REJECTED

Happy Polka/Pancake/Preparation Day!!!

 

So Sister Muasua and I have this thing where every p-day we wear polka dots and we fix pancakes. Party? I think so!!

 

It's been quite the week... every week is quite the week! But this one was an emotional ROLLAR COASTER!!!!! Usually roller coasters pump our adrenaline and feel crazy inside, and that is no different with this roller coaster!

 

I'll tell you about our sweet investigator named Shelby! We saw her last Monday night. We were driving home, through the neighborhoods right before curfew when Sister Muasau saw Shelby sitting in her car. Shelby is a friend of a member, that's how we met her (WAY TO DO MEMBER MISSIONARY WORK) and she was waiting for this member to get home so they could hang out. Shelby is from about an hour away. We turned around and pulled next to her and without even saying anything, she looks up at us and has a SUPER surpised expression on her face. To which she rose her hands to show us that she was reading the Book of Mormon. We hadn't even taught her anything yet!! The member had given her the book a while ago. She goes "If that isn't a sign, I don't know what is!!" Haha it was so cool! So we met with her, and 3 of her member friends at her first lesson on Saturday right before game-night. We taught the restoration and she already knows it's true! I felt prompted to ask her to be baptized and she said... "no". (wasn't expecting that one, were ya?) Haha yeah, she isn't ready yet, she wants to take more time and wants to wait until her parents more-so approve. Which I totally get! She'll get there though, I know she will:) After she said no though, I had this knot in my stomach and I wasn't sure where it came from! It's not because she said no... and I didn't think it was because we might have to turn her over to other missionaries for when she is at home an hour away, I couldn't figure out why I had such a sick feeling in my stomach. I talked to Sister Muasau about it and she just thought I was crazy ;) haha

 

Well we had zone training this week on Thursday. So we drove to Grand Island and met all of our zone there. LOVE THEM!! There were AWESOME trainings! The focus in the mission for the last couple of months has been on finding and making MIRACLES and so now, we're switching, to turning these miracles into baptisms. We have all committed to have at least one investigator with a baptismal date (we're still on edge about that one.. we have so many people that are super close) and so we're going to make these baptisms happen! Another training was on The Atonement. Which was a TOTAL answer to one of my inspired questions that I was fasting for. Our Zone Leaders talked about how when we are rejected, we are using the atonement. It was such an inspired training, and we ALL were committed to get at LEAST 3 REJECTIONS to the baptismal commitment a week. So we're stepping up, being bold, and asking everyone!!! When we are rejected, we are using the atonement because it is bringing us closer to Christ. We are more-so understanding what He went through, because HE was rejected by His own people.

 

In a talk called "Missionary Work and the Atonement" by Elder Jeffery R. Holland (this talk has changed my life, read it!) He says"

 

" If He could come forward in the night, kneel down, fall on His face, bleed from every pore, and cry, "Abba, Father (Papa), if this cup can pass, let it pass," then little wonder that salvation is not a whimsical or easy thing for us. If you wonder if there isn't an easier way, you should remember you are not the first one to ask that. Someone a lot greater and a lot grander asked a long time ago if there wasn't an easier way.

 

The Atonement will carry the missionaries perhaps even more importantly than it will carry the investigators. When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out and made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions. The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane and on to Calvary. The only way to eternity is through Him—the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

 

THAT is why I had a sick feeling in my stomach. We had been rejected and I was feeling closer to Christ just like I have been praying for all week. I LOVE HIM!!!

 

Sister Muasau had a horrible headache and didn't get like ANY sleep Saturday night, so yesterday after church I forced her to go sleep. While she was sleeping, I had a TON of time to read in 'Jesus the Christ' seriously, the best book ever besides the Book of Mormon. I am in LOVE with this book and am so excited to finish it. Our Savior wasn't this super special creature. He too had to learn line upon line, precept upon precept and discover who He truly was. He was the most innocent, the most full of service, and he was cast away and spit upon. When we are rejected, as missionaries, as representatives of Him, we are 'standing with the best life this world has ever known'. And I KNOW that is true. Each and EVERY day!!

