Happy Halloween!

I know that I have the BEST family in the world! I've felt your love and prayers this whole week and I'm so grateful for it. :) I am going to write Debbie Ericson, but in the meantime tell her THANK YOU SO MUCH! Her package meant the world to me, and I couldn't help but cry as I read her card. Please tell her she is such an amazing person and I love her and her family so much. :)

 

How is everyone doing this week? I hope Kailey and Alli's game goes well today! Write me to let me know how it ends up!!! Is state this weekend?

 

Things in the Lords work is never ceasing. This week has actually been the best week I've had with the work in my whole mission, and It's all because of one thing really.... Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! You know I haven't had an easy week.... and it has probably been one of my roughest weeks I've had in my personal life (funny how you can have the best and worst week in the same week huh?!) but the council I received from the Lord and my mission president has motivated me and my companion to do all we can. I can't wait to tell you of just some of the miracles we were witnesses of this week in our work.

 

Kye got baptized yesterday! :) It was such a tender mercy to see him feel the spirit so strong after not being involved in church for most of his life. His mom is the less active that called us about 2 months ago telling us that she wanted to come back to church and she found the card we left with her boyfriend. It has been so fun to teach Kye. He is 11 years old and has the best questions! As Sister Moreno and I were giving the talk on the Holy Ghost at the baptism  his eyes started tearing up, and we knew he was feeling the spirit. I couldn't help but cry. I knew that He was feeling of our Saviors love. He asked his friend Jonatan (The 8 year old boy I taught that got baptized in June here in Maplewood) to give the closing prayer, and oh man! It was a powerful prayer. He talked about Kyes book of life being clear so he could enter the celestial kingdom, and walking on the straight and narrow path throughout his life! The future leaders of the church are going to be amazing.

 

First off, on tuesday we had our weekly planning and I told Sister Moreno that we had to set high goals for the week cause I wanted to forget myself and get to work. So we had a goal to find 10 new investigators, and have 25 sit-down lessons with investigators and less actives. On Wednesday when we had our transfer interviews with President he was counciling with me about things and I asked him how I could forget myself and the things going on in my life, and he gave me lots of good advice and a blessing, but then he said, "Now go out there and find 10 new investigators!" I asked him if Sister Moreno had told him that was our goal already, and he said no. haha So I knew it must be the Lords will for the week to find those 10 children of his.

And I know it was His will because we were able to find 12 new investigators this past week! We usually only get 3-4 new.... if that. So it was really awesome to see the Hand of the Lord leading us where we needed to be at the exact moment we needed to be there. We were also able to have 30 sit down lessons with mostly investigators! I'm so grateful for our Savior to give us this work, and the opportunity to visit all of these people.

 

I want to share a few experiences of how we found some of our new investigators...

 

1. We were going to go try 2 former investigators at an apartment complex we hadn't been at for a month or so, and before we got out of the car we said a prayer that we could find someone who was ready to accept the gospel at this time before we come back to the car. When we said Amen and opened our eyes a lady was walking right in front of our car and I said to Sister Moreno, "That's her!" She said "who is that?!" and we got out and followed after her while she was talking on her phone (yes..... missionaries are good stockers!... ;) After she hung up we introduced ourselves and she was very nice! She told us she had actually been to our church and she received a Book of Mormon from one of her best friends. After we visited with her she told us she wants to come to our church because that is where her brother goes. It was such a miracle! We are going to see her tonight, so pray for her! Her name is Susie.

 

2. As we were leaving Susie's apartment and about to get into our car we hear a guy yell out to us, so of course we turn around and pretty much run over to him to talk with him. He had 2 daughters outside with him and he wanted to hear what we were out "preaching about". As we were talking another guy and woman came out from his apartment and they told us to come it. So we shared a message with all of them there in their house and they want us to come back! They were very interested in a living prophet today, and so we showed them a media about President Monson. It was awesome to testify about how he is just a normal man called of God to declare his word. They loved it, and we are excited to see the young girls lives change with the gospel a part of their life.

 

3. We also found another investigator by leaving a card with a potential investigator at his house. We get a phone call from a guy and he said, "I just saw you sisters leave this card at our door, and I don't know how interested Kenny is at this time, but I want to learn more! He asked us for the church address and he wants to come because he wants to straighten his life up.

 

It has been so cool to be a witness of all of these this week! We have had so many more miracles happening in our area, and I'm so grateful that I get to serve here!

