The Full Christmas Story according to President Ames

Hi everyone. On the 19th of Decenber we missionaries had a Christmas devotional with President Ames. It was a great experience (albeit odd to go to a meeting meant for ourselves, not so we can teach our investigators better). One of the things I enjoyed the most was the reading of the full Christmas story. Not just Luke 2 but the big picture. As I listened I was filled with wonder and awe and I'm sure you will be too. It makes me so grateful for the restored gospel and all the insights that we receive and the big picture we have regarding God's plan for us and especially the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It really is amazing. Without further ado...

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The Full Christmas Story:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 
(John 1:1-4)

22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;
23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.
24 And there stood one among them that was like unto God , and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;
25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
(Abraham 3:22-25)

7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
(Revelation 12:7-11)

26 ¶And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
(Genesis 1:26-28)

25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. 
(2 Nephi 2:25)

6 And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.
7 And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.
(Moses 5:6-7)

13 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.
14 And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?
15 And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.
16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?
17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!
20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?
22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.
23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.
(1 Nephi 11:13-23)

14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a Virgin shall conceive,and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
(Isaiah 7:14)

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of peace.
(Isaiah 9:6)

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
(Luke 2:1-20)

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
(Luke 2:42-52)

23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, 
(Luke 3:23)

16 ¶And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
(Luke 4:16-18)

32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
(Moroni 10:32)

Crazy happenings this week

 - I had ceviche for the first time. It's raw fish (usually shrimp or tilapia) that's "cooked" in lime juice for 45 minutes and combined with tomatoes and onions. I really like it! Nice and fresh and filling and especially good with cilantro and hot sauce.

 - I'm doing better with sight reading than ever. It surprises me every time I play that I'm more able to just keep going and keep playing christmas hymns even though I only know 2.

 - I'm getting bolder than ever. There's been more times where I've been able to tell people clearly and frankly that there's not a single church with authority from God except for this church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Every day I'm more and more grateful for the opportunity to say stuff like...

 - I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have glorified resurrected bodies

 - I know that Jesus Christ descended below all things so He can lift us up.

 - I know that this is the only church with authority from God.

 - I know that we don't worship la virgen Maria or Guadalupe

 - I know that God's name is not Jehovah, and that Jehovah is the premortal Christ.

 - I know that you don't have to pray to saints to make sure God will listen to you.

 - I know that you can truly talk to God. He doesn't want memorized prayers or rosaries (even though these have good intentions). He want to hear your thoughts, feelings, desires, hopes, and dreams. He wants a relationship with you.

 - I know that the Book of Mormon is not the Mormon bible, but another testament of Jesus Christ, an evidence that God talks to us yesterday, today and forever. 

 - we had a hodgepodge thanksgiving. We had thanksgiving dinner with a less active member and her family. The food was part Colombian, part Puerto Rican with one random dish from Pakistan. Yep. And it was a reminder that no matter how much my social skills improve, parties still give me a headache. I couldn't hear anyone clearly with everyone else talking and the music going and I was still at a loss for what to say and after 1.5 hours I was glad to leave. But lots of good people and decent food.

 - I'm almost done reading the New Testament (I started in 2 Corinthians and am wrapping my way around). I happen to be in Acts right now. The boldness of the apostles (particularly Peter) and the other disciples amazes me. So many miracles and examples of missionary work and I believe it's still possible today.

"What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?"

So... my mom asked me some thought provoking questions. This is a shout out to the introverts, the shy, the timid, those who wonder if they have it in them to serve a mission or just get out there and serve those around you. Questions in bold.

 So, about you...In your last letter, you mentioned compassion and investing in folks. I can imagine that it's exhausting for you. Yes but not nearly as much as I thought. I don't even realize it anymore until you bring it up but I've been given so much strength on the mission. I have more energy for people and I'm not as uneasy around people as I used to be and I have almost no underarm sweat due to social nervousness ever since I started the mission. Nothing short of a miracle. Now I just hope that it continues after the mission. It would be hard to go back to who I used to be. It is for me, even though I love people and feel for them. I fear it will be harder for me after the mission when I can't devote all my energy to people like I can/do now. But I know that grace is real and that with His help I'll figure it out.  

What do you do to help break the ice with people and show compassion - especially when you don't have months to develop a relationship with them? As for breaking the ice, I still rely a lot on my companion to do that. I've been really blessed to always have companions that are more personable than I am. As for showing compassion, I do my best to listen, and tie what they say back to the gospel. I testify often of the Atonement and how there's always at least one person (Christ) who understands even if I don't. I make myself comfortable in their often poorer circumstances (I think they think I look like a rich girl, which I am relatively speaking). Also, I think that the fact that people can feel the Spirit when we walk in the room leads them to develop a relationship with us and tell us more than they might other people. So sometimes all we have to to is be sister missionaries and people will tell us their life stories, members and investigators alike. 

What strategies do you use to understand and be understood by your companions? 

I don't know if I call them strategies since I don't really have much spare time/alone time to strategize and sort through my thoughts. It helps a lot just to recognize that we're different and embrace it, and almost expect that we won't understand each other perfectly the first time. We take time to enjoy each other's strengths. I cook and help Sister George remember where scriptures are. She talks to everyone and asks lots of questions. We also have "companionship inventory" every week where we have a designated time and place to talk about our relationship and how we can strengthen it and what we need to do better. It's a good idea and I'd definitely want to put it in practice with my eternal companion.

Also, we had a zone conference this past friday. It was a great experience as always. But the one thing that stood out to me was a piece of stainless steel with the question "What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?" Background information: One of the things that mission president Ames often says, ever since he went on his first mission is "Fire burns wood but tempers steel. I am made of steel." One year for his birthday, his wife gave him a piece of steel with that question engraved in it. He brought that piece of steel to the zone conference for everyone to look at.

That question brought a lot of clarity. It was scary but invigorating at the same time. The answer to that question would include my top priorities, the things I need to do to improve, my greatest yearnings. Really, I have no choice but to seek for and work for all these things. I invite whoever reads this to ask themselves the same question, write down a couple answers to that question and act accordingly. 

And just today, I happened to read a scriptural example of this. I happen to be reading about the stripling warriors in the Book of Mormon and discovered that the reason why they were so powerful is because they never doubted. They didn't even imagine they could fail because they knew the Lord was with them. They attempted and achieved something great (fought an army larger and stronger and more experienced than them and won with 0 fatalities) because they knew they couldn't fail. 

