Week 67, November 14, 2016

I need to start off with a funny story, because it will make my companion so happy! Usually I use very dry/dad humor (one of my favorites is: why do people say "be there or be square?" Because you won't be around!) because I try very hard not to make anyone feel that I am putting them down with my jokes. This sense of humor is not greatly appreciated by everyone, and my companion loves me enough to laughs at my jokes, but they're not her favorites. Well, one evening we were walking by the church and saw two young men outside. They were goofing off and one of them yelled fairly loudly, to which the other boy met with a night pitched squeal! I turn to my companion and saw, without thinking too much, "I was going to challenge them but then I realized I couldn't scream that high." I was being honest and then she started busting up laughing!!! She thought it was hilarious! It was then that I got it and started laughing with her which made her laugh harder! I don't think I have seen my companion laugh that hard before! :D In that moment, a dream was born to be a stand up comedian, but it quickly died when I realized that it had come after a few weeks of dry humor and no audience has that much patience for a punch line.

Well, now that you are also chuckling, I have some pretty cool experiences from this week. As you might have seen, on Tuesday we went to the temple. I love going there because it is the Lord's house and you can feel His presence so strongly. I love the peace that comes from it and the feeling of love and warmth; it's almost like a hug for me. Also, the selfies afterwards are pretty cool :) Really though, it is such a blessing to have temples on the earth again, and that I'm in a mission with a temple. Although there are currently a little more than 150 temples in the world today, not everyone has such easy access to them. Our goal, as saints and members of this church, is to help build a temple in every part of the world so that all may partake of the blessings found within.

We have found someone again and we are helping her to read the Book of Mormon so that she'll want to come back to church. Her name is Eve and she has been inactive for many years now. Her husband is a non-member so we are hoping to meet him and teach him soon, preferably this week. The RS President for that ward was really surprised to hear that we are teaching this woman because the ward hasn't had any luck with her so far. I'm grateful that we are getting into homes that previously no one could enter, it's miraculous to me.

We are also starting to teach more fully a man who is the father of a recent convert. He has gone through many missionaries, but he has said that he's starting to lean towards Mormonism as he puts it. The wife, who has been less active till recently, is starting to come back to church and is helping her husband. He's a bit...thick right now, for lack of a better word. He's at the point where he just needs to accept the Holy Ghost so as to get his answer because he has the hope, he's doing the commitments we leave him, and he's trying to figure things out. He keeps telling us that he hasn't received revelation from God before so our plan is to go I to the home, do something powerful to invite the Spirit, and then keep inviting him to act. We are praying a lot for him because we feel that he is close.

We haven't really taught many other people this week but we are trying to contact more people and those we have already met. Our district leader says that we are doing a lot of good work for this area, that it has grown tremendously already, I just hope to see it keep growing next transfer. I really want to help people return to the church and for others to join; I guess I want a miracle.

Overall, really good week. This week is going to be a good one as we'll have transfers so there are going to be some changes. I'm excited to start the holiday season and work this area hard! I'm also in a super good mood right now because I got my hair cut today and I love it! I'll include some pictures/videos.

I love you all! I hope you have a great week and remember who you are!

Love,

Sister Lindh

Hermana Lindh

Week 66, November 7, 2016

Hey Everyone!

We are making progress in our area! I'm really excited for that because I love watching things grow and both Sis. Soakai and I have this feeling that we are going to see miracles this coming transfer.

Our senior couple, the Vickroys, (who are awesome by the way!) asked us to visit their daughter and granddaughter who are less active. They haven't been very receptive to the Vickroys so we tried and they let us in! We had been walking outside, trying to figure out which house is theirs, when their garage door opened and they were there. They asked if we were looking for them and we said yes, then they invited us into the home. The mom, Kaprice, the granddaughter, Vincey, and Vincey's boyfriend, Josh, all joined us. They introduced us to all their pets (and they have a lot!) and gave us a tour of the house, then we shared a message. They were all receptive and the mom kept saying that she means to go back to church but has been facing some health problems recently. Vincey paid attention the whole time and when we said we'd like to work with them on getting back to church, she seemed excited. We left the house a bit startled because it was different than what we had prepared for, but went really well. We're going back this Wednesday for some service and a lesson.