 

We got transfer calls this morning and Sister Moreno and I are staying here together again!!! I will be here atleast until December, but probably January since Sister Moreno is a spanish sister and will be needed in a spanish area after this. Everyone at church yesterday was asking me if I've talked to everyone in this area yet. :)

 

Have a fun and safe Halloween! I want to see pictures of my nieces and nephews.

 

I love y'all so much!

 

Sister Avery

Quick One!

Sorry this'll be short cause we have to email President today on something he needs in the newsletter....

 

How is my family doing? It sounds like Fall has hit in Utah! It's still pretty hot and humid here in Houston. I'm actually pretty surprised cause this last week it was still in the 90's. But I guess this'll be my first winter without snow?

 

What can I do for y'all? I pray for each of you daily, and I know the Lord is watching over you. :)

 

So last week Billy was set to be baptized by his dad and we go over there on Wednesday and Brother Vermilyea was feeling sick because of the medications he's been taking. We left feeling very worried about saturday because he had come so far to baptize his son! On Friday night, our last appointment for the night we went to visit them. Brother Vermilyea told us that he felt like he hadn't prepared himself well enough to baptize his son. I can't tell you the feeling that overcame me. I told him that Heavenly Father was so proud of him for how far he has come to baptize his son, satan would want him to feel inadequate but our Heavenly Father needed him to do this saving ordinance for Billy. Brother Vermilyea smiled and told us ok! As we left that night I couldn't remember what I had just said, but Sister Cristopherson(the sister I was on 24 hour exchanges with that night) told me that she felt that same way. I love how the spirit gives us the words Heavenly Father would have His children hear at the exact moment they need them.

 

So Billy got baptized on Saturday, and I have to say that this family has been one of the biggest highlights of my mission. Their conversion to the gospel and their testimony has not only been seen spiritually and emotionally, but physically! In their home there is a light that was not there when Sister Draeger and I started working with Sister Vermilyea 6 months ago. When we went over to their house on Sunday after church Sister Vermilyea was the only one home and she told us how grateful she was for the gospel. She was able to speak at Billy's baptism and you could see her testimony strengthening as she spoke. She told us that on Friday night Brother Vermilyea told her before we came over that he wasn't going to be able to baptize Billy so they called their home teachers, but after we left he told her he knew he could do it! I wish y'all could've been in the baptism room when Brother Vermilyea and Billy were standing in the font. The spirit was so strong Brother Vermilyea was crying, and several of us in the room were as well. :) It was a miralce.

 

I'm grateful for these experiences in my mission they help me to know this is where I need to be. Thank you for your prayers for their family! I'm so grateful for your support. :)

 

I love you!

 

Erianne

October 15, 2012

It sounds like everyone back home is doing well! So John L and Lorrane left today?! They are in for a long flight!!! I bet they will be doing what our office missionaries do. We love them! They are like our family away from home! :) How is Jen doing? No baby yet? Call the mission when she has the baby cause I want to know! :)

Texas is great! We had 3 General Authorities here this past weekend and we had a tri mission conference with them! It was really good. :) Elder Callister, Elder Echo Hawk (who spoke in conference) and Elder Ellis (who toured our mission 3 weeks ago!). One of the General authorities said, "you know its going to be a great day when you wake up in Texas!" It's true.

I feel like so much happened this week.... I'll see if I can remember the highlights of it.

Last Wednesday I got invited to go to a mission leadership meeting in Sugar Land, so Sister Moreno took our area for the day with another sister. The meeting was exactly what I needed. I've been studying Faith in Jesus Christ the past several weeks and this conference helped me to understand where my faith needs to be so I can see as many miracles in my mission as the Lord has in Store! Now all I need to do is to exercise that faith.... which takes practice. haha I've learned you can't just have a perfect faith in one day. It comes line upon line like every other principle of the gospel. The thing that I learned the most in that meeting is that the Lord doesn't need us to do His work. He could do it on His own if He wanted to. BUT He wants us to experience Joy like He feels when His children accept His gospel, and He wants US to change and grow! He chooses the weak of the world to confound the wise. Think of it! 18 and 19 year olds coming and telling people how to change their lives! haha But it happens, and that is only because the Lord has prepared the people already for us. IF we exercise our faith and believe in Him He will bring miracles. I've been lucky to see miracles in my mission! I hope to see many more!

