First off I just want to wish my best friend a very happy birthday! I love you Toria!

Well you all know how much I love Christmas, but this year meant so much more because I really am beginning to understand. I have always believed in my Savior but I am starting to know him now.

You all heard about my adventure Christmas eve... hahaha it was the weirdest Christmas eve I will ever have I am sure. I was so scared haha Anyway it was so good to Skype with my family! I love you all so much. After we ended I felt so bad because I didn't share my testimony with my family. So, I am sorry...it was wonderful to see you all though :)

This week was great we caroled a lot. It was fun to make Christmas about serving others. It meant a lot more to me that way. Alex’s mom the one who won’t stop smoking was put in the hospital because her lung collapsed. I feel kind of bad because I have been praying that she will have a humbling experience. She knows the church is true she just won’t give up to cigars. We went and visited with her a lot in the hospital. She is doing better. We have a lesson with her tonight... I am very excited. Kirsten is also doing very well. We had a lesson with her last night. We taught her the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is my favorite lesson to teach. The spirit was so strong. It went well and she should be getting baptized next week :)

We are also working with the part member family that we talked about over Skype. They are doing well and hopefully they will come to church next week.

I spoke in both sacrament meetings yesterday it went well. I talked about how Gods way is the best way. I talked about in Mosiah 27:31 it talks about how one day "every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that he is God." There is quote by elder Maxwell that talks about how if we are going to someday why not do so now. I know this is true. It will mean a lot more if we bow down to him now when we don't have to :) I hope that made sense. I love you all sorry I don't have any time. I had to write a really long email to president because of like Tyler said "sister drama" hahaha

I love you all! Thanks for your letters, packages, prayers and presents! You are the best.

Hurrah for Israel

Love, Sister Page

Dear Family,

I hope you all are enjoying this Christmas season :) I know it's not the same without me... sorry. You all probably have zero fun without me hahaha

Anyway, I am sort of sad because a lot of out progressing investigators stopped progressing. There is a lot of anti-material here in Nebraska. It is really sad. Talk about the great and abominable church like on every corner. hahaha it’s really not funny though... anyway this is why we have to work with members a lot because they need to learn how to bring their firends into the gospel so that the investigators have friends to lean on. Plus if you give a man a fish he eats for a day but if you teach a man to fish he eats for a life time. We are trying to teach the members to do missionary work because there is just too much to do here in Kearney! We saw a miracle this week from our work with the members. The family we live with introduced us to their daughter’s friend. Her name is Kirsten. We have taught her like every day this week and she is getting baptized January 11! :) I am so excited. She is so prepared it is not even funny. She is already in the middle of 2nd Nephi and she totally went to early morning seminary on her own. Sister Call and I are so excited. We have been praying for her so much. One of her grandmas is supportive the other one isn’t. It is really sad. We met the one that is supportive said "well if this helps you be happy and makes you a better person then I support you." I just thought to myself... you have no idea haha this is the one thing that can bring you true happiness and help you progress and Kirsten found it. I just wish people could see it better. But still so exciting.

This week Sister Call and I gave a training in zone conference. We decided to make things exciting and we acted as the devils advocates. We talked about how agency and the Atonement are complimentary doctrines. It was fun. Then we went to York to do exchanges. It was such a good exchange. These sisters really were struggling a couple months ago but are doing a lot better. We definitely saw miracles there!

Tonight we are all driving to Lincoln for Christmas Zone Conference. It will be fun and good to spend some time with all the sisters!

My emails are so lame I am sorry. haha I just write random stuff.

My spiritual thought for this week is for mom but you all should look it up... this December ensign on page 45... It totally reminded me of you mom. I love you. Don’t cry haha

I love you all! Have a great week!

Love, Sister Page

So this was probably the craziest week of my mission so far. It was really hard but super awesome. So Monday night we had a lesson with Betty. She was supposed to be getting baptized this week. She was so ready and excited. She lives with her son and up until this point he has always been supportive of whatever she wanted to do. He didn't want to take the lessons with her but he always said she should do whatever she had felt was right. So the past couple of weeks I have been getting this really weird feeling about everything with her and I thought it was just a lack of faith on my part. The spirit was telling me something was wrong though. So the lesson we had with her Monday night I could tell something was up she said she talked to her son and she decided to not be baptized yet. So when he came in the room we just asked him what was going on. He was super rude and just said girls "Betty has been lying to you... she doesn't want to be baptized. Do you betty?" long story short he basically just made her tell us she doesn’t want to anymore and she was like almost crying. I was so sad. I starting crying (pathetic I know) I just bore my testimony to the both of them. Then I asked if he would stay for the prayer and he said no and left the room. It was so hard. As we were leaving we got a call from one of the sisters who is opening the area in Kansas. She totally broke down and said she wanted to go home. So then president called us and told us to go to Kansas and see how they are doing and make sure she was okay. So right after we got out of Bettys house we packed up and left town. Now that I look back I realize how Heavenly Father blessed me to focus on other sisters concerns so that I wasn't so heartbroken about Betty. So we spent two days in Kansas this week ha-ha it was really hard because the sister were struggling so bad but we definitely saw some miracles. President called us after and we reported to him how things were going. We decided to have an emergency transfer so we switched the sister in Kansas that was struggling with another sister in the mission. It was a long couple of days with a lot of driving.  President then promised Sister Call and me many blessings for our area because of our service. It was pretty cool. We have definitely seen some of those miracles too. This week we also went to Omaha for leadership council and then exchanges in Grand Island. It was cool to see the miracles that happened because of those sisters faith compared to the lack of miracles we saw when sisters had no faith in other areas. It really taught me a lot. This week we also had our Ward Christmas party. There were many less actives and nonmembers there. It was so awesome. The teenage girl we live with brought her friend we taught her the restoration last night and she committed to be baptized. The Colombia family we are teaching was also at the ward party. Being a missionary is so great. I am so excited for Christmas! Goodness so much stuff happened this week I honestly can't even remember anymore hahaha whatever.

"Its Christmas time at our house and we are putting up the tree. I wish I could find one simple was to remember Christ's gift to me. Some little sign or symbol to show friends stopping by, the little babe was born one day but He really came to die. Some symbol of HIs nail pierced hands, the blood He shed for you and me... What if I hung a simple nail on the shining Christmas tree! A crimson bow tied around the nail as HIs blood flowed down so free, to save each person from their sin and redeem us for all eternity. I know it was His love for us that held Him to that tree but when I see this simple nail I know he died for me!" We made these little papers with a nail and stuff I was going to send one to you but I gave it away ha-ha but the poem is still good.

I love you family. Keep being amazing. Always remember why we celebrate Christmas!

Love, Sister Page

So I am still in Kearney! Wahoo! I have a new companion. Her name is Sister Call. She is one of the best Sisters in the entire mission. So I either did something right or something wrong to deserve her! She is from Washington State and apparently we are related. We are the Sister Training leaders over eight sets of sisters. Holy molly I know you don't know this but that is a lot of sisters to be over! We are going to be out of our area a lot BUT President promised some great blessings because of our service to them. I love working with these sisters so much. I am so blessed to have this opportunity.

