Danica - Week 29

Familia,

Today Sister Lewis and I went into DC with four other sisters. We
called Senator Lee's office and scheduled a tour of the Capitol so we
got a personalized tour of the US Capitol building by one of his
interns. It was so cool, I loved it. There's so much history there.
There are still spots on one of the stair cases from when a reporter
shot a congressman and he bled all over the marble stairs. There's
also still bullet holes in some of the older pillars from previous
attacks and just random stuff like that that make it so much cooler.
We got to stand on the balcony where presidents are impeached and in
the different rooms where important acts were passed. There was one
room that was small and had a stained glass window with George
Washington and the words, "in God we trust" and a scripture in psalms.
There were two benches with a Bible on each one. Apparently that room
is where congressmen go to pray a lot. It's ironic how people are
trying to get rid of God and in lots of schools they can't recite the
Declaration of Independence because it says "God" but in the nation's
Capitol they still rely on God. Tons of cool stuff. It's so ornate and
beautiful there. So that was super fun.

Alba is doing well. We have had some great lessons with her and she's
awesome. Meredith came to church yesterday and she was so cute and
happy. She told people that she's getting baptized in 4 weeks! Pulla
didn't come to church again because he's been feeling sick and he's
struggling so his baptism is going to be pushed back. I was feeling
pretty down the other night because I've had so many people on baptism
date but none of them have been baptized and I felt like I wasn't
making a difference. It's not about the numbers but it's hard when it
seems like all my work is amounting to nothing. Hopefully Pulla and
Meredith will actually make it to baptism.

We are now at the Visitors Center six days a week on four hour shifts.
It's been going well. A guy from Afghanistan came in yesterday and
Sister Lewis and I spent an hour teaching him about the temple and
then the restoration. He had a lot of questions. After we showed him a
two three minute clips from Elder Bednar and Elder Holland from last
General Conference he was very quiet and then Sister Lewis and I each
bore our testimonies. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he gave us his
contact info so we can send missionaries to him. He lives in DC now
not Afghanistan. He ended up staying for two more hours and by the end
he seemed totally comfortable there. He was feeling the Holy Ghost
even if he didn't realize it. There are a lot of cool teaching
experiences and miracles that happen at the Visitors Center.

Sister missionaries were transferred completely out of a ward and the
members were really sad. The sisters were super close to a recent
convert older couple so they decided to play a joke on the new elders.
One was an AP and his companion is brand new. The recent convert
family invited the elders over for dinner and made them eat spaghetti
and salad with their hands and acted like it was completely normal.
They filmed it and gave it to the sisters so now the video of these
two elders awkwardly eating with their hands has circulated around the
sisters. It's super funny.

I have a new nickname. Danica. We park across the street from our
apartment at an apartment complex where all the temple missionaries
live. One of the temple missionaries secretly watches us as we pull in
at night. Apparently I pull in very quickly so he gave me the nickname
Danica after the race car driver Danica Patrick. I have no clue who
this missionary is but he was telling one of the Visitors Center
senior missionaries about it and said it was a sister with black curly
hair. Now I feel weird parking at night knowing that he's watching me
from somewhere.

Olivia Newhouse came into the vc on Friday. We were on the lacrosse
team together in high school (she was one of the few girls I still
liked by the end of the season) and she's serving in the Baltimore
mission. So that was way cool to see her, I was so happy.

An Elder from the Ranches ward came into the Visitors Center on Friday
as well. His name is Elder Turpin and he's in the Baltimore mission.
He goes home tomorrow so he must've left on his mission a couple weeks
before we moved there. Cool stuff.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY (Hannah) Rebecca!!!!!!!! :D I hope you enjoy your present.

Read John 7:17. We met a police officer at the Capitol today who has
been going to church for a while now but isn't baptized yet. He said
he didn't go to church yesterday so God sent him a gang (there were
six of us missionaries). He was super cool and Sister Lewis gave him
this scripture to read and pray about. Sometimes we need to act in
faith and do God's will before He will reveal more of His doctrine to
us or before we will understand completely. We will always be blessed
and receive further knowledge for doing God's will.

Love you all!

Sister Black

First two: dancing around in the rain last Tuesday during a crazy rain storm.

 

 

Some of the Visitors Center sisters saying goodbye to Sister Galbraith
in the middle.

 

Golf cart ride with our favorite temple security guard, M.D. Todd.
He's the best.

 

Drawing I worked on during meal times this week of Sister Lewis and I
at the Nats game.

 

Sister (Olivia) Newhouse and I.

 

Me in front of the Capitol. Plenty more pictures of today to come in the future.

 

 

Rinse and Repeat - Week 28

Dear family,

Last Wednesday was transfers. Sister Lewis and I are still together on
Kensington but now we're in the Visitors Center 6 days a week, about
25 hours a week. They put elders back in our area so now we have a
trio of elders as well! We were so excited. It took a huge load off of
us. We met Wednesday evening with them and decided how to split the
area and gave them investigators and less actives to teach and check
on.

