January 26, 2014

This week in our tracting we have been using a survey - we walk to the door, and ask, "Do you have 5 minutes for us to ask you a couple questions?" and then ask some questions like "would a stronger family make you happier?" and then they actually answer honestly and we can teach/testify briefly. It works very well for a place like Wesport. We had quite a bit of success with it this week. We went down a long gravel driveway and found a woman sitting on her porch. We began to ask her the questions, and had a wonderful chance to testify of the Book of Mormon. I told her, "This book has helped me stay calm and grounded when it feels like everything else is falling apart." Her eyes got a little shiny and we moved onto the next question. We asked, "Have you ever wondered where you came from, why you're here, and where you're going when you die?" She started to cry and said, "I ask myself that question all the time." I came up onto the porch and gave this woman a hug, overwhelmed by the feeling that she truly was my sister and that as she sobbed in my arms, it wasn't weird because we weren't strangers, really. When she had gotten some tears out, she opened up and told her about how her family has had a really rough year. It turns out that she knows less-active guy in town (that actually has the same surname as me). We are so excited to teach this woman :D

This week has been interesting, though, because we have been sick the whole time. We didn't realize we had the flu until we were like, "Oh, i think we might be sick because we both feel like puking, and have felt like that for 2 days." I'm getting really good (haha okay, not really good) at painting with watercolors because that's what I've been doing since Thursday. Some stomach bug, but we're feeling better today and should be a-okay in a day or two. Yay! 

i love you all, and I am so blessed to be a missionary. I love the Savior, and I love being part of His church, and giving Him my everything. He has given me everything, I am honored to give Him all that I have. 

love,

Sister Rose

January 19, 2014

So, last week we met a woman outside her house watering the garden. We had met her briefly before, but she rushed past us. This time she was trapped! haHA! We asked if we could do anything to help her, and found out she could use a hand in the gardens. When we came back this week to help, it was pouring rain (worst summer ever, they all say - it rains all the time, never warm). When we called to see if she still wanted us to come around, she said, "No, it's alight. But you can come around for a cup of tea if you'd like!" Um YES PLEASE!! (Don't worry, substitute some milo for tea) So we came around and she started asking us questions about our faith. We told her about our purpose as missionaries, and she mentioned that she knows the Branch President's wife through a family program here in Westport, and the woman was always really nice. We asked if she'd like to take the lessons and she agreed. yay!

Fastforward to Sunday - we brought this member with us that she knew. The lesson went so well. The woman told us she had been thinking about how to choose which church to join, and if God will give us second chances or not, and how she doesn't know who God is. Well, my wonderful sister, we have all the answers for you!! It went so well, it was awesome! As we walked out, the member with us told us that she had been skeptical about having a full lesson - after all, this investigator is a busy mom. And was the lady just being nice and let us come back, or was she genuinely interested? Her husband had reminded her that this is the most important message in the universe, so just calm down. It was so cool! I know that all of our spirits want to know more about who God is. We all miss him, and he misses us. It is woven into our being to want to learn about spiritual things. So, talk to people about it! Deep down they want to know, even if they say they don't. Just let them know they can approach YOU about these things, because you have made promises with God, and he is a part of your life. 

Oh yes, and i found out what program i want to start as a nonprofit when i get home. My future is unfolding before my eyes!! :D

I love being a missionary. 

love,

Sister Rose

January 12, 2014

So this week we went up to Karamea - I love this area, road trips are the best :) We went to go visit that lady we met a while ago, that was sitting on the park bench and wanted a book about Jesus that was not the Bible. She's progressing well, and is totally awesome! :) She gave us a referral, but couldn't nail down the exact address where this woman lived. She described her as a woman with "long curly red hair." When she said the closing prayer, she asked that we might find this woman, because she would probably appreciate the message we had to share with her. When we left, we had no luck finding this mysterious house off to the right of the main road. So we decided to go pick up the elder and maybe try again, as they were waiting for us and we were late (surprise surprise haha). We got into the main town ship and got out to get the elders. When we were walking back to the car, the wonderful Sister Woodbury half-saw a red head - we went back and talked to her - it was the woman!! God just answered Laura's prayer of faith, and we gave the woman a Book of Mormon. Whoah, so cool to see that!!! 

Also, we saw a cave in Karamea where stuff was filmed form LOTR, so that was cool :) 

love,

sister rose

January 5, 2014

Greetings and salutation young and old, bond and free, fat and skinny, kiwis and yanks!

