letter seventy 07.28.14 "sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy..."

This week has been great! I think the sunshine made everything much better. I love warm spring days! Sunshine on my shoulders really does make me happy, especially after such a cold week last week.

This week started off to be a bit of a challenge. We had heaps of appointments set up for Tuesday and Wednesday and almost all of them cancelled, but we found other very meaningful things to do so it was great regardless. I think I'm really starting understand better how much joy is in the effort and commitment. We still had a great week and we taught heaps, but it wasn't the way we planned it. A lot of our member present lessons fell through, but at the end of the week we still ended up having quite of few. That was such a blessing. 

We have had some powerful lessons this week. I love being a missionary! I'm trying to live up every opportunity that I get to teach and testify. I have been bolder than ever. I am really trying to "leave it all on the stage." It feels great. It's not even that I'm doing anything too different from the beginning of my mission, but it feels good to do it faithfully to the end. I just love teaching and testifying!

Some of our most powerful lessons this week have been those with less-active members. God has been steering our lessons 100%. In one instance, there is a girl, not too much older than us, that has been less active for quite sometime. Sister K and I started to develop a relationship with her. She's awesome and has a solid testimony of the fundamentals. She just needed a push in the right direction. This week we had a lesson with her about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father guided the lesson. By the end she was committed to speak with the Bishop this Sunday so she could fully heal and repent. It was powerful. I felt so much love for her. I know that she is part of the reason that we needed to be here. It's amazing to be able to connect on a spiritual level. We were able to talk about her divine nature. As we did tears came to my eyes. I love her so much. I feel so blessed to be able to have watched her progress to where she is now. She's coming to church every week. I love watching and being a part of people's progress. It's one of the greatest blessings of missionary work. 

We also had a great lesson with an investigator. We hadn't been able to have a proper lesson with him ever really, but we had two this weekend and it was a blessing. He has recently been through some hard things that have caused him to turn to God, even though he's from China and that's not his culture. He has been so prepared. He is asking all the right questions. He wants to know and he wants to be a part of the gospel. He said that he wants to be baptized after he learns more. I've very rarely met people more real intent that he has. It's amazing. I feel so blessed to be working with him. God is so good to us!

We have also been trying to work with and teach the members more as well. It has been great! The members here are awesome! They are all so keen to help us in our missionary work. They're helping us to fellowship and we're working with them to help us to find as well. It's been so good. I love the relationships you are able to develop with members on a mission. Ok, so basically I just love everything about being a missionary... I'm going to miss it so much. That's why I am going to keep giving all my heart and soul to it. 

I think one of the things God really has blessed me with this week is to feel loved, by Him and by others. I feel His love surrounding me. I love the people that He has put me here to serve and I feel their love too. I know that a lot of these people may not ever remember me, but I will remember them. The people of Western Australia have written their names in my heart forever. I am so thankful for this opportunity to serve the Lord here. It's a unique and special opportunity that I wouldn't trade for the world. 

I love you. Thank you for your prayers. I feel them. I feel your love and I feel so blessed to have such an incredibly supportive and encouraging family. 

Heaps of love,

letter sixty.nine 07.21.14 member friend lessons :)

Ann got to spend this last P-day in "the bush with her district and a family in the ward.

We had a great week! It has flown by! It started off looking like it might be slow. All of our appointments on Tuesday cancelled. Even the people that never cancel…cancelled. But, we still went out and did our best and were blessed to find a new investigator.

But then, Wednesday was epic! We had four member present lessons! That is how many we had total last week! It was such a blessing. Lessons with members are the best. It makes all the difference. 

One of the people we saw was the partner of a less active member. She was amazing. She has such a sincere desire to learn and to do what it takes to find out. With the help of the Spirit we were able to teach a very powerful lesson about the restoration.

That day we went to another part member family with the ward mission leader and had an amazing restoration lesson as well. I have really been feeling the spirit and power of the restoration. The kids were soaking it in! The ward mission leader was the perfect fellowship as well. He helped them feel so comfortable. They had us all stay for dinner as well. The ward mission leader actually ended up staying for 45 minutes after we left talking with them. It really was a member friend lesson more than a member present and that made all the difference! What a blessing. They are such an awesome family. They have so much potential!

