Dearest family,

I want to apologize in advance for this letter. Transfers are this week and I am getting transferred, so my list of to dos is getting bigger everytime I think of it! My mind is going a million miles an hour, so this letter might be a rambling mess....

Big, BIG changes are on the horizon. President Turner called me Saturday morning and called me to be a sister training leader (STL)! It's kinda like a sister zone leader. I don't know quite how I feel about it. I am excited because it is a huge growing opportunity. I will be able to go on exchanges with many sisters and get to know them and see different parts of ole South Carolina, but I'm nervous too. This is a huge responsibility! I have valued the training I've been given by sister training leaders in the past and they have had a huge impact on my mission. I just don't want to mess anyone up!

I've been thinking a lot about the sister training leader I want to be. I've also thought about WHY I was called. What have I learned that the Lord wants me to impart to my fellow sisters? I think the biggest thing I have learned is to choose happiness. Choose to love being a missionary. Choose to love the struggle. I think sisters, in particular, beat themselves up. They compare themselves and their outward results to others or to their idea of a "perfect missionary" and they just grow discouraged. I know because I've done that. It doesn't help the work in the slightest. I think I held back for fear of making a mistake or for the fear that someone would see my imperfections, but I've just learned to embrace it. Through experience, I have gained a testimony of the promise: Who God calls, He qualifies. AMEN.

I got to go on exchanges this week with Sister Brown, my trainer. She is going home this Wednesday and I am going to miss her! I have never taught so well with any other companion. Whenever we teach together, I know exactly what she is going to say and where she is going with it. I know when I need to speak. It is so easy with her! On the exchange we met a dear woman named Mandy. We knocked on her door and I offered to say a prayer with her and she aquiesced to my request. As I said the prayer, she just started crying. She had gone to the hospital that morning for some pretty scary stuff and was waiting for the results. She just expressed how much she needed that prayer. Another cool miracle we saw this week was with a girl named Sue. We knocked on her door and asked if we could help her. She just started crying and said, "I had just been praying for someone to come help me." She was an older woman with no family and really needed help clearing out her garage. So we helped her and shared a bit of the Restoration. When we showed her the picture on the Restoration pamphlet and talked about how much God loves her and how she isn't alone, she just started crying again! I just LOVE being an instrument in the hands of the work. I love being an answer to someone's prayer!

I love you guys so much! I find out Wednesday who my new companion is and where I am going!

Love

 Sis D

 This lady sent me a text that said "I have enjoyed your girl so much and thought you might enjoy this picture of her on her last day in Dutch Fork." 

Dearest family,

 

It has been quite the week! Tonya, my Louisiana friend, came to church and really enjoyed Relief Society. She was making comments and sharing experiences right along with the lesson. Definitely not a shy one! It was amazing to see her heart be softened throughout the church service and by the end she turned to me with a rather incredulous look and said, "I think you might be saved." Well, hallelujah! As promised, we went to her Baptist church as well. It wasn't anything like I expected. I had been led to believe there would be a lot of talk about hell, fire, and brimstone and that there would be a boisterous choir singing out "Amens" and "Hallelujahs" throughout the meeting. Hollywood has disappointed me yet again! It was a small church and the preacher talked about the importance of the word of God (he also mentioned that the Bible is the only word of God, for our benefit I am sure :)) and yet as I looked around I could feel so much love for these people. They are worshipping God in the best way they know how and I know the Lord is proud of them for doing so. It was a cool experience and caused me to understand my investigators on a different level now. The members of the church were all very nice and introduced themsevles to us after the service. One very concerned, older gentleman came up to us and wanted to know if we had been saved. I guess he has read the Book of Mormon and thinks our souls are at risk. Tonya stood up for us and said she knows we are saved and believe in Jesus Christ. It was pretty cool! I think we changed the perceptions of Mormons for everyone in the church! Oh, speaking of changing perceptions, did you all see "Meet the Mormons"? We get to see it at Christmas and I am very excited about it!

 

Another highlight of the week: the STATE FAIR! We got to go and wheel around the elderly in their wheelchairs. Having had no experience with people on wheelchairs, I had underestimated just how hard to push those crazy things can be! It was quite the work out, but really fun! My woman was from Cuba and Jamaica and had the most delightful accent. She really liked the art work and had zero interest in the cows, so we got along swimmingly. I also tried another Southern delicasy: the fried Oreo. I am not even kidding. It is in Oreo dipped in red velvet cake batter and then fried. It was surprising delicious! There was also a friend stick of butter, but I wasn't quite brave enough to attempt it.

