Hospital Connections & #GirlsCampMiracle (Week 29)

Hi everyone,

This week was awesome.  However, myldsmail is acting up, and we can't log into it, so no pictures this week.  The good news is that we have iPads, so we can still email. 😃

The Women's Conference was great.  I really loved it.  Tammy, who was our investigator, until she moved into the Elders' area, came and really enjoyed it.  She is looking forward to General Conference this upcoming weekend.

Scot came to church yesterday!  Last week he went to the wrong church.  He went to the Baptist church that is close to ours.  So that fact that he found the church was a miracle.

Belinda went to Girls' Camp.  All of her family are members, but she did want to be baptized when her siblings were here a few months ago.  She bore her testimony at Girls' Camp.  Now she isn't sure about getting baptized.  She knows the church is true, but she has some other concerns.  She came to church with her family.  #GirlsCampMiracle

It was sad -- a person, who some other Elders found, who lived in our area had a baptismal date.  We were going to meet him to start teaching him, but he went to his church and was given some anti-Mormon things there.  Now, he doesn't want to meet with us.  We want to meet him to try and clear up what is (and isn't) true about the things he heard.

We met someone, who at first wasn't interested, but she let us share a message.  As we talked with her, she softened.  Summer said she is looking for a church that she feels right at.  She asked us to come back, but she didn't know when a good time would be since she currently doesn't live there.  She is in the process of getting ready to move in.

Miracle: The best miracle this week was that we got to meet and start teaching Essix.  We went to the hospital to see Abeke, who is a member.  Another member was there visiting her.  At the end of Abeke's lesson, Uraza said she had another friend in the hospital who she wanted us to visit.  We said goodbye to Abeke and followed Uraza to Essix's room.  We shared a brief lesson of the restoration and, while Sister Fricke shared Joseph Smith's own words, Essix felt the spirit.  We visited her one more time while she was in the hospital.  She is now out and living at Uraza's place while she recovers.  She is confined to her bed, so we explained that she can watch conference on her tablet.  She is super cool, and she wants to go to church when she can.  I know we were meant to visit Abeke at that time, so Uraza would also be there.

✨Sister Aurora Pack

Awesome Companion, iPads, & Phones (Week 28)

Hey everyone,

This week has been kinda crazy.  We had Zone Conference, which was totally awesome.  There we got the new iPads, the ones the missionaries bought and own.  They also gave each companionship a new phone.  The phones were old and needed to be replaced.  The new phones also have new numbers, which makes for a crazy transition.

With the new iPad, it has taken some time to set up and have everything downloaded that I need.  I am still in the process of downloading videos on Gospel Library.  With the new iPads, some of the rules have changed.  It used to be that we could only connect to WiFi at libraries or church buildings, but now we can connect to any WiFi for missionary purposes.  For emailing home, we need to be at the church or library.  Also, we can now read email sent to us throughout the week as they come in.  However, we still can only send email on Monday.  This means you can email me, and I will have time to read it without using the hour I have each week to write email.  Please let me know what is going on with your life.  I would like to know, even if your life seems dull to you.

Something that was really cool this week was, after dinner, we were teaching a quiet lesson.  I started speaking, and it made sense as I said it, but it was the first time I had ever thought about it.  I know the spirit was working through me.  We were talking about how fear and faith are opposites.  I mentioned how love is also an opposite of fear (perfect love casts out all fear, 1 John).

The sister we were teaching said that hope is also an opposite of fear.  I then started to say that the opposite of fear is faith, hope, and charity, which is love.  There is a verse in the Doctrine and Covenants that I read that morning that says without faith, hope, and charity we can do nothing, which means if we have fear then we can do nothing.  My mind was totally blown when I had said that.  It was really awesome to have the spirit work through me.  I also want to add that in 2 Timothy 1:7, it says that "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear."

Marie thanks for your letter.  I love the song from Hunter Hayes, Love Too Much, as well!  I am glad you found it and are enjoying it.

We are emailing at the church, so no pictures this week. 😞 Sorry.

I have been thinking about you guys moving to Michigan.  I will miss Colorado and particularly Parker. 😢  However, looking on the upside, Michigan is a lot closer to Southern Virginia University.  😉 Also on that subject, when Dad gets his apartment there can you let me know the address, so I can mail things to him.  Thanks.

One of the new booklets we received is titled "Missionary Work in the Digital Age."  In it, it lists the missionary library.  Daughters in My Kingdom is part of it.  I have never seen it listed as part of the missionary library before.  I think one of the reasons they added it is because there are a lot more sisters going out.  I have access to it on my iPad, but I would like a physical copy.  I don't know if I had a copy before.  If I did could you send that to me?  Thanks.