We also have had many lessons with our golden investigator this week as well. They were also, all member friend lessons. She is progressing so much because of it. She's 15 and she is changing so much. She has been coming to church steadily for the whole time I've been in Kalgoorlie. She is close with a lot of the girls, but bringing a member had made all the difference. She is really living the gospel. 

One of the lessons we had with her at the beginning we showed us that she had memorized Moroni 10:32-33 that we had shared with her because she liked it so much. She showed us how she'd been highlighting all the verses she loved. Then we were talking about enduring to the end and she opened up to 2 Nephi 31:20 and read it to us. She said it was her favorite one that she had read about enduring to the end. She is AMAZING!!! I can't get over it. She's looking to get baptized on the 2nd August.

She is incredible. She even went down to Perth with the youth this weekend to youth conference. She also told us that she has seen a change in her life since she has been coming to church and living this life style. She noticed that she's much happier and her life is going in a better direction than other friends who are taking a bad path. I feel so blessed to be teaching someone who is so prepared!

I think the best part of this week was when President and Sister Lindsay came. It was sooo amazing to have them here. They came just for the day, but it was so uplifting. I remembered again how much I love them. They came and gave us the training that they did in zone conference and it was so good. 

My favorite part was Sister Lindsay's. She talked about change. She talked about how we all change when we're here on a mission and invited us to reflect on the ways that we've changed. As I sat there reflecting on the many ways that I have changed I felt overwhelmed by how much I have changed. I am amazed by how God has molded me and shaped me into something much better than I have ever been before. I am so grateful for that. 

We were also able to spend a lot of alone time with Sister Lindsay. She came with us to a lesson and it was another beautiful lesson on the Restoration and teaching with her was delightful. Then she did a flat inspection and we went shopping for a few things. It felt like being with our mum. She just praised us and made us feel uplifted and loved the entire time. It was such a tender mercy. 

Just before they left President did interviews with each of us. I went last of everyone and their flight was leaving soon so mine was very short, but it was so powerful and uplifting. As we sat together he told me how much he loved me and appreciated the things I have done over the course of my mission. He told me how thankful he was for me. Again, I felt like I was with my own dad for a minute there, he even teared up just like dad would have. I felt so much love for he and Sister Lindsay. I love them so much. I have learnt so much from them, and it was so nice to feel so much love for them. It was just what I needed to feel even more motivated to keep going strong to the end of my mission.

And one last tender mercy; we have become good friends with a member who is going through a really hard time. He's come with us to many lessons and has always been a bit closed off. On Sunday we were at another members for dinner and he was there. We shared a message and the spirit was so strong. I looked over and he was getting a bit teary. That is so completely not like him. A while after the lesson he texted us and told us that that was the first time he's felt the spirit in a long time. I thought I was going to cry. That is not like him at all to text something like that. I felt so blessed to be able to be a part of something that finally was able to touch him because he's such a good person, he just needs more of the spirit in his life. God softened his heart. God is good. 

I love being a part of this work, a work that changes lives. It a work that is continually changing mine and I know it will continue to do so even after I'm done being a full time missionary. I am so thankful that God knew better than me and that He guided me here to Western Australia as a missionary. I love it! I love you all!

letter sixty.eight 07.14.14 the power of the Restoration

Another week has come and gone. I don't understand how that keeps happening. Time passes in such an odd way, especially on a mission. But we had a great week! This week I have felt the power of the message of the Restoration acutely as we have had the opportunity to teach it. 

 

small town Ann works in.

One lesson, with a family from PNG went particularly well. We have met with them several times and invited them to be baptized but they said they didn't feel like they could, they just enjoyed our visits. So this week we took the Restoration DVD and watched it with them. The Spirit was so strong. They all talked about the good feelings that they felt as they watched when Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith. We could tell that even the children felt it. Although they have always been receptive, it's been the mum who's not been so into it. But this time she talked about the power she felt from that story. She even asked if she could say the closing prayer. I think she thanked Heavenly Father three times for the blessing of having missionaries come over and how much they look forward to it, but even better than that was that she told God that she realized that she needs to search like Joseph Smith did and find out if she's on the right path. She asked God to help her know what path to take. It was so powerful! 

parking problems...

