October 30, 2017 Transfers

So, President Rogers called me this week he told me that... I am Training!!! :)

This transfer has gone by so fast!! Then next one finishes on December 13th! Soon it will be Christmas and then the year will be over, and full of so many wonderful memories.

It has been slowly getting colder- so Sister Baird and I use the little wheat bags that my sister made almost daily :)

I have been listening to a book by Hank Smith about happiness. I thought that I would share a few of the things that I have been learning about. 

He starts of by explaining that, 'The Lord put the desire to be happy in us- it is like his finger print on our brain.'    That just makes sense. "Men are that they might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:25). and that is why we seek happiness and pleasure.

   Obviously there are differences in 'happiness'- the one that takes place without you and is caused by circumstances, and the one that takes place within you that comes from the Lord and truly worthy intentional activities. Hank Smith gives a list of 10 things that will increase happiness; Be around people who are happy, spend money on other people, cut down on screen time, tlak to people in person, LAUGH, listen to uplifting music, exercise and eat healthy, go outside often, get enough sleep, tune into the spiritual.     As a missionary we do ALL of that... that must by why missionaries are So happy!! :)

   Another hint that was given- if you truly want to do a study on Happiness, just take a look in the scriptures! Obviously Heavenly Father understood this better than anyone, and inspired his prophets to record ways that we can be happy.

One of my favorite quotes that he read so far was, " God left the world unfinished so we could apply our skill and workmanship to it. He left the electricity in the cloud, the oil in the earth, He left the rivers un-bridged, the forests unfilled, and the cities un-built. God gives to man the challenge of raw materials not the ease of finished things. He leaves the pictures unpainted, music unsung, and problems unsolved that man might know the joy's and glories of creation."

I have seen that as I use the spiritual gifts that Heavenly Father has given me to build and uplift those around me, I truly am more joyful. A smile is just as contagious as a frown.

I hope that this week we recognize the skills that Heaven has blessed us with, and use them to create and become closer to our Heavenly Father. I know that a small act of service can go a long way, and a simple thought of love will increase the Happiness of those you associate with.

Have a wonderful joyful week!!

Sister Elgaaen & Baird decorating journals.

Cleaning time!

 

Sister Baird & Elgaaen, Elder's Wall, McMillan, Charleston, Howell
Calvert The District

Snacks Anyone?

Sister Elgaaen, Joy, Cat Charlotte, Sister Baird

Street with a member' name.

Tagged to do the work!

Happy to Study

Lake Ontario

 

October 23, 2017 Blessed to Hear from the Lord!

This week I had the amazing opportunity to hear from an apostle of the Lord twice!! The first was at a mission wide conference that we had to wake up at 5:30 to get to on time. But also the next day, Elder Stephenson just happened to pick the Syracuse stake to go to on Sunday. :)

   Elder Stephenson told a story when He talked on Sunday that I thought I would attempt to retell.

This story is about a 10 year old boy named Thad. Now Thad grew up during the Great Depression and was the 9th out of 14 children! Can you imagine that! When food was so hard to come by, and with such a big family, the cattle that was raised really was the only way that they survived.  Thad's job was to get on his cow pony, a horse named Smokey, every day and check on the cattle. Smokey was a good horse and knew exactly what to do. You could basically get on him, and relax for he knew the routes to take and where to go. The only Problem was- Smokey was hard to catch. He seemed to make a game out of it. Thad could never catch Smokey and would always have to have his dad get him and place the saddle on him. Well this particular day was one of many during a drought. Out past the gates near the railroad tracks there was some greener and more fresh grass that Thad knew the cows would enjoy. So he opened the gate and Smokey expertly lead the cows out and down to where they lazily grazed on the greens that they had not been able to reach before.

   The day was just perfect and the breeze so nice that Thad got off of Smokey and sat on his reigns to just relax and enjoy the moment. Well Smokey was not going to pass up the opportunity to wander so he pulled away from That- but that was nothing to worry about. The cows seemed content and nothing could have been more peaceful.

   But you can most likely predict what happened next- Thad heard a train whistle! Jumping up he started to run and try to get on Smokey- but as mentioned earlier, Smokey was hard to catch. Desperate and Breathless That remembered what his primary teacher and mother had told him about the power of prayer and he quickly knelt down and pleaded for help. The thought came after the prayer had ended to look at the cows and observe how Smokey did not run away or move when the cattle walked past. So Thad, acting like a cow, crawled over to Smokey and was able to hop on his back without the horse so much as turning his head. 

   Smokey seemed to be exceptionally smart and knew exactly what turns to take to guide all the cattle back into the fence minutes before the train went harmlessly by.

There is a wonderful story of the power of prayer! His answer was not given in a blast of lightning that scared all the animals somehow back into the safety of the fence- even though Heavenly Father could have done it. His prayer was answered, and with hard work the task was accomplished.

I think that somethings we could learn from this story are first- don't put yourself in situations that you know might turn out bad! In reality that bad things will happen, we should, just like Thad, have the instinct to fall to our knees in prayer to plead for guidance from the one who knows all things. Also did you notice how he remembered (a 10 year old child) The advise from his mother and primary teacher? Sometimes it is hard to recognize when we are making a difference and if what we do and say really is setting an example. But I know that especially children are watching and will copy what you do.

I hope that we are all able to of learned something from that and work on being better today then we were yesterday. 

October 16, 2017 Hello!

This week was unusually warm for October. Sister Baird and I had exchanges, Zone Conference, and just a fulfilling spiritual week.

 Something that was pointed out to me during sacrament was 'Believing others testimony is a gift. Children have that gift; There is steps to testimony, it starts by trusting in other people.' Most of the time it is emphasized for people to gain there own testimony, but How wonderful it is to realize that if someone is leaning on your faith- it is just a stepping stone to them receiving there own testimony! Keep a firm faith and foundation so if another needs a place to stand, they will not fall.

To help others gain a testimony they must first come to realize that they need to: 1. Seek- don't be spiritually passive 2. Feel- recognize the influence of the spirit in your daily life 3. Act- have real intent. To go from a basic belief to a deep understanding and strong Faith requires much, but the results are pure and full of light. 

   One of the results of faith is miracles. We must move forward with faith, for faith proceeds the miracle. If we don't have the belief that good will happen- then it won't for we will not be focused on all the good going on around us. We will be wearing spiritual blinders- and will miss many opportunities and blessings.  This sweet old lady let us into her house the other day and told us for 30 minutes that as missionaries we are called to help others realize that they have support and love. I thought it was interesting because, the missionary purpose is to 'Invite others to come unto Christ', but while doing that it usually leads people to discover who they are, that they are SO loved by Heavenly Father, and that they have support- and also building this faith in them.

   I hope that this week we are able to lift the drooping hearts and comfort those swollen with grief and  help them- not just hope- come closer to there savior and gain a spiritual fire of there own. May we also be strong enough in our own faith, that if others are in need of support or are experiencing a darkening road ahead, we can allow them to lean on us and re-find there footing. 

My size stop sign!

exchanges

Pumpkin with face drawn by my sister Emily

New Dress

Service

Zone Conference



The crazy banana