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January 27, 2015












HELLO CALIFOOOOORNIA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello! I just felt the need to close off my blog. As many of you know, I am home now back in California! And...I miss Colorado. :) It's hard to believe that it's over, but I have had a lot of time to reflect and really think about what I have learned. Everyone keeps telling me that I just need time to adjust, but I never knew what to do with that advice. The conclusion I've come to is that I need to adjust my life to fit who I want to be now, not just adjust back to where I was before. The enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is how I was carried through my mission. Looking back, I know that the Lord was with me every step of the way. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and I KNOW I could not have done this without Him. I am not that strong. For this reason, I also know that I will not be able to live the rest of my life without Him. The things accomplished this past year and a half was not once my doing. It was the work of the Lord. This is part of how I came to know that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. That says a lot about how much God loves us! (John 3:16) WATCH THIS VIDEO I want you all to know how much I have loved this opportunity I had to serve a mission. I will never forget the amazing experiences that God provided me this past year and a half. Please join with me as I attend church every week, read the scriptures, and pray every day. These are the things that keep us strong.

Lastly, our Savior Lives!!!! I cannot wait to apply what I've learned and become the wife and mother my God wants me to be. Missions are the best thing, and this gospel is the best thing. It provides all the answers we need. Daily. All the time. I LOVE GOD. Like I said... Christ lives! And because He lives, WE WILL BE ABLE TO LIVE AGAIN!  

IF YOU DONT WATCH ANY OF THE OTHERS JUST WATCH THIS ONE

I LOVE MY MISSION!!!!


I want you each to know that you are child of your God and that He loves you. Ponder this statement and you'll be amazed at who you really are and the potential you have. Never forget that He has a plan for every single one of us, and by living each day, we are progressing on a path. The Holy Spirit is able to quietly impress upon our minds and souls the things we need to do, the people we need to talk to, and the decisions we need to make. Each decision we make alters the course of our eternal life. As President Monson says, Decisions Determine Destiny. Even the smallest decision, that we think would only change our life a few degrees, can point us in a whole new direction. We need to learn to conform to God's will, and we will never stray off course. But the question we need to ask ourselves is, is it God's path? Or ours? This is an important question to reflect on as we go about our daily life. WATCH THIS TOO



bbyyyeee!

Christ Lives!
January 12, 2015


Okay first off, I saw Elder Rusick and Elder Hansen at the meeting with Elder Bednar this week! oh my gosh it was crazy but really great to see them. it was cool because you really could see the light about them and it was like celestial Irvine/BYU! hahaha. I'm waiting for Elder Hansen to send me the picture!  but YES we got to see Elder Bednar this week! It was an amazing experience. We learned a lot about learning by the Spirit and asking in faith. There's so much I could say that I learned but I'm too excited to write about the rest of the week.

There have been so many amazing experiences that have really helped me see my mission tie all together and see the hand of the Lord in EVERYTHING! I was reading my journal from this time last year, and I found that on January 11, 2014, I was able to invite Brad to be baptized. yesterday, January 11, 2015, I was able to invite Brad to the temple. And he is so excited to go. It was such a powerful experience, but I learned an important principle of the gospel at this time. I learned about enduring to the end. if for some reason I wasn't able to endure to the end of my mission, I would not have been able to see this miracle. If something had happened and people didn't help Brad along the way, I wouldn't have been able to see this miracle. it was so clear to me in these moments that enduring to the end is so important, but it also teaches us that EACH of us are so important in the work of the Lord. we all have such an important role to play, and we cant let that go! we each are so important in others lives, so that we can all make it to the finish line. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father let me have this experience! I LOVE THE LORD!

Another great thing that happened this week was a baptism of an 8 yr old girl, a daughter of a family that I got to know and teach last year! when I was here last year, this wonderful family was just barely returning to church. and the dad has been working on receiving the priesthood so that he could baptize his daughter this weekend! and that's what happened! OH MY GOSH IT WAS THE BEST. we were able to have a lesson with them this week before the baptism, and it was so powerful. they have all grown so much and I could especially see the light in the father's countenance. it was obvious that a worthy priesthood holder now resided in their home. I was so grateful for the opportunity to see their growth. they are amazing and on their way to the temple to be sealed as a family for time and all eternity. I don't think this gospel, or this WEEK could have been better!

So we were tracting this Saturday, and we were doing a small survey that included questions like 'do you believe in God', 'Jesus Christ', 'is a close strong family important to you', 'how do you cope with a crisis in your life', etc. so we were talking to this man, and when we were done with the survey, he was like OKAY, your turn! haha and we were so confused! but he took our clipboard and started asking us the questions. and I was so grateful for this opportunity! it was funny to have to answer the questions that we were asking everyone else. but what stuck out to me was when he asked "how do you cope with a crisis in your life?". I answered, "I rely on my Savior Jesus Christ." he paused and looked at me, and looked straight in my eyes and asked me "what does that mean? how?"

