Preparations Today - not emailing. Albuquerque, NM

Just two pictures today. That is all.

One is of Sister Walker and I (I may have already sent this one.. not sure though - sorry if it is a repeat) out next to the arroyo. These are the water channels that fill during rain storms to direct all the water to the rio grande so nothing floods - but the floods still happen- but that gives us opportunities to serve! LIke this last week, a lady's backyard filled will 1-2 feet deep of wet sand that we went and shoveled out. It was wild. but it was good to serve her.

The other is of the sky the other night. cool sunset right? wrong. it was on the east side. the sun doesn't set over there. it was the most bizzarre thing ever. and then there was one really bright star above it in the sky ( I don't know if you can see it in the picture though). we were pretty sure it was the second coming upon us. and I wasn't wearing my glassed and so the one bright dot looked like it had appendages. needless to say, it was not the second coming. just cool, odd, rays in the sky where the sun was not. 

Setting Records, Albuquerque, NM

Well, Sister Walker and I are surviving our time together. Some days it is a real struggle. These are the times when I really have to rely on the Lord to know that each companionship truly is inspired! I have to put my faith in Him that there is something I am to learn in this transfer and then humble myself to actually be open to learning it. Nah! Just kidding! I am absolutely loving my time with Sister Walker! We are getting along so well! and working really well together - some days I worry that this companionship is a little too good! I love it! 

I have included a picture from the last day of transfer 2 - the night before Sister Smith left. We went and took a picture with Bobbie! So this is Bobbie whom we love so much!

And then began transfer 3! Which I already briefed you on.. But let me tell you - this last week we were initiated into our duties as Sister Training Leaders and man was it exciting! One of the sisters in the zone has been really sick for the last few transfers and it was determined that she needed to go home to get her health under control- and because of that her companion would be left companion-less - that is not okay. So she would be joining another companionship in the zone to form a trio! how exciting! So as STLs we had the responsibility to transfer the sister going home to the mission home by 2100 last monday and then take the other sister and all her belongings to her new home hopefully by 2200 so we could all still get to bed on time by 2230. unfortunately - that was not the case. We got the one sister to the mission home by 2103 - real close! but the other sister was in no way packed and ready to go so we after we dropped her companion off at the mission home we went back to their apartment and finished packing her things. We decided it would be best for her to sleep over at our place that night so only 3 sisters were up later instead of 5 - so we got back to our apartment by 2330 and were finally asleep by 015! It was wild! but it was so good to be able to help and to serve the sisters of the mission! We were up at the appropriate time in the morning at  0630 and we all got ready and got the sister to her new home by 0900 and ready for studies. The next few days I was a little tired- Sleep has never affected me so much as it has since serving a mission. The schedule missionaries are on truly is inspired! I need my whole 8 hours every night! and what is really wild is that is all I need now. Last night I was asleep by 2215 and therefore was awake at 0615. 8 hours on the dot. yay for being adjusted! 

This week was also Sister Walkers birthday! So we made brownies! GF even! and yes we did cook them- just licked the bowl. and man they were delicious! I also wanted to make her breakfast in bed to carry on the tradition - by the way - I loved how y'all did breakfast in bed for mum! that was just too perfect! anyway, as missionaries- it states in our book of rules that we are not to arise before our companions - and heck, I couldn't skimp on my 8 hours of sleep anyway! - so instead, I made it for her while she was in the shower- she unfortunately opened all her presents in her package from her momma before her shower so those weren't decorating her place - but becasue of that I was able to use some paper for the placemat! We don't have a rainbow one in our apartment - nor do we have a you are special plate - We work with what we have. But it turned out to be a very good breakfast! It was fun!

As for the missionary work this week - Sister Walker and I have become very good at poaching-probably to the point of setting records. Last week I told y'all how we had two new investigators - well the one of them - the boyfriend - does not live in our area. But we figured that was okay becasue he was going to be moving in soon becasue he was going to marry the member in the ward here pretty quick so we figured it'd be okay to keep teaching him here. well, they broke up. so now we need to find out what ward he lives in and transfer him over to those missionaries. Bummer. He was making such progress too. oh and this last week when we taught him (before the breakup) he told Sister Walker and I that we were the poster children for the church! It was quite funny.

