"Be my Own Best Friend"

Another week has come and gone and now October is almost gone.  

 

Last Tuesday marked 5 months of being a missionary! Once again I asked myself where the time has gone.  We had exchanges with Sister Hill and Sister Murphy on Tuesday, and so unlike last time they came, this time we did not have very many appointments, so we spent most of the day finding (aka tracting).  OH its fun to find, fun to find, all the time.    

Sisters Hill, Murphy, Pierce, Call

I was with Sister Hill for this exchange and her trainer was trained by Sister Thompson.  So we had a lot of fun together.  We were able to drop by a less active sister in our ward and she talked, and talked, and talked, and at the end we were able to say a prayer, and then she opened up.  She said that she doesn't understand women's roles in the church, and so we just listened for a little bit, and then she ended up continuing and saying that she doesn't even know if there is a God.  It was great, because as we were able to listen to her she did open up and now we know more of where she is at. That evening Sister Hill and I had dinner with the Lowders, which is the family that we will be spending Halloween, and Christmas Eve with.  

We ended exchanges Wednesday morning and each time the sister exchanges end, the training leaders leave a note for each of us.  And in the note that Sister Murphy wrote to me she mentioned to "be my own best friend."  Which I thought was exactly what I needed to hear, because I think too many times we are so hard on our selves, when in reality we should be one person that we can count on for building ourselves up.  After we ended exchanges, Sister Pierce and I went to Hills and Dales for our service. It was probably the best day so far that I have had while volunteering there. Normally we work with one of the clients and we are their volunteer, but on Wednesday I think over half of the clients were all super talkative to me, even the ones that struggle being able to verbally communicate. Also, one of the girls colored a Halloween picture and gave it to me.  I love being able to work with individuals with disabilities, and am so grateful for the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation.  Where I know that these are precious souls in the sight of God.  Wednesday evening is when they have mutual and they had a game night where each of the youth brought a non member friend so there were over 20 nonmembers at mutual.  We played and mingled with some of them for part of the night, but also Thora ended up coming to the church that evening with her sister, so we spent some of our time visiting with her.  

Thursday was a busy day.  We had district lunch and district meeting, and our zone leaders were up. Then we went over to visit Sister Jodon, and her divorce was finalized so now she is Sister Toles. She is way excited for this new beginning, which is great because we were able to re extend the goal for temple baptisms in January.  She has been reading from the Book of Mormon, so we picked up where she was and read 2 Nephi 9 with her which is such a great chapter about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  After visiting with Sister Toles, we went over to the Zirkers for a lesson and dinner.  The Zirkers are such an amazing example of living a Christ centered life.  Yesterday we were talking with the Lowder's about the Zirkers and Brother Lowder said that the Zirker's are like a modern day Captain Moroni,  where we could substitute Moroni's name for the Zirkers and the verse about the very powers of hell would be shaken, the verse would still have the same meaning.  

Immediately after the Zirker's we went and changed cars around, so that we had the 1st wards car because we were to drive to Moline, Illinois and spend the night with Sister Pratt and Sister Garrett, and then travel to the new trainer's meeting in Iowa City the following morning.  I love road trips and meetings on a mission, so throw in a sleepover and it is even better.  The member that they live with reminds me of Mama Joy (who we lived with in Carthage).  Anyways on Friday we woke up and went to the meeting.  President and Sister Jensen, as well as the Assistants trained on how we can better unify our companionships and be the missionaries God has designed us to be.  They also mentioned that this coming transfer there are no sisters coming in! But there are 22 Elders that will be coming.  

We received a media referral this past week, so on our drive home from Iowa City we called her and she said that she would be out of town this weekend, but that we could come by either Monday, or Tuesday.  Shortly after we got off of the phone with her, she called back and said that she had just one quick question.  Which immediately I got worried, but then she said that her sister was being baptized into a latter-day saint church on Saturday and she was wondering if the men and women sit together in the church.  Big sigh of relief that that was the question she had, also Sister Pierce and I got way excited that she was going to attend her sister's baptism.  

 
Anyways the weekend was great.  On Sunday we were asked by several individuals if we had been able to make contact with one of the less actives. Sister Whipple and I had tried, but we hadn't been able to, so yesterday after dinner.  Sister Pierce and I decided that we would try by her apartment. We knocked and no one answered, but then one of her neighbors who was outside her door, said that she just pulled up and would be coming.  Sure enough the less active we were trying to find came in and we were able to talk with her.  She has been way busy and had a lot of difficulties take place recently and she just needed someone to listen. The spirit was so strong and it was one of those moments where you love being a missionary and you smile and all of the things that led you to her home that evening.  

