December 11, 2016

Merry Finals Week---When you feel bad, just remember we are all taking finals this week, and that the mission is the place to be right now!!

This week I went to the MoTab concert.  And it was so funny, because the guest artist sings opera.  Also because he looks just like Mr. Bean.  So if you can imagine Mr. Bean singing opera with the MoTab, you will laugh.  It was great!

I don't know why I don't know what to write this week.  I usually have no problem writing long letters. 

I guess I will tell you about some of my #iluminaelmundo moments this week.

1. I went over to Katie and Trents house and Katie was sick (she's been having stomach problems for about 2 months now and she gets nauseous all the time and has stomach pain.  The doctors can't figure out what is wrong with her.)  And I started watching Planet Earth with them and then I went over to  eat a little bit of salad (I hadn't eaten all day), and I saw that their kitchen was a mess, so I cleaned it and did the dishes.  And I think it helped them.

2. I tried to donate blood, but since I had just been in Mexico I couldn't.

3. Last Sunday there was a goal of praying to heavenly father more, and so I wrote a prayer template that would help me have more meaningful prayers this week and you would be amazed by the help that it has been.  I wake up, say my morning prayers, and just feel so much more motivated to do what I need to do that day, and just more confident that the Lord would help and guide me throughout the day.  Also, I know that I always say that I pray for you, and I do a lot of time, but sometimes it is hard to always remember, but this week I prayed for you everyday.

Speaking of praying for others, I was talking with Cassi today about this and we were talking about why we think that we are commanded and encouraged to pray for others.  This is what we came up with.

-- Because it increases out mindfulness of these other people, so that we are reminded to do what WE can do to help the person.  Christ is a perfect example of this because he prayer for the Nephites in 3 Nephi and then he ministers to them, teaching them, healing their sick, etc.  Doing all HE can to help them as well as asking His father to bless them.

--Because it increases our faith.  Not only do you remember to do what you can do for them, but then, when the help is received, the blessing comes down, we attribute this to God.  We remember that God is the one in charge, and He is the one who really helps them.  This can work on the flip side too.  If the miracle does not occur for the person we are praying for, we remember that God has not forgotten our loved one, but rather, is perfectly mindful of them, and has his own timing.

-- Because it gives us charity for all men.  This is why we must pray for our enemies.  The first great commandment is to love God, and the second is to love (have charity for) our neighbors.

Anyway, keep working hard.  If you have any questions of doubts, just go to God.  I think that a lot of times we waste time focussing on the problem, when if we instead pondered on the goodness of God we would be happier and our problems would seem less like trials.

Love ya,

Liza

Mr. Bean, the opera star.

December 4, 2016

I was thinking today about my missionary christmases, and I think that sometimes they can make you start to think more about home, but the things that helped me so much was the video campaigns of the church and just forgetting myself.  #illuminaelmundo is the perfect combination of these two things!!  So definitely do it, and it will help you turn outward and also make Christmas so special.  Seriously, the two Christmas videos I had for my missionary christmases will always be seared into my mind.  I have such clear memories and feelings associated with these two videos, and even know when I watch them I feel the spirit way strong.  So make this Christmas video special and you will remember this special Christmas for the rest of your life!

One thing I was reading about it my studies today was about more miracles from Christ in Mark.  These two are my favorites . . . . 

Luke 5:12 ¶And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

 13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.

I love this.  He is just so kind to the man, and so so so willing to heal him.

The second one: 

Luke 7: 6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:

 7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

Somehow I never had realized that Jesus, amidst getting mocked by the scribes for maybe going to enter the unclean house on the centurion, went with them.  He was fully planning on breaking social code to heal this man's servant.  It only was the faith and insistence of the centurion that he healed him with his word and didn't go to actually see him.  Christ was so willing to heal others, even when it put him in a bad situation.

The last experience was a personal one.  I always hear that you hit a point after your mission when you realize that you aren't as spiritual as you were on the mission.  And I was like, no, I will read my scriptures everyday, I will do everything I can, that won't happen to me.  But then this week I realized that a weakness I had had, that had really become a strength during the mission, had again become a weakness.  And it was especially clear this week that this weakness was going to be hard to get rid of.   And I was sitting at the first presidency xmas devotional and there was a part where it just hit me how many times I had slipped up that week, and I realized with perfect clarity this weakness and I felt so frustrated that I still had it, and that it was probably going to be between a strength and a weakness my whole life . .  that it would be the thing to keep me humble.  And I was so so so so so frustrated. I closed my eyes as I teared up with frustration with myself and a lack of hope that maybe this weakness I would deal with for the rest of my life and how I did not want to do that.  Oh, how I wanted my weakness to just have to be overcome once and then be done with it for forever.  I sat there praying silently in the middle of a talk, lost in my own pleadings that I did not want be this kind of person, I didn't want this weakness.  And right as I again focused on the words of the speaker, he testified that the Lord came down as a little babe to the Earth so he could perform the atonement, because the atonement has the power to dry all tears.  And as I sat there with tears in my eyes, the spirit testified that the atonement was the answer. I can do all things through the atonement.   And as long as I used it, I would not be overcome.  I would progress and be ok.  

