Starting a New Chapter

At O'Hare

On Tuesday morning we went to the Draper Temple with all of the departing sisters. It felt so good to be in my Father’s house. I felt at peace with what I had accomplished and that everything would be just fine after my mission. Later that day we had a departing dinner on the tenth floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. We had a wonderful view looking over the east side of the valley. After dinner we had a testimony meeting. President Gillette asked each of us to share what we learned on our mission that we are going to apply after. The first thought that came to my mind was “charity”. It was the Christlike attribute that I worked the most on developing. When I was in my fourth transfer with Sister Fogg we were in the West Gate booth and one time a man walked by and Sister Fogg said, “I wish I could go out and talk with him, he seems like he has a really great story”. I distinctly remember thinking to myself, “I don’t want to go talk to him”. I was terrified of talking with people and didn’t care enough about them. I have really come to appreciate the importance of not just viewing people as someone else walking around the Square, but viewing people as a child of God that is important and needs to be loved and treated kindly just like everyone else.

“Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.”—D&C 18:10

I want to apply that to my life. I want to be able to love people more and to think more of them and how I can serve them than what they can do or think of me. A desire to serve comes from the ability to love. In coming on my mission I’ve started to learn how to keep the first two commandments!

Matthew 22:36-39

Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

What a blessing! I still have a lot to learn in that area, but I’m much better off than I was in the first place!

At about 7:00pm on Tuesday night, the night before I went home, it was Sister Bat-ulzii and my p-day. I had finished packing, I wasn’t going to write any letters, and Sister Bat-ulzii didn’t have anything to do either. We were sitting on our very hard and uncomfortable couch and she asked with a big smile on her face, “do you want to go to the Square?” It definitely was an out of the box idea because the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind. I thought I was all done with missionary work, but I thought, “why not?” We got back in our missionary attire and headed down to Temple Square for the last time. As we were leaving the apartment building we got a text announcing that they needed sisters to take the English part of a motor coach (most of it was in Mandarin). I responded as fast as I could and we got it. So we went down to the West Gate and waited for our people to come. The tour was with six people and it wasn’t a banging good tour, but it certainly was the best way to end my proselyting mission. Sister Bat-ulzii helped me to sprint to the very end. I am so grateful for her and her desire to serve the Lord.

In the basement of the North Visitors’ Center there is a quote in the “Love Thy Neighbor” exhibit that I love:

When we concern ourselves more with others, there is less time to be concerned with ourselves! ...The more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls. We become more significant individuals as we serve others. We become more substantive as we serve others—indeed, it is easier to “find” ourselves because there is so much more of us to find.

--Spencer W. Kimball

I know that when we are serving others the way that the Savior would, our lives are more fulfilling and have greater purpose. What a blessing it has been to serve Heavenly Father in this capacity, I will be forever grateful for this opportunity that I have had. Now I have a lifetime to live my life in a way that shows my gratitude!

MIRACLE Week!

Lorena got baptized and confirmed!!! That is the best news of the week. We talked to her Sunday night after her confirmation and she was just so happy. Now she has entered in by the gate and she'll have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost as well as a supportive ward. I'm so excited for her.

Here is another story for the week. We met Debbie and Robert a week ago on Monday. They were standing in front of the Brigham Young display in the South Visitors' Center and as missionaries do, we stopped to talk with them. I could tell right away that Debbie was interested, Robert less so, but we offered to show them around and Debbie was excited for it and Robert was being a supportive husband. As we talked with them we found out that Debbie had met with the missionaries about 12 years ago for a period of two years. That's a super long time to meet with the missionaries. At first she wouldn't even read the Book of Mormon, but as the missionaries started to show her how they teach the same doctrine she started to soften up to the idea. Well, now Debbie and Robert are retired and full-time RV-ers. They have been on the road since about March of last year going from grocery store food sampling job to grocery store food sampling job all around the country. They are originally from Illinois and they have family back there, but they haven't been back since they left. So that's their background story.

We took them to the Assembly Hall, the Tabernacle and last of all (my favorite miracle spot) the Conference Center. We first went to the Book of Mormon gallery to give Debbie a refresher course and to give Robert an introduction. The history of it and how it came to be made lots of sense to them. Usually that is a good sign. We took them right in front of the HUGE picture of Christ visiting the Americas, the one that you find in the front of cheap copies of the Book of Mormon, and read 3 Nephi 11:14-15 with them. The Spirit was definitely there. After that we went down to the auditorium. Just as we walked in and stood in front of the first row of chairs, knowing that they were feeling the Spirit, I asked them how they felt. They used lots of words to describe the warm comfort that that was there in that room. I love the auditorium of the Conference Center. There have been so many heavenly messages shared in there that it would be hard not to recognized the change in feeling coming in from the street. I told them that what they were feeling is called the Spirit. 

Since they are traveling around so much I wasn't quite sure if they would be able to be taught by the missionaries because I think they were only planning on being here for about three weeks. I offered the missionaries anyways and they really wanted to meet with them. So I got the address of their RV park and sent of the referral that same day with a note alerting the missionaries that they were only going to be in Salt Lake for a limited time. I also got their email address because they were just such a great couple that I wanted to be able to keep in touch with them (they don't really like phones much). A few days ago we sent them an email only half-heartedly expecting a response back because about 98% of the time we don't hear back. BUT they were so sweet and they sent us a reply! They told us that the missionaries had called them that night that we sent the referral and left a voice message. Then they met the next day and had met with the missionaries THREE times! AND they were planning on going to church this Sunday! They even really like these Elders too! Way to go Elders! We're probably going to meet them again this week with their missionaries here on Temple Square. I just love when these things work out.

Another miracle this week happened when I called Angela. She called in for a Bible back from mid-June. She was looking for a free Bible because she really wanted to make changes in her life and she knew that Christ could help. I found out that she is the mother of three children and she has a few mental health issues that she is working with. I offered her the missionaries and the chance to find out how the restored gospel of Jesus Christ could really help her make those changes that she wanted to make. We had tried to call to teach her over the phone a few times, but she didn't answer. This past Thursday I tried calling again and she answered! Well, she has met with the missionaries quite a few times, gone to church, AND she has a baptismal date for July 21! She says that she is really enjoying what she is learning and has even made some friends at church (I don't think she really had friends before). She told me that as she has been learning she has noticed an improvement in her mental health, she can be her self more which is absolutely great. The gospel of Jesus Christ really can change us into the kind of people that we want to be.