Funny story. So we taught our new investigator a few weeks ago. She
had gone to the Visitors Center and requested to have missionaries
teach her. We taught her which was fine but then she couldn't meet
again until last Wednesday. She is in the elders area now so we needed
to pass her to them. We had the brilliant idea of having all five of
us teach her so they could get to know each other. She came into the
vc later on Wednesday night after our meeting with the elders. We went
into a room and we had a prayer and we had a lesson prepared for her.
She spent over an hour telling us how dead people speak to her and ask
her to do things, she's married but she made eye contact with a guy at
work and now she's knows he's the one she's supposed to be with and
she realized that sex shouldn't be part of relationships, marijuana
and alcohol should be allowed because they're natural but tobacco
shouldn't be because it isn't natural (?), God made us evolve from
apes, God isn't one person but is the combined subconsciousness of
everyone and once we die we become part of it. I had to bite my cheek
sometimes to keep from grinning. The best part is that one of the
elders, Elder Williams, is brand new so this was his very first lesson
with an investigator. His face was priceless. Welcome to the mission.
We showed her the Joseph Smith movie and then the elders took it from
there.

This transfer is different not only because we have elders now but
because we are in a different district now. We were really bummed
about it. Our district was the best (aka the baptizing district. True
story.) and now we're in a district with a bunch of Spanish
missionaries. We had our last district meeting last Tuesday. It was
really fun but sad. I have never felt so much love for so many people
outside of my family and have felt the same love returned. This is a
huge part of why I love being a missionary. All of my friends are
here, not at home. I never had this with anyone at home. Elder
Stevenson is a talented artist and also wants to major in animation at
BYU. He was in our district and drew a picture of us. It's so cute, I
love it. Then we reenacted it.

Saturday lunch with one of our recent converts. Let's call him Mike.
He is one of the weirdest, most awkward people I've ever met. I don't
know what it is about him but as a rule we sisters try to keep our
distance. He gives us random gifts and has been known to stalk other
sister missionaries before. He has been taking the lessons for years
and was finally baptized in May. When he was bearing his testimony at
his baptism he said he was ready to take upon himself the name of
Christ, Joseph Smith, and Brigham Young. Yeah. I hesitate to write
more but there's some background info.  He discovered the missionary
meal calendar a couple months ago and has been trying to schedule
dinner with us but we told him he needs to find another female to do
it with since he's a single male and we can't be alone with him. He
finally got a really nice older African woman in our ward to host us.
We weren't looking forward to it but we went. We arrived at 2pm and he
wasn't there so we talked to the lady, Patience, for a while. About
twenty minutes later he called and said he's gonna be late. We decided
to start without him since Sister Lewis and I had to leave at 3 to get
to our shift at the Visitors Center. We finished and he didn't arrive
until exactly 3 when we were done eating and had to leave. He brought
a bag of cakes he bought and gave each of us one then we left.
Patience was so annoyed. He had been trying so hard for months to
schedule a meal with us and when he finally got one he didn't show up.
That's Mike for you.

Alba came to church for the first time yesterday! Super exciting. The
meetings were rough though. The first speaker was a woman who spoke
about marriage. Slightly awkward since last week we discussed with
Alba that she needs to divorce her husband and marry her boyfriend in
order to get baptized. The beginning was good as she quoted the Family
Proclamation. But then she started going on about how men and women
think differently and then she gave lots of examples of how she and
her husband think differently and all these things he's done and he's
always in the wrong because he's a man and men don't think straight.
People were laughing but it was awkward, especially since he was
speaking next so he sat up there on the stand as she talked about the
stupid thing he did last week with ordering flowers. Finally he got up
to speak and it was on family history. He spent a long time talking
about how to do it with technology and when he finally got the
spiritual side of it, he looked at the clock and realized he was ten
minutes over so he skipped it. Ugh. Then in Sunday school it was all
about priesthood organization so she spent an hour learning about
deacons, teachers, priests, elders, Melchizedek, and Aaron. It was a
great lesson but rough for someone who didn't even know what the
priesthood was a couple weeks ago. Then in relief society it was about
marriage sealings and covenants where once again Jesus wasn't even
mentioned. Why can't we just have lessons on the Plan of Salvation or
the gospel of Jesus Christ or the atonement? I had no clue what the
gospel of Jesus Christ was or why our church was so different and
special until I came on my mission and someone finally explained it to
me. All those lessons about the temple and making lists of the
qualities I want in my future husband and gratitude did nothing to
teach me more about the gospel or prepare me for my mission. I don't
understand why we spend so much time talking about deep or obscure
doctrine yet we barely know the basics. No wonder so many people are
going astray, they don't understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our
basic message is this: Through a modern prophet, God has restored
knowledge about the plan of salvation, which is centered on Christ’s
Atonement and fulfilled by living the first principles and ordinances
of the gospel. We need to focus more on Jesus Christ and then branch
out from there. Sometimes Jesus gets lost in all of the information.
Also, I wish people at church would notice that we have investigators
so maybe we shouldn't mentions polygamy and if you see someone sitting
with the missionaries, go up and talk to them instead of ignoring
them. I was just so incredibly annoyed at people yesterday at church.
We know this is the true church that Jesus Christ restored so can we
act like it a little more? #smh

That's about everything that I feel like writing about. Thank you Cari
for the letter. Also Grandma Carol and Hannah for yours a couple weeks
ago. I'm feeling the love. <3

3 Nephi 27:19-21. The doctrine of Christ is to have faith, repent, be
baptized, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end.
This is how we access the atonement of Jesus Christ and return to live
with Him. We need to continually do these things. Always have faith,
always repent, take the sacrament to renew your baptismal covenants,
always be worthy to have the Holy Ghost with you, rinse, and repeat.

