He is always there to help, Be fixed in your purpose, Doing our best and He'll help with the rest...

Alrighty so I don't have a lot of time...which happens to be just want I wanted to tell you today...haha so hymn 266 "The Time is Far Spent".....it's a really good one! and it just goes so perfectly! Time is going so quickly and I just want to make the most of it! But I really like this hymn and all that is says...so i'm just gonna share some words from it... "The time is far spent; there is little remaining to publish glad tidings by sea and by land. Then hasten, ye heralds; go forward proclaiming repent, for the kingdom of heaven's at hand, shrink not from your duty however unpleasant, but follow the Savior your pattern and friend. Our little afflictions, tho painful at present, Ere long, with the righteous in glory will end. Be fixed in your purpose, for Satan will try you; the weight of your calling he perfectly knows. Your path may be thorny but Jesus is nigh you; His arm is sufficient though demons oppose." I am so grateful for my Savior and I know that He is my friend! He is always there to help us!

We got to see Meet the Mormons this week at zone conference and it was so good!! I loved the one that said "I'm not perfect, but I'm perfect at trying." I love that and I know that we just have to do the best that we can and then his grace is sufficient and He will help us with the rest. Grace helps us to do things that we can't do on our own. I know that we just have to have faith and trust God even in the hard times...this week one day we were thinking of a scripture that we could write on pass along cards to give to people while street contacting and so we flipped open to a random verse in the Book of Mormon and I opened to Helaman 5:47 it says "Peace, peace be unto you because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world." It was such a comforting scripture to me on kind of a slow day and a really good one to be able to share with people! We just have to have faith!

Well really quick i'll tell you about our week we had a good pday last week and went to the beach!

Tuesday was zone conference and we talked all about the Book of Mormon since we had all just finished it! We talked a lot about the Atonement and how there are so many references to it in the Book of Mormon! It was really neat finding so many and discussing them and talking about the Atonement is the central message that we have! I'm so grateful for the Atonement and for my Savior! We have been trying to really bring every lesson back to the Atonement and focus on Christ and that has made them so much more meaningful! So zone conference was great! and then we got out in time to go and have a quick lesson with Tori at the Hafen's!! Then we went and had dinner with the Mitchells!

Wednesday we went to the food pantry and then did bingo and then went and saw some less actives!

Thursday we were trying to see lots of formers and potentials and then both of our scheduled appointments fell through! We got in to see one former who talked to us for a while but isn't really interested to learn...

Friday was weekly planning then we read the Book of Mormon with Sister Bromfield and we started out in 3 Nephi 7 and then she kept saying oh lets read one more chapter...one more...one more...haha we made it to 3 Nephi 11 so that we could read when the Savior taught the Nephites so that was really good! Then we had some other stop bys that we tried and then later saw Mary!

Saturday we did some street contacting and then we went and visited some less actives and then that night was stake conference! they talked all about hastening the work! One thing I really liked that was said was to replace writing them off with writing them in! We can't judge who is ready or prepared to hear the gospel, that's why we need to talk to everyone and just be an example to all those around us!

Yesterday we had another lesson with Tori and then stake conference! then more trying to see formers and less actives and then dinner with the Hafen's! I'm grateful to be a part of this work and to be able to learn more about my Savior and come closer to Him through the ups and downs of it all! I love you all so much!

Lighthouse adventures, service, street contacting in the rain, the Beach!!, fireside at the JSM, planting seeds...

Guess what?!?!?! I just finished the Book of Mormon!!! AHHHHHH! :) in 40 days...man that was fast! Tomorrow is zone conference and I'm so excited! We're going to talk more about the Book of Mormon and we get to watch Meet the Mormons! :) oh man....but every time I read the Book of Mormon it's just so good! It was pretty crazy reading it so fast this time but I still felt the spirit just testify to me that this is the word of God! I took the promise and prayed about it and I know that it is true!! :) so I can testify that no matter how many times we read it we can always learn new things and find answers in it and have the spirit confirm to us that it is true! 

So...Last week for pday we went to the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse with Marsha and Helmar! That was really fun! It was the last day they were opened for tours and Marsha and Helmar found out about it and invited us to go! We even saw Santa there! haha so that was our adventure for the day! and then we went and walked around downtown Portsmouth for a bit! Then went to FHE and it was just a small group - us, Sister Whitney, Bishop and Sister Mitchell! We were in charge of the lesson and we taught the restoration with jenga! Oh and we also got to have a delicious new england treat! ice cream with maple syrup for dessert :) yum! 

Tuesday Marsha and Helmar took us out to breakfast and then we all went to the food pantry and helped out there! Then we had lunch and our studies and mormon.org time and then we went and saw Brenda! :) and then we went and had dinner with the Caspers! 