The tri-mission conference was great! I finally got to see Sister Atterton again!!! I hadn't seen her in almost 6 months. She leaves to go home in 2 months. Time flies! The conference was focused on promises to the Lord and Faith, also about rescuing the lost sheep. Elder Echo Hawk talked about how he was a convert, and how he fell inactive but was able to come back because of those who left the 99 and came for the 1.  And now He's a general authority. I love working with Less-actives! There are many who are ready to come back, they just need someone to come after them. This past Sunday we were able to have 5 less-actives back in church and one less active family! That has been one of our goals as a companionship, and it was so great to see them back!

Oh! Billy passed his baptismal interview this past week, and his baptism is this coming saturday at 4! I can't wait!!! Their family is so ready for this. Working with their family has been one of the biggest highlights of my mission. To see the changes they've made since I first got here in this area has been incredible, and it has really been because of the Atonement of Christ. Brother Vermilyea has made the biggest changes I've seen someone ever make on my mission and it's really only possible because of Christ. He did it because he knows how the gospel can bless his family, and he knows that he was the one holding them back.

I really hope to go to their temple sealing!

So, last night we decided to drop by Marlon and his moms place. We had had an appointment with them again on Saturday, but they weren’t' there (again... ) But we felt like we needed to go. When we got there Karen  (Marlon’s mom) answered the door. (REMEMBER I can't speak Spanish, and she speaks only Spanish!) Sister Moreno doesn't know them... she met them once briefly. And so I'm praying that she can say the right things to help them. Karen had texted us 2-3 times saying she is really struggling and she needs help. So Sister Moreno talks about Faith, and I see no emotion in anyone’s faces. Seeing how much Marlon has changed in his countenance and in his attitude towards us and his family while she was teaching hit me hard. He was so sweet to everyone, and now it's like he is too tough for everyone. I asked if I could bear my testimony and have sister Moreno translate. I couldn't help but cry the whole time. I told them that our Savior knows exactly what they need even though we don't know. It's times through trials that we need the gospel the most. Karen was crying too, she felt the spirit. I invited them to come to church on Sunday and they said they would. I really hope they do. We are going back to visit on Wednesday, but please keep them in your prayers. It’s amazing how much the spirit can touch the hearts of those we teach. I care so much for their family! It's so hard to see how much people can change by not having our Savior in their lives.

I'm so grateful for the gospel! It brings complete happiness. I've seen it so much on my mission. Those who live the gospel are so happy! Don't turn away from our Savior, He will never leave us.

I love you all!! Please let me know if I can do anything for y'all!

Erianne

It's Chilly Outside

Yesterday and today we woke up and it was in the 50's! Ahhh! It can't get cold yet... we're supposed to be in Texas where it's only cold 2 weeks out of the year. But maybe I'm just a baby now because we've been in the heat for so long. haha How's the weather in Utah?

 

It sounds like everyone is doing well back home! I always get excited on mondays to hear how everyone is. :) Is there anything I can do for y'all?

 

Conference was so great! It's like Christmas in the mission when conference comes around. Alli said you had cinnamon rolls AND caramel! I'm jealous. :) Some members in our ward (the stake patriarch and his wife) took us out to lunch on saturday between sessions and then on sunday a sister in the ward brought lunch for all the missionaries. That was really nice. :) I feel like I learned so much from this conference, I can't wait to get the Ensign.

 

We saw miracles again this weekend as we were praying to get our investigators and less actives to conference. Dorothy, one of our investigators showed up to the Saturday morning sessions. She was there sitting right next to us when Elder Nelson spoke and kept saying, "if you don't know..... Ask the Missionaries!" haha Every single time he said "ask the missionaries" I felt the load on our backs getting heavier and heavier! haha But it made me excited too cause I know there will be lots of people with questions. Dorothy said she enjoyed the conference. She wasn't able to come to any other sessions, and we got a text from her last night before our appointment with her saying she was going to her sons house, so I hope she's ok! Pray for her!

 

Emily Arroyo went to conference in Utah!!! We were excited about that :) She's the RM from Spain that has been inactive.

Cynthia Mitchell and her son Aubrey were able to come. She made my day when she came up and sat next to me at conference. She leaned over to me during the first talk and said, " I love you sister Avery! I can't wait till I get to come visit you in Utah. " :) She talks about coming out to Utah with me all of the time haha. I hope y'all can meet her one day.

