I'm all caught up! Hopefully I won't get this behind again......
Hello family! I was so excited to hear that little Brooklyn is here safe and sound. I have been praying all week that she would come. I wish I could be there but I know that I am doing as I should and being on a mission is where I need to be. I am glad that you received the picture from Sister Sorensen. They have a son on a mission and they know what the parents back home will enjoy. They are a wonderful family and frequently feed us. This week has been a great one. I completely spaced the BYU game until Saturday and then I didn't think again about it until I heard that the Cougs lost. I was hoping that little Brooklyn would come so I wouldn't have to read all about the Utes winning. :) GO COUGARS!! I will still cheer no matter what happens. Anyway, this week has been great. We have worked hard have some great potentials. We started visiting part member or less active families everyday. One day last week they weren't home so we decided to knock the surrounding homes to see if there was a different reason that we were supposed to be in the area. On the last door that we knocked we talked to a boy about 15 years old named Javier and set an appointment to return on Sunday. We went by on Sunday and talked with his dad Javier, first. He told us that his son had been going through some depression ever since he and his wife divorced in February. He had gotten sick last week and they took him to the hospital and found an ulcer. He went in for surgery and his father told us that he just prayed and prayed for him to be ok. When he had gotten home Saturday night he saw the pamphlet that we had left with his son and asked him where he had gotten it. He told him that some ladies dropped it off and that we were coming by on Sunday. His father told him that this was proof that God knew he was and that He loved him. He brought out some chairs so that we could teach his son about God. Of course we didn't hesitate. The lesson went well and he was very attentive and answered our questions. He is very bright. We left him with the Book of Mormon and we are returning to teach him tonight. I am very excited. I have a strong hope that this family is an answer to our prayers just as we are the answer to a fathers prayer for his son. I know that the Lord guides us if we are faithful and work hard. Also last night we were going to an appointment and as we were walking this guy out of no where asks us who we are and what we are doing. I instantly feel nervous because it is dark and it was unexpected. We said we were missionaries and he was excited and said teach me something. We said ok. We taught him an abbreviated first lesson and he was very interested. Everything we said about his questions made sense and he was amazed. It was so great. I had seen him earlier in the day watching us in a house across the street that was vacant. It creeped me out a little and it made me nervous. I was grateful he had said something so that we could teach him. In Preach My Gospel it talks about not being in a hurry to get places and miss opportunities that are waiting along the way. We were on our way to an appointment and had no intentions of stopping but we needed to talk to him so the Lord provided a way. I am so grateful for his help and helping see the opportunities. We are going by to visit him again tomorrow. He is a very interesting guy but he has a strong faith in the Bible and wanting to live out of the world. We have some great potentials to be baptized we just need to get them to church and progressing. I think if we can get them to church we can get them baptized. Omar and Marcela have some great fellowship they just haven't made it to church yet. We are praying hard that they can make it. Oh I almost forgot. We had jsut finished studying on Saturday and our phone rings. I answer because it is on my desk and it is President Sexton. I was a little nervous. The president doesn't just make phone calls to everyone. That's what his assistants and zone and district leaders are for. He was calling to invite Sister Colwell and I to Thanksgiving dinner at their home! I am so excited to go and eat at their home. It is such a privilege and I don't know how we made it out 100 missionaries but I am not complaining. I love being in his presence. He is truly inspired and has a strong testimony of the restored gospel. I will be sure to tell you all about next week! Also there is a family in our ward that went to Puerto Rico to pick up their nephew from his mission. The Archuletta's picked them up at the gas station and then they were at testimony meeting at the Dewsnup's. She told me before that they were going and I told them to say hello for me and she did but she couldn't remember my name. I am hoping to get their address so I can write them. It is truly a small world. This week I want to bear you my testimony. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true! It is truly the only true church on the earth today. I am so grateful for the prophet Joseph Smith. He made a great sacrifice so that we could have the blessing of the gospel in our lives today. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that it can give us strength and power that we don't even know that we need. I am amazed by how much I learn everyday. As I teach and testify daily I feel in my heart the truthfulness of the words. I am so grateful to know that we have loving father in heaven who loves and knows each and every one of us. I know with all my heart that I have a Father in Heaven who is very aware of what is going on in my life right. I know He lives and that He is always there. I know that the Savior Jesus Christ atoned for our sins. I know that He suffered everything so that I can live in peace in joy and return to live with my family with our father in Heaven. I know that because Jesus Christ loves us so much that we can be happy and live with our families forever. I love all of you and wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. I know that this Thanksgiving I am grateful for the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. For a wonderful family who loves and supports me always. For this wonderful opportunity to be a full time missionary where I have the blessing of being apart from the world and just testifying and sharing the good news with everyone in Long Beach. May the Lord's choicest blessings be upon you this week as we remember all that we are grateful for and remember that all we have comes from a loving Father in Heaven. Welcome to the best family ever little Brooklyn! We are so happy that you are here!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Members
This picture was taken by one of the members that feeds the missionaries often. She was kind enough to email it to us. She also told us how much the love having Steph in there ward. She is doing great!