This was a great week. We Had Thanksgiving out in the country on a ranch. The turkey we ate was killed on their ranch. We went over early to help Sister Robinson make it. I made the stuffing and she had me put the turkey heart in the stuffing hahah it was awesome. We had two less actives come and an investigator. It was the most random group of people I have ever had thanksgiving with and I will never forget it. It was so fun. Those two less actives came to Church yesterday! That night Sister Youngberg got all packed up to leave the next day. Fun fact... Sister Youngberg and sister call just switched places. I am sad to see her leave but it is for the best!

Right when sister Call got here on Friday we went and had a lesson with this less active. The spirit was very strong and she said she was going to come to church yesterday. Unfortunately she didn't but we have a return appointment and I know miracles are going to happen. Saturday we had a great lesson with Stella. WE helped her kids with homework. I was help Stefan with his math ha-ha but it was all in Spanish so that made it sort of hard but we figured it out. It was a lot of fun. We committed them to read the Book of Mormon every day and they are coming to the ward party and church next week. Wahoo! After our lesson with Stella President called and said we had to go see the sisters in Grand Island they were really struggling and so we had to cancel all our appointments for the rest of the day and go see them. I went on a long walk with one of the sisters. She is doing better but it is just really hard to watch her struggle. It does make me realize all the blessing I have though!

 As for Betty She is not getting baptized this week because Sister Call and I have to go to Omaha for a leadership meeting BUT Betty should be getting baptized on Friday the 13 haha I would be worried about it being an unlucky day but 13 is my lucky number :)

Yesterday I bore my testimony is sacrament meeting about our gifts to the savior and I would really encourage you all the really think about what gifts we will be giving him this season and year. We celebrate his birth because of his Atonement. We need to use his Atonement to the best of our abilities.

I love you all so much. Have a wonderful week. Hurrah for Israel!

Love, Sista Page

Ps... You better all have Book of Mormons to give out!

Well first off thank you so much for the package! I loved it so much!

This week was such a rollarcoaster. So, Betty did not get baptized and I am so sad. She had some family who were trying to talk her out of it. She babysits her Jehovah Witness grandchildren every saturday. She told us she could find someone to watch them for her, but then her family just sorta blew up at her. I ended up getting really sick this week so i couldn't even go see her. I went to the doctor and he was disrespectful to me and wouldnt even give me a mono test. He did give me some medicine for my sinus infection though so that is good and I am feeling much better. I also reacived a blessing from brother cammack who i live with. They are awesome. I went and saw Betty the other night. She is so amazing. She still wants to get baptized and we got special permission to have it on a friday. This week is transfers, so she will be baptized the next week. I hope and pray everyday that i won't get transferred this week! I would be so sad!

One of the sisters we are over in the mission called me a couple days ago crying because she had no money in her account and her family wouldn't give her anymore. She got sick and spent the rest of her money on the medication. Anyway she was really struggling. I had no idea what to do. I offered to buy her some of her needs but i wasn't sure how that was going to work considering my card declined this week hahaha but anyway we have been praying a lot for her. The next day she got a letter from her stake president saying early merry Christmas and gave her a check. It is just so amazing how the Lord meets all of our needs and answers our prayers through his servants. I just hope that i can be close enough to the spirit to be an answer to someone elses prayer.

Last night we had a wonderful lesson with this member family. There mother was in town so we taught her the restoration. The spirit was so strong and she accepted to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. Unfortunately she is from South Carolina but still helping someone feel the spirit is one of my favorite things.

Saturday the Elders in Kearney had a baptism. It went really. Well this is the third baptism this ward has had in the last 6 months. that is more than they have had in the last like three years. We are really working hard to get the missionary work going.

I am not surprised that your stake conference was on missionary work. That is the emphasise on everything here. We have been going around teaching the families about Lehi's dream 1 Nehpi 8:12 talks about how as you partake of the gospel of Jesus Christ you will desire to share with others. So, my invitation to my family is... give out a book of Mormon before the end of the year. This time of year has such a wonderful spirit about it. What better time of year to share the most important thing we have with others. I now that the Lord will send the Holy Ghost to help you know what to say (D&C 84:85). It will be awesome!

Well pray i dont' get transferred. I love you all. This week is going to be a great week!

Love, Sister page

My dearest family,

How's it going?

So guess who is baptizing The Betty White this week....This girl. Well technically I am not actually baptizing her but y'all know what i mean :) she is 87 and we have been working with her since I got to Kearney BUT She is the coolest 87 year old ever. She tells us the same jokes every time we see her and it is always funny. She has such a strong desire to follow Christ and i am so happy for her. I know that the adversary is really going to hit her hard this week. I just hope and pray she will not drink coffee and that her Jehovah Witness relatives don't get to her haha anyway it should be a wonderful week!

This last week was a little stressful because many sisters are going through a hard time with health and anxiety but as long as we rely on the Lord he will bless us. (Proverbs 3:5-6) We have really been working with the members lately. Talking a lot about Lehi's dream. the more i learn about it the more i think people a CRAZY for ever thinking Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon but that is a little besides the point. We are really trying to get the members to be more missionary mindset because that is how the Lord wants to work to progress at this time. We have a wonderful ward mission leader. he is putting us to work with investigators and families. We have been presenting the families with family mission plans. Although it is putting the families in uncomfortable situations, i know they will be so blessed and find so much joy from it. We always need to be progressing. (2 Nephi 28:24) So my dear family i am committing all of you to go watch on lds.org under hastening the work of salvation the video is called "ill go where you want me to go" That is what every family should be doing to progress the work of the Lord. Okay i will stop preaching. :)

We had some wonderful lessons this week with our investigators. every lesson we taught this week in our area was with members which is so great. I also got to play soccer this week again with some non members and our investigators. My ward mission leader totally took me out and i have a big bruise hahah poor me. it was super funny though. Saturday night we had a lesson with this awesome family. they had Glenda come over who's son was baptized a while ago. he has really been struggling with anger problems and glenda is having a hard time. She is Methodist but she listened to our lesson and we watched the video "mountains to climb" on lds.org. That is also a wonderful video you should watch. the spirit was super strong and she received a priesthood blessing. I think often we take the power of the priesthood for granted. anyway it was a good night and although neither of them came to church, i think it was a huge step in the right direction. As long as we are on the Lords errand we cannot fail! :)

Sorry my emails are so lame. haha i love you all and miss you a lot. My thought for this week is 3 Nephi 19:25... I know that as we are doing what is right Christ countenance will smile upon us. I can't think of anything better than that. Always remember what is most important.

I LOVE YOU!

Love, Sister Page

Hello family :) I hope you all had a wonderful week!

I am actually emailing from Hastings Nebraska right now. We are on exchanges! It is always so fun to help other sisters out in their area. I am so blessed to have that opportunity every week!

