Sept 16

Hello!!

Sorry about last week. The computer kicks me off randomly sometimes and my email last week didn't send. I think it's because I try to sent too many pictures and it can't handle it. So I am going to try to send pictures separate and hopefully that will help.

Anywhoo. This week was great! We have been working so hard to find people to teach. We have been teaching this lady named Jean. She is really old but she's a sweetheart and she loves reading the Book of Mormon with us. She was a schoolteacher for a lot of years. She reads the Book of Mormon like a kids story book. It's so fun to just listen to her read it. We love it. She came to church yesterday, and she loved it. We are hoping she'll commit to a Baptism Date soon. We are working on it.

George didn't come to church this week.. he hasn't been keeping his commitments and we might give him to the Elders.

We have been working through the members to find people to teach! Along with the Elders in our ward as well. We have really been focusing on having members invite their friends over when we are there, or to meet with us. We have a really good Ward Mission Leader who came up with a great ward mission plan. It's all about getting the Members involved and helping them do missionary work. We want to find through them.

Last week we had a zone conference where Sister Wright and I gave a training on planning, just the same training the Assistants had given at MLC (missionary leadership conference) a few days before. So we did but what we didn't know is that they were going to SHOW UP. They didn't tell us, but they just showed up and so we were a little nervous but they said we did great.

FUNNY MOMENT: Last week I went on exchanges with the North Wilksboro Sisters, and Sister Mena came here with me. She's from Columbia and we had dinner with a less active family from Mexico. So I was the only one who didn't speak Spanish in the house. Basically I ate and just smiled and nodded and pretended like I knew what was going on. but I had no idea. And we had a lesson after, so for an hour and 45 minutes I just sat there and listened for "Jesu Christo" or "Iglecia" because I know those words!

We went on exchange with Lincolnton this week! Sister Thacker (who I trained) came to Huntersville with me and we had a great time. it was car fast day, so we did a lot of walking. But we had so much fun! and also we went on exchange with Lake Norman this week, I got to go there with Sister teopa, who is from Hawaii. She is so much fun. She taught me some Hawaiian words. I LOVE going on exchanges. I get to learn so much and meet so many neat people! I LOVE getting to know all of these people and these areas and these Sisters. We are still figuring out how to keep our area going while going on all of these exchanges, but we'll figure it out! Also got to go to the Trainers/ Trainee meeting this week and evaluate role plays. Fun. And I saw Elder Dawson there! Crazy!!!!!!!!! he has been in a different Zone this whole time, so I haven't seen him yet. But I finally did!!! p.s Mom I got your letter :) Thanks!

I know this is the Lord's work. I know I am learning and growing in ways that will bless me the rest of my life. I am so grateful for the things I am learning on the mission, all of the days, good and bad. I realize now more than ever, I am laying the foundation for the rest of my life, and I am grateful for it. I am grateful to know that families can be together forever, and that the Book of Mormon is truly the Word of God.

It is Sister Wright's birthday today!! I still had the birthday stuff from my own birthday package in my suitcase so I put up some happy birthday signs :) :)

Sept 9

Hello family and friends! Thanks for all of your love and support. We have been working so hard this week. We have had some of our appointments cancel, but we are working hard to find more people to teach! We love the fact that every day is a new day to find new investigators. It's funny, all of the letters I have read this week from other missionaries all are about finding new people to teach. Sister Wright and I are trying to be creative and out of the box, seeking inspiration as to how the Lord would have us bring forth fruit in our area! We know as we are obedient and diligent we will see miracles. I loved Sister Tobias's letter about what her and her companion did, and I am going to try those ideas!

We have been reading in the Book of Mormon as a mission highlighting the Doctrine of Christ and highlighting the different aspects in different colors. It's amazing to see it in so many different ways than I have before!

One great experience we had this week, we were able to meet with that less active family whose son wants to be baptized, but we have to wait till December. We had a really powerful lesson with them about prayer and the son (he is 9) shared an experience where he read about David and Goliath and it helped him stand up to a bully who was "bigger" than him and he stood up to him like David. It was really sweet, and we were able to help the whole family realize the importance of prayer.

