Monday, December 22, 2014

65th Email: He IS the Gift

Joy to the World, the Lord is come! "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him" (1 John 4:9). What a beautiful time of year. There's something about Christmas time that just makes everything a little brighter and everyone a little happier! I'm grateful that we celebrate Christ's birth in the middle of Winter. How else would we make it through the cold darkness of the season? It's cold outside, the trees are bare, the days are at their shortest, but who cares! Christ the Savior is born! Bring on the snow (or rain, if you're in Lexington, Virginia) and darkness! Nothing can separate us from the love of our Savior. He is the Gift. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas. Really, every day is Christmas because we can receive the gift of Christ every day!

We taught L-- and C-- again, and it was so great! They are just absorbing everything, including the Book of Mormon. L-- is almost finished with 1 Nephi, and C-- is trying to catch up with her (He got a little behind waiting for the Spanish copy). Anyways, they are so awesome. They are honest seekers of truth. So I know they'll find it! It is so fun to teach people who are starving for truth and light.

So sometimes when we run out of things to do, we go around looking for people with Christmas lights, and then we give them a "He is the Gift" card. The other day we were out and about, and we saw this huge spider! (See image below) It was so cool! Unfortunately, the people weren't home, so we just left the card on their door. The next picture is a herd of cows (if you couldn't tell). But this isn't just any old herd of cows. I'm pretty sure they're a special breed of psychotic cows. We parked on the road next to them and when we came back to the car, they had gathered around the car, but when we got close they all ran away. When they were a safe distance away, they turned back around, stared at us, and started to slowly walk back toward us. We had a fun time waiting for them to get close, and then jumping and saying, "Boo!" and then watching them bolt in the opposite direction. Sometimes they would just run away and form somewhat of a line (like in the picture) and they would just stare at us. It was kind of creepy.

Well, I love ya, hope you have a wonderful week, and find someone to serve!

Love,
Sister Myers



Lexington pretty much always looks like this.
BEAUTIFUL.


Monday, December 15, 2014

64th Email: Plethora of Miracles

I love Lexington!! And I love Heavenly Father. He's so cool, and I love being His daughter. He likes to spoil his children sometimes. So this week was full of miracles and witnesses of God's love for us and the people here in Lexington, but I unfortunately don't have the time nor the finger endurance to tell you everything. I'll tell you one of the highlights, and then I suppose you'll just have to read my mind for the rest. Sorry.

Once upon a time, the best ward in the whole entire universe (a.k.a. the Lexington Ward) decided to put on a special Christmas event at the church building. Members of the ward gathered as many Nativity sets as they could find and displayed them on wonderfully decorated tables and boxes in the gym. After hours of preparation and the transportation and careful organization of over 200 Nativities, the doors of the church were opened to the public! Citizens of Lexington (member and nonmember alike) flocked to the church, having heard about the event through friends, neighbors, and even the good old newspaper. The event was to last from 2pm to 7pm, complete with yummy snacks and some special musical performances. There are three companionships of missionaries in the Lexington Ward, so we decided that we would rotate through to ensure that there were always missionaries present. Sister Tobler and I were assigned the 2pm time slot, but at 1:20, Brother Kohl (who was already there helping set up) called us and said we better hurry on over because people were already starting to show! We hopped into Lachoneus (our faithful and most trusted form of transportation), and zoomed over to the church. As we pulled into the parking lot, a green minivan pulled in at the same time. We held the door for the two women with small children and proceeded to show them around the beautiful displays. They loved it! We gave them a "He is the Gift" pass-a-long card and explained what we do as missionaries. And guess what?? They said we could come to their house and teach them! The next day!! Oh, and guess how they heard about the Nativity display? The newspaper. I'm pretty sure the newspaper was invented so that L-- and I-- would come to the church to see the nativities, and eventually receive the gospel. No joke.

Fast forward to the next day, we drove out to Glascow and when we got to their house at the appointed time...they weren't there! Bah!! L--'s boyfriend was there, however, and he told us they would probably be back in about 15 minutes. Okay. Relax. We can come back. So we went back, and right as we were knocking on the door, L-- pulled into the driveway with her cousin, C-- (who just moved here from Puerto Rico, knows a bit of English, and loves the Bible!). We went inside, and to make a long story...not as long as it could be....we taught L-- and C-- the restoration (I-- ended up not being interested), they loved it, she told us she hasn't been able to stop thinking about us since she left the church, she recognized the spirit in the lesson and feels really good about learning more to bring her family closer to God, C-- told us to get him a copy of the Book of Mormon in Spanish and that if he liked it he would come to church, and they're excited for us to come back. Has the day of miracles ceased?? I say unto you nay! What if we hadn't gone to the Nativity? What if there hadn't been an ad in the newspaper? What if we hadn't gone 40 minutes earlier than we had planned?? Heavenly Father knows what He is doing. He knows His children.

The other day I was thinking about the time when the early apostles were out fishing all day but didn't catch anything. Christ came to them and told them to cast their nets on the right side. These men were fishermen, and he (a carpenter) was telling them how to do their job, something they had been doing their whole lives. Nevertheless, they cast their nets, and they caught a multitude of fish, so much that their nets broke! If Christ can direct fishermen in their own profession, how much greater can he direct us in His profession--fishing for men? This is the Lord's work, and He knows how to have success. He's never not succeeded! Do I always do things the way He tries to direct me? Do I cast my nets (knock on a certain door, talk to the cashier at Walmart, etc.) when He tells me to? None of us are perfect, but I know that as we follow the guidance of the Savior, we can be instruments in bringing about His great work.