As for Independence Day. We had a usual day until about 8:00. We had a hotdog and then we went to the 26th floor of the Church Office Building. We had a music program where we sang hymns and patriotic songs. The most popular song of the night was "Scripture Power"--a Primary song. We had a good time with that one. Then when it was dark enough we watched the fireworks from up there. I learned that fireworks are really best viewed from the ground, but it was good. 

This past Sunday I also announced after Music and the Spoken Word in the Conference Center. That is where a bunch of Sisters announce for tours in their language. Since there are so many English-speaking sisters it has taken this long for my turn to roll around...it was the last time I could have possibly done it. It was kind of fun. We got a tour after that.

One more week...it's going to be great!

Teaching Miracles on Temple Square!

This has been a great week, especially for teaching our investigators. Remember Mike who I told you about last week? Well we've taught him twice now and he is amazing. Before he left Salt Lake he bought himself a Book of Mormon and he has been reading it. The first time we taught him we got to know what his expectations are and we explained our purpose as missionaries to help him come closer to God and Jesus Christ and that is exactly what he is looking for. We taught about who God is and what his relationship is with God. We read Alma 30:44 because I was thinking about how he has been out in the national parks and enjoying the beauty of this earth:

"But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."

After we read this verse he told us that it answered one of his concerns. If there is a God, then why aren't their more signs of Him? Well, there are just signs all around us! It helped me realize that the Book of Mormon really does answer the concerns of the soul. We taught him how to pray and invited him to offer a prayer every day and he said that he would love to do that.

Last night we called Michael again and he kept his commitment to pray everyday. Sister Bat-ulzii and I shared with him a brief version of the first lesson: The Restoration and what we shared with him made sense, so that was good. He says that as he has been reading the Book of Mormon he really has been feeling closer to God...that promise that Joseph Smith extended that is in the Introduction of the Book of Mormon is true:

"Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”

The past few days he had an earache and he told us that while he was talking with us on the phone his ear stopped hurting for the first time. He saw the miracle in it! Heavenly Father truly is touching his life! He said that he would be baptized too, he just wants to be more prepared for it, which is exactly what we are going to help him do!

We also taught Zach for the first time. Sister Bat-ulzii called Zach over the phone because his friend referred him. Zach is really interested to meet with the missionaries. We taught him about God and prayer and he basically already knew and agreed with everything that we taught him. We invited him to be baptized and he told us that he wants to be more prepared, but yes! So we are going to do our best to prepare him on his journey. We're going to be calling him next Sunday and hopefully sharing something new for him.

The best news of the week, though is this. We got a text from Lizbeth on Sunday evening:

"I would like to invite you both to my baptism this coming Saturday at 7:30pm. I will be happy to see you again! Thank you for your prayers!!!"

She is getting BAPTIZED on JULY 7th!!! This is a huge miracle! Two baptisms in ONE transfer! We called Lizbeth last night and she was so sad that we couldn't go (she lives in Las Vegas) and we were sad too. We told her that we would send a picture, though. She told us that her entire family goes to church with her: her daughter, husband, mother, brother, and sister. I was so happy to hear that this has become a family affair for them. I guess I'll just have to go to their sealing someday .

Amy is still excited for her baptism. She just got back from a handcart trek with her ward and she said that she had a great time. We're super excited to go to her baptism.

What incredible miracles!!!

Miracles on Temple Square

Sister Bat-ulzii and me

Sister Bat-ulzii and I met Amy yesterday! She came to Temple Square with her family and her missionaries for an investigator lesson. We talked a lot about vision and how things will probably be difficult at times, but if you keep your goal in mind you'll be able to reach it with Heavenly Father's help. She is excited to be baptized and she knows that it's true. 

We got a text from Lorena this week too:

"Hello Sisters! Thanks to God all my family went to church yesterday. The missionaries are teaching me all I need to know for the interview [for baptism]"

Yay! I love that she keeps us updated with what is going on in her progress.

Last week I told you that we were going to be having mission FHE. It was really fun. We had dinner at a park and a fireside at the nearby church building. The fireside was given by the Christiansens. They are the parents of four children with a very rare form of muscular dystrophy. It sounded like they spent about half of their time in the hospital. It was incredible to hear their story of faith and hope. They had a sure knowledge the God loves their family even despite ALL of the challenges they went through.

Yesterday we took a tour with a group of ten people from New Jersey. They came out west for their college geology class and each year this professor brings her students to Temple Square to hear about "the Mormons". While we were in the Tabernacle we asked if they had any questions...they had a TON of questions. It seemed like most of them were very skeptical of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After the deluge of questions we tried to turn the walking lesson to a lighter level by sharing more about the pioneers so we took them to the handcart monument. On our way there Mike started talking with me and asking questions. He told me that his great grandmother was a member of the church and his mother told him that we pray for the salvation of our ancestors. So I told him about the temple and how we do baptisms on behalf of our ancestors...so we don't really pray for their salvation, but we try to help them with their salvation. It made sense to him. We ended up not talking about the pioneers very much because they had so many questions. They wanted to know if we have our own "Mormon Bible". Then answer is no, we read the King James Version of the Bible as well as the Book of Mormon. One of the women on the tour wanted to look at Sister Bat-ulzii's Book of Mormon so Sister Bat-ulzii handed it to her and she started flipping through it. She looked in the index for a long time and I'm not quite sure what she was looking for, but she held on to it for about 15 minutes. We went into the Assembly Hall and talked about how we worship on Sundays...it's not as surprising as people might think. Then we took them to the Christus. On the way to the Christus I found out that Mike was a philosophy/world religions major and he studied all sorts of religions but not specifically The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so he was really curious about it. He told me that while he had been on Temple Square that he just felt lighter. I told him that is what we call the Spirit and I compared it to how we feel in nature out amongst God's creations. He completely agreed and I taught him that the Spirit teaches us truth. He was just really, really interested so at the top of the ramp to the Christus we invited him to meet with missionaries. He was really excited about that idea so we got his information and we're going to try to call him on Friday and teach him more. It's incredible how the Spirit has so much power to teach us what is true. What a privilege it is to be a missionary and to help people feel closer to their Heavenly Father.

A Great Week For Our Investigators

Hi Everyone! Well, Sister Bat-ulzii and I had another week on the square. It was a good one. This past week we have had four referrals from Temple Square. I don't know when the last time was that I've had so many in one week. Heavenly Father really is blessing us. We haven't really taught any of them over the phone yet, so we'll see how those go...sometimes we never hear from those people again and you just hope that the missionaries there have gotten in touch with them.

