Dear family,

Thank you so much for your emails! They were perfect :)

I had a really cool experience last Monday. It's starts out sad, but gets really good at the end (like all good stories do :) I was feeling pretty down and had been feeling bad since that ZTM. I came back from getting groceries and doing all the p-day stuff and just sat down and cried. I mean really cried. All the guilt and frustration and disappointments just crushed me. Sister Stanley was really great during all of this. She started crying too and said that when she was in the MTC she started to cry during a role play and that she had some wonderful impressions from the Holy Ghost and one of them was: "If you cry, it means you care." Which is good to hear when you are a crying mess. :) And the impression just kept coming to me that I needed a priesthood blessing. So we called Brother Munns and I had one of the most amazing experiences that I've had on my mission. He sat us down on lawn chairs and had Sister Stanley say a prayer and then he asked me what was wrong. When he asked this, I thought: { I am not succeeding here. I am not doing what I am sent here to do. I feel like my mission is making me more cynical and angry and it isn't supposed to do that. I don't feel like I am a good missionary, etc. } But I only told him about the not succeeding part and Brother Munns was so understanding! He gave me some advice before I had the blessing. He said that when he left on his mission, his brother told him that he needed to do his best and that his best would shift depending on the day. Some days his best would just be getting out of the bed in the morning. Other days it would be hitting twelve lessons. Then he turned to me and told me not to answer out loud and he said, "Are you doing your best?" On reflection, I think I can say that I am. Even those past three miserable days, I did the best I was capable of doing. I am giving it all I have. He also shared another experience about his father. His father served a mission in Kentucky/Tennessee and was the first person to go on a mission in his family. He only baptized one convert that stayed active. Brother Munns said that his father didn't talk about his mission much and that his considered it mostly a failure. But Brother Munns pointed out that his mission had left a legacy. All of his kids served missions. He said, "Your mission legacy is so much more than your 18 months. It extends to your kids and their kids, to cousins and sibling." Then Brother Munns gave me a blessing and boy at this point the tears are flowing freely. The peace that came into my heart was indescribable. Satan's hold on me was completely gone. The discouragement and frustrations that had clung to me for three days were GONE. And that is a big thing to me because I tried everything. I had read my scriptures, prayed, partook of the sacrament, etc and nothing had worked. But this healed me in minutes. I know the priesthood is a real thing. It is the power of God. Isn't that an amazing concept? I haven't had a problem since that blessing!!

This week we had our last zone conference with President and Sister Holm. It was a pretty sad change of events, but I'm happy for them and grateful for their service. President Holm was so sweet. He pulled me aside to talk about my devastation for the lack of visa. I just felt so much love from him. I am so proud that I am a daughter of the SCCM (South Carolina Columbia Mission)!! We each got to take another photo with President and Sister Holm. Looking back, I am completely amazed at how far I've come. I look back at that first picture and just think how little I knew. I had no idea what I had just gotten myself into! I didn't know just how hard, stressful, wonderful, miraculous and beautiful that my mission would be. I didn't know how to be a missionary or a companion or a leader or anything! We also got to give President and Sister Holm a handshake and hug. I sure am going to miss them! President gave us a book that he wrote but we can't read it until after our mission. I am eager to find out what is inside! We also had a testimony meeting and I actually bore my testimony! I still get nervous, but oh well! Missions won't change everything. I really felt the Spirit so hopefully it helped others as well. Sister Holm thanked me for sharing it so I was basically on cloud nine :)

I also had to say good-bye to Sister Gearheart, which was hard. I love that girl so much! Her and Sister Glauser have a special place in my heart! And to think that ten and a half months ago, I didn't even know them! Now I feel as if they are truly my sisters. That is one of the absolute best things about being a missionary: getting to know so many people and developing friendships.

My friend from BYU who is a Brazil visa-waiter serving in Los Angeles, pulled her visa. Her letter was so perfect for my situation so I thought I would include some of it :)

"My heart is so full. I don't have much else to say other than to describe the turning point that happened this week. After hearing such great news about the blessings coming to my family, with jobs and moving to new states and weddings and such, I felt as though the Lord was giving me a greater idea of what was ahead. But the visa/Brazil was still in question, and that got me a little discouraged.

