Monday, October 27, 2014

Ian, Marleyna, and I


#Us&Chris


#RaisingTheBar


BAPTISM!!!!

Hey there!!
Sorry I'm on later than usual today! We have had SOOOOOO much to do today and we're just now getting to email!
Oh my... this week has been INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!
On Tuesday we got to go to OMAHA!!!!! 3 hours away!!! YEAH, buddy!!!
You remember that kid, Ian, that I told you about??? Marleyna's boyfriend? yeah.... so he is getting baptized on the 30th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:):):) The night before I am to leave for transfers!!! Everyone keeps telling me "way to go out with a bang!!" haha but seriously... I haven't done anything! This kid is such a GOLDEN investigator!
So we went with him and Marleyna to Omaha to see Meet the Mormons on Tuesday. WOW. Being in a movie theatre as a missionary... seriously... happiest day of my life! It felt so weird! I HAD HAD HAD to get popcorn:):)
That movie is incredible though... if you haven't seen it... DO IT!!! Take ALLLLLL your friends to it!!!!
At the very end when they are showing the missionary mom... all 4 of us were just covered with tears. Goldsberry and I.. missionaries! So we cry a lot anyways. Then Marleyna who leaves on her mission the first week of November... then Ian, who is saying goodbye to Marleyna for 18 months and is getting baptized. It was pretty cute if you ask me.

On the way to and from Omaha, Ian just wanted to whip through the lessons. He has been studying all these lessons with marleyna for the past 6 months... so he already knows everything! But he said that as we explained them to him, he caught a few things that he didn't know yet that he NEEDED to know to help finalize his decision. We whipped out like 3 big lessons that night because of all the driving. Then after we saw the movie... we went to the trail center and that just completely strengthened his testimony of Joseph Smith. It was SO cool to be back at the trail center. I hadn't been there in over 7 months! I love that place.

We didn't get back to our apartment till midnight that night. We had fallen asleep in the car. But our leaders were aware and it was SOOOO worth it even though we were like DEAD for 2 days after!
That night while we were driving, Ian was just opening his heart to us and just felt sooo excited to be baptized. He picked the date and we started to get everything arranged.

District Meeting on wednesday was INCREDIBLE!!! Probably the most spiritual district meeting on my mission. Our INCREDIBLE zone leader, Elder Tatafu, is going home this week... so it was his VERY last DM and we went all out!! One of the Elders had bought him a nice Husker leather jacket that we all signed, then we sang for him and had his favorite member come and do a musical number. This kid is SOOO talented with singing! He's Polynesian, so that explains it all:) I had written him a poem that would be from our whole district. It only took me about 20 minutes to write and everyone was SOOO impressed. It was amazing because at the end of the poem, to finish it, I put down a scripture that I felt reminded me of Tatafu, and in the district meeting, he bore his testimony and he shared with us that same scripture 2 Nephi 1:21 and it just happened to be his favorite scripture. I didn't even know it!! Heavenly Father loves him a TON. We are gonna miss him SOO much! He served with my in my baby area-- Millard for my first 6 weeks. So we've been buds my whole mission. It's crazy that he is leaving! There are about 16 sisters and 3 elders leaving this week. And only 3 sisters coming out.

Lucky for us, we are going AGAIN to Omaha tomorrow for their departing testimonies!! We're bringing our invstigator, Jordan and like the whole branch is coming with. It's going to be the best day of our lives!!!! And I swear, EVERY missionary in the mission is going to be there.... SO EXCITED!!!!

Wednesday we had BACK TO BACK lessons all day. We didn't even get dinner. Those are my FAVORITE days <3
Exciting life! We taught 3 Law of Chastity lessons!!! Yeah, that's right! It was fun:)
Mission prep that night was also incredible. Probably my last time teaching it:(:( And we barely even taught! Jordan and Ian were there <3 Jordan had lots of REAL good questions and IAN pretty much answered every single one of them!! It was soooooo coool :):) the branch just loves them both!

One of our LA got kicked out of her boyfriends apartment this week, so at like 8:50 that night we went to go and help her out. It was the end of our SUPER long day, and we were waiting in the drive-through for DQ ice cream when we got the call, so we left the line to go help:) Heavenly Father makes EVERY minute of our day worth it!

