Monday, October 27, 2014

Such an Amazing Week!



 At Brandon's baptism.



 Blanca
This pic is for Savannah and Dad. We pulled up into the church one night and there was this dog in the driver's seat looking like he was about to drive away. It was funny.

Hello family! 

So this week was one of the best of my mission. Of my life! So, so many miracles. I don't even understand how Heavenly Father is blessing me so much. I'm very grateful.
 
Okay, where to even start? On Tuesday Brandon had his baptismal interview and passed! It was so awesome. We were talking with him after and guess what?! He started talking about how he wants to serve a mission. Can you believe it? Sister Nelson and I were just dying of happiness. He's such a good kid. I'm very grateful we met him that night. It really was all the Holy Ghost. 

As is the case with the Adversary, he likes to oppose. The day of the baptism was pretty stressful. We got to the church early to fill up the font and had some issues with that. And the Relief Society room was a disaster. I've never seen a room in a church building so trashed. There was garbage everywhere and the chalkboard needed cleaned, none of the chairs were set up. The Seattle stake center is not known for cleanliness, that's for sure. It took us over an hour to get everything cleaned up, etc. But it all turned out well. There was a lot of ward support at the baptism, especially from the youth. It was a beautiful program. Brandon looked so happy. After he was baptized he bore his testimony and talked about how happy he was and how he's grateful he found this church. It was just so simple and honest. The Spirit was so strong. Such a happy day. Then the next day at church he received the gift of the Holy Ghost and was given the Priesthood. He was just beaming. 

Some more miracles... I don't know if I told you about Pratap and Chandra. They're a very sweet little family from Nepal. They speak pretty good English. Pratap (the husband) became Christian about a year ago and has a very basic understanding of Christianity. Sister Nelson and I realized that we needed to take things slowly and simply. So we made these prayer sandwiches. They're so cute! I wish I had taken a picture of them but we've already given them to our investigators. It was a sandwich that we made out of paper... two slices of bread, lettuce, tomato, cheese, mustard, etc. We built the sandwich just like we pray. The first slice says "Dear Heavenly Father." The mustard says "Thank you for", etc. He loved it and he said a prayer out loud for the first time ever in his life. It was so sweet and after the prayer he had the biggest smile on his face and Chandra was overjoyed. She was even clapping. haha. It was just so cute. 

Guess what?! Do you remember Gina? She was that incredible investigator who was progressing and preparing for baptism and then her family and friends filled her with negative things about the church and she was confused. Well this last week we saw her and we're seeing her again next week. I love her so much and I am so happy that we're going to start teaching her. Keep her in your prayers. She is so ready for the gospel! 

And then the last miracle to share! Do you remember last week how we met Jeff and Mayra? Well this weekend we taught their whole family the Restoration. And they are so prepared! They are very humble and willing to listen and have so many wonderful questions. They're looking for a church and something to unify their family but they haven't found anything that fits yet. They have two kids--Angel (boy, 15) and Carla (girl, 14). It was really stormy outside while we were teaching and in the middle of the lesson the power went out! It was crazy. So they got flashlights and candles and then we finished the lesson. Definitely an adventure. I've never taught in the dark before. We have a return appointment for next week. Please keep them in your prayers. I'm so excited. I've been looking for a family to teach my whole mission. 

Ah, mission life just really is the greatest. I love it so much. I am so blessed to be here. Transfers are next week.... My last transfer. I can't believe it. I really hope that I get to stay here in Burien with Sister Nelson. But I will go wherever Heavenly Father wants me to go and I will work as hard as I possibly can to help people come closer to Christ. That truly is the way to happiness. I know that Heavenly Father is real and that He loves us. Jesus Christ is our Savior. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's true church. We are so blessed to be a part of it. Read your scriptures every day. Repent every day. CTR! I love you.
Love,
Sister Veronica White

Monday, October 20, 2014

I Am So HAPPY!


Hello family!

I am just so happy, words can't even express it. I really think this is the happiest time of my life. So Brandon is officially getting baptized this Saturday. I know we've talked about it a lot, but we had the most amazing lesson on Friday and he told us that in the past there were always little doubts in his mind and deep down he knew he wouldn't make that date. But he feels differently about this one. He said he's confident that he will be prepared for baptism this Saturday. He went to see Meet the Mormons this last week with the youth and he said he feels like that's what really made the difference. He loved the movie. We talked about the priesthood at our Young Mens President's home. It's cool because our YMP was baptized when he was nineteen so he and Brandon can relate a lot. Also Brandon came to the Member and Missionary fireside last night. More on that, later. But the Spirit was so strong! 

This last week we went tracting with Sister Miller (she's in our ward, but she's also part of the Mission Presidency). Sister Nelson and I were a bit intimidated. But it was incredible! We had such a great evening and met lots of new people that we're going to start teaching. There was this one little family from Kenya. Their son, Lyon, was just about the cutest thing ever. He loved when we sang "I Am a Child of God" and he was just so funny. I know that Heavenly Father led us to them. Another cool miracle we had a different night during tracting... we knocked on this door and this lady named Mayra answered and looked so tired. She said she was busy taking care of her husband and didn't have time to talk to us. But then in the background we hear the husband tell her to invite us in so we can say a prayer with them. We found out that he had just been in the ER that morning because of a seizure. They both looked exhausted and broken. We sang and prayed with them and they were so touched. They started visiting with us and they have been so humbled and prepared to accept the gospel. We found out that the husband, Jeff, even has a copy of the Book of Mormon. He had a friend serve a mission. Jeff said that every now and then he'll open up his Book of Mormon and read a few verses. I know that Heavenly Father needed us to meet Jeff and Mayra. I'm grateful we were led by the Holy Ghost to be in that neighborhood to go tracting. We have a return appointment for next week. 

