Monday, March 31, 2014

We always look to the Temple! v2.0

So apparently the rest of the letter got lost. I'm really using my patience that I learned about this week. I don't remember what I wrote, so we'll see. This probably won't be as good as the first one.
Sorry.

On Tuesday I met the Phillips. They don't come because they take care of her aunt who has Down syndrome and Alzheimer's. Her name is Marie and she is so sweet. She never really talked, but you could just feel her sweet spirit.

Along those lines, we met Eddie on Friday who has a son with Autism. We talked about (and I've been pondering about) how wonderful these spirits are. They come into a crazy world, but are never affected by it. They love so much and so deep. We can all learn from them. They don't have a care in the world. And it amazes me the love Heavenly Father has, that He allows them to come into our lives to show us how we can make it back to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Friday was my Best Bestest Friends Birthday! Happy Birthday D'Auirel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We saw Kelly on Friday (LA) and invited her to the Women's Conference. And she came! It was amazing!

Highlights:

  • I loved Sister Wixom's talk (where the subject comes from)
  • Constant theme of Making, Keeping, and helping others make and keep covenants.
  • I loved having the little girls there.
  • it was just amazing!


As I've studied patience this week, a virtue few ever master, and all are continuing to work on, I've learned a lot. Patience is trusting in the Lord's timing and way. It's not passive. It not just waiting around for something good to come, it's active. It's doing all we can, while waiting for the blessings to come. Having the faith that they will, either in this life, or the next. They will come.

Don't forget to study Humility, another one I need to work on.

- Sister Miriah Loosle -
2 Nephi 2:8 -- it is our duty to share the Gospel! So Share it! :)

We always look to the Temple!

Good Morning Everyone! :)

Gosh it is such a great day! "The sun is shining! (The tank is clean! And we are getting out! *gasp* The tank is clean!)" every time I say "The sun is shining", I have to say that quote! For those who don't know where it comes from, I'm sorry, but y'all need more Disney in your life! Finding Nemo is a great one to start with!

But enough about Disney, you don't want to hear about that while I'm here in NC!

This week didn't feel like it happened, but alas I will tell what I remember!

On Monday we had a great lesson with the Malasky's about the Armor of God (see how we did that with the theme of Sacrament Meeting last week! ;)). We made Armors of God with construction paper! (So I can't take the credit for making that one up, Hunter told me about how he had done it on his mission). But it turned out great! (See pictures!!)




Monday, March 24, 2014

There will come a point in time where we will have to choose between that which is right and that which is easy.

Name that movie! Okay so I probably butchered the quote because I've never seen the movie! (I know blame my parents they apparently did not educate me with Lord of the Rings or Star Wars, but we all forgive them!) but for those of you like me who've never seen it, it's from Star Wars. Gandalf says it to Frodo? I think. If I'm wrong I'm sorry! Remember I didn't raise me ;P just kiddin'!! We love my parents!

The reason for the quote because one of the speakers yesterday in church quoted it. All the speakers talked about the Armor of God (Eph. 6:11-18). And the quote was said in context of, are we keeping on the armor of God? It may not be easy, but it will be worth it in the end.

So this week has been really eventful! Both good and bad. I really won't talk about the bad, but I will go into detail about the good. Because really, that's what you want to hear.

We met Teresa this week! She was a referral from church head quarters from 2010. The Elders have been checking on her every couple of months to see if she was interested or not. Well we decided to see who she was. She's amazing! She loves her church, but she also loves learning and really understands the importance of asking God. We gave her a Book of Mormon and invited her to read it. To which she said "I will this time!" Because missionaries have given it to her in the past, but she hasn't read it. She said so that the next time missionaries come by, she'll know what to talk about! I really home she opens up more to the restored gospel and the Book of Mormon.

On Saturday the Elders had another baptism for Jacob who's 14. His mom is coming back to church now too! It was a great service. Sister Lineberry (really really funny old lady) took us to the baptism and afterward got us Sonic. I haven't had Sonic in over 9 months! I had an Ocean Water (of course) and it was so good and brought back memories!
:)

Anyway, Sister Lineberry's less-active daughter is staying with her, and they both came to church! And her daughter is reading the Book of Mormon and her testimony is growing. It's so amazing seeing the change in people. Yesterday she said she has been a non-smoker for one month! All by herself! And going cold turkey! It's amazing what God can help us do, when we let Him.