We had leadership training this week. It was in President Gillette's son's mother-in-law's home (hopefully that relationship makes sense). It was a huge and beautiful home where just about everything in it has a story behind it. This home was up on a hill so you could see all of the Salt Lake Valley from the backyard. The leadership training was mostly focused on following the Spirit and teaching to people's needs, not just teaching for the sake of teaching. I read a really good article in the July Ensign about teaching the gospel...something to look forward to when that Ensign comes.

The best part of my week happened at 11:39pm on Sunday night...here is some background information: A few weeks ago we taught Lizbeth how to fast because she was going through some difficulties in her marriage. Her husband wasn't on the same page as her when it came to learning about the gospel as well as some other things. We invited her to fast for her family that Sunday and she sent us a text that next Monday telling us that she did. So this Sunday at 11:39pm (Lizbeth doesn't need to be in bed at 10:30pm ) we got this text from her:

"Sisters My husband went to church with us today!!! I believe that he was touched by the Holy Spirit because he cried a lot. God is doing an extra ordinary job with our family. Thank you very much for your prayers. God bless you both!!!"

I love seeing how the gospel is really blessings Lizbeth's family.

This Sunday we had the Finish Strong meeting. The Finish Strong meeting is for all of the departing Sisters and their companions. I can hardly believe that I'm already at this point in my mission. Basically the purpose of the meeting is to encourage us to keep working hard until the very end. That is something that Sister Bat-ulzii and I are working on in our companionship too. Our goal by the end of this transfer is to be equal teachers. I read chapter 7 in Preach My Gospel today about learning a language to find some ideas that we could implement in our companionship to really help Sister Bat-ulzii feel more comfortable with English and to help her feel more successful as a missionary. She has SO much potential and such a beautiful testimony and I want her to feel that way too.

Today we are having a mission FHE. I don't know what prompted the idea, but it sounds like it is going to be lots of fun. We're going to President Seppi's house (President Seppi is in the mission presidency) and having dinner and some kind of fun activities. I think it will be a good way to spend a p-day.

OK, just literally one minute ago our investigator, Amy who lives in Utah that I told you about a few weeks ago, called our cell phone and told me that she is GETTING BAPTIZED on JULY 12!!! SHE'S GETTING BAPTIZED!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT!? I'm glad she called just in time for me to include that in this email...Being a missionary is great.

I Love Being a Missionary

Let me tell you why Sister Bat-ulzii and I are starting p-day 30 minutes late today. It starts with yesterday when we spent six or seven hours on the square and we talked with SO many people. We invited 18 people to meet with missionaries...that is a LOT for just one day and they were all wonderful people. With each person that we talked to that day I could feel that none of them were quite interested to learn more. You would think that after inviting 18 people our odds would be pretty good of having at least one of them want to learn more. Well, odds has nothing to do with how Heavenly Father works. We were just wonderfully tired by the end of the day. Last night I wrote in my journal that it is really hard to find the needle in the hay sometimes, but I know that there is a needle there. 


Today we were on the square and we stopped in front of the doors on the west side of the South Visitors' Center for just a moment. During that moment three people walked in the door--two women and a man who were in their later years. One of the women introduced herself as Brandy and told us that she had been here about 20 times and just knows everything but she wanted us to take her and her aunt and uncle around on a tour. Her aunt and uncle, Kristen and Mark, were visiting from Mississippi for a few days. We took them outside to the handcart monument and explained a little about the sacrifice of the pioneers in coming to the Salt Lake Valley. I told the William Palmer story about how he didn't think he could make it to Salt Lake, but each time he got to the point where he thought he was going to have to give up the cart would start to push him. He would turn around each time to see who was there, and there was no one. William knew that it was the angels of God that were helping him on his way to where he needed to go. I asked them if they had ever had experiences like that in their lives and each of them nodded their heads, "yes". Brandy told us that Kristen and Mark had been through many, many trials in their lives. I asked them what helped them through it and they said, "just lot of faith". They were certainly some humble people. As we were leaving the tabernacle I felt like we should go to the basement of the North Visitors' Center and show them President Monson's testimony of the Savior and the Book of Mormon. There is a part in his video where he poses the question from Job, "If a man die, shall he live again?" and I felt like that was something that they needed to hear--that if a man dies, he shall live again. As we were walking to see the video, Brandy told me about how her father had died and how Kristen and Mark had lost many people in their lives. You can always count on the Prophet to bear powerful testimony of the Savior and the Plan of Salvation. It brought Brandy to tears and I could feel the Spirit there. We went up to the Christus and the Spirit followed us there. Sister Bat-ulzii and I bore our testimonies of the Savior and Sister Bat-ulzii asked an inspired question, "would it be important to you to know if God had called a prophet again?" Mark and Kristen slowly and thoughtfully nodded "yes". I've come to recognize the slow and thoughtful nod and I knew that they would want to learn more. They do. 

As for Lizbeth, things are coming along for her. We received a text from her yesterday:

"Hello Sisters Smiley and Bat-ulzii!!! Everything is going ok. Thank you very much for your prayers! I went to church yesterday. Today I am going to the family night with other members. The missionaries are teaching me the steps prior to baptism. Greetings!!! God bless you both!!!"

...I love the fruits of missionary work.

This morning Sister Bat-ulzii and I went to the temple. They are going to close the temple for cleaning soon so we needed to go before we missed our chance. It was a wonderful way to start our day. 

This past Sunday I gave another talk in a sacrament meeting. Sometimes Sisters from the Temple Square mission go and give talks in other congregations in the area. Sister Bat-ulzii, Sister Nakajima, Sister Albanes, and I went to the East Mill Creek 7th Ward and we each gave a talk. It was Sister Bat-ulzii's first time giving a talk in English and she did an absolutely stunning job. The simplicity and purity of her testimony about prayer touched many hearts. Sister Nakajima talked about scripture study and then we had to do a "special" musical number. This musical number was very special because it was the first time that Sister Nakajima, Sister Albanes, and I had ever sung at the podium in a sacrament meeting before. Sister Bat-ulzii was at the piano and we sang "I know that My Redeemer Lives". I put my best smile on and hoped for the best. It turned out well. Sister Albanes spoke about church attendance and I was the final speaker and my topic was missionary work...imagine that! The inspiration for my talk was the words of the Savior to his Apostle Peter in Luke 22:32--"[...]when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Missionary work is about strengthening people by bringing them closer to Christ. We can bring people closer to Christ by inviting them to come see the joy of living the gospel and the path back to our Father in Heaven. Before I started my talk I had about 10 minutes to speak and I was worried that I wouldn't have enough to say to fill the time. I guess one of the blessings of being a missionary for over a year is that you can talk about the gospel for much more than ten minutes worth of time. I had prepared more than I had time to talk, so I finished up my talk at ten minutes and it turned out alright. It was really fun to be back in a family ward and outside of Temple Square for just a few hours.