Y'all have a blessed day. :)

Love,
Sister Myers

Monday, December 8, 2014

63rd Email: Just Around the Corner

So...basically I don't know how life could get any better! I'm a missionary in the most beautiful part of the country, my companion is one of my best buds from high school, and the people here in Lexington are incredible. Seriously, everywhere we drive I just stare out the window at the hills and farm land. It's gorgeous! And...Sister Tobler and I are pretty much having a blast together. We totally got to skip the "getting to know you" part of the transfer and just dive right into the work! What's cool about it though is now we get to know the spiritual side of each other. It's the best! We had a ward Christmas dinner on Saturday, which was great. The food was delicious and I got to meet a bunch of the members here. It's a pretty big ward, and the building is pretty new. It looks exactly like most of the churches in Utah so I get a little thrown off when I'm inside. So yeah. Basically I'm lovin' life.



On Saturday during the day we were out trying to contact a referral, but he wasn't home, and our back up plan was to tract near his house. So we knocked! And knocked, and knocked... most people weren't home, and the few who were...weren't the most friendly I've ever met. Oh, and by the way, it was raining. That's always fun. Something I've learned on my mission, however, is that whenever things seem rough, there's always something good around the corner! And there was! We knocked on one more door, and an older woman answered it. Without even asking us who we were she invited us in from the rain! How nice! We started to talk to her and her husband and explained what we do as missionaries, and we asked if we could sit down and share the message of the restoration with them. They said sure! So we sat and talked for about 30 or 40 minutes about prophets and apostasy, and how truth has been restored to the earth for our day! They listened very intently, and were open minded to the everything. They agreed to read the Book of Mormon, and they said that if they came to know it was true they would be baptized by someone with Priesthood authority. We're excited to go back this week and keep teaching them!


I can't believe I totally spaced out last week and didn't mention it, but has everyone checked out Mormon.org/Christmas and watched the "He is the Gift" video? It's basically the greatest thing ever! It has been a really great missionary tool, because even if someone isn't interested in hearing about the Church, everyone loves Christmas and is willing to watch a 3 minute video about the true meaning of Christmas. If you haven't watched it go watch it. If you have watched it, go watch it again. And share it on facebook!


Well, I love you all. Have a great week!

Love,
Sister Myers

Thursday, December 4, 2014

62nd Email: Myers and Tobler Unite!

Baaahhh!!!!! Have you ever felt like your heart was ripped in half and you wished you could just move everyone that you love into a 5 mile radius from you and never leave or let them leave?? Yeah. Basically that's how I feel. It's transfer week already, and it's time for me to leave Fairmont! Ah, I never imagined how much I would come to love this place and the people here. It's so hard to leave! I'm grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve here. It definitely has a special place in my heart. So I'm sad that I'm leaving Fairmont, a bit flustered because I thought I was going to stay, happy because I got to know all these people, excited to go to Lexington, Virginia to serve with Sister Tobler (One of my super good friends from high school!!! When does that ever happen??), and overall I feel peaceful because I know that Heavenly Father is in charge and has something great in store. Ron Weasley was pretty close when he said, "One person couldn't possibly feel all that at once. They'd explode!"

I know that I was meant to serve in Fairmont, West Virginia. There have been so many instances that have confirmed that to me, but there is one experience that stands out in my mind specifically. This experience actually starts about 7 months ago when I served in Morgantown, which is about 30 miles north of Fairmont. Sister Christensen and I met this awesome man named Chris Grant, who grasped onto the gospel so quickly and was baptized soon after we met him. Sadly, we both got transferred right before his baptism, but we knew he would be taken care of in Morgantown. I heard from him once while I was in my next area, and from the sound of things, he wasn't doing too good. He still had a strong testimony, but he had moved to Fairmont (his hometown) and hadn't gone to church since he had been there. He kept in contact with the Morgantown missionaries at first, but his contact with them started to dwindle until it ceased completely. He didn't know the missionaries or members of the church in Fairmont, and he just kept to himself while he tried to figure out some difficult details of his life. So fast forward...I got transferred to Fairmont 3 months ago, and I was basically the only person who knew he was here! None of the other missionaries or members had any idea. He was a bit difficult to get a hold of for a while because he really just wanted to figure things out on his own, but finally, my companion and I were able to meet with him. After our last meeting, he thanked us and decided it was time for him to stop secluding himself and to reach out for help. He's planning on coming to church and getting back the relationship he had found with God. Was it coincidence that I came to Fairmont at the time I did? Would Chris have totally fallen through the cracks if Heavenly Father hadn't sent me here? Who knows? "Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways (Jacob 4:8)."

Love ya! Have a splendid week. I'll give you my new address once I get to Virginia. :)

Love,
Sister Myers

Monday, November 24, 2014

61st Email: So Much to Be Thankful For

"come, let us sing unto the Lordlet us make joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come 
before his presence with thanksgivingand make joyful noise unto him with psalms (Psalm 95:2)."

There is so much to be thankful for!! Seriously. Just sit down and start thinking about it. Have you ever thought about the human body, for instance? This is one of the greatest gifts we have ever been given! One of my favorite things about the body it's ability to heal itself. Can you imagine if every scrape, bruise, paper cut, or BUG BITE never went away? We'd all go crazy! So yeah. The human body is so cool.

The greatest gift, of course, is the gift of God's Son, Jesus Christ. We are eternally indebted to him, and what's crazy is he doesn't expect us to pay him back! All he asks us to do is to use the gift. Don't let Christ's sacrifice be in vain! If you haven't ever read Brad Wilcox's talk "His Grace is Sufficient," go read it now! https://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/09/his-grace-is-sufficient?lang=eng
 

Why are you still reading this? Click the link! 

