Muddy Missionaries 9.29.14

Hello Friends and Family!

    Well, it has been a great week! Sadly, the numbers don't show it #numbersdon'tmatter! lol! This week we spent a lot of our efforts trying to find service opportunities! A lot of CRAZY THINGS HAPPEN!

1. We went to The Salvation Army to see if they could use some service. ---Turns out they are a church, too, and don't like us. The guy was like trying to convince us to quit our missions and join the Salvation Army! He was like, "The only way you'll be useful to us is if you volunteer 3-4 times a week for 4 hours at a time......"       DO WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? WHO DOES THAT??! EVEN WHEN I AM HOME AND HAVE A LITTLE TIME I DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH TIME!!! YA CRAZY!!!!! #NOTVOLENTEERINGATSALVATIONARMY

2. Really, the only people that have a service group is called the RSVP (The Retired Senior Volunteer Program) for seniors older than 55........ #notus, but we still went and tried! We will see if they give us a call!!!!!

3. We are also serving at a nursing home. Wednesday we went in because we were supposed to help with "floor games." However, when we got in the lady told us they had some people come in and they were singing to them........ 2 Baptist preachers singing praises with them... so what is the right thing to do!?!?!?!?! SING PRIASES WITH EM' OF COURSE!!!!!! #SOSOSOSOSOFUN!!! I had no idea what the tunes were, but we had a praise song hymn book and we were trying!!! Singing right along with Sister Phoebe (a resident) :) So fun! Then we went back on Friday to help with their monthly resident birthday party! Well, their live entertainment didn't show up, so guess what they got!?!?!?!?! SISTER DAWES PLAYING HYMNS AND SING'N TO EM!!! THATS RIGHT SONS AND DAUGHTERS!!!!!! PREACH THE GOSPEL THOUGH REVERENT MUSIC!!!!! :) SO SO SO FUN #WISHIHADPRACTICEDASAKID!!!

4. Later that day we were driving through the ally home for dinner--- It's been raining a lot lately…. so ally=MUD!!!!! But, I already knew how to avoid getting stuck so I did. However, our poor neighbors had also tried to use the ally and they were bad news bears stuck!!!! So we hurry and ran home to change from skirts to not skirts! Run over there and just kinda looked at it.... it is stuck-stuck.... so we try pushing it. Nothing! So we go to our other neighbor’s c’uz they have a truck and we ask them if they can pull them out. They said they don't have a rope... (Something I found out here in Texas---everyone has a truck but NOBODY has a rope.... WHAT THE WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING TO DO WITH THE TRUCK!! DRIVE IT FOR LOOKS!!! NO WAY!!!!!) So they come and admire the mess with us and they don't want to get muddy… so they admire... then we are trying to call all of our members and NOBODY is answering so we resort to the last people...... our 90 year old man Brother Davis... He said he had a chain, and by the grace of God, there was another member at his house who is not 90 and he was able to come help. However, they came in their work clothes and nobody wanted to get under the car to hook it up so ya know SisDaw... put her big girl chonies (panties) on and just laid in the mud--- hooked up that chain--- and let the truck do the rest..... (Mom, the pictures Brother Bacher sent you are the only ones I have, so please save them!!!!!

Anyway, wasn't the General Women’s Conference just lovely!?!?!! Wow! Sister Dawes cried the whole time... I don't know if it was because I felt the spirit so much or the reality of knowing next time I watch one I'll be home :( But wow! Here comes an amazing weekend to come!!!!! The thing I loved the most was how much the temple was talked about. As I listened, I truly thought about what President hHeap is trying to push "Beginning with the end in mind!!!" The need to get these people to the temple!!!!

Anyway, I love y’all so much!!! Have a great week! I hope you were able to laugh a little bit!!!! :)

Love, Sister Dawes!!

So this isn't certain at all, but tomorrow is zone conference #hopetheyareannouncingipads #fingerscrossed #inthesamezoneassiscrist #GETTOSEEHER!!!!!! #HOLLA@YOGURLS

P.S.I think Sister Brunt liked the MINION-aries!!!! This is what she wrote to her family:

Thank sis dawes's mom! shes so cute!!! I was just as excited about sis dawes's package as she was. LOVEEEEE TWINKIES...they are minion-aries!!!

