Congrats Kailey!!!! That'll be fun to go play down there. Just remember it's known as the party school so don't get into that stuff. :)

 

Happy Birthday Chalece and Savannah!!!! I hope you received my letters last week! I was thinking of Savannah all of Saturday and Chalece I've been thinking of you today! :) I hope your birthday is great. Any fun plans?

 

Things here are going great! It's definetely warming up already. It rained a little bit this morning, but this afternoon it is so beautiful. I love Texas!

 

How are things going with yall? I've been thinking a lot about Grandma and Grandpa Avery this past week. There was a man in the ward here who passed away. He was in his late 80's and I was pretty close with him and his wife. It was hard to see him go so quickly. He is the one we visited in the hospital about 1 1/2 months ago. :( At least he is in a better place. His wife will be moving up to Orem soon to be with family.

 

Last week we got to go to the Houston Temple! A member in our ward who served a mission took Sister Workinger and I. I wanted to make sure she went before we got transferred since she just got here. We were a little bit bummed cause we came in right when they were filling the room, so we missed the session. It made me realize how sad it would be to miss the Savior if he came and we were late like the 10 virgins. But, it turned out alright! We were able to do initiatories which I hadn't done since my own. We also were able to do sealings and act as daughters. :) That was really cool! I've never seen a sealing before this.

 

So Thursday night Sister Workinger and I got a call from President Ashton..... both of us are training next transfer..... but it gets more stressful.... we are both training 2 sisters in different areas. Sister Workinger is staying here in memorial and I'll be opening a new area with 2 new sisters. I'm so nervous and so stressed. Haha I have cold sores as proof. :( But I'm so excited for Sister Workinger!!! She is going to be a great trainer! She is the only new sister training and she is training 2 sisters!!! It's going to be a crazy transfer meeting on Wednesday. Keep us both in your prayers please. I'm so sad to be leaving Sister Workinger! We only had 5 weeks together, but we saw so many miracles. I'm jealous she is just starting her mission. This morning I read her a story Sister Draeger gave me about a new missionary and a missionary returning home that were on the same flight. It's called The Marks on His Hands. It made us both cry! But it makes me want to live up all the time I have left.

 

BEST OF ALL THOUGH. Brother Romero got baptized on Saturday!!!! It was such a sweet baptism. He had lots of family there and all of them kept coming up to Sister Workinger and I thanking us for all we did. We feel like we didn't do much at all. He was truly just prepared! But after 17 years I guess the family really recognized it was his time and they noticed the change in his heart. I'm so grateful for that sweet tender mercy right before I leave this area. Their family will always be close to my heart.

 

So these past 2 transfers I've been here we have been working out in our apartments gym. There is always a couple there and Sister Mekini and I always joked around with them and we'd laugh lots together. Well here last week they shared a Bible scripture with us one morning and that is when they found out we were missionaries. So every morning it is brought up and they have 1,000,000 questions about our work, beliefs, and everything else. So Sister Workinger and I went over to their apartment this past week and we brought them a Book of Mormon! It has been a cool experience because it's felt like member missionary work (since we don't wear our badges in the gym) and we brought up our beliefs in a way that we don't regularly do it as a missionary. So we are praying for their hearts to be open as we keep going over there and giving them the gift of the gospel! Pray for them if you will.

 

Yesterday in ward council they asked us to focus a lot on young women in the ward, so we were able to go to young womens yesterday. Man, we are so lucky to be in the family we are in. Every single girl in the ward here has trials that I would never want to deal with in my family. The YW program is really struggling and the girls are going through lots right now. We are lucky to be in Utah where there are more members in the schools to support each other. I never realized how much I took it for granted.

 

Well, I am so grateful for y'all! I love you so much and I pray for you daily! Let me know if I can do anything for you!

 

LOVE YOU!!!!

 

Sister Avery

How is my family>?! It sounds like everyone is doing great! I feel so bad about Grandpas wreck... I hope he is ok!? I think he needs to move up by yall. I pray for them lots.

Thank you so much for the Valentines Package and the dinner money!!!! We had a great lunch and enjoyed it! I hope yall had a great valentines. :)

 I just checked my BYU account and there is still no decision made... But I got into BYU Idaho! So we'll see what happens.

 Kailey! way to go with the tryouts!!! The offer is still up for us to be roomies :) Maybe I'll try to come play with you at Dixie.... you should send them my tape and see if they'll put me in your offer. ;) haha

 Things here are great! This email is going to be shorter cause we don't have 2 computers so Sister Workinger is waiting to email her family too. So I'll update you on the most important things...