 

We got some texts last night from some of our less-active members that weren't the most uplifting. Young people can be harsh, and stubborn! And again, I felt those knots in the pit of my stomach. Even those who know this to be the truth, sometimes reject it. And it hurts. But our Savior is close by, and that is what gets us through! THAT is what keeps us going. ALL he wanted was to serve others, and he loved them beyond description, and they cast him away. The same thing happened to us last night. WE ARE WITH HIM.

 

On a much brighter note though... :) We have an AWESOME investigator named Joe! We taught him the restoration, but what he truly lacks is an outright faith in God, so we're helping him recognize that he has a Father in Heaven that LOVES him!! I had the thought to invite him over to a dinner that we were having at one of our members homes and HE ACTUALLY CAME!! Usually people blow us off... haha but he got there at like 8, we left, shared a shorter, but SUPER spiritual lesson (we had 2 nonmembers there) and then we took off. We thought he would leave when we did, but HE STAYED!!! He ended up staying and hanging out with the branch members until 2 in the morning! SUCCESS!! They are all way good friends now, which will be a HUGE help to us! And they all love him. His current friends go out and party and drink and whatnot and so he told us that "it's nice to have soooo much fun, without doing really much of anything!" So that is the best news ever:)

 

 We played Coke Baseball for FHE on Monday to say goodbye to Johnny Dinkle-- he is currently in Provo, so peeps at home, KEEP YOUR EYE OUT!! He is the GREATEST! He was our Ward Mission Leader and we miss him a ton already. Coke Baseball though is when you shake up cans of soda and then hit them with a baseball bat. SO FUN AND STICKY!! Then that actually ended up turning into another Paint War, because they loved the first one so much. AWESOME!!!

 

One of our members, Shai, was performing at a coffee shop. SHE'S GOING TO BE FAMOUS ONE DAY, so we went to support her, and she is incredible!! Got to listen to some worldy music to support her.. gosh I miss it! haha Listening to the same like 12 CD's for 18 months is TRULY wearing on me... especially since Muasau CONSTANTLY has to have music playing (I do appreciate the quite sometimes) haha but I love her! The music is just getting a little worn...

 

At gamenight on Saturday, went to go play sand volleyball at the park nearbye. We had 3 nonmembers there. SUCCESS and then there was a huge tornado warning!!! We watched as long as we could, until it started raining, then we thought we better leave. Nebraska was covered in tornados, and we got the coolest pictures!!!! It was fun:) And everyone was safe!

 

Anyway, mission life is the greatest:) There is never a dull moment. Always seek for opportunities to better understand what our Savior has done for us. He is my rock. He is my life. He is soooo courageous, and life for Him was a test too. Life for Him was hard. Life, for Him found MANY disappointments. But He did it perfectly to help us through. And I thank Him, my elder brother, every day for it <3

 

Have another terrific week! And ya'll need to stop going on vacations without me...... seriously..... :P I love you all!!! SOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You don't understand... sooooooooooooooo much!!

 

-Sister Checketts

 

#paintwar #superheros #bestfriends

Apparently I was a fairy in another life...

Johnny, our WML, labels me as a fairy.... how embarrassing.. hah he ran around the church yesterday acting like a fairy ... yikes.

 

There are literally MIRACLES every day.

 

First off, last Tuesday was fun! We had like 6 families call us before 9am to make sure that we had a safe place to be that night. There were tornado warnings all over the news. It got pretty windy throughout the day, but by 10:00... not even a single rain drop had landed in Kearney.. LAME. We were super disappointed.. haha the tornados went right around us:) Father totally did that cause we wanted one.. but that was a huge testimony builder for our lovely dear friend Shai!!! She was praying so hard for the storm to go around, and it did! So We'll give up seeing storms if it means that it strengthens the faith of people we love:) Shai is incredible.... look up her band!! She's going to be famous one day! Her band is called Scouting for Alex! She also is an amazing artist. She owns IODA DESIGNS and painted me some pretty AWESOME shoes:) Anyway... we love her:)

 

We went out to sushi with her and one of our NOW investigators named Kendyl and our Relief Society president- Andee. It was so fun:) Kendyl is AWESOME! Her mom is being taught by the family ward sisters. Kendyl is recovering from drinking alcohol and is totally trying to turn her life around. She's gotten a lot closer to God as she has attended her AA meetings and has seen her moms testimony grow and has become interested in learning more. So we're going to be teaching her this week! We've been friends with her for quite some time now, so teacher her will be like teaching a best friend:) The only issue really holding her back now, is that she plays for the other team. But we love her soooooo much!!!! And she's willing to give learning a try!! :) She's being fellowshipped very well too!!

