"Trainees Bring Miracles!"

June 11, 2012

Dear family!

 

I am training SISTER CHEATHAM! She is from Greybull Wyoming and she is a sweetiepie! I love her already! I was so nervous at the training meeting and the time when we picked up our tranees but I was sooooooooooooooo excited! I saw sister Monson and gave her a big hug. After her trainer was announced she looked a little disappointed, which made me feel good,  but I know that sister Lawrence is amazing and she will be a great trainer for her. I support the President in whatever he sets in place. I know that I was supposed to be sister Cheatham's trainer. yea and um........................we are the same person and yea ummmmmmmm.....we have the same name.....hahaha she spells it Carrinne. Its cute! Seriously she is my secret weapon because we have seen so many miracles so far. I am converted to traning that is for sure. Even though it is difficult at times seriously trainees bring miracles to areas! NO LIE! We have been getting into doors that we have not otherwise been able to and just tons of other miracles. Sister Cheatham has a great love for the work and I feel humbled and privileged to train her. She is awesome! We are working well together. 

The first full day that we had we found a FAMILY! We did the blessing contact to them and they allowed us to come in their home and give a blessing in the form of a prayer. Obviously since we do not have the Priesthood, but president told us that as representatives of Jesus Christ we can do that as sisters. We also were able to get in the door of a bunch of people that we haven't been able to before. Things are on the rise with this area here in Black Mountian! I love the members, I love the people and its a good thing becuase I will most likely be here until SEPTEMBER! We went biking these last few days which has been fun...trying to save miles. It got up to 107 a couple weeks after I talked with you on skype and since then it has been getting cooler which is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NICE! I am loving life right now! Things are going good with our investigators.  In sister Cheatham's first lesson we set jessica for baptism and jessica is praying for a date to be baptized. She is so amazing. I think she is one of my most favorite people to teach because she never wants us to leave because she wants us to teach her more more more! And just to let you know....she worked starting from sunday morning at 2 am til 10 am and came straight to church for 3 hours! SHE IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ELECT! She is so amazing and I am  so excited for her. Savannah got a blessing from our ward mission leader this week and that was a great experience.

 So the first day she was with me we went to go contact a referral who was at a scout's activity. After we talked to the guy we went to the bathroom...as we were going to the bathroom both of us started freaking out because we both had these huge cockroaches in our stalls. I FLIPPED OUT! IT WAS SOOOOOOOOOO CLOSE TO ME AND IT WAS THE BIGGEST BUG I HAVE EVER SEEN! After running out...sister cheatham saved the day and killed them both. That is one of the pictures that I sent hahaha.

 We are doing great and I love my mission. I am feeling really anxious lately, because I cant make goals. Emotionally I cant do it because I get so overwhelmed with everything I need to do and everything I need to become. It's hard but I pray that the Lord will be with me. I worry so much about not being able to make goals because I feel like I fall behind the rest of the missionaries. Help? For my birthday..........hmmmmmmmmmm I want fun cds and clothes. LIGHTWEIGHT CUTE SHIRTS AND ESPECIALLY SKIRTS so I wont die in the summer. I am getting so sick of my clothes. Um I love love from home. I have pretty much everything that I need as far as toiletries go. Maybe a little fun perfume I could have? ummmmmmmm............pictures from home and letters from all my siblings would be my ultimate request. I love you all and I miss you so much! I hope that all is well at home! Summer is coming! :] wow I cant beleive I have been out for a year almost. I am kinda taking a second thought to you guys coming to pick me up from my mission becuase I want to see everyone before I go home and introduce you to everyone unless we think of a time that we can all go and visit my mission soon after. Think about it and let me know what you think?  Love you 

 

XOXO

 

Sister Fine

"I'm going to be a trainer!"

June 4, 2012

Hello Family! I just love you and love you! As you can see I am training this transfer and I am staying in black mountain. This area is starting to pick up a little bit so we will see what happens. This week...lets see. Jessica is amazing! She is so so so so amazing. We street contacted her on a really hot day walking through an apartment complex and she seemed really hesitant at first but she invited us back. When we showed up to our appointment she wasnt home.  She called us back and felt really bad that she had missed the appointment. When we had our first appointment......................WOW is the only word I have to describe. It was probably one of the greatest lessons on my entire mission. The spirit was guiding our every word and we pulled a scripture that struck her concern. She teared up and invited us back again. We had the restoration lesson with her and it went great because we took an awesome member with us! We invited her to church and she came! SHE LOVED IT! She said that her fiance sees a change in her and he  might be interested to come and learn too. We are so excited. We had 6 people we were expecting at church and 3 came which is good!  But other than that the work is still going forward and things will start happening again. I love the people in this area! They are amazing! Went to the temple this week with our district. We all fasted for marley. I feel like half the week I have been fasting for marley. I just know it will work out. She is so stinking cute I just love her! THis time sitting inthe celestial room I just started crying...I felt the savior's love and it was amazing. Im trying to think what else happened this week............hmmmmmm. Just getting into transfers. I feel satan working on me a little bit but I will just punch him in the face. His thoughts that he places in my mind are not worth my time and worry because I know that God sees me as something special that can become more and more refined with time. I love you guys and I hope that everything is going okay. You are my best friends in the whole wide world and I feel your prayers.