Thursday we went to a nearby town-- Hastings all day. We were trying to track down one of our investigators that has kinda dropped off the face of the Earth... well we didn't have much luck :(
But our member, Nya was with us, and she used to go to Hastings college, so she wanted us to try some houses that she knew. We ended up finding this girl named Caitlynn and taught her the restoration on her porch. She read Moroni 10:3-5 and said that it sounded oddly familiar. She was super excited and interested and is planning on reading the whole Book of Mormon and then we have an appointment sent in 2 weeks. She is an English major, so she'll get it down:) I'm not sure if I'll be here... :(
We also had dinner with the Hastings sisters that night because it was Sister Wilson's birthday! :)

All this last week, we had 12 lessons with a member present in them. That is the highest we've sure had in a LONG while, it was incredible!! Our members are SOOOO up for doing missionary work and that has changed DRASTICALLY since I first got here, so that is a huge blessing to witness <3

Justin Ferguson came to take us out to breakfast one day and I got to say goodbye! He's pretty cool because this is the most active he has been in church in his whole life. He told me that from Sister Weber and I living with his parents, he saw a big diffrenece in the happiness that his parents had and he wanted that, so he started meeting with the missionaries more. That was a huge tender mercy to know that our examples helped their family feel the happiness that God has in store for them <3 I love them tons!!

This week has been insane though! I've been on this KICK about wanting to share the talents and abilities I have been blessed with, and Heavenly Father is for sure answering my prayers!! Yesterday, we were asked to sing in the Kearney Family Ward for Marleyna farewell, and then I spoke in the YSA branch, and then Nya and I sang a duet in the YSA branch.

It was sweet how that happened! I had this prompting to ask Nya to sing with me... and she said it sounded like a GREAT idea. I talked to our branch mission leader and he was all "oh, did Nya ask you to sing??" And I said "no, I asked her to sing" and he was like, "well that was VERY inspired because I had mentioned to her that it would be a good idea and i wasn't sure if she would do it" So that was a sweet miracle. We sang her favorite song "i'll go where you want me to go" and everyone said it was incredible!

Then yesterday, I got a text from our District Leader asking if I could give a training on Wednesday, and Nya and I are singing AGAIN for Ian baptism on Thursday, so it's been a VERY busy and exciting week:) PLEASE develop your talents, everyone!! Find a new hobby and build upon it!!

Everyone enjoyed my talk yesterday too... That was such a SWEET experience!!! I had kinda a hard time coming up with a topic.. but in the end, it centered around HAPPINESS. And it all came together just right!

I didn't notice, but Goldsberry said everyone was crying.... Even President Cammack! So I guess that is a good thing?? Haha. The greatest blessings and the greatest happiness really does come from being an instrument in the hand of god. A pure enough vessel that the spirit can work through, and I witnessed the spirit working through me a lot this last week. It's such a blessing <3 Heavenly Father is only happy if WE are happy. That is where His happiness comes from <3 The things that we think in our heads, seep INTO our hearts, so we must be cautions on the words in our head, that ultimately will determine how we feel. I love speaking in church!! I really do <3 This testimony of mine is one that I don't like to keep to myself.

Last night was incredible too. We met with one of our members friends-- Chris and taught him the restoration. He is already SO prepared too... he knows A LOT about the church and just really wanted a Book of Mormon. Our members are so great at finding those prepared people! We got a sweet picture with Chris last night and we have real good feelings about him. Which makes me excited but also SO sad because my time here is coming to a close.

I'm 88% positive that I will be leaving this week and the next time you here from me I will be in another area.... The Kearney YSA has changed my life and taught me how to be TRULY happy!!!

I'm ending with a baptism this week, my first one!!! But I can truly say that the satisfaction is NOT in having a baptism.... it's in the little tiniest moments where you see the light enter their eyes, when you see the people you've come to love desire to share the gospel with others. When you see those who have become your best friends, stand up in Relief society and say something that they have realized this last week, that you know the SPIRIT taught them through you. When you see the relief and peace in them that they didn't have before. It's THOSE moments that matter most.

So pray for Ian and Jordan this week! We finished getting his invites and programs done this morning. 

