Monday, June 27, 2016

Time Flies!

I blinked and it was Thursday. This week flew by. I can barely
remember what even happened! Haha!

I went on two exchanges this week! The first was with sister Tibbits
who serves in shepherdsville. She has been out a week and is on fire!
It was so fun to go out and work with her! We taught a few lessons and
picked up a new investigator! It was rad! Then a few days later I went
on exchange with sister Westwood! She is serving in my old stomping
grounds, Brookside! We were also in Charlestown and had a killer day!
We taught four other lessons and picked up three new investigators!

On Thursday I had my last zone conference! That was so bitter sweet!
All of the departing missionaries had to bear their testimonies... So
that was a weird bearing my testimony for the last time. It made me
sad. I don't want to leave this incredible experience! I love being
with president and sister Brough! They are hilarious. President calls
sister Windley his guard dog. He even impersonated her chasing people
down. My companion is awesome!

Our miracle of the week is brother DiAundre! He is so solid and
prepared! We taught him the plan of salvation and he was so excited.
He also came to the investigator fireside last night and bore POWERFUL
testimony in front of over 90 people. He has only been learning for
three weeks. It was amazing! I look forward to his baptism!

I love this work and I love the Lord! This gospel is true!!

So much love,
Sister Hannah

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Monday, June 20, 2016

Charlestown, IN. Week 1! :)

Hello from Charlestown!

My companion is sister Windley! I've always admired her and so I'm
stoked to finally be her companion! All we do is work and work and
work and exchange and exchange and exchange and be very very tired. At
least that's how this week went. I'm so exhausted, but these are
literally the best weeks!

Wednesday I swear was the hottest day of my life! I just wanted to
jump in a pool or the river that we were walking next to. Humidity is
killer, but it makes for sympathetic people who want to let us in and
give us water. :)

On Friday we went to district meeting! Elder waite, my first district
leader, is also my last district leader. So that's really crazy.
Sister Schultz is also in my district! After district meeting we
exchanged and I went to Salem with Sister Schultz! It was an awesome
exchange we didn't sit still for more than two minutes. Those are my
favorite kind of days! Salem is a bumpin area. they are teaching so
many people. We taught five lessons the first day I was there and then
three more the next morning. I would say that's pretty successful. We
ran into a lady named Laura and the sisters had given her a book of
Mormon two weeks ago. So we went to see if she would be interested in
listening. When we walked in we really had to go to the bathroom,
typical sister Hannah, so after Laura told us how she had read up to
Mosiah! She said "I've just been
reading it on my breaks. But I'm not that far." We are able to teach
her the restoration and at the end she was so grateful that we came by
and share this message with her. On top of that she had been talking
with her husband about the book of Mormon and he seemed pretty
interested too. So that was a huge blessing because normally when we
find a woman the husband antis her or vice versa. Laura excepted the
bap date!

Back in Charlestown on Thursday we found our miracle of the week,
brother newby! He was at the house of the actual guy we were looking
for but was interested in listening to your message. So we taught him
a quick restoration, set a baptismal date, and had to go to another
appointment, but he invited us over again. We came over and he was
anxious to read the book of Mormon with us because he hadn't read. He
had a lot of questions and asked about All of the commitments we were
going to extend before we could even extend them. He wants to be a
full-time missionary just like us! He has recently had some rough
times and is humble and ready to turn his life around. He knows that
God sent us to him. He came to church and he loved it. It was
cool because it was my first Sunday and his for Sunday so we were able
to be introduced to everyone together and it wasn't as awkward as it
could have been. He is so awesome and hopefully will be able to move
his baptismal date up so that I can be here for it! He was asking
about what Mormons believe and how to live a Mormon lifestyle, so in
sacrament meeting we gave him a for strength of youth pamphlet and
he read the whole thing. He ate it up and loved it! He is excited to
be learning and growing in the gospel.

All is wonderful and magnificent!
So much love from the GKLM,
Sister Hannah

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Monday, June 13, 2016

6 weeks ago this field was green!




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A lot changes in 6 weeks!

Week 6 for the win!

The fields sparkle! The fireflies are out and about! This week was
wild! It included a time zone change, president and sister Brough,
lots of laughs, meetings where I was spiritually filled and a
refreshing exchange! Packed full. There is not even a doubt. We had
something going on every single day! Week 6 of the transfer is always
a roller coaster of everything!

Tuesday, Sister Holt and I were able to attend MLC (mission leadership
council) in Louisville! I was spiritually fed as all of us (the zone
leaders, sister training leaders and assistants) discussed inspired
planning and leadership roles. We had the opportunity to share our own
insights and knowledge of what works versus what doesn't and how we
can help close the disconnect between the leadership of the mission
with the rest of the missionaries. From that meeting, I took away that
leaders need to be flexible to be successful and inspired planning
allows the lord to be involved in the work, which is actually His
work!

Wednesday was sister Starkey's 20th birthday! We had a wonderful day
with two meal appointments and some weekly planning! We celebrated her
birthday by getting a scoop of ice cream from our favorite artisan ice
cream shop, bliss. It was this night that we had to drop our only
investigator. The "faith drop" was really hard because we literally
had NO ONE to teach, but we knew Heavenly Father would provide.
Somehow, someway. He never fails to keep his promises!