Wednesday we had district meeting and then went to Orange Leaf with Sister Kotter and Sister Bateman! And then we did bingo and then did a little bit of street contacting! We're really trying to work on the quality and not just the quantity now of our itls and focusing on trying to figure out how to get people to want to stop and talk to us! It's a little tricky...but we're getting there! After that we were going to see some less actives but they cancelled and instead Marsha and Helmar invited us to go to a celebration they were having at their Jewish temple! They read the torah every year and then when they finish they have a party so that was pretty interesting to go and see! Lots of people there came up and talked to us and there was one lady that said she had neighbors that were Mormon and they talk about religion all the time so she thought it was really cool that we came and it made her want to invite her friend to a jewish service and then she'll go to a sacrament meeting! :) so that would be cool! 

Thursday we went and saw Sister Bock and we started reading the Book of Mormon with her! Back to the very beginning! we read the introduction and the testimonies and she really thought it was neat how it had the testimony of Joseph Smith! she didn't know it was in there so that was neat to talk about with her! Then we tried to go and see Mathew but he wasn't home... we tried some other potentials around and then went and read the Book of Mormon with sister Bromfield! Then we had dinner with the Reeve's! And on the way there we tried to see some less actives and ended up right by the beach! so even though it was pouring rain we figured we were already wet from walking around...haha so we had to stop at the beach :D Then we hurried and dried off in the car and then went to dinner then we went and visited Mary! 

Friday we did weekly planning and then we did some street contacting and had some good success talking with people! :) then we tried to see brother momna...it's been so long since we've seen him! but he's been sick...so that didn't work out... we tried some other less actives and people around there then went and had dinner with the Udy's! Then tried some member stop bys and saw Sister Caramagno and she hopefully has a friend that she wants to invite for dinner sometime that might be interested!

Saturday after our studies we decided to head out to do some street contacting and the weather was great when we left...we didn't get our jackets...or umbrellas...ooops! haha we made it into portsmouth over the bridge and then came the rain......... so we sat on a covered bench and tried to decided if it was going to stop...but it wasn't haha so we headed back home and made it back soaking wet..haha it's always an adventure in the rain! so then we got our rain coats and umbrellas and got in the car...tried to see some less actives...then went and tried some formers! They weren't really interested but then we were close by UNH and Katie goes to school there and is in the ward and she was just baptized two years ago so she's pretty new and still learning things so we are going over the lessons with her.  It was fun to go and visit her though she took us to her art studio and showed us her art and then we taught the restoration and answered some of her questions and just had a fun time getting to know her more and researching different questions that came up in the scriptures together! It was really fun! :) 

Sunday we had church and then we were going to teach Tori but she had to go help her mom jump start her car! So that didn't work out...she really wants to get baptized though so we are really trying to work everything out! It's all gonna work out...it always does in God's timing! :) Then we had coordination and then after that we had lunch real quick! then we ended up going to Vermont! They were having a fireside at the Joseph Smith Memorial and Sister Hall and Crystalline had a nonmember friend they wanted to bring so we all went! It was really neat! ahhhhh i just love it there! it's so pretty and so cool the spirit that is there! President Stoker spoke all about Joseph Smith and about the Book of Mormon and it was so good! She really enjoyed it! We might be able to teach her but she might be just outside the ward boundaries so we're trying to see if we might be able to teach her and then send the other sisters over that are closer to her! We'll see :)  But anyways we had some fun things! still trying to find some more people to teach... they're out there...but we're at least planting those seeds!!! :) love you all!! 

Listening to the spirit, teaching new people, no hot water or heat at the church...

We've had a great week and guess what...some awesome miracles!! :D So! Monday we had pday of course, we went to the mall, walked around downtown kittery for a bit and then went to FHE!

Tuesday we had the new missionary meeting so the Sanford Elders picked us up at 7:45 and we drove to Manchester! And then all day we had different trainings and activities with President Stoker and the Assistants and 26 new missionaries and their trainers! It was super great! After that we went to the church for the relief society activity and it was chocolate night! Mary prepared a quiz/trivia game all about the history of chocolate which was really fun and we had homemade hot chocolate while we did that! Then there was all different kinds of chocolate tasting and then blind brownie taste testing! :) yum!! After it was over we put together some plates of brownies and delivered them to some sisters that weren't able to make it! :)

