Stand in Holy Places

I have been home one month. Crazy, right. I think so. It has been very difficult to get back into life. I have been struggling with some of the timing of things. And I haven't been able to keep my spiritual end of the bargain up. Scripture Study, prayer, temple. . . My mom wanted me to go to my sister's ward on Sunday, they were speaking and Mom was going to be Grandma. I just knew I needed to the stability of going to the home ward. I am so glad I went.
In Relief Society we talked about President Monson's talk from October, Stand in Holy Places. As we were talking about the talk I started thinking about the mission and how it was such a "Holy Place" for me. I started thinking about why it was so holy. Then we talked about prayer. I have never prayed as much in my life as I did on my mission. I then thought, "Allison, you are not praying like you did on your mission. Granted it doesn't have to be 18 times a day, but you know 2 times would do you good. You need to make an effort to pray." When they were sharing the story from the Frankfurt Temple dedication I thought, "As a missionary I was seeking and following personal revelation more than I have in the last 4 weeks I have been home." As I thought about what we were discussing I realized the whole first of the talk was about keeping the commandments and how important they are. My mission was made up of obedience to the commandments. How is my obedience now? I think it is okay. But of course I could do better. If I was a cartoon character I would have had a light blub light up over my head. In order for me to continue Standing in Holy Places, I need to be obedient to the laws of God. I need to pray more. And last I need to seek and follow the promptings from the Holy Ghost. All of the sudden President Monson's talk didn't seem so much a trip down memory road as it did when I heard it in the Fayetteville chapel. It made sense. I am so grateful we have a living prophet who knows the right way to teach those who he is over. I am so grateful for this church. I have made a few goals that I hope will help me be a better person and be able to Stand in Holy Places more. I know that the Lord loves me and He wants me to be happy. While things aren't as easy as I thought they were going to be when I left the mission field I am so grateful I get to go through this struggle. I am so grateful I get to learn what it truly means to be a disciple of Christ. I am going to continue moving forward with the knowledge that I can become a better person and I can be a better person. This Gospel is amazing!

One of the most Holy Places in the world. The Sacred Grove.
Pslams 24:3-5
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Home!

I am home! After 18 months in Upstate New York I am back in Utah. Waiting for things to finish and for things to start. I am beginning to realize how much I want to be doing SOMETHING! Maybe I can clean my room or even better yet write my talk for tomorrow. Hmmm. . . I am sure I can come up with something. I will share with everyone what I have learned in the last 18 months and what is going to happen next, later. Right now, I am going to get my behind in gear and write that talk.

Sitter sang as they walked and walked and walked

Hi!

So things are getting better a little bit at a time.  We found 4 new people to teach and we have a few potentials who we have return appointments with them this week.  So, it is picking up.  Still walking everywhere.  We decided to tract this street and it is in the Northside of the city.  So we start walking. . . . up about 5 big hills. . . . we finally get there and all that is on the street is an old folks home. . . . so we go to our back up. . . . up a few more hills. . . . and someone let us in.  We talked to him and set a return appointment, and hopefully we can pick him up as an investigator on Saturday.  And maybe we will have a ride, because I really don't want to walk up the hills again.  Oh well if we do, I will just start loosing more weight. 

 

We tried a potential the Elders had found for us when there were no sisters her in May.  We set a return appointment and then when we went back he was busy but his girlfriend's mom was there and she let us teach her.  She has a son who is a member in PA and it seems like she really just wants to know what he believes and understand it better.  I think it is a great thing.  Oh and we also picked up the original potential the next day. 

 

We finally taught and picked up this guy who Sister C and I met.  The elders are teaching his son.  I'm excited to see where this goes. 

 

I know that things are looking up.  I know things will workout.  Somedays are a lot easier than others.  Somedays I really have to have a trial of my faith before things will workout.  I was talking to one of the Elders yesterday and I said I really would like to stay in this area just a little longer.  I feel like the ball is just starting to roll and I don't want to leave it just yet.  I would like to see it blossom a lot.  Hopefully I can stay here.  Because honestly, this area needs a sister to be here for longer than 3 months.  But, I will do what the Lord wants me to do.  

 

Love You!

Sister D

4-17-11

This week was good.  Transfers were Wednesday.  Sister B and I get a long pretty well.  It is really nice. 

The only big news from the week is that Matt is getting baptized on Saturday!  The Elders were teaching him, then when they were ET'd out we started to teach him.  He has been preparing to be baptized for a while and his mom has been kind of resistant, but now she is willing to let him get baptized and we are excited for it to happen.  I feel kind of guilty about him getting baptized now rather than when the Elders were around.  But, I guess it is the right time for him to be baptized. 

Dawn and Joey, have taken a step back, and we just have to flow with it.  They are still coming to church, and they are still trying to get to know people.  I guess the most important thing is they are still meeting with us. 

This week we get to do something different on Wednesday.  There is a class at the local community college about marriage and religion.  We get to go there and do a panel discussion about our church and the role marriage plays in it.  It will be us and one of the members of the branch.  I'm really excited to be able to go and do it. 

I think that is it.  I know it isn't a lot.  And actually I could have ended it about five minutes ago.  Things just aren't changing or different around here in the last few days.  Hopefully, I will have some new news to tell you next week.