So basically, I love Sister Morgan and I never want to leave Fairmont. It's like a fairy mountain! So magical! haha get it..? Fairmont...fairy mountain... It really is such a great place. We've been finding such great people everywhere. It's the best! 

I hope all of you have a delicious Thanksgiving, and a happy week. Thinking of what I'm thankful for always makes me happy. Love ya!


Love,
Sister Myers

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

60th Email: Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite

Hey Dad, remember when you always used to say before I went to bed, "Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!" I used to think that was just a funny little saying to scare children. I WAS WRONG. Who knew bed bugs were actually a real thing?  I've learned a lot of things on my mission, and the reality of bed bugs is one of them. And the idea of not "letting" them bite is just laughable. Bed bugs do what ever they want! Needless to say, the highlight of the week was hearing the exterminators knock on the door on Wednesday. No more bed bugs biting Sister Myers! :D

Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways! The exterminators told us we needed to run all of our clothes through the dryer before they came so that any bugs on our clothes would die. So, we emptied our closet and drawers and headed across the street to the laundromat! That was a lot of fun. Long story short, we met this girl at the laundromat who is looking for a church to go to, and she was very excited to come to ours and have us come over and teach her! If it weren't for the bed bugs we never would have gone to the laundromat at the time we did.

Despite the fact that we had bed bugs, our apartment is actually a really nice apartment. everything in it is new. (We must have picked up the bed bugs from someone else's house). Well everything except the water heater. That looked pretty old. We noticed a little bit ago that the top of the water heater was leaking--not drastically, but enough for it to pool on the surface. So, we called the land lord (he's probably sick of us by now), and he sent someone up right away to look at it. He assessed the damage and said he'd be back in the next couple of days to replace the top. Fast forward...Sister Larkin and I (exchanges with old companion! best thing ever!) got home late at the end of the day, and our downstairs neighbor was out in the stairway. She looked a bit frazzled and said that something was leaking from upstairs down into the hallway. Uh oh! The maintenance man had come around noon to replace the top of the water heater, but didn't quite attach it correctly, so it had been leaking for about nine hours.... haha what next? Sister Morgan and I have learned to just laugh. That makes life a lot easier!

One of my favorite things about being a missionary is watching the gospel change people's lives. We have been teaching K-- and A-- for a little while, and in just this short time, I have seen the light of the gospel fill their lives. They've tasted the goodness of God, and they want more! The gospel is about change and they are definitely wanting to change their lives for the better. K-- actually quit smoking, cold turkey, about two weeks ago, and we hadn't even taught them about the Word of Wisdom! They keep having experiences during the week between our visits in which they are faced with a choice and they choose the right. The gospel is about learning to make correct choices consistently, and that's what they are doing! The spirit is obviously more present in their home and in their hearts. 

We just started teaching this awesome woman named H--. She is a coworker of one of the members here (whose name happens to be Sister Myers), and she came to a little craft activity with the Relief Society. Sister Myers is such an awesome member missionary! She is really good friends with H--, and she has been talking to her about the church for quite a while and always invites her to activities. We invited her to learn more, and she readily accepted! Our first lesson was so awesome. We went over to H--'s house with Sister Myers, and it went so well! She definitely has an open mind and a willing heart. She kept mentioning that she had this hunger and thirst for something, and she is willing to do anything to get herself and her family closer to God. The thing that I love about it is that Sister Myers didn't do anything crazy or out of the ordinary. She was just being herself and sharing something she loves with her friend, whom she loves. 

Whelp! I love ya! Have a great week!

Love,
Sister Myers

Quote of the week: 
"Sometimes the Lord's delays seem long, some last a lifetime, but they are always calculated to bless." ~President Eyring

Monday, November 10, 2014

59th Email: Busy Busy BUSY!

Holy smokes! I feel like this week had a month's worth of stuff crammed into it! Last Monday feels like ages ago. We did a lot of driving this week (I absolutely love all these curvy roads that make me carsick...), Mission Leadership Council in Sissonville on Tuesday, Clarksburg Zone Meeting on Thursday, Morgantown Zone Meeting on Friday, which was followed by an exchange with the Morgantown 2nd Ward sisters. I spent the day in Morgantown with Sister Call and it was so fun! And cold. Sister Call is incredible. She goes home in a few weeks (to Springville, Utah, funny enough), and when I asked her why she decided to come on a misison, she proceeded to tell me the coolest story ever about how the gospel has changed her life and how she gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon. Basically she inspired me to be a better missionary and to become more deeply converted to the gospel.
Life is good! The church is consistently true! Heavenly Father loves us! I love being a missionary! I love the people, I love the gospel, aaand I've never been more tired in my life! Maybe I'll take a nap today. Eh...probably not...
Sorry it's short again. Busy, busy, busy! Love ya!
Love,
Sister Myers

Monday, November 3, 2014

58th Email: Spiritual Feast

 We had a meeting on Thursday with the north half of the mission (over 100 missionaries). We learned from our wonderful mission president and his wife, President and Sister Salisbury, and we also had the privilege of hearing from Elder Renlund of the 70 and his wife, Sister Renlund. What a spiritual feast! I learned a ton and Sister Morgan and I have already been trying to implement the things we learned into our missionary work. One principle that really stuck with me was the fact that our conversion is never stationary. Our faith is always increasing or decreasing, depending on our actions. The slope of our line of faith is never zero. This means that if we invite someone to read the Book of Mormon to increase their faith, and then we come back and they haven't opened the book at all, their faith has obviously not increased. What I didn't realize, however, is that their faith doesn't stay stagnant. If they are not acting, then their faith is decreasing. We are constantly gaining or losing light. We can never plateau! It was a really good meeting.
This week I learned from Greg Scur that you can't judge a book from it's cover. The gospel is for everyone, and anyone can change their life! 
I hope everyone had a great Halloween! Sister Morgan and I dressed up as missionaries.... 
Love,
Sister Myers