I have also seen Sister Goldsberry grow a LOT this week. She's been out a year and still has a hard time teaching. I think that has been our biggest struggle together is trying to teach in unison. I like to take over sometimes... hahah hard to believe, eh? But she's been feeling more confident and is finding ways to build that confidence. I totally felt the atonement this week when she asked me "Sister Checketts... how are you so confident??" because 5 years ago... I don't think I had any. It IS possible to change!! Believe that others can and believe that YOU can. It's okay if growth is slow.. that just means it is becoming PERMANENT!! And that is what we want <3

I love you all sooooo much!!!! I guesss we'll see next week where I am at!! CRAZY!!! Time goes by WAY WAY WAY too fast.....

Love you all, Sister Checketts "You are encircled about in the arms of His love" 1 Nephi 1:15

#districpic! Goodbye TATAFU!!

Monday, October 20, 2014

Greetings from Nebraska

#cutestcomps

#puppy!!

#doit

Jordan at Church!!

Crazy things!

The Ferguson's son, Justin is in our branch now!!! HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN????? Yesterday was his first day!
#practicallybrothers #LOVEtheFergs!

The Stage of Miracles

Hello Everyone!!
 
Hope y'all are having a special spooky Missionary Monday!! Yes, that means you get to hear from all us missionaries, but that also means that YOU have an opportunity to share the gospel today... and everyday!! So happy Missionary Monday:)
 
Seriously though.... our most SOLID investigators come from the referrals that our members give us because of their friends. This week, that has resulted in SOOOOO many miracles!!!!!
 
Just look at what happened to us this morning! One of our invstigators-- named Megan -- (ironic) I just absolutely LOVE!! She's been through a lot with an eating disorder and whatnot in the last few months and is on the road to recovery. Well, she missed hanging out with the branch on my birthday, so she insisted on taking us out to breakfast. So we went out with her this morning. She brought her neighbor friend with her today, and her neighbor was asking us allllll sorts of questions! Megan knows more about Christ than any nonmember I've ever met-- so she hasn't kept too many of our commitments because she is already doing so much service and she reads the bible every day... but her friend, Laurie that was at lunch with us this morning is INCREDIBEL!!! And we taught the restoration, so casually and clearly, right there in Panera!!! It's the best:):) Look... even our nonmemebrs are doing missionary work! Share your testimonies:):)
 
We do this thing every sunday, where we pray about one of our members that we will give a Book of Mormon to and then they try their hardest in that upcoming week to give it away to a friend of theirs. So far it has had SOOO much success and we have lots of appointments this week of meeting with our members friends.
 
Last Monday, P-day was the BOMB!! We drove to grand island and spent all day playing softball with our whole zone. It was the best! I love these missionaries <3
 
Monday night, we had a lesson with one of our members roomates! Reviewed the restoration, since she already knew a lot from writing a college paper about Mormons!! We soft-set her for baptism!!! It's the best:)
 
Then Monday night, for FHE we went with the branch to a choir concert on campus (yes, a choir concert... holy bananas I miss it SOOOOOOO much!!!!) We were there to support Jake-- one of our dear friends who just left the Singles ward after he married our dear sweet April a few months back. Jake is an opera major, so yah... he's kinda a big deal:)
 
We had the BEST lesson I've ever had with our Less-Active, Sarah this last week. We were having her write down a list of her blessings, to notice God's hand in her life because she had had a really bad day, when out of nowhere, she just opened her whole heart to us. She revealed to us some things in the past that she hadn't been honest about and we just had the most spiritual & real conversation with her. Sarah is someone who I have connected EXTREMELY well with... (I mean, we both love Harry Potter.... that just explains it all!) But NO one really in the branch knew who she was before I got here. She had been meeting with the sisters for a while, but we have seen SO much growth in her fellowship!! I mean, the WHOLE branch was at her house for my surprise party. And I want to cry tears of joy every time we hear that a group of our members were at her apartment hanging out!! She's just a part of the family now, and I'm sooooooo grateful that I was able to be a tool in my Heavenly Fathers hands to now have her have soooo many of these friends!! I just get soooo happy!! That night, we had Luke, our WML come over to give her her very first blessing. And this week she has planned a "girls night" with some of the girls in the branch.
 
... I faced a fear this week...... I went to the Doctors... yup!.... my feet have been REAL bad lately, so Goldsberry made an appointment for an ear infection, and I decided to get my feet checked out... She advised me to throw away a lot of my shoes... SO SAD, and I had to go buy all new socks. Since I've been doing some treatement though, my feet are A LOT better!!! So YAY!!!!
 
