Zone Conference Doctrine and Photos – March 2014

This picture was posted on the Arizona Scottsdale Mission website.  The accompanying post can be found here.

SPPPPRRRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGG is here!!!!

Hi everyone!

So this week was pretty intense. And when I say intense, I actually mean INTENSE!! We have had so many miracles here, it blows my mind! The work is really hastening. Seriously, we need more servants in the vineyard to harvest the amount of people that are ready for the Gospel! No wonder President Monson has asked that the members be included. There are so many people that have been prepared and are so ready for this message, it blows my mind! For instance, not only do we have 2 people on date for baptism, but we've had several accept a baptismal invitation! We've gotten a new investigator almost every day and we've had over 20 lesson this week! Now, in a normal week, that's pretty incredible. But what makes this amazing is that we were actually out of town on Wednesday for Zone conference (which was phenomenal!) and we were in Snowflake for about half of the day on Friday. So we crammed those lessons into about 3 full days! Can I get a "What WHAT!" hahaha

Anyway, Zone conference was the highlight of my week this week. We got to meet with President and Sister Sweeney and we got some amazing training on being a consecrated missionary and what we will put on the altar of sacrifice (or what weapon of war we want to bury). We also took a color-code personality test and we discovered that Hermana Carillo, Hermana Christensen and I are ALL white-blues while Sister Goodwin is a red-yellow. President Sweeney just looked at us and said "I bet there's never a cross word said in your apartment!" which is basically the truth! I live with some amazing sisters! About mid-way through the training out zone did a special musical number which consisted of 2 elders (1 of them being one of the zone leaders) Hermana Christensen (a sister training leader) and my companion and I (I was the only alto). It went really well. It's just preparing me for the fact that we're singing "How Great Thou Art" in Sacrament Meeting this week in one of our wards. We're also set to sing on the 26th of April as well, so pray for "my poor nerves!"

We've been so blessed this week, not only with investigators, but we didn't set up any dinners and practically everyone that we visited this week sent us home with food! We got tacos, oranges, shrimp pasta, and so many other things! I've also been making my chicken noodle soup from memory (and not all of the ingredients) but it still tastes pretty good! I'm not going to attempt Zupa Toscana from memory. I'd probably kill it and never make it again! Which would be sad for all ya'll. haha Watch out! If I spend much more time here, I'll come back talking with a Southern/hick accent!

So, the lack of pics can be explained in one sentence: I forgot to charge my camera. SO here's a pic of a service that we've been doing the past few weeks. We've been helping HAND-QUILT a quilt that has over 3,000 pieces in it! Let me just say, it's almost as addicting as puzzles! The next pic was taking when we were driving to an appointment and we noticed that the horses were kissing. It was kind of weird and cute, and definitely photo worthy!

Oh, and i would absolutely LOOVE some pictures of the fam! Honestly, I'm starting to forget what you all look like! Just attach them to an email and send 'em my way!

The week that I decided not to attach a term to because I really can't think of anything that would describe it in one word....

Hello All!

So this week was definitely... Something. It was awesome because we were able to get two of our investigators to commit to a baptismal date (April 12th and 26th) and we also were able to help on of our recent converts set a date to go to the temple to do baptisms! oh, AND we had (drum roll please) 5 INVESTIGATORS AT CHURCH YESTERDAY!!!! 4 of which actually stayed for all of the meetings!! Crazy blessings!

On Tuesday this week, we went over to the home of a part-member family to help her make dinner. We have a standing appointment with them every Tuesday for dinner, so we thought that we could show our appreciation by helping her cook. It was also an opportunity to talk about Gospel related stuff, so that was a plus. what can I say, the guys like to play sports with the Elders and the girls like to cook with the Sisters, which I don't have a problem with because I LOOOVE cooking. We weren't able to stay to eat the fruits of our labors (home-made green chili stew and sopapillas) but we were able to go and help our with the enrichment night activity and get a few more referrals from the Sisters in the ward.