The Power of Charity

The District

So many blessings this week and I don't think I can come close to writing all of them down! Yesterday morning Elder Holland came and spoke to our mission. I think he was really tired so it was very nice of him to come. He talked about missions, about how they should be eternally consequential. He posed the question, "if this is all true then why aren't people lining up to be baptized? Why is a mission so hard?" His answer was that salvation is not a cheap experience. Why should it be easy for you if it was NEVER easy for the living Son of God? The road to salvation always goes through Gethsemane. After he spoke he shook all of our hands as we walked out of the theater. What a privileged it was to be in the same room as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. It certainly doesn't happen everyday.

Oh, next transfer (starting tomorrow) Sister Bat-ulzii and I will still be companions and I will be a district leader.

We had a Visitors' Center training this week by people from the mission department and it was truly eye opening. The biggest message that I got from the training is that love trumps all. Love is more important than what you say or where you take people on a tour. One of the people giving the training told that when we meet someone we should ask ourselves, "do I love this person enough to begin teaching?" That certainly changed my ideas about when and what I should teach. Here I've felt a lot of pressure to produce referrals and to have excellent teaching skills so that I can be a more persuasive teacher. Those things are important, but that is not what this is about. This is about helping people come closer to Christ and receiving a remission of their sins, not about referrals. These were all things that I knew, but it was so nice to hear it from an authoritative source to back up the way that I was feeling. So since then Sister Bat-ulzii and I have had much more fun on the square really getting to know people and love them.

This past Sunday morning we walked into the North Visitors' Center and Sister Nakajima asked us if we were available for a tour, and of course we were, so we took around a wonderful couple from Houston, TX. May and Tee were passing through Temple Square on vacation and they were flying home that day. We walked around Temple Square with them and I was really trying to focus on getting to know them and what is important to them rather than thinking about what story I should share. As a consequence we didn't teach much at all. We found out that they are expecting their first child and they're really happy about that. So we showed them the Temple model and we focused our tour on how important family is and how the gospel can bless our families. We finished the tour at a kiosk that has clips from President Monson's past talks about the family. The Spirit was really strong and we invited them to find out for themselves how the gospel can bless their family. I could see the change in their eyes and they wanted to have missionaries come and share more with them. I'm so excited to follow-up with them and help them to progress.

We also took Jose from Brasil on a "walking lesson" on Temple Square. We tried the same approach again: don't teach too much but find out what is really important to him and then teach to his needs. He was on a long 6-week trip across America and we found out that he was divorced but absolutely loves his two daughters. Family is the most important thing to him (I'm sensing a general theme here on Temple Square ) so we tried to focus our teaching on that. I was surprised at how little we actually shared about facts, history, and doctrine. We didn't go into depth about how Joseph Smith was called as a prophet or where the Book of Mormon came from or how the temple was built. I think that all of the worth-while teaching was done by the Spirit. We finished our tour in God's Plan and we could tell that it touched him deeply. At the end Sister Bat-ulzii's testimony is really what he needed to hear. She talked about her father and how he is just like Jose--so kind and loving and cares very much about his family--but she said that he is just missing one thing, a knowledge of how his family can be together forever. After Sister Bat-ulzii had shared all that she could I told Jose that how to have an eternal family is not one of God's mysteries, it has be revealed again through a living prophet and he can have that too. I invited him to meet with missionaries to learn how he could have that and that is what he wanted. 

I just love being here on Temple Square and having teaching moments like these. They don't happen everyday, but I know that they are part of God's plan for these people that we meet here. What a blessing it is to play this role in people's lives. I hope that I don't ever forget how sweet the gospel really is.

Teaching People!

Another week on Temple Square...it was another good one. Yesterday right after District Meeting we got a text from West Gate asking if anyone could take a tour with two English. We were going on the square so I responded right away to get the tour (it's so nice when tours are given to you) and we got it. So we went out and found them by the Assembly Hall. They were a younger couple from California and they were driving through on work/vacation. We walked around with them and found out that they are Christian, but don't associate with any denomination. They really just want to follow God and Jesus Christ and not just according to one man's opinion. I smiled inside because I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not founded on one man's opinion in the slightest. We showed them the Temple model and explained the Joseph Smith story and made an effort to emphasize the doctrine of a apostasy and restoration to help them see the significance of what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims to be..."the Lord's kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah" (Introduction to the Book of Mormon). I think that they got it. As we were in the basement of the North Visitors' Center, which talks about apostasy and restoration, they both looked to be very deep in thought and I'm not quite sure how much they heard of what we were saying, but we took them to one of the kiosks and showed them a video clip of one of President Monson's talks. Afterward we invited them for missionaries by asking them if it would be important for them to know if God had really called a prophet again. They both slowly nodded their heads, "yes" and agreed that they would like to have missionaries. It was definitely a tender mercy for Sister Bat-ulzii and I to be able to share something so valuable to people that are genuinely searching for truth. We're calling them tomorrow to teach them!

We talked with Amy (a former investigator in the Salt Lake mission), Debora, and Lizbeth (the mother from Las Vegas) this week. Amy and Lizbeth both went to church! They liked it, but Amy told us that it was very long . The missionaries are teaching all three: Amy, Debora, and Lizbeth, which is great because we can only take them so far over the phone. We mostly try to teach them the tools that they need to be able to receive a knowledge that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church. Those things include how to pray and receive answers, the role of reading the Book of Mormon, and the importance of going to church. We gave Amy an assignment to read Mosiah 2-5, which is King Benjamin's address to his people. We invited her to read and to pray specifically to know if the things that she is reading is true. We weren't expecting her to finish all of that by the time we called back, but she did! AND she really enjoyed it! She is still working on her testimony that the Book of Mormon is true, but she will get there. Teaching people is the absolute best part of missionary work.

