Four months! Happy February! Oh wow- where does time go? Someone told
me that in two weeks 1/4 of my mission will be done. That worries me
because I still want to do and become so much more! Luckily there is
time. This week I've been feeling a bit discouraged and inadequate. I
have this idea in my head about the kind of missionary I want to be
but I feel like each lesson I fall into the same routine. I am trying
to allow the spirit to influence my work more but at times I feel
stuck.
On Wednesday we went through the smoking cessation program with S.L.
He is doing great so far! Today is day 5 and he is staying strong. I
am grateful for this fantastic program that helps people break free
from this addiction.Life can be soo full and filled with joy when we
aren't stuck in a behavior pattern that limits other choices. It's
also an expensive habit. SL will feel rich at the end of the 7 days
which should be a good motivator to keep going.
President Marston did interviews in our zone this week. I really
enjoyed the time we had to talk. He radiates love for the missionaries
and really embraces his role in the Roseville California mission.
President asked us to pick a goal and to find a scripture that goes
along. I decided to focus on more meaningful prayers this year. As a
missionary I share with people how prayer can help a person feel more
connected to deity. I always want to work to strengthen that
connection. I have faith that my goal for the year will help me
overcome the missionary rut I'm in right now. I'm putting more of a
focus on kneeling for morning/ evening prayers and taking time for
quiet contemplation during and after the prayer.
This week it seems like everyone has the flu! Our dinner had to cancel
on Saturday because all the kids were sick so Sister Sheffield and I
went out to eat. Our funds were severely limited and at lunch I prayed
that someone would pay for our food that night. Guess what?!? IT
HAPPENED! Yep. Missionary miracles! A couple from another ward in our
stake was in front of us and paid for our dinner. It made my Saturday!
A new tv show has brought up lots of questions with many of our
investigators. The show is called 'Lucifer' and from what I've heard
it's about Satan who is a good soul but choses to contain the evil in
hell. He gets tired of being the ruler of the bad people so he goes to
New York to fight the sinners. It has inspired lots of questions about
the plan of salvation from people we teach. I love talking about the
plan of happiness because it answers the questions each soul will
wonder at one point or another in life. The start of this show has
prompted people to ask us about the gospel- I love it! The Lord is
hastening the work in so many ways- even ones that we don't utilize or
have control of as missionaries!
Funny story with T ( the kid in my email two weeks ago)
I think I'm going to start adding in my weekly encounters with him
because this kid never disappoints! Our visits with the family are
always entertaining.
So last week we were teaching about enduring to the end and staying
consistent with living the gospel. T usually has such a hard time
staying focused and during this lesson he opened up a package of candy
canes and was pretending they were guns.
A few weeks before he broke the candy canes in pieces and shoved them
into a Christmas orange which became a sticky distraction.
After a few minutes the candy guns got old so he stood up and put one
of the guns between his butt cheeks. We weren't sure exactly sure what
he was doing and decided not to draw attention to it because he loves
getting a reaction out of people. Anyways he broke it with his bum and
then declared to us how strong his muscles are! Gah! I kept it
together until we got out of the house. It was stupid funny mostly
because of how weird the situation was. Oh mission life.....
This week T keep himself busy by eating crackers with his feet.
Yep.... He put the crackers in between his toes and that was that. He
was able to stay on track (for the most part) as we talked about
service and how it connects with enduring to the end - or stamina as T
calls it. He said service is good because we are doing the things God
would have to do so by serving others we are helping God so he has
less work to do later. Haha! That's one way to look at it I suppose.
Our week was full of service - mostly helping people pack and move.
Two families in our ward are boxing up their belongings. One is moving
out of state and the other is moving down the street. We went on
Saturday to help with the 'a few houses down' move but after a half
hour the elders quorum said they were almost finished so we could go.
We called bishop later that night and he told us there was a surprise
attic which added another 6 hours of work!!! We felt so bad because we
really could have helped.
I have been thinking a lot about my desire to become a stronger
missionary. I study Preach my Gospel but I still feel like I'm falling
short most of the time. On Friday Sister Sheffield did her departing
temple trip - she finishes her mission in a few weeks. While she was
gone I was paired up with Sister Madsen who has been out for over 2
months. It was Friday that I realized how unprepared I feel to get a
new companion. Sister Sheffield and I have been able to work so well
together for so long now that the though of change terrifies me. We
both have different strengths so our companionship has been a real
blessing to the work. The lesson we had on Friday was a wake up call
for me because I basically had to lead the entire thing. I had a hard
time and was so stressed out. I talk too much when I get nervous- it
was bad. Real bad! Also that day I had to drive which really made me
incredibly nervous. I haven't been behind a wheel in four months and
driving a different vehicle always stresses me out. I was sweating
bullets!
Exciting update with B and D - the cute couple we have been working
with for the past few months. There might be an engagement soon!
Yeeks! 😍 I'm so very excited!! I'll keep you posted.
The work is going really well in Granite Bay 2.
My Ponderizing scripture for the week can be found in Helaman 3:35- in
the Book of Mormon. This is my goal scripture that I connected to my
focus for 2016.
'Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and
stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of
Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea,
even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which
sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.
Today for P Day we went bowling:)
Love you all!
-SIster Taylor
Monday, June 13, 2016
Granite Bay Joy
Oh hey!
The past 7 days have been good but a lot slower than previous weeks.
Soo many of our people have been sick which means lots of dropped
appointments. We knocked a ton of doors this week! There are two
contact lists we have been working on in the area. The hard thing with
tracting is that lots of people aren't even home during the day and
the ones that do answer the door are most often not interested. We did
have some success though so I'm excited to follow up on that this
week. If someone saw our tracting papers they might think we are total
creeps haha! They are pretty detailed which helps keep the work
organized!
Granite Bay is like a little piece of country smack dab in the middle
of the city. There are hardly any street lights so it gets pretty dark
by 545 pm. This makes contacting tricky because it feels much later
than it really is. People get apprehensive about opening their door
when the sun has gone away.
The stars are so beautiful out here! This week I have been in awe at
the beauty of the sky, especially the moon. I wish I could just lay on
the ground and stare up there for a few minutes.
In Winnipeg I loved the sound of the geese and the trains and here it
is the sound of frogs that makes my heart happy! One of our members
lives right by a pond- the sound of the frogs overshadows any other
noise. I love it! I point it out to sister Sheffield any time I can.
It's the simple things which remind you Heavenly Father is mindful of
his children. Simple joys are all around if we take the time to notice
them.
Granite bay also doesn't have sidewalks which I never noticed until it
was pointed out to me. Often we have to park the car in a weird way so
it doesn't stick out on the road. There is lots of wildlife here too.
On our way to church we usually see or smell a skunk.I really enjoy
where I am right now. The work is exciting and the members put forth a
great effort- they are wonderful!
The best part of the week was the world wide missionary broadcast.
Every missionary on the globe was tuned in. It was fun to think of all
my friends serving and feeling uplifted and enlightened like I was. It
was the first one the church has done in ten years. The main topic was
preaching repentance and baptizing converts but many subjects were
covered. They talked a lot about how the spirit is always the best
teacher. It was a wonderful address and a good reminder of truths
previously discovered. It was the spiritual boost I needed!
The Tuesday before the broadcast we had a day of exact obedience. It
was nice to have everyone striving to be exact. As a missionary you
can't afford to let obedience slip. Being exact brings miracles and I
need all the miracles Heavenly Father has for our companionship and
our area.
Exchanges happened this week! We do them once a transfer - you get a
new companion and sometimes area for a day. On the exchange I got to
meet one of the Granite Bay 1st ward investigators. He is the most
prepared man I've ever met!!! S works as a lawyer so he has a love for
details and information. He wants to read EVERYTHING about the church
and the gospel. While he has been working with the missionaries he has
read the standard works, many general conference talks and anything
else he can get his hands on. When I showed him the institute manuals
on the gospel library app he was over the moon happy! I have been
using these in my studies for the past month and have learnt so so
much! They really help you understand the scriptures.
We had a delay with our stop smoking program - S.L (who planned on
starting Wednesday) got sick so we had to push it back. Hopefully he
will be better this week so we can get help him overcome this
addiction. Sister R is still staying strong even though it has been a
really rough week for her. I love seeing the changes people can make
when they allow Christ to lift their burdens.
The mission cars have a device (tiwi) in them that warns you if you
are speeding or driving poorly. You log in with a scan card and if you
get violations while driving they get recorded and reported. Our tiwi
has been unplugged for a long time because it started to drain the
battery and cause other problems in the car. This week elder Gilbert
(the man in charge of the cars) asked us to plug it back in. Sister
Sheffield dubbed this week the revenge of the tiwi. Haha! I don't
drive right now so it doesn't bother me. It's a neat device. I wonder
if its main market was for the church or for concerned parents....
Maybe both..
The weather has been wonderful! Tons of rain and sun at the same time
which is very odd. The frog population has exploded which makes me oh
so happy.
My ponderizing scripture is
Doctrine and Covenants 31:3
Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come;
and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare glad tidings of
great joy unto this generation.
I picked this one because for some reason it has been harder for me to
feel my 'tongue be loosed' Each moment I have to make a decision to
say something even when it feels awkward or uncomfortable. Being a
missionary is a blessing and I want to use this time to its fullest
potential. 'Time is slippery' as sister Sheffield says. I can hardly
believe this week will be my four month mark! I want to make everyday
count!!!
Have a wonderful day :)
-Sister Taylor
The past 7 days have been good but a lot slower than previous weeks.
Soo many of our people have been sick which means lots of dropped
appointments. We knocked a ton of doors this week! There are two
contact lists we have been working on in the area. The hard thing with
tracting is that lots of people aren't even home during the day and
the ones that do answer the door are most often not interested. We did
have some success though so I'm excited to follow up on that this
week. If someone saw our tracting papers they might think we are total
creeps haha! They are pretty detailed which helps keep the work
organized!