 

We also had the WHOLE Vermilyea family at the Sunday morning conference!!!!!!!! Even Brother Vermilyea!! And he was so happy the whole time he was there. I asked him after the conference which was his favorite talk and he said Elder Packer because he said things that he really needed to hear. That made me glad! I can't wait for Billy to be baptized in a week, and then see their family be sealed for time and all eternity! Their family has a special place in my heart. :)

 

My favorite talk was Elder Uchdorfs and Elder Holland. As both of them were talking it felt like they were talking directly to me! What were your favorites?!

 

I'm trying to think of what else happened this week......

 

 

Oh!! Haha If it were up to Charles (our investigator from Africa I wrote about last week) I'd be married in Africa with him now...... He's been calling our phone non stop asking for me, and my comp has just been telling him I'm not available. But the time that I did answer he said, "Baby, I keep telling you that I love you and you never say it back. Why are you hurting me like that?" So I explained to him (The zone leaders and district leaders were right by me) that as missionaries we are here to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and to focus on that. His response was,"well God places people in paths so they can find love."

 

So LONG story short.... he is no longer our investigator. :) And don't worry I'm safe. The elders have things under control here haha

 

Well we've been working a lot more in our new area which is by all of the medical centers, and there are sooo many people from every place in the world. Especially China and India. It's so cool to get to talk to people from all over the world. The only problem that we've found is that everyone is so busy here.... We haven't been able to find any new investigators in our new area yet, so we've been working with members and less actives in the area. Last night we made a visit to our AP's cousin who lives in our area. He served a mission in Austrailia, was AP, and after him and his wife got sealed in the temple, AND he worked as a temple worker in the Provo temple while he went to school at BYU. They are now completely in-active. He is very smart, in fact he just got hired at Duke University for a Post PHD position, but he wants his names off the records of the church. He explained that "science disproves all that the church claims to be true." His poor wife, who is less active too, I think she still believes and it is breaking her heart to see what is going to happen to their family. Especially after they have kids. It makes me sad to see people use their agency in ways like that.

 

So I've been studying Faith a lot lately, and in zone meeting last week we did a group study on faith. I got thinking how there are different kinds of Faith, like for example our faith that the sun will rise every morning is pretty unshakable right? But how strong is our Faith in the Savior? How strong is our Faith in His plan for us? You'll have to study Faith this next week and give me some of your insights as I'm studying it too. :)

 

Well we're off to play flag football with our Zone today!

 

I love you all soo much! Let me know if there is anything I can do for y'all

 

Erianne

October Already Ah!!!

Hello everyone!

 

It's great to hear about y'all back home. I know I say that every week but It's true! Sorry about not emailing yesterday.... we were moving ALL day. So yes, we are now in a better apartment complex that is gated, and it's also really nice (even though it's far from all our investigators) because most of the ward lives in this new area. :) We are about 15 minutes away from our other place... and I don't know the address yet, but I will get it to y'all soon. BUT FOR NOW SEND MAIL TO 602 ELDRIDGE ROAD SUGAR LAND, TX 77478. NOT TO 8901 BRASEMONT! I won't be able to get the mail from the old address anymore cause the church no longer owns that apartment.

 

Mom, I bet that is a lot of work with the primary program coming up! It'll be fun to have it on your birthday though! :) The ward is preparing for the primary program here too and we've been able to get some parts for some of our investigators who are primary age. :) It'll be good! What is your theme? Is there anything I can do to help? I know i'm a few states away, but I'd love to help in any way that I can.

Also, we were just at the dentist this morning for my companion and I was talking with the Dentist there who is a member. He told me I should keep thinking about Dental Hygeine... Now i'm super confused cause I could see myself doing that too haha But I just wanted to ask you what you thought it'd take to get into UVU's program? I'm applying for BYU on the 17th of this month so do you think I should apply for UVU while I'm at it? I'm stressed thinking about it, but I know I need to decide soon.

 

Dad, I hear work is stressful. I'm so sorry! I will keep you in my prayers. Whatever is supposed to happen will happen. The Lord has the best plan so if we just have faith and trust there's no need to worry (I need to learn that lesson too. ;))

 

So John L and Lorranie leave this week for Africa?! Tell them I said good luck! How long is their mission this time?

 

I've been doing good! This week was great with the work and we are continuing to see miracles. I will get to that in a minute...