I know that the atonement changes lives.  Our investigators lives, but even more than this, our lives.  There may be weaknesses that we will have for the rest of our lives, but the atonement is infinite.  There is no end to its mercy.  So use it, and learn to love it, because a day won't go by, especially after the mission, that you won't need it.

Love,

Liza

November 27, 2016

Stephen---

This week was so fun to be with the family again.  There was a point when we were all sitting in the car on Thanksgiving day and I had moms jacket on my head (I felt pretty carsick--that's why) and I was just kind of relaxing and thinking and then this popular song came up and Anna and Lina and Katie and Trent started singing it.  It was not even a meaningful song at all . . . and I just had this wave of love come over me.  Like a realization, a confirmation from Heavenly Father really, that he gave me that family because he loved me so much.  That I had been so blessed to be born in the family I was born into because He loved me, and wanted me to have joy.  So this thanksgiving I am extremely grateful for the family, and for God's blessings.  Sorry if this makes you trunky.  I don't mean it to, I just am exited for the day that we can all be together.

Also, Becky Jarman is pregnant with number 9.  Christina won't meet her little sibling until after her mission. 

Also, Ben Vance just got his mission call to Taiwan, Mandarin speaking, leaving April 12th. 

This week I read one thing that I want to share with you that I learned from my reading the New Testament looking for Christlike attributes.

The first is in Matthew 26.  Jesus Christ is talking to his disciples and the woman came up to anoint him with the really expensive ointments, and then the disciples get frustrated, and then it says "When Jesus understood it he said unto them Why trouble ye with the woman."  As in, here is this woman giving him maybe not the most practical gift, doing it a little out of place, maybe a little awkward that here she was making this oddly public display of love and remorse and worship, wiping his dirty feet with her hair and tears and it didn't even occur to Him that maybe there was a better way that she could have done it.  He didn't understand at first why anyone would think any of these things.  He was just grateful and appreciative of what she was giving him.

This teaches us two lessons.  One from the place of Jesus Christ.  Here he is so charitable and virtuous that he does not judge the worship of others.  There are not those who are better fulfilling the commandments than others, He only sees who is trying as hard as they can to continually repent.  We too can strive to be like Him, not judging the small baby steps of investigators, friends, and family (even if they take 2 steps forward, and one step back each week).  We can strive to just see their effort and the ways that they are trying to show their love and commitment to God, just like Christ did when the adultrous woman came to rub extremely expensive ointment on His dirty feet.

The other lesson to be learned is the lesson of the woman.  God does not judge our sacrifices as worthy or not.  As better and worse.  He does not compare our sacrifices to the sacrifices of others.  He simply looks us into our eyes like he must have done to the impure woman and smiles with gratitude and amazement at our kindness to Him and our (if not a little awkward) manifestations of worship and love to Him. It reminds me of the many times when I have knelt in dirty bathrooms in the middle of Paraguay and expressed my gratitude for being a missionary and my love Him, and then pleaded that he accept my sacrifice, and give me his spirit so that I can better teach and help the people I was serving.  A little dumb, maybe I could have thought to just have made my post personal study prayer a little more sincere, or studied a little harder in comp study so that I wouldn't find myself without the spirit I felt I needed at the investigators home, but nevertheless, there I was, awkwardly kneeling in their bathroom, or sweating and exhausted making silent pleas to the heavens as my comp starts the lesson.  But the point is, God doesn't care.  The secret is that he accepts ALL sacrifices.  And that fills me with so much hope. 

You know what is so interesting.  The word I write most often in the new testament as I mark it for Christlike attributes, like I find many more examples of it that any other attribute . . . .  it is hope.  Christ came into the world to give us hope. And his life as recorded in the 4 gospels testifies of this.

Anyway, I Love you Lots!

November 21, 2016

Hey Stephen--

I was just thinking today of how busy I have become.  If you ever think, ah man, after the mish I will have so much time!  know that is true for your first month, after that, I think you are even busier than before.