Sister Black

The Nats Game - Week 27

Dear family,

Last Saturday was the Nats game!!! We travelled as districts on the
metro to get there and then we all bought expensive hats and took
pictures. It was the nationals vs. the Phillies and the Nats won 11-0. It was so much fun. The game started at 7 and ended at 10:18. We didn't get home until about 12:10am ish. It was so fun to be there with the rest of our mission. President and Sister Cooke were so proud to be there with their missionaries from the "best mission in the history of life" as they call it. It was kind of weird being there with all these people and listening to music and screaming and doing the wave and just having fun on a Saturday night instead of out proselyting. Also, I saw Kiersten Rossi there. She's a missionary in the DC south mission and she's been out for around 2 months. We used to be best friends in elementary school and had sleep overs all the time, but we haven't seen each other since we were 11. Who would've guessed that the two best friends that substitute teachers used to think were sisters would reunite at a Nats game in Washington, D.C. as missionaries? Crazy. We only talked for about five minutes but it was cool seeing her again. I still picture her in my head as a ten year old haha.

I really enjoyed the game but I'll be honest, being there made me
realize how much I love being a missionary. I was so proud to be there with so many missionaries who I have grown to really love and respect. My district is so close and I have never felt so much closeness and love for so many people. In high school I felt like I didn't really fit in and I had a hard time making friends but here, I fit right in and we're all just a huge family that loves each other. There was lots of music and dancing and ads which was fun, but why would I want to go back to that world when I can be a missionary giving my time for a higher purpose serving the God I love and meeting incredible people? Last night as I was laying in bed, I thought about how I have 11 months left and for the first time on my mission, I felt sick about it. This is going by too fast. I don't want it to end because this is the most amazing and fulfilling thing I've ever done and once it's done it's over. I only have so many months left and then I'll never be a young sister missionary again. I never thought I'd get to this point where I really do love my mission more than home, but I do. This mission has changed my life and I have never felt so happy and close to God. It's incredible.

On the metro there and back we divided and conquered and talked to
people and gave out Book of Mormons and pass along cards. Sister Lewis and I gave out a Book of Mormon and then I also gave out a few
Visitors Center cards on the metro. It was fun to see the other
missionaries in action, teaching and testifying and giving out Book of Mormons. We role play a lot but it's not super often that we actually see each other in these actual situations. We don't just hand out Book of Mormons and cards to everyone. We try to start a conversation with someone first and eventually bring it to the gospel since we can't just go around preaching on the gospel and quite frankly everyone would hate us if we did. There were a couple guys outside the stadium who were holding signs and speaking through a mega phone about Jesus and how we're going to hell unless we repent. Not surprisingly, no one took them seriously. Missionaries teach people one by one just like Jesus did. Of course there are times when we speak and teach to multiple people, but we really do try to focus on the one. Not walk around with signs and tell people they're going to hell. Because the fact of the matter is that at least 99% of people probably aren't going to "hell", they're going to a kingdom of glory (aka heaven). But if they want to get into the highest one then they need to be baptized and all that. I just hate when people think that God will just toss anyone to hell because they didn't believe in Him or didn't know about Him. That's not how a loving Heavenly Father would ever treat His children.

Our investigators are... I don't know. Good and frustrating. None of
our baptismal dates came to church yesterday. We've been teaching
Pulla and his two kids. They are on baptism date. The French elders in our district came and gave him a blessing on Tuesday. The problem is that Pulla is like in his 60s maybe and has a hard time disciplining his 9 year old twins. He didn't come to church because they wouldn't wake up and they didn't come to a baptism because the kids didn't want to go even though Pulla really wanted to. He's been through a ton of hard stuff but he needs to step up and really be their dad.

We've been teaching a woman named Alba. She's the one whose daughter
is Gisselle. She's loving the lessons and is really wanting to change. But unfortunately she might not get baptized for a while because of some commandment issues that she'll need to take care of first. It's similar to problems they have in South America with undivorced couples.. I hate divorce (shocking) so it's weird for me to be telling someone they need to.. Idk. Whatever. The spirit will tell me what to do.