One of the saddest things for me on my mission... is not getting to hold babies. It's a LOT harder for me than I thought it would be... hah but this week I got to hold the closest thing... a couple week old puppy!!!! Oh gosh, I was soooo happy!!!
 
We saw Arlys this week. She's 86 and just got a knee surgery.. she didn't look to good and she does NOT want to go, but they are feeling that they need to send her to the nearby assisted living. So we won't get to see her as much anymore :( She has been such an amazing blessing in my life!!!!! I'm soooooo glad we've gotten to spend so much time with her!! Not sure how much longer she will be walking on this Earth, but I KNOW she'll accept the gospel with her husband in the next life and I intent to stay in touch with her family!
 
We taught an on-the-spot lesson in institute this week, since Sister Cammack couldn't make it. It was reallll cool though and we had like 3 investigators there. I think it's soooo funny that our investigators love to make it to Institute and Mission Prep.... lol! But whatever they wanna do I guess:)!!
 
We taught Jordan the Word of Wisdom and he came to church for the first time yesterday because he finally has sundays off! He LOVED it!!!!!!!! It was sooooo exciting!! He is progressing SOOO well!! He's just got to be patient with probation.
 
We taught a 20 minutes restoration lesson to our sweet investigator named David!! He's a new investigator of ours and he absolutely loved it!! So that's promising:)
 
And... the biggest miracle of them alllllll this week... So one of my favorite members, Marleyna (the one leaving on her mission in 2 weeks) has this boyfriend named Ian. He is a nonmember. (And I looooove being able to relate to Marleyna about leaving on her mission with him behind because I have experiences that I've been able to share with her that have helped her a lot. Heavenly Father uses our experiences to help others through similar things) Anyway.... Ian is SWEET!!!!! He's been coming to activities with the branch for probably around 4 months now. He's VERY introverted and we've asked him a couple of little times if he'd like to take lessons and he just always told us that he has our number if he wants to. Well Marleyna has been the BEST member missionary and has helped him understand/realize a lot. He comes to mission prep and doesn't say anything. And then he has been to church a LOT to support Marleyna and her family in different things. So he's been around a while and we know he's been trying to read the Book of Mormon. Well... this last week Marleyna called us up and said that Ian wanted to meet with us. So this last week, we met them at Dairy Queen and VERY shyly... he told us that he wants to be baptized and learn more. It was the cutest thing ever!!! So we told him that he could be baptized before Marleyna leaves on the 5th of November.. and they both got really happy. he is TOTALLY doing this for himself. He said that he wants his spiritually to grow just as much as Marleyna's will while she is on her mission.
 
Last night, in the church kitchen, we taught him the restoration, and he already knows it all. His first encounter of Mormons was on South Park and he didn't understand why the boy on the episiode who was a member was sooo happy. Then at the end of the episode, the little boy goes "I don't know everything... but I know the Book of Mormon makes my family happy!" Ian watched that episode again this week and it totally clicked everything together. He is SOOO smart. LOVES reading, and he realized that he doesn't have to know everything right now. He just knows we are all happy and he wants that. So he's doing something about it.!! He wants to be baptized by the end of October and so as of now, he is still going to finalize his schedule, but we're looking at the 31st.. the day of Transfers... <3 <3 I don't think he realize how much his whole story means to me. This is soooo incredible!
 
Tomorrow, we are going to knock out a couple of lessons as we're are driving for 6 hours to and from Omaha. We are going with him and Marleyna and a bunch of the branch to see Meet the Mormons! And then NEXT Tuesday, we are going with them again to Omaha to the departing testimonies of the missionaries leaving. that means I get to see Sister Muasau and Sister Carpenter, and Sister Weber, ALLL my last companions and MANY more!!! i'm sooooo excited!!!!!
 
SO MANY MIRACLES!!! God is soooo aware of us!!!!!!
 
Just something else I've learned... it is soooo easy for Satan to get in our minds, but WE control our minds and WE control what of our thoughts reach our hearts... so we must be wise in our choices. I would like to urge you to pick 1 short scripture, and 1 of our favorite hymns and whenever you aren't thinking something producting, make THOSE things be on the "stage" of your mind. Because if your stage always has something good playing, it makes it a lot harder for Satan's actors to get on there and steal the show. Constantly be praying and thinking that scripture that has come to mean so much to you. Mine is 2 Nephi 1:15 "I am encircled about eternally in the arms of His love". Try it out.
This is something Sister Goldsberry taught me when we first got together, but it took me until this week to truly understand it and see the need of WHY I need it. it is SOOO important and it's how we FIGHT back.
 