Everyone here is an Iowa Hawkeyes fan.  Basically if you are a Buckeye fan you are an outcast.  haha and I haven't heard a whole lot about wrestling.  This past week really wasn't too cold (of course it was the week we had the car, and this coming week is supposed to be stormy and we won't have the car)  just my luck.  Anyways I ask myself where the time has gone all of the time.  I look at the calendar and wonder what happened.  Anyways for Halloween we have to be either in our apartment or with a member after 6:00 on the 30th and the 31st.  So the ward is having a trunk or treat on the 30th so we are going to be handing out the candy at the Beytien's trunk, and then for Halloween we are going to be with the Lowder's and have dinner, go trick or treating with  a group from their neighborhood, and then go back to their house and watch videos from lds.org and have popcorn. Basically I love the members here and hope and pray to be able to spend through this coming transfer here as well.

Well I hope you are all doing well and that you have a fun Halloween!

 
Love you all,

Sister Call 

Fall is in the Air and it is CHILLY!

Fall is in the air and it is chilly!  Sister Pierce and I started out this week with adding a jacket to our outfits.  The jacket soon turned into a coat; then into a jacket and a coat; then into a jacket, coat, and a hat; and then into under armor base layer, sweater, jacket, coat, hat, scarf, and tights.  We are going shopping today so that we can add gloves, thicker scarves, boots, and more tights to the combination! It's great!  We love it! Especially when we don't have the car and there is a wonderful fall/winter breeze that penetrates through some of our layers!  Anyways we aren't the first sister missionaries that have ever dealt with the cold, so no big deal.  We are tough, and the cold makes us work even harder to find people to teach so that we don't have to spend as much time outside.

 

Well on Monday after emailing our district went and rode the 4th street elevator, which was built either late 1800's or early 1900's as a way to get from one street to another because there are some steep hills here in Dubuque.  We also went to the Saito's for FHE.  They were also celebrating three Marshallese Birthdays and the baby blessing that took place last Sunday.  Tuesday was a long cold day that not a whole lot ended up happening, but on Wednesday we were able to visit with Sister Jodon and that evening we were supposed to meet with Aline and James, but when we arrived at their house they were getting in the car to head to the church for activities night.  So Sister Pierce and I decided to go and drop by Thora's place.  Thora was home and we found out that she was able to find another job and will be able to get every other weekend off starting next month!  We were able to teach her more about the Prophet Joseph Smith and the 1st Vision.  We also found out that her mom had been a member of the church in the Marshall Islands, but passed away in 2008.  

Sister Pierce & Sister Call

Dubuque District

Thursday was Sister Pierce's Birthday so we had waffles for breakfast.  Then we went and taught Aline and she is wonderful.  She comes to church each week, always completes the reading assignments and we are just waiting for her and James' marriage in December so that she can then be baptized!  After the lesson with Aline we were walking home and the Clinton Sisters stopped and picked us up since they were driving by because we were having zone training meeting here in Dubuque. For Sister Pierce's birthday we went to Red Robin for lunch, since that is a favorite place of hers.  We then had our zone training meeting which was great, but it ended up running late, thus making Sister Pierce and I late for an appointment we had.  And anyone who knows me, knows that I really don't like being late, if I can help it at all.  Anyways it all worked out and we had a great lesson with the Zirkers, who then gave us a ride and we swung by our place long enough to drop off a few of the things in our bag, since we hadn't been home since 10 that morning, they then drove us to our next appointment with a less active family.  

Friday we were able to spend quite a bit of time finding, and we met Carol, who is so prepared for the gospel, she doesn't even know it! We were able to talk quite a bit just on her doorstep and give her a Book of Mormon which she was way excited for, so we hope and pray that we may be able to teach her.  Saturday we have kind of a standing appointment with Yolanda and Edmond and so we invited a member to come with us because she has come multiple times with us and we have been stood up, so we thought that this would be a perfect one to bring her with us since they are always there.  Umm this was the one time that they weren't there :(  I always feel so bad when things like this happen especially when we bring members along with us.  

My Marshallese nametag

Anyways, I love Dubuque and am grateful to be serving among the people that I am!

Love you all!

Sister Call

From a hand-written letter received Saturday 19 October 2013:

Mom, here is the French Bread recipe from Grandma Beatse.  It is so delicious and easy.  You should try it some time!

French Bread
1/2 cup warm water

2 Tbsp. yeast
2 cups hot water
1 Tbsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
6 cups flour

*Dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside.
*In a large mixing bowl, combine hot water, sugar, salt and oil.  Allow to stand until lukewarm.
*Add dissolved yeast and 3 cups flour.  Beat until well blended.  Add remaining flour to make soft dough that can be mixed with a spoon.
*Leave spoon in batter and let dough rest 10 minutes.
*Punch down dough and let it rest 10 minutes.  Repeat five times.
*Turn dough out on floured board and knead only until dough is lightly covered in flour and easy to handle.
*Divide dough into two portions.  Roll or stretch with hands each portion into a rectangle and roll it up.
*Arrange each lengthwise on greased cookie sheet.  Brush top with beaten egg white, sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds, opt.
*With sharp knife, slash top diagonally about 3 or so times.  Let rise until double in size.
*Bake at 375 degree for 25-30 minutes.  Brush tops with butter and serve.