Crazy birds, baptism, culinary adventures, OH MY!

So... my companion asked someone what's with the crazy amount of birds and supposedly that's just what happens this time of year. They're all screaming at each other over the cramped real estate on the power lines and roofs. I think I now know where Alfred Hitchcock got his inspiration... Either that or this is where Pixar got their "Birds" short from. Twang!
 
And I've had a few culinary adventures. I made some sweet potato fries, and some eggy cheesy almost scone like pastries.
And one of the members gave me all the ingredients for chocoflan (chocolate cake with flan on top). It turned out really good, even though it was my first try. Believe it or not, you pour in the flan mixture and the cake batter all in the same pan and it separates as you bake it!
 
And on a more serious note, Aricela got baptized yesterday! She's so ready and she seems like she's already been a member for the last few weeks. The rest of her family is next. :) She reads more than anyone else I've ever taught combined. She's currently in Alma 22. Just like the last baptism back in June, it felt weird/wrong when people would tell us "congratulations!" or saying it was "our baptism". I am perfectly happy and content giving the Lord all the credit, because it really is His. God works in mysterious ways through imperfect people. Even me. And thank goodness! Becuase if he didn't, things would be pure chaos and we wouldn't grow nearly as much. Enough said.
 
There have also been lots of miracles/mind blowing experiences this week. One thing that I don't think I'll ever forget is talking to (or more like listening to) Rene. He was a referral we got from a neighbor and it seemed like we were meant to find him, because he really needs the beautiful message that is the Gospel. He shared with us pretty much his entire life story. He's only 51 years old but has experienced more like 3 lifetimes of trouble and heartache. He had gone through so much, growing up in the southern California ghetto, having so many family problems, having 2 sons in jail for life for murder, being a police officer, his constant efforts to do good and support his family, and not seeing the fruit of his labors most of the time. Through all of that he has such a strong belief in God and knows that Christ has carried him through it all. It was so sad to see him cry and say things like "They say a family that prays together stays together. I have done that all my life and why isn't my family together?" and "I'm tired. I've been through enough and if God told me it was time for me to die, I'd say thank you. I'm just so tired." My heart was going out to him and I was crying too and would have given him a hug if I were allowed to. His sorrow for his sons and for all the other people he sees making terrible choices made me think of God and how He must feel about us when we don't choose Him. Afterwards I was reading Moses 7:26-44 and it has more depth and significance to me now, just seeing God's infinite compassion and how he feels about us, His children. He is so happy when we follow Him, and follow after the nature of happiness (Alma 41:10-11) and so sad when we make bad decisions.
 
Every now and then I think of reasons why I specifically am supposed to serve a mission in this specific place. I think one of them was so I could develop more compassion. Before the mission, I didn't really feel for people. I had/have a hard time expressing my excitement for people when they're excited/happy and was relatively apathetic when people make bad decisions. One one hand, life is easier that way, but on the other, it isn't as rewarding when you don't care/aren't invested. But now, I care more than ever.
 
Anyway, I know that this is God's work and that He's working on both me and those I serve. I know that God loves us so much and that everything He does is so we can come back to live with Him. I know that this gospel is made to help us fulfill our highest potential, and that it's all just so true. I'm not the type to cry when I bear my testimony but I am one to think about it as certainly and concretely as I can say "the world is round".
 
Love you all!
 - Hermana Jarvis

Crazy happenings

I keep forgetting how much kids/youth look up to missionaries, but it's true! For example, there's a 9 year old kid in the branch named Armando Jr. (also one of my piano students). He looks up to us missionaries (sisters and elders) so much. Most sundays he has a little "future missionary" tag on his shirt and just this sunday, he gave me (and my companion) a letter with a cute drawing telling me that I'm the best sister missionary he's ever known. :) It's stuff like that that renews my commitment to do my very best, seeing how much we impact people's lives. I can totally see Armando 9-10 years from now as "Elder Corona". He's going to be an awesome missionary.

As for what else happened this week, it was kinda crazy! This last week we've been doing a TON of biking since we're really low on miles with the car. I never thought I'd say this but I really enjoy it! I don't know if my companion enjoyed it though since I bike a lot faster than she does. Luckily the town is pretty concentrated and is composed of neat little city blocks so it's very bike friendly and hard to get lost. 

This week has also been a huge exercise in forgiveness. I thought I was a forgiving person that usually gives people the benefit of the doubt. But the Lord expanded that ability this week. For example, the branch president visited one of our former investigators Yolanda, who we thought was ignoring us. We found out that the story is almost the opposite of what I thought. We found out that she wasn't ignoring us, she had a huge tragedy in the family (she watched her mom die in a house fire), and was super busy with work and was constantly commuting between Belton and Dallas to help out family. We called Yolanda and she was happy to talk to us! (which is new since she would hang up every time we tried to call her before.) I still don't understand everything that happened, but I'm glad I did my best to give her the benefit of the doubt and forgive even though I felt like I was going through a breakup. That experience really opened my eyes and helped me to see the best in people even when they disappoint me and forgive them. Hopefully we'll be able to see her today! 

And then another example: We were trying to visit a less active member, and we had an appointment with her (she wanted to teach my companion how to cook). We biked all the way over there only to find out that she wasn't there. One of her nurses answered and made it look like she was there but didn't want to talk to us. I was a little ticked and very hungry (we were supposed to come over for dinner)... And then we found her the next day. I tried my very best to act like yesterday didn't happen. And it was for a very good reason. We found out that she was almost sent to jail for something she didn't do. The policeman was bullying her and trying to force her to plead guilty and she nearly lost everything. If she was sent to jail, she'd lose her house, her son (he has major mental/physical disabilities and there's no one else to take care of him), her right to live in the US (since she has permanent residency not citizenship she'd be sent back to Mexico even though she's lived in the US almost all her life). Yep. Reality is crazier than fiction and this is why you can't assume about people. I just keep remembering "what would Jesus do?" even if I don't know if I have it in me and things work out so much better. 

All of this is really profound for me since my patriarchal blessing has a whole paragraph on forgiveness. I have a feeling that my journey of forgiveness has only begun, and I'm grateful for all the experiences I've had that have increased my capacity to forgive and see the best in people and almost ignore people's ulterior motives. I know that every experience on the mission has shaped me in the direction that the Lord wants me to go.