I love you all!! I hope your Book of Mormon reading is still going strong!! We should be on page 280! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the stories of the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's!! May we all bury our weapons of war, and anger, and unkind thoughts DEEEP in the ground never to be dug up again. I know we can do it. I've felt the Atonement more and more as the weeks go one!!
THANKS FOR EVERYTHIGN!!!!! Love you all
Sister Checketts 
 PRAY FOR IAN!!!!
 
#ourzone!!

Monday, October 13, 2014

#cheetahlicious!

#sisters4lyfe

Trying a new drink! yah!

LOOK AT THIS CAKE!!!

Fight for the Cure!!

Surprise Party!

Birthday!!

Thanks for the shirt, Liza!!:):)

Birthday!!

OWL Always Love You!!!

Hello All!!!!
Happy FALL!!! I'm still enjoying the CALL to serve:):) haha.... my poem skills are slowly dwindling I think....
 
HAPPY CANADIAN THANKSGIVING!!!!-- Sister Lutz is behind me right now and she's from Canada. So I just wanted to wish y'all a happy thanksgiving!
 
It's been a great week! Hard too... but what weeks aren't? haha
First off, to finish my birthday celebration news..... This branch is the BEST thing ever.... seriously... they did SO MUCH for me it was ridiculous!!!! Miquelle and Nya decorated our room and heart attacked it, then Monday night was FHE and we went to the church as usual. They said that they hadn't really planned anything, so for FHE we were planning our activites for the next month. Nya grabbed us though and said that Sarah, (a LA of ours) broke something of our roommates and needed us to go help her fix it, so we drove with Nya to her apartment to get some gorilla glue, then headed over to Sarah's. Goldsberry quickly put a blindfold around me as we headed up the steps (so naturally I knew SOMETHING was happening... hahah she isn't to great at "surprises" ;)) ) And then when we got in the apartment, she took off the blindfold and the WHOLE branch, and like 6 of our LA and 2 investigators were there yelling SURPISE!!!
The night before they had had an activity and made me a real live owl cake!!! We even played "Pin the tie on the Potter". Sarah had made harry potter and everyone had decorated Ties to pin on him that I got to keep.
THEN they had me open presents..... ohhhhh my gosh they did WAYYYYY too much!!!!! EVERYTHING I got was owl stuff.... I have more owl earings than I know what to do with :):) I cried...
Then we came home and I was overwhelmed with love... and there was a Dominos car sitting outside our apartment. The guy got out and asked if we were in #2. He said "Your mom called and ordered you a pizza. Happy Birthday!!" And I cried again... lol:) THANK YOU EVERYONE for making my 21st birthday a BLAST!!!!! I'll NEVER forget it:):):)
 
The next day, we went out to lunch with a LA of ours and her boyfriend. She said they had another surprise for me after we had taught her a lesson. She pulled out this bib. (She is the one that is pregnant) and on it, it said "My Aunt is a HOOT". She then said "we talked and decided we want to make you the baby's honorable Aunt for your birthday!!" So that was a shock!! haha :) They are sooo funny!
 
I love seeing our LA's come back to church!! this morning, I was thinking about what we had to do today, and I was complaining in my head that I didn't want to pay another $5 for laundry at our apartment again.. one of our members that just recently became active again texted us saying that we could do our laundry at her new place. PRAYER ANSWERED!! So I told her what happened and she said that RIGHT after she had finished praying, she had the prompting to text us and tell us that, so it's SO amazing to see the prayers of those we love being answered. And Heavenly Father blesses us as well:):)
 
I got to talk to sister Muasau this week!!! We were cleaning out our phone making sure all the numbers for the missionaries in there were right and so we had an excuse to call her ;) It was SO GREAT to talk to her!!! AHHH  #BESTIES The movie "Meet the Mormons" was playing in Omaha this week and we didn't get to go.. but we'll see it eventually!! Miquelle, one of our members went thought and she got to see sister muasau so I'm SOOOOO glad they got to see each other. I LOVE seeing Heavenly Father answer the prayers of those I love!!! Have you had any prayers answered lately??? Think about it! I know you have:)
 
Zone Training this week was incredible!! So many in our zone are leaving at the end of this transfer on the 31st. HALLOWEEN. It was SAD because they all bore their testimony and it hit me hard. This is the first GIANT group to go home because of the age change so sooooo many of our dear friends are leaving. We're trying SO HARD to get to departing testimonies!!
 