This week I was studying the Restoration and because I've been on my mission for a bit now it's easy to just glaze over the study of it. So I prayed and asked if He would help me know a way I could help it be more meaningful. I felt prompted to take each section and read it and then right down what it meant for me. How it had changed MY life. It was so powerful. I felt like my testimony of the restoration deepened I was able to bear a much more powerful testimony. God is so good. He knew that was just what I needed. 

We also had a lesson with this AMAZING girl named S. She is what a lot of people would call a "dry" Mormon. She has been coming to church for a month and a bit now. She is a young woman who was invited by friends. She knows it all and comments more in class than the active members sometimes J. She is golden. She just hasn't felt ready to be baptized. We felt inspired to read Alma 7 with her and apply it to her situation. As we did she told us how much she loved it and how it all made so much more sense to her. While we were reading she said, "Wow! I love these scriptures!" It was so good. God is so good to us. She is now working towards a baptismal date!

There were also a few points in the week where I was feeling a bit blah. It's freezing here so we always have heat going in the car and nothing makes me drowsier than that. So we were trying to think of ways we could help this and other things we wanted to improve. So we thought we'd go out on the bikes. That was so inspired! On Saturday we went out and were on the bikes for hours. We were able to find investigators and talk to so many wonderful people. I felt great. There is just a good feeling about biking. You feel like a real missionary. Although, I'm glad we do have a car, as our area is a bit dodgy at night even in a car, but during the day biking is the best!

 

Ann's current favorite healthy treat. 

favorite PB down under.

I have been able to tell a lot this week that Satan is really trying to get me down. He doesn't want me to finish my time as a full-time missionary strongly. He isn't a fan of the idea of me going home on a good note. I have felt him try to tear me down so many times this week, but I'm so happy to say that I haven't let him. I refuse to. There have been moments where I wanted to succumb, of course, but it seems those are the moments when the Lord gives me a gentle reminder of why I'm here.

I love this work so much. I feel so blessed to be a part of it.  I know I say this every week, but my cup truly runneth over with love as I participate in the work of salvation. It is the greatest work in the world. I am so thankful that it's a life long pursuit and it will continue even after I finish my full time service because I LOVE it!

I love you all and I hope you make it a great week!

ps funny story....

So we were following up at a former's house and there is a huge gate. As we came up to it I could just feel that there was a dog... so we slowly open the gate and I very cautiously go inside well behind Sister W... Then this MASSIVE dog jumps their back fence, which is very tall and comes running at us.... I of course run and pull the huge gate closed and I'm just holding onto it while the owner tries to pick up the dog to force him inside. Then we try to talk to him about the Gospel and he starts showing us all of his tattoos. He even showed us one on his stomach. I think we both nearly threw up and we just tried to get out of there as fast as possible... It was awful, but funny looking back on it. I have learned to be very cautious of gates on my mission and I can't say my mission has helped me like dogs... not at all... Just thought I'd share. :) Life is crazy in Kal! Love you!

letter sixty.seven 07.07.14 celebrating religious freedom

Well this week was kind of a blur. It's been so good. I LOVE Sister W! She is so awesome. I miss Sister K, of course, and we had an amazing transfer together, but it has been clear to me that Sister W and I are supposed to be together for this transfer. It's been good to be with someone that I was in the MTC with because it's very clear the growth we both have made. We haven't even served near each other for our whole missions and it's been good to see the change in both of us. We've had some similar experiences on our missions and it's been wonderful reflecting on the things we have both learned on our missions. We have such similar views on missionary work. It makes it great because nothing stands in the way of us just doing the work. We love each other, we work the same way, and we're both so keen to work hard. We both want to go home running. We've set some great goals for this transfer together. Things that will not only help our area grow, but us, as missionaries, grow to our fullest capacities. We also teach really well together. It flows so nicely. And we both just love each other so there is none of the negative comparison that can happen in companionships sometimes. It's so good. This is going to be a great transfer.