So, there's a list of people in the area book of people/house to avoid, especially if you're a sister. Well, we ran into one of those guys. I think he made the list because he flirted with/asked out one of the previous sister missionaries... He's a really good self taught airbrush artist/muralist, and is VERY talkative, especially after I told him that I was studying art before the mission. Also a very worldly guy. But this time, he has a girlfriend who is a less active member. So I feel a bit safer now... It looks like she's had a good influence on him. And I'm excited to teach both of them.

Oh, and we had a less active member, Liliana, that hadn't gone for years come to church! She's really old and has a hard time walking. The branch president agreed to give her a ride to church, but had a hard time finding the house. He and Liliana finally arrived 30 minutes late and I don't think I've been so happy to see a less active member come back as I was today. It was great to see her exercise her faith with every tiny wavering footstep (my companion and I took her by the arms and walked VERY....slowly.) going from sacrament meeting to sunday school to relief society. Probably more walking than she'd do in a week. And she wants to come back next week! I was also so grateful for the branch president's willingness to go out and search for "the one". Hurrah for Israel! 

Oh, and transfers. Looks like I'm staying in Belton and my companion Hna. Fotu is going to Fort Worth to be with my trainer, Hna. Snow! I think she might be overwhelmed by the size since the small town of Belton (pop 18200) has more people than the entire country of Tonga, and Fort Worth is HUGE! I'm grateful to stay here so I can keep teaching piano lessons and take care of the investigators/members here in Belton. I know that there's something else Heavenly Father wants me to learn here.

More Assorted Q&A

What is the best way to avoid temptation?

The best way to avoid temptation is be firmly set in your priorities. If having the Spirit as your constant companion (or being temple worthy, or preparing for a mission or whatever it is) is your top priority, then a lot of things fall away. You'll see the temptations for what they are: a distraction, a counterfeit, and ultimately not worth it. For example, if you know that you want to have the Spirit as your constant companion, it wouldn't be appealing to you to go to parties with degrading music and dancing. It won't be a temptation if you know what you really want.

And I can't emphasize enough (nor can the General Authorities) the importance of daily scripture study and prayer. It's simple, but it helps a lot. It really helps to maintain and remember your eternal priorities. Speaking of study, I recommend Moses 1. The way Moses was able to resist the Devil himself was by simply recognizing that he has no glory and that God has infinite glory and so much more to offer than Satan.

Why are guitar strings so close together?

Guitar strings are close together, but it could be worse. Have you ever tried playing a violin? Now those strings are close together. It's like violins are meant for tiny hands... Anywho, guitar strings are close together so you can play chords easily (can't do that so well on a bass), and so you can play faster and play really fast guitar solos (also really impossible on a bass unless you're Geddy Lee or John Myung or someone like that). Speaking of which, I've decided that I definitely need to practice electric guitar more once I get back. So don't adopt my guitar. :)

 

What can new missionaries do to make things easier for their trainer?
 - Call your trainer out when she's not doing her best/there's something to improve. Of course, be nice about it, but that's what companions are for, among many other things. She may be senior companion, but you two are equals with equal responsibility. 

- And volunteer to make phone calls to investigators/members from day one. It really helps her since there's so many people to call and so little time. It will also help you get acclimated to the work.

  - Never hesitate to open your mouth. Any urge to do/say a good thing and is a prompting from the Spirit, even if it doesn't necessarily make sense to you or your companion. You may not be a pro at teaching lessons yet, but your companion will be able to roll with whatever you say/testify.

 - Realize that you have just as much of a right to revelation for your investigators as your companion. You know more than you realize.    

Any personal items that you're really glad you brought to Texas? Any suggestions?
 - I LOVE my raincoat. I can't find the specific name/model of my jacket. I just know it's North Face. It's perfectly waterproof and if it works for Texas downpours, it will work for anything.
 - I love my bike. It's really worth it to find a bike that's skirt friendly. 

 - I'm glad I got expensive shoes. One pair of shoes was $100 as opposed to my other 2 pairs that were about $60. But the pricier shoes are very comfy and showing no signs of wear/damage. The $60 shoes' soles are wearing thin. So don't be hesitant to spend on shoes. Your feet will thank you and you won't have to buy too many replacements.

 

What random things have changed about you?

1. I can't stand dogs. When we were knocking on someone's door out in the middle of nowhere, we encountered a SCREAMING chihuahua. It nearly burst my eardrums and gave me a headache and I was very close to kicking it 30 feet (I would have if I didn't fear offending the rat's owner). One side effect of the mission: I can't stand dogs (but Zoey is ok), especially the little ones. I've come to the conclusion that in order to be a true Texan, you need to have at least 2 dogs...

 

2. I'm eating a lot healthier. I now really like cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and spinach and I eat more fruits and vegetables than ever. Also better portion control.

 

3. I laugh in frustrating situations.

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Q&A and assorted insights

Question from parents: Soooo - just curious - you seem so happy/positive/can-do.  Would you tell us if you were feeling down or having a hard time? There have been plenty of hard times, but I always recover and by the time I sit down to write the email, it's all under the bridge and not worth retelling. :) I just save it for the journal. And I really do almost forget the hard times, because the triumphs and the good times are worth anything to get there. In all honesty, all the hard times are worth seeing an investigator progress, or to see someone get baptized, or come back to church, or whatever it is. Just like after climbing a mountain, I'd just take in the view, not complain about the sore muscles. I think it's also another blessing of the mission. I've been a lot more positive. Even with flat out rejection or big setbacks, I'm more prone to laugh, not be bitter.

Something about dealing with stress: There's something President Ames said in the sister trainer leader meeting I went to. He talked about how the elders/men are more likely to just roll with it and not stress so much, and sisters/women are more acutely aware of the struggles and more likely to stress. As for me on the mission, I've been more like an elder (me and my male brain...). I see my companions stress out and worry about so many things, but I just roll with it and just keep doing my best, and trust God will make things work out. I've been seeing that in my service as the branch pianist (I'm the only one that can play the piano well enough to accompany people). With sight reading, the trick is to just keep going at the same tempo, regardless of how many mistakes you make. And it gets better over time. Don't stress the mistakes and just keep going. :) 

Spiritual experience of the week:

We've been teaching an investigator named Yolanda. She's progressing so much, and has been to church a couple times, and wants to be baptized! We taught her the law of chastity and she committed to keep it by getting married to the member boyfriend she's living with as soon as possible. She said she might be able to get her marriage license this friday. We prayed so much that that would be able to happen. Literally every prayer we said, for the next few days, we prayed that she'd be able to get her marriage license that friday. Friday comes around, but it didn't work out. We then taught her the Word of Wisdom. When we committed her to live the Word of Wisdom, she flat out said no. She really likes her coffee. We asked her to prayed about it and she said she would. We visited her the next day, and she told us that she hadn't had a single coffee, or tea, not even caffeinated soda (we never told her she couldn't have soda...)! She told us she prayed about it with her husband/boyfriend and she knows it's right. Our jaws dropped right there... Nothing short of a miracle! I know that God answers our prayers, even if it's not as expected.