So there was this guy sitting by dad on the plane, and he had like 15 immigration forms for Mexico that he was filling out, etc.  And I went back to ask dad something, and I got talking to them.  And I asked him if he was a tour guide or something.  He kind of looked at me weird and then laughed and said no, but i probably looked like that.  He just had a big family and was bringing his friends kids with him or something like that..  Anyway, we kept on talking and talking and talking, and I was telling dad about my dating life and then this guy offered to set me up with someone at qualitrics who had gone to Harvard, but now is working to for qualtrics. and this whole time I didn't think anything of it.  Untill I sat back down and Trent leaned over and said, that guy is the CEO of qualirics!

Haha, I'd asked him if he was a tour guide?!  Also, I may be being set up with like the COO of qualtrics or something, if he's not like 35 that is.

On a more spiritual note, I am reading the first 4 gospels by Christmas and I am marking any mentions of examples of the christlike attributes in PME. And it really is helping me see finite examples of when Christ was humble, or patient, or showed large amounts of love.  It helps me understand better the situations I am in, and if I show that same attribute in those situations.

Love, 

Liza

P.S. how is training.  I was exhausted at this point.  But it is so cool becacuse you can kind of catch the new hope and new ideas and new exitement of the little one.  They still have that MTC type hope. Also, dad shared that with everyone yesterday.  So your time for being the spiritual powerhouse of the family has come.  Actually, he has been studying that topic a lot because of you.  So great job babe!

Pics: 

The first one is when Anna got black rice with seafood. What they didn't include on the menu was that the rice was black from squid ink, and they had fully formed little baby squid in there. Gross.

The second one is when nobody wanted to get in the pool, and their excuse was they didn't have sunscreen on yet, so Spencer applied sunscreen on everyone so then they would get in the pool with him.

November 14, 2016

I feel like I learned so much this week.  I really was trying to better my scripture study this week and I feel like I learned so much!

These are some of my highlights: 

You think when Jesus enters a city, he has a plan, he knows what he wants to teach, he has people following him, he needs to teach them now. Then a centurion approaches him, and asks for a blessing for his servant. And Christ immediately stops what he is doing, changes his plans, and says "I will come and heal Him." (Matt 8:7). The coolest thing is that Christ is interrupted his teaching to serve, and then his service leads to an excellent teaching moment. The man shows such faith by saying that he doesn't need him to go to him, but rather just say the word, and Christ is able to teach the multitude a much more powerful lesson. He knew that if he was willing to serve, his Father would magnify his efforts.

This week was also stake conference, and in stake conference they talked about the importance of praying each day to be an instrument in the hands of God. That we must pray each day to have an opportunity to serve others and trust that the Lord will expand our labors.

Anyway, I just loved that story, and the applications.  This week I am going to try to find one way to be an instrument in the Lord's hands everyday! That is how we will be happy.  Also, another kid gave a talk about how we must always listen to the prophet when he speaks.   Then he specifically talked about how Pres Monson walked about the word of wisdom, and how we must live this principle better.  He ended with inviting us all to start or keep on exercising to gain spiritual strength. And I know that that is so true.  The missionaries that have good exercising seemly did everything more productively!! 

-Liza

Anyway, I love you lots!

November 6, 2016

Hey Stephen--

It is officially after Halloween so it is christmas time.  It just is.  So start getting ready to see miracles because the world will soon decide to put out their nativities, and if the nativities in Chile are anything like Paraguay, they are crazy big.  And sometimes have creepy badly painted faces.  Just sayin.

I think the biggest thing I learned this week was about not judging the judgemental.  I went to go hang out with Jess Church and she had this friend who just was a little fake/judegemental, and I felt bad becasue she was just kind of trashing everyone, and we went hot tubbing in the Villiage I just felt like I was in the middle of mean girls a little teeny bit.  And I just didn't like how a little mean she seemed to be, so then every comment she made I was a little bit like, well that wasn't very nice.

Anyway, I got home at the end of the night and I didn't feel good at all.  And as I pondered and told Cassi all about how self absorbed a little bit she was, and how she said this and that, I realized that I didn't feel good because I had spent the whole night judging others.  I was not only sinning, but I was also being super hypocritical, so how did I expect the holy ghost to be with me if I was not doing things conducive to the spirit.  

Anyway, I was talking to Cassi and Cassi said that its hard not to judge others, especially when we view ourselves as clearly more righteous than them.  But she read a book, and it talked about how we only villanize/become judgemental or others when we betray ourselves.  When we chose to not do that act of service all the sudden we see everyone around us as dumb becasue why aren't THEY doing something about the situation, why arent they doing the needed act of service.  But really, it was us that could have taken the opportunity, and should have taken the opportunity.  I think this could have halped me a lot if I had realized this on my missison.  It doesn't matter if our comp won't contact someone on the bus, or on the street.  We just have to do it ourselves before we go along justifying our sins of omission.  Anyway, My goal this week is to not think about the negative as much.