My week went pretty well! We have really been focusing on getting the members to do missionary work. WE saw some of the families this week and taught them about Lehi's dream. It was so wonderful. The spirit was so strong and we invited families to make their own family mission plan. We were timid at times with some families because they don't feel comfortable with missionary work, but the Lord helped us and it went well. One family at the end of the lesson asked us to stay longer and keep having scripture study. I realized that I really do have the spirit with my and that they didn't want it to leave. It made me feel so good and I felt like I was really fulfilling my purpose as a missionary. This week Alexs mom, Lynn told us she is committing to be baptized. We taught her the Word of wisdom. She has problems with coffee tea and she has been smoking for like 50 years BUT she is ready to do it. She came to church and totally fell asleep in relief society. I was sitting next to her and had no idea what to do. She was snoring so loud but hey I guess that means she isn't drinking coffee :) I just put my arm around her and told he I would stand up with her in the back. We have been praying so hard for her to be baptized and grow in the gospel with Alex. Our prayers are being answered! :) Our three main investigators all have huge hurdles to make with the word of wisdom. Its it really hard but I know that with the Lord all things are possible. So I will admit the best part of my week was definitely playing soccer with our investigators. It was so much fun. WE played Saturday and it was awesome. The Lord really cares about our desires. Out of all the places I could be in Nebraska Heavenly Father put me where the ward mission leader and our investigators play soccer. I really needed it plus I think our investigator respects me a little more hahahaha

Thursday we went to North platte on exchanges. A lot of the sisters we are over are really struggling and it really puts things into perspective for me. I am so blessed. One sister is having major anxiety attacks and another one is in the hospital because she keeps passing out. Sister Y and I have been dealing with all these things this week. going and visiting them and calling president to know what to do. It has been pretty stressful, but I am grateful for the opportunity to serve other sisters. It helps me forget about my own problems.

Friday I drove from North Platte all the way to Omaha. That is about a 4 hour drive. Sister Youngberg was studying for a training she had to give. I was so exhausted by the end of that day. It is nice to just listen to conference talks though! Our leadership meeting in Omaha was great. It was all the sister training leaders, zone leaders and district leaders. President basically called us all to repentance. There is so many things I can improve on it is a little overwhelming sometimes. He made me bare my testimony in front of everyone since I didn't give a training. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my testimony with so many people and in so many settings!

Anyway overall this week was wonderful. We had three investigators and church! It was awesome. I have really been focusing on prayer. What better way to become like someone than to spend time with them. I have really come to learn the characteristics of Heavenly Father. I encourage all of you to read the bible dictionary of prayer and to have more sincere, meaningful prayers this week. He loves you all and wants to hear from you. Keep Heavenly Father involved in the details of your life.

I love you all. Keep being amazing and remember what is most important in life.

Love, Sister Page

My entire life I have been blessed to be so close to so many people with strong testimonies.  I have always been able to rely on these individuals and their testimonies when things get hard. Throughout the years I have developed my own testimony and have begun my conversion to the gospel. Conversion is a lifelong process that I will always be working on, but I know now that because of many experiences I have had, that now when things get hard, I can lean on my own testimony.

Although there are many experiences which have helped my conversion process, there are a few I would like to share. Writing is not one of my strong suit, so I feel as though nothing I put on paper could possibly do these experiences justice. I pray the spirit will help make up for my inadequacies, for it was the spirit which touched my heart in the first place.

As I was trying to decide where to play soccer in college, I had many different schools offer me a scholarship and it was very hard to decide. I prayed, fasted and received many fathers’ blessings. I finally received my answer and I was not happy with where Heavenly Father wanted me to go. I had many people tell me it was stupid to play there because the team wasn’t very good and the education there wasn’t the best I could be receiving. I went anyway and took that step of faith. The first Sunday service I spent there as I walked in to the sacrament room the spirit hit me so strong. I realized that it didn’t matter that I didn’t go to college with my friends or play for the best team of even go to an amazing university. What mattered was that I was where I would grow the most spiritually. I know I needed to be there that year and that the experiences there were what got me on a mission. Heavenly Father knows what is best for us, even though sometimes it is hard to see.

When I first got out on my mission I was trying so hard to figure out how to be the best missionary right now. I was struggling and was not being patient with myself. I knelt down in desperation for help from my Heavenly Father. He told me, as though he were right next to me, that he loved me, he was proud of me and that this Gospel is about being happy. The best way to be a missionary is to show how the gospel makes me happy. I know that Heavenly Father and my saviour know me personally and love me. No one can ever make me say otherwise.

I will never forget how wonderful going through the temple was for the first time. The spirit was amazing and as I went into the Celestial room my dad greeted me with such a loving hug. My dad and I are very close and the temple is such a special place. My dad was so proud of me for living in a way that I could be there with him. For that moment I saw a glimpse of what it will be like when I leave this life and enter into the presence of my Heavenly Father. I know that if I live righteously and endure to the end here in this life that He will be proud of me. It will be so wonderful to finally receive that warm, loving hug.  There is nothing that will stop me from returning to my Heavenly Father.

Last, I know the Book of Mormon is true.  When I think of the witness I have of the Book of Mormon I don’t think of a specific experience, there is many times where the spirit has witnessed to me of its truthfulness. I know that it can heal me spiritually and it has. It is the most powerful book on earth.  Because of the Book of Mormon, I know that Christ atonement is real. He is our Saviour and that through the Atonement we can be forgiven, healed and our weaknesses may become strengths. For this I will be forever grateful.

No words can begin to express my testimony of this gospel.  As I read the testimony of Prophets in the scriptures it helps me to put into words my witness of the truthfulness of the gospel.  Like Alma says “It has made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things for myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true, for the Lord god hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit.”

I know these things are true. These experiences have helped me become converted to this Gospel. I know it, I know God knows it, and I cannot deny it.

Dear Familia,

como estas hahaha

So the training last week went pretty well. Zone conferences are always a good spiritual boost. I saw Elder Taggart haha it is so weird to see a familiar face. Sister Youngberg and I trained on working well with members. I think all missionaries are still trying to figure out the best way to work with members. There defiantly isnt just one way.. you sorta have to treat them like you would investigators and go by the spirit.

We also went on exchanges this week to york Nebraska. Sisters just opened that area so we went to help them out a little bit. This was on halloween day. One of the sisters is actually the sister who entered the mtc with me and left because she hurt her foot. It was so good to see her out in the field. She is so happy and has a new appreciation to be on a mission. It is so cool. That night we had dinner with one of the members in their branch. It was her nine year anniversary for being baptized and she spent all halloween night with us as we talked about her conversion. It gave me hope. All I want is to bring someone to the gospel and have them treasure it as much as she does.

So we were already out of our area like 2 and a half days at that point and then we woke up friday morning and Sister Youngberg was pretty sick. she slept all day. So I studied and cleaned and updated records and called people. It was pretty boring but it was needed. that night we had a meeting with our new ward mission leader. He is putting us to work. We are making a series of lessons for the strong members in the ward and leading it up to their own family mission plan. Our ward mission leader also invited this lady and her kids over for dinner and we taught her the entire first lesson. She will get baptized i jsut know it. Member missionary work is so important. She mostly spoke Spanish though hahaha so i now speak spanish :) our ward mission leader and his wife speak spanish fluently. I could only pick out a couple words though haha

the next day i woke up feeling very sick. It is so stupid because i feel like we are wasting so much time and i am being super lazy. The elders and our ward mission leader gave us a blessing. We are so blessed to have the priesthood. After the blessing he looked at us and said forget yourself and go to work hahaha it is true though. It was hard not being able to be in our area much but i know Heavenly Father will bless us this week as we work hard. Sister Youngberg and I are both feeling better. I am sorry this letter is so lame.