We also had a really cool Zone conference this week and we went to a restaurant afterwards called El Camino which served authentic Mexican food. Not only were the portions big and the food delicious, but one of the members in the area actually dropped by while we were eating and paid for our food! I was shocked! That's seriously what happens up here ALL of the TIME. The members up here are so giving and they are constantly striving to serve, it still blows my mind every time they do something like that for us. Thursdaywas uneventful, I got sick Thursday night so I wasn't able to do anything on Friday.

Yesterday the craziness returned with full force. We were waiting in the chapel for Sacrament meeting to start for one of our wards when one of the brethren came up to us and asked if we could do him a favor. Of course, we said yes and then he told us that the speakers in the YSA ward had backed out and asked if we could speak in 45 minutes. Well, we'd said yes and then Sister Goodwin piped up and said that, not only would we speak, but we would do a special musical number as well! My first instinct was to knock her out (I HATE singing in public without a ton of prep) and then my next instinct was to throw up. Despite that, I remained calm and we went and got some of the materials we would use for our talks and then went to the YSA ward. I honestly didn't know why we were there until we sat next to a sister who had said that she was considering a mission but was feeling confused about it. So, not only did we talk to her about a mission, she agreed to come out proselyting with us and also sang the special musical number with us! Cool stuff.

Then (oh, yes. there's a THEN) we were going to Sunday School in one of our other wards and we had the thought that we needed to attend a specific class. It turns out that the teacher wasn't there and they needed a sub. ASK THE MISSIONARIES, THEY CAN HELP YOU!!! haha So we taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the main Sunday School class and read from 2 Nephi 31.

Afterwards (yep, there's an AFTERWARDS as well) we helped out with the Trek fireside and it was SO FUNNY!! I really hope that they post those videos on youtube or facebook or something. "Look up Eagar Arizona trek fireside" or something similar and it will pull up what does the fox say and some other funny vids.

So, All is well, the work is Hastening, and those seeds that were planted years and years ago are not only sprouting, but bearing fruit. Who wants to go harvesting?! Ask the missionaries, they can definitely help! :)

Love,

Sister Lee

PS, sorry no pics this week, but I'll definitely send some next week!

Hello from the (still-blowing) city of Eagar Arizona!!!

So, some crazy stuff has happened this week. First of all... drumroll please... WE GOT TO GO TO THE TEMPLE!!!!!!!! Yep, we got to go do a session in the Snowflake temple. I just want to say how amazing it is that we have temples on the earth today. And we are so INCREDIBLY blessed to have temples nearby that we can go to whenever we are able. It's just been reaffirmed to me how lucky we are because I no longer am able to go to the temple as often as I'd like, so take advantage of the proximity! The work of Salvation isn't just missionary work for the living, it's for those that have passed on as well.

Anyway, this week we did a lot of service. Sister Goodwin and I have discovered that we both really enjoy brushing horses. It's just too bad that we can't ride them, but exact obedience brings blessings! And we've been blessed in so many ways. Sister Goodwin was really sick for a few days and finally requested a priesthood blessing. While she was receiving the blessing, she was told that by her faith, she could be healed. When she heard that, she described herself as having the thought "Well, why not?! I'm going to be healed!" and she seriously jumped right up out of the chair after her blessing and we went back to work without any complications or discomfort. I KNOW that God's power has been restored to the earth and that there are so many worthy men out there that have that power. I know that the priesthood power heals those with the faith to utilize it  and I KNOW that because of that, we are truly blessed.

