12-19-12
"HELLO!!!
So Fallon is amazing!!!! We had a Christmas Luncheon/Training in Reno last week with all the missionaries up north! So fun! I got to drive for 1 hour strait!!!! :) Reno seems awesome too~ After the training all morning we had lunch! Then, President Black surprised us and we got to watch the new LDS movie called "17 Miracles." It’s a movie about the pioneers crossing the west. Very cool movie, and it made everyone ball!
We toured a dairy farm last Monday for our p-day activity! There are 22 dairies in Fallon. Everyone is so kind here! It’s amazing! It totally feels like serving in Wisconsin. Everyone LOVES us, it’s so touching! I can already tell it will be so hard to leave this area! :( noooo!!!! I love them!!!!!
Two weeks ago we had 4 appointments, and this past week we had 14! Next week we already have 14 lessons set up! :) So the work is growing! Every day we are out in the cold working our hardest. There are so many people to teach, and we are finding them with the help of the lord!
Sister Badger is awesome!!!! We are SO alike it’s not even funny! :) She is so amazing and her mom is into the health world as well! We have lots of fun together, and work so well together. Fallon better watch out! ;)
Last Saturday Jackie was baptized in Vegas. I bet her baptism was amazing!! She is amazing! I still remember feeling famished and exhausted and dehydrated one Sunday afternoon and walking outside with sister Dillistone to get more water from the car. Just then, Jackie pulled up in her SUV alongside us and asked, "what denomination is this?" We started teaching her that week, and she ate up the gospel and loved it. What a special woman she is. I love her~!
Sister Badger and I have been impressed to start a Book of Mormon Reading Class! It will be every Thursday at 7pm. We will teach Recent Converts, Investigators, and anyone really, how to read the book of Mormon and understand it, and how to apply it to our lives! The Book of Mormon class will be taught, simply, and powerfully! WE CANT WAIT!!!! The Book of Mormon is just PACKED full of commandments and epic stories that so apply to our lives today! ITS main purpose it to lead us to Christ.
I've started a Miracles/Gratitude book. I started listing why I was thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Church of Jesus Christ of latter day Saints is just amazing. This church just provides SO MUCH for us!! God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He didn't just care about those living in the olden days to perform miracles for them, and send them prophets to lead them. Wouldn't you agree that at a time like this in the world, being the last days, that God would send his people a prophet and provide for them more witnesses of his second coming? God loves us just as he loved the tribes of Israel. His ways of working and telling the world his commandments is through his prophets and apostles. Through his very own priesthood power and through revelation. How grateful I AM!!!
Here is what the happy Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides for us: The Book of Mormon; Another Testament of Jesus Christ, God's priesthood power to bless and heal the earth, The Atonement of Jesus Christ (his suffering for us), the Bible, Churches across the earth teaching the same doctrine in almost every country, Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, Temples, Temple Marriages so we can be sealed to our families for eternity, Church classes for all ages; Young Woman’s, Young Men’s, Relief Society, Elders Quorum. We have the Sacrament, a living Prophet, 12 Apostles and General Conference twice a year where we hear their words. We have Home teaching, Visiting Teaching, where sisters visit sisters and care and love for them, and where men of the church go two by two to visit the families within each ward. We have over 52,000 missionaries serving across the world where their call to serve is direct revelation from the lord given to an apostle. The mission field, run by God himself through mission presidents...the Missionaries working by the spirit 100% of the time. Priesthood Blessings, Patriarchal Blessings (a one time blessing given to us as our own personal guide for our eternal life).
Area 70's who travel all parts of the earth to teach and preach. The church is one of the largest Emergency Preparedness groups, packaging relief boxes year round. The church has a welfare system where members give money to provide for others in need. We talk of Christ; we celebrate the life of Christ. We look for his coming! There is no paid ministry in the church of Jesus Christ. We give all we can because we are so blessed. This church is the church of Jesus Christ and He is the head of it. I bear his name on my chest and I am a personal whiteness that he lives and loves us.