 

We also had a lesson with some Jehovah Witnesses! I've been wanting to do this my whole mission, but none would ever let us in! They shared with us some of the things they believed and we shared with them basically the whole Restoration and the Plan of Salvation. Some of their beliefs are really similar to ours! I felt the Spirit so strong when we were testifying, especially during the First Vision and when we talked about eternal families. And the crazy thing is that I felt the Spirit when they testified, too! This week has really showed me that the Lord loves all of His children and while our church has the fulness of the everlasting gospel, other denominations have truth too. I have grown to really appreciate the faithful followers of Jesus Christ. I just want to add to the truths they already treasure!

 

I love you all so much! I love being a missionary and I love South Carolina!

Sis D

 

Oh and I almost forgot my challenge for y'all: Study Preach my Gospel during Family Home Evening! The lessons are in Chapter 3. Have the boys teach 'em. There is a very powerful spirit that enters the home, when the missionary lessons are taught. We are starting to teach the Restoration to our active families as well and the Spirit is really incredible. 

Dearest family,

 

Fall is almost here! Just when we think it has arrived and the weather is delightfully cool, a scorching summer day hits us. South Carolina weather is a fickle friend. Oh well, this way I get to use the entirety of my wardrobe all year.

 

We have met some really cool people this week. We knocked into a girl from Derrider, Louisiana. Can you even believe it?? She was decked head to toe in LSU garb. We live in a small world and she was happy to see a fellow Louisiana girl (I wasn't about to correct her and tell her that I didn't care for that association in the slightest and I will forever remain a Texas girl. It didn't seem like the opportune moment so I let it slide :)) She is very nice and excited to talk with us, but Sister Bowman and I have a sneaking suspicion that she wants to save our souls. She said she will come to our church if we come to hers. I'll let you know how it all turns out.  

 

We had a lesson with Scott and Dee and it didn't go quite as we anticipated. They dropped us, but it was the nicest drop I have ever had. Scott started the conversation by asking us (very sneakily) what we do when someone isn't interested any more. He was quick to point out that people don't reject us but the message. Sister Bowman and I bore some super solid testimonies and I felt like the Spirit was telling me exactly what to say and I could see some things really hit home. I just hope that one day they will open their hearts and minds to it. It really was hard because I had truly grown to love these people. The coolest thing though during that lesson is I felt a glimpse of how Heavenly Father must feel for them. I felt godly sorrow for them and my heart ached for the decision that they made. I always think back to that talk by Elder Holland when he says something like this, "Why would you think it would be easy for you when it was NEVER, ever easy for Him?"

 

Here is a poem Sister B gave me that really helped me to see that I get to stand shoulder to shoulder with the best life this world has ever known.

 

"The alarm bell rings at 6:30, I stumble to my feet

I grab my companions bedding and pull off his sheets

 

A groan fills the room, it it already time to arise?

It seems like just a second ago, I was able to shut my eyes

The morning activities follow- study prayer and such

When it's time to leave the apartment, you feel you haven't accomplished much

 

"We have a super day planned,"

My comp says with a grin

I lowly utter a faithless breath,

"Yeah, if anyone lets us in."

 

With the word of God and my faithful Schwinn, we ride off in the street prepared to

Face another day of humidity and heat

It's 9:30 in the evening, the day is almost through

My companion and I are riding home not accomplishing what we thought to do

 

We ride up to the mailbox, hoping to receive a lot

Only to look inside and hear my echo reverberate "air boc"

We got up to our apartment, the day is now complete

The only thing to show for our work is a case of blistery feet

 

It's past 10:30 pm. My companion is fast asleep,

Silence engulfs me all about and I begin to weep

In the midst of sadness, I kneel down to pray

I need to talk to father, but I'm not sure what to say

 

Oh father, I begin, "What happened to us today?

I thought we'd teach somebody, but everyone was away

My hands, my aching hands-worn, hurt, and beat:

If our area was any smaller we'd have knocked every street

 

"Why on missions are the days so much alike?

The only difference about today was the flat tire on my bike

Will you send some cooler weather? The heat is killing me

I sweat so bad, it gets in my eyes; it's very hard to see"

 

Why do I have to wear a helmet, isn't your protection enough?

People alway laugh at me and call me stupid stuff

Please send us investigators so I may give them what they lack

I want to give them Books of Mormon, the weight of them hurts my back

 

And what about my family: they don't have much to say

I'm sick of not hearing from home day after day after day

Oh Father, Why am I here am I just wasting time?

Sometimes I just want to go home, I'm sorry but that's on my mind

 

My companion, Heavenly Father, what are you giving me?