Wednesday we had district meeting and then bingo afterwards and then we had some more brownies to deliver! So we went around to a few less actives... who can say no to brownies?! ;) we were able to drop by a few different people and set up some other times that we can visit them! We went and saw some active members also and then went home had a quick dinner and then went to young womens! Sister Verrill is an artist and they were making a collage for the young women's room and then collage picture frames so we did that which was fun! :) Thursday we did our studies and then we were about to head out the door to see Sister Bock and then she called and cancelled :/ so we did some street contacting for a little bit and then we had to go to Pep Boys to get our tires checked because they keep losing air.... turns out there was a screw stuck in one of them! haha glad we got that figured out.... then we went and visited more members! We went to the Meads and shared a message with them and then sister mead said she had been thinking about her neighbor and thought that she might be interested in the stop smoking program that we do! So we went over and knocked on the door and her mom answered and said we could try stopping by another day and that she'd give her our card! Then we were off to more member visits! We went to try and find this one family and as we were pulling into the apartment complex guess who we saw?! Steve! So we got out of the car and went to talk to him! He said that he has an interview for a new job where he would get weekends off! ahhhh!!! how great would that be? So that was a miracle that we ran into him and got to chat for a bit!

Friday we did weekly planning and then we saw sister Bromfield, read the Book of Mormon with her, and then went around trying to see more less actives! We went to this one and ended up meeting the dad who was there visiting his son who is less active but he was telling us when we should stop by and that he was going to leave some different talks and the family proclamation for him to read! And it was pretty crazy because it turns out he's from Idaho and in Sister Duncan's stake! such a small world! He talked to us for a while reminiscing about his mission, asking how the work is going here and giving us advice :) It was great! then we went and had dinner and pizza with mary and mandy! :) pizza, kittens and fhe! what more could you want? haha :)

So then Saturday was super awesome! We did our studies and had lunch and it was rainy and really gloomy outside.... we decided to head to portsmouth and try and see our referral! So we get there, knock on the door and she told us that she was interested in the stop smoking program but then she figured out that we were mormons and she wasn't so sure about that so she started telling us no but we tried to figure out what her concerns were and were able to talk a little longer and then I just asked if we could share the message of the restoration with her so she could know what we believe! She was hesitant but let us come in and then she told us about all her health problems and how she just doesn't have any hope and she said she's catholic and is not going to change but we were hoping we could at least bring her some hope and peace and help her feel God's love! We were able to teach her the restoration and then set up another time to go and see her to talk more about it and then hopefully do the stop smoking program! After that we were trying to decide where we wanted to go next...there were a few potentials close by so we tried them and then we were going to leave but felt like we should tract around there a bit.... so we start knocking on doors - the first guy answers and said he would maybe be interested but not today...so we went around and then nobody was answering.... we were starting to think that the first guy had sent a text to the rest of the neighborhood to let them know we were there...haha but we kept knocking... a few houses later we got to a door and we could hear that there were actually people home! So I said okay, you got this Sister Duncan! :) she knocked....and then the door opens and it's a mom and her little girl... Sister Duncan started talking and asked if they would be interested and they said yes, yes!! :D She started going on telling us how they have been looking for a church and they really need this! :) So she didn't want to let us in because her house was a mess....but then she let us in! we taught Gail and Maia the restoration and they were so excited and interested to learn and hear everything we had to say! We started talking about how the gospel blesses families and how we can be together forever and they both looked at each other and then Gail told us that she had been thinking about that and last night she told Maia she wanted to be with her forever! It was so neat! We gave them a Book of Mormon and they said they would read it and pray about it! They were just so grateful and excited and she kept saying how she knew we came for a reason. It was just amazing! When we were leaving we went outside and there were blue skies and the sun was shining so bright! She said it was a sign! :) ahhh! it was a miracle! golden, super prepared people!!! I just can't wait for them to be a forever family! :) the only thing is we weren't able to set up a specific return appointment because she works a lot and didn't want to commit, but she said she will definitely call us...so we're praying that that will all work out soon! But it was amazing! It was such a cool lesson and the spirit was so strong there and it was just so cool how their faces lit up when we testified and told them about the gospel! :) We were so grateful that we listened to the spirit and went tracting even though that wasn't the original plan! After that we went and tried some other formers and potentials! then did some street contacting and then went and had dinner with the Keele's!

Then Sunday was kinda crazy...so we went to ward council and we all just sat around a heater in the relief society room..... our building doesn't have any hot water or heat! luckily it's getting fixed now...but we couldn't have church! So we all went to Exeter or Somersworth! We went to the Exeter ward and President and Sister Stoker were speaking there so that was exciting! Tori was able to still come to church so that was great! We're still trying to figure things out, she really wants to get baptized but she is so busy with school right now....so we'll get there.... it always works out in God's timing! After church we did our studies, did some street contacting and then we went to the Hafen's for dinner! So good things are happening here...gotta love miracles! gotta love missionary work! :) it's the greatest :) love you all! hope you have a great week! :)