Well, this week was another week on the mission. I keep getting comments about my positive attitude in my weekly emails home. Thanks for that, it's pretty cool to hear that. But I would like to be clear - I am not happy 100% of the time. For those of you that know me, I am an easily frustrated, quick-to-be-irritated person. Oh, and a bad habit I've picked up is interrupting people to the MAX. My poor companion. Everybody pray for Sister Woodbury ;) Luckily we have Jesus Christ, who can wipe away our mistakes and allow us to progress. 

Okay, now that that is out of the way, I love being a missionary, everyone. It's almost like it tastes good. I just want to savor every moment of this. We had interviews with President this weekend, and he asked us to teach him the gospel. Um, intimidating much? I don't even have my companion there to pick up the slack! But the spirit was so strong - i know the gospel is true, or no one would listen to us missionaries. Seriously. I am so grateful that the spirit is with us, that He will teach the people the lesson they really need to know. Because sometimes we feel like we don't know what we're doing haha!

Tamara is doing great after her baptism :) we have been visiting her this week and she's doing great. Love her!!!! She's getting started on her own family history, which, in her own words, "Motivates her to keep going," so she can get to the temple. Aaaah! God's plan is perfect. Temples help us endure to the end, it's so cool! Also, i think family history work is SO COOL!! ALso, what are some good bands that she can listen to that are 100% clean? i apparently only have long-term memory, because i can only remember the bands i listened to in 7th grade, and not at university. PLEASE EMAIL ME WITH THESE!! She is desperate.

also, what is "temperance" to all of you? I'm studying it, and not getting much. thanks!

love you all! Hope you enjoyed this really random, not properly thought out email!

Sister Rose

December 29, 2013

Merry Christmas everyone!! What a wonderful day it was, I hope you all enjoyed the candy canes and the Savior's Birthday!! :D We got to go caroling at the hospital, and to a less-active lady we found door-knocking. We had a lunch with Tamara, and all the branch, which was awesome! What a wonderful day :) 

Christmas Eve we pulled our mattresses out into the living room (aka "lounge") to sleep under the Christmas tree, a Woodbury family tradition. I was pulling my mattress into the hallway and backed up into the door frame, which actually really hurt haha :) I stood there, holding my head, and SIster Woodbury came up behind me. She was like, "Oh... my.. GOSH - oh my gosh ohmygoshohmygosh BED BUGS! BED BUGS!" I have had itchy skin ever since we got here, presubably from eczema. When she said this, i was about to be like "Are you kidding me? I suffered because of THAT?"  I looked down at my mattress, to see that there were in fact no bedbugs. I leapt over the mattress and chased her like i've never chased anyone in my life. I'm not sure what i was going to do with her when i got her, but I WAS GOING TO GET HER. haha that was a hilight of CHristmas eve :)  

After getting the mattresses out, we turned the lights off and just had the little lights on our stick of a tree on, and listened to the Messiah and Oh Holy Night, sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I was just so overcome with gratitude for my Savior, what He did for us, and that the Father sent him here so we could live. I am so grateful for my Savior, I am so lucky to know the truth, and so blessed to be here sharing that knowledge with everyone I see. 

Another highlight of the week - TAMARA GOT BAPTIZED!!!! Wow, what an amazing experience! She has literally changed her whole life, just because she loves the Lord. When we gave her the strength of youth pamphlet, we came back the next day (literally 24 hours later) and she had thrown away her favorite movie, gotten rid of her twilight books, and got rid of her Nikki Manaj CD. Whoah. She is SO COOL!! Her standards are so high, which is so cool! She doesn't have other youth here, which is a bummer for fellowshipping, but she also doesn't have other youth to compare to, to say "oh, well THEY listen to that, so it's okay for me." She just 100% goes by the spirit and then acts on it. After her example, I think i'm going to have to get rid of some books and music when i get home... 

Her service was amazing!! Her confirmation was SOOO cool as well! The Lord is so proud of her decision to get baptized and become a member of God's church. I am so proud of her!!!! The day she got baptized, she went out to tea with her granddad. A song came on that her mom had requested would be played at her funeral. In her own words, "It wasn't a coincidence." We told her that her mom must be very happy about her decision, and talked about the temples. Her eyes just about popped out of her head, i guess we didn't teach this properly before baptism. Woops, my bad. Anyways, it was quite a miracle. SO AWESOME!!!!

I love you all!!! The church is true!!

Sister Rose