Gathering Israel: Updates from Our Missionaries
Enjoy the latest from our Orem Hillcrest Stake full-time missionaries serving around the world. Fresh updates appear as we hear from them.
Sister Samantha Becerra, Korea Busan
Aug 26, 2024
Blessings pour out! It’s 베세라 자매님 back at it with another email!! Anyways I got some good highlights to tell, soo let’s get right into it! I am headed back to Korea NEXT WEEK??? Whaaaaaa! All my Korean mission friends I’ll see you soon! I started teaching someone with my companion from Africa!!! He seems really interested in the gospel! It was weird how me and my companion found him! I posted a video on Facebook and he DM me and started asking questions about the church! I thought it was really cool, but it got even more exciting. I invited him to read the Book of Mormon and HE READ ALL OF IT!! Crazyyy! And he said he found it so interesting! I do have to refer him to missionaries in his area, but it was so cool how I was able to receive him and bless him with the knowledge of the Book of Mormon!! Hopefully, maybe he can be baptized!! I went to the homecoming of Elder and Sister Harris. I’ve missed them so much! They served with me in the Korea Busan mission and they came home!! Literal angels! I got to see other people from the mish, too! My amazing trainer and Sister Porter! Shout out to them! One of my dad’s friends is getting baptized this week! It’s going to be awesome seeing him be baptize! I use to work with him and he is a really nice person. I remember having a conversation with him before the mission and he asked me why I believed what I believed and why I decided to serve a mission, I told him simply, “I love God and Jesus, they have done so much for me and I wanna show people the same love and same things that they have done for me.” Sincerely, now he is getting baptize I think he realizes all the great things of the blessings of the church and the gospel of Jesus Christ! That’s about it this week! But I just wanted to share a small spiritual quote about the Book of Mormon! “Something powerful happens when a child of God seeks to know more about Him and His beloved Son. Nowhere are those truths taught more clearly and powerfully than in The Book of Mormon.” Russell M. Nelson I think this quote is so true! Especially, how I found the teaching friend from Africa! The Book of Mormon is filled with truth and the fullness of Jesus Gospel! It brings happiness and peace! As missionaries we find opportunities to share this book and it’s a blessing for those who don’t have the knowledge of the truth! For myself I have found true greatness and joy of the book and when I share about it, I found the Spirit testify to me that this is truth and what I’m doing to help others read it is right! Anyways, I invite everyone to find an opportunity to share the Book of Mormon! You will be blessed and other will be blessed as well! See yall next week! 사랑합니다❤️ Sister Becerra 베세라 자매 https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ak8ky5ngBjUajc5Q8
Elder Austin Birchall, Texas Houston
Aug 7, 2024
Mi querida familia! These weeks have been absolutely crazy, haha. What I learned these weeks is that I am grateful for my new companion Elder Kirby. We are in an English area (I know wild). But he and I have similar drive and determination to be about our Father’s business and help our fellow missionaries. We are talking about setting the example of not just obedience and diligence, but in our FRUITS as well. So we'll get some big things going in the next couple days / weeks / transfers! I have felt super blessed and a little overwhelmed with all that needs to be done in order to train, teach, and hold Houston accountable. I am grateful that my faith is in Jesus Christ, and not in the arm of flesh, or else this would be absolutely terrifying. Some chill successes: — Our mission is killlling it with media referrals. Y’all maybe wouldn’t think that, but the statistics state that it’s better than knocking to just go through media referrals. They are knocking on our door, and slowly they are starting to get baptized and a higher rate. I have loved getting more media referrals, just trying to catch up to the nationwide average and beyond! — Amazing studies. Ever since Elder Kirby taught me that we can have faith in Jesus Christ on behalf of others, I have been DEEP diving on what faith in Jesus Christ is and how to strengthen that faith in others and in myself. I have loved how PMG words it that "doubt and sin undermine faith," and it has helped me make clear to friends, members, and especially other missionaries that what we do really matters. The law (be it commandments or missionary standards) is established not to save us, obviously. But it powerfully strengthens our faith in Jesus Christ, which is a requisite to being saved. Alma 25:16. I promise that the more you seek to understand Christ’s atonement and character, the more you will believe / trust / rely on him, bringing miracles into your life. — Met 17 member families this week! There