"Wow" - Letter, November 25, 2013

Ok, so can I say that weeks like this are few and far between. Yes siree bob. But this email is going to be short (I think) because I don't have a lot of time.

1. It's transfer week, and guess who is leaving Oxford? Me. That's right folks, I am flying the coop. Except I don't want to go. I love this area sooooo much and the people and the missionaries I work with. And I am leaving. It's killin' me Smalls. But I know that I will love my new area. I can make anywhere home. I just wish it wasn't two days before Thanksgiving. That's what really kills me. Oh well.

2. Judy is Free!!!!!! We went to see her Thursday hoping to set an appointment up for Friday afternoon. Well, it ended up that she called her grandpa to come get her. She wanted out. Her boyfriend freaked out and wouldn't let her take the baby. So she had her sister and grandpa call the police on him. They got there and Judy froze up. She almost didn't get to take him. But she eventually did and she took all of her stuff and she left. But instead of living somewhere where she can now get baptized, she is living with her ex Connor, who is her daughter's dad. So, now she just needs to find a place to live where she has no men living with her. For many reasons. But that was a story to tell my grandkids. I was there when an investigator called the cops on her ex boyfriend (Daniel, who is her son's dad). I wish I could tell you more, but like I said, I am pressed for time.

3. Repentance: I am officially amazed. The other night, I was at a less active family's home. The previous week, I had asked them to read the Book of Mormon as a family. I asked them if they had been doing it. They gave me some lame-sauce answers. I joked around with them for a minute, but since we needed to go, I pulled out my scriptures to share a message with them. I opened to the verses listed below, not really knowing what to say. I read them to them, and then I told them that the little things like coming to church, reading the Book of Mormon, and keeping the Sabbath holy are small things that bring great things. The Spirit was so strong. The next day, I read about Amulek in the Book of Mormon. How he had resisted the call to do God's work for so long, and then finally had an angel come to him. Then he goes on to boldly call the people to repentance. I was discussing the chapter with Sis. Savage later and I said the story reminded me of me. I didn't have an angel come to me, but I do have a pretty awesome story. And then I asked if I had called them to repentance. I didn't know if that was what I had done, because I had never told them to actually repent. She said I had. When I started talking, she had no idea what I was saying, and neither did I. I was going off what the Spirit was telling me. I may not stand on a corner and call for people to repent and come unto Christ like Amulek, but we are pretty similar. That makes me happy. I don't mean to brag, but it was such an awesome experience that I thought I would share. I love the Gospel, and I love these people so much that when I am doing what I know is right, God will help me help others to know and do what it right. That is part of my calling as a missionary. I found a scripture in Alma 13:22-23 that talks about how angels are going forth with the voice of God to declare glad tidings. We as missionaries are those angels. I know that to be true.

I don't know what else to say. I know that this is the true church and that the Lord is present in our lives. We are His children and no matter what we may go through, our Brother Jesus Christ can truly help us overcome it. Look to the scriptures and look to the Lord. All things will be made right eventually. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Love, Sister Worthen

"Revelation" - Letter, November 18, 2013

Hello. Wouldn't. It. Be. Weird. If. We. Talked. Like. Robots? Just kidding. I have been in a strange mood lately. That's just another of the little quirks that have kept my life interesting this week. But this week has been much better than last. I have learned a lot and I am excited to share it with people. I have learned a lot especially about the Plan of Salvation.

So last week, our mission president met with some reps from SLC. They did some training with a bunch of the missionaries. They then came to us and trained us. We learned a few things that really are going to change the way I think of missionary work. The 1st Lesson: The Plan of Salvation can be summed up in one word: Revelation. Everything in that first lesson about the Restoration of the church is about revelation, personal or otherwise. The 2nd Lesson: The Plan of Salvation is summed up by the word Atonement. 3rd, the Gospel of Jesus Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end) is the Way, and the 4th Lesson: The Commandments is Building Faith. With this new view on the lessons we teach, I am going to go forward understanding exactly why I am here. And I have already seen the difference.

I have really been studying the Plan of Salvation a lot this week too. I have really come to understand it so much more. And as I have come to understand it, I have also come to LOVE it. I have this idea in my head, that is currently partially on paper, to make a game type map for the Plan of Salvation to use in my teaching. For some reason, I have been thinking about it a lot. But as I was drawing up a rough draft, the other day, I was reading the scriptures out of Preach My Gospel for each step of the Plan. I found so many things that I never knew were in the scriptures. Peter talks about how Christ taught people in the Spirit World after his death and before the Resurrection (1 Peter 3: 18-20 [including the foot notes on JST] and 4: 6). I was blown away. But the thing that really blew me away is Doctrine and Covenants 138. I read it today for the first time. I was amazed. I never knew where the doctrine of teaching those in Sprit Prison came from. Now I know it. In fact, I read it twice. I love this section. Read it. If you haven't, it will blow your mind. If you have, do it again and think about how the Plan of Salvation is nothing more than the Atonement. Try it. It might blow your mind again.

