5/13/13

Mom thank you for that quote!!!! It was perfect! I loved seeing everyone yesterday!!!! That was SO amazing! I miss you guys all so much!!!!

Well I don't really know what to update you guys on, I told you pretty much everything last night. We still haven't heard from Chucky, and we are still investigator-less. But talking with our families has given us a renewed desire and work ethic!

This past week we had zone conference. It was so great! The Valinga's are such incredible people. I love them so much! Sis. Valinga gave a talk on covenants. It was so nice to be able to be reminded of the Temple and to focus on that for a little bit since we don't have the opportunity to go. Pres. talked a lot about what an excellent missionary is. I have a lot of work to do! All the missionaries from our zone that will be going home in the next 3 months bore their testimonies. Lately I have been receiving so many answers to my prayers through people's testimonies! It's awesome! One of the AP's said something that I don't think I'll ever forget. He said, "we come out here thinking we're just going to go with the flow and we don't really get it. And then we become something". It was so awesome! I am in the process of being sculpted by the Lord, He is helping me become what He wants me to be, the missionary that He wants me to be. I realized that I don't have to be perfect right now, I just need to do my best. I am new, no one is expecting me to have this all done immediately. I am becoming, I haven't become. It brought a lot of peace to my mind and comfort to my heart. I love that our Heavenly Father truly knows us and knows what we need. I love Him a lot. : )

 

I'm so glad you guys all got to meet the Rohrers! They are such an incredible family and they mean so much to me! They have become part of my family!

 

I love you guys and miss you all A TON!!!!

I hope all is well and that you guys have a good week!

Rachel

Cinco de Mayo Pictures

 

5/6/13

Mom you're the best! I really appreciated all of the encouragement. This week has been another tough one. But things are starting to get better I think. We have been tracting a lot - and that isn't very effective at all. but we don't know what else to do to try and find new investigators. We have been praying so hard that the Lord will lead us to people who are prepared to hear the gospel. So we decided to walk down this street, Smith, and try and find some of the elect. It was really awesome, every door that we knocked on someone answered the door! We talked to this guy, Nate, and his 3 kids. We told him about eternal families and he seemed really interested, told us he wanted to come to church on Sunday and then we set up an appointment to come back friday to teach him about the Restoration. Then we went down the street a little bit and knocked on this guy's door, Seth. He seemed to be about 20 years old and really nice! We left him with a Book of Mormon and set up a return appointment. Well they both canceled on us later in the week. We think Nate had some friends that gave him anti-mormon stuff and now he's not interested anymore and Seth didn't answer. So that was really disappointing. Then Tuesday night we had a lesson scheduled with Chucky. We were teaching the law of chastity. He is living with a woman, not someone he is in a relationship with, just a friend. He is helping her take care of her young kids while he is looking for a new place to live. We told him that he was going to need to move out and asked him if that was something he thought he would be able to do. He asked us if he didn't move out if that would effect his baptismal date. We answered yes. and everything went down from there. He got so discouraged and couldn't believe that we were going to have to push his date back again. He felt like he was doing something good and it was what the Lord wanted him to do. He felt like after all he has done and changed and improved, it still wasn't good enough. We tried to explain that this is just a trial of his faith and that it is something  that we're going to help him get through. We told him to think about the person he was when we met him and who is now and that he isn't the same person! He didn't care, he told us he was done. Like I said, it was a rough week. BUT then the next day we called him and he sounded like he was back to being great again! He said that he ended up staying with Rick and that he was thinking about moving in with them, and that things were going better. We sent him a few scriptures and he said they really helped. Since then we have had 2 more lessons with him and he is back on track for being baptized for May 18th! We are so happy that things are going well again. That was the first time I really had experienced that kind of disappointment and discouragement. It was really hard for me to handle, but we got through it and are tryin to keep moving forward. 