 

So Billy Vermilyea is completely ready to be baptized. The only thing holding him back is the bishop, the home teacher, and us all wanted Brother Vermilyea to baptize him because we really feel like that would bring the WHOLE family back to church. So we had several appointments for Brother Vermilyea to meet with the Bishop over these past several weeks that he ended up canceling last minute because of the pressure.... AND everytime he said he would come to church he never came...It was getting really discouraging so we started thinking of other options, like having the home teacher baptize him since Brother Vermilyea wasn't quite ready yet. But early last week we get a phone call from President saying that the mission goal for baptisms for September was 60 so we were doing a mission wide fast to reach that goal by the weekend. We fasted, we got phone call after phone call from our zone leaders, and distric leader trying to push the baptism for last weekend. BUT Sister Moreno and I didn't feel like we should push it on the family like that. We went to talk with them and we asked Billy who he wanted to baptize him, and he said his dad. That was the answer we needed to hear. Friday night we get a call from Bishop around 10:00 saying he just got out of the vermilyeas home and he was able to meet with Brother Vermilyea and it went great!!!!! He told us how amazed at how far that family has progressed the last few months and he told us that Brother Vermilyea would be able to baptize Billy on the 13th IF he comes to church the next 2 weeks. So we told the zone leaders and district leader sorry but we felt it was more important for his dad to baptize him than to just get a number for the month. After our zone conference with Elder Ellis and the Relief Society meeting on saturday talking about Christ being able to move mountains if we exercise our faith in Him I knelt in prayer before church begging to let this "mountain" be moved so Brother Vermilyea would attend church and be able to baptize his son. As we sat in sacrament meeting we saw they weren't there, I felt like my faith wasn't sufficient, and wondering what I could have done more to get them there.... but right before the sacrament started their WHOLE Family came in the doors! I felt like Alma in the Book of Mormon when he explains his joy of bringing his bretheren to the Lord. Even thinking about it now I get teary eyed because THAT WAS A MIRACLE! Brother Vermilyea hasn't been to church in months, and we've tried over and over and over again to get him there. But it wasn't us that got him there, it was the Lord. I have seen miracles on my mission.... everyday, but I have to say that is probably one of the sweetest miracles to see a whole family come back to church together. :)

 

We also met a new investigator this week named Charles. He is from South Africa and is going through a rough time. We showed him the restoration DVD in his native language, and when it was finished he said he knows it is true! He came to church on sunday. :) He asked when he can be baptized. We are so excited for him as well, but we are turning him over to the elders to teach him because he is moving into their area... :( But he'll still be in our ward!

 

AND I told you about Kristen (the less active who called us last week to find out where the church was at) last week. We've been meeting with her and her son who also came to church and her son wants to be baptized. We talked with the primary president and bishop and they all think it'd be awesome if we could do Billy and Kye's baptism on the same day since they are close in age. We just hope we can get all the lessons done in that time, but he's been to church twice now and LOVES it!

 

I love this area! We have some great people that the Lord has prepared to recieve the gospel. Please keep them in your prayers! Especially as conference is coming up this weekend, we want all of our investigators there! What are y'all doing for conference? I'm going to miss your cinnamon rolls mom! Maybe I'll go buy some store bought ones ;) Wasn't the Relief Society meeting great? I loved how centered it was on Jesus Christ and His Atonement. That seemed like the theme this year. I can't wait to go with you next year mom!

 

On Friday last week we had Elder Ellis from the Quorum of the Seventy come talk to our mission. It was really good! He focused mostly on having the spirit with us at all times and constantly receiving and maintaining revelation from the Lord. I really liked his talk and Presidents, but the talks that were the answers to my prayers were their wives... Sister Ashton and Sister Ellis. They both focused on enjoying life and not letting one moment pass you by. Also, not stressing so much about being EXACTLY who God needs me to be every moment, but rather learn the principles along the way. I seem to stress so much about being exactly on time, being exatly obedient, being completely sober minded, and I forget that sometimes there are lessons that God is trying to teach me that I'm pushing aside. Like Charity and Love, being a better listener, having more Faith in Christs plan, and so much more. I told sister moreno I was sorry for being so stressed all of the time about being exact in everything, and she told me a scripture that I needed as well... Gal 5:22-23 The qualities of the Spirit dont include stress, impatience, headache, etc. AND THEN I got it reenforced one more time on Saturday night at the relief society conference where a sister in our ward was talking with us and she said she had served a mission. She told us that if she could go back and change on thing it would be the way she treated her companions and how she was too focused on being exactly perfect in everything. Christ knows we can't be perfect, but He knows when we are striving. I've got to work on this.... check up on me next week and see how I'm doing with it ok?

 

I love you all so much! I hope your missionary work is going good, I want to hear about your experiences!

 

Erianne :)