Sister Remington Rae Callister

What an amazing experience it is to be a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! I wish I was one for words, that I could better explain the impact serving a mission can have in ones life. Growing up I didn't attend church regularly, actually hardly at all. I just had fun, loved high school, hung out with my friends, and loved my Family. Of course like anyone, I had my own trials and experiences but I just excepted that it was part of life! I didn't know anything was missing, and I didn't feel it. As you can see my life was somewhat "normal" for me at least..

In October of 2012 I remember receiving a call on the Saturday of General Conference. I wasn't watching it, I think I was actually watching one of my favorite shows. My best friend had called and said, "did you hear that boys can go in missions at 18, and girls can go at 19?" I remember thinking," Well that's awesome", but actually feeling really scared! Looking back, I think that was the first time I had actually recognized the spirit prompting me to do something. I met with my bishop a few days later and told him all about it. Within about 2 weeks I had received a patriarchal blessing, started my mission papers, and sent them in.

I entered the MTC on March 27th, 2013. The whole experience was a whirlwind and I remember learning each gospel principle for myself as I was being taught to teach it. How backwards is that? I recall one instance when we were role playing; inviting others to be baptized. I was facing my companion and I bore my testimony (the very small one I had) and invited her to be baptized. I felt a happy feeling expand inside me and a warmth come over me and we both started to cry. I said out loud, "did you feel that?" like I had never had that feeling before in my life, and in all honesty I don't think I had. My mission since that time has been made up of small experiences like that one instance in the MTC, and in hearing the announcement from President Thomas S. Monson that October Conference.

I was called to "Invite others to come into Christ by helping them receive the restored Gospel, through faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end." Little did I know that I was learning how to do that myself. As I taught the amazing people I was blessed to meet. I learned from them, and their example, I saw their faith grow, and their characters change. My testimony grew as theirs did, my faith grew and I learned how much my Savior and Father in Heaven loved me. I began to see purpose to each experience and trial I had and was going through. I learned what the Atonement of Jesus Christ meant to me personally as I saw it take action in heir lives, and I learned how to rely on the spirit to guide me as I heavily relied on it to help me teach the people put in my path. I often felt like Nephi when he said, "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." I saw that each principle I relied on the spirit to help me teach I was able to truly learn myself. I learned to trust Him,

"12 And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good--yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit. 13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy; 14 And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive." (D&C 11:12-14)

I found my heart changing, I wanted to study and I loved it, I wanted to pray, and I looked forward to church each Sunday. I felt a deeper love and understanding for each person I met and their circumstances. I was able to gain a testimony, a deep love of The Book of Mormon and its truth by using it to guide me through my own trials and by teaching others to do the same after reading it for the first time at age 19. Teaching the gospel helped me feel filled, full of love, and made me want to be the person Heavenly Father wanted me to be, not only that, I actually felt like I knew who that person was. I wanted others to feel that love, understanding, and wisdom that this gospel was helping me feel each day despite our circumstances. I had never felt that before, and now I can't imagine life without it. I am so grateful for the tiny promptings and feelings of the spirit that brought me to today. I'm a completely different person because of that. I now recognize that this Gospel doesn't change our circumstances but it changes the perspective we have of them. It brings us happiness in our trials, and it allows us to use our own experiences to strengthen us and those around us. I feel like Heavenly Father is directly talking to me when he said to Jacob,

"2 Nevertheless, Jacob, my firstborn in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain"(2 Nephi 2:2).

I have gained a better understanding of my Heavenly Father by teaching others his Gospel, watching them live it while trying my best to do so with them. I watched my own weaknesses and trials become my strengths as I relied on The Lord. As I did so, I saw this happen to me,

"27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." (Ether 12:27).

Now I know that my own personal life experiences or my "weaknesses" don't determine my destiny, my choices in them do.

