A Few Last Words

Family and Friends,

I am unsure of how to even start this email. I have so many emotions and thoughts that I can't put any of them into words! Who would've thought that would be hard for someone who has been talking to everyone for almost 18 months!

The last week of being a  missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints couldn't have been better. We worked hard and saw many miracles. Sister Wright and I felt what it was like to solely be instruments in the Lord's hands, answering prayers, showing people they are not forgotten, and helping others feel love. I couldn't have asked for anything better.

I would never trade these last 17 1/2 months for anything. It has been trying, hard, frustrating, saddening, and brutal, but it has also been exciting, fun, fulfilling, and full of joy. The joy I have felt surpasses all the other feelings and experiences. Living the gospel of Jesus Christ and helping others come to know, and live it as well brings immense joy. To be able to watch someone make positive changes in their life, or to learn of Heavenly Father's love for them, are experiences that will never be forgotten.

As I look back on the things I've done and the people I've been able to help, the person who has benefited the most is me. As I've been trying to focus on others, my heart has changed. I have become a different person as I have followed the example of my Savior. It is through Him and His Atonement that I am changed. I will never be able to express my gratitude and love for the blessing this is. 

God is real. He is our Father in Heaven and He loves us. He wants the best for us, so much that He sent His son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. He is the Prince of Peace. It is through Him and His Atonement that we can have peace and hope in this life. It is because of Him that it is possible for us to return home to our Heavenly Father. 

 

The Gospel of Jesus Christ truly is the recipe for success and happiness. It is real and the promised blessings that come as we live it are real.  

 

The Gospel needed to be restored after Jesus Christ and His Apostles were no longer on the earth. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Jesus Christ's church, here again upon the earth. The Book of Mormon is the evidence of this, and the evidence that God truly does love us. He speaks to us today through a prophet, just as He did in biblical time. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

I could go on and on, but I won't. 😉 Just know that this is all true. I know it is by the experiences I've had and by the testifying power of the Holy Ghost. 

I love you all. Thank you for the support and love you've shown me. I will see you soon💓

xoxo, Sister G 

[Sister Groneman is a twin!]

There is a concert every other week and people park in the church parking lot right next to the concert. We used it to booth. We gave away over 300 pass along cards, a BoM, and a pamphlet.

Service and Good Thoughts

Hey Hey Hey!!

 

Ok, so this last week gave us a challenge with the heat, but we're pushing through. We've got 4 fans running in our apartment 24/7 and the lowest it gets in there is maybe 70-75 degrees...at night. We are feeling really blessed though because we only have to push through it for two weeks here. And we know that other places are wayyyyy hotter. (Like Texas.... you've got it Sister H**!!)

 

Besides the heat it's been a normal missionary week for Sister W** and me. We are still on the hunt for the elect souls and we know we will find them and they will find us. This game of seek and find doesn't last forever!

 

One highlight of my week was the unplanned opportunity we had to serve one of our members and his wife on the 4th. A member of the stake owns a nursery and tree farm here that he opens up and has a huge bbq for the holiday, so of course we went! While we were there, we noticed a couple from our ward so we went and said hi. Now, they aren't just a normal part-member family in the ward, they are unique--they are both blind. They are fully dependent on other people to get them places and to do many things. 

 

After the prayer on the food was said and people got in line to get their food, we noticed them just patiently waiting for someone to help them. We had a special opportunity to offer our help. For the next hour and a half we were able to make them plates of food, eat and talk with them, and fill their plates with seconds and thirds. It took most of our time there and at one point the adversary made us feel like we weren't doing what we should (go and talk with everyone), but we know we were representing our Savior and are so grateful we had the opportunity to serve this couple. I love them and am so impressed with their outlook on life. They are positive and have a love for life. That night I saw and experienced what it was like to truly help someone who physically could not do it themself. 

 

One other quote that I will share quickly. It was from Relief Society yesterday and I loved it--

 

"You will never change your life until you change something you do daily"

 

Just ponder that for a moment. It is not enough to change something you do periodically. To really make a change, something you do daily needs to change, whether that is stopping/starting something or adjusting something to do it differently. I can testify that it is the little daily things we change that help us become who we are meant to become and how we will be able to do great things in Heavenly Father's eyes. 

 

Oh, I have one more thought that also comes from Relief Society. The sister giving the discussion talked about how she is trying to meditate more and be more focused. The app she is listening to is literally just one line. She says you sit in a chair with your back straight and eyes closed and listen to this man saying "sit and know that you are sitting." That is all he says. At first she thought it was weird, but then she realized how great it was and how we can apply it every day. We need to be focused completely at what we are to be doing in the moment and not be focused on the million other things we think we need to be doing that moment or that day; serve and know you are serving, study and know that you are studying, listen and know that you are listening, etc. 

