Week 53 (4/7/14)

General conference was THEE BEST!!!!

You all probably already knew that, but really! If you didn't watch

it... Well get off reading this email, and watch it! It will change

your life! I think being a missionary really helps you understand

better the significance of conference... I love it SOOO much!!! I

can't even explain how excited all the missionaries get ;) GC weekend

is like better than Christmas and a birthday party combined (it's the

on 19th.... My birthday... You can start sending your cards now in

case you forgot ;) haha also- my companions birthday is on the 24th so

I feel like everyone should send her a hilarious card as well :) it'll

make her day) We have a living prophet and apostles. What they say is

SCRIPTURE for our day. They are speaking directly from our father in

heaven! Ah! Talk about the coolest thing EVER. I'm pretty sure if

Moses or Abraham were here we would all drop everything to hear them.

Saaaaaammmmeeee thing :) I know I can't tell you how important it is,

you've got to figure that out, but i sure do have a testimony of our

prophet and the power that comes from hearing him speak and listening

to the things they say. It's so powerful! I went in with 3 questions

and the first 2 were answered within the first hour of conference and

continued to be answered as the sessions went on. I know I'm being one

of those missionaries right now, but I just wanted to make sure you

had a formal invitation. Remember- there's no excuses ;) watch them

all! If you don't watch every single one you'll miss something that

you need, or you might even miss Elder Hollands AMAZING talk. Pretty

much, he shattered my bones and made me want to cry, it was so

powerful.

Love. The world is all about love :) that is the main theme I got from it! :D

I'm gonna get off my little soap box now... Haha sorry I know everyone

just LOVES those emails from missionaries where they get chastised. I

promise I didn't want to chastise you! I just care so much about

everyone and I want you all to know how you can receive the peace and

answers you're looking for :) we showed one of our investigators a

clip from General Conference explaining to her what it was, and she

said their voices were so peaceful and brought her comfort :) we

explained to her that was the spirit because they were the Lords

representatives on the earth today :)

We had a cool lesson with Sister Maraj, our less active who's now been

coming back!! she's the greatest :) our little grandma away from home

:) I can't tell you how much I miss my grandmas by the way! But we

just sang hymns with her :) the spirit was so strong even though I'm a

horrible singer haha but music is just so powerful! It's like with

that one woman we got a referral for in Lakeland. We just sang to her

on her porch "I am a Child of God" the first time we met her and she

cried as we sang. At her baptism Sister Beck said she said 2 angels

were sent to her to sing to her and bring her comfort :)

We picked strawberries with Mikayla and the young women's president.

:) that was fun! I've never done that before! But both Sister Upshaw

and I did not have good effects afterwords from eating those berries

right off the vine... On or way there Terri Tadle texted us telling us

she wanted to move her baptism up to the 19th!!!!!! We were

ESTHETIC!!!!! Best. Birthday. Present. EVER!!! I cannot even explain

my love for her! She is one of the most amazing women I have ever met

:) she has so much faith! We decided to call Sister Lazenby (who is

actually my cousin Danny's aunt who's in my ward here) and ask her to

give a talk at her baptism cuz Terri said that she'd love that! She

was her visiting teacher a long time ago and Terri just loves her.

Sister Lazenby has been going through a really hard time lately. She

has a lot of Heath issues and it's been so hard for her. But she's

such an amazing example of pushing to the end and never giving up!

When we told her Terri was getting baptized she cried and said this

was the news that she needs right now to help her keep going because

she'd been really discouraged lately. You never know how much you can

effect someone else's life!

In conference they told you all to tell us (the missionaries) what

you're learning in Preach my Gospel :) I would LOVE to hear what

everyone's learning! I have studied it every single day of my mission

and I still get stuff out of it every day! It's helped me teach

simpler and with more power. It's the perfect thing for everyone to

study so we can all be better missionaries and not tell people we meet

about Outer Darkness, Kolob, and becoming Gods.... Studying PMG will

help a lot more with member teaching I think ;)

I hit my 1 year mark. Of course, we partied. That went by so quickly,

yet I feel like I've been here my whole life! While we were sitting at

our birthday lunch with our grandmas I was just thinking how normal it

all was and then realized that this was totally not normal and I

haven't been doing it forever. It's so weird.