Then on Thursday, President Weidman texted us and said that he wanted to meet with me face to face (which is really unusual unless you have an interview scheduled). So we met at the church building and he sat me down. He told me that, based on the circumstances with the paperwork the last few months, and according to a report from the Missionary Department in Salt Lake, the chances of me getting a visa in the next 7 months are extremely low. He told me that he was instructed to give me the option to change my call officially to stay here in LA for the remainder of my mission.

It was really interesting. I had kind of pictured this happening eventually, maybe. I had imagined telling President, "Well, I don't know, I'm going to have to do a lot of fasting and praying about this..." I was/am a little sad. A little disappointed. But when all of this presented itself, I felt at peace. Completely at peace. I no longer felt anxious or worried or uncertain about my future. I felt that God loves me and is pleased with me and has a plan for me here.

I told him my experience about six weeks ago, just sitting in Sacrament meeting when I had this thought: Brazil is not the tree of life. Jesus Christ is the tree of life. The Atonement is the tree of life.

President teared up a little and then informed me that I will be a Sister Training Leader next transfer. (Basically the equivalent of a Zone Leader, but just over sister missionaries.) . He told me that I am one of the best sisters in the mission and that he needs me. How could I say no? How could I say no to one of the Lord's chosen servants? At the end of the interview, President held out his hand to me and said, "Sister Matheson, welcome to the best mission in the world."

Do you all think I should pull my visa?

I love you all so much! I am so grateful for your support and even though it doesn't always seem like it I am SO grateful to be a missionary in the "best mission in the world." (Which is actually the SCCM but I am sure Los Angeles is good too :)

Love,

Sis D

Hey y'all,

 

I got your handwritten letters! They are so cute! I think it is funny that both had bikes on them :) 

 

We seem to FINALLY be getting out of our little slump. We are working with some really cool people that have a lot of potential. PLUS, I got a chance to help my past companion Sister Gearheart this week. She works in the Charleston YSA ward, so we give her referrals for all the young, single people we find. Anyway, we were in North Charleston for a meeting and we had a little free time after interviews with the President so we went knocking. We went to this one area and it just didn't feel right to me. So we left and turned on a different street and BAM the first house we knocked was Brandy who is a college girl home for the weekend. We had a super lesson with her and referred her to the YSA sisters. We got a call later this week that she is being baptized in the next couple weeks and that she is super solid!!! It was such a tender mercy of the Lord. I wasn't able to teach her, but I was able to find her. People are always talking about how we plant a lot of seeds that we don't even realize, but it was so nice to be able to see that someone got to harvest the seed Sister Stanley and I planted! I am really excited about Brandy. She is such a sweet girl. She has such potential. She is young and joining the church will forever change her life. She can get married in the temple, raise her kids in a gospel-centered home, and be a pioneer in her own family. AHH!

 

We are working with a man named Larry Serrano. I don't know if I've mentioned him before... But we taught him the plan of salvation with the Second Counselor, Brother Egbert, this week. The Spirit was really strong and Brother Egbert shared a powerful testimony. The lesson applied so perfectly to him, since his sister for the past few weeks has been dying of liver cancer. A few hours after we left we got a voicemail from Larry. His sister had just passed away and he wanted to say how grateful he was for us and that our message brought him a lot of comfort. I know that the Lord's timing is perfect. I think the plan of salvation gave Larry the strength he needed to face his sister's death. I have always been taught the pan of salvation, and I foolishly take that knowledge for granted.

 

We had lunch with the Messervys this last week. Brother Messervy lives right on Clark Sound, which is a body of water that connects to the ocean. Anyway he took us out on the dock and we got to feed pizza crusts to sea gulls. It was a lot of fun! I really loved seeing the change come over Brother Messervy. He just came alive; Brother Messervy is definitely a seaman at heart. He is a less-active that we have been trying to help, and I am somewhat at a loss of what to do to help him. He has some doubts, but I don't think that those are the source of his inactivity. I just want to help him so bad, but I just don't know what he needs! Why must people be so complex?!?