Staying in Plainview 9.22.14

Hello Friends and Family,

      I am so happy to report that transfer doctrine is what we expected! Sister Brunt and I got a text at 10:28 letting us know that we will be staying together here in Plainview! It's a good thing because we still have a lot to learn from each other. It will be a great experience!

      It's been raining like crazy over here--- literally and spiritually! Because of time I just want to share a story that happened last night :)

      We had an AMAZING sacrament meeting. Elder Fullmer, our DL, spoke. He is going home on Wednesday. Then President Roberts and PRESIDENT HEAP SHOWED UP! All 3 of them gave wonderful testimonies of missionary work. If I have time I am going to write a letter home about something President Heap taught us about! AMAZING!!!!! WOW!!!! But that isn't the story! So here it is!

      Two Saturdays ago we contacted into a lady named Tracy. She didn't show a ton of interest but wasn't opposed to us coming by, so we set a time to go by Tuesday at 8. So we went and took a member as we taught she and her boyfriend. They felt the spirit. We went back the next day and taught the plan of salvation and throughout the week we made contact with them everyday. Last night we went over at 8, as usual, for the lesson and something was just a little off. (Her boyfriend, Robert, is trying to recover from meth. He stopped last Saturday and is really trying to resist the temptation. We have been teaching him about how the gospel can help him.) So we were there trying to figure out what was going on and he told us that he is really thinking about going to get more help- going to a rehab- As he said that, a thought came to my mind- Spirit of course) "Go do a church tour." So I approached the idea of going to the church (They didn't come to church today). They were a little hesitant at first but agreed to go. They followed us. We got to the church at about 8:30 and we walked around for a second. Sister Brunt talked to them about why we don't have statues and how we focus on the resurrected savior opposed to the cross. As she finished we came to a beautiful picture of the savior sitting on a rock in front of a river holding a staff. She asked them how they thought he felt. They gave so many great insights, but the common answer was he looks calm and peaceful - 2 Feelings they don't feel- Before we went into the chapel we told them what they were going to expect. That it would be very simple and quiet. We told them that as we walked in they would feel calm and peaceful. We said, “As we walk n we are going to walk up to a table (sacrament table) and we are going to sit there in the quiet for about 2 min.” We invited them to just sit and feel the spirit.

     We opened the door, turned on the lights, and like a ton of bricks the spirit just hit us--- all of us. We walked up to the front and sat down. We sat there for a little bit and I wasn't really watching them (bad missionary). So I got up and started talking without really looking at them. I was going to start teaching about the sacrament and why we come to church. But my eyes fell and I saw two 30 year old people with the reddest and  teariest eyes. I asked them how they felt. Tracy said..."I don't really know, but for some reason it makes me want to cry." So we talked about that for a little bit then I taught about the sacrament and what it really means. And then we invited them so just sit and pray in the chapel because both of them were just sobbing with the spirit. We heard 2 children of God pleading to their heavenly father for help as they just sobbed. it was so amazing. they weren't praying out loud, but every now and then when they were gasping for air we heard children of God asking and pleading for help. I know what that is like, and it is a feeling they will never forget. After a little while we stood in front of them and asked them what they needed to do. They said they didn't ever want to leave- Robert said he needed to marry Tracy and that they needed to change. So we invited them to pray together and individually tonight and figure out what they need to do to change. Ultimately, we told them this feeling will go away. It will be gone- but it doesn't have to. Then we talked about baptism. We don't have a specific date, but I know they will. We talked to them about how they will never find another church that will have this same feeling, and it was amazing because Tracy said, "you guys are right, I have been to ----, -----,------ (churches) and I have never had this feeling. I know this is true."

I know this church is true. The spirit is real. And It leads and guides us. Now 2 humble children of God have had an experience with the Spirit that scholars  never have. This is the true and living church. It lives because God, Jesus, and the Spirit live and breathe. We got to experience it last night.

