February 15, 2012

Hello Family! Guess what? I only have 6 more days until I'm in Houston! I can hardly believe that my district is now the oldest district in our zone. Mom you asked what a district is.... We spend practically all of our time with them. There are 9 of us... 6 elders and then us 3 sisters. Then there are 3 districts in our zone which is our Branch. Kinda confusing but that's the best I can explain it. We have all gotten really close. The group that just left on Tuesday are really good friends and it was hard saying goodbye.

Speaking of the branch presidency... my district spent an hour with the Boones last night after Devotional. They are so much fun!

Ok so onto my week! I beat the record in the MTC gym for wall sits, and if it stands for 10 days I will have my name up on the wall. :) It was fun! Gym time is so much fun and very needed after sitting for 9 hours of the day. I either play volleyball, run, lift, or play speed with my zone!

Teaching is coming a lot easier this week than it was last. Our companionship is so great, I'm nervous to go from teaching with 2 girls to just 1 but it'll be good. We have Zone teaching 3 times a week and everyone but me had someone to teach with and they only had to teach 1 other person... well I was the lucky one to teach by myself and teach 2 elders. But I did it and I taught for 50 minutes! One of our progressing investigators, Lawanna who is a tough girl to teach, broke character at the end of our meeting and asked us where we were going on our missions. When she asked me I told her Houston and she said, "girl you are going to need to know your stuff like the back of your hand." She told me EVERYONE there knows their bible and they will questions me on every aspect of it. She said I can't just say... "I prayed to know it's true." She said you have to explain to them why! I am really going to have to study up on my bible this next week! :/ I'm nervous!

So on Sunday in Relief Society Sister Cook, from the Young Womens presidency, came to talk to us. She spoke on the power of priesthood in our lives. We were watching the Mormon messages video of the young football team practicing when lightning hits and it hits a young boy. Then there is a 18 year old boy who is worthy to give him a blessing. I'm not kidding you when I say this, as SOON as the 18 year old was giving a blessing to this boy a Sister missionary in relief society fell off her chair and was unconscious. She wasn't breathing and everyone around her was trying to get the attention of someone to come help! The room was silent besides all that was going on around her. Brother Cook ran from off the stand after they got his attention down to where she was and gave her a blessing. The ambulance had to come but before they got here she was breathing again. It was soooooo powerful. I told my companions that God had to show us in real life how powerful the priesthood is. Brother Cook was the only priesthood holder in that room and he was worthy to give her a blessing. Everyone was in shock and everyone was praying so hard for her, but she is alright! It was a crazy 30 minutes!

One of the things we have been studying up on in class this week is the power of prayer and the power of the spirit in our lessons. Both are KEY to converting our investigators! Without the spirit in the lessons they won't want us to come back. A lot of times the investigator won't remember what was taught but they will remember the feeling that was present, and that is why they will let us come back.

On Sunday we watched a President Bednar devotional from when he came here to the MTC on Christmas. It was on the attributes of Christ. I wish you all had access to watch it. He talked about forsaking our natural man and turning out ward like Christ would. A lot of times especially when something bad is happening to us we turn inwards, but even when Christ was suffering in Gethsemane he told the angels to go to John the Baptist who was being persecuted. He told a story of a woman who lost her only daughter in a car accident. The women was relief society president and she got a call the day of her daughters funeral from a woman in the ward complaining of a cold and no one getting her meals. On the way to her own daughter’s funeral she dropped a meal off and told the women she was very sorry no one knew about her cold. We all need to be better about being more Christ like exactly how this woman responded to someone in need even when she lost her daughter.

I'm loving it here in the MTC but I'm excited to leave on Tuesday. I got my travel itinerary and I leave on Tuesday morning at 6:00 am from the MTC. I'll call from the airport! I think my flight leaves around 9:30 am. I may try to ask Maria in the health clinic if I can leave a box of stuff with her for you to pick up because I don't think I can fit it all in my bags. If she can't I'll mail it home and you can just stick in under the stairs!

I love you all! I miss you, but I know this is where i'm supposed to be.