The Book of Mormon has hundreds of stories about thousands of individuals who gave up everything to join the gospel, even if their lives depended on it. Missionaries in the Book of Mormon gave up their rights to the kingdom, and everything they owned to help convert those who did not believe in Christ. Missionaries today, give up everything they have to serve God and love it. In the 1800's missionaries where sent to proclaim the truth of the gospel across the world.
Pioneers headed the message and saved all they had to get to America, where they met the early saints and then trekked across the freezing west to establish Zion, many froze to death. Why would all of these special saints give up everything they had to join the gospel and to give until their last breath? Because it is true. Nowhere else in history can you stand in complete awe as you hear of those, who fought for freedom and for Christianity.
I bear my witness that I know this church is true. It will continue to flood the earth and the hearts of many will turn to learn of God's complete and everlasting gospel. It is so true. The truth of it burns within my heart. I've prayed to know if it is true. I left for my mission with .87 cents left in my personal account. I paid all I could for my mission. My mission means everything to me. I press on and will keep going on. I will live for Christ, fight for Christ, and even die for Christ. I Promise you God loves you, and I pray for you to be 100% fully converted to the Gospel! We truly get all as we give all! How indebted we are to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Catch the Spirit that floods the earth. As missionaries, we don’t convert anyone! It’s the spirit! If you want to know if the Book of Mormon is True, or if anything is true, you must (James 1:5-6), ask God. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. :) "
Every Sacrifice is Worth Building the Kingdom of God.
Jenna!
Monday, December 5, 2011
December 5, 2011
"Well I am here in FALLON!!! Wow, what a crazy little city!Population 5000! (3000 are Mormon) 41 churches & 42 casinos.The area that we cover in the city is beat down and run down.It’s called "the dump of Fallon." So much happiness needs toenter Fallon, and its going to have to begin within the hearts ofthe people. My companion is Sister Badger! She is so cool and hasbeen out for 3 months! :) We are having fun. The people in ourarea are stubborn and depressed ...suicidal.... We have no solidinvestigators, but we are working with 2 Recent Converts (who gotbaptized two weeks ago! Yay!!!), and a whole ton of lessactives....But I KNOW there are people here to find andteach!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This area needs work. We live in a duplex, so it’s bigger then I am used to! It’snice! It was also built in the 1940s lol (carpeting, tile,cupboard draws). No cockroaches yet! Yay! I've been cleaning andcleaning. My first night I thoroughly cleaned our bedroom, andhave picked a new room to clean since! In our bedroom thewindowsills had 1/2- 1 cm of dust on them...dirt everywhere, anddust lined every inch of the carpeting against the wall (Nevada).There was mold in the bathroom all over the shower and on theceiling, and every kitchen cabinet had mold in it too. Theapartment had lots of happy pictures of Christ, but with the dustand for whatever other reason, the air was a little sad.
Wedefinitely live in a poor area of town....Sister Badger told methat Satan has been working a ton on the missionaries...becausethis area has so much potential, but if there no motivatedmissionaries...no work progresses! TIME TO MAKE FALLON HAPPPPPYYY!!!!! Time to tell them there isreason to REJOICE! And if they don’t want us to enter theirhouses, we will bless them as we turn to find another family.Change will take place here, I know it! I have a happy heart. Iam so excited to love the ward members, to love each person wecontact...and to conquer Satan! Phew! Here we Gooooo! One thing I am supppper appreciative of is being able tounderstand people. It’s only through the spirit that we cantruly ask the right questions to gain our investigators trust andlove, so they can open up. Before they open up, we have to. I amso LOVING giving my heart away and motivating people!! I loveit!! My life goal is to be a leader for life! I love people and Ilove encouraging them! Everyone matters! GO YOU! So, back tounderstanding those we teach...I've heard so MANY personalstories. So many people’s personal problems and deep soulquestions. I've listened to so many fears. Felt everyone’s painto one extent. The only person who entirely knows us is JesusChrist. He is amazing! He truly knows just HOW we feel! I feel sohonored to have truly come to know so many feelings in life. Missions are so special. It’s a special opportunity to learn. Idon’t just walk past a person on the street and think, "Theyare dumb looking!" rather, my heart is full to the brim with loveand compassion. I ask myself, "What might this person need? Whatare they going through? How can I help them? They matter so much.I am here to help you. I am here to tell you about your SaviorJesus Christ." ln Relief Society last Sunday, the sister giving the lesson was aschool teacher. We were talking about the trials we face in life.She said, "3 of my students have committed suicide this pastyear. I have no idea what might be running through their head toeven do something like that!!" My heart leapt when I heard this!Because I DO know what is running through their head! I had aspecial connection with her comment, because I've truly sat andlistened to so many of our past investigators across Las Vegaswho had suicidal pasts.
