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
Monday, June 13, 2016
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
2016
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Welcoming in 2016 means that I get to experience the
blessings of missionary life for 365 days in a row- a whole calendar
year of mission bliss! In the mission people call your solid year of
missionary life 'the dark year' but really it's a year of light. I'm
so excited to spend each day this year and a part of 2017 in the
service of my savior Jesus Christ.
Granite Bay 2nd rang in the new year with a taco feed. It's a 30 year
tradition- all the men in the ward come to the church and start making
tacos at 4 pm. It's the most relaxed activity hosted throughout the
year- no table coverings and you grab your own plate and utensils. We
stayed for an hour because we had to be in for 7 pm that night. Lots
of people showed up to celebrate and there were more than enough tacos
to go around.
With the early unexpected transfers President Marston asked each of
the companionships affected by the switch to attend the temple. This
was my first time going into the Sacramento temple. It was such a
treat to be able to see the outside of it at the nativity in December
but a completely different joy to go inside the house of the Lord this
week. Wednesday was my 3 month mark and there was no better way to
celebrate that milestone. The time has passed so fast! My twelve weeks
of training are completed- I'm fully trained now. Transfers happen
this week and there will be lots of changes to our zone. It's sad to
see people leave but super exciting to meet other missionaries.
One of the highlights to my week was finishing the Book of Mormon in a
month. Brother Jamieson our ward mission leader challenged us to read
the entire book cover to cover in December. He said if we did it he
would have us over for a steak dinner haha! I was thankful for the
challenge because I never thought I'd have the willpower to read the
whole thing in such a short time. I'm a slow reader but I DID IT!!!
Yay! We are so much more capable than we think we are. Something I
have been learning is how you limit your potential more than anyone
else ever will. Satan works hard to get in our heads and tell us that
we are not enough, that we can't do it or that our goals are too far
fetched. It's just not true! You've got it! Break the limits you think
you have.
We did service this week at a care facility for older adults with
memory problems. They have special books that give prompts for
questions to discuss. I really enjoyed talking to all the people and
playing games. Last week we packed meals for the homeless.
Ben and Dennae have been progressing really well. After going to
Lauryn's baptism a few weeks ago they said they wanted to be baptized
sooner than they originally thought. The spirit was so strong as they
explained why they didn't want to put off the blessings of baptism. I
am constantly impressed by their growth and excitement towards the
gospel. Each time we visit them they have great questions and
experiences to share. They have also been great missionaries in their
community. This week they brought a girl named Megan to church. Megan
is a teenager that the missionaries have tried working with in the
past. As she has seen Ben and Dennae change her interest in the gospel
has grown.
We had the opportunity to meet lots of people this week that we have
had trouble contacting over the past 4 weeks. It's been a huge
blessing to get to know more people in our area. I'm excited to see
how the work in GB2 will expand over the next 6 weeks, even the next
12 weeks. I feel blessed to know I'll be here for another 3 months at
least. Someone told me this week that I'm lucky to have started out in
the best part of the mission- they may be biased but I agree :)
This week I've spent a lot of time studying about trials. We are
working with lots of people who are having a rough time in life. I
have come to understand the atonement on a deeper level since becoming
a missionary. I know that we are given specific difficulties in order
to grow. Each person needs different experiences to learn lessons that
are of eternal worth. As we go through tough times we can develop the
qualities of Christ. I know that we don't have to go through things
alone. Jesus Christ will provide relief as we trust him with our
concerns.
My ponderizing scripture this week is 3 Nephi 5:13
'Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been
called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might
have everlasting life.'
What a great passage of scripture as I start out my 'light year'. This
is also a scripture that we recite as a mission.
One last highlight- Alyssa got ENGAGED! One of my very best friends
from back home will be starting a new adventure in May. I couldn't be
happier for her and Derek! My heart is sad that I won't be there to
celebrate with her but I am so so so happy for them both!
I hope you all are enjoying life and making some goals for the new
year. Keep working hard and have fun!