My thought for the week is something that has been on my mine a lot lately. "serve God with gladness." As we do what the Heavenly Father asks of us make sure we do it with a happy heart. :) I love you all. Remember who you are and whose you are.

Have a wonderful week!

Love, Hermana Page hahahaha

So to start off a short funny story... Last Monday I bought these fake glasses so that I could look more intelligent of something anyway I was driving with them on and totally ran over this curb in a parking lot and the other Kearney missionaries were behind me and now I get made fun off cause my intelligent glasses didn't work... haha

Anyway I am staying in Kearney! wahoo. So is my comp. We are both pretty excited and we know we have a lot to do in the next transfer!

The other exciting news is we got a new ward mission leader. he is soooo awesome. He is going to make us work so hard. It is going to be great! Speaking of work this morning we went to his ranch and helped out for two hours. It was so fun and cold. the sun rises here are beautiful and it feels good to get out and do physical work.

Yesterday was the primary program and we had 171 people in sacrament meeting. Which is a 12 year record for the Kearney ward. How cool is that? A lot of people brought their friends to listen to their kids. Hopefully we will get some investigators out of it. that would be so great.

We got like 3 new investigators this last week. We taught this referral from a member the restoration and we are going back this week. I wish more members would get involved with missionary work because the most success comes from members. fo sho.

I gave a training in district meeting this last week. It went pretty well it was on how your obedience reflects your faith. "When obedience stops being an irritant and becomes our quest then God will enable us with power." -President Ezra Taft Benson. That goes to all members of the church because Loyalty is the crowning characteristic of Love. How loyal our we to our Heavenly Father? Anyway i was blessed to have the training go so well.

We had three investigators at church this week. We were pretty excited.

Sorry this letter was so short and all over the place. I am just too busy to write you hahahah I love Kelsey. What a great excuse :) just kidding next week will be longer and better I promise. Keep being amazing. I love you all.

Love, Sister Page

Well hello my dear loved once :) Where to begin.... haha

Monday evening we had family night with my favorite family in the ward. They are so wonderful and crazy. Their little boy looks like Colby when he was that age. It was a good evening and we are starting to focus on helping members help less actives. Our president promised us that every less active we reactivate that a baptism will come from it! :) That night we got a call from a member is the ward who has a ranch in the middle of a corn field haha go figure but anyways he hay got all wet and needed to air out before it started on fire. So Sister Youngberg and i went and moved hay for a couple of hours. It was so much fun. I am sure Grandpa Larry was real proud of me :) hee hee. It is so beautiful here though since we have zero mountains the sunset go on forever and are so pretty. It was a great night.

Tuesday we went on exchanges and we tracting a lot. This one lady really wanted to bible bash with me haha I don't know that bible that well but i do know enough to stand my ground. I just let her say what she had to say then i bore testimony. She said that we get to heaven only by faith nothing else and that our actions don't mean anything. I asked her if she repents and tries to follow the example of Jesus Christ and she said that we had to repent to get to heaven.... so i asked her isn't repentance an action and she said no.... i don't get it. I just makes me realize that this really is the Kingdom of God on earth and that the gospel is perfect. I mean it just makes sense.

Thursday we did a lot of service. We helped the less active in the ward put in a window. It reminded me of doing stuff like that with dad. I miss that. (Love you dad) anyway that evening we finally contacted this referral i was so pumped we have a lesson with her and her husband this Wednesday! wahoo ;)

Friday was when i got my a poem for my stalker... hahaha its funny but at the same time it really freaked me out! We had a wonderful lesson with our 87 year old investigator about temples and guess what.... SHE CAME TO CHURCH YESTERDAY!

Saturday we had a pretty cool experience! We were trying to contact potential investigators and i had this feeling to talk to this girl. she was special needs and someone was coming to pick her up for her new job. This lady pulls up and i wanted to talk to her so bad but they were in a hurry. That night we were going to visit this investigator on the other side of town and as we were driving we saw this man walking and i promised my Heavenly Father that i would do all i could to talk to everyone he puts in my path. So we pulled in front of him like 30 yards got out of the car and he was gone. It was the weirdest thing. So we knocked on the one house he possibly could be gone in and the lady who was driving the car this morning answered the door. We had a wonderful conversation with her. She has some interesting ideas about religion but i know heavenly Father lead us to her for a reason. Pretty amazing.

Sunday was wonderful we had two investigators at church! We were so blessed!

I have really been having a hard time understanding why if this is Gods Kingdom why so many people reject it. I read this talk by Elder Holland (leave it to Elder Holland to save the day right?) and he says "Anyone who does any kind of missionary work will have occasion to ask, Why is this so hard? Why doesn’t it go better? Why can’t our success be more rapid? Why aren’t there more people joining the Church? It is the truth. We believe in angels. We trust in miracles. Why don’t people just flock to the font? Why isn’t the only risk in missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day and all night in the baptismal font?
You will have occasion to ask those questions. I have thought about this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? It seems to me that missionaries and mission leaders have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionaries and mission leaders have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary.
Now, please don’t misunderstand. I’m not talking about anything anywhere near what Christ experienced. That would be presumptuous and sacrilegious. But I believe that missionaries and investigators, to come to the truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this price that has been paid, will have to pay a token of that same price.
For that reason I don’t believe missionary work has ever been easy, nor that conversion is, nor that retention is, nor that continued faithfulness is. I believe it is supposed to require some effort, something from the depths of our soul."

Love you so much! Keep smiling and enjoying your wonderful life.

Love, Sister Page

P.S. it has been really windy here but no worries i tots have a walk in closet to sleep in  when i get scared hahaha holla

 

P.P.S also this week is transfers. I have no idea what is going to happen so please pray fro me. I will know Tuesday morning. Also Tuesday morning I am giving a training in district meeting. so it will be a exciting day haha

I hope that my wonderful family had a great week :) conference was wonderful and if you didn't watch all sessions... repent and go watch them. haha but seriously. I truly believe that every problem in the world can be solved through the words of our leaders this last weekend. It was so different to be listening as a missionary. It was wonderful to hear all the thoughts and prayers from our leaders for me as a missionary. It was also different because I wasn't listening just for me. I was listening for all my investigators and people i am working with. It was a little upsetting considering we invited so many people and one less active showed up to the church ten minutes after the last session ended :( and one of our investigators came and i guess the door he tried was locked. He was probably lying but still. lame. Anyway it was a wonderful conference and it answered all my question plus some that i didn't know i had :)

We were super busy this week. We had exchanges in Hastings on Tuesday. It was just one of those days where the Lord really tries your faith. We spent all day trying the visit people and we knocked on so many doors and nothing. Then like six hours later we found this sweet mom and gave her a book of Mormon. I was so grateful. I know i need to be more patient it is just hard when the mission has certain goals you are suppose to obtain.

We also went to Omaha this week. Drove through some crazy Tornadoes haha we never know the weather so we always run into storms. No worries though my President basically said you are a missionary you will be fine and we were :) the leadership council in Omaha was so awesome. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to attend those. I had to give a training to all the zone leaders haha such a disaster.

