Week 21 (8/26/13)

Short and sweet again. And hour and a half goes by quick! But i sent some pics so you can have fun looking at those I guess!

SO! This week Michella got baptized in Utah! I got permission to call her and talk to her before. She seemed so happy! I was just beaming all day :) She's so amazing! 

We played the skittle game on Monday. Third place. My jaw still hurts and all of us almsot threw up! We did it with dice.... it was harder than the 2 color one.

It's been raining way too much. We have been stuck inside most of the week. The thunder is lovely here. I will go home and think that the thunder and lightening is so lame. I'm still a frady cat (frady... weird word haha) about it here though.

We had an AMAZING lesson with an investigator named Danae. We taught her the first lesson. Sister Whipple recited the first vision in Joseph Smith's words and the spirit was overwhelmingly powerful! I could not believe it! I almost started crying! We both bore our testimonies on it and I asked her if she felt that spirit? She breathed a sigh of releif and said "OH good! It wasn't just me!" She felt it SO strong! She was amazed that she felt so happy and that was so powerful! We asked her if she'd take that as her answer that it was true and she said yes! She even committed to be baptized! She's amazing. That was the most powerful first lesson I have ever taught/been in. Everytime I hear or testify the first vision I know without a doubt that it's true! You can't deny the spirit you feel! It was such an amazing experience.

We taught early morning Seminary on Tuesday. We thought we'd be exhaused all day but Heavenly Father blessed us with the strength and energy we needed! It was really fun! The youth here are amazing for waking us so early!

I got asked to join a band on Satuday.... on of the Elders investigators came to a baptism where I was playing the piano and he asked me after if I wanted to join his band that he was starting... he said it was kind of Christian. Of couse. I said yes.

Anyways! An amazing week here! The mission is awesome! It not easy... that's for sure! But it's worth every single second!

I love you all!

Have an amazing week!!!!!!

Love, Sister Calder

Week 20 (8/19/13)

First I would like to say this freaks me out.... I have really just been realizing how many people actually read this. So. Much. Pressure. So... I kind of forgot what went on this week cuz I didn't write it down before I came here! It's been pretty slow. Week 6 ya know... but I'm staying Naples for 4 more weeks! This transfer is only 4 weeks cuz we need to line up with the Haitian missionaries coming from the MTC. We are pretty excited!

We found a turtle shell. We made a pinky promise that we would pick up the next turtle that we found on the side of the road. We always take pictures but never pick them up. There are these things called snapping turtles that look.... really freaky. Like a mix of a dinosaur and alligator mushed into a turtle. So... you have to polk them with a stick to make sure they aren't one of those or we could lose a finger or something. So we poked it... and there was nothing in there! It was awesome... and so stinky. Good thing we were heading home for the night so Sister Whipple just held it while we barfed cuz of the stench. Then we put in on our lani (Ok.... what the. How do you spell that word!?)..... the screen door thing on our back porch. Then we boild some water and put it in a bucket. Hopefully that helped... we haven't checked on it yet....

 

Oh! We went to a Cathoic mass on Saturday! Michella's parents invited us! It was pretty interesting. We learned A LOT and already that knowledge from that has helped us connect better with people and teach people since there are lots of cathoics here. And it really helped me know better for myself that this is the true church. Honesly. I didn't have any doubts before, but now I really don't have any! We were so glad they invited us and everyone was so nice there. We are planning on going to a baptist church soon. It really was such a neat experience! Then Michelle and her dad came to church on Sunday! She is all set for being baptized on Friday and we couldn't be more excited for her! We had a crazy Saturday with the mass and then 2 baptisms in our ward! But it was so much fun!

 

You know how they say lock your heart? Well, Sister Miles gave me a real key to my heart! It's so awsome!!!!! Now it's locked for sure!

 

Eternal Families. That's what it's all about :) I love my family so much and am SO grateful for them in my life! I love sharing this message with other people! This is the best time of my life! I wouldn't trade it for anything! I love you all! Thanks for your letter of support and encouragment!

