Lehi West, Traverse Mtn, and Gateway

Yes my friends I cover 3 stakes. It's not so big a deal because I've heard of others covering more. BUT it is taking some adjusting. This week has been just...I don't know how to describe it. I went from knowing every street in Hurricane and who to call and if we needed work I knew how to get it. I feel like I started my whole mission over. haha I hope every new area isn't like that...but it probably is. Everyone just does things a little differently so that takes some getting used to as well.

Last transfer this area lost like 4-5 investigators (some were exchange students that went home) and some got baptized so we are really trying to find new people to teach. We are really working with leadership and just parking the car and knocking doors. I did in fact go to the Holmes' who I will be eating with next week..haha...that's awesome. Who knew!!! But they were able to help us out and give us some people to go by...they actually have a lot of work in their ward! It was really good to see them! I hadn't realized how long it had been. So yesterday we started down the street. We didn't meet anyone who was really wanting to learn more or anything but at least we know that now...and I felt like we were working hard. We stopped by the Bishop's house and I think that will help. We want to show everyone we are willing to work and that we want to teach people! (we didn't even finish the whole street so we'll have to go back anyways) It's been probably the most frustrating week of my mission...I've never felt like that before. I just felt helpless because I don't know anything and I don't feel like I can help. It will come I know it.

We did get a referral from another nice sister and we went by yesterday. We know that the parents are less active but will let the kids decide for themselves. So we knocked on the door and this 17 year old boy named Jesse answered. He went to a baptism of a friend of his last week (this friend is named Scott for future reference) and remembered Sis. Harwood. We talked to him a little more and I asked "so are you a member of the church?" he said, "actually no." Then he said he believes in God but doesn't really practice anything. So I testified that there's a prophet on the earth today and how we don't have to be confused by the many denominations. And he said....HE'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE! We found someone...I have faith this is the beginning of many more who we will find. We set up a time then called Scott and his friend Chris and asked them to be there...so we have instant friends to support him. It's great. I'm so excited. I know that Heavenly Father is in this work. We are guided by Him...maybe not by pure inpiration but by others being instruments in His hands and trusting us with people to see.

News about my companion:
Sis. Harwood....it's interesting because when I gave my farewell talk in the singles ward a girl came up to me and told me that there was a friend of hers to look for at the mtc with the same mission call and leaving the same day. So when I get to the mtc...who's my roommate but Sister Harwood. We talked about it...(obviously her friend had told her about me) and thought it was funny. We served around each other in the VC and then I get the call that we're going to be companions up in Lehi. (she came up the transfer before) Nothing is by chance. Nothing. She's from Georgia and I'm from North Carolina so people always say "oh so we have two southern sisters" and we always reply "both with no accent" neither one of us has an accent..which I find amusing. haha And so do most other people. We're getting used to each other's teaching style and how to work in unity. Things will be great! :)

I'm looking forward with faith. I want to build up the area and leave it strong.
Love, Sister Page

New Preparation Day...

My Preparation Day will now be on Mondays...why you ask?? Because I'm being TRANSFERED!!!!! I'm going full proselyting. I'm actually going from one extreme of the mission to the other. I'm going to LEHI...Traverse Mountain! Yes this will be a change. I am in the middle of packing as we speak and have to finish by tomorrow so I can leave on the transfer van at 11:30am. It will be different but I'm pumped and ready to work! It will be amazing! And maybe I'll see the Holmes'! :) This is my second area and I'm stoked! I don't even know what to say. Anyways I will miss Sis. Grunauer a lot...believe me we are already planning my trip to Austria and she's planning her's to NC. :) I told her "you NEED to come to North Carolina...you haven't experienced America just here in the west." haha She agreed. I tried to describe to her what NC looked like and how people talk..(I whip out my southern accent from time to time...sometimes upon request) She would love it. haha So the last couple days have been planning and preparing to get the area ready and the days before that it was wondering what was in store for transfers. haha

Let me write an ode to Hurricane:
"They don't call it Hurricane for nothin'"
is something I heard quite often.
The wind blowing so mighty
It was a wonder we didn't get lost in the nighty
Greenie and Whitewashing with Sister Kohler
I had a lot of fun but then I got older.
Busier than we could have ever guessed
we didn't complain about the many who came to know best
how our Heavenly Father who wants us to come to His side
and the Prophet that is here to lead and to guide
Sister Kohler left and I was sad
but who knew I could actually be glad...
because Sister Grunauer came in
the rather organized Austrian (not the land of the Kangaroos)
We spent a whole transfer running around
and finally had to talk to President Brown
The area was split once again
so that Hurricane West Stake could mend.
Without the help of leadership and members alike
we would have been riding around on a bike (...Hurricane is a big area...)
We found some more people that were willing to listen
now if only I wouldn't be missin'
the wonderful way in which they will change
are you sure I just can't be Sis. G's permanent exchange?
But I'm thankful to all those who helped with rides, fellowship, and food
they'll never really know how much we appreciate really all that they do!
Hurricane oh Hurricane will never be forgotten
 especially when other things might go ever so rotten.
It'll be in the back of mind
because it is truly one of a kind.
The end.