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Randomness

A piece of cheese fell out of my sandwich into the shape of a question mark. No, I didn't arrange it that way. It's things like this that make my day. :) 

Oh, and another thing that made me laugh was how my Tongan companion reacted to this joke:

Conversation between Texans:

MR ducks

MR not

OSAR

LIB, MR ducks!

She heard this joke for the first time and it took her a while to get it, but once she did she was laughing so hard and the laughter was contagious. :)

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Una Semana Triunfal

There's lots of new stuff! I'm being transferred to Temple (the southernmost end of the mission), I'm going to be training a new sister, I'm going to be in a trio (senior trainer, junior trainer (me), and the new sister), and I'm going to be a sister trainer leader! That's basically the female equivalent of a zone leader. We go on 24 hour exchanges with all the sisters in the area and train them and be an example for them. So, a lot is going to change, and it's going to be crazy but crazy good!

 

Triumphs:

 - I learned how to make the ball jump (playing pool during a P-day activity)

 

 - An investigator almost dropped us, but we got her back and taught and testified and we were inspired to do just what she needed so she could understand. Beforehand I made her a notecard full of scriptures in the Bible and Book of Mormon that answered her questions. I had no idea it would be a big deal, but it literally made all the difference!

 

 - I got to teach a less active girl piano! As of now, she really doesn't want to come to church. Her boyfriend would definitely get baptized if she would only get on board... But we had some time to talk and relate (we both like to draw and play piano) and I've started teaching her piano! It was a lot of fun. The more I talk to people about music, teach piano, play piano in church, the more I can see myself teaching private lessons in cello, guitar, and piano. I don't know how or when, but I really want to get a second degree in music. Sure, I can start teaching people a bit at my current level, but the more I teach, the more I need to know more and have an academic/technical background in music. I often say that keeping up on all my interests would be a full time job. But now that I think about it, it seriously could be!

 

 - had some quality time with a member, whose son is autistic. It's good to just talk about autism and how it works and how it affects our lives.

 

 - The Aguirre family got baptized!! It was the elders that taught them for the most part, but I was still super happy! It was an especially happy day because at first only the 3 daughters were going to be baptized. But at the last minute, the father decided to be baptized too! They're such a beautiful family and they were all glowing with happiness and purity. There's nothing like it. It was also priceless to see one of the elders baptize the father, Julio. He was glowing with happiness more than ever before. I've come to the conclusion that he gets happier by the week. I thought he was happy in the MTC, but it's a night/day difference between then and now. This is the power of losing yourself in the work!

 

 - My last sunday in Denton, I bore my testimony in church for the first time in Spanish (never had the opportunity before). I was pretty much fluent! A lot of the members told me about how much progress I made since my first day in Denton a few months ago. One told me it was a night/day difference, that I'm glowing and so much more confident!

 

 - I'm a better sight reader on piano than ever before!

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Adventures

Ok, some of the missionary adventures in the last week...

 - We discovered the little town of Gainesville. It looks like about 1/2 of the population is hispanic, and surprisingly there's only an english set of missionaries in the area. So we have a lot of work to do and not enough allotted miles to do it! With transfers coming up I really hope President Ames sends some Spanish missionaries to Gainesville. Maybe he'll send me?  Who knows...

 

 - We had the opportunity to see true charity in action. We happened to be over at the Pedroza's (members in the ward) and Hna. Pedroza got a call telling her that a family of investigators that the elders are teaching had absolutely no food in the house and hadn't eaten at all that day. She promptly scoured her pantry and fridge, packed up a bunch of tamales, and went to the store to get some groceries. Particularly astounding since this family isn't very well off themselves, just barely making ends meet. We followed suit and went back to our apartment and packed up all the food we weren't using and brought it over to their house. It reminds me of something Hna. Pedroza taught us. The word "caridad", charity in spanish. It's composed of "caro" (expensive, or dear) and "dar" (to give). Charity is to give that is which is dear, or something you really need yourself.

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Q&A

Here are some questions I've been asked in emails that I thought I'd share.

 

How can I make scripture study more meaningful?
For scripture study, I'd recommend planning your study somehow. Do you have any doctrinal questions/wonderings? Is there something you want to work on personally? Do you want to get to know the scriptures better? Think about it and "set goals and make daily plans" (You'll hear that a TON in Preach My Gospel) to work towards whatever it is. Another idea is that in Preach My Gospel, at the end of each chapter, there are a TON of study activities. Some are obviously missionary-centric but others are more universal and simply gospel-centric. Great stuff! 
 
 How has God lifted you up?
He has lifted me up as on "eagle wings". I've been so much stronger than before thanks to the enabling power of the Atonement/grace. Whenever I think I don't know what to say, I eventually know what to say. I have been able to find "just the right scripture", without even knowing what I'm looking for. I can speak Spanish pretty well! I'm much more hugging tolerant than I used to be. After the mission, don't be too surprised if I actually give you a hug instead of you giving me a hug. The hispanic culture has taught me well. :) Anyway, God has lifted me up in so many ways. I was actually studying that and finding every instance of that metaphor in the scriptures. Here's a list of references.
Exodus 19:4
Deuteronomy 32:11
Isaiah 40:31
Psalms 103:1-5
D&C 124:18,99
Revelation 12:14
 
 Who from the scriptures are you most excited to meet when you die?
Hard question... Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ first, but that's a given. Definitely Joseph Smith, Alma the Younger, Moses, Paul, Enoch, anyone who had a mighty change of heart and was totally transformed from being evil, carnal, or weak or at least mediocre, to being an amazing powerful instrument of the Lord.

 

Oh, and a picture. Don't worry if you're an odd duck! Chances are you're not alone!

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Hi there!

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted! So much has happened and even last week seems like an eternity ago.

