October 17, 2016

Okay, this week was random and jumbled but EPIC, legit!!

We finished teaching K the commandments and she went to the LA temple on Saturday! The youth went down and she went through the Visitors’ Center while the youth went in to the temple for baptisms and she LOVED it! She said the spirit there was incredible and she just kept looking at the temple and said she had this feeling inside that she’s never felt before, but she wanted to go into the temple more than anything. She picked a date for November 12; she'll be going to Utah with a member family for Thanksgiving and wants to go to the temple while they're there! Her family is not too supportive of her baptism, so if everyone could PLEASE pray for her that would be super appreciated! I’ve never met someone with as much faith. She's already planning on going on a mission. Mind you, her being introduced to the church came from her friend inviting her to the sacrament meeting when he'd be giving a talk. So simple, but look what came! We really don’t know who is prepared in our lives; it’s our job to share the good news about Christ with EVERY one!

We taught B the Plan of Salvation, or God’s plan for us, and she said that she's been wondering what the purpose of life is, and that we answered her!! Now is the time to prepare to meet God, now is the time to grow our faith and serve others and become better people! Plus more. Ha ha, we had a super long discussion on it and she wants to be baptized so badly. AND we saw E, the cool old genius, and it turns out he was one of the men who discovered that the chromosome was made up of DNA strands and not a skeleton... HE’S SO SMART, and still has the strongest testimony of Christ!

So the BIGGEST thing to happen this week was a MEMBER OF THE SEVENTY came and spoke to us. Elder Cook!! We had a 6 hour discussion on repentance and how to teach is effectively, it was incredible!! We talked about how it’s a way of life, refining ourselves and becoming better through the atonement, and I sure wish I had time to elaborate on everything I learned. But I WILL share my favorite analogy!! Sister Cook was speaking to us and she told us how after a caterpillar forms a cocoon, it releases an enzyme that turns it to LIQUID! And then AFTER that it becomes a butterfly. SO, if we ever feel like our life is a big soupy mess, we can know that God is refining us and we'll come out on top soon! We also talked about making Christ our senior companion, about how we need to go to Him in EVERY decision, and once we do that we allow HIM to hasten His work! He’s in the details, he knows where the elect are and He is ready to help all of us in every aspect of our life!

 

"During the pupa stage the caterpillar does not feed or grow bigger.
All that eating they did prior during their larva stage provides energy for this transition.
Metabolic activity forms new organs creating the adult butterfly,
while chemically deteriorating the organs from the caterpillar." 

WISH I had more time, but I love you all so much and God continues to work miracles!!

Sister King, Sister Hays, and the Bishop Sisters!

Sister Hayes and Sister King
Don't know about the crowns.....
Bakersfield, CA, October 2016

Sister Hayes, Sister King, and her
former companion Sister Clegg
Bakersfield, CA, October, 2016

Bro. & Sis, Swan, who work in the
Mission Office, and Sister King
Bakersfield, CA, October 2016

October 10, 2016

The weeks just go by so quickly as the mission goes on.... this one was KILLER!!

So I had a stomach bug starting Thursday afternoon and the only thing that stayed in my system between then and Sunday evening was 10 saltines, a banana and a bowl of tomato soup. It was the first time I’ve got something other than a cold my whole mission! We were fasting Sunday to find people to teach, since we haven’t found anyone new to teach since I’ve gotten in the area and all our plans and appointments were falling through. We remembered that a member at church told us to stop by his neighbor who had taken the discussion before, so we book it over there before dinner to meet him. He went to Columbia, Stanford, Notre Dame and UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND!! He’s 85, loves God and said that he would love to learn more and about Christ again! We taught him at his doorstep and we were feeling great. Until he closed the door, then Sister Hayes’s head started pounding and the 3 days of essentially no food caught up with me and we both almost collapsed! God gave us the strength that we needed to have one last miracle during the day! Our district leader also got us milkshakes from Starbuck’s on Monday, on the condition that we find someone to teach, so we were able to fill our end of the bargain!

We taught our investigator K again. She'll be going to Utah with the family that introduced her to the gospel for Thanksgiving and she’s been having a hard time getting her grandparents to open up to the church. She’s been hesitant to set a date but she told us that she wants to get baptized within the month so that she can go to the temple with over Thanksgiving!! It was the coolest thing ever, she ALREADY has that goal and she isn’t even a member yet! We've been going over the commandments but the White’s essentially taught her all the lessons already, and she is seeing how the gospel is blessing her every day! 

Most of the people we are teaching were sick, so is everyone in town, so this week was a little slower, BUT we had an old woman we do service for, who survived WWII in Croatia, Germany and eventually California, come and speak to the Young Women in mutual and it was awesome! 