Granite Bay is like a little piece of country smack dab in the middle
of the city. There are hardly any street lights so it gets pretty dark
by 545 pm. This makes contacting tricky because it feels much later
than it really is. People get apprehensive about opening their door
when the sun has gone away.
The stars are so beautiful out here! This week I have been in awe at
the beauty of the sky, especially the moon. I wish I could just lay on
the ground and stare up there for a few minutes.
In Winnipeg I loved the sound of the geese and the trains and here it
is the sound of frogs that makes my heart happy! One of our members
lives right by a pond- the sound of the frogs overshadows any other
noise. I love it! I point it out to sister Sheffield any time I can.
It's the simple things which remind you Heavenly Father is mindful of
his children. Simple joys are all around if we take the time to notice
them.
Granite bay also doesn't have sidewalks which I never noticed until it
was pointed out to me. Often we have to park the car in a weird way so
it doesn't stick out on the road. There is lots of wildlife here too.
On our way to church we usually see or smell a skunk.I really enjoy
where I am right now. The work is exciting and the members put forth a
great effort- they are wonderful!
The best part of the week was the world wide missionary broadcast.
Every missionary on the globe was tuned in. It was fun to think of all
my friends serving and feeling uplifted and enlightened like I was. It
was the first one the church has done in ten years. The main topic was
preaching repentance and baptizing converts but many subjects were
covered. They talked a lot about how the spirit is always the best
teacher. It was a wonderful address and a good reminder of truths
previously discovered. It was the spiritual boost I needed!
The Tuesday before the broadcast we had a day of exact obedience. It
was nice to have everyone striving to be exact. As a missionary you
can't afford to let obedience slip. Being exact brings miracles and I
need all the miracles Heavenly Father has for our companionship and
our area.
Exchanges happened this week! We do them once a transfer - you get a
new companion and sometimes area for a day. On the exchange I got to
meet one of the Granite Bay 1st ward investigators. He is the most
prepared man I've ever met!!! S works as a lawyer so he has a love for
details and information. He wants to read EVERYTHING about the church
and the gospel. While he has been working with the missionaries he has
read the standard works, many general conference talks and anything
else he can get his hands on. When I showed him the institute manuals
on the gospel library app he was over the moon happy! I have been
using these in my studies for the past month and have learnt so so
much! They really help you understand the scriptures.
We had a delay with our stop smoking program - S.L (who planned on
starting Wednesday) got sick so we had to push it back. Hopefully he
will be better this week so we can get help him overcome this
addiction. Sister R is still staying strong even though it has been a
really rough week for her. I love seeing the changes people can make
when they allow Christ to lift their burdens.
The mission cars have a device (tiwi) in them that warns you if you
are speeding or driving poorly. You log in with a scan card and if you
get violations while driving they get recorded and reported. Our tiwi
has been unplugged for a long time because it started to drain the
battery and cause other problems in the car. This week elder Gilbert
(the man in charge of the cars) asked us to plug it back in. Sister
Sheffield dubbed this week the revenge of the tiwi. Haha! I don't
drive right now so it doesn't bother me. It's a neat device. I wonder
if its main market was for the church or for concerned parents....
Maybe both..
The weather has been wonderful! Tons of rain and sun at the same time
which is very odd. The frog population has exploded which makes me oh
so happy.
My ponderizing scripture is
Doctrine and Covenants 31:3
Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come;
and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare glad tidings of
great joy unto this generation.
I picked this one because for some reason it has been harder for me to
feel my 'tongue be loosed' Each moment I have to make a decision to
say something even when it feels awkward or uncomfortable. Being a
missionary is a blessing and I want to use this time to its fullest
potential. 'Time is slippery' as sister Sheffield says. I can hardly
believe this week will be my four month mark! I want to make everyday
count!!!
Have a wonderful day :)
-Sister Taylor
The Theme of the Week is Trust
Hey hey!
We have had another fantastic week. On Thursday we had a celebration
for Sister R because she completed the 7 day - 15 step smoking
cessation program - -she made it!!! I can't even comprehend how
powerfully addictions (of any kind) grip a person. So many people we
talk to have a desire to make changes to help better their health and
allow them to come closer to Christ but they fall back into the same
routine. I am so so proud of Sister R for relying on the Lord to help
her through. Our ward has also been a fantastic support as she works
towards her goal of a temple recommend.
We had service this week at the thrift shop! This has got to be one of
my favourite places to serve because you always end up with funny
stories. Some of the things we sort are ridiculous. Mostly we go
through clothing and organize the pieces based on size and color. This
week we found some really fancy wedding dresses from the 80's and a
few ugly sweaters in the donations. It's the simple joys in life...
I love being a missionary and talking with EVERYONE- it's my favourite
part of the mission. You get the chance to talk with people of all
walks. Let me tell you one fun story from Roseville mission life...
we visited a less active single dad and his 11 year old son. Let's
call the dad C and the boy T for the purposes of this story
So we go in to teach about the law of tithing. As members of the
church we willingly pay 10% of our income to the church. By acting on
faith and paying tithing we receive lots of blessings. We are given
everything from God so giving back 10% of the 90% we enjoy is a small
way to show our gratitude. The tithing money goes to lots of things -
building temples and meeting houses, paying the electricity bills and
property taxes, providing relief supplies in disasters all over the
world and tons of other things.
