MY JOY IS FULL!

Olivia, one of her best friends from home!

Hola mi familia!

I just want to start off by saying that I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is God's one and only true gospel found on the earth!  I have been so blessed to be able to be His missionary for the last 18 1/2 months! This is so bitter sweet right now. My mission has gone by so quickly and I so grateful for every moment of it! 

This past week has been the best! Last weekend I was feeling down but after talking with my family I was ready to go! I was able to go to the temple for the departing temple trip and it was so good! I am so grateful for the temple and how it gives us an eternal perspective!

We were able to start teaching this guy this week! It was a really cool experience! I am grateful for the experience I had to do that! God is so good! 

I wish I could express to you all everything I have learned on my mission! I am so sorry that I am so bad at writing my email but I am just going to bare my testimony!

I know that Heavenly Father loves me! I know that He is aware of me and wants what is best for me! I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world! I know that He was our perfect example! I know that it is an amazing privilege for us to be members of His restored gospel! I love my Savior and I know that He lives! I love you all so much! Thank you for supporting me during my mission! This has been the best/ hardest thing I have ever done! I am so grateful for it! I love y'all and I will see you in a few days! 

Love,

Sister Lacey 

Exact obedience brings miracles!

 

Hello!

I want to start off by saying how grateful I am to be a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! This is God's Church! He is the head of it and it's amazing that I get to preach and teach that everyday! Now a days I get a little weepy knowing that it is all coming close to an end but I am so joyful and happy for the time that I do have! There really is no other greater work than to share the gospel! I am so grateful that I can always be a missionary!

Sister Dummer and I have seen so many miracles this week. God is literally leading and guiding every single one of our steps. There have been so many instances this week to show that to us! I cannot think of too many now of course now that I'm under pressure haha but He does!

One example: We were taking out lunch break and put phone was on quiet. We didn't see that someone that we were teaching finally responded back. Anyways, it's hard to explain but we were still able to teach her and she is so ready and excited to be baptized! It is so great to see!

I also want to bare testimony of fasting! God really does hear and want to help us! God is so good and loves each and everyone of you so much! Thank you for your love and support!

Love, 

Sister Lacey 

Tropical Desert!

Hey!

Sorry this will be short this week but it has been an amazing week! Full of miracles and revelation! I am so grateful for a Father in Heaven that wants to speak to us and tell us truth! Lately we have really been trying to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost and trying our best to reach the key indicators. We can always improve but I know God is blessing us for our efforts! We were able to go to the temple today and the spirit in there is like no other! I truly know that it is the house of God! Oh and the weather has been wild this week! Lots of snow and wind and to try and be positive, I calm it a tropical desert... Yeah it doesn't make sense but it kinda makes me feel better haha! Anyways, I love you all so much and thank you for your support! God is good and Jesus is the Christ! Have a great week and share the gospel with EVERYONE!

LOVE, 

Sister Lacey 

FAMILIES ARE FOREVER!!

Olivia!!!

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Sister Gaston!!

Hey Y'all!!!

This has been one of the most wildest weeks ever!! It's the best!!! I am not even sure where to start!!

So last Monday we were able to go sledding as a Zone and that was pretty awesome! A little scary because the Elders were doing so crazy stuff but we survived!! We got a call from our mission president that night as well and he said that he wanted us at the mission office the next morning at 9:45. All I could think of, "Are we in trouble?" and, "Are we having an emergency transfer??" But luckily it was none of those! Brother Littlefield (from the missionary department) came to our mission and wanted to talk to some of the missionaries! So that's what we did! I was grateful for the opportunity to do that because I felt like I am still able to influence the mission even though I am leaving soon! #IdahoFalls #BestMission

On Wednesday I had my last Zone Conference and it was amazing! It is always so great to be able to see all of my missionary friends! What makes it even better are the trainings! Brother Littlefield told us that our mission is doing well but we could be doing better! I am excited to see where his thoughts and training will lead our mission! I was also able to bare my testimony (since it was my last one) and that was a good experience. I cried haha! Afterwards, President Nelson just gave me a handshake and said that he loved me! Ah! I love that man!