At first, I stumbled over my words and I paused because I had to think about what that really meant. because I knew I meant what I said, but I wanted to explain it well. after I paused I started talking and told him that I think there are a lot of ways. one of them is trusting Him. but what I really felt has really helped me rely on the Lord is learning about Him .Reading about Him .Reading about His life, in the Book of Mormon and in the Bible. trying to be more like Him. and asking for forgiveness in prayer. Our Savior is perfect, and I think that we forget sometimes how great that really is. Because He is perfect, we are able to rely on His strength and draw from it. we are able to read the scriptures, and gain a witness for ourselves that He is the Christ. He is the Son of the Living God, and because of this knowledge, we can overcome anything. Our Savior lived here and overcame everything. I testified to this man about the Book of Mormon, and how it is a second witness of our Savior Jesus Christ. and through that book, I have come to know Him in such a stronger way, and ive been able to rely on the knowledge of His goodness from that book. That is why we invite all to read it. To read it, and to ponder in your hearts the message it contains. And then to pray and ask God if it is true. Because if it is, then we KNOW that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World, and that THAT book can help us in so many ways. It helps us know that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and that this church is the Lord's Kingdom once again on the earth. and it prepares us for the Second Coming! Yes I just quoted everything from the introduction to the Book of Mormon. but I just want you all to know, whoever you are- life long member, or not even close to that, read the Book of Mormon. and then read it again. and ask God if its true. because I know that if you do, you'll gain a witness that it is true. This is Jesus Christ's gospel here again on the earth, in its fullness.

It is because of these truths that I am a missionary for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. and I know of the truth of it, because of the things I've been able to overcome and the happiness and fulfillment I find every day of my life.

I Love my Savior and Redeemer! I KNOW He Lives!

I LOVE MY MISSION
January 5, 2015

HELLO EVERYONE I'M BACK IN THE WARD I STARTED IN AND I LOVE MY LIFE. I could not be happier. I am with Sister Nicol, and I love being her companion! I'd send pictures but my camera broke, so oh well. BUT I HAVE SO MANY GREAT THINGS TO REPORT. 

first, I love my mission. 
second, our Savior lives.
and third, I love my mission. 

Okay so our first day in the orchard ward.. was..quite possibly the best day of my whole mission. but then the next day was the best and the next day was the best. i have 100 stories floating through my mind right now, but I don't even know which one to write about! it has seriously been the most miraculous 3 days of my whole mission and life. I've never been so happy!!!! 

When we first got here, I was terrified. I was so scared because I had hurt my back and I hadn't been able to work for over 2 weeks and the ride over the mountain was really rough. i was so excited to go back to my old ward, but so scared that I wouldn't be able to be the missionary that i wanted to be because of my injury. but the first day here, was amazing! we got to go to the rehab center that we used to volunteer at and I saw the lady that had gotten baptized while I was gone, last July. when she saw me she burst into tears and gave me a big hug and just told me how she never thought she would be able to see me again. She said that her family owes sister Hilton and I everything, because we helped her get Sundays off and start going to church and it changed her families life. I started to get emotional and I hugged Jamie and I realized that Heavenly Father was blessing me so much by allowing me to be in this area. I knew in that moment that everything would be okay, and that this would be a transfer of miraculous things. By that night, my back didn't hurt! and it hasn't since then! 

There are so many stories that I could tell, but I don't have time!!! We are teaching people that i found a year ago. i went back to a lady that i regretted not being more bold with and invited her to return to activity in the church, and she said no at first but then changed her mind and decided to come to church next Sunday and pray to know if  that's where she should be. I have taught 3 people that I found over a year ago - and asked two of them to be baptized! great seeds that had been planted. I know that I was supposed to be sent back to this area. I know that God lives and loves us each so much. this week has been the biggest testimony to me that God knows exactly the situation and plans he has for each of us in the future, and He will do anything do get us to where we need to be. The biggest reason I think I am in this area is for this one lady I knew a year ago, that hadn't left my mind since I left the area. We helped her get her patriarchal blessing, and she was working towards the temple, but she has some habits that are keeping her from getting there. I bore my heart and soul to her, telling her the story of how I got there and how I knew I was there for her. In tears, she said,  I never thought I'd actually make it to the temple. but now I know I can. So that is what she is working towards. We knelt down together and prayed about a date that she'd be able to be worthy to go. When we stood up, she marked an X on the calendar, and she knows she can make it. 

EVERYONE, I love my mission. I love it more than anything else I've ever done. I am so thankful for this opportunity I have to serve. I love every time we get to share the gospel with someone new, and testify of our Savior's goodness and strength. On Sunday, while we took the sacrament, I had a very sacred experience where I felt God's love and strength so strongly. I know that we will be able to help a lot of people feel their Savior's love this transfer. I know that our Savior LIVES and that's why He's able to help us as He has helped me heal. I know I'm supposed to be here and I love every minute of it. I am so grateful for the Atonement and change. I know that I've changed a lot as a missionary since I've been here, and there is a lot of unfinished business. but most importantly, I give all the glory to my Father in Heaven who has given me these wonderful experiences. I love being an instrument in His hands and I am so thankful He sent His son to this earth to die for us. With Him, anything is possible.

"when the student is ready, the teacher appears."
thats how it is with missionary work! LOVE YOU GUYS! 

I LOVE MY MISSION!