 

So invitation time:

Pick a day this week to try this principle out: "sit and know that you are sitting"

Pray in the morning and ask for help to focus on what you are doing and to be fully present in that moment. Then go throughout your day trying to give 100 percent of yourself to each moment. I promise you will see a difference in how you do things, the things you learn and notice, and you will be more in tune with the Spirit.  

 

Have a great week this week and I will see you next Wednesday!

 

xoxo, 

Sister G 

 

 

You know you're short when...

The E** family and J**, another member in our ward who loves to be with us

We got ice cream with one of my favorites, Sister M**!  I have learned so much from her and am inspired by her!

OK we just got the mail. Thank you sooo much! It made my day! Everything is so cute and thought out! Love you both!!  

Another Week Bites The Dust

Hey!!

 

Another week down and more to go! I am so grateful to know that this work doesn't stop even after I get home. What a blessing it is to serve the Lord. 

 

This past week Sister W**t and I have been trying to be creative and think of new ways to find [people] through our own efforts. It is something that we don't think about often as we are always trying to work with members, but because of different events that have occurred, this is what President Nakken has asked us to do in this area. 

 

Finding mostly by our own efforts has been a challenge for us, but as we have tried to do what we can, we have seen Heavenly Father helping us so much and letting us know we are never alone. We have been able to meet people who are interested in learning and who are searching for something (we know that "something" is the gospel!). Day after day we have thanked Him for His help because we would not be able to do it without Him!

 

This week we have truly relied on our Savior and His Atonement as well. We have felt the strength that comes through Him as we have asked for His help. I feel that I have come to understand Him and His Atonement a little better. Life isn't meant to be easy, even though sometimes we think it should be. We should never expect it to be easy when it was never easy for Him. How grateful I am for my Savior. Because of Him, and with Him, all things are possible.

 

A couple great things!

 - The last 2 weeks we have had people who may be interested in learning come to church after we invited them! They just randomly walk in and they have been miracles! We are hopefully going to start teaching them!

- a LA [less active] that we have been working with came to church for the first time in a long time. He has tried a few times before, but he was finally able to overcome the anxiety he feels as he tries to leave [home]. We are so proud of him and the progress he has made. He even said the closing prayer at the lesson last week! 

 

Ooh ok let me share something from my studies! I was reading 3Nephi 3. This is the chapter where Lachoneus, the Nephite leader, receives a letter from the Gadianton leader, Giddianhi. Giddianhi tells Lachoneus to join them or they will kill him and his people. What I want to share is what Lachoneus does after he writes back saying he won't join them. I found 7 things that he did when he knew the enemy was going to attack and we can apply them in our lives-

 

1. Pray to Heavenly Father for help

(Vs 12)

2. Prepare yourself and help others to do the same 

(vs 13-14)

3. Repent and make sure you are aligned with God

 (vs 15, 25)

4. Follow your leader; Follow the prophet (vs 16, 19)

5. Don't put yourself in enemy territory; don't go looking for trouble 

(vs 21)

6.  Surround yourself with support. Gather together with allies 

(vs 22, 25)

7. Have love 

(vs 26) 

 

Every day we know that the enemy can attack and it is so important to be ready when he does. I love Lachoneus'  example and as we apply these steps in our lives, we will have the strength to overcome the enemy and keep on the right path. Man, don't you just love what we can learn from The Book of Mormon!!

 

Well I hope everyone has a great week this week and a great holiday!! I am so grateful to live in this country and to have the freedoms that we have. Happy early Independence Day!

 

xoxo, Sister G 

 

 

Ice cream with the sisters!

We helped someone move! It was so fun!

What happens when we buy groceries...

 

Hey Fam!

 

This last week was a little challenging, but Sister W** and I worked hard and relied on our Savior. We saw many tender mercies and miracles, testifying to us that Heavenly Father is aware of us and His children in this area. 

 

Two great things that happened:

 

1. I was able to see Sister C**! (Now E**, or E**:)) She surprised us. One of our members randomly asked us to come help her with a few things and about 20 minutes after we got there, E** and her family show up. I haven't seen her in almost a year, so I was so happy to see her! She and her family are doing well. They are touring the mission before Em and her sister work as counselors at EFY in Santa Barbara. 

 

2. A couple weeks ago we met a man named E**. He is going through a tough time with members of his family having some medical problems. We followed up this last week to see how he was doing and to invite him to church. We had no idea if he was going to come or not because He didn't respond back to us on Saturday. Well, E** came to church!! It was wonderful to see him there. You could tell that he felt the Spirit during the meeting. Afterwards, as we were talking to him, he asked if we could come back and answer some questions and share more. Um, of course! I am so grateful he had the courage to come. We can't wait to share more with him because we know that the message we bring to others is what will bring peace and hope. It brings peace and hope because it is centered on Christ and His Atonement, and Christ is the Prince of Peace.

