huzzah!

27 April 2015

We had a grand week this week!  So grand, that i do not have time to even begin on it :) but allow these pictures to tell you something!

<3

He's a sly one

20 April 2015

Heavenly Father is tricky.  Truly.  I need to update you on one of the greatest miracles of my mission.

Samantha. 

She's the one that I met when I was a month out on my mission in Fairbanks.  then, remember? that we walked five miles to church once?  But then she moved to anchorage to be with an exboyfriend and broke my heart. 

 God knew what he was doing, see, and sent me after her.  I opened the area book and found myself staring at my own handwriting, because her record was there.  CRAZY.  okay.  its great.  so we start teaching her again, and she was different this time.  A little of her happy go lucky light had been snuffed.  She spoke more seriously, and sighed more.

Samantha is a funny one. I couldn't even really tell for a while if she wanted to be taught again.  Something told us to continue though.

weeks have passed, and it takes me stepping back to see that Samantha has changed even since I have gotten here.  She started, I dunno... actively listening. Samantha is athabaskan, which is a native tribe from Canada, and somehow almost all the other people we're teaching are Alaska native women.  so she had a support group.  We started a weekly discussion group at bishop's house, so that investigators could teach each other, and she came.  when we were introducing ourselves, she said "there's something here that I want".  that was one of the first times I saw her take a step toward the church. 

she clicked with an incredible recent convert named trina, who is also native.  They have a spiritual kindship, and its cool to see. it came to a point when we needed to have a DTR, and so we opted to teach Baptism again, in detail this time.

 I found myself pouring my heart into that lesson.  telling her all about my experience with her as a new missionary.  How I had hoped and prayed so much for her, how I felt she had so much potential.  How I felt like our work wasn't done together, and she could be more than what she was right now, and that the way to do that was to be baptized. 

And you know what?  She accepted.  This time, she gets it.  she knows its gonna be hard but she reckognizes it needs to happen.  MIRACLE.  and get this,  this is my favorite part.

The very first time we met,

walking around the block 100 times and being eatin by mosquitos, while teaching the restoration, she told us that she had a vision.  she saw herself on a brick wall overlooking a large expanse of water, gazing at the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen, a gorgeous rainbow sunset.  She couldn't get it out of her head, and she wanted to be there, she just didn't know how. 

Well, last time we met with her, was in the wonderful establishment of mcdonalds.  Her vision came up again, and I jokingly said:  "well, guess the way to get across the water to the sunset would be to go under it!  Gotta get baptized girl!"  Instead of a laugh, she stared at me in disbelief and said: "say that again..... "  so I repeated and she started freaking out, telling me that I had finally given her the answer she had sought for 20 years.  her whole vision had suddenly clicked with her. 

So the point being- god knows us.  I have heard or seen many conversion stories on my mission, and ALL are different.  but all are individually tailored to the person's needs. 

Yours can be too.  reach out to him, he's reaching back.

Have a great week!

Sister Galli 

Mission days

13 April 2015

What do you tell someone who just tried to commit suicide? 

How do you helps someone addicted to chewing tobacco? 

How do you calm someone down who is having an emotional and mental breakdown?

What do you do when an alcoholic, ex gang banger, former meth addict, and mother of five kids comes to you for advice, when they are twice your age?

It cracks me up when people think that missionaries are sheltered weirdo's when they get home.  Yeah, when I come home, I will probably talk more about the gospel than normal, I may not want to watch a movie with you that you think is perfectly fine, I may even accidentally lecture you on your spiritual health. 

But this mission, THIS is real life.  not the other way around.  The questions above are actual questions I have had to answer this week, and it has been quite the trip.  Luckily, for me, the Name tag and status of a missionary mean these are not actually questions I have to answer alone.  The Lord provides.  I am so glad that I wear a badge because Sister Galli was able to speak the spirit's words okay, but Laurel would have been toast in these situations.  burnt. toast. 

About an hour after we stopped talking to an incredible recent convert, that is trying her best to become worthy again, about her suicidal thoughts, she texted us and said she was in the ER with her mom because her mom had tried to kill herself by overdose.  We rushed over and lemme tell you.... Being a missionary is so amazing.   You look around at the situation and say: "I should be freakin out right now.  I'm a dang kid and they expect us to solve their problems?"  but instead, you look at the tag, know you represent Christ, and walk in totally calm.  It was so cool.  we were able to apparently say the right things.  I don't know how anyone can do anything without the spirit.

That was one of many eye opening experiences.  only a half hour before that, we had spent time with an ex gangster, who had at one point been thrown into prison facing 60 years, who had his case remarkably dropped.  He told us how easy it was to get into gangs.  in fact for him, it had seemed like the only possible thing to do. Soon he was flashing gold rings, and packing thousands of dollars of cocaine.  the whole 9 yards.  And the Lord is so good!  I think he really wants his children to get to know eachother.  He allowed us to find this man, who is probably the most positive family man and sweetest guy I've met on my mission, and teach him.  Two girls from Utah, trying to help an ex convict.

But really its not our job. It think that's been one of the most amazing elements of this mission, learning what it means to be an instrument in the lord's hands while HE does HIS work.  I felt like I spent the whole week just watching while he did amazing things.

Anyway.  Don't really know exactly what I am trying to accomplish by telling you this,  just that being a servant of god is such an adventure.  such a blessing.  Sacrifice?  Nah.  privilege.

Love you all

Sister G

Miracle on A street

6 April 2015

Its really hard to write these group emails lately, cause..... there are too many miracles to share.  As i write this, i still don't know what to start with.  Do i tell you about the young single mother that was inspired by conference and wants to get married then baptized on her birthday? Do i tell you about Terry, our new black investigator, and how we couldn't recognize him from the changes he's already made? Do i tell you about the tear streaked phone call we received this morning, and how we listened to a sorrowful friend weep a prayer to her heavenly father when she is, in the same moment, so mad at god for taking away all those who have been closest to her? do i tell you about Ma'Lorie and Ciarra, a mother daughter duo who are struggling valiantly to repair their torn relationship after 20 years of alcoholism and foster life? 

Each of these stories would probable touch your heart, and all of them have something in common.

The atonement remakes people.  If the fall tore us from God in multiple ways, the atonement mends that, and even creates a stronger bond than the one we usually have. 

The mission has taught me something incredible.  Spiritual healing comes when we help others to spiritually heal.  Christ is so very proficient at mending torn hearts, he loves to do it, and he loves to teach us to do the same. 

Heal someone this week.  Even just a little bit.  Its so much easier than we sometimes think.  Spiritual healing doesn't usually come with a sudden realization and "home makeover" type experience.  It usually starts with a call from a friend, a plate of cookies, a note encouragement.

I hope to have the time to tell you all of these stories soon, but for now, you can see a story before your very eyes.  Start someone's process of healing today.

Love you :)

Sister Galli