This week has also been pretty amazing because one of our investigators is GOLDEN. She is so ready to hear the Gospel and she is so studious as well! We gave her one of the new pamphlets that they have us using and in the back there is a section for "Additional Study" where it lists some additional scriptures and has some questions that you can answer. NO ONE actually does the additional study (that I've heard of) but she certainly did!! She drinks a cup of coffee and has a cigarette every morning, but the morning that she did the study, she didn't even have the urge! I just wanted to jump up and dance around the room singing the most exuberant hymn I could think of and just run out the door and shout my happiness to the world! Of course I didn't do that, it may have freaked a few people out, but I was so excited for her! And she requested that we meet with her at the same time every single week! And the member/friend that was there with us actually called us later to find out what we'd be teaching her next so that she could study that lesson in her Preach My Gospel. I was (and still am) seriously stunned! It's been such an amazing experience and I can't wait for it to continue! That, and I realized that as of the 18th, I will have been out for 3 months! Time really flies when you're having fun! (Preaching the Gospel of course)

Love,

Sister Lee

Ok, the pics are of the temple and sister Goodwin and I, A funny sign that I found in the store (funny because I'm trying to quit eating so much chocolate) and the results of my focus session while I'm studying! I have crocheted a blanket. Which I actually am in the process of unraveling and redoing because I didn't like how it turned out :)

Service, Investigators and Appointments up the WAHZOO!!

Hey everyone!

It's crazy how fast the weeks are starting to fly up here! So you know how in elementary school they say that March roars like a lion and April showers bring May flowers? Well, it's definitely roaring up here; in more ways than one. First of all, the wind never ceases! It's great! It reminds me of when we used to run in the back yard with the wind and we felt like we could fly! Apparently, we really could fly up here just by lifting up our jackets (gale/hurricane force winds), so I'll be attempting that on p-day. Seriously, with faith, trust, and the wind in eager, we can all fly!! Haha probably not. Anyway, the work up here is fantastic! We've been working with a part-member family that is quitting smoking and the husband wants to be baptized, so we're re-capping the lessons for him and supporting him as he quits smoking. They are the sweetest family on the face of the earth! They had us over for dinner and sent us home with tons of left-overs and then invited us over for lunch the next day! When we were out of salt, she went into her food-storage shed (it's seriously mind-blowing) and brought out salt and pepper for us and then dropped by the next day with some shakers! The people up here are so open and so ready for the Gospel and they will literally give you the shirt off of your back. It's really kind of hit home for me on what being Christ-like truly is and what I need to work on.

We've also been working with several investigators this week. There is a home here where the owners will let people live with them until they can get back on their feet. In the meantime, they use it as a teaching opportunity and so we've been meeting with several people that live there that want to know more because of the great example the home-owners are of how we live what we believe. We also got a new investigator this week whose son joined the church up at college and she wanted to know more about what he believed, especially after he received the priesthood! The first lesson we had was so amazing and it was so great to have a member there! Members are able to connect with the people in a way that missionaries can only attempt, because eventually we will leave, but the members are there to stay and to help them adjust and answer their questions. In Preach My Gospel it tells us that we have been called by a prophet of God to share what we know and we know our message is true. The best part about being a member missionary is that you just share what you know, and you answer their questions. We've been taught these principals over and over again, we KNOW. And even if we can't answer their question immediately, we KNOW where we can find the answer.

To tie into that a little bit, in our companionship study, Sister Goodwin and I came across an interesting verse in Jacob chapter 5. That chapter is all about the vineyard and nourishing the vineyard, but at the end of the parable, the last time the Master of the Vineyard sends his servant out; the servant doesn't ask for more time (like he's done before), he brings in other servants to help him nourish the vineyard ONE LAST TIME (verse 70). If you'll notice, missionary work has been all about "more time", until recently. The age change flooded the world with MORE missionaries. The prophet's focus has been on MEMBER MISSIONARY WORK. The servant has called in more servants to nourish the vineyard. Yep, take that how you will.

I love you all and you are CONSTANTLY in my prayers, so ya'll better be doing what you should! (what can I say, I get more southern the longer I'm up here haha)

Pray as often as you need to because God listens and he answers our prayers in the most miraculous ways!

Love,

Sister Lee

okay so the pics of the window are of the truly MASSIVE cobwebb that I discovered while cleaning our room, then the others are of a sign that just makes me happy, the horses we brushed as a service activity, my first bite of clam chowder (not bad), and the Eager sign