Transfers, miracles, day to day, treasures, & pictures

June 16:
This transfer has been a whirlwind! I feel like the relief of staying happened just last week. I'm getting transferred on Wednesday to 1 ward with Sister Evans. She seems really cool, and she was companions with my trainer last transfer.

So many miracles this week! We just found out that the awesome girl we got to teach before she went to Chicago is getting baptized soon :) Remember the nonmember who invited us over for dinner? Miracles just keep happening with her and her family. We met one of her daughters who is really really interested and has tons of questions! Yay! Another huge miracle, elders were teaching a YSA in our area and decided they should pass him off to us--the guy wants to be involved and asks really deep questions.

Mom asked for me to talk more about my day to day life. The dry heat, even though it's usually 110, is not as bad as humid heat. Weird fact: Sometimes the parking lots have sticky tar because it's so hot. Also, Sister Henretty & I put sunglasses on over our prescription glasses because we want to keep seeing & not get blinded--it looks pretty hilarious! We have listened to the Lower Lights' music every day in the car this week, and singing along is highly entertaining. Sister Henretty made up a funny voice/character, "Egbert Kitecutter" and we get to have standup comedy in our car rides too! Sister Snyder has a really distinct laugh that makes everyone happy--after sacrament meeting, if someone said something funny and she laughed, 2-3 people usually comment on how much they loved it. Life  is wonderful :)

There were some golden treasures of knowledge from church on Sunday. "Commandments aren't given to us to change them. They are given to us to change us." And "daily scripture study isn't always about the understanding, more often it's about the sacrifice." I have been noticing more and more the subtle blessings of obedience to the small things. When I'm consciously doing the small things (like not getting distracted by the wall during church--way too easy for me) to invite the spirit, I really do feel better and I'm more edified. It is amazing.

In every spare moment I'm reading the Book of Mormon with the question of how do I get my faith to lead to action--repentance, change, progression (don't worry, I'm still reading PMG over the  summer too).

What is your favorite scripture story?

Pictures:

Members are the best

exchanges are the best

funny looking pictures in the Sunday school manual are the best

Mesa "greenery" at its finest

Have Joy

This week has been fabulous!

Many miracles happened! Sister Sallstrom & I got to go to Tyler's baptism & see him & his mom! It was absolutely wonderful :D (also note: the funny photo bombers, the Stephensens, they're the best). One of our investigators got to come too! But he had to leave right away.

Oh and we used that extremely fashionable cardigan to teach repentance & baptism to the primary! SO much fun!! We did an object lesson & wrote with sharpie on the white shirt to represent what happens when we sin. The shock factor grabbed their attention. They told us what we can do--repent, get baptized, and take the sacrament! It was really cool to see the primary kids--and they love  missionaries--which is awesome :)

What am I doing to follow Christ? Answering this question has helped me reflect and recognize what I'm doing, and what I can do more. I know learning day by day how to follow Christ's example is what brings us true happiness. His commandments help us to have pure joy, even as he has. So let us all follow him and have joy :)

I love y'all!
Sister White

We are going on exchanges twice a week, it's been really fantastic learning from and working with other companions! We get to see miracles every time! One of my favorite miracles this week sprang from Sister Snyder's sacrifice--while she was serving with another companion in their family ward,  they came across a potential for our YSA-ward (which covers that area)! I know we are blessed as we serve others.

Sister Snyder and I got to teach an investigator's mom while he was getting interviewed for his baptism--it was incredible. This church building is brand new and has amazing paintings in it, so we walked around and looked at them. As we testified of the Savior, her heart was touched by the testimonies of each painting. After the interview, President Jenkins told her that it was no coincidence that so many of her children have become Mormon, and told her that there are probably ancestors tugging from the other side at her family. He told us to look at the paintings of faithful women in the R.S. room. He left because he had to be somewhere. Then after a few minutes, he came back, and burst into the room with tears, and hugged her, and told her he was impressed to come back and tell her it was her time to listen to what we have to say, and to join her family. It was incredible. After we finished looking at all the paintings, she gratefully accepted a Book of Mormon! Later on in the week we went to the Easter Pageant with them, and she loved it! She's also very excited about reading the Book of Mormon, and cannot wait to go back to the temple grounds!!

Yesterday a member brought a friend with him to church, and she is excited to learn more about our church, her whole family has been looking for a new church to go to!!! It was amazing.

Thank you all so much for your prayers. I know that as we pray continually, many mighty miracles will happen because of faith. I was studying patience and thought about how sometimes we cast others or ourselves "out" because of exceeding poverty--not only monetarily, but when poor in spirit, emotionally, physically, mentally. See Alma 34:40-41:

40 And now my beloved brethren, I would exhort you to have patience, and that ye bear with all manner of afflictions; that ye do not revile against those who do cast you out because of your  exceeding poverty, lest ye become sinners like unto them;

41 But that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions,with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions.

Sister Snyder & I got to see a banana tree!

Antonio got baptized!!! We are so happy for him!

P.S.  this movie is really really good: http://easter.mormon.org/?cid=HPTU041514694

General Conference: Great Counsel :)

In General Conference I learned how much Christlike love has the power to change the world for the better. When we love our fellow man with the purest love we can, we love God the most we can. When we love God the most we can, we love our fellow man the most we can. Pure love of God & others are inseparably connected. Christ gave us the example, that which we have seen him do, we get to do also.

