MERRY CHRISTMAS

Hello everyone!

Merry Christmas! It is getting so close and I am so so excited. I love the holiday season where we get to focus on our Savior and all He has done for us. And there are super fun activities involved that make missionary work even more exciting than it already is. Things are just good here in Kentucky, and all around the world 

We have been seeing lots of miracles in our area this week. Quick update on the Grim's: Miranda has been doing amazing. She has been smoke free for an entire week and is on track to be baptized on the 31st of December (she was going to get baptized Christmas Eve but she had a family emergency yesterday so we had to push it back a week). Lucas is still on track to be baptized on the 7th and Sarah Jane is doing an amazing job being an example and a light in her home. We are so excited to continue helping this amazing family accept the gospel and change their lives for the better :)

Last Monday, we went to dinner at Sister Markhams house (she is the best! She takes really good care of us missionaries. After she dropped us off, we went to Walmart to go contact. We really wanted to try and reach our lesson goal of 1 but we didn't have any appointments and after contacting for a little while, it was pretty apparent that no one was interested in standing out in the cold to listen to us. Around 9, as we were walking back to our bikes, we saw 2 guys and a girl walk out of papa johns. We walked over and they were totally interested! We taught them all the Restoration and committed them to read the Book of Mormon. They are ysa so we aren't going to be the ones teaching them but it was so cool to see Heavenly Father put them in our path, not only to reach our goal but to help them increase in faith and find the things missing in their lives :) and, when we are worthy of the spirit, He can help us to recognize those opportunities that might have been missed otherwise.

On Tuesday, we had a pretty open day so we decided to head up to the north part of our area (a section we have never been to). The elders before us told us that the north part was very unsuccessful and a waste of our time. That was a year ago! So, we went to see for ourselves what all the fuss was about. Turns out, the north part of our area is an extremely wealthy neighborhood called Indian hills that is by law it's own city within the city of Louisville (they have their own police and everything!) There was also no soliciting so we just tried some potentials and formers and then decided to head out. It was a biking adventure for sure and my legs were jello by the end of the day but we were glad we went so that we could understand our area a little better. That night, we went to the mall to do some more finding. You technically aren't allowed to proselyte on mall premises but we just sat outside and talked with people as they walked in and out. It was a finding filled day for sure, but we got some potentials that will hopefully turn into new investigators this week!

On Wednesday, we had another miracles. We were biking to the church after an afternoon of contacting and I decided to get some new brake pads for my bike (they were super bald haha). As we were biking away from the bike shop towards the church, we stopped to talk to a guy named Cory on the street. He was interested in our message so we taught him about the restoration and committed him to be baptized and he accepted!! He lives in the west end of Louisville so we won't be the ones teaching him, but he had so much potential. It is really amazing to me how Heavenly Father puts you/them in exactly the right place at exactly the right time to hear the gospel and accept it. He has been preparing His children and they are coming out of the woodwork as we have faith and talk with everyone we can. So cool! We also did a Facebook live lesson and a Skype lesson with Lucas. Lucas has still been struggling to keep his commitments because he is always talking himself out of his testimony. We had a very bold lesson with him on faith and how asking "what if" is just an excuse not to try. We must trust in God and ask him in faith, believing that He will answer us. He didn't have much to argue with after that and he has continued to read the Book of Mormon and pray. While having faith is such a hard quality to develop, it is so so amazing to see people put it to work. While he is still doubtful about certain things, he knows now where to find the truth. It is now his choice on whether he will act on that knowledge and find the truth sincerely. We are hoping and praying for that and we know that he will receive an answer, just as we have. 

Thursday was Zone meeting. We had it in the stake center right next door to the temple so I got to see the temple yet again :) just beeping on the grounds are peaceful and being inside is even more glorious. Not being able to go to the temple as often as I would like has definitely been hard but it just makes me so much more grateful for the times when I do get to be within that spirit and feel Heaven so near. Zone Meeting was great as well. That night, we had another lesson with William and his mom and little sister. We haven't heard from them much since though, so we will keep you posted on them :) it was absolutely freezing that night as well. My face actually froze (I had to move it a lot before I could contact someone haha) but I was very grateful for hand warmers and a million layers of socks :)

Friday was so much fun!! We had weekly Planning and we promised lots of baked goods to investigators and other missionaries, so while we planned, Sister Henderson baked and baked and baked. After that, we had another lesson with Lucas. He was still doubtful but he now understands that he has to find this out for himself. He is seeking for the truth and he has the tools. We just need to get him into church on Sunday, so fingers crossed! He did come to the Ward Christmas party and was wonderfully fellowshipped by the Ward. He had a great time and would have totally come to church if the family emergency hadn't come up. I have such a strong desire to help him see the truth of this message but all we can do is invite him and help him. How and when he receives his answer is up to Heavenly Father. So, not only does Lucas need to exercise faith, but so do I! I have to have faith in Heavenly Father and His will for Lucas and act as He would act if He were here. This has been a great lesson for me to learn  and I am so grateful for Heavenly Father helping me to see that more clearly this week.

We also got to volunteer at the festival of nativities that night. It is a cultural event here that our church hosts and anyone can come. There were about 500+ nativities there and it was absolutely gorgeous. Some other missionaries came as well so it was a lot of fun. 

Yesterday, we had a member's non member friend come to church! We are teaching her again tonight and we are so excited to help her to accept this gospel and come closer to our Savior. She said that she really enjoyed church and is very interested in learning more so we are super excited to see what Heavenly Father has in store for her. We also got to teach some new investigators yesterday who have lots of potential. Fingers crossed with them as well :) 

I love you all and I love this mission sooooooo much! I have been able to see Heavenly Father's hand in our lives so much as we have strived to be exactly obedient and exercise faith in our Savior. We are excited to continue to see the Lord work in this area and find more of Heavenly Fathers prepared people, especially during this holiday season. 

Have an amazing week and merry Christmas to you all! Eat lots of candy canes for me 

Love always,

Sister Dorian 

"13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions." Mosiah 24:13-14

#lighttheworld

Hey y'all!

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone  I absolutely love this time of year. There is a spirit of joy, peace and love that you can feel everywhere you go. It is seriously the best time to be a missionary. The Spirit is strong as we testify of the Savior during this sacred time where we commemorate His birth, perfect life, and merciful atoning sacrifice. I love it!! 

This week was full of miracles and humbling experiences and I loved every second of it. On Monday, we re sprayed our apartment to make sure there was no chance of bed bug life. I am very excited to announce that we are officially bug free!! We are also very thorough at checking ourselves before we go in so we are all set :) after spraying everything down, we headed to the church because of the chemicals in our house. After PDay was over, we missed our bus that was going to take us to the area we were going to work in that night. So, we headed to the store lined street a few blocks down to get wifi and grabbed another bus at the last sec! Because we took that route instead, we found a boy named Deondrick who we have been texting through the week about the Book of Mormon. He has been reading it and picking out the underlying messages in it. We haven't met with him yet because he is YSA but we have very high hopes :) it was such a miracle and testimony to me though that even though things don't always work out how you plan, they will always work out how they are supposed to if you are living righteously and doing all you can to do what Heavenly Father wants :)

On Tuesday, we did service at Seneca park where we got to plant trees :) it was so much fun and our group really got along well. That night, we had a lesson with William. He is a 13year old that we have been teaching for the last few weeks. Unfortunately, we found out that he won't be able to be baptized until he is 18 :( he is still very interested in the gospel and strengthening his relationship with Jesus Christ so we are going to continue teaching him until it is time for him to be baptized. A member yesterday told us that he is going to be a phenomenal missionary one day because he will know the lessons inside and out. :) like I said before, everything happens for a reason. We are excited to continue to see his testimony grow as we teach him. 