This past Friday Sister Bat-ulzii and I were walking across the square early in the morning and a woman stopped us to take a picture of her by the temple (This is a common occurrence on Temple Square). She was dressed up in a white and green dress and looked like she was here for a sealing. She pulled out from her purse a little bear from Hard Rock Cafe that had a purple mow-hawk to be in the picture with her. As she was taking out this bear tears started to come to her eyes and I figured that this bear had some kind of sentimental meaning to her. I took her picture and as I was returning the camera to her she started to explain her situation. She told us that her daughter was getting sealed in the temple right then. That daughter has a twin sister that was driving up from Texas for the wedding and got in a car crash on the way up and passed away this past Tuesday. I didn't quite know what to say to her, but the first thing that came to my mind was to take her to God's Plan. I was a little hesitant to offer her that because I knew that it would be very emotional for her and sometimes that is really difficult for her. She wanted to see it, though, so we went. It touched her heart in so many ways and afterwards we went and sat on some of the couches by the Old Testament paintings. I knew that she just needed to talk so we let her. She bore her testimony of the power of the Plan of Salvation and how much of a difference it made especially this week. She wasn't worried, she knew that she would see her daughter again and that her daughter that had passed away was at her twin sister's wedding. She told us stories about her daughter that had just passed. Her name was Christina and she served in the National Guard and had spent time in Afghanistan. Christina stood up for her beliefs and lived them. Her mother was very proud of her. We gave this woman a copy of The Family: A Proclamation to the World and told her to find somewhere quite and to read it and on the back write down what she was feeling that day. She liked that idea. I sure hope that she recorded her own testimony of the Plan of Salvation because that will have a great impact on her and her future generations. 

The Gospel Blesses Families

Temple Square Sisters

This week was a week of firsts for Sister Bat-ulzii. We took our first motor coach of the season and our first investigator lesson too! A motor coach is a big tour bus that comes to Temple Square and we get to take them all on a tour here. On this motor coach there were 38 people from all over the US and they were on their way from Jackson Hole, WY to their next stop. Usually these groups of people are retired and so much fun to be around. Before the motor coach, Sister Bat-ulzii and I were exhausted and probably not in a mood to be taking so many people around. We had just finished role playing what we would say in each place that we would take them and it was a difficult thing to get straight, but we managed to do it. When we started talking with the people that we were going to take on the tour both of us perked up and we enjoyed the whole thing. It's always wonderful when you can focus on other people and not yourself. We took them to the Tabernacle and talked about the building and how it was used to listen to the Prophet and the twelve Apostles--they mostly wanted to know about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, though.... Then we went outside and talked about the Temple and how through the Temple our families can be sealed, or united together, for all eternity not "until death do you part". I shared the Amanda Smith story, which is about how a mother's faith produced great miracles in her son's life (It's from "Our Heritage", Chapter 4):

On 30 October 1838, three days after the extermination order was issued, some 200 men mounted a surprise attack against the small community of Saints at Haun’s Mill on Shoal Creek, Caldwell County. The assailants, in an act of treachery, called for those men who wished to save themselves to run into the blacksmith shop. They then took up positions around the building and fired into it until they thought all inside were dead. Others were shot as they tried to make their escape. In all, 17 men and boys were killed and 15 wounded.

After the massacre, Amanda Smith went to the blacksmith shop, where she found her husband, Warren, and a son, Sardius, dead. Among the carnage she was overjoyed to find another son, little Alma, still alive though severely wounded. His hip had been blown away by a musket blast. With most of the men dead or wounded, Amanda knelt down and pleaded with the Lord for help:

“Oh my Heavenly Father, I cried, what shall I do? Thou seest my poor wounded boy and knowest my inexperience. Oh Heavenly Father direct me what to do!” She said that she “was directed as by a voice,” instructing her to make a lye from the ashes and cleanse the wound. She then prepared a slippery elm poultice and filled the wound with it. The next day she poured the contents of a bottle of balsam into the wound.

Amanda said to her son, “ ‘Alma, my child, … you believe that the Lord made your hip?’

“ ‘Yes, mother.’

“ ‘Well, the Lord can make something there in the place of your hip, don’t you believe he can, Alma?’

“ ‘Do you think that the Lord can, mother?’ inquired the child, in his simplicity.

“ ‘Yes, my son,’ I replied, ‘he has shown it all to me in a vision.’

“Then I laid him comfortably on his face, and said: ‘Now you lay like that, and don’t move, and the Lord will make you another hip.’

“So Alma laid on his face for five weeks, until he was entirely recovered—a flexible gristle having grown in place of the missing joint and socket.” 

I love that story. Mothers play such an important role in their children's lives. Then we went to the Assembly Hall and talked about the Book of Mormon. They had great questions and were very kind a respectful. We had a great time with them and I hope that it left a good impression for the next time they hear about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

An investigator lesson is where missionaries from the Salt Lake City or Salt Lake City South missions bring their investigators to Temple Square for a tour. We took around a part member family and the son, Landon, was the one taking lessons from the missionaries. The Elders wanted us to focus on how the gospel blesses families. We showed them the temple model and pointed out the sealing room. Then we took them to the Seagull Monument and talked about how God answers prayers and how family prayer is a powerful way to unite a family. I shared with them about my experience with family prayer--kneeling around mom and dad's bed making jokes with each other and talking about our day and then ending with prayer. Those are some of my favorite memories. The mother of this family really liked that idea and she wanted to apply that too. Then we ended the tour with God's Plan for His Family. I love that presentation SO much, it touches people right where they can feel the Spirit the most. The Elders invited this family to think and pray about a date that Landon can be baptized and to work towards that day. I sure know that the gospel really does bless families because it has blessed mine more than I even knew.

We had another great tour yesterday with Mike and Au, a married couple, who were probably in their upper 30s. They are from Washington state and they have lots of friends that are members of the church. Their member friends encouraged them to come to Temple Square while they were in Salt Lake and to take a tour...so they did. We had a great time with them. We found out that Au is from Thailand and actually Buddhist, but also kind of Christian because she also prays to God. Sister Bat-ulzii was also Buddhist so she was able to relate to her really well. Sister Bat-ulzii and I both felt that we should take them to God's Plan for His Family so we ended our tour there. Part of the presentation was about how our children lived with God before they came to this earth and that the most important things we can teach our children is that they are children of God, that they are loved, and that families can be together forever. This was only the second of six rooms and Au was already crying...usually people don't cry until the fourth or sixth room. At the end we found out that Mike and Au are in the process of adopting a little boy from Thailand and they came to Salt Lake so that Mike could find work so they could afford the trip to Thailand. They said that this presentation was absolutely applicable to what they were going through. I love how the Spirit directs us to do things even though we don't know exactly why. They didn't refer for missionaries because they don't know where they will end up, but we showed them mormon.org as well as a profile of some members that went through the same thing as they did. I hope that sometime down the line they can have the full blessings of the gospel and be sealed together as a family. How wonderful that would be for them!

