Out on a WIM #46

#46

Hello my heavenly family!

How are you my favorite people??
YES I did get my package. THANK YOU! I loved it ever so much.
Ok so my new companion is……………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. AWESOME! Her name is Zuster K. She’ll probs only be here for 6 weeks. So basically I have six weeks to train her to be the 1st Dutch sister in Suriname!! Talk about pressure 😉 Just kidding I am doing just fine. Sister K. is a doll. She is so outgoing, energetic, fun, hard working and a little spaztic I might add 🙂 She is absolutely adorable though. She reminds me a lot of me when I first came out. I am so grateful and know it was meant to be that I am training her. I really feel like because we are pretty similar I can help her most effectively. She is So full energy just like bounces off the walls. So I was thinking how I used to be that way until I learned to funnel my energy into more productive things like being mature, sharing the gospel and getting important things done. I still have a long way to go. But I have seen this change in me and hope to continue that change.
ANYWAY it’ll be an awesome six weeks for sure!! 🙂
So we had Zone Conference. It was the best ever. I loved it. I got to learn so much. We learned about using time effectively and planning and I know that is something we all needed.  President M. and Sister M. shared experiences from when they were younger and mistakes they made and stuff and it was wonderful to hear. I am so grateful for the Atonement because I know that I am very far from perfect. But I will keep setting goals and striving every day to be better…
Sister M. went out teaching with us and we had a great lesson on the BOM (Book of Mormon) with T. (one of our progressing inv.) It was such a great lesson.
I love all the people in this mission they are angels.
It was SO fun seeing all of the missionaries. Seriously these people are like my best friends. We are all one big family 🙂
Oh goodness it sounds like everything at home is going well. Lots of things are going on!!! Wow thanks for the update.
This week I have been thinking so much about the Savior. The way He was and the things He did. I love the example He sets for all of us. I am really learning more and more to forget myself. That’s when we are most happy. I always seem to look back and think woah look how much I have changed and learned! I love it!!
I am so glad that I decided to serve a mission. I love missionary work, and boy is it work!! It has been such a challenge. But the most wonderful thing ever.
We have a lack of Priesthood holders in the branch and it really reminds me to appreciate the priesthood and so we are doing our best to find more and strengthen the ones we have.
There is so much going on. It’s so busy over here in St. L.!! I am just loving life.
Thanks for everyone’s support and love.
I love you all so very much! Don’t forget to read the scriptures, pray daily and go to church that’s where growth comes and happiness! The church is so true. And we are so blessed to have it in our lives so lets go share!!
Love always, Sister Emily

Sunday Best!

DSC02577

“A subtle but significant blessing we receive is the spiritual gift of gratitude that enables our appreciation for what we have to constrain desires for what we want. A grateful person is rich in contentment. An ungrateful person suffers in the poverty of endless discontentment.” -David A. Bednar

Hope your Sunday was the Best! Love, Joy

Family History Friday: Recording Events!

photo (23)

We had a Family Reunion this last week in St. George, Utah. My darlin’s granddad passed away in St. George 45 years ago. It is a neat story and is a legend in my husbands family. He had just teed off while golfing and said, “That was a beauty.” He had a heart attack and died. He was a semi-pro golfer. He loved golfing. We feel that there isn’t a better way for him to go than while doing something he loved so much.

So my darlin’s cousin set up a golf tournament in honor of their granddad. After the tournament, we all gathered at a park and reminisced about granddad.

Well, I opened an app I recently downloaded for my Iphone. It’s called Voice Memos. It is free and has come in very handy for event’s just like this. I recorded the conversations and am now in the process of typing them up. I can email the audio to others and give the paper copy to a few that don’t have a way to receive it digitally. Don’t you just love technology? What a blessing!!! Try it and see what you can record that will help with your family history.

Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

Scary!!!

We had a nice little trip to St. George, Utah last week end. It was beautiful!!! I kept thinking how nice it would be to live there….except for one thing. 

photo (22)We were getting ready for bed and we wanted to take the dog out to go potty before we put her to bed. My friend said,

“Take the black light and you’ll be able to see if there are any scorpions out on the patio.”

I was thinking, really? We went out with the light on and this is what we saw right outside the door. Yes, I was not very interested in staying outside. I let my darlin take the dog out and I went inside. I think I’ll keep living “up north” as they say in the south.

SCARY!!!