So, the past couple of weeks have been insanity...on my part. I have literally been battling insanity for no good reason. I am doing much better now. My insanity is being expressed in much more productive ways, I hope. But thanks to my amazing companion, I am doing better. We seem to take turns being nuts, as I am sure is common, but it's still funny. Two millennia from now I am going to look back and wonder what the heck I was thinking. And I will tell myself that I still have no idea. Hahahahah

Judy: I have to tell you. So her sister Minnie has been with her this week. We got both of them to church!!!!!! This was the 1st time that Minnie has really been to church since she was 12. She loved it. She got home and was telling us that she felt so good. We were like, "Minnie, that's the Spirit!" Now we just have to get her to quit smoking....And start teaching her the lessons. With her, she has just sat in on the lessons we have done for Judy. She wants to learn, now we are going to make it happen. WAhooo. Oh, and Judy has decided to move into a homeless shelter. As much as that sucks, it will be good for her in the long run. Yes!!!!! Her faith is increasing again and things are going to move forward. She is going to be baptized on December 7th! No doubt in my mind. I am so excited.

Ok, well, I am going to go. If you notice, there is now a signature line. I love these verses. Actually, I am really falling in love with all the standard works. I noticed the other day as I was reading this to a member that I could feel the Spirit so strong and that the way I was reading it was so different from how I read scriptures at home. It's not about the words so much as the feeling. We tell people that all the time, and I am finally starting to understand it.

I know the Scriptures are the words of God. They are diving and powerful. They hold the answers of eternity. And the scriptures include the words of the living prophets, not just what is in the Quad. I love the Word of God. Through them I have receive so much revelation and power. I KNOW that God speaks to us through them. I love the Gospel and the Church. I know that my Heavenly Father Loves me. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love,

Sister Worthen

"Our Purpose" - Letter, November 11, 2013

Ok, so this week has been a long one. Something has been in the air and it hasn't gone the way we planned it to. :( We had some really good plans, and most of them have fallen through. At the same time, we had some really amazing things go on.

1. Empty Bowls: So there is this thing that they do here in Oxford, well all around the world from what I understand, called Empty Bowls. It is a fundraiser that is seriously awesome!!!!!! So a group of people locally organize it, and they get bowls from all over. There is a do it yourself pottery shop here that is owned by a member. They donated about 200 bowls. And then they got donations from local artists, schools, and such. They bring them in to the place of the event, and then they sell the bowls, and a meal for $10.00. So you get soup and bread and desert and a drink. All the food is donated by people in the community. So our Empty Bowls was held at the local Methodist church. Friday night, we went and helped wash the bowls. We washed about 900, at least. Then the next day, the people come to the event. They came in and it was awe-inspiring to see that many people out. All the funds, and I mean all, go to the Oxford Community Choice Food Pantry, where Sis. Savage and I volunteer regularly. It was great. Oh, and you get to keep the bowl. They set them all out and you get to pick the one you want. Mah, it was great. And you can do this wherever. It's not an Oxford thing. It's all over apparently.

2. Judy: She picked a date. Yay! She decided that she is going to work on December 7, 2013. Now she just has to make it happen. God will be with her, and so will we. I realized last night that I have honestly done everything possible to make it happen, including house hunting, and now I am not responsible for her. She is going to have to do it. I will be there to help, but she has to find the strength to make it happen. It can't come from me.

3. Light bulb: Ok, along with the thought listed just above, I came to another point of understanding.  I was talking to my dad's secretary one day and we were talking about how people shelter their children and when they get out into the real world, it will slap them in the face. She made the comment that what happens in the temple is what the real world really is. At the time, it didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Now it does. Every time I see someone who is in pain or having doubts about life, or families that aren't sealed, or when they don't understand how amazing the Gospel is, it always makes me think of the temple and the things that happen inside. We learn the most important things for us to know inside the temple, and without the temple, we cannot progress. When others don't want those blessings, or don't understand, they are then missing out on what the real world is really like. Without those temple ordinances, we cannot have Eternal Life, which is the greatest of the gifts of God.

4. Our Purpose: I also learned some stuff about what I am doing here, on a mission. I learned it this morning, to be exact. It was really cool. We took our purpose, and broke it down and defined words using both a normal dictionary and the Bible Dictionary. So, when we re-wrote it using the definitions, mine turned out like this:

Our firm intention is to ask others to arrive at the feet of Christ, and to support them as they react to the restored Good News that Christ has made and Atonement for us: by way of confidence in Jesus Christ; by them becoming one with Him and no longer being estranged from Him; by way of a change of heart and mind-a fresh view about God, themselves, and the world; by the sacred ordinance of baptism, so that they may remember their personal commitments to God; by way of receiving the power and capacity of the Holy Ghost in their lives; and by lasting to the limit of mortality and the eternities.