Watching it made me reflect on times I have felt the spirit strongly, I felt my faith grow stronger as I remembered & felt feelings of peace and joy.

We got to watch general conference with members, investigators, nonmembers, and less actives (miracles!). Reflecting on the impressions with everyone was an incredible experience for me; I learned so much more. Serving others is when we are most happy, and we see most clearly when we are looking to Heavenly Father.

Our area is improving! When we "whitewash" that means that we are 2 new missionaries in the area, and none of the previous missionaries stayed. The work is a little slow; we are in quite an affluent area filled with rocket scientists, cancer surgeons, etc. (no joke). And the boundaries are 2 neighborhoods... maybe half a square mile? As we filled out the records for our ward mission leaders this week, I realized just how many miracles have been happening! We have been able to meet with nonmembers 3 times in the Miramar ward! (practically unheard of in this area!!--although in my 1st area that took an hour or 2). Getting to know the members has been an uplifting experience, they are incredible.

The Highgroves YSA ward had some miracles with less actives this past week too! And someone we are teaching is excited to be interviewed for baptism on Tuesday--he loved General Conference and felt inspired to "follow the prophet".

I know that our Savior lives, and he laid down his life for us. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Remember him in all that you do, and you will find greater feelings of happiness and joy.
Endure to the end & enjoy the journey :)

Remember who you are!
Sister White

P.S. I'd love to hear what you learned from conference. What inspired you?

Best Birthday ever! :)

Wow, the gospel is the best! We have had the most wonderful weekend!

Troy was baptized! As the bishop said, it was like the textbook. It was simply perfect! (the spirit made it that way). Just to see how much Tory's family has gotten so much closer, to see the joy he has
from living the gospel. To feel the spirit of love from the whole entire ward (truly a miraculous experience). His wife and mother-in-law sang My Song of Testimony, the spirit was so strong, undeniable. Especially when he bore his testimony of how much the church has changed his life. Everyone loves him, and welcomes him. He has been an amazing example to me of how to truly have an open mind and move forward with faith. The whole ward prayed for him to get a job too, and he started the same day he was baptized! It was incredible to see the strength he got from the members! And they from him! He has had really good friends/mentors in the ward who care for him as their own family--how it should be. It is simply wonderful seeing the light of Christ shining so brightly from him. I don't think the ward can ever forget this miracle :) and me too! Yesterday he made a comment in class about the gathering of Israel, how the missionaries didn't get all preachy when we came! It was amazing to hear how much the spirit really directed all of this. The Lord is doing his work, and we are his hands :)

Sister Lomax, my missionary grandma--she takes care of us every pday, it's like coming home :) she has made a birthday party for me this pday, it is amazing! I want to be just like her! She taught me how to bake perfect bread, it is sooooooooo good :)

I love you all!
D&C 121:33 rolling waters cannot remain impure. When living the gospel is how we live, we are like the rolling waters that cannot remain impure--the atonement is the best :)

Remember who you are!!!

P.s. Isn't this family the cutest? :)
Also, look at the picture, that was our inspiration, haha :)

Fabulous February!

Our mission is planned to have a record shattering amount of baptisms this month! Our mission president said it is "Fantastic, fabulous, faithful February!" Baptisms that follow the directions in PMG are so incredibly uplifting. Powerful. Sister Sallstrom & I got to bear our testimonies & sing last minute at G's baptism (the interlude people couldn't come or something). There was an overwhelming amount of love we could feel there. Especially as we saw a sweet family we are
teaching crying in the back.

I have learned that I need to keep a better record of the Lord fulfilling His promises (3 Nephi 23:7-14). We expect and facilitate daily miracles, and those miracles are a result of the Lord fulfilling
His promises as we act in faith.

Life is a growing period--filled with stretching and opportunities to grow--hard. I am learning so much. A member said, "broken roads help us walk by faith. Trials are meant to help us cleave unto Him, not turn us away." but to turn our burdens to Him, to return to His presence. I pray that we will be strong, and that outward influences don't hurt us, because of Christ's atonement. Everything (our joys & long sufferings) are worth it if they help us come closer to our Savior.

Miracles are happening like crazy here!! The parking lot was FULL on Sunday, people had to park on the street! There was a wonderful spirit during the testimony meetings :)

Love you all!!!!

Puppies, lunch

I went picture crazy this week since I forgot to do it last week.

A less active member has puppies, and she let us take pictures with
them, aren't they adorable? (she has 11, and I think they are all sold already, wow!)

I had so much fun making breakfast for Sister Sallstrom, and she
wanted a picture of it :)

Sister Sallstrom lost her contact container, so I told her what I would 

do when I forgot mine--use teaspoons, haha.

Oh, and that last picture? Especially for Hannah :)

We got to go to the Gilbert temple open house!! It was so incredible!

I hope you all are having a wonderful week!

The work is going well, everyone is getting sick though! Geneva, (I think I sent pictures of her earlier with the gingerbread houses) is getting baptized on Saturday :)

I love you all.

I know that our Father in Heaven loves each of you very much, I hope the Spirit impresses that upon your hearts as you remember all the good things in your life (Moroni 10:6).

Remember Who You Are,
Sister White