 

Sister Stanley and I saved up our miles all month to do to Edisto Island. It is a solid hour drive to Edisto and I have never been there, even though it is in our area. We also tried a bunch of less-actives on the way down and we had no luck! Less-active after less-active were not home or they had moved away. Sister Stanley and I were very disappointed! It took up so much time and we didn't seem to do any good, but the Lord blessed us at the end. The very last less-active that we tried was home. MIRACLE! He said missionaries had never come to visit him, even though he had lived in Edisto for the last 20 years. He was a really friendly guy and had a high opinion of the church and the beginning of a testimony, but he just won't do the hour and fifteen minutes drive to church. I hope that our meeting reminded him of the truth he once knew though.

 

I love you all so much. I know the gospel is true and I know that with all my heart. I know that the gospel unites families forever and I am so grateful for that knowledge!

Sis D

Dear family, 

Since the library is closed, I am writing this email on an iPad. It has been a long time since I've held one of these! Unfortunately my typing is a lot slower so I hope I have the time to fill you in on everything!

I have been on my mission for 10 months now. I can't believe how fast it is going! I think I have only five transfers to go. Looking back I can see that I've come a long way and yet I don't think I've changed all that much. I have more people and communications skills. I can work longer and don't need so much "me time." I like going places and I don't think I'm going to be such a homebody when I get home. My knowledge of the scriptures has increased dramatically. My testimony is stronger. I have my priorities better aligned with what God wants them to be. But I still struggle with the natural man! I still have the tendency to be selfish and lazy and prideful. Before I became a missionary, I believed missions to be this magical, transformative machine. I would input my natural self and I would come out this polished, spiritual guru. I had looked at my mission as the ultimate fixer. All my deficiencies and weaknesses would somehow disappear. As silly as it sounds, I though my mission would make me perfect. Or at least as perfect as a fallen person can be. But I have learned an important lesson....

Missions don't do that. 

Missions do not make the imperfect, perfect. And that's okay because I improve every day. I am progressing! And that is a pretty exciting thing. I still lose my temper and my patience, often times  with myself. I still have days when I wish I could sleep in at least until 7. There are still times that I have no idea what to say. But I have come so far! The change has happened so gradually that I hadn't even noticed until I read some of my journal entries from a couple of months ago. 

Anyways. 

We had a busy, busy week. The Elders' investigators got married and the baptized. ON THE SAME DAY. The poor relief society president and compassionate service committee had their work cut out for them! President Holm performed the marriage ceremony. He also gave us permission to help Sierra get ready for the big day. Sister Stanley was in charge of her hair. I was in charge of assembling and attaching her train. ME. The train was made up of burlap, lace, and this silk fabric. I had to tie the thing into a bow on her back. I was so scared I would mess it up! All I could think is, "What would Ginger do?" which was quickly followed by, "I wish Ginger was here!" But it turned out pretty well. I was just impressed with Sierra's ingenuity. They didn't have much funds, so she used a beach cover up as her dress. I couldn't even tell! 

It was really exciting to see them change their lives for the gospel and I'm grateful that we have been able to be a part of their journey. The wedding was great and all but all I could think was, "This would not be my wedding." President Holm must have been thinking the same thing because he pulled us aside and said something like this: "You will be married in the right place to the right person at the right time and with the right authority." AMEN PRESIDENT. Their wedding just seemed so devoid of.... I can't think of the right word. I guess eternity? It just seemed so temporary. I can't explain it. 

I love you all! The mail has been super slow lately so I haven't received any of your letters yet but hopefully soon! Pops, you asked if I had any inspiration about my career and I think that I have! I'll write you a handwritten letter about it. 

Love, 

Sis D

Oi familia!