We've had some really spiritual experiences in lessons. We have made it a goal to make sure that all our lessons are taught completely by the Spirit and we saw the fruits of that this week. The Spirit has taught some powerful lessons through us this week. I've felt the Spirit very strongly. I love that. We've worked with a lot of less-actives this week and we made some amazing progress with them because the Spirit guided the lessons and the questions we asked that opened them up. It was beautiful.

On Thursday we were teaching the young woman about missionary work. Youth can be a hard bunch. We were showing videos and trying to make it really interesting but they were VERY unresponsive. Not that that's incredibly unusual for youth, but it can still be frustrating, but as we were teaching I felt the Spirit so strongly. I know the ones that had their hearts open did as well. There was one point where I felt impressed to testify of the love that you feel in missionary work. Sarah and Tayla were there and I felt an over powering love for them. I recognized that the love I feel for them and for so many people that I'm currently working with and that I have in the past is what makes this service such a pleasure. It's what makes it easier to keep going hard, because you love them and desire their salvation. I love it! It's really all about love. I have felt that time and time again on my mission, but it never ceases to overwhelm me. As mum would say, "I feel so overwhelmed!"

We also tried to celebrate Independence Day. The Bishop's family (who are American) invited us over for a little celebration and we knew we needed to share a message, like we would at any dinner. So that morning as we contemplated what we would share, I pondered what our independence really meant to me. I remembered that it is so much more than freedom, but it's the whole reason that the restoration could come about. It's the reason that Joseph Smith was in a position to have so many different religions around him and to be able to be God's instrument in restoring the fullness of His gospel to the earth. What a blessing for the world! Not just America. I am so grateful for the religious freedom that came about because of so many people that fought and gave their lives for it and the many people that continue to do so. 

 

happy fourth!

We also have had a bit of a weird week. There has been a lot of things that have come up that have thrown off our plans and made it hard to get all that we wanted to done.

 

after finding Sister W's wallet.

On Saturday we taught some less-actives a powerful lesson on repentance and change. We talked about choosing right now to change, not just waiting for a new day, or a new week, or a new month, or a new year. We can decide right now to change and do better. 

Later that night, we were struggling to find an investigator. We had been struggling with it all week. We were doing all the right things, but it kind of felt like we were doing it on autopilot. We only had a little bit left of the night and I thought that maybe we should pray, but then Satan tempted me with the same thing I had just taught our less-actives about. I kept thinking, "oh we'll just start fresh tomorrow." "We only have an hour left." Then I remembered what we had said to them. You can do it NOW. You don't have to wait for a new day to start fresh. So we pulled over and knelt down in the car and prayed for Heavenly Father's help to do what we can never do it on our own. We pleaded for His guidance as we did all we could to find a new investigator. We were directed to some people that became good potentials. And finally, we were led to a new investigator. It was such a blessing. God is so good to us. I don't know why I ever try to do it without Him. It's such a temptation to do missionary work on autopilot, especially when you're tired. But that's just Satan's trap trying to pacify us. Lull us into a false sense of security. But I'm so grateful that God cared enough about me to help me remember to ask Him for help. He gave a gentle and beautiful reminder that ended up changing the rest of the evening. 

I love this work. I love this ward. I love this area, and I love my companion. I am so happy to be a full time servant of the Lord with His name on my nametag. It brings me so much joy. I hope you're all trying to do the same. I understand it's so hard when you're not full time, but it's you all who make the work possible and fruitful for the full time missionaries. I love you and I'm so thankful for your love and support. 

letter.sixty.six 06.30.14 the beginning of the end

I honestly cannot believe that the transfer is already over. This has been the fastest six weeks of my life. It's been an amazing transfer here in Kalgoorlie with Sister K. It's been like a dream, I have loved it so much. 