On Wednesday, we had lunch with Abbie. She is doing great! We absolutely love anytime we can spend with her because she truly has changed into a new person. We are spending Christmas with her and her family so we are super excited for that!! That night, we went and had dinner with a member and had a deep gospel discussion on the Atonement. It was a lot for my brain to handle, but it was good :) we got home and went contacting and a super nice guy bought us ice cream!! Then we had a lesson with Lucas over Skype. He really wants to develop a stronger relationship with God and Jesus Christ but he is having trouble committing to one religion. Hopefully he will keep his commitment to read and pray because that is where his testimony must start. The Book of Mormon must be the keystone of our testimonies. If we had a deeply rooted conviction in the Book of Mormon, we will never fall because we will have our foundations built on the Savior. 

On Thursday, we had district meeting. Then we did lots of finding and ended up teaching the entire 1st lesson to like 4 people on the street. Unfortunately, none of them live in our area so we won't be continuing to teach any of them but we were glad that Heavenly Father was able to use us as His instruments to start their conversion process. We send lots of referrals since everyone passes through our area on the bus but we know that everything that our Heavenly Father does is for a glorious, eternal reason. He truly is in the details.

Friday was another miracle day! We did weekly planning and then headed home. We had an hour before dinner and both felt like we needed to go to the Walmart parking lot. Weird right?? Well, we followed the prompting and headed over. We ended up meeting a lady named Barbra who did History tours in upstate New York for a living so she knows a lot about our church. We are meeting with her tonight and we are so excited! She is so sweet :) 

On Saturday, we made so much progress with some of our investigators! We had an empty afternoon so we decided to go check on some of our people. We stopped by Kaylas house. She has been through lots of death in her family lately and has been searching for comfort. She told us that her whole family and her pastor have been telling her not to meet with us but she is going to continue until she knows for sure that it isn't true. We taught her the Restoration because that is where her questions were leading and she ended that lesson intent on finding out if the Book of Mormon is true. She is a little nervous since her whole family has been going to a different church for her whole life but she said that if this is the truth, she will have to follow her heart. We are so excited!

That night, we also had the chance to meet with Miranda and Sarah Jane. Brother Hillam, our assistant Ward mission leader, came and participated in the lesson and it was amazing. We taught her about the Atonement and it looked like it finally clicked for her! She realized that the only way she is ever going to be ready for baptism is if she relies on the Savior and His power. She committed that day to quit smoking for real and has been doing great so far. We moved her date up so she is getting baptized on Christmas Eve and confirmed on Christmas Day. I have seriously been so amazed at the Grim family and the faith that they exercise is our Savior. It has and continues to be such a privilege to teach them and I look forward to the day that they are sealed in the temple for time and all eternity ️

Yesterday, William and his family came to church!! :) they loved it and we are meeting with them again this week. We were also able to watch the Christmas devotional. I am so grateful for technology. Not only was it broadcast worldwide so that us Kentuckians could watch it, but when ours wouldn't pull up we were able to Skype the Elders in the Ward and watch it that way. The Lord is so aware of each of us and our needs. That devotional was an answer to prayers and I am so grateful for all those who spoke and participated to make it possible. 

I know that our Savior lives. I know that He knows firsthand the struggles we go through. He knows exactly what we need, when we need it, and is standing beside us ready to lift and strengthen us. I have come to understand so much more about my Savior and His love for me in my trials than ever before. He has come to my aid time and time again with help and healing in His wings. I love Him and love to serve Him. Being a missionary has opened my eyes to how much our Heavenly Father and Savior feel about us. As missionaries, we don't expect our investigators to be perfect. We love them and cheer for them every time they make steps in the right direction and keep commitments that we know will bless them. Our desire for their welfare pushes us to work harder than we ever have for their benefit. Our hearts break when they don't progress or decide that this gospel just "isn't for them" or that they "don't need this right now". That is exactly how Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ feel about us!!! They don't expect us to obtain perfection in this life. They encourage and cheer us on and are so happy and joyous when we make steps in the right direction, no matter how big or small they may be. They are full of sorrow when we forget them or decide that we can do it all on our own. They know the blessings that this gospel can bring us now and in eternity but they can not force us to receive those. Let us all strive to be golden investigators for our Heavenly Father. As we strive to keep the commandments more exactly and submit more fully to His will, He will cause great things to happen in our lives. We will be able to access the Atonement more fully and our hearts will change. We truly will find joy.

 This Christmas season and forever more, let's be a light in the world and spread the joy that the Savior brings. Visit Mormon.org to participate in the #lighttheworld initiative. It is seriously so cool. :)

I love you all! Have an amazing week. Thank you for all the love, support, and prayers. They mean more than you could ever know. MERRY CHRISTMAS  

Love, 

Sister Dorian

"Behold, they will crucify him; and after he is laid in a sepulchre for the space of three days he shall rise from the dead, with healing in his wings; and all those who shall believe on his name shall be saved in the kingdom of God. Wherefore, my soul delighteth to prophesy concerning him, for I have seen his day, and my heart doth magnify his holy name." 2 Nephi 25:13

Sleep tight, dont let the bed bugs bite (Too bad they will anyways...

Hey y'all!

Happy thanksgiving week to all of you. I hope your week was full of family and fun and food :) I love thanksgiving so much because it is an amazing way to recenter and refocus on what is truly important. We had quite the humbling week this week but it was amazing timing because it gave me a chance to really express gratitude for all that I do have and the amazing miracles that the Lord is working in my life and the lives of those around me. 

As you may have already gathered from the subject this week, we found some very unwelcomed guests in our apartment on Thanksgiving eve. The way you know you have them is bites in clusters of three. I found a few bites on my legs a few days prior and just assumed it was a mosquito bites but then during Planning we found some more. We called the mission mom and housing coordinator and they told us to stay up all night and clean since we had thanksgiving the next day to sleep. We both were beside ourselves in tears within 30 mins from exhaustion and fear so we called our Ward mission leader and slept at his house with his family that night. In the morning, I was coming up with all kinds of plans for how we were going to contain the situation since it was going to take several days (you have to wash/dry all of the linens in your apartment and spray EVERYTHING with permethrin). Then, the assistants called us. They had heard of our situation and decided to spend their thanksgiving morning helping us clean everything and take all of our clothes to the office to get washed and dried. The downtown elders came too!! When I got off the phone with them, I was in tears. 3 of the 4 elders had either gone through this exact thing or helped other missionaries so they knew exactly what to do. 6-7 hours of labor turned into 3 and we still had time to go eat yummy turkey dinner with the Ward mission leader. 

I learned a major lesson about humility and gratitude from this experience. When I heard about bed bugs prior to this, I would always say, "that is so sad! Good thing that is NEVER gonna happen to me". I quickly learned that this could happen to anyone and everyone, including sister Dorian haha. I also have never been more grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who hears and answers every single prayer, no matter what it may be about. I was so grateful not only for an amazing Ward mission family, but also for selfless elders who chose to serve us instead of relax like they were planning on doing. Heavenly Father watches out for each and every one of His children. I am so grateful for the opportunity to see His hand working in my life and the lives of His children that I work with each and every day. I am happy to say that our house is clean and bug free. However, when another trial like this comes along, I hope to welcome it with gratitude and thanks. 