On Friday we were able to find 3 new people to teach! It was awesome! God is so kind and is blessing us so much! Two of them are a couple and a member invited them to meet with us! They are from Cali and do not have a very big religious background. They are so amazing and I am so glad that we are able to teach them! We were able to give them something we call a "tabbed Book of Mormon" which is basically an awesome copy of the Book of Mormon! It is easier for people to read when they do not know much about the Book of Mormon! The other was a super cute girl! She is 11 years old and is so excited about the gospel! I love it!

Also, the First Presidency announced that we can now talk to our families! We think that it is so inspired from God! It will help families be closer and help everyone do more missionary work! 

On Saturday was one of the best days of my life! We were able to go to the temple with someone we taught and baptized back in Salmon! We were able to see them be sealed as a family for all time and eternity and that right there made everything worth it! Leaving my family for almost 19 months, all of the tears, sicknesses, heartache, everything so worth it to see that! God is so good! Oh and to put a cherry on top I was able to see Sister Gaston!!! 

This is God's church! I am so happy and honored to be a missionary for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! 

Love,

Sister Lacey 

To act or to be acted upon?

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FAMILIA!

How are you?? I am so excited to tell you about this week! It has been so crazy but so good at the same time! Sister Dummer and I are just loving serving together! She is such a hard worker and she encourages me and helps me to want to be a better person! I love her so much! 

So to give you a brief summery of what happened this week! 

-2 people we were teaching passed away

-We talked to 137 new people this week

-Tracting in 9 degree weather.... and I still have all my toes!

-people fell from the sky to be taught

-tracting on BYU I men's housing... that was interesting but found 2 potentials for the sisters on campus!

We have been trying really hard to talk to 20 new people a day and the blessings/ miracles are just coming in! We got a few potential people from the 137 that we talked to but the others are just miracles from God! 

The 2 people who passed away were really good men! One we had just started teaching and the other I have known since I got here. I am so grateful for the God's plan of happiness!

So we got a text from one of our bishops that he would like us at Ward Council yesterday and we went. They did their normal Ward Council things and then got into missionary work! So there is a girl that wants to get baptized in their ward and we spent like 20 minutes correlating how we can help this young woman and who's houses she can be taught at and who can be her fellowshipper and everything! It was amazing to be in there! It is such a great ward! It is also exciting because it is Sister Dummer's and I goal to find someone to teach in each ward and this ward hadn't had one yet! We should start teaching her tomorrow! 

Another miracle was that Sister Johnson and Sister Mackay called us and some members up on campus had been working with this none member family and they invited the sisters to come teach them! Well it went super well and it ends up that they are in our area! So we get to hopefully start teaching them this week as well! 

I am kind of mad at myself that it has been so hard for me most of my mission to talk to 20 new people a day but I am glad that my stubbornness has left and I am able to do it now! It is hard but it so worth it! The Lord is so willing to help us find people to teach! We just need to put in the work!

Oh and a miracle we saw from the Yes List (the area authority gave us a list of ways we can find more people to teach)! We asked one of our recent converts yesterday if he knew of anyone that we could teach and he said yes! He set up a time and we taught his friend yesterday and got a return appointment for next Sunday! It was awesome! We just need to figure things out because she doesn't live in our area, but we will!

Well things are going amazing up here in the "Burg"! Haha I love it here and I love being a missionary! Thank y'all for your love and support! Have a great week! I love y'all!! 

Love,

Sister Lacey

The hands of the Savior!

Hola Familia! 

How are all of you guys?! I miss all of you guys so much but life is so good! 

So we had transfers last week and now I am with Sister Dummer and oh my goodness she is AMAZING! I am so blessed to have her as my last companion for my last little bit as a full-time missionary!

Can I just start by saying how merciful God is? I know that He knows us each individually and I can promise each and everyone of you that He guides your life each day! He cares for you and wants what is best for you! 