Another day we were outside walking when we saw a man working on his RV so we offered to help. He said he was good and then we started a conversation with him. He is a less active/in active member who married a non-member; he likes the teachings of the church but he hasn't gone in a long time. We offered to teach them how to have a family home evening and promised that what we teach will help them grow closer together as a family and he said that it'd be okay if we came back. He's not in our church records, but we hope to find them he next time we meet with him and his family. They went away for the weekend so we'll try them again this week.

The other cool thing was that we were able to find a family at home who's not usually there. It's a very mixed family, the mom is less active, the dad non-member, and one son a recent convert. They have also said that they want to come back to church and the mom and the son came today! The dad apparently had some issues this morning that prevented him from coming, but he'll try for next week. We have had 2 lessons so far with him and he's......interesting, but we feel that he has a lot of potential. He grew up in one religion, which shapes some of his views, but he doesn't believe it to be the correct religion. He likes Mormons a lot and said that he's learning towards this church because of the way the members act. We're focusing on how to have faith and how to receive revelation because those are the two major things for him. He's working on reading the Book of Mormon and likes it better than the Bible. A good man, just a different perspective on life.

Today we spent a good 2 hours at Rush with Elder Madera and Justesen because it was Elder Madera's last p-day and this is what he wanted to do. The last p-day is a big deal and I like showing my friends that they are loved and will be missed so we tried to make it a great day for him. We had a blast playing different things like go-carts, laser tag, and bowling. Those 2 are great elders and we all had a fun time! I'm going to miss Elder Madera; he was a great missionary who lead through example. He worked with me back in Layton and then again when he was one of my district leaders in Buenaventura. He is very humble with a desire to help others feel better. He has made a great difference here and he will be missed by many, but now he gets to go home and help with miracles there. He'll do great!

Overall, we are doing well! I'm really excited with how things are going and we are trying hard to speed up the work here. I love my wards and the people I'm meeting; Sis. Soakai continues to be awesome! I'm happy :) 

Remember who you are! Be good and I love you! 

Love,

Sister Lindh 

Week 65, October 31, 2016

Happy Halloween!!!

This week we had two ward parties to attend because of Halloween; both were awesome and we had a great time meeting more of the members in each of our wards. We even got to meet a few non-members and less actives who like the activities! I loved being able to mingle and be a bit silly with the kids; I even went through a haunted house with my companion. It was terrifying! The cub scouts did a great job of scarring all of us. I especially loved the cupcake walk because I got to walk with cute little kids and earn a cupcake! I love pastries if you haven't noticed. ;)

We also had a couple of meetings this week; on Tuesday we had a meeting for new missionaries and their trainers. It was a great meeting where we received some more instruction and training on how to be good missionaries. The Spirit was really strong and it was cool to see other trainers and trainees. The best part for me was when President and Sis. Jaggi gave a training together. I loved the Spirit they brought but I also loved how they worked in unison. They are great examples of companions working in unity and of loving each other. They pointed out the future application for us, obviously being marriage; a few of us may have puked a bit in our mouths :) 

While we were at the office, I had previously ordered a new badge, one that was in English, and it was available for me to pick up. I went and got it but didn't put it on until we had another break. I went in the bathroom and waited until the others had left, then I took off my Spanish badge. Now, I had been mentally preparing for this, I knew it was coming, and yet I still started to cry. It broke my heart to take off the tag I have been wearing for over a year, signifying the end of my Spanish for now, and I couldn't stop from crying. I felt really bad that I was crying because I don't want other English missionaries to feel that I don't want to be here, but I was still really sad. Sister Jaggi noticed that I had red eyes (because everything can be seen in my face :) ) and asked what was wrong. I explained and she sympathized then testified that I'll use this experience, of trusting the Lord so, after the mission and throughout my whole life. I felt better until lunch time.

Now, normally I get really excited for food and we had Chick-fil-A sandwiches, which are amazing! so I felt like I was going to get better. Then, part way through the lunch, Sister Lemmons (one of the sisters in the office) came up to me for my trunky call. This call is major in a missionary's life because it means that the church is buying your plane ticket; that means you're close to going home. I started crying again; then the sisters who were around me also got their trunky call (they go home the same time as me) and they were crying as well. Why do I share this story? To just testify once again of how much God loves us. I'm glad this had been done in person rather than by phone because I was with others who gave me support. Also, I had the second half of the meeting to attend and so I could be distracted and move forward. Truly God is merciful to me. After that meeting we had a musical fireside practice and then we went back to our area.