 

In one of my studies this week I was pondering of how easy it is to forget our Savior. Many times in The Book of Mormon the people forget Heavenly Father and His Son and fall into transgression, resulting in Heavenly Father hastening them. The challenge in life is to always remember our Savior. As I was pondering ways that we could do that I realized it truly is by doing the small and simple things every day. Yes, there are big things that we can do, but those big things usually aren't things that can be repeated daily. Rather, it is the small decisions we make that keep us standing in holy places. Always remembering the Savior takes effort, practice, and daily seeking, but I know that as we strive to always remember Him, we will have "His spirit to be with us", we will be protected against temptation, and we will will have no reason to fear. We will be full of faith.

 

This week, look for 1 thing that you could do to better remember our Savior. After all, He will never forget us. We are continually "graven up on the palms of [His] hands" (1Nephi 21:16)

 

Love you all

xoxo, 

Sister G 

 

 

We went on exchanges. Sister L** swims and plays water polo and I dance, hence the funny picture! 

 I saw this yesterday in church. I liked it

Oh, haha we ran into an orchard so we could take pictures.

 

A Happy Person

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the amazing fathers out there and for so many who have influenced me in my life, especially my dad!! Thank you so much for your example, love, and hard work. Love you!

 

So much happened this week I don't know where to begin! 

 

Monday was straight up terrible (Besides the package that I got from home. Thank you so much, we loved it!! It made our day). We had one of those days where no one wanted to talk to us, everything went wrong, and it felt like we were the cause of every bad thing. No joke! Hahaha. We had set the goal of doing all we could to find the people who are prepared to receive this gospel, but it felt like we were doing the complete opposite. 

 

Satan needed to try harder though, because the opposition we faced only helped us know that there really are people prepared in this area. It gave us the motivation to work harder and fight back.

 

We are so grateful we did. We saw so many miracle on Tuesday. Everyone was talking to us and we were able to share part of the gospel with everyone we talked to except one. Everything that happened on Tuesday was a blessing and miracle, for which we are thankful. 

 

One of the miracles from Tuesday is M**. We were walking by his apartment and he was sitting on his porch. It was shared and we barely saw him, but as we were walking away, we decided to go back and talk to him. He was interested in who we were and what we shared. We were able to share a Book of Mormon with him and set up an appointment for Thursday. 

 

Thursday rolled around and we had our lesson. The member who came with us just moved in and she is amazing! It felt like we were in tri-pan just teaching M** (she served her mission about 5 years ago). M** is golden. We asked him about the Book of Mormon and he told us he only read a little -a "little", meaning ALL OF 1 NEPHI. He then asked all the golden questions throughout the lesson of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Spirit was so strong and it was obvious that Heavenly Father had been preparing him to receive this message that day. M** committed to be baptized when he comes to know that all of this is true, which he is already starting to feel. We are so excited for him and know that he will continue to progress, even as family opposition will soon arise. We are a little sad that we will be passing him off to the YSA sisters, but in the Great California Ventura Mission, we are one. We are all working together to help our brothers and sisters on the path back home.

 

We have one more YSA investigator to pass off as well. We were able to have another lesson with him on Wednesday, before our Zone Conference, and he also committed to be baptized when he comes to know the truth of this message. He also was asking the best questions. We were discussing the Plan of Salvation. As we were talking about the Spirit World and how the gospel is preached to them, he asked how they progress. He then said they would need to do things like baptism as well, if that is necessary. We were able to talk and share our testimonies about temples and how they [those in the Spirit World] are able to receive the necessary ordinances through temple work.  So cool!! 

 

Our Zone Conference was good! I never thought the day would come that I would give my departing testimony, but it came. There are two others in my zone who gave departing testimonies as well. It was fun because I have served in the same zone with one of the Elders for 10 1/2 months. He has been my zone leader for 6 out of those 7 transfers. 

 

Zone Conference was so good. The day started with interviews (which were good), then we had the Conference in the afternoon/night. The first half before dinner was just missionaries and the second  half was with the missionaries and the ward mission (Ward Mission Leaders, Ward missionaries, auxiliary presidency members who are over missionary work). I really enjoyed it and felt it was a unique and beneficial way to help us come together in unity as missionaries and wards to help build Zion.

 

One thing I would like to share: 

The whole first half of Zone Conference, I feel, had the overlying theme of happiness. My thoughts went back to something a member said earlier this week. He said the gospel is not here to make us happy later or after we die, it is here to make us happy NOW. President Nakken talked about 14 things that a happy missionary is and I know that they can apply to everyone.

