definitely need it. I'm just so glad I got to go. Thank goodness I got transferred to Omaha so we could have that option. If we were too far away (like in York) he said he would've told us no.

The ward is really growing on me. It was weird being in a ward instead of a branch at first and I didn't like it because there were too many people, but now that we're actually getting to know all the people, I kinda like it. Except the elders in our ward are being difficult. They barely talk to us! They don't even say hi. We have to drag any information out of them. So our goal before we leave is to get them to open up enough to greet us someday instead of ignoring us.

Helpful hint: DON'T pray to appreciate the sacrament more. Our mission president told us to make sure our Sabbath is focused more on the sacrament than on getting investigators to church, so I prayed to appreciate it more. And then we only got half the sacrament. On Sunday, the deacons got us the bread but somehow missed our row when they were passing the water. There were only like 5 of us in the row but we stood up and were waving our hands but none of the young men noticed and the bishopric were all too deep in thought to pay attention. So we only got to take the bread. But when we talked to the bishop afterwards, he said that the official rule is "even half is good enough." So it's fine, I just feel so incomplete.  

The bishop is so awesome. He's super inspired. Sister Peters and I had a pretty rough week last week (she got some really not so fun news from home and actually got to talk to her family (which is never good) and being in a new area is just tough in general) and then after church on Sunday the bishop texted us and asked us to come over to his house and he didn't say why so we were a little skeptical about what he wanted. When we got there he fed us cinnamon rolls and ice cream, and then he told us that in church that morning he had been watching us during sacrament meeting and he could tell that we had had a rough week so he thought he would invite us over and give us a break. That was amazing. He's so in tune with the Spirit. He gave us really powerful priesthood blessings too.

​Sister Peters and I found a tooooon of hair crimpers that previous sisters have left here. so we decided to use them one day.

Quote of the week: "Just because God is smiling on someone else doesn't mean He is frowning on you."

Second Quote: "He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."

~Sister Temp

August 31, 2015

Well, I'm still in Elkhorn. This is so weird. Yesterday we saw a hot air balloon and it made me think of the York balloon.

We had zone conference last Wednesday and it was the best thing EVER. I love zone conference. President Gardner finally told us we could listen to real music! I can't believe I lasted over 6 months with only motab. But now that that's gone, I feel soooo much better. Tender mercy for making me move to a new area.

We got the weirdest news ever at zone conference too. So like a month ago President Gardner asked us to memorize these 12 scriptures he had sent us and he said if we did there would be a prize. I was expecting candy or something. But then he told us that whoever memorized all 12 would be allowed to go to a members home and watch the BYU vs Huskers game. Hahaha really? Sister Peters and I thought that was so weird. We were kind of excited at first but then we were like, "Actually, I'm not that into football." So after zone conference we went to President Gardner and asked him if instead of watching the game we could go to the temple  AND HE SAID YES! So Sister Peters and I get to go to the temple this Friday! We're so excited. She hasn't been to the temple since she served in Council Bluffs like almost a year ago and I haven't been since the MTC, so we're both really happy.

I never really told you anything about Sister Peters. Maybe that's because I had only known her for like 3 days the last time I emailed. She's from Texas and she's like the most humble person ever. She's a vegetarian, which is kind of sad because people will tell us they're gonna make roast or something and then they're like, oh wait we'll just have salad instead. But this is good for me because I'm going to learn to eat healthier. I made that a goal for this transfer while I was still in York, so naturally the Lord put me with a vegetarian. She goes home at the same time as Sister Brunner in December, so I'll probably be with her for the next 3 transfers until she dies.

If you need something to read, I read this amazing talk by Brad Wilcox the other day called His Grace is Sufficient. Actually, even if you don't need something to read, read it anyway. I'll even put a link here so you have no excuse. https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/brad-wilcox_his-grace-is-sufficient/

We met with the bishop yesterday and he's awesome. He told us that when he became bishop 3 years ago, he made a ward goal: That their entire ward would be translated. Which is kind of a ridiculous goal when you first hear it, but if you think about it, shouldn't that be everyone's goal? Striving to be good enough to be translated? We thought that was really cool. And he told us this awesome quote which is like my new favorite quote ever.

Quote of the week: "Goals are stars to steer ourselves by, not sticks to beat ourselves with."

I've always hated goals because I never reach them and then I feel guilty and it makes me give up, but the point of a goal isn't to reach it or fail, it's just to steer yourself in the right direction. As long as you're moving in the right direction, then your goal is a success, whether or not you actually reach it. And that kind of goes along with the talk I was talking about earlier, so go read it.