Take Luck
-SIster Taylor
blessings of missionary life for 365 days in a row- a whole calendar
year of mission bliss! In the mission people call your solid year of
missionary life 'the dark year' but really it's a year of light. I'm
so excited to spend each day this year and a part of 2017 in the
service of my savior Jesus Christ.
Granite Bay 2nd rang in the new year with a taco feed. It's a 30 year
tradition- all the men in the ward come to the church and start making
tacos at 4 pm. It's the most relaxed activity hosted throughout the
year- no table coverings and you grab your own plate and utensils. We
stayed for an hour because we had to be in for 7 pm that night. Lots
of people showed up to celebrate and there were more than enough tacos
to go around.
With the early unexpected transfers President Marston asked each of
the companionships affected by the switch to attend the temple. This
was my first time going into the Sacramento temple. It was such a
treat to be able to see the outside of it at the nativity in December
but a completely different joy to go inside the house of the Lord this
week. Wednesday was my 3 month mark and there was no better way to
celebrate that milestone. The time has passed so fast! My twelve weeks
of training are completed- I'm fully trained now. Transfers happen
this week and there will be lots of changes to our zone. It's sad to
see people leave but super exciting to meet other missionaries.
One of the highlights to my week was finishing the Book of Mormon in a
month. Brother Jamieson our ward mission leader challenged us to read
the entire book cover to cover in December. He said if we did it he
would have us over for a steak dinner haha! I was thankful for the
challenge because I never thought I'd have the willpower to read the
whole thing in such a short time. I'm a slow reader but I DID IT!!!
Yay! We are so much more capable than we think we are. Something I
have been learning is how you limit your potential more than anyone
else ever will. Satan works hard to get in our heads and tell us that
we are not enough, that we can't do it or that our goals are too far
fetched. It's just not true! You've got it! Break the limits you think
you have.
We did service this week at a care facility for older adults with
memory problems. They have special books that give prompts for
questions to discuss. I really enjoyed talking to all the people and
playing games. Last week we packed meals for the homeless.
Ben and Dennae have been progressing really well. After going to
Lauryn's baptism a few weeks ago they said they wanted to be baptized
sooner than they originally thought. The spirit was so strong as they
explained why they didn't want to put off the blessings of baptism. I
am constantly impressed by their growth and excitement towards the
gospel. Each time we visit them they have great questions and
experiences to share. They have also been great missionaries in their
community. This week they brought a girl named Megan to church. Megan
is a teenager that the missionaries have tried working with in the
past. As she has seen Ben and Dennae change her interest in the gospel
has grown.
We had the opportunity to meet lots of people this week that we have
had trouble contacting over the past 4 weeks. It's been a huge
blessing to get to know more people in our area. I'm excited to see
how the work in GB2 will expand over the next 6 weeks, even the next
12 weeks. I feel blessed to know I'll be here for another 3 months at
least. Someone told me this week that I'm lucky to have started out in
the best part of the mission- they may be biased but I agree :)
This week I've spent a lot of time studying about trials. We are
working with lots of people who are having a rough time in life. I
have come to understand the atonement on a deeper level since becoming
a missionary. I know that we are given specific difficulties in order
to grow. Each person needs different experiences to learn lessons that
are of eternal worth. As we go through tough times we can develop the
qualities of Christ. I know that we don't have to go through things
alone. Jesus Christ will provide relief as we trust him with our
concerns.
My ponderizing scripture this week is 3 Nephi 5:13
'Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been
called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might
have everlasting life.'
What a great passage of scripture as I start out my 'light year'. This
is also a scripture that we recite as a mission.
One last highlight- Alyssa got ENGAGED! One of my very best friends
from back home will be starting a new adventure in May. I couldn't be
happier for her and Derek! My heart is sad that I won't be there to
celebrate with her but I am so so so happy for them both!
I hope you all are enjoying life and making some goals for the new
year. Keep working hard and have fun!
Take Luck
-SIster Taylor
Saturday, January 2, 2016
Christmas 2015
Happy day!!