Never forget to stand for what you know to be true!

 

I love you!

Love, Sister Calder

Week 19 (8/12/13)

MICHELLA IS GETTING BAPTIZED!

No. Joke.

Remember how everyone talks about the joy you get of bringing someone into the gospel (D&C 15:6 I think...) yeah! I've TOTALLY felt it! It is the most amazing feeling I have ever felt in my whole life! And the funny thing is, it wasn't even me! It was all the spirit! She came back to visit and her mom and her (grammar.... I know....) invited us over for dinner. She could hardly contain her excitement as she told me she was getting baptized on August 23rd! I AM SO HAPPY! I literally almost fell off my chair when she told me! She was glowing with the spirit and so happy!!! THIS GOSPEL IS SO TRUE! :D It was one of the happiest I have ever been in my whole life! :) :) :)

Dolorez and Mane (the Albanian couple we are teaching) we just love them to death! They came to church and the person that drove them in our ward told us afterwords that Dolorez told her- "We believe the girls." They believe us :) Sister Whipple and I are going crazy!

Anyways! There is nothing more exciting than that! Everyone told me that home seems like it's in your imagination after a while. I'm getting to that point! Here is home.... and home is not real. It's the weirdest. It didn't stop... I figured that out. But now it just seems like it's not even real! Weird right?!

We had an awesome ward party on Saturday as well that we planned!

 

I love being a missionary! I love this church! I love all of you so much! Stay strong and remember why you are here!!!!

 

Also...

I was the hottest day since I've been here! 100 and super high humidity! I love it! :) :)

 

Love, Sister Calder :)

Week 18 (8/6/13)

This week was great! A little slow, but really fun as always :) We went to a Members house for dinner on Tuesday and they invited a really cool girl! They basically taught her the first lesson while we just testified! That's how it's supposed to go people! The spirit was so strong! Really it's becuase they loved her already and she knew that, so the spirit can be felt really strong when there is love there :) Member missionary work. Member missionary work. Member missionary work. It's amazing :) Have I mentioned Hastening the Work of Salvation website? Cuz really. That's where it's at :) I have seen all the videos a million times and I still love it!!! :D

The Albanian couple we are teaching is UNBELIEVABLE! No joke. I seriously love them to no end. And she can't stop telling us how much she loves us! Her husband like I had said, is paralized on his right side. Just like my dad. Sometimes it brings back memories. It's been hard actually to see it. But it just makes me love him that much more. It's amazing how they were placed in our path. We even order an Albanian BOM and gave it to them yesterday! And now I know where Albania is. The things we learn out here.... :)

One of our investigators is also ENGAGED... I might have mentioned that... but it's REALLY exicting! :D

On Saturday we went to the Ray's baseball game near Tampa. It took us 2 1/2 hours to get there and we were only there for 2 1/2 hours. Bless the souls of the members who drove us. I loved every single second of it!!!! I didn't watch a spec of the game but I got to talk to my favorite people out here! Sister Lee and Sister Miles! Really I talked to Sister Lee the whole time. I cannot even tell you how much I loved it and how much I really needed it! Almost all the missionaries from our mission sat in one section. Then there were about 30ish missionaries who sang the National Anthem! When they announced that missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were going to sing we all cheered really loud. Everyone flipped their heads right towards us. We loved it:) lots of white shirts in one section I tell you that :) We only stayed for like one inning cuz we had to be home by 11:00. :) It was thee greatest. They do it every year so I will get to go next year too :) hopefully I won't be so far down this time so I can stay longer :)

Also, I ordered a new name tag cuz mine is getting worn down. I ordered it and it came..... is said Sister Caulder.... no joke. Oh my goodness. Hahahaha. Sooooo I blacked out the U. People were really confused on Sunday when I wore it haha.

 

But I love you all so much! Thanks for your letters, prayers and support!

 

Alma 29:13

Alma 29:1-4

 

ALso.... I ate cactus..... :) thee end.