Monday 30 July 2012

30 July 2012

This past week has been crazy!

Hermana Collins and I have been trying to figure out how to work both areas. It was crazy the first few days. During planning we took an hour just to figure out what days or part days we would be in one area compared to the other! We finally have an Idea and have met most of the investigators from both of the areas. we are also finding potentials! Yeah!!! I have so worried this last week that we would miss somebody. And unfortanetly that affected my teaching. so I have learned a valuable lesson this last week. Always put your trust in the Lord for he Knows all. he does not ask us to do something with out preparing the way. Nor does he ask more above our abilities, and capabilities! Always remember God knows you better than you do. What you can handle, what you are not yet ready for and most importanatly what you are capable of! But we are meeting people and praying hard that our spanish will be enough to understand and communicate with those we teach.

Sadly because of how crazy our schedule is now my journal writing is suffering! But here there is so much to write and so many to plan for and talk with and teach. it is great and humbling to know that you are here for a reason and that is to teach these people and help find the Gospel in their lives. I only hope and Pray that I am able to hear the direction from God. helping us find the direction we need to find the truly prepared.

Well sadly I don't have much more to say I will try to have more to write to you next week.
Con Mucho amor,
Hermana Ziegler

Monday 23 July 2012

23 July 2012

So transfer calls were last night and I got a shock. My area is being combined with another for this transfer! Both of us are feeling that it is allot of trust on our mission president and the Lord to trust us with this.

So do you want to hear who my Companion is............. (to be said in loud announcing voice!) Hermana Collins!!!! One of my MTC companions!!! It is going to be great! She is an amazing missionary.

Well I am sad that I was Hermana Haws last companion but it was great, She taught me so much about missionary work. To tell the people that you love them and just love the work and work hard. It was great being with her and I thank her for everything!

This past week has been great and amazing though! We have found people just waiting to find the gospel and started working with them. also had one of our English class students come up to us and ask about church and what we learn in Sunday school. they also asked for a book of Mormon. It was amazing!

We truly learned just how much the members have come to trust us. They have given us people to go see and visit our help out with things that they wouldn't have before. it has been amazing and great!

There just has been amazing growth in these last few weeks and it will continue and one day burst to the brimming. I truly feel blessed to be apart of the work that is going on here. I am learning so much too. just for example how much the saviour truly does love us and he wants us to know and feel just how important we are as individuals to him and what we have in his plan. What a great blessing it is to share that with every one we teach. oh it is great! Tambien es muy especial a sabe que usted ayudar un persona a venir a cristo y seguir el ejemplo de El. Sorry but sometimes it just feels better to say it in Spanish but here is what I said. "Also it is very special that you help a person to come unto Christ and follow the example of him."

Great to hear from you all and Mariah I realize that you are busy and thank you for thinking of me every now and then. I love you! Nichole you and your family looked great in the pageant pictures Daddy sent. Momma Love you and.... My Birthday is coming up!!!! I don't have a wish list but, some nylons/tight would be great! And some b-day cards! I like B- day Cards! Daddy thank you and I love you very much! Eric que paso? Porque yo no escucho de ti? I'm almost ready to send you a little package so if you could send me the address for that, that would be amazing! Love ya!

I love you all and it is great to hear how things are from home! Thank you and love you all!

Thank you so much I love you!
Con carino,
Hermana Ziegler

23 July 2012 a letter from the mission president.

Dear Parents of our Wonderful Missionaries,

We would like to introduce ourselves. We are Don and Melonie Mullen the new mission presidents of the Washington Spokane Mission; the best mission in the world. We are from Orem, Utah. We have 5 children: Meghan is 23, she returned from the Bucharest Romania Mission in Dec and goes to BYU, Ryan is 22 and returned from the Budapest Hungary Mission Sept 1 and is going to BYU he just got married to a wonderful girl named Marrissa, Andrea is 19 and goes to UVU, Nathan and Jordan are 17and will be seniors in high school. Andrea, Jordan and Nathan all came with us to Spokane, but Andrea will go back to Utah to go to school in the fall and Na and Jo will be attending Central Valley High School here.

We have been in the mission field for 2 weeks now and it has been a wonderful whirlwind. We have been able to meet every missionary and have conducted interviews for over half of them. And we just wanted to let you know what a fantastic group of fine young men and women we have here in the Spokane Washington Mission. I guess it would make sense to have the best missionaries be in the best mission of the church.