 

I've been told by various people that the 4th transfer is the hardest. Now that I'm officially in the middle of the 4th transfer of my mission, I can see why. It's dawning on me that I'm in it for the long haul and that this is my life. It really does feel like I've left my previous life in Montana and BYU-I behind. That and our plans keep falling through (more than they did before) and I often feel so clueless, since I'm senior companion now it's often up to me to call the shots on where to go and what to do.

 

But there have been so many blessings as well:

 

July 1st:

Today's been a crazy week! First off, my new/old companion Hermana Hunter. Just working with her has been such an adventure. I'm so excited for this transfer! I've been stretched a lot, since I'm senior companion now (basically means I call the shots for where to go, what to do, take initiative in teaching). We're equal partners, but I'm the one that knows the area/the investigators so I've had to really step up. I'm also the one driving. Even though I've bought a GPS, and I've been to a lot of places in Denton before, I still get lost... It's been great though. We've also found a lot of people who are ready to hear the gospel. One of the families was so excited when they saw us and invited us in like they were members already! And we found another family who wants to get baptized on their 25th marriage anniversary! And there have been so many times where we were led by the Spirit to be at the right place at the right time.

 

July 8th

My week's been great! This 4th of July, we missionaries walked in a parade, alongside a float I helped make (see picture). It was hilarious how most of the audience was just smiling and waving and the members in the audience were freaking out and cheering us on. :) Hermana Hunter and I have been having a lot of agua fresca adventures, and made some french toast. She got a culinary degree so it makes me happy that she loves cooking as much as I do. And Ricardo's doing great! He's so strong and has so much faith...
 
The main struggle is that I often don't know what I'm doing. I know I need to walk by faith but I wish I could know when I'm being guided by the Spirit. I guess that's not how Heavenly Father works. Sometimes I feel like I'm just wandering, but at least I'm going about doing good and I keep moving...
That and our number of lessons taught has been really low this week... We only had 9 and we can usually get 20 or more. And it's not for lack of trying. Makes me wonder what I'm doing wrong or if it's just bad luck or a test of patience...

 

July 15th

Hmmm...What happened this week? It seems like last Monday was an eternity ago, possibly because I'm mentally moved so far since. Well, we've taught a lot more lessons, visited a lot of less active people, and found some new investigators. And my companion had really bad migraines for most of the week. Best we could do was let her sleep all through studies and she'd go with me no matter what she was feeling like so we could go teach people. Not the most ideal but we made it and she had a really good attitude about it.

 

Also, a message to one and all: Never underestimate the influence you have on people, on the influence people have on you. There have been a few people, investigators and members alike that have amazed me and strengthened me this week. So if you're feeling insignificant or overlooked, look harder. People are amazing and you are amazing. Pray to see that in yourself and others and I know God will help you see that.

 

Oh, and have a crazy (but true) photo. Sometimes reality is stranger than fiction.

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Sorry it's been a while!

First baptism on the mission as of 6/22/13! Richard (the investigator) was practically glowing with excitement and purity. :) It was a really special time for his brother Don and his family who are members of the ward because he had been the only member in his family for 32 years. Now he has a brother in the gospel and his family has been coming together on both sides of the veil (Don has been doing a lot of vicarious work for his deceased immediate family and other close relatives). That's really what it's all about!
 
The weird part was that a lot of people were congratulating me and Hermana Snow. It felt really odd to us because we couldn't take the credit. I've definitely learned that missionary work is a spectator sport. Yes, we work our hardest, but in the end the Spirit is the one that makes things happen. Just as Christ said, "Thy will be done and the glory be thine forever". I know how it feels to be an instrument of the Lord and it's great! It sounds odd, but I love working my hardest, being lifted beyond my own abilities and not being able to say it was solely my accomplishment. I work better that way when I don't get all the credit. It reminds me of a TED talk about creativity by the author of "Eat Pray Love" (I forget her name). It's about how we "have a genius" instead of actually being "geniuses". Highly recommended. Look it up.
 
As for what made me smile, there have been many things. But I thought you'd really appreciate some Ragamuffins (see photo). We work at a food bank every week to do service and I found this box of muffin mix that expired in 1989. Oh, and I got to go wading in the baptismal font. Don't get any sacrilegious ideas. ;) After Richard's baptism, we were cleaning up and we had the hardest time pulling out the drain for the font. It just wasn't budging. So we sisters had to wade in there (it was knee deep) since we had skirts on and try to get at the plug. I finally got it out, but soaked half my skirt in the process. It was great fun. :) 
Oh, and a kind old southern man gave us a tiny Gideon bible. But we gave him a Book of Mormon so it's all good. :)
 
Oh, and we have transfers this wednesday! I'm staying here in Denton and my new companion is going to be my MTC companion, Hermana Hunter, who I love and adore! Yay! Hermana Snow is going to Lewisville. The crazy part: She's going to be a sister trainer (female equivalent of zone leader), starting a new area (first sisters in an area) and training a new sister, as well as a visa-waiter, who is temporarily called to serve here while waiting for the visa to go somewhere else. Yeah. I think any responsibility she could possibly have was given to her all at once... Yep. I'm praying for her every day.

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More adventures!

Life has been good and there have been lots of adventures. And we have an investigator getting baptized soon! So exciting. I'll have to consult the journal for what I've been doing lately (last week seems like an eternity ago).
I...
 - overcame a cold (colds are the worst on missions when you don't have a chance to rest)
 - found some new investigators, one of which definitely has "real intent" (Moroni 10:4) and wants to be baptized!
 - told the brother of one of our investigators (the one getting baptized soon) that I like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin and I play the electric guitar and he is now really excited for me to come back and visit after the mission and play my rock music. They're a really fun quirky family from Canada that's really strong in the gospel and I'm definitely adding them to my tentative list of people I'd visit in Texas after the mission.
 - ate an oyster for the first time. Not recommended. It tasted like a sickeningly sweet fishy smelling booger. It only helped slightly that it was covered in cheese.
 - ate Saskatoon pie for the first time. Also from the awesome family from Canada.
 - finally got my bike assembled and ready to go (but who knows when I'll use it...)

 - my companion has a new nickname: Hermana Snow White and the 5 dwarves (the rest of the missionaries in the district)

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Missionary Adventures

Last week was an adventure! I...

 

 - Sat in the car when it was pouring rain (cats and dogs and then some! We were soaking wet after just running to the car with an umbrella!) waiting for some of the elders to get a prescription for strep throat (Don't get sick on a mission. It's the worst!)