Week 16
Sorry this is a week late, I don't have any excuse other then I've been slacking. Oops!!
Hello my dear family!I hope all is well at home. I think about you often and pray for you several times a day. Things have calmed down out here and I hope that there won't be any more problems. The other day was pretty smokey! You couldn't even see the sky. It was covered in smoke. Along the coast you could see where the wind was blowing it up and away. It looked pretty cool. It looked we were having an inversion during the wintertime only it was 80 degrees. I took some pictures so you can see. It was snowing! Of course it was just white ash but I had never seen anything like it before. I felt like I was camping or something. It has cleared up a lot and you can't really smell the fires anymore. It doesn't feel like the middle of November because the weather is so warm. It has been in the high 80s all week. It is going to be a rude awakening when I return to Utah in the middle of the winter. Well this week has been so great! We had zone conference on Thursday and I just loved it. I cried only a little. My companion didn't even notice. She only knew that I cried in my interview with President Sexton. I wonder if I will ever have one without crying. At zone conference I was rejuvenated. Everything that was said felt like it was just for me. They gave us some great ideas for knocking and finding and for the first time I felt like I could do it. We went out on the doors that night and I did do it. It felt so great! President talked about what is going on around us and promised that we would be safe as long as we were obedient. The spirit protects us when we are doing as we should. Of course I already knew that answer but it is easy to forget sometimes. He shared some scriptures from Doctrine and Covenants that were amazing!(D&C 72:9-11 and 109:25-33) They said that no weapon formed against us would confound us. In the end of the verses he shared in 109 it talks about them pleading with the Father to break it off so that we may rise up and do the work that we called to do in this generation. It had such great power and I know that I needed that. I have been called to teach in this generation and nothing the world does will stop me from doing it. Even if we stand alone the truth will go forth, it will never fail. It really was so great and is so true! He promised that we would be taken care of and that He will take care of us. It brought great comfort. He also promised us that we would be able to find 5 new investigators by Sunday night. As of Thursday at conference we didn't have any new investigators. Thursday night we found one new. On Sunday we still only had the one. Sister Colwell said we are not going home until we have found all 5 of them. We were standing outside after our dinner appointment talking to the Elders when they saw a man walking down the street. They said, "There is a new for you". We left and went to talk to him. We taught him a little lesson and got his phone number and are teaching him this week! Then we went to go followup with someone who was a no show the day before and decided to knock his street. We found 5 new investigators on one street in one block in 30 minutes! It was truly amazing. My faith grew and knew that it was because we were obedient and diligent in working. I was so excited and I enjoyed knocking! It was fun for me and I knew that we were blessed because of our faith and our prayers. That is the only way to be successful in this work. Pray and have faith that you can do it and actually do the work. So great. I can't even explain the joy I felt. This gospel is true and the field is white and ready to harvest! We taught a lot this last week and it felt so good! It is definitely getting easier and I just love it. Today has been a great day so far. My testimony has grown in the importance of scripture study! The scriptures are truly the answer to everything. As I was reading my scriptures today I was just amazed at every verse I read. I had planned on reading in genesis and in alma. Every day I usually finish what I have planned to read but today I only read 2 chapters in the Book of Mormon! One hour of study and I read 3 pages! It was so chuck full of goodness! It was so amazing! Every word was what I needed and I have new love for the scriptures! I know that the scriptures speak to us. I was reading in Alma 26 about Ammon and the sons of Mosiah. They had just finished teaching the lamanites and were rejoicing in the blessings of missionary work. Ammon said did you realize the blessings you would receive from teaching the lamanites? We have been made instruments in the hands of the Lord, what greater blessing is there? It probably won't mean the same to all of you but it was what I needed. I am amazed that I missed it before. I have the read book of mormon before but this time is just amazing. The scriptures mean more because I understand the story line better now and it just so great! I cannot express it, just know that the scriptures are a blessing to us if we read them. In short read your scriptures the blessings are waiting. Thanks for the package and letters yesterday. It was so great to receive it! I am reading and rereading