Change is Good

Friends and Family,

Last day with Jonesy

I can't even begin to express my feelings of everything that took place this week. It was insane, humbling, and exciting all at the same time :) 

Monday was wonderful!! 

• We borrowed some bikes from the elders and rode 5 miles to DC. When we got there, we ran into some sisters that we knew super well from our mission, so we had lunch with them :) After riding around and taking lots of pictures, we rode home to get groceries and email. The weather was perfect! It was so much fun!! We were crazy sore for a couple days, but it was worth it :) 
• For dinner we ate with Lynn, the old lady we visit every once in a while. She is so funny :) I am baffled at how much knowledge that woman retains! We learn SO much every time we see her. I love it :) then we went to grab a member and visit a less active with cupcakes! She wasn't available, but her mother was. She started talking about how she wants to come to church and be baptized, and take the lessons. 

....what.
Okay.
No big deal.
I think we can do that ;)

• While driving home, the spirit brought to my remembrance a phrase that was said in my blessing when I was set apart to be a missionary. It said something about not seeking to council right away, but to really listen before I just speak/teach. It was so incredibly random, and with 2 days left in the transfer I wondered why on earth I would be remembering it right then. Why wouldn't I have remembered that when I started training? My next thought was, "because clearly I didn't need to be reminded earlier". 
• After we got home and started to get ready for bed, the thought, "You could get a call to be an STL tonight" came to mind. {An STL stands for a Sister Training Leader. It's similar to a zone leader, but for sisters } 

Not long after, the phone rang. It was president Huntsman. He said something along the lines of,

"Sister Chandler, I have been staring at this transfer board for quite some time now trying to figure out who needs to go where and what they need to do. I'm calling because the Lord has asked that you be a Sister Training Leader. What do you think about that?"

In just a millisecond a trillion things ran through my mind. What do I think about that??

I think Heavenly Father trusts me more than I trust myself. I think Heavenly Father sees more in me than I see in myself.

"I would love to!" Was my humble response.

Humbled is the best word to describe how I felt. This is going to be a kick in the behind; I'm going to have to really step it up, but I am extremely excited for the growth that it will bring!! I will get to go on exchanges with sisters that I have stewardship over every week, and train them on whatever president huntsman trains us on. I will be able to help them with any concerns/struggles they may have, and I'm expected to set a prime example. I am sincerely grateful for this opportunity :)

Tuesday was jam packed! 

• District meeting was good; since our district leader went home this week, he wanted to do a lot of reflecting and talk about things we have learned on our missions so far. It was neat because nobody said the same thing twice! 

My eyes were opened to see how much it truly changes not only myself, but everyone else who has this experience. Only when we let the spirit work in us, and humble ourselves do we actually experience this change, though. It's hard because our natural man is so stubborn! We are naturally selfish and change isn't something that the natural man is willing to accept, but when we submit our will to Heavenly Father's, we become our best self; our real self. It's doable :) 

• After the meeting we all brought ingredients for a big taco salad party for lunch! It was delish! 
• Then we went to see a few members and say goodbye before we went to dinner with a member. We had the coolest conversation! 

In the scriptures we learn that this life is a time to prepare to meet God (Alma 12:24). 

So what are you doing to prepare to meet God? 

When we die and stand before God to be judged according to our hearts and our works, will we be able to say that we feel like we did a pretty solid job preparing for that moment? 

I was the laziest bum that ever did live before my mission! I remember at one point my sweet mother getting frustrated with me for not trying to cultivate any talents, or progress in any way, shape, or form. She expressed her desire for me to go learn and do something productive because I had so much time that I was wasting! I didn't really care. 

Now, on the other hand, I hope I never fall into that lazy bum trap ever again! Repentance is real :) I just thought it was such a great question to really ponder; "If part of the purpose of this life is to prepare to meet God, then what am I doing to prepare to meet Him?".

On Wednesday I just packed all afternoon and deep cleaned the apartment. 

• In the evening we saw A and T. A was sick a couple weeks ago but she is doing better now, AND she got both of us going away gifts. Even though I'm the only one who was leaving :P She bought us both shirts from Hollister! Super cute ones I might add. She is so kind. I will have to go back when she decides she is ready to be baptized :) 
• T is in a deep rut and wasn't really open to any spiritual help that night, but it was good to see her and bear my testimony of Gods love for her. 
• The next day was transfers! It was a little different, seeing as how we have a new mission president, but it was still pretty normal. I traveled to Gainesville to be companions with Sister Donato, who is from the Philippines, and serve as sister training leaders together. She is 21, has 3 months of her mission left, and we are so similar!! I seriously love this sister and I am so excited to work alongside her :) 
• I'm back in a family ward! The reputation for the area is that missionaries GAIN weight in GAINesville. I am determined to LOSE weight in Gainesville :) 

Oh my gosh.

Guess how good Heavenly Father is to me?
I went to the gym and found a DANCE STUDIO. Heaven?? Paradise. I'm in love. I couldn't be happier :)

• Anyway, in the evening after transfers, I unpacked for a little bit and got to know Sister Donato a little better. 