I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve as a full time missionary for this church, the true church. I have gained self worth, compassion, understanding, patience, knowledge, wisdom and relationships I wouldn't trade for anything. I have been overjoyed and blessed to watch those I have met do the exact same thing. Life is so much better when you get to go through it with the ones that you love, and grow to love. This Gospel is seamless and it has been restored for us to enjoy, and live to the fullest. I was taught the gospel when I was younger, but now I KNOW that it is true for myself, and I KNOW that he has a plan for each and every one of us, including me. I know know that it is never too late to find a testimony of the gospel for yourself.

"15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me! 17 Behold, you have my gospel before you, and my rock, and my salvation." (D&C 18:15-17)

Elder Daniel Wells

Serving here in Kentucky, my companion and I cover a full county and as a result, we have access to a full-time car. Having served in areas where we either share a car with another set of missionaries or have no car at all, I recognize this as a great blessing. However, sometimes we forget how good the Lord is to us and pride starts to take over. That is exactly what happened to me.

Not too long ago, we just finished a visit with a member when we prepared to back out of their driveway. I walked around the back of our car to make sure nothing was in the way. The dirt driveway was designed that one would be able to make a two-point turn in the driveway so that when they exited onto the road they would be able to pull out going forward instead of backwards. I executed the two-point turn, with my companion backing me, and I thought I had backed far enough to finish the turn. I failed to notice the 6-inch stump in my driving path, though my companion saw it and tried to tell me to go further back to allow myself extra space. I was confident that I knew what I was doing and began pulling forward. One second later, I proceeded to hit the stump, smashing the center bottom of the bumper and tearing it apart on the passenger side. Although the bumper was damaged, the car was safe to drive home where we tied up the loose end with a shoelace.

Throughout the scriptures, we see the Lord repeatedly humble his children when they start to go astray (for examples see Exodus 10:3-6, 2 Chronicles 32:26, Matthew 23:12, Alma 32:16, and D&C 54:3). Such is the case with me. I forgot the great blessing we had in a car and I was starting to become a little carefree in my driving. In a very jarring way, the Lord reminded me of the importance of safe driving, staying humble, and listening to your companion while backing!

Fortunately for me, the damage was minimal and I am allowed to keep my driving privileges. However, I will always remember this firm lesson in remembering the Lord in all we do. Missionary work is His work. His purposes should be my purposes. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s church. He leads it, He guides it, and every now and then, He reminds us of who is in charge. I bear this testimony in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

 

 

 

 

Sister Lexi Trask

From So. Cal. To the Sticks

"Sister Trask... You will be serving in the Tennessee Nashville mission." Little did I know what I was getting myself into. This little Southern California girl was going to travel to the other side of the country to a place she's never been, to serve people she's never met, for no pay, for 18 months. About four months later, I arrived...First time ever being in Tennessee. I was assigned to serve in Princeton, Kentucky. Wherever that was... I found out after getting off the freeway that it was in the middle of nowhere... Aka, the Sticks. "Sister!" I exclaimed to my new companion, Sister Boyle, that I only just met a couple of hours ago, "Where are we?! This is crazy! We are in the middle of nowhere! THIS IS CRAZY!!" I said this all the way to our apartment. It was a mixture of excitement, yet, I thought I was out of my mind, and I think Sister Boyle thought so too. Everyone figures out pretty quick I'm not from here... Bright blonde hair, no southern accent...I tell them that I'm from Southern California. They then ask what in the world brought me to this little blink your eye and you'll miss it town. I tell them that I am there to share the message of the Restored gospel of Jesus Christ!
The only thing that helped me with this transition, was the knowledge that even though I was surrounded by people who were, lets be real here, a bunch of red-necks, we all had the same strong belief of Jesus Christ's Restored gospel. Even though I am now thousands of miles away from home, I still feel at peace and at home knowing that what I'm learning here in this small branch in Princeton Kentucky, is the same in my big beach community in Southern California.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the same no matter where you go, whether it's in Australia, India, England, etc. Even in the Baptist South! How is this possible? The SAME Church set up by Christ is on the earth again because of LIVING, yes LIVING modern-day prophets and apostles. I love this verse in the Book of Mormon found in 2 Nephi 27, verse 23... "For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith." God still lives and gives us revelation for our day. What an amazing message that I get the privilege to share every day in this little town in Kentucky!