Monday, October 27, 2014

57th Email: God's Not Dead

Heavenly Father is the best. I love Him so much! And I love Fairmont, and Sister Morgan, and all the super spiritually prepared people out here. It's incredible. 
Sister Morgan is such a blast! She has only been here for 4 days, but we have already laughed so hard, had so many awkward moments, and witnessed so many miracles. I know that Heavenly Father sees every part of this work. He sees our effort, and He wants His children to receive the gospel. We just have to work! Put your hand to the plow and start pushing! Don't look back! Sometimes it can get discouraging, but we can't give up. "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end (Hebrews 6:10-11)."
Before I got to Fairmont, the sisters were out knocking on doors, and they knocked on the door of a young man named William English. (Side note--there is a young couple in the ward and their last name is Espanol, but they are American).  William is in his 20's, and he joined the church in Louisiana when he was 13. He got baptized because his dad was getting baptized, but he didn't really understand anything about the gospel. Then he moved out here, didn't know where the church was, and never really found his relationship with God. And we didn't even know he was there!! He has had a rough life, has two little kids, wants them in church, and really just wants to figure out what he believes. So we are basically starting from square one with him. He knows nothing about the church. The sisters gave him a Book of Mormon, but he didn't really touch it until one day when he watched the movie "God's Not Dead," and for some reason, that inspired him to start reading. He read about 30 chapters that day. He is so cool! He's one of those people that just has a light in his eye, and you can tell that he's hungry for the gospel.
I love being a missionary. The more I study and teach, the more true this church becomes. I love it! It just makes sense! This morning I was studying about the Book of Mormon, and how it can resolve any concern. On page 109 of Preach My Gospel it says, "The only problem the objector has to resolve is whether the Book of Mormon is true. For if the Book of Mormon is true, then Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith was his prophet, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and it is being led today by a prophet receiving revelation." That goes for everything! Just read the book! What could it hurt? I know that the Book of Mormon is true. 
It was 34 degrees when we went out for our run this morning. Brrr.
Love,
Sister Myers
Quote of the week:
"The only difference between a stepping stone and a stumbling block is attitude."

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Pictures are Always so FUN!! :D






56th Email: Transfers!

Heavenly Father is the best. He is so unconditionally patient and forgiving. It never ceases to amaze me! He is also a God of miracles. I know that this is His work and that His will WILL be done.

We had a really good week! We reconnected with some investigators we haven't been able to see in a while, and they are still doing great! That's always a nice feeling. As missionaries, I think we tend to get a little paranoid and think that if we haven't seen someone in a while they probably aren't interested anymore, or they hate us and are trying to avoid us or something. Silly us.

Church was awesome on Sunday. Brother Bott (Elder's Quorum President) gave a fantastic talk, the lessons in gospel principles and Relief Society were both on prayer and were spirit filled, and it was just a great day!

I was studying about humility on page 120 of Preach My Gospel, and it was really cool. I was thinking about how this chapter is called "Christlike Attributes," so obviously, these are attributes that Christ has. Everything in this chapter should apply to his character. So I started to read it and imagine Christ reading it to himself. Each sentence really does apply to him. "Humility is...to give the Lord the honor for what is accomplished...It includes gratitude for your blessings." My mind went to John 11, when Christ raises Lazarus from the dead. In verse 40 He testifies of the glory of God, and in verse 41 He thanks Heavenly Father that He heard Him. Then He explains that He said it out loud so the people would know that it was Heavenly Father that sent Him, and by His power that Lazarus came forth. Christ is truly our perfect example.

So tomorrow is transfers! (Hence the Wednesday email). Sister Whitaker is getting transferred to Logan. Logan, Utah, that is. Her new companion is a nice returned missionary. We don't know his name yet. And I'm staying in glorious Fairmont! Yay!!! My new companion is Sister Morgan. I. LOVE. HER. I served around her when I was in Milton, and she is so awesome! She's from Morgan, Utah, and now she'll be in the Morgantown zone. Coincidence? I think NOT! Anyways, I'm super excited.

You'ins have a blessed day.

Love,
Sister Myers

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

55th Email: Conference...uh, AMAZING!

What a great week!! General Conference was so great!!! Don't you just love all those Mormons? A few of my favorite speakers were Christofferson, Uchtdorf (so good!!), Andersen, Klebingat, Hamula, and Bednar. A few of the people we're teaching came to the church to watch a session and they loved it! Krissy and Alan are this super sweet couple who just love everything about the church. Alan has so many questions and has such an open heart. During Elder Allan F. Packer's talk Alan leaned over and asked what "temple work" is, and so I explained how we research our ancestors so we can get baptized for them in the temple. Then he asked what he would have to do to get baptized for his grandmother.  I told him the Fairmont church has a family history center with consultants who can help him do his family history and find his grandmother's name. I also explained to him that you have to be a member in order to enter the temple, and he quickly replied, "Well I definitely want to be baptized." They are working towards being baptized on November 22nd.