Thanksgiving was complete with turkey, Mac and cheese, and even derby pie. We also played card games and I actually got to take a nap!! Naps as a missionary are truly treasured time so that was a thing to be grateful for as well :) 

Aside from the thanksgiving adventures, we had a solid week of missionary work. We taught a guy in our favorite apartment complex (we teach so many people there!!) while we helped him crush soda cans. We also had new missionary training this week for the trainees and trainers. I absolutely love this training! It is all about how to increase faith by accessing the Atonement in our own lives each day. I always leave feeling such a desire to share the gospel and do all that Heavenly Father wants me to do. So good!!

On Friday, we had district meeting and then we got to teach Alexia. She is the girl from Australia that I wrote about a few weeks ago. She is YSA age so the assistants are technically supposed to be teaching her but she was really uncomfortable being taught by anyone other than us. Miraculously, right as we were walking up to the church with her, the assistants drove up!! She got to meet them and get to know them a little bit and when we told her that they were technically her missionaries, she gladly agreed to be taught by them. We are so excited to see how she continues to progress. We taught her the plan of salvation that lesson and after everything we taught she said, "Wow, this just makes sense!". I love when we get to see the Spirit working in these people's lives and changing their hearts for the better. She is such an amazing example to me of a strong, faithful child of God and I can't wait to see where this gospel will lead her and her family. We also got to teach Sarah Jane that night through Skype! It was so much fun. She is doing really well and Miranda and Lucas are finally on date again!!! They have committed to be baptized on the 7th of January and I am so excited to see them continue to progress :) 

Yesterday, the bishopric asked Sister Henderson and I to give talks. Each of us chose the topic of faith and gratitude and how they are related. My talk focused on faith and how expressing gratitude can increase our faith. Faith is such an amazing principle and it is something I definitely need to improve on. When we have faith in Christ, it leads us to repent and change in order to align more perfectly with His will. After we experience the redeeming and enabling powers of the Atonement, we immediately desire for our fellow men to experience this as well. This is when we should share the gospel. As we increase our faith, we apply the Atonement more fully and that in turn leads us to act. When we act on prompting we receive, then Heavenly Father can work through us to accomplish His work and better the lives of His children. Faith is something I have been working on a lot this transfer and Heavenly Father has given me many opportunities to increase my faith because of it. As a result, I have grown in my love and dependence on the Savior and His power.

We also were able to teach Jonet yesterday. She lives at the city of Enoch (that apartment complex that I was talking about earlier) :) she loves God and feels a strong bond with Him but doesn't understand why there are so many churches. We taught her the Restoration and are in correspondence with her on Facebook to continue answering her questions as she reads the Book of Mormon. Technology is truly hastening this work and I have seen it do wonders in our missionary work. We have such a good feeling about Jonet but it is pretty early on to give any real news on her yet so stay tuned!

I love you all so much. Thank you for all the love, support, and prayers. I am so grateful for each and every one of you. I am so happy to be a missionary as the holidays continue and Christmas gets closer. Speaking of which, everyone go like and share the Light The World video on Mormon.org. It is an amazing campaign to increase the Christmas spirit this holiday season and it is going to be an amazing missionary opportunity for everyone. Share it with anyone you can! :) 

I just wanted to leave you all with my testimony that I know that this church is true. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to access the Saviors atoning power and become like Him. As we embark on the straight and narrow, He will walk with us and carry us when things seem to hard to bear. He knows our pain and sorrow perfectly and is ready and willing to come to our aid. I am so beyond grateful for this opportunity that I have been given to share these glad tidings with my brothers and sisters here in Kentucky. It brings such joy!! In the words of Russel M. Nelson from his talk this last conference, "How, then, can we claim that joy? We can start by “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” “in every thought.” We can give thanks for Him in our prayers and by keeping covenants we’ve made with Him and our Heavenly Father. As our Savior becomes more and more real to us and as we plead for His joy to be given to us, our joy will increase.". Let us focus on the Savior in every instance so that we may have joy this holiday season. 

I love you all. Have an amazing week and MERRY CHRISTMAS  

Love always,

Sister Dorian

“Men are, that they might have joy.” 2 Nephi 2:25

Cold? More like frigid.

Hello hello!!

Happy (almost) Thanksgiving everyone! Aside from my adoration of yummy food, I really do love this time of year so much. Gratitude is a sure way to bring the spirit so naturally a time of year dedicated to giving thanks is sure to brighten everyone's mood. Festivities are in full swing and we are super excited to spend Thanksgiving with our Ward Mission Leader and his family this year. Man. So many happy feelings :)

This week was a humbling week for us. As with all other weeks, I have continued to learn so much about my Savior, His Atonement, and the unique plan He has for each of us. So often I fall into the trap where I want the Lord to submit to my will. However, when we submit our will to His, that is when miracles come to pass. I am grateful to have a Heavenly Father who loves me enough to give me those lessons to learn because those lessons are the ones that change my heart and make me more of what Heavenly Father who have me be. 

On Monday, we went to the doctor for Sister Henderson's shoulder. They put her in physical therapy for a few weeks and then she is going to consult an orthopedic surgeon to see if surgery is necessary. So, we will have more definite answers about her shoulder in the middle of December. Fingers crossed that everything works out! That night, we taught a boy named William with Abbie. He was so sweet. He really wants to find what will bring him peace and comfort in his hard family situation. Abbie bore a powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon and her experience with it. That girl seriously continues to amaze me. He accepted a baptismal date but he doesn't have a phone that works well so we haven't been in contact with him since then. We are planning on heading over there this week and getting some better contact information so we will keep y'all posted on him.

On Tuesday, we did service for a member in our Ward. She is the sweetest lady and she had 8 dachshunds! It was super fun/therapeutic to play with them after we had helped her clean for guests this week. We also had a lesson with a less active in the Ward that we call Momma Chicken (Sister Israelsen came up with that one haha). She is getting herself to church and doing really well. We mostly just see her once a week for support now but she is hilarious so we always love when we can see her. 

Wednesday was Zone Conference. I absolutely love Zone Conferences. We combined with the New Albany Zone this time around. The new Albany zone leaders gave an amazing training on using the Book of Mormon as our main source for conversion. This was a training that I really needed. Usually, I catch myself just teaching the Preach My Gospel doctrine and then using the Book of Mormon to back me up. However, I learned that it needs to be the other way around. We should be teaching all of the doctrine from the Book of Mormon and other standard works and then testify of the truthfulness. To aid me in this change of habit, an elder gave me a list of all the references from Preach My Gospel and showed me how he marked them all in his BOM so that he could reference them more easily. It's so helpful! The Book of Mormon is so true and it really does contain the fullness of the everlasting gospel. As we use the Book of Mormon is our everyday life, we will not fall because our foundation will be rooted in the Savior :)

On Thursday, we had Sister Henderson's first physical therapy appt. He said that the physical therapy should help but that there is no telling if it is bad enough to get surgery until they do an MRI. Again, totally hoping everything is ok!! After that, we missed our bus. The reason I am telling you that is because it ended up being a miracle! We ran into this boy on our walk home that Sister Israelsen and I ran into twice while she was here. We taught him while he waited for his bus and the Spirit was so strong. I ended up giving him my reference Book of Mormon that I talked about above but it was so helpful because I knew exactly where the scriptures were. Then, after we taught him, Abbie and her mom picked us up randomly and gave us a ride home. Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways!! Sometimes, we may get caught thinking about the negative things in life. However, if we keep the mentality that everything happens for a reason, we see miracles and Gods hand more than ever. That night, we had a sisters Skype call. We talked about the qualities of a successful missionary and how important it is to involve the Lord in every aspect of the work. I love Skype calls so much because I learn SO MUCH from these amazing sisters. I hope I can acquire all of their amazing attributes one day because they truly emulate Christ with all that they do :) 

On Saturday, we got to rake leaves for our Ward mission leader and it was so fun!!  Fall is seriously gorgeous here but it also 'leaves' a huge mess ;) (see what I did there?? ) Our Ward mission leader is the bomb. I call him my Kentucky dad because he watches out for us like we are his kids. After we raked, we went to a member's house for dinner. We had an amazing discussion with him about patience and hard work. He opened up to us a lot about his life and the trials that have made him who he is today and I was so grateful for it. Sometimes, when you are going through hard things, you feel as if you are all alone. It is such a tender mercy to hear advice from someone who also understands that life is hard and who has a deep understanding of the Atonement and the grace of the Savior. Heavenly Father is so very aware of each and every one of us and the hard things that plague us every day. There are angels that He sends from both sides of the veil to pick us up and strengthen us. I have seen this multiple times on my mission, and in life in general. Angels truly are round about us, bearing us up. As we trust in the Savior and His grace, we will make it through any trial. Patience is almost always involved, but when we trust in God and His beloved Son, things will ALWAYS work out. 

