Walkin' in sunlight...literally the sun is shining...

Hello, hello!!!

      Family... isn't it great to be alive? Ya know I think it just might be. The joy of the gospel is that we know why we are alive and what happily awaits us as we strive to live worthy of the prize. My emotions are tender today and I am not sure why. But I feel that possibly it is because of the happiness I feel in the place I am at and the work I am doing. The best part is though that It's not just missionaries that have this joy, some missionaries don't have this joy, but those who serve God with all their heart, might, mind and strength having desires to serve Him are not only called, but are chosen and feel the joy that only the Gospel can bring. You can and do feel it too every time you serve God in one way or another, it's not a happiness reserved to missionaries only, but is a happiness given to all who follow God. If you want it, go get it. Simple as that.. but maybe not so simple. It takes sacrifice and diligence to serve God. He never said it would be easy, but He did say, however, it would be worth it and ya know after this life I know it will be worth it, but during this life it can be worth it as well. We will go through hard things, it's inevitable, but as we strive for happiness with our Father in Heaven acting on His instructions to a fruitful and happy life (the commandments) we prove that God is right and does actually know what He is talking bout (imagine that..) and experience joy. There can actually be joy in the journey of hardship if we sing the song of redeeming love through out it in our hearts, in our minds and in everything we say an do. We don't have to be RoMo's (robotic Mormon's) to experience this either- we just need to be the people God created us to be. Never forget that we existed before we were born. We had personality before we came  and God knew us.. still does.. and He interacted with us in such a way that only did we have this personality but we gained parts of His as well.. just like we do today with family members and friends and we chose to come to earth using the intelligence given. We chose to suffer because we knew it would make us into the God's we have been given the potential to be since the beginning. The only way though that any of this is remotely possible is through the atonement. I guess that's why it's the most commonly talked about subject in any and every church organization we have. It is the center of it because it defines our dear Saviour, Jesus Christ, purpose and mission for all eternity and He is the center of our message, our religion, our very lives. In life we can not forget Him because without Him.. we are nothing. nuff said. I know this is true. I know God not only lives, He loooooooves me. He loooooves you. He loooooves all of us. We are unique to Him. He knows our names and has a personal understanding of who we are and why and not only that, but who we can and will become. If in doubt always remember "..It is better that a man should be judged of God than of man, for the judgements of God are always just, but the judgements of man are not always just." (Mosiah 29:12) So don't judge yourself, don't judge others- just live and love love love because that's all God wants you to do!! That's the secret to happiness is LOVE. The strongest and most powerful emotion/action God has ever given us the ability to feel/do. So love yourself, love others, and most assuredly love God. (I can not believe I put an emoticon... but it just went really well).

 

So this week was great. we got to go to a mission conference in Birmingham with Elder J. E. Jensen of the Seventy. He taught us about alot to do with the scriptures and it was a total blast!! He really helped me to think about how to study and apply and the spirit was thick. Words can't describe what I learnt to be honest.. Only actions but it was literally one of those meetings where I know I learnt alot, but I don't remember alot of it, just how I felt and the determination I gained to read and study personally, companion like and with those whom we share the gospel with.

 

Funny happenings: popped a tire (that was Sis. Lewis' doing trying to park on a curb, because they do that in Britain) then the SISTERS (not me unfortunately... and I might want to fix that) took off the bad and put on the spare tire.. ok so one Elder definitely assisted, and by the end they did but at the beginning it was definitely a sister lewis and wheatley effort.

                               held baby pigeons. and thought of Steve the ENTIRE time.. babhahaha. It was weird. They hadn't even got all their feathers. Some LA raise them just in case you were wondering. I felt like I might pass on with a disease though. Probably will.

                               Took a picture with my companion standing in the toilet.. don't you worry we stood in a plastic bag in the toilet... but my companion just likes to do crazy things.. they are therapeutic to her apparently. Nothing like standing in a plastic bag in a toilet to calm your emotions.

                               oh and during our lunch break we made our flat living room area into a mini dance studio. It's pretty epic. Good exercise. She's an exercise fanatic.. so I may or may not get fit in a transfer.. not that I was completely not fit.. but ya know..I'M A SISTER MISSIONARY FOR HEAVEN SAKES!! So ya.. it's about time now.