the talks from conference and I just love it. You just can't get enough. We asked an investigator to pray about being baptized yesterday and it was great. I really believe that she will be baptized. Well I hope that you are all doing well! I am excited to hear when little Brooklyn will come! I love you all so much and miss you like crazy! The church is true and my testimony grows each day. I often wonder what is happening in your lives and you are being blessed. I know that you are it is a promise of missionary work. I hope you are all being strengthened in the gospel. I love this work more everyday and I hope that one day I can say the same thing Ammon did. This is my life, this is my joy, this is my salvation. I know that I am an instrument in the hands of the Lord and that we can all be. As we seek Jesus Christ and look forward and prepare for his coming we will be strengthened and our lives will be blessed. The world will fall away and we will be a light to all of those around us. We will never fall if we build on thefoundation of the Savior Jesus Christ. I know He lives and that this is His gospel. Have a great week! I love you!
Hello my dear family!I hope all is well at home. I think about you often and pray for you several times a day. Things have calmed down out here and I hope that there won't be any more problems. The other day was pretty smokey! You couldn't even see the sky. It was covered in smoke. Along the coast you could see where the wind was blowing it up and away. It looked pretty cool. It looked we were having an inversion during the wintertime only it was 80 degrees. I took some pictures so you can see. It was snowing! Of course it was just white ash but I had never seen anything like it before. I felt like I was camping or something. It has cleared up a lot and you can't really smell the fires anymore. It doesn't feel like the middle of November because the weather is so warm. It has been in the high 80s all week. It is going to be a rude awakening when I return to Utah in the middle of the winter. Well this week has been so great! We had zone conference on Thursday and I just loved it. I cried only a little. My companion didn't even notice. She only knew that I cried in my interview with President Sexton. I wonder if I will ever have one without crying. At zone conference I was rejuvenated. Everything that was said felt like it was just for me. They gave us some great ideas for knocking and finding and for the first time I felt like I could do it. We went out on the doors that night and I did do it. It felt so great! President talked about what is going on around us and promised that we would be safe as long as we were obedient. The spirit protects us when we are doing as we should. Of course I already knew that answer but it is easy to forget sometimes. He shared some scriptures from Doctrine and Covenants that were amazing!(D&C 72:9-11 and 109:25-33) They said that no weapon formed against us would confound us. In the end of the verses he shared in 109 it talks about them pleading with the Father to break it off so that we may rise up and do the work that we called to do in this generation. It had such great power and I know that I needed that. I have been called to teach in this generation and nothing the world does will stop me from doing it. Even if we stand alone the truth will go forth, it will never fail. It really was so great and is so true! He promised that we would be taken care of and that He will take care of us. It brought great comfort. He also promised us that we would be able to find 5 new investigators by Sunday night. As of Thursday at conference we didn't have any new investigators. Thursday night we found one new. On Sunday we still only had the one. Sister Colwell said we are not going home until we have found all 5 of them. We were standing outside after our dinner appointment talking to the Elders when they saw a man walking down the street. They said, "There is a new for you". We left and went to talk to him. We taught him a little lesson and got his phone number and are teaching him this week! Then we went to go followup with someone who was a no show the day before and decided to knock his street. We found 5 new investigators on one street in one block in 30 minutes! It was truly amazing. My faith grew and knew that it was because we were obedient and diligent in working. I was so excited and I enjoyed knocking! It was fun for me and I knew that we were blessed because of our faith and our prayers. That is the only way to be successful in this work. Pray and have faith that you can do it and actually do the work. So great. I can't even explain the joy I felt. This gospel is true and the field is white and ready to harvest! We taught a lot this last week and it felt so good! It is definitely getting easier and I just love it. Today has been a great day so far. My testimony has grown in the importance of scripture study! The scriptures are truly the answer to everything. As I was reading my scriptures today I was just amazed at every verse I read. I had planned on reading in genesis and in alma. Every day I usually finish what I have planned to read but today I only read 2 chapters in the Book of Mormon! One