Our two other b dates are Meredith and Kidist. Meredith is golden and is out of town until next week. Kidist told us she realized that
anyone can baptize her and authority doesn't matter. Umm no. That was a fun lesson. It ended well but now she won't return our calls. :/

Sister Lewis and I are still going to be together next transfer. This Wednesday is transfers. We decided we need to be better. Our area is currently leading the mission with baptismal dates and President Cooke always goes on about how great we are and how proud he is of us, but we honestly aren't being as good as we should be and the b dates aren't super solid. We don't want to let President down but we're just feeling bad. We're excited and determined to really do better this transfer.

I've been out for over six months and I'm still the newest English
sister. All the sisters who came with or after me are Spanish and ASL. We're finally getting new English sisters this week so I won't be the youngest anymore. (:

Alma 36:17-21 "And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with
torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins,
behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the
people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to
atone for the sins of the world.

Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my
heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no
more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy."

Love you all (:

Sister Black

 

 

 

 

Best Punishment Ever - Week 26

Dear family,

I just got back from doing service. So for the Fourth of July,
President Cooke gave everyone a full p day but told us we had to be
home by 10:30pm. Unfortunately, 2/3 of the mission was late. Sister
Lewis and I were 10 minutes late. President Cooke personally called
each companionship that was late the next morning to let us know we
will not be receiving tickets to the Nationals baseball game in
August. We were disappointed but we knew that we were wrong by being
late. A week later President Cooke send out a massive email telling
everyone that those who were late can earn their tickets back by
sacrificing 3 hours of our p day to do service. They divided us in two
groups and we were lucky enough to be the morning group. We went to
this really cool place that has free furniture and clothes for people
in poverty. They also help them get jobs and education and it's really
incredible. There were 50 missionaries in my group and we all went in
this huge place and helped. The local community donates old furniture
and clothes and linens which they bring in in big trucks and organize
and store down stairs and then upstairs is the "show floor" where lots
of furniture and toys and linens are on display and people come
through and put stickers on what furniture they want and arrange
transportation for it and then the volunteers load it. A group of
about 8 of us organized the furniture upstairs to look good. We put
together matching dining room sets and living room sets (about as
matching as we could get them). There were constantly people coming
through and picking out things. It was so much fun, I loved it. Best
punishment ever. I want to do this all the time.

After, four of us sisters went to a Jewish restaurant. I finally ate a
crab cake. It was good but I don't think I'll be buying another one
anytime soon.

We've been doing lots of youth tours at the Visitors Center this week.
The youth come in at 9am and stay at the vc until 7pm ish and do
baptisms at the temple and a vc tour. Sister Lewis and I are only on
shift Sundays after church but because there's been so many youth they
keep on calling us in which I love. I love doing youth tours and being
with the youth. They're so much fun and I feel like I'm making a
difference in their lives. Teenage years are so crucial and is when
they either lose or gain their testimony so I take it as an amazing
opportunity to have this time to spend with them and help them to feel
the spirit. At the end of the day, they are supposed to write down on
little cards what the Holy Ghost taught them that day and we give them
to the senior missionary women who type them up and send them to their
stake. I usually don't read them but one day I did and I was amazed at
their testimonies. These teens are awesome, I love love love love love
love doing youth tours. So fun! Especially since I'm only 19 and
they're 14-18 so we connect better.

Friday was a cool day. After dinner with a member, we walked to our
car and there was a man sitting on the porch of a building listening
to music. I said hi to him then got in the car. I got the feeling I
should talk to him but I felt awkward because I was already in the car
but then I started to think of how happy this could make him and if I
don't talk to him he might not get the chance to hear about it and I
started feeling so guilty until I felt sick and cracked and said out
loud to Sister Lewis, "ok what card should we give this man outside?"
I got out the car and gave hima Visitors Center card and then a minute
later Sister Lewis jumped out and gave him a Book of Mormon and it was
really cool. When we got back in he car Sister Lewis said she had been
feeling like we should talk to him and right when she was about to
mention it I had asked which card to give him. I love revelation from
God, especially when the both of us get it for the same thing. It
happens all the time.

Another example happened later that night. Our appointment cancelled
and we didn't know what to do because it was 7 and prime proselyting
time. We prayed and we both just felt like there was someone we needed
to see but we couldn't think who. Sister Lewis mentioned how we could
go to one part of our area and then I said, "Gisselle!" And then
Sister Lewis said, "Gisselle!" and then we both started saying it over
and over like a bad rendition of "Enchanted." So we went to
Gisselle's. Gisselle is 17 and loves the Book of Mormon but we haven't
been able to meet with her yet. We went over and she wasn't home but
her mom was so we asked her mom if we could teach her a lesson
instead. Her mom said yes and we taught her the restoration and gave
her a Book of Mormon and it went super well and we now have a return
appointment tomorrow! It was so cool. On the spot restoration lessons
always put me in a good mood, it's so fun to teach. We then went to
Whole Foods afterwards and got ice cream to celebrate our divine
inspiration.