                               We jumped on Marion Hughes bed.... not a literal jump, just a bounce into a laying down position. She's a Less Active with dimentia who told us to go look at her huge house.. insisted actually... and she happened to have a lush looking cushy bed that we decided to lie on for a moment and jump to get there. twas epic. 5 Min. after we looked she told us to look again.. cause she couldn't remember we had looked the first time... we told her we just needed to share a message and go, but it was fun anyways!!

                        

Mum, Well I am glad you got the fireside thing and hopefully enjoyed it. It really is something I love doing and plan to do more of!! You're wonderful and am happy the school year is over so you can hopefully, fingers crossed, relax. I just love you!!

Dad, your lesson and stuff you sent me really made me think about the people of Limhi and Alma and His people differently. I know that maybe you haven't always been what you want to be.. that goes for all of us, but I do believe you to be like one who followed God: Alma and his people. I love you!!!

Heather and Liz, keep up the joy of magnifying your callings and being ace mum's I am super proud of you and hope to be like you and your 'can do' selves.. I am working on it :) I love you!!!

Matt, I love you alot brother and can't wait to hear what's going on with you from you!! keep working your bod... ;)

 

To all: love is abounding within me towards you.... man it is a good thing you all can take my lame jokes. My companions just dismiss them all the time.. it's saddening, but I get over it. You can't fix stupid.. eh?

 

I hope you hear from you ALL soon :) but regardless I will speak to you soon!!!

Till next week... RWYN DY GARU DI!! (I love you in Welsh)

                                                                                   Sista Fili

Happiness...

These past few days have been blissful... can I just say, it is so!! Ha but really. I am having so much fun with Sister Lewis and we are working hard. We find SOOOOO MUCH and it is fun. Now those of you who have served missions know that finding can be one of three things- necessity that isn't the most fun, but is the most necessary (and has it's moments...), a back up plan for the appointments, or something to look forward to- not going to lie for a while the third thing might not have been my main emotion towards it. I love doing all of missionary work and I love talking to EVERYONE I see and I love meeting new people, but getting rejected is probably low on the list of likes and high on the list of dislikes- but you get used to it because that's what we do, that's who we are and that's what we care about :) (thank you Mr. Slovinsky from Tommy Boy for your line). So we have found and found and had a total blast with it. I think that God answered my prayer to find myself- my personality- again. Sometimes when you serve you loose yourself so much in the work that you become a robot and literally loose your self. God sends us, who we are and what we are to refine and shape us, but not to kill who we are- He uses that part of us to do the work. I felt for a while like that part of me was slipping away and dwindling in the abiss but thank you to my Saviour for hearing my prayers and sending me a Sister Lewis who brought it out of me again so instantaneously. I feel like as I focus and immerse myself in this work and have fun with it that we really will be able to fullfill the plan that God has for this specific companionship.

I have gained a testimony of serving and letting others "see our good works, that they may glorify our Father who art in Heaven." So we were out tracting and going by loads of potentials and went and spoke to this lady that Sister Lewis and Sis. Stucki (last companion)  had served not long ago and as we finished up the conversation the next door neighbor had come out and asked us who we were, what we were about and said that he had seen us around a time or two and was intrigued by us. So I guess he had looked up mormons on the internet (they'd given his wife stuff, so I assume it was Mormon.org) and he was stil intrigued and asked us to come over and teach him a bit about it. So at our first meeting he explained to us that his interest all started when he had been carrying groceries from his car and the sisters had offered help to him and whether he accepted or rejected was irrelevent- he felt there was sometihng different and the funny thing is they didn't share anything with him, but they had his wife and he knew something was right about this. So the first lesson went really well and at the beginning you could tell he enjoyed it, but it still didn't seem like he had conneccted to it quite yet, but Sister Lewis asked him a heaven sent qustion- do you have a question for God?- he did. He said with tears in his eyes, "I want to know if those who have gone past are ok" then I asked if he had lost someone close to him and he had and told us about it and ya know the spirit filled the room. We bore testimony to him of the plan of Salvation. I was able to tell him that I too had lost someone dear to me and the plan was the thing that kept me going and that's why I left my family for a time was so that others would have the comfort, joy, peace, and knowledge that I have so that no matter what happens they know it will be ok. I knew at that moment that for Kevin we were representatives of Christ because of the fact that for 5 minutes, Sis. Lewis and I stepped out and the Saviour stepped in through us to speak to His child whom He knew and was able to use what we knew from our experiences in life to help this man. I hope it all works for him and that he is able to share with his wife  what he is feeling and experiencing, but even if he doesn't I am grateful for the moment I had to help lift someone's burdens and to gain a knowldge for myself that the plan of salvation is in fact the plan of God for His children of whom we are.