I hope you enjoyed that. Wish me luck.
Write me at the mission office address. I'll update you next week.
LOVE YOU!
Love, Sister Page
 ps. I'm sending home a package...look for it. Sorry not too much fun just some stuff I can't use any more.

Random Ramblings

This week has been crazazy.
I met Sister DeRyke who served in my ward...she came to some lessons with us...she was way awesome!!! I think we are going to be friends now. :)

I met Sister Jacobson's future inlaws. I wish I had the North Carolina Charlotte Mission office address so I could write her. (hint hint) I saw Sister Kohler again!! She came down to visit. She came after nightly planning so we got to catch up a little. It just made me realize that we're pretty much friends for life. I really am making some awesome friends just by coming on this mission and think I would never have met them if I hadn't come...missionaries,members, and investigators alike. I truly believe that Heavenly Father puts people in our life for a reason. For the last three weekends we've had a baptism. So I think we're going to only have 3 baptisms for this transfer..but it only makes sense because our area was split.

I have been studying more about the Apostasy. It's been interesting because I know there are so many denominations today but I know that Jesus Christ didn't come to earth and set up His church 1000's of different ways. He set up one church. Just like it says in Ephesians there's "one Lord, one faith, one baptism." He wants us to be unified and understand things in the same way. Just like it says in the Restoration video when Joesph Smith says, "isn't there one church that's right for everyone?" There is...and it was restored to the original form it was when Jesus Christ was on the Earth with Apostles and the Priesthood being key components. There is one gospel of Jesus Christ. :)

My story for this week is about a time that I truly felt the promptings of the spirit. We were going into a neighborhood and we had a couple of options of people to see. Sis. G. said "let's visit Bob first?" and I just went with the flow "sure.." Then I got the distinct impression 'go to the neighbors of Rebecca' (Rebecca is someone else we were teaching and we stopped to talk to her neighbor briefly about a week before) and I kind of was like- was that me or a prompting?- Sis. G started to turn the corner to go to Bob's and I said "NO...we need to go see Rebecca's neighbor..." so she went the other way. And we met Emily. (we had met her husband before that) and she was SUPER interested. She has a lot of questions and such but is rather confused because her whole family is Christian, Jewish, Buddist and so on....she's really wondering if there's a church out there that makes sense. I was thinking "wow..I really was inspired to know to come here..." the Spirit is so powerful and I'm happy that Heavenly Father trusted me to know what to do. I want to always follow those promptings.

I love you all! Miss you tons. Love, Sister Page

SO MUCH TO TELL!

Let me think... SO MUCH TO TELL YOU! I'll just tell you some basic things and then tell an awesome story. Okay we have been trying to find new people to teach because all the ones we are teaching either flake on us OR they get baptized (which the better reason) so we have been needing to find people. We fasted last sunday and let me tell you the amount of people we have found in the last couple of days has been amazing. I can't even believe it. Heavenly Father answers prayers I know it. We started teaching a family of 6! The oldest child is 11 almost 12 and the youngest is 1. The parents are really nice and willing to listen. They moved here from California about 3 years ago and now their friend has decided they should meet with us. It was a great lesson and I believe they will progress. :)