is like over 100 up in here so we're getting there, haha. My whole perspective has been to strengthen their faith in Christ for a week or a couple weeks by inviting them to act (reading scriptures, praying specifically, serving others), and then with that strengthened faith and built trust in a couple weeks, we will be inviting them to act bigger (sharing scriptures with a friend, doing a FHE, etc.). Big things are coming to olde oaks. — Getting more sleep this week has been a life saver and a game changer, goodness. I actually hit the most exhausted point of my whole life this week after MLC. We were at dinner eating biscuits and gravy and I was actually too tired to close my eyes. Wild. — We found a bunch of epic people! We are just trying to find those to be baptized pronto. Got to exchange with my literal dog Elder Maynard. He has a great light about him. And the best part is he did just become this obedient and devoted disciple of Christ all on his own. We reminisced on the times we had together, and I’m convinced the way we talk about Christ and about our missions would persuade anybody to go, because that’s just the way it is. I love this Elder. And I love yall! https://photos.app.goo.gl/3f9kfG8w2Mta3DRu9 Elder Birchall
Elder Michael Birchall, Italy Milan
Aug 14, 2024
Hey everyone! I am still in Como and it is still so beautiful here. I have loved my time here and continue to find Joy thanks to Christ every day! We are working and praying and diligently doing all we can to align ourselves with the Lord's Vision right now. And the vision is this: to get our friends to take the sacrament every week. This focus will help them repent and keep their commitments. This focus will help them feel peace and joy, a deeper connection to Jesus Christ and a stonger relationship with Heavenly Father, and they will feel unspotted from the world. And in the end this focus will make more life-long converts to Christ. So, my companion and I are aligned with the vision and inviting ALL to come unto Christ by partaking of the sacrament with us each Sunday. And it is working!! We had three people in church last week! Our chinese friend, Leo. Our Italian friend, Martina. And, our friend from La Republica Domenicana, Alessia. We were praying for this, and we fasted for it too, and in the end it is working! We found fifteen people last week and had seven member-present lessons. I knew Como has always been the place of miracles. And there really are miracles here in Como, Italy!!! This area used to find only four people a week, and sometimes less. With our faith in Jesus Christ, He has been able to provide us with so much MORE! It is incredible to see things change right before my eyes. The power of Jesus Christ is real. Miracles are real. The heavens are open to all who have faith in the Son of the Living God. My personal vision right now is faith in Jesus Christ. I know Heavenly Father helped me choose this focus on faith for this second to last transfer of my mission. As we kneel down and call down the powers of heaven to help us find, teach, and eventually baptize, to help me bear a more powerful testimony of Jesus Christ, and to help us lift the eyes of the ward members here to make them SEE what is REALLY happening here in Como, the miracles have been more frequent and more intense. There is a constant and powerful energy that fills the air of the work of Jesus Christ right now. It is astonishing. I know we are preparing a people for when He comes again so that He can reign personally on the earth as the King of His Kingdom, with a people ready for Him. He is changing my life. The more I pray out loud, every day and night, on my knees, and like Elder Holland said, "more earnestly" I can feel the power of God within me. The more I start every single morning off in the Book of Mormon, the more I feel the power of God. The more I read the Bible, and the more I listen to the words of Christ through His living prophet and apostles, the more I feel the power of God. The more I talk of Christ and preach of Christ and bear testimony to ALL the people I know in my life from my family, to friends, to missionaries, and to you guys, that Jesus really IS the Living Christ, I feel the power of God flow into my life! It took me almost two years as a missionary to finally begin to understand this one simple principle: Faith in Jesus Christ grants us access to His Power. And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me. (Moroni 7:33) This is true!!! I obey the commandments to receive God's power. I read and pray and worthily take the sacrament to receive God's power. There really is a God in Heaven who blesses His children with power from on high when they follow His Son Jesus Christ! I feel deep within my soul the truth of these things. I know it is true. It is my testimony that the power of God is on the earth and we need it with us every day of our lives if we want to be the ones to welcome Jesus Christ back into His world that He created when He comes again. Call down the power of Jesus Christ into your life and then be READY as you are filled with more joy and more peace and more happiness and more power to combat temptation, to overcome the world and find rest, and to be a bright beam of hope and a walking witness of Christ everywhere you go, than EVER before. I love Jesus Christ I know Him He is the source of all power He is the Savior of the World I know that He lives and DESIRES that we draw upon His power, through faith in His name, so that with Him we can accomplish the unimaginable. This is my testimony as His missionary. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Buonanotte! Elder Birchall