Love, Liza

Oct 30, 2016

I always was surprised when people emailed me and reminded me of minor holidays.  I always thought "Oh ya, I forgot!  It is that time of year!"  But I have actually heard that they kind of trick or treat in Chile!  Is that true?

Announcements from this week:

I am going to start doing nerve regeneration research on rats, so pray that they do not bite me because I have a great fear of that.

 

We are now about half way through the semester

Me and Jordan aren't dating anymore as of like a week. It was good though, and I definitely felt inspired that it was time to move on.  I really haven't felt sad at all, just exited to meet new people and make new friends (I really hadn't gotten to know my ward hardly at all because I was always driving an hour to salt lake on the weekends).

Spiritual experience of the week:

Yesterday night I got home late from a murder mystery date and I hadn't read my scriptures.  I was super tired and was tempted to go to bed but then I saw Cassi reading her scriptures and I knew what I needed to do.  I was on Jacob 4, which I really never considered a chapter of much importance, but then I started reading it and the words hit me so hard.  Jacob 4 is filled with so much good stuff.  I think my favorite scripture I read was Jacob 4:7   Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weaknessthat we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things.

 That we are weak so we are reminded that God is the one who makes us able to do anything anyway.  So as long as we remember this, then it is very much ok to be weak.  I have been learning this week that humility isn't thinking less of yourself, but thinking less about yourself. You just have to go out and serve others, and in the process you realize that God is helping you do so much more good than you ever could have done yourself.

 Anyway, I love you lots.

Liza

This is a picture of my succelant plant that Katie gave to me.  Isn't it cute!

October 23, 2016

Stephen--

I got your letter yesterday about all the success people had in Chile 20 years ago.  And sometimes how we wonder why we are not having the same success.  Oh Stephen, I just wish you could hear me asking my district and zone leaders the same questions just a year ago.  

Paraguay was once called the promised land, where people were baptized by the thousands, and the chapels were brimming with people that they had to keep building new ones, and dividing into Branches so that everybody could fit into the sacrament building.  Then little by little, most fell away, and now we have big chapels only half full, a reminder of how things used to be.  I know that some things had to do with the welfare system.  Many were converted, I don't think that any of them (well maybe a very select few . . . but very few) only joined because they wanted food and viveres, but their testimonies were weak.  And when additional storms and temptations came in their life (unfortunately some came in the form of unfaithful church leaders or bishops that stole from the church, etc), they fell away.  So now here we are, with 1000 member lists and 50 active members.  It made me feel sad sometimes.  And then I got a hard companion, and things just seemed to get worse.  I felt like she was sometimes pushy with people, and I feared that she would obligated them or manipulate them into getting baptized, and I knew that that was not right.  Sometimes in the mornings I would exercise alone.  One time I kindly reminded her again and again what time it was, that she needed to get up, and she didn't.  So I let her sleep until 8 AM, when I told her that I was going to go study scriptures if she wanted to join me.  She jolted awake, mad that I had not woken her up earlier.  I told her that one day she would have a little comp and if she did not get up, her comp would not get up either, and then they would lose the spirit, and that it would help her to be independent.  She didn't really believe me then, but 6 months later when I saw her and she was training, she laughed and said I was right when I had said that.

And there were some days when I just couldn't do it anymore.  I felt like all my efforts were for naught.  I remember sometimes I would take my camera, and video tape myself talking in english. I told myself it was to journal, but really it was because I felt so alone.  But then during that time, I learned about the atonement even more.  I yearned to study it, to learn about how it changed people.  Because there was always the rare case of the convert who joined the church and never left.  Usually it was the branch president, and their life had been so blessed because of the gospel. I wanted to know why they made it, why the atonement empowered them while so many more refused to use the atonement in their lives.  

I started feeling this irrational joy enter into me.  I was happy.  I had no reason to be.  I still was struggling with the same problems with my area, with my comp, but I just felt happy.  I talked to people, got rejected mostly, got lied to, but I would not stop being happy.  That is when I found one of my favorite scriptures of all time.  Alma  31:38 And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith.

I felt all my trials being swallowed up in the joy of Christ.  It is just like the talk that Nelson just gave that says . . . . That is why our missionaries leave their homes to preach His gospel. Their goal is not to increase the number of Church members. Rather, our missionaries teach and baptize to bring joy to the people of the world!  

And when I thought like that, I loved being happy, I loved preaching and I didn't mind the rejection, because every person I talked to, I helped, whether they accepted it or not. My happy demeanor maybe even bugged some, but then they were left questioning why, why I was so happy, and they were not.  And I now look back at that time in my mission with such happiness.  It was one of the best times of my mission.

Anyway, I love you lots,

Liza

October 16, 2016

This week was so fun.

