Saturday, August 6, 2016

Week 51: Farewell, Post Falls

August 1, 2016
WELL... in case you didn't see by the email subject... I'm getting transferred! I kind of thought this was going to happen, so not super shocking. My new area is Nine Mile Falls. I've heard it's beautiful (seems to be a common occurrence with my areas, haha), and it is apparently Northwest of Spokane... so, that should be fun. I'm super excited!!!

My new companion is Sister Hsiao. She just got to the mission 3 months ago. She's from Taiwan, and I'm super excited to be her companion! My new address is 

6236 Pearson Dr
Nine Mile Falls, WA. 99026

This past week has been full of meetings, and saying goodbye to the families that I have so come to know and love this past 4.5 months. I will miss everyone here so much, but I feel confident that I am going where the Lord needs me to be. Last night after receiving transfer calls, I felt really discouraged and was wondering whether this were inspired or not. Well, I shouldn't have been questioning at all (that lame Natural Man), but I'll be honest - I did wonder. As I was kneeling before going to sleep, I poured out my heart to Heavenly Father and told Him how I was feeling. I had a calm peace come over me, and I slept soundly the whole night - I know this call is inspired! Isn't it wonderful? Literally, at any time of the night or day, no matter where we are, we can kneel or say in our heart a prayer to Heavenly Father - He loves us, He hears us, and He answers us! I know that for sure. 

The whole experience reminds me of a quote we have up on a wall in our apartment by D. Todd Christofferson: “It is of great significance to me, that I may at any moment and in any circumstance approach through prayer the throne of grace, that my Heavenly Father will hear my petition, that my Advocate, him who did no sin, whose blood was shed, will plead my cause.” Wow. Powerful and so true!  I know that the Lord is in the details of this work. It seems like all of my thoughts lately have been answered in one way or another- I love how much the Lord truly stands ready to bless each of us.

Sister Dymock (my Mission President's wife) is one of the most amazing women I know. In her weekly email to us missionaries this week, she said the following which I am going to take with me as I move into my new area, and throughout my life, "Literally, because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, each day can be a fresh start! So let's say you slip up on a personal goal, or sleep in, or lose your temper, or use slang, or over-eat, or get "bugged" at your companion - or a hundred other mortal realities things that might happen in your day. Should you give up altogether? Absolutely not! Giving up on a goal because of a setback is like ripping the other 3 tires on your car because one tire went flat!! In other words, Christ is the author of second chances. He wants us to rise again and again when we fall.”

What a blessing to be surrounded by such inspired, wonderful people. Well, I love you all so much and hope that you get to truly see the blessings that come from each day being a fresh start this week. This transfer will be so wonderful, I just know it! This transfer, as a mission, we have been challenged by our Mission President to read The Book of Mormon completely in 6 weeks. That means that us missionaries will be reading 13 pages a day. I am SUPER excited for this challenge. During Personal Study this morning, I really was just so touched with the Spirit while reading The Book of Mormon. It's the same words I have read many times before, but the Spirit just testified so much to me that this is going to bring miracles and Heavenly Father is so grateful that we have united as a mission and are doing this. What a gift to be able to participate in.

Well, I love you all and hope that you have a wonderful week! Stay strong and if you're feeling down, just get back to the fundamentals - Scripture Study, Prayer, Church and Temple Attendance. They make all the difference, because as we acquaint ourselves with the voice of the Lord, we will be better able to recognize His works in our lives.

 Until next week,


-One of the many wonderful families I said, "See you later!" to this week
-We've been going on walks in the morning for exercise. This one, Treaty Rock, is a 3 minute walk from our apartment, and so cool!
-A really cool schoolhouse in the middle of nowhere up in the mountain - since 1910!

-- 
"God be with you 'till we meet again!"

Hurrah for Israel!

Much Love,
Sister Jennifer Griffith

Week 50: Inspiration and Edification

July 25, 2016
Those fancy words just mean that this week was wonderful. That's about it. 

Love, Sister Griffith

...............................................................

