This Truly Is A Great Time To Be Alive!

August 17, 2009

Hello from the Ohio!

My goodness! I LOVE this gospel! I wish I could describe in words how grateful I am for the blessings we have on the earth today! This truly is a great time to be alive! I feel like I have to repeat this all day to people. Everyone is starting to sense the danger in the wickedness we are seeing around us. I don’t know if it’s because we live in Cincinnati and there are several deaths reported on the news daily or if it’s because the whole world seems to be on a downward spiral. But the fact of the matter is: we have a loving Heavenly Father and he isn’t going to let the evil outweigh the good. We promise people on a daily basis that there is greater good now then there ever was before and it’s in the gospel of Jesus Christ!

It’s hard though. Some people just don’t want to listen. I’m starting to understand even just a little how the prophets of old must have felt! We’ve been meeting with a sweet lady named Betty. Betty is feeling so weighed down in life. Everything is going wrong, and she is discouraged and depressed. We keep offering her the cherished fruits of the gospel: peace, comfort, joy. But she won’t believe us, no matter how much we testify! And it breaks my heart! On the other hand, some people are finally prepared to hear what we have to say. It seems the economy downshift has “compelled” many to be humble. We decided to stop by a former investigator’s house the other day. The missionaries had stop seeing her over a year ago, but Sister Thacker and I felt prompted to go over anyway. When we got there her mother-in-law said she was busy so we walked down to a neighboring member’s house. On our way back to the car Heather (the former investigator) was out in her yard waiting for us. She had her Book of Mormon and Bible ready and she expressed to us that she was ready to make some changes in her life. It was so tender! She’s had a rough life, but she’s ready to change. She’s realized the need for God in the world, and is ready to invite him into her own life! Yay!

Last night we had another “cottage meeting” at the Jungkunz’s (dinner and a lesson). All of our dear Ghanaians made it and another investigator of ours, Rita, was able to come. I’ll have to tell you Rita’s story later but oh how I love her! Sister Thacker and I had the lesson this month so we had a wonderful discussion about prayer. Oh man, of course that lesson was just for me!

Oh! I almost forgot! Earlier this week during ward coordination Brother Jungkunz had the idea for Sister Thacker and me to receive blessings for the “gift of tongues” so that we could be able to communicate with Suzzy better. What a great idea! We could use all the help we can get! Ha ha. So we asked the Elders in our ward yesterday and we both received a blessing. It always astounds me how aware the Lord is of us and our needs. I am so grateful to know I have a Heavenly Father who gives many “good gifts!” Ironically, one of the scriptures we got to use in our lesson for the cottage meeting: Matt. 7:7-11! All we have to do is ask! “Ask and ye shall receive!” The Lord knows how to give good gifts to those who ask. I’m so excited to see what happens with Suzzy, and I’m also grateful for the reminder to always turn to the Lord in humble prayer. (Prayer is easy; it’s the humble part I’m working on!)
Oh man, this letter was all over the place. I think I’m just very longwinded, and I think faster than I type. I’m sorry. I don’t even have time to share the funnies for the week, which is really to bad because we have some good ones! Ha ha! Maybe next week!

Family, I love you so much! Thank you for being so wonderful!

Brittany! YOUR HAIR IS SO SHORT! Ha ha! That was quite a shocker. Sister Thacker just laughed at me when she saw how I reacted. I love it though! It’s super cute!

Sister Painter!

A Crazy Bunch of Missionaries. . .

August 11, 2009

Thought you would enjoy this picture of my first district. They are crazy! ha ha.

We didn't get transfered by the way!

Dear Friends and Family. . .

Sorry this is a day late. Carlee forgot to tell us that on Transfer weeks that their P-day is on Tuesday. So we were wondering all day yesterday what the problem was. We were glad it was only transfers. She sounded happy that she gets to stay where she is.

Hope all is well with all of you. Send her a letter if you get a chance. If you need her address just email me and I will get it too you (ladawn79@hotmail.com).