In answer to your question this one boy came back from Indonesia and now although i still blush a little saying it, I am dating someone.

So he worked all the beginning of this week and then on Thursday we went to the temple to do a session together.  Then on Friday we hung out with Cassi and Brian Felt and the family in Salt Lake, watched the BYU game (their homecoming game, which they won in double overtime), and played foosball (he won twice but I won once) and played this hilarious card game and at the end, we grabbed a caldron and threw cards into it to see who could flip the most cards into the bucket.  Then Saturday, we went hiking in Bells canyon, went to grab some Greek food for dinner, and then went on this really pretty moonlight tram ride at Sundance.  And today he is going to eat dinner with our family.  So it has been a good weekend so far.  He is a good guy, and I like hanging out with him, so we'll see where it goes.  Haha, I would say more, but then, I am sure that mom will include stuff about him in her email, so you can just read her email.

On the spiritual side, I was talking to Jordan yesterday and he was saying that there are a lot of vain repetitions in the gospel, and a lot of times, prayer can be one of them.  I mean, what do you say when you pray over your food?  That it can bless and strengthen you.  Why?  Because that is what everyone else says.  And the next question is, how could you change that?  I think that one thing that can make my food prayers more meaningful is to think one of things that I had seen God do in my life that morning, one thing I was grateful for.  

Anyway, I love you.  And I hope that everything is going well in your mission, and that you are applying all the cool General Conference talks to your investigators as best you can.  I always had so many ideas for investigators after conference, but then I didn't have access to the talks for months.  It always frustrated me.  So if you ever need us to send you a talk in Spanish you can print out and use untill you can get the real Spanish ensign, let me know, ok?!

Love,

Liza

October 2, 2016

So this weekend was conference! I got to go with one of my companions!!! Didn't you just love it!  I think my favorite part was this quote.  

The Savior also offers an intensity, depth, and breath of joy that defy human logic or mortal comprehension. --President Nelson

I think that this describes missionary work so well!  It is so true.  Any suffering you pass through can be swallowed up in the joy of Christ.

Another funny story. During the family picture, Spencer got sooo mad.  Haha, he did not want to take any pictures.  So he took off his sunday shoe and threw it down the stream.  Funny kid.  

A special moment this week was Whitney's wedding. But basically he's a convert and she waited for him to really gain his testimony.  He wanted to believe and he never doubted that he would keep the commandments, but he had and still has some doubts.  And in the end, he decided to walk by faith not by knowledge, and she decided that she loved him enough to wait.  And now they finally have gotten married.  So cute. 

Anyway, love you.  And about your question about what you can do for your sector.  I am sure that general conference told you exactly what you need to do! That is the cool thing about general conference and personal revelation.  We just must be ambitious for Christ.  Serve willingly, love the work, and know you are good enough. if you still don't know, then I think one thing I really loved from this conference was when they talked about how neat prayer is and how we can pray and really communicate our needs and desires to God, and receive his answers and his help.

Love ya forever!

Sept 25, 2016

Stephen--

First I will tell you some of the blessings of this week that are fun . . . 

-I did skittles bowling (where you have to bowl according to which color skittle you have . . . like granny style, partner bowl, with your left, hand, spin around 3 times before you bowl).  It was on a date with a kid named Logan.  It was a fun date idea.

-I went out to get Taco Bell with this kid named Adam, and his family did foster care and then decided to adopt two little boys.  Such a cool story.  So I loved that!

--We went to the circus, which was way cool.  Jess Church came with us!! She just broke up with her boyfriend that she has been dating for a year, and is a little heartbroken, but she knows it was the right thing to do. When we were talking about dating it she said that she was really appreciative of how you treated her when you guys were dating, that you treated her very well!  So good on you.  I really think that that is super important in a relationship.  The way you cherish and treat each other. 

-I feel like my capacity has been expanded as I have really put my trust in the Lord with some of my goals.  

Now for some of the ways I saw God's life . . . . 

I saw a beautiful sunset. I walked  out of the Marriott building and I could see the sun slipping in between the clouds. I was at the top of the hill so I could see down across all the little south part of campus and it reminded me of how beautiful God's creations are. And also that after all this learning I get to go forth and serve. I guess that's when I'm don't feel any stress at all. When I remember why I am actually studying all these things. It's to help people! 

The other part of the miracle is that a couple days ago I saw I sign for the Simmons cancer institute. I felt very strongly that I need to take a picture of it and go to that event so I did but the event was for 2015, it had already passed. I thought nothing more of it until I was sitting studying on the inside of the JFSB I saw an event outside I looked in on the table at a sign that said Simmons Cancer Institute at BYU. Sitting there in the Jfsb I had that same strong feeling "go to this event." Nervous, because I didn't even know what kind of event it was, I went and sat outside on the on the table near the event so I could discreetly listen. It was a volunteer information meeting, and I made some really cool connections with people, so that I now will be able to be more involved in public health and service related to cancer. I know that the Lord led me there. Anyway, the Lord's hand is just so much in our lives! We just have to look for it.