Aubie, the other investiagator of this last week, the one in high school- we didn't bother asking where she lived the first time becasue she is real good friends with a girl in our ward and she goes to the same high school - so we assumed we were fine. wrong. We found out yesterday, she has aboundry exception for school and she lives in a different ward. Bummer again. She is definitely ready for the gospel in her life. She said yesterday "I want to find my ward" what 17 year old investigator aligns themselves with a ward that they haven't even attended yet? golden ones that is who. luckily though - she will still be in the zone boundries so we will be able to go to her baptism here in a month. 

And with that - I am done. sorry these aren't so spiritually uplifting.. I have yet to develop that talent yet. Sister Wlaker on the other hand, writes the best letters home ever! So inspiring each week! One day I will have her teach me. 

Know that I love you all. 

Love Sister Stuart

Scripture of this week - Alma 26:27 - Don't get discouraged. Keep going. He will give us success.

Parable of the Orange Juice, Albuquerque, NM

A lady has invited a dear friend over for breakfast. She pours herself a glass of delicious fresh squeezed orange juice that would make your mouth water smelling the light citrus flavor. She takes a drink of it and is clearly enjoying it. The friend is watching, a little confused. Finally, she asks, "May I have a glass of the orange juice?"

The lady then replies, "Yes of course! I just didn't offer it to you because I was scared you wouldn't like it or that you would be offended that I offered it to you. I know I love it so much but I just didn't know if you would, so I thought I just wouldn't offer it."

Now, how silly is that story? It is just orange juice! clearly someone would not be offended by being offered orange juice - and clearly no one would be afraid of offering orange juice. So why are we with the gospel? We have the most wonderful gift from Heavenly Father - the knowledge of His plan for us - and yet we are not so eager to share it with those around us who need it. We should be bursting at the seams to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of Jesus Christ- to everyone whom we come in contact with!

Two wonderful people in the Volcano Cliffs ward have done just that this past week. Amber, who just got engaged, decided it was high time she invited her boyfriend/fiance to listen to the missionaries and of course, he said yes! So we started teaching him this week! and he is so accepting of all of it! We explained the restoration and he kept saying how much it made sense. And I have to tell you, that was only the second lesson Sister Walker and I had taught together and we really didn't have time to prepare together, but we taught so well together! We were so unified and it was so incredible. I know this companionship is inspired. and I am so excited for the next 5 (hopefully more) weeks together.

Another wonderful person in the ward, a laurel, decided she should invite her friend to partake of the goodness of the gospel and the blessings which she enjoys each and every day. She invited her friend to church and then to meet with us afterward. We did. We taught Aubie the first lesson and she loved it. She is going to be baptized. I know it. Share the orange juice. they are really just waiting for it.

Bobbie is still doing wonderfully! She is not on date for baptism yet though - but we had the most powerful lesson with her this week. After she went to Utah - which she loved- they had discussed when her fam would be ablwe to come down for her baptism and they came up with December or January. That will not do! We talked about baptism and the importance of it and how it is something she does not want to put off. The hot topic was faith- having faith that as we take those steps to show heavenly father we are committed, He will take care of the rest and allow everything to fall into place. Adn then our ward mission leader, who was in atendace at the lesson, said to her how great it would be if she were to be baptized on the 28th of Septemberand then to be able to atend the womens conference that night with her daughter. Little did he know, that was the date sister walker and I had been praying about for her! So we told Bobbie that and I think the spirit really did testify to her that she needs to be baptized sooner than later. We see her this week and we will see how she is feeling about it now. Now we just need to figure out how to get her family down to New Mexico - no mom, I do not think it would be a good idea for you to bring them.

In your sharing the orange juice with those around you - consult Matthew chapter 10. It teaches you all the things you need to do to be a successful missionary. I would love to go into more detail with you - but alas, my time here on the computer has come to an end. Read it - tell me what you have learned.

I love you all! o

Sister STuart

Poaching and Transfers, Albuquerque, NM

What a week!

I taught the law of chastity for the first time! to nine year olds! what the?!?!?! needless to say, it was probably not my best lesson ever.. but that is a-okay! I will get a do-over one of these days. hopefully I did not mess up their eternal salvation becasue of it...