Elder Christian Buss, México Oaxaca
Jul 1, 2024
We had a baptism this week. It was really cool to see our friend be baptized and confirmed. To finish the baptismal service, we had our friend give the closing prayer. In his prayer he said something along the lines of, "Heavenly Father, please help endure to the end, help me become who I need to become." It made me think of the importance of focusing on our next ordinance, because it is what the leaders of the Church have always taught and it is what they are teaching today. "The one thing that would make for the safety of every man and woman would be to appear at the sacrament table every Sabbath day. We would not get very far away in one week—not so far away that, by the process of self-investigation, we could not rectify the wrongs we may have done. … The road to the sacrament table is the path of safety for Latter-day Saints." Elder Melvin J. Ballard "Imagine friends and young children more eager to prepare for and participate in the sacrament on Sunday than they were to be baptized. Surely such individuals would stand on strong spiritual foundations and be blessed with a firmness of heart, mind, might and strength.” Elder Bednar D&C 84:20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest. Elder Buss
Sister Victoria Daughetee, Maryland Baltimore
Sep 2, 2024
Lo siento for the late email today... I went to the zoo!!!! Promise next week's email will be better 🙏 Mon: we basically just hung out at the church and then had dinner with the senior missionaries 😇 Tuesday: district council and interviews w pres. Today was chill district council is always fun and President Brigham was with us today for interviews. Then we all went about our normal days. We had crochet night and I didn't work on my blanket at all...again oops 😬 Wednesday: we did service for Debbie and she dropped crazy lore about how her neighbor stabbed his wife and so many other crazy stories. So that was lit. Then we had a few lessons today and they all went pretty good. The gospel is so powerful! Thursday: we did service and then made soooo many visits today!! After one visit, we got back in the car and saw a hugeeee spider crawling on our dash. Absolutely not. So as girls, we tried to spray it with bug spray cause we didn't want to get too close to it. Then our car smelled so bad like bug spray for the rest of the day. Rip. But on the bright side, we got ice cream from a local dairy farm 🚜 that was 😋. Friday: Friday was chill. Lots of knocking which is always fun. We had a few media zooms for Sister Greeters so I got a lot of studies in today lol. Saturday: blessed Saturdays. We went to the farm as usual. Straight up my fav place to be. Gave donuts to the cows and hung out for a while. Later we met a sweet girl who is trying to find a church for her family and she was super interested. Slay. Then we had call-ins with the DL and, no joke, mid call we see the hugest spider on our ceiling and we even show our DL and he said that's gross. So we're not exaggerating. But I bossed up and killed it. Only took me 15 min. Sunday: this was a crazy fun Sunday bc we had church (so it's automatically amazing) then we went to the farm to break out fast and have crabs!!!!! Freshly caught that morning. We stayed there for a while and talked with all the family and friends. A lot of them either aren't members or they're inactive, but they love talking with us so it's super fun. Then we went to the Trujjios for dinner since they are going home soon. 1 more week left of their mish. Gonna miss them frfr Love you so much!! Everyone look for one way God has helped you in your life this week!!!! Sister Victoria Daughetee 126 Waldon Rd Abingdon MD https://photos.app.goo.gl/RDYcDkyz8XriWuas6
Sister Sharon Dunn, Canada Toronto
Sep 4, 2024
Hey everyone! Honestly it has been an exhausting week 🙃 which is kinda funny because within missionary work, not too much happened. 🐿🥥⛰️🎗 — We had district council 2 times this week, because it is transfer week.😇🥭 It always feels weird when that happens.🦧 — Went on exchanges again with Sister Quigley. Always the best. 🥹❤️🔥🏆 — Transfer news! I'm leaving Oakville 🤧😭 and going to an area called Bracebridge which is up north! 🥶 I'm pumped, but that also means I have to pack everything.... 🧳📦☠️🚗 — Happy birthday Mom! 🎂🥳🎉🎈🎊🎁 That's pretty much it! 🪩 By this time next week, I'll be in Bracebridge!!! Have a good week. Jesus loves you! 🫵 Sister Dunn