I received some cool revelation during President Uchtdorf's talk about light and truth. Krissy and Alan have so quickly embraced the idea of getting baptized and joining the church. It's awesome to see, but in the back of my mind there has been a hesitation, because they don't fully understand yet what the church is all about and why it's different from other churches. My thoughts turned to them as President Uchtdorf said that we need to "nourish and encourage ALL light, until it grows bright and true." That helped me to see the vision of who Krissy and Alan can become, and it reminded me that we all have to start our spiritual progression somewhere, and we GROW in knowledge and understanding. A seed takes many, many years to become a towering tree. (P.S. Was anyone else disappointed when he didn't give his talk in German??)

We're teaching a man named Mick, who is married to a member of the church, and he is such a great, humble guy. We had a lesson yesterday about the ten commandments and the law of chastity, and afterwards his wife invited us into the kitchen to have some biscuits and gravy (which was delicious, by the way). While we sat around the table, Aimee (Mick's wife) hollered to Mick, who was still in the front room, "Are you gonna come in here and talk while they eat?" (they had already eaten before we came). He said, "I'm reading! I wanna get a head start on my assignment." (We've been assigning him sections of Preach My Gospel to read). He has some health problems, but is so dedicated and sincerely wants to learn. He's great!

On Wednesday I was studying about Christlike leadership in Jonh 10:1-15. It says that we need to "enter by the door" before we can be a shepherd and lead the sheep. Later, Christ says that He is the door. So we need to enter by Jesus Christ. This door is the door of salvation, and in order to help people come unto Christ and enter through the door, we need to have entered the door ourselves. How can I teach someone about the atonement and ask them to repent if I have not first gained a firm conviction of the divinity of the Savior's mission and gone through the very process of change I am asking people to go through? I've thought about this a lot on my mission. There are a lot of things about myself I have tried to change on my mission, and in some areas I have been more successful than others. Keeping this in mind gives me patience when I teach someone a principle about the gospel and they don't immediately do a 180 flip in the right direction. Sometimes when someone we are teaching forgets to read the Book of Mormon or is too lazy to come to church, my initial reaction is, "Really? Come on, it's not that hard. Don't you realize how much it will bless you life?" But then I look at myself and all the bad habits I've tried to quit and the good habits I've tried to start, and then I have to say the exact same thing to myself. It goes back to how spiritual progression is gradual.

Most of the green has left the leaves. I can't believe it's fall again!

I love you all so much! Thanks for being who you are, and for all the love and support.

Love,
Sister Myers

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

54th Email: Heart Might Mind AND Strength

"For behold, the field is white already to harvest; and IT IS THE ELEVENTH HOUR, and the last time that I shall call laborers into my vineyard." Something that motivates me throughout the day is to ask myself the question, "if today was that last day you could be a missionary, what would you want to do?" Missionary work is hard work, and sometimes I just want to sit down and rest, but if today was my last day to wear my name tag, I would want to get out and knock on every door in West Virginia until I either ran out of doors or daylight. I'd want to be out the apartment door no later than 10:00 am and come home no earlier than 9:00 pm. I'd want to be exhausted at the end of the day and have the knowledge that I gave the Lord everything I had. I need to put my whole heart, might, mind, and strength into every single day. It can't wait until tomorrow, because tomorrow is always a day away! Today is the day for miracles to happen. Why wait?


I was reading in 2 Nephi the other day, and I realized that I have never payed attention to the context of Nephi's psalm in chapter 4. Most people are pretty familiar with Nephi's humble cry to the Lord in verses 17-35. I don't think this is just a seemingly random self reflection for Nephi. In the verses prior, Lehi gives words of love and counsel to his sons, and then he passes away. Lehi was Nephi's father, so of course that would be tough on him, but Lehi was also the prophet. Guess who is the prophet now? Nephi! I can't imagine the weight of the responsibilities of being the prophet, but as Nephi contemplated his new calling, he probably had a lot on his mind! I'm sure he, as most of us do, felt inadequate for the task ahead, not to mention the fact that after Lehi dies, Nephi still has to deal with the rejection of his wayward brothers. Now he doesn't even have his father's shoulder to lean on. While Nephi recognizes his weaknesses, he doesn't get too down on himself. He knows in whom he has trusted, and he looks forward to the future in faith. I love Nephi!


My testimony of the Holy Ghost grew this week. I know that the Holy Ghost can bring things to our remembrance, even things that you didn't realize you should have payed attention to as they happened. I went on exchanges to Buckhannon, WV this week with Sister Reed. When I served in Morgantown several months ago, I went to Buckhannon for exchanges twice, so I was excited to be in the area again. As Sister Reed and I were planning for the day, my mind went back to a woman and her son whom I had met on a past exchange. I couldn't remember their names, so I flipped through the area book hoping something would spark my memory. And it did! I found their teaching records and explained who they were to Sister Reed. I had met them with Sister Scarff about 6 months ago, and we picked them up as new investigators. According to their teaching record, there hadn't been much follow-up, and they didn't even have an exact address. It just said the name of the trailer park they live in. I had a super vague image in my mind of her trailer, but I really had no idea. We called a member and got directions to the trailer park, and as we were driving through the park the Holy Ghost totally just took over. I was able to remember where the trailer was, what way it was facing, and as we drove past it I was able to pick it out. I had no idea what I was looking for, but when I saw it, I knew that was the one. We ended up going inside and teaching the woman, who is still interested, and while we were teaching, her brother, his girlfriend, and her daughter walked in and joined the conversation. The spirit was very strong, and they all said they want to learn more and come to church.

Heavenly Father knows his children and he never forgets any of them!

Who watched the General Women's Conference?? Wasn't it so great?? Ah! I love the spirit! 

Love ya, have a blessed day.


Love,
Sister Myers

Picture EXPLOSION!!!