We actually have a zone activity today! After we're done emailing, we're driving to Grand Island to play softball with our whole zone #stoked! I love this zone!! Grand Island zone... #winners
 
We've had to drop a couple of our investigators, but we're sifting through those we are working with to see who is truly prepared and willing to change! We've been seeing A LOT of success come from trying to place one Book of Mormon a day! Miracles! And we've been tracting into many people who are friends of our members, so it's a plus! We're excited for the appointments we have set this week.

I'm thoroughly enjoying reading the BOM with the mission. (((BTW we should be on page 245)))  We are simply PREPARING the hearts of those who aren't yet prepared. Little by little. The thing about YSA is that sooooo many of them aren't wanting to be committed to any one thing that they see "restricts" them.. so we teach A LOT of the first lesson and go through a lot of investigators.

Our investigator, Jordan is progressing SO WELL!!! He fasted yesterday even while he had to work and said that he felt something good is going to happen. We taught him the law of tithing, and it was a little hard for him see the blessings that can come from sacrificing 10% but because of one of our members bearing testimony to him, he is going to try it out!! :) It's been sooooo great to see! He's on tract to living the gospel fully and then he will do his best to get off of probation!! It's going to happen, he is a spiritual giant and we LOVE teaching him!!!

We taught about REPENTANCE in mission prep this week... oh gosh, I love teaching mission prep!! Marleyna leaves in 3 weeks... I cannot believe it!!!! She is truly an angel of mine. It's sooooo neat to go through those in your area and talk with you companion about those that YOU have been here for. I received a blessing one time that said "You're here at this specific time and place to help not just one, but MANY in this area" It's been a HUGE blessing to see the small things I've been able to do to help my beloved friends.
 
We did A LOT of service this week!! Helped Laurie and Taylor move into their new apartment together. It's SOOOO nice!!!! I may or may not be making plans to move back and live with them ;) hahah I LOVE serving in YSA!!!!
 
We got to serve at the Breast Cancer 5K this week!! That was sooooo fun!! Reminded me of my years in Youth Council!! GO CCYC!!!
 
Golsberry got sick yesterday though so we had to take it easy. And I was EXHAUSTED. Our branch president even pulled us into his office yesterday to ask if we were doing okay. Goldsberry had tried to fast, and she isn't supposed to, so she made herself sick, poor thing! I didn't even realize she hadn't eaten breakfast... I felt so bad. I got to take care of her last night though after she got REAL sick in the parking lot outside our apartment... if ya know what I mean... Ahhh I really felt bad, but she's doing SO MUCH better this morning. Priesthood blessings are real!!! She received a blessing last night at our branch prayer night and we had 2 of our investigators there. Ian, and Jordan. We invited them in to witness the blessing and it was a huge teaching opportunity as well.
 
I got to bear my testimony in testimony meeting yesterday which might be the last time in this branch.... ahhhhh that made me so sad..... But I totally felt the spirit and atonement as I partook of the sacrament and as I sat there listening to the testimonies, Heavenly Father helped me feel at peace that I have done SO MUCH here of what He has asked/expected of me. It's crazy how you can FEEL that!!! In about 4-5 of the testimonies given yesterday, we were mentioned because they bore testimony of something we had talked to them about. It was INCREDIBLE!!! I didn't have a dry eye. I love this branch more than words can express and I HAVE seen it grow MUCH stronger than it was when I got here... so that is the biggest blessing and comfort I could ever receive.
 
I'm really sad that my time here is coming to a close, but I still have a whole other adventure and area to tackle, and my friendships here will NEVER be lost... we've all helped each other through too much. Best YSA ever.
 
Anyway... it's been an exciting week!! I'm not quite sure what adventures are in the week to come, but I'm sure the Lord has plenty in store.
 
I love you all!! Again, thank you so much!! there are some days that a big thing that's keeping me going are your prayers and letters of support. You mean soooooo much to me!!!!!
keep going strong! Just keep pushing, always having that light of hope ahead of you. Don't live in the past, but don't forget what you learned from those experience and make sure that your faith is always pointed towards the future. But I've also been learing a lot about STRESS this week... You'd think I'd have it down of how to deal with it... but nope... But you stress the LEAST when you LIVE IN THE MOMENT!! So that is what I'm working on.
 