 

We have another less-active member named Lane. HE CAME TO GAMENIGHT!! This kid, I just love him so much.... he went on his mission to Seattle WA!! He loved it more than anything in the world!! That is ALL he ever talks about with us!! He goes on teamups and practically teaches our investigators for us... hah. He has the greatest knowledge and such a strong testimony! Since he has come home though, he has labeling himself as gay and he has gotten into drinking. We are truly trying to focus on him though because with every investigator we meet, everyone connects to him somehow. He is soooooo friendly and is constantly telling his friends about us! But he isn't living the gospel.... he never comes to church because he is son confused with everything in his own life. Anyway, we love him so much.....

 

A few weeks ago in zone conference, we felt that we really needed to focus on strengthening the members in the branch, and that is what we have been working our hardest to do! It's been rough, cause we aren't teaching as much as we would like, but this last week, we have seen the fruit come of our branches! We found 7 new SOLID investigators that are either referrals from members or people we found through our own efforts that are NOT coincidentally already connected with members of the branch. It's a miracle!!! It's the coolest thing! So we'll be doing lots of teaching now!!

 

We have a few members that are leaving us though:( OUT OF NOWHERE, Our dear friend Kent called. He went out on his mission, ended up coming home, and then ever since I have been here he has been working his hardest to get back out there. He is such an inspiration to me!! Well, he called us out of the blue this last Tuesday and said that he was leaving back to his mission the next day, Wednesday. He had less than 24 hour notice from Salt Lake that he was leaving, so that took us all by surprise! We didn't even get to say goodbye:( But we are so excited for him!! San Antonio is going to have one amazing Spanish speaking missionary:):) GO KENT!!!

 

Johnny, our AWESOME Ward Mission Leader, triple checked his plane ticket to move to Utah. And instead of leaving on Saturday, he leaves on Thursday morning. So we're losing Johnny and we are HEARTBROKEN!!! This kid was the most amazing Elder that Japan ever saw!! (Besides Jarom of course;)) And he's leaving us! He isn't even enrolled in BYU yet, but the Lord told him to go to Utah, so without a car, without a set job, and without even knowing if he is in BYU yet, he's leaving. Such faith.. I love this kid!! So yesterday was his last Sunday and we were sad :(

 

And then this last week, we got to help April, another member in the branch, put her WEDDING BOUQUET together!!! She gets married in a week and then she is outta here! We're excited to help with her reception when they get back from Kansas. So people are leaving! But for fast sunday last week, we fasted to get more people in, and this last week we have had the biggest turn out at game-night and FHE than we have since I've been here! FASTING WORKS!!!! We are stoked to work with our investigators because we already know them quite well!!

 

At game-night Saturday night, we had 6 nonmembers there, and we gave away 2 BofM's:) YEAH!!!

 

Anna, our investigator that was set for baptism, we are probably going to end up handing her back to the Grand Island Sisters, she found it best if she went to a family ward first, so they will most likely be teaching her.

 

We are now on a weekly basis of volunteering at Goodwill every Wednesday! It's the best:) Like thrift shopping all the time! But not.... cause we just straighten things, but it's fun! It sometimes actually makes me miss work at Maurices!! But nah...... ;)

 

So yesterday at church was exciting! Our Branch President Crocket recently moved to San Diego. Everyone thought that he would still be our Branch President because he has a private jet and fly's back out here to Kearney for work all the time, but yesterday, we ended up getting a new branch presidency! The branch members had been anticipating it all week. YA!!!! Our new leaders are incredible! Our new branch president is President Cammack! The family ward sisters actually live in their home and we love them so much! They used to bring us donuts every Saturday morning and Sister Cammack is the institute teacher, so Sister Muasau and I know them VERY well!!! He is going to be AMAZING!!! And he will truly be the one to bring unity to the branch:)

 

It's been a great week!! EVERY NIGHT as I go to pray at night, I realize at least one thing that I improved on each day. The atonement is REAL. And the only reason that we are able to improve our lives day by day, hour by hour, is because of what our Savior, Jesus Christ has done for us. The priesthood is real!! Our Father in Heaven talks directly to us and is so aware of everyone's needs. More aware than we are of our own needs. He knows best. Never forget WHOSE you are and ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS remember how important you are to Him-- the one that TRULY matters. Don't let yourself get down and worried about what others think of you. Our lives don't depend on their simple opinions. Pray to Heavenly Father and ask Him to see your potential and NEVER let go of that potential.