Zach Moffatt was baptized on the 20th of September.
 I've only taught him a few times, and he is super solid. 
He wants to go on a mission and all this fun stuff. 
He was baptized by his friend, Ayden, who is the bishop's son.




Me and my current companion, Sister Whitaker. 
(Don't worry, we were at a stop light...I would never distract someone while driving! haha)








                                               We do service at a cemetery every Saturday.
                                             It's only creepy when it's foggy.





          Silly GPS...our car won't fit down that horse trail...













                             RAAWR!!

Monday, September 22, 2014

53rd Email: The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways

What a fantastic week! This church is true and I love being a missionary.

On Tuesday we went to a woman's house because we had an appointment to do some service for her. We were all dressed down in jeans and a t-shirt, but when we knocked on the door she wasn't home! We brought our skirts with us so we could just change at her house after doing some yard work, but obviously, we found ourselves needing somewhere else to change clothes. We were in a super small town called Rivesville (which apparently used to possibly be called Riverville because it's right next to a river, but somehow got written down wrong over the years or something), and we didn't have a lot of options, so we went to the nearest gas station. No one was in the gas station except for the cashier, so while Sister Whitaker was in the bathroom changing I was able to talk to her a little bit, and then Sister Whitaker talked to her while I was in the bathroom, and she turned out to be pretty great! She grew up Methodist, but hasn't been to church in a while because she works every Sunday, and she said we could come by her house any day! So yesterday we went back and had an awesome first lesson with her. We invited her to be baptized and she said she has never been baptized but wants to so she can be saved. We gave her a Book of Mormon, and she said that she always sees things like this as a sign from God (random people coming up to her and talking about God or praying with her). Sometimes the Lord works in mysterious ways! Sometimes he makes sure our appointment isn't home so we have to go to a gas station to change clothes so we can meet someone who is ready to learn about the gospel!

Zach was baptized on Saturday, and it was beautiful. He was so ready, and the Fairmont Ward has been so supportive. There were a lot of people at his baptism, and there were actually quite a few rowdy kids during the talks, and it was pretty distracting, but you could tell it didn't bother him. He has gotten to know most of the the families in the ward pretty well, so he knows most of the little kids. It's almost like they are his little brothers and sisters. He got up during Sacrament Meeting after he was confirmed and bore a powerful testimony. He knows this church is true.

One of my favorite things about seeing people receive the gospel and join the church is pondering what the future holds for them. Zach has so much to look forward to! He'll get the priesthood soon, and a patriarchal blessing, he'll go on a mission, get married in the temple, raise a family in the church, read the Book of Mormon over and over, and just keep growing for the rest of his life! I know that the gospel blesses individuals and families, and I am grateful for how it has blessed mine.

Sometimes being a missionary is hard. You meet people who hate the church, have been misguided by anti-Mormon information, think you're trying to manipulate them, or have just had a really bad day and you get the brunt of it! Most of the time I don't let it phase me, but every once in a while my heart just breaks as I walk away from a door. It's hard because I know that this church really is true, and every single person I talk to would benefit so much from a testimony of the gospel. Sometimes I have to remind myself that Heavenly Father knows everyone's heart, and me knocking on their door is definitely not the only chance they will have to receive the gospel.

On a lighter note, there are so many people who are ready to receive the gospel! Just this last week we met several soft-hearted, open-minded people. I know that Heavenly Father knows and loves all of his children.

Love,
Sister Myers

P.S. My new address is 25 Murray Ave #3 Fairmont, WV 26554
P.P.S. So I guess I picked the computer that won't let me attach pictures. Shoot...

Monday, September 15, 2014

52nd Email: Lovin' Fairmont

Well I'm in Fairmont, West Virginia, and basically I'm already in love with this place. My companion is awesome, the city's beautiful, and there are some incredible people here. It's a little surreal being in the Morgantown area again. We went to the institute building in Morgantown on Saturday for a meeting with the zone leaders and district leaders, and it was so weird being there! It was really great to be able to see some familiar faces. Oh, and yesterday was stake conference, and guess who was the first speaker? Tara!!! Sister Larkin and I taught her in Morgantown, and she was baptized in April. She told her conversion story and testified of the truthfulness of the gospel. It was beautiful. Sister Larkin just got transferred back into this stake too, so we both got to be there for Tara's talk. It was so great! I love Tara so much.

Fairmont is great! Just in the last few days we have had some awesome lessons and found some great people who are interested in learning about the gospel. I feel like a bunch a miracles are just waiting to happen. Oh, and I got to meet this sweet guy named Zach, who is 19 years old and is getting baptized this Saturday. He has a really cool story and just loves the gospel. He wants to serve a mission!

Not too much to report, except that missionary work is basically the best thing ever. If you're having a down day, go share the gospel with someone. It'll make you feel better. :)

Love,
Sister Myers

P.S. I just found out Sister Habibpour got her visa and is now in Brazil!!!
P.P.S. I also found out that the computers here WILL let me attach pictures, so hopefully next week's post will be a bit more colorful!

Thursday, September 11, 2014

51st Email: Fairmont, West Virginia Bound

Transfer week again?! Bah! Time is flying like there's no tomorrow. Literally! I think we've just skipped a few tomorrows here and there and that's why time is going by so fast. Anyways, the trend of spending three transfers in one area is going strong! Tomorrow I'll be leaving half of my heart in Milton and heading up to Fairmont, West Virginia! Transfers are always bittersweet. I love so many people hear and hate to leave them, but I'm excited to find more best friends in Fairmont! My new companion is Sister Whitaker, and I don't really know her, but I've heard she's awesome! Also, probably the main reason I'm so excited to go to Fairmont is to see how Chris is doing! Chris is the super awesome, crazy smart guy that got baptized in Morgantown right after I left, and he recently moved to Fairmont, which is just 20 minutes south of Morgantown. I'm super stoked!