We had Missionary Leadership Conference this week, where all of the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders have a meeting. It was most of the day and I loved it. I love feeling the spirit, and finding ways I can do better! I always learn so much. There are so many incredible missionaries serving here. I love seeing old friends and old companions and people I have gotten close to. We had an amazing training on Finding from President Craven. What an inspired man. We also had Zone meeting on Friday (which is what the picture is of) and we were able as Zone Leaders and Sister Training leaders to duplicate the training at MLC to our Zone. Sister Wright and I did a training on Planning that the Assistants had given. And they showed up. So that made us nervous, because they are amazing, but they said we did good.

September!

Hello friends and family!

They switched Pday from Monday to Tuesday this week, the libraries were closed yesterday!

This week was great, we were able to have a new Sister with us. Two Sisters weren't getting along as a companionship, and us lucky Sister Training Leaders got the call from President to go separate them. We took one to York, and one came with us. Nice little drive. And York is in South Carolina. So that was fun to say I have been to South Carolina. For like 2 seconds. It has been neat to see her change this week though, because at first she was ready to go home and wanting to leave, and we have been working with her and helping her out this week and she now is staying :) She is always down on herself and has low self confidence so I tried really hard to point out everything she does RIGHT. Positive thinking. It has been great fun being in a 3-some again. She has been with us all week though and is going to her area tomorrow. We'll miss her.

We have Elders in Huntersville now. They opened this area and are having a hard time finding people to teach and have been knocking on doors ALOT. Which is not the most effective. We sat down with the Ward Mission Leader and all of us and he suggested, just like President Craven always says, we are to teach 20 lessons a week. If you can't teach investigators, you teach Less Actives, If you can't teach less actives, you teach members the discussions. Hopefully the members will find that it is really good, and like what they hear and invite their friends to be there the next time!! Then you turn it into a teaching opportunity.

We have met with that Part Member family, and we found the real concern why they want to put of the baptism until December. It's not really because of the son in College, it's because the Dad is struggling with his testimony. The wife told us he is struggling and has run into some Anti material about Joseph Smith. So we are going to talk to the Bishop about it and have him work with him. But we had a great lesson last night, watched the Restoration and bore testimony of Joseph Smith and his divine role as a Prophet. It was powerful. I remembered when I was in New York and able to go to the Sacred Grove, and shared the spirit that I felt there. We are continuing to work with and love this family, and they were out of town for church this week, but they committed to come next week!

George is progressing! We taught him the Word of Wisdom this week. He says he has to pray about it. We took one of his coffee makers with us :) We had an awesome Returned Missionary with us who helped us teach. It was powerful. We had another lesson with George at the church. He drove us up there, because there was 3 of us we were allowed to ride with him. I was a little nervous to drive with him up to the church, a 79 year old man on the freeway. Scary. But he did a good job :) And the spirit at the Church building is so powerful and it really added to the lesson. He also was out of town this week and wasn't able to come to church.

Oh we had the neatest opportunity this week. President Craven did a fireside at the mission home for all Investigators, Less Actives, and Recent Converts. We just found out about it the day before and called around and one of our Recent Converts wanted to go! So exciting. It was fantastic. President Craven is an inspired, incredible man. I love hearing him speak. He is an expert on the Doctrine of Christ, which is what he spoke of. The recent converts loved it. They had more people than they have ever had at that fireside (they do it every month and usually 10 people come) and this time there were about 50! So they sat in the living room with President Craven, and all of the missionaries, (there were probably about 40 missionaries) sat on the staircase and crammed in the other little living room. It was so good to see people who have been in my district before, and just be with other missionaries and feel the spirit so strongly as President Craven talked about the Doctrine of Christ. It was amazing. It's strange how the mission home feels like a home away from home. The other missionaries really become like family and it's so good to see them :)

Yesterday, we decided to try something new to find people to teach. We went to a park and drew the Plan of Salvation on the sidewalk with the Elders! It was so fun. We had a blast, and got to talk to a few people. One of them is a Less Active that is NOT on our rolls, but lives in Huntersville. He came up to us shyly and told us he used to be LDS but hasn't gone in a long time. We were able to talk about "the Plan" and talk to him about why he needs the gospel back in his life! It's amazing how God puts those people in our paths. What are the odds he'd be at the park at the exact same moment we were. 

We were also contacting a referral from a member and had a cool experience. He opened the door and we were talking, when the Mom and the returned missionary son drove by and came on the porch and talked with us. They just talked for a little while, but then he said "You know, your family is incredible. I don't know how you do it, but your kids all turned out fantastic. I want my son to be like him. I want what you have, and I wish my family could be like yours" It was PERFECT>>>>>>>>>>>>> We were able to tell him it's because of the Gospel that they are like that and we set an appointment to go see him.