The way he rides his bicycle, I don't think he can see

Now you have it, I can't go on, I don't know what to do

That, my Father in Heaven, is the prayer I have for you

 

My prayer now finished, I stand up, then jump right into bed

I need my rest for tomorrow, we have another long day ahead

sleep starts to overtake me, I seem to drift away

Then it seems a vision takes me to another time in another day

 

I'm standing alone on the hill. The view is very nice

A man walks towards me and says, "My name is Jesus Christ"

Tears of joy well up inside, I fall down at his feet

Arise, He states, "Follow me to the shade. You and I need to speak."

 

My attention's toward my Savior, total and complete

He says, "Your mission is similiar of what happpend to me

I understand how you feel, I know what you're going through

In fact, it would be fair to say I've felt the same as you

 

I even know how you felt when no one listened to you

At times I felt not quite sure what else I could do

I know you don't like to ride a bicylce, for you a car would be sweet

Just remember the donkey I rode wasn't equipped with 21 speeds

 

I understand you don't like sweating, in fact it's something you hate

I remember when I sweat blood from ev'ry pore, of the agony ways great!

I see you don't like your companion - you'd rather have someone else-

I once had a companion named Judas who sold my life for wealth

 

It's hard to wear a helmet and have people make fun of you

I remember when they put thorns on my head and called me King of the Jews

So you feel burdened down by the weight of your pack

I recall how heavy the cross was when they slammed it on my back

 

Your hands hurt from tracting and knocking on doors all day

I guess when they pounded nails into mine, I ached in a smilar way

 It's hard not to hear from home when your family's not there to see

I lost communication on the cross and cried, "Father, why hast thou forsaken me?"

 

We have a lot in common, but there's a difference between us you see

I endured to the end and finished my mission, so follow and do like me

He embraced me with His arms and His light filled me with His love

With tears in my eyes I watched as He went back to the Father above

 

I stood with awe and wonder when a beep rang in my head

I listened and heard the alarm, then realized I was in my head

My companion let out a grown, "6:30 already, no way!"

I sat up and said, "Come on, I'll even carry your scriptures today!"

 

No matter what we go through, when we feel we can't take more

Just stop and think about Jesus Christ , He's been there before!"

 

I love you and I love being a missionary!

Sis D

Dearest family,

GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!! Wasn't it the best?? I've really enjoyed general conference in the past but it is something really special as a missionary. I think it's because my whole life is devoted to the things of God. I pray and read my scriptures daily (like all day every day kinda daily). I am talking about God and to God constantly. My testimony is stronger than it has ever been, so I think I am more responsive to the things of the spirit. It was a very revelatory experience for me.

Confession: I sometimes have doubts and questions about the restored gospel and I feel guilty for having them. I feel like it means my testimony isn't strong, but someone in a Saturday session said that it is okay to have doubts and questions. Joseph Smith did. He said when we do have doubts, we need to take the time to study it out and pray to the Lord. I have discovered that instead of making my testimony weak, doubts--and the insuing search for answers--  have strengthened it. Some of my most spiritual, testimony-building experiences have come during a quest to find the answers to the questions I have. I have learned that the Lord doesn't condemn the honest seeker of truth. He never did. I think that some of the strongest disciples the Lord has is not those who have lived with an absense of doubts, but those who had them, sought earnestly to overcome them, and came out more sure and steadfast of the gospel than ever before. It is because of my earnest, sincere desire to know for myself that I have a testimony of the restored gospel. I know that Joseph Smith was called by God and Jesus Christ to bring back the fulness of the gospel. I know it, because I have prayed earnestly to know it. I know God answers our prayers and wants to guide us in our lives. I know that the prophets and apostles that spoke to us yesterday were called of God and receive revelation directly from Him.

Y'all asked about our investigators so here is a quick summary of the main ones:

Danie: Southern Baptist who has a Mormon friend and who is trying very hard to be open to another way of thinking than the one she was raised with

Kay: a 28 year-old Bulgarian who speaks English, German, and Bulgarian. She's pretty much the coolest person ever. There was a long period in her life (ten years) that she turned away from God because of the trials that she has gone through, but has--within the last year--made a complete turn around and wants us to help her come even closer

Scott and Dee: very faithful Lutherans who have enough questions to keep us busy during studies looking for the answers; they are a really wonderful couple though who have a good Spirit about them and who are very receptive to the Spirit we bring too 

James and Jaqua: a middle-aged couple who just moved here from Maryland; very open to the message about Joseph Smith because they "don't want to put God in a box" (reminded me a little bit about Ceira urging us to think "outside the box" and gave me a good chuckle :))

I love you all so much!

Sis D

P.S. I can't send pictures on these computers so I will have to send them through snail mail. Sorry!