This week I got sick but the Lord always strengthens us! We are trying something called "Project SAPO" in our zone! We are striving to talk to 20 new people a day and we are doing it! We got 18 one day but then we made up for it the next day! It has been amazing meeting and getting to know so many amazing people! Here in Rexburg we are able to meet people from all around the world and I ABSOLUTELY love it! 

The people we are teaching are doing so good as well! I am trying to focus more on them and studying more for them and it truly is a blessing! Sister Dummer and I are able to have some amazing talks about how we can help them and it just strengthens my testimony! 

I know I have only been with Sister Dummer for a couple of days but I have learned so much from her! She is a perfect example of someone who is striving for consecration, humility, and charity! I am so glad that I get to learn from her! I want to be like her! 

Something that I have been able to learn and something I want to continue to do in my life is be the Savior's hands. This week, with the help of the Spirit, we were lead to this man who was in the hospital. I have known this man since I have gotten into the area and I love him so much! Right before we went in the room, we could overhear him talking to someone and he was not very happy. We walked in and talked with him and prayed with him and he changed. I truly felt that was something the Savior would do. I was so glad that Heavenly Father trusts me enough to let me do things like that! I want to always be worthy of His trust! 

My mission is going amazing and I want to say how grateful I am for each of you! My heart is so full of joy today! God is amazing! I want to share his gospel with everyone! I would like to challenge all of you to reflect and ponder how the gospel has blessed you and then let that motivate you to share it with someone TODAY! I love you all! I pray for you! Be safe! 

Love,

Sister Lacey 

Last Leg!

 

Hey y'all!

This has been a week haha! I am not even sure where to start! It consisted of: a sisters meeting, 3 exchanges, 2 trips down to Idaho Falls, miracles, a baptism, entering into my last transfer and to top if off we got transfer calls! 

I am staying in Rexburg for my last transfer! Sister Rose is leaving me though :( She is heading down to Idaho Falls! I know she will do great things down there! I bummed to see her leaving though! 

So on Tuesday we were able to have a Sisters Meeting where all of the sisters get together and it was the best! We were able to learn some amazing things and be uplifted! It was super funny because at the end President Nelson walked in the room and all of us started waving at him and getting excited! He just waved back and put his finger to his lips like a parent would to his kids haha! I do feel like he is my dad haha! I love him so much! 

So Tuesday night was a pretty rough night. I won't give all details but this just helped strengthen my testimony of the Priesthood and following the promptings of the Holy Ghost. I was able to talk to Sister Rose for awhile and I was pretty emotional and then we got to meet with one of our Bishops. We talked about the needs of his ward and I think he could tell something was wrong. He then proceeded to ask us how we were doing and the Spirit was very clear and told me to ask for a Priesthood blessing. So I did and he asked me what was going on and I explained and then he gave me a blessing. It was an amazing experience and gave me a lot of comfort! 

On Wednesday it was Sister Rose's birthday and it was a lot of fun! I hope she enjoyed it! She is finally an adult! 

On Thursday I went on exchanges with Sister Naumann and Sister Johnson! That was a fun exchange! We were able to meet some awesome people they are teaching and got tract some student apartments! I realized that I am an awkward duck when it comes to college students so post mission is going to be interesting haha! For example: We knocked on this guys door and started making small talk and asked him what he was going to school for. He said something that was complicated and so I asked him to elaborate haha. He said that basically he takes information from something and then makes a decision from there. So I said, "Oh! So like revelation?!" He just did a sympathetic laugh haha! Pray for me yall! 

On Friday we had a meeting down in Idaho Falls and it was super good! I got to see some of my friends and President so it was the best! I was able to talk to President Nelson after as well and he gave me some good advice for my future life! 

Then on Saturday I was able to go on exchanges with Sister Bergoc and that was the best! She bad me some Brazilian food! She taught me a lot that day as well! She is so real with people! I am glad I was able to learn that from her! 