Kailey and Allison how did basket ball end up?! And Kailey you have to tell me about your tournament in Vegas this weekend! I'll be cheering for you from the MTC!

I LOVE YOU!!

Erianne

February 8, 2012

Hey Family!!!

I am so excited to write you all! I have sooo much to tell you I wish I had hours but I'm already down to 27 minutes cause I had to print off your emails so I can read them later... So I'll just have to answer all your questions next week in my email. How are you all?! I hope the party went awesome last weekend. Bishop Boone said it was great to see you all. Isn't it awesome that he is in my branch presidency?! Ok so here are some random things.... 1. MOM THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR THE PACKAGES.. I shared all the muffins with my district and they said thank you so much! They think you are now our district mommy! :) Also thank you for the story of the cell phone and the sister missionaries. I am completely aware that God is aware of each of us as missionaries. I have seen that soo much this week so you have to need to worry about me. :) 2. The very first time I go to use my camera this past week it broke!!! so I wont be sending pictures home till I get in the field and can get a camera... I don't know what happened to mine, but it just wouldn't turn on so I tried charging it and it still doesnt work... :( Sorry about not getting pictures to you. 3. I forgot to tell you that all my tax papers are in my mailbox... both mailboxes in the kitchen just F.Y.I. 4. Will you send me pictures from my farewell? I want pictures of the family and of my friends. I didn't think good enough before I left that I would want to show everyone my family! 5. You can use dearelder.com to write me and those will get sent to me daily! That would be a lot better of a way to write me than email because I don't have much time on the computers. If you could would you send me my farewell talk over dearelder.com? We have to prepare a talk for this sunday and I may use pieces from that. You can get that off my blog. 6. Mom and Dad I keep seeing senior couples here preparing to serve a mission and I keep thinking about you guys serving! You will be great. Last night at the devo they had the senior couples stand and then they asked who had served several missions and there were 5-10 couples that had served more than 3 missions! That will be you two. :)

Ok so about the MTC! I really like it here. I am sooo grateful for the friends I have here that are from BYU idaho! The first few days I really was grateful to get to talk with them and KNOW SOMEONE! haha I talked with Craig, Zac, Maryanne, Spencer, Sister Barrett (sister schaurers sister) and my comp. who we met at sister missionary mall before we got here Sister Firmage! I have 2 companions and they are great! We laugh a lot and we get along well! My other comps name is sister Anderson, she is from Canada! I love them both. Both of them are going to Las Vegas. I am the only sister going to Houston in my district. There is one other elder going to Houston too. It will be an adventure! We leave the day after the rest of our district so I'll be a solo sister for a night.

The food here is pretty good, but I'm sure glad I'm not here for 12 weeks like some people cause I know I'd get sick of it. But so far so good! I have so many stories to share with you. This week has been such a rollercoaster ride for all us new missionaries. It's fun but hard to learn every aspect of missionary work from the laughs and the smiles to the discouragment and tears. We've had them all. The first night was a humility check for sure as we met with investigators as a group and most of us didn't know what to say! We have our testimonies but that was hard to know what to share with them. This past week we have met with 4 new progressing investigators here in the MTC and the first thing I've learned is how much you LOVE them! Getting set apart I think involves coming to feel the love our Savior feels for every single one of his children. 2 of our investigators are doing great and so willing to accept our commitments and messages. One investigator doesn't know if she believes in God, but she took our challenge to pray and we meet with her again tomorrow to check up on her. The last couple we met with last night was an inactice family. That was soo rough. I didn't know I could have so much love for someone I only knew for 45 minutes. But hearing there story and seeing where the husband was made us so sad. He served a mission, they were sealed in the temple, he was a bishop, he was in the high councel, but that wasn't enough... their son died and he fell away. He doesn't know if he believes in a God anymore. His wife is super strong and tries to go to church when she can but the minute we walked out of there me and my two companions started to cry. We all felt the same. We know he once knew what we do, but he didn't want to believe it anymore. We meet again with them on the 14th...