Elder Enoch Ellis, Wisconsin Milwaukee
Aug 12, 2024
I really need to stop writing my emails this late, but the day gets going and I forget. Sorry yall. This week we had the opportunity to come into contact (by sheer miracle) with two inactive members that we didn't know about. One of them just moved to the area last week and we were guided by the spirit to his door. Same case with the other, though he lived here a long time. The Lord is in this work, my testimony of and gratitude for the gospel grows every day as I watch it change people's lives and change mine. I'm so grateful for the scriptures to teach and console me, and I'm grateful most of all for the gift of the Holy Ghost to help me understand the scriptures, and apply them in my life. One thing I've been reading a lot about in the scriptures is hope. This concept is so freeing, and essential. In the 1950s an experiment was conducted where the researcher placed a rat in a tank of water that was deep enough the rat had to tread water to stay alive. The rat stayed floating for 15 minutes, and then gave up. Then the researcher took the rat out and dried it off and let it rest a bit and then sent it back into the tank. The second time, the rat sustained treading for 60 hours. The determined reason for the the difference in the experiment was hope of being rescued. In our lives and relationships, hope is necessary for longevity. The thing we have hope in is Jesus Christ. We know how the game is going to go. We don't know exactly what the score will be, but the home team will win. I know this to be true, God will win. Hope is also needed for charity. I hope to have better relationships, so I give charity to those I'm trying to build relationships with. I serve them and hope they forgive me for my shortcomings. We must also have faith that people can change and the gospel can help them, and us, become better. How do we build these attributes? It all begins with the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He helps us become better and we can help other people to use his power as well. As a missionary, hope is required. I have to have hope that our friends can change the necessary things in life to more fully taste the blessings of the gospel. I also need to have faith that the Lord is preparing people who want to hear our message. I need to have charity for when our friends don't keep commitments and cause massive inconvenience to us and the local members. I also need all the attributes so that when I mess up, or act inwardly, people will offer me the same grace. Matthew 7:1-2 "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." I need forgivness and how sweet it is. We must offer forgivness to people because when we choose not to forgive we punish them and we abuse our spirit by holding onto our anguish as justification for the punishing we dole. Choosing to forgive relieves tension and frees up the relationship for improvement and also prompts people to forgive us more freely when we mess up(and we always do). We must not forget that forgivness and repentance are different things. We don't have to wait for someone to repent before we forgive them. Often times they don't or never will. So why should we suffer with them. Unshcackle yourself from the guilt of someone else's folly. Repentance has conditions, governed and graded by the Master. It's not up to us to determine or police repentance. But we must freely give our forgivness, unconditionally. Not because people deserve it, that is the very definition of mercy, better treatment then one deserves. We forgive because it is essential to our personal peace and needed to love imperfect people. Jesus Christ has perfect love for us because he has perfect understanding of our struggled and gives us grace according to that knowledge. We have imperfect love because we have imperfect charity. Forgiveness is necessary. I have found peace, hope for a better future, faith in the ones I love, charity for the mistakes of others and myself. All this through the Savior, our Advocate and brother, Jesus Christ. I'm still finding it, and I encourage you to start looking. Drink of the living water and never thurst again. Don't try to find fulfilment where there is none. Forgive and be free, though Jesus Christ Sorry for the sermon. Hopefully it was helpful in some way. I have been studying these things a lot because I am in desperate need of the application of these principles. So I invite you to learn with me :) I love you all. Rest well. — Elder Ellis
Elder Carter Flory, Cote d’Ivoire Abidjan North
May 27, 2024