This weekend was stake conference. It was so great! Saturday we went up to the stake building in Talmadge and heard from the stake presidency. The 2nd counselor in the presidency's daughter was one of my teachers in the MTC! She was so awesome! I loved her so much! and then I recognized a younger guy that was there and he looked like he recognized me too and so we talked and it turns out he was one of the students I was in charge of for Get Connected! and then it turned out that he was my MTC teacher's little brother! They're all related!!!! IT was crazy - such a small world! They gave some really great talks! And then on Sunday we watched a broadcast from SLC. Elder Gay, one of the 70's gave a really great talk about service. He was a mission president in Ghana and he talked about how he only regretted accepting the call to serve once. He was on this road on the way to the major city. This road was one of the worst roads in all of Africa, full of potholes and such... It took them 5 hours on this road to get to where they were wanting to go. On the way, he received this phone call from some of his old business associates from the company he used to work for before he retired. The friend informed him about a business deal that he had been apart of and how much money he had made from it. Elder Gay began doing the math and realized how much money he had just lost. It was A LOT of money. He continued to think about this as they were traveling through the African brush. Then all of sudden they were involved in a horrible car accident. The car got stuck in a pot hole and did 3 summersalts. no one in the car was seriously hurt except for him. He had a lot of glass stuck in his head and a huge gapping hole in his arm. They made a turnequit for him and flagged down the nearest car and took him to the city that they had been traveling to. They got to a clinic and the doctor laid him down on his wooden operating table. The doctor noticed his name tage and asked Elder Gay if he knew how he had gotten most of their equipment and the gowns that they were all wearing. Elder Gay said he didn't. The doctor informed Elder Gay that most of the clinic's tools and resources were donated by a senior missionary couple from the church. Elder Gay said that he heard the spirit so clearly in that moment. When one loses his life, that is when he saves it. He was saved by the service of others who had accepted the call to serve. He had almost lost his life and because of the Lord, that is when he was saved. This story really hit home for me. I have been struggling a lot, as you have noticed, with being out here. This is so hard, and I wasn't quite prepared for it. I have been questioning whether I can do this or not. Elder Gay taught me that I have to lose myself here in the Lord's work and that is when I will be saved. As missionary we MUST suffer, that way we will be able to truly understand what the Savior went through during the Atonement. We are losing our lives for those we are trying to serve, and through that service we will find our lives again. It was a really great talk.
I received a package from Maggie on Saturday and it was full of Cinco De Mayo stuff! So Sunday after church we had a little party in our apartment! It was nice to be able to enjoy spending time with eachother being dumb. We took lots of pictures so you would be able to enjoy as well!

I can't wait to skype with you guys next week!!!! The Rohrers are letting us come to their house on Sunday at 2 our time and Skype! I am not sure what account I will be using to talk to you, but we will probably just have Brandon or Rick call you and let you know what it will be so that we can get that all figured out.

Well I'm glad to hear that you guys are all doing well and that the family is good too! I'm jealous you guys are going to OKC for memorial day!!! It's going to be so fun! Make sure you tell everyone hi for me!

I miss you guys and love you all so much! Can't wait for Sunday!!!!!

4/22/13

AHHH!!!! I LOVE THOSE PICTURES!!!! those kids are just so stinkin' cute!!! I can't believe how big they both are! MICHAEL WEIGHS AS MUCH AS HALEIGH????? That's insane! He's going to be an NFL player one day - for sure!

Sounds like you guys have been busy this weekend! That's so awesome to hear how everyone is doing!

Things here are going well! Sis. O'Driscoll's new comp is fantastic! She was one of the training sisters at the Kirtland sites (she ran the sites). She has 2 transfers left in her mission and then she's home to Idaho Falls! She really knows what she is doing and they are already having a ton of success!

Chucky is doing good. We had a church tour with him Thursday night. It was fantastic! We ended in the Chapel. Sis. Carlson and I sang "I Need Thee Every Hour". He said that he could really feel the spirit. We asked him to say the closing prayer and he cried! He said one of the most sincere, heartfelt prayers I have ever heard! It was so awesome. Then later on we found out that there might be some potential problems. It looks like he is going to become a father here soon. We're not quite sure how that is going to effect his baptismal date (Which we have already had to push back 3 weeks). So hopefully he can get that figured out and then we can either teach his family or just him or no one. We're not quite sure...