Love,

Liza

Sept 18, 2016

Hey Steven, I hope you had a great week!   I am just getting back from a college kids dinner! There were a lot of people there. Johny and Allie, Jessica and Mark, Cassi, Ben, Jackson, Brian Felt, Ashley North, Rachel and Mitch who she is about to get married to, and Sara Jarman. It was a big group even though it was just mostly cousins. 

Because I am sure you want this update, Jordan left for Indonesia this week. He won't be back for three weeks. So don't worry things won't happen too fast. Speaking of, conference is in like two weeks. I am so excited!  One of my favorite times on the mission was always when there was general conference. It is so fun to invite everyone to come and hear the prophets speak and to gain a testimony for themselves that there is a real representative of the Lord on the earth today. You can always put your money on the prophet! So have fun writing tons and tons of people to General conference! I will be praying for you and your investigators. :-)

A cool experience I had this week was going to the temple. I felt like between school and work and dating, I just didn't have any time in my life and it stressed me out. I felt like I wasn't doing good enough. There was too much to do! So I went to the temple and I fasted to be able to feel the peace of the Lord.   I only had time to do initiatory's but I was able to feel a tangible peace filled me up as I heard the promises of the initiatory ordinance repeated again and again. By the end I had a huge smile on my face, and I knew that I would be able to accomplish all that the Lord required of me. That is one reason why I love the initiatory. The initiatory really is where the Lord blesses us to be able to do everything, literally everything we need to do in this world!!

Well I love you babe and hope you have a great week! 

Love, Liza

Sept 11, 2016

Stevie--

I loved your letter last week to me.  It was so funny!

Sorry I didn't write last week.  I was backpacking, which I think mom already told you.  But anyway, we went to the Wind Rivers in Wyoming and it was great!  Here are some pictures . . . . 

The first fish I ever caught.  And the only fish I ever caught.  Ya know, I don't love normal fishing, but I think fly fishing is really fun. 

Because it was September, it was a little cold, but there were not any mosquitos, which was sooooo nice.  Really, the weather was really cold at times, but at other times, it was so nice.  I want to go back to this place. It apparently is one of the best backpacking places in the country.

It was super cold when we went fishing.  Like bitter cold.  So I had my jacket all zipped up.  But there was nobody else around.  It was so nice.

I think one of the coolest moments of the trip was that Jodi had asked his bishop permission to do the sacrament while we were out there.  And so me and Jordan and Jodi went for a hike Sunday morning, to this beautiful crater lake, and suddenly the loud wind cut out.   There was a storm coming, but in this little shelter, it was quiet.  Calm.  And there, we had brought some flatbread and water bottles, and the two boys broke and blessed it, using the lid of the water bottle as a cup and Jodi's jacket as a blanket to cover the different parts of the sacrament.  I was just sitting there, so grateful that they were both worthy to have and use the priesthood in situations like that.  That even in a remote place of the world, here we were, able to renew our sacred covenants.  It reminded me of the scripture  Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.   I felt the spirit, (a warm sensation made even more tangible by the fact that I was super cold), and I knew that He was with us.  That he approved of our sacrifice.  That he loved us.  And then right after the sacrament ended, the storm picked up and it started raining.  We found shelter under a rock and we sat there, each one bearing our testimony, and then we sang High on a Mountain Top and finished with a prayer.  I will always remember that moment, singing High On a Mountain Top, being the only people around for miles, in the cold rain, but not really feeling it because the spirit was strong.

Anyway, I love you!  Keep on keeping on.

29 August 2016

Stevie Boy--

These are the first of the past 7 days.

1. First day of school . . . so that day is actually today.  I am in MMBIO right now and it is the best.  The professor is from Ireland and is soooo funny.  I love having professors from other countries.  I had a bunch in Jerusalem, and just this summer I took Chemistry from someone that is Arabic from Jerusalem.  And now I have a progessor from Ireland.  It's just the best!

I am also taking . . .  organic chemistry, marketing, political science, and a foundaitons of the resauration class from Brother Sweat (I don't know if you ever had him . . he was the seminary president for awhile at BHS.)

2. First day of work (I am working as a Family History TA . .  crazy right!)  It was kind of a miracle, but I know that God was part of it because now I have this great job that allows me to keep learning about family history.  Really, I almost didn't apply, but then I did, but did NOT expect to get the job.  My patriartical blessing says something about how I need to learn and do Family History, and I was thinking, but I don't have time.  So God gave me time.

