January 16, 2017

When you give an elder smelly lotion ......
Haha the elders are ALWAYS asking for our smelly lotion.
They always say,"Sisters so you have lotion? I'm all rashy. And I really need some lotion."😂

More of our crazy district ....

Our crazy district.

Exchanges

On exchanges I made German Pancakes !!! Everyone loved them.
#Kieranisfamous

I know we have been asked to be the Lords hands. There's a talk from April 2016 General Conference called "He Asks Us to Be His Hands". Y'all should read it cause it's so good !
The sister who gave the talk helps us better understand HOW we can be the Lords hands and WHY it's sooooo important we do that. I've definetly seen how EXTREMELY important is that we use our hands to help, lift, encourage one another.
I wanna challenge each of you this week to take a few quiet minutes and ponder of ways you feel you can be the Lord's hands and how you can use your hands for GOOD and GO AND DO those specific things at least ONCE a day this week. I promise it'll change your life and the world.

WHOEVER said money doesn't buy happiness NEVER had cracklin' oat bran or Jimmy Fallon ice cream!!! ❤❤❤

When you give a missionary helium .....😂

I know I've been called by a prophet of God to the land of beautiful Illinois because this is where the Lord needs me and for that I'm soooo grateful because I love it here. Illinois is my place. ❤

MIA SIOSTRA BACK IN MISSIONARY ACTION. 

Hey y'all sorry I went MIA these past couple weeks. It's been super crazy but I'm still alive so no need to worry. Missionary work is the greatest!!! I'm over my sicknesses for now. Haha. Knock on wood ..... 

Here's some updates on my life:

I was asked to give a talk in sacrament meeting and I got to choose my topic so I chose to talk on obedience (which is one of my favorite topics). Then in Sunday School that's what we talked about. It was cool to see that even though I was really struggling at first to know what the ward members needed to hear, the lord helped lead me to what I needed to say. It was just another manifestation to me that God is soooo mindful and aware of us. I have been so grateful to see my growth in the gospel and especially being able to follow the Spirit and it's prompting whether they be big or small. I know as we are EXACTLY obedient to God's commandments he will bless us. 

"Obedience brings blessings. EXACT obedience brings miracles and selective obedience brings selective blessings."  If obedience is the first law of a mission, a marriage, and heaven then it must be really important, right? THE ANSWER is : YES. 

I know it's not always easy to be obedient, especially in this ever changing world, but I know as we do what the Lord asks and commands we will be blessed. I've seen soooo many miracles on my mission and I know it's because of obedience. 

When we are selectively obedient we are basically knit picking our gifts and blessings from God.... so the storal of the mory, DONT DO THAT. Be exact in your obedience.  

Matthew 6:24.... we can't serve 2 masters. Do you wanna serve God or Satan? Christ or the world ???? ITS YOUR CHOICE, so make it wisely. 

CHRIST//MAS: WOULD YOU LIKE CHRIST MORE IN YOUR LIFE??? I know I do. That's why I'm on a mission .... to bring this to people and also to find it more myself and to find different ways to do just this. 

Sister Lynette, her dad Fred, and her son Noah had us over for Christmas dinner and OH MY GOODNESS!   We had LOBSTER & STEAK 😻 you better believe I was in heaven!!!! They love us here !!! 

My WOMB DAY... aka my happy to me BIRTHDAY...

Yup, I'm officially no longer a legit teenager. I guess I'm an adult now? 😂 haha yeah I'm sure you're all laughing at that too. HELLO 20. GOODBYE TEENAGER...My birthday was sooo awesome! Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes, cards, gifts, packages, and everything! It was fantastic!!!!  The members here in Bourbonnais sure take care of me! They took us to Red Lobster  and to Olive Garden. And had us over for meals and desserts .... endless. Haha. And bought gifts and just made it super special. 

And my district meeting sang to me and it was basically my birthday for 2 weeks or so with everyone and all they did for me. 