 

Don't make the gospel a QUIET priority either. MAKE SURE your family and friends KNOW your sincere testimony of our Savior and His Atonement. And if you don't have one, pray to find it! Pray to receive one. Pray to feel Him. Spiritual knowledge, which is the most important knowledge we will EVER gain, ONLY comes through prayer and pondering. Coupled with fasting and scripture study (Boyd K. Packer). PRAY! WILL YOU sincerely pray to discover your testimony, and then SHARE it with me, with your family, with your friends?? I promise you that your testimony will solidify as you put it into words. I promise that your family will become stronger and friendships will become closer as you CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER SPIRITUALLY. It is one thing to love someone on the surface, but the only love and the only satisfaction you will get from love, is If the love comes from a deeper source. Connect with people spiritually, open your hearts, humble yourselves to receive help, because we are all in this together and our Father works through the spirit, through the lives of those we love. SHARE YOUR TESTIMONIES!!!

 

I love you all:) Pray for you in my heart always and I especially pray that your faith continues to strengthen. Always remember that if you aren't moving forward, you're moving backwards. You're never standing still. Take His hand.

Have a GREAT week!!!!

-Sister Checketts

 

GAMENIGHT picture:):)

 

from left to right:

Back Row: Johnny, Me, Miquelle, Corey, Lane, Carson, Shelby, and Dylan

Middle: Marleyna, Jackie, Emily, and Joe

Front: Mikayla, and S. Muasau:)

 

I LOVE THEM!!!

Teaching a Lesson to a Frog

Elder Croak

#selfie

Burn, baby BURN! -- it's the spirit!!!

UMMMM so my brother is in Rome?? WHAT??!?! SURPRISE!! Have fun on all your Summer Vaca's, family!!

 

This week has been the best.... SOOO many pictures, I can't even comprehend it! hahah tooooo fun:)

 

So first off, fun facts. Our YSA area boundaries are the LARGEST mission area boundaries in the whole United States. Kearney, where I'm serving, is also smack dab in the MIDDLE of the United States.... So yeah, I have the ultimate USA mission:)

 

So we're emailing later in the day today because, well, we had a lot of cleaning to do in our apartment this morning... hahah Sister Muasau and I were making Poli Popo last night (a sweet bread) and we literally set the oven on fire. Hahah it was fun:) So no worries! We're learning life skills we WILL master this Poly bread!! :)

 

So prayers are always answered! We have been praying so hard lately for our branch to be unified, and it is working!! Everyone is loving everyone now and we have gotten a lot of refurrals to their friends this last week! We even asked the whole branch to join us in a special fast yesterday to feel more unified and to have more people start coming to the branch every week. Next week is the week where all the bishops in all the units in the stake are bringing their YSA age members to our branch, so it will be a crazy fun Sunday next week! We will be doing our best to call all the potential YSA's in our HUGE area to get them to come to game night on Saturday, spend the night with our members here in Kearney and then join us at church on Sunday. I hope it's the best turn out ever!

 

I love Nebraska thunder storms!!! They always happen on Sunday's during our YSA lunch after the block. yesterday it was POURING and as usual, the whole branch goes out to stand in the rain:) It's the best thing ever!! Other than yesterday though, the weather has been super hot and HUMID!!

 

Funny story. So Eliza emailed me last week and said that they were heading to the temple to go through for some of her ancestors, after email, we had to go help a family in the family ward on their farm and we were hauling manure. So while ya'll were in the temple. I was haulin cow poo to the garden! I was giggling inside:) I love farms though!!

