Abbey's letter May 27, 2014

Elder Holland has changed my life!

This week has been a good one. We had 21 people at church on Sunday, which is a record!!! Two of them were from the stake, but still! Lacy brought her husband and also her friend Celeste. After Church we had lunch at tim and Lorraines with the two men from the stake. They talked about possible ways that we can make our group into a branch. They said that we could entice members to move in here or just baptize more people or have more babies. So we will see what we can do:) 

Lacy is still on to be baptized. We had a lesson with her on Thursday and talked about tithing and the Law of Chastity. She had already researched a lot on tithing and had decided that she would do it. She agrees with the Law of Chastity and we talked about how she will get to teach that to her girls and they can grow up knowing that they are daughters of God and should be treated so. Lacy is still going strong with no smoking alcohol or tabacco. On Wednesday at FHE she said that she had already given up alchohol she hadn't had a cigarette since last Thursday and had no coffee in two days. She just gave it all up like that and said that it felt good. She is incredible:) She was really nervous for her baptismal interview but she did good and said that she felt better. She will need to be interviewed by a member of the mission presidency but she took it well and said that she feels like this is a trial of her faith and she is just ready to get baptized. She said with tears in her eyes that she is so ready to be baptized. Lacy and Alex came to church this Sunday with their kids. We taught Primary so we werent in Sunday School but we were told that he asked a lot of questions and a lot of things were cleared up for him. And that a lot of his doubts were adressed. We were really excited. But a lot has changed since then. We were told yesterday that Lacy and Alex are getting a divorce and that he is no longer allowed to be around her or the children and has to move out. So things are a little rocky but she is still going strong. Chelsea said that yesterday at the police station she said that even though things are crazy she needs baptism and is ready for a new life. That her and her kids need it. She was even inviting everyone at the police station to her baptism:) What a lady. We sure love her. She has been dealt a lot in life and will now probably be a single mom but the gospel is such a blessing in her life. 

We saw Alex today on our way to the library. He is pretty shaken up. I just had this really strong feeling that he is still a child of God. We gave him his own copy of the book of mormon and told him to read it and that it would bring him peace. He said that he really enjoyed church. I think we needed to run into him today so that we could give him that. Reminds me that God is aware of all of his children and is always there to love us and help us and bring us closer to him no matter our circumstances. 

Katherine came to church who is another investigator. She asked if her and her fiancee had to be married inorder to get baptized and we said yes. She said that they weren't willling to get married because they would lose to much if they did. So that is a little bit of a hold up. But we keep praying for them and hope that their hearts will be softened. They have testimonies of the gospel so hopefully they can work through this. Her and Patrick have been investigating for about a year and a half now. 

Our experience with Elder Holland was different than anything I have ever experienced. And I will probably not experience anything quite like it again. I was so excited to see Elder Holland and knew that it was going to be probably really spiritually uplifting but I didn't quite expect to feel that way that I did being in the same room as an apostle. You can tell that he is a really nice man but you also can tell that he doesn't mess around and he has this presence of someone very important and very close to the Savior. I don't know how you could be in the same room as him and not know that he is an apostle of the Lord. Because his presence alone pretty much says that more powerful than anything. 

I think that all of us left that room a little different than when we came in. He definitley inspired me and motivated me more in that meeting than I think that I have ever felt before. They had us all sit down and study quietly about 30 minutes before Elder Holland got there. There was over 300 of us missionaries in that little chapel so we were packed in there pretty tight. We all kept looking back at the door waiting, cause we were so excited. You could already feel the spirit really strong in that room. And then He came in with President and Sister Packard, his wife, and Elder Hollstrom from the 70. And we all stood up as he walked in. He wanted to shake all of our hands so we filled out of the isles to go meet him. It was really fast but we all got to shake his hand, his wives, and Elder Hollstrom's. Later Elder Holland said that because he doesn't have time to interview all of us that was our interview. He could tell just by looking into our eyes whether we got it or not. Ah scary!!! lol just a little intimidating. He said that there were a few us who are still getting there but for the most part most of us get it. Elder Hollstrom spoke, and then Sister Holland, and then Elder Holland spoke for about 2 hours. He was very real and very blunt about our roles as missionaries. He didn't hold anything back. But he was also very impowering and motivating. He said that he has a lot of trust in us and helped us to know how we can get to where we need to be. He is very indearing and very personal. He said that they don't very often meet with large groups of missionaries. So we are very lucky to have had him come. He reminded us of what a wonderful mission president we had, and how devoted he is to this mission. Elder Holland said he is probably one of the best out there, and has given up everything to see the work progress here in New England. After Elder Holland was done speaking we sang the spirit of God as the closing hymn. President Packard said to sing it like we mean it. We all stood up and sang that hymn really loud. Over 300 hundred of us in this little room. The spirit was so strong. During the closing prayer all you could hear were people sniffling. After the prayer Elder and Sister Holland and Elder Hollstrom got up and left with President and Sister Packard. We all stood up as he left and we just kept standing there for about 5 minutes. All of us completley silent. Then President Christensen who is the 1st counselor in the mission presidency got up and said that they were probably not coming back and that we could all sit down and take this time to ponder and have some reflection time. So we all sat there and pondered and then slowly people started to file out. I am really glad they did that because it kept the spirit there. Our mission is always really loud before meeting because we are all really excited to see eachother and they have to yell over the pulpit to get us to sit down so they can start a meeting. So it is a miracle in itself that we were all quiet before and after the meeting. I think that our mission will forever be different now. At the end of Elder Holland's talk he said that he leaves an apostolic blessing on this mission and that we are surrounded and being built up angels. Here are some of my notes from their talks. 