This week has been wonderful as usual. We had a ton of fun with
Christmas and all the activities that come along with it. We had our
south zone mission Christmas devotional on Tuesday this week. I saw
sister Johnson and Sister Sorensen at the meeting- it was a little MTC
reunion. There was lots of singing and a beautiful testimony meeting
after. President and sister Marston recited the living Christ. It's
been great trying to memorize it over the past month.
For Christmas Eve we went to the Vargas' house for dinner- they served
tamales (this is their Christmas Eve tradition dinner). They were
super yummy! After we went over to President and Sister Marston's
house for more food and other Christmas fun. Lots of the missionaries
in the south part of the mission came over to sing songs and catch up
with other missionaries. At the end of the evening the Marston's
placed all their German Christmas decorations on the living room table
an lit the candles underneath. The heat from the candle spun the
wooden fan at the top. With all the lights out and the Christmas
decorations lit up it really was a beautiful sight! We sang a few
Christmas songs together, it was wonderful. I couldn't have thought of
a better way to spend a Christmas Eve.
Later that night around 11 pm we found out our trio was becoming a
quad for a period of time. It was fun having sister Duncan around for
Christmas Day. On Friday evening we got our transfer calls early! My
transfer predictions were correct except the timing of everything was
way off. Transfers are set for the fist week of January so this was a
bit unexpected. There needed to be a switch up in companionships so
our trio was split up (becoming a duo) and two other sister
companionships in our zone changed. Sister Canann ended up being moved
to the Rocklin YSA ward with sister Chicos. I was so so sad!!!! It's
quiet in our apartment without her. I'll be with sister Sheffield for
her last transfer in the mission or in mission lingo I'm killing her
off haha!! President said he needs me to stay in GB2 because I'll know
the area pretty well by the end of next transfer when sister Sheffield
goes home. Sometimes there needs to be changes in companionships for
the work to move forward. I'm sad to see sister Canann go but she will
be a great help to the YSA ward.
We did a lot of present wrapping for service this week. You will be
happy to know that my awful wrap skills are slowly improving. It's a
blessing to have two Christmas seasons in the mission because I'm sure
that by Christmas 2017 I'll be a pro. The Marston's let us help them
and they do present wrap to the extreme - bows, ribbon, string and
fancy name cards. I didn't know what to do with it all at first. A few
days later we wrapped for 2 hours with one of our less active members.
I've had my fill for the year ha!
Christmas Day was amazing! I loved having the opportunity to be in
lots of different homes. We couldn't go out door knocking so we just
visited people in our ward. I wanted to be out working- it was weird
sitting and visiting for so long.
The Hansen's had us over for breakfast. I loved being in their home,
all the kids were so excited. Their family reminds me a lot of a
family I love from back home, the Lehr's. Sister Hansen made Christmas
morning special for us by preparing stockings for us. She spoiled us
with lots of little presents. They gave each of us a beautiful gold
California necklace, a sparkly journal, a Christmas book to read to
our future kids, lip gloss, nail polish and lots of other little
things. Y'all know I love presents! I was in heaven haha! We got to
see the Manzers, and then went to the Furguson's for dinner in the
evening. The members spoiled us. I have felt so much love from our
ward over the past month. Granite Bay 2nd really supports the
missionaries. I'm grateful for their efforts because I know not all
wards are like this.
Even with all the presents my truest joy came from taking time to
reflect on our Saviors birth. I am beyond grateful for his sacrifice
and love for each one of us.
My highlight was talking with my family! I was so happy to Facetime
with them- I felt so excited - kind of like the feeling you get before
a first date. Nervous excited haha! I was super happy to hear their
voices and see their faces. I cried tears of joy! It's hard to believe
that almost 3 months have passed.
Last week was so busy on P Day with bowling, shopping for sweaters and
groceries I had to send my last few emails to the outbox because the
wifi was hit and miss where we were. I thought we would make it back
into a strong wifi connection before 6 pm so they would send. Our
plans changed and we hit wifi again after p day was over. So don't you
worry- I'm being an obedient missionary ha! Hope you all got them :)
P Day is supposed to be a time to recenter you for the coming week. I
always have fun but it usually turns into a crazy busy day.