Then it was time for dinner with the Lamb family :) it's weird to see little kids again! I really haven't been around kids under the age of 17 at all for the past 6 months. But I love it! :) 

we shared a message and headed over to visit the Carrot family! This was amazing. Brother and sister Carrot are converts to the church and are incredibly consecrated. Brother Carrot has a cupboard full of copies of the Book of Mormon in every single language. 

And then... He showed us the coolest thing I've ever seen. I'm not exaggerating I promise :) He had a golden copy of the Book of Mormon that has the hieroglyphics that Joseph Smith translated from, on the front cover. The actual ancient Egyptian language that the Book of Mormon was written in was right in front of my eyes! It was SO cool to see what Joseph smith saw :) Brother Carrot rocks my socks :)

• To finish off the night, we went to check on a new investigator who the sisters have had trouble getting in touch with. She opened right up and we shared the restoration on the doorstep! We gave her a Book of Mormon, and as we were scheduling a time to go see her again, I felt prompted to ask that if she had one question she could ask God, what would she ask? After a thoughtful pause, she asked me what I would ask Him! That question stumped all of us :) haha we agreed to think on it and discuss it when we see her again :) 

What would you ask God if you could ask one question?

As we went from house to house, meeting a handful of different people, I was blessed to feel an immediate genuine love for every single person. I don't even really know them yet! But I felt so much love for them and I know that's only a taste of what Heavenly Father feels for all of us :)

On Friday morning we went to a meeting with the district and zone leaders 

• to discuss transfer visions/goals/activities/meetings. It was so spiritually edifying and we came up with some really good ideas! 
• After lunch we began weekly planning. Sister Donato told me more about the people we teach, and members in the ward. We set awesome goals for the transfer and have both made a firm decision not to eat sweets until September 14th, because that's my birthday and I will want ice cream ;) SO that being said, if anyone feels the desire to send me a package this transfer, please do not include anything that could go in the "junk food" category. I think this will help my stomach issues, too. 
• After dinner we went to an investigators home to bake cookies to give away! She didn't have all the ingredients though, and we were limited on time, so we postponed it for Sunday. 
• Our next lesson was with C, a southern baptist who felt strongly prompted to let the sisters in. After talking with him, we realized that he feels the need to plant the seed in our hearts and help us see the truth. Ah. My heart breaks when this happens. He does have a lot of good questions though, and he's been softening up according to sister Donato, so we will see how the next lesson goes! 
• Right before we went home we decided to check on a less active and her son. She invited us in and we really got to know her! She has the strongest testimony and such an awesome conversion story, but she's been working every Sunday for the past year, and her son is almost 9, so she wants us to teach him the lessons before baptism. She said she is usually never home and it was divine intervention that we caught her home and at a good time :) Heavenly Father is so good to us! 

The Nationals Game was on Saturday, and our whole mission went! 

• But before that we finished weekly planning and rearranged our apartment :) we left at 4 and the game started at 7; we got there just in time! I saw so many missionaries that I love! Sister Lewis, Sister Jones, even people from the YSA ward I just got out of came up to me and said hello :) I miss those people! We didn't get home until about 12:30, and weren't in bed until 1! I haven't done that forever!! We got permission to sleep in until 7 though, so that was nice :) 

Sunday morning was so fun! 

• After ward council we went to church with C! I felt like I was at a concert, and I actually knew some of the songs they sang because I listened to the christian radio station quite often back home! So it was fun to be able to sing along :) it was a very different experience from what I'm used to, but we enjoyed ourselves :) later in the day, C came to church with us for ALL 3 hours! Trooper. He enjoyed it! :) 
• Every second of the day I felt like I was going to fall asleep; my body and my mind were exhausted from going to bed so late, but somehow Heavenly Father got me through it :) 
• Before we went to dinner we visited a sister named C. She is probably the most beautiful human being inside and out. She is spiritually starving! 
• we had dinner with a member family who lives in an RV :) that was fun! :) 
• To finish off the night we went to see a recent convert, B, who just lost her dog :( she had to put him down and that dog was her baby. We shared a message and she signed up to feed us dinner this coming week :) 

There have been so many tender mercies in the last 5 days than I could ever imagine happening. Our days have been jam packed, investigators hearts are softening, people the sisters haven't been able to see for 3-4 months have been so easily available, there is a dance studio in my apartment building that's completely empty in the mornings when we are down there, another set of sisters live right below us so it's like I have roommates again because we see them so often, my bed is the most comfortable bed I've ever had on my mission, my apartment is like the celestial kingdom compared to the Aspen, and I have a companion who is extremely helpful/supportive of my goals, both physically and spiritually, and wants to work super hard because she leaves so soon. 

Could it get any better?? :) 

we are dynamite together! The lord is the 3rd companion in our companionship and we turn to Him for every decision; big or small. I am so grateful for all of my many many many blessings :) my heart is full :)


I hope you have a wonderful week!! :) stay safe. Make good choices. The gospel is true :)
Sister Chandler

I learned to hem my dress!