Dad, to answer your question in the email about the doctrine of Christ, yes. Because of the faith that these people have and the trust they had in Christ's missionaries they followed us to the church. They want to change and repent. They had an experience with the Spirit that now will drive them to change. As they change they will repent even more and have the pure desire to be baptized and to never have that feeling go away causing them to endure to the end.    This is Christ's simple pure doctrine. Of this I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Feelings of my Heart 9.15.14

Hello family!

    I hope all is well! I am so grateful to be a missionary! Today I don't have any particular experiences or anything that stands out, so I am just going to tell ya a little about what is happening in my mission and feelings I've been having!

   Miracles are happening in Lubbock Texas! Yesterday was a historical day for Lubbock! It was Stake Conference and Elder Tay came from the 70 (I think) under the direction of the prophet. He was instructed to make 2 stakes in the Lubbock area! Plainview is now apart of the Lubbock North Stake! And parts of New Mexico are a part of it too! So I am wondering if mission zones will be changing in the near future! So many miracles!

  We, in the TLM ,are working hard to bring souls unto Christ and bringing them back to His loving embrace! It was amazing to be able to go to the Saturday night session! It was different than any I had ever seen before! It was an open discussion for all to participate! There was one part that I LOVED! Elder _____ (can't remember his name) stood up and asked, "Will all the full time missionaries stand?" We stood. He asked, "How long are y’all out? 18-24 months??" he says. "That sounds part time to me....... Will all the full time missionaries stand up!?" Shoot! Dang! That hit it for me! Really everyone! We are the part time missionaries! We leave, you stay!

Something I've been thinking about as I descend in time left on the mission: I am thinking about who I want to be when I am home.

I want to be a person who loves service… a person who loves doing her callings… and one that the Lord can trust to do his most valued work.

As an "older missionary" I have had a change of heart and mind. I want to instill everything I've learned while out, but how can I do it when I won't be street contacting every day for a few hours? Something I thought about -- although I won't be going up to random people with the purpose of teaching the restoration, I will have the opportunity to be able to look for hidden opportunities to serve my neighbors and friends. So instead of counting contacts at home I can count how many times I offered service the way the Savior did. As I have changed that thought, my actions have changed. I now love to street contact because I am looking for ways to serve these people… be it weeding their weeds (lawns--- people have weeds and their lawn here), painting, or whatever it may be. That is a practical thing when I am home.

Also, this week we had the splendid opportunity to go to the nursing home and play BINGO with the residents. I remember doing service projects as a youth and HATING IT. But this week was fun because I loved those people. I wanted them to be happy. Although they won't understand the gospel I can still show them Christ-like love through my actions. And I know one of the nurses or workers will see it and wonder why we would give up time to come and serve at such a young age! I want to go home and volunteer in nursing homes! Offer some time to show these people love---- while strengthening my talent of LOUD SPEAKING!!!! BEING THE BINGO CALLER :) (That is an attribute I still have!!!)

This morning in studies I felt the spirit so strong as I took time to recognize how much of a blessing the gospel is in my life. It truly does make me happy and I love it with all of my heart. During studies I took time to thank my Heavenly Father for allowing me to be in such an amazing gospel with true happiness! My heart if full of love today!

I know this church is true.  I love being a missionary! And mom, I loved your story of inviting less-actives to earn some money! That will bless them. I know it will! The church is true. I know it is, and I will never be the same!

xoxoxo

Sister Dawes

Meeting SisChris at the Temple!

Well Hello Family!!!

So, I just have to start off with................ AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! THE LORD LOVES ME SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, S,O SO, SO, SO, MUCH! Saturday, at 9:45, we met at the church with the youth to go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead! We had a recent convert come with us!!!! We get to the temple and there were SO, SO, SO, SO, many of us. They thought we were going to be a small group so they squished us in with another ward, but turns out we got a lot of people, so we were there for a while. Well, I was the last sister to do baptisms. While I was waiting for my turn, through the glass of the temple I was seeing familiar faces. I wasn't sure if they were members from the Shadow Hills Ward or Clovis. So, I kept looking and then I saw Bishop HEATH (CLOVIS)....... nearly peed myself.