The highlight of the week was without a question the baptism on Sunday. It was so beautiful. I loved it so much. Everything went so well. The talks were perfect and the Spirit was so strong. The girls were so ready. I love baptisms. I am always reminded at baptisms how much this isn't me at all. This is all because of God's goodness and kindness in letting me participate in someone coming to really know Him and make this first covenant. It is truly a blessing from God. It actually is a bit frustrating to me when try to tell us that it's because we're so good as missionaries or because of us somehow. It's not at all. I have been good and worked hard my whole mission and it's moments like these that come because God blesses us to be apart of this miracle, not because we're such good missionaries. I am so thankful for that knowledge. It sometimes feels like many members and missionaries just don't understand that concept. 

Honestly, there have been some trying moments for me this week. There have been times when I've been pushed to the edge of my limits, by different situations, but I have been blessed to remember that God is with me. I feel Him near.

Something I struggled with this week is not being able to feel things as strongly. I am a passionate person. I like to feel things deeply. I used to cry all the time when I felt the Spirit back home, but sometimes on my mission I find that I don't cry and I kind of associate that with not feeling the Spirit very strongly. I know that's not true, but it's confusing for me at times. Especially when my companion cries a lot. I know a lot of it was because it was her last week, but still sometimes I just want to feel something more than blah. It's something I'm still struggling to not let it get to me. I know that God will guide me though. I know that He is with me, even if I don't feel all of the dramatic feelings that I normally do. I am thankful for His understanding nature and His guiding hand. 

Things don't always go according to plan, but when we love God and all of His children He helps us through, as we focus on that. I have felt Him helping me as I pray for patience. Not that there has been anything massive, but I think Satan was trying to ruin this last week of the transfer, but I just refused to let him. It ended up being a wonderful week, full of beautiful lessons and discussions with some awesome people whom I love very much. 

God is so good to me. I am excited to continue to give it my all this last six weeks. I love Kalgoorlie and it couldn't be a more perfect place to end my mission. I love the people, I love the ward, I love the work and I love the town. It's a great place to be. 

I feel so blessed to be a missionary with all of the experiences that come with it. I love being able to wear a badge over my heart and to teach people about the truth. I think being a missionary is one of the best things I have ever done for my personal progression. I am excited to see the kind of progress that Heavenly Father has in store for me in this last transfer. I know the progress won't end there, but rather, set me up for continuous progression throughout the rest of my future. I love that about the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can change! We can continue to change. None of us is stuck. We have, through the Atonement, the power to reach greater heights than we would ever be able to on our own. 

I love this gospel. I love the eternal truths that it teaches. I love the process of striving everyday to become better and better. I am so thankful that we always have the opportunity to repent and to try to master our weaknesses. 

I love you all. I am so thankful for you love and support. I know I say that every week but I really am. More than you'll ever know. 

Much love,

letter.sixty.five 06.23.14 where does the time go?!

I'm pretty sure this was the fastest week in the history of time. I honestly feel like it was yesterday I was writing you. It has been a really good week. It started off a bit slow because I was still really sick at the beginning of the week. But Heavenly Father really blessed me to get through the lessons and things that we needed to. I prayed very fervently that I would be healed and the next morning I felt soo much better. I feel so blessed.

must be pretty good chicken...

I think one of my favorite experiences this week was going on splits for rescue visits. This is the first time I have gone on splits on my mission. We've tried to organize it probably a million times, but this time it actually happened and it was soo good! I was with Sister S and it was beautiful. I love her so much. We get along like peas in a pod. There are some people that you meet in life that you have an instant connection with. She is one of those people for me. We had a great time together. We had some beautiful experiences in some of the less active young woman's homes. She also really helped me feel uplifted as well in our conversation. She is a returned missionary with a beautiful young family and she is just radiating with testimony and love. I love her so much.

treats they made and took to people.

We've also had amazing lessons with the girls who are getting baptized. Oh my goodness I love them so much. They really soak in all the things that we teach them. They're preparing for baptism this weekend and it's going to be so good. They are really changing their lives. They have come so far from where they were when we first met them. I can see their testimonies growing. They are like our little sisters we love them so much. 

One of the lessons a member from the young woman's presidency took us up there (cause it's far and uses up all our k's.) But it was so good to have her at the lesson. She bore a beautiful testimony and helped them feel of the love from the young woman's. It was awesome. I also loved the conversation we had on the way up and down. Man! I just can't get over how much I love the members here. I love chatting with them about their experiences in the gospel and the missionary work they are doing. A lot of the members who came with us this week haven't come to lessons ever before and it was so awesome to see them come and enjoy it. Missionary work is the best. 