 1. Last week I emailed President about the dream I had about Erica and Ty (the two converts from South Shore) and the promptings I was having to see them, and so he called me last wednesday and told me to set up a two day exchange cause he was feeling I needed to go down there too to help out a sister who is struggling. On Thursday we exchanged and I was in shock how lucky I was to start my mission in such a great area. I didn't realize how beautiful it is down there. We went out to eat and there were all white people and I felt like I was in a different world. It's strange how accustomed I got to the city. But anyways, so we went to go see Erica and Ty. I was freaking out cause I didn't know what to expect, or how bad they may be. I had heard they went inactive last year after Sister Atterton left cause they got offended. But I told Erica of my dream and that I had been thinking of her over and over again last week. She was shocked because she said just last week she was praying to come back to church but she didn't know how she could do it. She recognized her answer and told us she was going to go back. It was such a tender mercy to be able to see that answer on both ends. Her and Ty are so great!

I was also able to go see Thomas. He was baptized last May and he is doing amazing in the church. He told me (very proudly haha) that he taught Priesthood one sunday and "did awesome!" in his words! Its so fun to see people progress in the gospel.

 2. Brother Romero is getting baptized this coming Saturday! He is progressing so well. :) We are just praying so hard because tomorrow he finds out if his cancer is in remission. We are praying that despite the results he will have the faith to do what Heavenly Father needs him to. Please keep him in yalls prayers!

 3. Yesterday we had a HUGE stake conference broadcast with 76 stakes from Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. President Scott and Eyring spoke and it was so powerful! President Eyring spoke on covenants and it was perfect for Brother Romero! Elder Scott spoke on the sanctity of womanhood. He really honors woman and especially the way he treated his wife. :)

 Well, I don't have a lot of time. Thank yall so much for all that you have done for me! I pray for you every day. :)

 

I LOVE YOU!!!!

 

Sister Avery

February 11, 2013

Happy Valentines Day my LOVELY family!

I hope you all have a great week. :) It sounds like everyone is super busy with life, work, sports, and everything else. I hope you still get some family time. I miss that! Any fun plans for Valentines day? We will be out teaching the gospel. :)

Man, so much good stuff happened this week I can't wait to share it with y'all. The only bummer thing is that I'm getting Sick AGAIN! AGH! I think it's the same thing I had a few weeks ago but it's come back worse, so keep me in your prayers if you will. No worries we'll still be out working and teaching!

So last week we had sister conference on Wednesday. It was soo good! All the sisters in the mission get to have a conference with President and Sister Ashton about 2 times a year, and they always make them really special. This conference was focused on the Atonement of Christ and how it can help us overcome our weaknesses. I feel like the Atonement has taken on completely new meaning for me throughout my mission, but it really became personal last week during the meeting we had. I felt like everything that was talked about was for me. Sister Ashton had us write down what we needed from the Atonement in our lives right now, and I wrote down something I've been trying to get over from the past few months. Literally I felt like my burden had been lifted as we talked throughout the day of the ways the Atonement can heal us. My heart feels different, and I feel a lot better! The Atonement is real, it's not just for sinners but for Saints as well. and the best part of it is that it doesn't only make bad men good, but it makes good men better through the enabling power of the Atonement! I'm so grateful for the Atonement and for the Love that God has for us each individually to know EXACTLY what we need to feel better.

Anyways, so at the end of the conference President and Sister Ashton were talking to us sisters about how we can keep our mission culture good because we are going from 35 sisters in the mission to 70 by June! He is going to have to have almost every sister training, so he had us talk about the things that will keep our mission the way it is, or to even keep improving it with all these new people coming in. It is getting me so excited to see how many areas are going to be opening and see the work expanding!

I got special permission to go back to Maplewood last Saturday to go to Celestines baptism! He is Paula's son who got baptized in December. He is 12 years old and it was so fun to see him be so excited about it. I only got to teach him 2-3 times, but he will be a strong leader one day. :) It was so great to be back in Maplewood again. Noo, Paula, and Daniel were all there and guess what?!?! All three of them went to the Temple on Saturday morning to do baptisms for the dead for their first time!!!!!! I can't tell you how excited I was for them. :) They loved it! It is so much fun to see these people progress in the gospel. I can't wait to come back to Texas for the endowment. :)

I'm jumping ahead of myself a little. So we've been working with a part member family named the Romero's. Sister Romero and her 16 year old daughter are members but her husband isn't a member, but he comes to church pretty often with the family. The missionaries have worked with him several times over the past 17 years, but he has been a hard headed man. Well he got brain cancer a few months ago which he is still struggling with now. We did a lesson with him last Sunday about Faith proceeds miracles and if he has the faith to follow Christ down into the waters of baptism he would be healed. He told us that he would think and pray about it but he wanted to get his results back before he made his decision. We told him to pray about it. So when we went back on Saturday before the baptism in maple wood he said he prayed and the Lord told him, "Why are you hesitating? just do it!" So he knows he needs to be baptized!!!!! We are so excited for him after 17 years of being taught it took him to be humbled by his cancer to finally follow our Saviors example. After the lesson with him, he and his family came with us to the baptism in Maplewood. Please keep Brother Romero in your prayers if you will.