A simple joy of this week was our weekly planning session- it was the
best one I've had while on the mission. We have a solid week ahead!!!
Okay I have to get going. I'm super excited for the new year coming
up. May 2016 bring you great adventures!
Ponderizing scripture for this week is alma 41:10
"Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration,
that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto
you, wickedness never was happiness."
I like this scripture! After we die and are resurrected we know that
event won't change our hearts and desires. People talk about
reincarnation and restoration but those two things are so different.
To be reincarnated is to become something else but restoration refers
to renewing what once was. Wickedness never was happiness. It's true -
bad choices lead to unhappy consequences... Not always right away but
eventually. Choose to be good today!!
All the best!
-SIster Taylor
This week has been wonderful as usual. We had a ton of fun with
Christmas and all the activities that come along with it. We had our
south zone mission Christmas devotional on Tuesday this week. I saw
sister Johnson and Sister Sorensen at the meeting- it was a little MTC
reunion. There was lots of singing and a beautiful testimony meeting
after. President and sister Marston recited the living Christ. It's
been great trying to memorize it over the past month.
For Christmas Eve we went to the Vargas' house for dinner- they served
tamales (this is their Christmas Eve tradition dinner). They were
super yummy! After we went over to President and Sister Marston's
house for more food and other Christmas fun. Lots of the missionaries
in the south part of the mission came over to sing songs and catch up
with other missionaries. At the end of the evening the Marston's
placed all their German Christmas decorations on the living room table
an lit the candles underneath. The heat from the candle spun the
wooden fan at the top. With all the lights out and the Christmas
decorations lit up it really was a beautiful sight! We sang a few
Christmas songs together, it was wonderful. I couldn't have thought of
a better way to spend a Christmas Eve.
Later that night around 11 pm we found out our trio was becoming a
quad for a period of time. It was fun having sister Duncan around for
Christmas Day. On Friday evening we got our transfer calls early! My
transfer predictions were correct except the timing of everything was
way off. Transfers are set for the fist week of January so this was a
bit unexpected. There needed to be a switch up in companionships so
our trio was split up (becoming a duo) and two other sister
companionships in our zone changed. Sister Canann ended up being moved
to the Rocklin YSA ward with sister Chicos. I was so so sad!!!! It's
quiet in our apartment without her. I'll be with sister Sheffield for
her last transfer in the mission or in mission lingo I'm killing her
off haha!! President said he needs me to stay in GB2 because I'll know
the area pretty well by the end of next transfer when sister Sheffield
goes home. Sometimes there needs to be changes in companionships for
the work to move forward. I'm sad to see sister Canann go but she will
be a great help to the YSA ward.
We did a lot of present wrapping for service this week. You will be
happy to know that my awful wrap skills are slowly improving. It's a
blessing to have two Christmas seasons in the mission because I'm sure
that by Christmas 2017 I'll be a pro. The Marston's let us help them
and they do present wrap to the extreme - bows, ribbon, string and
fancy name cards. I didn't know what to do with it all at first. A few
days later we wrapped for 2 hours with one of our less active members.
I've had my fill for the year ha!
Christmas Day was amazing! I loved having the opportunity to be in
lots of different homes. We couldn't go out door knocking so we just
visited people in our ward. I wanted to be out working- it was weird
sitting and visiting for so long.
The Hansen's had us over for breakfast. I loved being in their home,
all the kids were so excited. Their family reminds me a lot of a
family I love from back home, the Lehr's. Sister Hansen made Christmas
morning special for us by preparing stockings for us. She spoiled us
with lots of little presents. They gave each of us a beautiful gold
California necklace, a sparkly journal, a Christmas book to read to
our future kids, lip gloss, nail polish and lots of other little
things. Y'all know I love presents! I was in heaven haha! We got to
see the Manzers, and then went to the Furguson's for dinner in the
evening. The members spoiled us. I have felt so much love from our
ward over the past month. Granite Bay 2nd really supports the
missionaries. I'm grateful for their efforts because I know not all
wards are like this.
