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Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Heart full of gratitude

Hello everyone! :)






After we went to the temple on Monday
  • The member that took us to the temple also took us to Good Stuff- a burger restaurant. I think 5 Guys and In and Out are better, but it was still a yummy treat :) and we were grateful :) by the time we got home we had barely enough time to go grocery shopping, email, and eat dinner before we had to be back out the door. 
Sometimes P-Days are the busiest days of the week!! Hence the short responses to individual emails last week; sorry :/ Today should be better :) 
  • That evening we passed a couple women hanging out outside. We started talking to them and they asked what we do for fun. One of them asked if we go clubbing :) I asked if dancing in the kitchen, party of 2 counted... She said no ;) haha They weren't interested but we gave them our card and invited them to come to church anyway :) 
  • When we went to O's we couldn't go inside because we didn't bring a female, but it wasn't a problem to talk to him on his door step. So we did :) he offered us some water which was very much appreciated because we were parched! When we told him yes, he said, "Oh... Well... I don't have any water.." haha ?? Ya I don't even know. 
Then his friend came over while we were standing there and it turns out he had been on date to be baptized but his mom didn't want him to, so he stopped coming to church. We explained that he could still come if he wanted to, even though he wasn't baptized (he thought we would get mad at him if he went and wasn't going to be baptized). He's super sweet! We invited him, O, and C(O's cousin) to come to church on Sunday after teaching the restoration. It was more of a recap because O has had the lessons a trillion times, but he didn't remember all of it so it was a good review. 

Tuesday morning we headed to a missionary meeting where we learned about and installed...... 

  • The Tiwi. What is that? It's Big Brother.
Just kidding :) The Tiwi is a small box glued to the inside of our windshield which tracks EVERYTHING. It tells us (literally tells us. It has a voice) when we go too fast over the posted speed limit, when we break too hard, turn a corner too fast, accelerate too fast, go out of our boundaries, don't buckle our seatbelt, etc. we have a card that we swipe to log in (so it knows who the driver is) and then to log out when we are done for the night. Everything is recorded and sent to president Riggs, which will determine whether or not we keep our driving privileges :) it's not as bad as it sounds. 
I was so not looking forward to it; especially because everyone in Virginia goes 10mph over the speed limit and if you don't, too then you get ran over. It only yelled at me once and that was for going 15mph in an empty parking lot :) 
  • The rest of the meeting was spiritually uplifting and by the end the spirit was so strong that everyone was in tears. I don't even remember what we talked about. I just know that the room was filled with the spirit, and nobody could get through the closing song or prayer without sniffing. President Riggs is an inspired, humble, hard working, loving mission president. I'll be sad to see him go. 
  • That night we went to dinner with a member, a lesson with a recent convert (which was beautiful! He taught us and I learned so much!) and a meeting with our ward mission leader.
  • 'Twas a good day :) I didn't get a single nap in so I slept like a rock that night :) 

