Week 57 (5/5/14)

This week has been really special :) I feel so lucky to be on my
mission, in Florida, at this time. Like I've said before, every day I
see more and more that I am supposed to be here at this exact time in
this exact place!
the Fort Lauderdale temple was dedicated yesterday and we got the
opportunity to be a part of it! President Uchtdorf dedicated it and it
was awesome. He even gave us permission to sleep in church! No joke.
He said it means you are peaceful haha. Let's just say- we're taking
that advice! But it really was an amazing experience! Hearing all the
sacrifices from everyone to get that temple was super humbling and
inspiring. He said that since the temple was so close now they should
all go at least once or twice a month at least. And if you can,
weekly! Just think about us folk in Utah... We've got like 8 temples
within 30minutes.... I'm pretty sure we can do that! :D but the
dedication was great! We went to 2 of the 3 sessions (it's the closest
thing we get to the temple so we've got to take every opportunity) and
the spirit was so strong! It was great :) besides that I got to see 3
people from Naples singing in the small choir! Ah. I love the temple.
And I miss it a lot!

I'm going to go super missionary on you all. I've been praying A LOT
this week because everyone from home has just been on my mind so
strongly. And this is what I felt very impressed to write.

I've been more homesick lately than I have in a while; but I've come
to realize that it's totally fine! The mission is thee hardest thing
I've ever had to do, and it takes me away from those I love. But it
gives me a chance to serve the one who gave me my family, and the one
I love the most. My Savior is my best friend and my greatest example.
I love Him more than I can even explain. I've come to rely on him more
than ever on my mission. I know that he is there, I can always feel
him. Even in those times where I feel completely alone, I always get a
calm whisper that he's there, and has been there every single second.
I know that our Savior loves each of us with a perfect, complete, and
never ending love that we will never fully comprehend. He wants us to
be happy, and to enjoy our life here. That's why we have the gospel,
it's here to bring us that eternal joy that everyone is searching for
whether they know it or not.

Our Savior is the only way to this joy. I know it because I've seen it
first hand in my life, and the lives of those around me. Because the
gospel has the path to eternal joy, it also brings the GREATEST sorrow
and pain that I've ever felt in my whole life. It comes from seeing
people I've always loved, and have come to love, not accept this
amazing gift.

We NEED the gospel. Just as much as we need air to breathe. It may not
seem like it, but as my testimony has grown I know that I cannot live
without it. We NEED those saving ordinances performed in the temple.
We NEED a living prophet to lead us and guide us through the world
today. We NEED prayer, scripture study, and personal revelation. We
NEED the Atonement so we can be whole, and we can be healed. We NEED
our Heavenly Father and our Savior. Without them, we cannot make it
back.

It's not an easy road. Maybe that's why so many people fall away even
when they know it's true. There will be trials that come not only
because the adversary is real, but also because trials are natural to
every single person.

But the path is so simple. It's not complicated, but it does take
determination and dedication. We need to be willing to leave
everything behind and do whatever it takes! Especially because these
are the last days and sitting on the fence and jumping sides isn't an
option anymore. But we still have the Atonement to bring us right back
to the other side if we fall. Never forget that none of us are ever
too far gone. That's who he did it for, all of us, but each of
individually.

I KNOW that we were not only saved, but prepared for these latter
days. In the CES devotional last night Elder Ballard told us that we
are at war. We are all here to prepare the way for our Savior. I'm so
grateful for my knowledge of the gospel and of our Redeemer. I'm here
because of Jesus Christ. I'm going to do everything I can do follow
him and bring others the blessings of this restored true gospel.

It's all true.

If you don't know that for yourself yet, it's okay, because we have
prayer. And we don't have to know it's true, we just have to believe!
One prayer with a sincere heart and real intent will change not only
your life, the the lives of so many others. :) It could change the
world! We have proof of that. And it's so easy to just ask.

1 Nephi 10:17-19 is actually what I read this morning

 

 

 

 

Also.... here's the link for the devotional. It's awesome! It talks about how we can use technology better! It's great for everyone!

 

https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/watch/ces-devotionals/2014/05?cid=HPFR050214762&lang=eng

 

Annnnd here's the link for an awesome video my comps and I have been watching over and over and over again.... it's SO good.

 

https://www.lds.org/youth/video/come-unto-christ-2014-theme-song?lang=eng

 

I love you all so much! I hope you have an amazing week! :)

 

Love, Sister Calder :)

 

Weird side notes since this isn't one of my weird emails...

We almost burned our house down by roasting egg shapped marshmallows (that Sister A gave to me for my birthday in the greatest package ever!) in our fire place. Yes, for some weird reason we have a fireplace in our aparment. So we start a fire and just start rosting... then the fire alarms go off and it's crazyness... I'm so good with fire...

Also we had this awesome "zone development day" last pday where we basically played outside all day and had a talent show and everything with our zone! It was great! Sand volleyball is great in Florida... the sand does burn your feet really bad though! But it was awesome :)

Pineapple bush

Awesome frog

My name in Chinese

Pedicures

Package from Sister A

The minion family completed by Sister A and Rowan

Package from Kathryn

David, who's getting baptized Sunday!

Making Brazilian desserts!

How I entertain children in lessons...