I was asked to give a talk yesterday in church and had ... ok so let's be honest... I didn't give myself loads of time to prepare, I never do, but I did prepare and the spirit was there. I am amazed at how when I rely fully on the spirit to guide because although I have a "plan" I don't actually have a complete one, I am not nervous, just kerfuffled inside, but what comes out is what needs to. I was so unsure after it even though I was completely calm during it and people told me after that it was this and that and I didn't believe them till Sis. Lewis expressed to me her feelings abou it all and what I had said and I didn't actually remember saying that and then realized I hadn't. I love the spirit and gift that God gives us to be able to use it. Sis. Lewis explained something to me this morning that she thought of as she was studyin the Plan of Salvation in Preach my Gospel. She shared a quote with me that says that "Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm." and then said we are God's work and His glory- He is enthusiastic to bless us, to listen to us, to help us, and even sometimes to chasten us when we need it. He is enthusiastic because we are His glory and as we grow and become even as He is, and gain glory as He has His work is being accomplished and He loves us so mch. I think it is important for us to know and realize that if God puts us to it, He will make the way to get us through it- we just have to turn to Him. We too often try to accomplish things on our own and how silly when He already knows how. If we but turn to Him in all things then we may " know the truth of ALL things". I would invite each of you to turn to your Saviour with each trial faced at this time. We are all always going through something because we are all always being refined to become like Him- if we aren't then we are not fulfilling our purpose in this life. Sometims it is harder for others than some, but maybe that is just our invitation from the saviour to fullfill our baptismal covenants and have the strength and opportunity to mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort. I know that as we do it for another we will find it two fold for ourselves in our deepest and darkest moments. They come and when they come don't fret, there is a future- that's why they came- to give you a future with your Heavenly Father. I know this to be true. I know that God lives. I know He loves us all individually and with enthusiasm. He is ready and waiting for you to take upon yourselves His name by using the atonement more fully in our lives by living the gospel with enthusiasm. Our mission president's wife sent something to us today that I cut down and want to share with you:

 

Immerse yourselves in the work. We are a church of 'immersion'.  As we immerse ourselves  in our Heavenly Father's work and in the Gospel, it becomes more a part of us. We are a church of immersion. We baptize by immersion. We immerse ourselves in the Gospel principles. We immerse ourselves in the scriptures

We immerse ourselves in giving service to others. I know the more you allow yourselves to be immersed in the work, the happier you'll be, the more growth you'll experience, and the more you'll feel the companionship of the Holy Ghost  -Sister Judy Ogden

 

Please, let us immerse ourselves in the gospel of Jesus Christ- it's the only intelligent thing to do. I love you all. Hope your week is fantastic and that you recognize and make the miracles happen. Talk to you soon!!

 

