A Month of Miracles Pt. 5

This week was crazy. Like, we moved 2 apartments crazy. So basically, the Elders moved into our apartment, and then we moved into one in another building in the complex. 

 

Our address is 

285 Plantation St #703

Worcester MA 

01604

 

Miracles of the week
Life is really great! Miracles never cease! Yesterday... W SET A BAPTISMAL DATE! W is the Liberian dad of J, S and Lil' W who was baptized on Father's Day. He is awesome and he wants what's best for his family and he understands that, that is the gospel.
Tons of our members who we have been working with to get to church came yesterday! 10 of them were in Sacrament meeting and 11 came to other classes! 

We also got to skype so many people this week! The lord has blessed us with people who are genuinely interested! 

Aha moment:
We also had Zone Conference! I love Zone Conference. So inspiring.
One thing that really stuck out to me was something that Sister M, the Mission President's wife quoted, with a little bit of a twist. She quoted Doctrine and Covenants section 182 verse 22 like this, " [Elders and Sisters], shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, [my dear elders and sisters] ; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing."

 I love that. Zone conference just gets me so pumped! 

Ahaha moment:

A couple of things to narrate pictures :)

-Moving is awful, but in the morning... when we had to move, we stacked all of our mattresses and took pictures. I was so scared we were going to fall ahaha. 

-We decided to match with our Elders on Thursday for Zone Conference. That my friends is Zion. :)

-We went hiking last week, it was great! Our district is great! 

-This morning... we went to I-HOP :)

-The Worcester elders... "Take one like sisters would!"
Well my friends, You are all so loved!

Be good,

Sister Alexander  

 

 

A Month of Miracles Pt. 4

Hello to my AZ people. Ha de bodi? 

I am just going to put this out there... in the open... I am going to Africa. It was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had, listening to M talk about her orphanage in Liberia and teaching them and just being hit in the face, "Go do that. Help them," I just about died. Obviously there are more logistics to that but that was a thing. 

I can't even tell you how many times this week I have gotten, "woah, you're still here?" Ahaha even less-active members notice when missionaries have been in areas for a long time. Well, I should probably get back to my usual format... 

Miracles of the week!

We met a lady named S, she has had a crazy life, she still does but we got to talk to her and guys, Heavenly Father loves her and her family so much. We walked away from her porch just astonished at the love we felt for her instantly when we saw her. Heavenly Father LOVES YOU even if you feel like a random citizen. 

We had an awesome lesson with W last night! He is so ready! Also, N prayed about a baptismal date and she is deciding between Oct 31st and Nov 7th! She wants it to be early Nov, but she isn't sure if she wants it to be on Halloween. Plus, Elder G goes home on the 5th ahaha... so he would miss it by like an inch. Or a day. 

Aha moments

Other than the Africa thing, I have just been loving the Book of Mormon. I just got to 3 Nephi 13 when Christ is with the Nephites and he is just teaching and loving them and it has reminded me of why I am a missionary. 

I am a missionary because I want to be like my Savior Jesus Christ.

I am a missionary because I love my family and I know that other people love theirs too but they don't know that they can be with their families for eternity. 

I am a missionary because I love my Heavenly Father and I feel his love for me everyday. 

I am a missionary because it is what I love to do. 

Ahahaha moments

I remember when the Elders were taken out of Worcester people asked us how we felt. The two things were busy and wayyy less funny. For some reason you add Elders to an area and the humor of daily missionary work skyrockets.

So here is a list of funny misadventures we have had in the past week:

-We have named the Elders "Dobby's Sock" in our phone... they found out and we have so far gotten "Dobby is FREE!" and "I Stink! Wash me!" randomly. 

-I am referred to as Sister "The Great" at District meeting now. 

-We had service with them at the bishops storehouse, Elder G, wore medium sized gloves... he has XL hands... it was hilarious. 

Life is so good my friends. We are going hiking. People are yelling at me to hurry. 

You are all so loved!

Be good.

Love, 

Sister Alexander

 

 

Picture 1- Worcester from the view of a the 11th floor of a members apartment building

Picture 2- Every time it gets sunny in our car... I see a birthday message from my good friend Hermana F and I am reminded by the Zone Leaders to be on top of things.

