Coming to an end?!?

Hello to all! Well my MISSION isn't coming to an end...but the transfer is in a couple weeks and that means my trainer Sis. Kohler is leaving. BOO! That's the end of that I won't talk about it the rest of the letter...after this paragraph. It keeps coming up in convos around the VC and in our area and on pdays. Ugh...I know I'll love all of my companions but will I love them as much as her?? I don't know...we'll see. I've been thinking a lot about the future and what it holds seeing all of the things my companion has gone through and her awesome stories. I'm exicted to have those experiences. (dare I say good and bad...yes..opposition in all things) I never realized WHY general authorities tell us to write in our journals until I came on a mission. It's not just for posterity...it's for US! We need to see how we grew...or didn't grow...how we can connect to different people with empathy instead of sympathy. I have a lot of experiences that maybe I wish I hadn't had because they hurt or were hard but I have a testimony that what I ever happends to us is to help us later on in life! We will meet people whether on a mission or not, that need that experience we had so they will know how to act and can seek advice from someone who's been there before. My journal I keep now is not the most detailed but it allows to me to look and remember. Even if I only have time to write an outline of the day I can still remember what was said and what important thing I need to remember. I've always been a journal writer but I think I did it because I truly enjoyed it...but I still have to refine how I do things and what are the most valuable to write in it. It allows me to see times I relied on my Savior more and than times when I didn't and the blessings from doing that. I also stick little things in it...like gum wrappers that belong to some really nasty gum that help me remember mine and Sis. Kohler's reaction to the nasty gum and there I've got a funny story. I love my journal and I definitly know why we are asked to keep one. Today...was pday (yeah you already know that...)...and I'm writing a little bit later than usual because were able to go to Zion National Park! It was cool. (I took my tape recorder too..more details to come when I send that off...when that will be I'm not sure..) We hiked a mountain (mom you would have died..teehee...)don't worry I tried not to think about the hieght at some of the parts too...I was like "I'm scared I'm going to fall..." and one of the Elders named Elder Sellers said "one step at a time..." and I don't know if he realized how much I appreciated that. It was encouraging and caring...I was still nervous but a little more confident. People really do try to act more like Christ when they're on a mission without even realizing it. We really do have a great district! We got some great pictures..it was so pretty. After this transfer I'm going to put MTC and Transfer 1 pics on a CD and send them home...woot! Oh and I wore my Boston Redsox hat on the trail..it was sweet and I looked really cute..haha. :) (yes..I have Boston hat...one of the Ward Mission Leaders gave it to me...it was so nice of him...we really appreciate these men! Also I made a Redsox blanket...I heart it so much!) Sister Kohler and I make sure to ask for a phrase in portuguese every time we're around our District leader and his comp...they're always teaching us stuff. It's fun...I like to learn how to say hello and such in different languages too. Heavenly Father really loves all of His children EVERYWHERE! I just know that when there's an article about another country in the Ensign or the New Era I'm going to pay more attention. You will meet people from all over and you wil find they are the same as you because you have the gospel in common and that's all that matters. I love talking to others from different countries and see how they live life and what they're culture is...I'd like to travel when I get older...as in after my mission...although I have an idea of how things are going to work out once I'm off my mission..haha but that's neither here nor there...it's good to plan though...that's what everyone always says..planning is the key. haha I really enjoy the VC...some days are slow but when that happends we get to know other missionaries and senior missionaries better. Anyone thinking about serving a couples mission..DO IT...we love them! Sis. Kohler wrote poems about all of the missionaries on duty the other day..it was pretty fun and cool to see..I'll recite some on my tape. I have yet to write one about her...we'll see how that goes..I'm usually better at prose..wow that rhymed! :) Something I've learned from Sister Kohler is figuring out everyones love language...everyone has a love language...and when she realized mine..it really helped me unlock some things about myself. It's good to look around and how people act and react to each other and know what means the most to them. My love language is "words of affirmation" so when someone just plain out tells me how they feel or what they think..I appreciate that MORE than gifts or acts of service.I was like YES THAT IS TOTALLY ME! So when people write me letters...that's like straight to my heart because I react best to words. So I thank ALL of you who have written me and made my day a little brighter. (I'm not begging for mail I promise...I just love it though!) Sis. Kohler is words of affirmation too so we work well together because we can just tell each other "I love how you do such and such.." and then we feel I guess validated. :) Or we'll be silent and Sis. Kohler will ask "how did I bare testimony to you today with my actions.." it helps her to hear what I think and realize things she doesn't notice on her own. I love good questions and good discussions...yes...I just love words. As you can tell since this email is like a billion miles long. The mission is great...I think we're going to have 10 baptisms...ish...we'll see...our goal was 12 but we feel if we set the goal at 10 we'd have 8...so we're doing good. I love you...miss you...and appreciate ALL YOU DO!