Jason is now in the other sisters' area. We have split the Massillon ward into north and south. I am on the south side and Sis. O'D and her trainer are on the north side, where Jason is.

The split has been the source of a lot of frustration and confusion for the ward and us. We have some members, the Hildebrands, in the ward who are so awesom! They would do anything for the missionaries. THey live for the missionaries. Because there are less members on the south side, we aren't being fed very often. The Hildebrands are convinced that we are starving. which we aren't. So they came to the transfer meeting on Tuesday and talked with President. Bro. Hildebrand chewed him out about the rules. We aren't allowed to go out of our area, even for dinners, and we can only meet at the same members' home twice a month. So Bro. Hildebrand was yelling at President over this stuff and got him to agree that we were allowed to go to his house once a week and that he could bring the north sisters food if they needed it too. It was so embarresing. We felt so bad for president. So we went up after and appologized and talked to him about it. Hopefully Bro. Hildebrand can let it go and just move on, but he most likely won't. A lot of the members don't understand that these aren't rules that the president makes up, these are rules from the first presidency. and if we aren't being obedient to these rules, we won't have the spirit with us. We teach by the spirit and if we don't have it then what are we doing? SO we've been trying to explain this, I think they are starting to understand...

Right now I'm doing good with stuff. We do have a washer and dryer in our apartment building, we have to use quarters though. But it's better than some. We usually don't have a lot of time on P-Day to get everything done that we need to, it's really frustrating. Today after we email we are going to Steak N' Shake with the Elders and then we are going to play sand volleyball outside! We can't wait. We also need to go clean our car - inside and out, and do laundry and go to the store and eat dinner. Then we are helping the Rohrers move! Rick's sister-in-law's husband just died and with the insurance money she bought them a beautiful home - fully furnished! So there isn't much moving to do, just some cleaning.
But a typical day for us starts when we get up at 6:30. We try and exercise till 7. then we get ready for the day. at 8 we start our personal study and then from 9-11 we have companion study. at 11 we usually have lunch and then start proselyting our have appointments. we get an hour for dinner at 5 and then we usually don't get home every night until 9. we plan for the next day till 9:30/45ish and then go to bed at 10:30. It's pretty crazy. I'm still exhausted all the time. We call it righteous fatigue. :)

BUt things are going good! we have been blessed a lot this week and have seen the hand of the Lord in this work.

We have this investigator, Debbie, who is married to a convert. We have been having such a difficult time trying to get her to read the Book of Mormon. As we were studying, we came across Alma 32. It talks about how faith isn't perfect and that if we just exercise a particle of that faith that it will grow within us. It compares the word (the Book of mormon) to a seed and that as you experiment on the word that the seed will begin to grow within you and will become delicious to you. This really hit home for Debbie. I love Alma 32. Because it tells us that it's okay that we don't have a perfect knowledge, we only need a desire. We have to be dilligent and patient as we nourish that seed, but once we do it will sprout up into the tree of everlasting life! The scriptures need to be like air to us, we must read the Book of Mormon daily! I have learned so much from the Book of Mormon in the last 2 months. I have read scriptures that I have read a hundred times and suddenly they make so much sense to me in ways I never thought they could. THE BOOK OF MORMON IS AWESOME!!!!! I want to give a copy to everyone I see! READ IT!!! Seriously, there is nothing better that you can do with your time than to read the Book of Mormon.

Well I love you guys! I miss you so much! I have your pictures all over my room. I think about you all everyday!

I hope you guys are all amazing and that you can see the Lord's hand in your lives!

 

love you!