Yesterday was a miracle day. Lucas, Sarah Janes brother, has been impossible to get to church ever since we started teaching him. We would try and try and try to wake him up but to no avail. Yesterday, when we went to go pick up Sarah Jane, she was at a friends house unable to go and Lucas was in bed. Determined to leave the Grim house with at least one of the children (since we had walked there in freezing cold weather) we went into Lucas's room and didn't leave until he was up. He came to church and absolutely loved it! Not only did he love it, but when we went back that night to see Sarah Jane, he asked to say both prayers in the lesson. And, he told us that he is going to read the Book of Mormon every day. In his prayer, he expressed more of a faith in God and a desire to learn more about Christ than I have ever heard. He wants to come to church every Sunday now. Who knew?? All he needed was to feel the Spirit and meet some friends at church and his whole outlook on the gospel changed. Heavenly Father and the Savior are in the details of this work and these miracles constantly leave me humbly in awe :) 

I love you all. I hope you have an amazing Thanksgiving week. As I have contemplated what I am most grateful for, one thing stands out in my mind above all else. I am eternally grateful for the Atonement of my Savior, Jesus Christ, and His grace that He offers me each and every day. Because of His pure love, I can be with my family forever. I can overcome fear, doubt, and sin. I can find joy and happiness no matter the circumstance. I can share with others glad tidings of great joy. I have peace and comfort and an eternal perspective. All the blessings that I am grateful for are possible or in some way connected to Him. I love Him and hope to one day stand in His presence with my family and all those that I love as He says to us "Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father". (Enos 1:27) What a joyous day that will be!! 

Have a great week. I love you all! 

Love,

Sister Dorian

Lots of Valuable Lessons Taught and Learned

Hey y'all! 

As you have probably gathered, I have been caught in the "y'all" fever for about 15 weeks now and I just can't help it! Life is so good here in Kentucky. However, Sister Dorian (Cali Girl) is freezing!! When they say humid winter is a whole different level, THEY ARE RIGHT.  The leaves are breathtaking though and the holiday season is beginning to show on the shop windows and mall hallways so I am a happy little camper :)

This week has been a very busy week, a week full of many lessons taught and learned. It is amazing how many things you see people go through on a mission. What is even more amazing though, is when you see the Atonement work in their life and your own, changing you both for the better. This gospel is truly one of miracles. I've said it before and I will say it again. Miracles never cease. 

On Monday, we went to a trampoline place called house of BOOM (basically it is just like jump on it). It was so much fun except for Sister Henderson hurting her shoulder :( she tore her labrum before her mission and was told she would need to get surgery sooner or later but that she would be ok to go on her mission as long as she was careful. She ended up tweaking in on a trapeze and has been in pain all week so we are heading to the doctor today to get her an MRI. Hopefully everything is alright! We will definitely keep you posted on that.

On Tuesday, we did exchanges with the hermanas. Every time I exchange with them, I think of Becca, my older sister. Since she was an Hermana, I think a lot about her mission and the amazing example that she was and continues to be for me to this day. Her example was one of the many things that brought me here on my mission and so it really is a tender mercy to have those times with the hermana's to reflect on that. We went to a part of town with a lot of hispanics so having a Spanish speaker there was a big help! Plus, Hermana Castillo is the sweetest missionary alive so we really had a great time. We ended up teaching a guy in Spanish who had the sweetest spirit about him. So much fun!

On Wednesday, before we exchanged back, we went to a Mexican restaurant tucked into downtown that a member who is from Poway told us about. She found out that Hermana Castillo and I are both from California so she told us about this place since they have the best cali burritos in town. Well, SHE WAS RIGHT. It really is the little things that make all the difference. 

That burrito was so good and totally gave me flashbacks to home. Yummmy :) That afternoon, we were able to teach a girl named Lena. She is so prepared. She is truly seeking for truth and wants to make this decision to follow Christ and find his church. However, her boyfriend is a deacon at a different church so unfortunately, we are worried that it might make things difficult as we move forward since we didn't have the warmest encounter with him when we first met him. We are not giving up hope though! We will keep you posted on her progress but I have a feeling that she is going to really see the blessings that come from this gospel as she pushes past any opposition she may face. 

Thursday was such a great day!! We had a lesson scheduled with three young guys that we met on the bus a few days earlier but when we went to the address, we couldn't find it. Luckily we were there a little early so we biking around the complex talking to people and trying to find where these guys lived. After about 15 minutes, we decided to look at the map we found out that we we right next to it. When we got there only one of the three guys was outside. We ended up teaching him and he was so prepared!! He accepted baptism and our invitation to read the Book of Mormon. He is 19 so we have to refer him to the YSA elders but that is ok because I truly have gained a testimony of the fact that Heavenly Father is in the very details of this work and he knows who each of His children need to be taught by :)  

After his lesson, we got chick-fil-a (again , it's the little things) and then headed over to the part of town where most of our investigators live. When we got there, Kayla was outside with her niece. She is an investigator that we started teaching but she dropped us because her mom wanted her to stick to the Bible and she wanted to respect that. However, when we said hi to her and asked how she was doing, she said that she had asked her mom a question that her mom couldn't answer with the Bible. She was wondering how the Savior could understand what she was going through if He was the perfect Son of God. Alma 7 immediately came to mind. We told her to go home and read it and asked if we could come teach her more about how the Book of Mormon answers her questions and she said yes!! We went back the next day and gave her lots of info/scripture/talks on the topic. We also committed her to live the word of wisdom. It was a very risky move but we testified to her that she wouldn't be able to receive her answers and feel the spirit if her body isn't fit for the spirit to dwell. She committed and to our knowledge has been living it so we really see progress in her. It is so amazing to see how the Book of Mormon could answer questions that arise from confusing parts in the Bible. Heavenly Father really has thought of everything. He knew that the Bible would cause confusion and that it would be interpreted many different ways. So, he made the Book of Mormon possible to that we could interpret the Bible correctly. the Book of Mormon is true! I can't testify of that. I have not only received that witness for myself but I have seen the fruits of it in my life and the lives of others. It is the word of God and I am so grateful for the opportunity to share it with others so that through it, they can come closer to our Savior. 