 

We taught some great lessons this week! One to our 86 year old investigator, Arlys! We're doing our best to get her to join us on a temple trip!! I have never seen two people as in love as her and her husband STILL are even though he passed away a year ago. He is all she ever talks about. it is the CUTEST thing!! And everytime we are there, we totally feel him there. The spirit of Elijah is REAL!

 

We taught a cute 24 year old new investigator named Janessa! Her and her fiancé are getting married in a year, and we are going to start teaching her the lessons this week!

 

We have an investigator that we were just given from the Grand Island Elders named Anna! She is set for baptism and we get to start teaching her now. She is still overcoming smoking, but we are really excited to start working with her and getting her to the waters of baptism. She came to church for the first time last week and she said she really enjoyed it!! So pray for her!!

 

We met a 21 year old new investigator named Joe this last week. He is really confused about life and about God, but a phycology class that he took last semester has really brought up some questions and we had a good first lesson with him, only talking about how God is our Loving Heavenly Father, but he is excited to start meeting with us now!! He says he has faith, but we are really trying to help him establish a firm faith but helping him to pray and read scriptures. He's a great guy and it's exciting!!

 

So for FHE this last week, to do our best to continually establish unity in the branch, we taught an awesome lesson incorporating my favorite-- the war chapters in the BofM! We had everyone sit in a circle and the spirit was so strong in the lesson, everyone was getting involved and we just discussed how we are all in this battle and war together. All on the same team! And then for the activity, we did a paint war. FUNNEST THING EVER!! Everyone loved it! And those that didn't go, really wish they would have! So ever since then, our turn out to activities has been a lot higher and they are inviting their friends!! It's been a SLOW process, but we are seeing great efforts as we've focused ourselves on strengthening the members.

 

I love my companion. We SO OFTEN are thinking the EXACT same things and it's not too unlikely when we say the same things in harmony with each other. "get outta my brain!" Every time it happens we sing "spirit!!" Haha we love being so in unity!

 

 And I love serving in Kearney. I know that I am learning EXACTLY what I am needing to learn out here. Sister Muasau and the branch members are seriously teaching me how to have fun. How to be myself. And helping me discover who I am. I don't think I have had more fun than I have since I've been out here in Kearney! It's the greatest!! Sister Mausau is teaching me to open up my heart and to be real with people. Allowing myself to have an opinion and as I've focused ALL my heart might mind and strength to making best friends out here and loving them from the bottom of my heart, I feel that I have a greater understanding of with the Lord's charity truly is. NOTHING in this world can satisfy what we all crave-- love -- more than the Lord's charity.

 

We had the privilege to teach Relief Society yesterday and we taught out of PMG chapter 6-- Christlike attribute. I chose to speak on Charity and my favorite thing EVER on the mission is to feel the spirit testify to people through me. To feel the spirit guide my thoughts and words as I teach. It's my FAVORITE and that lesson that we taught yesterday was so clear and true.

 

Please pay attention to your potential and remember who you really are. Because when remember WHO'S we are, that helps us in our daily decisions and attitudes more than we could even realize.

Something we discussed in our companionship study this morning is how so often, bad things happen to good people. I mean, just look in the VERY first verse of the Book of Mormon. Nephi was HIGHLY favored of the Lord, yet he suffered many afflictions in the course of his days. We ALL go through trials and how we handle them in our HEARTS is what matters the most. When we understand Christ's charity and as we pray to have charity ourselves, our attitudes will be more in tune with His.

 

I love my mission. I look back and often times see many places where I have struggled. Where I could have been more diligent. Where I could have done things different, but seeing where I am now, I know I have continuously grown since I first stepped foot out of my parents car. Here in Kearney is where I'm learning true Christ-like Charity. Where I'm choosing and feeling myself loving MORE&MORE. I love it here, and don't want to be anywhere else right now.

 

I love being close to the Savior. Feeling Him with me EVERY day.

Please share your testimony. Share how you have strengthened your faith. That is a way how you can truly determine how strong yours is.

 

Anyway, I must go! We are playing Vball today with the Elders and Sisters. so, as Kelly, in Rome right now says... "Ciao!!"

 

I love you all!! Keep living the gospel and praying every day!!! He hears you. He's your Father. He loves you. You are His. Never forget that.

 

--Stove on fire

The Girls in the Paint war!!