The Promised Land!!

I found my calling in life this week. Pioneer YSA! I seriously love it more than life itself... I'm not even kidding. Let me tell you why:

1. There's something about younger people being more in tune with the spirit. When we read a scripture with someone and then ask their thoughts, they actually think about it and give a good, heartfelt answer! In family wards, even the active members don't do that.

2. There are lots of RM's and they are so, so willing to help. Even though they all go to school and work and don't have cars- they are willing to walk in the rain to come to lessons or be our split. And they are so good about finding people and friends for us to teach! 

3. Everyone's at this point in their life where they're trying to figure stuff out.... do I want to keep going to church with my parents? Do I want to start being religious? How do I want to raise my kids one day? What type of person do I want to marry? Even questions like, what should I study in school? Well, the gospel answers ALL of those questions! The people here actually ask us these questions and my first day here I thought it was too good to be true... haha

4. I LOVE SLC. I love being downtown in the busy commotion of stuff. I like to pretend I'm in NYC and in Gossip Girl or something. Sorry... dumb... sorry!

5. I feel like I'm a college student living a normal life again and that's really awesome. Maybe it's bad that I enjoy feeling human again? It's just fun.

6. The rules are different here and we either have to have 3 females OR 3 males for dinner appointments, so we can eat dinner in an apartment with 3 guys living in it. Weird.... but fun.

7. My social skills will be completely intact when I get home.
8. There's a bunch of nonmembers who got to LDS BC.... easy baptisms. They have to live the honor code and be around Mormons all day anyways!

9. The kids who go to the U.... it reminds me of ASU kids in Tempe who are kinda hippie and stoner and artsy and fun. I've never seen so much beer, cigarettes, alcohol, pistashios (random) and old mattresses my whole mission than I've seen the past week.

10.  It's Salt Lake... so there's literally people from all over the world! Spanish (my sweet comp sister Tranchina is from Spain and she can talk to all the Spanish people) and Asians and Russians and Vietnam and all sorts of places- it's so fun.

Things that went on this week:
-got to go back to Centerville for Robyn's baptism. It was fantastic. Her husband asked to say a few words afterwards. He got up and said he was baptized when he was 8, hasn't been to church in 20 years, but he's always relied on the Holy Ghost and always had it with him. He said he's excited to start getting back into church. How cool is that? It was awesome. and Sister H was there and I love her.

-Got to go say goodbye to the Bleak's. Kim bought me this necklace with charms from all the areas I've served in and all my baptism names and what not... it was so sweet I almost cried! I will miss her.

- General Women's Broadcast with some investigators.  Ran into Samantha Harms!

-We're teaching this guy named Christian. He's Mexican and looks kinda rough around the edges... but he's such a sweetheart and he's so shy. He doesn't really talk to us but he sends us all these long texts with tons of smiley faces hahah - he wants to be baptized so bad and keeps asking how long he has to be a member before he can serve a mission. He's so precious.

-Ghetto apartment in Rose Park, but it's ok- we live with another set of sisters so we get to stick together! It's not too bad. Plus we have bikes! We can ride them when we teach people around Rose Park where we live, and we can use them for exercise.

Overall... it's so fun. I'm learning a lot. I love YSA. I loved women's conference. Have a good week!

Heidi

Me and Robyn

General Women's broadcast - with Katja, an investigator

recent converts and investigators at the General Women's broadcast

Look who I ran into!  (A friend from our ward in Mesa)

My new area - Rose Park

The Pham Fam - haha

Hospitals, Girl Cat Fights, Lack of Sleep and Service

Hello. This was the most stressful week of my entire mission. Let me fill you in ...

1) One of our Spanish sisters- Sister Pineda, has been really sick. Her neck was all swollen up and she hasn't been able to sleep or function or anything. We thought she had mono.  After 2 weeks of lab tests and no improvement, a member took her to the ER. She had an infected lymph node and it needed emergency surgery. Of course President and Sister Hansen were out of town for a mission seminar or something.... lovely. And this would have been ok if our area had nothing going on ... but we are SO busy! And trying to fit in exchanges with sisters before transfers ... so we dropped everything and took care of this. Her companion- Sister Reza- joined us in a trio some of the time; we tried to find her member splits... then Sister Pineda needed someone to stay overnight with her sometimes so me and Sister Bill had to step in. Keep in mind- she's at the Layton hospital.... that's 30 minutes away from our area. We drove back and forth and back and forth, and ran here and ran there and had to cancel lessons and move things around and issue emergency comp exchanges ... and then Sister Reza wanted to go to the temple with her recent convert so we waited outside the temple until literally 11:00 waiting to pick her up... it was a mess. Sister Pineda's ok, though- she's recovering and doing a lot better.