I have loved serving with Sister Boldrin for the last three months. I have no idea how so many miracles and life-changing lessons have been packed into these two transfers. I could write a book (during all the spare time Sister Boldrin and I always talk about). I have learned so much. One thing I have learned is that repentance can be easy and forgiveness is immediate. The Savior wants to forgive, and once we put our minds to it, we can change, which causes the windows of heaven to open and the blessings to flow. I have learned about the love that God has for all of His children. It is unconditional and has to power to soften hearts.

The world is so full of people who are ready for the gospel! They're literally EVERYWHERE!! Just recently we felt like we needed to go through the ward list to get a better hold on exactly what members are in our area, and who all the inactive members are. We made a list and decided we would try to contact all of them. Last week we tried a man named Jess Aliff. We knew nothing about him, and as we pulled up to the house (which is hiding way up a holler), and I realized that I had already been there before. Sister Wines and I had tried a while back, but no one was home and we didn't persist. Sister Boldrin and I knocked on the door, and Brother Aliff and his two daughters (7 and 9 years old) came out. They were super nice and we connected with them right away. He invited us in, and we had a great discussion. Brother Aliff hasn't been to church since he was about 12 years old, and he doesn't really know much about it. We told them about family home evening, and he said he has lots of good memories of doing FHE! He remembers primary a bit too. Anyways, he told us he would love for us to come back and have a family home evening with his family. As we left he thanked us and told us he sincerely enjoyed the hour that we were there. So, we went back on Saturday and had an awesome FHE! We didn't bring up church because we didn't want to pressure him into anything, but he actually started bringing it up and said he wants to come to church with his family next week! He and his wife (who is not a member) have been talking about getting back into church for the last couple of years. I'm so excited for them! It's so crazy to think they have just been up the road the whole time I've been in Milton. Guess it's the Lord's timing! Anyways, that just built my faith that there really are people out in the world who are not only ready for it, but who WANT the gospel.

Go get your daily dose of the Book of Mormon. It's wonderful.

Love,
Sister Myers

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

50th Email: Friendships

The library was closed yesterday because of Labor Day, so that's why I'm emailing on a Tuesday. And next week is transfers, so I'll be emailing on Tuesday next week too!

So many miracles!! I wish I had time to tell you all about every one of them! I know that Heavenly Father is in charge, and His plans cannot be frustrated. Everything works out in His on way and in His own time. Missionary work doesn't have to be hard and scary. Just be yourself and act like Christ would act! A couple of months ago, Sister Boldrin and I were walking past the little Presbyterian church around the corner from our apartment, and we saw a couple of older women out weeding the flowerbed. Naturally, we asked them if they needed any help, and they paused before they said, "You know what? Just 5 minutes ago we were talking about how we needed to hire someone to pulled the weeds around the Sunday School building. You are an answer to prayer!" One of those women was the pastor's wife, and they live right next to the church. We see them outside a lot, and over time we have been able to establish a great relationship with them. When we stopped by to visit them the other day, we asked a few questions about their beliefs, and then we asked if we could come back and share the things that we believe that mean so much to us. They said, "of course!" Christ loved and served before He taught.

Most of the people I have met out here just don't really know what we're all about. I think about that a lot, especially when we're out knocking on doors. If only they knew what the Book of Mormon is, or who Joseph Smith really was, or that we actually do believe in Jesus Christ before they say they're not interested and shut the door. There are so many misconceptions out there, but once people hear even a bit of truth, their eyes can see so much more clearly! We had an experience with this in the last few weeks. We were walking past the park and saw an older woman with her three granddaughters just leaving. We talked to her briefly and asked if we could come over and have a family home evening with the girls, and she said we could. We went by the next week with the bishop's wife, and it couldn't have gone better! We had a little activity and lesson in the front room with the girls while the Sister Carico talked to their grandmother in the kitchen. She told her all about the Book of Mormon and what our church is all about, and by the end, the woman said she would like us to come back and teach her more. Friendships are so important. If we had just knocked on this woman's door, or the pastor and his wife's door, would they have been as open and willing to listen? Maybe, but more likely not.

This last week I went on exchanges with Sister Maddox, who was in my district in the MTC. I love her!! We had a really good time, and learned a lot from each other. The best part of the day was when we went to see an investigator, and she wasn't home, so we knocked on some of the doors on her street. We knocked on this one door, and a woman answered it and invited us in because it was a hot day. We explained that we were missionaries and that we had a message about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and we asked her if she had some time that we could sit down and share a bit of it. She said yes! (THIS HARDLY EVER HAPPENS) Then we had the BEST restoration lesson ever, pretty much, and she just took it all in. We felt impressed to invite her to be baptized when she came to know that the things we taught her were true, and she quickly said yes. I asked her why she wanted to be baptized and if she had been baptized before, and she said that she hadn't been baptized because she didn't want some random guy to just dunk her under water. She wanted to make sure it was right. We had taught about the priesthood really simply and she said it made a lot of sense. There are a few other beliefs she has that are right in line with what she believes. For example, she doesn't like organized religion because she doesn't want someone else's beliefs or opinions forced on her. We explained the organization of our church and how it is led by a prophet who receives revelation from God, and she liked that too. It was so awesome!! I wish I could just replay it because it went so well. She is so prepared and I can't wait to go back and teach her more!

The Church is so true.