Picture 3- We got bracelets from J our best friend, yesterday. And she made me a bag with cat fabric inside. AZ l<3ve MA

Picture 4- Us and J. Our best friend. 

Picture 5- Sister M and I. I love this girl!

Picture 6- #AreaSelfie + A quote from Elder H "WhereIsRachel!?!" 

 

A Month of Miracles Pt. 3

Hello all! How is life? Life over here is great! 

Worcester is great! N is doing great! We had an awesome lesson with her and she is praying about a baptismal date. The Elders are great! Elder G and Elder H are really hard workers. 

I am super distracted today, and have like 0 desire to email. BUT! I did want to tell you about what we call, "The Cheese Crisp Clarification."

Here is the deal, I once was visiting my best friend Anjilee, and she was all, "We could have a TCT," and I was all, "What in the world is a TCT?" So, she explained that it was a tortilla with cheese melted in it and then folded in half. I just said "OH! A Cheese Crisp!" and she just goes, "What the flip is a Cheese Crisp?" And that was the moment that I knew that I was in a foreign land, and that Arizona is a peculiar place haha. So here, on the mission, when I first got Sister M and we discovered we hailed from the best state ever, we went grocery shopping and Sister M just goes, "Can we get stuff to make cheese crisps!" I just about died. Then of course we asked C and HE KNEW TOO! Then we asked everyone else and their reaction was the same as Anjilee's, "Uhm, that is blasphemy." 

So now whenever we find out someone is from Arizona, the first thing we ask is, "What is a cheese crisp?" 

Here are the reactions:

" Uhm, it is a tortilla with cheese in it." -Elder T from Gilbert

"An African cheese crisp or an American cheese crisp?" Elder G from Mesa

And here is where this is relevant. 

There are people with beliefs everywhere, a TCT here, a quesadilla there, but it is only with the pure knowledge of the Gospel, do we find people who truly understand where they belong, or rather who they belong to and how loved they are. Our Heavenly Father loves us, and He always will. Also, Arizona is the best. And that my friends is the gospel truth, or just mine... not doctrine. ahaha.

You are all so loved!

Be good!

Love,

Sister Alexander

 

Picture 1- Us and the Eldins. Elder H, from Boise Idaho and Elder G from Mesa Arizona. 

Picture 2- Sister M and I were roommates for 6 months. That is like forever in mission terms. Love her. She is in Nashua now. 

A Month of Miracles Pt. 2

"My beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay." -Moroni 7:29

This week was so great! Most of the stuff I am going to tell you all about transfers and news about that. 

So... I AM STAYING IN WORCESTER! #9MonthsInWorcester #SoExcite I will finish training Sister M and then I will be shipped out... but I get to stay for 6 more weeks!

In other news. We are getting Elders... Like English ones back. Do you know how excited we are? So excited. We know about one of them Elder G, guess where he is from? ARIZONA! We have decided that AZ is taking over Woostah. He will be training so hopefully his greenie is from the good ole Grand Canyon state. :) Sister F is training too! Woohooo! 2 greenies in 1 house! Yay! 

Here is the super exciting part... are you ready? Elder G served part of his mission in Liberia, but was brought here because of the disease outbreaks. So he knows Liberian English, and we have like a billion and a half recent converts and potential investigators who are from... Liberia. OH YEAH! WOOHOO. So happy! Totally did a happy dance when we saw that he was the one that was coming! 

We had interviews on Friday with President Miller, I love that man. He is so great. 

Zone Meeting was amazing like usual. The theme was #NEC which stands for No Empty Chairs. We want everyone to return to live with Heavenly Father. He wants all of his children back at his table. Totally my new life theme. 

We also had 3 of our potential investigators come to church, when we were giving talks :) They now are investigating and are very interested :)

Well folks, 

Life is really good right now. We are working hard and are preparing to have Elders come in. It should be great! 

Be good!

You are all so loved!

Love,

Sister Alexander

OH my lanta! I almost forgot! I dont want a hairless cat anymore! They are expensive and tempermental and you have to put lotion on them... I dont even put lotion on me. BUT! I will have.... A GECKO!!! The W's have one... it is hands down my favorite things in the world. It feels like a hairless cat... but it is small, cheep and just chills in a cage or on your hand. I love geckos. 

