Monday, May 30, 2016

Red instead of Blue

This week has been eventful. We have been meeting the wards leaders and getting to know the ward missionaries in the two wards. Both of the two Wards are great. We also have done a lot of finding and visting potential investigators. A lot of biking too. My sun watch line is awful an my shoe tan too. It got to the upper 90s this week. I heard that it is going to get 108 this week. I am so glad that I bought a basket for my bike because not does it hold three Books of Mormon and five water bottles. I am having a blast doing missionary work.


This Sunday was really busy. We taught gospel principals in the Mather Ward and taught junior and senior primary for the Anatolia. The primary president told me that before they spilt Anatolia and Mather it was the biggest primary that headquarters said that. It was a long Sunday, but one of the best Sundays. 

Spencer G  had his baptismal interview and he did great. I have only meet him but a few times. But he is awesome I am really excited that he is going to be baptized this Saturday.  We have two new investigators
for the Mather Ward. I am really excited to meet with them this week. Both of them were going to come this Sunday, but they didn't ... Maybe next Sunday...



We visited this less active member of the church and she was praying for us to come by because she said that she has a testimony but feels that she lost something. We came at the right time.


We also meet Merilee and she was thinking about the missionaries before we came and knocked on the door. We shared a little lesson about our Heavenly Fathers love for her at the doorstep and she started to cry. I gave her a hug and she wouldn't let go for three minutes. She really is going through a lot. We made a appointment with her next week and going to invite her to be baptized because she said that she wants to do something that will help her in her relationship with God. We mentioned baptism and she said that she wants to learn more. Love her.  


Sister Cundick,  is a great missionary. She is quite but full of confidence in contacting and stating our purpose to everyone. I am looking forward this week to getting to know her more.

Sister Hyde

Later gator!
We ate some cookies before Ward correlation ....
Good thing I didn't choose the blue cookie

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Goofs





Transferred ...

Wow! 

This week was sooo busy. Sister Erickson and I met two new people that want to hear the gospel! One of them is Connie and she is amazing and wanting to build an relationship with our Heavenly Father. I am so excited for her! 

Then we were able to talk to Tequila and guess what ---her whole family wants to go to church and and wanted Priesthood blessings.  I love to see those that I work with see the blessings that the Priesthood can give to them.


Sister Erickson is such a great person. Every time that we teach a lesson she always knows what to say and that she has an amazing personality.



Transfer calls came in and I move now serving in Mather Ward and in Anatolia Ward with the amazing Sister Cundick! I am really looking forward to serving with her and in those areas.  We are part time in a car and part time on bikes because we cover two wards ----  so that is going to be nice this summer.  We had a lesson last night with Kevin and Shirley and they are recent converts in the Mather Ward and they are amazing! 



I will miss Ashton Park 
but now they have great missionaries there- 
Sister Erickson and Siter Munk. 
We literally just switch places. 
Funny right.
During the whole transfer thing getting our companions and such my big suitcase ...... Broke.... 
The left wheel came off all the way and the the zipper was slower breaking. Good thing some elders just pick that thing right up and took it to there car. 






.


Today,  
I went to the Sacramento Temple! 
I love going to the temple !
The peace I feel and joy- I just love it! 
I went with one of my last companions, the amazing Sister Christensen and the amazing sister Slaughter. 
Crazy right !  I will write more next week ... Sorry.







Starting to Pick UP

Ok ..... So ........... I am absolutely loving my mission!!! This week has been super busy. We didn't teach a lot of people but things here in Ashton Park are starting to pick up. 



First things first Kirk and Colleen are getting married on June 25 and so he can be baptized after that! I am super excited to see part of his journey in coming closer to our Heavenly Father!


We also taught Rachel P. this week about prayer. She has asked us before we teach her anything at all about our church and such she wants to know what she can do to receive answers and how to receive answers. She is a very lively person who wants to know truth and wants to know how to know of the truth when it is being presented to her. We also taught Ashton Parks recent converts. They are both young boys that have gone through a lot but have testimonies that are growing and many people that love them.
We have been very busy in trying to visit less- actives in our ward and boy -- It takes a lot of effort out of you, sometimes. But I love doing member work! Sister Erickson and I get to meet such wonderful people and get to hear amazing stories about their families,lives and their testimonies of our Savior!

Sister Erickson and I were going through all of our less-active members and we came across Alicia. We gave her a call and she was so excited to met with us so we set up a time to meet with her. She is such an  amazing women who has been through a lot. She never was able to have kids which she is sad about. And that is really sad so she doesn't come to church because The Church of Jesus of Latter-Day Saints focuses on families so much and gets her heart every time. But despite of it all she is one of the sweetest, optimistic people that I have ever met and has a gorgeous smile!  
Our mission is letting us do family history now and what is even cooler is that the Stake has been trying to get he word out to do family history as well. So they put in this small play devotion to get people thinking about family history and to start to participate in family history. Sister Erickson  and I were in it. It was fun, because we got to act just a little bit but and that we didn't have to memorize anything. We were put into a family that have all died and had a chance to know if we have been found and if each of our work had been done- each of our names were found and work had been done for each of us except our youngest sister did not. What was sad was that I saw her go sit where we were sitting before and she couldn't join our "family" until somebody on earth found her and did the work for her. 