Hello Family and Friends. Here is a summary of our family updates from video chats with Elder Flory through 27 May 2024: — His companion gave him a haircut this week. His hair is growing back on the side where he self cut it without a guard. — He had an interview with his mission president and wife. — He went to visit this young girl who is often ill and sad. Carter gave her a priesthood blessing in French. The next day she was happy and healthy! — They are planning a mega-baptism in their zone (15 areas) where around 40 people are being baptized the same day by the missionaries. Carter has been doing a lot of the paperwork to help get them ready. In one case, there is a couple who wants to get baptized, but thinks it should be a huge celebration so they wanted to wait; Carter spoke by following the Spirit and his personal feelings and experience with baptism at the Ghana temple. Seeing people with such strong desire and reading the Book of Mormon has strengthened his testimony and choice for his mission. — Transfers are coming next week and he anticipates that he will still be there. He really likes the people, the ward, and the area. He thinks he will be chosen to go to a new zone. — He continues to take medicine and is getting better from the recent typhoid illness. — Since he has been there, he has tried all types of new foods. As a result, he has gained some weight. He tried a pork meal that his companion cooked for dinner. — He wakes up around 6 am each day and works out for exercise in the mornings 3 times per week. — It rained a lot where Carter is staying. It flooded a lot and there are a lot of these pools/swamps of water. — Next to the ward building there is a small patch of grass. It reminded him of Minecraft grass and how things can be built. He saw a little boy wearing a Minecraft shirt in his area. — He has not been relocated yet, he finds out in 2 more days what the decision is. — His English is starting to have an accent now since he speaks mostly French. He finds that sometimes he forgets the English words. — It is Mango + Papaya season and Carter bought a lot of them. — This week they found a rat outside of their door in the patio area and they had to kill it. — He learned how to make No Bake Peanut Butter cookies (NBPB Cookies) https://photos.app.goo.gl/cr2TasxpE3PtUoKe9 Elder Carter Dell Flory Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan North Mission Riviera Attoban L43 Derrière Église St. Bernard Cocody, Abidjan Côte d’Ivoire
Sister Rachel Lillywhite, Texas Austin Mission
Sep 2, 2024
Happy September! I've officially made it to double digits on the mission. This past month was crazy! So much happened and to be honest, I probably don't remember most of it. We had transfers a few weeks ago. They are always so crazy. I got to see almost all of my past companions! I love them all so much! I ended up leaving Blanco Vista which wasn't really a suprise, but I was kind of sad. I really loved it there! My new area is called Palm Valley which is about 30 minutes north of Austin. I am also in a TRIO which was a suprise! My two new companions are Hermana Summers (who came out one transfer before me) and Hermana Nelson (who got here 2 months ago). My last few weeks in Blanco Vista were a lot of fun. We were so busy! We were teaching a lot of really amazing people right before I left. I will miss them so much! I will also miss all of the amazing members. They were honestly some of my favorite people! We got to watch the groundbreaking of the Austin Texas Temple a few weeks ago. It was awesome! Everyone is so excited that Austin is finally going to get a temple. The missionaries weren't actually invited to attend the ceremony, but we were able to watch it over a broadcast. Right before transfers, we celebrated Hermana Hanks' birthday by going to eat at an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant in San Marcos for $20. It was pretty good, but I couldn't help myself from calculating what we would have normally paid to make sure we got our money's worth. Don't worry dad, we did. I finally made it to the golf course! My last pday in Blanco Vista, I talked Hermana Hanks into playing 9 holes with me at the course right behind our house. She was such a good sport, haha. It was a little hot but we actually had a lot of fun. Considering the fact that I hadn't played any golf in almost 10 months, I think it went pretty well. I won't divulge the exact score here, but just know it definitely could have been worse, haha. So far, I've really liked this area! I'm still getting to know everyone, but I've already met so many of the amazing people we are teaching. A couple of them are actually getting baptized this coming month! We share the branch with a set of elders which is always so fun. The members here are also amazing and so helpful! "Why is it when something happens, it is always you three?" (from "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"). Life in a trio is a bit different, but a lot of fun, haha. We live out in Hutto, Texas with two of the English sisters. Our bedroom isn't really designed for 3 beds so we ended up having to push them all together in order to fit. There are also no air conditioning vents in the back of our car and the week following transfers was probably the hottest of the summer. Needless to say, my new goal is to drink more water. About 2 days into the transfer, we got asked to be in charge of running the Spanish Facebook page for the mission. From what I've heard, it's a lot of work and takes a lot of time, but hopefully because there are three of us, it will be alright, haha. I'm so excited to be in a new area! There is so much to do and I've already met so many incredible people! I hope everyone has a great month! Love, Hermana Lillywhite :)