Anyways T has a hard time staying focused and C was not in the room
for most of the lesson because he was making food for a single adults
dinner.
We started talking about the blessings that come from paying tithing
and this is how our conversation went...
Missionaries- what blessings have you seen in your life this past
week? (trying to keep him engaged and thinking about the topic)
T- nothing....no blessings...
Missionaries- did you get a chance to play with your new pet bird? ( T
LOVES birds, he is passionate about this topic- usually it becomes a
distracting topic but today we figured it would bring back his
interest)
T- silence
Missionaries- Did you make it up a level with your video game?
(another passion of T)
T- silence...
Sister H (our member present for the lesson)- Did you wake up this
morning!?! Cuz that's a blessing!!!
Still no response - we wondered if he is even listening at this point....
C walks back into the room so we try and engage him. T takes the lead
on this one.
T- Dad what blessings have you seen in your week?
C- Well I don't know
T- Well did you wake up this morning!?! That's a blessing!!! He said
it with so much sass and to his credit HE WAS listening!
At the start of the lesson I asked T if he plans on paying his tithing
when he grows up and gets a job and he told me 'NO! Because I'm
probably going to have financial problems.' By the end of the lesson
he came around and said he could pay tithing when the day comes.
SUCCESS!
Such a funny kid.
I also love dinner time conversations with the members. They have
shared some great insight with us. I love asking how they met and
decided to get married. Some of the stories we hear belong in a book
so I decided I'm making my own book full of stories and life advice
from the people.
Ben and Dennae (I used their name already in a previous email) are
progressing really well. This week was a bit rough for them but they
find ways to overcome the difficulties they face. We shared 'the for
strength of youth' booklet with them and the spirit taught them so
much! We didn't say a single thing but they made a pact together-
Dennae gets rid of her gauges and Ben will cut his hair. I love when
the spirit does all the work!
We had zone conference this week and after all the missionaries
crossed the road to get something to eat at the strip mall. I decided
to run but my ankles decided to stop working and I went flying! I
surfed the pavement pretty good - blood soaked my tights and palms.
Walking and shaking hands hurt pretty bad for a few days- two things
that are vital to being a missionary! I'm all good now. It's more
funny than anything else. I was embarrassed mostly because our whole
zone saw it happen. Oh well!
This week I realized that some people really struggle to trust and
believe in anything. We had a lesson with a less active member whose
life is a faith crisis. This has been hard for me to wrap my mind
around mostly because I can't comprehend not having faith in ANYTHING.
Her lack of faith extends further than just gospel related things. It
was hard because as a missionary you help people but I realized there
was nothing profound I could say or do to change her stance. The only
thing I can do is continue to show love and visit with her.
Lots of people have been asking about my health so here is an update-
this week was a pretty dizzy one :( Thanks to everyone praying for me!
I had some really good days but the challenge still continues. I so
appreciate the times I am well - on those days I feel I can conquer
the world!! I hope this week things improve.
I want to share an amazing story a former investigator shared with us.
We visited her home originally to share a message with her son B but
instead we ended up having a great visit with B's mom C ( sorry if all
these letters get confusing- I want to respect the privacy of the
individuals so letters is how we will try and keep things clear)
C was at the lowest of low points in her life. Her son B is the only
thing that kept her going. She was getting out of an awful marriage
and didn't like her job. The life circumstances pushed her into
depression and life felt pretty hopeless. She was working as a police
officer on graveyard shift. One night she was assigned to ride a
motorcycle and found herself crying uncontrollably under her helmet.
She had contemplated ending her life many times but her son was the
only thing that kept her going. She exited on an off ramp onto an
empty road. She prayed asking God what he wanted her to do with her
life- she desired any form of direction. As she drove down the empty
road something caught her eye. It was a book sitting on its spine
opened up and the pages fluttered in the wind. Never before had she
stopped for anything that wasn't work related but she felt compelled
to stop and pick up that book. She pulled over and picked it up- it
was a Book of Mormon! She had seen a copy before but had never read it
before. Seeing it as a sign she took the book with her and read a bit
over the next few days. A short time later the door bell rang and two
'little boys in suits' started talking to her. Thinking they were
Jehovah Witnesses she tried to end the conversation so she could close
the door. As they were talking the missionaries said the word Mormon
and that caught her attention. She invited them in and readily
accepted the gospel.
She told us she knows the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
is the one true church. She has such a strong testimony and faith! She
said she isn't in a place to commit to baptism right now. She knows
there are changes she would have to make in her life and she isn't
confident that she can live the commandments 100% right now. Being a
perfectionist I can understand her thinking but if you wait until you
can do something 100% you will NEVER start anything! This life isn't
about being perfect- if it were we would all fail. The atonement is
the saving grace when all our efforts don't equal 100%.