Love for and for always,

        Sista Fili

Transferred

HELLO!!! guess what.... I am back in Wales!! oh glory be!! I am now serving in the heads of the Valley area- I must get a recording of the fantastic accent. it is brilliant and absolutely hilarious to we who don't have it... so when I say we I mean to the rest of the uk as well who do not partake of the goodness of musical accents. I will work on it so I can demonstrate it to you someday. For now- you'll just have to imagine. Anyways, my companion is Sister Lewis who is an American from China- haha but she's white, not chinese. So we just tell people she's from Idaho since she spent most of her American time there and they actually believe that one. I love her though- we are already working soooo well together and it is great to be alive!! I have felt so strongly I would serve here and Sis. Ritz we called it- I am!! I think i might even twinkle toes my way outta here. Anyways, this week has been great. I feel like being a missionary is the best thing ever. On the monday I was able to recieve a blessing from an lder in my old district, Elder Kerr (basically Jeff's twin) and the hard time I had was not immediately taken away but once we got out and worked.. I was happier than I have been in weeks!! I love the power of the priesthood, the joy of service and the cleansing purity of the Atonement! all these things will be for our good, and I truly do feel like sometimes we have haert aches and it's not about dismissing, it's about what we would be missing if we didn't have them for one reason or another. Change happens and we can either fear it or embrace it! I choose now to embrace the changes that come. Some seem impossible, some are difficult, others hurt and some bring more happiness than you ever felt instantly.. the best part is eventually we can have joy with all four different options because of the Atonement. I am learning that everything goes back to the Atonement. It is my favorite bit of the gospel to hare with people because once you share that you can help them understand that the plan of salvation is real and that the temple is where we make it all happen!! (yes.. I do love the temple). Oh if I could have the wish of my heart it would be to work at the temple- I will even give people towell's I don't care, I just want to be there!! But anyways- onto the gospel, maybe towell's are a part of the gospel though- it wipes away the water and helps to dry us up- the Saviour wipes our eyes and helps us feel the warmth that only the gospel can bring into our lives  becasue of the atonement which has the ability to cleanse us from sin. what a truth we have in our life to know that God lives and lvoes us, His children. We truly are children of God and I am so humbled to knwo that he loves me in all my imperfections. I feel that in a way I am starting to see myself through His eyes. I think it starts as we see Him through the eyes of many others. it is then that we recognize His light in each of us which connects us intimately and eternally to Him and to eachother.

I love you all dearly and pray that you keep well. It was sooooo good to talk to you family on Sunday and pray that your mother's day party was well done!! Have the best day yet! just remember as president Ogden says to us- our mission starts today, life starts today. we can be who we want to be by becoming who we want to be and have been divinely appointed to be -TODAY. Just make a choice and go with it. I love you !!! 

sista fili

Mosiah 4:26

Oh family it shall be great to hear from you on Sunday!!! Is 7:30 pm my time (this I know for sure)... 1230pm your time? i dunno.. you know better than I do. but mum made it sound like calling.. telephone calling, is that the preferred? well I will call you. It's free international phone that the fannings have, so I will call you on the home phone.. then you can sit in different rooms on the phone and we can connect to others ya? I dunno.. if you terribly want to skype you can tell me when I call since I dunno what you want right now.. maybe with calling though we'll get a real conversation going and stray from technical difficulties. That's my hope :) Who knows. can't wait either way!!! Love you!!!

 

ok so funny story real quick... Angelina, bless her. So we go over to her house, right, ya ok so she takes us up stairs which isn't abnormal and sends us into this guest room thing, her reason being that the bed in there is lower and easier to sit on, ok. So she goes into her room and we think she'll just be a moment because... that's what most would do, ya? alright well 5 minutes later after she's just been chattin' away in the other room I hear the bed creek in her room so I go in to see what she is up to and if we can help because being in the other room for so long was a little ...unproductive. So I go into to find Angelina all wrapped up in her bed. "Angelina what are you like? were you ever going to come in the othre room with us!?" (I said with a laugh in my voice) "oh hahaha I was talking to you like a telephone... hahaha... " (Angelina said with her cackle talk). What the randomest person ever. So we came in and it was good... she just talked and talked and talked caught us up on her life since it had been a while since we had been over and she would soon be gonig away to South Africa. So then at church on Sunday she is sitting by me and pulls a few envelopes out and hands them to me... ok.... then she puts on one of them her address in S. Africa and says, "when you miss me post me" cute. love it. Then this was not only climatic but also epic as all else, she pulls out a tape cassette player and puts her head phones in during sacrament meeting. I never know what to do, but giggle. You couldn't hear it on the outside, but it made me giggle. I attached a picture of Sister Giles and I with her, since it may be my last time to see her... depending on transfers and how they go. my guess is that i am leaving because  ihave been here for 6 months and we figure president will be mixing everything up pretty good before he leaves so that it is all pretty new and not in need of too many changes when President Rasmussen gets here. Who knows though. Anything could happen. And yes I do have fringe (bangs)... no I do not like them. But I'll wear them for a little while, not all the time though. Dark hair doesn't do it quite as well for me... oh and fat faces.... ya about that. members sure do know how to feed, and when sister Giles first got here I ate mine and her meals since I grew up with the mind set of you don't waste food others give you!! ya... about that. it's getting better though, she eats more now and members know her eating fussies.... oh bless. My stomache isn't so big since I utalize my exercise time for real now and instead it's all just in the cheeks... glory be. haha oh well, I never thought that some of my sacrifice on a mission would be my body... for food. others food. but I am soooo grateful!! What a joy it is to be in members home and to be able to share meals and experience's, stories, and just a lot of love with them. That is one of my most favorite parts of missionary work is the members. The Millers for instance are this young family in our Branch and they are music, young, hilarious, and both returned missionaries from like 10 years ago so they are still in the missionary mindset andI think they always will be. I have learnt so much from them and I am eternally grateful to them for all they have done for me while i  have been here. Adam and Ivette Miller... look them up on facebook maybe.. I bet they are on there. Gorgeous people.