 - Went to my first zone conference and learned a lot for myself and for my investigators and the mission president taught us a drinking game (Captain Puff). It was with water. No worries. :)

 - turned 22 years old. Don't let anyone tell you you can't celebrate your birthday on you mission. It's possible! My companion surprised me by decorating my desk. And the person we had dinner with surprised me with a tres leches cake!

 - Found a wonderful investigator. He specifically and sincerely asked us about who Christ is, and how He can help us change our nature, and what he needs to do to get there. This is how you make a missionary's day. Never believe that no one's interested in the church!

 - drew a bird weasel. My (not so) little brother randomly wondered what a bird weasel looks like so I took him up on the challenge. I almost forgot how much I love drawing and bringing my imagination to life. Enjoy!

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Church Tours and Enduring Testimonies

This week we gave our first church tour to some of our investigators. It was a really good experience and I'm excited for the opportunity to try that again with some other investigators. If they come to the church once, they can come on Sunday, right?

We showed them some of the paintings on the walls, the classrooms, etc and our final destination was the chapel. The Spirit was really strong in there. We talked about church services and sat in front of the sacrament table. We had one of the investigators read the sacrament prayers. We explained the promises we make as we take the sacrament and the great gift of always having the Spirit to be with us. After that, I was about to stand up, but couldn't. I felt like I should stay for a while. After a few seconds, they said that they really like this church. They compared it to the other churches they have been to and said that our church follows the Bible the most. eg. we have baptism by immersion, no crosses, no images to focus on in the chapel, everyone's invited.We hope this church tour idea will help more people to get to church, or at least plant a seed of desire. People really like it as soon as they actually get there, but "stuff" keeps getting in the way.

 

We also went to visit a lot of less active families this week. One was a really frail old lady who is the mother of one of the active members in the ward. It was a really long drive and at first we weren't even sure why we were out there. But it looks like there's a lot to be said for just the fact that we came. The family told us that they hadn't had missionaries at their house for years, and the last missionaries that came over found them by accident and didn't speak Spanish. It was really exciting seeing that less active member at church.

 

Another less active family we visited and invited to church was really interesting. He was doing everything a faithful LDS member would do, except for church. He was offended by someone at church and hadn't come back since. We shared Alma 32:27 with him and he got really emotional. He testified of the truth of the gospel and of the church and he knew he needed to go to church. What was really sad was that he felt like such a hypocrite not going to church even though he believed and he knows what he needs to do, but he won't do it.

 

It reminds me of something one of my drawing teachers at BYU-Idaho (Bro. Leon Parson) taught me: "Who's the boss, you or the drawing/subject/reference photo/other things outside of yourself?" We really do have more power to design things around us than we think. You can make a beautiful drawing of something ugly. You can work with less than ideal circumstances to make something beautiful. I think it's a very good question to ask in all aspects of life. "Who's the boss, you, or the things that stand in your way?" Everyone knows what the correct answer is.

 

I also have a testimony that the Spirit influences investigators/those we teach to say what needs to be said and answer their own questions and doubts. We shared a scripture with a less active family and asked them how they can exercise faith in their lives. After the father read the scripture aloud, he started talking about how the church makes such a big difference for the rest of the week, and how important it is. He talked about the great opportunity we have to take the Sacrament. We didn't know what we were supposed to teach them, but they answered their own questions.

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Double weekly update

Week 4

The hospitality of people astounds me. Last week we met a couple investigators and taught them. They gave us a bunch of chicken from the grill and were very nice. We came over to teach them again and they gave us a bunch of food and invited us in their home and said "mi casa es su casa". That doesn't happen everywhere! Oh, and everyone gives us water bottles. I think I have 7 now.
 
Oh, and I found a funny unintended pun: We found a sign on someone's door that said "No soliciting or religious groups. No acceptions." I would have a picture if I didn't happen to be proselyting at the time. Either it's a grievous misspelling or there are no exceptions to the fact that no one will be accepted.
 
And I went on my first companion exchange a few days ago. The mission president has called a bunch of sisters in the mission as essentially the female equivalent of zone leaders so they can go on exchanges with all the sister missionaries, see how they're doing, and give feedback. It's about time, especially since I'm one of the first of a huge wave of sister missionaries. Anyway, she was English speaking, and it was crazy how big of a difference there is in the teaching environment and the culture.
 
Week 5

According to my MTC district's monthly update, I am a rapper. While that isn't true, I did bust out some rhymes.

 

We're going out yonder

to Ponder (TX)

cause that's where we wander

it makes the heart fonder

we want to stay longer

and we become much stronger

so down the street we saunter

out yonder in Ponder

where the grass grows longer.

 

Oh, and we were taught by an apostle, Elder Cook. It was amazing. :)

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Q&A

For this week, I thought I'd share some of the answers to questions I got from emails to my family. Enjoy!

So we need help being better missionaries.  What's the best way you've found to start up a conversation about the gospel?

There's no one way. Really, we're still trying to get a handle on the language so we can say anything. But I'd go with addressing people's needs and challenges through the gospel. If people know that the gospel can help them with the things they need, they will be interested and take initiative. As people talk about what their challenges are and what they're doing, you can just talk about how the church/gospel has helped you in your life. There's also a lot to be said for just talking about the church in daily conversation since the gospel is a huge part of our lives. Really, it is our lives. Also, please go with the missionaries to lessons every once in a while. Lessons are that much stronger when both missionaries and members are testifying of the same thing. It's also good so investigators actually recognize and are familiar with some people in the ward when they go to church.

Where have you learned more spanish - MTC or Texas - members or companion?

Depends. I've learned a lot grammar wise in the MTC and got a good foundation in learning how to learn a language. Here in Texas, I've progressed a lot just in listening comprehension (they talk way too fast and everyone has their own dialect since they're from everywhere) and using the vocabulary I know in a more fluid, flexible way. As for my companion, she knows about as much spanish as I do but is more comfortable talking and knowing what to say and "faking it" when she doesn't understand what they're saying. But one thing I really like about serving stateside is that most of the people we talk to know at least some english or their kids do and we can ask "what does this mean?" or "how do you say this?". And about half the members in the ward are fluent in English.

Tell us about the people you're teaching and any interesting experiences you've had teaching.