Thursday I was blessed to go on an exchange with Hermana Parra and we
had a blast. We saw so many miracles too! We met brother and sister
Jarvis! They were the first miracle of the day. I had planned them in
as a backup and when we went over to see them, brother Jarvis was
excited to see us. I was a little confused because we had never met
him. He proceeded to tell us that he had talked to elders years ago
and sisters recently. They had set up a time to come back but never
showed up. After promising we would come back, we set up a time for
the following day. Later in the evening, Hermana parra and I were able
to teach brother Tom, his wife and their friend! We had been trying
for two weeks to teach this man and our persistence finally paid off!
It was such an awesome exchange! We went from zero investigators to 4
in a matter of hours!

Our zone had zone meeting on Friday and we we spiritually fed again!
There is strength in numbers too! :) after Sister Starkey and I came
back to a brand new popping area! She was excited to see lots of
people to teach! While we were on our way to teach brother and sister
Jarvis, we pulled the car over to talk to a woman. She insisted that
we come up and talk to her on her porch. So we threw the car in park,
taught her a 5 minute restoration lesson, set a bap date and ran.
Charolette is seeking for truth and told us "God told me I need to
look everywhere." We then were able to teach brother and sister Jarvis
the restoration! They were prepared wit questions and we were prepared
with answers. They are so incredible! They are thirsting for the
gospel and know that they have found something good! I am so excited
for them to be baptized and make sacred covenants!

Transfer calls were Saturday! The curveball came! Sister Stsrkey will
be training a new missionary here and I am off to Charlestown, IN for
my last six weeks in the mission field! I am so excited! Sister
Windley will be my companion and we will cover the same sisters I
covered while I was serving in Louisville (just six short weeks ago!)
except all of the companionships will be training! :) I am excited!
When president was on the phone with us, he said "sister hannah,
you're just my sister I can put anywhere! I even have a theme song for
you! I'm going to sing it to you!" And he proceeded to sing to me:
"I'll go where you want me to go dear lord, over mountain or plain or
sea. I'll go where to want me to go in Kentucky or Indiana because
that's where you have need of me!" Followed up by "sister hannah,
whenever you hear this song, you stand up because it is your song!"
Hahaha I love president Brough!

Sunday was amazing! We had three random people show up to church!
Sister Vaal, who came to support sister Starkey speak, Kel- who is a
member but isn't baptized yet! And brother Mark! He told God that he
would come to our church this week if God gave him a good Saturday.
Well. He had a good Saturday and he came! It was so cool!

Miracles are happening everywhere! I love this work so much! I am so
grateful to be a full time missionary! I know that the Book of Mormon
brings peace to the soul! It is true! This is the Lord's work!

"when you are involved in the work of the Lord, the power behind you
is always greater than the obstacle before you." - Dallin H. Oaks

So much love from the GKLM,
Sister Hannah

Adios Mt. Vernon!




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Here's to another 6 week area!

Mount Vernon scenery




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Evansville Zone, transfer #12




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MLC with the gang










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MLC exchanges party!




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I was sister Holt's companion for the day again!

Our road trip to Louisville!




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Monday, June 6, 2016

Brother Vaal took us golfing! :)







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Indianer Corn Fields




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These bikes are everywhere around town!







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District #12




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Elder Steadman, Durrant, Hansen, peck, crystal, Conlin
Sisters: Linares, Starling, Starkey, hannah

Hard isn't bad, it is just hard! Endure it well! :)

Well this week was not really one for the books. It was hard, really
hard. But hard is not bad, it is just hard! All four of our
investigators that we found last week dropped us, so we are back to
square one! It seems like every time this happens, there is something
amazing around the corner! There are miracles here for us, there are
prepared people. Missionary work is like finding the needle in the
haystack. I guess I need a bigger magnet! Haha!

We were blessed with a lot of service to do this week. Every time we
would think "oh no, we have tried everyone in our plans for this
hour..." We would get a phone call from the library or our landlord
asking for help. Or we would see someone mowing their lawn on the
street and offer to help. It was a tender mercy! Heavenly Father
always seems to deliver right in time of need!

President came to our district this week and interviewed all of us! It
was my last interview with him. It is so weird to think I have been
through 6 other interviews. Time really does fly. He is hilarious and
I just love sister Brough. They take such good care of us out here! :)
The training from elder crystal at district meeting was really good
and we are trying so hard to apply it to everyone. It was on following
up. If you don't follow up, the invitation extended is hollow. So even
the regulars we see every day walking down the street, we are
following up with them! Because sister Starkey and I have literally
been talking to everyone, we now know about 90% of the people we see
regularly on the street by name. I love small towns! :)

I am so grateful for my calling, it teaches me so much each and
everyday. I know that this is the one and only true gospel that
contains all of the fullness of doctrine. I know the Book of Mormon is
true and that it brings us closer to our savior! I love this work!

So much love,
Sister Hannah


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