This morning we got to do baptisms for the dead at the Salt Lake Temple! It was our zone activity. Sister Bat-ulzii was proxy for both her grandmothers and her great grandmother and her great-great grandmother. The man doing the baptisms had a hard time pronouncing their names, but Sister Bat-ulzii loved the experience. 

Prayer

Hi everyone! It feels like summer on Temple Square! It's hot today, just below 90, and it feels great. Yesterday Sister Bat-ulzii and I ate dinner just outside of the Church Office Building and enjoyed the beauty of the day. We had a great time. Missionary work at Temple Square is also moving along. On Sunday Sister Bat-ulzii called Amy* who a former investigator of some missionaries in the Salt Lake City mission to re-invite her to meet with missionaries. Sister Bat-ulzii did a wonderful job talking with her and helping Amy feel comfortable and loved. She learned that Amy is in high school and everyone in her family is a member of the church except for her. She stopped meeting with the missionaries, though, because she was scared of the commitment that baptism is. Amy said that she would like to meet with the missionaries again so Sister Bat-ulzii set up a time to call her again the next day (yesterday) so that we could teach her a little. Yesterday morning as we were planning for Amy I felt like perhaps we should teach her about her relationship with her Heavenly Father. Once you understand who you truly are, then it helps in all sorts of areas of your life. When we called we told her that she is a daughter of Heavenly Father and that He knows her and loves her. I asked her what it means to her to know that she is a daughter of God and she told us that she had never thought about it like that before. She realized that she is important to Heavenly Father. We read Alma 18:32 and we taught her about prayer. She is so important to her Heavenly Father that He wants to hear from her how she is doing and so we can pray to him. We told her that Heavenly Father doesn't only hear prayers, but he answers them too and that is usually through the Spirit. So at the end of the phone call we invited her to pray. She was a little nervous, but we told her that if she got stuck we could help. She said the most sincere and heart-felt prayer that I have ever heard a investigator offer on my mission. Growing up in a member household she had learned the language of prayer: thee, thou, thy, etc. but it wasn't the eloquence of the prayer that was significant, it was the Spirit that gave her a big embrace as she was saying it. Tears came to her eyes as she spoke with her Father and she knew that He was there. We told her that the feeling she had was the Spirit and it was Heavenly Father telling her that He loves her. That experience with Amy reminded me of a phrase in the Bible Dictionary about prayer: "As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part." I know that Heavenly Father hears AND answers prayers because he loves each one of you and because you are His child. What a blessing to be able to call on our Father whenever we need Him. We also taught Debora* this week over the phone. Her son is a member and lives in Utah and he referred her when he came to Temple Square for General Conference. She told us that as she has been talking with her son and reading more about the basic beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints she had found that her interest has increased and she feels like this is something that she should be doing right now. We taught her about the Book of Mormon and how she can know for herself that it is true. At the end of the phone call we invited her to pray and she said a beautiful and heartfelt prayer. I love the sincerity of people who are sincerely seeking to know their Father in heaven. Remember that family from Las Vegas that I told you about a few weeks ago? Well we also talked with her this week. The missionaries in Las Vegas contacted her and gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon and were coming back the next day! We shared a scripture with her from the Book of Mormon about the mothers of the Army of Helaman and how they were key in the success and faith of those young men. She talked about how she wanted to be baptized, so hopefully those missionaries in Las Vegas are doing their job! We're going to call her tomorrow and see how she is doing. *I changed their names

Me and Sister Bat-Ulzii

This morning Sister Bat-Ulzii and I went to the temple. It was really nice to be able to feel the Spirit there and to feel closer to Heavenly Father.

Something new that we're doing on Temple Square now is indexing. We're doing one hour of indexing each week to help digitize the 1940 census that just came out. It's really fun. I did a batch from Chicago and it was neat to see all of the names and where people came from. It's kind of addicting.

Yesterday we were on the square and we met a man that was taking pictures of the Assembly hall. Sometimes it takes some work on our part for people to start talking with us, but he just started talking after we said hi. It's always a relief when that happens because I don't have to work so hard to get people to open up. He was from Florida and he came out to Utah because his wife had some kind of reunion. He had been to Temple Square a few times in the last few days and had really enjoyed himself. We found out that we were the first missionaries that had talked with him (that was a surprise to me). He told us that he was 70 years old, but he remembered his LDS friends in High School and what nice and genuine people they were. He told us that he hadn't seen missionaries back at home in Florida so I asked him if he would like to and he said "sure!" How great is that! I'm sure that the Spirit worked on him while he was here on Temple Square because we didn't really do much to help prepare him to meet missionaries.

Sister Bat-Ulzii

We also had a great tour this week with extended family that came to Temple Square. Part of the family lives in Orem and the other part came from San Francisco to visit. We took them to the Temple Model and there were a ton of people there so it wasn't a good place to really explain things. Then we went to the Tabernacle, which was actually closed because of the organ recital, and talked about how God has called a prophet again. When we show people around Temple Square it is always the best when we get to know people so that we can teach the gospel to them in the context of their lives. At this point I didn't really know anyone in the group very well because there were so many people and it was difficult to just gather them together so that we could talk with them. So I didn't really feel like the tour was going anywhere. One of the sisters/daughters (I'm not sure what everyone's relation was) wanted to show the step-dad God's Plan for His Family. So we scrambled through some history and information about the beginnings of the church and headed towards the North Visitors' Center. It was there that I found out that everyone was a member of the church except for the step-dad. So they had brought him to Temple Square to expose him to some of our basic beliefs. That just tells you how much I knew about this family half-way through the tour, I wasn't doing a very good job. But we walked up the ramp to the Christus and bore our testimonies of the Savior. The tour was getting closer to the heart, but God's Plan for His Family hit the ball out of the park. We took this family through the presentation that speaks about the Plan of Salvation in the context of a family's life. It ends at the Temple where the daughter gets married and it explains that families are eternal. Half of this family was in tears. Sister Bat-Ulzii bore a powerful testimony of how the gospel has blessed her family and how she knows that families can be together forever. I know it's true too and that because my family is sealed in the Temple we can be together forever too. We invited the step-dad to meet with missionaries and he happily filled out his information. Afterwards he asked where he could get a bigger picture of the Salt Lake Temple and a copy of the Book of Mormon. I am so grateful for the Atonement that can help to make up for our mistakes and shortcomings. The Spirit is amazing and teaches to the heart.

