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

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. :)

47th Email: Keep Trying

Dear Everyone,

This week was pretty spectacular, filled with ups and downs and sideways and a whole bunch of craziness! Thus is life!

Probably my favorite moment of the week was the miracle that happened at the Maynard's farm. We go to the Maynard's every week to have dinner and then help Sister Maynard on the farm. The Maynards are recent converts to the church, and Brother Maynard was recently less active but has started coming back to church regularly. A couple of weeks ago we were sharing a lesson with them, and they shared with us that they don't really pray. Like ever. So that has been our focus the last couple of weeks is prayer. On Friday we had a lesson after dinner with Sister Maynard about prayer that was great, and then we went out to weed the garden. The weeds had gone crazy since last week and they were all over the place! So we pulled out the crankety old lawnmower  We all tried and tried to start it for about ten minutes, but the thing was being so stubborn...we were about to give up. I was trying it for the second time around, and the thought crossed my mind that we should say a prayer! So I suggested it to Sister Maynard, and she kind of laughed nervously and said that I could if I wanted to. We all stood together, and I said a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to let the lawnmower start so we could get as much work done as possible while we were there. We all said amen, and then I grabbed the lawnmower and pulled as hard as I could and.....nothing. Then I pulled it again.....nothing. I yelled out, kind of laughing, "I'm going to pull this thing until it starts!!" I pulled it for the third time.....and it started!!! The rumble of that engine was one of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard. Sister Maynard gave an excited scream and grabbed the mower from me and started mowing with a smile on her face.

I know that Heavenly Father knows us and He hears our prayers!! Sister Maynard hasn't had a lot of experience with prayer in her life, but now she has this to look back on and build her faith from there. Heavenly Father is so cool! Ah. I love it.

Sorry it's pretty short today, but the library is super packed and there are people waiting for the computers. I love you all and I hope you have a fantastic week! 

Love,
Sister Myers

46th Email:

Transfer week!!! Heavenly Father is so great and is letting Sister Boldrin and I stay together for another transfer! Ready or not, Milton, here we come!! I'm really excited. We've got a lot going on here, and we have a lot of goals and plans to improve ourselves and the missionary work in this area.

So on P-day we went to the park to play soccer with some of the elders. It was so fun and so hot. After about an hour and a half, we were all exhausted. I got a swig of hydration, and then I looked down at the grass. It looked so comfy and was practically calling my name, so I consented and lied down to rest. I straightened out my right leg to rest it on the ground and BAM!! A big old bee stung me right behind the knee. Needless to say, I didn't stay on the ground very long.

Every Wednesday we volunteer at an Assisted Living facility, and we call Bingo for the residents. It. Is. So. Fun. The people are so great and funny and competitive...we always have a blast. Anyway, there is this young, newly wed couple that comes in all the time because her grandmother lives there, and they live close by, so they just like to come and visit the residents. I love it! That's a tradition I want to have in the future. Every time we go call Bingo, I just wish we could stay there all day and talk to each of the residents and hear about their lives. Most of them are so lonely, and they just need some love! I don't care how old you are. Lennon said it best--all you need is love.

A week or two ago, Sister Boldrin and I met this woman who was at the park with her three granddaughters. We told her what FHE is and asked if we could come do a little lesson and activity for the girls. She said we could! It was so perfect. We brought Sister Carico with us, and while we talked to the girls about prayer and painted prayer rocks, Sister Carico talked to the grandmother about all sorts of things, particularly misconceptions about the church she had heard. Now she wants us to come back and keep teaching! The gospel is true, and once the mystical barrier that has been built up by the cunning craft of the devil has been taken down, then people can see clearly that it just makes sense! I'm grateful for the opportunity to represent Jesus Christ and to clear up some of the confusion.

Heavenly Father is in the details of our lives, but just like Sister Vest down in Salem, VA always says, "the devil's in the details," too. So much good is happening here, and Satan knows it! Right now we have a lot of great investigators who are sincerely seeking for truth and direction, and six of them are working towards a date to be baptized. Our focus this last week was getting them to church. Church is where revelation is received, questions are answered, and the spirit is felt. Most of our investigators were planning on coming to church this last Sunday, and there should have been at least 6 or 7 there. Satan knows how important church is, and so he'll do whatever he can to prevent people from going. We had everything worked out with rides and such to get our investigators to church, and then on Saturday, one by one, we found out that no one was going to be able to make it. Sister Boldrin and I talked about it a lot, and we realized that all we can do is focus on the future. We don't always understand why things work out the way they do, but if we trust God and act in faith, good will come. We can say, like Ammon in Alma 26, "Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the [Miltonites], and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success." The future is as bright as your faith! I know Heavenly Father loves us and that going to church is so important! If it weren't important, why would it be so hard to get there?

3 Nephi 5:13 is one of my recent favorite verses of scripture. "Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his work among his people, that they might have everlasting life." That's my purpose. That's why I am here. Sometimes it's hard, but "I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory (2 Timothy 2:10)."

Love,
Sister Myers