JUST KIDDING! I'll write more than that. Part of me really wants to click the "send" button though.... I think there'd be some people who would be grateful for that, and some others that wouldn't be too keen on the idea. For the first people, you may go ahead and stop at the above message. For those who like all of the details that I have a really hard time not writing about (elaboration is my favorite writing skill, haha), this one's for you:

So.. right now I am in the process of reading all of the Ensigns that have come out on my mission. When I do, I have a notepad next to me ready to write down quotes that inspire and edify me so that I can read them when I'm having a bad day, or share them with people who need some more insight about a specific Gospel topic, so that's exciting! Today, I thought I'd write those out for all of you in hopes that one of them will help you and help you to carry on!... or that you can use it in a talk of some sort to help others, either one is good. :) 

  • "For a tree to grow, it needs both roots and branches. We likewise need to be connected to our roots - our parents, grandparents, and other ancestors - as well as to our branches - our children, grandchildren, and other descendants." ~Quentin L. Cook
  • "Growing up in this culture, it is very hard to get a biblical perspective on motherhood... Children rank way below college. Below world travel for sure. Below the ability to go out at night at your leisure. Below honing your body at the gym. Below any job you may have or hope to get." She then adds, "Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It's what God gave you time for." ~A Christian Mom
  • "By studying the scriptures, we see how He operates and talks to us. We can't differentiate the counterfeit voices around us unless we are familiar with His word." ~Kristen Oaks
  • "I bear witness of the miracles, both spiritual and temporal, that come to those who live the law of the fast. I bear witness of the miracles that have come to me. Truly, as Isaiah recorded, I have cried out in the fast more than once, and truly God has responded, "Here I am." Cherish that sacred privilege at least monthly and be as generous as circumstances permit in your fast offering and other humanitarian, educational, and missionary contributions. I promise that God will be generous to you, and those who find relief at your hand will call your name blessed forever." ~Elder Jeffrey R Holland
Well, I hope you enjoyed one of those quotes - I know that they helped me to feel the Spirit a lot! :) I just want you all to know that I love you, care for you, pray for you, and that Heavenly Father is always there for you. He loves you more than you could ever know! I love sharing the Gospel with His children - it is the greatest joy I have come to love and know. I hope that you have a wonderful week and that you continually find joy in the journey and reasons to smile. I'll continue to try and do so as well! :) Sorry this email isn't very long.... I guess I didn't elaborate that much after all! Yay! 

-A beautiful double rainbow we saw this week! :)
-Had Bison for the first time this week.. delicious! 
-We taught Sunday School yesterday for the 17yr-olds. The scriptures they found about the Temple are super awesome. :) 
-My past 2 week experiment - regrowing green onions. SUCCESS!

-- 
"God be with you 'till we meet again!"

Hurrah for Israel!

Much Love,
Sister Jennifer Griffith

OH YEAH! Bonus - Email #2... this really cool experience happened this week with a sister who is starting to return to Church!! :) 

We were teaching a Less-Active this week who was baptized a few years back and has since fell away. She is in her mid 40's and had a stroke when she was 32. She has a really hard time getting her brain to speak the words that she wants it to. We have been working with her this transfer and she has progressed SO much - she came to sacrament meeting a few weeks ago and ALL 3 hours of Church yesterday. Anyway, so she has told us before about how she won't pray out loud because she really "can't." We expressed to her how Heavenly Father really wants to hear from her and that He'll understand what she wants to say even if her mouth doesn't actually make the words come out. Well, after a conversation about it, over the last 5 weeks she has repeatedly rejected the invitation to pray. Well, on Saturday, we asked again and she accepted the invitation to pray. We sat in silence for what seemed like hours when finally she said, "God............. (long pause)........ thank you................. amen." It was the most powerful prayer I have ever heard. The Spirit was strong and this daughter was beaming with joy. The Gospel of Jesus Christ changes people. He changes their hearts. What a blessing to witness. 

Well, that's it.. officially. Haha. No email #3, I promise. 

Have a wonderful week! :) 

Week 49: 11 Months and Going Strong

July 18, 2016
Okay seriously... How did I already reach my 11 month mark? Pretty soon, it will be a year and then I'll only have 6 months left and then I won't be a full-time missionary anymore.. l'll try not to think about that part, hahaha. :)

Well, as usual, I only have super minimal time left, so I'll try to make this quick and to the point. How does that sound? Refreshing, I hope. :) 

Something neat that happened last night was that we were contacting a Potential Investigator and it turns out that in the last couple of weeks, she has moved. Well, we turned to start walking back to our car, and a man sees us and starts coming over and says "HI! How's it going?" Well, we start talking to him, and he says his name is Lance, he used to meet with the missionaries, and has read the Book of Mormon twice from cover to cover. He then said, "But, I don't really see much difference between it and the Bible.." I chuckled and said, "That's amazing that you've recognized that, Lance.. it isn't much different, because it's the SAME Gospel, just being taught on two different continents." We had the opportunity to testify of the Restoration and schedule a return appointment. Our Area Book and old records have no record of him, but Heavenly Father does.. and through the tender mercies of the Lord, He led us to someone who wants to learn more. It was powerful. 