The fresh French bread in stores won't even tempt you once you've had this French bread!

The Wait is Over

The week of transfers is always interesting.  The waiting for the unknown about kills you.  But I am so grateful to be staying in Dubuque for at least another transfer, and I am praying that I will stay through the holidays!  Well as you know we found out our transfer doctrine on Monday.  Tuesday ended up being a pretty good day.  We went and volunteered at Hills and Dales which was Sister Whipple's last time.  The people we get to work with in Day Hab are so wonderful.  We were coloring Halloween pictures so two of the girls colored a picture for Sister Whipple and wrote a little note on the back since they were going to miss her.  After Hills and Dales we were supposed to go teach Jita. We went over with Sister Hoff (ward missionary), but when we got there, no one was home.  But we were able to go and visit with a less active.  That afternoon we had our last apartment clean check from Elder and Sister Thomas.  I was in denial for the week that they were actually going to be leaving to head back home.  Later, Tuesday afternoon I realized that I was scared once again for transfers, and especially for the unknown.  So Sister Whipple and I went over to the Thomas' apartment so that I could receive a Priesthood blessing from Elder Thomas. I cannot describe how thankful I am for the Priesthood power on the Earth today, and for the ability to receive a Priesthood blessing.  How wonderful it is to know that we have a Father in Heaven that loves us and is very aware of our circumstances.  He wants to help us and will bless us with the strength and ability to accomplish all that He asks of us.

RS Activity  L-R  Sisters Saito, Jally, Hoff, Thora, Whipple, Call

Tuesday evening there was a Relief Society activity on missionary work. A couple of days earlier we had invited Thora to come to the activity and she said "I promise to be there." Now when she promises something, she is going to keep that promise. And when we showed up at the church, Thora was there!  She wants to be a part of the church, and is currently trying to rearrange her work schedule or find another job so that she doesn't have to work on Sunday's, because she said she doesn't want to be baptized unless she can come to church each Sunday. Anyways, Sister Whipple and I were so excited that she came and even though the entire activity was on sharing the gospel, she said that she enjoyed it!  Sister Whipple and I had a part in the program that night and role played with two of the members the Restoration lesson. We were nervous wondering how it would turn out, but it ended up being the most spiritual role play that I have been a part of, since being at the MTC.  



Wednesday we had a district goodbye at the Thomas' apartment. Later that evening we went with the Thomas' over to James and Aline's home and taught them about the tree of life. James and Aline are planning on getting married in December, and then Aline can get baptized two weeks later!! 



Hannah's Mission Posterity:  Sisters Whipple, Farnsworth, Call & Pierce

We had quite a few changes that took place within our district at transfers.  Elder and Sister Thomas as well as Elder Tripp went home,  Sister Monroe was transferred and so now Sister Oman is companions with Sister Farnsworth from Texas. Sister Whipple opened up Lamoni, Iowa and is companions with a Nauvoo Visitor Center missionary who I had met the last day that I worked pageant (July 17th) which was her first day in Nauvoo.  Elder Dragon is training Elder Broadbent from Ogden, UT, and I am training Sister Pierce from Roy, UT.  Sister Pierce is great and we should be able to work wonderfully together.  She went to Weber State for 3 years studying Social Work.  

Sister Call & Jita

On Friday we ended up being able to go and teach Jita the Plan of Salvation.  She is so wonderful and cannot wait to be baptized. The only sad part is that on Saturday she moved to Spokane, WA to be closer to more of her kids, so we won't be able to work with her anymore :(  Also, there was a baptism for someone the 1st ward elders had been teaching.  On Saturday we had  a great lesson with Edmond and Yolanda.

Okay, so I have decided that I need to stay in Dubuque through the Holidays.  I love the Beytien's and other ward members that I work with!  I now call Sister Beatse "Grandma Beatse".  We were invited for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, a Christmas Musical program, and several other holiday activities that the members are already staking claims on.  So I will be extremely sad if I don't get to spend the holidays here.

I am loving being a missionary and being able to share my testimony with others!  The gospel is the way to happiness!

Love you all!

Sister Call

 

Our garage door was "heart attacked"

 

The letter to Hannah's MOM and Hannah has a lot of good advice for her that needs to be shared:

 

Mom,

You will be an amazing Relief Society President!  I cannot even imagine all the work that a relief society president does, but I do know how much they can impact the lives of others!  Just remember that everyone is a child of God and try to see them as God sees them.  You have a great presidency and it should be fun working with them!  You are working with some of my favorite people in the ward.
 

