What Lies Ahead

Sometimes I wish I could just shut of my brain.  Turn it to "sleep mode" like so many of our electronic devices and not have to worry about a thing for a time.  But, much to my dismay, I haven't discovered how to do that yet.  A couple nights ago I was stuck lying awake with my brain spinning in about a hundred different directions.  The source of the chaos, a lovely little letter in the mail which contained this....

Words of Wisdom from Elder Chase Jackson (departing missionary)



Elder Jackson & Elder Ram



As a young 19 year old boy, I set out on what was to become the greatest experience of my life. I entered the mission field not knowing before hand what lied ahead in my journey.  Many grand experiences were found that came with a lot of hard work and pain. If I was to know before hand all these experiences would take place, I could honestly look back and say with excitement and joy, "BRING IT ON!" I would do this all because of one man who changed the world.

Oh No You Didn't!

 Certain things just get me all fired up.  It's just who I am and in my nature.  Today someone brought up one of these "fire up" topics and I intend to address it again here.

There is a common stereotype given to the Sister missionaries that has gotten extremely out of hand and is false on so many levels.  Allow me to share with you the exact statement I heard this morning: "The three reasons why a sister missionary serves a mission are 1) They want to and are doing it for the right reasons.  2) They are looking for their future spouse.  3) They couldn't get married."  Oh how lucky that poor child was that I am a missionary and have self restraint.

To share something a little personal, I have been engaged before.  I do not intend to go into detail about it, but know that I was.  At first it was sad, but very quickly I realized what an incredible blessing it was for me!  It would have been a terrible mistake.  The Lord intervened and took me another direction. 

When I first turned 21 and prayed about going on a mission, my initial prompting was no.  So, I didn't.  I continued to work.  But, as I have shared before in my previous post (Why I'm On A Mission), about 6 months later I got the prompting that I should go out and serve the Lord.  A part of me was very apprehensive about it.   Point 3, 'They couldn't get married', was something I didn't want to be labelled.  Thankfully, I listened to my prompting and came out on my mission.  I made that decision and have never regretted it since.  I used my agency to do the best thing I have ever done in my life.

California Santa Rosa Mission Sisters.  Booyah!

Everyone has agency, or the right to choose between good and evil and to act for themselves.  We choose our actions.  This gift is given to everyone.  No one can take that away.  Someone tried once, but he was thrown out.  He tries persistantly to get us to make the wrong choices in life.  Sad thing for him is that he can't force us to do anything.  Silly Satan.  Just never learns.

So, for all you 'nay saying sister haters' out there.  Let me just bluntly tell you that each of us chose to be here.  We weren't forced to come because we "couldn't get married."  We aren't here because we want to "find our future spouse"  It was a conscious choice to come out and serve our Lord and King.  No one took away our agency and kicked us out the door.  This is the best decision I have ever made!

Dawn of a New Era

Transfers have come and gone, again, and this time it affected me.  I have been sent to the northernmost zone of our mission, in a city called Eureka, to be companions with Hermana Haslam.  Yes, that is correct, Hermana.  We are in an English/Spanish companionship.  So far it has been full of excitement and challenges.  Both of us are new to the area and thus have no idea what it's like, where anything is, who is in the ward, or which way is North.  But, don't you fret, we are up to the challenge.  The area is gorgeous and the people are extremely welcoming and kind.

One of the bigger challenges has been cleaning up the apartment and going through all of the information about the area.  It has taken us some time (and still is).  While going through the apartment we did find one of the neatest things I have seen on my mission.  Take a look....

It is a history of all the Elders that have served here since about 2000.  Crazy right?!  I was amazed at how many there were.  I mean, that is a rather long heritage of missionaries here in Eureka 2nd ward.  After the amazement I noticed the bottom of this very very long list.  Look below...

"The End of the Elders."  A legacy at an end.  From what I have gathered, there haven't been any Sisters here.  Hermana Haslam and I are the first.

A new legacy has begun and I am very excited about it.  This new transfer comes with new challenges and trials, but also new blessings and miracles.  Each area I have served in has taught me a valuable lesson. 

