10/13/14

You may be wondering why my subject title this week is all about President Fenn.  Well for any missionary in the Illinois Chicago West Mission on the night of transfer calls, knows that when that name appears on the phone as the person calling who will determine your fate, you know it's a big deal.  Well, sure enough it was President on the phone and he told Sister Henderson her fate, that she is being transferred away to the Schaumburg YSA and that I Sister O'Neil will be... I don't know if I should tell you.. I am so nervous about it, and truly humbled, ... but...  I will be a trainer for a brand new missionary for the last six weeks.  So, As many other missionaries say,  "im having a baby!"... Haha this will be an adventure. I am so so excited, but also extremely nervous and humbled. Truly, I don't feel prepared for this, but I feel prepared at the same time... I view it as a great honor that the Lord and President Fenn trust me enough to place this responsibility on my shoulders and I hope I can do my best. In some many ways it is an answer to my prayers, because I want to be a more consecrated missionary, and I know this will push me to work harder and become better to reach that goal. I told president that I would do my best, and work hard and thanked him. So tomorrow we go up to Naperville to drop off Sister Henderson and meet my new companion. Another thing that is kinda freaking me out a little is that there are only two English sisters coming in this transfer. Out of all the sisters, I was chosen as one, and I can think of 10 sisters who, in my view, have much more experience and are more confident in helping new missionaries, but I have been comforted by the knowledge that "whom the Lord calls he qualifies." I need to trust in that. Yay for all the good news. :) It's gonna be great! I am excited! 

I am so grateful for this week of my mission. First I just want to say, that I am so grateful for these last three transfers I have served around other missionaries and in the Peoria ward. Yesterday was a somewhat sad day at church, because 3 of these missionaries are transferring out, and many members were sad, bishop had them bare their testimonies, and I just realized how grateful I am for this season of my mission and life. I was tempted to be sad that change was happening, but then I just focused on the blessing it has been that the lord has allowed for us to work together and enjoy one another.  I was so happy!! I AM so happy! I hope we will stay good friends and keep these awesome memories. The church is true!! 

 On Friday we had an awesome experience and opportunity to go to a mission conference with Elder Robert C. Gay of the seventy. He is a special witness of Jesus Christ and had so many awesome, AWESOME things to tell us. I loved what he and president taught us, " the work of salvation is the work of healing." We as missionaries, and you as members, are working together to heal Gods children. We are the means (3 Nephi 18:32) and the Book of Mormon is our tool, evidence and power to get the job done! He compared our time, to the story of the brother of Jared who desired to bring his family and people to the promised land ( AKA eternal life, the celestial kingdom , to live with God... You name it :) ). The brother of Jared needed revelation and counsel with the lord to know what he should do for light in the barges, well His help comes in only one way: believing in the impossible and seeking for the truth. So we know, the brother of Jared went to the lord and presented his plan and they received light. Now he helped us to think of our efforts as missionaries and how our tool of the Book of Mormon is no different than the stones for the brother of Jared. Both come from the earth, both are new and weird to the people, and maybe they are not as easily accepted by the people. But in ether 3:2&4 we learn the importance of studying it out and then asking for a miracle to happen. And our study combined with our faith move the work forward, it teaches us all things we should do, and brings the power of the Lord into our lives to get us where we need to go. Ahh! There is so much good stuff. I know what he taught us is true. And I know these principles can be applied to any calling we serve in in the church. There are miracles we hope to see in the lives of others, and greater efforts we want to put forward, because we love the lord.  As we focus on the the importance of the atonement, and testify of it, more than anything else, we help to heal people. We teach them how to open their hearts and FEEL the power of love change them and bring them light, truth, hope and HEALING. I know that it is when we are healed, we are truly converted, because we feel of His great love, and will do anything to feel it constantly in our lives. Talk to people's lives, because how we teach ( or lead, or guide, or comfort, or serve ) is just as important as what we teach. I want to add my favorite scripture here: " wherefore my beloved [family], pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that he may become the sons [and daughters] of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." (Moroni 7:48) 