Rachel

4/15/13

Wow family! You have all been super busy!!! I love it! I hope dad is going to be able to recover from all of that driving! I worry about him sometime! Hopefully Grandma can get some rest now too that tax season is over. I can't believe how much she does! She's incredible. I bet Sarah looked gorgeous for prom! I can't believe she's old enough to do that now! That's hilarious that she liked the food more than the dance... I might need to have a chat with her on Mother's Day...

The seasons are definitely changing and my allergies know it! I got some Claritin so I should be good for a few more days. The weather is so great! We went and played sand volleyball with all the elders in our district this morning. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL OUTSIDE! I am sad that the humidity is going to start getting bad though. but some members did tell me that St. Louis weather is way worse than it is here, so that made me feel a little better.

THE PACKAGES WERE AWESOME!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! my companions and I LOVED them!!!! The cookies are great! All the other things were wonderful and the music is fantastic! We have a cd player in our apartment and we can play them in the car, so we have plenty of music to go around now! Unfortunately only the Mo-Tab CD's are working for some reason... I'm going to try and figure it out with a member maybe to see if I can re-burn the other ones to get them working. We'll see how that works out... I'll send pictures of me opening the packages later, it was a pretty big ordeal, I was very excited!

The work is going well! Chucky is still progressing! we had a lesson with him last week. The lesson before we had committed him to pray to know if this is the true church and that he should be baptized. He told us last week that he had gotten an answer. He had prayed before he went to bed that night and then had an amazing dream. He told us that in his dream he saw what his life would be like with the gospel and he knew that it was the true church and that he needed to be baptized. Then we taught him about the Book of Mormon and told him that it had the power to change his life. We spent a lot of time talking about the blessings that come from reading the Book of Mormon. Once you have a testimony of the BoM you then know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, the Christ is you Savior, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true. We asked him how long he thought it would take him to read it and to try and understand it. He said 3 days. HOW AMAZING IS HE??? So we committed him this week to read it and finish it in a week. He's a sponge, just soaking everything up that we give him! The Lord definitely prepared him to hear the Gospel.

We also had a miracle this past week when we were trying to contact a referrel we had received from mormon.org. Jason Sabo had requested a missionary visit a few weeks ago. We tried calling a few times and then a lady answered and she yelled at us saying she wasn't Jason and to never call her again... So we assumed he gave us a phony phone number. So we tried to stop by his apartment complex, but he didn't give us his apartmetn #... So we decided to stop by one more time. I had gotten a really bad headache and just wanted to go home and take some drugs. but Sis. Carlson wanted to stop by his place because it was on our way. So I said fine, I'll wait. so we tried to get to his place but Sis. Carlson ended up getting lost a few times (she's terrible with directions) and then we finally got to his place and parked. We said a prayer (we pray before we get out of the car to teach a lesson every time) and then went to the trunk to grab some supplies. As we were at the trunk a jeep pulled up. Sis. O'Driscoll and I looked at eachother and said, that's him, that's Jason. A man got out of the Jeep and went inside. We walked up to the door of the apartment complex and this man was just inside the door getting his mail. He opened the door for us and asked if we were coming in. We said yes and then asked him if he knew a Jason Sabo. He said, "that's me". IT WAS AWESOME!!! We told him who we were and why we were there. He told us that he was really busy at the moment, he was home for his lunch break but we got his correct phone number and wants to meet again for a lesson. he seems actually interested and potentially a great investigator! We'll see how it goes, we're excited about it.

Sis. O'Driscoll is from Elkridge, UT. IT's a small town about 30 min. south of Provo. She's great! It is such a blessing to be with her especially since we already knew eachother in the MTC. Its making the transition a lot easier. She is getting a new trainer (this will be her 3rd trainer) tomorrow. We are splitting the area again and are hoping the adjustment will be smooth. So we will all go back to having just 1 companion. I'm excited about it.

Apparently I have been teaching the lessons in my sleep... When I wake up in the mornings my companions let me know how well my teaching is improving. I think of you everytime mom - it's all your fault.