We are very excited to serve with these fine young men and women. Their desire to serve the Lord is truly inspiring. They are hard working, obedient, faith filled missionaries, willing to follow and listen to the spirit. We couldn't ask for more and we feel very blessed to be serving with them. We love these missionaries and we are committed to serving them and the Lord the very best we can.

We appreciate you as their parents. We know missionary work is demanding and hard but also character and testimony building, faith promoting, satisfying and fulfilling. It is sacred work and a sacred time in their lives. We appreciate your hard work and support on their behalf. Thank you for all you are doing and will do to help them be their best and do their best in the work of the Lord. They couldn't do it without you. We know that they are a precious treasure that you have entrusted to us for this short period of time. We will love them and care for them as if they were our own. We know the Lord blesses each of us as we serve him. We hope you can feel and see the blessings of the Lord in your life and in the life of your missionary.

With much love,

President and Sister Mullen

Tuesday 17 July 2012

16 July 2012

So this week I am a little sad but All will be well. Hermana Haws is leaving! She is such a great missionary! She has taught me alot. Like truly showing the people that you care for them, being honest when you don't understand what they are saying. and work hard. work and love what you are doing! I am also excited for her to go, to go on and finish school and be an amazing member missionary!
We were so excited yesterday! We had 4 less actives that we have been working with come to church! So excited about that! Now we just need to get the investigators to come along as well!

The week has been amazing though. We had our first Zone meeting. It is a new thing that they are doing where after the Zone leaders get back from Zone leader council. they come back and council with the Zone about what they have learned. It was amazing! I loved it! There is so much we can learn from one another that really helps out all of our areas! We have had some cancel on us but most if not all reschedule now. It is great! And we truly have come to understand just how watched we are by the town. They see us walking everywhere and when we knock on their door say "Yeah, I've seen you around town." and they will maybe listen for a few minutes. they may not have any interest but they are talking with us! Also had a guy from one of the local stores give us some stuff for free. Because we are missionaries and he admires that we pay to come out here ourselves. and leave our families. He wanted to give us something to remember the town by! So sweet of him.

The work here is just blooming. we may not have many people to work with but there are more that we just stop by and more and more they start letting us in and talking with real interest. and there are a few that say they want to meet with us but either their spouse is not there or they are putting the kids to sleep. So we are making progress with those who are looking and searching.

We also had interviews this week with President Mullen. He is funny, and truly loves being out here serving with us. During the interviews we were trained on Teaching in Chapels (Church Tours) And what a great tool they really are. and how it not only invites them to feel the spirit but to also learn more of Christ and how they can have that better relationship with him and understand so much better what the promises we make mean to us and to God.

We have an amazing investigator that last week was only a potential. But we went by and we had left with her to read 1 Nephi 1 well she read to chapter 11 and was showing us what she had highlighted and what verses she liked and what it meant to her. It was amazing! To see that progress that she has made in her life in only a few short weeks!

And I know that Tracting does work. You truly find those hidden people who have been searching but have had no Idea of where to look. we tracted on one of the streets here and found so many people. A few were formers, one a less-active. and then the few that had no Idea of where to look for what they were looking for. So we hope to be working with them and getting to know and understand how we may help them along that path to Christ.

So on Sunday my companion leaves me to go to the mission home. And I will be with some of the other sister missionaries in the area until I get my new companion. We shall see how that goes hope that all is well.

By the way i love the signs on Ziggies! I loved the pictures! By the way Eric I don't have a recent one of you! Why not? But I am truly thankful to be out here and serving the Lord with all my heart, mind, and strength! Thank you for all of your support! Oh also I give all of you hugs! Love you!
Con amor,
Hermana Ziegler

Monday 9 July 2012

9 July 2012

Hello all,

So the heat is great for meeting more people and getting into doors that we would not have otherwise. The week here has been great. we are getting more and more referrals from the members here. for right now they are all less actives but with time we will eventually get referrals for potentials, and those who are searching for the gospel in their lives.

So we met our new mission president on Tuesday. He is great. He told us what his expectations are for us as a mission. They are amazing he also told us what the apostles told him about our mission, hearing that was great. Sometimes just knowing that the work you do here does effect the area and that it is noticed helps you remember that it is all worth it.

