Mormon Missionaries -- YouTube

Watch this video on YouTube.  It is a glimpse of what Mormon missionaries around the world do each day.  Link

Crazy Week

Hola.

 

This week was crazy.  Just crazy.  The craziest week I have ever had. 

 

Hermana Linderman, an Hermana we live with, has been sick for months.  She has an infection in her lymphnods (sp?).  And she has gone to multiple doctors, gotten a CT scan, ultra sounds, blood work.  None of it gave the doctors any answers.  She was in a lot of pain, so she had to go home on Teusday.  That was hard.  All 4 of us got along so well.  We helped her pack (in 3 hours!!).  Then sent her on her way with some other Sisters that would take her to the airport the next morning.  Oh man.  It was hard, we all cried.  It's sad to me that she had to go home when she actually wanted to be here, then there's other missionaries that throw missions away like it's nothing by braking rules and such.  She deserved to be here, and her health wouldn't allow it.  It was sad.  But she went home honorably.  She's an amazing missionary, we pray for her every day.  We still talk about her everyday. 

 

So, because she had to leave unexpectedly, we became....A TRIPAN!!  Yay.  Hermana Bollwinkel joined us!  And we were over 2 areas, and wards.  That meant 2 district meetings, 2 correlations, about 6 hours of church.  It was awesome.  It meant LOTS AND LOTS of work!!!  We had more work than we could handle!  Meetings every where, lessons all over the place.  We some times didn't have time to actually sit down and eat.  It was so awesome though!  We helped Hector, he's 16, get ready for his baptism.  It was so awesome.  He was baptized yesterday.  It was so great.  But...we never realized how much work went into baptisms....BOY it's a lot of work!!  The baptism was beautiful.  I was able to play piano for it.  I am thankful to have had the opportunity.  The baptism was so awesome though!!  Hector shared his testimony at the end, it was so powerful.  It was just so cool, he'd been trying to be baptized for a 1.  His dad wouldn't sign the paper (since he is a minor we need a signature from both parents approving his being baptized).  And finally.  I think it was Thursday his dad signed it.  His dad wasn't at the baptism.  Hector is staying strong though, he knows that this gospel is TRUE.  It's amazing.

 

So, yesterday, we were at the church from 8:30 all the way to 8 at night.  It was busy!  Haha.  But we got lots done, we had lunch and dinner packed.  It was great.

 

Something about our ward...no one knows how to play the piano except for me.  The primary program is coming up, and they don't have a pianist.  Sooo, I'm playing!!  :)  Before I came, they were just playing a CD for the children to sing to....talk about DIFFICULT.  I don't know if it's just me, but I would think that would be SO hard to teach kids songs without a pianist!!  I'm glad I can help them out.  I just hope I'm helping them out rather than being a burden (sometimes I'm afraid there is a language barrier, but Vero helps me ALOT.  Thank goodness.). 

 

TRANSFERS.  We got the call this morning...and....I'M STAYING.  YAY!!!  I'm thankful to be in Oxnard still.  I can't imagine being any where else right now.  I'm just now getting the hang of everything, I didn't wanna leave Haha.  Hermana Corniea is my companion still.  And Hermana Bollwinkel is getting a new companion.  So we all three get to go to transfer meeting.  I guess not every mission does transfers the way we do them, but everyone that is switching companions/training new missionaries, we get to go to a meeting in Ventura.  I always love going to meetings where President will be speaking, we don't get to see him alot. 

 

Guess how many missionaries are in Oxnard alone now???  You won't believe it...I can't even believe it!!  There's supposed to be about 30 companionships here.  Just in Oxnard!!   30?!  There's 31 new missionaries here.  I bet they're freaking out.  I'm not the newest any more.  Yay.  The church is so true!!  There IS a hastening of the work everyone. 