Well, I definitely wish I learned more about Catholicism before I left for the mission. It's definitely important to know who "la virgen Guadalupe" is. About 3/4 of the spanish speaking people we meet are catholic to some degree. Though that means anything from they are active and go to church all the time or it's a part of their culture but not their devotion. It's a different culture down here. You know people like you when they give you food. One family we're teaching, la familia Benites, has given us food literally every time we visit, whether it's a mango or a can of soda, all the way up to pupusas (you should find a recipe and try them out. They're amazing!) and empanadas. And when we were tracting yesterday afternoon, we were trying one more house before going to our dinner appointment. A couple people were having a sunday barbecue and they offered us a couple large pieces of chicken. It was a little awkward showing up to our dinner appointment with our own food but they understood since both parents in the family served spanish speaking missions.

Also, people are interesting. We've heard about all sorts of miracles in people's lives. Everything from mystical spirit stuff that I'd rather avoid talking about to miraculous healings from cancer to turning people's lives around. I sometimes forget how interesting people are. It's also interesting seeing what other people believe. We came across a man that was a little confrontational and had a lot of questions, like "do you think gays are going to burn in hell?" and "Why in the world are we responsible for Adam's transgression?" and "do you believe in hell?". We answered his questions and informed him that we love gay people (just not their actions), that we are only responsible for our own sins and that we don't believe in different degrees of glory instead of just heaven and hell. Hopefully a seed was planted though he kept insisting that Jesus didn't establish a church therefore we couldn't be the restored church...

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I finally went to Texas!

I'm glad to be here in Texas! Now I just need to understand what people are saying. It really depends on the person. Sometimes I can understand 80% sometimes I can't understand a word. Maybe it depends on what country they're from... It's been a little surreal actually being on a mission (sometimes it feels like I'm just following the missionaries around but then I realize there's only one other missionary...) but it also feels so right. I'm excited!

 

There's also a critical question to answer: Is everything really bigger in Texas?

 

Yes and no. I guess it really depends. In the hispanic culture, I haven't seen that as much, but with the white people yes. A lot of the houses are large, the trucks are large, the roads are large... It's already gotten to the point where I like roaming trailer parks and "ghetto" apartments where the hispanic people live. I get the feeling all the white people have already heard about us "mormons" in their churches (one of which we call the "great and spacious building because it's literally as big as a department store) but the hispanic people are almost always open to listening.
 

For all of you that want to write me, my address is

 

Hermana Jarvis

3232 N Locust #1521

Denton TX, 76207

 

For packages, please use the mission office address.

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Who art thou?

This week brought a promise from one of the MTC teachers during "coaching missionary study" (basically personal coaching on a companionship basis). He brought up the story in Moses chapter 1. Moses is transfigured and sees a vision of the earth and everything on/in it. God then leaves Moses for a while and Satan comes and tempts him. Moses casts out Satan, and then sees an even fuller vision of the earth and of God's purposes. I highly recommend reading, whoever you are.

He said something like "God never wants you to not talk to someone, especially as a missionary. It's Satan who is tempting you to not open your mouth. Satan always pokes at our weaknesses, and this happens to be yours. Perhaps Satan can't get at you in other areas of your life. This chapter is for you. Like Moses, you can discern that it's Satan who doesn't want you to talk to people to keep them away from the Gospel. Like Moses, you can tell Satan "Who art thou? Where is thy glory that I should worship thee?". You can say "get thee hence Satan" and call upon God to unloose your tongue. Call upon God every day to unloose your tongue."

I find it interesting that Moses was slow of speech as well. I don't know if that means that he had a stuttering problem, was afraid to talk to people, or if he wasn't eloquent or a man of many words. But regardless, God definitely made up for what he lacked and made him a powerful instrument in God's hands. I know the same can and will happen for me if I work my hardest and call upon God. I thought I'd share this because the same goes for you. I know that Satan's main "work and glory" is to hold you back and make you miserable. God's work and glory is to make you more than you can possibly imagine (like Him) and to help you soar. When times are hard and fear is holding you back, tell Satan/that fear, "Who art thou? Where is thy glory that I should worship thee?" There is none. God's way isn't easy, but it's definitely the best.

Now I've got The Who stuck in my head. "Whoooo are you? ooh ooh, ooh ooh"

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"Use the Atonement!"

One of my investigators brought up a universal question:
"When all these terrible things happened to me, they said that Jesus would help me, that I should use His Atonement. Sure, Christ suffered everything for us, but he has the strength of a God. Of course he could do all that. But I have the strength of a man. How is Christ supposed to help me?"

That got me thinking about me and how I figured that all out. In my childhood, whenever I heard about the Atonement, it reminded me of middle aged women crying in fast and testimony meeting and talking about how they "used the Atonement". To me and my literal mind, I was imagining some miracle product or a physical tool. I didn't get it. I didn't make the connection between Atonement and redemption/empowerment. I just saw all the women crying. I was doing my best to be good. I've never done anything really bad and thought that repentance was for those people that did obvious bad things. And thanks to my family, there were a lot of temptations that just didn't come up.  But on the other hand, I never really gave Christ my burdens. I kept most of my teenage angst, loneliness, and frustration for no good reason. As a result, I made things more difficult for myself than I had to. I didn't relate to people as I could or should have. I had a habit of drowning out my pain (as well as the Spirit) with really heavy music, all the time. It's not a terrible thing to do, but it's not a good idea either.

Now I don't feel the need to drown out my pain anymore, and it's not because I have less pain to work with. I don't know if there's a specific turning point, but at some point after I moved to Montana, things turned around. There were times when I could have been angry but was able to pray for strength to have an open mind (to the fact that I might not know the entire story) and for the strength to choose to be happy and give my anger/loneliness/pain/you name it to Christ. I learned that part of the Atonement means to give your burdens to Him so you're free to act, not be acted upon (2 Nephi 2:26). From there, I've relied on the Lord more and more, through everything that's happened in the last few years. Good times are ahead, no matter what.

Now my motto is "It's not about me". Thank Heavenly Father it's not all up to me and my will and efforts when He can do so much more with me.

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Seeing people as Christ does

I don't have much time, but I definitely need to share this.