Even with all the presents my truest joy came from taking time to
reflect on our Saviors birth. I am beyond grateful for his sacrifice
and love for each one of us.
My highlight was talking with my family! I was so happy to Facetime
with them- I felt so excited - kind of like the feeling you get before
a first date. Nervous excited haha! I was super happy to hear their
voices and see their faces. I cried tears of joy! It's hard to believe
that almost 3 months have passed.
Last week was so busy on P Day with bowling, shopping for sweaters and
groceries I had to send my last few emails to the outbox because the
wifi was hit and miss where we were. I thought we would make it back
into a strong wifi connection before 6 pm so they would send. Our
plans changed and we hit wifi again after p day was over. So don't you
worry- I'm being an obedient missionary ha! Hope you all got them :)
P Day is supposed to be a time to recenter you for the coming week. I
always have fun but it usually turns into a crazy busy day.
A simple joy of this week was our weekly planning session- it was the
best one I've had while on the mission. We have a solid week ahead!!!
Okay I have to get going. I'm super excited for the new year coming
up. May 2016 bring you great adventures!
Ponderizing scripture for this week is alma 41:10
"Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration,
that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto
you, wickedness never was happiness."
I like this scripture! After we die and are resurrected we know that
event won't change our hearts and desires. People talk about
reincarnation and restoration but those two things are so different.
To be reincarnated is to become something else but restoration refers
to renewing what once was. Wickedness never was happiness. It's true -
bad choices lead to unhappy consequences... Not always right away but
eventually. Choose to be good today!!
All the best!
-SIster Taylor
Good Days Great Days
This week has been fantastic! So many wonderful things have happened
over the last 7 days!
Best news of the week......
WE ARE HAVING OUR FIRST BAPTISM!!!!
Yahhhhhoooooo!
For about a year Lauryn has been working with missionaries off and on.
All of her family joined the church last spring but Lauryn wanted to
wait a little longer to make sure it was right for her too.
The rest of the details of Lauryn's story are very similar to mine.
She is 15 almost 16, has been actively participating in church for a
while now and lives the gospel standards. She basically is Mormon -
just hasn't been baptized yet!
We stopped by on Thursday this week for a visit and she said she wants
to be baptized... next week! So next Sunday - December 20 the we are
having the baptism!
This week I learned some new skills during a service project. Each
week we have a compassion planet afternoon at the church. Lots of
people from the community come together for quilting, sewing and other
crafty activities. I was helping out in the pillow section, stuffing
and hand sewing pillows closed. I now know how to complete an
invisible stitch. Hopefully this week I'll perfect the art!
I'm sending out a shout out to my lovely father Dan who is having a
birthday this Sunday! I have always admired what a hard worker he is.
He works long hours outside in the freezing cold Edmonton winters and
the blazing hot summers to provide for our family. He also has amazing
mental math abilities...a skill I have always been jealous of! I don't
know of anyone else who can calculate numbers as fast and accurately
as he can.
We had our ward Christmas party on Friday! It was a Nauvoo theme so
everyone dressed up in their pioneer clothing and enjoyed some olden
time games and yummy food. It was decorated so well- you didn't even
feel like you were in a church building. So much effort went into the
party, making it a fantastic evening!! It was a great missionary
opportunity as well.
We had the chance to go to the Marston's house this week to have a
lesson with Ben and Dennae about the restoration. We showed a short 20
minute video about Joseph Smith and how he was able to restore the
gospel, as Christ taught it while He was on the earth. I know that
Heavenly Father used Jospeh Smith as an instrument in bringing back
the fullness of the gospel. I'm grateful that he gave Joseph Smith the
ability to translate the Book Of Mormon from the golden plates. I have
grown to love that book so much more in the past 2 months. I'm
grateful that Heavenly Father does guide and direct us and that we can
have the gospel now. The spirit was so strong in Ben and Dennae's
lesson! Ben said he is so glad we came around and that we have been
like angels for them as they are learning about God.