Sister Trask

Sister Emily Culp

Okay. Missions are crazy. The whole process is NUTS. Filling out your paper work, buying ugly shoes, and in my case applying for a visa! So much fun! Then you're dropped into the great abyss that is the MTC for (in my case) 6 weeks, and then off you go to teach all nations the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!

On March 27, 2013 I got my mission call to Brazil. BRAZIL. Crazy! I've never even left the country. (That's a lie. One time my family traveled to Niagra Falls. I was 9 and had a sinus infection and my mom wheeled me in a wheel chair to Canada for 10 minutes-truestory)

On August 14, 2013 I entered the missionary training center to learn Portuguese. (That's what they speak in Brazil.) The books were in Portuguese. The singing was in Portuguese. Our teachers refused to speak English. It was INTENSive. We were getting truly PUMPED to head to Brazil. I even made up a rap in Portuguese! It was a HIT.

Unfortunately, all 9 of the missionaries in my district ended up getting re-assigned. Not one of us got our visa. In fact, every missionary in our BUILDING got reassigned. (Besides that one girl who was from Trinidad or something.) We knew this was a real possibility so we weren't too heartbroken, and when I found out I was going to TENNESSEE I was pretty jazzed! My mom was jazzed. My friend from Memphis was jazzed. Lots of jazz in this scenario. "Good!" I thought. "I'll go back to my roots! (grew up in Kentucky, but that's another story) I can serve here for a few months, practice the lessons in English, really solidify my testimony, and THEN head off to BRASIL!"

So in a plane I went. Nashville bound. Stars in my eyes. I was greeted warmly at the airport by some enthusiastic AP's. I handed out like 5 Book of Mormons while we waited for some people. "Man." I thought. "This is the place!" My heart was full. I felt like a kid again.

After the longest night of my life and an organized "shower chart" fiasco involving 22 Sisters at the mission home, I woke up ready to be assigned to the BEST area with the BEST companion.

 

I could write an entire blog post describing my first ever transfer meeting, but let's flash forward to THE moment. I opened my envelope and read my name. "Sister Culp. You have been assigned to labor in the Hopkinsville.........SPANISH? I think this is a mistake." I said, "NOPE!" My trainer said."You're gonna learn Spanish!" Every positive feeling I had left my body. I sat down in shock. "I don't even have a Libro de Mormon," I thought. What is happening. Is this real life? I was in a daze for weeks. I could barely speak English at this point let alone PortuSpanglish. It was a hot mess folks.

And thus began a theme for the rest of my mission. An incongruity of my expectations vs. Heavenly Father's expectations for myself. But you know what? He's ALWAYS RIGHT. I was MEANT to serve in a Spanish area for 6 weeks. I was MEANT to meet every single person I met there. I learned SO MUCH. And now I'm in another area I didn't expect to be in, still "waiting for my visa" and loving every minute of it. I have no idea what Heavenly Father has planned for me next, but I know it's going to be crazy, and I know I'm going to LOVE it.

Missions are crazy. But if you do them right, it will be the best decision you've ever made. I know it was mine. :)

 

Sister Emily Culp

 

 

Elder Kaipo Tagaloa

When missionaries first go on a mission we have a much older and
experienced missionary assigned to "train" us and teach us the do's
and don't's of being a missionary. They have seen it all and are
there to help us out and teach us all they know. Well when I was being
trained it was as if we followed the theme of that one song "These
boots are made for walking..." because we walked, and we walked, and
we walked some more.
Because we walked for days, I was constantly kicking rocks and all
matter of items I could find on the side of the road and it seemed
like I was always looking at the ground. After several incidents of me
doing this, my trainer kindly advised me to stop. I thought he was
crazy but I took his advice not knowing the reason.

Now, it's been over a year later and I finally know the reason for his
advice. Let me share it with you.
First "kicking rocks." This is a sign of someone who is bored out of
their mind. Who has no purpose to life in the current moment. Is alone
or sad. Is not showing interest in others or life around them. And one
who doesn't show interest or care in what we are supposed to be doing.
It takes away from our purpose.
Second "looking at the ground." God has given us so many creations in
life for us to enjoy. If we are always looking down we will miss out
on these gifts He has for us. His best creation was us, His children.
If we keep our faces towards the ground we will walk right by the
people God has put in our path to talk with and bless. We will miss
these opportunities to share what we know with others.