So I got some terrifying news from President this week. After this transfer, when my 12 weeks of training is up, I will be training a new missionary. I wanted to go home. I kept thinking "there is no way". it seems impossible. I am not too confident in myself yet and I dont' want to have the responsiblity to train someone new and possibly destroy their mission forever. I would really appreciate prayers. President told me that he was confident that he could put me in a new area with an apartment, a car, and a new missionary and I would be able to go to work. I pray that he is right. I do have faith that the Lord will make a way, or else I wouldn't be asked to do this. That's something that I have definitley gained a testimony of. The Lord asks us to do really hard things because He knows we are capable of it with His help. That's the only way I am able to do the things we do, is because of Him. I am weak. I am lazy. I am dumb. But He makes me better. He makes me strong, hard working, and smart. It's through Him that I am able to be a missionary doing His work.

Well I miss you all very much! And again thank you for the packages! I even got a letter from Cory and Steph with a bunch of pictures of the kids and it made my day! I opened it and started uncontrollably weeping! My companions were pretty concerned. I didn't realize how much I miss those little guys! Mike looks adorable in his helmet and Haleigh looked so beautiful in her Easter dress.

I love and miss you all so much! I hope all is well for you back home and that you're all enjoying having Rex back!

-Rachel

4/8/13

 

 

Wow mom! So much exciting news from this week! I can't express how proud I am of Rex! HE'S SUCH A STUD!!! I can't wait to hear where he gets called to! YOU HAVE TO VIDEO IT AND SEND IT TO ME!!!!! you also need to send me videos of Haleigh and Michael! I miss those kids! I'm glad you all got to spend the weekend together! I'm so jealous.

The people here are feeding me well! We get a lot of pizza, so I know I'm gaining weight. We have an exercise room in our club house so we need to really start using it. We have a car. There is only 1 set of sisters in the whole mission who have bikes. We love our car! Except my trainer is a really terrible driver, so hopefully it stays nice, we already had to send one car back and trade it for a new car...

This week was an okay one. Sis. O'Driscoll and I got sick. We both had a cold. I think mine actually is allergies. But we got blessings and are feeling MUCH better. That is one thing that I have always had a testimony of but it has grown so much since being out here. I love the Priesthood!

We have a few new investigators. Chucky is Rick Rohrers step-son (although he's never called him a step-child, he's just another one of Rick's kids). He is so golden! He committed to being baptized on April 27th! I am so excited about this one because it's actually mine! I will have taught him the whole time he's been taking the lessons! I can't wait! We are also teaching the wife of a less-active member in the ward. Donny and Lorrie Shannon. She seems really prepared to hear the gospel. Her husband works on Sundays so they can't really get to church. But when we taught them he seemed like an active member, such a strong testimony. He's been a great help in teaching her. We have also been receiving a few referrals from the ward, which is a miracle! We have been praying and trying so hard to get referrals from the members and it's finally starting to work! We also hope that with this conference people will "Catch the Wave"!!!

General Conference was so amazing!!!! I loved it so much! There were so many awesome talks on families and on keeping the commandments! My favorite one was by Pres. Eyring. I have been praying really hard for you guys that you will all be well. I have been worrying about Cory and Steph and the kids and Rex in Rexburg and Sarah in high school. Pres. Eyring said that I can depend on the Lord to draw nearer to my family as I serve Him. What a comfort!!! That was an answer to my prayers! It was exactly what I needed to hear right now. OH and Elder Holland!!!! WOW!!! I love his talks. They are always so amazing, I learn so much from him.

What were your favorite talks????

Mom-thanks for the updates on the ACM's, I really appreciate it! haha!
That's so funny about what Luke said about the gaining weight. It is so true!!!! I got to see him in the MTC once at a devotional. He looked so good! Such a stud.

 

They have changed the email rules and I am now aloud to email friends as well as family!!! I only get to check it once a week on Mondays, but still, it's pretty exciting!!!

 

Well I love you guys! Keep doing well! Thanks for keeping me updated on everything! You guys keep me going out here!

