Letter from Abbey Sept. 23, 2013

Dear Family,

This week has been a good one. We had our first lesson with a member referral last Thursday. Her name is Cryss, she is 48 and has severe health problems. We though that we would just be getting to know her a little and find out what interests her about the church and teach a little bit about the restoration of the gospel. But when we went there she had so many questions. We taught about the restoration and the plan of Salvation. She just could not get enough. Everything we taught her, she would say "that makes so much sense." She has gone through a lot of religions the last few years and has been seeking. She has a lot of chronic pain and she said that a few days before we met with her she was listening to a pastor and just had this feeling to hang on and keep going because something good was about to happen. She was crying the whole lesson and was full of so much joy. She was amazed that we would devote our lives for 18 months to share a message about Jesus Christ, and take the time to come to her personally and teach her a lesson. After we taught her the plan of salvation and the three degrees of glory, she looked at us and said, "I don't think you know how lucky you are to have this knowledge at such a young age, I have been searching for this my whole life." It was such a humbling moment. We walked her dog with her yesterday and answered some of her questions. She is already reading in the book of Mormon. We taught her about baptism and invited her to pray to know for herself if she should be baptized into the Lord's church, and she accepted! We will teach her again this week and we are going to invite here to be baptized on October 13th. Cryss has given me such a testimony that there are individuals out there who have been so prepared to hear the gospel. Sister White and I had dinner at our bishop's house last night. He wants us to invite three of our investigators to be baptized on October 13th, so we are praying about who the other two should be. About two months ago the bishop was in his office with the elders and felt very impressed that a family would be baptized in the Billerica ward before the year is over, so we are also praying to find that family. The elders that we work with are so amazing. Elder Faver just graduated form high school this year and has already been on his mission for two about two and a half months. His testimony is so strong and he is such an example to me. Sometimes he will say the most random thing in a district meeting, and it catches me off guard:) Then I just have to remember that he has only been out of high school for 3 months! I love sister White. She has only been out for 4 months but is such an amazing missionary. We get along really well. Yesterday at church an in active Sister Kohler came to church. She has not been to church for several years but came two weeks ago because someone picked her up. We dropped by this week and she had gotten her car fixed and said that she would drive herself. AND SHE CAME AND STAYED FOR ALL 3 HOURS. We were so happy. And another less active family came to church. The father was baptized 6 months ago and they had him roast the pig for the camp out this weekend. He took a day off work which meant he sacraficed alot of money. The day after he decided he was going to take the day off work he got 3 checks in the mail from previous jobs that he never though he would get payed for. I think that he is starting to realize that blessings come when you sacrafice something for the Lord's church, and that he will bless you. Miracles are happening here in the Billerica ward. I see the Lord's hand in my life everyday. On tuesday we got lost coming back from a meeting out of our area because our gps was dead because our cigarette lighter in the car was not working. So we just decided to make some phone calls while we were at a gas station. We called the man in charge of our cars and asked what to do about the cigarette lighter. He said that it was under warranty so that we could take it to a Toyota dealership. And what was across the street from where we were, a Toyota dealership. It was such a blessing:) I love being a missionary! Thank you for all of your letters. I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Love Sister Rushton