Now for a funny story... hahaha So we were meeting with the girl who doesn't know if there is a God. She was great, but we were sooo rushed getting in there that we grabbed the wrong Book of Mormon. So I go to share a scripture with her and I reach over my companions lap for the scriptures to hand her a copy and we realize it is in spanish....... haha So my comp looks at me and whispers "I grabbed the wrong one..." so I could not hold it in! I just started laughing trying so hard to hold it in. The investigator doesn't know what happened cause I just handed her my copy to read. But once we got out of there we were laughing for a good 10 minutes about it!

I have learned soo much here. Humility is key! We have to accept the grace of God. He has already met us half way. Grace isn't the light at the end of the tunnel it's the light that gets us through the tunnel. Also I've learned the WHY in teaching here at the MTC. They don't teach the HOW because that is the spirits job. It doesn't matter how we taught the lesson, or how we felt we did because as long as we brought the investigator closer to Christ that is all that matters! I have learned a lot of lessons here that I want to share with you guys, but I have 5 minutes... I'll have to write you letters. OH! remeber how I was asking you guys about god commanding adam and eve to not partake of the fruit but to multiply and replenish the earth? Well I was talking with my comps about that yesterday and right after one of the older missionaries taught me a lesson on plan of salvation as I acted like an investigator I asked her that same question and she happened to be studying up on the same thing. she met with our branch pres about it actually and she had lots of answers, and then in Devotional last night with Bishop Edgley and his wife they spoke on opposition in all things. God first commanded to multiply and replenish the earh. They had to transgress so they could come to the telestial world. Anyways!

My favorite thing here in the MTC is GYM TIME!!! we have an hour a day and I mostly play volleyball. I have made a lot of friends on the volleyball court! If the court gets busy I go run upstairs... I love my comps but I like how we don't have to stay with them during gym time. We get a little break from them haha. Kailey and Alli you need to meet this kid who plays volleyball... he is sooo funny you girls would just laugh your head off. I'm not sure if he has a mental disability or not but we are good friends and he makes us all laugh a lot. he says things like... "wow you just hit that ball to China", or "I know why you put me in the back row... it's cause I'm black!" haha Oh man. How are you girls doing anyways?! How is basketball?! I miss you all soo much and am out of time but I will talk to you next week!!!!

Write me on dear elder if you can!

I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU ALL!!!!

Erianne

Farewell Pictures :)

Farewell talk!

Here is my farewell talk for those of you who weren't able to be there on Sunday! My parents and family will be keeping my blog current while I'm gone. I'll see you in 18 months! I'll miss you all. :)

Plan of Happiness:

My topic for today is on the Plan of Happiness, but before I get started on that I just wanted to share with you what I have learned this past year as I’ve decided to serve a mission.

For those of you who know me well know how much I like to have things planned out and organized in my life. I am a fan of a plan, and like to stick to it for the most part. Well, this past year has required a leap of faith for me as I’ve received pieces of my Heavenly Fathers plan. Trying to follow the promptings I’ve received from Him hasn’t been the easiest thing I’ve done. You see I never planned on serving a mission and to be honest I never really wanted to because I already had other plans. I was going to take my volleyball scholarship, get my degree, and get married after graduating. Although I had opportunities for some of these things I knew that wasn’t my Fathers plan for me at this time.

About a year ago after my grandpa passed away I felt like I needed to start praying for my Saviors will for me. I needed and wanted to be happy and I knew Heavenly Father could help me with this. I never once thought a mission would come up in His plans for me, but after praying, reading my scriptures, fasting, going to the temple, and receiving answers to my prayers through angels in my life I knew that was the right decision. This was about a 6-month process because I am a stubborn girl. The first 4 months consisted of me saying, “Ok I know I asked your will for me, but how about some other option…” or “How about I just serve a mission when I get married and I’m old?” once I agreed to follow His plan the next 2 months were me getting the courage up to tell someone.