Thanks LaDawn


August 11, 2009

Hi Everybody. . .

I LOVE THIS WORK! Oh man! I can't even tell you the joy that it brings to my heart! I've successfully completed my first transfer. Its successful because I'm still here! ha ha. Sister Thacker and I didn't get transfered so we get at least another six weeks here! Wahoo! I'm grateful for Heavenly Father's perfect love... and patience! He's been so patient with me in my prideful, selfish ways! And I'm quickly learning that this truly is HIS work! His work is IN HIS HANDS! And we've been blessed to be apart of it!

I keep pondering this week the devotional Elder Holland gave at the MTC before I came out. He taught us the vital role of the Spirit in this work. Of course he said it in a way that only Elder Holland could:
"My point tonight is to stress that the Spirit must be with you and you must teach by it when you teach because that is the way this lesson ceases to be your lesson and becomes His, becomes under the power of the Spirit a vehicle for lifting your investigators out of the temporal world."

This isn't MY work, its HIS work. He continues and this is my favorite part:
"We are charged with the responsibility of getting people out of their ruts and routines, out of their problems and their pain, out of their little arguments and ignorance and sins, and take them to the Gods - to the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost - ultimately we are to take them toward their own Godhood. In short, we are to take them to the divine. And the Holy Ghost is the connecting link which the Godhead has agreed to give us here in mortality for that heavenly connection..."

Wow huh! Isn't that amazing! What's even more amazing is that I've seen this happen! It's real! We have an investigator right now, her name is Marlisha. She is a wonderful woman! (I might have mentioned her already.) She has so many questions about life, about why things are the way they are, what really is God's plan. Sister Thacker calls her an "honest seeker of truth." Everytime we go in her home to share the gospel the Spirit fills the room! It's not because of us, it's because of her. She has the desire! We read Alma 32 with her this week and discussed faith: how it isn't to have a perfect knowledge, but it's to know that the puzzle pieces will one day fit together. It's to have a testimony that the whole puzzle, the gospel, is real and true and beautiful! Oh man! Everytime we talk to her she tells us that is exactly what she needed to hear. That's not us! It's the Spirit! And I extended my very first baptismal commitment! The Spirit prompted and I asked her. She didn't even hesitate. She already knew! We have a long way to go still, but I've seen how the Spirit has literally taken her out of her "ruts and routines" into the divine. And I'm so grateful I get to be apart of it!

Something else I learned this week is how actively we need to seek the Spirit! I was praying one morning and had the impression that it was time to fast. (Oh man, no H2O in the hot muggy air!) But the Lord reminded me that we needed to do everything we could to have the Spirit with us! So I did... and I was blown away with the increase of the Spirit! It taught us in our studies, it testified in our lessons, and it guided us to those who needed us, members and non-members alike! It reminds me that "we are living far beneath our privileges." We have so many opportunites to develop gifts of the Spirit that we aren't. Sister Thacker and I have stepped it up and it shows in the work!

I also love when Elder Holland said, "The Godhead will bear testimony of you and your companion-frail little uncelestial souls that you are (believe me I already know!)- when you have earnestly tried to become part of the Divine Order. You have prayed and studied and fasted appropriately, and have always exerted great faith. You have been obedient to the commandments...and to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. You have kept yourself clean in thought, in word, in deed...You have tried to develop Christlike attributes, have worked diligent hours and have tried to be a witness of God 'at all times and in all things and in all places.' If you try to live this way - try with all the best that is within you - The Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost above you will smile and say 'It is enough. We will let these missionaries and their investigators feel a portion of the poower of heaven. We will let them feel the touch of our unity and our divinity'... Welcome to the work of angels. Welcome to the work of divinity."

Powerful huh!

Oh man. Sorry for all the thoughts. You probably are more interested in what happened this week. Real quick:

Tried Salmon for the first time! ha ha! Kate cooked some Ghanian food for us! It was crazy cool! We tried peanut butter soup. Yes... peanut butter. And she made this crazy onion, spinach, tomato, canned salmon sauce to eat on potatoes, or rice. It was intense. But I'll have you know I tried the Salmon anyway. ha ha. I guess I can cross "Try seafood" off my 100 Things To Do list! :) I love Kate and her family! There is so much love to share!

