Just One Hour

Mission Family - Sis. Aukuso (Gran), Sis Botts (Mom) and Sis Adams (Daughter)

Well well... 'tis the New Year... how weird is that! This week has gone so slowly. I kinda hate holidays right now!  But this next week is gonna be boss!
We did so much tracting this week! It was pretty awesome!  I can successfully say that I LOVE TRACTING!  Who would'a thought?  Freaking not me! That's who!
But anyway! It has been good!

Sis Botts and Sis Adams

We got to go to the 'Work of Salvation' fireside last night! I really missed attending those while I was down in the valley!  We had two people who came to it with us. It was so great! I really felt the Spirit there!

Meeting friends at the fireside

It's weird... I think my mind just went blank as to what to say in this email.

A couple things I had on my mind.

First of all... I did something stupid this week and played flag football when I knew I shouldn't have... I'm ashamed.  And as a result I lost one of my rings and hurt for like 3 days straight.  Seriously!! I knew I shouldn't have done it.  So so stupid! This is what happens when you are disobedient! SO DUMB!!

Secondly... we have been sharing messages on the Sacrament with all the active members that we come in contact with. It's been really great! We only started to do it this week but it's been so good.
I though about the symbolism of the Sacrament.

Symbols of the Sacrament

Then I thought about how it's an hour long.
Then I thought of how different the story would have gone in the Bible if, when the Saviour returned

to the Apostles who were waiting just a "stone's throw away" and, instead of being asleep, they weren't even there.  One was too tired and went home, another got offended by something someone said, two of them thought a hike in nature would be just as good, and a few more had a sports match that they had to catch.

Don't these excuses all sound quite familiar? And what does the Saviour say?
He says "Couldst not thou watch one hour?" Can we not watch one hour?

Couldst thou not watch one hour?

I've come to see the Sacrament as the hour that we can watch with the Lord. One hour. One hour to think about the sacrifice that He has made for us.... In Doctrine and Covenants 59:9-10 it talks about 'keeping ourselves more fully unspotted from the world'. The word that sticks out to me is "Keep" which, to me, would suggest that we already ARE unspotted. Which again suggests that we prepare ourselves to partake of the Sacrament by repenting before we take it... Taking the Sacrament is not repentance. To partake of it worthily we need to ALREADY have repented when we take it thus, KEEPING ourselves unspotted.

So... this is my invitation to all of you....  Prepare yourselves for the Sacrament each week by repenting daily, and then not to just watch with Him for one hour... but for one hour and 10 minutes, by arriving 10 minutes early to the chapel and sitting in reverence, listening to the prelude music as you prepare to participate in this sacred ordinance.

Prepare to participate

 Furthermore, I would invite you to recognise the sacredness of the chapel, and to treat it with respect and reverence. Keep your conversations for outside, so that all who are in the chapel can feel the Spirit and reverence themselves. That means sitting quietly when you get there but also saving your conversation for outside once the Sacrament is over... Respect those who are about to start their sacred meeting once yours is over.

Reverence

 I really have a testimony that the reason the 1st Presidency and Apostles are focusing on this one thing is because, once properly observed, the Sacrament is going to be the key to our success as followers of Christ in all aspects of the Church. I know it!

Well... I guess I just wanted to talk about that today a lot more than I wanted to regale you with exciting war stories of a mission...

We tracted in below zero temperatures, my knuckles cracked and bled, and I could not be any happier. Not a single person let us in... but I could not be any happier!

Correction... ok... there's one pretty hilarious story. One person did let us in.

So we're tracting and there's an hour left before  our dinner appointment... This one dude answers but it's over an intercom... He is rude and tells us to go away. I am polite and prepare to leave... A familiar face opens the door. He is a member. They let us in. His poor wife looks shocked at our arrival. We come to realise... that we have now discovered where our dinner appointment for the evening is... because we tracted into them. First they thought we were joking but we really did have no idea that we were supposed to have dinner there... We were gonna just look up their address just before it was time to go to dinner! Ha... so we left... did some more work and came back at the right time!  AWKWARD!!!! I was so mortified! But it was pretty funny!! I still laugh when I think about it! hahaha


Anyhoo... that's me for the day!