I had an awesome experience a couple days ago. After my second meeting with Carlos, a new "investigator", I was seriously frustrated. After my companion and I left, I was very close to coming back and telling him if he didn't want to listen to us, we're not coming back. Carlos is the quintessential apathetic teenager. He told us that he was only listening to us because his family (all recent converts except for Dad) was pressuring him to. It was hard to get past that. I hardly ever get angry at people unless they decide to be be stupid or ignorant, or decide not to listen before even hearing the message. After stewing on that for a while, I started praying to know how to help him, and to help me get past that first impression of him. The next day in class, we were reading from the Book of Mormon as a district. It was the first couple chapters of 1 Nephi. I came across 1 Nephi 2:12. It was about Laman and Lemuel who murmured because they "knew not the dealings of the Lord". Something clicked in my mind. In the study time after that, I kept finding one scripture after another and a few questions came to my mind to ask Carlos at the next lesson. Thanks to the Holy Ghost, Carlos is a beloved son of God to help and serve, not an annoying kid I don't want anything to do with. I'm really amazed that Heavenly Father can work through me that way. I'm excited for when I can serve people that way in Texas!

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12 down, 30 to go!

Time flies so fast in the MTC, hence the title of this post. It's crazy how the days feel so long (because they are, I'm in class or studying from 9AM-9:30 PM) but the weeks are short. I'm suddenly not a noob anymore. And I somehow can understand and speak basic conversational spanish and simply teach the gospel. ...whoa.

So... I got an anonymous care package. I got a bunch of cookies, candy, and trail mix and an encouraging note. Now I've been wracking my brain to know who it could be. All I know is that it was shipped from a Provo post office (no address except for my name and mailbox number) and it's probably from one of my facebook friends or family, someone who would have access to my address. In case you're reading this blog, whoever you are, thank you for making my day!

Also, I thought I'd talk a bit about the Holy Ghost. I've been amazed by how much the Holy Ghost has helped me, both with the language, and with teaching the gospel and seeing the needs of the investigators I teach. I kid you not when I say that has made up for all that I lack. I understand some of this comes with my calling as a missionary, but I hope I can keep the spirit with me throughout my life so I can see the needs of those I come in contact with and be more able to help them with whatever it is. Every time my companion and I are able to teach with the Spirit, it's a holy, almost temple experience. We are all enveloped in a warm peace and calm, and with clear minds, able to teach what we need to. I hope I can keep that with me, even when I get comfortable and fluent in Spanish.

Also, a lot of the fear I had about teaching investigators is leaving. It really is true that perfect love casteth out fear (1 John 4:18). Yes, the "investigators" I'm teaching are just teachers role playing but the personas they take on are of people that they met and taught on their missions. The love and the Spirit is real nonetheless.

Another interesting thing is that one of the hermanas in my district, along with the others to a lesser degree have taken to joking that I'm "perfect". I know I need to let it go, but I'm still hyper-aware that I'm really good at some things and terrible at others. And the things I'm terrible at are all beneath the surface. Yes, I'm picking up Spanish quickly and I easily remember where scriptures are, but I'm also standing in awe at the strengths of the other people in my district. I guess I'm hypersensitive about being called perfect because of all the scriptures that say "if ye have not charity ye are nothing". I wouldn't say I'm devoid of charity. I'm pretty nice and I help people out when I know what I can do to help. But I have a hard time seeing people's needs (at least without the help of the Spirit) and I think I almost have a phobia of people in distress... I still don't know how to "mourn with those that mourn". But perhaps my mission is the time to learn. At least in both my setting apart and a father's blessing right before I left, I was blessed with compassion. I'm interested to see what will happen, as I do my part and let Christ do His.

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First week in the MTC

Whatever you think the MTC is like, it probably isn't. A lot of that is based on the fact that it changes according to your attitude. As for me, it's getting better. The first couple days, I felt like my head was in a vice, being squeezed harder and harder. It wasn't so much because of learning Spanish or scripture study "todos los dias" as much as it was the sheer quantity of people, most of which seemed pretty outgoing. It was a major sensory overload. But it's not so bad anymore. I'm not spending the whole day wishing I could go back to my room and get some Tylenol. I was also wondering how in the world I would deal with having a companion, regardless or who she is. It's getting better in that department too. I'm lucky to have a companion who is understanding and supportive. We had an opportunity to talk about our strengths and weaknesses and I was able to make sure that she knew that the occasional lack of conversation does NOT equal dislike. I'm working on talking more, but I need to take baby steps.

My district is awesome too. We all get along really well and work together well. The elders are hilarious. And it just so happens that one of the elders likes Dream Theater and Rush and plays the drums and bass guitar. :D Of course none of that matters as a missionary, but that's still awesome. I'm definitely glad because we missionaries spend the vast majority of our time together in one classroom every day to study the language or the scriptures.

Learning Spanish has been going really well for me. All the Spanish I learned several years ago is coming back to me and I'm remembering a lot of what I learned in class such as how to pray, bear my testimony, and how to teach the gospel in Spanish. It's been seriously unnerving teaching a Spanish speaking "investigator". I can usually only pick up every other word or so. But he agreed to be baptized! :) But I think our district might have it easy.

The only problem with Spanish is that I get to help out the people in my district with their Spanish. It's not bad in and of itself, but I hope no one resents me for that fact. I get the feeling that I come off as "too talented" and it's hard for people to see that I have just as many weaknesses as anyone else. No se... All I can do is keep saying "Thanks, no problem, anytime, feel free to ask for help". No one is going to see right away that I have a hard time keeping afloat in a conversation, in Spanish or English. I just don't know what to ask people or how to see people's needs.

But there's been an interesting coincidence that I'm pretty sure isn't a coincidence. Everyone's on to me...
My Dad, stake president, MTC branch president, and my spanish teacher all gave me the same counsel though only one of them knows me well and none of them know each other. They all blessed me that I would have empathy and compassion, or told me that I have that potential in me. I find that interesting since that isn't one of my strong suits though I want it to be. It will be interesting to see how that pans out as I do my best to be obedient and serve the Lord.

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Addresses

I'll keep all my addresses and contact information in this post.
Here's my MTC address. Feel free to send letters and/or packages! I'll be leaving the MTC April 2. 

Sister Sarah N. Jarvis
MTC Mailbox # 249
TX-FTW 0402
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

How this blog works

So... how does this blog work?

I thought I'd give anyone who wants to read about my adventures a weekly update. I'll be emailing my family with an update which they'll put here.

The mission call!

I thought I'd post my mission call. :) I was so ecstatic when I got my call. I haven't so much as been to Texas before, but I'm so excited to go and I'm sure there are some people in Fort Worth who are waiting to hear the gospel from me. I'm excited to see how I, my companions, and the people I serve grow.