We have also been teaching another lady in that complex named Angie. She is awesome. She has had a lot of hard trials in her life but she really wants to change her life and come closer to Jesus Christ. We are also helping her to live the Word of Wisdom and come to church. So excited to see her progress and work towards changing her life for the better. Her friend has also decided to meet with us and hear our message and this friend wants her son to sit in on the lessons as well. Heavenly Father is blessing us with so many miracles in this area and we are so excited so see what is in store :) 

On Saturday, ABBIE GOT BAPTIZED!!!! Oh my goodness this was such a happy day I can't even begin to describe it. I am convinced that Abbie is one of my best friends from the pre existence. She asked me and Sister Israelsen to speak at her baptism and it was such an amazing, tender experience to see her there, dressed in white, ready to make this covenant with our Heavenly Father. I remember like it was yesterday walking into Qdoba really to be shot down by questions and immediately realizing that it was the opposite. Miracles do happen and the Lord is preparing his children. Her parents have invited us over for Christmas and we are planning on being at each other's seals as bridesmaids. It was so good! After her baptism (which a whole bunch of her extended family came to!), we all went out to lunch at BJ's. It was such a great day!! I say this all the time but I like to compare a mission to how I have heard people explain parenting. A lot of the time, it is really hard and you are smiling through the pain. But when those glorious, miracle moments happen, it makes every single other moment worth it. :)

Yesterday, we had a different Sunday than most. We had stake conference in the morning and then went to a member's house for lunch. When we got home, sister Henderson was super sick! So, I put her to bed and called potentials for the rest of the night :)

I love being a missionary so much. I have learned so much about my Savior, His Atonement, and the Spirit. I have learned that we must be exactly obedient and always grateful in order to have the Spirit and thus access the full powers of our Saviors enabling Atonement. One scripture that really hit me this morning was one I read this morning about the Nephites in the beginning of 3 Nephi. It says, "And it came to pass that thus passed away the ninety and fifth year also, and the people began to forget those signs and wonders which they had heard, and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven, insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen. Imagining up some vain thing in their hearts, that it was wrought by men and by the power of the devil, to lead away and deceive the hearts of the people; and thus did Satan get possession of the hearts of the people again, insomuch that he did blind their eyes and lead them away to believe that the doctrine of Christ was a foolish and a vain thing". 

I was amazed at how quickly they had forgotten the miracles and signs they had seen and then, as I pondered it more, I realized that I fall in this trap all the time. Wonderful things happen to me and I feel the Savior so close as I go through trials and then after things are over, I forget the wonderful feelings and closeness that I felt. I forget to be thankful and then I tend to be less and less astonished until hard trials come again and I am compelled to humility and gratitude. This was a hard lesson to learn but I realized that if I am going to experience a mighty change of heart each and every day and one day become like my Savior, I have to express gratitude. I can't forget the wonderful, joyous feelings that come as I access His Atonement in my life. And, I have to be exactly obedient. Not out of duty or fear, but out of a love for the Savior and a strong desire to have His spirit to be with me at all times. Then, and only then, will we find peace and joy always, even in the midst of trial and affliction. If we are close to the Savior and always have His Spirit to be with us, joy will come regardless of circumstance and we will continually be converted to the Lord. We will become those people a few chapters back when, "there began to be lyings sent forth among the people, by Satan, to harden their hearts, to the intent that they might not believe in those signs and wonders which they had seen; but notwithstanding these lyings and deceivings the more part of the people did believe, and were converted unto the Lord." Opposition may not cease, but we will believe and become converted unto the Lord because we know who the source of our strength and joy is. 

I know that this is Christ's church on the Earth today. The Book of Mormon is true. Joseph Smith translated it with the power and authority of God. Our Savior lives and He loves us more than words can describe. He is always by our side, ready to come to our aid when we are ready and willing. Let us all strive to be more grateful, not only during this Thanksgiving season but every day of the year. Let us love and serve our Savior and obey all that He asks of us so that He can change our hearts and make us into what He knows we can become. 

I love you all! Have an amazing week. Thank you for all the love, support and prayers. 

Hurrah for Israel!

Love always,

Sister Dorian

"And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world."  3 Nephi 27:16

So Many Things to Do, and So Little Time

Hey everyone!!

I can not believe another week has come and gone. Time is moving way too fast! Yesterday marked 4 months of being a set apart missionary. It feels like I blinked and I went from being a newbie in the MTC to being a trainer in Louisville. I absolutely love life!! Things are good, just going by way too fast :)

This week was definitely a trying one but I feel like after every trying day/week/month, my capacity for joy and peace and happiness increases. It's the law of opposition at work! We go through challenges and hard times so that good times seem that much greater :)

We had a full PDay on Monday since it was Halloween so we ended up just hanging out with the STL's and then spending the rest of the night with a member and the Grim's. Guess what?? We finally met the one and only Hunter Grim. He is the original referral that we went to go visit when we met the Grim family. We are now working on baptizing his whole family and we just met him this week. Turns out he doesn't even live in our area. The Lord truly works in mysterious ways. He knew that Hunters family was ready so he sent us through him. So cool! We will see what happens with Hunter. TBA ;)

On Tuesday, we had a miracle! We were over at an apartment complex to see a potential named crystal but we couldn't so we just talked with her mom. Her name is Angie and we have tried to teach her so many times because we see her in this apartment complex every time we are there. We started talking to her and she randomly started asking us all of these questions about our doctrine and what we believe. She started getting really excited and was like, "That is what I have been looking for my whole life!" We were like ya we know!! That is why we have been wanting to meet with you for so long :) she accepted a baptismal date and we are so excited. We were going to see her last week again but she didn't answer her phone :( high hopes for her though, she is awesome!

On Wednesday, we had a pretty humbling day. One thing that is super prevalent here in Louisville, which I think I have mentioned before, is Southern Baptist seminary students. We went to meet with one on Wednesday because she really wanted to talk to us but we found out she just wanted to Bible bash with us. We kindly but firmly told her our purpose and then promptly left. It is super draining to interact with these people because their real only purpose is to destroy your testimony. After meeting with her and encountering a few others like her this week, I really had a hard time. But, I went back to the basics. I read my scriptures and prayed A LOT. I realized that there was so much fear that came from them and not a whole lot of good feelings. I really gained a testimony of having faith instead of living in fear. I also gained a stronger testimony in opposition. Heavenly Father knows that in order to gain a solid, unwavering testimony, our testimonies have to be put to the test. However, if we read the Book of Mormon and pray in faith, then our answers will come. Every. Time. That's how it happened for me. It was like Heavenly Father gave me a chance to experience exactly what my investigators are going through. What a blessing. Now I have so much more empathy and can testify with that much more conviction of the things that I know to be true. That is kind of how this week has been. We had an amazing zone Meeting on Thursday that really helped me out as well. I had been fasting that morning for strength and understanding and when the zone leaders had their Ward mission leader share his conversion experience, I was amazed at the overwhelming feeling of love I felt from my Heavenly Father. It was as if He was hugging me and letting me know that I was in the right place and that I had a Heavenly Father who was aware of me and my struggles. It was so good!!