There were some rough patches of this week as well. There were some times that Satan really tried to get us down, but we didn't let him. We pushed through and kept going. I had some powerful studies this week as well that helped me to be able to have more spiritual stamina to overcome those things. I am so thankful for the scriptures. They were my strength and comfort in the times when it was tough. It all turned out well in the end.

We also got a ride down with members to another remote part of our area to visit some less actives and it went so well. The girl is YSA and we were with YSA and they all were the perfect fellowship. It was amazing. 

Ah. I love this. I love being a missionary. I love sharing the gospel with others. I love the spirit that we get to feel so strongly as we teach, well really as the Spirit teaches. I'm in love with missionary work. I really felt that this week. I love it! I love it! I LOVE IT! 

I love you all. I hope you make it a great week!

letter sixty.four 06.16.14 "Yes, I know Heavenly Father loves me."

It feels like I just wrote yesterday. I cannot believe how fast the time is going. It's a bit scary actually. But at least the time going by fast means that the work is good and that my companion and I are getting along. I love her so much. Sister K and I will be sisters forever. She is awesome. She is soo bold. Like crazy bold sometimes, but it's good. 

We had some great teaching opportunities this week. We have amazing investigators. We're working with almost all young woman age girls and it is so good. It's the perfect age to learn about and accept the gospel into your life. They have an amazing young woman's program here as well, which makes it even better. I love working with them. One of my favorite lessons this week was with the “netball girls” (they are sisters). They are so good. We talked with them about the Book of Mormon and the power it can have in their lives. It was powerful. We also invited them to be baptised and they said yes! They're so excited for it. It's amazing to see two girls so prepared. Also the young women are fellowshipping them like crazy. It's so good. And our investigators are fellowshipping each other as well. It's so good. 

One of the experiences I loved was when we went to an investigator’s home and she looked down. We were chatting about life and she opened up about some really hard things that were happening. She said she wasn't sure if she could handle all of this religion and everything else. I wasn't sure what to say, but I knew that the wrong thing to do was to turn from God. I felt God's love for her so strongly. I felt like I might cry. I just hugged her and she just cried. Then the Spirit led us to share Matthew 11 and to tell her to give her burden to the Lord and that He would provide for her. It was beautiful. We also had a lesson with her family in a member's home and it was amazing! They were the perfect fellowshipers in helping them all feel loved and encouraged. It was so good. I love this ward. 

We also had a lesson with this young less-active couple. They are in a hard spot and I really wasn't sure how to confront the situation. So I tried to really listen with love and with the Spirit. As I did I felt a deep love wash over me for them. God knows them and feels the pain that they have gone through because of their wrong choices and He wants them back. I felt the words and things to say come to my heart and my mind. I know it wasn't me at all. God knows them perfectly and He knows what to say to them. I am just so thankful that I got to be a small part of that and feel that love for them.

Then on Sunday I was sick, I still am. It's nothing too bad, but my body is just worn out. I didn't have strength. I felt like I was going to pass out through all of church and it was taking every ounce of my energy to greet and talk with people, which normally comes very naturally and easily to me. I felt exhausted. I also started having a little bit of down feeling. I started thinking that the ward probably just loves Sister K because she's so fun and I just felt so not fun that day. 

But then we went to a baptism for a child in the ward and we were sitting by our investigators. I was on the outside edge and still feeling a bit off. Then these adorable girls from the ward came up and sat by me. This one little girl who's eight snuggled up to me and just started playing with my hair and my hand. I instantly felt so loved. I knew that God sent those beautiful little girls to tell me that He loves me and is watching out for me. It was just what I needed.

Then a woman came up to tell us how much she loves us both and how much the ward loves us and is happy with the work we are doing. It was another way of Heavenly Father telling me, "I love you." I really do know that my Heavenly Father loves me. I am so thankful for the love that I feel so consistently on my mission and really throughout my whole life. I truly am "encircled about eternally in the arms of His love."

I love you all!