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