Love, Sister Page

An Amazing Day

This time last week was ZONE CONFERENCE! It was great...it was kind of funny because one of the 70 came and spoke to us...but it was the SAME 70 that spoke in the MTC...so I heard his conversion story twice which was okay with me. :) Then he gave us advice about how to find more people and teach more lessons. We're putting ourselves to a new standard. What's interesting is that we were in zone conference from 8:30am to 4:30pm and it didn't even feel that long! By the way I will never forget my first zone conference because I got sick...it was weird but yeah I got sick but after a while I felt better. I still took a lot from it. So an old Ward Mission Leader of Sister Kohler's (from her last area) called because he needed to know our address (we told him just to send stuff to the mission office)...but anyway he gives names to all missionaries he meets. Sister Kohler's name is Sister Firestorm. And he even prays about the names...and references them to the Book of Mormon..pretty cool right? Since Sister Kohler was driving I had to talk to him on the phone...and he was really nice and funny. I told him I wanted a name too..so I told him a little about myself and everything so he said he'd get back to me. He came to the conclusion that I was Silverwings. (3Nephi 10:3) I love it! :) This week I went to In-N-Out for the first time...and documented it by getting a sticker and saving my reciept! :) haha...The do have good burgers but I'm not to jazzed about their fries. I have to go back because I need to say I want it "animal style" which means they put sautee'd onions on it! WOOT! My favorite! Also I had my frist baptism this week...she was already getting the lessons from the elders so we didn't really teach her that many times but it was awesome to see Ashleigh (yeah that's her name AND how she spells it) want to do what's right and get excited about it. Okay HERE is the amazing day...and it actually happened in the Vistor's Center which I AM SO SORRY...I know I don't talk about that much but I do love it and really would love for everyone to come to St. George and take a tour...my favorite display is God's Plan for His Family. But what happened yesterday was during the morning shift and we were expecting it to be slow because it's a Tuesday morning...come on...but in walk 4 boys in their 20's from a bible school in Chicago. They wanted to just discuss doctrine and points of view. They also wanted to document the whole thing with video cameras and pictures...haha..which we didn't mind but kind of made me feel like a celebrity. :P They had some points of view that clashed with our but everyone was so respectful and asked good questions. We ended up talking to them for about 2 hours and helping them understand we are Christian and that we have the same organization that was set up BY Jesus Christ...it just makes sense! The authority that Jesus Christ gave to His apostles is on the earth again. We watched the story of Wilford Woodruff with an investigator yesterday and it just strengthened my testimony that we really do need the organization, ordinances, and authority in order to return to our Heavenly Father and His Son...Jesus Christ! I love this gospel and know it's true. It was great talking to those men...because it DID strengthen my testimony and allowed me to see that everything falls into place with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After we talked to them they wanted pictures with us...it was fun..I felt like we could have been good friends. It was a great experience and hope to have more like it.

Love all of you! ~Sister Silverwings

Already?

So...my Pday had to move to Monday just for this week because we have Zone Conference on Wednesday therefore we had to adjust! I'm excited for it but it also means this transfer is half way over. I can't believe it. The people in Hurricane are really blessed...the area is just great and we're teaching like mad women...only cheerfully. We have 7 people on date...and we're super excited for it. I hope that we can get this girl named Dreena (20's) on date...even if it's not in this transfer because I know she's ready she just needs a little more time. Also a girl we JUST started teaching named Stephanie (18)...she's amazing...we asked her if she'd consider baptism and she said she's not ready for that but we let her know that it's always an option and that she does NOT have to be invited...just ask. : ) I know she'll get baptized I just want it to be really soon. When we were teaching her the first lesson we gave her a copy of her very own Book of Mormon and she was so excited and ready to soak it up. I can't wait to see her tomorrow. It's really amazing the love you have for people when you put it in the perspective that they are children of God that Heaenly Father wants to see again. I was able to give tours in the Brigham Young Home on Sunday and that was fun to see it and actually get a behind the scenes. : ) We didn't GIVE a lot of tours but I went on a lot to get to know the history and how to do things and then started giving tours. I'm so thankful for the many rides people give me! I know that the Sisters and Elders in your area appreciate your help...in any way! I think that's it for this week...I love you! I'll write again...next Wednesday!

Love, Sister Page

The UPM (Utah Provo Mission)