On Saturday we went to a less active woman's apartment to teach her a
lesson. She let us inside her apartment and as we walked inside she
told us that something was there and to be careful not to scare it. I
didn't catch what that something was and assumed it was a cat. We went
into her living room and there, sitting on her windowsill above the
couch and looking out the window like a cat, was a huge iguana. It was
just roaming the house and would climb the sofas like a normal pet.
This lady was showing us some earrings she had made when I saw
something move out of the corner of my eye. I looked and there was a
bearded dragon scampering along the carpet. She has 3 bearded dragons,
an iguana, and a cat that just wander the house like common house pets
(her cat was normal of course, but it was soooo beautiful!). She let
us hold the bearded dragon and take pictures. When we started our
lesson I has a bearded dragon on my shoulder, the cat on the sofa, and
the iguana on the windowsill. I hope they felt the spirit.

Our investigators are doing pretty well. A couple not so good lessons
this week but they're making progress towards baptism which is good.
Some missions are physically draining and some are spiritually
draining. This one is spiritually draining. For missionaries, we live
a good life here with our cars and iPads. Even the K house isn't too
bad even though every floor has a different and distinct, weird smell.
We aren't out in the hot sun walking or biking and getting burned and
dirty all day, but it's hard being missionaries out in DC and the
surrounding areas. The people here are tough and hard hearted and
trying to find new people to teach is draining. But missionaries come
away from here knowing the doctrine extremely well and being able to
solidly defend ourselves and our beliefs and Christ's church. Every
mission is hard but some may be more physically or spiritually harder
than others but it's what that person needs and also who they need to
teach. I'm glad I'm here. I think it would for me be easier to be in
South America where there are hundreds of baptisms every week but I
needed to be here where it's harder to get baptisms because that is
how I'm growing. For other people, going to South America where they
get tons of baptisms but have to clear sting rays out of the muddy
water to do it is where they are growing the most. I'm glad I'm here.
I'm learning to deal with people in a whole new way and is really
preparing me for the future when I have a family and career.

Proverbs 3:11-12. God gives us trials and burdens to help us become
better. He loves us so he wants us to grow to our potential. None of
us would be the person we are today without our trials. I know I
definitely wouldn't be. Not all trials are caused by God, some are
caused by others, but we learn and grow so much from them. I hate
trails but I'm grateful for them because they have made me who I am.

Sister Black

P.S. The Nats game is this Saturday!!!!!!


Tracting with the temple in the background is the best.

 

Iguana and two of the bearded dragons.

 

Crab cake

 

Doing service I talked about in my last email.

This Gospel Is Joy - Week 25

  

Dear family,

Last Tuesday we had zone conference. I really enjoyed it and I felt
like it was exactly what I needed. I love being with the other
missionaries and feeling their energy. So the church has come out with
the District 1 and 2 which missionaries watch as training videos. So
every zone conference our mission makes a District 3 video as a joke.
This one was so so funny. It was about us getting iPads for the first
time and not knowing how to use them. They did it as a news story and
also made it into a Godfather spoof. It was extremely well done and
hysterical. We were dying. If I were home I would give you a play by
play but just take my word for it that we were all dying with
laughter. So that was fun. We had other workshops and lunch and a
picture slide show.

We then had a senior couple speak to us. They both have their PhDs in
medical stuff and are in charge of medical stuff for 14 missions
including ours. They spoke about stress and dealing with it and it was
the most needed thing. I can tell I'm stressed. It's not like I sit
here and think, "man I'm stressed!" but I've been getting daily head
aches, I crave chocolate like none other, my emotions are wacky, and
other symptoms that don't need to be mentioned. However ever since I
hit my "less than a year" mark a couple weeks ago, I had been feeling
so extra stressed and home sick and I was at the point where it feels
like I've been here forever and I still have forever to go.  But their
talks were phenomenal. I feel so much better and I'm not getting
headaches anymore and my homesickness has subsided. I'm once again
feeling good and happy. Being on a mission is so bipolar, it's this
constant up and down. We have all agreed that the best kept secret in
the church is how hard missions are. But they're also incredibly
amazing and life changing. Then our awesome two star general mission
president pumped us up and let us know we're the best.

We were at the vc a lot this week for youth tours. The youth are fun.
Some groups are better at participating than others but they are
great. We like the ones that participate because the ones that don't
we have to give them the Sister missionary stare down until they break
and start talking and it's awkward. I can't believe I was one of them
only a short time ago. I'm glad I get this chance to teach and testify
and help them have a spiritual, converting experience. The teenage
years are so crucial to their testimonies and you can definitely tell
which ones are on the edge or aren't sure so I try to focus my words
on what they need to hear without letting them know I'm focusing on
them. They are going to be awesome future missionaries and leaders in
the church.

The Kensington ward are awesome member missionaries. On Sunday we gave
away three Book of Mormons to members who wanted to give one to their
friends. So cool. Also we're doing this thing called 8pm prayer where
at 8pm every night, every members gets in their knees and says a
prayer for the missionaries and also for missionary work and
opportunities. A lot of them have alarms on their phones to remind
them. I don't know how many ward members are actually doing it but I
can safely say that at 8pm every night there are at least 50-100
people in the ward on their knees praying for missionary work. We have
seen so many miracles come from it, it's incredible. The members are
finding more people the teach and our investigators are doing awesome
and we have a ton of baptisms coming up. We currently have FIVE people
on date for baptism, all in August. So so so cool. I am in awe. It's
not like we are these amazing missionaries or anything. These people
are just so prepared and the members are doing great and praying with
us for success and being their friends. It's incredible. I'm so
blessed to be here. I love it here.

