Mission Log: 26 August 2013

Ice cream on Sister Stevens birthday! She looks great, I look...we'll I'm there.

 

birthday flann

  Picture is me with Oscar and Lilia

 This is my friend Emily. She's 16 and comes out to teach with us. I basically become best friends with all the Laurel's wherever I serve and make them come teach with us all the time. Anyway, we were teaching Sister Stevens how to make funny faces.

 Cute girls, am I right?

This was the end result of the funny face instruction

I love a quote by Thomas S. Monson that says, “my brothers and sisters, our Heavenly Father is aware of our needs and will help us as we call upon Him for assistance. I believe that no concern of ours is too small or insignificant. The Lord is in the details of our lives.”

God does hear our prayers. I think most of us say that and believe it, but only passively. At least I know that is how it seems for me sometimes. It is easy to know that God listens, but harder to act in accordance with that knowledge…especially when things don’t seem to be going our way. It’s all too easy to kneel down at the end of a day and drill off a list of requests ending emphatically with the petition that sleep come quickly. I have learned that when we prepare before we pray we can have a better experience. When we think about what we want to say, when we express gratitude to Heavenly Father, and when we sincerely seek His guidance our experiences with prayer can bring peace and direction.  

I am grateful for wakeup calls that remind me to trust the Lord and work to do things His way. His way is always significantly better than mine, and I’m always happier when I do it. Not much to lose. I know that if you will prepare for your prayers and work to make them more meaningful that you will be more aware of God’s answers. You will come to realize that God really is in the details of your life.

Love,

Jari

Mission Log: 20 August 2013

 

On an exchange with the english sisters. THey let me borrow their clothes in exchange for funny face pictures.

 My girls! (the old ones, we've been here since November)

My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me; I cannot choose the colors, He worketh steadily. Oft time He weaveth sorrow, And I, in foolish pride, Forget He sees the upper, And I the underside.

Not ‘til the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly, Shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why. The dark threads are as needful in the Weaver’s skillful hand, As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned. He knows, He loved, He cares, nothing this truth can dim. He gives His very best to those who leave the choice with Him. ~Author Unknown

I am thankful for a loving God who is far wiser than I. I am grateful for His patience and guidance. I am grateful for a charmed life that is not free of sorrows. I am grateful that happiness is a choice that I can make each day.

Mission Log: 12 August 2013

chickens!

Quick story for this week:

Sister Stevens and I aren’t allowed to use our car on Thursdays. We set up an appointment for someone who lives 4 miles away and decided that we’d walk rather than ride bikes. While we were walking Sister Stevens saw a bunch of geese and said, “I really want to run through all those geese and watch them fly away.” So I put down my bag and we chased geese for a little bit. Then on the other side of the road we saw a bunch of chickens running around. It’s been a while since I’ve seen chickens, so we went over there to check them out. Then this random shirtless man drove up to us, they were his chickens. It turns out that he lives on cemetery property and also has a huge chicken coop, a couple ducks, and one dog. He gave us a bunch of feed and gave us a tour of the place. I kind of felt like I was living in a horror movie, but it was too fun to pass up.

I love all the random people that we meet. I love how willing people are to talk to us and invite us to learn more about their lives. In the same way I love telling people about the gospel, because it is what brings me the most happiness in my life. More than anything missionary work for me is making a ton of new friends each day and telling all of them the things that make me most happy in life and inviting them to get on the happy train. If it sounds like a party, it’s because it is!

Have a great day.

Love you.

Mission Log: 29 July 2013

My companion takes funny pictures of me. 

I don’t have any exciting stories or pictures to share this week. I had a wonderful week, but most of what I did probably won’t make for an interesting read. I wish I could just let everyone borrow the feelings in my heart for a little bit. I wish I could let you feel just how happy I am.

I have the privilege of telling everyone I meet that God is their Heavenly Father and that He wants each of us and our families to be happy FOREVER! I met a sweet, older Peruvian couple yesterday. They are strong in their faith and they love God. It was incredible to watch their faces as I told them that they could be together and with their children and other family forever. That the love and joy they find in their family doesn’t have to end when this life does. We talked about a lot of things, but that part of our conversation stood out to me the most. Words don’t do justice to the feeling of hope that I felt with that sweet couple. I don’t know if I’ll ever see them again, but I know what I shared with them is true and I know that they felt it.

Yesterday I gave a talk at church. I spoke about how “The Hope of God’s Light” (http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/the-hope-of-gods-light?lang=eng) I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who offers us light as we may be surrounded by the darkness of difficulty and struggle.