We have a lot of exchanges to go on this transfer! It'll be fantastic. I am so excited. I get to go back to Lincolnton! Woot woot! This week will go by fast though because we have Mission Leadership Conference all day tomorrow, and at least one exchange if not two. It's craziness. But it's so fun. I love change and I love always doing something different.

The members in Huntersville have changed my life. I know that I was supposed to be here to meet them. They are incredible. They are such examples to me of faith and what a family should be. I have learned so much from them. I love being in their homes and with their families, feeling of the spirit. I can definitely feel the difference in an investigators home, or someone else, vs. a home with a family that has the Gospel. I know the Gospel IS true and it IS the difference.

Short email

This week we got Elders in the Hunters ville ward! It was pretty exciting. We ate with them almost every night. This ward is wonderful. There are lots of members in the Ward who are really excited to do missionary work, we just have to help them do it! We are in a very well off area, and a lot of people are bankers. Most people are mid 30's, bankers who graduated from BYU, who have a few kids. They call it a "transplant" ward, meaning everyone is from Utah/Idaho and not actually from the south. Dave, don't worry, there is 1 Utah fan in the ward. Brother Jay Hart. You should be friends with him, you actually remind me of him a ton! Pretty much the whole ward is going to be gone this weekend though for the BYU game over in Virginia. 

We have been teaching that part member family and their son is almost 10 who has not been baptized, but still haven't set a date for baptism. Their son comes home from college in December, and they'll probably wait to do it then. 

Sorry I don't have much time. But love you all and thanks for all of the support!

6th transfer

Sister Wright and I are both staying in Huntersville! Yay! It's a great area, and a great ward. I love it.

So this week started out with a bang. So here's what happened. After our companionship study prayer, Sister Wright stood up. I went to the bathroom so I didn't actually see what happened. But she got light-headed and passed out. The doctors said there was no real reason, just a little dehydrated and stood up to fast and it was not a good combination and she passed out. But as she was going down.. (passing out).. she hit her mouth on the corner of our desk and cut open her gums right above her teeth under her lip. It was bleeding pretty bad! I came out and I was like WHAT HAPPENNEDD?! So I called Sister Craven, she said to ice it, and have her lay down for a while to see it the bleeding will stop. So she put some ice on it, and it still didn't stop after a while. So Sister Craven said to run her to the Instacare. It was weird, being in an instacare. But the Insta-care lady was like WOAH I can't take care of that you need to go to the ER! So we went to the ER and he gave her some stitches in her gums! Crazy! It was Sister Wright's first time in the Emergency Room ever but she did great. Then.. we had to go help set up the Elder's apartment because in our ward we have been the only ones and we are getting Elders (so we will have 2 sets of missionaries now) and we have to help them set up their apartment. It's exciting! Almost every ward in the mission will have 2 sets of missionaries now. 

So this week we have still been teaching that part member family that got offended a few years ago but has a son who wants to get baptized.. and it's going really well! They came to CHURCH yesterday which was a huge deal! The ward was so excited to see them and they had a really good experience. The son wants to get baptized but his older brother is at college, and won't be home until December so they probably will wait until then.. 

Remember George? We taught him a while ago.. he's 79. Well we ended up dropping him because after 5 weeks he still wasn't coming to church and wasn't progressing. BUT.. yesterday there was a baptismal service for the Lake Norman ward.. we invited him to go and he said YES! We were so excited! We scrambled to find a ride though because he couldn't drive his car. At the last minute a ward member drove all of us up there and he had a great experience. GO ward. And.. he came to Church yesterday too and had a great time! He has a date forSeptember 7th.. so hopefully all will keep progressing! 

Well that lady who was so excited to come to church.. we have kind of lost contact with her and she went to her Mom's Catholic church this week... I guess church is better than no church, right? We'll keep working on it...

