We Have Had The Most Amazing Week!

Hello family!

We have had the most amazing week! I don’t even know where to begin!

First off, I’m writing a little bit later because we were in Amish Country with Sister Taylor this morning (pictures included… don’t covet our treats from the bakery). The country out here is beautiful! We definitely need to come visit next summer! I’m glad Brother Taylor made it. He called for directions and I had to think for awhile and all I could say was, “Uh... I can’t remember anymore!” ha ha. So I’m glad he made it. The Taylors are wonderful!

So guess what! Shawn is getting baptized with Judy! Wahoo! We are so excited! He said he knew that it just felt right. Both of them have been nervous because they think they need to be perfect before their baptized. Not at all! Baptism is just the beginning. We just have to be willing to commit the rest of our lives to the Savior AND we have to be willing to make mistakes (something my perfectionist complex forgets sometimes). The Atonement works we just have to have faith in that. They are so amazing! I love these two so much!

Judy was telling us how badly she wishes she had the gospel earlier in her life (she’s in her 60s) but I remember hearing a friend quote one of the apostles saying some of us need the church early in our lives to help us “become,” but others will be able to “become” without the church and will eventually just need the ordinances of salvation. Judy and Shawn have definitely had lifetimes of becoming. They just need those saving ordinances available through the priesthood. (I, on the other hand, had to have the gospel from the very beginning!)

Oh! It has just been a great week. It was probably because we got to go to the temple on Tuesday. I know… temple, temple, temple. But I just can’t get enough of it! We went up with some of the sisters in the branch and it was wonderful. And then we got to hear from President Christensen (temple president) at Stake Conference this weekend. It was definitely a spiritual feast.

Besides the temple we’ve had tons of tender mercies this week. One quick story: Earlier in the week we had an appointment with the Fahey family who have been less-active since they moved here three years ago. They are the neatest family, they just weren’t coming to church. I happened to call Sister Geyer that morning and she was able to come with us last minute. During our time there we read the story of the First Vision and invited them to return to the temple. There was definitely a special spirit in their home and Sister Fahey told us how badly she wanted to but then admitted there was one thing she needed first and then broke into sobs. Sister Sunderland and I were super concerned, but in between sobs she explained that she has been in the branch for three years and she “just needed a friend.” My heart about broke in two. I was SO grateful for Sister Geyer who stood up, walked across the room, took Sister Fahey in her arms and reassured her that she would be that friend. Heavenly Father knew what Sister Fahey needed to return to the temple and he provided a way for her to accomplish it.

But in all honesty I have been dwelling on that experience all week. All she needed was a friend. How often have I over-looked people who needed the same? So family, I really want to encourage you to look around (not just at church) and befriend someone who needs you. I was so paranoid about it that before Stake Conference I invited one of the ladies who was sitting alone to come up and sit with us. We are all brothers and sisters and our goal isn’t just to return to our Father’s presence, but it is to get as many of our brothers and sisters there with us.

I love you so much! I am so grateful for the examples you have given me of reaching out and helping others. I think I have the #1 family for that!

Have a good week! We definitely will!

Sister Painter

I'm So Excited For All These Babies!

Dear Family:

I am so excited for all of these babies! Ha ha. Congrats Cindy and Kelly! He is a cute little thing! I so call him for the whole Christmas Party! Haha.

So I just read Hermana Blackhams letter to her family and she was mentioning the changes the First Presidency is making and the resulting changes in her mission. I have to agree 100% with her. There is a new spirit in this mission with the missions merging and with the changes the church is making. And just like she said, part of me wishes that these changes had been made earlier in my mission but the other part of me is grateful because of the perspective I have now. It’s just a testimony to me that we are always learning and growing and it really is amazing! I am really grateful that I have the opportunity to be here, now. I am learning so much! I love every day I have!

We have had so many miracles this week. My favorite thing about my missionary service has been watching how the Lord works in our lives. It is incredible! Have I told you about “Uncle Francis,” one of our investigators? He is Frank and Linda Craig’s uncle who is living with them now. We were slowly teaching him the lessons but he can’t hardly hear or see. We invited him to be baptized but he said he wanted to get all of his surgeries out of the way first. He had ten surgeries in the last week! Crazy huh! But we had the sweetest experience with him.

The day after he came home we went to visit; he sat down with us and said “Sisters. I’ve had a lot of time to think and pray lately. I really want to be baptized. It just feels good.” It was so tender. Here he was all bandaged up and all he wanted was to get baptized. I know he felt the comfort of the Lord during his surgeries and he just knew that baptism was the right thing to do. AND Frank Craig will have the priesthood by then and will be able to baptize him. Wahoo! Miracles.

Judy is coming along great. Shawn has still been a little standoffish about baptism because of his previous experience. But we strongly feel like he could be ready to be baptized with Judy. We invited him to pray about it and reassured him that we know he could be ready. He could use lots of prayers right now. They are an amazing couple. You have to meet them one day!

I love this gospel so much! It is the best thing ever! My body is a little sore from chopping wood for four hours on Saturday. Ha ha. But my spirit couldn’t be happier!

I love you lots!

Sister Painter

Look for opportunities this week to be the Lord’s hands!

Hello family!

From the pictures it looks like its been a great week for you too! When I saw the email that said Whitney visited I couldn’t figure out who Whitney was. Ha ha. Then I saw her picture! Sister Ehlers! I’m glad she was able to visit. She and I laughed when we realized she worked for Prosper, knew Ethan and Randy, and worked upstairs from Dad. It’s a small world.

Dad! Those pictures you took of the Salt Lake Temple were amazing! You should print some of them and frame them. Speaking of temples… guess what! I get to go again since Sister Sunderland hasn’t been yet this quarter. (Tender mercies!) I love the temple! (I’m sure you’ve figured that out by now.)