One thing that bugged me this week was when we talked to people on the street and they asked me how far I have been on my mission and I say nine months and they say -wow almost done huh? ...... No sir it is not ... It went by so fast and I love being a missionary!! 
Hope everybody is doing great!
Love Sister Hyde

2x2 FOR GOOD REASON

Hi everyone!! So we had transfers and I have a new companion- whom I love and I lead the area. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  We did though lose each other for a good twenty- five minutes. 

It was awful!! 

Sister Erickson hasn't been on bike for six months and let's just say I have permission to say this ... She is not that good on the bike but she is getting better. Anyway, we were going up a steady incline and all of a sudden I look back to check on her and she isn't there........ Yahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! 

So I pedal back and yell her name but NOTHING!

I stop some people walking toward me and I start to think ... How am I going to teach these people about the gospel without my companion and ask if they saw a women  with a light blue shirt and a gray skirt...? 

I go up introduce myself ask if they seen her... And I did something horrible I didn't ask or teach
anything :( bad sister Hyde .. I know) they said no but I could wait for them to finish their walk and 
meet them out side their house to use the phone since Sister Erickson had the phone ... 
I thought "What? ... I lost my companion I need a phone now"  but I said "oh that's ok I'll just keep looking
for her".  And then the car came up and having watched this whole thing, asked "is something wrong."
 You know when moms know something is wrong and their heart goes out to them -- well this nice lady did that. She lent me her phone to call President Jardine and Sister Terri -- but then she had to go because she had to take her son to the doctors so she left but hope for the best for me. I stayed were I was because the leaders were trying to take hold of the situation and .... well.... everything ended up okay.  To sum up the rest of the story we
found each other in the end and made it to the Relief Society were one  of our investigators -Jamie was waiting for us. On a side note, Jamie had to move her baptismal date but she still wants to be baptized !!

Sister Erickson literally cracks me up everyday. I love her.



We saw Kirk this week and when I came in he was wearing the humble
badge I made him! We have a new investigator-  Andrew!  He is really
cool and as we were teaching the Restoration to him and how Jesus
Christ church need the preisthood to be run and that we have that
today .. He said " that makes total sense, may I come? " !!!! He is
soo prepared !! The first time I met him we shared a brief message of
the Restoration and commitment him to read the introduction to the
Book of Mormon and pray to know that what it says is true. When we
came last Friday he did just that and really wants to know more! His
wife Ester listened to the conversion from the kitchen and Andrew said
that he wants her to sit in next time. He could come to church
yesterday because it is tax season and he got called in because soo
many people has done their taxes late and they needed help but said
that he is looking forward to our next vist!!

On Saturday one of our members - Sister Thompson took us to
Leatherbees! It was soooo gooood!! We were waiting for our ice cream
and all of a sudden I hear sister Hyde, sister Hyde, sister Hyde ... I
look up and around and it is my friends members from Tala Ofa!! It was
soo good to see them. Jesse just went to the Temple and is leaving on
Wednesday for her mission in Michigan!! It was sooo nice to see them!
Hope them all the best!

I just finished Omni again and I love him he is a great example of
humility and an example to want to continue to be better and build his
relationship with the Lord.


Chicken Make A Bad House Pet


We are not allowed to have pets 
but I think I may try to claim 
the church building's hen and rooster 
for surrogate pets ... 
Sorry -- I couldn't find the rooster today

Olive Trees

Hey everybody 
so this week we been biking a lot and there's a lot of olive trees in our area
... so I was a squish the olives while I bike to our investigators and members
 I start to think about our Savior Jesus Christ and when he was in the Garden of Getsemane. 
I love to sing super loud while riding my bike and 
so this week I've been singing a lot of sacrament hymns like "There is a Green Hill Far Away", 
I Stand All Amazed, I Believe In Christ, and I Know My Savior Lives. 
Easter is coming up and I'm truly grateful to have this experience to ponder upon our saviors last days in his ministry and especially when he performed most of the atonement in a garden of olive trees.


This week has been fun because we met with a lot of our investigators
with members present and I have learned so much from them and my
companion! We had two of them come to church and they are amazing!
They love to share this per answers which most of the time were on
point and really good! We were so happy to see them there.
We met with a less Active member and let's just say he bible bashed us
and I just shared my testimony and shared Moroni 10:3-5 , that if he
has doubts or anything to question, turn to God and through the the
Holy Ghost, He would answer us. I testified of these ,then said good
bye have a blessed day and  he realized that he couldn't say anything
more so we got on our bikes and rode off. When we were a little ways
away I started to sing - onward Christian soldiers marching on to war
, with the cross of Jesus.... Sister Christensen just started
laughing. I love her. She has an amazing singing voice too. Not me but
all my two companions have had amazing voices.
We volunteered with the IRC in helping refugees with their resumes!
That was pretty cool to see these people go through so much and have
had hard lives and then came here to start again and do better.
I now have a shoe tan, watch tan, ring tan and a somewhat farmers
tan.... Noooooo.... Not good! Funny but not good!
Anyhow, hope all is going well and that I love each of you!
This is Sister Hyde over and out


Going on a Lion Hunt... I'm not scared!