 

Rachel

4/1/13

Well that is exciting news! I'm so happy that Sarah had a chance to have fun for Easter break! It's great to hear that Rex is making appointments!!!! I can't wait to hear all about it! So proud of that kid!
 This week was incredible! It started out kind of crappy. We had to take Sis. Yates to the mission home and send her back to Utah. That was really tough. I got really close with her and it wasn't easy to say goodbye. President surprised us though! Sis. Bell who trained Sis. Yates came by the mission home to say goodbye too! AND Sis. Bell's companion is my MTC companion Sis. Dahle! It was so wonderful to see her again, especially with having to say goodbye to Sis. Yates! It was a tender mercy.

Tuesday we did some stop-by's to some potential investigators. those went well! We met Bertha. She had been meeting with previous sisters before my trainer was here. She likes to learn about Jesus and is excited to learn more about our faith.

Wednesday we did some service with a recent convert and her sister. She lives in an assisted living center and we put together some book shelves for her room.

Thursday we had a lesson with Gary and Debbie Haubert. Gary is a less-active and Debbie is investigating. It was good! Debbie is a believer that if it's not in the Bible, it's not true. So we've been having a difficult time with her getting her to read the Book of Mormon. She is waiting on an answer from God to tell her if it's what she should do.

Friday we had our last appointment with the Rohrers as investigators!

They were baptized on Saturday!!! It was incredible! They are so amazing. The service went beautifully! My trainer and I and a young sister from the ward sang a beautiful song and they enjoyed that. THey looked amazing in white!

Later on after the service we went over to the Morrison's home. They are such a fun
 family! They fed me the first meal I ever had on my mission. Margie reminds me a lot of Maggie Chapman - super crafty! (She wants you to add her as a friend on my Facebook page... Margie Morrison in Canal Fulton, OH.)

Sunday was Easter. It was a great Sacrament meeting, the talks were great! 3 hour we talked a lot about the ward mission plan and how we can help the members with their missionary efforts. we had them all write down 4 names of people in their area or people that they work with. we had them write down 1 person who has recently moved, 1 person who has recently lost a loved one, 1 person who recently had a baby, and 1 person who is struggling with raising a teenager. We invited them to pray over these 4 names this week and then pick 1 and invite them to meet with us. The members are our best asset when it comes to getting new investigators. It's the way that works the best and we are really struggling with this ward. But we are going to begin a 40-day fast where 1 family takes a night and they fast for missionary opportunites and the ward does it for 40 days. I think it's going to be really effective!

The Rohrers were also confirmed on Sunday and were given the gift of the Holy Ghost. That was so incredible. The spirit was so strong! Sam, the daughter, was blessed to have a desire to one day serve a mission!! I got really excited baout that. And Brandon says that he is planning on serving a mission! THey are so awesome! THEN, last night we get a call from Rick, and he said that his step son wants to be baptized, just like that! we were screaming we were so excited! And they have already been bringing Tina to their lessons. She is 15 and is Rick's neice. She is super sweet and adorable and wants to know what her family is doing and is really interested! They were born to be missionaries!

We did have a dinner appointment set up, but then the member got sick and cancelled, so we had cereal at the apartment. But it was actually good, Sis. O'Driscoll started feeling terrible and is really sick. It turned out to be a good night!

Mom you're so funny! Missionary life is hard. It's exhausting. But it's so worth it! Sometimes it's really frustrating being with the same people 24/7, but we make it work. In my district there are the 3 of us sisters and there are 6 elders and a senior couple. The elders are great! Lots of fun. The senior couple is nice. I don't think they trust us young people... But they're nice. We are actually meeting 4 of the elders for lunch after we email. and to answer your other question - money is alright. It's a little tight, they give us $150 a month. For the most part it really is great! There is a couple in the ward, Ralph and Pam Hilldebrand, who take the sisters shopping for groceries every month so that we don't have to spend our money. They are the sweetest people. So that helps out a lot.

Things here are great! The work is progressing and I am loving it!

Miss you guys! Tell everyone hi for me!

Love you!!!!!!!

-Sis Chapman