Last Wednesday was Sister Lewis's 21st birthday. That night we went
over to one of the senior couple's apartments and had cake and ice
cream with all the senior couples and the other sister missionaries
that live in the building. It was so fun.

On Saturday we helped a lady for two hours move her collection of cook
books around and carried book shelves and cabinets up and down stairs.
She was so impressed by us moving these big book shelves and thought
it was hilarious we were doing it instead of elders so she was taking
pictures the entire time. We don't need elders to do heavy lifting.
She said she's send me the pictures so if I ever get them I'll put
them in the email.

Last night we went to Why I Believe at the Visitors Center. A couple
recent converts spoke and the recent converts in the audience of the
past five weeks stood and introduced themselves and said when they
were baptized as we all cheered. Then Brother and Sister Jonas spoke.
Brother Jonas is one of President Obama's personal physicians so we
got to listen to him talk about why he believes. It was really cool.
Dee Turner was there so it was fun to see her. She's struggling a bit
with the sisters in Poolesville. She didn't have much time to get to
know Sister Taggart before I was transferred and she was really close
with Sister Johnson, Sister Bascom, and I so she's a bit sad but she
has a solid testimony and is doing great and we're still here for her.
I love her.

I'm pretty sure our neighbor is going to kill us. He's married with a
two month old son and we hear him screaming at his wife through the
walls all the time. His wife is super friendly and always talks to us
but he never looks at us or talks to us. Yesterday we were on the
elevator with our roommates when he got on. Our roommates' slidey
phone broke so they were telling us in the elevator how it broke. As
soon as we all got off and walked down our hall, he stopped and let us
go ahead. We said thanks and went towards our apartment as he pulled
out his phone to talk to someone (I'm pretty sure he wasn't actually
taking to anyone). As soon as we walked into our apartment, he
exploded over the phone about he just got off the elevator with four
of them and he doesn't care about their stupid broken phone. Of course
I'm leaving out all the swear words. He just went on about us and
called us horrible things as we stood there, speechless, inside our
apartment by the closed door. Sorry for ruining your day, mister. I
honestly don't get how someone can live like that. He's always so
angry and unhappy. We're here to have joy and be happy. Of course life
isn't fair and is hard but the purpose of life is to find joy and to
prepare to return to meet God. I just can't imagine living a life
filled with anger and hatred. If I've ever met anyone who needs the
gospel, it's him. I don't know if he hates us because we have Jesus's
name on our shirts or because we're always happy or what. But yeah
that's our next door neighbor so if we are murdered you'll know who
did it.

"Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation"
(Isaiah 12:3)
"Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."
(2 Nephi 2:25)
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit,
which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy;"
(D&C 11:13)
"Wherefore, lift up thy heart and rejoice, and cleave unto the
covenants which thou hast made."(D&C 25:13)
"yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God;" (Alma 26:35)
"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and
peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17)
"Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of
you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our
tribulation." (2 Corinthians 7:4)
"The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor
among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel." (Isaiah 29:19)
"Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven:
for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." (Matthew
5:12)

This gospel is joy. But it isn't joy like the worldly joy we think of.
The joy I feel isn't the joy you get when a new Harry Potter movie
comes out, finish an incredible book, when you eat an awesome steak,
or take a 5 hour nap (these all bring me joy). It's the joy you feel
when you're with your family, when a prayer is answered, when you
realize that everything will be ok in the end, that there's a God that
lives and loves and knows each one of us personally, when someone
turns their life around and comes back to God, when you feel cleansed
of all your sins or relieved of all your guilt. It's a joy that
doesn't come from anything artificial. It's the joy that is so deep
and so complete because it comes from the Being who created us,
created this world, and gave us the capacity to have joy. We really
are here to be happy. And who's happier in the end: the one who had
everyone given to them or the one who had to work hard for everything
good thing that they have? That's why we have trials and challenges
because how can we experience true joy and learn and grow if we don't
know pain or sorrow? I appreciate the hot summer a lot more after the
bitter cold winter. I appreciated dinner always being on the table a
lot more after coming home from college. I appreciated having my
family together a lot more after it was broken up. And I'll appreciate
the loving hug of a parent a lot more after going 18 months without
one.  Some of the most successful people in the world have had the
roughest challenges. I've never heard of a successful person who never
failed or went through a rough time. I'm grateful for all the rough
things I go through every day that build me up to become stronger and
better and prepare me for future events in my life. I'm also grateful
for all the easy things I've gone through to show me that this life is
filled with sweet moments that so often go unnoticed because we're too
worried worrying about the hard things.