On Thursday we had a mission tour, which I posted a piece of on Facebook, and it was amazing! I loved feeling the Spirit so strongly and to work with my fellow missionaries to learn and grow with Elder Christensen and Elder Nattress. It was an amazing experience that taught me multiple things; I can't share them all, but I hope to incorporate them into my life and you'll see the difference.

I don't know if anything else major happened this week; we keep trucking along, trying to find new people to teach, and working with members. I love the work we do and I'm really excited to see this area grow.

I love you all and I hope you have a great week! Remember who you are!

Love,

Sister Lindh

Week 64, October 24, 2016

How are you guys! :)

This week has been pretty good! We've been trying to visit members to support them and work with them so as to find investigators and the members are just amazing. They have, for the most part, been very involved with their community and so they point us to those who need us. They also are trying to invite non-members and less actives to dinners with us so that we can teach them while we are eating. This type of support is pretty different than what you find in the Spanish wards; I love my Hispanics, I feel like the difference is that they don't have as much experience bringing the gospel to others as the English wards. I hope that when/if I go back Spanish that I can help the members see their potential in helping their brothers and sisters join the church.

We have also been working hard to find less active families and we have met a few so far who are interested in hearing the lessons. For them, it can be hard because they, for the most part, know what they have left. That means their either not willing at all, or something has caused them to push away rather than a loss of testimony. Many of them I have inwardly cried for, but others are willing to change so we're teaching them. One of the them is a family that raised their kids LDS, went to church for them, but were never sealed in the temple. They have made the comment that they feel they need to come back to church, but they aren't sure if they want to start now. We are going to work hard to help them make friends so that they can feel comfortable in church on Sunday.

Another family we just found yesterday; they are part member and they have a huge interest in family history. We started talking to them about family history because the wife, the non-member, mentioned that she had gone through an open house for the Ogden temple. Both love their families and want to learn more about them so we'll be going back to help them with that and then start teaching the lessons!

We have also found 2 more investigators this week, one of whom we have taught the restoration. We haven't been able to find them again, but it has given us hope that we'll keep finding people. The other investigators we had met earlier this month and we haven't been able to see them either so we're a bit sad for that; they have a great spirit about them and a love for our Savior, so we really want to teach them. We hope to see them all this week and help them to progress in faith. As always, we continue searching for people to teach and we have come to know our area fairly well due to its size; there's actually more non-members than I would've thought! I love it and I love walking; the views are just amazing where we live and I love stopping and talking with everyone.

My funny for the week is that I became a zombie at one point! We were walking from one potential home to another when a group of people started to gather at our local haunted house (someone on the block that completely decorates his home to be as scary as possible; he even has a Facebook page for it! The Ogden Haunted Mansion!). Some were dressed up as trolls (bright, big hair, colorful clothing, etc.) and others were zombies. One of the trolls, a nice woman, asked if we would like to join because they needed a few more zombies. Of course, I said yes! It was community service and a chance to practice my acting skills :) 

They painted me up, told me that they were going to dance, and then we got set! I got to hind behind a tombstone to start crawling out slowly and then dance the Thriller by Michael Jackson; it was a blast! They were making a film for a company contest and they really wanted to win because they had a streak going. At the end of the whole filming process, because we did a few more shots at a local park, the man who was directing asked me to share a Book of Mormon with a fellow zombie; we thought it was hilarious and would also peek interest in the church. I was certainly a happy zombie by the end of the shot. And yes, I have pictures!

Anyway, life is going really well! I love my companion, we are having a great time working, and we are excited to see where this area goes! I love you all! Please be good, remember who you are, and have a great week!