One last highlight of the week....I saw Elder Duce on Saturday!!!! It
was so nice to run into a familiar face. I didn't know we would see
each other but a baptism from our stake was connected to his stake
(the person being baptized moved just days before the baptism). It was
surreal- over a year and a half has passed since we saw each other. It
was wonderful to catch up on mission stories and experiences.
My Ponderizing scripture of the week is found in Psalms 37: 4-5
4 -Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the
desires of thine heart.
5 -Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring
it to pass.
I'm learning more and more as you open up and trust Heavenly Father
with all the desires of your heart he will bless you. A lot of the
time we are in our own head and we forget to let others in. At times
we even neglect to keep Heavenly Father in the loop. He wants to bless
you! Those blessings come in so many different ways. I am working
harder at remembering to share my ideas and thoughts with others. My
prayers are becoming more involved and I can feel my relationship with
God improving.
The theme this week is trust. Our investigators are learning to trust
in their Heavenly Father, trust that things will work out and trust
that His timing is perfect. Faith requires action and these people are
movin' :)
Talk to you again in 7!!!
All the best!
-SIster Taylor
We have had another fantastic week. On Thursday we had a celebration
for Sister R because she completed the 7 day - 15 step smoking
cessation program - -she made it!!! I can't even comprehend how
powerfully addictions (of any kind) grip a person. So many people we
talk to have a desire to make changes to help better their health and
allow them to come closer to Christ but they fall back into the same
routine. I am so so proud of Sister R for relying on the Lord to help
her through. Our ward has also been a fantastic support as she works
towards her goal of a temple recommend.
We had service this week at the thrift shop! This has got to be one of
my favourite places to serve because you always end up with funny
stories. Some of the things we sort are ridiculous. Mostly we go
through clothing and organize the pieces based on size and color. This
week we found some really fancy wedding dresses from the 80's and a
few ugly sweaters in the donations. It's the simple joys in life...
I love being a missionary and talking with EVERYONE- it's my favourite
part of the mission. You get the chance to talk with people of all
walks. Let me tell you one fun story from Roseville mission life...
we visited a less active single dad and his 11 year old son. Let's
call the dad C and the boy T for the purposes of this story
So we go in to teach about the law of tithing. As members of the
church we willingly pay 10% of our income to the church. By acting on
faith and paying tithing we receive lots of blessings. We are given
everything from God so giving back 10% of the 90% we enjoy is a small
way to show our gratitude. The tithing money goes to lots of things -
building temples and meeting houses, paying the electricity bills and
property taxes, providing relief supplies in disasters all over the
world and tons of other things.
Anyways T has a hard time staying focused and C was not in the room
for most of the lesson because he was making food for a single adults
dinner.
We started talking about the blessings that come from paying tithing
and this is how our conversation went...
Missionaries- what blessings have you seen in your life this past
week? (trying to keep him engaged and thinking about the topic)
T- nothing....no blessings...
Missionaries- did you get a chance to play with your new pet bird? ( T
LOVES birds, he is passionate about this topic- usually it becomes a
distracting topic but today we figured it would bring back his
interest)
T- silence
Missionaries- Did you make it up a level with your video game?
(another passion of T)
T- silence...
Sister H (our member present for the lesson)- Did you wake up this
morning!?! Cuz that's a blessing!!!
Still no response - we wondered if he is even listening at this point....
C walks back into the room so we try and engage him. T takes the lead
on this one.
T- Dad what blessings have you seen in your week?
C- Well I don't know
T- Well did you wake up this morning!?! That's a blessing!!! He said
it with so much sass and to his credit HE WAS listening!
At the start of the lesson I asked T if he plans on paying his tithing
when he grows up and gets a job and he told me 'NO! Because I'm
probably going to have financial problems.' By the end of the lesson
he came around and said he could pay tithing when the day comes.
SUCCESS!
Such a funny kid.
I also love dinner time conversations with the members. They have
shared some great insight with us. I love asking how they met and
decided to get married. Some of the stories we hear belong in a book
so I decided I'm making my own book full of stories and life advice
from the people.
Ben and Dennae (I used their name already in a previous email) are
progressing really well. This week was a bit rough for them but they
find ways to overcome the difficulties they face. We shared 'the for
strength of youth' booklet with them and the spirit taught them so
much! We didn't say a single thing but they made a pact together-
Dennae gets rid of her gauges and Ben will cut his hair. I love when
the spirit does all the work!
We had zone conference this week and after all the missionaries
crossed the road to get something to eat at the strip mall. I decided
to run but my ankles decided to stop working and I went flying! I
surfed the pavement pretty good - blood soaked my tights and palms.
Walking and shaking hands hurt pretty bad for a few days- two things
that are vital to being a missionary! I'm all good now. It's more
funny than anything else. I was embarrassed mostly because our whole
zone saw it happen. Oh well!
This week I realized that some people really struggle to trust and
believe in anything. We had a lesson with a less active member whose
life is a faith crisis. This has been hard for me to wrap my mind
around mostly because I can't comprehend not having faith in ANYTHING.