I have been so grateful for President and Sister Marston. On the
mission they become like your parents. President Marston kind of
reminds me of my dad. Every time we go to the Marston's house
President Marston sends us home with a carton of raspberries (my
favourite)!! This is something my dad does for me back home. Anytime I
come for a visit he packs me up a little treat to take home. I feel
like California is my home away from home!
This week I also earned a new nickname ....Sister Toyota. Michael (a
little boy from church) keeps calling me this. He is convinced that it
is easier than Taylor. Ha!
Another highlight from this week was the opportunity we had to go to
the Sacramento temple for the Christmas nativity. It's technically out
of our area but we got special permission from President Marston to go
because we had investigators coming along!
It was SO BEAUTIFUL!!! I have loved the Sacramento temple since I was
16 & never thought I'd see it. Opening my mission call in May was
surreal. The temple is a holy place! They put on a live nativity from
Thursday to Sunday - it was wonderful! The baby who played Jesus was
not happy. He cried the whole time! Ha! Lots of people showed up, they
even had to turn people away because it got too late and the line up
was still insanely long.
We had our Zone meeting this week as well. Once a month all the
missionaries in this part of the Roseville mission get together for
training. It's a great learning experience and a fun chance to seethe
other missionaries.
One last thing...I LOVE PERSIMMONS!!!! They are nothing like I
remember them back home. A member gave us a bag of them that she grew.
I can't stop eating them!!! They are so great in salads, smoothies,
with cinnamon, as a bed time snack... This feels like an elf movie
moment or forest grump with all the shrimp haha! They are simply
amazing and have now become my favourite fruit. I guess they are a
different variety called fooyou or Apple persimmons... Not even mushy
and no seeds. I'm getting my fill while they are in season!!
Also I met this hilarious woman this week. Her name is Regenia but we
have to call her 'miss Regenia' because 'by all do respect she has
been around longer than us'. She is this middle aged African American
woman with a southern attitude. She started telling us her life story
and had the most outrageous mannerisms. I was dying inside!!! In the
middle of her sentence she stopped talking and asked us ' do you like
fried chicken?' And then she ran inside and came back out with 3
pieces of fried chicken. Haha!!! 11 am and we are eating fried
chicken. She said ' give me back those bones girls... If you can part
with them! Yeah that is finger lickin' chicken.' She was the best! I
hope we can teach her. I can already tell that lots of great stories
will come of visits with her.
My ponderizing scripture this week is John 1:3 'All things were made
by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.'
I wanted this to be my weekly scripture because it's one of the versus
in the living Christ that I'm trying to memorize. It's such a great
passage from the bible. Christ is the center of everything.
The mission is full of good days, great days.
I hope you have a fantastic week!!!
All the best!
-SIster Taylor
over the last 7 days!
Best news of the week......
WE ARE HAVING OUR FIRST BAPTISM!!!!
Yahhhhhoooooo!
For about a year Lauryn has been working with missionaries off and on.
All of her family joined the church last spring but Lauryn wanted to
wait a little longer to make sure it was right for her too.
The rest of the details of Lauryn's story are very similar to mine.
She is 15 almost 16, has been actively participating in church for a
while now and lives the gospel standards. She basically is Mormon -
just hasn't been baptized yet!
We stopped by on Thursday this week for a visit and she said she wants
to be baptized... next week! So next Sunday - December 20 the we are
having the baptism!
This week I learned some new skills during a service project. Each
week we have a compassion planet afternoon at the church. Lots of
people from the community come together for quilting, sewing and other
crafty activities. I was helping out in the pillow section, stuffing
and hand sewing pillows closed. I now know how to complete an
invisible stitch. Hopefully this week I'll perfect the art!
I'm sending out a shout out to my lovely father Dan who is having a
birthday this Sunday! I have always admired what a hard worker he is.