 

A happy missionary (person):

 

1. Is purpose driven

2. Is a truth seeker

3. Is not afraid of making mistakes

4. Is teachable

5. Likes him/herself

6. Is creative

7. Knows God and their relationship with Him

8. Is jam-packed with gratitude

9. Has moral courage

10. Is hard-working

11. Spreads sunshine, lifts others, and is an optimist

12. Doesn't look beyond the mark

13. Takes 100% responsibility for their actions and everything in their life

14. Knows how to live in the present

 

When you look at happy people, can't you see these qualities!? I just want to add that happy people aren't perfect and they still have trials, but happy people can see the eternal perspective and are able to humbly accept and follow Heavenly Father's will with faith that, when they rely on Jesus Christ, all will be well.

 

Look at this list and this week I want to invite you to pick one to work on this week. As you work on improving that quality, you will see each day in a more positive perspective and you will feel your happiness increase. It will give you the desire to do more, serve more, and love more. 

 

I know this, because each of those things in the list is who Heavenly Father wants us to be and knows we can become. As we are becoming more like Him we ALWAYS have more light and joy. Never forget though, that unpleasant things still happen and opposition still comes, but light always follows after.

 

xoxo, Sister G 

 

Forever Rely On God!!

 

Forever Rely On God!

We had exchanges this week. I spent a day with Sister F**.

 

Two is better than One

From the way this last week went, I know this will be a transfer of miracles!!

First things first though: Sister W**! (My companion)

She is from **

Her favorite car is a truck and she wants to be a farm girl 

She had been out a little over a year

The best thing---SHE IS A TWIN!! No joke, twins unite! She has an identical twin sister. What makes it even better is that our District Leader has a twin sister, so there are three of us who are twins in our district. It has been fun to talk about being twins this last week because we know what each other is talking about. Her twin is at school as well.

Before Sister W** came to **, Sister P** and I had a unique opportunity to house a new sister the night before transfers. She is a visa waiter for **! It was special to have her with us because I can see a little more of what generally lies ahead for her and I am excited. She will have so many great experiences and will help others have great experiences and you can't get these experiences anywhere else. She will bless so many!

On Tuesday Sister W got here and the atmosphere has been completely different since! We have seen miracle after miracle and we both know it is by Heavenly Father's hand.

One miracle I'll share is about our friend D**. We have been teaching him and trying to figure out his concerns/holdups. The lesson we had with him this last week was 110% by the Spirit and exactly what he needed.  We went in with only 6 questions and a topic to talk about. The whole lesson I was able to feel and witness the pSirit working through me, my companion, and our member, and as a result I saw the Spirit working in D**. We were straightforward with him and told him that there was only one church on the earth that Christ had established, that this was His church, and the ONLY way to know that is to pray and ask God and to read the Book of Mormon. At the end he grabbed his book and asked us to show him where to start so that he can actually read it for real. I know that as he sincerely reads, and as anyone sincerely reads the Book of Mormon, that they will feel the emptiness inside them start to be filled and they will come to know that everything The Gospel of Jesus Christ and His church have to offer, is real and true. Please pray for D** that he will receive that witness!

In addition to our miracle with D**, we have seen so many other miracles in meeting and teaching people, and working with the ward. Sister W** and I are continually thanking our Heavenly Father. We both know that the success we saw this week was definitely not because of us. 

"Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." (Alma 26:12)

I hope you all have a great week this week and that you can see Heavenly Father guiding your life each day. Most often, it will be in the small and simple things. Look for them and thank Him when you recognize them.

xoxo, Sister G 

I'm getting so old in the mission I forgot to tell you about a few other things!

We had the opportunity to teach the Laurels on Sunday. Our lesson was based on the worldwide devotional President Nelson held for the youth of the church, ages 12-18. Wow. That devotional was so powerful. It was so fun to teach them as well And I hope they were able to take something from that lesson. We focused on something President Nelson said. He talked about how Heavenly Father had reserved His most noble spirits, His finest players, and His heroes for this time. He then said, "those most noble spirits, those finest players, those heroes are you." So powerful! We chose to focus on that because President Nelson didn't tell the youth that's who they were supposed to become or who they could become, he told them they were. These youth are already this way and they have the potential to rise even higher. 

I was grateful to talk about this with them because I remember all the lessons in YW that I had talking about who we were and who we could become, and they were influential in my life. I believe that when we know who we are and whose we are, all things are possible and our lives will forever be changed. I hope the girls saw a little bit more of who they truly are yesterday.

I think that's it....We were able to give a cute little 88 yr old lady a Book of Mormon after we offered to take her trash to the bin for her. She said giving her a Book of Mormon made her day! Heavenly Father placed us all there at the right time because she was so tired she didn't want to move, but she needed to take her trash out so she got up and took it. We were just coming from picking something up from a member when we were driving past her and stopped to help. Gotta love the tiny moments Heavenly Father shows you that He knows His children!

Sister P, new sister, Sister Groneman

Transfer Day

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