Sunday was super busy but so good! It ended with transfer calls and Elder Lewis (my former Zone Leader and now Assistant to the President) called and we were the second to last people to be called.... It was killing me! And then when he called he kept stalling to mess with us! Haha we told him that he was lucky he was down in Idaho Falls or we would come find him haha!

Well I love you all and hope that y'all have a great week! Thank you for the love and support that you give me and to the missionaries that are serving around you! They need all the love they can get! Love y'all!

Love,

Sister Lacey 

We made it!

Sister Lacey with a cat?!

Hello Familia!!

I hope that y'all had an amazing week! I am excited to tell y'all what I was able to learn! 

This was a long but also a very rewarding week! Sometimes when I make it to another Preparation Day, I just feel like, "We made it!"

So last week we were able to go to an Escape Room as a Zone for a Preparation Day activity and it was so much fun! We split up into 2 different groups and we had different stories! Our story was that we got kidnapped by this witch and we had to escape her cottage! It was pretty cool! Let's just say that I pulled a key out of a bird and then Elder Clarke came in clutch with the last obstacle we had! It's too difficult to explain through email haha! I'll tell y'all the story later in life!

I got a little sick this week... That was no fun but I think I really needed the rest! On Tuesday, when I was sick, I slept more than I have ever slept on my mission! It was insane! Luckily Sister Rose was still able to get some stuff done while I was MIA! Thank goodness for that! We were still able to meet with some bishops that night and my goodness! We are blessed with some amazing leaders here in this area! They help us so much! I am grateful for them!

On Wednesday we were able to have a Zone Council and a member came and talked to us about mental health! That was greatly needed! As missionaries we got through a lot of stress and it takes a toll on our mental health sometimes! He was able to help us understand mental health a little bit more and I have even been able to use it this week! 

On Thursday I was able to go on another exchange with Sister Hurst! It was great! We were able to attend a baptism of someone who was taught down in California but wanted to be baptized here in Rexburg because he wanted his buddy to baptism him! It was a spiritual little baptism! What was really cool was that one of his friends who is a recent convert was able to confirm him and give him the gift of the Holy Ghost! It was his first time being able to do that and the spirit was so strong during that blessing! It was a testimony builder to me of the work that I am doing! Knowing that I am able to help people come closer to Christ and then become his full disciples! It is amazing!  

On Friday we were able to do some service projects and that was a lot of fun! Helping others and serving them really is the best medicine! I also like doing that because I feel like it shows God that you are willing to give when He has so freely given to us! That night it was pretty rough. We had been teaching this woman who has had a rough life and she seemed to be progressing and finding more hope for the future but on Friday it seemed like everything came crashing down and she decided to take it out on us. She has so much sadness in her and it was hard to be there. The Spirit just kept telling us to leave. We told her that we were there to help her but we can't help her if she won't let us. It was hard. I hope that we can still help her though.

So tomorrow we are having a sister's meeting and me and 3 other sisters get to do a special musical number with Sister Rose playing the Piano. We are doing a version of "As Sisters in Zion". Pray for us that we do good! I'll try and record it and send it next week! 

Sunday was amazing! We were able to have a lot of meetings with Bishops and Ward Mission Leaders. It helped strengthen my testimony of how God's hand and timing is in all things. So I'll share one quick story with you. So due to the meetings, we were not sure how we would be able to take the Sacrament that day. We were going to go to one of our wards that meets at 1:30. Anyways, we were waiting for one of our bishops while he was in a meeting with someone else and we were waiting in the lobby of the church. We could hear the Sacrament going on in that ward and at first didn't think too much about it because we were not planning on taking the Sacrament then. Anyways, one of the young Priesthood holders ended up giving us the sacrament anyways and it was a blessing! I learned 2 things. One, I should always be ready to partake of the Sacrament even if I am not expecting it and 2 that God has our back because of the meetings we would have not been able to take the Sacrament at 1:30. God's timing is perfect!

I love you all so much! I would like to invite all of you this week to do what the Prophet of God has invited us to do! "I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation". I have been able to do this more recently and it has been truly a blessing! I love you all and have a great week!