Sister Eliza Liston, California Roseville
Sep 2, 2024
I am officially the pest of Sierra Junior College and I LOVE it! Every Tuesday and Thursday we plop a table down on campus and start talking to people! It's so fun to talk to people my age! I got to give out 2 copies of the Book of Mormon and meet some cute girls who are genuinely interested! One of them is named Lexus and she has been praying a lot for God to show her the path she needs to be on and then her member friend brought her to our table! She was so excited and even came to church on Sunday! We are teaching some really cool people and it is SO COOL how I just met these people a few days ago and I already have so much love for them! It really just re-emphasized why I'm here serving a mission! God wants all of his children home and as I look around and see his sons and daughters I don't want any of them to not make it back home! I want each of them to have a fullness of joy! There are tons of houses close together here so that means it's knocking time!! One day we were out and an Amazon driver was in a rush, but we asked him if he wanted a picture of Jesus and he immediately just stopped and started talking to us! He told us he has an eight year old son who started asking questions about God and he doesn't know what church to take him to! You are talking to the right people! So excited to see what happens there! I love the gospel and this area is dope!! Love, Sister Liston https://photos.app.goo.gl/SaBgnKFKrs77dGxX8
Sister Paige Liston, Texas Houston East
Sep 2, 2024
Hello everyone!! This week was awesome sauce here in Texas. It finally cooled down a little which I have LOVED!! By that I mean it is 85°F! 😆 This week, we have been on the find grind and we found a lot of great new friends! Five of them came to church on Sunday which was even more baller! Yay for Pedro, Jose, María, Maria's husband (should learn his name), and their daughter Dulce! Woot woot!! My humor is broken so if this is not funny just lie to me and pretend you enjoyed my story.... Basically on Friday night our recent convert Alvaro took us to get food after we knocked doors.... I wasn't hungry, but was craving some horchata (Mexican drink)! I got some horchata and let me tell you, it was sooo good! Literally in like a 42oz cup and I drank the whole thing 😭. After we were done, we walked back to the car and my stomach started hurting and I threw up! But we needed to go and I thought I was fine so I started driving us back. My stomach wouldn't stop hurting and at every red light I was just puking out the window and my companion was just dying laughing jajaja. Then got home and I puked in the yard... Oh boy, then we went to bed. OK, THIS STORY IS NOT OVER ... THE NEXT DAY THOUGH, I was chillin the next day and either way the grind never stops so we went knocking and it was like 6:30ish Saturday night and my stomach wasn't feeling to good, but this time it wasn't coming out my mouth. I thought I was fine until I wasn't... I had to go and it was bad. I know you've all had this feeling jajaja! I was driving because my comp can't and I literally thought I was going to faint my stomach hurt so bad. We were five minutes from a gas station, but I couldn't wait! I was about to just go on the side of the road when I see this guy opening his gate to his house and I pull over and run in! I didn't ask him if I could use his bathroom I said WHERE is your bathroom! I was so out of it and he points to the back and I start running. Keep in mind, these huge dogs are chasing me while I'm running ... I was blacking out at this point and let's just say his toilet may be broken now and I have never thought I was going to die until this moment! Anyways, I'm alive but it was pretty funny and I'm just crazy and Hermana Medina didn't even try to talk to him about the church. I gave her a lot of time that she definitely could jajaj...might have to knock again this week! I overcame that rotten horchata!! ... I hope you enjoyed this TMI story! Anyways... let's get spiritual! This week I studied this talk by Elder Uchtdorf... On Being Genuine: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/04/on-being-genuine?lang=eng SOOO GOOD!!! I loved this talk because it talks about how we can become true humble disciples of Jesus Christ. We don't need to pretend to be something we're not. Hope for recognition because of our service. Earn love and respect from God. God and Jesus Christ love us perfectly already and we show our love to them by the way we serve his children! It is always centered on LOVE! "My beloved brothers in Christ, the God of Creation, who breathed life into the universe, surely has the power to breathe life into you. Surely He can make of you the genuine, spiritual being of light and truth you desire to be" I know that through Jesus Christ we can become the people that we want to be... become the disciples that Christ needs us to be. I invite you this week to study this talk and let me know what you think!! I love you all! I miss you! I love my mission and these beautiful people in Texas! Have an awesome sauce week and never forget how loved you are! ♡Hna Liston 🫶🚽🌮🏃♂️🥳💕🌟🪅🤮😆💗🐸 https://photos.app.goo.gl/k2gyveDJPwknteQ67