Some other highlights were having District Lunch on the Golf Course - we had to take pictures, of course... :) 
... and.. one of the most fun parts of the week was getting to hold all sorts of "exotic to me" animals. When we volunteered at the Food Bank, someone brought in a baby pig... SO CUTE!.. and some members that just moved in have 7 birds. The two that attached themselves to me were Cosmo (left) and Deno (right). Cosmo was on my shoulder for legitimately an HOUR while we were there.. haha. By the time we left and he was gone, I still had "phantom bird" (I called it, anyway) - I still felt like he was there even though he wasn't, haha. :) 

 Also, we couldn't let 7/11 pass without getting free Slurpees!! :) ..Obviously... :) 

Don't these experiences just seem like fun? Well, they were. :) If anyone ever said that life as a missionary was boring, they were sorely mistaken. Another testimony that has been strengthened this week was just how much our Heavenly Father answers our prayers and hears them. My Patriarchal Blessing says that, "Heavenly Father stands ready, any time of the night or the day, to your prayers" and I have seen that definitely magnified this week a ton. When the days were getting harder and harder, I found myself on my knees more and more, and I was able to endure... not me, but through the Savior who endured it all. This whole transfer has definitely been a strong testimony builder - but then again, aren't they all? 

I hope you all have a wonderful week and remember these two quotes about prayer. "When you can't stand, kneel," and "Fight all your battles on your knees and you'll win every time." I can testify those are true! Love you all! Have a glorious week - I know I will! :) There is so much to be grateful for, and you are all part of that. :)

-- 
"God be with you 'till we meet again!"

Hurrah for Israel!

Much Love,
Sister Jennifer Griffith

Week 48: The Fruits

July 11, 2016
Well, I literally have 8 minutes left to write, sooooo.......... .this should be really interesting! First of all, thank you so much for all of the Birthday wishes - my day was super special!! I spent the majority of it in a training meeting, but then my companion had coordinated a surprise dinner with one of my favorite members, so that was super happy! It was definitely an unforgettable day! Also, lots of people sang "Happy Birthday" to me, so that was super cute! :) It's weird to think that I'm not a teenager anymore, haha.

Well, some good news!! We are finally starting to see the fruits of all of the hard work that we have been putting in to the area! What a blessing! This week in particular, we were able to find some really cool new investigators, and our wards are starting to work more with helping our investigators right when we get them , so that's super amazing! I'm so exciting for all of the growth that is happening, and only hope and pray that as we continue to work, it will continue to grow.!

One super cool thing that happened was that, my testimony in the Lord directing His work was strengthened a lot this week. On Wednesday night, we were out proselyting and everyone that we visited just weren't interested at all.. I was sitting in the car, we had gone through all of our plans to no avail, and I was just wondering where Heavenly Father needed us to go. Then a really neat experience happened. I had the name "Brownlee" come to my head more distinctly and clearly than any other prompting I've received in a long time... well, because I have been in this area for almost 4.5 months (haha), I recognized the name as someone on our ward list, though I had never met them or even tried to visit them before.. Well, I looked up the name, and it "just so happened" that they lived really close to where we were at.. so, we drove over there, knocked on the door, and no one answered. Well, we knocked a few more times, but Sister Brownlee wasn't home... I knew we were there for a reason, though, so looking around, there were many people outside, but we didn't know which one to talk to first. Well, I kept being prompted to walk across the street and talk to that neighbor, and Sister Flores did too, so we went. Well, then we found someone super cool. Her name is Teree, and Teree pretty quickly opened up to us about how she wanted to improve her relationship with Christ, and we testified to her of the Gospel and how much Christ can help her and how as missionaries, we go around trying to help people increase their relationship with Him, and she started crying an accepted an invitation for us to return. It. was. powerful. I learned that night that Heavenly Father has prepared people - something I always had faith in, but never really experienced, and that the Spirit will prompt us if we just try and listen. Also, that success happens when you work hard until the very end - as the entire day had been less than successful, and this all happened at like 8:45 at night - 15 minutes before it was time to go home. :)  It was such a cool experience. We're going tonight for our first official lesson. ! :) YAY!

