Privileges.

I feel I don't have much to report on this week haha. It was another week of running the Lords errand! Which is of course the best errand ever:)

Lately I have been so exhausted. Satan keeps running through my mind how have been doing this for 16 months and my body needs to stop. Some days I lack motivation. I still went out and worked of course, haha but I didn't want to! Then I listened to this album about missionary work. The song was kids singing about how they're so excited to serve a mission. I started to tear up as I thought about the privilege it is to serve a mission. My heart was softened and the motivation came back. Heavenly Father is just so amazing. :) the Lord gives me the strength I need everyday! I couldn't do this without Him!!!

It finally snowed here in Ohio, haha about time! I love the snow!!:) it makes winter pretty haha:) but since it snowed it's gotten a heck of a lot colder. Hooray!! It's funny I forgot how cold it gets! Luckily, this winter I have a car unlike last when I was walking around on campus all day. Crazy it's almost been a year since I was sent there...#timeflies

Had back to back exchanges this week!! So I was only with my companion like 3 days this week haha. It was fun!:) one thing I love about being a sister training leader is I get to know all the sisters so well, and I learn so much from them! I swear on exchanges they are training me! I am so grateful!

I started the New Testament this week and something really struck me. In Mathew 4:19 Christ says to Peter and Andrew, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." And the next verse says, "and they straightaway left their nets, and followed Him." In the next verse it talks about how he called to James and John and it talks about hoe they "immediately left the ship and their father, and followed Him." I just love these examples of faith. They did not ask questions, they did not complain. They heard the voice of our Lord beckoning them to come to Him, and they went, leaving everything. On my mission I have left a lot of things for the Lord, and I pray I can have the faith these men had to straightaway leave everything... And follow Him.

Have an amazing week!!:) love you!!:)

 O-H-I-O..There is a lot of state pride here

 #roadkill Ohio in a nut shell

 Sister Alius and I!!! She is my soul sister

 Haha, shout out to my slippers.  The Beavercreek Sistas! Sister Lang and Sister Sly :)

 Cute Sister Lang!!:)

 This pic describes Ohio too, everyone has these tree faces on their trees, haha!  Don't ask?!?!

 So, the pic with the tree was the day before this one.  50 degrees outside. Then it snowed. All night. #firstsnowfall

Look not behind Thee

I love the meaning behind New Years. Have any of you seen the Mormon message "Look not behind Thee?" It's one of my favorite Mormon messages of all time. It tells the story of Lots wife and how they were given strict commandments to not look behind them after they left their home. For whatever reason we are not sure if she looked behind her, and a pillar of salt she became. This is a new year and we have no reason to look behind us. We can set goals for who we want to become this year but also for who Heavenly Father wants us to become. He will help us achieve anything we want if it's in harmony with him. So this year let's let him change us. It's a fresh start, it's a new year. Our future is brighter than our past. And with the Lord all things are possible.

Apparently it's a tradition of good luck to eat sauerkraut on New Year's. So sweet Sister Bohon once again cooked us a five course meal and gave us cabbage rolls. They were actually really good! And definitely worth good luck for the year. It was a good New Year's Day!:)

Anthony is progressing towards baptism! I've never seen anyone with such a strong desire to change. He is so excited for his baptism! He knows that's when he will feel the most forgiven, and feel changed. He is already seeing it in himself though. The Atonement heals all. It can change anyone. No matter who you are, or where you've been. It's powerful, and I love seeing that power be used by myself, and others through out my mission. I love being a missionary!! We are still finding a ton which is always good haha:) reoccurring theme of my mission:)

We had a major testimony building experience it was really cool!! So we went to get gas and I went to grab the gas card out of the glove compartment... And it wasn't there. Id rather it be my own credit card than the missions card! The Lords card!! I started to freak out and Sister Meyers and I frantically started to search the car. We looked for about ten minutes and couldn't find it. We prayed and then continued to search. In my mind, I had a thought come into my head of Sister Meyers pink coat. It was at the apartment. The thought kept coming to my head. Her and I were freaking out. So I looked at her and was like we need to check our pockets in our coats at home. She looked at me and told me she was thinking the same exact thing! So we drive home and I looked in my coat pockets, nothing. She then looked in her coat pocket of the pink coat and sure enough it was in there. We both fell to our knees and cried. A direct answer to prayer. It was a powerful experience. We said a prayer of complete gratitude and I felt the love from my Father so strong...I prayed the other night asking him why I haven't felt Him as strong recently and if He were there and listening to my prayers. He answered me with a experience I won't forget. Sister Meyers and I both felt that prompting from the spirit. It was so cool!! He's there. And he loves me.

Hope you all made some awesome New Years resolutions! I love you! Thank you for supporting me this year as I served the Lord an entire year. January to January. 2015 will be a year I will never ever forget.

 #loveless #sistermissionaryprobs

 New Year's Eve swag, it was 10:00 p.m. haha!

 We walked 6 miles that day...We were sitting on the side of a curb for relief, haha!

SISTER RUSS!!! Exactly 16 months ago her and I met at the MTC:) 16 months being a missionary...I LOVE IT!