We have met with Mary (the older lady who got baptized in June) and she is so fantastic. She can't come to church all of the time because of health problems. But she LOVES reading the Book of Mormon and has such a strong testimony. She knows she doesn't have much longer on earth but she is so excited she found the gospel in the end! Her son passed away in a tragic accident like a year ago and she was so hurt and depressed by it. But the Plan of Salvation was so helpful to her and got her through it. She is so sweet and loves our visits. She LOVES the plan and the gospel, and knows it's true. She's like my grandma away from home, we love her. It was so neat, she says "You know, I don't' think you get told this enough, but THANK YOU. You girls have changed my life. You work hard all day and not everyone listens, but I am just thankful you were able to help me" Moments like that make everything worth it! :) :) 

And the couple who got baptized in July, they are fantastic. They are on fire with the gospel, they are the most active people ever. They come to every church activity, She has 2 callings already, they go home and visiting teaching, they are working to get names to go to the temple with, and they have only been members barely a month! it's incredible! They love it. And we love them.

The attitude that people have down here is so funny. It's like "Well I believe in Jesus and God and I'm good, right?" They have no concept of Authority or organization or anything. They'll just find a church they like, the preacher they like, the music they like, or wherever is closest to them and go. They really don't have a testimony that that church is TRUE or has TRUE doctrine, they just go cause they like it. And that is what everyone does! It's crazy. I am so glad I know the Gospel is true, and has truly been restored to the earth in our day. Sister Wright is fantastic, I love her. We get along really well. ( sorry I haven't sent any pictures of her and I yet.. memory card got stolen. getting a new one today) but we were talking today about just how blessed we are to have the priesthood and temples! To know and not just guess that our families can be together in the next life! It's so incredible to KNOW that and have the fullness of the gospel. I know this church is truly God's church on the Earth. It's not just another church, it's not just one that has cool music or a cool pastor. Jesus Christ is the head of it and we have his Authority!

Another Week in the life

Hello Family and Friends! Hope you all had a great week! 

First of all.. we started on Facebook this week. It was weird. I thought it would be super distracting and strange. Sister Wright and I both were freaked out the first time and had everything typed in to sign in and just had to push the "sign in" button but we were super nervous and we were like one... two... three... GO! Ah.. so weird. So as you can see we are using a really edited version of our Facebook account, hopefully you can't see any of my old pictures or old posts. But it's wonderful! We have been using it to find a lot of people we have lost contact with or who have dropped off the map. We are still trying to figure out how to be productive, get referrals, and start teaching on Facebook. But I'm sure we'll figure it out. 

So we met this lady named Alex who seemed really nice and she wanted us to come back and teach her. When we went back though...we were thrown by the fact that her girlfriend answered the door. Yes, girlfriend. So we sit down to teach this lady and her girlfriend. And immediately they start asking so many questions about the Book of Mormon, and churches, and how they can know it's true, and then of course they got to the Church's stance on Gay marriage. The Member we were with didn't skip a beat and immediately testified of the divine nature of marriage between a man and a woman and how it is central to God's plan! They were intently listening. We talked more about the Book of Mormon, gave them a Family Proclamation to read, and they said they'd read it. We'll see if they let us back. But it was interesting. I know that the Family Proclamation is truly from God and that marriage between a man and a woman is the only way that God's plan for us to be here in families can be fulfilled! But people are wonderful and we are all children of God and of course we should show Christlike love to everyone! No matter what choices they make. 

FUNNY MOMENT::::::This week we have been teaching a Less Active family who got offended by some things people did a few years ago and have been Less Active for about 3 years. But they were fantastic, involved members for years and years before that! We helped them work through their issues. And they have a 9 year old son who hasn't been baptized who is so cute and we started teaching him. He's so funny. His name is Bradley. But we were asking him "Bradley, what can you do to prepare to be baptized?" He said "PRACTICE HOLDING MY BREATH!!"" HA HA. And he didn't want his older (18 year old) brother to baptize him. Because he knows he'll hold him under the water... Ha ha ha :) They are the sweetest family. But.... the older brother is going to Utah for college for the semester and won't be back till Christmas so they want to do the baptism in December NOOOOOOOO that's way to far! Trying to figure out how we nicely tell them to do it sooner... Satan is way too good and will work way to hard to not let that happen! We'll work on it. 

Unfortunately we had a few people who committed to come to church who didn't come yesterday... ahh....that was frustrating. But guess what. The church is true anyway! We've been finding a LOT of people to teach and not so many who are ready to commit. But we are working hard to find through the MEMBERS more because we know that is the most effective way to find solid investigators. 