Looking back, I am so grateful! I know that this church is true! I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that we have prophet today who lead and guide our church. I know that the Spirit testifies of truth. I know that God lives and that He loves us. He allows trials to occur in our lives for our benefit and good. I am eternally grateful for the trials I have gone through and will go through in the future because they bring me closer to my Savior. I know without a doubt that He lives. This is His church!!! He is at the head, leading and guiding it until He comes again. He knows us perfectly. He stands with us, cheering us on and lifting us when we can't lift ourselves. I have never felt His influence more than as a missionary. He has been right beside me and I love Him ️

We had some other amazing miracles this week that has just solidified my awareness of Gods hand in each of our lives. On Saturday night, we had a lesson with Lucas, Sarah Janes older brother. We have been really struggling to help him commit to much of anything and it has been so frustrating. However, in our lesson, we were really able to focus on him and his questions since it was more one on one. He expressed a lot of his concerns about receiving revelation and in my mind I was like, "I literally just went through this. I know EXACTLY how he is feeling and how to help him." So, I opened up and told him that I know that God can speak to us and answer our questions but we have to want to know. We have to have the desire to believe before that desire will work within us and become faith. We told him more about how to receive answers from God and recognize them. Then, we had him pray and ask God his questions. The Spirit was tangible. Afterwards, he looked at the Book of Mormon in his hands and said, "I feel a little better". We were like that's the spirit!!! :) He promised to read and I really felt like we were making progress. He is still struggling to get himself up for church but we have plans to take him to the singles ward next week since it starts at 1 instead of 9:30. We are praying for him. It has been a slow process but Sarah Jane has been such an amazing influence on her family.

Speaking of Sarah Jane being a good influence, Miranda came to church yesterday!! And not only that, she BORE HER TESTIMONY. She got up there and bore her testimony that she knows the church is true and that it has changed her life and that she is so grateful for the love that Sarah Jane has felt in our Ward. It was so amazing! She was also actively participating in the classes afterwards and everything. She is so awesome!! We are so excited for this family to continue to progress towards one day being an eternal family. Their testimonies are so pure and so full of faith. They are examples to me for sure. This church is so true and it brings such joy!!

I love you all so much!! Again, thank you for all the support and prayers. We have been seeing so many countless miracles in this area and in this mission. Faith works. It works anytime and anywhere. We had an amazing lesson in relief society about faith and testimony and one of my favorite quotes was this: 

"In order to find God as a reality, we must follow the course which he pointed out for the quest. The path is one that leads upward; it takes faith and effort, and is not the easy course. For this reason many men will not devote themselves to the arduous task of proving to themselves the reality of God. On the contrary, some take the easy path and deny his existence or merely follow the doubter’s course of uncertainty. Sometimes faith means believing a thing to be true where the evidence is not sufficient to establish knowledge. We must continue the probe and follow the admonition: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matt. 7:7–8.)... In order for an individual to obtain unwavering knowledge of the reality of God, he must live the commandments and the doctrines announced by the Savior during his personal ministry. Those who are willing to make the search, apply themselves, and do God’s will, will have the knowledge come to them of the reality of God" 

May we each embark on the quest. Let us live the doctrines and ask God for guidance and direction. Let us follow the will that He has for each of us. As we do this, we will become the eternal, Christlike beings that He created us to be. 

I love y'all. Have an amazing week. Drink lots of cocoa and snuggle up by a fire. ''Tis the season! Love life and remember that life is too short to be anything other than joyful and happy. 

Love always,

Sister Dorian

"Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not" D&C 6:36

High Goals and Way Too Many Cookies!

Hey y'all!

How is everyone doing?? I hope school/work/life is wonderful!! Another week has come and gone and miracles seriously never cease. This week has been a top notch week over here in the Highlands area and I am loving every second of it :)

As you all know, I started training this week. My companions name is Sister Henderson and she is so cute! We instantly clicked and have honestly become the best of friends. She basically came pre-trained so I just have to show her the area and how to work the iPad apps. It is so much fun! She has such fire and such a desire to do the Lords work and it is showing in the work that we are doing. We are working our tails off and miracles are just falling out of the sky :) it is so great!

On Monday, Sister Israelsen's last day here, we celebrated Elder Sherwood's birthday at outback and the walking bridge and then went and celebrated both his birthday and Elder Hansen's last day on the mission at our Ward mission leaders house. It was a fun filled day for sure :)

Tuesday was transfer day so we basically just got Sister H settled in and then we taught a lesson to one of our investigators and then did a Skype lesson with a less active. 

Wednesday was so amazing! So, y'all remember Abbie right?? She is the one that we started teaching and then the AP's started teaching. She is super prepared and super awesome! On Wednesday we heard that she had pushed her date back to November 12th and we were so sad because she is so so ready to take this step in her life. Her parents are nervous about the decision because they have never met us and really don't even know what she is getting involved in. So, she invited us to a dinner with her parents and the assistants. After we ate, her dad asked us how we know that our religion is true. Each of us missionaries went around the table and bore testimony to the truthfulness of this gospel, the reality of the atoning sacrifice of our Savior, and the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. The Spirit was so strong! Her parents left the restaurant with such a different view of missionaries and the gospel in general. Her dad even accepted the invitation to sit in one of Abbie's lessons!! I am convinced that the Lord is in every single detail of this work. We started the dinner sad about the moved date and ended it with such hope for the future. It was an amazing experience:)

On Thursday, we met the new district leader! His name is Elder Peterson. He is literally so awesome. Our district is so strong and I know that is has been very inspired, as all districts are! 

Friday was another day full of miracles and I don't think I have ever had such a packed day. We started off doing weekly planning and making cookies and then we went and did service at our Ward mission leaders house. After we got home, we hopped on a bus and headed over to a lesson. After that lesson, we ran into 3 teenage boys. I told them we were missionaries and the boy in the middle of the group said, "Is God real?" We responded to him by saying, "Yes! And you can know that for yourself if you pray and ask." Then he said, "And He will answer??" Both of us smiled and said "Yes. Of course He will."  We gave him the Book of Mormon and explained to Him that God is our loving Heavenly Father and He speaks to us through prophets. We are meeting with them next week and we are so excited to see the potential that these boys have. We will definitely keep you posted because I have a feeling that they are going to be some solid investigators. 

That night, we also had a chance to see the Grim's. We were originally planning on going to see Sarah Jane to continue prepping her for her baptism but when we got there, only Lucas (her older brother) and her dad were home! We felt very strongly that we should stay and wait (again!) so we sat on the steps and started updating our area book while Lucas climbed trees and stuff outside with us. After about 30 min of waiting, Sister H, Lucas, and I decided to say a prayer all together. While we were praying, I felt a strong impression come to my head almost as clear as if someone had said it out loud: "He is sitting right there. Why aren't you teaching him??" Lucas has been very non-committal at every lesson we have had with the Grim's so we have just been focusing of Sarah Jane since she is the progressing one. The whole time Lucas had been there with us and Heavenly Father was basically giving us the perfect opportunity to teach him one on one. So, we started asking him questions about his belief in God and what he has thought about our lessons. He began to open up about how he doesn't know God exists and basically won't know until he sees some type of witness that He is real. We taught him about faith and the Spirit and how faith precedes the witness. Then, he brought up a concern that I have never heard before but it's something I think a lot of people wonder today. He asked, "Well, what if God just isn't here anymore? What if He abandoned us? What if we failed Him?" The Spirit was so strong as Sister H and I were able to testify of living prophets and modern day revelation and how the Book of Mormon is clear evidence that God is with us. He speaks! He is involved in our every day lives. We testified of our Savior and His Atonement and how His love and power can help us through any trial. After that, we committed him to be baptized on November 29th and he finally committed to really read the Book of Mormon. As he gave the prayer after the lesson, he asked God if He was really there and if He would help him through the hard things he was going through. The Spirit was so strong! The Lord truly is preparing His people in these last days and it is such a privilege to be able to witness it. As we have faith and trust in God and our Savior, we will be instruments in bringing these wonderful people home. After we said amen, Sarah Jane and Miranda pulled in and Miranda committed to be baptized on the 19th as well. Like I said, miracles never cease and Heavenly Father is in every detail.