 

That is about it.  I am loving every minute of my mission.  Can't believe I've been gone for about 12 weeks.  ALREADY.  What???  Haha, thanks for all the support.  I'm thankful for this opportunity to serve the Lord.  I love it.  It's a glorious work.  I can't get enough of it.  I know that as you members start sharing the gospel as much as possible, you WILL recieve even more blessings.  don't be afraid!  You will be given words to say.  Go out with the missionaries!  We love it!  This church is so true.  I think I have said that about 10 million times in this email, but it's just so true!  Joseph Smith truly was and is a prophet of God.  Thomas S. Monson is the prophet today, he leads and guides us.  The Book of Mormon is true.  The temple is literally the house of God.  Go there as much as possible.  Through this gospel, families can be together forever.  We can live with God and Jesus Christ again.  This wonderful gospel answers every question.  (and when it doesn't, it's most likely because it's not important for you salvation ;)  Haha).  This gospel is a comfort to me.  I don't believe it in because it comforts me, we see a lot of people think that religion is only important because it makes people feel good.  No.  This gospel is a comfort to me because I know for a fact that it is true.  Not vise versa.  I love being a missionary, I love being able to say that I am called of God, that I'm worthy to be here.  It's great.

 

Have a great week.  Sorry, I just blab on and on. 

 

Love,

 

Hermana Ah Mu

September 2, 2013

Hello!

 

This was...an interesting week.  As missionaries, we are constantly making goals.  And constantly striving to achieve these goals.  And well!  This week, I don't think 1 was achieved.  Also, as a missionary, it is VERY easy to be hard on ourselves.  I am hard on myself.  I am learning to be easier on myself. 

 

This week we had a lot of meetings!  Tuesday.  We had a 2 hour zone meeting on the Gift of Tongues and Learning Spanish.  (I spoke on the Gift of Tongues, yay).  Then, that evening we had youth activity.  The missionaries helped with a mini MTC!  It was not as successful as we would have liked, but successful enough!  There were 3 different rooms, and in each room one of the first 3 lessons was taught (from Preach My Gospel).  EAch roatations lasted for about 20 minutes.  IN that 20 mins we would teach the lesson, then leave time for the youth to practice teaching a friend.  (the missionaries pretended to be the friend).  Really we just wanted them to practice so that they could figure out any questions they have on how to naturally share the gospel with friends.  The activity was good, just a lot of the youth were acting like youth!  We spent good proselyting time to teach the youth instead.  I know they didn't realize how much work and time went into this.  But just so everyone knows, missionaries work hard for activities in the ward...help them out!  They are sacrificing time to be teaching investigators.  It's a big deal.

 

I got a package from the wonderful, magnificent Beehives from the amazing Blue Springs 2nd ward.  Thanks y'all!!  That was the greatest surprise!!

 

Mom.  Okay, I've been meaning to tell you this...I've already told some ward members I'm coming back here with you.  They all wanna meet you!!  So!  If the entire family can't come out here soon after my mission, we should take a mother daughter trip here.  You would LOVE it!! :D  Which reminds me, Vanessa, Nancy, and Vero added me on FB...haha, could you add em back for me? :) 

 

There's a place with $1 chinese food here!! :D  My companion says it's too risky, what do you think?  I like to think of it as a good deal!!  We ARE going to try it this week.  I'll let you know if I get food poisoning!! :)

 

1 more Sunday till transfers.  I'm freakin out.  I don't wanna leave.  I hope I stay here.  In a week you will know what shall come to pass...Just know that if I'm leaving....I will be crying my eyes out..

 

We read the Proclamation to the world this morning.  (We read a special handbook our mission president wrote every day, and that's in it).  And Hermana Linderman was like, "Oh dang.  I really wonder what Obama has to say about this!"  Hahaha, it was so funny!  I kinda forgot we had a president...I kinda forgot we had politics...The perks of being a missionary ;)

 

My companion has a David Archuleta CD.  HAHA, and we were listening to it today, Hermana Linderman says, "Ooo, his voice is like honey."  Pahahaha

 

Well, we really did horribly with numbers this week.  It was a harder weed in general really.  We are working on formers.  We want to meet every former before the end of the week.  We lost all progressing investigators.  We lost our baptismal date investigators.  We pretty much lost our teaching pool.  It's rough.  One of em yelled at us.  Told us we probably don't understand Spanish.  She told us to stop coming.  There were many other things said, but I can assure you.  I understood everything!!  Haha, that was the great thing!!  I realized I understand Spanish!!  Talk to me in Spanish, I understand you!  Ask me a question in Spanish. NOPE.  Can't say anything.  Hahaha,  THis week was really great other than losing everyone.  But HEY.  Esta Bien!  I love being a missionary.  Life is great in California.  I love it.  I'll write a better letter next week y'all.  :D

 

Love,

 

Hermana Ah Mu

August 26, 2013

Hola!!