HEY! I feel so excited to be out in the mission field. I know I haven't been writing or keep in touch for a while...I wrote at letter at the mission presidents house but I'm not sure when that got sent. I am serving in St. George at the visitor's center and the other half of my time is spent in a town about 30 minutes away called Hurricane (you say it Hurrikin) and I'm loving every minute. My trainer is Sister Kohler and she's amazing. Mom..you would LOVE what she does with her journals! I'm totally copying her. We have gotten so close over this last week and sometimes have a hard time getting to sleep because we want to talk so much. Her family is just like mine...she's the 2nd of four kids which happen to be 3 girls and a boy! CRAZY...and we're all around the same age. We also have a lot of the same interests but enough differences to make it interesting. I have taught numerous lessons and met sooo many people in the last week even I (who am usually good with names) can't remember everyone's names. I like getting introduced to missionaries because they have a name tag! haha OH yeah..and my prep days are on Wednesday still...because we have so many sisters at the VC we can't have everyone have pday on Monday. It's so warm here I love it...dry...but warm. It's not green though and I miss that about NC..I guess I'll get used to it in time. There are so many things I want to tell you but can't think of them. We taught a boy named Robbie (11) and he's getting baptized on March 21st and is so ready!!! We also taught a 14 year old girl named Ashley and she is getting baptized next week so we had to put things in full gear. Because my companion wasn't in the area before I came we have to learn the ropes together they call that White Washing...and I think it's a blessing because then we get to know all of these people at the same time. We have been working with the Elders from that area to help the transition, they are both from Brazil...cool huh? There names are Elders Diz Diz and Nascimento. They rock! I'm thankful for all of the work they did. What happened was they got SOOO busy in Hurricane and LaVerkin they had to go on splits every night. So they split the area instead and gave us Hurricane (which was the busier of the two) and now they are trying to build up LaVerkin...needless to say...we are totally busy! I was able to come down here with all of my MTC roomies (except my companion who went to California) and we all live in a row of apartments so it's nice that we're that close and can share experiences. We have all grown in many ways and really can see that in each other. BTW the mission is SO much more amazing than the MTC can really prepare you for...haha...but I did love the MTC and appreciated my time there...I just know that I'm learning so much more out here. OH GUESS WHAT!!! We went to church for transfers to meet our trainers and talk to President Brown...well while I was waiting in the hall way for President Brown guess who walked by me??? D. Todd Christofferson!!! That's an APOSTLE! I was like "hi..." but he smiled and just walked by (he was going to a funeral I think) and I was like "I'm going to LIKE this mission!" I think those opportunities will be more frequent here...haha...I'll let you know if anything else awesome happends like that. I am sending my tape recorder today...it covers the last week so you'll be happy to hear it...I hope it's not boring. Also send any packages or mail to the mission office...they will forward it and it's easier than updating my address every transfer. : ) Here are some things I need (and I said this on the tape too but this will get to you faster): My tiny hymn book (the brown one...I think it's in Andrew's room) jeans...yes they're allowed on pdays...for activities and such...SEND THEM! CD's...who was I fooling not taking any cd's...Pres. Brown says follow the white handbook...therefore anything uplifting...I would like EFY, Kenneth Cope, Pray for Rain, Janice Kapp Perry I also need my dressy shoes they're in Ash and Arin's room on the hangy thing. We wear them for zone conference where we don't need to walk very often and we can wear them in the VC. NYLONS! Anytime you send a package get me some of these..they rip all the time...I still wear the ripped ones when you can't see the rip haha ..but yeah send those. : ) Some of my old journals would be nice...I think it would be good to look back on experiences I've had before my mission to be able to connect with others about things that are going on in there life..I don't need all of them just a couple. : ) So I have to go shopping today...I have skirts that are too short for the mission. I have enough that I'm okay for now..but two of the ones from CATO are too short for mission standards...I'll send them back some time and wear them after the mission because they ARE modest just not for my mission. :P It's all good...I don't mind having to shop..hehe. 

Well this is long! But I LOVE YOU! Keep up the awesome work...I'm glad to hear that BYD went so well...missionary work cannot be done with out the members...why I didn't realize that sooner is beyond me. You will be a blessing in their lives...thank you!!!

Love, Sister Page

Changes

This week has been very different. All of the people from my district left except three who are in the Vistor Center training with me. Our schedule changed so we have Prep-Day on friday this week...but not next friday because by then I'll be in the field!! WOOT! I'm excited. But I said goodbye to my first companion Sis. Mangum and all of our Elders. It was just different with out them at lunch, dinner, in class...we started out our missions together and were together for like 12 hours a day for three weeks...how could we NOT get close! It really was a great learning experience with all of them and I know we'll be great friends after the mission. We plan on staying in touch...I certainly hope so. The experience of saying goodbye to people I've known for only three weeks but still have so much love for has given me a glimpse of the people I'll be teaching and how my love for them will grown at maybe an even faster pace! I am learning to love everyone no matter who they are...if you have the Spirit with you, you can't help but love everyone. I gave my first "tour" last night (it was for volunteers from BYU...) but it was amazing what you can learn just from experience. We did it twice and the second time I could just feel the Holy Ghost bear witness to what I was saying and that I was teaching by the Spirit. My new teachers are great...both are sisters and bring such a unique personality to the class...but they both know what we need to hear and when we need to hear it. It would be awesome to work here after the mission...though I'm still partial to BYU-Idaho..and I make that known. Since starting Vistor Center training I'm in a threesome with Sis. Mix and Sis. Stafford...who were in my district before...they're awesome and have been a great transition into new things. Tomorrow we get to go to Temple Square and be paired up with some sister missionaries there and ACTUALLY teach...just to get a feel for vistor centers and such...THAT will be interesting...I wonder if I'll see anyone I know. Something I learned this week is that everything changes...and that's a good thing because if things didn't change we couldn't progress. I have faith that what ever happends it's all about the Lord and His timing...it's not about me and my wants! I love this work. Share our message with everyone...what a marvelous message it is! I love you! :)

Love, Sister Page

ps. Elder Shaw and I are TRYING to find a time to get a picture together but haven't worked it out yet...I'll send a copy of it home if I do! :)