Change of Perspective

This week has just been amazing for us! We have 4 new investigators and so many of our investigators are really progressing and Learning more. The Lord has truly bless us and them and soften their hearts. It’s been so amazing to be a part of their journey.

Monday we got a lot done. We had dinner at Sister Parsons and she cooked Filipino food which was so good, and there was a less active family that came and it was awesome to see them and get to talk to them. We also got a referral from the Elders, His name is Steve and we were able to set and appointment with him.
Tuesday we had so many lesson it was so great. We met with Lisa She read the Book of Mormon!!!, and she told us that she knows we are here for a reason and she is reading the Book of Mormon for a reason she just wants to know why. we committed her to pray about it and to see what God thinks she should do. She said she would keep reading and pray. We also met with Madison Smith she is 8 years old and awesome she wanted me to write in her Book of Mormon and she said she had been praying. We read with her in Enos and she loved it so much she wants to come to church so bad and hopefully they will be able to come this next week. We also Met with a part member family we have been meaning to get over too. It was amazing. He is a member and she is not neither are there 3 kids. He said that they are hoping to be sealed in the temple one day!! It was awesome she was talking to us and said that everyone always told her that the missionaries are really pushy and what not, she told us though that all she ever wanted was for the missionaries to come by!! We just started laughing and we set a regular appointment with them. They are so nice and fun He reminds me so much of Dad it was crazy!

Wednesday we finally met with Steve and his wife. He is really nice and knows so much about the scriptures it was crazy. We talked for an hour about the bible and tree of the knowledge of good and evil and what it was about, my head hurt a lot! haha but he said he would read the Book of Mormon and we committed him to read 1 Nephi chapter 8, about Lehi's dream and he was really interested in it so we are hoping that he will be able to read it.

Thursday we had a meeting with Teresa and we talked about the temple and about the priesthood. Even though she isn't a member all of her family is and she knows so much about the gospel. We were also able to meet with Courtney, she is feeling so much better after her surgery and she looks so much better too. She really wants to find out if this is the true church and if this is where she wants to be. She is so amazing and I am so grateful she is in my life because she shows me how to put Christ in all things and to rely on him wholly. I love her so much and am so grateful to her.

Friday we met with the Harmans they are a part member family and their son is 9 years old and they want him to be baptized. I was awesome we have a new investigator who also has a baptismal date! which was way cool! I also got a package from the Kings which was so awesome and I loved it so much! and I got a letter from Barry Baker and I was just over the moon with excitement! I love hearing from everyone and how everyone in doing!

Saturday the Spanish elders and the Sisters had baptism so we went to help out with those and they were amazing baptismal services the Spanish elders had over 100 people at there's it was crazy!

Sunday we had 2 investigators at church which is huge for us! We met with sister Guest and we talked to her about getting to the temple and she is so excited! her husband isn't a member and it has been hard for her but she is so strong and is so determined to get to the temple. We also met with the Footes another Part member family and Brother Foote made us root beer floats which were so good! We had dinner at the Fosters, We had pizza and Potatoes it was great! Can’t have dinner here without potatoes right? They are so funny and crazy! We had a lesson with the Watsons Sunday night we taught them about faith snd having the courage to do the Lords will and we invited them to pray to know what God wants them to do and then have the strength to do it! the spirit was so strong and I know that they can do it!

Its amazing to me how much love I have for everyone I know it’s not me but merely the Lord working through me and I just have to be in tune with the spirit enough to know what to say and do. I know that its not my will anymore its not what I want to do but what the Lord wants me to do. It has been such a huge blessing in my life to be able to devote all my time and attention to the Lord. It’s really hard not going to lie some days are bad and some days I really don't want to get out of bed. But It’s so worth is to see someone feel the spirit and to feel it yourself its amazing! I love you guys so much and I am glad everything is going well (other than Adam getting  Beat up) But truly I am so grateful that I was able to be raised in this church and now have the opportunity to serve my Savior. Thank you so much! Love you guys so much!!

#itsnotgoobyeitsc-yalater

Love,

Sister Owsley

Sister Owsley a girl from their ward and her companion
I LOVE how HAPPY she looks!!!!