Sister Lacey

The Drought is OVER!!!!!!

Hola Y'all!!!!

So I am going to try and make this short and powerful! Just like the lessons we are suppose to teach haha! 

So this week was pretty good! I am realizing that I am getting really really tired... but I am still going strong! I just feel like an old lady a lot of the time but that happens right? Anyways, on to  the week!

My companion gave an amazing training on technology in District Council! I seriously love being a technology missionary! I feel like I have been able to overcome some of my old addictions to my phone and I hope and pray I can keep them with me for the rest of my life! Like for instance, Sister Rose was sick with stomach bug this weekend and if I was at home I probably would have just went on Netflix or Instagram or something but since I am a missionary and learning how to be better, I did productive stuff! I cleaned the house, rearranged the house, read the Book of Mormon and so much more! It was great haha! 

This week we were able to witness a baptism! This young man we have been able to teach for almost a year! I will send the pictures of all of the sisters who were able to teach him! It was pretty special to be there and to feel of the spirit! I also love sharing the message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ during the baptism! Sister Rose did amazing and shared the First Vision like a pro! I love how strong the Spirit is when you hear or recite the First Vision! 

On Friday I was able to go on exchanges with Sister Hurst!!! It was amazing to see her growth as a missionary and to catch up with her on everything!! She is a great missionary! We were able to talk to A LOT of students and I think I am almost over my fear of college students! Yay! I was able to learn a lot from her has well! Good stuff!

So yesterday was AMAZING MIRACLE DAY! In our Zone we have had a drought of finding new people to teach but this past week we were all able to find someone new in our distirct! So cool! Yesterday we got into a house that we have been trying for 4 months and finally got in!! We are now teaching her! When we got out of that house we rushed over to go see a bishop and have a meeting with him and when we were walking into the church building another bishop stopped us and told us that a lady came to church that wanted to be taught by us! We met with the bishop for a bit then headed over to see her! She has had a rough time lately and decided to change things up! She said that she is called to the temple and wants to change her life and be baptized! It was amazing! God is good and is aware of us!

I know that this is God's work and that He wants us to help Him! I love you all and hope you have a great week!! Love you!

Love,

Sister Lacey

Let it snow!!

Howdy y'all!!! And Happy New Year!!!!

I hope that all of you are doing well and that you have had a great first week of 2019!!! It is going to be a great year!!! 

So last Monday we were able to get together as a zone and just play some games and stuff! It was a  lot of fun but I realized that we didn't take any pictures... So sorry! I will repent and do better this week!

So something fun that Sister Rose and I are doing is trying to make our exercises more fun! I honestly hate working out in the apartment and I miss running but I am a baby when it comes to the cold sooooo... We went for a walk and found icicles and made snow angels! I will send some pics and videos! 

This week we were able to do a lot of service which is the best! Expect one of the services almost killed me haha! Well not really but kinda! I am not sure if it was the service or something else but my stomach was not happy! But thankfully I am all better now! 

So this week we were able to go on spits 3 times and it was great!!! We have been able to get a lot of more work done that way and it is great! It is also great getting to know the members! I was also able to go out with Gabrielle Cox (she's from my hometown) and it was funny becasue people would ask where we were from and we would both say, "Apple Valley, CA" haha! Some people were confused! 

So Saturday was amazing! We have been teaching this 7/8 year old little boy. His family is active but they wanted us to come and teach him to make sure he knew what choice he was making. Also, his dad was a convert so it was good for him to hear the lessons as well! Anyways, he got baptized on Saturday and it was cool to see his dad baptize him and confirm him! And then that night we went to a Spanish baptism and.... we did a musical number... in Spanish... I didn't do super good because I was super nervous but oh well! I'll send a video of us practicing! The baptism was super good though and two of the people we are teaching went so that was good!

On Sunday we were able to meet with some bishops and get things rolling with the new year! Missionary work is the best and the members here are so great!!

Anyways, I love y'all so much and I know that this is God's church! Keep on doing what God wants you to do! Love you!

Love,

Sister Lacey