2) A trio of our sisters got in a huge fight amid all of this. Sister T goes home in 6 weeks, she's trying to lose weight by starving herself, she hates her area and her 2 companions and decided to take her anger out by not talking to them or any members for 3 straight days. Her other 2 comps called us frantic and desperate... so we had to go intervene. We showed up at their house and I pulled Sister T out and was so tired and exhausted I was just straight up with her... but it didn't fix the problem, so a couple of days later we had to go on an emergency evening exchange and separate them before they ripped each other's heads off.

3) Found out our zone of almost all sisters has some disobedience issues and they've been, like, trading companions whenever it's convenient and texting each other just for fun and separating from their companions and sleeping in until 10 every day except for when they know we are going to stop by... just all sorts of stuff..... and all of this has been done behind our backs! It was kind of frustrating because we did so much to love them and earn their trust.... I honestly just care about them so much... then to find out they're depriving themselves of the blessings that come from obedience? This is why your area is struggling, sisters! I wish I would have known that before I spent all this time praying and worrying and brainstorming about how to help their areas.

4) Grandma (the lady we live with) had a stroke. Her son (our full time senior couple in the stake) found her on the kitchen floor a couple nights ago and they had no idea how long she'd been there. she's in really bad condition... we went to go see her in the hospital and it's bad. She probably won't live through it. It was so scary. I am SICK of hospitals. At the same time I'm trying not to feel guilty.... we weren't home at all this week... we slept at the house only once this week. Maybe if we were more in tune with the spirit and not frazzled we could have been there and found her earlier? It's hard not to blame yourself... Hope things get better. If she passes away.. the family will sell the house and we'll have nowhere to live. Good thing I'm leaving this area. By the way- I'm getting transferred. And we have 4 baptisms coming up - Robyn's this Saturday, which I'm supposed to speak at. Lovely.

5) It gets better. I'm getting transferred to an apartment in Rose Park (GHETTO) and will be sharing part of the YSA stake with the AP's. Now let me tell you... this area has a rep for being kind of an authority figure's area... so that's cool, I guess. It covers some of the U of U student wards and the LDSBC wards. My comp is Sister Tranchina from Spain. She is so sweet and so skinny (I hope it rubs off on me). I don't know if I'm excited or not ... to be honest, I'm sick of working with YSA's my age (by that I mean other missionaries, haha) so we'll see... I'm still a STL but only over 3 sets of sisters now instead of 6. That will be nice! I have NO idea how I'm going to pack all my crap... I am so beyond tired you have no idea. And how I will fit it all... one thing at a time, I suppose. I just really wasn't expecting to leave yet.

6) Our youth chat we've worked so hard to organize was Sunday night... we got called into an emergency transfer leadership meeting at the same time. We called Rich- had him go and be a "guest speaker" in our place. Thank goodness that worked out.

I've learned a lot this week. I learned the best way to forget yourself is to serve someone else. I have been really happy overall this week because I feel like I made a difference. I learned when life gets hard, stop and pray.  Sister Bill and I had to stop and pray about what to do about a billion times this week. "Who should we put with sister Reza today?" "Help us know the things to say to break up this cat fight;" "please.... help us have enough gas to drive down to SLC, up to Layton hospital and back" (this was a Sunday, hahah); just over and over and over again. I feel like I'm a pro about praying to make a decision about something because I didn't have a choice. I know I wasn't alone this week. So grateful for a wonderful companion who pulled me aside, said, "I'm not letting you teach this lesson - go take a nap," even though I was determined to push through it. The gospel doesn't take your problems away .... but it sure makes it a lot better. A LOT better. I know I couldn't have done everything I did this week without divine help - trust me. I love being able to serve. And plus... I contacted a lot of nurses. ;)

Ogden temple rededication... I tried so hard to stay awake, but...... no. Ok, I heard most of it. We went to 2 sessions. They talked about how important it was to hold a temple recommend and to not take it lightly. It is a big deal, and a big blessing! It was pretty good. I feel bad I slept through most of it... hospitals are so annoying- how do they expect someone to recover if nurses come in every hour and those machines beep so dang loud?  Stupid.

Okay, I'm done, thank you. If I don't email next week - it's cuz I got shot in Rose Park.

Heidi

Living at the hospital with Sister Pineda

Transfer board

I was having a really bad day and my comp saved it ... I don't know if you can read them but some are really funny!

The ZL's brought us a gift .. and good thing, they owe us BIG TIME, just saying.  It was nice of them though, haha

Movie theater popcorn withdrawals ... one of our bishops came to the rescue!

Sister Dalton and a baptism

Hello family and friends. It's me, again. I know you're excited to hear how the magical land of South Centerville is doing. It's as exciting as ever.... (slight sarcasm cuz I'm a brat) but it really has been kind of exciting.