hour of study and I read 3 pages! It was so chuck full of goodness! It was so amazing! Every word was what I needed and I have new love for the scriptures! I know that the scriptures speak to us. I was reading in Alma 26 about Ammon and the sons of Mosiah. They had just finished teaching the lamanites and were rejoicing in the blessings of missionary work. Ammon said did you realize the blessings you would receive from teaching the lamanites? We have been made instruments in the hands of the Lord, what greater blessing is there? It probably won't mean the same to all of you but it was what I needed. I am amazed that I missed it before. I have the read book of mormon before but this time is just amazing. The scriptures mean more because I understand the story line better now and it just so great! I cannot express it, just know that the scriptures are a blessing to us if we read them. In short read your scriptures the blessings are waiting. Thanks for the package and letters yesterday. It was so great to receive it! I am reading and rereading the talks from conference and I just love it. You just can't get enough. We asked an investigator to pray about being baptized yesterday and it was great. I really believe that she will be baptized. Well I hope that you are all doing well! I am excited to hear when little Brooklyn will come! I love you all so much and miss you like crazy! The church is true and my testimony grows each day. I often wonder what is happening in your lives and you are being blessed. I know that you are it is a promise of missionary work. I hope you are all being strengthened in the gospel. I love this work more everyday and I hope that one day I can say the same thing Ammon did. This is my life, this is my joy, this is my salvation. I know that I am an instrument in the hands of the Lord and that we can all be. As we seek Jesus Christ and look forward and prepare for his coming we will be strengthened and our lives will be blessed. The world will fall away and we will be a light to all of those around us. We will never fall if we build on thefoundation of the Savior Jesus Christ. I know He lives and that this is His gospel. Have a great week! I love you!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Week 15
Hello! I just want to tell you that you are very fortunate to receive an email today. Seeing as it is a holiday every place with a computer is closed. But we had to venture to the mission office to retrieve our car and there were two open computers and the Rose's said that we could use them since we were here. Blessings from heaven. I am doing well. This last week has been a little crazy. I'm sure you have seen some of it on the news but there are some unhappy people in the state of California. Luckily we haven't ran into anyone yet but it sure makes me nervous. Apparently there are commercials that are targeted at missionaries so people have a really bad image of us. We have to call in every night and report that we have arrived home safely. President had us stay in the other night after our 5 o'clock appointment. It was nice to have some extra study time but you feel like you are breaking the rules cause you are just sitting in the apartment when you should be out knocking or teaching. Honestly I am a little scared but I know that I will be protected. President Sexton is very in tune with the spirit and I am confident in his abilities to guide us through. Things have quited down a lot so hopefully it will continue to do so. They had like 2000 protestors on Thursday at the temple and the had to close the temple because people were trying to get in. So crazy. We also had to have members patrol the building during church on Sunday. Why can't we all just get along? Speaking of Sunday, I gave a talk this Sunday. Me and Elder Anderson were asked to share our testimonies about the atonement of Jesus Christ. Of course I cried, I guess I take after my parents ;). I talked about I have come to appreciate the atonement more than ever since being on a mission. I have really learned to trun to my Savior and humbled to my knees. I have learned that it is the only way to feel peace and love when we are discouraged or when we are having a hard time. Even when we have a great day we are on our knees praying to our father in gratitude. My testimony has really been strengthened as I have come to know my Savior and confide in him. We are so blessed to have someone who knows us so well and knows exactly how we feel. It is comforting to know that I can talk to him when I am having a hard day and he will make it alright. I got the picture of Matthew the other day. Man is he growing up! He changes every picture. I can hardly believe it! We had some great lessons this last week. Yesterday we taught all day and didn't have time to come to eat. Three of them were in Spanish. It still gives me a headache. One day it will just click. Until then I will just keep going and learning and trying. I have a great spanish story for you. I just know you will laugh. So we teaching this spanish family and we were talking about prophets. I was trying to describe the role of prophet and why he is important. In spanish I said "El es un MAN... I was supposed to say "El es un hombre..." Where does this spanglish come from? I sounded so brilliant. We were with some members so my companion couldn't laugh at me until after we had dropped them off. So funny. She did it yesterday though so we had a good laugh about it. So remember how I was so excited about Tongan food? Well it wasn't the best I have ever eaten. It was good but at least it wasn't horse or dog. He almost got us octapus. We had some cooked green bananas. They were pretty weird. I'm not a fan of cooked bananas. Speaking of food we ate In and Out yesterday. It was good. Theelders were super excited to have hamburgers from In and Out. We had to rescheldule the hour and they thought we were cancelling. They almost died. PS a member from Long Beach is moving to Murray this week. I told her to stop by. She has our address so if a random member comes to say hello its ok. Her name is Crystal and she is a poly. Her sister is going on a mission to Uraguay in December. So great! Meag Sister Colwell was pretty excited to hear that she is wanted. She was already planning on coming over to our house before I got home. She has pretty much adopted Matthew and Brooklyn and says that she will take care of them until I get home. I will let you know when her homecoming is so you can go. ¿Que más? We ate the Vamanrov's this last week again and sister Colwell was relieved that it wasn't fish. I made some brownies for them and some other members. I tried it with the butterscotch and vanilla. Very good creation. They loved them and wanted the recipe. They are spreading like wild fire up here. The secret is out and everyone loves it cause it is so easy. Gary called us like 3 times to tell us thank you and that they were so good. It was his birthday and he was so excited. Zone conference is this week and I am so excited! It is my first one and I can't wait! It will be in spanish so I will probably have a headache afterwards but it will be spiritually uplifting! Well I should probably let you all you go. I love all of you and miss you so much! The gospel is true and I love being a missionary. Don't worry about me, I am safe just nervous. I love you! Have a great week!
*I am on top of things this week, Steph's P days are on Tuesday. I am usually to busy to post them on Tuesday. Not today! I wouldn't count on it happening again...well maybe once or twice more. Meags
*I am on top of things this week, Steph's P days are on Tuesday. I am usually to busy to post them on Tuesday. Not today! I wouldn't count on it happening again...well maybe once or twice more. Meags
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Week 14
* Sorry its taken me so long to get it up this week.
Hello family! I hope you are all doing well. I am doing well. I made it through my first transfer! I can't believe it has already been 6 weeks. The time is just flying! We got our transfer calls on Saturday and I am staying here in the Long Beach 4th ward with Hermana Colwell! She is very excited because now she for sure gets to experience the arrival of little Brooklyn! I can't believe that is already November! I am so glad that Halloween is over. It is not my favorite Holiday. We just went around to members houses and shared little thoughts with them. We felt that was safer than knocking and more effective than battling with the trick or treaters. It was fun. Thursday night we had some great food! The Vamanrov family(they are from Tonga) made us shrimp for Australia and mussels from New Zeland. It was so good! My companion hates seafood and we got to the door and I smelled fish and just laughed. She ate it and put on a good game face but the entire time she was dying. After we finished eating she almost threw up in the car ride over to the Kavea's. She was the only one that didn't like it. The elders loved it and so did I. We also had Korean food this week. Sister Rome is from South Korea and made us chow mein and egg rolls and it was so good! It was a good week for member meals. We don't get many so we love it when we do have them. Mom thanks for your great letter and talk! You made me cry. I didn't realize that you talked about me, I thought you just gave a little blurb. We had a great lesson with Gary's friend Kiso. We taught him about the Book of Mormon and he came to church. Gary is so great! He just wants everyone to know what he knows. The gospel has truly changed his life. He told us that he went to a party on Halloween with some of his old cop friends and that he didn't smoke or drink and didn't know what to do with himself. His friends commented on how happy and different he seemed. They asked if he had found something good and he said that he had. He is a great example to me. He gets mad if we forget to give him a big reading assignment because he just wants to keep learning. We went President Sexton's house last night to babysit sister Hart again. Sister Orton was having dinner with the Sexton's. It is always a great opportunity to be at his house and feel of his love. He is such a great man and I just love listening to him. We have zone conference next week and I can hardly wait! We went knocking the other night and a spanish lady answered the door and it was my door. Usually I let Hermana Colwell take