66th Email: White As Snow

Every week when I get on my email and start reflecting on the previous week and deciding what I want to tell you all about, I am so confused by time. The weeks fly by, but when I think back to something we did at the beginning of the week, it seems like forever ago. Was Christmas really this last week? Did we really just see them on Tuesday? It's weird. Anyways, Christmas WAS last week and I hope everyone had a wonderful time! I hope the Christmas Spirit doesn't go away with the lights and the wrapping paper. The Spirit of Christmas is the Spirit of Christ, which should definitely fuel our hearts each and every day.

Sister Tobler and I had a great experience on Christmas day. We taught L-- and C-- about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We specifically talked about faith in Jesus Christ and Repentance. It was so beautiful. We learn from experience and from the scriptures that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)." Like everyone else, L-- and C-- have made mistakes in their life, but before that Christmas lesson, they believed that there are some things for which they can't be forgiven. C-- is still a little unsure, but it was neat to watch the Spirit work on L-- as we testified of the cleansing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and how even though their "sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). The Gospel of Jesus Christ is about hope. Hope for a better world. Hope for a brighter world. Hope for forgiveness. Hope for true peace, not peace in the way the world understands (financial stability, fame, fortune, etc.), but the peace that the Savior brings (John 14:27). Because of Jesus Christ, L-- and C-- have the potential to put their past behind them and to become something new, to be born again. It doesn't matter what they have done. To say that we can't be forgiven of something is to limit Christ's power. Interestingly enough, sometimes we do limit Christ's power. Helaman 5:9 states: "And he hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance." Christ has power because of repentance! If we don't repent, Christ can't save us. Even though he has already accomplished all that the Father sent him to do, all of his efforts cannot save us unless we want them to. We have to choose salvation through our repentance. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that he came to save us because he loves us. We are so blessed.

The New Year is another great blessing. 2014 was great. We did a lot of great things. We also made a lot of mistakes. Let's put it behind us! 2015 has so much potential. It's a fresh, clean, white canvas. What will you paint?

Love,

Sister Myers

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.

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

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

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

61st Email: So Much to Be Thankful For

"O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come 

before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a 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

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