Sista, Sista!!!

-Sisters-

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Home, Sweet Home :]

Home, Sweet Home :]

The time has come, and I AM HOME! After THREE very long plane rides I was finally reunited with my family...and John Wayne. When I saw them, it felt like I had never been gone. Since I have been home, my mission has felt like a dream. Before serving I was so worried that everything would change while I was gone. Granted I was only gone for 10 months, everything that I was worried about is the exact same. The only thing that has changed is ME! Serving a mission was the BEST thing for ME to do, and I am grateful that God lead me to that path. I know that a mission is not for EVERYONE, but that is why we can be member missionaries. I have decided to continue blogging. Since I do not have an official name tag I have created a NEW BLOG, that you are welcome to follow and share.

Once a Missionary Always a Missionary...

Check out my NEW Blog:

"Remember You're a Daughter of God, and You're Hot!”

www.whywerehot.blogspot.com

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(C)LV2011
www.sistervaterlaus.blogspot.com
www.whywerehot.blogspot.com

Our Everyday Warriors....

Our Everyday Warriors!

Over 1,000 pounds of pure Missionaries....

There were two thousand of those young men, who entered into this covenant … to defend their country. … They were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. (Alma 53:18, 20.)

I have been blessed to serve with many great ELDERS. As I have served with them, I have realized how important they are to the progressing of the church. Many people think, WHY do we send out these young men and trust them with the MOST IMPORTANT message in These ELDERS are like the young stripling warriors found in the Book of Mormon. They have been raised by wonderful parents, who have sent them out to teach of truth. In the Book of Mormon story of the stripling warriors, not one of them died during the fight. Every single one of these young warriors were injured, but not one was killed because of God’s protection.  As you prepare to serve missions, always remember that these young men went out VALIANTLY, trusting in their God. The warriors had only an idea of what they were getting themselves into, but no experience.  You may feel like you do not have the experience to serve, but if you trust in God, you will come out of the fight alive.

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(C)LV2011

FREE BOOK OF MORMON

Pick a Sword any Sword!

Pick a Sword any Sword!

While serving a mission I have discovered some of my favorite things....One of the things I have fallen in love with is looking for “swords” throughout the scriptures. It was during my transfer (6 week period) with Sister Carver that I discovered the use of swords in the scriptures. Every morning during “companionship study” we would pick a “sword” to use throughout our day…figuratively speaking.  So here began my spiritual quest to find swords within the scriptures.

So far I have found…

·       Sword of Justice

·       Flaming Sword

·       Sharp Sword

·      Sword of Laban

·       Sword of the Spirit

·    Two-edged sword

When I broke the news of going home to Sister Carver, she told me I would have to pick a final sword to take home with me. As I pondered my weapon of choice, I realize that I could relate to Nephi in the Book of Mormon. In 1^st Nephi, it tells a story about how the sons have to go back to Jerusalem to get the brass plates. The first time the sons of Lehi tried to get these plates, they proved to be unsuccessful. However, they decided to try again! The second try, they took everything they owned and they tried to give it to the king so that they could get the plates. In turn the King stole everything, and the son’s came back empty handed…On the Third try, Nephi went in, not knowing beforehand what he should do, but he was lead by the spirit. The spirit told him to kill the King, who was drunk and then take the plates. Nephi DID NOT WANT TO! However, he went forth according to the spirit. In the end he was able to get the brass plates.

On my FIRST try to serve a mission I received a call to serve in Albania. After about 14 weeks in the Mission Training Center it just didn't work out. After that I got my SECOND chance to serve in the Rochester, New York Mission. I tried my best, and did all I could, but it has come time to go home...So NOW for my THIRD chance, I get to go home, but this time I am going with the SWORD OF LABAN. I do not know what will happen, but I do know I am being lead by the Spirit :]

I love how we can relate the Book of Mormon to our Lives!

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(C)LV2011

One Fine Day...

 

Set Up for Success

"Baptism is a precious gift from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus Christ repentance, and baptism, we are cleansed of our sins, become members of the Lord’s Church, and qualify to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. We make sacred promises to Heavenly Father, and He promises us blessings in return. As you prayerfully read the scriptures on this poster, you will learn about these promises, or covenants."

www.lds.org

Last night Sister Crook and I got to witness a baptism of one of the people we have been teaching. It was a BEAUTIFUL event. It was so neat to see him progress and enter the "gate" of baptism because HE had PRAYED and found out for himself. 

While Sister Crook and I were teaching him, we would come home at night and just say this is too easy, teaching people CAN NOT be this easy... As we continued to teach him, all we could think was when is something going to go wrong. To our surprise, everything went smooth. He was able to go through the steps and learn what he needed to come closer to Christ.

As Sister Crook and I got into the car, I said we just need to say a prayer of gratitude. As we prayed and thanked Heavenly Father, I realized something new I had learned. That missionary work is easy, because the message we are sharing is TRUE. Heavenly Father wants us to succeed; he has not set us up to fail!

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(C)LV2011

Making Clean a Teenager Thing.....