Emily is fascinated with the llamas a member hired to eat their grass

A sister from the ward and an investigator

The text they received saying they were staying in mountain home
She said there might have been some happy screaming going on :)

Mellow March Melancholy

This week hasn't been to crazy or exciting. Monday we met with Silvia and she was so sad that we can never stay longer and that we cant watch Son of God... haha it was really funny she is crazy and we love hanging out with her, she is really interested in asking us lots of questions so it has been really hard teaching her, but we did end up talking about the bible and we watched some of the church videos with her. Tuesday we met with Lisa she is really excited about reading the Book of Mormon and she wants to learn more we tried to invite her to the Relief Society activity but she couldn't make it. I got really sick with the flu on Tuesday night, so all day Wednesday I was in bed sick which drove me nuts! Thursday wasn't much different took it really easy and didn't do much. We had a lesson with Teresa at the Baxters house. The Highlight of Thursday was the fact that the Baxters rented 5 llamas to eat there grass in the back yard so we got to hang out with llamas. It was pretty cool and I was pretty excited! Friday we went over to Madison's she is 8 years old and she lives with her aunt who is a member. She Is so excited about the gospel Sister T gave her a Book of Mormon on Wednesday and when we came back she had been reading it and praying every night. She is so sweet and fun we have a lot of fun teaching her. Friday night Sister Guest in 4th ward fed us she made us a whole Thanksgiving dinner. I was stuffed by the end, she made us so much food! it was crazy! Saturday we had Paul and Leah's baptism and confirmation They were so excited and I am going to miss teaching them. them were so much fun. It was so cool to see them get baptized though. They are both 8 years old and it was amazing to me how much Heavenly Father trusts us to make that decision when we are only 8 but how prepared and ready they were to make that choice. Saturday night we made cookies at the Freer's house with Mandy and a Shila (from Featherville) We had a blast with them and they both were asking us lots of questions about missionary work and why we do it. I love talking to people about it and about the gospel its my favorite thing to talk about :)

Sunday was crazy we had a bishopric change in 4th ward which made for a chaotic day but we managed, and we ended up with this part member/ less active family that all came to church and they told us that they want there son to be baptized! what?!?! it was awesome! We also have transfers this week but the best part is... no one in our district is leaving. President decided to keep us all here and we are so excited about that. Really this week hasn't been super interesting or fantastic but never the less we seem to see miracles every day and its such a testimony to me of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I seem to realized more and more how blessed I really am to know of it and be able to live it! I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father and the opportunities he gives me both in blessing and in trials. I love the Lord and I Love being a missionary! I miss you guys so much and love you!

#itsnotgoodbyeitsc-yalater

Sister Owsley

A Crazy Week

PREFACE: this week has been madness for just about everyone!

You know how they say that in the mission you have the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Unknown fact: it all happens in the same week! Seriously it has been so crazy this week. we started off the week really bad not being able to talk to anyone. no one wanted to listen to our message. We had a few high points, we had an lesson with Courtney at the Petersons house. It went really well, We also had a really good lesson with Lisa and she committed to read the Book of Mormon. So there were some really good points but we had a really hard time trying to contact any of our referrals both Sister Tiongson and I were getting really frustrated and confused at why things weren't working out. we were praying and we couldn't seem to figure out what to do. Thursday came though and things started to get better. That morning we were studying about Ammon and how he came to teach King Lamoni and I don't know something just clicked for us and we started to get it. We realized the Love that comes from the Lord and that its the driving force for our work. We can't do this without his Love and feeling that same love for those we teach and the work. We started with a new found hope for finding and new determination to teach the gospel. What started out as a not so good week became one of the best weeks out here. We had a baptism this week for Jenny and she was confirmed on Sunday. There were so many people there both members and non-members that came to support her and to see the influence she has on those she is around is amazing. She truly is a wonderful person. We also this week were able to contact so many people and make appointments to come back and meet with them. One of the highlights this week was Jocylen, she just came home from her mission, and she called us up this week and basically told us that she was at our disposal and to call her if we need rides or someone to come to lessons. It was such a huge blessing because of her we were able to contact so many people and have so many more lessons than if we were on foot. She has been a huge tender mercy this week. We were able to meet with the Watsons and talk to them about Faith. Brother Watson has definitely been prepared by the Lord. This week has been probably the craziest week. I feel so blessed though that the Lord never leaves us alone and that He is always there to help us. We are going to have hard days and go through trials its one of the things we accepted when we came here and chose this plan, but he didn't leave us alone. I was thinking about 2 Nephi 3:7 this week and it dawned on me when he says he has "... prepared a way for them that they may accomplish the things which he commandeth them." He  always gives us a way its never alone. He gave us the best, He gave us Jesus Christ to lean on for whatever we need. No matter how silly we think it is we can use the Atonement to strengthen us. All he asks is that we obey the commandments. I love you all so much and I am so glad everyone is doing well and Adam is feeling better. I love you Lots and miss you!