We got caught in several lightning storms. Wahoo. Ha ha. Funny weather here. It switches between rain and 80 degrees, 80 percent humidity.

Teaching lots. Knocking lots of doors. And loving every minute of it!

I love you! And I love this work!
Sister Painter

P.S. Thought you would enjoy this picture of my first district. They are crazy! ha ha.

Just Thinking Of Home. . .

I'm just thinking of home!



This one was just a cute one at the church building... in the rain.

Our First President Interviews. . .

This was the day of our first interviews with the President. My companion Sister Thacker asked if we could stay together thru the next transfers, so we'll just have to see.

I Love You Lots! And I Love This Work!

August 3, 2009

Family!

Can I just say I love you SO much! I really, really do! I've been memorizing the Family Proclamation (almost done!). And it's been such a blessing to reflect on our family and know that we've been striving to "establish and maintained [our family] on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work and wholesome recreational activities." I know we could do so much better, but I've been so grateful as I've talked lots of mothers who wish their children had been raised like we had. I don't know how I got so blessed to have you, Mom and Dad. And I'm grateful you taught me that true happiness comes from living the gospel and cherishing our families! God has a perfect plan and that is why he put us in families!

I loved talking to Brother and Sister Jungkunz this week! I got your hug Mom! ha ha... I felt the love! I laughed lots while they told me how much fun they had! I was so surprised to hear how long you kept them there! They laughed and said they were the ones that hung around. They are such neat people! They do a lot for the work out here!

I guess Sister Jungkunz answered all of your questions Mom. :) So I get to just write anything today. ha ha.

Well I had my first interview with President this week. It was wonderful. We got locked out of the building, so that is how I got a picture. We were waiting for the keys. :) He is a good man. I'm grateful for the insight he gave me and hopefully can apply soon. I told him how I'm not a very good missionary yet, but I'm trying! He laughed and said, "Sister Painter! You're brand new!" Oh. I guess he's right. I told him how the first week I was here the Lord had already told me, "It's okay, you'll learn." Man, was I ever grateful for that. President laughed and said, "Out of the mouth of two or three witnesses." So I'm trying.

Sister Thacker and I are hoping to stay here, together, for another transfer. Transfers are next week! Crazy huh! Sister Thacker even told President that in her interview. We're praying too. ha ha. Hopefully we get to stay.

This week has been full of wonderful experiences. The work still is slow, but we're working hard! We finally got to meet with Suzzy alone! (She's another Ghanaian friend!) Whenever we go over there are lots of people, and it’s loud and crazy! We could never communicate with Suzzy because she has a hard time with English. So we felt prompted to stop by one evening and no one was around but Suzzy! So we sat down with her and finally got her understanding, talked a lot about the Restoration of the Priesthood and the Book of Mormon, she knows it’s true. But... she doesn't want to be baptized because she's been baptized twice already. :) We'll get there! She needs the blessings! We all do!

This week we've been doing a lot of walking. (Last week of the month...out of miles! :) It was the end of the day and we needed two more contacts for our goal. So I said, "Heavenly Father, we need two more contacts. That would be wonderful." Well what do you know; there was a family moving their daughter into our apartment complex. So we picked up some boxes and started moving her in. Afterwards, she and her best friends sat down with us for awhile and we talked about why we are out here on our missions. We're friends now, and excited to go back. After all he does say, "Ask and ye shall receive."

Sister Thacker and I started writing down a "funny" section in our journals with all the funny experiences we had that day. I thought you might enjoy a few:

We were talking to a young man about coming to church. Later in the conversation we were talking about how he needs to find a good girl to marry. So I said, "See if you come to church, you'll meet lots of really good girls." When Sister Thacker and I walked away, we just laughed! That is unlike any church invitation we've ever made.