I love you all.

Jari

Mission Log: 22 July 2013

ferry to my town.

Me and the Lady

too much sun. hurricane sandy left overs. and new york. and me. all in one picture!

Ellis Island

Jersey is pretty.

This week I was able to serve at Liberty Island. After the hurricane our service at Ellis Island was disrupted and now the foundation we work with is stationed under the shadow of Lady Liberty. It was incredible to be there and to realize how much I love meeting people. I love hearing their stories. I met people from literally all over the world and they would tell me about their heritage and what brought them to the Statue. While we were serving I was reminded of the importance of the family. Most of the people there were on vacation with their family or searching out ancestors who came through Ellis Island or just wanted to talk about their family in general. It was fun for me to listen to them and share some of my own stories.

I am so grateful for our Heavenly Father who created us with such a wonderful capacity to love. I am grateful that He prepared a perfect plan that allows us to be with our families forever if we will be obedient to His commandments. I love my family. They’re the greatest people I know. I am grateful for the lessons I learn from their incredible examples of faith and trust in the Lord. Keeping them forever is the greatest blessing. I love teaching others about how they can be with their families forever.

I live a charmed life.

Mission log: 15 July 2013

crabbing

title of libery!!!

So I live a charmed life. I say that all the time, but it never stops being true. This week I did one of my morning work outs on the beach while the sun was rising. Then another night I watched the sunset while riding my bike home. There are few things as wonderful as riding a bike through humid, summer air while the sun is setting. It’s just the greatest. I love being outside. I love realizing that all the beautiful things around me were created by a loving Heavenly Father. He made this earth beautiful for us to enjoy and take care of. I love it!

OH! And I went crabbing last week. That was a fun new experience. And I got to spend the day on a dock. Salty sea air is also my favorite. I loved it!

We met a bunch of wonderful people this week. I’m always amazed by how my heart keeps growing and growing to make room for all the love. There are some growing pains sometimes, but it’s so worth it. I look forward to growing and learning and adventuring my way through life. I look forward to learning to enjoy things the way God enjoys them. I trust Him to teach me how to become a woman of faith and confidence. I know that our Heavenly Father blesses each of His children with talents and tools to be happy and successful in life, and to help others along the way.

Have a happy week.

Love,

Jari

Mission Log: 5 August 2013

Some weeks are hard. Some weeks I get news that breaks my heart. Some days I feel like I’m not big enough to take on all the different challenges I need to. Sometimes I feel like I’m not wise enough to answer the different questions people ask. Sometimes I compare myself to others. Sometimes I just want to take a nap. Sometimes it just hurts. Have you ever felt like that? It times like that when I take comfort in the words of the Lord to the prophet Joseph Smith:

“And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?” (Doctrine and Covenants 122: 7-8)

The truth is that we can’t take on the world by ourselves. We were never meant to. We need a Savior. Heavenly Father always knew that we would need one and so He sent His Son to atone for the sins of the world. But not just that! He has felt all our pains, afflictions and difficulties. Rest assured that there is no pain you have ever felt that Jesus Christ cannot empathize with. He offers comfort and counsel if we will choose to accept it. I love the Book of Mormon for clearly teaching that faith, repentance, and baptism are how to come unto Christ and receive the mercy that he offers.

Some of my favorite verses in the Book of Mormon say:

“And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me. Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.” (Alma 7: 11-14)

Anyway, I know that the purpose of life is to have joy. I know that joy is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that reading the Book of Mormon helps us to understand the gospel and that prayer helps us to apply it.

I hope you all have a great week.

All my love

Mission Log: July 1, 2013

In the car going to JC

 Me really excited to be in Jersey City, Sister Steven...not so excited

 My favorite district. We were all in the same ward. We saw miracles all the time. The ward members were phenomenal. It was awesome. Yay Brunswick.

 Annalee, remember that one time you went to newsies without me? Yeah, me too!

 So I look exhausted, but look! I live/work at Jersey Shore.

  Walking to the temple

My District at the temple

 My companion is a beauty queen. For real.

 I have a weird bruise and everything thinks there is something seirously wrong with me. I just think I look like something off of alice in wonderland in this picture.