Keep goin strong!!!
Check it out-- Checketts' out!!
Love, Sister Megan Checketts

Monday, October 6, 2014

BOM update

We should be on page 210:):)

Happy Birthday to me!

General Conference Party!

#nebraskasunsets

Us&Luke

Supporting Bryan at his 5K run:)

FergDogs!!

Package from Brandon, Kelly and Kiddos!!!

21:):)

Hello Everyone!!
 
THANK YOU for all the birthday wishes!!! It's soooooo kind of you!!!!!!! I have the GREATEST friends and family ever... seriously!!
 
Goldsberry has been so funny today.. for the past like weeks she's been hiding sticky notes on my desk that I've been needing to find that counted down how many days I had left. My favorite comment was
 
"2 days until you can legally follow the Word of Wisdom!" hahahah too cute.
 
It's been a super crazy week. We have taught a LOT LOT LOT. We taught 30 lessons this last week, sweet, right?
 
I got the CUTEST package from Brandon and Kelly and the kiddos this last week!  A
box full of sunshine" Everything in it was Yellow. It TOTALLY did make my week, I love you guys! I've been going crazy over the rubber ducky you sent me too... hah Goldsberry got a really embarrassing video of me that the whole branch has now seen. LOL It's the greatest:)
In the package were letters from the sister missionaries in the ward, it was SOOO sweet!!! They had some super awesome words to share and even shared with me some poems and stories that we have been using A LOT in the past months. It's SOOOOOO cool to hear from missionaries across the globe and country that are teaching the SAME things we are. No doubt in my heart one bit that this message we all have to share is TRUE. We're all on the same team:):)
 
Heavenly Father never ceases to amaze me on how PERFECT His timing is. We got so much done this last week and were perfectly on time for so many things when beforehand, we didn't know how everything that we had planned was going to work out. The Lord always provides a way when we're doing His will <3
 
Last week at walmart, we lost our car in the parking lot... haha the weirdest things always happen at walmart... we were walking around for like 10 minutes trying to find it. One of the members in the family ward saw us and kinda laughed at us... lol. But there is a PURPOSE for everything! The moment that we found the car, we heard this little voice say "momma, it's sister missionaries!" .... that doesn't happen to often, so we turned to look and see who it was. It was a mom and her kids from a ward in phillipsburg that were here in Kearney because her husband had had a stroke. We were able to talk to them and get the room # to go visit him in the hospital. We sang "Be Still My Soul" to him and it touched his heart. Heavenly Father is ALWAYS looking out for His children in need <3
 
FHE was great this last Monday. We went to a park and played ultimate Frisbee. We have been getting the BIGGEST turnouts at our activities lately than I have seen since I have been here. It's INCREDIBLE!!!! One of our dear Less-Active members whom I have come to make so many connections with, Sarah, (she loves Harry Potter, and games and all sorts of things in common). We got her to come with us! There was a little dispute between a couple members of the branch that night that both have a couple special needs and Sarah is going to college to be a special needs teacher. So we were able to take Sarah with us to talk to these members and she TOTALLY just took over and knew exactly how to handle the situation!! Ever since then she has felt COMPLETELY needed in the branch and has desired to come to everything. We simply just have to let those we love that aren't coming, know that they ARE needed. Just like what was talked about in General Conference this last week, EVERYONE plays a SUPER important role in this life and in this church. EVERYONE is needed.
 
Arlys was in the hospital this week. She had knee surgery... at 86 years old. hahah she's the cutest and I'm sure the nurses are ready to pull their hair out bcause she just wants someone to talk to all the time!!! We are going to try cutting back seeing her though. We talked to Luke, our WML and he wants us to cut back a little on seeing her because she isn't YSA age... haha oops:)  We just love her so much and she has REALLY needed the sisters in her life this last year <3
 