Sister Wright and I gave a training on the Doctrine of Christ at Zone Meeting this week. We talked about how the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are how we truly change to become better. And return to live with our Heavenly Father someday.

P.S Transfers calls are this Saturday. If I get transferred I am going to miss Hunters ville so much! This is a fantastic ward with so many incredible members I have learned so much from.  

I know that God lives. I know he loves us. I am truly trying my best every day to bring souls unto him. To help people access the full blessings of the Atonement. I know that can only be done through faith, repentance, baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. I am trying to get better and to always find ways to do better! Be more obedient and more diligent, and be teachable. I do my best every day and leave to Heavenly Father the rest. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that with my whole heart. I am so glad to know that and I am so grateful to be blessed with this gospel in my life. I love you all! Thanks for all of the love and support :)

Another Great Week

Sorry everyone about my email not going through last week. The computer shut off right when I went to send. But all is well. Huntersville is a wonderful area and I love it. There are lots of miracles going on. We have this part member family who we always try but is gone a lot, and we went to their neighbors house and we knocked on the door of this lady named Netti. She was like "Yes, please come in!" This is pretty unusual... so we were a little surprised. We taught her about the Restoration of the Gospel. She loved it. She said she had been looking for a church to go to, and she feels guilty every Sunday morning for NOT taking her kids to a church, she just hasn't found one that she likes yet. HELLO. Sister Wright and I were just smiling and so happy and excited. We talked to her about the restoration and she said she felt like Joseph Smith, searching for a church, and she wanted to ask God, like he did. So she knelt down and offered the most sincere prayer I have ever heard. The spirit was so strong. She teared up and she poured out her heart to her heavenly father. We are so excited to go back and teach her husband and her two kids as well! They should be at church on Sunday :) 

We are also teaching a part member, less active family. The Dad is a member, the Mom is not, and neither are the kids. The Mom takes the kids to Catholic church, and the Dad is LDS but doesn't go to either. He really has a strong testimony though and knows the church is true, he just doesn't want to go without his family. The wife wants him to go to church, even if it's not hers. And the kids are very open. They have met with missionaries before and have a few copies of the Book of Mormon laying around. We got them all to open them, commit to read them, and we showed Elder Holland's "Safety for the Soul" and it was so powerful! 

We met with another part member, less active family (there are so many in our ward. Like 15) that is wonderful. They have 3 kids, two of them have been baptized, one hasn't. Not really sure why they stopped going to church, still working on that and the 9 year old wants to be baptized. I think that will be a great segway to getting the family to come back to church. They are really a sweet family. And they have a son who is 18 and is decided whether go to on a mission, so we are going to bring our recently returned missionary in our ward with us to teach him. They are wonderful. 

Went on an exchange with the Concord sisters this week. They are wonderful. I was able to help the trainer, she was with me in Huntersville for the day. Her companion is very quiet and doesn't really talk when they get into lessons, and is really shy. We were able to work out some things we can do to help! I love being able to go on exchanges and learn so much from all 

the Sisters in the mission! It's wonderful. What a blessing of a leadership position. 

I went to my first Missionary Leadership Council this week. (For Mike, Dad, John, and Dave it used to be called Zone Leader Council, but now there are Sister Training Leaders so we go to it and it's called Missionary Leadership Council) and that was exciting. We had a whole day of training with President and Sister Craven, and the Assistants. Mostly it was on ONLINE PROSELYTING. Which is so exciting. 

I will be using Facebook, but just for proselyting purposes. I have to block all friends and family from home from showing up on my newsfeed. I will still be Facebook Freinds with you, but you will not show up on my newsfeed. So I will not see what you post. I still cannot message or instant message you, or look up your page or anything like that. Just basically work with Ward Members, Part Members, Less Actives, and Investigators in my area. And other missionaries in the mission. But it's really exciting and there is a lot of potential! Lots of people who we have fallen out of contact with, or part member families, less actives, feel a LOT more comfortable talking to you on Skype or Facebook than on their doorstep. So it's really exciting and I can't wait! :) :) Oh and we do not have Ipads yet, but we are just using Facebook at our library. 

So excited! I love being a missionary and how I am learning and growing so much. I know the Gospel is true. I know it changes lives. I know it's the only way to true peace and happiness in this life. I love you all so much. Thank you for your prayers. I cannot believe how fast the mission is going by. In 2 months, I will be halfway done! Crazy! 

Love, Sister Forsyth