Soooo the pictures of all the animals ... 

We went over to for dinner with the Prudlers.  


His hobby is he hunts big game.  


Let's say he has travelled

all over the world to kill them. I didn't get that many pictures but there was a great big bear in its hind legs and a polar bear too. A lot of mountain goats, a zebra , cheetah, hogs etc..... a lot of them....

Anyway,  before he started telling of his adventures and such he asked we not to touch animals.  So, I didn't touch the animals -- BUT then when got to the lions -- he said I could touch it's teeth.... "OK!"......  as I began to touch the teeth, Mr Prudler let out a humongous ROAR! 


As I went flying to the door --  I tripped over the chair and almost fell..... 
He scared me soooo bad!!  Sister Erickson, Sister Prudler and Mr. Prudler could not stop laughing.







Pan'n for Gold... Let'n Go... Get'n Hitched ... and Talk'n to Mom

I am spending today with Sister Thomson and she is an amazing missionary and I enjoy being around her. Sister Erickson is at Columa today. President and Sister Jardine take the departing missionaries leaving at the end of this year and the beginning of next year to go pan for gold since this is California. You cant leave California without panning for gold right? So she is there and I have been doing laundry and grocery shopping today.The week has gone by really fast. 

We have been planning on (dropping- letting go of our investigators because they are not keeping the commitments that we leave them and have expressed that they don't want to grow their relationship with our Heavenly Father right now) some of our investigators and when we had our Zone training and one of our commitments they gave us was to drop our non-progressing investigators, we felt that it is going to be hard but that it was the right thing so I guess we received a little push. Dropping investigators are hard but it is the best way to allow them to see that they need to work on the desire to be baptized and grow their relationship with Him everyday even though it can be hard. 

We are going to give Kirk a baptismal date since he is going to be married next month! We having been working with a lot with our last actives and yesterday some of them came! I was so excited what would have made it better if they came a little earlier and sat by us. But they came and I am glad!

Sister Erickson got the clear to go with her knee but to take it easy. I love biking so now I am excited to bike more. I love being out side. 
  
One of the best things that happened this week was yesterday! I am beyond words to say how I felt that I got to talk with my Mom and my family. They are all growing up soo fast and that they are all doing good! I love them sooo much!!!!!I am really excited about that! One of the best days ever!!!!!! Love them !!!!

I LOVE being out here on a mission because everyday I get to talk to soo many people. Some of them don't tell me the time of the day but others tell me everything because they want help. Not any help but our Heavenly Fathers help. One guy told me this week that he told me most of his trails and low valleys because when he saw our name tags he knew that we were trying to represent our Savior and that we are here to extend his love and help. So he told us because he knew that our Savior would help so we would help. We said a prayer with him but haven't been able to be in contact since then.


Tuesday, May 3, 2016

I FOUND A STICK!

Hi JR ! Hope all is well.  Funny story for ya... So you know that I am very clumsy and well I already fell off my bike -- twice and some
other things but I tried to jump the curb ... because  the other sister did it -- well it didn't end well.... BUT.... IT did resemble Luis the alligator... 


I FOUND A STICK!




I CAN DO THIS!

I hope that you had a great Easter. I did. This week has been amazing. As I was preparing for this Easter Sunday, I really tried to put more of an effort to focus this week on the Savior and on the last days of His ministry. I loved riding past the olive trees and thinking about the Garden of Gethsemane and his suffering that he performed there. I sung more sacrament hymns in my head and out loud. I read about His last days in the New Testament books and the miracles and the Atonement that He performed. I also read about His Resurrection in them as well and in the Book of Mormon. My testimony of my Savior really grew! He did so much for me and the people of whom I truly love. I know he lives today! 

Image result for image of girl lost looking at a mapThis week has been great! We has exchanges this week and I learned  I CAN DO THIS -- we stayed in my area and even though I get confused of where I am sometimes, I know I can do it. Hermana Thomson is a great sister training leader. 

We invited one of our investigators- James - to be baptized this week and he said YES! He said though that he wants to pray about the date of the 23 of April but he said YES! He also came to church! Which was amazing because the sacrament speakers were both converts, shared their stories and testified that this is the true church and that our Savior really does love us. He started to get teary eyed and ya know what everyone... I know he felt the Spirit.  I got to see the Lord's hand help him in that moment and it was one of the coolest things I have ever seen! 

We also added three new investigators to our teaching pool! They are truly some remarkable people that have been prepared! I am so excited to work with them this week. 


The General Womens' Conference was really good! I loved that we all need to have a Eye single to service! After talking to Bishop Timpson and hearing the leaders of the church talk about how service should just come automatically and not as a chore. You never know who you might impact.
  
So,  my legs got scraped up this week ... I didn't exactly fall but did a little something.  Oh, and I got sick again ... :(  but that is ok. pity me right?

Hope everyone is doing awesome! Thank you for the emails and I love you all!

This is SIster Hyde ... over and out