Love,

Sister Lindh

Week 63, October 17, 2016

"It's beginning to look a lot like AUTUMN!" :)

I absolutely love this season! I love being able to start bundling up
against the cold but not needing to look like a snowwoman. I love
seeing all the different colors on the trees and on the grounds! I
love the feel of the breeze rushing by face and feeling a slight sting
in my cheeks. There is so much to be grateful for and I've only listed
the basics! I also love being a missionary, spending my every hour
focused on how to help others come unto Christ. I love meeting new
people and getting to hear their stories. I love seeing how the Lord
guides this work!
This week has been pretty awesome if you haven't been able to guess
yet. :) We are working hard to meet the members and share powerful and
spiritual messages so that they will trust us and help us. Many of the
members already love missionary work but haven had much of an
opportunity to do it, so we get to help them learn how! With one
leader we visited, we mentioned that we were going to go and teach one
of their neighbors and asked if she'd like to join us. She said sure!
then ran to grab her coat. As we were walking to the investigator's
home, this woman told us that she had never gone out with missionaries
before and was really excited to try. I was a bit shocked, because
there are plenty of missionaries to go out with, but she had never
been invited and hadn't volunteered. We were so glad to have her there
with us and the investigator was really open and friendly so it went
well!
Another family we visited we had shared the restoration, focusing on
Joseph Smith's First Vision; the Spirit had been very strong and we
left them with the invitation to pray to know who needed to hear that
message. We came back a few days later and they had 5 families for us!
Now, we are going to help them learn how to invite their friends to
listen to us in their home. We are really excited to meet these people
and to share with them the restored gospel.
We are still searching for people to teach, but we are also enjoying
our time together. I tend to feel stressed when I don't have many
investigators to teach because I feel that I am failing in someway and
need to change so as to find people. This is a true principle, but we
also need to realize that some things take time. Yes, I'd love to find
a family whose ready for baptism in 3 weeks tonight, and I know that
it's possible, but I'm not going to beat myself up if we don't. I have
learned to trust in the Lord's timing - not that it's easy for me -
and to receive confirmation of my worth from Him, not those around me.
I will know if I have had success as a missionary because I will be on
the same page as Him and He'll let me know.
I want to share one more story to illustrate the Lord's timing. We
were walking from dinner and decided to change our planes a bit and
visit we had been asked to go and see. When we got there she was super
busy so we set a time to come back. We start walking to our original
plans and we see a man taking out the trash from his home across the
street. We go over and start speaking with him and he asks if we are
looking for his wife; a bit surprised, we said no and asked why. He
told us that they are less active and then invited us in. We had a
great lesson with him and his wife where they said that they felt they
need to come back to church. We are going to see them again this week
and hopefully we'll be able to help them come back and eventually go
to the temple! We hadn't planned on seeing them, didn't even know they
lived there, but God did and He lead us to them.

I love you all! Please remember who you are and whose you are. God
loves you, I love you, and you are important. Have a great week and do
something extra :)

Love,
Sister Lindh

Fun story! So, the members were living with, the husband (Pa Nehring)
works as a flight attendant. On Saturday, he phoned home and said that
he had a surprise for us Sisters for Sunday evening. We weren't sure
what to expect so we were all super excited! Sunday evening comes
around finally and we all gather in the family room. There, Pa pulled
out this piece of paper and said that he had met a special guest. So,
to preface, he works Delta airlines, the Church's preferred airline.
On Saturday, he had been working when he felt a very obvious change in
the plane; he could feel an increase of the Spirit. He turned around
and he saw D. Todd Christofferson, one of the 12 apostles! The flight
got started as normal, Pa did his job, but part way through the flight
he brought Elder Christofferson a piece of paper with our (The
Sisters') names and how long we've been out on it. He then asked for a
not of encouragement for us, explaining that right now has been a bit
rough trying to find people. This is what Elder Christofferson wrote.
"Dear Sisters - I'm happy to greet you. On behalf of all the Brethren,
I thank you  for your willingness to serve and all your efforts
-whatever the outcomes. God bless you with joy as you work and serve.
With my love and prayers, Elder D. Todd Christofferson"
It was such an amazing gift! Pa took the time to think of us and ask
an apostle for encouragement! Also, the note is amazing! We, as
missionaries, have the apostles praying for us so as to help our
fellowmen come unto Christ. How cool is that!
I love you all and just wanted to share. I testify that we really do
have living prophets and apostles today. They speak with God and His
Son, Jesus Christ. I know that Christ lives; He is our mediator and
savior. I love Him and serve Him.

Hermana Lindh