So I have to tell this story, for the sole purpose of showing just how much The Lord is in the details of our lives and knows where we need to be when we need to be there:

So yesterday Sister Idol (our recent convert) was not at church. Which is not like her at all. But she's been getting lots of questions from people about why she joined the church, so we were worried that might have gotten to her. After church we tried calling her and so did her cousin Sister McNeill. None of us could get a hold of her. So after a great lesson with Ella and her parents we were heading home and Sister Reading asked if we should go see Sister Idol. We tried calling again and no answer, so we went to her house. Both of her cars were there. So we knocked on her front door, side door, and back door. No answer. At this time I'm starting to get worried (I've seen WAY too many criminal shows!!) But that's besides the point. So we think, maybe she got a ride to work. So we start to leave when her son (who lives next door) come over wondering who's walking around his moms house. He recognizes us from her baptism and tells us she's in the hospital! So we head over there! She had had emergency surgery the night before, for a double hernia. Scary! But she's okay! And healing. She's works so much and her kids and us are scared she's going to work herself to death. It was close, but she's good now. Thank goodness! We were at her house at the right time. Because her son had come home to check on his pets and then was headed back to the hospital. I thank God that we were there at that time, so that we didn't worry about her all night.

Hope all is well! And this week is going to be a week of miracles! And amazingness!

Love,

- Sister Loosle

Monday, March 17, 2014

I have LOTS of connections here in Kernersville!

I have LOTS of connections here in Kernersville!




  1. Dennis and Ilene Byington lived in this ward. So everyone knows them! And if you get a chance to talk to them or grandma, everyone says hi!
  2. Sister Baughan is cousins with Darrell Loosle's kids! Crazy!
  3. Brother David Lewis, the first councilor in the bishopric, served in Spokane Washington under President Call! His trainer was Elder Cottrel. Brother Lewis served from 92-94, I think he went in like a transfer or so after you got off. He went in, in September.




Love ya!

- Sister Loosle's iPad

Long, but Good Week!

Hello Y'all! :)

This week has been full of miracles and a bunch of other things, with a lot of emotion, but it's all good!

Last Monday I don't know if I told y'all but we played Sand Volleyball as a district and Ultimate Frisbee! Gah! It was so fun! But I got sunburned! :( first sunburn of 2014. Has to happen sometime!

Started off the week with District Meeting on Tuesday (because of all the ice storms we had both DM and ZM this week!). I gave a training on "Teaching People, Not Lessons" focused on listening. I think it went well. I hope everyone else got things out of it. I know I did! I started by asking the question, what is the difference between Listening and Hearing? And ended with are we Hearing our investigators/companion/leaders/the spirit, or are we Listening to them? Think about it! It's a good concept!

It was Elder Peterson's (DL) last District Meeting, so he picked "God Be With You Til We Meet Again" to sing for the closing song. It was sad, but very spiritual.

Then I went on exchanges with the High Point Sister Training Leaders! They're great! Although one of them is getting transferred :( Anyway! I went to High Point with Sister Nelson. She's an amazing missionary! I really need to learn to talk with everyone better. There are so many people who don't have the gospel and they don't know what they're missing. And (you'll hear more about this) we succeed when we extend the invitation to them.

Wednesday was full of Miracles and Tender Mercies from The Lord. After I got back to Kernersville we had a meeting at the library with the Elders to talk about the Less-Active list. Especially those we know nothing about, so we split them up and went on our way. We each have over 50 names each. Crazy! But we're going to see miracles in Kernersville and see them come back to the fold.

After the meeting Sister Reading and I started walking home for dinner. It had been raining pretty much all day, but just lightly. As we started walking, out of no where, it started pouring. Like a Guam rainstorm, because about 10-15 mins later, it stopped! But anyway we were out walking in this storm, winds blowing crazily! So we start calling member to ask for rides home (we had to walk about another mile or 2). But no one answered! But then Brother and Sister Polous came and honked their horn and gave us a ride home! Thank goodness! We were soaked, but so grateful!
 
