A Dingo May Just Eat My Baby!!

Dear Family and Friends,

We had a wonderful week down here in the South. Being in a trio is crazy! Every night is like a sleep over. When we walk down the street we look like a gang. And we have way too much fun :) But I love it!

This week we totally scored and an Elder who served here a year ago gave us 29 referrals! So we were busy contacting all over Little Rock. It was really good because it gave Sister Hosea lots of practice with talking to people and how to begin teaching.

Training Sister Hosea is so much fun. She is such a good sport even when she makes really funny mistakes. For example her very first door approach she was doing really well and then she asked the man she was talking to what his religious background was. He responded "I'm Catholic" Sister Hosea paused and then asks "So do you believe in Christ?" As soon as she said it she realized what she had said. The man responded "Yes" and we quickly gave him a card and said good bye. I told Sister Hosea that it was pretty safe to assume that in the South everyone believes in Christ. :)

She really is such a good sport. We laugh because she sleeps in the bed in the corner and is banished to the back seat, but we really do love her! Sometime though her lack of street smarts scares both Sister Anderson and I and we are a little worried about how she will fare without us once she gets to the Outback.

Anyway I love training. I am learning so much! President Wakolo gave some really good advice to the new trainers this week. He told us that we could either be an example or an excuse to our new trainees. I've seen times this week when I was the excuse but have tried hard to be the best example I can. I think this can apply in real life too. Are we being an example or an excuse to our family and friends and those around us. Do people want to become better because of the things they see us do or are they able to justify their actions because of our actions? I have been really blessed to have some really amazing examples in my life both in and out of the church. People who have made me want to change because of the example they set. Hopefully Sister Hosea is able to see my example and learn from me. Because I am definitely learning from both her and Sister Anderson. They both have such strong testimonies and I love getting to be around them.

Maddie sent me another email responding to my questions and commenting on what I wrote, so I will add this little excerpt from that letter along with some pics of them having some fun and of working themselves to exhaustion

Being in a tri-panionship...

I think that being the oldest sister of three has really helped me prepare for this transfer. I'm with two girls who are the youngest in their family and let's just say they really remind me of our Kate. Which as you know has its perks and challenges. You will not be surprised when I tell you that I definitely feel like the mom of the companionship. Sometimes it is a little frustrating but it is also my personality to just do things instead of confronting others. I also have my own bathroom and sleep on the queen bed. I like to refer to myself as the queen sometimes instead of the mom it makes me feel better :)

Anyway I do really love my companions. They keep my laughing...hard. And we are also getting lots of work done and I love getting to see my little trainee improve and grow. So it is all good :)

As Always thank you for all that y'all do. For all the love and support.

Have a great week :)

Love

Sister Aase

Three is a Magic Number

Dear Family and Friends,

This week I had to say goodbye to my dear friend and companion Sister Kalahiki. She is now serving in Conway! She is actually serving in the very same place that I was three months ago so that is exciting. She was replaced with not one but TWO new companions. Sister Anderson is actually returning to Pinnacle Mountain to help me train Sister Hosea who is only in Arkansas until she gets her visa to Australia. It has been SO much fun getting to serve with these two sisters. We are all getting along really well which has resulted in us staying up a little later than we should but we are working on it :)

 

It is really cool to serve with Sister Anderson who is going home at the end of this transfer and Sister Hosea who is just starting her mission. They both are teaching me so much I feel like I'm the one being trained! I think that it is going to be a really great time until next transfer. 

 

Thank you to everyone who sent me trainer advice I really appreciated it and all the support. 

I promise to send pictures next time. 

 

Love

Sister Aase

 

PS  So funny story. Trios are hard especially when everyone here absolutely LOVES sister Anderson. Like ward members who never really talk to me or fed me and sister Kalahiki are suddenly our best friends because of Sister Anderson. It's kind of a little annoying but I absolutely adore Sister Anderson so I really can't blame these people. I just wish they would at least pretend that Sister Anderson isn't their favorite missionary EVER and that they like her SO much better than me and Sister Hosea #enviousofthelove #loveallmissionaries 

I'm Not Fat, I'm Layered

Dear Family and Friends,

Oh my it has been a week. A long week. A cold week. A hard week.

I'm so grateful for a companion who keeps me laughing. If I didn't laugh multiple times each day this week I think I would have gone crazy.