over but this time I just did it. I messed up a little but she understood me. Then when I said all I could Hermana Colwell took over. I was so proud! It keeps getting easier. The other day we did all of companion study in Spanish and it felt great. Teaching is getting a little easier and I am starting to follow conversations better. They still talk pretty fast and if I get stuck on a word they are on a different subject by the time I figure it out. Hermana Colwell started reading outloud to me so I can translate by listening and it gives me a headache but I can do it. The other day at dinner with the elders we were talking about a Book of Mormon that I had marked. It has a bunch of scriptures from preach my gospel and is color coordinated and lesson coordinated. I was telling Elder Salmon that I don't use the book of mormon in my lessons but I was talking about that particular book of mormon. He was like don't remember the district meeting where we talked about using the scriptures in our lessons. My response was remember how you do it all in spanish? I can't understand half of it. We all just laughed. Elder Anderson was grateful to know that I don't understand all of the lessons either. I'm getting there poco a poco. So on Sunday we were at church waiting forit to start and Hermana Colwell was transferring pictures on her camera and accidentally erased 6 months of her mission pics. So sad. She was so sad and is still sad. I'm glad that I send my home so I have a back up copy. I hope that never happens to me. I finished reading in the D&C which was a big milestone for me! I learned a lot and just love reading the scriptures! There is always so much to learn and I just love it! I think we are going up to Signal Hill today to take a picture of Catalina Island. It rained pretty good this week so the sky is pretty clear. It will be the first time that I will be able to see the ocean and Catalina. President said yesterday that the first 2 members on the island received the preisthood. So great! They have a little branch over there and the elders were the only ones who had the preisthood. It is so great that the church is being established on that little island. Hermana Colwell said that's great now the hermana's can go over there. President just laughed and said that maybe the next president would put hermana's over there. We are now down to 8 hermanas. One left today and one came today. I don't know if there are any more scheduled to come. There are 4 that will be leaving in the next few transfers. Crazy. Well the church is true and I am so grateful to be on a mission. I know it is going to go by quickly, it already is. I am so grateful for my great family and all of their love and support! You are the best and I look forward to hearing from you always! Love Hermana Mickelsen
Hello family! I hope you are all doing well. I am doing well. I made it through my first transfer! I can't believe it has already been 6 weeks. The time is just flying! We got our transfer calls on Saturday and I am staying here in the Long Beach 4th ward with Hermana Colwell! She is very excited because now she for sure gets to experience the arrival of little Brooklyn! I can't believe that is already November! I am so glad that Halloween is over. It is not my favorite Holiday. We just went around to members houses and shared little thoughts with them. We felt that was safer than knocking and more effective than battling with the trick or treaters. It was fun. Thursday night we had some great food! The Vamanrov family(they are from Tonga) made us shrimp for Australia and mussels from New Zeland. It was so good! My companion hates seafood and we got to the door and I smelled fish and just laughed. She ate it and put on a good game face but the entire time she was dying. After we finished eating she almost threw up in the car ride over to the Kavea's. She was the only one that didn't like it. The elders loved it and so did I. We also had Korean food this week. Sister Rome is from South Korea and made us chow mein and egg rolls and it was so good! It was a good week for member meals. We don't get many so we love it when we do have them. Mom thanks for your great letter and talk! You made me cry. I didn't realize that you talked about me, I thought you just gave a little blurb. We had a great lesson with Gary's friend Kiso. We taught him about the Book of Mormon and he came to church. Gary is so great! He just wants everyone to know what he knows. The gospel has truly changed his life. He told us that he went to a party on Halloween with some of his old cop friends and that he didn't smoke or drink and didn't know what to do with himself. His friends commented on how happy and different he seemed. They asked if he had found something good and he said that he had. He is a great example to me. He gets mad if we forget to give him a big reading assignment because he just wants to keep learning. We went President Sexton's house last night to babysit sister Hart again. Sister Orton was having dinner with the Sexton's. It is always a great opportunity to be at his house and feel of his love. He is such a great man and I just love listening to him. We have zone conference next week and I can hardly