So be obedient because disobedience is so so so dumb!!!

I love you all!  I hope you have a wonderful week!

Byeeeee!!

Anniversary!!!

A year ago in the MTC

WHOA!!!!!! Tomorrow marks the day, one year ago that, I left for my mission!! How did this happen?

A year down the road

Well... Christmas is finally over!! Bah Humbug! hahaha
I tried... I really did. But to no avail!

This week went soooo slowly because we didn't get to teach a lot!  That sucks!!  But Christmas was a fun day! We got permission to watch our Christmas movie on Christmas Eve because we were invited by members. So we watched Elf!! Aaaah!!! I just love that movie! I think my lack of movies in the past year made everything seem hilarious! I laughed so hard through like 90% of the movie!! So good!

Christmas started with breakfast at a members home. It was cool!  Sausages! mmmm! I like sausages :) Then we went to visit a member from my previous area (with permission from Zone Leaders to leave the zone) to see her and her little boy on his first Christmas! He was so cute! He has gotten so big it's crazy!

That was followed by dinner and funsies with our Bishop and his family! We had steak.... I love steak! I could eat it all day, everyday! Then we all chatted and played a game where we just asked a bunch of questions... it was pretty funny. Then before we knew it the day was over!! Just like that it was time to return home!

The day after Christmas was ok... we had a lunch with a member and her family was all there! The rest of the day we spent at home because we were both sick and I felt it was better to spend that day at home getting better rather than spend another day where we might have to cancel appointments to get better!


This email is going to be really short actually... like super short! Sorry.

But it's been a good week!

Funny story from the week... We visited with a less active member, we went to Chick Fila to have lunch since we can't teach him on his own...  He is a good dude for sure, but he was telling me a story of how he had recently been rather rude to the Bishop... well, you know me, I don't care where I am... so I told him how that was rude and not very funny... his response was "Sister Botts, it feels like you are indirectly scolding me" I said "no.. no don't feel like that... because I'm DIRECTLY scolding you!"  He appreciated the honesty and we moved on haha!!

Honesty is so underrated! Just be honest. Don't ever let people wonder where they stand with you. Be sincere... even if you sincerely dislike someone...don't be mean, but don't be fake!  Wish I had learned this a long time ago! Honesty brings real friends that stick around, not ones that don't like you and you don't like but you both suffer through it because honesty is too scary!

I have learned very much to love honesty on my mission. I feel sorry for my companions being around me as I learned this. Sorry to all my companions who had to witness me learning to say "No" I'm sure that was frustrating... haha.  but now... people either like or dislike me for who I am, instead of liking me for who I think people want me to be... so that's nice.

  Probably a lot more on the dislike side... but it's all good! haaha.  Jesus likes me, so we cool.

Anyway.... I'm rambling right now... so I shall leave you.... but I love you all!!!

Looking for the Muffin Man who lives on Drury Lane

 

Thank you everyone for the Christmas wishes and so on!! BYEEEEE!!!!!!

Exact Obedience

New Companion and Ugly Christmas Jumpers

Well this week has been amazing!!  

Dropped on our butts into a new area!  Went and bought a new GPS on Tuesday morning... 10 bucks! Bargain bai!! I was so grateful for that!!  Members are wonderful!

New apartment :)

Luckily it's winter so the pool won't be a temptation

So Tuesday night we had 2 appointments... one was with the Relief Society president for dinner and then we met with another sister afterwards... it was so awesome... The last appointment we shared a message after getting to know her and her daughters... and then we helped them decorate their Christmas tree!  It was so great!

Wednesday was a weird one... we had some more appointments and went to choir practice with the ward... that was cool, it was a good way to get to know the ward a little faster!

We spent most of Thursday planning... it was a long hard planning session but we got ourselves pretty figured out!! It was good!  Friday we had district meeting.... I shan't say anymore about that! lol  

Saturday we had more choir practice, and then went caroling with the youth and primary at an assisted living home... Well imagine my surprise when, as we are singing this lady walks out and sits down to watch us... I know her! O don't know how but I know her.   Before we left we went around greeting all of the people there and just before I got to her... "Mary!" That's Mary! A lady who fed us lunch once when I was in the 6th ward...   met her once and then never again... until Saturday. What are the chances? It was great! We will be going back to see her regularly!