So I am about to get in the font and I say to one of the sisters in my ward, “SISTER FARR, WILL YOU PLEASE ASK THAT MAN IF SISTER CHRISTOFFERSON CAME?” My heart is pounding at this time...... So I go in the font, I do my baptisms, Sister Farr comes back and says he was gone, but I saw a group out front and I will go ask them!!! I said OKAY!!!!!!!!

So I go in the bathroom and wait for the shower.... Sister Farr comes back and says, "CONTROL YOURSELF" .......... Well, in the most reverent way I was jusming up and down in a wet jump suit nearly in tears... so I showered so quick, and dressed real quick, then thought we were going to get pictures. So I have to do something to my hair, so I threw it in a bun, composed myself, walked out the door, and standing across the hall way right in front of me was my BFC!!!!!!! (Best Friend Companion) We just went outside and I hugged the crap out of her!!! I've missed her so much lol!!!! We didn't get to talk too much, but a hug was good enough for me!!!!!!! Well, a lot of hugs!!!! ----

Spiritual application---- if that feeing I had is what we get to feel when a loved one passes away and we get reunite with them in heaven.... i'm going to doeverything in my power to always be worthy to enter the kingdom of God because I want to feel that feeling again!!!!!!

So, you might remember Sister Brunt and my goal of bringing 5 souls to Christ through baptism... Well, the Lord answers prayers. Yesterday was kind of a “make it of break it” kind of a deal. If investigators didn't come to church they wouldn't be able to be baptized in the next 2 weeks. Yesterday the Lord blessed us in allowing 5 of our investigators to come to church, 2 of which missionaries have been working with for 5 months and they would never come to church and we didn't know why..... and SHE LOVED IT!!!!!!!! SO, SO, SO, SO, SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!! SO PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PRAY FOR JULISSA, XAVIOR, JACOB, LISA AND JONATHAN!!!!! 

God is a God of miracles and amazing things happen everyday!!!!

I love ya so much! Have a great week!!!!

<3 Sister Dawes!!!!  

New President- New Rules

Hello Everyone!

As a missionary, I've come to really not love holidays that fall on Mondays... very annoying!!  Yesterday consisted of shopping for 1 hour then going home and writing letters. We did take a 3 hour nap though!! That is what happens when you’re in the boonies!!!

This week was a pretty slow week concerning not much has happened. So I will just tell you about ZONE CONFERENCE!!!

WOW! IT'S AMAZING TO SEE THE CHANGES IN THIS MISSION WITH A NEW PRESIDENT! A few changes: With President Agustin we had TONS of rules regarding meal appointments with members.  He wanted to push the idea of "feeding missionaries with referrals not food." A great concept, but it wasn't too well received. We had rules like, we can only eat at 3 member’s houses a week, only eat at the same member’s house once a month, and only meet with members who live in your assigned area. Therefore, nobody wanted us over at all because it was too complex and relationships were ruined quite a bit. Well, President Heap lifted all those rules and now we can BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE!!!

Also, there is a new shin-dig coming out; Justserve.org. It's a web site where people can ask for people to come serve them and it's strictly service. Nessa talked about it in her email too. (New mission presidents must be listening to the same meetings:) So we now have 10 hours of service A WEEK!!!!!!! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! We used to only be able to do 3, and It was hard enough to be able to get those, but now President wants us to serve- serve-serve, and show what our church IS instead of just talking, talking, talking!!! We have had so many service opportunities since Thursday!!!!! It's the greatest!!!!!!

Also, drum role please...........WE GET TO GO TO THE TEMPLE ONCE A TRANSFER NOW!!!!!!!!! We just have to find a ride with members. With this new rule the intent is to take your recent converts right after they are baptized to make sure it happens quickly, and we get to be there with them!!!  HOOLLAA @YOGURL!!!!

SO SATURDAY WE ARE GOING TO THE TEMPLE!!!

This week was my 1 year. That is crazy to believe!!!! 6 months ago I was with Sis Scott in Clovis... Seems like yesterday.... that is just crazy to me!!!!!!

Anyway, I just want you to know I love being a missionary and I love this church!!!!!!!

Short email---

Love ya,

<3 SisDaw