Okay, my mom has been telling me of all the Bighorn staff trainings my sister is going to.  I just wanted to say to anyone that I know through Bighorn who reads this that I miss you all.  I love Bighorn, and you mean a lot to me.  Bighorn has changed me for the better.

Also, just so you all know, I have the best companion in the whole world.  Sister Fricke is the best!  We have so much fun together.

David, when I told her that you are a brony, she said she likes you even though she doesn't know you.  She also likes My Little Pony.  She has also read How To Train Your Dragon.  She didn't know there were other books after the first.  She hasn't seen the movie yet either.  I told her she needs to when she gets home.  I know she would love it.  She loves cats, so she would love Toothless.

Miracle: We went into this retirement community to visit some people who had met the missionaries before.  One of them was sick, and the other one wasn't home.  When we walked away, Sister Fricke had a feeling that we should knock this one door.  We did it, and while we were waiting for the person to answer, I was trying to figure out what to say.  There was an Easter decoration on the door, so I thought about offering to share Because of Him, the Easter video from last year.  However, I thought we should just offer to pray with her.  She said "yes," and invited us in.  She isn't interested, but I know it was a good experience and was what the Lord wanted us to do.  It is so awesome -- the spirit works.

✨Sister Aurora Pack

Sister Fricke and Pleasant Hill South (Week 27)

Sister Fricke and Sister Pack

Hey everyone,

Things are going great here in Pleasant Hill South (my new area).  My new companion is Sister Fricke.  She is so cool and awesome.  She just finished training, so I am her first companion after her trainer.  It is weird to be companion of someone who has been out less than I have.

Goodbye to Torina!

It is also weird to think that last Tuesday was my six-month mark.  I have completed a third of my mission.  It sure doesn't feel that way.  I feel like I am just starting my mission.  I have decided to break up my mission into every six months.  There is a beginning of my mission, which I have completed, the middle of my mission, which I just started, and the end of the my mission.

Goodbye to the Famous Mormon Message Star (and Selfie King) Elder Godinet

I love Sister Fricke and this area so much.  It is awesome.  Sister Fricke and I have a lot of similar goals, which is nice so that way we are unified.

We got to teach this super awesome guy named Newel. He is awesome.  He first met missionaries a while back in the summer, but nothing happened.  Then, before I got here, he called and wanted to meet with us.  He also came to church yesterday, and he said he wants to come again.  Awesome, right?  It is, but we found out he lives on the Elders' side, so they are going to teach him.  It is too bad we don't get to teach him, but I am happy he is going to be taught -- that is what is most important.



A tombstone I made for Sister Nelson to celebrate her going home

We were also able to teach someone named Scot.  He is pretty cool.

I met up with my trainer, Sister Taylor, at the transfer!

During the week, we felt like we should tract this one street.  It turns out it was really far away.  It took a while to bike to it, but the best thing happened.  It wasn't on the street or tracting, but on our way there.  We passed by someone.  His name is Michael, and he recently moved here from New York.  He is looking for a church.  I know we felt like we should go to the street, so we were able to meet Michael.  We never would have passed him otherwise.

Miracle: We were biking to a member's home, who lives on the same circle we live on.  It is a huge circle.  We started going one way, but then Sister Fricke thought it was closer the other way.  We turned around.  We passed Warren, who was super cool.  We were able to talk with him.  It turns out we went the long way around the circle, but we were able to meet Warren, so it is okay. I know the Spirit was guiding us to turn around.  It is funny how the Holy Ghost works sometimes.  This time it made Sister Fricke think we were going the wrong way. I am grateful for the Spirit in the work.  We wouldn't be able to get anything done without it.

✨Sister Aurora Pack



Sisters of District Deltona

P.S. The STLs (from my last area) had to clean up their house, since their area was getting shut down.  There was a lot of random things there, so they gave gifts to everyone in the district.  It was lots of fun.  It was kinda random, but fun.  My favorite thing was the pass along card that say Family Happiness Can Last Forever.  They wrote underneath it #DistrictDeltona.  We are a family.

Good bye to the beach and to Aaron!

They gave a lot of people Christmas music, because we won't be home for Christmas.



Beware of STLs bearing gifts!