 Exchange with Sister Clark in the rain

I was in Jersey City all day today. It is weird to think that I was just there, but that it was a year ago. That area is so special to me. It’s where I learned to be a missionary. Being there today reminded me of all the hopes I had for myself when I started and I felt so excited to continue to work hard and grow and become a new creature in Christ. I’m still very much Jari, but a better version. I love repentance. I love change. I love letting go of bad habits and developing good ones. I love learning. I love the good examples of my friends. I love the good examples in the scriptures. I love incorporating what I learn from them in my own life. With all the joy I have felt on my mission there is no question in my mind that our Heavenly Father’s ultimate goal is to make us as happy as He is, but in order to accomplish that we must learn to enjoy the things that He enjoys. We must learn to love and serve and be obedient. We must learn patience. We must learn to enjoy hard work. We must learn to enjoy learning and expanding our capabilities. So much to experience, right?! I love it!

Mission Log: June 24, 2013

like I said, I spend a lot of time with the sisters.

 

We look cool, right?

I'm on a bike!

 

So, ignore the part where I look like a whal

e, more pictures, yay!

So every once in a while things happen and I think to myself, “is this real life?” Mostly they’re the moments that make me laugh the most. Like when we’re trying to find someone named Guadalupe but I say the name Carlos instead and my companions and I spend the next hour tracking down a man named Carlos who doesn’t actually exist.  Or when I get put in a makeshift trio for a day with two other sisters I’ve never served with, we find a stray dog, get bitten, and then finally find a nice Kenyan man who knows Mormons and is really grateful that we brought his dog back.

This week I rode a bike for the first time on my mission. It was so cool! I am the happiest when I am outside and being on a bike just made it that much better, aside from the part where I tried to talk on the phone at the same time and biffed it, but all is well!

This area is so different than anywhere else I have ever served. There are so many trees, and random critters everywhere, and lots of people let us help with yard work. I just feel happy all the time. The sun is out, the scenery is gorgeous, all the people are really nice. Actually, I just realized that I live around a lot of older people…I probably like it so much because it reminds me of home. I guess that’s what happens when you grow up in the retirement capital of the US. I can’t wait to be a little old, white-haired retired woman. I’m going to make lemonade, sit outside and tell my life stories to random passersby.

Anyway, all is well in Jersey. If you didn’t have a chance to watch “the work of salvation” then you should check it out! (http://www.lds.org/training/wwlt/2013/hastening/special-broadcast) And if you did watch it, you should think of cool ways that you will apply what you learned. I love having a living prophet to help us apply the teachings of the gospel for our specific time. What a blessing!

Mission Log: 17 June 2013

meet the branch

Well, I’m training a new companion and we got doubled-in to a new area. Basically we’re both a little confused, but we’re happy. The branch where we are working is full of people who love the gospel and want to serve others around them. I love people with big hearts, they make me feel all kinds of loved and motivate me to be better.

We met an older woman this week who was just baptized at the beginning of the year. She loves the gospel. The first thing she told us is how glad she is that the missionaries taught her how to pray. She told us how she had always wanted to feel closer to God but that she didn’t know how. When the missionaries taught her how to pray her life changed. She doesn’t feel as lonely or forgotten. She knows that she has a Heavenly Father who loves and watches over her and she is eager to share her joy with everyone. She turned 82 yesterday and I’ve never met anyone who looks so happy and content with their life.

There is so much to learn from the people around us. If we open our ears and our hearts we will realize that we are surrounded by our brothers and sisters and that they can help us, comfort us, and encourage us. I am so grateful for the testimony of prayer that this sweet woman shared with me, she changed my life and she probably didn’t even realize—she was just talking about things that make her happy.

Mission Log: 10 June 2013

I love senior missionaries because they take care of important things, like making sure that we celebrate national donut day!

There is an abundance of stray underwear on the streets in this state!

Martha being stubborn and not taking pictures

New Jersey Morristown Mission

Guillermo is so cool!

I don’t even know what to say about this week.

There was a lot of rain. I went to a lot of meetings.

I felt the Spirit. I think that’s probably the most important thing I can say about my week. There are a lot of changes going on in the mission, but also in my life individually and it was nice to feel the peace and calm that come from the companionship of the Holy Ghost. This morning I sat in my room and sang “Be Still My Soul” to myself. I have a picture of Christ that I look at while I study the scriptures and I just looked at the picture while I sang and then I found this scripture:

“And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.” (1 Nephi 17:3, the Book of Mormon)

I trust God to take care of me. I trust Him enough to be obedient and to choose to be happy. His plan has always shown to be way better than mine and I am grateful for opportunity after opportunity to learn how to be humble and by so doing learn how to be happy.

Tomorrow brings a new area, a new companion, and lots of new responsibility. Sounds like an adventure to me.