Those were my scriptures of the week. Choose whichever one is your
favorite or find a different scripture or quote about happiness and
put it on your wall or mirror or inside your car or cubicle so that
every day you'll remember that we are really here to have joy.

I hope the Stevens family has fun at grandma and grandpa's 50th
anniversary party. I can see from Facebook that you're all gathering
in so I assume it's this week. If only you'd done it during their
actual 50th anniversary then I could've been there. Oh well. Have fun
and send me pictures. I'm curious to see what it's like. Send everyone
my love. I love you all more than you can possibly know.

Love, Sister Black

 

 

 

Getting free chick-fil-a for "dressing up" as a cow. 

 

 

 

Crazy busy metro on the fourth.

 

 

 

Some days at the Visitors Center after youth tours, you really justneed to sneak in a nap.

 

 

 

Also I got another picture. He's deleted now. I feel bad but thisreally isn't fulfilling my purpose and he's creepy.

A girl we met at the Visitors Center from Chile.

 

 At the Chinese folk life festival on the mall.

 

 

 

 

 

A Mormon Without Horns - Week 24

Dear family,

This week was grand.  We taught a lot of people and put two on baptism
date. We also were able to teach 7 less active or new convert lessons
which is more than we usually do in two weeks so that was good.

I started a new blog. You can find it at
amormonwithouthorns.blogspot.com. I wasn't sure how appropriate the
name is but it's original and eye catching and will get more peoples
attention than "Charity Never Faileth" or "Come Unto Me." It's gonna
have some good stuff on there. So go read it!

One of our investigators finally came to church yesterday! I was at
one of the doors passing out programs but as soon as he and his two
kids came in I abandoned the programs and ran to their side and showed
them their nice seat up front before they knew what was happening.
Sister Lewis and I were dying, we (she) have been teaching them for
months now. Also, I hate it when we have lessons on eternal marriage
in relief society because the women just complain about how hard it is
to be married and laugh about their stupid husbands but say it's worth
it because at least it's eternal. Way to get me excited.. is marriage
really that bad?

Last night a girl named Amber brought her friend to the Visitors
Center for a lesson. Amber is 18 and is waiting for her mission call.
Before we met them there Amber texted us and asked if we could bring
her friend food since she hasn't eaten and is hungry. So we ran to our
apartment and microwaved some top ramen and she ate it outside the vc
while we talked to her about the gospel. Now she's our new
investigator and we have a return appointment.

I taught a Chinese woman at the vc yesterday. I only said a few things
in Chinese to her. I don't like to let Chinese people know how much I
actually know because then they'll start talking to me in fast Chinese
then I get nervous and freak out and don't catch anything they say. I
speak a lot better than I hear.

One of our investigators (now a "former") fulfilled a prophesy at our
lesson this week. We've been teaching her for a while but won't do
anything unless God tells her to and doesn't understand the concept of
faith or receiving a witness only after the trial of our faith. She
basically quoted 2 Nephi 29 and held her Bible up in the air above her
head and said, "I have a Bible and I don't need anything else!" I love
God's retort in that chapter in the  Book of Mormon to people who say
that. He basically calls them fools and then pretty much says, "I'm
the God of the whole universe and you're trying to confine my power
and love to Jerusalem? I created all men and I bring my word forth to
all men, not just those in Jerusalem." You tell them. We're not
teaching her anymore since she's not keeping commitments.

Sister Lewis and I were talking about how it's days like those when we
miss being at BYU where everyone shares our beliefs and no one is
trying to Bible bash us. It's frustrating sometimes to teach these
people. We teach others our beliefs and invite them to then read and
pray to ask God and find out for themselves. The ones who read, pray,
and go to church are the ones who receive an answer but those who
don't do one or more of those things never do. We're not here to
convince people, we're here to teach and to invite them to do those
things to receive an answer. I don't get why some people just
absolutely refuse to even open the book. If someone  gave me a free
book, regardless of if it's the Qur'an or Dante's Inferno or Harry
Potter, I'd read it and not be so close-minded. But that's just me.

We went to the temple on Friday and I finished doing the work for 5 of
my ancestors (except for sealings). I've never done my ancestors work
let alone do it all the way through so it was way cool.

More online proselyting problems. This guy added me. I don't know
where he's from but he's Hispanic and his English is pretty funny.
I've been trying to teach him the gospel and every day he's been
progressively telling me more and more that I'm an angel and pretty
and that he loves me. Finally one day this past week I got on, and he
had sent me a couple pictures:

I started laughing super hard when I saw it. I told him I don't think
I'm the right person to be teaching him and asked if I could send
missionaries. He just keeps saying he loves me so I'll be deleting him
shortly. First a Nigerian asks me to marry him now this haha.
#onlineproselytingproblems

Not much else happened this week. The train outside our apartment
comes and blows its whistle while I'm sleeping every night. I got a
slushi maker for $6. I never knew I needed it until I bought it. It's
amazing. I also found a "From Cumorah's Hill" cd for 99 cents at a
church store. I've been playing it over and over again in the car and
annoying Sister Lewis. Also, Sister Lewis is the easiest companion
I've had so far. I love her.