 

We had quite the adventures this week! First off, we got pulled over by the cops for looking "suspicious!" US! The missionaries! I didn't even know that we could be pulled over for so little cause. Granted we had just come our of a rather sketchy neighborhood and smelled like smoke and probably other not so legal drugs. {Don't worry Mom, we were visiting a less-active and it was super safe} but still! Poor Sister Stanley had never been pulled over before and was terrified it would go on her record. The police officer looked utterly confused to find two missonaries and kept saying things like, "I am just trying to figure out what you all are doing." Saving souls and crying repentance with the voice of a trump didn't seem like the response he was looking for!  

 

Adventure Number 2: We drove out to Hollywood. Hollywood, South Carolina, is ironically country. Deep country. We were at a gas station filling up and we saw a lady with a SQUIRREL on a leash. Sister Stanley and I couldn't stop staring at the squirrel perched on her shoulders. The best part? This lady got on her motorcycle, put the squirrel on the front and drove away. I could not believe it. That squirrel was riding shotgun!

 

Adventure Number 3: Our ward did its Day of Service last Saturday. We cleaned up an orphanage. When we first got there, they handed us a pair of pruning shears (at least I think that is what they are called) and instructed us to prune and shape a bush. Having never pruned a bush and not knowing what it was supposed to look like, our results were less than satisfactory. Fortunately we were given some rakes and a plot of ground and we did a lot better with that. Later, we saw Michael sneak over and fix our poor massacred bush. It was really funny! Then we got to organize the clothing donations, and that was a lot of fun. I do so love to organize :) Michael and Mona both came and seemed to enjoy it. They are very much a part of the ward now and have a lot of friends, so that's good!

 

We had a miracle yesterday. Although he wasn't in our plans, I had the prompting to go and see Grant Staley, who is a less-active. Usually, he lets us into the foyer to say a quick prayer in Portuguese (he loves that I am learning Portuguese) and rushes us out the door, but not this time. His nonmember wife whom we have never met opened the door and invited us in. We actually got to sit down and share a message. I know it sounds like such a little thing, but it meant a lot to me. We have been visiting with him since I first came here and we were never able to have a lesson or meet his wife. It was such a tender mercy and I know that it is because we followed the prompting of the Spirit.

 

There are big miracles on missions, but a lot of the time the miracles we see are small. Sometimes, it is simply that someone is nice at the door after we have had some not so nice contacts. Sometimes it is meeting someone who isn't interested, but recognized us as a sign from God that He loves them when they desperately needed that validation. It amazes me and will never cease to amaze me that when I am sad or when I am disheartened that the Lord will send a tender mercy, my own little miracle to show me that He has not forgotten or forsaken me. I know that God loves me and that love doesn't change. It isn't something that I have to earn by promotions or plaudits. It has always been and will forever be. I am grateful that I get to tell people this, because there are many who haven't realized that yet!  

 

I love you guys!

Sister D

Hi y'all!

 

It was so good to see and talk with y'all again! I can't believe how big the boys got. They are little men! I bet they will both be taller than me when I get back. Gone are the days I could just pick them up and remove them from my room :)

 

Things are going good here in Charleston. The Elders' investigators, Sierra and Orlo, are getting married so they can be baptized on the 24th. It will be my first mission wedding! Sister Stanley is doing Sierra's hair, so clearly it is imperative that we attend :) I am really excited for them.

 

We had two really cool experiences with less-actives this week. We went down to Folly to visit a less-active named Julie. Her daughter and husband aren't members. She knows the church is true and her whole family is very active. I guess missionaries used to come to her home a lot and she didn't really like it, so we are trying really hard to develop a relationship with her first and being really personable. We had a break through on Friday night. We met her daughter, Lucy, for the first time, and she really liked us. She invited us to her yard sale/lemonade stand that she is having this upcoming Saturday. Lucy also read us/ sang us her favorite book. It really softened Julie's heart to see us take such an interest in her daughter and her activities. That is one thing that I have learned on my mission. People need to know that you love them. When they can sense the love we have for them, they know that we are there to help them and are so much more willing to act. We also went to another less-active's home named Sister Hoezel. She was in the middle of making dinner, so we washed our hands and got to work. You are now writing the newest connossiere of Vietnamese spring rolls. Sister Stanley and I got that wrapping down to a science! Well, kinda...