Sister Laura Nascimento, Massachusetts Boston
Jan 22, 2024
6° Transferência (12 Jan - 23 Fev): Vou continuar em Boston com a Sister Daniels, e estamos fazendo de tudo e mais um pouco para mudar esse lugar. Precisamos de todas as orações possíveis por Dorchester, principalmente por Meury e sua família. Kriolu é só na base do Urim e Tumim mesmo, mas tá indo 🦘 Pude usar nessa sexta o que eu sabia, e acabei aprendendo uma nova frase: "N ka krê, n'dja ten nha igreja" lol finding flow não tá finding flowing aqui (ainda... mas vai). Gente do céu, Paorã em Alma 61 mudou completamente minhas definições de "amizade". Ele escreve uma resposta à agonia e desconfiança do capitão Morôni de uma forma que só Cristo faria (62a.C.!!!!!). Ele respeitou as intenções justas do amigo (independente das ofensas), identificou revelações em meio da confusão dele, lembrou Morôni de sua fé (questionada por ele), pediu que Morôni fosse pra perto dele (ao invés de se afastar) e também encorajou Morôni a escrever aos seus outros amigos em dor, Leí e Teancum, que eles não deixassem o medo vencer. O cara acabou de ser traído e conspirado contra, mas ele escolheu deixar a vontade de Deus prevalecer, não os sentimentos feridos dele. Isso é pura integridade. Integridade que só vem com o tempo e a experiência, principalmente o tempo - que traz mais responsabilidades, cabelos brancos e arrependimentos aceitos pela expiação. O Élder Holland tem experiência de sobra, então segue um pensamento dele: ~ "I welcome you to the life that King Benjamin described and that Jesus perfectly exemplified. Welcome to concepts such as patience and long-suffering, which take on meaning you never knew they had. Welcome to not knowing but still believing. Welcome to trusting in your Father in Heaven and believing that all His promises, near-term or long-, will all yet be kept in full. But beware, there can be some anguish in this journey. That is because the road from faith to pure knowledge, from mortal trials to celestial rewards, always somehow winds through Gethsemane." ~ "Childlike obedience to [God's] parental calls and His divine warnings will spare us and others agony in the end." / Por mais irônico que soe, se tornar um adulto é aceitar o convite do Salvador de ser, reagir e acreditar como uma criança. Muitos falam que sua maturidade cresce na missão, mas a verdade é que, na missão você aprende que sua maturidade não existe. Somos completamente dependentes do Pai Celestial. O mundo é um bando de crianças procurando um Pai em quem podem confiar. Alguns desistem de procurar, mas os missionários estão aqui para aqueles que ainda não desistiram - e isso foi motivo suficiente para eu preencher meus papéis. Mesmo querendo tanto criar minha própria família, o Pai Celestial quer assumir Seu papel de pai muito mais do que eu quero ser mãe. Então, a Glória Dele tem que vir primeiro. E com ela, todo o resto - Espero que vocês tenham o desejo de fazer Deus ser reconhecido também 🤓 /e tudo bem ir atrás dos seus amigos com uma espada se eles questionarem os mandamentos. De alguém que finalmente aprendeu a escrever Katxupa, Sister Nascimento 🐞
Elder Cameron Nielsen, Spain Madrid North
Sep 2, 2024
Oh hi yall, I'm back. I survived yet another week. As many of yall know, this last week we got transfers news, meaning this week I'll be super busy... it also means I will be receiving a new companion. If yall be so kind as to give me a drumroll. My new comp is: Elder Taylor. Yipppeeee, hoowooo. Thank you. Now there something rather cool about this new companionship. Not only was Elder Taylor also born in Vigo, but he was there right before I got there. In other words, I replaced him when I got there. Crazy right? He is also a cook, so imma be eating good this transfer. Alright, let's get to the stories: Last Monday was the running of the bulls in SanSe. This past week was just a massive festival. So on Monday, we went and spent a ton of time over there. We bought some cool red bandannas with SanSes symbol on it. And we also hung out with the Carrells (the senior missionary couple here). Super fun. That night we drove over to our friend Blanca's house and met with her and her family. Her youngest son promised us he would come to church. And we promised to give him Pokemon cards if he came. Tuesday we had DC, as we couldn't do it on Wednesday because of silly office stuff. After DC, all of our lessons just blew up. So we just kinda grinded the street contacting. We also had to go and pick up a few people that were