This week Sister Smith and I found out that we are poachers. The family we found and started teaching - the Wards - are not in our ward boundries. The parents are divorced. The dad, whom I have never met, lives in the stake, but the mom, who is taking the lesssons, lives in Rio Rancho - not even in ABQ! and that means we are not to teach them . We have to turn them over to the missionaries in their area. blast. bummer. the real hard thing about it is that the son has been really involved in the scout troop in our ward so he already has fellowship and so does the mom and the little girl becasue she goes to activity days here. Oh the complexities of a mission. They are frustrating sometimes. I just want to teach them! But I just have to remind myself that all the missionaries are on the same team and it doesn;t really matter if I teach them or if someone else does. It matters that they are taught and can find the happiness that can only be found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This last week Sister Smith and I got blessings from our bishop to help unify the efforts of the full time missionaries and the ward members- SO cool! Anyway, Sister Smith had a really powerful one where the bishop blessed here to have a pure knowledge that the lessons we teach are the truth. A pure knowledge! how neat is that! That is pretty neat! and then the line in mine that really stood out to me was that if I do something my testimony of the Savior will be immoveable from this time forth. Pretty powerful stuff - too bad I don't remember what it is I have to do eh?***so I think I am so funny right - so as I write my emails to y'all I just chuckle at myself-  there is another sister in here with us and she now thinks I am CRAZY! I am really not. I am just hilarious. that is all*** The Bishop also blessed me with faith to work the miracles in the Volcano Cliffs Ward and also to work with the members and to be able to see the fruits of my labors. So it was definitely a spiritually edifying evening. and I am already seeing the fruits! Two days later, one of the young women in the ward called us and told us she has a friend who wants to take the discussions! yahoo! (Iknow they are not called discussions anymore - but that is just easier to say. taking the lessons sounds funny.)

Remember how whenever Kemper would say prayers we would all dread it because they are soooo long?? and then whenever anyone else would say a long prayer we would all say "great prayer kemp!"? well it turns out - I am the new Kemper. Sister Smith told me the other day my prayers are so long! but she has a point - one night for companion prayer I said it and it was 13 minutes long! what the?? Good prayer kemp! I guess I am just better at talking to Heavenly Father now. I love praying! and believe me, I am abbout to be doing a whole lot more of it!

And transfer calls came this last week. I must be a terrible companion. I only have companions for 6 weeks at a time. Sister Smith is being transferred tomorrow. I must be the missionary that others can only stay with for 6 weeks at a time - otherwise they would go mad and be driven home! so they have to keep em rotating through pretty quick - otherwise I will destroy all their knees with my monster long prayers! :)

So a new transfer begins tomorrow - and I have the tremendous opportunity to be serving the sisters of the mission more fully as a Sister Training Leader. and that is why I will be praying a whole lot more - I am only 12 weeks out. How am I supposed tohelp these sisters who have been out for so much longer than I? I will tell you. I am not. I am to be the mouthpiece of the Lord. he will work through me to help these sisters. I have been greatly humbled by the call - I know that I am nothing, as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God for in his strength I can do all things - many mighty miracles will be wrought in this land for which I will praise His name forever.

I love you all so much! have a fantastic week in whatever endeavors you undertake!

God be with you!

Sister Stuart

and Happy birthday this week momma!

Look! I don't do my hair anymore! I don't even brush it! :)

My new/old district. District #2

 Sister Jordan! a fantastic woman in our ward whom we love!

Surprise! Two emails in one week! Don't y'all feel lucky?

This one'll be a quickie though.. I will just update you on the news of transfers

- Sister Smith has gone down to the south end of the mission so I don't know where exactly she is or who her new companion is

- My new companion is Sister Walker from Perry of the Walker Cinemas - cool eh? yeah we will stay friends for long after the mission Free Movies!! But the real cool thing is that Sister Walker and I came out together - we were in the same district in the MTC! It was real exciting to see her name as my companion this morning! I am real excited! This will be one swell transfer!

and that is all! Have a great week yet again!

Sister Stuart

oh and a random picture that Sister Pasa Vaili sent me today from a few weeks ago at the trainer/training meeting we had - On the far left was my companion Sister Smith and the second one in from the right is my current companion Sister Walker - and the face is normal.. I don't know why I have such a hard time smiling in pictures...

Mission Facebook Page

Please remind your friends and family to ‘friend’ the NM ABQ Mission Page on Facebook:

It’s NMAB Lds

We will post pictures and other newsworthy stuff there for your family’s enjoyment.  We are also contemplating a Mission Blog.

Thanks,

Sister Dennis

Late Night Phone Calls, Albuquerque, NM

Week 5 of transfer 2 has come to a close! only one more - and this is the week in which our fates for the next month and a half will be determined - training calls will come on Wednesday with other calls coming between Wednesday and Sunday. I have no idea what to expect - Sister Smith could easily be training again. Y'all will know next week- don't you just love the suspense? I know I don't.