After dinner it was Sunny, but Windy!! But we needed to be out, so we biked to an area and started working, not finding much success and afraid we'd be stranded in the dark and wind, we started back home. The wind was so strong the stop lights were at a 45 degree angle! Or bigger! I wish I had thought of taking a picture then, but it might not have been safe. So we made it home safe with 30 mins left of the day.

Well here's the greatest miracle! While Sister Reading was in the bathroom I was thinking about our upstairs neighbor who has let us use her wi-fi. She loves the missionaries! So we decided to go and see her. Perfect timing! Dr. Mellow is so wonderful! She loves God and is looking for people who do too. We showed her "Mountains to Climb" from lds.org! It was perfect! She's been going through a hard time lately. (So she's not actually a Doctor yet, but she's working on her dissertation and will be done by the end of the year!). But it was so wonderful and she wants us to come back and see her again! And she said she'd come to church with us. (This Sunday was Stake Conference, so next Sunday she'll come!)

Friday we had Zone Meeting (after rescheduling it 3 times, we REALLY needed to have it, because somebody *cough*Satan*cough* didn't want us to have it). And it was so amazing! My District sang "Come, Come Ye Saints" and it sounded so amazing!

Because every theme for the church now is "Hastening the Work" the missionaries get to go the Saturday night session of Stake Conference, Wohoo! It is seriously the best session ever! And the youth get to go too! It's so great! I wish I could just send all my notes and thoughts to all y'all, but unfortunately I can't. So highlights! :) - Sustaining the Prophet means following him, following him means doing our part in Hastening The Work of The Lord. - Sharing the Gospel strengthens our own testimonies. - We can only invite people to change, we can't force them too. That is way we succeed when we invite. They, just like us, have their agency to do whatever they please.

For the Sunday session we had 30 mins of President Baughan speaking and then a broadcast with members of the 70 and Elder L. Tom Perry. That was amazing too. Something I found funny: Elder Paul V. Johnson (Johnston maybe?) said that the 2013 word of the year was "selfie". Really sad when you think about it. He talked about how the world today is focused on themselves. To spiritually grow we need to focus on others and serve. Why is the Temple such a revelatory place? Because you are giving service while inside.

Now the transfer news... Well because of Stake Conferences President Craven was finished getting everything together by Saturday nigh, so we didn't hear until Sunday morning. Well during companion study, Elder Peterson calls us on a 4 way call sigh the rest of the District. He talks to us for about 10 mins asking for guesses and what-not. Finally he says, "actually I'll just tell you when everyone gets to church today" Stake Conference starting in 40 mins from then. Well Sister Reading and I were not happy, but we dealed. So we went to church and 5 mins before conference started, he gathered us together and showed us his notes. They looked something like this:
- Elder Peterson - I'm going home!!!!

- Elder Lubke

- Elder Ibarra
- Elder Hughes
- Sister Wood

- Sister Rendon
- Sister Loosle
- Sister Reading


If you can't see the emoji's, it's a gun on Elders Lubke and Hughes and Sisters Wood and Reading. Well for background information- Elder Lubke is Elder Peterson's companion, Elder Hughes has only been out for 6 weeks, Elder Ibarra is his trainer, Sister Wood came to the area when I did, Sister Rendon's been here for 6 months, and Sister Reading's been here for 4 1/2 months. So the guns made no sense to any of us. So we couldn't figure it out.

So then he FINALLY tell us he's the only one leaving from the district! Which is good for the rest of us! So there you go! Sister Reading and I will be in Kernersville for another transfer together.

If you've actually been reading this whole thing, congrats and I thank you for being so diligent in reading my letters! But I still have more!

While studying Virtue, I've come to realize more that all of the Christlike Attributes are connected. Especially with virtue, because it all starts with our thoughts. As we work on one attribute we usually are strengthening another. It makes me think of what one of my choir teachers once said. That as you work on expanding your singing range, singing higher for me, it strengthens your lower range too and you can usually sing lower as you learn how to sing higher. Interesting concept.

Well that is all folks!

I love you all! So much!