2 Nephi 25:23--"...for we know that it is by grace that we are saved after all we can do."

I also had another fun coincidence this week. We were walking in the North Visitors' Center and I heard someone call my name, "Sister Smiley?" I looked over and we realized that we knew each other from the Oakland Temple Visitors' Center. She took us through God's Plan for His Family with Leo just a few weeks prior. She had just got off the plane a few hours prior, still a missionary, and wanted to come to Temple Square with her family and show them God's Plan for His Family. I don't think it was coincidence that we took her and her family through the presentation. We let her bear her testimony in the end and share with her family how it has grown. What a tender mercy it was to be there with them. I don't think it was a coincidence.

A random phrase that came to my mind this morning: setting goals is like opening your eyes--you can see where you're going. Thought I might share it.

Back at the Square

Hello From Temple Square! It is wonderful to be on Temple Square with all of the tulips in bloom (I just made it in time to see them) and a TON of new sisters to get to know. My new companion is Sister Bat-Ulzii from Mongolia! This is her first transfer (that means I'm training) and we're doing our best to find people that want to be baptized. Sister Bat-Ulzii has been learning English for about 10 weeks (plus a little bit of studying in Mongolia) and her English is much better than my Mongolian would be if I were in her situation. Sister Bat-Ulzii brought family names with her to bring to the temple. Obviously there is no temple in Mongolia, the temple they attend is the Hong Kong temple, so she went to the temple for the first time in Provo. She hasn't seen a baptistry yet either, just what is in the temple model. She'll get to do those family names while she is here. She is super excited about it. I'm sure that her family is excited too. Sister Bat-Ulzii and I took our first tour with a family from Las Vegas and it went really well. It was a mother, father, and their two-year-old daughter and they had a wonderful friend that invited them to learn more. The family came out to Utah so that the mother could go to woman's conference at BYU and I asked her what she liked about it. She told me that the part that impressed her the most was how families interacted there with so much love and care for each other. She really wants to raise her daughter in a good home and she has seen that people who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have something good that she wants. We showed them the Temple Model and explained to them about eternal families and of course they liked that. We went to the Seagull Monument and talked about prayer and how God answers prayers. She told me that she had been praying about what to do for her family and she received an answer that this is what Heavenly Father wants for her family. I was surprised to hear that she prayed AND received an answer. When I first met her at the Temple Construction area  you could feel the Spirit around her, she was just such a good person, so thinking back on it I'm not too surprised that she has such a relationship with God. At the end of the tour we took the family through God's Plan for His Family to help her see how having the restored gospel in her life will give her what she is looking for in her family. The Spirit was there the whole time and it bore witness to this family that this is what they are looking for. So naturally they referred for missionaries.  We also had another tender mercy yesterday. We went up to the Christus to see if anyone was there that we could talk to, and there was a woman, probably in her 60s, sitting on one of the couches, who we approached. It turns out that she was a returned missionary from Western Samoa and understood Sister Bat-Ulzii's difficulty with learning a language. I asked her what suggestions she had for learning English and she told us "children's books". I thought that was a neat idea and something that I hadn't thought about. We parted ways and later in the morning we were walking back across the square and we saw this woman again walking towards us and she handed Sister Bat-Ulzii a Deseret Book bag with children's books in it. Her act of kindness completely took me by surprise! She was the kind of person, just like the mother that we showed around, that you could just feel their goodness when you were around them. This is something that I've been learning about the gospel--it's not about the list of things you do, but it's about the person that you become. I want to be the kind of person that lives their testimony all the time so that people can feel the love that their Father has for them. I really love Alma 5:14-- "And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?" That's conversion.

The Last California Letter

At the temple

This week we exceeded our goal for lessons taught. The goal for the mission is to have each companionship teach 20 lessons per week. This week we taught 23 lessons! It was a good week because a lot of those were with non-members. We're teaching four investigators in the YSA ward and a young couple in the family ward. It's a lot of fun to teach the restored gospel to people that really want to hear about it. One of our investigators in the YSA ward, Ken*, walks to the church building from the Defense Language Institute (DLI) to meet with us--we can't really meet him on DLI because we're not in the military and we don't have passes, or whatever you need to get on post. Ken is really searching to know for himself, not for his girlfriend or his friends, to know if the church is true. He really wants to have a backbone of his knowledge of the truth. We read 2 Nephi 31 with him which is all about the doctrine of Christ. He told us that is was a great chapter for him to read especially as he is deciding on whether to be baptized and when.

Yesterday I gave my talk in the YSA ward. I talked about one of the most significant things that I've learned being a missionary--the power of the Spirit in conversion. I shared an experience that Sister Mendivelso and I had with two people we showed around on Temple Square. One of them was a member, Brother Hamilton, and Zou Yan was a mother from Mainland China who had come to visit her friend in the US. I talked about how the Spirit spoke to Zou Yan and taught her the President Monson is a prophet of God and that Jesus Christ loves her. She didn't learn anything from Sister Mendivelso and I, but everything memorable happened because of the Spirit--it really changed her countenance (Alma 5:14). I was worried that my talk wasn't going to be long enough, but it turned out that I needed to cut things out of what I had prepared. Being a missionary really helps with preparing talks.

We met with John and Lindsey yesterday too. We wanted to make sure that they really understood the pattern of dispensations (when a prophet is on the earth) and apostasy (when there is no prophet on the earth). Without an understanding of that pattern and that the great apostasy occurred after the death of Christ's apostles, then you can't really understand the need for a restoration. We used a bunch of Bible references to help them see that the pattern was prophesied of by members of the early Christian church. I really think that they get the pattern now. It feels good to be able to explain something to someone and to have them really understand it. They don't have a baptism date yet, but they'll get there if they keep on the path that they're on.

Well, next time I write to you I'll be writing from Temple Square. I have a few more days left in California. One of the most important things that I've learned being here in a proselyting mission is the necessity of member missionary work. Missionary work wouldn't happen otherwise. When members of the church live the gospel and invite others to experience that same joy, that is when hearts are changed and people can really see the fruits of activity in the church.

*I changed their name

Oakland Temple Visitors' Center

What a GREAT week! We've just had referrals popping up all over the place! I can hardly believe how many potential investigators we have right now. As for investigators, that is going really well too. Remember those two new investigators that I told you about last week? Well, we went to the Oakland temple visitors' center with them this past Saturday. It's a two hour drive from Monterey to the Oakland temple (I don't think I've ever lived so far from a temple, what a blessing) so we had lots of quality time in the car with them. We also went with their member friend family that we also met last week--the Harrop's. The Harrops are such a great example of how the gospel can bless a family. Brother and Sister Harrop have solid testimonies of the gospel and I can tell that by the Spirit you feel when you're around them. They have four kids (probably under the age of 10) and they have incredible patience with them. It was great to be able to go to the temple visitors' center with them too. Probably the best part about going to the visitors' center was being able to show John* and Lindsey* the family presentation: God's Plan for His Family. It is a video presentation that they have at Temple Square and it really shows what the gospel looks like in action. Lindsey recognized how the family in the presentation was unified and the spirit of love that was between each other. John said that he liked the example of the father in the presentation who put off painting the house so that he could play baseball with his kids. John and Lindsey are pregnant with their first child so it was wonderful to be able to show them how the restored gospel of Jesus Christ really is relevant to them. 