That was my week! Read Galatians 5:22-23. It talks about fruits of the
spirit. If you feel that while reading the scriptures, praying, going
to church, doing service, being with family, etc. then that's the Holy
Ghost you're feeling. (:

I love you all!

Love, Sister Black

Goat Stew - Week 23

Dear family,

The Fourth of July was so so fun! At 9am we went to the ward
breakfast. We brought our investigator, Pulla, and his two kids. Then
we came home and took a nap then went to the city at 2:30. Every year,
they have the "folk life festival" where they have two countries set
up a bunch of booths and displays and performance about their culture
on the Washington mall. This year it was China and Kenya. It was super
cool and I got to use a bit of my Chinese. Not a lot, but it made me
happy. China was closer to the Washington monument and Kenya was
closer to the capital. We wandered around for a few hours and are some
Chinese food and bought some souvenirs. I got a shirt that says China
and I think the character � on it. I don't read Chinese cursive very
well. Ironically, it was made in Honduras. I also got zebra chopsticks
and a bracelet made in Kenya. Some of the stuff there was pretty
expensive but it was super cool.

When it turned to evening, we met up with the ASL sisters. A woman ran
up to us and told us that her daughter is currently serving in
Santiago, Chile. She said that she has a good spot close to the
monument to watch fireworks. So we followed her and sat with her.
While she watched our stuff, we ran to get dinner. Sister Lewis and I
decided to be adventurous and we went to Kenya and got some goat stew.
Not my favorite. And not my normal Independence Day meal. But it was
interesting. When the sun finally set, we got to watch the fireworks!
It was so surreal being there, it was like I was living another life.
We had to leave to get home before they ended since we had to be in by
10:30. We headed towards the metro and so did tons of other people. It
was so crowded and crazy and each stop took forever. But it was a
really fun day and I'm glad I got to see the fireworks. A year ago I
never would've imagined that I'd be watching fireworks in Washington,
D.C. I know that Tyler was there somewhere but I didn't see him and
didn't have time to search him out. It's weird that my cousin is so
close but I can't see him. We've messaged on Facebook but we're both
really busy so it will be a miracle if we can ever find a time to meet.

Although the 4th was fun, I was ready to get back to work. I felt a
little weird the whole day because I was just in P day clothes having
fun and not really doing missionary work. Now I'm starting to
understand why new RMs struggle with coming home.

Also, President Eyring's brother, who is the president of the
Visitors Center, shared my picture of Sister Lewis and me teaching the
Kenyan guy about the Book of Mormon on Facebook. Score! A lot of you
guys are already doing it, but when I post something could you all
"like" it so that it stays high up in the news feed so more people
will see it? That would be helpful and help the cause.

We had two investigators at church yesterday! And a couple guys that
we gave Book of Mormons to at metro bus stops this past week have
texted us asking to learn more. And a guy Sister Lewis met at cvs a
couple weeks ago came to church for the last thirty minutes then met
us at the vc for a restoration lesson. Also, yesterday at the vc a
couple came in who weren't members and I was able to teach them for 30
minutes about the church and get their email to stay in contact with
them. They were so nice and polite and interested.

Monday night we had dinner with a family and the mom is really good at
making cupcakes. She made Maryland crab cup cakes. So I technically
had my first Maryland crab! She took a picture of Sister Lewis and I
with our cup cakes and posted it on her blog. I think it's
julijacklincupcakes.blogspot.com or something along the lines of that.
I'll attach the picture.

The shirts mom sent me are super cute, thanks so much!! I'm wearing
the blue one today. They are perfect.

I think that's about it. I love my companion, area, and investigators.
I'm happy but not it's not a big outward happiness like I expected.
It's like this deep, inner contentment and happiness with bursts of
outward happiness as exciting things happen like really good lessons
or having investigators at church. I can tell my body is stressed but
I don't really feel stressed because I'm too busy being a missionary.
It's the best. I have spiritually grown so much on my mission, I love
it. Before I could not tell you where anything is in the Book of
Mormon but now I'm like, "oh you want to know about why Adam and Eve
were important well let's turn to 2 Nephi 2" or "If you want to know
where you go when you die you can read Alma 40." It's fun gaining all
this spiritual knowledge. Now I can't imagine how I was planning on
living my life without it. I don't really know if I'm more mature. I
like to think I am... But I am a pretty immature person when it comes
to poking my sisters/companions and making weird sounds and singing
mission parodies to songs. I guess I can't have it all.

I finished reading the Book of Mormon again on Saturday. So read
Moroni 10:32-33 if you will. And 34 if you're feeling ambitious. I
love the book of Moroni. He's basically rambling and writing the last
few things that he finds important because he knows that any day he's
going to die so it's his final testimony and it tells a lot about him.
What a beast.

Love,

Sister Black

P.S. I have more pictures of the fourth but they're on my camera.
Actually I have a ton of pictures throughout my mission on my camera
that I haven't shown you because I'm too lazy to upload them to the
computer. So be excited for those either in a month or two or a year.