We are working with this girl who is 20 and has two kids. We got to visit her this week and i really think she is starting the feel the spirit and recognize it. It is so wonderful to see that in people. We just need people to start being her friend.

I am sort of getting discouraged because we are never in our own area and the work here is lacking. We have a couple investigators but they just aren't progressing. It is sad. I am really excited about the talks on member missionary work though. We are planning a ward party for members to bring their non member friends to. We are going to start teaching each family and get them excited about the work. I think this is really how the Lord wants his work to progress at this time. I have realized no matter how hard i work it wont matter if it is not the Lords way :)

Anyway sorry this letter was so short. I love you all so much and I miss you. Please keep reading over conference. We are so blessed to hear from our wonderful leaders. Have a great week. You are always in my prayers.

Love, Sister Page

Well it is good to hear from my family! I love your emails and letters! I hope Deema had a wonderful birthday!

We had two different exchanges this week. Tuesday we went to North Platte. I don't know if you heard about all the flooding from the Platte river but yeah it was pretty crazy. They have sand bags all over town. The Platte river is huge. I really wanted to go out and do service but it all happened like the week before so most everything was cleaned up. Anyway we had a good day of exchanges. I ended up going and visiting this Indian lady with one of the sisters. She was crazy and she started talking about some pretty sketchy stuff so i just told her to not mess with that stuff and i bore my testimony on the Book of Mormon and we got out of there. The rest of the day went better no worries :)

Wednesday we had a good district meeting. That day we visited with a family who is starting to come back to church. We taught them a little about the Atonement. It was a wonderful lesson!

Thursday we went on exchanges with the other sisters here in Kearney! They are over the YSA branch. They white washed the area so they have nothing to work with. We tracted all day. I will be honest I loved getting out and walking. It was so much fun! Not many people were receptive but we gave out a lot of Book of Mormons. Since I don't tract very often i learned a lot. that night we had a lesson with this recent convert in the YSA branch. he is 20 and just decided to go on a mission. I shared with him a little about my decision to serve and how it wasn't necessarily easy but so worth it. His family are like anti-LDS so it will be a lot harder for him but he was just eating up everything we were talking about. He recently went to the temple and is just on fire. It is so fun to see. I hope the people i bring into the church will become as converted as he is! It gave me hope so much hope!

Friday was like our first day in our area hahaha it is so hard. I feel like we are never getting anything done in our own area. ANYWAY we had a lesson with Alex's mom! We invited her to be baptized and she committed to working towards a date! wahoo! She has major word of wisdom problems but i have faith she can do it. She says she is still looking for her answer though and i have faith they will be answered this weekend at conference! What better way to gain a testimony of the prophet then to listen to him speak. I am so excited. I know this conference will be a huge blessing for a lot of people we have been working with! You know how everyone says General Conference is like Christmas for missionaries well yeah it pretty much is. I am so pumped haha it is different though because this time I am not just receiving revelation and guidance for myself but i am also thinking about my investigators and other members we are working with. Its great.

So Saturday was like the longest day of my life. We woke up at four in the morning. Our bishop is a professor at UNK so he got us to help with this run for the cure 5k. It was super fun. I wanted to run in it so bad but they wouldn't let me. It was good to get out and work though plus a lot of people noticed all the LDS missionaries so hopefully it will help get our name out there. It was freezing though Kearney is getting cold. I am such a baby.

Sunday we had a meeting with bishop and they Elders. I am starting to get really discouraged with our members. No one will help. See we can find and teach but our investigators don't have fellow shippers and they won't stay active if/when they are baptized. It is sorta frustrating. So we are planning an activity where the members are suppose to bring their friends. I never realized how huge of an impact members make on the work. We are just fasting and praying trying to understand how to help our ward be member missionaries. My mission president said that even if you don't baptize in Kearney as long as you teach members to be missionaries the work will progress more. So that is sorta what we are focused on right now.

I have faith this week will be successful :)

"Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." We all need to share they light which we have been blessed with.

I love you all. Have a wonderful week.

Love, Sister page

 Monday we went and played tennis with Alex, the recent convert, haha he such a cute kid and terrible at tennis haha but it was so fun. He really is SO much happier than he was when I first met him. It is kind of crazy that he was one of the first lessons I had when I got to Kearney and that lesson I invited him to be baptized and now he is. It is awesome.

Tuesday as always we went on exchanges. We went to Grand Island. We got to do some service at this really cool art museum. I have never really been to a museum like that. It reminded me of Tyler cause everything was so creative. That night we went and did more service for a member. They live on a private lake.... they had us picking weeds on the private beach....it was torture. It was an adventure though I felt something in my hair so I like felt my head and got stung by a bee and my finger swelled all up. I have always wondered if I was allergic to bee's haha I'm not. Then I started to itch way bad and my arm was breaking out. I now know what poison ivy looks like. Then we got to fish for a couple minutes which was pretty fun! I am glad I was taught how to fish because some of the sisters had no idea..haha. Thanks Dad.

Wednesday we taught some awesome lessons. We met this guy named Jason and he had so many questions which I love. He gave us his number and we are going back this week. We also went back to where we use to live and visited our stalker. (Tyler you are in so much trouble for telling them) We talked to him for a little outside and told him we moved across town. We gave him a Book of Mormon and then we got out of there haha.

Thursday we visited a lot of less active ladies. Connie is my favorite and she hasn't been to church in years. She is so nice and I really love her. She is excited for General Conference and I really think that will help her come around.

Friday we visited Betty. I am so discouraged because she is so old that every time we go teach her she forgot what we taught her last time. She has such a special spirit and she wants to be baptized. It is just that every week we have to explain to her why her baptism when she was little wasn't by the authority of God. So I just don't even know what to do about that. She loves us and I love visiting her because she is lonely and she wants to know more about everything. It is just hard cause she is old. We are starting to teach Alex's mom! She was very touched at his baptism and she said she would read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. To be honest I know she knows it is true. BUT we are teaching her this week and I really think she is starting to make an effort. We just need to help her feel the spirit more :)

Saturday was rough. Its football season everyone and every single person in Nebraska is a Huskers fan. It is so ridiculous. NO one will talk to us on Saturdays. So we just end up visiting old ladies who are less active. We will figure out some how to be more productive on Saturdays. Also the Book of Mormon musical is coming to Omaha....which is going to be hard but we will make the best out of the situations. Some problems can be gold mines :)

Sunday was a little disappointing we should have had like 8 investigators/less actives there, and only one showed. It is the worst. My talk went well. I spoke with the mission president which was sorta scary at first but Heavenly Father definitely blessed me. It went a lot better than I deserved. I talked about the Brother of Jared. He is my favorite. If the Lord wouldn't have tried the brother of Jared's faith then he wouldn't have had the opportunity to exercise his Faith which resulted in seeing the Lord face to face. I think a lot of times we wonder why if we are doing what is right why things are still hard but I know it is because the Lord is trying our faith so we can become stronger. Read Ether 4:7 I pretty much just love that story.

Well sorry that was sorta boring but I love my family. I miss you all but I promise my whole heart is in the work. Your letters don't make me lose my focus :)

The church is true. I love you all. Be good.

