April 27 2014

Family!

Why have I been so bad at weekly e-mails? I am so sorry! 

So quick update on last week:

-MY INVESTIGATOR WAS BAPTIZED. It's was a proud mom moment!

-We had a completely 100% spirit filled lesson that was very very much needed. It's was so cool to recognize it afterwards, that we did nothing, it was just the spirit.

-We taught my 8yr old investigator the GOJC and I made up a little relay race for him with trust falls and obstacle courses, so much fun!

-Pulau Ubin, we did a super intense biking trail, I am actually super proud of myself. 

So this actual week let's do this day by day!

Monday: We went to the zoo, well actually the river safari, it was a blast we went with missionaries I don't see too often so it was really good to get to know them. Following our P-day activity we had a dinner appointment with the Bishop of Woodlands ward, my second area and he told the story of how he and his wife met and came to be married...so cute.

Tuesday: a day of meetings for sure. Because we have two areas we are not only in different districts but different zones as well. So at 11 am we went to woodlands ward district meeting till 1230 then immediately following we went to South Zone Meeting for 3rd ward till 430. SO LONG. Zone meeting was really good though which is quite a change for South Zone. We watched this really really good talk by Brad Wilcox called his grace is sufficient, it was given at BYU in 2011 at a devotional. Promise me you will watch it!

Wednesday: We met a LA in my ward who I am just obsessed with. She's perfect. We taught her plan of salvation, it was such a good lesson. That's really it on Wednesday.

Thursday: We taught about the meaning of Easter to a bunch of 3-6 yr olds at a kindergarten one of members works at. It was so much fun, but it made me want a kid way too bad, so I think I will stay away from schools and primary's for awhile...That night we met with a LA in woodlands ward, and he is just a doll, I want to be his bestie, we are reading the BOM together so that I can quiz him every sunday. I think it's really helping him to see that he does understand the scriptures.

Friday: Weekly Planning....gross. Also we have a man living in our apartment complex who we have met with and taught half of the restoration lesson to. Things got weird on Thursday night he asked us if we wanted his house plants because he goes on buisness trips every week complete with insane adventures I will have to tell you about next week. But on Friday we went to his place to pick them up...it just felt so weird and not our purpose. Maybe this is one of those uninteresting you had to be there type of stories...

Saturday: We had a lesson with my 8 yr old investigator, he's so much fun and so ready, we just need his family to get him to church, he wants it so bad! Then we went to Ikea for dinner and ate a ludicrous amount of meat balls and visited some of 3rd ward's members. It was a good day!

Sunday: wow...so much church we went to 3 sacrament meeting had two lessons and two correlation meetings. It was crazy. Then we had to rush to our apartment pick up some games and we went to an appointment with the Assistants. Love them. We played the tie game and pin the angel moroni on the temple (genius right).

This past week was really good. We did a lot of good. I am just falling more and more in love with my ward and Singapore. It's crazy how much exact obedience and diligent scripture study does.

I love you all so so much and I can't wait to skype on mother's day! Will everyone be home for it?

April 13 2014

FAMILY!

Wow, so many crazy things have happened this week. Like, insane! 

SO on Monday for a post-Zone Conference activity we went a trampoline place, 1st bad idea, Sister Lenhart and I didn't really want to go we knew someone would get hurt and it would most likely be us, but we figured why not, 2nd bad idea. Regardless we show up to the place and Sister Lenhart said that she was just going to take it easy, since she had injured herself not too long ago in a 4 wheeling accident, she didn't take it easy enough, 3 strikes your out. She was jumping around and landed on her knee completely wrong, luckily she got off the trampolines and iced it, but we didn't take the injury as seriously as we should have. After hobbling home, we called Sister Mains to let her know that Sister Lenhart was hurt and she said, just ice it and see how you are in the morning. We agreed and headed to bed. (Side note I had been sick for 2 weeks at this point, my voice was completely gone, so I had downed a bunch of Advil PM.) The next morning I wake up at 8 and my companion had been taken to the hospital at 5 am, she's still there with one of my roommates, getting x-rays and MRIs. Where was I? Completely passed out, such a good adventure. Finally I make it to the hospital just in time for the doctor to break the news that she has to get surgery. Suddenly the words "OFFICE SISTERS" ran through my mind. I was terrified, selfish i know. 

After 2 days of sitting at home and everything being up in the air President Mains called and informed her that she would be sent home and released as a missionary, but she would be able to return when all is said and done. I am anxiously awaiting her return. It has to be so hard to go. It really helped me realized that I want to be here, if I had to go home early I'd be a wreck. 

So since then I have gotten a new companion Sister Proffit and we are covering 2 areas, this transfer is going to be INSANE. We are so busy all the time. 3rd ward is a pretty bumpin' ward and Woodlands ward is picking up. So we have insane numbers and we will not have a single moment to think about ourselves. It's good I need it. I feel slightly to blame for all the unfortunate events that have happened these past 7 days. After all I was praying for a new area and a new comp, but I didn't want it that badly. 

Anyways that's the bulk of what has happened this week. Well that and MY FAVORITE INVESTIGATOR EVER IS GETTING BAPTIZED ON SUNDAY. She had her interview yesterday and she passed, she is honestly perfect and I can't wait for Sunday. I love her more than anything else. Have I told you about her? I am going to now, she threw out her coffee and tea before learning the Word of Wisdom, asked how to donate to the church before we taught her about tithing, and knew the Book of Mormon was true before we explained the restoration. Basically she's a better church member than I am. Honestly that's what this work is all about. 

Conference was amazing, so so good. I can't even fit all the insights and things I loved about it on to an e-mail. It truly came at the perfect time and is going to help me to become a better missionary and person now, and a better wife and mother later on in life. There were so many warnings given, it's going to rough times ahead, hands down, but they gave us all the answers, all the keys. One of my favorite quotes from it was "Complexities demand greater simplicity." How true is it, that often the most "complicating" trials in our lives can be solved by the simplest anecdotes, glory in the atonement. WOW. Did that hit you as hard as it hit me. Everything, every talk lead me back to the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Loads can be relieved through it, Gratitude of it brings us everlasting joy, because of it there are no ends only everlasting beginnings, families are strengthened by it. I am sure not all the speakers had the Atonement in mind, but that's how I know I was taught by the spirit, that conference is inspired, and that we have living prophets. 

This week has been...i don't even know what to call it, but I am trying to learn to be grateful regardless of circumstances. This mission is meant to be rough. I loved how President Eyring said "Righteousness can't be forced, it must be chosen..." also "if we choose the right blessings will come in time...if blessing were immediate we could not build faith...blessings are delayed for a purpose." That's what I am keeping faith in, that's what we are all doing. We just need to hold on, make Christ the center of our lives, rely on the Atonement, make all the little choices necessary to make it back to Heavenly Father, it's possible we can do it. Don't be casual about the gospel. It's continual. 

I love you all. 

Sister Emma Lou