Sent from my iPad
Monday, December 28, 2015
Christmas Week
Sent from my iPad
cleared my sinuses. We had a basketball p-day with a bunch of people
from the Ward! It was a great turn out and even helped us get into a
home! The John family came! we have been trying to get them for weeks!
They have been a focus family for months and they are finally opening
back up! Basketball really helped! We decided to drop by and give them
some Christmas cookies. We just missed the wife, but we chatted with
the husband for some time. As we were about to leave, sister John
pulled up! We had already walked away from the door and brother John
had gone inside! We said hello and goodbye and then went to leave.
Sister John came running back out and started to talk to sister
Resendez. I was driving and had parked to where I needed to be backed.
Sister John started to talk to sister r and said that she wants us to
come back to teach her kids! Her husband had been texting her and
reminding her while she was talking to us but she didn't see the
messages until she got inside! It was a miracle! We are looking
forward to teaching their boys about the restored gospel!
On Tuesday we went on exchanges! I stayed in Winchester with hermAna
Bateman. It was an incredible day! Everything seemed to fall through
but as we started to talk with one person, people, started to come out
the woodworks. We had a million people to talk to! It was so cool! The
night went on and we had some set appointments that went through which
was nice and I slept so well! It was a long day! I aM so grateful for
my companion and I was so grateful to get her back!
Christmas was wonderful! We spent the day with the Omohundro's! We had
Christmas breakfast, I was able to talk to my family and then we
played games with their family! We also stopped by the Mork family's
house! The members here are absolutely incredible! I love this Ward!
Some funny quotes from church this week!
"Why do we honor and obey the law?"
Brother Walters: "You can't go to church if you're in jail."
Telling brother Walters about our tiwi unit and aggressive driving marks:
Brother Walters: Aggressive driving? "count to ten".
Other than that, this week was pretty slow! We are weeding through a
lot of our investigators and trying to work through our members more!
I love this work, I love this Ward and I know that the gospel is true!
Happy new year!
Much love from Kentucky,
Sister Hannah
Here is me and my family!
Monday, December 21, 2015
You have nothing to Lose and everything to gain!
This week was a week of miracles! It was transfer week! Monday I was still running around like a chicken with my head cut off and packing was a nightmare. I was surprised at how much I had accumulated in 7 months! I miss Somerset, but I know I am needed here in Winchester! My new companion, sister Resendez, is amazing. I am so blessed to have her! We work so well together and are so bold. These people have no idea what's hitting them! We have really similar stories and we click really well! This transfer is going to be awesome! (I need some better "a" adjectives. I am taking suggestions!)
Here are some miracles from this week:
Tuesday we hit the ground running! We planned for exchanges and were able to get it all done! It was amazing to see how the spirit made us aware of who we needed to exchange with and who would come or go to an area. I am excited for this transfer! Our first exchange is tomorrow and I am staying in the area... So pray for me that I dont get lost because it has been 5 days! Haha! We also saw sister lynch, a recent convert, and she is a miracle in and of herself. She met the missionaries back in the 70's, found out the church was true and was baptized last week. We taught a very powerful restoration lesson! Brother Walters is another rad guy! He is married to a member and when we went over to read with their family, he asked where he could buy his own baptismal clothes so he can go to the temple... Wow! Tuesday night we also picked up three new investigators when we tried out 8pm appointment. At first, Jesse was sick and so was his wife but they still let us in. We sat down and taunt a brief restoration. Their daughter who is a JW wouldn't listen to us. By the end, we had taught the whole restoration and they all wanted a copy of the Book of Mormon! Including the daughter! It was so cool.
Wednesday everything fell into our lap. We went to find a former investigator but she had moved so we took a lap around the block to talk to everyone. We ran into some kids and Miranda. We talked to Miranda and set up an appointment, but this kid kept hanging around and wouldn't leave. He is a funny kid, being a jokester. We asked him if his family would listen and he said yes and then led us to his house. We talk to his mom, Shenna and she starts to cry after we introduce ourselves. Sister Resendez and I were a little confused, but she explained to us that she works with a member. She had told the member of the Ward that she was interested in learning more and wanted to meet with us. When she found out that the member didn't send us, she knew it was God telling her what she needed to do! I do not believe in coincidences! We were placed in her path! So after that awesome miracle we ended up back where we started and FOUND THE GIRL WE WERE LOOKING FOR. she happened to be cleaning the apartment to used to live next too... What? It was incredible. What a day. What a day.