#itsnotgoodbyeitsc-yalater

love,

Sister Owsley

March Madness

Wow has this week been so crazy. Lets see last Monday we all went over to Sister Parsons and had dinner we cook Philipino food (which was amazing by the way.) Also Sister Whitten and Kaitlin (her daughter) came we had a blast. Tuesday our sister training leaders came and stayed the night because Wednesday we had a meeting in Twin Falls which the drove us too (in a big Sister Scott van too! totally brought memories of going to camp :)) We had the new missionary meeting which was for all the trainers and the new missionaries . It was kind of funny being there they kept asking the trainers for what advice they might give or experiences they had as a new missionary. Sister James and I just sat there and laughed we were like we are still new missionaries we have no advice! haha President just kept laughing it was really funny. So then the sister training leaders brought us back and we went on exchanges with them. Me and Sister Nettles (who is from Oceanside...by the way) went to 4th ward and visited people there. We went to the Whitten's because guess what... they moved this week!!! Sad Day!! They were like family it was so sad to see them leave. They are already planning on me coming to North Dakota after my mission. They are so funny and I am really going to miss them. Thursday we had a lot of stuff to do with the other sisters and we also had a lesson with Teresa that night and she said she wants to get baptized like this month too!! woohoo!! I was just smiling the whole time, finally she was like what are you smiling about, I hadn't realized it but I was just so excited to see her so excited about baptism and how much the gospel has changed her. Its amazing to see how much joy the gospel brings into our lives sometimes as members I think we just assume that everyone's life if great but I am coming to understand how much the gospel blesses lives and how much I want it in my life.

Friday we had Zone Meeting in Wendell we talked a lot about Personal study and how it effects your whole day. It really came a perfect time because lately I have been struggling with what exactly I need to be studying an This was just what I needed. I have found that since I am doing these things I am learning what the Lord wants me to know. Its amazing how much he wants us to succeed he never wants us to fail. On Saturday we went to Prairie with sister Freer. Dad you would have died there were quite a few guys fly fishing in the canyon river when we were there also the was a huge flock of turkeys that really would of made a great dinner- just saying. The people in Prairie are so nice they fed us lunch and we got to talk to them and they are so kind to us and we love going up there. This weekend was also Stake Conference and wow Saturday night they had all the youth there too and the youth also spoke it was amazing and they did such a good job. They talked about hastening the work and they really brought the spirit and I learned a lot. Sunday session I also learned a lot and It was great. We also had a lunch at the Wilsons house and they had a new investigator over as well and we had a lesson with Jenny, she is so excited for her baptism this week and I am so excited for her. she is awesome and so ready to have the gospel and the church in her life. Well as I am writing this I see we had a really busy week and It was good. It will be nice this week though to kind of get back to a normal schedule. I really have been focusing on the Atonement this week and It amazing me how much I still learn about it each week. Things that I thought I knew but now I know so much more. The Lord has truly blessed me in my life and I see it more and more everyday. I am so grateful for my Savoir and what he has done so that I have the choice to come back to live with my Father in Heaven again. I love you guys so much. I really hope that Adam gets better this week, he is in my prayers. I love you guys!

#itsnotgoodbyeitsc-yalater

Sister Owsley

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