"Praying for some kind of guidance and here you are" & Sister Revoredo 8-25-2015

It is SO good to be back on Temple Square! There's really nothing like being next to the temple on dedicated ground everyday. 

So, my new companion's name is Sister Revoredo and she is amazing. I am already learning so much from her. We are really similar in the way we teach and so it's so nice because we already have our teaching flow down. I don't know what it is about me and Italians, but I guess Heavenly Father needs me to learn to be more bold! 

This week we have had so many miracles! 

  Our first day as companions, we were able to find a new investigator who speaks Spanish and English so it's perfect because I can keep working on my Spanish skills. But if I don't know what to say, he can understand me in English! 

  Then on Thursday, Sister Revoredo and I took our first tour in the Beehive House. Yes Mom, the Beehive House is our new assignment this transfer.:)  I'm learning so much about my heritage! 

Anyways, we had no idea what we should say because we hadn't even read half of the site guide, but the girl we took on a tour gave us her phone number, took a Book of Mormon and asked us to send missionaries to her in Chicago! 

  Then later that day, I was going through my area book and was realizing that I had literally transferred everyone over to Sister Kemple when I went outbound. But randomly I realized I had this one potential investigator that I had met on Temple Square right before I left and had never been able to get a hold of her.

  So I called her and just introduced myself and asked her how she was doing. She responded and said that honestly she wasn't doing very well. I asked why and she just completely opened up and said that her dad was admitted into the hospital last night and that her whole family is just a mess. 

  And she said 3 times, "It's honestly really freaking me out that you called me today. I've been praying for some kind of guidance and here you are calling me." 

  But it was amazing because I was able to share with her some verses that really helped me when Popo was going through everything and she asked us if we would call her again.

  She said she just felt so refreshed and peaceful even with everything that was going on. It was such an answer to my prayers because I was so sad to leave San Diego, but I just know that I need to be back at Temple Square now. 

Also, yesterday I went on exchanges with Sister Chazen who's in my district, and this guy came onto mormon.org chat and said that he wanted to learn a little bit more about Christ and the church. 

  So we asked if we could call him right then and just explain a little bit about the basic beliefs. Surprisingly, he said yes and gave us his phone number and we ended up talking to him for about 20 minutes over the phone. 

  He said he just has been feeling this pull towards the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and he had no idea why because he's not very religious at all.

  He said he actually was on Temple Square last week (so crazy that he didn't talk to any sisters here) but he said ever since he's been home, he's just felt this new peace and light in his life. He agreed to meet with missionaries where he lives and said the closing prayer over the phone. He is probably my biggest miracle ever on chat. 

  It's amazing how much God really does prepare people and how big of an influence the spirit can have in everyone's life when they choose to follow it.

One more thing: last Saturday half the mission got to go to Brighton Camp for the afternoon and zip line, repel, and do all these fun activities in the woods! So those are the pictures I attached. They fed us Zupas at the end..seriously, we are so spoiled here. Love you lots!

Sister Helton

Back to T Square 8-18-2015

Ahhhh I have like no time to write today:(

I just got back to Temple Square safe and sound from San Diego and it just feels like home. 

My Ipad broke last week and so I lost all my pictures:(  Here are a few of our investigators and people I really, really love. Sister Stirland said she'd send me some of the ones from her Ipad soon.

Marcus and Daniela

 I went Mandarin speaking for a day 

(we had something called MTE's where you just go on a 24-hour exchange with sisters in your zone)

 We went out to lunch with Terry, Sister Wong's recent convert. I ate Pho and cow skin...

Dare at the Battalion

I got my new companion! She's from Italy and she's going into her 3rd transfer! Sister Campelo trained her. Ha! I know I will love her. I'm so excited for this transfer. (I'll check on Sister Kemple.)

BRIGGS AND BECCA ARE ENGAGED?!:)))))))))))))) finally. They look SO happy. That is actually quite brilliant if I do say so myself, scheduling the rehearsal dinner at the JSMB. I think that should work perfectly. I'll talk to President Poulsen this week and let you know for sure next week. 

I will update you on all our investigators next week. I don't get a p-day until next Tuesday and today wasn't really a p-day. They just said we could email home so you'd know I made it back to TSquare safely. But here's a few pics! 

Love ya so much! Thanks for your insights on the verse in Matthew. I had similar thoughts when I read that so thank you for confirming it with the words of Tad Callister. haha! Can't believe I'm back from San Diego already. The time just flies. 

Love ya, love ya!

                   The last pic is our last day at the temple

with the departing sisters and Sister Schmitt, our mission president's wife

San Diego ... I love you! 8-11-2015

Ok, how am I already going back to Temple Square? (scheduled for Aug. 18)

I LOVE San Diego and I love the ward we're in and I love my companion and I feel like I'm finally settling in and I am just going to cry my eyes out next week, I know it.

 So, I probably will not be sending any photos of my departure. 

I have just arrived at the conclusion that being a missionary just prepares you for life because the minute you get comfortable and feel like you semi know what you're doing, everythinggg changes. Anyways, I am so sorry for starting this email off on not the most positive foot. 

 I heard the greatest quote this week from a sister at the Battalion. She said, 

"When I have days that are just bad, it's obviously not my day, and so I need to make it someone else's day!"