And here's another quote of the week because I really like this one too. "Fear is unworthy of a child of God."

That is all.

~Sister Temp

August 24, 2015

Soooooooo, I'm no longer in York. Weird. I don't think it's hit me yet.

Anyway, I'm in Elkhorn now! Which is part of Omaha. President Gardner called me and Sister Brunner last Thursday at 6:36 in the morning. That is way too early. Sister Brunner had the phone and she accidentally hung up on him before she answered and then when she told me President Gardner just called us, I was like, "Psh, yeah right." But then he called back and told Sister Brunner that she's training a new missionary in York and then he talked to me and told me I would be opening the Elkhorn area to sisters. Soooooo that was great. I got slightly extremely overwhelmed. But I'm now companions with Sister Peters! She's awesome. At first I was skeptical because I know she's really quiet, and obviously that's supposed to be my role in the companionship, but she's just perfect. We get along so great. Here's our first picture together!

If we look tired, it's because we are. There's so much to do.

Saying goodbye to people in York was easier than I thought, so I don't think I realize that I'm not going back anytime soon. It'll hit eventually. Here's my last pic with Sis. B.

On Friday, I got to ride in the transfer van for about 5 hours, so that was great. And long. But I got to see Sister Johnson, my mtc companion! She was getting transferred to Lincoln so we rode together a couple hours. When we got to Omaha, Sister Peters and I had no idea where we were going or anything and they ended up putting us with the Deer Creek sisters, so we have to drive for like 20 minutes to get to our area every day. We're staying with them until September 1, so if you wanna send me a letter in the next couple three days, you should probably send it to 6712 Dodge St, Omaha. 68132. But if you're sending it later, you can send it to the members we'll be living with, their address is 2327 South 191st St, Omaha 68130. 

​​Here's a cow reading the Book of Mormon. New investigator!

Oh, my district. So great.​

I really like this quote: "The gospel is a fountain of knowledge that never runs dry. There is always something new to learn and feel each Sunday, in every meeting, and in every verse of scripture." ~Gerald Causse

The end. I'll probably write more next week.

~Sister Temp

August 17, 2010

​I finally finished my whole wall! Right in time for transfers. Ugh, I don't want to pack the whole thing up in 4 days. I hope Sister Brunner gets transferred instead of me. I'm not ready to leave York yet. Speaking of transfers, don't send me any letters until next Monday when I can email and say if I got transferred or not. Everyone expects me to get transferred, but you never know. I could totally stay. We're getting 6 new sisters this transfer, so almost every sister in the mission will either be training or a sister training leader.

So, Sister Brunner and I decided we wanted to do a crayon art project before we weren't companions anymore, so we did and made this.

But funny story. We accidentally got melted blue crayon on the Byers' carpet. And right when that happened, the Byers knocked on our door because they were going to fix our kitchen light that's been broken for over a month (We've been using a desk lamp in the kitchen since it broke. It's nice to have a real light again.) Sister Byer's didn't really care about the crayon mess because we were in the process of cleaning it anyway, but Brother Byers wasn't too pleased when he saw it. But after we cleaned it up, he was fine.

Malachi is texting us again and he doesn't hate us! Hopefully we'll be able to meet with him this week. 

Oh, so last night, Sister Brunner and I were teaching the Lindseys an object lesson about raising the bar, so we got a broom and Sister B was like, "Spencer, come jump over this broomstick." (Spencer is this kid preparing to go on a mission soon) and then Sister Lindsey was like, "You know what it means when a southern girl asks you to jump over a broomstick for her, don't you, Spencer?" And we were all like, "Uhhh, what does it mean?" And apparently it means she wants you to marry her. So there was much awkward laughter after that, hahaha it was so funny. That awkward moment when your companion proposes to someone. . . 

Quote of the week: "When we think, "I will be happy when _____," we miss out on so much of what life has to offer by postponing our happiness. Even though we sometimes have to put our desires aside to submite to the will of our Father, that doesn't mean we have to also put our happiness aside." I got that from the August ensign. I really love the story about patience in it.

~Sister Temp

​Remember a couple weeks ago when I said that they were getting rid of the York balloon? Don't worry, they were just sand-blasting it so they could repaint it. Now it's finished and it looks even nicer than before.

Here's a picture of me holding the Lindsey's bunny (they're one of my favorite familes here) and one of the Lindsey boys accidentally photobombed. It almost looks like we planned it but he just happened to be being weird in the background.

​I love Runza. Isn't this fantastic?

 ​(Ignore the fact that this picture is kind of yellow-ish) We took a zone picture in our baseball shirts at zone training last week! I'm gonna miss this zone.