 

This week was...not as successful as we would have liked.  All of the goals we hoped to achieve were not.  But!  That is alright!! :)

 

First.  Would you tell Kristen I LOVED her letter and will write back as soon as possible?  Also to tell her to disregard any comment I may have made about her not writing me back in Charlee's letter...Haha.  Also!  I can listen to any music.  As long as it is uplifting and music that can be inviting of the spirit.  I do believe Kristen knows what I mean!  Any church songs, and Mercy River!  Jenny phillips is good, so is EFY. 

 

You people.  Laura.  You are not supposed to get married while I am gone!  Ollie and Ashley!  You are supposed to wait to have babies until I get home!  Mom, Dad,  You are supposed to do cool family vacations when I am with you!  Nonsense I tell you, didn't anyone tell you that you are supposed to put life on hold??  Haha.  Okay, I am kidding.  But seriously, that is SO excited!!  Please.  Send me the wedding announcement Laura!  And!  Pictures, OKAY?? :)  Ollie and Ashley!  Send me pics of my neice!! :)  Mom and dad!  And Owen and Olson, I am so glad that you had fun at the farm.  That is so great.  I would be jealous...but...I'm on a mission, and that is even better.  Haha. 

 

I still know VERY little Spanish.  I understand tons (except at church), but don't really know how to speak.  It's great, the ward members know I don't know what's going on most of the time.  We still have a great time though.  We are very good at laughing with each other.  We may not understand each other but we always laugh.  That's something I love, these people's laughs are SO contagious.  You know me!  I love laughing!  It's one of my greatest talents.  I love my ward though.  I love them a lot.  They are so great. 

 

Did I ever mention, that our stake is so into missionary work every 4th Sunday is dedicated to Missionary Work??!  We the missionaries pick out the speakers for Sacrament meeting, and also do a fireside every 4th Sunday.  It's pretty neat.  Yesterday a girl named Karen gave her farewell.  She is going to Tampa, Florida!  So cool!! :)  She spoke and so did her mom and sister.  Lemme tell you something really funny.  Karen's sister is named Karen too!!  We asked their mom why they are both named Karen and their mom said she just really liked the name Karen, so why not?  PAHA.  I don't know why that is so funny to me, but it is!  But it was very good.  I love picking out the few words I understood.  It just brought me back to the day I gave my farewell.  How deeply terrified I was to know that in a few short days I would become a full time missionary.  I tried to hide that fear.  But I also was SO excited.  I didn't know what to expect.  Ahh.  I remember that day in Sacrament meeting.  It was good. 

 

Our fireside we did was about member missionary work (of course!!).  We were going to stress the importance of it, and that everyone NEEDS to watch the Worldwide broadcast about missionary work that was given June 21.  Turns out, only 6 people came...that is including the bishop and the ward mission leader.  Isn't that awesome?!  Haha.  It was alright.  We still did the fireside.  It went well.  But.  We are going to repeat it next month.  No one will ever know we did it once already.  A woman died in our ward the day the broadcast was shown, so most of the ward members didn't watch it.  We are thinking about getting the bishop to show it for the last 2 hours of church one Sunday.  This broadcast is SO important for members.  I remember being there and thinking, "Why are we here?  This is more for the members than us as missionaries!! "  I am so glad we watched it, but really.  It was for members.  It is great.  I encourage all of you who haven't watched it, to watch it.

 

Missionary work is just so great.  I am grateful for this opportunity I have to dedicate all I have to this wonderful, glorious work. 

 

Not much happened this week.  We have to give Amador and Junior to the English Elders.  We found out they prefer church in English.  We are so sad to let them go!  But it is okay.  It is important they go with them. 

 

Did I tell you about Tiwi??  It is a computer they put in every missionary vehicle here in our mission.  You have to log in with a card that is under your name.  And it keeps track of how you drive!  So if you speed, don't wear your seat belt, drive aggresively, etc.  It is tracked under your name!  So President knows how we drive.  Isn't that awesome??  Haha.  Dad, you should get one for Owen when he starts driving!! ;)

 

Okay.  Well.  That's really about it.  Sorry...not many cool stories this week.  I hope y'all have a fantastic week.  Thanks for the prayers and support.  I love it here.  I love my mission.  I don't want it to end (Thank goodness I just got here).  It feels like I just went into the MTC though.  I am afraid this will speed by.  Anyway, until next week! :)

 

Love,

 

Hermana Ah Mu