The Highs and Lows of Black Mountain Country

May 28, 2012


Hello family! I haven't heard from you guys today....so I hope I get something before I leave the computer lab. But I love you guys and I hope that you know that I miss you so much! This week has been really hard and really happy! Bad news first. We were supposed to have a baptism this weekend but it fell through .....for now. Marley is 15 years old and she comes from divorced parents. In order for a baptism to happen Marley needed written consent from both of her parents.We had verbal consent from both parents but we just needed it on paper. The day we had the interview, the dad was signing the paper after she passed with flying colors and the mom burst in. She was very out of line with all of the things she was saying and doing. Lets just say that both sister Tahi and I were bawling for an hour after this all happened. It is crazy to see how emotionally invested you get into these people and their situations. When I saw Marley's face when this was going on, it just broke my heart in half. She started to cry....the baptism is something that she has been waiting for for a long time and her mom took it all away in one instant. She knows how important baptism is and she knows this is the only true church on the face of the earth and she just wants to be baptized so bad. But we have been praying and fasting for her. We are hoping that this will just blow over in a few weeks but we will see. If not, then she can get baptized when she is 18. The only thing that I know is that she is so important to God.  She is dedicated. 


The GOOD NEWS! We have gotten 2 news investigators this week! We haven't gotten a new investigator for a month or so. SO WERE ARE SOOOOO HAPPY AND EXCITED! One is savannah and she is a referral. She already considers herself as a a member but she just has to get baptized. The other one is Jessica and we street contacted her on a really hot day. She seemed a little hesitant at first but when we had our first lesson with her the spirit was so strong. Sister Tahi and I were both led to say the things we said and we ended up resolving one of her concerns not even knowing that she had one! We shared an inspired scripture and now she is trying to find out for herself if God is there and how she can get answers to her prayers. It was a really really rewarding experience. Another thing is that we got a call from sister Abeyta and her companion and they were making plans to take Leo on a tour of temple square for us! So we have yet to hear about that experience. We are so excited!

 We had interviews this week and I really love President and Sister Neider. They are amazing. President asked me what mission I want to go to on july 1st and I just said that I want to go where the Lord wants. He said that he is hoping that he doesn't have to transfer any sisters out. He says that he doesn't think I will be leaving to a different mission but we will see what the Lord says. Anyways...things are going really well. Here in the area we are working on the rescue of the Less Active members as well and we have seen some success there as well. I love my mission, no matter how hard it is....I love it and it is for my good. :] I love you all and I hope to hear from my family and my long lost friends hahaha. Just letting you know.....Im still alive...I still exist....and I still need love from home. Love you and Miss you. Hope you have a great memorial day!

Sister Fine

"I saw 104 degrees this week, and it is only May!"

May 21, 2012

HI Family! Starting to get really hot around here! I saw 104 this week! AND IT IS ONLY MAY! yea.......hahaha at least it is the dry heat and not the humid heat! We are very blessed with that, a car, and AC! Thank you so much for the pictures and all the stuff that you say! I love you and I miss you too but I know that God is taking care of you guys at home and the Lord is taking care of me on my mission. I feel it! I want to let you know that I am really happy right now. The work is really hard right now and the area is a little dead but I genuinely feel happy!

 I feel as though I have made so many changes in me and they are for the better. Today I was reading my journal that I had before the mission and just sounded so sad and so lost and immature. I probably still am but I was happy to see the changes that I have had in my actions, in my thoughts and in my emotions. I feel patient, happy, simplified and refined. I am so happy that God has helped me begin to overcome these challenges. Honestly I remember flying into Las Vegas and I was soooooooooooo overwhelmed with what was ahead. I knew that I would make mistakes but I wanted to make goals. I made 2 broad goals at first because I beat myself up and made too many unreachable goals.  Then when I make those goals and I fail I go into this depressed mess. So I told myself that I would be obedient and work hard. Those were my 2 goals. After I have spent transfer after transfer making specific goals that lead me into that depressed mess Heavenly Father and ALL OF MY COMPANIONS told me to not make any goals and just go back to the basics. I see now that goals are important, but there is a line. Making those 2 goals on the ride to las vegas was the best thing that I have ever done on my mission. Because of those things, everything else has fallen into place and I am in a place where the Lord can mold me and shape me without being too hard on myself. I think I have found a healthy balance for me. Does this make any sense at all? hahaha.