Love,
Sister Myers

Monday, August 18, 2014

49th Email: I Believe in Miracles!!

What a glorious week! Sister Boldrin and I have been seeing miracles and learning something new every single day.

We had a really neat experience this week that taught me a lot about Heavenly Father and His wisdom. On Friday, our schedule seemed to just fall apart as the day went on, and nothing seemed to be working out. We have an allotted number of miles we can put on the car every month, and we had to drive to Kentucky a few times at the beginning of the month, which used up a huge chunk of our miles, so now we have to be pretty careful about how much we drive every day. We had a dinner appointment with some members who live pretty far out, so we planned to work our way out to their house throughout the day to use as little miles as possible. Things weren't working out as we planned, however, and we were running out of things to do! We were left with about an hour before our dinner appointment, and so we decided to tract. We hadn't planned on tracting, so we just turned into a random neighborhood and started from there! We knocked on some doors, met a few nice people outside, gave some cards with our number on them, and then headed to dinner. Nothing too crazy or exciting. The next morning, however, is when it all clicked into place. We got a super long text from a man named Dave, who is one of the people we met outside. We had shared Alma 7:11-12, testified of the Atonement, and he accepted a Book of Mormon, but he seemed to be doing it more out of politeness. Though in his text, he told us the impact that our visit truly had on him. He said it was like we knew beforehand the exact time they would be home, a few of the things we mentioned about the Atonement really hit home with him. Sister Boldrin mentioned how her mom has MS, and how the Atonement covers that and other things, like a lifetime of depression or other mental illnesses. In the text he told us that he has suffered from depression and that his brother has MS. He expressed gratitude for our visit among other things, and invited us to come over for dinner and a discussion sometime. He's got a surgery and will need a couple weeks to recover before we come over, but we're excited to get to know him and his wife and share the light of the gospel with them!

A lot of the time, when miracles occur, it is because we have prayed fervently or followed the promptings of the spirit. These experiences build faith. This experience with Dave, however, was a little different. Sister Boldrin and I were getting discouraged with the day falling apart, and to be honest, we didn't have the best attitude about the situation, and we didn't have a lot of faith that something good would come from it. We didn't feel guided by the spirit. We didn't pray fervently and with faith. This miracle did not happen because of us. Heavenly Father was and is the ultimate maker of miracles, and on Friday, he let us be a part of and witness a miracle. This experience helped us to be humble. There was no way we could have been prideful! We didn't do anything! We couldn't say, "Well, this only happened because we are so righteous and in tune with the spirit," or, "This happened because of our prayer," etc. It happened because Heavenly Father willed it to happen. We were just lucky to be there.

I have met a lot of people recently who seem to have more difficult trials than most, and they have really helped me to appreciate what I have been blessed with. It's also inspiring to see how they deal with their trials, even when they seem to be at a breaking point. I know Heavenly Father doesn't allow people to go through more than they can handle, and he gives us strength to endure. This is true for every one of God's children.

I've been thinking a lot about the natural man lately, and a scripture I've been turning to frequently is Mosiah 3:19, which says that the natural man is an enemy to God and we need to overcome the natural man. Easier said, than done, right? Sister Boldrin did something yesterday that really stuck with me. She told me to put my name in that verse so that it says, "the natural man is an enemy to Sister Myers." That perspective gave me such strength! I think I focus too much on what the natural man is doing to me, and less on what I can do to the natural man. Sure, the natural man is against me, but I'm also against the natural man! And if I'm on the Lord's side, then the natural man can't win! Ha! Take that, Satan!

I know this church is true and I love being a missionary with all my heart.

Love,
Sister Myers

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

48th Email: Six More Months!

A year ago today, I was in Utah, scrambling around for this or that, trying to prepare myself for the biggest adventure of my life. Did I know how to prepare for a mission? No. CAN someone really be prepared for a mission? Definitely not. Most of the preparation comes while you're on a mission, I think. Sure, you can buy all your clothes, luggage and necessary items; you can study the scriptures and Preach My Gospel and get the doctrine in your head and heart; and you can try to imagine what a mission will be like...but it really starts once you get out here. That's when your faith builds, day by day, one door and one spiritual experience and one heartbreak after another. Heavenly Father literally takes you on a journey. Your first six weeks prepare you for your next six weeks. Your second companion prepares you for your fifth companion. Something you find in your studies seven months ago prepares you for the person you will meet on the street today. Everything about a mission is so intertwined. It's a big, woven experience, and you need all the little details to see the whole picture. I don't really know how to describe my experience of being a missionary. Time has dragged on and flown by at the same time. I feel like I've only been away from home for a few months, but I feel like I've had enough experiences to fill five years. It's incredible how many people I have met and come to love, as if there is more room in my heart than I knew existed. It's so awesome! I definitely have grown a lot, and gained so much understanding and appreciation for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that this Church is true. I know that God lives, loves, and never leaves us comfortless. I know that there is a purpose for everything, and that Heavenly Father's way is best. Always. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. It has to be!! Joseph Smith really did see God and Jesus Christ, and was called to be a prophet. There is a prophet on the earth today, and the fullness of the gospel has been restored. Isn't that great news? I am so grateful to have this knowledge that has shaped my life and given me the best kind of happiness. Heavenly Father is so great! "Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel (Alma 26:16)."

If you know these things are true, go tell somebody about it! The Restoration of the Gospel didn't end with Joseph Smith. It's still going on, and we can all be a part of it!

Love,
Sister Myers

P.S. I got to try raccoon the other day. Not too bad! Sister Maynard's chickens and turkeys were being picked off by a raccoon, so they set a trap, and then we got to eat him! I love West Virginia. :)