Still Swimming in the WEM--S. Turley

Dear Family and Friends,

This last week was a good one. We were so close to achieving standards, but our investigators were sick. Next time. We found two new investigators and the investigators that we are currently teaching are doing well. Also, since the weather has been rather Christmasy this week, Sister Cunningham and I decided to celebrate Christmas. We put up decorations and filled stockings and gave each other Christmas cards. For dinner we made mashed potatoes, chicken and rolls. We topped it off with peppermint ice cream and pumpkins cookies :) It was so much fun!!!!

Best idea ever.

Jennifer and Jaime are progressing rapidly towards their baptism date on the 18th of October. They love the lessons and have been keeping all their commitments to the best of their ability. 

We have been tracting a lot lately, and for the first time in my mission it has not been very fruitful. Sad.  However, we have seen blessings from laboring with our might. We have seen the following trend: We tract a street and then a week or two later we receive a referral from another missionary or member who has found a potential that lives on that very street that we just tracted. I am so grateful! It has happened over and over again and I am grateful that the Lord acknowledges our efforts and helps us out.

This week in my studies, I focused a lot on the question that we seem to be encountering frequently about "earning salvation" rather than being "saved by grace." The truth is, that we ARE saved by grace, however, we cannot just walk up to the pearly gates and walk in because we said one time in the middle of our lives that we believed in Jesus. Without the Savior's Atoning sacrifice, repentance and forgiveness would not be possible. But in return, God expects us to acknowledge the Savior and show our gratitude in return. As I was pondering, I thought of this analogy. Not an exact metaphor, but it is good enough to get the idea across. When a criminal is imprisoned for breaking the laws of the land (we are like the criminal when we break the laws of God), he cannot just walk out of his cell because he says that he is sorry and he wants to leave now. He has to live up to certain standards or requirements of behavior, convince the people in charge that he is changed and is often asked to spend some time on probation. Just like the criminal has certain standards to live up to in order to improve his standard of living, we must do the same to improve from our fallen, mortal state to a celestial glory. We are imprisoned by our sins and short comings, and the Savior satisfies the justice system, assuming we similarly meet certain standards of behavior. We in ourselves cannot earn our freedom. The Savior pleads our cause, did our time, and we can often skip the probationary step through the Atonement. Without some expectation on my part, I don't think salvation would be so meaningful. Repentance would be less attractive and there would be no incentive to follow the Savior. I am grateful that God gives us commandments so we can learn this lesson and enjoy the blessings of redemption.

This link is for an article in the Ensign this month. I served in this ward/building about a year or so after it was rebuilt. The Stake President's promise is so true! As missionaries we were blessed to get a lot of publicity because of the fire and held a relatively successful church tour of the new building. It definitely blessed the work there! 

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/09/strengthened-by-fire?lang=eng

Love you lots!

Sister Turley

Minus One--S. Turley

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, we were reduced back to two in our companionship on Thursday. Sister Glancy was moved to the Harbour Pointe ward. My companions just didn't want to share me. I am just too awesome.

This week was the slowest we have had in a while. It was just weird. Almost all of our appointments cancelled, and we had a crazy schedule for exchanges and interviews and then moving Sister Glancy out. I am looking forward to working really hard this week with fewer distractions. 

Sorry nothing to share :/

Have a good week! I love you all!

Love,

Sister Turley

Surprise, Surprise--S. Turley

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, we ended up at transfers even though neither of us got transferred. About twenty minutes before, we got a text from the Assistants saying that we needed to come to the mission office and pick up our third companion. So I am three-packing again. Our new companion is Sister Glancy. She is my grandbaby (I trained her trainer, Sister Slade). Three packs are hard and we had some major drama this week, but I think the worst is over and we should be able to be happy and successful now. We got over the selfish so now we can be selfless.

We found two awesome new investigators. They are part of a Part-Member Family. The husband and mother-in-law are less active members. The husband does not have any interest to return, but the grandmother has been trying to find the church again for a long time. She somehow got lost in a move across the country. The two investigators are Shawna and her son, James. We taught the first lesson to them on Tuesday, and they said that they already believed everything we taught was true. James has even read the Book of Mormon and remembers almost all of it. It is pretty amazing. They both set goals yesterday in our lesson to read the Book of Mormon daily. I am hopeful that they will be able to be baptized soon and enjoy the blessings of the Gospel more fully in their lives.

