Monday, September 29, 2014

Cold, Training, Baptism, and Women's Conference

This week got cold, but thank goodness we had the car! :)

 the Elders biked all the way to our side of the area on
Saturday (just to prove a point...) (and the competitive side of me is
coming out!)
On Tuesday we headed down to Charlotte for our trainer/trainee meeting. It was really good. There have been lots of meetings this month! But they are so wonderful! They really boost your spirits as missionaries.

After district meeting on Wednesday, our district went to Chick-Fil-A and I bought everyone something :) I know I'm so nice :P no I really have Eileen to thank for the gift card! I didn't want to use it all on myself, so I shared :) it was great! Our district is small, just us, our elders in Summerfield, and the Spanish Elders. This month we've been learning and talking all about the Book of Mormon and how it's the key to conversion!

Michelle's interview was on Thursday! It took over an hour! We were starting to get worried sitting outside with her kids and Elder Judd. But it was all good! :)

Michelle's baptism
Saturday was just the BEST DAY EVER!!!! Michelle's baptism was in the morning (see picture). And *drum roll* I sang a solo musical number during it. Sister Pulley played the piano. We preformed "Come unto Christ" the 2014 mutual theme. Everyone said it was really good. (Maybe you'll see it on Facebook in the coming week). The service itself was very nice. Members were involved and a good audience attended.

Then of course the Women's Conference was Saturday night! :) I loved Sister Marriott's talk and President Uchtdorf's talk. Sister Marriott's maybe because she's has the cutest southern accent! Don't be surprised if that's what I come home sounding like! :) and remember you are always a child of God. No matter what. It doesn't change! :)

Michelle's confirmation on Sunday was also so wonderful! The spirit was just resonating! And fast and testimony meeting was great afterward.

I love you all! And can't wait for conference this weekend! Let me know who was your favorite speaker next week! :)

P.S. Make sure Meet the Mormons comes to your area! And go and watch it! As missionaries we will get to see it :) the only movie I'll get to see on my mission!

- Sister Miriah Loosle -


what Sister Pulley and I did this morning! Gah! :o!
Cut my bangs!

what Sister Pulley and I did this morning! Gah! :o!
Cut my bangs!
  John 3:16-17
He came to save!

Monday, September 22, 2014

15 miles of Biking

Dear Everyone :)

Michelle is doing great! She's getting baptized on Saturday! We're excited for her. She has been prepared to hear the gospel and we are privileged to work with her. Her kids came to church with her yesterday and they enjoyed it very much!

We had a fantastic Zone Conference this week. All about how to be better planners.

Yesterday was the Primary program. It's weird thinking none of my brothers are in that this year. It was so cute!

We're still working with Sibhan, she hasn't prayed for us yet, so hopefully we'll figure out why this week and get that all worked out so she can progress.

We biked 15+ Miles on Saturday. It was fun! And not too hot. It's cooling down here, which is nice :)

Love y'all!

- Sister Miriah Loosle -
      John 3:16-17
   He came to save!

Friday, September 19, 2014

The Book of Mormon is the Key!

This week has just been fantastic family!

I'm just start at the beginning!




Monday -- we taught Michelle the Word of Wisdom. It actually went really well. She committed to live it. And only had a small hurdle to get over, which we got over by Wednesday! :) it is so exciting to see her change and see how the gospel is blessing her life. Even if she doesn't see it right now, I know that her divorce (which she's been trying to finalize for over a year) is finally going through because she is doing the things God has asked her to do.

Tuesday -- we met this cute family, Bontia (mom) and Bri (daughter) and 3 other kids, but we didn't really meet them. The dad is out of town til December. But as we were teaching the restoration, all Bontia could say was wow! And how it just makes sense that there would be a prophet on the earth again. If God always spoke through prophets, why not have one now?

We taught Jenny too, but she not really committing to a return appointment. So we'll see when're it goes with her.

Wednesday -- The Book of Mormon is true! And is the Key to everything! We had a wonderful mission conference with Elder Larry Y. Wilson of the seventy. It literally lasted all day. From 9am to 6 PM. But it was so good! I just can't explain what went on. We mostly talked about how to use the Book of Mormon better. And how we really do need to read WITH our investigators, not just to them. Also (best practice for missionaries and pre-missionaries) we went through the first chapter of Nephi and paralleled it with the Restoration. It was so good! And it's a great follow up lesson to do. (If you want more details on how to, just let me know!).

Another part I really liked was when Sister Wilson talked about how God created us to do His work here on earth. When we are converted to the gospel and are saved from death and sin by the grace of Christ, we are now His workers. We are His hands and fret to do His work on the  earth. That is why people mis-interpret our church for believe so much in works. We do believe in works, because God isn't here to help everyone on earth, but we are!

Then after the meeting, the sisters had a meeting :) we all bore our testimonies on something we've learned from our missions thus far. -- The thing I've learned most from my mission is that God trusts me. If He didn't I wouldn't be here. In the MTC one of my teachers invited all of us to asked God if He trusted us as His servant and workers in the Harvest of Souls. I remember after I prayed, I felt this wonderful feeling of peace. I know that God trusts me. He trusts every missionary and member to help Him in this work.

I got to see all of my old companions in the past two weeks. It's kind of weird, but good. I learned that Sister Lunceford and her family went to church! :)

Thursday -- We taught Sibhan (Shi-vaughn) the Restoration. It went well. We went back the next day applied what we had just learned in the mission conference about the Book of Mormon. We are dinner with the Mitchell's and you know, after being in their Ward for 7 1/2 months, they didn't know I lived in Guam!! Or that I had 4 brothers. Or they just didn't remember :P

Friday --We taught Michelle the Law of Chasity, which actually went really well. It was awkward at all. Although we did have a Young Woman with us. But apparently every time she went out with the sisters, she's taught the Law of Chasity. Maybe she needs to learn something? No, she's a super sweet girl! :)

Saturday -- We met Lou. She was taught by the sisters before I came to Summerfield. And stopped us. We taught the Plan of Salvation, which was really good for her. She's lost a lot of people lately. And it answered a lot of her questions.

