Be Happy Now!

Helllooooooo there!!

It seriously seems like just yesterday I was writing y'all... these weeks are flying by. It's scaring me big time! hah:)

So this week was crazy good!! Super busy and we have more people to see/teach than ever! It's always SO GOOD to see that the area has progressed since when you first arrived. Means we're doing something right!:)

It's been FREEZING though!! Like 0 degrees--- not even counting the wind chill. YIKES. We went ice skating with the Fremont sisters last week and then after, we found a skate park covered in snow and tried to do some sweet tricks on the ramps... hah it only lasted about 5 minutes before we were frozen.

We shoveled one of our investigators drive-ways this week, and it was dangerous! hah, so they forced us inside to get some hot chocolate! YAY:) #winteradventures

 

So Monday night was so FUN!!! We had Amber- from the YW come out with us and she brought her friend Mckenzie because Mckenzie had never been out with sisters-- her ward doesn't have any. So there were 4 of us Monday night going to our appointments- I was a tad afraid we'd overwhelm some of our people, but it was a huge miracle. I love having the YW come out with us! We get to show them how fun it is to knock doors and what a party we have. We giggled SO much! We went to go try one of our Potential Investigators-- Stephanie, with them. Stephanie is a sweetie! We've never met her husband, he stays in his work room, but she has 2 boys that attend scouts. We all sat down with her and invited her to take the lessons, without hesitating she said YEAH. And then we offered our services to her because they are re-doing their whole kitchen and their main floor is all torn apart. They had drawn their Christmas tree on the wall with colored pencils- it was cute! She started crying when we offered to help because I guess her and her husband have just been so overwhelmed with all these things going on and she was feeling like they'd never get it done! She stood up and gave us all hugs! And then we gave her a Book of Mormon, and the YW were the CUTEST! They're going to be such great missionaries.

 

I'd talked to the Checketts'-- my 2nd cousins this last week, and they'd given us a few referrals for some of their friends that they used to live next to, so we had the opportunity to go meet them this week. It was PERFECT! Whenever I stop and introduce myself, the friends get so excited because they LOVE the Checketts'! One of the families let us in and we talked to them for a good 2 hours about the Plan of Salvation and a little bit of the Restoration. They had had their 19 year old daughter pass away a few years back because of a car accident, and they really appreciated our visit and asked some great questions, so we're warming up our relationship with them to see if we can teach them about the gospel that we know will answer their hardest questions.

 

We were going to teach one of our favorite LA's this last week, and when she answered the door, she told us to be quiet as we walked in, then we peeked in the living room and saw the Elders sitting on the couch teaching her dad! It was so great! The spirit was so strong as we walked in and we stood in the hallway until the elders had finished their lesson. One of the Elders ended up singing a song to her dad and it was neat to be able to hear them teach. I was blown away by the spirit that they brought and I had the confirming feeling that that is what WE do too!! Wow.  Missionaries are AWESOME, everyone!! It was just neat to be able to witness what we do-- in someone else and it hit me really hard. This work is real and I am so honored to be a part of it! Sometimes it's easy to forget how powerful and real the mantle that we carry is.

 

We got one of our LA's out of her house to eat with us, and a member family at Chick-fil-A!! I haven't eaten at Chick-fil-a FOREVER!!!!! Seriously, favorite place and to get our LA there was the best thing ever:):) It was perfect fellowshipping for her and exactly what she needed to get her out of her comfort zone and have her leave her house-- she said she rarely leaves ever since her divorce had been finalized. By golly, I love her so much <3

 

We had an INCREDIBLE lesson with one of our investigators and her husband whose daughter as actually a convert and is serving a mission. Every time we go to see them, He is usually avoiding us or not around us, and in the last 2 weeks he's come out and asked a ton of questions. I had printed off the talk "Look to God and Live" for him to read that would help answer questions and he promised us that he's read it. He actually came home late from work the night we were there, and told us "I like being around you girls, you make me feel good!" YAY! He's feelin the spirit! We know that miracles will happen with their family in the next coming weeks before their daughter returns home from her mission.