Abbey's letter Sept. 16, 2013

Dear Family,

It has been a very good week! The leaves are starting to change here and fall is definitely coming! I am so grateful that everything with my nose is done! It definitely does not look quite like it used to but it is better. And honestly if I was hope I would probably be really concerned by I haven't been to worried this whole time. It has been a huge blessing. We went to district meeting on Friday and the poor elder that threw the ball was so concerned that it wasn't as straight as it used to be. I catch him staring at it quite often, poor kid. He keeps telling me that as soon as he gets home he wants to pay for me to have plastic surgery. haha I keep reassuring him that no one else can tell and that my nose was never straight to begin with. This last Tuesday we had our weekly planning session with the elders and made goals to find new people to teach, and it is amazing how blessed we have been. There are so many people in this area that are ready to hear the gospel that I sometimes wonder how it can all be done! But things always work out and we have been able to keep up with it between the four of us. This week we got to teach the Jansun family. They went to our temple in Boston and tried to go in. So their information was given to us. One of the young women in the ward wanted to go out tracking but we decided to take her to this appointment with us as a last minute decision. We went to their hope and sat down with them. They were so interested by the Mormon religion and just wanted to learn more. They moved from China about 6 years ago and have been in the states every since. They joined Christianity when they got here. He said that in China even though they are taught that there is no God, he said he always knew that there was a higher power. They are so ready for the gospel it is incredible, and I cant wait to teach them again. The moment the lesson changed was when Isabell, the young women we brought with us bore her testimony. He was very touched that someone so young could have such a firm believe in something. The youth in this ward are amazing. There are two young women that come to activities that are interested in the gospel, and a young man that is going to start coming. We were able to teach the mission prep class last night for them. I love the youth in this ward! There are 4 laurels in the ward and each one of them have agreed to come out with us every other week. We are the missionaries but it is really the ward that is doing the missionary work, just by being good examples and sharing the gospel with people they love. The Billerica ward has really caught onto this idea of member missionary work and really taken off with it. It is so amazing to watch. Me and sister White had the chance to go to our stake leadership training meeting with President Packard this last Saturday. It was all on how the ward can use the missionaries and the youth to do missionary work. My eyes were very opened.

This week me and sister White have had alot happening. we had two doctors appointments for me, and she was sick. We got a flat tire and had to go get that fixed. Our gps stopped working and when we got a knew one our power outlet in the car stopped working. It felt like many forces were working agianst us but we were so blessed this week, and we saw many tender mercies and miracles happen this week. I know that the Lord is very much in the details of our lives, and that there must be opposition in all things.  I love this gospel so much and everyday feel my knowledge and appreciation of it deepen. Life is so good. We have this goal to contact one person a day, and share our message with them. On Friday is was 9:00 at night we were on our way home and my companions throut hurt really bad so we stopped to get her a frosty. We had not contacted anyone yet so we approached a group of 5 guys that were sitting at a table outside the door. We just talked with them for a few minutes, told them that we were missionaries and asked if we could share a message with them. The whole conversation probably lasted about a minute and the whole time they were just laughing in our faces. We both walked away smiling because even though they thought we were ridiculous because we could feel the spirit with us. And it didn't shake our believe in the gospel because they didn't like what we had to say. It never ceases to amaze me that everyday I am uplifted with strenght to do this work. Our Lord is so merciful, and without his help this work would be nothing. This week we get to teach 3 investigators the lessons and are working with many others. I hope and pray that everyone is doing well. Have a wonderful week.

Love Sister Rushton

Abbey's letter Sept. 9, 2013

Dear Family,

It is hard to believe that I have only been here for 10 days. It has become such a big part of me that it is honestly sometimes hard to imagine life before I came to Billerica. We have been blessed to meet a ton of the ward, and have had a lot of success with the inactives in the ward. We were able to get a sweet lady by the name of Sister Kohler who hadn't been to church in a year to church. A year ago a mob broke into her house and shoot her grandson in the kitchen. She has had a rough life. Also we already have 3 investigaor lessons set up this week, and have two more potential investigators that we are working with. I feel that this week I have learned alot about myself and how much i need to rely on the Lord. We are teaching two little girls the new member lessons, and one of them her name is Alexa. Her mom struggles with many mental illnesses. She just recently lost custody of them so they are now a ward of the state. The grandparents are the foster parents for now, but probably for not much longer. Its crazy how much I have come to love this little girl in just a matter of days. Getting to go to visit people in their homes and see their struggles has shown my how much I have been blessed and that there are many things in life that do not matter. We went to visit an inactive couple and their home felt very empty and had a weird feeling. And I had this really strong impression that it was because they had made choices that kept the spirit from residing their. It really reminded me of how important the role of the spirit is in our lives. It protects us day to day and is our guide in this crazy world.