 

Hope you all had an amazing Christmas this year! It truly is such a wonderful time of the year! I feel so much closer to my Savior as I, and everyone else is celebrating his birth! Ah! It was just amazing!!

This week was one full of events!:)

Monday was P day which is always a joyous event haha. Look forward to it every week:) Tuesday was the annual mission-wide Christmas devotional! It was soooo fun! I love being able to see everyone in the mission!:) We played games and filmed a Nativity which was so funny. I was cast as Mary. Haha it was pretty ghetto. But mission life is super ghetto so it is not surprising. Later that evening we had a Christmas fireside and we sang and members and investigators and others came! It was so nice. The spirit was so strong. Came Ken! I was so happy to see him! All the missionaries were just so excited! When all the missionaries get together it's just a huge plethora of spirit and I just love it!:)

Christmas Eve was spent weekly planning for the beginning of it! We went to the Stephens for breakfast and it was delicious!!:) Then we went and tried to see potentials and realized that no one was home or answering haha so we went to Bonnie's who is an investigator and when we go over she loves when we sing! So we watched the nativity with her and sang some Christmas songs. She is a widow and is just so lonely and so sweet. That night Sister Meyers and I got some take out Chinese food, went home put on our Jammies and watched Mr. Kruegers Christmas. It was a perfect Christmas Eve! Haha the Chinese restaurant was packed. Everyone else had our idea! Gosh dang it haha.

Christmas was AMAZING!! We woke up, opened presents, made waffles, and watched Nora's Christmas haha. It was a fabulous and comfortable morning:) After we went to visit a boy named Ricki. He lives in a developmental center and his mother asked us to visit him! He has such a sweet spirit. We talked with him, and even though he couldn't respond with words I could feel his spirit. What a blessing it is to be around those celestial spirits! I GOT TO SKYPE MY FAMILY!!!! AHHH!!! It made me so happy!! I like had anxiety at first and I didn't know why haha. They are just so beautiful! I LOVE YOU FAMILY!! Thank you for being amazing and being mine:) I'm grateful!!:) Best Christmas Present Ever. It's the little things haha:) We ended our day with dinner at Sister Abstons!! She made us a feast, and spoiled us with a whole bag of gifts! Love her!:)

Overall, this has been a fabulous week! Full of excitement and tears of joy!:) I love the Christmas season! I love my Savior. I love my Father in Heaven. There would be no point to this life without them. I am grateful to be a missionary and to stand in the place of The Christ. I can't believe he trusts me enough to do so! Haha:) I am so grateful for all the gifts you all sent, and the love I feel from you!!:) Have a happy new year!!:)

Well not a ton has happened since the few days that I wrote an email.. But a hecka ton of miracles happened that's for sure!!!:) God is so good!!

First miracle: Sister Meyers and I did not get transferred!! WAHOOO! We were literally jumping for joy!!:) This is her last transfer so I will yet again kill someone off... I guess I am really good at that haha:) I am so grateful to be her companion still. I LOVE HER!!

We found many new investigators this week! People who are sincerely interested and wanting to change! There is a less active member whom we have been going to visit a while. Her grandson has never taken an interest. We asked him if he wanted to learn more and he said no, that he did not believe in God. We went over a few days ago and read out of the Book Of Mormon with this member and her grandson was listening intently. He then began to ask questions about God and about being forgiven. The words from the Book Of Mormon softened his heart and he is now taking the lessons and came to church on Sunday! Him and his Grandma! It was his first time ever at church.. And he prayed for the first time ever in our lesson. I can just picture Heavenly Fathers face just beaming above as his son spoke to him for the first time in his life. I am grateful to be apart of this experience.

I love this time of year. Yesterday I gave a talk in sacrament meeting on light. There are so many lights this time of the year! It's beautiful. And we get to celebrate when the Light of the World was born. His birth changed everything. It changed the world. Because He was born we are able to return to the Father. We are able to be healed. We are able to find joy. The significance of his birth blows my mind. I am grateful for the birth of my older Brother, Jesus the Christ.

I have come to realize why there is that Christmas spirit this time of year, and the magic of Christmas. It is because more people in the world are turning their hearts towards Christ, and remembering Him. The spirit of Christmas is Him!

I hope you all have a Merry CHRISTmas this year, and remember the true reason for the season!!:)

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!! Love - Sister Meyers and Sister Slater 

Well this has been one heck of a week!!! Crazy things have happened!!

We are teaching this woman named Michelle. She is so sweet, and has strong desires to be baptized. For her to be baptized it will be a bit of a process but we know Heavenly Father will make it possible if her heart is in the right place! She is really excited! She lives on like 30 acres of land. Haha that is what we see all the time here out in the boonies! Everyone just has so much land it's crazy!!