Shaneka Pham was baptized. It was a great experience. Her less active mother and non member father were both there. Her mom's name is Heidi and it's kinda weird... Heidi and Hung. Hahah - sorry. The baptism was really great though ... everyone was emotional. She gave me the longest hug afterwards and started crying on my shoulder and I was thinking "okay, okay, I know I'm awesome... but it was the spirit, not me ..." hahah, sorry again. This email's weird... And her younger sister Jacelynn has decided to be baptized on October 11th! Yay! At the lunch after her baptism, the family invited all the wonderful fellowship families in the ward... there are some REALLY good fellowshippers there. And Shaneka had a friend there... who was a male... a "friend from school." Yeah, OKAY. I was a teenage girl once. They're definitely dating. I felt like she was my daughter and I suddenly got this defensive thing.... first of all - she's cute. That scares me. And she's 15. And I've heard from other YW that they get touchy in the halls at school.... I wanted to go up to him and say, "Shaneka just made very serious covenants with Heavenly Father... so could you like, not get in the way of that please?" But I didn't. I was nice! He's a member but apparently not very active.... We'll see about that.

Other investigators ...

Rich came with us to teach Robyn the other night. I thought it would be a good idea for both of them, a way for him to serve and share his testimony; he could answer her questions and concerns. He was SO excited! He said he'd been looking forward to it all day. He showed up in a suit with his hair all nice... it was really good! Afterwards he called us and said.. "

I just called the bishop and asked how much I'd have to pay him to call me as a ward missionary." Hahah it was funny! He's doing really well. Robyn didn't come to church yesterday... she said she was sick. I hope she really was and it's not second thoughts ... We're kinda worried because there's no church next Sunday (Ogden temple dedication) and she's getting baptized the S1aturday after that... pray she can stay strong until then! She said the no smoking's going well though?

We started teaching Patricia and Katrina. Patricia moved from the Centerville stake and was taught all the lessons there. She knows it's true... it's just getting her to take some action. Katrina just married her boyfriend of a couple years who's a less active member. She danced with Ballet West and is covered in tattoos. She's like vegan and all that too ... you know. She's really cool as a person, but as an investigator... she's teaching me patience. She asks all these deep questions about details that aren't important. And in lessons she's NEVER ready when we get there (I'm impatient), and she reads ahead in the lesson so she doesn't listen to a word we say ... so pray for them both, and pray I'll be nice... haha.

We had a fireside for the stake youth last night with Elaine S. Dalton. She is an ANGEL. Seriously she's my role model.... she's just an angel, I don't know how to describe it. When she hugged me I wanted to cry into her shoulder and say "I just love you and wish I look that good when I'm your age and that I glowed with the spirit and wore classy clothes like you do and could be a spiritual beast and teach girls about virtue and be awesome." I didn't. I said something good- don't worry. It was fantastic though. I've been humbled this week and realized that I'm prideful. You know I'm improving if I just admitted I'm prideful! The mission gave us the talk "Beware of Pride" by... Benson? Can't remember. But my whole mission I haven't read it because I've been wanting to read things that will comfort me because life's so hard right now, my companion's so hard to get along with, I'm so stressed, I'm gaining so much weight, I'm sacrificing, etc.... okay well.... the problem with all of those things is pride. Oops. Hahah, so that's been a reality check..

Sister Hansen (president's wife) called one day and asked to come teach with us for an afternoon. I was on exchanges with another sister but she joined us as well and it was fun.

The end.

Vietnamese food with the Pham's

Shaneka's baptism

Hiked to the Centerville flag - hardest thing of my life, I literally almost died

Did Sister Bill's hair (sorry there's a bobby pin showing)

Vietnamese Food and testimony meeting

Hello,

I feel like all week so much happened and then I sit down to write an email and forget it all...... Basically let me just say that this week our numbers were the highest in the zone... maybe a zone record.... we had 23 lessons, 5 new investigators, 4 on date and 6 at church. That is freaking high! We just keep having all these good things happen... I don't know why.... It's really weird.... But we are working really hard - I've honestly never been so exhausted in my whole life. But after a couple of days of dragging yourself out of bed and whatnot - it gets easier and after a while you just get used to being tired, haha. I'll update you on a couple of things....

This past zone conference was focused on the talk "Lock your heart" by President Kimball about not letting romance get in the way of missionary work... interesting focus but it was really good. Grateful I do not struggle with that. Also a big problem in the mission - eating disorders. Sister Hansen pulled all the STL's aside and said if there's even any warning signs of sisters with eating disorders she needs to know about it ASAP. I guess they just sent some elders home with eating disorders too. It's really sad. But I see why..... we seriously get fed so much food here - I don't think anyone understands. Every mission has it's trial, I guess.