We were on foot this week and because we have no one to teach we were on foot a lot trying to knock doors and find people. It was cold. Not Minnesota cold but still pretty dang cold. Sister Kalahiki thought she was going to die. I told her we weren't going to die we were going to bundle up and be ok. I told her to repeat that to herself over and over. Instead she repeated we're going to bundle up and then we're going to die! We didn't die but we did freeze :) But thankfully Minnesota taught me how to layer.

Since we spent the whole week finding we met a ton of people. We met many friendly people and some not so friendly people. I learned a lot about being diligent this week. Being diligent means going out when you have no one to teach and really would rather stay inside where it is warm. Being diligent means not giving up even when you haven't taught a lesson all day long. Being diligent means relying on the Savior when you honestly don't think you can make it through the week. The Savior was the perfect example of being diligent. He always did his Father's will even when it was hard. I'm grateful for his example and for the enabling power of his Atonement which helped both Sister Kalahiki and I get through the week.

On Saturday I found out that I am training next transfer. Which means that I will have a brand new missionary as my companion. I feel completely unqualified for the job. I'm nervous and overwhelmed but I know that it will all be ok. I know that the Lord provides a way for us to accomplish all that he asks us to do (1 Nephi 3:7) I know that I am going to have to rely on my Savior a lot these next two transfers but that's ok. We don't grow in our comfort zones so I've been told and training is definitely way outside my comfort zone so I'll be growing a lot.

I love this work and I love this gospel. 

Hope everyone has a great week!

Love Sister Aase

It's A New Year!

Dear Family and Friends,

HAPPY 2015!! I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year. Sister Kalahiki and I welcomed in the new year by sleeping. It was great! Because we spent most of this week walking and trying to find new people to teach I had a lot of time to reflect on the past year and ponder on this upcoming year. Whilst pondering I was reminded of a favorite country song of mine about writing a letter to yourself and I thought about what I would write if I could write a letter to me a year ago. I think it would go something like this...

 

Dear Future Sister Aase

Congrats! You just finished your mission papers! You will not regret your decision to serve a mission. Now that waiting begins. Don't worry February comes fast. And when your call doesn't come in time don't panic. It will all be ok and your call will come when it needs to.

I don't want to give away where you are going but I will tell you that you are going to love it! The people are wonderful and so friendly (most of the time) and your mission president is amazing! You are going to love serving a mission. You are going to have really great companions who will become close friends. They are going to teach you so much and help you to grow. When they get transferred don't be too sad. I promise they will stay in touch and you will get to see them again.

Remember to stay in touch with people back at home. There are so many people who are supporting you. Remember to thank them often for all that they do for you.

You are going to have some hard times this year but remember that you can always turn to the Savior no matter what the situation is. When you are getting eaten alive by bugs, when you crash your bike, when it is 110 degrees outside, when appointments fall through, when you're not feeling well, He is always there.

This year you are going to have some of the most awkward moments of your life. Some of the most heartbreaking moments of your life. And some of the most amazing, spiritual, sacred moments of your life. Even when it is hard you will never ever regret the decision to serve the Lord.

Happy 2014!

Sister Aase

 

I can't wait to see what this year brings. I am excited that I get to spend all but 16 days as a full time missionary. I know that I am going to grow in ways that I can't even imagine right now. And I am so excited!

Here's to 2015!

 

Sister Aase

PS. a quick funny story. We were talking with this one lady this week and she was telling us about how crazy the weather was in Arkansas. She said "Sometimes it even snows in FEBRUARY!!!" Apparently it is unusual for places to have snow in February. I had no idea :)  I miss you Minnesota haha.

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is Singing Loud for All to Hear

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to everyone who sent cards and gifts and such I very much appreciated it.

This week I gained a testimony of the power of Christmas hymns and caroling. I already had a deep love and appreciation for the Christmas hymns in fact I really feel that we should sing them all year long and Sister Kalahiki agrees with me but I digress. On Tuesday we went caroling with President Wakolo and his family, the Otter Creek sisters, and a girl from our ward. It was so much fun! We went all around the Wakolo's neighborhood and it was amazing the powerful spirit that could be felt as we sang Christmas hymns to people. We were able to hand out many "He is the Gift" cards and help others to really feel the spirit. We even sang to a Catholic Priest though he didn't take a card from us :) The next day was Christmas eve and we had some appointment fall through and so we didn't have any plans for the evening. Since caroling had gone so well the night before we called the ASL sisters and went again this time in our neighborhood. Once again we were able to really bring the spirit to people and share our testimonies with them. It is amazing how the hymns can so quickly bring the spirit. I think that Buddy the Elf had it right when he said "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear."