We had the neatest experience earlier this week! During a specialized training President Christensen of the Columbus Temple came and taught us some powerful things about the temple and missionary work! It was amazing! I wish I could transcribe all my notes right now and send them to you. His message was about how the temple truly is the center of everything we do in the church and how we need to make our focus as missionaries on getting everyone we teach to the temple. My companion and I ate it up! We’ve readjusted a lot of what we’ve been doing to make sure the temple is our focus and the Spirit that has followed has been amazing! Did you get a chance to go a few weeks ago when you said you would?

As far as the work this week, it has been great! We were at a less-active member’s home and he (without being prompted) invited his whole family to be baptized! It’s true! So we are starting to teach his daughter-in-law and his wife. Also, the branch is starting to pick up and our effectiveness is definitely starting to increase! I am so grateful for the Brethren who are inspired in their counsel to local priesthood leaders. They really do know what they are talking about! We just have to trust them and work to accomplish the goals they’ve set.

I don’t know if you remember when in 1999 President Hinckley challenged the church to double the number of convert baptisms we get in a year? The programs that have followed from the church (i.e. Preach My Gospel) have been in response to that challenge. It is definitely something that has been on President Jensen’s mind and we are doing everything we can in this mission to meet that challenge. It has been incredible to watch.

We also had the best scripture study class ever! Have you listened to the Reflections of Christ CD? If not, you should get a copy. They came out with a second one Reflections of Christ: Another Testament. You should definitely get that one! There is a song on there that talks about the Savior coming to the Americas. It is a powerful song! So we centered our class around that song and read the prophecies of the Savior’s coming and the events that led up to it. I love the Book of Mormon! What a powerful book! We listened to the song and discussed what it will be like to see Him again. There were some powerful insights. Anyway, the point of me telling you the story is you need to go find that CD! It’s amazing!

Will you look for opportunities this week to be the Lord’s hands?! It is the best feeling in the world! I promise all it takes is our desire; the Lord will provide the opportunities!

I love you lots and lots!

Sister Painter

I love this work! And I love being a missionary!

Dear Family:

Guess what! Judy finally accepted a baptism date! Wahoo! She is amazing! Sister Cahoon’s last day she extended the challenge! We are so excited for her. September 25! Keep her in your prayers!

Oh and more good news! I’m staying in Wilmington! I didn’t get transferred. Wahoo! I love it out here! Sister Sunderland is my new companion. She is from Rupert, ID. (Yay for Idaho!) She is originally a Columbus Missionary so we’ve had an adventure the last few days figuring out all the things our missions did differently. ha ha. It’s been good though. She is wonderful! I expect many good things to happen.

So I was having a conversation with Sister Druck yesterday that made me laugh. She is a return missionary so we like to talk “mission stories” together… ha ha. She was saying how she recently reread the letters she wrote home and she had to laugh because they were so “sickly spiritual.” I laughed and laughed because I know mine probably sound like that too. But I hope you know they are 100% sincere! I love this work! And I love being a missionary!

We had a fun experience this week that I have to share. Our branch covers more than a county of these teeny tiny little towns (which we are lost in frequently). One of those little towns was hosting an “Old Fashion Fair” and the Taylor family invited us to go with them. It was so much fun! Besides all the homemade treats, we challenged each of the Taylors (kids included) to pass out a pass-along card. They were little contacting machines! It was a beautiful sight. It just goes to show how easy it is to share the gospel! Steven (9 yrs old) wouldn’t go alone so I went with him. He picked the police officer and as soon as we walked up to him he froze! Ha ha… he wouldn’t speak! So I got to give the card to the police officer. Good thing he was a nice cop! Oh the things we do to share the gospel.

Thanks for all the pictures Dad! I hope they can figure something out for Ryan. Poor kid.

I love our family. I love, love, love our family! Thanks for all you do… and thanks for who you are!

I’m expecting some letters soon! :)

Sister Painter

I’m addicted to the Spirit that attends this work.

Dear Family:

Yeah for babies! Congrats Russ and Lezlie-Anne! He is SO cute! I can’t imagine the Spirit he has brought into your home! I’m going to have to make up for lost time in December!

There isn’t too much to say this week. I’m just as happy as can be. In all honesty, I’m addicted to the Spirit that attends this work. I really am. It is unlike anything I’ve ever felt. I think Jen nailed it when she said that the first time she felt the Spirit (although she didn’t know what it was) she just wanted to climb to the rooftops and shout “It’s true! It’s really true!” I love that girl so much! And she is right! When you feel that all you want to do is shout from the rooftops “It’s true! It’s really true!”

We aren’t teaching very many people right now but the people we are teaching are some of the elect of the elect. I love them dearly! Can I tell you what I really love? I love the better understanding I have now of my relationship to my Heavenly Father. That is the most precious doctrine I’ve learned on my mission. Although, it’s been so tough. When people say you have to “cultivate the Spirit” in your life they mean it. You have to get your shovel and start digging, diligently and tediously going through row by row just like you would a garden. It’s tough and it’s dirty because Satan does everything he can to distract, discourage, and deceive you. That basically sums up my last few months… ha ha. But the Spirit that follows makes it totally worth it!

Ironically, I had this quote close by that says it perfectly! (Thanks Jordyn for sending it!) Sister Hinckley always knows how to say it just right!

“I don’t want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk’s lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor’s children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone’s garden. I want to be there with children’s sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.”

I love you! Thanks for being such good examples! I’ll talk to you next week (hopefully from Wilmington…ha ha).

Sister Painter

P.S. Dad, your San Diego sunset is pretty good, but it doesn't compete with my Ohio sunset! haha



Sunset her dad sent her from San Diego this week. . .