Love, Sister Page

Well another wonderful week in Kearney haha. Tuesday we had exchanges in Holdredge. The sisters there have been struggling a lot with many things. It was such a great day. We sat and talked with each of them separately and helped them figure some things out. Then we went to work. Last transfer when I went on exchanges with Holdredge we found this lady who was so awesome and we taught her a little and committed her to read the Book of Mormon. I guess ever since then the sisters haven't been able to teach her again. So I went with one of the sisters back to their house. Right when we pulled up her husband came outside. We knew that he wasn't really interested so we decided to try back later when he wasn't home. For some reason I was so scared to talk to him like more scared than I ever have been. The spirit just kept telling me to go knock on the door haha so finally we did. He came outside and we taught him the entire restoration. He had many questions haha most I had no clue what the answer was but some how the spirit guided the conversation. It was awesome. I wish I could continue teaching their family but I know that they are a huge blessing for the sisters in Holdredge.

Wednesday we had district meeting and I had an interview with president. I am starting to not be so intimidated and scared of him haha so that is good. He really has high hopes for Kearney and really wants us to focus on teaching the members to be missionaries.

Thursday we went to Omaha! haha again.... but it was awesome the leadership meeting was on Friday and I am so blessed to be apart of those. I always learn lots. Also my mtc companion was there because her companion was just made a sister training leader. It was such a blessing to see Sister Dumont.. Heavenly Father loves me :)

Saturday was probably the best day of my mission thus far but the most stressful too! We had a stake women's conference on teaching the ladies to be member missionaries. President Carter had us help teach his training. It went really well. We got a less active to come and she hasn't been to church in years! She said she has decided to come back to church! it was awesome. Then we had our baptism that evening! I was basically freaking out cause it was like five minutes until the baptism and no one was there.... but of course it all ended up working out. Alex's entire family came from out of town. None of them are members so it was awesome. When he came up out of the water he just started crying and just held onto Brother Smith(his young men's leader who baptized him) I have never seen Alex get emotional. he said it was the happiest moment of his life. The spirit was so strong and his mom was even crying. Couldn't have asked for a better experience for Alex and his family. It was wonderful :)

Saturday he was confirmed and he is doing awesome. I really think it made a huge impact on his mom. We are teaching her this week. we also taught Desirae yesterday. She is 20 and has two kids. Her husband just cheated on her and she is like all alone. She is such an awesome girl. We taught her the entire first lesson and asked her to be baptised. She said yes :) She is an amazing person and i hope and pray she will take this path for her family.

Well I really love my family and miss you so much. I want you for family home evening tonight to read "His Grace is Sufficient" by brad Wilcox its in the September ensign. Read it and apply it. haha please. I love you all. You are always in my prayers. I hope you all feel better and have a wonderful week.

Love, Sister Page

PS TELL ANDREA I SAW HER AUNT AT THE STAKE WOMEN'S CONFERENCE!!! SHE IS AWESOME AND CRAZY AND I LOVE HER!!!! such a tender mercy. (she is the lady in the picture with the green)

Dear people,

I feel like I have so much to tell you and so little time. So we moved in with the Cammacks this week! They are awesome. They have one daughter still at home, she is a senior in high school. They are a really cool family. They treat us so well and there house is so nice. We basically have the basement all to ourselves and like a walk in closet and stuff haha its great. So, this week was transfers! We got another set of missionaries for the YSA branch! Also a set of Elders to share the ward with us. Pretty crazy. Everything is changing. There hasn't been six missionaries in Kearney in like 10 years. We are about to make some awesome things happen. The hard part is I have been praying and praying to find more people to teach and the Lord totally blessed us these last two weeks to find people prepared but we had to give like all of them to the Elders... whatever I'm over it. As long as the people we found are coming unto Christ i guess it is okay ;) but seriously these Elders are hard workers and I know Kearney is about to see many miracles. Speaking of miracles we have a baptism this week!!!!! Wahoo :) My fist baptism. Alex(the 14 yr old boy) is getting baptized this Saturday at 5. I am so excited. I feel like he is my little brother. I am so protective over time. The other day we went to his house and his mom just broke down and told us how he is a terrible kid and she can't wait til he is 18. It was so sad because he isn't a terrible kid. He has really been trying and his mom works all day and doesn't take care of him. She also doesn't want him in public school so he is home schooling himself. Anyway I basically just called her to repentance and told her if she wants blessings and wants her family to grow in unity then she needs to follow the example of her son. We will keep working on her.  Don't worry I wasn't a brat about it.

Wednesday we had an awesome district meeting. Since transfers were this week we know there would be lots of changes made so we had a testimony meeting in the chapel just with our district. Probably one of the top ten spiritual experiences I have ever had. That evening we had dinner with 
one of my favorite members. They both served missions and met each other playing soccer after their missions. So duh we just clicked. They are very helpful when it comes to member missionary work. We met with Betty White that night. It is so hard because she knows it is true and she wants to be baptized but she is way old and sick and her son is Jehovah Witness... yeah. I love her so much. I seriously think of her as my grandma.

Thursday we moved and then we had a relief society activity and we got some less actives sisters there! It was wonderful :)

Friday was transfers and was pretty crazy. We found this lady and taught her the restoration and invited her to be baptized. It was awesome haha and then ten minutes after we left the new elders found her. So they get her.... BUT it just shows you how the Lord really is guiding His work.

Saturday We walked Alex to the bishops house so that Sunday mornings he walks there and then they will give him a ride. He really is showing that he wants to be apart of this church. I am so proud of him. That night we had dinner with members and they have cattle and horses and chickens and where they live is just a bunch of rolling hills of corn. It is so pretty. I took some pictures but I left my camera in the car so I will send them next week. it was so fun to help the family out on their ranch. It reminded me of playing on Grandpa's farm. I miss that.

The best part of Sunday was we gave a church tour to this lady and had a wonderful lesson with her. She is coming to the baptism and church this week! :) I don't know why we haven't done that more because the spirit is so strong in the chapel.

On September 22 our mission president is coming to Kearney to speak in our ward haha and they asked me to speak with him. Such a disaster. I am excited though. Will you send me my talk from stake conference and my farewell talk? They are both on my laptop. Thanks:)

Scripture of the week is Helaman 5:12 I love how its says if we build our foundation on Christ we CANNOT fall. It doesn't say we wont' it says we can't as in it is not possible. I know that is true!

I love you all!

Love, Sister Page

Also my new address is

1109 E 66th St Place

Kearney, NE 68847

WRITE ME!!!

September 3 2013

My dear family,

Sounds like things are going well although I wish you would give me a better play by play on tori's games. That is so awesome. I am so proud of my sister. Dad, if you think you were sad to miss it think how I feel... :( Anyway I have a pretty awesome family.

First off that lady that called from Centerville is the wife of a General Authority who spoke in conference and they came for a mission tour to Nebraska. I don't think you all realize how special that was of her to call you. Once a year we get a General Authority to come to our mission. That is why I was so busy this last week. Elder Robbins from the seventy came and trained our mission. It was awesome. When they found out I was from Centerville they said they would send you my love which is such a tender mercy from Heavenly Father, I hope you realize that. It was a long hard week, but amazing.

Monday night we headed to North Platte for exchanges the next day, that is like a hour and a half drive west of Kearney.