 

Out on a WIM #45

photo (20)

#45

Hi my most fantastic, fabulous, free, ferocious, family 🙂

You’re in St. Georgey??? LUCKY!!!
Alright so down to business…. We got our transfer calls on Saturday and Sister S. is leaving the area and I am training again!! We are a little sad that we are being split up because we are basically soul sisters and are like peas and carrots. But the Lord knows what’s best.
So Seester S. is moving to go with Sister G. one of my other favorite people ever 🙂 I am excited.
So I will be training a Sister named Sister K. (All the dets I know): She has brown hair. She is from Washington. She is learning to speak Dutch!!! I am training her to send her off to be the 1st sister in Suriname!! Pretty cool! Holy cats. The pressure’s on 🙂
We had a really great week. It was very busy as usual and kinda crazy. Sister T. who is the Sister Training Leader and serves on St. V. came this week and went out teaching with us and it was really fun. She said we are hard working, fun, obedient, good teaching Sisters.
She said she thinks I will be called as a STL soon but we’ll see. That’d be fun but for sure a Pressure filled teaching and learning experience. We shall see what happens though.
This week we have been practicing teaching skills and memorizing of course for Zone Conference. Which will be this Saturday coming. Sister Mehr wants to come out teaching with us. THAT’LL BE AWESOME!!
I have been thinking a lot about the spirit this week. How it has worked with me in my life and how I have seen in the lives of all these beautiful souls 🙂
Sometimes people in the carib like to be loud and yell and do silly things and so it has been a nice challenge to try and help them realize how the spirit works.
Man I am really so grateful for the challenges and also the great things I have and will learn on my mission. It’s the best. It’s amazing to think of things that used to matter to me just don’t really matter anymore.
I was also thinking about LaRee my favorite! How is she??
We met this man this week from England… We always say his name in a English accent it is so funny. He had this house that was like an outdoor house! It was cool… We are still meeting quite a few people. We are trying to decided who is really to progress and who is just limin in our teaching pool. But we shall find them. Holla!!!!!!
I am excited to get the package you sent!! It’ll be nice. I am going to get a bag soon. Mines is gettin mashed up boy.
Scripture of the week: Alma 7:23 this is the key to life. 🙂 We should all try and be the things that are in this verse.
Funny story of the week: We were in a lesson with T. one of the people we are teaching and here is the start of the lesson…. Me: “Alright T. we are going to teach you about one of the Lords commandments. It’s called the Law of Chastity, which prohibits any sexual relations outsides the bonds of marriage….” T.: *giggles* Us: T. what’s so funny? T.: I just was not expecting that to come out of your mouth… Hahahaha. Then at one point in the lesson Sister S. said (we’ve been working on boldness, and it’s working) T. do you want to please God or please your girlfriend? Whaaa?? Hahah
Um pretty much funny things happen all day everyday so I can’t say them all..
Anyway it sounds like you’ve been having fun with all the extended family and everything.
I love you all dearly and hope you have a wonnerful, spiritual, awesome, great week. REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE and what you stand for.
Love forever and always Seesta Emily

Out on a WIM #44

IMG_1561[1]
#44
HI!!! Well this week was wonderful!
To answer your questions:
1 When we tract we really like to get to know the person a little and also jump right into teaching so we do short doctrinal statements and then ask inspired questions and tell them about what we feel prompted to say.. Usually something about prophets and all the different churches!
If you already had your activity, what did you do? 
2. Today we’ve actually had a relaxing P-day!!!! We’ve just been liming really. I am actually sick right now with a cold and not feeling too well.
Do the people where you are have different accents that Barbados?
3. Yes please, people here sound so different. But I am used to it already. They have totes dif lingo. And they speak Patwa here a lot!!!
Did you tell us how many are in your branch? How is it doing?
4. In our branch we have about 50! It’s is better. We are still doing our best.
Ok so our investigators are just plugging along! We didn’t get anyone to church on sunday!!! 🙁 But it’s ok next week for sure!!!
We are teaching this great young man J. and he loves the booklets we leave him and now the Book of Mormon! We are excited to keep teaching him 🙂 Oh! and we teach the 1st vision A TON! At least twice a day 🙂 It’s the best.
As for everything else we are working hard still trying to find our people who will progress. There are miracles happening here in this area. I am so grateful to be a missionary. Thanks for all the support and love.
Sorry this is short there are some malfunctions going on today!
We’ve been using Mormon Messages and trying to liven up all the lessons and it’s been going well. If there is a visual that you could think of I’d love it if you sent that too!!
I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!! The church is true! Love, Sister Emily

Out on a WIM #43

390198_2269503019488_1625284275_n

Pre-Mission sillyness!