Cool story- while on exchanges with our STL's we were contacting in

downtown Sarasota. We met these two super awesome gay men. They said

they had sen the BOM play and liked it a lot and then they had

researched Mormons a lot. We told them about the temple open house in

Ft. Lauderdale. They said they wanted to see it, you know.... A lot of

the time people don't do what we tell them to haha but we fb friended

this couple annnnnnnddddd they posted a picture of them at the

temple!!!!!! They told everyone how beautiful it was and they shared

how anyone could go and see it even when they were getting ridicule

from their friends comments. Ahhhhh :) so cool.

They mentioned Florida twice in conference.... Just sayin'....

Also- listen to the spirit. Remember my email last week? Well Sister

Upshaws mom emailed her and said that she needed to hear what I said,

even though I thought it was funny that I was writing that in my email

but I just felt like I needed to. I love the spirit :)

Also- we get to hangout with Ernie and Ashley all day today at the

beach :) we are pretty excited :)

The church is trrrrrrrrrrruuuuuuueeeeee :D

I love you all. A lot :) party whenever there's something to

celebrate... It will make you happier.

Love, Sister Calder :)

Picking stgrawberries

creepy

How we party. One year mark

I got to see Ernie and Ashley last night. :) They came down to see me! We are going to the beach all day today! I love them so much!

Old Lady Lunch

Florida Sunsets

Week 38 (12/23/13)

THis week was awesome! Finally we are able to do work! This opening thing is not as much fun as teaching people ya know? BUt..... it's got to be done. SO there ya go! I love teaching though man....

We had our Christmas COnference.... ON THE BEACH... Siesta Keys, rated one of the nicest beach's in the WORLD.... maybe the US. But since I don't actually know we'll just keep it at world. 

I'm SOOOOO excited for Christmas! SO excited! I can't wait to talk to my family! That's all I really care about! DOn't worry, we're being taken care of here! Even though it's a new ward we have been invited to so many people's houses! It's great! 

Also, I forgot to mention that I'm serving in Sarasota Springs FLorida.... weird eh? 

I have calluses on my knees. This is not a joke. Weird right?! Hardwood floors will do that too you. Lot's of praying. And it always works! Always. I love prayer! I have such a strong testimony of it! ;) 

We have a member who owns Texas Roadhouse and we get to eat there for free whenever we want! Yep. Dream come true. 

I love this gospel. SO MUCH. SO MUCH! I can't deny it's true! At all! This time of year has made me realize how much family means around the holiday's. But it's been amazing to really just have a completely Christ centered Christmas though :) I love it. 

I love the work. 

Keep it hastening. 

Thank you for all the amazing support and love! I can feel all of your prayers! 

Love you all! 

Love, Sister Calder ;) 

President Cusick and Us

Sand Angels

White Christmas

Week 11 (6/17/13)

Dear... everyone...

Honestly I don't even know who reads this, I think I'm just barely realizing this....

This week... it's funny. I always start these emails with this week and every single day in my journal I say.... well today....

It was pretty good. It's been a little rough. We have lost some potential investigators that we thought would be pretty solid. So we are back to square one... finding. We had a tornado warning this week. So.... warning is way worst than watch and for the watch we were inside ALL DAY long. That one was also a tropical storm though. OH yeah and on Tuesday we had a Lighting warning as well. Good thing that one wasn't for too long. It's crazy what staying inside will do to your mind though! All you want to do it get out and do missionary work. It made me a lot more appreciative that's for sure. Dawn is supposed to be getting baptized this Saturday, but we have to get her living situation figured out first, it's been kind of a mess for us to figure it all out, but it is totally worth it in the end :)

We had to get some of Sister A's letters out of that dumb mail box.... so 2 pieces of gum and my awesome skills later we got them out of the box:) the hardeset part was finding a stick... there are only palm trees here.

I think I'm having a brain fart... I really don't remember what we did the rest of the week.