Elder Hollstrom:

Elder Hollstrom talked about how this is the only time in our life where we will really be able to set a pattern for a relationship with our Heavenly Father. He said that during our missions we are able to better connect with him than any other time and this will set a pattern for the rest of our lives. He also talked about teaching towards faith and not baptism. Baptism is the end goal but if we do not teach towards faith then they are not being spiritually changed. That was a good reminder. He said that they trust us. The general authourities trust us as missionaries to bring forth the gospel to the world. He also said that when we believe it and feel it that is when the power of the Holy Ghost can work through us to convert the investiagor. 

He said that the Lord is always Proud of what we are doing but he is never satisfied. 

He said that he hoped we will always remember this day as one that changed our life. 

Sister Holland:

She is such a sweet lady. She talked about how there are two things we need to do to be successful missionaries. 1. We need to love the Lord with all our heart 2. Love those that the Lord has put in our lives today. Love them immediatley and Love them more than anything. 

She reminded us that we can not love others if we do not love our selves. How can we see the divine in others if we do not yet see it in ourselves. 

She said that all of us already have the ability in us to develop all of God's attributes. We already have them in us we just need to develop them. We are more his children and more like him than we know. 

She said that the Lord loves us for who we are right not. He loves us for what we have to offer and who we are becoming. 

She said that the Heavens are more opened then they have ever been and they will continue to open and open even more. 

She said that her and Elder Holland have a divine relationship but that he has an even better relationsip with someone and that is the Lord. 

Elder Holland:

His whole talk was about us being converted as the missionary. He said that he is for the most part a pretty easy to get along with guy but the one thing he can not stand is when a returned missionary leaves the gospel. He said it doesn't make sence to him. He pounded his hand on the podium and said don't you ever ever even think about it. He said that we have alreday made our decision and we shouldn't even ever think about turning back. He talked about how 20 years ago he was a new apostle and over the missionary department. They were in a board meeting and President Hinckley got up and said there is something dirasticley wrong with the current missionary program. President Hinckley then desribed a story where two missionaries the the chex republic in the 30's were knocking on doors. They came to this door and the woman would not listen to them so they kept pounding on the door and then one elder stuck his foot in the door when she opened it again and yelled at them and tried to slam it in their face. This woman said that she hated ministers and they asked why. She explained that a few years ago her daughter had died as a little girl and a minister told her that her daughter was in hell becaue she had not been baptized and that she also woul d be in hell. These missionaries opened up to Moroni chapter 8 and asked her if they could tell her where her little girl was and how the Lord really feels about babies being baptized. She agreed and then later became a member and the reason the church survived in that country during world war 2. He said that the old missionary lessons didn't allow you to meet the needs of the investigator. It didnt allow you to answer their questions. You would teach these memorized lessons and would teach them the same to everyone. It didn't matter if there husband just died or they had lost a job. President Hinckley said that too many returned missionaries were leaving the church. So Preach My Gospel was created to convert the missionary. Elder Holland talked a lot about how we are expected to be led my the spirit to meet the needs of these individuals. We have to know the Book of Mormon so that we can flip to a chapter that answers there questions right there. 

He talked alot about going where the investigator is. He had us read in John of the story of the woman at the well and also the man who came to him at night who was a Rabbi and was asking what you have to do to recieve eternal life. Elder Holland talked about how the Savior explained to them gospel principles but they werent getting it. So he had to simplify it to where they were. He said that we have to go to where they are and help them to have a spiritual expierience right then so that they have something pulling them to the gospel. He said that we are still live in an apostate world and the restoration is still happening. So we have to help these people understand spiritual things. 

He said that if we think our mission is hard, the truth is that they are all hard. Life is hard. The Saviors life was hard. Reminds us to be grateful for was we have and to not complain. 

I could tell from this experience that Elder Holland trusts us but also expects a lot out of us which means that the Lord does also. Sorry I feel like I just went on a rampage but hope that explains what an amazing experience it was with Elder Holland. He left us with many ways to be better and many things to change but also empowered us to be able to do so. He told us that this is a good mission. But where there is a lot given there is a lot expected. I am very grateful to him and for everything I learned. I had a lot of questions going in, and all of them were answered. I am very grateful that I got to be there for that. It is something that I will never forget. 

I sure love my family. Thank you for everything that you do. I don't know how I got so blessed with such an amazing family. I love my mission but I look forward to the day when we will all be together agian:) It will be a great day. I can't believe that I am halfway done. I still got a lot of work to do, and i hope that I can make the most of these next 9 months. I hope that you all have a wonderful week and get to take lots of wonderful family vacations this summer. Hope that you all have a safe week. I love you. 

Love Sister Abbey Lou Rushton