Yesterday was so crazy and awesome and jam packed with wonderful things. Like I said before, Sister Henderson has lots of fire and energy and enthusiasm for this work. So, when we were setting a goal of how many people we were going to talk to, she said 60. Now, just to put this in perspective, Sunday's are the second hardest day to talk with people after Monday because we have church and studies to do (and we had a fireside scheduled last night too!) so we usually only talk to about 20-30. I immediately said NOOOO. I was worried about setting something so inconceivably high and being stressed the whole day trying to hit it. But, a big push in our mission has been about having faith in our Savior and asking Heavenly Father to consecrate our efforts. So, after some negotiations, we set it at 50 and adjusted our schedule so we would have as much time as possible to talk with EVERYONE. We went to a park after lunch and ended up talking to 64 people by the end of the day. Heavenly Father cares about each and every goal we set and even though they stretch us at times, He will make them happen if we have faith and do all we can to achieve them. It was such a neat learning experience for me and I am grateful to have a strong, faithful companion to push me past the limits I set for myself. 

The fireside last night was also incredible! The firesides here are a little different here than other firesides because they are basically just a meeting where investigators and new members have a chance to share their testimonies. Missionaries are only allowed to go if they are accompanied by an investigator or recent convert since Sunday's are such good proselytizing days. We were able to go with Sarah Jane and her mom and guess what? Sarah Jane got up there! She was so scared but she got up and did it. She is such a sweet heart and we are so excited to see her baptized this coming Saturday. Miranda also got a chance to mingle and make friends and see more of what Sarah Jane has been experiencing at church which was so good! 

I love being a missionary and I love all of you! Thank you for all the love, support, and prayers. I can not even begin to explain how grateful I am for the amazing support system that I have. I know that this gospel is true. I know that my Savior lives. I know that missionary work is inspired and that each of us can share the gospel in any capacity that we can. I know that families can be together forever. I also know that eternity is not an easy prize to win because it is something that we must earn. As we ask the Savior to lift us and strengthen us in our trials, we will grow and become more like Him. In a talk given by Elder Bednar called "In the Strength of the Lord", he states that "The enabling power of the Atonement of Christ strengthens us to do the things we could never do on our own". It does not change our circumstances. Rather, it strengthens us so that we can overcome our adversity. In Alma 17:11, the Lord tells the sons of Mosiah, "Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls." We must be patient in long suffering and afflictions so that we can be examples that through the Atonement of our Savior, we will become instruments in His hands. It is a privilege to serve as an instrument for a brief time and I am loving every second.

I love you all so much! Have an amazing week :) send pictures!

Love always,

Sister Dorian ️

"Now if a man desired to serve God, it was his privilege; or rather, if he believed in God it was his privilege to serve him" Alma 30:9

2 down, 11 to go!

Hello hello!

Another week has come and gone and in 24 hours I will no longer be a trainee. How did that happen?? It feels like just yesterday I was on a plane headed to Kentucky and now I am done training. Time really does fly. So good but oh so fast :)

Speaking of transfers....I am going to....TRAIN!! :) I am gettin' myself a greenie tomorrow 🏻 my momma chicken is leaving me to go be a sister training leader in her old zone that she was in for 8 months. While I am nervous to high heaven, I am so excited. Since I just went through the training process, I think it will be a whole lot easier to train and show her the ropes. Plus I had the best trainer out there so I have an amazing example to follow :)

Alright, now that that is out of the way, our week was so so amazing! Miracles are so abundant here in Louisville and in the mission in general and it is just a contagious feeling of excitement and faith. I love it! 

On Monday, we got a tour around downtown Louisville with our Ward mission leader so I got to see the Slugger Museum, and some awesome buildings. After that we went to Abbie's house and got to spend some time with her. Yes, this is the same Abbie that we meet a few weeks ago who is prepared as can be. She hangs out with us every P-Day and goes to lunch with us throughout the week as well. She is beyond excited for her baptism happening on Saturday. It has been such a wonderful experience to witness her conversion and how her faith has grown over the last few weeks and I am so excited to see where Heavenly Father leads her :) we also go to help at a wedding that night which was awesome and weird all at once. But it was all good!

On Tuesday/Saturday/Sunday, we got to teach the Grim's. This is the family that I was telling y'all about last week who we met while trying to contact their son (still haven't met the son by the way. The Lord works in mysterious ways that is for sure!). They are so awesome! We have been helping them to continue to gain the knowledge for themselves that these things are true. They are going through some hard things and having this message has really helped them to gain hope and direction. It is so cool! The mother has some word of wisdom issues and the father isn't religious so it will be a little bit longer before we can help the entire family enter the waters of baptism. Their 9 year old daughter, Sarah Jane, is right on tract to be baptized by the end of the month/beginning of next month. She is the sweetest little girl! She came to church with us yesterday all by herself (rode the bus with us and everything) and had a blast. I was able to sit and talk with her during sacrament meeting about Jesus Christ and what he did for us and it was such a special experience. I truly love this family and can't wait to see their potential as they progress toward baptism and continue to follow our Savior. 

On Wednesday, we had to drop some of our investigators who weren't progressing and hard to contact. We went to their houses and they were honest about not being ready to commit. It is always hard to experience that with someone you love and want to progress so badly, but it gives us the opportunity/time to go and find those who are prepared right now. I have come to realize with Heavenly Fathers help that the only agency I can control is my own. I can teach them and invite them and commit them but if they aren't ready to change, they won't. As long as I do everything in my power to give them a chance to accept this gospel and come unto Christ, then I have done my part. As I do my part, Heavenly Father will do the rest :) 

On Thursday, we had an amazing experience with our neighbor, Blake. We brought him cookies a week ago and he told us he was pretty lonely and confused about which direction he should take in life. We asked if we could make him his favorite treat and he requested pumpkin pie. So I made him pumpkin pie and we taught him about the plan of salvation while we ate it. He ended up opening up to us about all the hardships he has gone through in the last year and it was such a powerful experience to be able to testify of the healing power of the Atonement and the peace this gospel can give to him. He committed to read the Book of Mormon and he is meeting with us again this week. So exciting! 

On Friday, we got to go to Cave Hill cemetery. It has thousands of graves that date bate to the 1800's and some of them are HUGE. We got to see Colonel Sanders and Muhammad Ali's graves which was so cool. After that, we went and taught a sweet girl named Gracie. She wasn't super interested in our message but she was so so genuine and nice. It was definitely refreshing to talk with her and I have a strong faith that she will one day accept this gospel, even if it isn't today. 

On Saturday we got to hear from Elder Gray E. Stevenson! He has been an apostle for a year now and it was such an amazing experience. He started the conference by shaking each and every one of our hands (which took about an hour since there are about 200 of us). Then, Elder Uceda, who was the seventy who accompanied Elder Stevenson, spoke to us. He talked to us about how we must be focused on teaching repentance and baptizing converts who have become disciples, not baptizing to hit a quota. Then, Elder Stevenson taught us how to invite others to act and how it is essential to promise blessings and testify of truth. We must give those we teach a fair chance to accept this gospel, and change their lives through Christ's Atonement. One thing I loved that he said was that if we don't promise blessings, our invitations will be much less meaningful. Like, for example, if D&C 4 stated "Ask, knock, amen" instead of "Ask and he shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you, amen." As we invite others to live a certain way and promise them the blessings that the Lord is already willing to give them, then they will feel the Spirit so strong. Another essential part is testifying. We must always have the Holy Ghost as our third companion in the companionship. He said that if we don't give the Spirit a chance to testify in a lesson, then it is as if we brought Elder Holland along for the day and didn't give him a chance to speak ;) the Spirit is essential and critical to this work. If you have the Spirit and allow Him to speak, you are a successful missionary.