 My first area was where I truly learned what it meant to love the people and to have charity.  Loving everyone is not an easy task, but as we strive to see others the way Christ does, we are blessed. 

In my second area I learned a lot about myself.  What my weaknesses are and what I can improve on within myself.  Rough, but very rewarding.  "1And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." 

In my third area my future kept coming into mind.  Somewhat of a daunting idea, but it seemed to be in the forefront of my mind.  What would I do with my future?  What kind of person do I want to be?  How can I become the person the Lord wants me to be?  These questions continued to swirl around within my mind for what seemed to be forever.  What I learned was that I have become a different person than I was and that I want to become so much more.

I am so exited to see what Eureka has in store for me.  The people we will teach, the people I will meet, and everything the Lord has planned out.  What will Eureka teach me?  Well, I'll keep you posted on that one.

Yikes, not doin THAT!

"I'm never eating that!"  "I'm not doing that ever."  "Yeah no.  Count me out.  Not doin' it."  There are many variations of how you can say it, but we are all guilty of saying "I never" at some time in our lives.  When I was young, this typically pertained to food.  Yes, I'm guilty of being a picky eater.  My mother would place something in front of me and instantly I would turn my nose up at it.  Claimed I would never eat it.  As I have gotten older and somewhat wiser, I have found that the word "never" is a word to be very careful with.  On the first transfer of my mission I learned a valuable lesson when saying the word "never."

LIfe of a Sister Missionary part 10: The Final Chapter: The Sacred Hour

9:30-10:30

You'd think that we would have one hour to read a book, tell ghost stories, and bake cookies.  But alas, you'd be wrong.  This hour is a very important one for missionaries.  This is when we update our daily records, prepare for bed, write in our journals, and ponder upon how we can best help the people we serve.  It is the perfect time to receive inspiration.  And it is the most difficult hour to use wisely.  It is easy to get distracted by talking to each other, reading the Ensign, or playing on the piano.  However, this is the time to decompress and ponder, and to prepare for future lessons.  This hour ends with a prayer (shocked?) and bed.  As you can see from this series, we strive to focus each hour of the day on the people we teach, so that we can "earn our pillow" each night.  That is what being a Sister Missionary is all about. 

-Sister Nestman and Sister Franklin

Life of a Sister Missionary part 9: Well companion, what do you want to do tomorrow?

Before Planning

After a long day of work, we top it off with a little planning.  Each night for 30 minutes we plan for our next day.  We fill each moment of the day with: what we will do, teach, where to go, who to visit, who to call, and what to study.  Almost everything in the day is planned out for every hour in the day, plus backup plans.  All of these plans are written in our handy dandy missionary daily planner.  Of course, we begin the planning, with a prayer.  We pray for guidance and direction as to what to plan.  After we fill each hour, we outline the lessons we will teach.  We make a list of things to do.  We plan out what we will study the following day in our personal and companion studies.  And we set goals for the day.  During all of this, we strive to be guided by the Spirit.  We are representatives of Jesus Christ; we are sent to do what He would do.  At the end, we pray (YAY). 

After

Back home, I did nothing like this.  I sorta had a list of "to do" items in my head, but I definitely didn't know what I was going to do each moment in the day.  My time is so much more effective now.  It isn't wasted on things that I don't want to do or that have no use.  Planning allows for my time to be spent doing things I want to do rather than things that I just "end up" doing because of poor planning, like watching a TV show I don't like, or sitting and doing nothing.  I would much rather be swimming, out with friends, or reading a book by Orson Scott Card.  Proper planning = an awesome day.

Life of a Sister Missionary part 8: Feed His Sheep

At 10 a.m. we head out.  But, before we leave the house, we say a prayer.  Then, we leave the house and begin sharing the Gospel.  As missionaries, we go out into the world to share the gospel with everyone.  Young or old, male or female, black, white, or purple, we are called to share the gospel to all the world.  We invite everyone to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.  That is our purpose.  Everything we do is centered around that purpose. 