I am so grateful that the spirit of Christmas isn't just felt during this season but it can be felt all year long if we continue to keep the Savior in our hearts and minds the way we do at Christmas. We do this by continuing to "Talk of Christ and rejoice in Christ and preach of Christ" and serve one another. One of the very best parts of my Christmas this year was getting to deliver the gifts from the angel tree. We delivered gifts to one family whose situation is very humble. We were met with tears of gratitude from the Mom and squeals of delight from her five children. It was amazing! I am so grateful that the feeling of love and joy that comes from serving and giving to others isn't exclusive to Christmas time but can be felt throughout the year.

As always thank you for all that you do. 

Happy New Year!

Love

Sister Aase

Christmas Came Early!

Dear Friends and Family,

First of all Merry Christmas! 

We had a wonderful week full of Christmas Cheer! 

On Wednesday half the mission gathered together to celebrate Christmas a little early. We were instructed and we sang Christmas songs. We were given gifts that the five stakes in our mission organized- which included lots of random things from toothbrushes to ear warmers. I got to see past companions for most likely the last time before they go home. It was a wonderful day and so much fun!

But the very best part of the week was this past Saturday when Trina was baptized! Oh my goodness it was such an amazing baptism. She is so awesome and was so excited to get baptized! Right after she got baptized she burst into tears and started saying "Thank you Jesus!" Afterward she bore a super sweet testimony about how before she was baptized she felt really heavy but as soon as she came up out of the water she felt light. I am so happy for her and so grateful that I was able to play a small part in helping her come unto Christ. She was confirmed by our mission President himself yesterday in church and she is now officially a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 

I am so grateful to be a missionary! I love getting to talk about Christ every single day and help others to build their relationship with him. It's like Christmas everyday!

This year for Christmas I am giving my time and my family and my friends and my life to the Lord and in return I am receiving a better understanding of my Savior and all that he has done for each of us. I am gaining a relationship with Him and helping others to come unto Christ. And I couldn't think of a better Christmas gift!

I wish everyone a safe and Merry Christmas!

Love

Sister Aase

PS:  I cannot believe I forgot this. At the Christmas Specialized I performed! We do a talent show and Sister Mecham and her two companions and I sang a song while doing the cup song. It sounds lame but it was really cool :)

Another wonderful week of walking!

Dear Friends and Family,

We survived another walk week! Luckily the weather was pretty mild all week and so we weren't freezing like last time. We had a pretty good week. We were able to talk to many people and do lots of service which always makes for a good week.

Trina is getting baptized this Saturday!!! I think the only person more excited than Sister Kalahiki and me is Trina. She cannot wait to be baptized. It has been an amazing experience to get to teach her. She has just fallen in love with the Book of Mormon and the gospel. I love getting to see the change and the light that comes into people's lives as they begin to embrace the gospel. It makes walking for a whole week totally worth it!

On Monday we taught Trina in our mission President's home. We found out at the last minute that the Otter Creek Sisters were also coming and bringing a recent convert. We were a little nervous about how five sister missionaries were going to be able to teach two lessons combine into one altogether in a unified manner. But it ended up being so good. The Spirit guided the lesson from the beginning and everything just went so smoothly and perfectly you would have thought the five of us had been teaching together for months! I am so grateful for the Spirit that takes over when I don't know how I am suppose to teach or what I suppose to say. I'm so grateful for the promise that if I will just open my mouth I will be given the words. I have seen this happen time and time again.

We had our Christmas Sacrament meeting a little early. It was so great. I absolutely love this time of  year. I love Christmas decorations and music and cheesy Christmas movies. I love spending time with family and friends. I love Christmas traditions. Because I'm a missionary for Christmas this year I am giving up all that. But the thing I love most about Christmas is that everyone' s thoughts are turned to the Savior a little more this time of year. And that I don't have to give up. In fact this year more than any other Christmas I am focusing on Christ. I am out representing Him everyday this holiday season. And it is the best Christmas present ever!

I love this work and I love this gospel!

As always thank you for all that you do for me.

Love

Sister Aase