MY 1 YR ANNIVERSARY:

So for my one year in the mission I wanted to do something special, so we went to 5 Guys for lunch and when we talked in one of the members was there and he and his family have been wanting to have us over for dinner for awhile but it hasn't happened so he came over and apologized for not having us over yet and bought our meal. 

Wow, the Spirit works in marvelous ways eh 😂 just kidding.  But seriously it was so cool. 

BURNED SACRIFICES: 

I ALSO burned an ugly skirt cause " IT'S TRADITION" -- name that movie! It was pretty great. It's a tradition in the missionary life to do this. Haha yes yes I have hit my head mark officially. Sis. Lynette made it special with ice cream and let me burn my skirt at their house. She makes everyone feel so special. She's so wonderful! 

I was laughing to myself about this ...  right before I burned my skirt we had a lesson with Sister Lynette and we read in this chapter and I saw this verse and it was SO FITTING. 

1 Nephi 7:22  And it came to pass that we did come down unto the tent of our father. And after I and my brethren and all the house of Ishmael had come down unto the tent of my father, they did give thanks unto the Lord their God; and they did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto him.

Oh my goodness I just LOVE being a missionary !!!! I know I say this OVERTIME, but it really is the BEST THING EVER !!!! One of my favorite parts of the Gospel is the Atonement. I love the Atonement of Jesus Christ because it really does help everyone. It's a very precious gift from the Lord. I love LOVE LOVE LOVE being able to help others come unto Christ & to help them see the bigger picture. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is Medicine for us when we are sick, but for our spiritual lives. I still DON'T have anywhere close to a perfect knowledge of these things, yet I've come closer to understand parts of it and HOW I can better apply it in my life. 

"I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me (each of us) " 

I ABSOLUTELY KNOW This gospel is true !!!! And I WILL continue to share it with EVERYONE, because I DONT want ANYONE to miss out on this. 

In D&C 15:6 it talks about how the most worth comes from 

declaring repentance and bringing people unto the Lord. I can truly testify that's SO TRUE, cause I feel it everyday. I feel and KNOW what I'm doing is of much worth because it's all about the precious souls .... aka all of us, gods children and bringing us back to him. 

I am really enjoying the new Presidents of the Church book about President Hinckley this year.  He said, ".....the time has come for us to stand a little taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds.  This is a season to be strong.  It is a time to move forward without hesitation, knowing the importance of our mission.  It is a time to do what  is right regardless of the consequences.  It is a time to be found keeping the commandments.  It is the season to reach out with kindness and love, to become more Christlike." Amen to that! As we center Jesus Christ in our lives we will be able to do as he says. 

SOUTHERN FLASHBACK: 

We had a zone conference and members from the stake always provide a meal. It was CRAZY because I was just thinking about chicken and waffles THAT morning and I really was craving them. Then.... to my greatest surprise GUESS WHAT WE HAD FOR LUNCH????... you nailed it .... Fried chicken and waffles 😻 I was so happy! I know it's a small thing, but this is just another thing that reminds me God is sooooo mindful and aware of all of us. 

Love = Christ. Wanna feel love or help others feel it ????..... 

well LOVE OTHERS. Show them that love! 

OUR INVESTIGATORS: 

SHEILA:

She walked into church and was looking for us before sacrament meeting. She finally spotted us and said, "there's my missionaries" pointing to us.  It's really special being someone's missionary. 

It's special to me that they feel as close to us as we do them. 

Sheila told me this week she is following a lot of church groups on twitter like Mormon tabernacle choir, Pres Uchtdorf and Mormon Channel. I was AMAZED!!! I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped. She's sooo ready for the gospel. I just love her. She inspires me. 

ROBERT: 

Is still progressing towards baptism and is really starting to understand things on a deeper level. 