Well, we finally were able to meet with Rafelita who we have been trying to visit for weeks. She was so happy to see us and now calls us her daughters... (a lot of people do that.... don't worry I'm really safe with lots of moms here). We  had a lunch with a potential. She cried as we recited the first vision, but says she loved her religion so much that she doesn't think she could do another. Plus she's moving... huh. Seeds planted. That's just what we keep saying ;)

Fathers day was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. I just had to pretend like I was happy and not wanting to burst into tears all day... that only works for so long....

We are doing a musical number for our mission president and his wife. They are leaving really soon. Our district is doing "Love is Spoken Here" at our conference with them tomorrow. I'm playing the piano for it ;) (love that I get to do this because I get out of singing). It reminds me of my grandpa's funneral and when all us cousins did that beautiful musical number :)

We just got done making a huge batman pinata for one of the Elders. It's pretty legit! Actually... it's way more than legit. I don't want to break it.... I am pretty proud of my artistic ability on this one, espeically because I actually have none ;)

Anyways. Sorry for boring you with this one. I'm boring myself writing it.

I love all of you so much!

Love, Sister Calder

Week 8 (5/28/13)

Well this one is probably going to be short again :)

 

This week was pretty awesome. We went to a wedding on Friday. It was a recent convert and someone Sister Andersen knew was going to be there. We got invited and needed a ride cuz we are on bike so the Elders drove us. The trio forwarded the message to us about the wedding cuz that used to be Sister Andersens phone so the groom invited them as well. Then the Naples Sisters felt left out so they came too. It was pretty awesome and they were totally cool with it. The couple was cute. It was on the beach, but not all the way so we could go. We now know why we can't go on the beach.... it's not good for the Elders.... or the Sisters really. But it was so much fun.

We had transfers this past week. Everyone thought that I would be training after 6 weeks. I was totally willing and ready to do it. I thought I would learn a lot if I did. But, Sister Andersen didn't get transfered so I'm still with her :) but it's good cuz then I can learn even more from her :)

One of the Sisters went home. Me and her cried a lot together. I have become so close with her. She makes me feel like I can be myself and I can talk to her about anything. She's just like Sister Lee ;) She got hurt abgout 11 weeks ago and still isn't healing. She's going home to get a scope and to heal a little bit. Then they will know if she needs surgery or not. She's coming back though sooner or later thank goodness! Not to the same area... but I will see her every once in a while :)

P-days are the greatest. We basically just laugh the whole time. I could sit and explain to you all the funny things that go on... but it wouldn't make sense. :) Let's just say I convinced everyone that pickles and Nutella are good (which they really are!!!!!!) and they all ate it. Most everyone liked it :) I love our zone! Too bad that was our last p-day together :( Everyone has some change going on except the Spanish Sisters and Sister Andersen and I.

We taught the first lesson to Dawn. I recited the first vision and cried a lot. She said it peirced her soul. She believe that it is the true church.... someone is holding her back though. But we just contine to pray and we know that everything will work out in time. :)

Sister Andersen and I laugh a lot :) missions really are the funnest thing ever. Elder Anderson was right when he said it should be mission FUN cuz it totally is :)

I have learned a lot about having a personal relationship with my Heavenly Father. We pray so much. I love it :) I feel like every day I come closer to my Father in Heaven and I can listen to the spirit better and I can find who I need to find and say what I need to say.

 

"If we exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the enabling power of his Atonement strengthens us in our momemnt of need."

-Elder Cardon GC April 2013

 

Mom- this quote reminded me of you :)

 

"How you love and honor her father, his priesthood, and his divine role will be reflected and perhaps amplified in your daughter's attitudes and behavior."

-Sister Dalton GC April 2013

 

Because it was memorial day I was reminded of dad. This has nothing to do with the quote but I could just see everyone in our family huddled around the graves of grandpa and dad and eating food. We celebrate the lives of the people we love becuase we have the firm knowledge that we will see them again. That's why I'm here. To share that amazing message with others. :)

 

I love you all so much! :) Don't forget about me please :)

 

Love, Sister Calder

Mom- Elder Langi is a football player for the U. Sister Miles and I tricked him by telling him that we were going to write our names on his shirt and we did a big Y instead ;) some of my cousins might actually know who he is. He also likes my sunglasses..... his first name is Haveais. I think he was a reciever or something. But you should ask people if they know him ;)

Too bad he got transfered. He's pretty much the best haha