It's been raining all week!

Burning our house down

Temple Dedication

Weird mirror pics

Sister Upshaw and Me at zone conference 

Visiting a little girl at the hospital

Week 56 (4/28/14)

Sorry about the SUPER downer letter last week. That was awful. I'm

really sorry. Sometimes I think things are the end of the world and

they really aren't. Good thing I'm pretty good at getting over things!

Everyone didn't need to know all that and hear my complaining. I guess

that just shows you that it's not real peachy here all the time, and

it gets emotional. Like I've said, you have some of your lowest lows

and some of you highest highs on the mission.

Good thing this week I've had some of the highest highs I've had on my

mission so far :)

We met this man named David. Apparently he'd been calling the sisters

and wanting to pray with them and things. He had a card from

missionaries from forever ago, but has kept it even from moving and

throwing away a lot of other things. We had a lesson on the

restoration with him and he just said that all if it makes sense. He

couldn't stop thanking us for meeting with him. Lately we have been

working on mentioning baptism in the first lesson. So with him, we

did. The next time we went over to his house a couple days later, the

first thing he said to us was- "last time you mentioned that baptism

thing, how can I do that?"

Haha you should have seen all our faces!!!! None of us have ever been

asked that before. We just smiled sooooo big and Sister Bennett

explained a little more.

He wanted to do it SO bad! He was SO excited! So the next meeting we

had (I was on exchanges, but the other sisters were there) we set a

date with him! Sister Orfila is leaving on May 14th back to temple

square, so we've been praying and seeking out someone who can get

baptized before she leaves. She wanted it so bad, and knew it could

happen! And the second David said that, we knew he was the one! :D

We asked him to pray about May 11th as his date (we only have 2

Sundays left until Sister Orfila leaves. You have to come to Sacrament

at least 2 times before getting baptized. And we have 3 Sundays left,

but the Fort Lauderdale temple open house is the upcoming Sunday so he

can't come to that one... But he'll just get baptized after church so

more of the ward can be there to support), he called us 20 minutes

later so excited telling us that May 11th felt so good and he was so

excited!

This is my first experience like this! I'd always heard stories about

people who were so prepared and got baptized so quickly, but I never

thought it'd happen to me!

Oh my goodness you have no idea. I. Am. SOOOO. HAPPY!!!!!!

I literally cannot even explain my joy! My cheeks hurt from smiling as

we gave him a church tour and he could feel the spirit and was in awe

by everything. I swear... He was ready to just jump right in the font!

He told us he'd be shaving his beard and getting a hair cut for his

baptism haha. I love him so much already :>

I can't believe how prepared he was. He's been being prepared by our

Heavenly Father for years. Now we get to be the ones to see it all

happen!!!! I feel like we've done absolutely NOTHING. That's when you

know it's all the spirit, and you rememberer that you actually never

do anything. We just get to be the instruments :D

This gospel truly does bring true happiness and joy in our lives! It's

the greatest thing in the world and changes peoples lives :>

Lately I've been worried that my mission hasn't been changing anyone

or even me. I've been wondering if I've done enough so far and if

Heavenly Father is pleased with my work. On Wednesday I asked out

bishop here for a blessing. The first thing he said in the blessing

was that my Heavenly Father was very pleased with the work that I have

done so far :) it was exactly what I needed to hear. I didn't even

tell bishop anything that I was struggling with, but Heavenly Father

knew :) it was just another testimony to me that my Heavenly Father

knows me so well and knows exactly what I am needing right now!

The blessing mainly was for me to love this area, the people, and to

know this is where I'm supposed to be (obviously from my break down

last week you can tell I've been struggling with this). I didn't

necessarily get my answer from the blessing directly, but a couple

days later we went on exchanges with our STL's. We thought it was

weird that they wanted my comps to stay in the area and me to leave.

But it was EXACTLY what I needed. Imagine that right? ;) as I was

there I was just wanting to go back to our area. I realized how much I

loved it and how much I loved everyone there! It was the most amazing

feeling to finally know that I'm supposed to be here!

I love it :) I know it was inspired and that even though it really

didn't make sense at first for me to get transferred here, I now know

I'm supposed to be here. :)

God hears and answers our prayers.

Always. No matter what. :)

I know it :)

I finished reading the Book of Mormon again this morning.

It's true :)

And I don't know it's true by simply asking and praying. I know it's

true because when I read it, I can feel it! Ah. I love it so much. It

just contains everything we need. I love the last 3 verses in Moroni

10. Basically it says everything that we need to do to come back and

become like our Heavenly Father :>

Reading the Book of Mormon will change your life :)

I love you all! Just be happy :) it's easy when we know who we are and

what our potential could be.

Loads of mushy love,

The Floridian Sister Calder ;)

(Let's be honest, that does not sound as cool as the other Sister

Calder's name….)

Terri's baptism that I got to Skype into :D

I'm finally gonna throw these shoes away they stink… And are falling apart. They had areally good run though!

My awesome sunburn… First one of the summer!

Sometimes we feed the ducks with fishy crackers

My Comps have my back

We teach an English class to Chinese people. We had them look at the picture and describe to it the one drawing. haha!

What we do when Sister Bennett gets gas

Cupcake!