 So yesterday we did a few things that I want to share. Sister Tahi and I sang in the Laurel HIlls ward and it went really well. Right after we sang we jetted off to the Acacia ward because Leo was there saving us a seat! :] He came by himself and he stayed for all 3 hours! As a missionary I always get nervous when we tell the people we are teaching that church is 3 hours long hahaha. Something that people are not used to! But Leo loved church and he participated! He even got up at the end of each hour and thanked the teachers and speakers. After church he pulled us aside and told us "I want you girls to know that you dont have to try to convince me that this is the true church, I already know it is true." He also said "Sisters Im so glad and impressed that you asked me to be baptized on my first lesson, I have been a salesman all my life and you sisters are so impressive. I just want to learn more about the church and get to know everything before I get baptized. ANd sisters I want you to know that I am doing this for me." Wow, when an investigator says those words to you! OH MAN! PAYDAY! Oh by the way we had our first lesson with him this week and it went so well. Those are the moments that I live for on my mission. I love my mission.

 The next thing we did that was cool was we saw the solar eclipse! We went to the stake president's house and wore those welding masks so that we could see it! I got a couple of cool pictures of it! I have never seen one and it was soooooooo awesome! Sister Tahi and I are doing good and loving life! Just so you know what my potential plans are....I want to go to cosmetology school and get my licence. I really think that I would love it! Then I can do haircuts, color, skin, nails, waxing and everything. Ultimatley I want to be a mother and wife (if the 10 cats idea doesn't work out hahaha) and hopefully I will not have to work a lot when I have kids and I can just have my own little station in my home. I think that I will really love it. But when I get home I want to work for a while. Dad if you need help I would love to come back and work for you. But enough of that talk, we will talk about that later. 

 Love you all and I miss you!  You guys are the best! Can you believe I have been out for 11 months tomorrow? Craziness! 

Sister Fine

"I felt like my spirit was at the wedding and my body was doing the work."

May 7, 2012

Hello Family! Did you get the message that Sister Jones called you? When I got on my knees to pray that morning I had a prompting that I needed her to tell you that I was totally fine and okay and I dont know if you got the message off of sharlee's phone. Anyways, things are going well! Hannah just sent me a picture because I asked her too and wow........................................................I have no words to describe how amazing I feel when I see my baby sissy and her beautiful temple and her husband and WOW NOT TO MENTION HOW GORGEOUS CASSIE IS. I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy for her. I got up and bore my testimony and I started to cry because I was so thankful that my sister is married in the temple for time and all eternity. I am so proud of her. Even though I wish I was there, I felt like I was. I felt so good that day I cant even describe. It felt like my spirit was at the wedding and my body was doing the work. I asked President Jones (Black mtn stake pres whom I live with) TO give me a blessing, and he said many wonderful things that I wrote in my journal, but one thing that stood out to me is the Lord wants you to know that you should not worry, because you will be with your family for time and ALL ETERNITY. I am forever thankful to my Heavenly Father for that blessing. The Priesthood blows my mind every time. I am so thankful. THings are going well. Sister Tahi is getting used to being out in the field and we have seen miracels already. We have 2 baptisms coming up this weekend and the weekend after that. Very excited. The night before I went to the Bishop's house for one of our wards and we asked him if there was anyone that he felt that we should go see, and lo and behold a miracle came. He told us to go to this lady's house that we have been to before, but he kindly informed us that her 9 year old son is not baptized! I about flipped! We went over the next day and it ended up to be perfect timing. We were able to help her with some of the things that she is going through and also we were able to talk to her about her son. Yea basically we have been teaching him 2 lessons every time we see him because he wants to be baptized this weekend when all of his family is in town! It is coming together. Then we have marley! She is the 15 year old girl that looks exactly like sharlee and she beleives everything we teach her already!
She just needs to get dunked! SO that is happening on may 26. So excited for her. Things are going well with my new companion. I love her so much! THings are going well just trying to find new people to teach in this area.  Not a lot to talk about this week accept for the fact that Cassies wedding day went so great! I just felt the spirit strong the entire day! I know that they are meant to be together! I hope that everything went well! I know it did! SO excited to talk on skype on sunday. I have church from 10am to 4 pm so I wont be able to talk until evening time sometime. I am having Robby's mom (Liz) give you a call to set everything up! We are going over to teach robby today so I will have her call you and set up everything because now I know that you are home! Love you lots and I am doing well. Remember only 40ish minutes and write down the things that you want to talk to me about and I will do the same. This might be the last call of my mission because I dont know if I want to call home a few days before I come home.............we will see. Love you all and I hope that you guys are just doing great! I am so glad to hear that grandma is doing really well! She is as strong as a mule! Keep sending me pictures! I want to see!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

My pictures I sent are us having fun with a random horsehead mask that we found at a members house and the other one is us before church yesterday! Love you and miss you! Talk to you on sunday!

 

Sister Fine