The death of Elizabeth Taylor

It is kind of nice to know life is the same old thing back at home even if you feel like you aren't doing much.  So, Elizabeth Taylor I am assuming died on Thursday?  I heard some people at the place we do service talking and that is what I thought happened.  It apparently wasn't as news worthy as Japan, because no one even told us.  Someone asked me about the weather in Utah, and I told them it is a lot like here, just doesn't get as cold and it isn't as humid.  But we get the warm and cold and sun and snow and rain. . . etc.

Well, this week has been good.  We had exchanges.  It was a good experience.  My companion for the day was one that has only been out a month.  So, I felt that I needed to step things up a bit, and I realized that I am capable of doing all those things I felt or thought were hard.  I just need to keep working on it.  Next week I will be doing an exchange again and  go to the temple.    What else. . . Oh, Brother M is getting baptized next Saturday the 9th.  So, excited.  He still needs to have his interview this week and he will be doing that on Thursday.
Nothing else everything is the same old same old.  I keep looking forward to the day when we can have elders back in the area so I don't feel so stretched as to how we need to spend our time. 

That is about it.  I can't really think of anything else today.  I will talk to you later!

Love ya!
Sister D

Things are moveing along

I am in S now.  I like it a lot.  I came into an area that had 3 baptisms set up and by the end of last week we have 2 more.  I feel very blessed to be able to continue the work of others.  I don't understand why I got so lucky and why he blessed me in this way. 

My new companion's name is Sister M.  She is great and we are trying to adjust to each other and how we work.  I am learning a lot from her and I am excited to keep learning from her.

I love the diversity of the city and the diversity of the ward.  The ward has a great mission leader who really works hard and has this great plan set up for the ward.  I was amazed at the things they have done and the work the ward mission has been able to do.  Both the Elder and Sister's areas are blessed in the work that is done and it comes down to the hard work of the missionaries themselves.  I kind of feel like I can't let the ball drop and I need to keep working hard and focusing on what is important, inviting others to come unto Christ.  I am so happy to be here and I can't express that enough. 

Yesterday, we had Ward Conference and we met with the Ward mission after church.  The member of the Stake Presidency at the end of the meeting said he wanted to meet with the missionaries.  So we went into a room with him and he talked to all four of us.  He clearly said he wasn't our presiding authority but he had an impression and he wanted to talk to us.  So he asked us if we needed to carry the burden all on our own. . . and we discussed Matthew 11:28-30.  Then he told us somethings about sacrament that I think will stick with me the rest of my life.    We will sin.  There is no way around it.  And if we say we will never sin we are lying.  But every week we have the opportunity to partake of the sacrament and leave those sins behind us.  We should walk away from the sacrament table lighter and not pick up the sins we have let go.  We are giving that burden over to the Lord and we don't have to pick it up again.  Wow!  I should leave church and be happy, lighter, and uplifted.  I shouldn't leave church and feel weighed down, sad, or heavy.  What a wonderful feeling that I am clean every time I go to church. 

Anyway, I will update you more on the mission next week as I get more used to the people I am seeing and their stories.  Each one of them is unique and I am excited to see where they all go.

Another week is over

Hello everyone!  I am sitting in the warm library looking out at the snow and wondering if it will ever be spring again. . . We have had single digit temperatures, frozen rain, and snow.  Someday April will come and the weather will be beautiful again. 

 

Transfer calls were Saturday.  I didn't know really what I wanted to have happen.  I love the ward, but you get in an area for too long and it is time to change.  Sister R didn't feel like she was going to stay here and I just had this feeling that I would be here forever or I would close the area.  President called us on Saturday morning while I was on exchanges and he let us know the area will be closed to sisters and elders are coming in.  So, I have spent the last few days trying to say goodbye to everyone and getting things ready for the elders.  I am excited, sad, worried, and happy all at the same time.  I really do know that the Lord works in special ways and in wonderful ways.  Elders are going to get great here and I know the people of the ward will be blessed.  I will miss the ward that I am just starting to get to know and all the people we have been teaching.  I have made a few hard visits and phone calls in the last few days.  It is really weird to think that I have been in this area for 12 weeks. 

 

The kids are a little sad we won't be there.  The 11 year old most of all.  She already doesn't like elders but I feel that she will feel differently when she meets them in a few days.  We haven't seen B, the one we missed the baptism, or told him yet.  I am a little nervous for that change over.  The rest has gone pretty smoothly.  Regina, the one who just figured out Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, still got it and was reading and was REALLY excited about what she was reading.  Now all that has to happen is she has to know it is true and come to church.  P, the one we gave the church tour, loved the building.  They asked him to read and pray about the Book of Mormon while I was in Vermont.  He said he would when I talked to him on the phone yesterday he said he was but he didn't have any answers.  Hopefully, the elders can help him out.

 

One last story.  We have a member who is in an assisted living place here.  One time when we were teaching him, in the common living room, one of the ladies that has a room close to his was there and listened in.  We left and gave her a hug.  The next time we were there she saw us and mentioned that she really enjoyed talking to us and she missed having good conversation.  The next time we saw her our member wasn't there so we talked to her for about 2 hours.  Just about all of her experiances what she knows about the church, her family, etc.  We left and we were uplifted and so was she.  We missed her the next few times we were there.  But, last week we stopped by and she said she was interested in learning about the church and she asked the "outreach" librarian to look for some books for her.  On Sunday we stopped by to visit the member and then we stopped by to see her and we gave her a Book of Mormon.  She told us she is very intersted in learning about the church and would like to go to the church soon.  We made sure we got her address and we are going to write her.  But she is amazing.  She loves what we teach because of our sincerity.  I am excited to learn what happens with her.