Thursday, I got to see my best friends! Sister jones and sister Schultz! The Lexington North and Lexington Zones had our zone Christmas party! It was a blast! We played games and got to socialize. I love being a Lexington missionary! I am so grateful I was transferred to lex north! Haha that night it was cold cold cold. Sister Resendez and I went out with Rachel and got hot cocoa after all of our lessons fell through. Rachel is a member from the Ward and she is so rad! She got back from the Idaho Boise mission only a few months ago and loves to help us out. I love her!
On Friday we accidentally tracted into Maria, a members brother. We were trying to contact a referral but they weren't home. There was a tv on in another apartment so we listened to see which apartment it was and it was Maria! Sister Resendez recognized her and asked if she was a member. She said "no, but I have talked to the missionaries before!" So we sit down and teach her the restoration and she accepts a baptismal date! Miracle! We will be planning a wedding soon! Later that day we were helping at a library and the man who walked us across the crosswalk gladly took a Book of Mormon and set a return appointment with us! We found out later he has a Mormon sister in Utah! The miracles keep flowing!
Saturday was a longer day! it felt like everything cancelled in the morning and it was freezing! The miracle was getting in with stevensons! He is a less active and his wife isn't a member. Sister Resendez and I were able to bear powerful testimony on so many aspects of the gospel. Sister Resendez and I have extremely similar stories and so does brother Stevenson. By the end we were all crying and I know that he and she felt the spirit! Pray that they will read the Book of Mormon and act on the spirit that they felt! :) we then went to a wedding and helped with the food. It was so weird to be at a wedding, but it was a good time! Congratulations Anna!
Sundays are always awesome because it seems as though are days get handed to us. We had to teach gospel principles and relief society and totally winged it. We didn't have any time to prepare. They both went really well, but the relief society lesson was way better than gospel principles. The spirit was so strong. We also got a referral from Lexington for a priesthood blessing. When we showed up to talk to he people we found out it was a kid we had talked to the day before! It is amazing how God places people in our path to prepare them to receive the gospel.
Miracles are happening, the work is moving forward! I know I am meant to be in Winchester for so many reasons and I am so excited to be here! I am grateful for my companion and this wonderful new transfer ahead of us! It is going to be amazing!
Merry Christmas to all y'alls!
Sending my love from KY,
Sister Hannah
Sorry I have no pictures! I was too busy with these miracles!
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Monday, December 14, 2015
Ten days shy of seven months,
So I am just going to say it seven months and call it good!
This week was slow! It was transfers week and the anticipation leading up to Saturday was long!
I hate transfer calls! They are so bittersweet. I have an amazing companion though! She held in there with me all week. It was every five minutes "what do you really think is going to happen on Saturday?" Five minutes later "well what if this happens?" Haha patience, still working on it.
We had an incredible member present lesson with Jennifer! Sister Working accompanied us and bore powerful testimony on faith and repentance! We discussed the gospel of Jesus Christ and the spirit was so strong! Jennifer had some awesome insights! At one point I asked the question "why do you think God puts promises with being baptized?" And then I thought to myself "I don't even think I know the answer to that...that is a random question" And then I looked at sister Schultz and I could tell she had the same thought... But I had already asked the question. Jennifer had the most profound answer, that I don't remember, but it was something to the extent of Heavenly Father wants
us to back up our faith. Clearly not my question asked, but the spirit! Jennifer understood it and that was what she needed to be asked. Jennifer told us that the doctrine is starting to click and all
come together! We are so excited for her! She plans on getting baptized in January! :)
Thursday was disappointing because every single person and appointment cancelled on us or was rude. It is those days that strengthen my testimony the most because I feel so much love from Heavenly Father. He keeps pushing me and helping me to get through the day. Dinner with
the Goleman's was a tender mercy! On Friday we had our last district meeting of the transfer and district lunch! It was a blast! The more I get to know these wonderful missionaries the more I realized how blessed I am to serve with them! They are fantastic! I am going to miss this district so much! On Saturday morning it was a whirlwind. I wasn't sure what was going to happen but I figured we would be getting a call. (I have been here for more than 6months!) As we were finishing up companionship study, sister Schultz was on the phone texting an investigator and then her faced dropped. She looks at me and says "it's president..." Hahaha it was priceless. I am getting transferred! I am headed to Winchester, KY! (My new companion, sister Resendez, also served here in Somerset! It is going to be a blast!) It is so bittersweet to be leaving somerset! These people truly are my family! I have come to love this little branch of mine so much! I will definitely be back!