 

After the visitors' center we walked around the roof of the Oakland Temple. It was really neat because we could look over the entire bay area--Oakland and San Francisco--with the Golden gate bridge in view. I love that you had such perspective from up there because that is exactly what you can get by going to the temple: perspective. When you're in the temple it is almost like you have a chance to look down on your life from a higher perspective and realize that everything really is going to be fine. Heavenly Father still has you in His hands and He'll guide you to the where you will be happiest, if you'll let Him. 

 

John and Lindsey came to church yesterday too! Since the Harrops are moving we wanted to integrate them into the ward that they actually live in (John and Lindsey had been attending the Harrop's ward before). It was incredible how the talks in Sacrament meeting and the lesson in gospel principles were incredibly relevant to their needs. Also, since being in the San Jose mission I've really realized just how important members are in helping people become not only active in the church, but also active in the gospel.

 

At church yesterday I was also asked to speak at the YSA sacrament meeting about Temple Square and missionary work. We'll see how that goes.

 

*I changed their names

Baptism!

Matthew got baptized! (I used the name Aaron in the last email, but since he is a member now I'll use his real name). Saturday was the day of his baptism and he was blessed with warm water in the font. Apparently for Sister Haycock and Sister Eller's last two baptisms the water was FREEZING. Matthew was stoked for his baptism and super prepared from the very beginning. The baptism service was wonderful. Matthew was introduced to the church by his friend Mitch at DLI. There are such wonderful member missionaries in the YSA ward and they have great opportunities to share the gospel with their friends. (The majority of the people in the wards here are in the military attending DLI). So as a result there were lots of people at Matthew's baptism. There were two talks (as usual), one about baptism and one about the gift of the Holy Ghost, both of them were very well thought out and sincere. The Spirit at the baptism was almost tangible and it testified that Matthew really was following the example of his Savior by being baptized by the priesthood authority of God. After his baptism Matthew bore his testimony about his relationship with his Heavenly Father and the reality of the restoration. It was a beautiful testimony.

 

At Sacrament meeting on Sunday morning (Easter), Matthew was confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and given the gift of the Holy Ghost. After Sacrament meeting Matthew came up to us and told us that the moment priesthood-bearing hands were placed on his head he felt filled with the Spirit, it was more complete than he has ever felt it before. He had a wonderful spirit about him. He was also set apart as a priest in the Aaronic priesthood after church. What a great 24 hours for him!

 

Last night we were also introduced to two new investigators. They are a young couple and the husband is in the Army attending DLI studying Arabic. They were introduced to the church by some of their friends (also attending DLI). We talked with them about the Book of Mormon and how the Holy Ghost testifies of truth. We don't know them that well yet, but it is great to have people to teach about the restored gospel. The best part is that their member friends are such great examples of living the gospel. When we walked into their home you could feel the Spirit and see their testimonies in their countenances. I hope to have a home like that someday too. We're planning to meet with this young couple again next week.

 

We also went to the temple on Friday. It was great to be back in the temple and feel the peace associated with being in the house of the Lord. When I'm there it feels like my prayers have a shorter distance to travel. Sister Mattox was so kind to drive us up there, it's a 1 1/2 - 2 hour drive from Monterey. We had a great time. I'm so glad that I can attend the temple.

A New Area!

Hello from Monterey, California! Yup, that is where I got transferred to...poor me. I'm pretty sure this is the most beautiful area to serve in of every area in the entire California San Jose Mission. Our area is right on the ocean and I would send pictures today, but I forgot the cord to connect my camera to the computer, so you'll have to wait until next week. This week we had a dinner appointment at a member's home and they live off of 17-mile drive. It was a pretty incredible drive to their house (I'm not on a bike anymore). 

If you're wondering, Sister Kim was transferred to Pleasanton and she is in a trio with Sister Zorn (she came with me from Temple Square) and Sister Rawlinson. My companions are Sister Eller (from Utah) and Sister Haycock (from Colorado). I think they put Sister Zorn and I in trios because we're leaving part way through the transfer here. 

In Monterey we're serving in both a Family and a Singles ward so we have lots of people to work with. We have some really great investigators here too. This Saturday we have a BAPTISM for Aaron*!!! Aaron was introduced to the gospel by his friends from school. He attends the Defense Language Institute (DLI) which is the reason that lots of people in both wards are here. Aaron just soaks up the gospel like a sponge. Basically all that we do is share the lessons with him and he is just so ready that everything makes sense to him and he feels the Spirit when we teach eternal truths. Something that really touched him was the knowledge that in the pre-earth life he chose this plan, he already chose to follow Jesus Christ. He is super excited for his baptism and I know that his activity in the gospel is going to bless his future family beyond anything he can imagine right now.

We are also teaching Eric* and Emma*. Sister Eller and Sister Haycock found them while contacting people. They were kind of interested because they were looking for a church so they gave Sister Eller and Sister Haycock their address, but they weren't too committed until Eric's six-year-old son, "Bear", asked if they could go to church. That was the catalyst for their learning. Eric and Emma aren't married yet and they have two children from previous relationships but they are really looking to strengthen their families. Sister Eller and Sister Haycock taught them the Restoration and the Plan of Salvation before I came and they loved it. Yesterday was Eric's first day of quitting smoking to prepare for baptism. We watched the last session of General Conference at their home and it was great. It is so neat to see how the gospel of Jesus Christ is really going to strengthen their family.

Speaking of General Conference, it was wonderful! We watched the first three sessions in the church building and it was neat to be able to hear all of the talks. I wasn't out working at Temple Square but I got to hear everything instead, so there are trade-offs. I can't say that there was one in particular talk that stood out to me, but I just really loved President Monson's talk. He seems to speak on similar topics all the time: pay attention to the most important things in life because that is where true happiness comes from! I can't wait until the May Ensign comes out and we can read all of the talks. They were pretty great.

Thank you so much for your support! I'm a really lucky missionary.

*I changed their names