 

We did a lot of service making crafts for one of our members this week. She is opening a new store called "Things you WOOD love" Here in Elkhorn and she is also going in for shoulder surgery this next week, so we've been helping her a lot:) She's the best! And SUCH a trooper for the things she has gone through. Her husband is a nonmember, and just this last week, has changed SO MUCH!! This store has blessed their lives so much and has totally brought them together, AND he actually came into the church yesterday to pick up their daughter. THAT is a miracle! We love that family!

 

We had dinner with another one of our favorite families this week! After dinner, during our lesson, I had the hiccups really bad. We helped put away some of their Christmas stuff after the lesson and those hiccups got worse. Out of nowhere.. the mom just RAWR's in my face and scared me sooooo bad! Hahahah We laughed so hard-- and it totally cured my hiccups. MIRACLE.

 

We did weekly planning this week and as soon as we finished praying, we got a text message with a new referral on it! Kinda reminded me of the Best Two Years-- ya know when they all pray for the guy to call and then he does right then? Yeah, that happened. So we went to try this referral and this had to have been the BEST door slam in the face I've had my whole mission. It was a really nice home and we were smiling so big. We introduced ourselves and then BAM. door slam. Hahah we were like "woah....." And we walked away just laughing at how intense it was! We began wondering who it was that had referred her to us-- and my heart went out for that person that loves this lady so much, they never gives up on her. Don't give up on people!! Keep trying! Every little effort to serve and bless helps!:):)

 

One of our other favorite members had her baby girl this last week!! We got to go to the hospital last night and sing to them. Oh boy.. babies are the cutest!!! That was a great time:)

 

Our investigator- Amanda came to church with her 2 boys yesterday! Her LA fiancé didn't come, but we know he'll get there! We love Amanda, and we're working on re-setting her for baptism now that her fiancé is home.:) It was so great to see her there-- finally! She's just been waiting for that extra help to get the boys all ready and such. That was amazing.

 

And yesterday, we got to help out in primary!! YAY! It's been soooo long since I've been in primary!! I love those little kids... oh my word, they just melt your heart.

 

Last night, we went to go see our LA, Sharon and had the neatest experience. Sharon is in a nursing home, and she absolutely HATES it. She said she feels like she is in prison and feels like they are just leaving her to die there. Tears filled her eyes when she said "I don't want to die, I'm scared to die!" Now, Sharon has the spunkiest personality!! And she just hasn't been herself at all lately-- it breaks my heart. Sister Tourtillott was able to share so many things with her that was exactly what she needed and then I had the opportunity to testify of exactly the thing that I have been focusing hard on lately-- and that is being grateful and being yourself NO MATTER THE SURROUNDINGS. There is always going to be things to complain about in life. And there are always going to be people that you just simply can't please all of them, so I've been trying my hardest lately to stop stressing about all these little things, and just BE MYSELF. Be happy, because that's what Heavenly Father wants for us. He wants you HAPPY:):) I read in the scriptures today in one of my favorite chapters:

Mormon 9:14

"And then cometh the judgment of the Holy One upon them; and then cometh the time that he that is filthy shall be filthy still; and he that is righteous shall be righteous still; he that is happy shall be happy still; and he that is unhappy shall be unhappy still."

We can't simply WAIT for some specific thing to happen and "THEN we will be happy". We need to choose to be happy now. If we don't do it now-- then nothing is going to change when that specific thing DOES happen.

We talked to Sharon about finding things to be grateful for. About praying and asking God what the reason is that he has placed her in this home, and to seek out those people that he sent HER there to touch because we are sure that there is someone else in that center that is feeling the exact same way she does, and that they can help each other.

We can all help each other. EVERY trial and hard thing we go through, is meant so that we can learn and grow and then reach out to help others. Wherever you are right now, you can help someone else.

 

Anyway... kinda a jumble of thoughts, but good stuff!

I wish you all the best week ever! Hope those new year resolutions are still going strong and didn't just stop at day 3 ;)

 

It's one of the YW's birthdays today-- so we're going to sew some skirts with her and celebrate! YAY! So got to go-- got a party to get to:) Love you!

Love, Sister Checketts