Throughout the day we do various things that help us fulfill our purpose such as tracting, proselyting on the street, visiting referrals, and teaching.  It is exhausting work sometimes (or all the time), but it is the most rewarding thing in the world!  Seeing the change in a person's heart as they hear the message of the restored Gospel is one of the greatest experiences I have ever had.  It is very humbling to go out each day wearing the name of Christ on my chest.  To be a representative of Him.  We serve the Lord and find His sheep that are searching for truth.  John 21:17 "He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, ^aFeed my ^bsheep."  I love my Savior.  That is why I go out each day.  Rain or shine, tired or wired, we serve Him.

Life of a Sister Missionary part 7: Learning with the Companion

Hour 2 is companion study.  Companion study begins with a song (you thought I was going to say prayer, that's coming).  Music is a wonderful way to invite the Spirit.  I will confess, my voice is not the greatest, but that doesn't stop me from singing praises to the Lord.  The next step is the opening prayer.  Have I stressed prayer enough?  We pray for guidance and to know what insights to share with one another, what to talk about, and how we can work together best.  After the prayer, we read from our missionary handbook, the rulebook for missionaries.  As representatives of Christ, we need to know how to act appropriately.  How we can be better representatives of Him.  Then, we share what we learned during personal study.  I can't count the number of things that I have learned from my companions.  Not only do I get the chance to study for myself in personal study, but I get to hear what my companion learned.  It is a humbling experience.  There is so much you can learn from someone else.  There are things I never dreamed that my companions would teach me.  Once we have discussed what each of us has learned, we plan what to teach during the day and what we can do to better help the people in the area.  We end with a prayer, of course.  Companion study has helped me so much!  My family better be ready because when I get home, I intend on having companion study.  Someone will have to be recruited to join me.

Life of a Sister Missionary part 5: Feed the Stomach

 Before we study or do anything else in the day, we eat a good breakfast.  Eating a good breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day.  Without breakfast, you tend to be more tired and ornery.  The body needs fuel and expects to get it.  For myself, I am prone to getting dizzy and am not a happy camper.  I have learned the hard way to eat a good breakfast so I am able to function at tip-top shape and not fall over. 

 My breakfast usually consists of either toast, eggs, oatmeal, or pancakes along with my always delicious apples and peanut butter.  My companions are very familiar with the peanut butter smell in the mornings.  After eating my breakfast, I feel more awake, more aware, and ready for what lies in store for the day.  It gives my body the nourishment it needs before I try to feed my mind.  Though, sometimes I don't feel hungry or food doesn't sound good at that time in the morning, I make myself eat and I always see the benefits from it.  Mind over matter....and stomach.

Life of a Sister Missionary part 4: Sunday Best

Before the mission, Sundays were the only days you could find me wearing a dress.  While on the mission, I wear one every day.  This did not appeal to me whatsoever when I was younger, but I now realize how important this is.  We are representatives of our Lord and Savior.  Each day as missionaries we put on the black name badge that bears the name of Jesus Christ.  Usually, we wear dresses on Sundays because it's our day to serve the Lord and it shows respect for Him.  As missionaries, we serve the Lord every day as we share the gospel with others.  So every day we wear our "Sunday best." 

 D&C 42:40-41 "And again, thou shalt not be ^aproud in thy ^bheart; let all thy ^cgarments be plain, and their ^dbeauty the beauty of the ^ework of thine own hands; And let all things be done in ^acleanliness before me." 

Q&A

Hello Sister Nestman!  I got to go to Utah last weekend, and I saw one of my missionaries, who has now returned home. I was telling him that you have 2 brothers who are on missions too! I told him that your Mom must be missing her kids sooooo much! All three are gone at the same time! You know what he said? He just smiled... and said, "she must be soooo blessed!"
I just love missionaries and their families so much for what they are doing and sacrificing. It would make me so happy to hear how your Mom has been blessed. So, if you know... would you please tell me? Thanks!