Whitewash (Week 26)

District Preparation Day

Hi everyone,

President Berry called us up on Wednesday to let us know that our area is being whitewashed.  That means that both of the missionaries are leaving, and two new ones are coming in.  Typically, only one missionary leaves at a time, so the one who stays can introduce the new missionary to the area and the people.  President Berry told us that there are less Sister missionaries coming out than are going home, so some areas need to be shut down.  The Deltona Sisters' area is being closed.  That was an STL (Sister Training Leader) area.  They need a new STL area in our zone, and President has chosen our area, which means I'm getting the boot.

Elder Galindo loves his selfies!

I don't like it.  I want to stay.  I love this area and the Ward.  I really don't want to move.  I feel like I just got here, and now I have to leave.  What makes it harder is that I was positive that I was staying, since Sister Nelson is going home.  This is so unexpected that it makes it hard.  There are other things that make it hard.  When we told someone in the Ward he said, don't they only do that if there are problems in the area?  I know that isn't the reason, and we explained to him, but it still hurts.  He is a nice guy; he was just confused about why we would get whitewashed since he didn't see any problems.

Sister Nelson and I in our apartment at night

I think Sister Nelson feels like they are saying, "your area stinks so much, we are going to put STLs in to fix it up."  Sister Marsh says she feels the same way, since her area is getting shut down.  (By the way, she is an STL, so it doesn't mean anything.  She is a great missionary.  The reason is that there are less sisters coming in.)  I wasn't feeling angry about it, like Sister Nelson, but I have had a hard time with it.  The hardest time came when the STL who is coming to our area told Sister Nelson that there is a reason STLs are coming here.  She doesn't even know anything about our area or how hard we have worked.  I don't even know why she was told early that she was whitewashing.  Many people whitewash areas without advance knowledge.  I don't see why she needs special treatment.  I am still mad at her.  I am working to forgive her for her reckless comment.

By the way, I don't hate STLs, like a lot of sisters.  I am really close to some of them.  I just don't like STLs who think they are all high-and-mighty because of their leadership.  Frankly, I don't like any leader who is too caught up in himself.  District leader, zone leader, sister training leader, assistant to the president -- it doesn't matter.  Just because one is in a leadership position doesn't mean one is more righteous or better.  It means you have the opportunity and privilege to serve those who are in your stewardship.  I have decided that I don't need to be a trainer or STL to be a successful missionary.  Some missionaries feel that way.  However, if I am ever an STL, I promise to be a servant-leader.

I have prayed a lot about leaving New Smyrna Beach.  As I have said before, I don't want to leave.  However, I know this is what the Lord wants, and He sees the whole picture.  Things will work out for everyone's good.  There are two sentences in my patriarchal blessing that stood out to me when I recently re-read it.  It gave me some comfort.  I was also really stressed about having to pack, clean the apartment, leave notes for the new sisters, and still find new investigators.  I asked Brother Santana to give me a blessing.  It wasn't what I would have expected, but it was what I needed.  It didn't talk about what was going on now but addressed the bigger picture.  The blessing focused on "my mission here on earth."  That is more than just these 18 months; that is my life.  It talked about acquiring knowledge and wisdom and passing it onto others.  How others would seek me out when I am home from my mission.  It was really awesome.  What is totally cool and is proof that God is out there is that the blessing is very similar to what stood out to me in my patriarchal blessing.  God loves me and knows who I am, and he needs me in other places.

District P-Day Groupie

We are emailing at the church since we went there for district p-day.

Be the Book of Mormon!

Right now it is bike week in Daytona Beach and the surrounding areas.  There are a lot of bikers with their leather jackets.  It is cool to see them (and be seen by them).

Signs for Bikers and Passersby

Miracle: Even though neither of us are staying in the area we worked hard to find some new investigators.  We found Gavin, and he is awesome.  He was a former investigator, and we just dropped by one night.  His friend (Neil), who lives a few hours away, referred Gavin to the missionaries in the first place.  When we dropped by Neil was there.  He doesn't come very often to Port Orange, so I know it was the Lord guiding us all together.  We taught a short lesson that night, since we didn't have much time.  When we came back for the scheduled appointment, the spirit was super strong.  He said he would be baptized and that he would even give up smoking and coffee, which is why he wasn't baptized last time.  When we tried setting a baptismal date with him, we learned that he is going to Cuba for over a month for dental work.  He is leaving tomorrow, so he can't meet with the new sisters for a while.  That is too bad, but I know if the missionaries reach out to him when he gets back that he will be baptized.  He also came to church yesterday!  Gavin is awesome.

✨Sister Aurora Pack

P.S. Thanks for getting back to me and thanks for letting me know about Dad's job.  I think it was adding to my stress.  I think I could feel when I prayed that you would move.  I feel peace about it.

 

Hamming it up!