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