2/3/14

No chance,  No way …. I won’t say I’m in love

I am bittersweet this week, i am being transferred.  I will be moving to the Sycamore area in the Rockford Zone. BUT an awesome thing is i will be serving with Sister Oliphant. ( like elephant) She and I are good friends, and have a lot in common. she is SUPER talented on the Piano and can pretty much play ANYTHING you put in front of her so.. that will be fun. 

Yesterday was hard. I LOVE THE PEKIN WARD!  I have grown so close to so many people in this ward.  We didn't really tell anyone that I was leaving and then I got up to bear my testimony and announced that i was leaving there was an audible gasp from the congregation. I wasn't expecting that, but it was nice i guess. sometimes its nice to know that you will be missed in some small way.. But i really will miss many from this ward.  I love this area with all my heart, and even though I didn't baptize Kira while I have served here, I know she will make those covenants some day and I know that I did my best to teach her all Heavenly Father wanted me to teach her. I feel like I am leaving home again. AND we just got settled into a new apartment and things were so good!  and that is when Heavenly Father moves you, when you get comfortable, he brings change into our lives.- always for the better :) I just love this ward and will miss so many of them.

I feel like i really grew in this area, and came to a lot of realizations about my self. I faced natural disasters and personal trial and struggle, but I survived. I have often asked myself "but did you die?" (Hilary) so as to say, was it really that bad?  did you over come? How the Lord help you? It has been so good!  and i am sad to close this chapter of my life. 

anyways, This week we had sisters conference!! All of the sisters in the mission met together to hear from President and the 4 sets of Sister Training Leaders. Sister Fenn shared such a good story about her great great grandmother Mary Fielding Smith.  It was so inspiring to hear how faithful she was through all her trials, and President told us about Sister Fenns own trials of facing extreme health problems and how they sacrificed much to be where they are today.  I truly feel so blessed to serve under their direction and to learn all that I do from them. They are inspiring people who know the Lord and have so much faith in Him.  I loved the rest of sisters conference as well. I just know all the things i am learning are true! they resonate and ring true in my heart and make sense in my mind. - i guess i am realizing that the spirit is teaching me these things.  It is so wonderful!

we have had a good chat with Hector and then another good lesson with him! he is amazing and just progressing so well, even through the trials he is facing.  I received permission to Skype with him on his baptismal day.  We are not allowed to Skype any of the baptismal service, but right before and right after We can Skype to show our support for Hector and "be there" as he makes these covenants with God.  I still cant get over this awesome experience of having this technology and being able to teach all over the world! it is simply amazing!  

I am going to miss serving with Sister Coburn.  She has been one of my favorite companions so far, and I love her.  she and I just clicked and she is hilarious! We have had amazing experiences together and she has so much faith. I plan on being friends forever! i love her! 

Well must be off to go pack. Love you all, thank you for your love and support. The chruch is true.  

READ YOUR SCRIPTURES! please... and GO to chruch! please.. and most of all. PRAY!! :) 

love love love!

Sister O'Neil 

ps. pictures - let is snow... hope i never move anywhere that would cause me to do this every morning!  - we were so spoiled with a garage at sister Goodrich's house... haha 

and my new bed - except for not anymore, because i am moving :) 2 Attachments

1/27/14

Partitians

Yesterday there was a familiar sound that played at church.  There
used to be a part of a talk show that I would watch and they would
have someone call in and guess a sound and what it was, like an
umbrella opening or a dishwasher, anyways yesterday i felt like i was
playing that game because of a familiar sound.  As we sat in church,
so many people came they had to open another partition. It was the
greatest sound I've ever heard, and when I turned around to confirm
that was what I heard I was so happy.
Sister Smalley is such a wonderful singer. I think our musical number
went very well. And I am sure she was happy with how many people there
were at church :). Did you get the YouTube. I am sure you did.

Then this week we moved! We are in our nice little apartment. It's
pretty nice. I will send pictures next week, sometime. We were sad to
leave the comfort of a members home, but a lot of things were hard
about living there. So we are grateful to be in our own apartment now.
The elders were kind enough to come and put our starter kit together
for us so that happened last week and then we moved in on Tuesday.

We had a really good lesson with Mark this week, we are truly seeing
progression in that family! They read and prayed and we had such a
good lesson about faith and repentance. And Mark said the prayer. It
was one of the best prayers I have ever heard from an investigator. He
expressed his thanks for having us there to teach him more about Gods
ways and was very thankful for the things he was learning, and he said
he wants to go to church just doesn't know when yet, he will get
there. We are excited for them!

This week we experienced a miracle, and I am so grateful for the
influence of the Holy Ghost in my life. One day we were getting ready
to go do some stop bys to less actives. As we got in the car the
spirit whispered to me " go to lake Camelot" ( let me explain, lake
Camelot is the name of a housing development.)  so my common sense
brain told me to look into how far it would be from where we were
planning to go and see how close it was.  It would be a few more miles
on the car, and would probably yield us little because we didn't have
an address for the referral we would be going for and very poor
directions. So at this point my mind just said, no save the miles. We
got to our last stop by we had planned and the spirit whispered again
" go to Lake Camelot." And I didn't really want to but when we got to
the end of the street I turned left towards lake Camelot rather than
right back the way we came. As predicted we didn't find the house, nor
did we talk to anyone about the gospel, so I felt unsuccessful, and we
had wasted the miles( that we are tight on this month).  So we headed
back to town and we had to travel on the same road out as we did in.
On our way we saw a car that was turned over.  It had hit the guard
rail on a small bridge and was acting as a partition in the road.
Blocking north the east and west bound traffic, on this small road.
We were among the first to "arrive on scene" and surprised at what had
happened to this truck. We called 911 to report the accident and then
checked on the guys in the car. They were both fine and up and walking
around. After it was all said and done, as sister Coburn and I
reflecting,we know that if we had not gone to lake Camelot we would
have been in that accident. The timing would have been that way. It
was amazing. I am so grateful that I listened to the promptings of the
Holy Ghost. And it taught me a lesson of the workings of The Lord.
Sometimes it doesn't make sense, and we do to want to do it, but as we
are submissive and obedient, we are blessed.  This also provides for
us to receive more revelation and begins to open that partition that
separates us from Heavenly Father. I love the gospel. I love having
the gift of the Holy Ghost. I know it is real, and I know of how
important it is for us to have it in our lives.  How great and
merciful is our Lord!

we are off to a zone activity! Should be fun! Transfers are next
week.so we will know on Monday what is happening. I don't think I will
be leaving, but no one really knows. :)!
I am changing my hair tomorrow.somehow.  We will see. I'll send pictures.

Love you all! I'll stay warm if you do!