My heart still holds their pain, my handsalways willing to extend towards them to love them. Everyoneneeds uplifting. I love everyone I've been able to meet! I loveeee talking aboutJesus Christ! It is why I am so happy! We talk of Christ eachday!!! To those who make mistakes, who suffer, who never haveknown joy; To those who have never experienced faith, or known ofHope... Here is JESUS CHRIST. He doesn’t stand with just onearm open, he stands with two! We are engraved upon his hands. Weare in HIS heart; we are always in his MIND.
He walks each pathof eternity with US in mind. His every move is caring, and isrolling forth the progression of Heaven. I am so excited to bear his name in this city. Many hearts needto be warmed. Many minds need to be intrigued by the gospel ofJesus Christ. Let the journey begin... Fallon is sooo amazing though!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We live RIGHT in theheart of the oldest part of the area....the downtown! The mainstreet is lined with flags and Christmas lights...the downtownlooks like Eagle River! Just run down a bit. This whole area isdiverse. Fallon has an annual rodeo, county fair, there is aMARSH here!! What the??, a racecar speedway, and many otherthings. Our area has a NAVAL base, and an INDIAN RESORVATION. Wehave two family wards, and our area is huge! Like 15-20 mileswide at one point! For the past year I’ve been stuck in small areas...2x3 miles atthe largest! So it’s SO fun to drive through the country!
Thisis farming country; they grow barley and wheat, alfalfa and corn!They have OAK trees here!!!! It’s like being in Wisconsin...alittle! Its so fun going to the naval base...I feel cool! And the IndianReservation is sweet! However, the people aren’t too friendlyto us, because we are white. There are Native American members inthe church! It’s so fun to visit them! All of these farmers andNA (Native Americans), live in small houses out in the countrywith a ton of land, chickens, cows, horses, dogs, a million and ahalf cats, and ducks, and geese...it’s so FUN! And even thoughthe people don’t have a lot of money, they give us SO much.I've never felt such Immediate LOVE! They give and give tous...it’s so special. They all have so many special storiesthat they share with us, about past missionaries serving them!
I keep asking the Native Americans If I look Native American!!(Because I AM!!! YAY!!!!), one sweet member last night said, asshe pointed and squinted at my face, "Yes, Yes...From the norththough...Canada." I said "YES!!! Wisconsin!" and she said "Yes,because the northerners have lighter skin...You are a pale face!"and she burst out laughing. I did too, because I didn’t knowwhat else to do! :) I love being Native American. When we go tothe Reservation for the Shoshone and Pauite tribes, I pray thatmy native tongue will be loosed. Ha! :)
The ward members are AMAZING!!!!!!! Both the 5th and 6th wards!!!It’s so fun just becoming part of their families! On my firstnight we had dinner with a family and they had all theirrelatives in town. I took the pan of homemade roles and cut themand served everyone. They all laughed! Hey, we are all family! :)Having immediate love for those you serve is KEY. The Lord needsus right away! The Lord needs YOU right away! The first few days in Fallon.... I was a little worried. But, letme tell you of an experience that changed my perspective aboutFallon, for LIFE! Friday night they had a Christmas tree lighting Ceremony .15miles from our house. They have a huge Christmas tree in theheart of the downtown on Main Street! We went and it was SOFUN!!!!!!!!! We kept running into members, and there was a happyspirit in the air!!! Everyone was bundled up because it wasFREEZING COLD!!! Everyone was happy! So it made me happy knowingthere ARE happy citizens of Fallon! :)
People were selling hotchocolate..There was a school choir singing on a set of bleachersnext to the tree, and anyone could join! The fire department hadFREE cookies!!!!!!!!! Along the sides of the streets they had acraft fair! People milled in and out of the smallstores...Hundreds of Fallonites gathered around the tree and wehad a countdown for the lighting at exactly 6PM! And when theytree lit up, everyone clapped!