 

This week though Kayleigh decided she didn't want to get baptized and after listening and testifying it became a yet. she doesn't want it yet. she still needs to know more and we agreed with that. But really it all comes back to praying to knwo if it is true. We don't ask people to pray to know because it is a catchy phrase that kids use now a day (I bet sis. ritz knows where I got that line from!!) but simply because it is the only way that we can actually make this HUGE step in coming to Christ. We recognize people are changing their lives for good, and that it is hard and not always fully understandable, but if they know it is true by the power of the holy ghost there is a form of difficulty that is taken away and it soon becomes powssible and not only that but a true desire. Alma 32. I just pray that everything does work out for her. Perception makes things less desireable, but fact and the why behind it all makes it possible. This gospel is true, and if it's true then it is right for everyone, even if it is more of a struggle for some then others. Think though of why that is... many reasons, but what if it means that you are elect and that's why Satan wants you so bad. hmm... well good thing you have the power to stomp on his face!! Scripture power in the power to win!!! Hold to the Rod and you will go far.

 

So, this week in study I learnt in Mosiah 4:26 that service cleanses us from sin. Now ya'll may have always known this, but it was something I had never looked at this way. 26 And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may ^awalkguiltless before God—I would that ye should ^bimpart of your substance to the ^cpoor, every man according to that which he hath, such as ^dfeeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants. It all makes sense as to why we should go serve someone when we are down and why are we usually down because we have done something wrong in some way or that we feel that we have done something wrong. If we want to feel better get the weight lifted by the power of the Atonement and serve someone!!! it is so easy now in my mind. Then Sister Giles and I were studying about church attendance and how church is all about service to one another... spiritually. So here is what we came up with, "as we come to church we serve others, as we serve others we are cleansed from sin, as we are cleansed from sin,we gain redemption; therefore, church attendance leads to salvation." I am so grateful God gives us the way in which to overcome temptation and to be cleansed of the wrongs we do each day. So myy committment to you is will you find a random act of service to do everyday for someone, anyone who stands in need. I know that we will be more of a happy a joyous people living more bundantly in the spirit if we but strive to do this.

 

Cute quote I heard at church yesterday that I thought we could all benefit from: "when you feel and think you are rubish say, who the devil told you that!"  exactly. who the? yes it was the  DEVIL, who told you that.

 

So uh.. Garrett is gtting married and I have known for so long and meant to mention it for so long and maybe I did... but Iwill again for his sake of knowing how stokedalicious I am to be there for the celebration!!! woot woot!!! Congrats!!!

 

Well family I love you all so very very dearly and pray that you always remember that. I can't wait to talk to you on Sunday and to share the joy that we have together. Last one!!! whoa. hope all the others who are speaking to their missionaries enjoy and let me know how they are... gotta love Elder Perriera,Elder Filichia,  Elder Dyer, Elder Whiting, Elder Allred, Elder Lauritzen, and so forth. Love you dearly!!!

 

Love you more than wards can say.... (so keep talking ;)... haha dad)

                                       Sista Fili