Another good one was when we met with Suzzy. She said a prayer when it was time for us to go, but she said it in her language. Sister Thacker and I were just listening enjoying the Spirit until she leans over to Sister Thacker and says, "Amen. Amen... say Amen." ha ha. I guess we missed it.

Well until next week...

I love you lots! And I love this work!

Sister Painter

Life As A Missionary. . .

In the rain! It's been crazy July weather. But we love it!



Sister Thacker and I and our tiny spoons to eat our impossibly fattening ice cream. It was still delicious.



Elder Johnston! My MTC buddy! We were the only ones that came out to CINCINNATI together. He's in one of the "most dangerous neighborhood." Right in my mission! :)

Great, The Week Went By Fast!

July 27, 2009

Hello from the Ohio!

I'm just going to copy and paste all of your questions mom and see how many I can get to.

So How Is My Most Favorite Sister Missionary in the Whole World?
AMAZING! It's incredible how a small change of attitude can change your life! At least your mission! I've been trying so hard to "forget myself" and miracles happen when you do! Especially since it’s the Lord's work, I just get to be apart of it.

So how has your week been?

Oh its been so good! It went by fast! That's probably because we've actually had lots to do this week. Amazing how that happens. We're finally finding new people to teach and it's been so much fun! We met this wonderful woman named Marlisha, she has two kids that are great! Each time we've been there the Spirit's been so strong. She doesn't have a lot of religious background, but she has LOTS of questions. It was her daughter's question that amazed me. She's 10 and she asked her Mom a few days before we came over if we keep our families in heaven, because if not she didn't want to go. That's deep for a 10 year old. So when we were there Marlisha had her ask us. There was an incredible spirit when we were able to answer! Because we KNOW families can be together forever! And that families are an eternal principle. It was powerful!

Are you doing the driving or your companion?

Both. We got special permission for me to drive since I get so blasted carsick.

What time is your church?

2-5pm. It's funny when we invite people to church and we tell them what time.
They're all shocked, probably cause they can't go golfing then. :)

How far is the building?

To far for budgeting miles. grrr. Probably 6 miles away, round trip 12, twice a Sunday 24. See... WAY to many miles!

Do you go to more than one ward?

No, we are assigned to the Fairfield ward. The Zone Leaders are also the Elders assigned to our ward.

How big is the ward area wise and people wise?

I have no idea. Sorry. BIG area, smaller congregation. Probably because its summer and they are all on vacation. But we'll be adding to it soon. :)

Do you have a washer and dryer in your apartment?

YES! It's wonderful!

Have you been feeling okay (headaches and being sick)?

I get migraines every night, go to bed, wake up every few hours, then around 6:00 am its gone. Just in time to go exercise at 6:30! :)

Are your clothes working our okay?

GREAT!

Are your shoes comfortable?

When they aren't wet! It's been raining every day! EVERY DAY!

Anything you want me to get for you?

LETTERS FROM PEOPLE!
I hate not knowing what's going on. I'm such a nosey person I'm discovering!

Phew. I got through them all.

This week we also visited Graters Ice Cream for our first time! It was AMAZING! It's the only place in the world they make ice cream this way. And then I looked at the nutritional facts. I won't tell you what it said. That is why we eat it with baby spoons. :)

I also got to see Elder Johnston this week in passing. I found out he is in an area called "over the rhine." It's been voted the "most dangerous neighborhood" in the US. ha ha! He has some sweet stories!

So thanks mom for the pepper spray!

I sure love you!

And I love this work!

Love,

Sister Painter

Zone Conference. . .

We had fun at Zone Conference two weeks ago.

This is the Sister's in our zone and the majority of the Sister's in our mission with Sister Robbins.



Our whole zone when we got to play outside. . .

On My Way. . .

Carlee was able to call home at the Salt Lake Airport on her way to Ohio. We enjoyed talking with her at 6:00 am for about 45 minutes. She sounded wonderful!

Hermana Scott is the Sister with her. She's a spanish sister who went to Ohio with Carlee.