I realized something SUPER cool as I gave the spiritual thought at district meeting this last week. We had a training back in April by our ZL's where they taught us that Heavenly Father will always give us the desires of our hearts. He is just MORE willing to give it to us if it is in line with His will and if it's what HE wants for us. When that training was given, I thought "Oh, so I just simply have to DESIRE to baptize someone strong enough and then he'll just give one to me!" Of course I knew I had to put in a LOT of effort in too. But as we were driving to DM and I was thinking of my thought, I broke out in tears because Heavenly Father had revealed to me in that car-ride that He has ALREADY given me that desire of my heart. My whole mission I've desired so badly to see someone through a full conversion process. Finding them, teaching them, baptizing them, and seeing them work towards the temple and be super involved in missionary work. I realized that day that He has already given me that. Long ago actually. I thought to my beautiful sister-in-law, Kelly, and everything that I have seen her go through. She was baptized after she married my brother and had 3 beautiful kids. I was there when she went through the temple and from receiving the letters from the sister missionaries serving in her ward, I have seen her and my family have the "missionary bug" and I am soooooooo proud of them. So not only has Heavenly Father given me that desire of my heart, but He's given it to me in my own family. Suddenly that wasn't something that I realized that I needed for my mission. Suddently ANY and EVERY little change that I see in those we are working with is enough to make me beam from ear to ear. Conversion takes time, and I have the faith that the things we are doing right now, are enough right now to make a difference in their lives in the long run.
 
We got 4 new investigators this last week. EXCITING!!
We're a little nervous that David won't make it to his baptism date.. :/ He started smoking again and his desire to get to his baptism hasn't been for the right reasons lately... We'll keep going though..
 
Jordan is doing awesome!! We just need to teach him lessons 4 and 5 next and he is soaking it ALL in. He watched conference with us and the branch this last week and took tons of amazing notes. He loved the priesthood session! We just can't set him for baptism until he is living the gospel more to be able to get off probation. He'll get there:) I know it!
 
We had 20 people at institute this last week!!!! last year, there were only like 5 at the most!! It's so exciting to see the branch becoming so much bigger and stronger!!
 
We talked to some SUPER awesome Korean girls at 'conversation tables' at UNK this last week. I love conversation tables. We just go and talk to people from all over the world who are trying to learn English!
 
I made my moms famous pumpkin cookies for General Conference for everyone to enjoy. The branch goes CRAZY over those things!!!!! I made 2 huge batches and they were all gone within the 2 sessions on Saturday. haha:)
 
The Fergusons came with Justin and took us to applesbees on Friday for my birthday!! They had the waitresses come sing to me and  everyone looked at us funny when they announced me as "sister Checketts" it never gets old:) I love the FergDogs so much!!! Steve picked out an AWESOME Huskers jersey that they got me <3 <3
 
I've learned a lot this last week and realized that at this point in my mission, Heavenly Father is teaching me to be a mother. CHILDREN have been the biggest focus in my mind this last week... weird, right?? But president has brought up a lot of things to me that I'm going through that is how I might feel one day when I am a mother. Anyways... I'll stop explaining my crazy brain right now.. lol!
 
Conference was INCREDIBLE!!
 
AS ALWAYS, Richard G. Scott's talk answers every one of my questions. His talk was the best!! And our investigators LOVED Bednars talk which was directed all to them. .. The German guy.. Jorg something, his talk was also my favorite. The talks were so good!!! This world is getting real and we really need to set our priorities, set time for daily prayer and scriptures study and time for the temples and not let ANYTHING.. I repeat, ANYTHING get in the way of that. Keep going strong!!!
 
Sister Goldsberry has lots of secrects in the making for me today. Pretty sure for FHE tonight the branch is throwing me a surprise party.. hah the little stinkers:) I love them SOOOOO much! We're going to go work on our quilts with our dear friend Ann today who is teaching me how to quilt and stuff. The others sister came over this morning for chocolate chip pancakes for my birthday and we sung some hymns with the guitar. So it's been a great morning!!
 
I thought I had a cute outfit on.... then the sister brought over a package that they had been holding onto for a while. From ELIZA!!! With the cutest shirt inside, so of course I had to go change;)
 
And my momma and daddy sent me the CUTEST Nebraska Omaha Mission necklace that I am never going to take off!! And a puzzle of Logan, Utah <3 MY FAVOITE!!!
 
Seriously... ya'll are the best!! I was missin my momma and daddy a bit yesterday at conference, but know that all is BETTER than well right now!!! Life is good and we just keep moving forward!!!
 
THANKS AGAIN FRO EVERYTHING!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!
The church is true, and PLEASE heed to the words of our beloved prophet and apostles...they are seriously my heros.
 
Me and Golds today!