Yesterday was a miracle filled day for sure. Not only did we have Sarah Jane with us at church, we also had another girl named Angela! We met her randomly on the street and she told us about how she had a really hard childhood and has been looking for somewhere to go to church. She said that she walked in to the church an immediately felt the spirit. That spirit stayed with her the rest of the service and she was taking notes and everything! She shared with us that she had actually been given a Book of Mormon in New Jersey a few years ago and when she started reading it, she felt the spirit so strong that it brought her to tears. Unfortunately, she heard some anti from her friends and decided not to investigate further. Now, she is determined to read the Book of Mormon to find out if it is true. We taught her after church and she committed to be baptized on November 19th! So cool!! She is so prepared. It just goes to show that Heavenly Father truly is in all the details of this work. We don't know for sure if we will be the missionaries teaching her since she has an interesting living situation right now so we will keep y'all posted. :) After church, we got a text from a UofL freshman student asking to meet with missionaries because he wants to learn more about the church. Later that night, we met up with a referral that we received from Utah. His name is Brian. He is about to move to Florida but wanted to meet with us since he had been introduced to our church by a man he met while he was at a conference (this man referred Brian to us). We taught him the plan of salvation because of some information we got from the referer and he was very intrigued. He accepted the invitation to read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it is true. We are planning on meeting with him as much as we can before we pass him off to missionaries in Florida. So awesome! The Lord truly is preparing his children to receive this message and He is definitely hastening His work.

I love you all so much and I love this work! I have never been so happy and so tired in my entire life. I have never done something more fulfilling. This gospel is oh so true and it brings more happiness than can be described. As we continue to build on our foundation of Christ, we continue to be changed and we truly will become like him. Always have faith, never fear. Choose the right even when it is hard. And never, ever, ever give up! There is always light at the end of the tunnel. There is always joy, even in affliction. In Alma 31:38, its states, "And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith." Life is what you make it with Heavenly Father and the Savior's help. 

Have an amazing week! I am so grateful for y'all and all of your support and prayers. Keep being amazing :) 

Love always,

Sister Dorian

Life is Good :)

Hey y'all! How is everyone? I hope school is going well for everyone. Things are great here in the Great Kentucky Louisville Mission. Just like that, in the blink of an eye, I am almost done training. In one week I will no longer be a trainee!! This is going way too fast but I love it all the same :) 

This week has been so chalk full of miracles that I don't even know where to start! The Lord is working wonders in each and every area of this mission and it has been so amazing to see. He is at the head of this work and He is perfect at hastening it. It is such an amazing thing to participate in. Awwww I love it!

On Monday, we went official crawdad fishing with a HUGE group of missionaries and Abbie. Abbie is doing so great!! She knows the doctrine and she has developed such a strong testimony in this gospel. She even bore her testimony in church yesterday! It has been so amazing and inspired to be able to keep in touch with her even though we aren't teaching her. We have such a strong relationship with her and have been able to help her through things on a different level than the elders because of the fact that we are girls. It has been such a cool experience. The Lord truly works in mysterious ways. I have a feeling that me and her are going to be best friends for life hahaha

On Tuesday, we had the most amazing experience!!! We got a referral a few days before for a guy named Hunter but he didn't have a phone number so we went over to his house and ended up meeting the mom and family instead. We set up an appointment with them for Tuesday night and the whole day leading up to it I was so excited. I felt like the Lord was guiding me through my studies and through the day for this specific lesson. I was so happy and excited and I had no idea why. All I knew was that this lesson was going to be special. Then, we got there and no one was home. I was like what??? Are you serious? How could this be? Why did I feel that way all day if they weren't even going to show up. I sat on the steps, my faith a little shaken and said a prayer in my heart, asking Heavenly Father to help me know what to do or at least help me understand why this had happened this way. I felt like we should stick around on the area so we decided to sit in the driveway and contact some potentials that we had met that day. After about 20 minutes, they drive up! I was so excited. I knew that Our Heavenly Father had been trying to teach me a lesson. Our promptings are valid. They do mean something. But, we can't throw everything out the window when things don't end up the way we plan. The important part is that we follow those promptings and we have faith in His timing and His will. If we do that, everything will work out. We ended up having an amazing lesson with the mom and her daughter and committed them both to baptism. They couldn't come to church yesterday because of an emergency it we taught them yesterday and they are right on tract to be baptized either by the end of this month or the beginning of November. How cool is that?? They are so prepared and it truly is a pleasure to teach them. Miracles happen when we have faith and act :)

On Wednesday night, we have a group call with the sisters in the surrounding areas and talked about how to strengthen our faith in Christ in order to baptize every month. It was amazing! As we come together as brothers and sisters in Zion, we can strengthen and edict each other like nothing else :)

On Thursday, we had zone meeting where we had training on positive thinking and the power of our calling. We are all taking the no negativity challenge in our zone (which is to try to refrain from negative thoughts, actions, or words for 24 hours and if you fail you start the 24 hours over). It truly is an inspired challenge and even though I have a long way to go, I know that it will work wonders in our missionary work :)

Thursday was also the day where I got eaten alive by mosquitos. Now, before I tell y'all this (mom!), let me preface by saying that I put bug spray on religiously! I will never go without bug spray again, even if I have to miss a bus for it. I knew coming to Kentucky would entail bugs so I was almost expecting something like this to happen. Anyway, everything is good! I just have some cool pictures to send so I thought I would give a little explanation with it ;)

On Saturday, we had a Drop lesson with Sam and his wife. They are the sweet southern baptist people that we met a few weeks ago. I think I may have talked about his Mormon obsession but I can't remember! He loves mormons! We decided it wasn't very effective to continue teaching them though since they didn't seem like they had much intent to change. We told them of our purpose and asked for their expectations with meeting us and everything was laid on the table. He explained his beliefs and went on to say (nicely!) that he thought we were wrong. We found out that he had been studying anti along with Mormon doctrine which plains more of why he is convinced against our beliefs. We politely left them with our testimonies and left it at that. 

I went home pretty shaken up though! This was my first time encountering someone who outright questioned my testimony and was worried for my salvation. I immediately turned to prayer and asked my Heavenly Father for guidance. I felt a peaceful reassurance of His love for me and the reasoning behind why we had taught them at all. As I fasted yesterday, I was able to strengthen my testimony in a way that wouldn't have been possible if I hadn't had that experience. Through much prayer and pondering, I have received a newfound confirmation that this church is indeed true! Christ does indeed live and He did suffer for our sins. He did not, however, suffer for our sins so that we wouldn't have any responsibility here on earth. As we have faith and do all that we can to become like our Savior, then His grace is sufficient to change us. Using our agency to choose Him instead of the adversary is how we grow and change. The Book of Mormon has so many examples of that! I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that the records that are included are inspired by our Heavenly Father and abiding by its precepts will bring us back to our Father in Heaven. This gospel brings so much joy and I am so eternally grateful for the ability to receive personal revelation. Believe it or not, missionaries have doubts too. But nothing has been more faith strengthening and stabilizing then asking God in prayer about the questions that you have and receiving actual answers! I know that Heavenly Father loves and He does indeed answer all of our questions. In the words of a very wise apostle, "Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith" -Utchdorf I do not know the meaning of all things but I know that God lives, I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior, and I know that this is His church. 

I love you all so much! Thank you for all of the support, love, and prayers. I love being a missionary more than anything in the world and I know that as we continue to act in faith, each of us can and will witness miracles. Have an amazing week :) Hurrah for Israel!

Love always,

Sister Dorian

"Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him" 1 Nephi 7:12