#43

HEY ALL YA’LL BEAUTIFUL SOULS!!

I am glad to hear that everyone’s week was bomb.com.
My week was just the best!! As usual 😉 So we had some crazy things happen this week.
It sounds like every one of you is doing wonderful things and staying busy.
To answer your question: During the week we stay in our area. We do travel around the island though. The whole island is hilly. It is very pretty here. This place is great. I’m so blessed.
Something sad is that Bro R. from my last area dropped them after I left……. 🙁 I guess it was because I was not there anymore.. It made me sad. Things got pretty bad before and after I left.
BUT AS FOR HERE: Things are going well 🙂 We have a baptism this Sat. Her name is K. she is a member referral. And is so wonderful.
We are working very closely with the members here.
We are trying to help a lot of people to have a change of heart. I’m starting to realize how crucial this change of heart is for everyone. EVERYONE.
Funnies: The other day someone said to us ” well it says in the bible you can’t serve God and Mormon….” HAHAHA that’s a new one. Last time I saw it, it said you can’t serve God and Mammon.
This man we taught was trying to bash with us and we wouldn’t so he said we needed to be more well versed with the scriptures so he gave us a nice booklet.
Anyway this week Sister S. and I built a blanket fort and we also were sick half of this week but we drank some bush tea (it’s not against WOW(Word of Wisdom) and we got better. The best part was when we went out teaching,  while we were in the lessons the spirit was able to comfort us and make us feeel better so we wouldn’t feel sick. It was awesome 🙂
Sist S. and I gave talks in church yesterday! It was nice and we are helping the branch. We did a make over to the basement, where we meet. We got it all cleaned up for the investigators class. And we are getting a young women’s class set up and just started Personal Progress!!!!! WE ARE EXCITED!!!!!!!!
Today we had a Zone activity it was so fun!
This email is all over the place………….. Ha sorry.
We are helping a lot of the youth that we are working with to keep their standards and to respect themselves and others… That can be a big prob here.
Cool and Spiritual Story: So P. one of the amazing people we are working with, he got offended and it got rough. But we felt prompted to stop by his house and offer to help and just let him know that we cared. We had a lesson this week on the recognizing the spirit and he told us all how he feels the spirit has been teaching him, and he said that he knew that we were messengers for Christ, and that he was so grateful that we stopped by.
Anyway some lessons I have learned this week are to always have hope in people. To put myself in other peoples shoes. And last but not least TO SUCK IT UP AND DRY YOUR EYES 😉 Haha
Yesterday I had a thinking day. Just one of those days where you think about things you have learned, and things you have been through, and things you should be learning. I read the talk by Henry B. Eyring Mountains to climb and it made me smile. I am so grateful for the trials and lessons I learn as a missionary. I seriously cannot picture my life if I had not chosen to serve a mission. I love talking to Sister S. we have the best deep conversations just about everything. She is a real gem and I love her. We talk a lot about our lives and love learning from each other.
I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and his Atoning sacrifice for me. I was reading from Jesus the Christ and it filled my heart with love and admiration.
I know that my Redeemer lives. I am grateful for the scriptures, I have learned to rely on them and they are a great support and friend to me.
Anyway all is well here! I love life and the gospel and everything in between. Thanks to all the wonderful people in my life.
I love you all and hope you have a great week.
XOXO
Love forever and always, Sister Emily 🙂

Poetic Friends & NerdFest 2014!

Flexy’s friends brought over a fun birthday gift. 

photo (18)

These are the same friends along with some others who came over for NerdFest 2010. The one Flexy had before he left on his mission. You can check that one out here!

So for Flexy’s birthday this year he wanted to do another NerdFest. Here are some pics of the festivities. They are playing a game called Heroscape! They love it, and play it together as often as they can.

photo 1 (4)

photo 2 (3)

photo 3 (3)

photo 5 (2)

The difference between this group of boys and the group 4 years ago, is that all of these boys have served missions for the LDS Church. This is a great group of guys. I’m so proud of them and all of their Nerdy-ness. I think Flexy had a great 23rd birthday!