We choose who we are 5-15-2015

Hi!

  May is flyinggg by. On May 27th, I will have been Sister Helton for officially 9 months. CRAZY. 

  I've just been reflecting so much this week on how before my mission I always thought in my head, "I will be so much better at (blank) when I come home from my mission" or "I will be so much more caring and loving after my mission," etc.

  I had all these ideas of who I wanted to become through serving Heavenly Father and it just hit me that missions don't last forever. Of course, me being a missionary will never stop, but I won't always have a name tag. It's made me really start to think about how change isn't something that just happens. 

  One of the talks I LOVED from April Conference was "Choose to Believe" by Elder Clayton when he said,

"Belief and testimony and faith are not just passive principles. They do not just happen to us. Belief is something we choose. We will not accidentally come to believe in the Savior and His gospel any more than we will accidentally pray or pay tithing." 

 It just really struck me that if I want to change, to really, really change, I have to have that desire and tell Heavenly Father who I want to become and He will help me get there. I can't just say, "Hopefully by the end of my mission I will be better at (blank)." It has to be Heavenly Father and me working together. Anyways, enough of my little rant on how self-improvement is a choice. 

This week has been amazing! I sent a few pics so I'll just tell you a little bit about them! The one with 6 of us at dinner was at this Brazilian grill (they give free food to missionaries) and we went with our zone leaders and the sisters in my district.

 The next pic of me going out to eat (I promise we do cook) was at this Italian place that one of the security guards on Temple Square, Giovani, told us about!

 They import all their cheese and flour and everything from Italy so of course, Sister Kemple had to try it. I ate cheese. It was TOTALLY worth it. Literally, the best pizza crust I have ever tasted in my life. The other pic is a nutella/strawberry pizza we ate.:) 

The next picture is of Me, Leah, Sis K, and Sister Isaksen. Leah taught me what grace is. I love her to pieces! She came up for Music and the Spoken Word. 

   

This week we have been finding, finding, finding! This past transfer we have found awesome people, but nothing has really come of it. We figured out our problem and people are starting to progress so much faster now! 

  We are teaching the sweetest girl. She's 18 and she's had a really difficult growing up family life. She lived with some members when she was little and she said she wants the life they had. She said their family just seemed so functional and that was something she never was able to experience. 

  

Two Sundays ago, President Harmon (one of the counselors in our mission) shared his testimony in sacrament meeting. He promised us that if we would read "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" when we have our own families and strive to raise our families with the principles outlined in the document, every single one of us would have a successful family. 

I decided I should probably re-read that document after he said that...

Screen shot of Mother's Day Skyping

I love Temple Square in the summer! They planted tons of new flowers this week. I promised myself when I move to Utah, I will volunteer and plant flowers on the square. They have over 800 volunteers coming this Saturday to get all of the grounds ready for the summer season. So it will be a party on the Square! 

Hope you have an amazing week. Loved seeing your faces on Sunday! 

Sister Helton

P.S. I want to hear about Apple Blossom!! I totally forgot to ask about the most important event of the year. How did the whole "professional clown" thing turn out, Dad? Hahaha! 

PLEASE send me pics. Love you! 

 

Giovani, the Temple Square
security guard who recommended the Italian place