As we kick rocks we distance ourselves from others and exclude the
message that we can share. And equally when we keep our heads facing
the ground we miss out on so many opportunities God gives to us, that
we literally walk right by the people we are intended to meet.

What I have learned is that if we follow the footsteps of our "master
trainer" Jesus Christ, we will be able to hold our heads up high and
we won't stumble across life's rocky roads.

Elder Tagaloa

Sister Jo Nielson

So about a week into my mission, my companion and I were walking home late at night. The street was not well lit and I noticed that there was a guy who was walking behind us. My mind is quite imaginative, so it came up with many reasons why he was following us. We walked down a different road. He still followed. In my mind, I was getting really scared! I was trying to remember any defense stuff I could remember. Then a thought came to my head: The Lord has promised to hear and answer my prayers. So I decided to say a little prayer.

"Dear Father, please keep me safe and calm my fears."

We came at the end of the road. My attention was caught by a rustling across the street. Out of the bush, popped out a skunk! The skunk, the man, my companion, and I all crossed the road. Both us and the man avoided the skunk. The skunk lumbered on its way. The man went the opposite direction of the skunk. We went in the opposite direction of the man. So that night, the Lord heard and answered my prayer for relief and comfort. This experience taught me that the Lord doesn't always answer you in the way you expect it. It taught me that He loves me and He knows how to answer my prayers in way that will erase any shadow of doubt.

This is the same for each of us. He answers old and young regard less of age, race, and type. He also listened to the prayer of a 14 year old boy named Joseph Smith in 1820. This answer to prayer changed my life just as my skunk story did.

-Sister Jo Nielson

                           

Sister Vaimalama Masoe

There were times in my life that I felt like I had no purpose at all, and no hope. I felt so lonely and like I had no one to turn to. I doubted my savior Jesus Christ and his teachings, and asked "why me", "why is everyone else so happy", and "why I am feeling this way"? One day, I was reading in Doctrine and Covenants 19 about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It talked about the sacrifice He made and how he bled from every pore, for me. All I could picture in my mind was Him on the cross. I began to cry, and then it hit me that my Savior Jesus Christ suffered for me. I crawled off my bed and kneeled to talk with my Heavenly Father. All I could tell him at that moment was that I was so grateful for Christ's sacrifice for me. At that moment, I knew that He lives, and that I can do hard things no matter what. I asked specifically if there was anything I could do with my life to show my great love for my Savior. Because of the love I have for my Savior Jesus Christ's Atonement and perfect example for me, I was instilled with a desire to pay him back for what he did. Missionary work was the only thing I could think of as I contemplated what to do.I knew that serving a mission was the answer to my prayer. I could not deny it. So here I am, serving a mission many miles away from home. I love my parents so much for all that they have done for me. I have always wanted to make them happy with the decisions I make in my life, that being another reason I chose to go on a mission.

I know that this is the truth. This is the right path that lead us back to our loving Heavenly Father. His love for each of us is equal. He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to atone for our mistakes and help us in our hard times. I would invite each of you to study the life of our Savior Jesus Christ and ponder with a sincere heart the things He did. It has change me spiritually and physically. His example filled my soul. No matter how hard life is it will all be made right if we seek to know Him in our hearts. I'm forever grateful for this gospel, the joy I feel every time I learn of His teachings, how amazing it is to be in the truth, and to feel so close to my Heavenly Father. I know that this is truly God's work on earth. I know it, I live it, and I love it. I love my Savior Jesus Christ so much! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is His church on earth. This is where we find true peace and joy! "Ma e moni Ou te fai atu ia te oe, ia e tuu ese mea o lenei lalolagi, ma saili mo mea o se lalolagi sili atu ona lelei" Mataupu Faavae ma Feagaiga 25:10

-Sister Vaimalama Masoe