We spent Saturday contacting some people in the ward and making appointments with those who were about to head out of town!  It's kinda hard at this time because everyone is getting ready to go away... but we kept ourselves busy. It's been a good week!

This week I wasn't "Pretty obedient" like usual... I was EXACTLY obedient... and exact obedience brings miracles... and that miracle this week came in the form of 2 new investigators.... yeah... 2!

It really has been a week where I've needed to show my faith a lot more! But when we are faced with those experiences... we grow so much!!
This week's growth has been more than a whole transfers growth previously... except for when I was in training.... that was scary! hahaha ...


But yes... Missions are just so freaking great!! Seriously! And they are so fun! I've worked my butt off all this week and it's been fun! This is how the rest of my mission is going to be.... next week I will reach a year that I've been out.... that's disgusting!

Hello's and....

Goodbye's at transfer meeting

Anyway... time is short this week... but I just love this gospel!

I love you all!! Have a great week and.... lemme see if my Grinch heart will say it......  Merry Christmas!!!

This is the time of the year where we remember how it is a plan of Salvation.... and not one of Damnation... for without Christ... we would all be damned!!

LOVE YOU ALLL!!!!!!!

Hard Goodbyes

So my teeny tiny heart is a little bit broken today and so I have but a small desire to write this blog. Sorry.
This has been the hardest area to leave... I hardly cried leaving home to come on my mission, but I sobbed like a little baby leaving this area! I could have happily stayed here for the next 7 months! But there ya go, missionary life and all that jazz!

And all that jazz....

This week has been eventful!
Tuesday we had zone conference in Pueblo. It was a really good conference, I enjoyed it!

Zone Conference in Pueblo

Wednesday... well that day just flew by so fast that I can't even remember what we did... how bad is that?  We did, however, have a really great lesson with some investigators!! Sad days that I have to be leaving... but you know.

Then Thursday we had to go to the Springs for a "Train the Trainer" meeting... which really... just made me feel more like I have no clue what I'm doing... it was mostly about how we will affect the rest of their mission... great... that's not good hahaha
After we got back to Monte, we stopped real quick to see our Ward Mission Leader and his wife. They were leaving the next morning  really early, so I was going to say goodbye to them. The first of the goodbyes.  Yuck! I hate goodbyes!  I used to be the type of person who wouldn't even bother with goodbyes... now though... now I say goodbye... and it sucks!

Friday we had district meeting and then we went and helped one of our members clean her new house that she's moving into. Then she fed us a really great bbq pork dinner! So good!! Then we had an appointment with one of my fave couples in the ward!! We read Jacob 5!! Best!!!  I love that chapter and I love those people!!

Saturday was one of those weird days that flew by too fast too! We went out and then it snowed a bit and we got parked... sad days!! But then we got unparked and went to our dinner with one of the best families in the universe! It was great!

Sunday... My last Sunday... so so sad.   I was asked to bear my testimony in Sacrament meeting... I knew it was gonna be bad because even while I was just sitting thinking about what I would say, I was getting all teary!  Sucked! Then I got my ugly cry face on in front of everyone. Great!

Later we had dinner with the Bishop's family! They are so great! I love them!

We went and made another visit, and then back to the Bishop's house. We forgot to put petrol in the car on Saturday night so we didn't have enough gas to get us to Alamosa for the Christmas Cantata, so they took us! :) It was awesome! Really enjoyed it!

After that we headed back to the same family we had dinner with on Saturday. They fed us again and we said goodbye! Freaking one of the hardest goodbyes ever... saaaaaad!!! Then it was home and bed!

Now I'm on my last day here.... I remember the Monday before I came here... I never thought I was going to love it as much as I do!!
I'm sure I'll be giving you the same schpeel when I have to leave Mesa Ridge cuz I'll love it just the same... but waah waaaah waaaaah hahaha

But there ya go... that has been my week... also... chopped off my hair... cuz ya know... that's how I handle stress hahaha!

Cry Cry Chop Chop...

Chop, chop!!!

Well... I'm trying to think of some spiritual tid bit for this email... but I've been such a whiny baby this week I may have missed all the good bits.  Shame on me!