traveling into Madrid to attend residency appointments. On Wednesday, we had our first of two office meets. It was literally like a 2.5 hour meeting, talking about the next transfer and all the stuff that is gonna go down. Very cool meeting. After that, we went and dropped off all the people here for residency at their stations to return back to their areas. We also taught a lesson with our new friend who is a super dope dude from Venezuela (if I remember correctly, I'll have to double check). We also met with Kendrick and his family. We read in the Book of Mormon together. Thursday was the day when it all started to go downhill. We had the transfers meeting. Meaning it was time to begin planning. So in other words we spent that entire day grinding the office work. Although at one point we went out to get snacks and we got street contacted by this one fella who had interest. Miracles do happen. 🥲 Friday, we just did the usual ya know, ate lunch with President. Sat at desks. Read the scriptures. AND SET WORLD RECORDS. We literally finished all of the buying in one day. Was it like 9 straight hours of office work? Yeah. Was it worth it? Yeah. Why? Because we literally are the best and we proved it. Am I prideful and boasting? Probably, I will go repent now. Amen. Ok, well we almost finished all the buying on Friday. President had a few extra times we wanted us to do, but we still did the best. We spent a lot of the day attending mission trainings. And cleaning and organizing our Area Book for next transfer. We also went and got lunch with the Gerratts (another senior missionary couple that works in the office). Good day. Sunday, we had the wonderful opportunity to extend a baptismal date to our friend Daniel! He is a super dope Spaniard dude. We also had the opportunity to be late to sacrament meeting 😅. We lost track of time while meeting with Daniel and we missed the first song. Which was super funny because E. Quantz plays the piano. Sooo, they sung sin piano. We also continued to do some planning for transfer. So Elder Gerratt and I sat down and finished planning then hopped on a meeting with all the senior couples here in Madrid and told what they are gonna do. Alright fellos and fellas, it that time. Spiritual thought from yours truly: Today I really want to talk about the Book of Mormon. Truly such a fantastic book. The more I study the BoM and the more I learn about it, the more interesting it becomes. It really is incredible how well it works with the Bible. Because they both teach the same gospel! The clarification and guidance we recieve from the BoM is essential. This week we were meeting with our friend Frank and we talked about why there are so many church's with completely different ideas and beliefs that all stem from the Bible, but with the BoM we better understand the Bible. The BoM was also literally made for our time. It contains answers to questions we all have. So if you're ever looking for some help, pray and then flip open the nearest BoM and just wait for some good ol' fashioned revelation. And if you're wanting to learn more bout this good old book that goes by the name Book of Mormon, let me know 😁. Google album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/5Bts9wPXUNpFKDmn6 Elder Nielsen
Elder Jordan Reese, Texas Fort Worth
Aug 19, 2024
What in the world! This last week I hit 1 year as a missionary!! I feel like I have grown so much in my testimony and in every single aspect of life. The time is flying by so fast!! Its a blessing to be here in Texas!! There are so many awesome people out here! Definitely going to be a cowboy for the rest of my life! I'm converted! 🤠 🤣 This week I fought a fire!! 🔥 Not actually, but there was a huge fire in my area, HUGE! It was at the scrap yard and the entire pile of metal was burning!! That day it was 112°F outside and they said that the fire was started by a piece of glass magnifying the sun! That's crazy! There will be pictures in my Google Photos. SPIRITUAL THOUGHT: At church on Sunday, a member talked about charity and pride and how charity is the pure love of Christ and pride is the defining characteristic of Satan. "Pride is the opposite of humility, which is a “willingness to submit to the will of the Lord.” When prideful, we tend to take honor to ourselves rather than giving it to others, including the Lord. Pride is often competitive; it is a tendency to seek to obtain more and presume we are better than others. Pride often results in feelings of anger and hatred; it causes one to hold grudges or to withhold forgiveness. Pride, however, can be swallowed in the Christlike attribute of humility." (Quote by: Elder Stevenson) Everyone has been pridefull at one time or another. But the first step is realizing it. Then choosing in that moment the kind of person you want to be and making a plan to reach it.. The Lord knows us perfectly. He knows our hearts. He always stands ready to help us. I love you all have an awesome week! — Elder Jordan Reese https://photos.app.goo.gl/gzjWnFpYvfqFWWek6