He works long hours outside in the freezing cold Edmonton winters and
the blazing hot summers to provide for our family. He also has amazing
mental math abilities...a skill I have always been jealous of! I don't
know of anyone else who can calculate numbers as fast and accurately
as he can.
We had our ward Christmas party on Friday! It was a Nauvoo theme so
everyone dressed up in their pioneer clothing and enjoyed some olden
time games and yummy food. It was decorated so well- you didn't even
feel like you were in a church building. So much effort went into the
party, making it a fantastic evening!! It was a great missionary
opportunity as well.
We had the chance to go to the Marston's house this week to have a
lesson with Ben and Dennae about the restoration. We showed a short 20
minute video about Joseph Smith and how he was able to restore the
gospel, as Christ taught it while He was on the earth. I know that
Heavenly Father used Jospeh Smith as an instrument in bringing back
the fullness of the gospel. I'm grateful that he gave Joseph Smith the
ability to translate the Book Of Mormon from the golden plates. I have
grown to love that book so much more in the past 2 months. I'm
grateful that Heavenly Father does guide and direct us and that we can
have the gospel now. The spirit was so strong in Ben and Dennae's
lesson! Ben said he is so glad we came around and that we have been
like angels for them as they are learning about God.
I have been so grateful for President and Sister Marston. On the
mission they become like your parents. President Marston kind of
reminds me of my dad. Every time we go to the Marston's house
President Marston sends us home with a carton of raspberries (my
favourite)!! This is something my dad does for me back home. Anytime I
come for a visit he packs me up a little treat to take home. I feel
like California is my home away from home!
This week I also earned a new nickname ....Sister Toyota. Michael (a
little boy from church) keeps calling me this. He is convinced that it
is easier than Taylor. Ha!
Another highlight from this week was the opportunity we had to go to
the Sacramento temple for the Christmas nativity. It's technically out
of our area but we got special permission from President Marston to go
because we had investigators coming along!
It was SO BEAUTIFUL!!! I have loved the Sacramento temple since I was
16 & never thought I'd see it. Opening my mission call in May was
surreal. The temple is a holy place! They put on a live nativity from
Thursday to Sunday - it was wonderful! The baby who played Jesus was
not happy. He cried the whole time! Ha! Lots of people showed up, they
even had to turn people away because it got too late and the line up
was still insanely long.
We had our Zone meeting this week as well. Once a month all the
missionaries in this part of the Roseville mission get together for
training. It's a great learning experience and a fun chance to seethe
other missionaries.
One last thing...I LOVE PERSIMMONS!!!! They are nothing like I
remember them back home. A member gave us a bag of them that she grew.
I can't stop eating them!!! They are so great in salads, smoothies,
with cinnamon, as a bed time snack... This feels like an elf movie
moment or forest grump with all the shrimp haha! They are simply
amazing and have now become my favourite fruit. I guess they are a
different variety called fooyou or Apple persimmons... Not even mushy
and no seeds. I'm getting my fill while they are in season!!
Also I met this hilarious woman this week. Her name is Regenia but we
have to call her 'miss Regenia' because 'by all do respect she has
been around longer than us'. She is this middle aged African American
woman with a southern attitude. She started telling us her life story
and had the most outrageous mannerisms. I was dying inside!!! In the
middle of her sentence she stopped talking and asked us ' do you like
fried chicken?' And then she ran inside and came back out with 3
pieces of fried chicken. Haha!!! 11 am and we are eating fried
chicken. She said ' give me back those bones girls... If you can part
with them! Yeah that is finger lickin' chicken.' She was the best! I
hope we can teach her. I can already tell that lots of great stories
will come of visits with her.
My ponderizing scripture this week is John 1:3 'All things were made
by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.'
I wanted this to be my weekly scripture because it's one of the versus
in the living Christ that I'm trying to memorize. It's such a great
passage from the bible. Christ is the center of everything.
The mission is full of good days, great days.
I hope you have a fantastic week!!!
All the best!
-SIster Taylor
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