wait! We went knocking the other night and a spanish lady answered the door and it was my door. Usually I let Hermana Colwell take over but this time I just did it. I messed up a little but she understood me. Then when I said all I could Hermana Colwell took over. I was so proud! It keeps getting easier. The other day we did all of companion study in Spanish and it felt great. Teaching is getting a little easier and I am starting to follow conversations better. They still talk pretty fast and if I get stuck on a word they are on a different subject by the time I figure it out. Hermana Colwell started reading outloud to me so I can translate by listening and it gives me a headache but I can do it. The other day at dinner with the elders we were talking about a Book of Mormon that I had marked. It has a bunch of scriptures from preach my gospel and is color coordinated and lesson coordinated. I was telling Elder Salmon that I don't use the book of mormon in my lessons but I was talking about that particular book of mormon. He was like don't remember the district meeting where we talked about using the scriptures in our lessons. My response was remember how you do it all in spanish? I can't understand half of it. We all just laughed. Elder Anderson was grateful to know that I don't understand all of the lessons either. I'm getting there poco a poco. So on Sunday we were at church waiting forit to start and Hermana Colwell was transferring pictures on her camera and accidentally erased 6 months of her mission pics. So sad. She was so sad and is still sad. I'm glad that I send my home so I have a back up copy. I hope that never happens to me. I finished reading in the D&C which was a big milestone for me! I learned a lot and just love reading the scriptures! There is always so much to learn and I just love it! I think we are going up to Signal Hill today to take a picture of Catalina Island. It rained pretty good this week so the sky is pretty clear. It will be the first time that I will be able to see the ocean and Catalina. President said yesterday that the first 2 members on the island received the preisthood. So great! They have a little branch over there and the elders were the only ones who had the preisthood. It is so great that the church is being established on that little island. Hermana Colwell said that's great now the hermana's can go over there. President just laughed and said that maybe the next president would put hermana's over there. We are now down to 8 hermanas. One left today and one came today. I don't know if there are any more scheduled to come. There are 4 that will be leaving in the next few transfers. Crazy. Well the church is true and I am so grateful to be on a mission. I know it is going to go by quickly, it already is. I am so grateful for my great family and all of their love and support! You are the best and I look forward to hearing from you always! Love Hermana Mickelsen
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Week 13
Hello to all! It was so great to read your emails today! I just love hearing how you are all doing. I love you all so much! Meag I can't believe you won the WII! That is so great! Thanks for filling in for me! We are 3 for 3 at the banquet! YAY for us! Thank you so much for the little photo album! I was so excited to get it! I only got mail 2 times this week so it was well appreciated! I love the pictures and I just can't believe how much I miss and love you! So this week has been pretty good. It seems like we have been pretty busy as usual. I have been extra tired this week cause we did service and boy was it a workout! This family is moving and bless their hearts they had more on their hands than they could handle. There is only a mom and a daughter and a whole house to clean out. I have never seen so much stuff! Mom if you thought our house was cluttered, I promise this one had more. The daughters room was covered with garbage, empty pizza boxes, papers everywhere. It was like a foot deep. She hasn't slept in her room for over a year. I promise to keep my room clean for the rest of my life and yes you can hold me to it! We hauled many bags of trash out and we only did one room. We packed up her mom's room who died about a year and a half ago of brain cancer. She collected everything at the end of her life so there was stuff everywhere! It felt great to be able to help someone. You could tell that she was so grateful. The elders came and helped load the truck yesterday which made her and the driver grateful for the extra hands. I just love helping people! It is so great for everyone involved! One day when we were cleaning out stuff we found these tablets that form into dinosaurs when you soak them in the water. We saw them and said we need to give these to the elders. So we did and yesterday we asked if they had done it yet and they said they didthe other night. Elder Anderson said "I'm not going to lie, it was pretty fun. It was fun to watch them to see which one start going." It was great. I just love those elders. Yesterday we went to the Kavea's and Brother Kavea gave me my tiki that he carved for me! It is so cool! I am sending pictures home of it today. I will treasure it for the rest of