I know that I am called as a missionary so that I may help others do these things. I know that, and I am striving daily to fulfill my calling. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Photo, November 11, 2013

Photos, November 4, 2013

The Fall in Ohio

This one (below) is the view from my street.

"...Ok?" - Letter, November 4, 2013

Ok, ladies and gents. This week has been interesting to say the least. I don't really know what to say about it. I have had some AMAZING experience, and some serious lows. All in the Lord's plan, I guess.

1. Paganism: This past week was Halloween, as you all know. One of the most blatantly pagan days of the year. Hahahahah But seriously, we didn't have a car because it was in the shop. So we had to walk everywhere. Which wouldn't have been bad, except for the rain, and wind, and cold. All. Day. Long. It actually wasn't that bad. My companion got colder than me, which is really unusual. Anyway, we didn't find anyone to teach because we were the only ones out and about. But we did get to go to the food pantry and help out there for a little while. I love the Food Pantry. The people there are awesome and the atmosphere is great.

Also, on the note of Paganism, I met one Saturday. We went to a local farmer's market and there was a lady selling her stuff and we talked and we found out that she is a pagan, and she is from Russia. She said she was raised under the mandatory atheist rule, and so she just kinda went with what she liked when she left. She was really interesting and really nice. So, now I can say I taught something to a pagan.

2. Oh, last week, I forgot to mention this, but I got to teach a lesbian, or rather two lesbians...if ya get my drift. Anyway, we went to find a former, and they weren't home, but their neighbors were on the porch. So, we taught them about the church's standing on gay and lesbian. She knew she was in sin, but she doesn't know how to deny what she feels. It's so weird. We run into people all the time who tell us that they know they should stop doing a sin, like smoking or living with someone, but they don't have a desire to stop. There is a guy here in the area who is over CES. He teaches institute on campus and we get to go. We brought this up, and he said that most sinners don't know a thing about sin, because they don't know what it's like to fight that fight and deny themselves. I think he's very accurate. But back to this lady, she doesn't live in this area, but she said she would be interested in learning more. So, potential...

3. Amen Sistah!: So I got to go to my 1st Gospel concert. Oh wow. So Candy, the lady that runs the Food Pantry, offered to give us tickets to a concert that her minister's wife was putting on to raise money for their church building. Her voice is amazing! I cannot believe how powerful it was. It was a little weird for me because they did it in the chapel, and I am not used to people acting like that in a chapel. But it was amazing. There was a lady that went into convulsions. hahahahah The lady next to her got up and switched places with someone so that she wouldn't have to deal with it. Anyway, after the concert, we went to their 'fellowshipping hall' and had treats. Candy introduced us to everyone that came over. It was so warm and genuine and wonderful. I loved it. And we got to talk with their Minister. He is a really nice guy. Candy and us have had some really amazing conversations about religion and God. That woman is so amazing!!! Now we just need to baptize her. hahahahahaha

4. Lost in a sea: God must have a serious sense of humor. I have really been trying to apply myself to the work here and to lose myself in it. Problem is, I am lost. I have been trying so hard to be a good missionary, that there are moments when I don't know who I am anymore. I know that I am supposed to teach and to bring other's to Christ, and I love that. But it's been a long process as far as the way God is molding me. I know that He will turn me into what He needs, but it's been interesting to see the differences He's made so far.

Alright, well, I don't have much to say. Sorry if I sounded negative. That' wasn't my intent. Nothing much has changed with anyone we've been teaching. Wait, I take that back! The Tobiases. Ok, so we got there on Friday night, and the one sister has been having a lot of health problems for a couple of months. So Sis. Savage took her aside and just had a heart to heart. She listened and helped her feel better, and despite Maddi's boyfriend continually interrupting, she got her to commit to being a new investigator. In the meantime, I talked with Kate. She is taking a couple of classes on religion, and they talked about Mormonism, and she had a lot of questions. For instance, they were taught that our 'bullet-proof underclothing" was given as an idea to Joseph Smith by Black Elk. So these are the misconceptions we are helping to fix. But anyway, I and the member with me taught her an amazing 1st lesson. And then at the end, I committed her to baptism. That house is always chaotic and crazy. But despite interruptions and confusion, there was a spirit of calm and peace that we have never felt there. It was so amazing. So, we are going to go back and teach Maddi the 1st lesson this Wednesday, and help her understand how the Gospel can fix her doubts. Super stoked!!!!!

Ok, well, I know that even when we don't think He is, God is paying attention to us. He know us and he is constantly interacting with us to make us into the people that He needs us to be. I know that I am a daughter of a Heavenly King, and that I am blessed beyond measure. I know that God is a God of Miracles and power, and that he does not vary from His promises. I know.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love, Sister Worthen