It was really neat be a use he shared a lot of stories with us from his mission, and his time as a mission president, and as he was telling us a story, I realized I had heard it before and I could not figure out where I had heard it. Thinking I had heard it on my mission I asked sister Oliphant, Bailey and Henderson if I had heard it with them, because they were my comps. And then I realized that he had come to BYU-I while I was there and told the same story. It was really neat, and awesome to hear it again. He shared with us some of his personal experiences working with the quorum of the 12 and the first presidency, and they were really neat to hear about. At the end of his discourse he said something so profound to me, and as I have pondered this I realize that putting our trust in the lord is so much more than what I thought it was, and there are so many blessings. This inspires me to want to be more consecrated and I hope it will for you to. He said: "Focus on the Lords priorities and He will focus on yours." So cool!!

Sister Henderson asked an awesome question to him about personalities, and how we can know ourselves when we are changing so much as missionaries and people... ( I think she is going through a toughy, trying to really know and understand who she is right now, she has been asking everyone this question.) anyways, she asked this question, and I am so grateful she did because I learned so so much from his answer and I know many other missionaries did as well. Basically he taught us that we are each given characteristics, qualities and talents that are similar to others.  It is how we use our agency to use those qualities that makes us unique and gives us personality. Everyone's experiences on this journey of life are different, and we learn best in different ways, no one is the same. This makes my mind go wild with so many examples I could list! So cool!!  I loved what he said, that the lord blesses us with feelings of commonality with others, and as I thought about that, I have realized how easy it is for satan to warp that, and makes us believe that we are just like everyone else and not special. But that is obviously false! Don't listen to him! I think the Lord blesses us with commonalities so that we can have the feelings of belonging and we are able to comprehend others based on the degree that we are like them. We are unique, but we are the same, and most of us have the same desire to do good and be good. ( basically be disciples of Christ, but the rest of the world doesn't realize that is what they want. :) hahaha ) 

This week we saw Meet the Mormons! SO GOOD! I cried and laughed and felt the spirit. I hope you all got to see it. It is so moving and so inspiring. It even made ME want to be Mormon! Hahahahahaha :). Seriously though, the first presidency directed the movie and was in charge of it, don't know if you knew that. The assistants instructed us about the significance of this movie and how it is a fulfilling of prophesies. So cool! The work is moving forward! :) 

We had FHE with some members this week, and for some reason they gave us marriage advice. There have been a lot of conversations with members that have led to dating, marriage, and babies it's been really weird and brought a lot of anxiety to Sister Henderson. Which brought its challenges.

Oh! Ok so this weekend was awesome! On Saturday we went to loaves and fish, saw some of my favorite people, and listened to them gossip about each other yeah that is always fun. I have been working on one of them, baring my testimony here and there to help her. Anyways, that's not why it was a awesome, it was awesome because we went to s baptism and we have been telling others that we had a baptism! Let me explain, the zone leaders baptized Daphne, she is so cool, 17 and her boyfriend was reactivated in June, and then brought her into the gospel and so it was so wonderful to be there and be a part of that event. She is so sweet.  Then, Linda Johnson went to the temple to do baptisms for the first time and she took her husbands name Jim Johnson to be baptized! It was so cool!! She told us of her experience and was emotional, and I could tell she felt the spirit. I was so happy for her!! So we saved another soul!! Linda is amazing!  

I am so grateful for this week. Needless to say, I have learned so much. Sometimes I wish it could go a little slower so that I could really learn and internalize everything. There is so much coming at me all the time. Sometimes it is like drinking out of a fire hydrant, which I am So GRATEFUL for! It is amazing! 

Well! Here's to the next 6 weeks! Wish me luck! I love you! #44days #soshelpimatrainer 

Thank you for everything. All your support and love and letters and prayers and concern and excitement , everything! The church is true!! 