Sunday was so nuts! Church was powerful as we listened to the testimonies of brother and sister syphax. They are incredible. The love and generosity that flows from them is unreal. I am going to miss them dearly! They brought the spirit and set the tone for the meeting! Sister Peterson rocked her lesson in rs too! It was all about stakes and how important they are. It was a hard lesson to teach and she nailed it! I don't know how she does it, but she is awesome! After church I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to say goodbye to my family and get pictures with everyone. Hello transfers. I forgot what this was like. It is easier in a branch because there are only a few families you have to say goodbye too! I am seriously going to miss this place. It is my home, these are my people.
I am grateful for the time I have been blessed to spend in Somerset and I know that I was meant to be here for this period of time! I have seen many miracles and tender mercies! Some things that I have learned here: baptists and crazy, I love the country and the church is true no matter where you're at and who tells you otherwise! Here's to Winchester for the next couple of months!
The church is true; the book is blue!
So much love from Somerset!
Sister Hannah
Pictures:
Working Family
The District
Ps/ I found this awesome talk by Peter Vidmar this week, the one who
used to live in the SM stake! It is a really good talk too!
Syphax Family
Robert & Susan Syphax
The infamous line "If you go home hungry from this house, it is YOUR OWN FAULT!"
Monday, December 7, 2015
changes!
it is crazy how much changes in 7 months!
Sister Jones and I, day one in Richmond (Mar 3)
Sister Jones and I, this week at Zone Conf
Another week is already gone? I don't know how this keeps happening! It is beginning to look like Christmas in downtown Somerset! They out a huge tree up and decorated all the light poles. It is beautiful! And no snow, but a some chilly weather! I keep telling myself, you have already done a winter here, you can do it again! I have to pump myself up! I don't know what 'cold' is! Haha California problems!
This week was a spectacular week! We saw some miracle every day and were able to travel to Lexington twice! I saw sister jones and my Richmond buddies at stake conference! It was awesome! :) sometimes I miss Richmond too much, like when I see all of my favorite people from there! It brings all of those precious memories flooding back! I will be back, no doubt!
Highlights of my week:
stake conference! Elder Kopischke of the seventy came to Lexington and trained us on counsels and eternal families! It was spirit filled and inspiring! Here are some of my insights!
- There is always room for to faith to grow
- Faith is to stay firm I things hoped for and to be convinced of what you can't see. Be convinced that your worthy goals will come to pass!
- We cannot multiply our time, we can only balance our time.
- The scriptures make us legit, sound, grounded and backed. They are the teachings.
- Happiness is in visions we have for ourselves (psalms 29:18)
- Heavenly Father isn't impressed with goals that are set high. He is impressed with achievable goals set.
- "It is a miracle that we have this great book!" (Sister Madeline Mele, referring to the Book of Mormon.)
- The blessings of the temple are everything.
- The temple is about building, binding and becoming.
- The temple helps us become comfortable in God's presence.
- Jesus Christ is the son of God. Joseph smith is the prophet of the restoration. We know all we know about Christ and in the details we know it because of Joseph smith. He asked. Asking is something we do when we want to know.
- No reformer had an experience like Joseph smith. All of the prophets of old had visions and even in the New Testament, when God revealed something. Why would he break the pattern? Revealing in visions is apart of the pattern! How could it happen, the restoration, in any other way?