Her lack of faith extends further than just gospel related things. It
was hard because as a missionary you help people but I realized there
was nothing profound I could say or do to change her stance. The only
thing I can do is continue to show love and visit with her.
Lots of people have been asking about my health so here is an update-
this week was a pretty dizzy one :( Thanks to everyone praying for me!
I had some really good days but the challenge still continues. I so
appreciate the times I am well - on those days I feel I can conquer
the world!! I hope this week things improve.
I want to share an amazing story a former investigator shared with us.
We visited her home originally to share a message with her son B but
instead we ended up having a great visit with B's mom C ( sorry if all
these letters get confusing- I want to respect the privacy of the
individuals so letters is how we will try and keep things clear)
C was at the lowest of low points in her life. Her son B is the only
thing that kept her going. She was getting out of an awful marriage
and didn't like her job. The life circumstances pushed her into
depression and life felt pretty hopeless. She was working as a police
officer on graveyard shift. One night she was assigned to ride a
motorcycle and found herself crying uncontrollably under her helmet.
She had contemplated ending her life many times but her son was the
only thing that kept her going. She exited on an off ramp onto an
empty road. She prayed asking God what he wanted her to do with her
life- she desired any form of direction. As she drove down the empty
road something caught her eye. It was a book sitting on its spine
opened up and the pages fluttered in the wind. Never before had she
stopped for anything that wasn't work related but she felt compelled
to stop and pick up that book. She pulled over and picked it up- it
was a Book of Mormon! She had seen a copy before but had never read it
before. Seeing it as a sign she took the book with her and read a bit
over the next few days. A short time later the door bell rang and two
'little boys in suits' started talking to her. Thinking they were
Jehovah Witnesses she tried to end the conversation so she could close
the door. As they were talking the missionaries said the word Mormon
and that caught her attention. She invited them in and readily
accepted the gospel.
She told us she knows the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
is the one true church. She has such a strong testimony and faith! She
said she isn't in a place to commit to baptism right now. She knows
there are changes she would have to make in her life and she isn't
confident that she can live the commandments 100% right now. Being a
perfectionist I can understand her thinking but if you wait until you
can do something 100% you will NEVER start anything! This life isn't
about being perfect- if it were we would all fail. The atonement is
the saving grace when all our efforts don't equal 100%.
One last highlight of the week....I saw Elder Duce on Saturday!!!! It
was so nice to run into a familiar face. I didn't know we would see
each other but a baptism from our stake was connected to his stake
(the person being baptized moved just days before the baptism). It was
surreal- over a year and a half has passed since we saw each other. It
was wonderful to catch up on mission stories and experiences.
My Ponderizing scripture of the week is found in Psalms 37: 4-5
4 -Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the
desires of thine heart.
5 -Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring
it to pass.
I'm learning more and more as you open up and trust Heavenly Father
with all the desires of your heart he will bless you. A lot of the
time we are in our own head and we forget to let others in. At times
we even neglect to keep Heavenly Father in the loop. He wants to bless
you! Those blessings come in so many different ways. I am working
harder at remembering to share my ideas and thoughts with others. My
prayers are becoming more involved and I can feel my relationship with
God improving.
The theme this week is trust. Our investigators are learning to trust
in their Heavenly Father, trust that things will work out and trust
that His timing is perfect. Faith requires action and these people are
movin' :)
Talk to you again in 7!!!
All the best!
-SIster Taylor
It's Hard for me but talk to my kid
Hey!
Another week has flown by and I can barely believe it! Sister
Sheffield and I have seen so many blessings. Over the past 7 days we
have been able to find four new investigators! Last week we started
teaching two new people. The numbers doubled! Considering the weeks
before were zero new investigators- these past two weeks have been
miracles! The Lord is hastening his work. With the start of 2016 we
have been sharing a New Years video with people on the street. It's
amazing how hearts soften to the message in a simple three minute
video.
Over the past five weeks we have talked to a few people who weren't
interested in the gospel for themselves but wanted us to teach their
kids. Pretty funny because they seemed to realize that what we do as
missionaries is good but they don't want better for themselves.
Anyways those kids didn't really seem super interested or were tricky
to keep appointments with so not a lot really happened. Something
changed this week and the parents started wanting to know more.
Cathy who lives in the park only started talking to us because she has
drama with her neighbors (she wanted to complain to us about it haha!)
she also wanted us to come talk to her son who in her words ' needs to
accept Christ as his savior and redeemer'. Initially when we asked her
if we could share a message with her she said she is good, she knows
Jesus and ' appreciates all religions'. The craziest thing happened
this week... she let us come in and share the restoration with her!
She was surprised that what we talked about is mostly what she already
believes. She told us that she 'will read our book and pray about it'.
YAY! I couldn't be happier!
So much is happening in the Cavitt Stallman trailer park. We met the
manager (Sam) he almost ran away from us haha! People either blow you
off/ ignore you or they listen but sometimes you get the runners.