So on the way to Zone Conference Sister Meyers and I were stuck behind this truck going ten under like the whole way there. On our way we saw this car accident and the ambulance just barely getting there. This car was totally smashed against a bus! Sister Meyers and I were like who hit a bus??? At zone conference we received an announcement that it was some sisters who Sister Meyers and I are over, and that they were on their way to the hospital! We were all in shock. The accident was on the news, it totaled the bus. They were stopped by the bus because children were getting on and the car behind them must have been texting or something and slammed right into them which made there car go into the other lane and slam against the bus! What is so crazy is Sister Meyers and I were literally minutes behind them, if that truck wasn't going so slow Sister Meyers and I easily could have been apart of that. Heavenly Father is so merciful to help Sister Meyers and I but I almost wish it would've been us over sweet Sister Morgan and Sister Ali.

Zone Conference was amazing though. We talked about keeping the Sabbath Day Holy and how that is the prophetic priority right now. I never realized how important it truly is. I have promised myself to always keep the Sabbath day holy. I received a lot of revelation. I felt the love of my Father. And that He and His son just want to heal us. They want us to come unto Them and repent so they can heal us. I have been healed of so much on my mission. I am learning how to access the power of the Atonement so I can truly be cleansed, be healed, and strive to be like my Savior.

We had our ward Christmas party and guess what? I sung a solo! I know hard to believe! Haha I actually sang in public and it wasn't my YouTube hit tear drops on my guitar Jacob black version hahaha. It went well! It was fun and scary!

Because of the accident one of the sisters had to go to the hospital to get testing done on her head, so we took the other sister and we worked in her area. The poor thing has a broken sternum and internal bleeding so she did what she could. We stayed with her a few days till her companion was let out of the hospital. Needless to say it was a crazy week. Oh, and I have shin splints Holla.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!! Have a great week!!:)

 Sister G and Sister Lang!! I LOVE YOU!!!:)

 Shin splints + icing + studies = a good time!

 Our fun few days with Sister Ali!  Was in a car wreck a few days before and still looks fabulous!

 Apparently ice baths help shin splints?!? We didn't have much ice...But it still was awful! Haha!

#Sleepovers

The Gracious One.

Another week, come and gone. And boy did it go fast!! We had a lot going on this week:)

We had MLC this week at the mission home. We talked a lot about goals. I'm really learning how to set goals and be accountable for them. It's amazing how things I learn on my mission will help me accomplish things in my life. And with the Lord on my side I know I can accomplish anything, if it is in harmony with the Lord. We truly can achieve anything!!:)

Went on a few exchanges this week! One with Sister Morgan and Sister Russ from the MTC!! It was so fun to reminisce on old MTC, times haha! Her and I have both grown so much! It's crazy!! We are not even close to the same missionaries we were. So crazy!

I love this time of year so much. CHRISTmas:) the devotional was just so wonderful:) the theme of it was hope. Hope is the face of faith. When we grow our faith in Jesus Christ our hope grows as well. We all need hope in Him. He's the only hope we have in this world today. The Gracious One. I love my Savior.

Ohio has been unusually warm haha. People believe that Ohio is the land bountiful in the Book of Mormon, AKA where Christ comes. holla:) Hey, wouldn't be the first time Christ visited the Ohio:) I love being a representative of Him. Even though some days feel like years, this is the only time in my life I am 100% dedicated to His service. And I am living it up!

LOVE YOU!!:)

Sister Morgan and I in front of this cool light show that had a bunch of Christs names:)

GRETCHEN!! She took us to Texas Roadhouse this week! Gretchen I love you!!:) I am so sad I can't be around her all the time anymore!!

Chocolate martini's. Virgin of course, haha:)

How Sister Meyers and I watched the Christmas devotional :)

Being thankful:)

I love holidays!! They are just so fun!!:) They spice things up to a schedule that's the same everyday haha:) It's crazy... I am just like what the heck?? I was here last Thanksgiving too!? It feels like yesterday!! Boy does time fly when you're working hard and having fun. 

Thanksgiving was a party!! We woke up and ran the Turkey Trot 5k!!:) I have never ran more than 2 miles in my life!!! We ran the whole thing and our time was 34.13! Holla! First 5k of many it was so fun!:) We were for sure hungry after that and the Vandifords in the Ward has us over for Thanksgiving. Tradition in their family is to pull out the scale before dinner and weigh then weigh in after dinner haha:) Dinner was delicious of course. So much food!!!! I gained two pounds:) not too shabby:)) We made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies later in the day and passed them out to less actives it made for a fun thankful day:) I'm so blessed to be a missionary here in the great Ohio! I wouldn't want it any other way.

On Friday there was the cutest little parade in town! I love small towns! Everyone was there! At the end Santa came to town and the kids were freaking out haha it was so cute:) I can't believe the Christmas season is here once again!!:) I can't believe it!!

A SAVIOR IS BORN!! Share the news with everyone!! The new video is up on lds.org and its beautiful. Discovery why. Discover why a savior was born. I on my mission have gotten to know my Savior because he is constantly walking by me. It is only with Him and through Him I get through everyday:) share the news of a Savior:) 

 After the Turkey Trot!!!

 Look I have a number and everything, haha!!

 The Vandifords!  Love them:)

 My Utah beanie.  I just love it: photo cred: Sister Meyers

Parade!!