 

I really love that I get to meet so many people and that I get to love and serve so many. Gosh, it is just the best!

Sorry this letter is so short! The library is a madhouse today. But I love you all so much! I look forward to your letters and hope you all have the best week!

 

Love,

Sister Daniels

 

The SCCM mission mantra:

I love tough things.

I am the first to do tough things.

I do tough things first.

I'm a finisher.

I love being a missionary.

Dear family,

 

This has been a wonderful week! I have really learned the importance of following spiritual promptings. {Side note: The Lord is constantly teaching me this particular lesson on my mission. I think it is THE lesson we learn on our missions} We were working in one area, when a name of a potential kept coming to my mind. I ignored it, because he was so far away and it just didn't make sense to use the miles, but the name kept coming. I told Sister Stanley and off we went to go see Larry. We had met him a couple weeks ago and gave him a Book of Mormon. He is so elect! He was happy to see us, had read from the Book of Mormon, wanted to take the lessons, and wanted to go to church! He officially considers himself "investigating the Mormon church." It was such a testimony builder to me. I have felt rather alone the last few weeks. I was having trouble feeling the Spirit, and nothing seemed to be happening although we were working hard. So having this spiritual prompting felt as good as a rain after a drought! I know that this is God's work. I know that there are lessons to be learned from every experience. I know and am so grateful to be part of "the work of angels" (Holland).

 

Last Saturaday, our plans fell through for the day, so Sister Stanley and I pleaded with the Lord for guidance on where we need to go. The same name came to both of us! We went to go see this family, but they weren't home. At first, we couldn't understand why we were prompted to go there, but we decided to make the best of it and knock the neighboring apartments. On the third door, we met Mark. He is married and has four kids and has that Mormon look. It was really cool because I just felt like I knew what I needed to say. Unfortunately, we weren't able to teach them then because they were about to leave, but they told us to come back next Saturday at the same time. I just know that the Lord prompted us to go to that apartment complex so we could meet Mark. I am still learning how to communicate to my Heavenly Father and I am learning how He talks to me. Developing a relationship with God is so important. I want to know Him, not just know of Him. I hope that I can say when all is said and done that I know the Master I served :)

 

Dear family,

Bikes are the way to go! Where have those been all my mission?? We more than doubled our lessons and contacts! It is just so much easier to meet and to talk to people on a bike. Plus I think people feel bad that we have to bike in skirts and are just more willing to be friendly :) 

We had exchanges this week. Sister Glauser came and worked with me in Charleston. It was exactly what I needed. I felt immediately comfortable with her and could just be myself. I feel like I have been love starved these last few weeks, and it felt so good to have someone value me for just me! Plus her first name is Lexi and she reminded me so much of you Lou! It felt like I had my real sista with me :) Thanks so much for all your advice! I think I just need to be more selfless and less prideful. So much easier said than done!

Things here on James' Island are going good. We are doing a lot of finding right now, since we had to drop a lot of our investigators. So our teaching pool is a bit slim. Missionary work is a whole lot like a roller coaster, highs and lows. I think we are in a bit of a slump right now, but they never last long so hopefully we can pull ourselves out of it soon. We taught a girl named Jenna this week. She is a devout Catholic, but loves talking about Christ and is willing to learn more. She is really sweet. I couldn't believe how willing she was to take a Book of Mormon, considering her background! She acts like a Christian ought to act. She invited us in immediately and was just so open and loving, even though she had finals for pharmacy school that week and could have used that as an excuse. Her actions spoke volumes. I serve in the Bible belt, and it is so sad that the people who are the rudest are the Christians. Atheists are usually the kindest! If I learned anything on my mission, it is the importance of kindness. We are all brothers and sisters. We have personal challenges and concerns.  I would hate to be an additional stumbling block in another's life because of my attitude, language, actions, etc.

I love you all! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the letters!

Sister Daniels