Ok, now for a funny story.  So this week in church there was this kid that was talking about gratitude, and how we won the lottery.  And he said "If there was an NBA draft in God's world, I would be first pick,  I mean . . . I am white, born in the church, come from parents  . . fairly wealthy, here at BYU.  And the whole ward just started whispering and silently laughing or just gaping.  Because he legit said he is super lucky to be white.  Uhhhhhhhhhhh. 

Anyway, I love you tons!!  And I have thought about you this week, wondering where you are, with what companion.  Transfers made me so nervous as a missionary.  I didn't love the fact that someone else had complete control of my life, and they could just switch things up whenever they wanted.  Haha, it really makes you learn to trust God.

Anyway, have a great week!

Love,

Liza

P.S. My other first of the week.  My first kiss.

August 8, 2016

Stevie—

How has your week been?

One super cool thing that I learned this week is that sometimes the Lord puts you in the spot right where he needs you.  I was at a provo concert on center street to help pass out cards that advertise the refugee support group I volunteer with and at the end I was taking stuff to the car of one of my friends and to get back to my car, I cut through the Provo City Center temple grounds to get to my car. I decided that while I was there, and as the peaceful feeling of the temple grounds touched my fast paced mind, and slowed me down, I would sit down and meditate a little.  So I watched some cool bible videos on my phone and sat there basking in the spirit of the temple grounds.  So good! But at night time, they just have one gate open, so when I tried to cut through to go to my car I couldn’t leave that way.  And while walking to the other side I had seen a man sitting there, and I thought, Go talk to him.  I pushed away the thought.  I would not just go ruin someone’s spiritual moment . .  if he was here alone, its because he wanted to be alone, etc.  But as I walked past him again, I asked him where the gate that was open was.  We struck up a conversation.  He was your age (though his beard and longer hair made him look older) and he had been semi active throughout his life.  He made some bad decisions w/ his gf in HS and 3 weeks after graduation, he found out he was going to be a dad.  So all his friends went on missions, and he was a dad, struggling to make things work with his girlfriend.  Eventually, they split up, and that day, the day we met, he had given up his custodial rights to his 18 month old to the parents of his ex-girlfriend, because they had a stable family, and could take care of the baby better than he ever could of.  So hard.  He made a very selfless decision, and he felt really lonely.  Like he wanted a new start, but didn’t feel like he deserved one.  He was at the concert too, and saw the temple and knew he had to go over to the grounds.  He was prompted basically.  So I did  what any missionary would do and told him about the atonement, and God’s love.  He is such a cool kid. He wants to be good, he really wants to get his patriarchal blessing, but just struggles to get to church, to change his life a little.

Anyway, it was cool because I know that God put me there for a reason.  There are always people to help, work that needs to be done.  We just have to be selfless enough and focused enough to listen. But if we do, we will start having OUR faith strengthened, OUR testimony grows when we help others.

That is why missions are such faith building experiences.  Because your whole goal is to help others gain faith, but in the end your faith has grown as much as anyone’s.

I am proud of you!  You really are great!

Love,

Liza

July 24, 2016

Stephen-

This week I learned something cool.  It is that when things aren’t going well, you just have to forget about yourself and pray and remind yourself that God is on your side.  I was doing not as well as I would have liked in 2 of my classes, and this week I had 2 big midterms that I was worried about.  So I sat around biting my nails and being frustrated until I decided that I just had to convince myself that I was going to be happy and successful in those classes and that God can do so much more with my abilities than I can.  

So I started studying and started praying, that God would help me be confident and happy with my lack of abilities or abilities in Chemistry and spanish.  Not exactly that I would ace my tests, but that I would be calm and know that God has a plan and that he will bless me.  And when I started praying for that . . . That I could be happy with just trying, happy with the success I had as well as the success I didn’t have, and that I could be humble enough to see the hand of God in my life.  I guess I was paying for gratitude.  And then this past couple days, everything started going really well.  I did well on my tests, I got to have fun with friends, and Katie and Trent one night stopped by just to give me some zucchini bread with zucchinis  from their garden.  And I realized that your happiness is not at all proportioned to your success, but rather proportioned to your gratitude.  This was a lesson that I had learned so many times on the mission, but I hadn’t always applied it as well after the mission.  Something I recommend is in your journal write down the things you are learning.  In the back or something.  Just little catch phrases of how you want to live your life after you get home.  So then you can remember then when you get home and don't have to learn them all over again in the real world.  Its like a list of "Truths I promise to never forget."

Anyway, you are the best.  I love you so much, and I am happy you are learning so much.  And you sound very grateful, which means I think, that you are happy.