This has been quite a good week though - we had a some great opportunities to serve- we went and weeded at the home a part member family - or I guess couple is the right way to say it. The y are an older couple- grandama and granpa age- He is a member and comes every week while she is an active member in her church (community of Christ maybe??) They were married later in life after they had both been married previously- and the crazy thing is they knew each other really well when they were married before. It is actually a really cool story - but the point is, when they got married they made an agreement that they cannot try to convert each other - Brother Stoleworthy (the husband) said to us though that just becasue he can't say anything doesn't mean the sisters can't! so that is what we are going to do - work on her slowly - first by serving them so she can see the good in the church! This last week we went and weeded. this coming week we will probably go iron for her. She is a big time quilter and has some incredible ones! I will maybe take some pictures so you can see em mom. But he was so funny when we went to weed - he told us we could only weed for him if he could supply us with gloves and knee pads and screw drivers to dig out the weeds. He even threw in the hat as bonus! I chuckeled at the gloves becasue who weeds with gloves? but I was sure thankful for them becasue the weeds we were pulling had stickers on em! They werent your typical goat-heads - they are what they call here sand burrs. and they are horrid! they just look like crab grass but have about 8 little stickers on the ends. Keni do you know what I talk of? so the gloves were a good thing - except they were huge!

The other exciting news for the week is Brian! He was at church last week - I told y'all about that I hope - if not - he was at church last week - before we even taught him a lesson! We were able though to teach him the restoration this last week though and it went so well! We were ouside on his porch/courtyard thing becasue he is just a single guy - ye know - following those rules to keep us safe and avoid all appearance of evil - but it was a nice day - slightly overcast. We recited to him the first vision and when we finished we asked how he was feeling and he looked up to the sky and said something along the lines of it being so powerful that he was shaking - then he pointed out that as we were sharing it the sun came out. It was real cool. He is really excited to be learning more. We committed him to read the bnook of mormon and to pray about it to know if it is true - and the we commitetd him to baptism. and he said Yes! Yahoo! and he came to church again yesterday! this time only for sacrament though- but he came at 9:00 to the right ward. oh we are excited! Yesterday night (last night maybe..ugh my language skills are dashed) he gave us a call becasue he had been reading and had some questions - mind you this was at 9:40. Sister Smith and I had just finished planning and were ready to get ready for bed. and Brian likes to talk. We discussed his reading in the book of Enos - he did not want to start in the beginnning so he picked Enos. but he loves it so I won't say anything! anyway we just chatted about it and had a good discussion on the phhone. I was slightly bummed at first becasue this call was taking away my time to lay on my bed in my clothes for 10-15 minutes that I do every night just becasue I am too lazy/tired to change yet - but then I was so excited that he was reading and wanted things to be clarified right away that he couldn't wait until we see him on tuesday so I got over myself real quick. We are real excited about Brian needless to say!

Also we are so excited about Bobbie! She has been on date for the 14th of September - but that is gonig to change to probably October which is a bummer but it is not becasue she isn't ready - it is becasue she wants her family to be there. They were just here last week and she is going to see them this weekend so it might not be until October that they can come back - Momma, I told you I would love for her to meet you but sahe won't be getting north to Utah until late Friday and is leaving on Monday - so you probably won't see her this time around, but I still did give her your phjone number- and she said she would give it to her daughter so you will have to meet her too! But the real exciting thing about Bobbie is that she was at church yesterday and stayed for the full three hours! For the first time! And it was a really good meeting. In Sunday School the lesson was on Honesty and a really good discussion ensued- one in which she participated. She had an experience at work this last week where she hadn't been completely honest and it had just been eating at her and eating at her - and she knew that she needed to correct it. and then she made a cmoment along the lines of " This is how In know that this is the truth becasue Heavenly Father knew that this was the lesson I needed to hear today. He knows just what I need." It was so neat!oh I just love her and am so excited for her to be baptized! then her sweet husband will be and then they will all be sealed together in the temple! 

This letter is long enough now I think - I only told you about three people even! shees I can talk! Tonight I am headed to help a single lady in the ward weed in her backyard - another gal in the area is getting married in her backyard this weekend - I know how that goes -so we arehelping her prep - goodness with all this weeding I am dong, I am giong to need to go find me some good gardening gloves! 