ELIZABETH: 

HOLY GOLDEN.  We go into our first lesson and meeting her. We asked her about what she is expecting out of meeting with us and her religious background and it went a little like this:  "I wanna become a better person. I wanna be baptized FULLY BY IMMERSION. and I want it to be someone who has the right authority. I want to come to church and serve and be apart of Christ's church and his goodness. And my kids wanna come to church too. I wanna read the Book of Mormon. I know I have some bad habits and I wanna get rid of them..." WOW. Are y'alls jaws dropping yet? HA. yeah it's been soooo cool to see his area of the Lord's vineyard in Bourbonnais, Illinois go from NO investigators to A BUNCH OF THEM. And they're so solid and wanna actually do what it takes to get there. 

AND: I said an opening prayer and she was in TEARS. 

I was super nervous maybe I said something I shouldn't have, but she said they were HAPPY tears. The spirit was sooo strong. She said she FEELS SOOOO GOOD about this message. The purification challenge is working. 

I LOVE THIS SCRIPTURE: 1 Nephi 3:15  But behold I said unto them that: As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.

I WON'T COME HOME UNTIL I HAVE DONE ALL GOD HAS ASKED OF ME. I know he's called me here to accomplish certain tasks and so I'm gonna go and do whatever those are. 

What 365 things Have i learned on a mission ... ??

coming next week.  Stay tuned. 

We watched The Testament video this week and it makes Christ's coming again soooo real. I am Excited for His coming. Made me think, AM I READY FOR HIS COMING? Am I really prepared? 

If he came in an hour or 2 weeks or a few months or you knew he was coming at the end of this year what would you do differently? How can you prepare ? PURIFICATION CHALLENGE ..... wanna invite all y'all to do it this year. 

I'm amazed in this area because it takes members an hour to get to church.  How Important  is weekly church attendance to you? 

Where is it on your priority? I know this gospel is hard. It's not easy being a member & yet ...If you follow the principles you'll receive the promise!!!!! 

"Learning to talk to God is the most important thing we can learn." 

WHEN DID YOU TALK TO GOD LAST ???? 

As you ask yourself that, read and sing this hymn. Study it out. 

Make a plan of HOW you'll make your prayer life better.  

And study Preach My Gospel pg 95 and re-evaluate  your prayer life. 

Also remember : 

"God without prayers would continue to be God, but we without prayers cannot be admitted into the kingdom of God, therefore we become nothing."

Hymn #148 Did You Think to Pray?

1.

Ere you left your room this morning,

Did you think to pray?

In the name of Christ, our Savior,

Did you sue for loving favor

As a shield today?

Oh, how praying rests the weary!

Prayer will change the night to day.

So, when life gets dark and dreary,

Don’t forget to pray.

2.

When your heart was filled with anger,

Did you think to pray?

Did you plead for grace, my brother,

That you might forgive another

Who had crossed your way?

Oh, how praying rests the weary!

Prayer will change the night to day.

So, when life gets dark and dreary,

Don’t forget to pray.

3.

When sore trials came upon you,

Did you think to pray?

When your soul was full of sorrow,

Balm of Gilead did you borrow

At the gates of day?

Oh, how praying rests the weary!

Prayer will change the night to day.

So, when life gets dark and dreary,

Don’t forget to pray

PRESIDENT & SISTER GRIFFIN CAME TO VISIT WARD: 

Sister Kibbon's cracks me up left and right! When President and Sister Griffin came to visit the ward sister Kibbons went up to bear her testimony about missionary work and while the Griffins were sitting on the stand she turned to them and said, "please don't take the sisters away. We love them. They're so special. If you take them you will take my mom and I dragging behind them screaming. I just love the sisters." 😂  YOU TELL EM' Sister Kibbons!!! It was funny cause everyone kept telling President to keep us. We shall see in 3 weeks ....

WEATHER :

It's been cold but not too bad. The snow is gone so that's a BLESSING! Wahooo! 

FOOD:

Thanks to Brother Beyer we're being fed EVERYDAY until the end of the month. The members are so kind to feed us & help us better our missionary work by letting us share messages. 

Stay rad. Peace easy. ✌️ 

Until next week, 

Siostra Ällowitz#2