Love,

Sister Loosle

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Happy Birthday Dad!!! :)

Dear family and friends,

We were suppose to have Zone Meeting on Friday, BUT!! On Thursday night it started icing! Like snowing, but with ice! It started around 6 or 7ish. It didn't stop until after 2 in the afternoon on Friday. So no Zone Meeting! We stayed in the apartment almost all day long, because the roads had ice all over them and we could do anything! It was so boring!! Plus! The power went out around 10:30AM Not fun! But we made the best of it! By dinner time the roads had been plowed and the power was back on (for us) so we went to a members home for dinner.

However on Sunday we found out that a lot of North Carolina still doesn't have power, including the Stake Center and other buildings, so they came to our ward! Which made our ward huge on Sunday! (Like regular Sunday in Austin).

We started teaching Kaitlyn (Sister Forlines granddaughter). She 8 (and yes we got parents permission). We're hoping that she understands what's going on and what we're teaching her. This was her 3rd Sunday at church! :) and Sister Forlines loves coming!

Miracle!! Ella and her mom AND her dad came to church on Sunday! We had to cancel our appointment with her this week because of the ice. So we really weren't expecting her to come. But while we were talking to people before sacrament meeting she came up to us and said she had a surprise for us! Her parents had brought her and they were staying! Miracle! Sister Whitfield has been really nervous to come back to church (after not coming for a while), while Brother Whitfield is not a member. He use to be investigating the church, but stopped a few weeks before I got here.

Speaking of getting here, next week is transfers. They keep coming up way too fast. I feel like I got to Kernersville yesterday! But I'll let you know next week what's happening!

I love you all!!

Happy Birthday Dad and Adam!!

- Sister Loosle's iPad

Monday, March 3, 2014

Having a Brightness of Hope

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been perfect for studying hope. As I've studied I've learned about how hope, as the world sees it, is unsure. You hope for something that might happen. But when The Lord talks about hope, it is steady, unwavering. You hope for things that will come to pass. Like eternal life.

So funny story now... As we were moving in last week, we were washing clothes and I wanted to listen to music, so I shut the laundry room door. Not thinking anything of it, until the washer stopped and Sister Reading went to go switch the clothes. Well she couldn't get the door open. Apparently the washer had moved and blocked us from getting inside. After trying to maneuver the washer and dryer away from the door through the probably 4 inch crack we could get the door open, we stopped trying and called the Elders. Well this wasn't the first time this had happened. But it will be the last. Because on Tuesday we went to the office to introduce ourselves and told the apartment manager. So she sent the fixer guy over and he worked on it for a bit and then decided to break the door down. So he took off the door and we just told him to put it in our storage so we wouldn't have that happen again. So it's all good now!

Plus we have like legit food storage because the elders left tons of canned food. (Picture attached).




On Friday we taught Tonya (the Jehovah's Witness) and the first 20 mins were the PERFECT first lesson! All my missionary friends can image that. It was just wonderful! Short powerful statements. Good questions for understanding and applying to her life. But then at the end we asked if she had any other questions and she went off about something. I hope she remembers the first 20 mins and the spirit that was there. Sigh.

Miracle Story!! :)
Also on Friday we were unlocking our bikes to head back home from a less actives apartment complex and we see some people walking around, so we talk to a few of them. Well we meet Brian from Colorado. We talked to him about the church. He grew up 7th Day Adventist, but doesn't go to church anymore. He said he wants to move to Utah (for some reason :P jusskiddin' Utah's great!!) when he goes back to Colorado. He was visiting his brother and son here. Anyway!! We gave him a Mormon.org card with our number on it and invited him to visit the website. He said he knew where the Mormon church was in his home town and when he gets back, he's going to go! Well fast forward to Sunday! He called us! And left a message saying how much we helped his faith strengthen. We called him back that night and had a great lesson on the power of the atonement and how much God loves each of us. He's going to go to church in Aspen this week and we're going to Facebook him later! The promise is so true from Preach My Gospel! God will lead you to them, or He will lead them to you!

Saturday!!! Brother McNeill was baptized! Sister McNeill was so happy! And the service was so amazing! Now they can prepare to be sealed. I just love that. I can't wait to hear about it, or a maybe even come back for it! We'll see!



Oh Sunday, how I love thee!! Chris (recent convert from Burlington) facebooked me and said he got the Priesthood yesterday! So exciting! And Brother McNeill was confirmed!

Don't forget to study Charity and Love! :)

I love you all! :)

- Sister Loosle's iPad