Oh one more thing - we had interviews with Presidentand Sister Miller this week - where they came to our apartments to see how we live and such and I tell you what, they loved my u-state blanket! Go Aggies! and they also loved all my pictures of my sweet family. They thank you for your support - as do I.

I love you all!

Sister Stuart

After this manner we keep the records, Albuquerque, NH

Hello Family!

I like to think I lead a pretty stress free life - Steve would disagree because finals last semester almost killed me- but other than that, I feel like stress rarely effects me. Thanks to Kait, our feshman year, we pretty much mastered the art of not being stressed. I thought. This last week has been one of the most stressful weeks ever. I could hardly focus! We had arranged to do a fireside type thing with the youth and their nonmember frineds -called the Sunday Sit Down with the Sisters - and it really stressed me out. The youth are at such an impressionable time in their lives that I felt like we needed to say just the right thing that would impact them and really help them to feel the spirit and the joy from the gospel. If it just would have ben youth from the ward I know I would have been fine. I know what they believe. I know what they know. I can share insights with them- but to have all their friends with them really was something else. I didn't know how or what to teach. and the other thing is- normal lessons with investigators don't stress me out a single bit because I can talk to them and find out what they believe. this was different. and I was stressed, and I think Sister Smith was sick of me for it. but we had it last night and it went really well! that is what I terll myself at least. I think sometimes I am too hard on myself- but I just always see room to improve that is all. Anyway,  a lot of the youth showed up - but only 4 of em brought friends... we shared a spirital message on the atonement and the strength to overcome all things through Christ and then Bishop shared a little bit about how in the gospel we all can find true joy and that that is really what Heavenly Father wants for eachj and every one of us. He really closed it out nicely. It was a neat experience one that I hope we will be able to do again soon and that I can prepare a little bit more for and so maybe I won't be so stressed.. although, someone did say -prepare less and pray more. maybe that is what I need...

We finally saw Brian again! we went over and chatted in front of his garage again night and invited him to church at nine. He said he would be there! We saved him a seat and waited and waited for him to show up. He didn't :( after church we were heading out the doors to go to our car and who walks in but Brian! only 3 hours late but that is okay! Sacrament meeting in the other ward was just finishing up so we decided to stick around and take Brian to gospel esssentials in the other ward with us and the lesson happened to be on the Lords Law of Health - something Brian does not live.. so I was a little bit nervous. But it was so fantastic! There is a LA member in that ward who goes to GE and he has really led a crazy life in the ghetto with drugs and parties and alcohol and has overcome it all. He is usually pretty quiet in class but yesterday it was almost as if he was teaching! it was so fantastic! the spirit was really strong and Brian felt it! He said that when he walked out of that building he was never going to pick up a cigarette again! We have an appointment with him so we will follow up! but exciting things are going to come! the only bad thing about him going to that class was that he loved it so much he doesn't want to go to any other one- which is great but he needs to come to our ward and meet the people there!

Does this email seem drab and emotionless? I feel like it is.. Sorry about that.

Boibbie's daughter came into town this week! It was so great to see them all together! Bobbie talkes about her a lot so it was good to finally put a face to the name. Jessie (the daughter) had a friend get married yesterday and she was in the ceremony and that was the reason she was here but we were talking with them all after all the rehearsal dinner and all that happened and Jessie expressed to us how sad it was for her. She said that she could feel the spirit at the sacredness of the action of being married and she just wanted asll her friends to feel it too becasue it has made such a difference in her life and she was just so sad that they don't have it and that they can't feel it - then Bobbie piped up - "well your mom does!" Oh it melted my heart! I am so excited about the progress she is making! and she is going to Utah for Labor Day weekend! and I want her to meet you mom and dad! she eventually wants to move to utah and I think she would love Uintah! so keep your eyes peeled for a cute little house for sale - maybe this will give you a chance to buy and rebuild the next door house. you would have awesome neighbors! I am bummed you will be in NH though (no offense Kemp and Joseph - I know you need dads expertise I just want them to meet Bobbie) When do you get back? when do you leave? Mom can I give Bobbie your phone number so she can call you if you are in town when she is there?

This past week I had a full day of meetings and can I tell you - President Miller is the greatest man ever! and his wife is just the best too! I love going to meetings becasue I leave feeling so inspired and energized and ready to take on the world. I can truly tell he has been called of God to lead this mission.

In my studies this morning I learned from Chemish in the Book of Omni that there is beauty in few words.. I should take a lesson from out of his book.. maybe next week.

I love you all! 

Sister Stuart