On each of the light poles on Main Street there are lights andthey also have Christmas lights draped and zigzagged all acrossthe street for a mile! Each of those light poles had a black boxattached to the top that made SNOW! So when the lights on theChristmas tree were lit, all of the black boxes started to cranksnow flakes, and I promise you, this whole scene should have beenin a movie!! Sister Badger and I took a picture together by thetree, and visited a cowboy shop and found a family to teach! :)
Cowboys kept coming in with their hats on....looking for newsaddles/ horse hitches etc...And there was FREE chili andchocolates! Jewelers were making jewelry....Man, FALLON IS FULLOF SUPRIZES!!!! Aren't you just LOVING Fallon too??? On Saturday at the small fair grounds, they had another Christmasparty!!! We paid our entry with canned food items! The LDS churchhosted a cake walk. Inside the building there was another craftfair. Outside there was a live band singing Christmas music!!!There were 2 fire pits and people were roasting marshmallows!!!They were using broken pallets to keep the fire burning! HAHA! Isaid, "That’s hick! Oh well, THIS CITY IS AWESOME!" There was aChristmas tree decorating contest....so we toured about 40 trees.The whole evening was awesome as well. ANDDDD my soul hasliterally been crushed, because I have not seen a Hispanic personin 1 week! BUTTT a Mormon Hispanic, BIG family came up to us andpointed at our name tags! My soul rejoiced as I tried talkingwith them! :) We have just been so busy. We are going through area booksvisiting part member families. We are trying to find more peopleto teach. They will come, and I will write about them next week. STAY BUSY and WARM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My body LOVES thisweather! 15-40 degrees!!! YAY! I feel normal! I feel great! :)
PLEASE WATCH: https://lds.org/youth/video/temple-blessings-in-el-salvador?lang=eng
IT’S AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!! SISTER HAPPY SPROUSE!
"Well I am here in FALLON!!! Wow, what a crazy little city!Population 5000! (3000 are Mormon) 41 churches & 42 casinos.The area that we cover in the city is beat down and run down.It’s called "the dump of Fallon." So much happiness needs toenter Fallon, and its going to have to begin within the hearts ofthe people. My companion is Sister Badger! She is so cool and hasbeen out for 3 months! :) We are having fun. The people in ourarea are stubborn and depressed ...suicidal.... We have no solidinvestigators, but we are working with 2 Recent Converts (who gotbaptized two weeks ago! Yay!!!), and a whole ton of lessactives....But I KNOW there are people here to find andteach!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This area needs work. We live in a duplex, so it’s bigger then I am used to! It’snice! It was also built in the 1940s lol (carpeting, tile,cupboard draws). No cockroaches yet! Yay! I've been cleaning andcleaning. My first night I thoroughly cleaned our bedroom, andhave picked a new room to clean since! In our bedroom thewindowsills had 1/2- 1 cm of dust on them...dirt everywhere, anddust lined every inch of the carpeting against the wall (Nevada).There was mold in the bathroom all over the shower and on theceiling, and every kitchen cabinet had mold in it too. Theapartment had lots of happy pictures of Christ, but with the dustand for whatever other reason, the air was a little sad.