Love, 

Sister O'Neil 

Hello my family.                                                            10/8/2014
I loved general conference! Didn't you?
There were so many aspects of general conference that I loved. Great
themes of : prophets and apostles. The sacrament. Pleasing God and not
man. Service. Personal responsibility. Asking for the truth. Paying
the price. Becoming brilliant in the basics. Sustaining leaders.
LIGHT! ( that was one of my favorites). Fortifying our foundations.
Joseph smith. The Book of Mormon. PRAYER. Families. Parenting. Truth.
Repentance. Sanctification. Decisions. Gods love. Eternal perspective.
Keeping sacred things sacred. THE ATONEMENT!
And so many other good ones. I learned so much this conference.so many questions were answered!  Some
of my favorite talks were jörge klebingat's and elder Hamulas. And
elder Scott's and president monsons. Ahh! They were all good! It was
amazing! I am sad that president Monson didn't get up and extend the
time of service for sister missionaries. But.. Tis not the will of the
lord. :) I am also sad this is my last general conference as a
missionary, so bitter sweet. Wasn't it amazing to hear all the
promised blessings?!?! Goodness! The church is so true! How could it
not be!? Seriously!

This week we did some stop bys to less actives.. Well we are always
doing that, but this week it was really funny. Anyways as we were
walking up to their door I waved at the woman inside because she was
looking out the window, and she sent her husband to the door. We get
to the door and he is waiting for us, and we asked for the person we
were looking for, and he said " no she doesn't live here, and she's
Christian, and isint interested in your cult anyway."  I was so
surprised, I think I always am when someone says something like that
to us, because I never expect it, and I sit there for a few seconds
thinking... Did he really just say what I thought he said? There was
no time for us to respond or really do much because of the slam of the
door, So I just let out my awkward/ nervous laugh and we walked away.
Haha I am so awkward! Haha it's the best!!

Tomorrow we see Meet the Mormons! ( Linda Johnson calls it, "here come
the Mormons"... Haha it makes me laugh) I am soo excited! Have I told
you that president Fenn is the best? I am so excited. Other
missionaries in our mission saw it last week, and they have raved
about it. So I am so excited! You should all go and see it!
And then this weekend is our mission tour. Elder Robert C. Gay of the
presidency of the 70 will be here. I loved it last year, and I am
thrilled about it! I love the mission tours! It is like our own mini
general conference! ( I told you I love this time of year!) and then
Saturday is the infamous transfer calls. Which means I literally have
7 weeks left. THAT... IS...INSANE!! FOR REAL. I am praying that
whatever happens I will accept and have confidence that it is the will
of the lord. There have been transfer calls that have really brought a
lot of faith to be able to move forward, but I know that this will be
great, whatever happens. I am guessing that president will keep me in
this area for my last 6 weeks, but we shall see. I will let you know.

I finished the Book of Mormon in 65 days. It was the coolest
experience to finish and then one day later attend General conference.
So awesome! My testimony of its divinity and truth was fortified. The
Book of Mormon is so true! I will never neglect it, ever! And Joseph
smith IS a prophet of God! The gospel is so amazing. As we invited
many to hear our message this week every decline I died a little
inside. It makes me so sad when people dont want to hear or learn. If
only the could realize the great blessings waiting for them if they
would just listen for a few minutes! Oh agency!!

Patricia bought us new purses. she shouldn't have. but it was a nice gesture of her thankfulness. she is so awesome. she came to one of the sessions of conference and she bore her testimony last week about how excited she is for her daughter to serve a mission! I am so happy for her! The gospel is truly changing her life. its soo cool!

 I love you all! Hope you have a wonderful week filled with missionary
experiences.

love you!

Sister O'Neil

 Happy birthday kater-bug and Abby! Hope you have a wonderful day and
eat some delish cake!