So I just got back from the doctors office. Right after I wrote you last Monday we went to play sports with our district. We were playing ultimate frisbee and then went to paly softball. I was batting and saw the elder throw the ball overhand and the next thing I knew it was in my face:) So it hit me on the left side of my nose and moved it to the right a little. So now my nose is straight because the bottom was croocked before and now the top has moved over but it is not where it should be!!! haha:) So I went to see the mission doctor on monday and he looked and it and set me up with a nose doctor today because they coulnd't do anything until the swelling went down. And I am waiting to here from the mission doctor today to decide if he wants me to go back and have it readjusted. So if that happens they will numb me stick a little hammer up my nose and have at it until it is back where it was before!!! :) So I will let you know how that goes. My time is up but I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Thankyou for the letters!

Love Sister Rushton

Letter from Abbey September 2, 2013

Dear Family,

I am in Boston!!!!!!! And I love it here it is like a city inside of a forest, which is crazy! There are trees everywhere. My hair seems to have grown in size, it is really poofy:) So much has happened since I last emailed. I loved the mtc and the things that I learned there it seemed that every time my spirits were down something happens that lifts me up and reminds me that I can do anything with the help of my Heavenly Father. We got to teach a less active in the mtc and when we came out of that lesson I feel like I finally realized what it feels like to teach by the spirit and not worry about what you going to say because it is truly the spirit that teaches. The night before we left the mtc the elders in our district gave everyone a priesthood blessing. I was reminded in that moment that I am meant to be here at this time, and that every mission is divinley planned out. 

On tuesday we left for Boston!!!!!!! When we were getting on the plane Mitt Romney walked on. So when we were loading he was sitting in the fourth or fifth row back and the line was stalled right when I passed him so HE TALKED TO ME. He asked me if i was going to the Boston mission an told me that I was very lucky! So be sure to tell Devin Bowman that we are now best friends. I wanted to write letters this week but just did not have time. There was a family sitting behind us in the airplane that was asking us questions so we gave them a mormon.org card. It is so interesting to see how the mitt romney election has put a spotlight on the church here in Boston. When we got to the airport the Packard family was there to greet us. Their family is so loving and I look up to President Packard in so many ways. He had interviews with all of us to recieve revelation on when we should be placed. He ususally has the interview that prays and then decides when to place the new misisonary. I walked in for my interview and he had me say a prayer and when i was done he said that when i was praying he knew exactly where I needed to go and who my campanion was going to be. We had our interview and then he said the closing prayer and it was all about me. It was like he was telling the Lord everything he knew about me, it was a neat experience. 

On tuesday we were told were we had been placed. I am in the Billerica area. It is one ward that covers 5 or six surrounding towns and is located in Billerica, Massachusetts. My trainer is Sister White who has been out for three months. This ward only had elders and they just placed us in so we are learning the area together and there are know two sets of missionaries in the ward. This ward has not had sister missionaries for a very long time and they have been praying for us to come. About a year ago the elders were taken out of this area and just put back in about six months ago. the bishop called the mission president and begged for sister missionaries. this ward has alot of struggling single and elderly ladies that we will be able to help. The ward has been so welcoming and the are so excited about missionary work. The Lord's work really is being hastened. When I came out here I expected to be tracting but all we do is member work. We visit ward members and encourage them to do missionary work and then follow up. All but one of the current investigators is a member referral and two sets of members came up to on sunday with a referral so we may have two new investiagors! The Elders have been so nice and have already given us so many people to teach, they have decided that it will be a team effort adn we help teach eachothers investigators. I can feel it here in Boston that the Lord truly is hastening his work. On Wednesday they dropped all of the new missionaries off at the Boston Commons and had us street contact for a half and hour. It was really scary but a good experience. Everyone we talked to knew alot about the mormon church and some were quite impressed with how much much effort we put into missionary work. there were some that wanted nothing to do with us and made that quite clear. I can feel so much love here in the Billerica ward and how much faith the ward has in us. They are keeping us very busy and I often feel like there is not way I am going to remember everything but I know that it will get easier. I love this gospel and know that the Lords hand is in everything. Every time my spirits are low something seems to lift me up again. Have a wonderful week! Tell Lucas that I will send him a letter for his Birthday. I will send one for you two David!! I love you have a wonderful week.