Wedefinitely live in a poor area of town....Sister Badger told methat Satan has been working a ton on the missionaries...becausethis area has so much potential, but if there no motivatedmissionaries...no work progresses! TIME TO MAKE FALLON HAPPPPPYYY!!!!! Time to tell them there isreason to REJOICE! And if they don’t want us to enter theirhouses, we will bless them as we turn to find another family.Change will take place here, I know it! I have a happy heart. Iam so excited to love the ward members, to love each person wecontact...and to conquer Satan! Phew! Here we Gooooo! One thing I am supppper appreciative of is being able tounderstand people. It’s only through the spirit that we cantruly ask the right questions to gain our investigators trust andlove, so they can open up. Before they open up, we have to. I amso LOVING giving my heart away and motivating people!! I loveit!! My life goal is to be a leader for life! I love people and Ilove encouraging them! Everyone matters! GO YOU! So, back tounderstanding those we teach...I've heard so MANY personalstories. So many people’s personal problems and deep soulquestions. I've listened to so many fears. Felt everyone’s painto one extent. The only person who entirely knows us is JesusChrist. He is amazing! He truly knows just HOW we feel! I feel sohonored to have truly come to know so many feelings in life. Missions are so special. It’s a special opportunity to learn. Idon’t just walk past a person on the street and think, "Theyare dumb looking!" rather, my heart is full to the brim with loveand compassion. I ask myself, "What might this person need? Whatare they going through? How can I help them? They matter so much.I am here to help you. I am here to tell you about your SaviorJesus Christ." ln Relief Society last Sunday, the sister giving the lesson was aschool teacher. We were talking about the trials we face in life.She said, "3 of my students have committed suicide this pastyear. I have no idea what might be running through their head toeven do something like that!!" My heart leapt when I heard this!Because I DO know what is running through their head! I had aspecial connection with her comment, because I've truly sat andlistened to so many of our past investigators across Las Vegaswho had suicidal pasts.
My heart still holds their pain, my handsalways willing to extend towards them to love them. Everyoneneeds uplifting. I love everyone I've been able to meet! I loveeee talking aboutJesus Christ! It is why I am so happy! We talk of Christ eachday!!! To those who make mistakes, who suffer, who never haveknown joy; To those who have never experienced faith, or known ofHope... Here is JESUS CHRIST. He doesn’t stand with just onearm open, he stands with two! We are engraved upon his hands. Weare in HIS heart; we are always in his MIND.
He walks each pathof eternity with US in mind. His every move is caring, and isrolling forth the progression of Heaven. I am so excited to bear his name in this city. Many hearts needto be warmed. Many minds need to be intrigued by the gospel ofJesus Christ. Let the journey begin... Fallon is sooo amazing though!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We live RIGHT in theheart of the oldest part of the area....the downtown! The mainstreet is lined with flags and Christmas lights...the downtownlooks like Eagle River! Just run down a bit. This whole area isdiverse. Fallon has an annual rodeo, county fair, there is aMARSH here!! What the??, a racecar speedway, and many otherthings. Our area has a NAVAL base, and an INDIAN RESORVATION. Wehave two family wards, and our area is huge! Like 15-20 mileswide at one point! For the past year I’ve been stuck in small areas...2x3 miles atthe largest! So it’s SO fun to drive through the country!
Thisis farming country; they grow barley and wheat, alfalfa and corn!They have OAK trees here!!!! It’s like being in Wisconsin...alittle! Its so fun going to the naval base...I feel cool! And the IndianReservation is sweet! However, the people aren’t too friendlyto us, because we are white. There are Native American members inthe church! It’s so fun to visit them! All of these farmers andNA (Native Americans), live in small houses out in the countrywith a ton of land, chickens, cows, horses, dogs, a million and ahalf cats, and ducks, and geese...it’s so FUN! And even thoughthe people don’t have a lot of money, they give us SO much.I've never felt such Immediate LOVE! They give and give tous...it’s so special. They all have so many special storiesthat they share with us, about past missionaries serving them!