The story I want to tell you right now is about a lady who was baptized but hasn't been to church in 17 years. Her kids got baptized a month or so ago and she has really started to come around. The first time I met her she said "ask the kids to pray...I don't pray." Well even after the baptism we've been going over and teaching. She has started to come to at least sacrament meeting with her kids and is trying to progress. Last night we decided to do some service for her (of course after much begging...I understand it's hard to accept help..) but we went over with a couple of members and cleaned her house. Let me tell you we weren't really there to clean!!! Sis. Grunauer was out side cleaning windows and I was cleaning the oven and of course vacuuming :). She had a lot of questions about my home life and how I grew up and stuff like that. Later on as we were talking I got to share a scripture with her. We were talking about how evil things can only come into our hearts if we open it up to that. And I said," Yeah we keep our heart closed to evil and open to the spirit." Then I read 2 Nephi 32:1. I told her that the Holy Ghost could only bring good things "unto" our heart...just to the wall that is there but we have to open it to let it INTO our hearts. (Wise counsel I got once from Elder David A. Bednar) Later that night we had family prayer with them. We asked her to say it...and she said,"Don't look at me because I might cry." But she said it. And it was a the most spiritual experience! She said,"Thank you for entering into my heart and helping me accept you. Thank you for sending the missionaries over. Bless them that they will be able to bring families closer together as they have brought mine closer..." And other things she said! (she did cry...so I did I) I just saw how her heart was softened and she let the Spirit in...just like we had talked about.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is TRUE. I know it is. It provides the fullness of the gospel and allows us access to the Atonement of Jesus Christ through the Priesthood. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that it is the word of God. It goes hand in hand with the Bible. I know this because I was able to kneel down in prayer after reading and studying and I ASKED Heavenly Father...and the words I got were "you already knew." I did already know but I thought I had to read the whole thing to figure that out. It's good to read the whole Book of Mormon...but it's like a cake...you just need a bite to know that it's good...you don't have to eat the whole thing to know how it tastes. BUT the more you taste it the more you'll want. I'm so grateful for this gospel and the unity it brings to families...who still have their faults and hard times but that the foundation of Jesus Christ in our lives individually and as a family will be able to see us through. Helamen 5:12.

I love you! ~Sister Page

Read 1 Nephi 17. SOOO GOOD! I heart Nephi.

ps. Today we went to the temple with Josh and his girlfriend! It was awesome. He was so prepared. :)

pss. Also...transfers soon. (a couple weeks) I really really don't know what will happen this time. I've been in Hurricane for a while...we'll see.

Arcia or Arica...stick with Sister Page!

I have "You Can Make the Pathway Bright" in my head right now...I don't know why but that hymn always reminds me of my mom. :) A hymn that reminds me of my dad is "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy." Which I have to say both are becoming favorites of mine. :)

Anyways...this week went well in the work...not number wise but that's okay. I kind of got discouraged the other day...we contacted 10 people all week and only have 1 new investigator. I hoping that things pick up. On the UP side we did have a baptism on May 30th which was AMAZING! It was Josh's baptism. He's 18 (well it was his birthday on his baptism day!!! How awesomeness is that?) and going into the marines. He was super ready. I've told you about him before. He told us his parents were indifferent to him getting baptized but that they wouldn't come to the baptism. Well...his mom showed up! We were excited of course....but then we learned that she was threatening to kick him out and a bunch of other bologna! Me, Sis. Grunauer and McKenzi (Josh's girlfriend) went into another room and prayed before the baptism. McKenzi said the prayer and we prayed that everything would go smooth on his special day. Let me tell you everything went perfect. While his mom did have some complaints afterward...(her heart was very hard and there was no changing her mind about how she felt...she told us a couple of lies as well...but we won't go into that) the whole baptism went great and the spirit was so strong. They had a special musical number by this awesome group of 5 guys and 1 girl. They sang Be Still My Soul...which I thought wasn't a very baptism-y song...but it was perfect for the situation. Letting Josh know that "the Lord is on his side"..."that with patience bear thy cross of grief or pain." And to "lead to thy God to order and provide"! I have no doubts that Josh was right where he needed to be. Sister Stone (McKenzi's mom and also Josh's amazing fellowshippers) gave a talk on baptism. She said in the beginning "We were discussing all of our favorite family memories and we talked about trips taken and funny moments...but then Jayden (her 10 yr old boy) said 'mom we've had a lot of good vacations but I'll never forget the time the missionaries came over and taught Josh the lessons at our house.' " That whole family was there every time we came over it wasn't just us and the parents or us and McKenzi with Josh...it was the whole family. And because of that experience Jayden was impressed and it became his favorite family memory. It's awesome how many family memories we could have as we share the gospel with others. :) We went to Josh's confirmation the on Sunday and it was amazing. I hope hope hope he goes on a mission. He'd be great missionary. :)

We had zone conference this last friday...and then interviews with Pres. Brown on Saturday....of course it was awesome. Some of the Elders made a special quilt for the Pres. and Sis. Brown with every missionary that has served with them...they spelled my name wrong..I'm now offically Arcia Page! hahahaha I thought it was funny.
Well anyways more next week.

I love you!
Love, Sister Arcia Page. Nope I like Arica better. :)