So on the 4th we had a huge breakfast with the ward it was yummy!!! Still ate too much though.

But we truly do feel blessed for we are finding those potentials that truly desire, desire to know how they can have a better relationship with heavenly father and know for themselves how to follow him in this world today. One that we talked with was great. we had been trying to be able to share something with her for awhile. finally stopped by one day and was able to catch her for a few minutes. so we shared quick summary of the restoration and talked of The book of Mormon. I don't remember what I said about what The book of Mormon is but even before I was done she grabbed it out of my hands and said "I want that!" she then asked how much it was we told her it was free and invited her to read from the beginning.

Then another, he was a new potential that we had. So we stopped by and he was with his brother -in -law who was another potential of ours but anyway. We shared about church and The Book of Mormon. and gave it to him and he started reading it and explaining it to us. He understood perfectly what he was reading and why it was being written. It was amazing.

Another potential of ours had read what we left her to read the last time we saw her. and during our visit shared with us her favorite verses out of the chapter we left her. told us she wanted to re-read to make sure that she understood everything. It was amazing to just see the growth that is happening here. There truly are prepared people. and despite the town having been tracted so many times. we find new people everyday. someone who is searching who need that guidance and direction that we can give. It is great to be here at this time and in this place.

It is great to be here on the mission. There is so much to do and to learn that we put ourselves in the work and forget the worldly things we left behind and become new people. stronger in our faith and testimonies and more sure of who we are to God. What a great sight to see how not only does this work help those we teach but also the members and their testimonies. What a great work it is to be out here serving and knowing where I am going, and how I am going to get there. I love to teach this joy, and knowledge of the gospel to others everyday.

Oh So I also gave a talk yesterday. In Spanish! With just notes instead of having the whole thing written out as I have needed to do in the past. It truly is amazing how the language does come. slowly, frustratingly slowly sometimes. but it does come when we are ready and when we work for it. the key is that you have to work for it. I was so Happy that I was able to do it with just notes.

It is great to hear from home. The pageant will be great. And hope you all keep hydrated. But I need to Write president Mullen. Hope all is well and know I love you!

Hermana Ziegler.

Monday 2 July 2012

2 July, 2012

Sounds very hot over there! But it is also hot here though as my companion put it the weather is very bipolar here. So of coarse with it changing from extreme heat to brr... where's my jacket cold I have a slight cold right now! Yeah!!!!!! Not! But any way this week has been good. We have had the chance to teach many great people. some we want to work with some more before we get to excited about them. others are doing great. progressing slowly but getting there. I can't believe that june is already over. it has gone by way to fast. How crazy! We get to meet our new mission president tomorrow. excited about that!
Well Sometimes I am really not sure what to write you about. yes the week was great but nothing really sticks out in my mind to write about. Well here goes then. Right now we are teaching a woman who has been taught by the missionaries since 1983. so she "Knows" all the rules. but not the "Why". So we have been trying to teach her the lessons in a different way to help her see the why of the gospel. and how much it truly is a blessing to have in our lives. She has gone through alot in her life. but understanding why we do things and the blessings that come truly help. so we have started using general conference talks to teach the why and the lessons. hoping to help her develop that faith that she needs in life. Asked Daisy (a young mom) if she understood why we leave her scriptures to read. she said; "To help me understand and know God. So that I can be closer to God." Yes! I felt like giving her a huge hug. That is one of the things we try to get them to understand when we leave them scriptures to read. we don't do it because we just want you to read. we want to help that relationship with God to grow stronger through scripture reading and prayer. Sadly that is also one of the hardest for them to understand at times. English classes are going great. truly noticing that it is hard to teach your native language. because you are so used to using words a certain way that you don't think of the why am I using this word this way and not another. or why use this word and not this one? What does ....... mean? It truly has made me appreciate learning Spanish so much more. because I now know how to use my native language better and why I am using it a certain way to a certain extent.
Went on exchanges this past week. that was fun! Hna. Driggs came out her to warden with me and we tried people for most of the time but we invited and invited. I truly learned the importance of inviting people to act, to invite. that is part of our purpose as missionaries is to invite people to come unto Christ. How great is it that we get to have the privilege of invite people to come to Christ.
I hope all is well with you, I hope that all will go well with pageant coming. Write me as you can! And I will try to write more.
Happy 4th of July! (Independence Day!!!)
Love you all,
Hermana Zielger