I keep asking the Native Americans If I look Native American!!(Because I AM!!! YAY!!!!), one sweet member last night said, asshe pointed and squinted at my face, "Yes, Yes...From the norththough...Canada." I said "YES!!! Wisconsin!" and she said "Yes,because the northerners have lighter skin...You are a pale face!"and she burst out laughing. I did too, because I didn’t knowwhat else to do! :) I love being Native American. When we go tothe Reservation for the Shoshone and Pauite tribes, I pray thatmy native tongue will be loosed. Ha! :)
The ward members are AMAZING!!!!!!! Both the 5th and 6th wards!!!It’s so fun just becoming part of their families! On my firstnight we had dinner with a family and they had all theirrelatives in town. I took the pan of homemade roles and cut themand served everyone. They all laughed! Hey, we are all family! :)Having immediate love for those you serve is KEY. The Lord needsus right away! The Lord needs YOU right away! The first few days in Fallon.... I was a little worried. But, letme tell you of an experience that changed my perspective aboutFallon, for LIFE! Friday night they had a Christmas tree lighting Ceremony .15miles from our house. They have a huge Christmas tree in theheart of the downtown on Main Street! We went and it was SOFUN!!!!!!!!! We kept running into members, and there was a happyspirit in the air!!! Everyone was bundled up because it wasFREEZING COLD!!! Everyone was happy! So it made me happy knowingthere ARE happy citizens of Fallon! :)
People were selling hotchocolate..There was a school choir singing on a set of bleachersnext to the tree, and anyone could join! The fire department hadFREE cookies!!!!!!!!! Along the sides of the streets they had acraft fair! People milled in and out of the smallstores...Hundreds of Fallonites gathered around the tree and wehad a countdown for the lighting at exactly 6PM! And when theytree lit up, everyone clapped!
On each of the light poles on Main Street there are lights andthey also have Christmas lights draped and zigzagged all acrossthe street for a mile! Each of those light poles had a black boxattached to the top that made SNOW! So when the lights on theChristmas tree were lit, all of the black boxes started to cranksnow flakes, and I promise you, this whole scene should have beenin a movie!! Sister Badger and I took a picture together by thetree, and visited a cowboy shop and found a family to teach! :)
Cowboys kept coming in with their hats on....looking for newsaddles/ horse hitches etc...And there was FREE chili andchocolates! Jewelers were making jewelry....Man, FALLON IS FULLOF SUPRIZES!!!! Aren't you just LOVING Fallon too??? On Saturday at the small fair grounds, they had another Christmasparty!!! We paid our entry with canned food items! The LDS churchhosted a cake walk. Inside the building there was another craftfair. Outside there was a live band singing Christmas music!!!There were 2 fire pits and people were roasting marshmallows!!!They were using broken pallets to keep the fire burning! HAHA! Isaid, "That’s hick! Oh well, THIS CITY IS AWESOME!" There was aChristmas tree decorating contest....so we toured about 40 trees.The whole evening was awesome as well. ANDDDD my soul hasliterally been crushed, because I have not seen a Hispanic personin 1 week! BUTTT a Mormon Hispanic, BIG family came up to us andpointed at our name tags! My soul rejoiced as I tried talkingwith them! :) We have just been so busy. We are going through area booksvisiting part member families. We are trying to find more peopleto teach. They will come, and I will write about them next week. STAY BUSY and WARM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My body LOVES thisweather! 15-40 degrees!!! YAY! I feel normal! I feel great! :)
PLEASE WATCH: https://lds.org/youth/video/temple-blessings-in-el-salvador?lang=eng
IT’S AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!! SISTER HAPPY SPROUSE!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Would you like current letters sent to you?
Hello!
We organized an email list that I send Jenna's letters to each week. If you would like to receive these, please let me know! Enjoy your day!
We organized an email list that I send Jenna's letters to each week. If you would like to receive these, please let me know! Enjoy your day!
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