Sunday -- Just amazing! Sister Rorrer spoke in sacrament meeting! She talked about her conversion story. It was a great talk. Michelle was sick :( but she read all of 1 Nephi on Sunday while she was home!

I love you lots! And all of y'all are in my prayers! Thank you for all your prayers. They really do help!

Love y'all!

- Sister Miriah Loosle -
      John 3:16-17
   He came to save!

Monday, September 8, 2014

Training and Umbrella's

Hello hello from raining North Carolina!

So funny story this week.... I broke my second umbrella on my mission. Yay! :P my companion and I were walking along in the rain and all of the sudden the top of my umbrella came off and fell to the ground. It was kind of really sad :( but I'm over it! And i got a new one, that is more colorful!

My new companion is Sister Pulley. She's from Elko, Nevada. And just like Sister Morris she is the oldest of 6 and has one brother. She is a great worker!

At transfers I got to see all my old companions except Sister Mouritsen. It was very interesting because I haven't seen Sister Perez in 7+ months and Sister Banks went home! It was really weird seeing your trainer go home. But it's good, I can't let it distract me.

We taught Michelle twice this week and she accepted a baptismal date! She also came to church yesterday and it was just amazing! Especially because it was fast Sunday, and sometimes you're a lot a bit worried about those Sundays. But she had a great time. We'll be teaching her the Word of Wisdom today, so pray for us!

One of the testimonies that stood out to me was from Brother Murchisen. He talked about how he was talking to his kids about staying away from the line (so they wouldn't hit the car on their bikes) and likened it to life. I was thinking to myself, are there any lines I'm getting to close to? Is there any gray areas I need to make clearer?

It is a great way to evaluate where we are each at with different commandments and covenants we've made.

I love y'all!

- Sister Miriah Loosle -
      John 3:16-17
   He came to save!

Monday, September 1, 2014

Bike accidents, transfers, and no teachers

Gah! It's September! :)

This week was so great! We had our last District Meeting of the transfer. I really can't believe the transfer is over already, I feel like I just got to Summerfield and became companions with Sister Morris, and now tomorrow were heading to Charlotte again. Sister Morris is getting transferred :(

So I really just have to go through all of Saturday, because that was our craziest day! So we started off normally, exercise, studies. We did some Facebook, and answered Michelle's questions through email. She sent us an email of 20+ questions about the church, everything from how we view divorce, to education, to baptism requirements, to the three heavens. But we did the best we could to answer her questions and also explain that we can explain these better in person. Then we headed over to Sister Jessup's on our bikes. It's always a nice ride. When we turn down her street (a dirt rode), Sister Morris said the phone started ringing. We thought it was Sister Jessup asking if we wanted a ride, so we just waited til we got to her house at the end of the rode. Turns out ... We missed a call from the Assistances. My stomach dropped! So I called them back, and they were calling in behalf of President Craven, to call me as a trainer. :) :/

We had a great lesson with Sister Jessup! And then went home for lunch. Then went out to find more people to teach. Well a few hours and a couple hundred doors later! we start heading home for dinner. I'm in front and we get to a big hill, first down, then up. I speed down the hill, trying to get as much momentum as possible, checking behind me every couple of minutes for Sister Morris. And start climbing the hill. Mind you this is a curvey road. I make it to the top at the stop light and wait for Sister Morris. She usually walks her bike up hills, so I wait. And wait. And wait. Finally I'm like, it's been to long, something's not right. So I turn around and start peddling back down the hill. As I turn I corner, I see her walking her bike. I breath I sigh of relief. Everything's okay. As I come closer, she's holding her bike weird. I ask, "Is everything okay." And she says, "Yeah, I just fell off my bike." Okay, no big deal. I get over to her, and get off my bike to start walking it up the hill, and I see her elbow, pinky, and other palm are bleeding. "Yeah you fell off, what happened?" So she began to tell me how she had felt crowded by a car of the road and unintentionally swerved out of the way. Well in North Carolina they don't have bike lanes, or shoulders, so it the street goes straight into the grass. She says she remembers biking on the grass for a bit, and the next thing she knew, she was in the middle of the street with her bike on top of her. Meanwhile I'm at the top of the hill waiting for her! She got up and a few nice people stopped and asked if they could help, all makes of course, so she declined. The walk home was just over a mile, but we made it. Safe. I started trying to clean the wounds, but I just couldn't. So I called the Elders, who didn't answer. And then Brother Ross who's a doctor. Him and Brother Miles came over, fixed her up, gave her a blessing, fixed her bent water bottle holder and put her chain back on. So everything worked out. She can't write or play the piano right now :( but it'll get healed :)

Then! Sister Morris insisted that we go to our appointment with Amy and Grayson. Even though she had almost passed out when I was cleaning the wounds. Sister Ross and Sister Lindsay said she should stay home and rest, but she insisted, so we went. It was a good lesson. :)

Sunday was sad, because everyone was crying. But that's how it always is when a missionary leave their first area. Or any area for that matter.

In Sunday school we didn't have a teacher, because Sister Wall got released last week and they haven't called a new one yet. :/ so we just had a discussion about Sacrifice. It was pretty good.

I love you all! :)

- Sister Miriah Loosle -
      John 3:16-17
   He came to save!