We are trying to think of creative finding methods for three people, because tracting with three can get intimidating pretty quick. We have used the "triangle" tracting method a few times, where two knock on the door and the other street contacts in front of the house, but there are not too many people on the streets in the quiet neighborhood areas. 

This week I have really enjoyed the missionary instructions from the example of the sons of Mosiah. I have also been reading in chapter 1 of Preach My Gospel, "My Purpose." What really stood out to me is that everyone has spiritual needs. I have really tried to make an effort to understand the spiritual needs of those that we are teaching and come in contact with. Everyone has them and a lot of people do not even recognize that those needs exist and they need to be met. I really liked reading Alma 22 in this light. To help discern the needs of King Lamoni's father, Aaron asked all sorts of questions and instructed him accordingly. It is also interesting that while Lamoni lay for three days under the influence of the Spirit, Aaron raised his father almost immediately so he could testify and help meet the specific needs of the other people in the area. I also found it interesting and slightly amusing in chapter 20 where Ammon and the father of King Lamoni duel, because that was also meeting the King's spiritual needs. He needed to have his life threatened in order to receive the Gospel in his life. Odd, but God knows what he is doing and how we can help all of His children here on earth.

Yesterday, Mike Guzman spoke at cottage meeting and he did so well! The Spirit was so strong as he shared his experience coming into the church and I know he touched many as he did so. I was so proud!

Everet and Darlene attended the temple for the first time last week in Snowflake, AZ. I am so grateful that my good grandparents were able to go and support some of my best friends and represent me on this special occasion :) Thanks for doing that!

Love you lots!

Sister Turley

Transfer Week in the WEM--Sister Turley

Dear Family and Friends, 

Drumroll...Tomorrow is transfers.....

AND I GET TO STAY WITH SISTER CUNNINGHAM IN EVERETT!!!!

And both my district leader and his companion are getting transferred, so I am hoping against hope that Elder Bloomfield will be in my District!

I am so excited to be with Sister Cunningham for transfer number three! I love her. We were talking this weekend about what may or may not happen at transfers and we were really hoping that we would get to stay together. We really feel like the investigators that we have right now have been hand-picked for us. We are grateful to both get to stay with them and help them progress in the Gospel.

Our investigator pool right now is pretty small, but in the words of Sister Cunningham, "it's legit." Our investigators truly have a desire to learn and we have been pretty good and discerning who wants to learn and others that we have been "making" learn. I am grateful that we have been blessed with that added measure of the Spirit to help us use our time most wisely. I have been praying regularly for that gift.

We have three investigators on date for baptism in October. We are really excited for that! Terri is on date for the 11th. She asks such great questions I almost wanted to cry. It really shows that she is taking the Gospel seriously and thinking about what it means for her. Jaime and Jennifer are on date for the 18th and are progressing as well.

We are really hoping to take our investigators to the "Come See For Yourself" fireside this month. I have also am looking forward to inviting our next door neighbor as well. His name is Louie, and he is probably the best neighbor I have ever had, ever. We share a backyard so we say "hello" to him often and he always has a friendly smile and something nice to say to us. He has also done countless acts of service for us and the members that live on the other side of our duplex. He even helped to install a new door that we got about a month ago per request of the housing coordinators. I think that he would enjoy the fireside, and hope he will say "yes." I guess I have another something to pray about. 

This week I have spent a lot of time on the essays and I am grateful for the experience. I have remembered things that I had forgotten about and had additional insights that I didn't realize would come from various experience I have had. Sister Cunningham and I also finished the Pearl of Great Price this morning with the Joseph Smith History. I am grateful for all the efforts Joseph Smith put in and all the trials and persecutions that he went through to follow God so that the rest of us could be blessed by the fullness of the Everlasting Gospel. While we do not worship Joseph Smith, we are all eternally indebted to him for all the work he did.

Love,

Sister Turley

                          Sometimes I really love tracting.