Monday, October 6, 2014

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!
 

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