ITS TIME TO STAND OUT....BE CONFIDENT IN CLEAN THOUGHTS

Because “the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7), youth whose thoughts are virtuous will be confident the Lord accepts them and will more likely live virtuous lives.

-2007 Mutual Theme

Youth, it is time to be confident, i have been thinking about how vital it is that we keep our thoughts clean. i know it is not part of the "normal" teenage scene to keep things clean, but that is why we have to stand out. we need to be the ones who have good feelings towards others, who keep their thoughts clean, and have our eyes centered on the lord so we can stand confident in front of him one day. 

(C)LV2011

www.mormom.org

Not just a one time thing....

Not just a onetime thing…

Yesterday, just happened to be a Christmas Miracle in November. We were working at the Hill Cumorah when I saw a box with all of the missionary’s monthly ensigns in it. I started to dig through it to find the one with my name on it. As I picked it up I had all of the feelings from conference rush right back into my soul. I had missed these beautiful talks.

 I ripped it open and started to read through many different talks. One of my favorite talks was by our beloved President Thomas S. Monson. He gave a great talk about prayer and listening to the Holy Ghost and the promptings he gives. I remembered back to the first time I had heard this message. It was right after I had received news of a possible medical release. While listening to his talk, my brain wandered many times thinking about what was going to happen, until I looked up and all I heard was “Follow it.” At that minute I realized my prayers had been answered, that whatever was going to happen I just needed to go with it.  As I read through the talk again, I was looking for those key words “Follow it,” I could not find them anywhere! It took me a few times to realize that those were not the exact words he had used, but it was the Holy Ghost that had whispered those words to me. It was so neat to realize that I received such a clear answer from God while listening to the Prophet. Now Youth, they did not print this pretty magazine for nothing, get one and READ IT. Read one talk a week, and then ponder and pray about it, and see how it blesses you! How lucky are we to have words that come from our Heavenly Father through his faithful worthy servants.

WILL YOU FOLLOW IT???

(C)LV2011

http://www.mormon.org/

SHOOT THE TUBE

 SHOOT THE TUBE

The summer of 2010 I was hired to be an Especially For Youth councilor in Logan and Salt Lake City Utah. We got to meet MANY youth from all over. It was a wonderful time to have youth with similar standards come and learn more about the Gospel. One of the weekends, we councilors decided to go and "Shoot the tube" a popular summer activity in Salt Lake. When my friend Kaitlin and I got there we looked up the tunnel and thought we might not make it...All we could see is the light at the end.

We were pretty nervous... What you had to do was walk in the water that was freezing all the way to the end; there was only a rope to hold onto as you walked. Kaitlin and I went in together and we held onto the rope and let it guide us. At the beginning we were scared to start walking in the tunnel, but we conquered our fears and continued. After making it through the tunnel it was our turn to be "shot down the tube." What would happen is a board of wood was put up to block all of the water from coming down the tube. As the water built up we put our tube down and prepared for the swift water that was that coming. When the board was taken out, the water RUSHED past us "shooting" us down the tube. The excitement was exhilarating...when we reached the outside we were shot into a pond that was filled with dogs and other treasures...Overall it was something that was good in the moment but did not end well...

                               

What I realized is that it was an experience that made me happy for a moment. After it was all said and done I smelled like a wet dog. It was defiantly something that gave me a rush of adrenaline but not something that gave me lasting happiness. Youth, as you go through High School you are going to find many things that make you feel good for the moment...but in the end you need to find something that gives you happiness forever. I know that living the Gospel Standards is what has brought me the most happiness...

“Happiness leaves no bad aftertaste, it is followed by no depressing reaction; it calls for no repentance, brings no regret, entails no remorse; pleasure too often makes necessary repentance, contrition, and suffering; and, if indulged to the extreme, it brings degradation and destruction.”

-W. Eugene Hansen

The Search for Happiness 

 

(C)LV2011

www.mormon.org

CHUBBY BUNNY

CHUBBY BUNNY

"Testimony will come to you in pieces as parts of the whole truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ are confirmed. For instance, as you read and ponder the Book of Mormon, verses you have read before will appear new to you and bring new ideas. Your testimony will grow in breadth and in depth as the Holy Ghost confirms that they are true. Your living testimony will expand as you study, pray, and ponder in the scriptures."

-President Henry B. Eyring

Usually, I do not show pictures of myself stuffing my face...in this case I believe it’s going to be worth it :)

This morning we woke up at an hour that I did not even know existed…5 a.m.... So that my companion and I could attend early morning seminary and talk with the youth about serving missions. As we shared mission experiences, I realized that it was not just one experience that made my mission but it was loads that did. I started to think about my testimony and how I gained it . 

I remember as a young woman I was never confident in the church. I always felt that I was just there listening and not acting upon what was said. As I got older I realized that it was not going to be one event that secured my testimony, but many. When we think that one experience is enough that is when Heavenly Father sends us another one. Always remember that you must build upon what you have to continue to have that firm testimony that comes piece by piece. You can see in my pictures, it was not just one marshmallow that filled my mouth, but piece by piece I was able to get 13 in and win the chubby bunny contest :) 

***DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME***

(C)LV2011

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