my life! Their family is so great! They are the ward mission leaders and a great strength to the missionary work. Next week he is making Tongan food for us but his wife made him promise no dog or horse so hopefully I won't have to eat that. The elders had a baptism on Sunday. It was Brother Kavea's grandson. He is a cute kid. It is so fun to see these little hearts changed. I just love seeing people change and come unto Christ. This week we met a man named Omar and his wife Marcella. He told us that he knew that they needed to get baptized. We are excited to teach them! We are also teaching a lady named Rosa. We went over there yesterday and she said that she had prayed and read in the Book of Mormon. We are hopeful that she will continue to progress. We were teaching Mireya last night and talked about Lehi's vision. We were going to teach her the 2nd lesson but she was confused about the Book of Mormon so we read from there instead. She said something in Spanish and I responded before Hermana Colwell and she said to me english, you understood! YAY! It is coming! I think I know a lot more than I give myself credit for but I still struggle. Little by little. So this is the last week of the transfer! Have I really been here 6 weeks already? The time in the field goes so much faster than the MTC. Holy Cow! We are babysitting one of the sisters today so her companion who is going home next week could go to the temple with the Sexton's. It is fun to get to know the other sisters. Sister Hart is the last sister to come out before me and she came out in like January. They went through a big dry spell so they were extra exicted to get me! I think there are 5 sisters leaving in the next 5 months and then I will be the 2nd oldest sister! Crazy! We are running low on the hermanas out here! Sister Miller wrote us this week(she was the sister I replaced) and she made us trunky calendars! So funny. I now have the remainder of my mission pocket size on an index card. I marked all of the transfers so I will either come home the 29th of December or the 9th of February. Unless for some reason I get extended but that is a long ways away. So now you know when I could come home. It seems so close but yet so far. I know it fly so I am going to enjoy every minute of it. So things are pretty good. We didn't have any funny door approaches or anything but we did have one that made me way nervous. Politics are pretty heavy out here right now, hmmm...I wonder why? Anyway we haven't really run into many problems until we met this one guy. We were supposed to be going to an appointment at a house but there were a bunch of people out front and it was kind of awkward. So we contacted one of the guys standing out front and he did not like us. He told us that we were taking away the rights of people he holds dear and to leave because the church is supporting propostion 8(which is to stop gay marriage). Hermana Colwell tried to be respectful and leave on a positive note but he said that he could spit on us. Hermana Colwell wanted a good story and I wanted to leave. I have never been so nervous. Nothing crazy happened but it was very uncomfortable and I didn't like. I hope that he is not the husband of the lady we didn't teach cause we are going back to her house. I can only imagine what would happen if he answered the door. We would get spit on for sure this time! I will be grateful when elections are over. I am really grateful that we are not involved in everything right now. It is so nice to be in the world but of the world. I hear about everything sometimes and I just want to cry because of how crazy and wicked the world is becoming. That's why it is so important for us to prepare for that which lies ahead. We need to read our scriptures and constantly pray and build that firm foundation so we stand immovable when tragdey hits. I am so grateful for the hope that we find in Christ and in his gospel. I so grateful to know that have the truth and that we know that the best is yet to come. I am amazed at how much I learn everyday. I am working to finish the Book of Mormon 2 more times before the year ends. Once in Spanish and once in english. As I read the Book of Mormon I am looking for teaching skills that will help me as a missionary. I am so amazed at much is in there. It really is applicable to every situation you just have to look. I know that as I continue to read the Book of Mormon I will find what I need to learn to help me and to help those around me. Sometimes in companion study we will prepare a lesson for someone and find scriptures to share with a specific person but then we won't even share them with that person. We share them at a different time and place then we were expecting. We never who the Lord is preparing us for and how grateful we can be when we have read those passages to help us help someone else. We must always be prepared so we don't let those moments pass us by. I love you all so much and miss you so much! I couldn't do this without your love and support! I am so grateful for the best family! You really are the greatest blessing anyone could ask for! Thank you and know that I love you more than I can express!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