So there... stop being a whiny baby and be grateful!!!

Haha sorry... I suck today!

Love you all! Have a good week!!

Festival of Miracles

So this week was... well it was crazy!  Remember how I said I thought I was leaving, but I really didn't want to... well... I'm leaving haha... I say "haha" but really it's more like "wawa"  But, I'll be training a new missionary so that's kind of exciting!  We will flush an area so we will be on equal footing as far as knowing the area and people! I always said that if I was to train I would want to flush. So... I guess I got that wish!

Also... remember how I said I wanted to extend my mission... well... that one did come true!! Haha happy days!! Because of the MTC time being now 3 weeks... I get an extra week on my mission.... you can not understand how happy this makes me!  Do you know how many new people you could find in a week?!   LOADS!!!

Happy!!!

Oh happy days!!!!

So besides finding out that I'm leaving and maybe crying for the whole night again... it's been a wonderful week!

Tuesday we headed up to the Springs to spend the night for our meeting in the morning... my last one! haha

On the road again

 So we got to stop by and visit with some of my favourite people in the world!!  We ended up staying a little too long at our last visit but it was so great and long overdue!! Rebecca, I freaking love you! (I know you read these now! hahaha )

So it kinda just made my week awesome!!  I wish I could still be your missionary! haha ...I just wanted to publicly let people know how great you are!! :)

For Rebecca

We had our Festival of Nativities last night and it was so great! I think if they do it next year it will be even better!  There were a bunch of non members there! Either family members or friends of members... and one person that we found while out tracting!

We went tracting on Saturday to hand out some invitations to our "Festival of Nativities" and while we were tracting we met a sister who was a less active member. I had never met nor heard of her. As she opened the door, she let us in straight away! As we were talking about the Festival, and that it would be followed by a Christmas Devotional from the First Presidency, I thought it would be a good time to talk about prophets and what the First Presidency was. As I started explaining, she picked up a manual of teachings of George Albert Smith (the 8th President of the Church) and said "I'm already a Mormon, or at least I was" and so we got to talking with her. We must have spent about 40 minutes in her home talking with her. She told us how grateful she was that we had come, and told us how great her baptism was. I think our visit definitely reminded her of the joy she had felt in the gospel. She told us that if she was feeling up to it, she would come for our Festival. There was no sign of her there... until about 30 minutes in when she walked through the door with a friend!! It was amazing!

That same day that we were tracting we had asked the Zone Leaders for the address of a member that they had said had moved from their area to ours. She is less active and her husband is not a member. Well they hadn't gotten back to us but we just kept tracting and inviting... it was about to be dark, so we tried to get done as much as possible before going home. We walked past this lady getting out of her car. At first we just said 'Hi', and moved on (rookie mistake!), and then Sister Zitting said "Hey!" and walked back to her and extended the invitation, to which she replied "What ward am I in now?" It was her! We found the family that the Zone Leaders had told us about, and they live only a few houses away from ours!

I'm really starting to love tracting... although I really do need to force myself to get out and do it... but once I'm doing it, I love it! I guess it's good timing since I'm going to train.... which is still terrifying me... A lot!

But it has been a good week!! I just feel like my tiny heart is breaking a bit at the thought of leaving here! I could stay here for the next 7 and a half months and be perfectly happy... but then I remember how fast 7 and a half months goes... and that is crazy!

Sad to be leaving Monte Vista

People say that the time goes so fast when you're training... that's not very reassuring!! I don't actually want it to... because otherwise... I'll have like 3 months left when I'm done... nope... nope... gross!  But at least I have that extra week!!

Well.... I think that sums up my week pretty well...

Next time I email I will know where the heck I'm going!!   

Hope you all have a good week.

I was (am) freaking out about all this training jazz... since I don't even know what the heck I'm doing yet... and then someone pretty smart pointed me to the story in the new Ensign,

Ensign December 2015

specifically this part:

“Before you worry,” she said, “trust God first. When I do that and I have faith, everything else is simple. When we trust God, we can move forward in our lives with faith and confidence in the future. When we do that, we can  live as witnesses of God.”

I think that's a pretty good thought for everyone...

Love you all!!! :)

Don't suck.