We had dinner with Blanca this Sunday. And her son who's not a member ate with us. He's eighteen or nineteen. He hasn't been interested in taking the lessons. But he stayed for the message that we shared and then Blanca invited him to come to the Member and Missionary fireside. And he came! Those meetings are amazing. New converts bear their testimony about how and why they joined the church. And there's music and President Choi speaks, too. It was so good!

And that brings me to my last miracle I want to share with you guys. The Member and Missionary fireside was in Shoreline (my old area, Carkeek Park!). So I was really hoping to see some people I knew. I got to see Sister Hoopes, whom I love dearly! And guess what? Pat was with her! The gator Sister Salabao and I were working with while we were there. She's the cute old lady that's kind of a recluse. She was there! I couldn't believe it. Sister Salabao came and got me after and took me over to see them. Pat got teary eyed when she saw both of us back together. And Sister Hoopes did too and said she misses us and she's grateful for us. That if it weren't for us Pat wouldn't be there tonight. I know it's not because of us. We were led by the Holy Ghost to meet her and then try her back again even though she had told us she wasn't interested. I love Shoreline! I am so happy I got to see them last night. I love Sister Hoopes so much. Definitely coming back up and visiting them after. I am so grateful to be a missionary and to have met so many wonderful people. I love being a missionary. I love the people of Seattle. I love Sister Nelson! I love this gospel and I love my Savior! I love you all. CTR! 

Love,
Sister Veronica White

Monday, October 13, 2014

Halfway Through This Transfer

Hello family! 

This was a good week. We had Zone Conference. I absolutely love being a missionary. And I am so blessed and happy that I am a missionary in the Washington Seattle mission! I love President Choi. 

Blanca is doing so well. She signed up to feed us next Sunday. That'll be so fun! She is so happy. Being around her I always feel so uplifted. I'm so grateful Heavenly Father let me meet her.  

Brandon is doing well. He has a new date of October 25 for baptism. He is so close! Just a few thing to get over, but all will be well. Please keep him in your prayers. Pray for him that he will be able to recognize answers Heavenly Father is giving him. Pray for him to have the courage to move forward and be baptized. He's such a good kid. 

This last week we went and did the morning schedule (exercise, breakfast, and studies) with a set of our sisters. It was so much fun. We made them breakfast sandwiches on biscuits I made. It was a lot of fun. I'm really grateful to be a sister training leader. It's been really, really hard at times but I've learned so much from my sisters. And I'm so grateful to be with Sister Nelson. I love her so much. She is incredible. I love being in Burien. It's started raining. This last week it rained so hard. We went out tracting in it and it was fun. I'm grateful for the rain, too. Pretty much I just feel very grateful. As my mission gets closer and closer to the end I'm often overwhelmed with gratitude for the blessings I've received. I am so grateful for the last sixteen months. They have changed me as I've become better through the Atonement of my Savior. I am changed forever. I love it. I love you! Have a great week. Study conference. CTR. Fill your life with good things. 

Love,
Sister Veronica White

Monday, October 6, 2014

Amazing Week!


Hello family!

I know I must say this every week. But this was such an incredible week. Lots of miracles and happiness and spiritual experiences. I love being a missionary! 

This week I went on two exchanges--back to back. I've gotten good at this exchange thing. Heavenly Father really does know us and He's helped me to learn so many things on my mission. One of those being flexibility. 

Jimmy is doing well. He's liking the Book of Mormon. He won't be able to be baptized on the 25th anymore because he hasn't been to church yet. His back causes him a lot of pain and troubles. But he is still progressing and offered such a heartfelt, sincere prayer at our last lesson. I love getting to hear investigators' prayers. They are always so sincere and I feel like I learn a lot from them. 

Blanca is doing so great. She is so happy and loves the gospel! On Friday we had a lesson with her. Then we had a lesson with Brandon right after and our fellowship ended up cancelling. We have to have another girl to meet with him so we asked Blanca if she would come. She did and she was amazing! She hasn't even been a member for a week and she came and taught a lesson with us. And she really did teach. She offered the sweetest opening prayer praying for Brandon to receive an answer. And then at one point Sister Nelson and I had just bore our testimonies and she jumped right in and talked about how she knows Joseph Smith is a prophet and how she knows Brandon can receive an answer if he prays with faith. So cute! 

Pray for Brandon. His baptism is supposed to be happening this weekend. But he still feels like he hasn't received an answer about Joseph Smith. I don't know why it's taking so long. He comes to church, prays, reads everyday. Just really keep him in your prayers please. I know if it's God's will, He can perform a miracle and Brandon can be baptized this weekend. He came to the Sunday morning of General Conference and he really liked it. 

This was just a really incredible weekend. On Friday we had Zone Training and Sister Nelson and I trained and it was so much fun. We were training on love and how God is love and we need to love our comps, gators, etc. We played this game to start it off. The whole meeting was really great. And then after we got to watch Meet the Mormons. It was so good! I loved it. That was the first movie I've seen in 16 months. (Besides the Restoration movie) You all need to go and see it. It was very uplifting. I just love this gospel so much! It helps us in all aspects of our lives. It is for everyone! Then of course we had General Conference which was a spiritual feast. So good! I loved every minute of it and was so sad when it was over. It wasn't long enough. And now we have to wait another six months. Sad. I was also so sad when it was over because this is the last General Conference I'll have as a missionary. I hate how those moments keep coming up... "This is the last ... as a missionary." Lame.

I am so happy. I love this gospel so much. It is for everyone. It brings us happiness. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that we have a loving Heavenly Father. I love you all so much. Pray sincerely everyday!
Love,
Sister Veronica White