We went on exchanges in Oildale (hometown of Merle Haggard) and yet again, I have been companions with both my Sister Training Leaders! The last 3 transfers that’s been the case, it’s awesome! So I got to go out with Sister Larsen and it felt just like old times, haha. 

OKAY, so I’m in Alma for my Book of Mormon reading and I’m reminded of how much I love the book of Mosiah! My favorite part is when Alma leaves all the wicked men he is working with and starts teaching the people in the city about Christ and what he’s learned and felt because of the Savior. They learn about baptism and are so excited for it that they literally clap their hands for joy! They describe baptism in chapter 18 and it says:

"8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?"

I love how it shows that baptism, and the gospel in general, better enables us to serve those around us, to help others as Christ would, and to especially come even closer to Him!! I love this gospel SO MUCH and am so blessed to teach other about it every day!

Sorry it’s short, I’m in a rush, but I love you all so much :D Have a great week!

The Bakersfield West Zone Sister Missionaries!
Sister Kuang is from Taiwan.
October 2016

The Bakersfield West Zone Sister Missionaries!
Sister Kuang is from Taiwan.
October 2016

October 3, 2016

Holy General Conference, it makes the rest of the week look like a BLUR! I can honestly say that there was not a single talk that I didn’t absolutely LOVE! The biggest thing that stood out to me is how all the talks were on repentance and joy, how we're here to follow Christ and to change so that we can be HAPPY!!  Which was extremely evident in the investigators we were able to teach this week!

First off, a quick story about how much God loves us. As missionaries, we can only shop on Mondays and we ran out of TP on Thursday.  So, to remain obedient, we made a deal that if anyone asked if we need anything, we'd say toilet paper. SO, sure enough, it happened, and we both hesitantly looked at each other and then asked the member for some TP and they start freaking out!! The wife said that an HOUR BEFORE, her husband looked at her and said "The sisters are coming over tonight.... we should go get some toilet paper." "Sweetie, why do we need to get toilet paper?" "For the Sisters!" And this happened BEFORE WE EVEN ASKED!! #blessed

We taught a man named D who the sisters found about a month ago. He’s had a super hard life, he adopted a little boy who died at 13 and the cat he’s had for 20 years just passed away, he lives with a roommate but feels extremely lonely all the time and he was praying for help when the sisters knocked on his door! We read the Book of Mormon with him and he said how his life isn’t changing, but his attitude is and he feels so much closer to God. And I love how THAT’S what was emphasized at conference! The church, the scriptures, the people we meet, these are all tools to get us to Christ and it is HIM that changes us from the inside out! HE is the one to lift us and strengthen us, and HE is the one, and the only one, who can bring us joy.

We've been teaching K still, and we were able to watch Conference at a member’s home with her! It is such a cool example of member missionary work, he simply invited her to come to church and her life is forever changed because of it. She’s progressing and coming closer to God and she has His spirit even more abundantly in her life. She said her favorite talk was the one on missionary work; her family is still against the church, but we know that as she keeps being an amazing example to them, that their hearts will soften!

If you remember, this IS the area with all the car trouble earlier this year! Prayers please!! I do not want that to happen again... and the car is literally gold, like, THAT is the color!

Friday was the craziest day ever, at 7 am we taught seminary, and it was the coolest class EVER! It’s crazy how much better the rising generation is than all of us, ha ha, God's sending His strongest children down now, since the world's at its craziest! Teaching seminary was awesome!! We just talked about missions and tested them on what they’ve learned the last month, the teacher is an angel that we love and we offered to help.

Right after that we had a lesson with B, who has a very similar story to D, but her mom was actually taught and when the missionaries went by to see her they met B! She’s young but told us how she needs a church to be grounded in so she can raise her future family with good values. and when we told her about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon and how her relationship with her Savior can improve, she just said "I am going to read and I’m going to know it’s true." Then we had district meeting, and we gave a training on revelation through the Book of Mormon that was MIND BLOWING, all on exactly how it will improve our lives for the better. THEN, right after, we had another lesson with a guy who only wanted to argue, not to learn, and it was impossible to leave, and we were so exhausted and ready for bed and it was like 2 in the afternoon, ha ha. What a time to be alive!!

We give service every week for this old Croatian woman who doesn’t want to be a member, but LOVES missionaries! And we help this less active member who is trying to prove God exists with science. I love it here!

And then of course, CONFERENCE!! Boom. Too good. Just another amazing testimony builder that this really is God’s church, it’s impossible to listen to the words of God’s prophets and NOT come closer to Him, just like it’s impossible to read the Bible with a willingness to learn and not come closer to Him! God is just pouring out His blessings all the time and I am so grateful to be a part of His work!