Anyways he watched a New Years video that shares a story from the
bible. It's about Lot and his family. They live in a wicked city and
God commands them to leave because he is going to destroy the whole
place. Before they leave God tells them to not look back but Lot's
wife turns around as they are leaving and because of that she turns
into a 'pillar of salt'. The message is that we have to learn from the
past but not live in it...leave the past in the past. Enjoy the
present and work towards a happy future. We talk to people about their
New Years goals and how even if we fall short of our goals the
atonement can get us back on the right track. Sam loved the video and
asked for a pamphlet about the church. We gave him a Book of Mormon
and he was taken aback. He was hesitant to accept it because it was
'so nice and looked expensive'. We have plans to go visit him next
week.
A lot of the people have trouble reading or understanding the church
words we use which makes sense because it is almost like another
language haha! I remember what it was like when I first started
reading the Book of Mormon as an investigator. It was hard and I
couldn't pronounce things right. I love the pamphlets we give out
because they are simple and define the church words. I think the
pamphlets will really help Sam and others we are starting to work
with.
Thursday was pretty rough. We taught a lady named Juliet. She has gone
through a lot of hard things and focuses so much on the bad. I know
that the hard times help us grow and learn but she just sees them as
punishment or proof that God does not love us. I felt like I was
hitting my head against a wall the whole time! She asked a billion
questions but gave us no time to answer any of them. It was a hard
lesson for me because I felt like she really had no intention of
learning. It was my hardest day in California.
After that experience I started to study patience. There were a few
conference talks that really helped me. I still have lots of improving
to do on this one but I trust that I will learn what I need to when I
need it. Being on a mission I am starting to become more aware of my
personal strengths and shortfalls. I can feel the growth happening. I
love it! Christ refines our character.
We have many more experiences that have built my faith but I don't
have time to go into them now. All I can say is that I love being a
missionary.
We spent a lot of time working with recent converts and less active
members this week. A large part of this week was spent contacting
potential investigators. We didn't have a ton of success with the
potential investigators but I am learning more about the area and the
people. I love Granite Bay!
We helped out at compassion planet on Tuesday. The ladies were working
on quilts and pillows. Sister Sheffield and I helped out by cutting
string for the tie quilts. We also spent a few hours on Tuesday night
working on our ward blitz project. The year is broken up into six -
two month sections. For January and February we are focusing on
service. We go to ward members homes and share a spiritual thought on
the topic and leave them with a magnet and a bag of m&ms (because they
are members and missionaries) haha!! Our goal is to get people out and
serving others in their community. There is a website called just
serve that helps place people with service projects. It's a community
run project and not affiliated with the church but the missionaries in
the Rocklin zone get to help out with different projects each week. We
are still meeting with our 'forget me not' group each week. I love
those elderly people- they brighten my day. This week they had their
monthly temple trip so we met up for Chinese food lunch. I'm looking
forward to studying the scriptures with them on Wednesday. They always
have insightful comments but sometimes need a bit of correcting. I
guess before the missionaries started helping with the group there was
some false doctrine being taught.
On Thursday we started working with a member who is trying to overcome
her smoking addiction. She has some really great goals for 2016 and
making it to the temple is one of her biggest ambitions. There is a
smoking cessation program that missionaries can use to help people
overcome this addiction. It was started by a set of missionaries who
served in Ireland but didn't have many baptisms because people
couldn't seem to kick the cigarettes. They loved the message of the
gospel but the addiction gripped them too tightly. The course is 7
days long and involves lots of grapefruit juice and excessive tooth
brushing- right up my alley :) I joked with sister R that not only
will she stop smoking but she will have the best oral hygiene of her
life! It's a very specific program but she can do it! She embodies
fortitude. Her character is strong and resilient. I can't wait to
celebrate with her on Thursday- we are having a party!!
President and Sister Marston are in our ward boundaries and sister
Marston said she picked up a package for me from the mission office
but forgot it at her house. Sister Sheffield and I swung by after
church to pick it up and ended up staying and having lunch with the
Marstons. It was a great way to spend a Sunday. I love President and
Sister Marston so much. They are a great example to me in leadership
and love. They both radiate so much love and concern for the
missionaries in the Roseville California mission.
My Pondering scripture of the week is Romans 5:3-5
"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that
tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in
our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.'
Overall life is grand!
All the best
-SIster Taylor
Another week has flown by and I can barely believe it! Sister
Sheffield and I have seen so many blessings. Over the past 7 days we
have been able to find four new investigators! Last week we started
teaching two new people. The numbers doubled! Considering the weeks
before were zero new investigators- these past two weeks have been
miracles! The Lord is hastening his work. With the start of 2016 we
have been sharing a New Years video with people on the street. It's
amazing how hearts soften to the message in a simple three minute
video.
Over the past five weeks we have talked to a few people who weren't
interested in the gospel for themselves but wanted us to teach their
kids. Pretty funny because they seemed to realize that what we do as
missionaries is good but they don't want better for themselves.
Anyways those kids didn't really seem super interested or were tricky
to keep appointments with so not a lot really happened. Something
changed this week and the parents started wanting to know more.
