Aloha Family!!!!!!
Another week in Carey! So first off I have to start by talking about the weather because truth be told it is all anyone here is talking about. So NORMALLY Idaho is covered in snow at this time of the year - at least 6-7 inches of snow. But this year we haven’t had snow yet. Christmas wasn’t a White Christmas but everyone kept saying wait till January for snow, well now its January 16th and still no snow.
So needless to say some people are getting worried that they haven’t gotten moisture yet. Its pretty interesting to me, but I am rejoicing that we haven’t had snow cause I know eventually it will come and it will be horrible so I consider that a huge blessing. And as we were driving to do emails today it looked as if the clouds are ready to burst so who knows what will happen this week. Anyways sorry I just wanted to update you all on the weather.
Thank you for your emails again. And I really hope Uncle Rana is getting better. I fasted for him again on Sunday amongst other things so I hope he is on the upward not the decline. This week was full of miracles and was very different to last week.
Tuesday we had Zone Conference, which was amazing! Honestly it was the spiritual booster that I needed. The spirit was so strong and we talked about the plan of salvation it was awesome. I really enjoy when we get together with other missionaries cause its a huge boost to be able to see how we are all working towards the same thing.
On Wednesday morning we had district meeting and after district meeting we went to Carey. We were running into walls here and there but we did manage to teach and see the people who we needed to teach and see. And our dinner cancelled that night which was actually a miracle in disguise. We ended up going to see a LA lady named Bethany (I can’t remember if I’ve talked about her before?) Anyway we went to see her and her neighbour Jodi who is not a member. We were hoping that somehow we could get Jodi to start taking the lessons. These ladies are best of friends. SO we go to visit Bethany and we talk and then we ask if we can teach a lesson or share a message and she said yeah that’s alright and right then Jodi walks in and is like did I miss the message?
It was awesome because she came just in time for us to teach them both the importance of the Book of Mormon and what was cooler is that Jodi was so excited about it and wanted to read it and really agreed with everything we were saying about it. We used Ezra Taft Benson’s talk – “The Book of Mormon - Keystone of our religion” talk and they loved it. So that was a really cool experience.
On Thursday we did our weekly planning and then we went to Richfield and we got to see a LA lady who is trying to quit smoking, and later we had a meeting with the Bishop so the night was not as eventful as we hoped it to be.
Anyways then Friday we had an awesome day! We left the apartment at 11am and didn’t get home till 9pm that night. We were busy busy busy all day. It was the perfect way to spend a day. We visited and taught several people. One lady’s name is Velma. She has been meeting with the missionaries for 3 years and we found out her hang up is with the Book of Mormon and she agreed to let us teach her from the Book of Mormon which from my understanding she hasn’t done before. So were excited about that.
Then we stopped by to see this girl - her name Is Katie and she is a foster child staying with one of the families in the ward. She is 16 and she is a really nice girl, but not a member. So we talked to her a little bit to see if she would be interested in taking the discussions and she said “Yes” so she is another new investigator. It was awesome.
Then Saturday we spent time in Dietrich and had another good lesson with a lady named Manone. And I don’t know how else to describe it but to say it was really spiritual. You could feel the spirit teaching her. It was amazing. That night we had dinner with the Stake President and the other missionaries in the stake and then we had another lesson before the night was over. And then Sunday was awesome! We fasted this Sunday because we felt we needed more help as a companionship. We wanted the spirit more in our lessons, and we had an interesting experience with one of our Ward Mission Leaders.
On Friday when we were coordinating with him as we were walking out he said to us “Sisters, I just don’t think we have enough faith in this area. I feel like your lacking or I’m lacking in faith when it comes to the people in this area”. And then we kind of walked out and said goodbye.
As I was walking off I thought to myself “how dare you tell me I don’t have enough faith”? I have plenty of faith that there are people prepared in this area. So I felt a little aware I guess would be the right word that he said we didn’t have enough faith. Well I let it settle and I thought about it all day and I tried to examine what he meant by that and if I truly did have enough and by the end of the evening I realized that maybe I didn’t have enough faith.
Maybe I was giving up on people before I actually gave them a chance. So I had this thought in my head for the next few days to examine if I had enough faith or not to see miracles. And it’s crazy what I have seen.
So Sunday we fasted for an increase faith and the biggest lesson we learnt is that faith and trust go hand in hand. If we don’t trust that the Lord can help these people change then we don’t have faith that he can make them change.
We had been working with people who probably neither my companion nor I really thought could change because of their lifestyle situations but being able to step back and realize that these people are all God’s children and if He wills it anything can happen. That was such a humbling experience because we all know how well I take criticism but at the same time it really has helped me grow and trust that change is possible and that people are really ripe in this area.
Then Sunday evening we got to go to a tri-stake fireside where the Mission President who was serving in Japan the same time the earthquake hit spoke. It was INCREDIBLE! Honestly so humbling to know I probably won’t have to go through that on my mission. And also to see the protection these missionaries had from the Lord and to hear of the Lord’s protection and guidance of the people in that area. Also they threw the date up on the screen of March 11th and I don’t know if you all remember but that was the same day I got my mission call (or found out where I was serving) so that brought back tonnes of memories about Hawaii and that part of last year. However I felt very spoilt to be able to go to that fireside. It was powerful!
Well my week has been great this week. I am so grateful for my companion and the example she is to me.
Well I love you all. Make good luck with taking care of Uncle Rana and let him know I have been praying for him every night. Love you all. Take care, Sister Chadderton
| Me and Sister Cline at the frozen falls |
Yours truly
There is a story behind this picture. Elders aren't suppose to touch us really so we were posed 4 of us and then two elders jump in the picture one stands next to me and puts his arm around me and then one stands next to my companion and puts his arm around her. Which is why we look so awkward in this picture.
My district after our hike last week.
I made this little girls birthday cake and she wanted her whole name as her piece. It was funny.
Frozen Falls
My scarf from Nanny!
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