Working with diligence, Service, Exchanges, Loved general conference,

Ahhhhh! I just love general conference weekend!!! Even with the rest of the week being a little slow...we had general conference to look forward to and it was so great to hear so many amazing talks and just feel the spirit! Lately things around here have been going a little slow...but I'm just getting ready for some really awesome miracles... I've learned that that happens, that Satan will try to bring you down and work even harder even when things are already hard...but it's just because he knows we're right around the corner from something big and something amazing. He'll try to make us feel discouraged we can't listen to him! He wants us to miserable like he is. So we're just gonna keep going...acting in faith! Because faith precedes the miracle! they're coming! :) There were so many great things that I learned from conference but one theme that stuck out to me was that there has to be opposition in all things. We have to have the bad, sad, hard times to help us really enjoy and appreciate the good, happy, wonderful times! I liked how it was talked about how these hard times are part of mortality, it's all part of the plan and God wants us to turn to Him. He is always there for us in this journey and during the good and bad. And through our Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonement we can endure any difficulty! We have our agency and we can choose where to turn and who we are going to follow and as we come unto Christ He will strengthen us and help us. But I know that it's not only in the hard times that we should pray to Heavenly Father or rely on our Savior... but just as they talked about in conference we need to be constantly living the principles of the gospel and that life is a journey and it's a process! And as we do these things everyday we can come closer to our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ! We have to have opposition in all things to help us learn and grow and progress. And I know that God's plan is for us to be happy and to become like Him and all the things we experience in life help us with that! I just love the spirit that we can feel as we listen to our prophet and church leaders! I love this quote from Elder Robert D. Hales..."What is said is not a as important as what we hear and what we feel. That is why we make an effort to experience conference in a setting where the still, small voice of the spirit can be clearly heard, felt and understood." It's amazing how as we listen we can hear things that can help us specifically and guide us in our lives.... now all we have to do is really apply all that we learned and gained from it and really act on it! anyways... I loved conference and just loved the spirit that I felt as a watched it!

So last monday we had fhe at sister whitney's and had breakfast for dinner! The lesson was on magnifying our callings and it was really good! One of the scriptures that was shared was Jacob 1:19 and I really like how it talks about working with all diligence and all our might! We have been really trying to do this - with it getting darker earlier and colder too it can be hard to find productive things to do especially when it gets late... but we have been finding good things to do and people to visit and I know that as we do all we can and just do our best that God always helps us and will always make it possible for the things that He needs done to get done. On Tuesday we went to the food pantry and that was really exciting since everyone thought that I wasn't going to be back! surprise! haha :) So that was really fun! We love serving there and working with all the volunteers! Then we did our studies after and then mormon.org time and then we tried to stop by some less actives on our walk home from the library! Then we went to the Hafens and had dinner and then a lesson with Tori! She is doing great and exciting to get baptized! :)

Wednesday we had district meeting and then we went on exchanges so sister Kotter came back with me! We went and did bingo! and then we got a media referral so we went to durham to try and make contact but we weren't able to find him....so we're still trying to contact him! Then we stopped by a less active that was close by and talked with her but she was so nice but said she's not really interested in coming back right now or having visits...one day... Then we went to young womens and they talked about general conference and made goody bags and journals to take notes in! Then we had dinner! Thursday we went and saw Sister Bock and we watched a talk from President Uchtdorf "Forget Me Not" ahhhhh! it's such a good one! She really liked it and said she would watch general conference! Then we went and met a former investigator Tammy who said she would be interested to learn again! We just have to try stopping by another time because she's pretty busy right now.... then we were supposed to have a lesson with Mathew but it didn't end up happening... we were trying to find a member to come with us but couldn't and then when we stopped by his house no one answered...so we're hoping that this week we will get to meet with him and maybe he will come to church! we tried some other people but it just seemed to be a day of nobody answering...then we went to the Foggs and had a quick visit with them! Then we exchanged back and then sister duncan and I went and read the Book of Mormon with Sister Bromfield! And then after that we didn't really have any set plans...just were going around visiting more members... we decided to call the Regans because we want to find a time to go with them and Tori to the Joseph Smith memorial! and then before we could even ask them they asked where we were and told us to come over for dinner :) So we went over and ate and read the Book of Mormon with them and it was super great :)

Friday we did weekly planning and then we tried to see Brother Momna but he was sick :( So then we went street contacting!! Then we went and had dinner with Brenda and a lesson with her! Then we stopped by the Hafens for a bit and then the Caspers! Saturday while we studied we made cinnamon rolls for conference! yum :) and then did some street contacting and then went to the church for general conference! it was just us, Bro Reeve and the Hafen's and then in between sessions the Hafen's brought some lunch for all of us so we ate with them and played with the kids :) Then more conference! and then dinner with Sister Seamons! and then we went and visited Sister Helmacy and sister Sacks! and then Sunday was more conference!! :) So that was wonderful!! I hope you all enjoyed conference! Have a great week!! love you!!!! :)