Cathy who lives in the park only started talking to us because she has
drama with her neighbors (she wanted to complain to us about it haha!)
she also wanted us to come talk to her son who in her words ' needs to
accept Christ as his savior and redeemer'. Initially when we asked her
if we could share a message with her she said she is good, she knows
Jesus and ' appreciates all religions'. The craziest thing happened
this week... she let us come in and share the restoration with her!
She was surprised that what we talked about is mostly what she already
believes. She told us that she 'will read our book and pray about it'.
YAY! I couldn't be happier!
So much is happening in the Cavitt Stallman trailer park. We met the
manager (Sam) he almost ran away from us haha! People either blow you
off/ ignore you or they listen but sometimes you get the runners.
Anyways he watched a New Years video that shares a story from the
bible. It's about Lot and his family. They live in a wicked city and
God commands them to leave because he is going to destroy the whole
place. Before they leave God tells them to not look back but Lot's
wife turns around as they are leaving and because of that she turns
into a 'pillar of salt'. The message is that we have to learn from the
past but not live in it...leave the past in the past. Enjoy the
present and work towards a happy future. We talk to people about their
New Years goals and how even if we fall short of our goals the
atonement can get us back on the right track. Sam loved the video and
asked for a pamphlet about the church. We gave him a Book of Mormon
and he was taken aback. He was hesitant to accept it because it was
'so nice and looked expensive'. We have plans to go visit him next
week.
A lot of the people have trouble reading or understanding the church
words we use which makes sense because it is almost like another
language haha! I remember what it was like when I first started
reading the Book of Mormon as an investigator. It was hard and I
couldn't pronounce things right. I love the pamphlets we give out
because they are simple and define the church words. I think the
pamphlets will really help Sam and others we are starting to work
with.
Thursday was pretty rough. We taught a lady named Juliet. She has gone
through a lot of hard things and focuses so much on the bad. I know
that the hard times help us grow and learn but she just sees them as
punishment or proof that God does not love us. I felt like I was
hitting my head against a wall the whole time! She asked a billion
questions but gave us no time to answer any of them. It was a hard
lesson for me because I felt like she really had no intention of
learning. It was my hardest day in California.
After that experience I started to study patience. There were a few
conference talks that really helped me. I still have lots of improving
to do on this one but I trust that I will learn what I need to when I
need it. Being on a mission I am starting to become more aware of my
personal strengths and shortfalls. I can feel the growth happening. I
love it! Christ refines our character.
We have many more experiences that have built my faith but I don't
have time to go into them now. All I can say is that I love being a
missionary.
We spent a lot of time working with recent converts and less active
members this week. A large part of this week was spent contacting
potential investigators. We didn't have a ton of success with the
potential investigators but I am learning more about the area and the
people. I love Granite Bay!
We helped out at compassion planet on Tuesday. The ladies were working
on quilts and pillows. Sister Sheffield and I helped out by cutting
string for the tie quilts. We also spent a few hours on Tuesday night
working on our ward blitz project. The year is broken up into six -
two month sections. For January and February we are focusing on
service. We go to ward members homes and share a spiritual thought on
the topic and leave them with a magnet and a bag of m&ms (because they
are members and missionaries) haha!! Our goal is to get people out and
serving others in their community. There is a website called just
serve that helps place people with service projects. It's a community
run project and not affiliated with the church but the missionaries in
the Rocklin zone get to help out with different projects each week. We
are still meeting with our 'forget me not' group each week. I love
those elderly people- they brighten my day. This week they had their
monthly temple trip so we met up for Chinese food lunch. I'm looking
forward to studying the scriptures with them on Wednesday. They always
have insightful comments but sometimes need a bit of correcting. I
guess before the missionaries started helping with the group there was
some false doctrine being taught.
On Thursday we started working with a member who is trying to overcome
her smoking addiction. She has some really great goals for 2016 and
making it to the temple is one of her biggest ambitions. There is a
smoking cessation program that missionaries can use to help people
overcome this addiction. It was started by a set of missionaries who
served in Ireland but didn't have many baptisms because people
couldn't seem to kick the cigarettes. They loved the message of the
gospel but the addiction gripped them too tightly. The course is 7
days long and involves lots of grapefruit juice and excessive tooth
brushing- right up my alley :) I joked with sister R that not only
will she stop smoking but she will have the best oral hygiene of her
life! It's a very specific program but she can do it! She embodies
fortitude. Her character is strong and resilient. I can't wait to
celebrate with her on Thursday- we are having a party!!
President and Sister Marston are in our ward boundaries and sister
Marston said she picked up a package for me from the mission office
but forgot it at her house. Sister Sheffield and I swung by after
church to pick it up and ended up staying and having lunch with the
Marstons. It was a great way to spend a Sunday. I love President and
Sister Marston so much. They are a great example to me in leadership
and love. They both radiate so much love and concern for the
missionaries in the Roseville California mission.
My Pondering scripture of the week is Romans 5:3-5
"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that
tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in
our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.'
Overall life is grand!
All the best
-SIster Taylor
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