Robyn Livingston is doing fantastic. She's still on top of the world! Yesterday In testimony meeting she turned to me and said, "can I go up there?" Okay, I panicked.... Keep in mind if she got up there and preached false doctrine or just said thanks to everyone or talked about her horse or something, it would make me look bad- right? But I said yeah, of course she could. She said "But I don't know what'd I say! I just feel like I should!" so I explained to her, just say the things you know are true... no one plans beforehand what they're going to say. I didn't think she was really going to do it because Robyn is really shy ... like she gets super anxious about large groups of people. But she marched on up there (you should have seen the look on bishop's face) and bore a wonderful testimony. She talked about how she developed her testimony and felt the spirit so strong in the Ogden temple open house. She said thanks for everyone who's helped her get to this point and how she's never been so happy in her whole life. She said she knew the church was true and Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that was that. She also said OMG over the pulpit twice...... I almost died.... I hope people understand we haven't taught her what it means to take the Lord's name in vain yet ... hahah hopefully the rest of it made up for that! Her husband (less active) is coming around too!

Rich got the priesthood yesterday and received a home teaching assignment. His son Tyler's baptism is Nov. 1st.

The Pham's are my new Bleak family. Almost........ they have 4 girls and the oldest 2 are on date for baptism. Their dad isn't a member and he's from Vietnam. He made us legit Vietnamese food this week and that was cool!

I love being a missionary. It's so hard-don't let anyone fool you. But I am so grateful I'm going through all these hard (I know everyone's rolling their eyes and thinking I'm exaggerating, but seriously) things to teach me to grow up and rely on the Lord. I know the church is true and the gospel really does bless families. Have a good week! 6 months, baby and I'm out of here... just kidding! I love my mission. But.... 6 months. Don't worry - I'm still working harder than anyone else. I'm just scared for all the trials that lie ahead in the next 6 months ...

Heidi

mini-golfing with the Gunderson family - some of my favorite people!

Hair makeover on Trichelle - BEFORE

AFTER - darker color for fall!

Vietnamese Food!

Preaching the Gospel to Cute Asians

Hello Family & Friends -

I've honestly never been so tired in my entire life.... seriously, I must be set apart as a missionary partly because that's the only thing that could possibly keep me functioning on this amount of sleep. It's unreal. Some good things happened this week though!

-Robyn Livingston. I've taught her ever since I got in the area.... She refused to come to church. She said she needed to know it was right first. We tried explaining to her over and over again, "you receive no witness until after the trial of your faith;" action is needed! She wasn't buying it. She would pray to know if the church was true, get overwhelming shivers down her back and then doubt it and say it wasn't the Holy Ghost... she's a sweetheart but it's just frustrating. This week, however... she went to the Ogden temple open house with a friend who's a member. She loved it! She sat in the celestial room for a really long time and prayed to know if this was the course she should take .... she felt the spirit so strong she couldn't walk and 2 people had to stand on either side of her to get her out of the building. Ever since then- there's been a 200% change. We committed her to baptism for the 27 of Sept. She wants more than anything to go back in that celestial room with her husband. He is a member but hasn't been active ever since they've been married (20 years). They want to do this together now, and nothing is going to stop this girl! She's so on fire. When we met with her and she told us about the open house and how she wants to get baptized.... I couldn't stop myself from crying. (I hardly EVER cry anymore- don't know what's wrong with me ... maybe the mission numbed me and that's the way I have to deal with stress... I don't know. It's really stressful to have a companion who has no sense of time and forgets everything. Anyways...)  I've honestly NEVER been so happy in my life. We're always told to picture the people we teach in white... because our goal isn' t just to get people baptized- it's to get them to the temple! She's the first one I've ever done that with. As she was talking... all I could think about it how a year from now- I want to come back up to Utah and go through the temple with her. And that's her goal too! All my other investigators have been too young to think about that ... or their spouses aren't members, or they're single... but Robyn is going to get to the temple! It was such a miracle I can't even describe it!

-Zone conference with one of the 70. It was really intense.... made me feel like a terrible missionary but I'm over it now.

-Hit my year mark! Yippie!

-Sister Bill had to go take an English test to apply for BYU.... (she only spoke French until her mission). So I got to go with her down to the U of U campus and sit in a waiting room by myself for 5 hours. It was like the highlight of my week hahah, plus everyone there was foreign... so I got to talk to a ton of different people! Most of them were from China and knew nothing about Christ... So I taught a bunch of lessons in the waiting room there and handed out pamphlets and went crazy... I felt like a beast, hahah it was awesome- be proud of me, America! This one little Asian girl liked me so much - when Sister Bill got done with her test she's like- "we take selfie?" Ummm, what.... hahah ok! So she took a picture with us. I love Asians.....

That basically sums up life. I don't know why all of these crazy good things are happening... probably because I'm being blessed for exercising patience, gaining weight and not having any sleep...... yay.

Have a good week at school! I'll be home in 6 months, don't forget about me!

Heidi

"We take selfie?"  Haha!

My one-year celebration - frosties!