Tuesday was a good day, we had exchanges with the sisters there. One of the sisters is 33 and is a high school English teacher... pretty cool. Those sister are doing pretty well. On exchanges we visited this lady, her and her husband are chain smokers... I never realized exactly what that meant until I went into her house. I honestly could not breath it was so bad. We were only there for like 10 minutes and when we left I smelled just like a smoker. haha We sprayed ourselves down with fabreeze and normally I would be against that cause its weird ha but it was worth it. That night we went to Omaha which was like a 5 hour drive.

Wednesday was sister Youngberg's leadership meeting with Elder Robbins. It was so awesome. I am so lucky to get to go to all these trainings. I am the youngest by far haha it is great. Most everyone has been out a year or so. That afternoon we drove all the way home and we went to visit this new investigator and accidently went to the wrong apartment. We ended up teach this guy the entire restoration and giving him a Book of Mormon. 

     Thursday was our first day last week in our area!!! We visited many people, Betty the old lady who is set for baptism was so excited to go to church. She is so fun to teach because she is so humble and wants to feel the spirit. Alex( the 14 year old) has his baptism on the 14 of this month. He is getting really excited for his baptism it is so fun to watch. That night we drove to Lincoln for the normal missionary training by Elder Robbins. My companion and I ended up having to split up and I had to drive the entire way. It really wasn't a big deal except I havn't driven in two months and I am not familiar with Lincoln at all. It was an adventure.

      Friday Sister Youngberg played her Cello for the meeting, she did a wonderful job. I got to see my MTC companion sister Dumont, her grandpa died a couple days ago and she is very sad. It was really good to see her though. We drove back to Kearney that night.

      Saturday we went and visited less actives, then went to go teach Alex. When we got there His mom was crying and she just vented to us about how Alex is not a good kid. Its so sad because she works full time and Alex homeschools himself. She knows she should be getting baptized with Alex but she is stubborn. I know that Alex has changed is so many good ways since we have taught him to gospel I just hope she realizes it. Heavenly Father definitely is humbling her though.

Sunday is always awesome. Ward council actually was productive and the ward is starting to acknowledge our hard work. That night we taught Glenda, it was so awesome. She is the one who we ended up teaching because we needed a female because we were teaching his son. We asked her to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it and we asked if she came to know that it was true if she would be baptized and she said yes! We are teaching her again this week! wahoo :)

There was a visitor in church yesterday who knows grandpa Larry :) his name is Dennis Riley and he worked with grandpa. It was such a tender mercy to sit and talk to him yesterday.

Well that was my week sorry it sounds so boring hahaha but we will be moving on Thursday into a members home, and word on the street is we will have new elders in our apartment but we won't know until after transfers, which are Friday. I have been here a whole transfer... crazy.

Please pray for Camille's brother Trevor. I am sure you know but he is getting heart surgery today.

My thought for the week is Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." His Grace is sufficient, it is not the light at the end of the tunnel but the light that moves us through the tunnel.

I love my family so much.

Love, Sister Page

Well hello family. I hope everyone is enjoying school this lovely morning. Just so you know I will be moving like next Tuesday or Wednesday. We are moving in with members. They are pretty awesome so it should be good. Rumor has it that some new elders are moving into our apartment at transfers next week. So you can still send letters to my apartment address until next week. We will be going to the post office to get a forwarding address thingy just in case we get mail they will forward it. As of right now i don't know the address for the members home so just send letters to the mission home starting next week and it will eventually get to me. haha

So this was a wonderful week in Kearney Nebraska. Monday night we went and had a member give a blessing to Betty she is the 88 year old we are teaching. She has been pretty sick and we really need her to get to church but she literally couldn't get out of bed. So that was a very neat experience. That night we drove to Hastings to do exchanges and we also had a training for new missionaries in Grand Island Tuesday morning. So like always we spend many nights away from our beds and my back still hurts from those two nights on the floor haha I'm such a baby. I got to see my MTC companion, Sister Dumont at the training it was awesome.The training by President Weston and his wife was awesome. They mostly just helped answer questions and Sister Weston gave a lesson on being a happy missionary but I think it is a good lesson on being a happy family so you should read it as a family. Mosiah 4 I believe (I don't have my notes so it might be a different chapter but either way I am sure its a good chapter haha) You should do it for family night tonight because I know you are always so good about having family night because it is so important :) ANYWAY the rest of the day we did exchanges which is always a blessing for those sisters and their area.

 We slept there that night and had district meeting the next morning. That evening we visited and played cards with a less active lady. She basically just needs friends and I know she will become active again. We had an appointment with one of our investigators and he cancelled. :( He is set for baptism but is not keeping commitments and isn't making an effort so hopefully we can continue to help him progress to baptism but everyone has their agency. I just wish they understood what I understand sometimes, it is so frustrating. 

Thursday was our first whole day in our area. We tried visiting potentials but not many would open their doors for us. We need to find more people to teach. That night we also had two investigators cancel. So we went and visited Alex who is getting baptized in two weeks!!! He is getting excited. We are just working on his mom because we know her support is so important. I pray every day that she may be humbled and understand she needs to change and follow her sons example.

Friday was the longest day of my life. So there is a University here in Kearney called UNK and they had freshman move in day, so for four hours Friday morning we helped move people into their dorms....on the seventh floor. I am so out of shape it is sad. That evening it was the Universities big like social event with all the tables all over campus. Our Bishop is a professor at UNK and so he got us a table and we handed out pass along cards and Book of Mormons all evening. It was pretty awesome and our bishop saw all our hard work and I know he trusts us a lot more. He got up in sacrament meeting and told everyone that we are the hardest working missionaries out there and to put us to work. It was wonderful. Hopefully members will start getting into missionary work. Being at the university was hard cause I could see the soccer girls practicing all morning haha figures but in know I am where I am suppose to be.

 Saturday we got out the potential list in the area book and went to town. No one was too receptive but we did get one returning appointment so I know the Lord blessed us. We went and visited a guy we gave a Book of Mormon to the week before, and he read the entire thing in like five days! Then he just sat their and bashed on Joseph Smith and wanted to bible bash basically. I seriously thought he had pulled my heart out and stomped on it. The spirit was completely gone, it was so sad. So we just answered some of his question. bore testimony and then left. Overall Saturday was a good day.We visited some more less actives who really need some spiritual help.

Sunday we had an amazing lesson with Allen. When I first met Allen he was in a scary place in his life and now he is seeking for the truth and is gaining a relationship with his Heavenly Father. It is wonderful. Those moments are what make missionary work all worth it.

This week will be a very busy week. We are going on exchanges tonight to North Platte then we drive to Omaha Wednesday (Sister Youngberg has a leadership training) and on Friday we will be in Lincoln for our zone conference with Elder Robbins (general authority) We will have like no time in our area this week but it will be a wonderful spiritual experience.

Thought for the week: "We are not earning Heaven we are learning Heaven"

I LOVE YOU ALL! Thanks for you love, prayers and letters.