- The mercy of God is that he has sent prophets. We must choose to follow them. We must choose to listen to them.
- Clarity is of God.
- The central doctrine is eternal families.
- The Lord is serious about His promises!
Zone meeting!
I love this zone so Much! I cannot believe it has been 10 months in this zone. What is life? That is insane! But I know I won't be here much longer! At the meeting we had incredible trainings on the importance of the Book of Mormon and how precious it is! It is a miracle that we even have the Book of Mormon! Let us read it, love it and adore it! I was also able to see sister jones! I love this girl so much! We finally are in the same zone after six months! It was a party! Reunited!
Finding the elect!
Last night we were out finding and we met two people who are incredibly prepared! We were trying a potential, Chelsea, and she wasn't home. We were walking away when a man came out of her house and called us back. We engaged a gospel discussion and he expressed to us that he wishes there was one church that was all unified. He went on and on to say that he hates how there are a million different baptist and Pentecostal churches and he just needs a unified church. I think I smiled from ear to ear and let my jaw hit the floor a little bit. These tender mercies aren't rare, but they never cease to amaze me! My sweet companion bore powerful testimony of the apostasy and restoration. We gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon and he said, "I will be contacting you." I love prepared people! There are so many out there too!
Hearken to it and do it!
Sometimes it is really hard to just take the first step and get out of the apartment. Heavenly Father always provides though! We received many promptings and blessings from following those promptings this week as we picked up new investigators and taught by the spirit! We got in the car one day and had no set plans. We had some people to try, but we both felt strongly to go to another area. When we pulled into the area, the Lexington hermanas called us about a question for our Spanish investigator, Estrella. They had lost some information and we had no idea because we don't speak any Spanish, at all! We happened to be on Estrella's street and she was standing outside! Because we followed the prompting, we were able to get in contact with her again! It just goes to show that Heavenly Father is aware of even the smallest details and he never wants to lose any of his children, not even one soul! Every soul is precious to Heavenly Father!
Miracle story time:
Debbie
Saturday, after an inspired stake conference, we received a head quarters referral! It was exactly what we needed! We went and tried this woman, Debbie, and she was home! When she let us in she started to cry! She then muttered "my daughter said someone would come." It was a huge blessing and the absolute perfect timing. (You see the thing is, her daughter lives in Montana and told her LDS friend about her mom and the friend sent us...it is amazing how God plays a huge hand in the tiny details of our lives!) Debbie is going through an extremely hard time and isn't feeling the love of her fellow men, who are supposed to be Christians! We sat and listened to her heart wrenching story and testified of the truth, promised blessings and invited her to worship with us on Sunday. She was eager to come with us. She felt the love of her savior through us, and I could especially feel the love the savior had for her as I testified of the atonement. When sister Schultz promised her blessings, the spirit was undeniable! (I have an amazing companion!) We were blessed to get a ride from the wonderful Working family and Debbie made it! We had missed her at the spot we decided to meet and she called us 20 minutes later asking if we were still in town. Luckily, we were and she was able to come to Lexington with us! Nothing short of a miracle! The timing was perfect. She had forgotten her phone and was running late, ran home to get her phone and when she called us, we had just barley left city limits. When we got to Lexington, Elder Kopischke, of the seventy, came right up to her and introduced himself and welcomed her. It was incredible! I could feel the love from him to her and I know it was a tender mercy from the Lord that elder K felt inspired to introduce himself to her! The conference was filled with the spirit and all the speakers bore powerful testimony of the restoration and the Book of Mormon! We are so excited to teach Debbie and help her receive the gospel in its fullness! I know that God is aware of each of our individual needs and places people in our path to help us!
I love this gospel so much. I know it is true and that we have the fullness. The more I learn and grow and see other churches I recognize that all of the pieces are here. We have eternal families, we have the fullness of the atonement and knowledge of the plan of salvation! Don't ever take it for granted! Read the Book of Mormon, the miracle! It will change your life! :)
Have a blessed week!
Much love from the GKLM!
Sister Hannah
pictures:
The wrights!
Sister Jones!
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