 

Picture 1- A little flashback of 12 years ago :) 

Picture 2- Larry the Gecko!

A Month of Miracles Pt. 1

Hello all! How has your week been? I hope that it has been as inspiring and awesome as mine has!  We decided to go through the miracles we see each day on the drive home and we come home exhausted and so happy. You should try it!

 

Miracles of the week!

- We had a lesson scheduled with S, who was a referral for a Book of Mormon from the beginning of V's days here in good old Woostah. We told him to call us if he had any questions and he did have some questions... but they all got answered when he read the Book of Mormon... almost all the way through... yeah. But, that is only part of the miracle! We couldn't find a member to come with us, so we went to a less-actives house and cleverly begged her to come with us by mentioning that we didn't have a woman to come with us so we were going to have to reschedule over and over during the conversation. Yeah well it worked... she came with us and she loved it! She doesn't even go out to go grocery shopping if she doesn't have to. It was awesome. 

-Friday... was the grand finale to our mile-less July... and we were under! It was so great! Now we just have to stay under for August too haha. 

- Saturday. You guys. (ahahaha it is really weird to say/type that because I have gotten used to saying "hey elders" or "Hey Sisters" instead of "hey you guys!" plus... in Worcester they say "yous guys".. so yeah I don't.) Saturday was like the best day ever. We woke up, went for our usual morning run-walk-run and then we got ready and headed to the temple! It was the recent convert temple day! So we get there the same time that our bishop's wife, Sister M does with P, P, M, J and S. It was P, J's and S's first time there. So great. Their faces when they went inside. Priceless. P was able to bring her dad's name, so P was baptized in proxy for him. Then, R had his Grandparent's names and it was the anniversary of  his Grandmother's death. R was just so happy and J was tickled that he would let her do the proxy baptism in behalf of her.

-BUT Wait! There's more! So R also had his grandfather's name, and he was like the first one in the seats by the baptismal font but people kept on going before him! We couldn't figure out why and our ward was having a party that we needed to be at so we asked if he could go next. They let him and the spirit was so strong! After he went to go change we were getting ready to go, we had been helping check people in and get jumpsuits and I hear Brother H(The former President H) says, " This is Sister Alexander she will help you check in," and around the corner... comes the Madison Sisters and M!!!! Like the M that G and I found in November! The M that got baptized 3 weeks after I left Madison. In the temple, with a family name. I cried... ahaha of course. He just goes, "HI Sister Alexander," and I was just like, "M!" in the quietest loud voice I could muster haha. He just goes, "She is the one that found me," I was on a cloud the rest of the day :) And to think, if it hadn't have taken a bazillion hours for R to go through, I wouldn't have even seen him.

 

-Sunday! N brought her mom and brother to the BBQ/ Ward party on Sat (another Saturday miracle) They are Catholic but her mom really liked us. So, yesterday N just goes, "So I think my mom has come to terms that I am probably going to be baptized." and her mom also invited us to lunch on Tuesday! 

 

- Then we had dinner with the W's. He served his mission here 20 years ago and he invited one of the guys that he baptized when he was here. His family is so prepared to receive the gospel! They are awesome and we will be teaching them this week! 

 

 

 

Aha moment

So yesterday was August 2, 2015. Duh. 12 years ago yesterday was August 2, 2003, the day that I was baptized. It was just a cool experience to be with people that I love who just got baptized or who are preparing for it on the 12 year mark of when I made that covenant. 

 

 

 

Ahahaha moment

So the W's are like the chillest and greatest member missionaries ever. They also have 6 kids. 2 girls and 4 boys. One of the girls was making lemonade and the container had a holder for ice to keep it cool, but she couldn't find ice... so look at the picture to see what she used instead. We were dying. Brother W was all, "So this is the ghetto level we have achieved? Right on." 

 

 

 

Well Folks, Life is great. This month is going to be the best. We can feel it in our bones. We can also feel the humidity and heat to our bones... which is not so great. It is awful actually but we don't care!

You are all so loved! Be good!

Love,

Sister Alexander

Picture 1- Us at the temple! R and J weren't there yet but this is the Himmie/ Elliott crew!

Picture 2- See Ahahahaha moment :)