After I was asked this question, I shot a message off to my mom asking her what her thoughts were.  This is her response:

Well here's the deal.  As parents we are charged with the calling to raise you up in the ways of the Lord.  The church teaches us that raising our kids and teaching them about Christ, our Heavenly Father, and the gospel, is our number one priority.  We made a commitment before coming to earth to do this. Your dad and I take that very very seriously.  So we have tried to raise you as the Lord would have us and then the rest comes down to free agency.  All three of you have it and you chose to spread the message of families can be together forever through the Church of Jesus Christ.  All we did was try to do all the Lord asked of us in teaching you and trying to be good examples and you three made your own choices.  Our joy is knowing you are building the kingdom of God.  That's our greatest blessing and joy.

I love my mom and the testimony she has.  She is my hero!  When I grow up, I want to be just like her.  She knows what the Lord expects of her and works daily to do it.  All of us could take a page from my her book and just do what we should.  Thanks mom.

Wait, did you say 3?

2 Corinthians 13:1 reads: "...In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established".  My parents either seriously internalized this scripture, or are poor planners.  Currently they have 3 children serving missions around the world.  We joked as I was growing up that this could potentially happen, but didn't really think of it as a reality at all.  The day I decided to serve my mission was the day we realized that we would be serving for at least 9 months all at the same time.

Why I'm On A Mission

Since I was young I have wanted to go on a mission.  As I got older, the mission idea kinda faded further and further into the back burner.  It just wasn't as much of a priority.  After high school I went to college and worked.  Loved my job!  Working in and around pools was my life.  Things were going great.  There were some trials thrown in the mix as well, but I endured them and grew from them.  Life was good and things were progressing as planned.

The time for my 21st birthday was coming and the thought of a mission came to mind.  I wasn't sure whether to keep going and doing what I had been doing, or put it all on hold for 18 months.  What better way to decide then to ask Heavenly Father?  It's what I grew up learning and doing; so, I did just that.  I prayed for a few weeks and fasted about whether a mission was right for me or not.  After the fasting and prayer I got the answer no.  So, I continued doing what I was doing.  Everything was the way I wanted it.

Time went on and more trials came.  Things at my job weren't going as well as they were before.  Changes were made and they weren't to my liking.  But, work was work and I needed a job.  Just kept truckin' along and doing my thing.  Spring semester of school was coming and I was going to get back to taking some classes.  Had my plans set and ready to go......or so I thought.

Work, got worse.  I went from loving my job to dreading it.  When I went to register for classes, couldn't.  After talking to the enrollment office they told me "sorry, but I guess you have to re-apply".  The plans I "thought" were great, were falling apart in front of me.  Nothing was working out at all.  All I could think was "now what?"

During all of this, there was a little voice in the back of my head that would say "what about a mission?"  Of course, that thought was pushed far away.  I had gotten my answer a few months ago.  "Why ask again" was my logic.  No need to re-think about a mission.  Besides, I didn't want to be labelled as one of those sisters that went on a mission because they "couldn't get married".  Can you say "hard headed"?
(This is the part my mom dislikes)

One wintry night, while home with my family, my mom and I got into a little argument.  I decided to leave and put off some steam.  Didn't know where or what I was going to do, but it was away from home.  After driving for a bit I realized I was on my way to the Draper Utah temple.  Parked in the parking lot and just looked up at the temple for a while.  It was snowing (which is my favorite) and everything was peaceful.  As I was sitting there, the overwhelming impression that I should go on a mission came over me.  I continued to sit there and ponder for a while, then decided to pray about it.  Said a prayer in the car and then drove back home.  Sunday was the next day and it just so happened to be fast Sunday.  Perfect!

As soon as I began my fast I could feel what Heavenly Father wanted me to do.  At the end of the face, it felt as though I had been "spirit slapped".  The most incredible feeling came over me that screamed "YES!!!  Go on a mission!"  How could I deny it at this point? 

2 weeks later, my papers were in.  3 weeks after that, my call letter came in the mail.  I'm here on my mission because the Lord wants me here.  I know without a shadow of a doubt that this church is true.  That Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer.  That He lived and died for me and everyone else.  The Atonement is real and there for everyone.  Joseph Smith restored the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth today and we have a living prophet now.  President Thomas S. Monson leads and guides the work of the Lord today.  The Book of Mormon is another testament of Christ.  I love this church and I love serving the Lord in this great work.  There is nothing better I could be doing with my life right now.