Sister Workinger is doing awesome! She is really helping take on lots of the responsibility and she loves teaching in the lessons so I love it cause lots of my other comps have been quieter, so it's really nice!

Things are going great! I love you all and pray for you!!!!

LOVE YOU!

Sister Avery

February

Hello my family! How is everyone doing?! It sounds like everyone is staying very busy. Good luck this weekend with the traveling to volleyball stuff. Kailey and Ally you will do awesome! Let me know how it goes.

I hope Dad's birthday was celebrated big time. I feel bad I missed 2 of his birthdays, but I promise next year we can celebrate!!! HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY DAD!!! I hope you get my letter in the mail. :)

I know it's Jaylee's birthday tomorrow too, so give her a huge hug from me!!

This week went by so fast, and I know this coming week is going to fly too. Sister Workinger is doing great! I think she may train next transfer since 12 new English sisters are coming in, and there are only 16 sisters in the mission! But we'll see. President talked with me and another sister about it last week at a leadership meeting I was invited to, and he has asked us to train our trainees in 1 transfer instead of 2. So when every new missionary comes into the mission we are supposed to do what's called the 12 week program. But he called me and one other sister, Sister Haertel, last week and asked us to train them in 6 weeks. So we now do 4 hours of studies in the morning instead of 3. Sister Workinger is learning very quickly, and it's so cool to see her personal conversion and testimony grow stronger each day she is here. I love getting to be a witness of peoples conversions to the Lord, even missionaries! In the Leadership meeting I was invited to there were 2 guys from the head of the Missionary Department that came, and they did a training for us. It was really helpful! They interviewed Sister Haertel and I afterwards cause no one else has ever done this training in 6 weeks. They asked us the pros and cons of doing it this way, and I think it may become something they may start doing worldwide for the missionaries that come in ready for it. It definitely depends on the missionary, but the 2 sisters we are training are doing great!

Today in my personal study I finished the Book of Mormon for my 3rd time. President has asked me to read through it 5 times before I go home so I'm hoping and praying I can finish in the next 5 months. I love the Book of Mormon so much! Every time I read it I get more and more excited about it. :) How's your Book of Mormon reading going? Any cool things that have stuck out to you? I loved the things you pointed out Dad! I love that chapter in Alma 5. It's one of my favorites!

We had a cool experience happen last week.... well several... but I’ll start with this one.

We went to an appointment we had scheduled and the person wasn't there so we decided to go try one of our other investigators who was in the area. Her name is Criselda. She wasn't there, but her boyfriend said she would be home soon. So we decided to go walk over to a member who lived across the street. (Weird that we decided to go over there though cause her car wasn't there...) But after we knocked and she wasn't there we started heading back to our car by Criseldas complex. When we were almost there we noticed her car in front and so we walk over there and she was sitting in her car crying. When she saw us, she stuck her head in her hands and cried more. We went and gave her a hug and asked if we could do anything for her. She aws having a pretty awful day. She let us come into her apartment and we shared some scriptures with her. I know that Heavenly Father led us there at that exact moment and so we could be there for her. I'm glad that He knows His children perfectly even when we don't understand why we should go somewhere or do something.

Another cool experience we had was on Saturday night. We were trying people right and left after our appointments fell through and no one was home or no one would answer. I was about to give up and call it a night even though we still had about 45 minutes to work. I felt bad for Sister Workinger because she is just as scared as I was at the beginning of my mission being outside after dark. We prayed to know who to try and we were led to this less active sister, Her name is Flavia. She let us come in and visit and we found out that she hasn't been to church since she was 10. She didn't have a copy of the Book of Mormon and she wants to come back! She just had a baby and she realized the importance of church and the gospel! We are going to visit with her again this week and try to rebuild her testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Prayer is real.

Today in my reading I was reading about Enoch in Moses 6 and how inadequate he felt to be doing the Lords work. I feel the same so many times and wonder why he has me here when there are so many other people that could do this work so much better. But in that chapter he talks about how when he relied on the Lord for the strength and understanding he was able to do as the Lord has asked of him. I know that a lot of times we feel inadequate and those feelings come from Satan, but if we rely on the Atonement of Christ and on the opportunity we have to pray to our Father in Heaven they will make the weak things become strong in their timing.

I love the chance I have to be a missionary! It has helped me realize that so much as I'm able to help train Sister Workinger and remind myself.... as well as her.... that all the hard times really are worth it when you see someone come closer to their Savior.

I had a dream on my year mark about being at home, and I was hanging out with friends but I remember thinking still as a missionary. When I called someone I told them it was the sister missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day saints, and I told my friends we should go teach a lesson. I remember how sad I was to be home cause I missed serving. When the alarm went off in the morning I was scared to open my eyes cause I was scared that my dream was for real. Haha.... I really love being here! I've got to live up these next few months!

I love you guys and pray for you daily! Let me know if I can do anything for y'all!!!

Erianne

Erianne and Sister Workinger 1-28-13