Wednesday was amazing! 
  • We went to district meeting where the spirit was so strong and everyone was spiritually recharged for the day
  • then we had lunch and studied for an hour or so
  • After that we went to a lesson and brought a member, but it fell through. 
  • We had dinner at home, went to check on a referral, and then went to get a different member to come to a different lesson with us. 
Remember Ky and Frank from last week? The lesson was with Ky, but he never showed and he didn't answer his phone, so we checked on other people around that area. Later in the night he texted us saying his phone had died and wanted us to come over, so we went back. 
  • We parked and while we waited for him, we talked to people around the area. One guy was sitting on his porch. I asked what his name was and he said Hercules :) I was like, "No it's not....? :)" sure enough! That's his real name :) 
and THEN! It's like Heavenly Father handed us more people to teach because two more people walked out the front door. I can't even describe how perfect the timing was! It was literally as if Heavenly Father told them, "They're here! Go outside!" We started talking and found how prepared they are for this gospel. They are even single and in our ward :) we taught about the Book of Mormon and answered some questions they had. I seriously LOVE being a missionary!! I'm pretty sure it doesn't get any better than this ;) I'll just be a full time missionary forever ;) 
Thursday just confirmed my love for being a missionary, and my love towards my companion! 
  • She is doing SO good!! It's fun to watch her grow from day one to day 14 :) we went to NOVA, the college campus, to do some contacting and I told her to start all the conversations with everyone we came across. She is doing so well :) please keep her in your prayers as she steps out of her comfort zone to do the will of the Lord; it's not an easy task :) 
  • One guy was walking towards us singing to himself, so I asked what song he was singing! Best decision ever. He started singing to us in his red neck, twangy, nasally voice :) hahah I loved that he loved to sing though! And that he shared his love for it really loud :) we meet the funniest people! 
  • Later we had a lesson with a recent convert on the plan of salvation in which Sister Jones did very well! The more we teach that lesson, the better she gets :) practice does make perfect! 
  • Then we had dinner with a member! That member asked us to teach her the lessons, and at dinner we learned that she wants to learn how to teach her nonmember boyfriend about the gospel while he takes discussions from missionaries. She's a rock star! She took notes as we taught the restoration as if she was a nonmember :) she also fed us brownies :) that's an important side note ;) 
  • After dinner we went to a lesson with our investigator A! On the way it was POURING rain outside and we were drenched just walking to the car from the front door! Virginia has random down pours; not little rain storms, and I am OBSESSED! I love the rain/thunder/lightening storms in the summer. Gods creation does some cool things :) 
Anyway, A's lesson was stellar. We had a member with us who clicked with her super well! We taught a lesson on the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the second half of the plan of salvation. Members in lessons rock my world because they bring miracles like no other. A has been concerned about being baptized again because she was baptized into a different faith. The member in this lesson, SJ, asked such an inspired question; "what have you noticed in our religion about baptism that's different from other religions and baptism?". We could see the wheels turn and what we've been trying to teach A this whole time finally made sense to her! We have the authority from God; the priesthood power, to baptize :) She said, "Ohhhh I get it now!" 
We invited Abby to attend a baptismal service later in June so she could see and feel what it's like. She said she still wants to be baptized in June, too :) please keep her in your prayers! Sarah June walked with Abby to her car as sister Jones and I stayed inside to plan for the next day. About 10 minutes later we received a text from Abby saying, "Thanks for everything" :) Did I mention that I LOVE being a missionary yet?? :)
Friday was weekly planning which we actually finished in one day for once! Progress :) 
  • our kitchen was empty all week because none of us had any money left for the month of May. Therefore, we were living off of leftovers (which wasn't very much) and PB&J :) Sister Jones and I were starving around dinner time, and our member canceled, so we treated ourselves to a place called Panera Bread. It's a soup/salad/sandwich place over here in Virginia and we love it! So that was a fun little outing before we went to work! 
  • Mainly we spent the evening checking on former investigators and less actives. We weren't having much success until we received a text from a former who we hadn't tried to contact yet, and he said he wants to meet sometime this week! Blessings just keep coming and we couldn't be more grateful :) 
Saturday morning we had the opportunity to go to the Arlington Cemetery and help pick up the dead flowers around some graves. We were assigned a couple sections of land, and it was a beautiful day! This cemetery is nuts. You have not been to a big cemetery until you've been to this one. It's MASSIVE. I'll send pictures :)

  • After a couple hours there, we headed home for lunch and another hour of studies. 
  • Dinner that night was a miracle because a member had signed up to feed us, but canceled on Friday. Later, a different member texted us asking if she could feed us! Blessing!! Because remember, our fridge was literally empty. The lesson we shared was just what she needed; another testimony builder to me that the spirit teaches as we provide information and testimony :) 
  • We met with a new member of the ward, and then went to check on a former and totally saw FIRE FLIES for the first time ever in my life! We were like little kids in a candy store :) haha we were tickled :) that's the best word I can think of to describe our reaction for a solid 3 minutes :) 
  • Also, have you ever heard of or seen a Silverfish bug?? Look it up. They're everywhere in everyone's apartment, including ours. Must be a Virginia thing because I've never seen it until I came here! Gross. 
Sunday was full of meetings that filled my spiritual cup to the brim
  • and A CAME TO CHURCH!! :) Remember how she finally understood the priesthood and how we have the authority from God to perform sacred ordinances such as baptism? Well, every single talk was on the priesthood and how it blesses us, others, and the world. I don't even have the words to express my gratitude and love for a wonderful Father in Heaven who totally has His hand in ALL THINGS. Ah. I am so grateful :) 
  • The rest of the evening was awesome! We had dinner with a member and taught the restoration to a couple random people on the streets. I love my companion, I love my job, and I love this gospel :) 
This week we taught the restoration a handful of times, so I've studied it in depth a handful of times :) 

I've always known that the same church that Jesus Christ organized, with 12 Apostles when he was on the earth fell apart when he died, and was then restored in its fullness by Joseph Smith. I've always known that the priesthood was restored, and throughout my life I've always appreciated its power in my own life. 

For some reason though, this week it all sunk in a little deeper. It became more precious to me, and I treasure the knowledge that I have of the restored gospel. Without it we would be completely and utterly lost. This is a BIG DEAL folks! This is no small thing. 

The truth in its complete fullness is back on the earth, and you can know it for yourself by reading the Book of Mormon, and asking God. Truly, honestly seeking to find answers. I promise that you will find them! Because it is the truth! :) 


Once again my heart is full of gratitude for a loving, just, merciful Father in Heaven. My relationship with my earthly father is so strong; we are best friends, and I have full confidence that my relationship with my Heavenly Father is just as strong! Because of my mission, and it's a beautiful thing :)

I hope all is well in the land of potatoes and wherever everyone else is :) I can't believe school is already out. My best friend finally graduated, which means I've been graduated for a year already... my mom got a new car that parallel parks by itself, and apparently my cat is a neighborhood thief! 

Sometimes I forget that the world keeps spinning while I'm away from it :)
I LOVE YOU! :)

Sister Chandler

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