Love,

Liza

July 17, 2016

I found a super cool scripture and I just wanted to share it with you.

It is 1 Nephi 1:13-14.  It talks about how Lehi reads in a book given by him by an angel how Jerusalem gets destroyed, a bunch of Israelites are taken captive, havoc ensues, many shall perish by the sword.  Blood, pain, and justice for their wickedness, right.  And then Lehi starts praising God.  And I realized that although I kind of had always interpreted Lehis prasing about the justice of God, how he wouldn't do it if these people had not broken the commandments and wouldn't repent . . . . he doesn't do that.  It verse 14, the word justice isn't used.  Lehi praises God for his mercy, goodness, and goes back to mention his mercy again.  And it made me think . . . if we could read our lives from the book of heaven,  We would feel uncontrollable gratitude for the mercy shown to us.  We would read even the very parts where are lives and the lives of those we love are "destroyed" and we would only feel overwhelming appreciation for God's mercy and goodness.  I love this thought.  It's like a clue to how much God really loves us, how much he really takes care of us, even when all we see is the hard stuff.

Anyway, keep it up!!  P.S. I am becoming friends with this guy that went to Chile on his mission and he showed this this video of a guy speaking chilean spanish slang scriptures.  And I didn't catch all of it but I was dying laughing.  It was so good.  I will try to get a transcript for next time.  All I remember was that the I Nephi said unto my fahter was  "Y le dije al viejo" with the thick chilean accent.  It was so funny!  

This week me and Katie got to go to the temple together and do a session, for the first time ever!!  :)  I can't wait for when we can all go together (those of us that will be endowed at that point).  Sitting the in the celestial room with Katie was just like . .  yup.  This is what families are for!

But I love you tons, keep working hard!  You can do it.  

My advice for being sick of your area is praying and figuring out something new to do.  Really, areas are always needed new ideas.  You can ask your new comp how things are, in his other areas, how they do things there, ask every missionary you know and you will find some fantastic ideas! :)

Love,

Liza

July 11, 2016

Stevie-

This weekend I went boating.  And I got super sunburned.  So saturday night me and my roomates (who also went) watched a movie and rubbed apple cider vinegar on our burns (which works so so well, fyi).  I learned that trick at youth conference one year with Ethan Winther.

Yesterday the second counselor gave a talk in sacrement meeting about service and 2 acts of service given to him in his life that had a deep impact on him.  He invited us to think in our own lives of a couple times that stand out of when there was a great service given to us.  

The first one I thought of was running my first 1/2 marathon in Moab.  It was proably one of the most physically dificult things I had done in my life up to that point and I remember the last 2 miles, I was kind of just done.  It was harder than I thought.  I even started to cry, not out of pain, but I think just being overwhelmed.  And dad told me to keep running because if we walked we would get stiff and cramp up, and jogging down the road, he put his arm around me for like a full minute, kind of pushing me along, comforting me (and I am sure if was an awkward way to run for him), as we kept running.  He knew if I just finished, I would have a great sense of accomplishment.  And so he kept me jogging down the road till the very end.  And now I love running.  Now I know I can do hard things, and overwhelming things.  A lot of that comes from that first half marathon in Moab, Utah, and dad's act of service.

Another one I thought of was my first night at byu.  I had just run ragnar, and I was exhausted.  Then I packed up all my earthly possetions and went down to BYU.  I had missed the new student orientation, I had missed the check in time for my apartment.  And I was lost.  The gps of my car hadn't worked, and the gps on my phone hadn't worked.  Parking was hard to find where you wouldnt get towed, but when I finally found a place to pull over,  I just sat there. Realizing that here I was, I had just moved out for the first time in my life and now I was in a city I didn't know, and I didnt have anywhere to spend the night.  My friend Olivia Esplin was waiting for me at a freshman party at the wilk, but I didnt even know in what direction campus was.  How was I supposed to find the "wilk".  So I sat there.  Realizing that I had two options.  I could just sleep in my car for the night.  OR I could give up and go home, lasting about 2 hours in the adult world and being moved out before running back home scared.  No, there had to be another option.  So I took out my phone and callled the only person whos number I had that lived in Provo at the moment.  Trent.  And Trent helped me get to the elms (i actually was just a block away), and then he and summer and joelle and I think Twood or maybe Jake walked me up to the wilk and dropped me off at the wilk, and told me when I was done, to text him and they would come pick me up and walk me home, so I didnt get lost.  And then that night, Summer let me stay in her apartment.  And that night I said a prayer of thanks, and decided that I could do it.  I could be an adult.  And that I had friends.  I wasn't alone in this strange new world of college.

Anyway, those were two that I thought of.  Service counts.  Service changes lives.  So keep being a missionary!