One of the many answers I received while trying to decide if I was going to follow this prompting came through my best friend who is serving a mission in Ecuador. I gained a very strong testimony that Heavenly Father places people in our lives at certain times to be answers to our prayers. Spencer W. Kimball stated, "God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other in the kingdom.” I had been praying so hard everyday to really KNOW and even though he had no idea I had even been thinking about a mission I received letter after letter saying, “Follow every prompting from the spirit whether it be big or small.” (Quote)

Heavenly Father will get what he needs done whether it be through me, you, or someone else. But what better way to show our Heavenly Father that He can trust us if we follow each task or prompting He puts in front of us. Christ has a will for each and every single one of us and our responsibility while we are on earth is to find what that purpose is and to do it to our BEST abilities. He knows we can't do it perfectly and He knows we can’t do it alone, but if we try and do all we can He will fill in the rest. In 1 Nephi 4:6 it reads, "I was led by the spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." But when Nephi followed the spirit He was led and Christ was with him every step of the way. This scripture has been my motto the past year and will continue to be throughout my mission.

"Our hands are set to the plow, and there is no looking back. Christ explains in the book of Matthew; 'Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.'

We are given tasks but the Lord is with us! And that is why I stand before you all today, I stand before you preparing for my mission because I know without a doubt that the Lord will be with me to help me bring His children back to Him. I couldn’t and wouldn’t go on my mission if I knew I would be without my Savior Jesus Christ.

So what was my point in telling you all this? I wanted to share my experiences with you so you can see that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us if you haven’t already seen it yourself. I can testify of this to you because of the few pieces of my plan that was set before me this past year. He wants us to be happy. Happiness is the purpose of the gospel and of the Atonement. The Prophet Joseph stated, “Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God.”

Instead of talking about each aspect and step of the Plan of Salvation to you today I wanted to talk about why it is often called the plan of happiness and why we have such great reason to be a joyful people. President Boyd K. Packer said, “If you understand the great plan of happiness and follow it, what goes on in the world will not determine your happiness.” There has been much wickedness and sorrow in our world and it continues to get worse, but as we focus on the Plan our Father has for us we can continue to be happy!

This past month while preparing this talk I’ve thought of several blessings we each have that provide great joy in life. The list is numberless, but here are a few blessings I’ve thought of. As I list this off, think to yourself the blessings in your life that make you happy. Some will probably be the same as what I list…

Atonement, agency, life on earth, resurrection, families, friends, knowledge of the gospel and of the plan of Salvation, opportunity to learn, scriptures, prophets, obedience, eternal life, and the list could go on. All of these make me very happy but I’m just going to talk about a few of them.

The atonement is central to the plan of happiness. Why does the atonement offer us such great happiness? Because Christ has already paid our debts for us to be happy! He has atoned for our sins so that we can be forgiven of our wrongdoings, and He taught us the path that leads to happiness through His example of a selfless life. Sin leads to unhappiness, but the atonement brings us out of our grief as we go to our Savior with humble hearts to repent and forsake our sins.

In a first presidency message titled, Our Search for Happiness, President James E. Faust stated, “Some may have detoured from the road to peace and happiness through transgression. With all my heart I urge you to begin the process of clearing up any problem so that you may again enjoy a quiet and a peaceful conscience. When we truly repent of our sins, the Lord has promised, “I, the Lord, remember them no more” (D&C 58:42).” That is the true blessing of the atonement. When we seek to be better Christ will allow everyone that chance.

After Jesus Christ atoned for our sins he was hung on the cross at galilee. His apostles took His body and placed it in the tomb, and after 3 days He rose again. This great event is what offers me the most hope and happiness in times of losing a loved one. Job asked If a man die, shall He live again? In Mosiah 16 Abinadi answers that question…

Mosiah 16:8-9

The resurrection is a huge blessing and very happy part of Christ’s plan. Without the resurrection the whole purpose of this life is nothing. Everyone has lost someone that they know. It is not something that I would wish upon anyone, but I can say how grateful I am for the knowledge I have of being able to see my loved ones again one day. Death obviously is not something that makes us happy, but it’s the knowledge behind death and having the knowledge of the resurrection that makes us happy. We are able to know there is a light at the end of the dark tunnel. I’m so grateful that we have that truth to get us through those tough times. I am excited to teach all the principles of the gospel, but the resurrection is one that I can’t wait to share with everyone in Houston to let them know that families can be together forever, through our Heavenly Fathers plan.