Love Sister Page

Well hello my dear loved ones. First off thank you mommy for the package! I love my skirt and my scriptures. I love them!! They are great :) I was so excited. It is so funny how letters and packages can make me so happy. It sounds like everyone is getting ready for school. Crazy! Tori I am so proud of you! Just remember I didn't play varsity til my sophomore year hahaha I just love you cutie and I am so sorry I can't be there to watch!

Anyway my week went pretty well....

Monday night we visited this family who lives in a trailer. They use to take the lessons from missionaries a long time ago so we though we would try. They pretty much agreed to everything we said but I guess religion just isn't important to them. BUT we are going back this week! Every Monday night we drive to another city to do exchanges with other sisters and we are there all Tuesday. So we are out of our area a lot. Its hard but I know that the Lord blesses us for it. This last week we went to Grand Island, the sisters there are struggling pretty bad. One of them has been pretty sick and they don't agree very much. Their area is pretty small and hasn't seen much success, specially since they just opened the area for sisters. BUT It was a good day. The Lord always blessing exchanges and we talked to a lot of people and helped them find people to teach. We also let them get their frustrations out and we talked them through things. Tuesday nights we have conference call and they tell who leads each zone for the week and guess what.... out of all the missionaries( elders and sisters) we lead the zone last week even though we were out of our area for like two days!!! It is pretty uncommon for a companionship who is training to lead a zone so wahoo haha Pretty awesome. The Lord blesses you when you put others before you! So that was pretty exciting! Wednesday was district meeting which is always an uplifting experience haha also two other sisters who I was in the MTC with are in my district so I see them all the time. That night we met with Brother Runge. He has a pretty messed up family and we have been teaching him for a long time. He is set for baptism but isn't really acting much on his faith. We had a couple in our ward come with us to the lesson, which always makes me nervous haha, but it went really well. We taught him the doctrine of Christ and told him to act on his faith. So I pray so hard everyday that he does. Thursday is less active Thursday and we go with the relief society president and visit less actives which is always a good time. We went to this recent convert who got baptized and then stopped going to church like right after and when she opened the door she was like "Oh its the sister elders and she was like you are actually cute" hahaha best compliment ever. We went and visited this Philippiano lady and she made us some awesome food. That night we had dinner at the bishops house which was very good. So the university here in Kearney is having like a college day where there are booths and stuff so us missionaries are going to be giving book of Mormons away and stuff. It is this Friday and we will be there like all day. It is good to see the bishop getting involved in missionary work. Friday we visited some potential investigators and met with some members in the ward. We are starting to get the trust of some member families and we are really encouraging member missionary work. We have also been fed a lot more this week which is great except im get a little large... its basically a big fat disaster haha whatever. Saturday we had an appointed to teach the new convert in the ward (Justin) and the members who have fellowshipped him ( the Lebires) who were going to feed us lunch and then we were going to have the lesson with Justins home teacher but they text us the night before and said they didn't have enough money this week to feed us :( they are very poor and live in this tiny house. I was heart broken so thanks dad for buying them lunch :) hahaha they were so appreciative. We just went and got a ten dollar stoffers lasagna it was a great day. That night we had a big service project with the ward so I met some more members. So sunday... I ended us having to speak in the home ward for ten minutes and the YSA branch for 20 minutes hahaha it was great. I was stressed but Heavenly Father definitely blessed me. I spoke on helping others come unto Christ and I hope it at least inspired one person to get involved in missionary work.

I love my family and miss them very much. Good luck starting school. I pray for you all day everyday. Also I thought about tori all day Thursday and when it was 4:30 here so 3:30 in Utah I about died ... I even starting crying a little at this less actives house cause I want to watch Tori play so bad. But I know I am suppose to be here and I love being a missionary.

Love, Sister Page

Well hello family :) This week has been very eventful. ha First of all I would like to thank you for all your letters and Thanks for the shoes mommy! I love them. Next item of business...... CONGRATS TORI!!! :) I am super proud of you! I love hearing all your soccer stories and please let me know how your games go. So last monday we taugh this like really old lady. She is the biggest sweetheart. The only problem is her grandkids are Jehovah Witnesses BUT we taught her the gospel of Jesus Christ and I started telling her how she can return and live with her Heavenly Father and that there were steps she needed to take to get there, and she literally got out a piece of paper and started writing down the steps as I taught her the doctrine of Christ. It was the coolest things. We Invited her to be baptized and she said yes I need to. then we asked her to pray about it all and she was like I already know its true. She has a lot of health problems so she knew it would be a struggle to come to church but she said she would. It was an awesome night. Then that night we drove to Holdridge Nebraska to go on exchanges with the sisters there. Holdridge is very very small. They only have a branch there and the sisters there are struggling really bad. Some girls are just dramatic and emotional haha anyway, so we basically just went to work and tried to get them excited about the work. We tracted a lot and found some people who wanted to be taught. It was pretty cool. Whenever we tract in Kearney no one listens so it was a miracle we could find people for them to teach. It was a lot of fun and when we left those sisters were a little more motivated again. Wednesday we went to zone meeting and Sister Youngberg and I taught a training which is basically a big fat disaster cause I have been out a month, ya it was scary but really good. I brought the sweetish fish mom sent me and gave them out to people who participated hahaha don't know if that is allowed but it got people to comment :) We had a lesson that night that got cancelled and we were very sad. This investigator was set for baptism and wont answer our calls so we are just going to keep praying! Thursday I got sick... it was not a very happy day. We visited a lot of less actives with the relief society president and it was really good to meet all these ladies, for whatever reason they dont come to church but we are working on them. President Weston said that every less active we help reactivate then the Lord will bless us with someone else to teach. So we are trying to build the ward and we already have helped a couple come back to church! YAY! A lot of people just need to be reminded that Heavenly Father loves them and is aware of them! Friday was another miracle day! :) So Justin is a 16 year old boy and was baptized right before I got to Kearney. His mom is Methodist and wouldnt even come to his baptism. So we are teaching him his new member lessons. We always teach him at his neighbors house (the Lebrees) who are very active in the church. They are the reason why he joined (member missionary work is the way to go). So we were teaching Justin and the Lebrees and we get there and Sister Lebree wasn't there, they forgot that we can't teach without a female there so he was like lets just teach outside and then it started pooring rain. So the only female we could ask to come over was Justins mom and she totally came. We taught the plan of salvation and she said she wants to hear more that we have taught Justin!!! We were so excited!  Then Saturday we taught two other investigators and that went very well. Some people we are just going to have to go slow, cause they are having a hard time fully understanding everything.  Then Sunday.... None of our investagators showed and then we had a meeting with the ward mission leader like we do every Sunday and the stake president shows up which is crazy cause this stake is like half Nebraska haha but he comes and lectures us on envolving members. He looked me straight in the eyes and said "There is no excuses for not baptising more members into this ward." It was pretty discouraging. BUT I am going to make it motivate me, not discourage me. We had dinner with members last night and shared a lesson about the significance of the restoration and they didn't give us referrals but the wife is going to come visit some less active members with us. So one member at a time we will try and build this ward. Members really are crucial in missionary work. I just wish they all understood that. This Sunday I am giving a talk on helping others come unto Christ so if you have any ideas send me a letter. I love my family and all your support. Thanks for everything!

I love you all have a wonderful week I am always praying for you and love your letters!

The Church is true.

Love, Sister Page