 I thought that was the cutest thing in the world! There are lots of days that I would say "aren't my day" and I think God does that on purpose so that way I can make it someone else's day and just forget about myself and focus on them. So my little invitation to everyone is, when it's not your day, make it someone else's:)

This week has been so great. We put Bella on date for Aug. 29th!! I'm hoping that I'll be able to Skype our 3 investigator's baptisms from Temple Square.They all just have such a huge piece of my heart. 

It's been such a fast week because we have been at the Battalion so much, we did a full 12 hour shift there on Friday (usually it's just 6) so we haven't had a ton of time in our area and I used to really struggle trying to figure out why I needed to be at the Battalion because I just wanted to be in our area so bad. 

These past couple weeks, I have just grown to love the Mormon Battalion so much more. You can just say the script over and over each tour, or you can really make it apart of you and help the guests feel the power behind the faith of these men. 

 I really feel like Heavenly Father has been helping me so much because people on my tours have been giving me referrals of their friends that they want to send missionaries to and it's perfect because I'll be able to call and teach them and send them local missionaries when I get back to Temple Square! 

Also, on Sunday we had one of the biggest answers to prayer happen. So, our ward council decides the topic for each sacrament meeting like 3 months in advance, and they choose the topic based off Conference talks. 

 We have an investigator who has been learning about the church for almost a year and we just started teaching her again about a month ago. She comes to church every Sunday and we've talked a lot about baptism and she knows the church is true but she just feels so worried about being a hypocrite and not being able to keep certain commandments perfectly for the rest of her life. 

 The sacrament meeting was on President Dieter Uchtdorf's talk 'Come, Join with Us' and everyone talked about how we are all just imperfect, hypocritical people who do our best to follow our Savior, but need Him to make up the difference. 

 IT WAS PERFECT! 

 She came up to us after the meeting and was like, "Ok, do you two tell the speakers what to talk on?" We all just laughed so hard and then talked about how God really does know what she needs and how it's OK to not be perfect -

we just need to try. 

 

I love being a missionary! 

I'm excited to go back to SLC 

but San Diego really is the greatest.

Love you all! 

Sister Helton

The sacrament is essential 8-4-2015

Hi!

This week has been amazing. So much has happened! I love my companion. So on Wednesday, we stopped by this family who we added last week and we were knocking and knocking on their door and no answer. So I kept knocking and I noticed that Sister Stirland was like dead silent and so I looked over at her and she was just praying her heart out, but still, they didn't answer the door. 

 As we were walking away I asked her what she was praying for and she was like, "I just was praying that we would be able to see them tonight." 

 So we were about to leave and I was backing her out of the parking space and I looked over and this guy on the sidewalk waved at me! I did a double take and it was the member who had referred the family to us walking with the family who's door we had been knocking on! They had just come back from a neighborhood bbq. So we ran over and started talking to them and it was just so amazing. The power of prayer is so real. Sometimes I think I forget that all I have to do is ask Heavenly Father and he really will help us with anything. 

Wearing my birthday outfit Aug. 4 - I'm 20!

On Saturday, we were on exchanges. I went with Sister Anderson out to our area and we went to an ASL baptism! 2 elders in our district teach in American Sign Language and asked us to teach the restoration at the baptism. It was such a sweet experience. As we spoke, they signed and the spirit was just so strong. There really is one universal language that everyone can understand and it's the Spirit.

Then, on Sunday we added someone! It was such a miracle. We have been praying and praying to find new people to teach because Marcus and Daniela are getting baptized in 3 weeks. 

 We added the cutest little 9 year old. His whole family are members but his parents aren't active. He's been taught by missionaries before but we just really felt like we should stop by and get to know their family. 

 We went over and taught the restoration and the little boy at the end whispered in his mom's ear and said he wanted us to keep teaching him!! 

 He loves Star Wars and was comparing everything in our lesson to it. For example, the priesthood=the force. It was pretty funny. Sister Stirland and I both know nothing about Star Wars, so it'll be interesting to see what he comes up with and relates to the Plan of Salvation tomorrow. haha.

So this morning for personal study, I was studying the Sabbath day and the Sacrament. In "True to the Faith" it says that the sacrament is an essential part of our worship and our spiritual development. 

 When I read that I was kind of shocked. It says the sacrament is essential to our spiritual development. 

 It doesn't say it's probably a good idea to take the sacrament weekly, but says it is ESSENTIAL. 

 So after I read that I realized that I definitely don't understand the sacrament well enough. I've taken it every Sunday since I can remember and I've always known that you renew your baptismal covenant when you partake of it, but I feel like there's so much more to the sacrament than I ever thought. 

 I was just thinking about how beautiful it is that we pass the bread and water down the rows to one another and how at church, we really do go because we all need help. 

 We all need to be cleansed and receive strength from our Savior. In True to the Faith (I'm obsessed with this booklet btw) it also says, 

 "You do not need to be perfect in order to partake of the sacrament, but you should have a spirit of humility and repentance in your heart. As we approach the sacrament in the right way, it becomes a weekly opportunity for introspection, repentance, and rededication."

 I'm so excited to go to church this Sunday and really try to apply this! I'm grateful that Heavenly Father is so patient with me! I love this gospel and I'm so grateful that there is always something new to learn and new insights to gain. 

 Thank you for all your bday emails!:) Today has been the best day! Love you, love you!

Sister Helton 

I told them about our family tradition to start
each birthday with cake and ice cream on a birthday plate ...

So these wonderful Sisters woke me up with a 20th birthday surprise!