The last topic I want to speak on today is Love. In the same talk I previously quoted by President Faust he states, “May I suggest a further requisite in the continuing quest to live happily every hour, every day, every month, and every year of our lives. The golden pathway to happiness is the selfless giving of love—the kind of love that has concern and interest and some measure of charity for every living soul. Love is the direct route to the happiness that would enrich and bless our lives and the lives of others. It means that you show love even to your enemies, “bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you” (Matt. 5:44). In so doing you will be fulfilling the greater commandment to love God Himself and to enjoy His love.”

When we were baptized we made the promise to, “mourn with those that mourn; and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.” Christ set the perfect example for us in loving everyone. As we show our Christ-like love to others we will forget our desires, and ourselves and become a happier people while seeking to serve those around us. Do as Ian Arden said in this last general conference, “run to the support of others.”

As we are happy and let it shine on our faces we will be able to reflect our Saviors countenance better throughout our daily lives. People will begin to wonder why we are such a happy people and they will want to have that same happiness in their lives. If we truly have a deep understanding and testimony of the Plan of Salvation we should not fear what this life may bring because in the end the Plan of Salvation brings happiness to those who are faithful.

I can promise each of you that as we seek reasons to be happy daily we will find them through the gospel and through the plan Heavenly Father has given us

BYU Idaho Graduation!

I can't believe it but I graduated from BYU-Idaho on December 16th, my birthday! It's a very bitter sweet feeling to be done up in Rexburg, but I would never trade that experience for anything. Looking back at the options I had after high school, and the path I COULD HAVE taken I am so grateful I chose BYU-Idaho. My dream was to play volleyball in college and I had that chance in my hands with a full ride scholarship to Northwest... and with one of my best friends, Jessica Fisher, being up there with me. But for some reason I didn't feel good about it. After deciding on BYU-Idaho, not getting a scholarship, and going somewhere I wouldn't know anybody that leap of faith paid off.

My first semester at BYU-Idaho I met two of my best friends in this world, Sara Newman and Nikki Christensen. I know they are angels from Heavenly Father, because they set such a great example for me and helped me to grow so much closer to my Savior. Heavenly Father knew I needed friends like them, and I was lucky enough to live with them for a year and a half while I was in school. I also had other great friends and roommates that made such an impact on my life through their example and love. I'm grateful for everyone I came in contact with at BYU Idaho!
Another blessing of being at BYU-Idaho was the atmosphere on the campus and in my apartment. If I were to go to Northwest I would have had to live in a place I didn't feel comfortable, and where the spirit wasn't felt as strong. At BYU-Idaho I was able to feel the Spirit so strong every single day on campus, in my classes, and at my apartment. I loved being able to look out my window and see the temple. I loved being able to walk around outside and see the temple from wherever I was. The Rexburg Temple is on the hill, and it's so symbolic that the temple is above everything else. It teaches us to put the gospel and our Savior above everything else.

The last thing I loved about BYU Idaho was the opportunities I had to still be involved with Volleyball!!! My first semester up there I tried out, and was actually really worried I wouldn't make a team because there were about 175 girls trying out and only 80-90 would make it. The girls (and guys) are very competitive and really good. There were several girls like me who were offered full ride volleyball scholarships to other schools but turned them down to come to BYU Idaho instead. I'm sure they don't regret their decision.
I made a team and I had a blast! Practices were 2 times a week, and then games on the weekend. Volleyball was more fun there for me than in high school because it was more competitive and and the people I met through the volleyball program became quick long lasting friends! I was able to play 2 semesters, and after I hurt my knee my 2nd semester I decided to coach a guys team my 3rd, and last semester up there. It was so much fun, and the guys were so great to coach. I definitely miss it! I'm glad I had that experience.

If there is anything I could say to sum up my experience at BYU Idaho I would say that it was priceless... no scholarship could ever be better than that, and there is no better place to be educated than the Lords University!