Well, that was my week - it was super awesome and we had our mini missionary, Sister Janes, with us the whole time.. I'm fairly certain that Heavenly Father was just blessing us so much so that she'd get so see the successful part of missionary work... :) She's awesome and I just miss her. The youth these days are so POWERFUL (I can say that officially because I'm not one anymore, hahaha). But really, she was such a good missionary. Well... that's about all I have for you friends this week... Have a great one, you deserve it! :) 

-Our Zone at Zone Training! :) 
-A member has a dog that looks exactly like BECKARDEE!!! (my dog growing up).. It made my heart happy! :) 
-Look who showed up at Church yesterday - Sister Erickson...! What? Weird to see a former companion after they're no longer a missionary anymore...
-How sad I was when Sister Janes left, haha. :)

--
"God be with you 'till we meet again!"

Hurrah for Israel!

Much Love,
Sister Jennifer Griffith

Week 47: Red, White and Blue

July 5, 2016
Hello wonderfuls!!!! This week was, well, wonderful! ... except for the fact that the sickness I was experiencing last week somehow (without my permission) turned into a super nasty cold... hopefully that goes away by tomorrow so I don't have to be sick on my Birthday! Oh well if it doesn't... there's worse things that could happen. :) 

Anyway, this week really was great. I don't know if I mentioned it or not, but all 4 of our progressing investigators have moved within the last few weeks, so... we're basically starting at level 1 again... this week has been, as a result of that, a TON of trying to find people to teach. One day in particular, we spent TWO HOURS straight just trying to contact potential investigators, and not. a. soul. was interested. It was pretty discouraging, but I didn't let it lower my expectations. I have faith that the Lord is preparing the hearts of these people here in Post Falls to hear about the Gospel. What an amazing blessing that faith is. At times when nothing else is going right, that's what I hold to. Plus, if all of those people weren't interested, that just means that there's a higher probability that the next people will be.. that's how statistics work, right? ;)

4th of July here was wonderful! We got to go to a Ward Breakfast in the morning, and... wait for it.. BROTHER LOWREY AND HIS WHOLE FAMILY showed up!! (That's the super cool Part-Member Family that I wrote about last week!!) Isn't that awesome!? .. and just the day before they had all had this nasty stomach bug, so that was really awesome that they showed up in spite of not feeling well. :) We have an appointment with them this Thursday. Then, something else that was wonderful that happened was that we got to go do some service as a District for a sister in our ward that hasn't been to church for probably my entire life. We helped her for a few hours, went to our Relief Society President's house for a BBQ, and then came home and planned... my one wish for the 4th of July was to be able to see some fireworks from our Apartment. Well, right during planning, I look out the window to see a beautiful array of red, white and blue in the night's sky. It was such a tender mercy to me that Heavenly Father is paying attention to our lives and wants to bless us with even the smallest things to show us His love! :) 

Also, lately I have been thinking a lot about prayer, but specifically, praying for other people. This morning in Personal Study, I was reading this article called, "When Others Prayed for Me," and it just touched me so much. I want to share it with you. :) So, a man was in the hospital and so ill that he couldn't even muster the strength to say a prayer. When he finally got well enough that he could pray, he relays the following: "I regretted that I had not been able to pray sooner. Then I realized that during the time I could not pray myself, others had been praying for me. Praying for me - the idea took on a whole new meaning. I realized that these wonderful people were doing something that, at the time, I could not do for myself. They knelt before the Lord and spoke for me; they used their strength when mine had failed. I felt a great sense of gratitude." I just loved that so much. The power of prayer is amazing!

Well, I love you all so much and hope that you have a wonderful week! :) I am so grateful to our Heavenly Father for letting everything in the history of our Country to work out so that the Restoration of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ could occur and so we can have the freedom to worship "how, where or what they may." It's because of those who helped gain our Country's freedom that I get to be a missionary and share Heavenly Father and Christ's love to all who are prepared - for which I will be eternally grateful.
-Sister Flores and I wanted to take artsy pictures, hahahaha.

-District Service yesterday... These missionaries are the BEST.

-My one wish - granted! :)

-First exchange of the Transfer - love this Sister! :) 

-- 
"God be with you 'till we meet again!"

Hurrah for Israel!

Much Love,
Sister Jennifer Griffith