We are not getting another senior couple.  IN fact I think our mission is only getting one new senior couple in the next while. There hasn't been the increase in senior couples like there has in younger missionaries.  But I wish that there was because they help out so much!  I already miss the Thomas' so much, and am forever grateful for being able to serve the 3 months with them.   The mission now has 290 missionaries and has opened 53 new areas in the last 4 months.  We had 37 brand new missionaries come in this past week. with only 8 leaving.  

I was reading in 3 Nephi 19 the other week and I had never realized how much  the multitudes and Christ prayed when Christ was visiting the people of the Americas.  And how Christ said that never had such faith been demonstrated among all of the people.  How wonderful it is to be able to communicate with our Father in Heaven.

Love you lots and will be praying for you in your new calling!

Love, Sister Call

 

Missionary Work is Fun!

 

Making French Bread with Sister Beatse

This week has been interesting.  In some ways it feels like it has been a very long week, but in other ways it seems to go by way fast. On Monday afternoon we went over to  Elder and Sister Thomas' to teach their neighbor since they are passing off the people they work with to us.  After that lesson we went over to Sister Beatse and she taught us how to make her delicious french bread!  It was so much fun!  On Tuesday we helped at Hills and Dales, and when we got there, one of the girls that we work with was in the office when we signed in.  She is so outgoing and so she asked how we were and she just calls us "Sisters" since she can't remember our last names.  Anyways so she read my name tag and said "Sister Call"  then Sister Whipple covered her nametag and asked Beth if she knew her name.  In which Beth responded "it's Sister Beautiful"  haha she knows how to win people over!  After Hills and Dales, Sister Hoff (a ward missionary) came and picked us up, as well as Marshallese sister in our ward and we went to teach Jita who came over from the Marshall Islands about 2 months ago.  Jita had been to church with Sister Hoff for the past two weeks and so we were able to go and teach her the restoration.  Jita can understand English fairly well, but has a more difficult time speaking in English, so Sister Rakin (a Marshallese sister) was able to help with the translation.  Jita is so prepared for the gospel and I love it when this is the case because you realize as a missionary your job is fun!  Anyways at the end of the lesson Jita said that she wants to be baptized.  

On Wednesday Sister Hoff, Jita, Sister Whipple, and I went over to our Ward Mission Leader's house to have dinner and to watch the Restoration DVD.  Our ward mission leader, Brother Han loves ping-pong and has a ping-pong coach and everything, so after the video we played ping-pong with Jita for a little bit.  It was so neat to bring an investigator into a members home and build relationships that way!  After dinner, Sister Whipple and I met Elder and Sister Thomas at the home of the Saitos, where we are taking over teaching Aline (also Marshallese).  We hadn't been with the Thomas' the last time they taught her, so we had asked what they were planning on covering.  That morning they had said that they thought they had left them a chapter in 3rd Nephi when Christ is visiting the Americas.  Then when we got to the lesson, they were thinking that they had left them 1 Nephi 8 about the Tree of Life.  So we asked James and Aline what chapter they were supposed to read and they said 1 Nephi 13.  haha well we all scratched our heads because when we turned to see what 1 Nephi 13 was all about it was the chapter about the great and abominable church.  haha Elder and Sister Thomas didn't even try to save it.  We all just laughed and ended up talking about Alma 32.

  

Last District Meeting together.

During the middle of Thursday night the thunder and rain started coming, and it did not stop for over 12 hours!  The thunder in Iowa is crazy! It is the longest rolling thunder I have ever heard, and then the lightning instead of being the loud bolts that go straight down, they end up going parallel in the sky, so it is a quiet lightning storm, but it lights up the entire sky.  Anyways, fall is coming and the weather is starting to get a lot cooler.  I am now starting to pull out the jackets and sweaters.

 

Anyways we had another appointment with Jita on Friday, but we couldn't find anyone to come and translate for us, so we decided to hold off on teaching about the Plan of Salvation.  But Jita had been reading from the Book of Mormon and from the Restoration pamphlet.  And in her broken English she said "I know the Book is true.  It is the number 1 book!"  Her whole face just lights up when we talk about the church!  But sad news is, that she is moving to Spokane, WA this coming Saturday to be with her daughter.  Ughh We are excited for her to be with her daughter, but we are really going to miss being able to teach her.  

 

Conference.  Conference.   Conference!  Did I ever mention that I have been counting down for conference since June.  Umm I loved every moment of it.  All 10 hours of it!  Sister Whipple and I watched all 5 sessions over at Elder and Sister Thomas'.  There were so many amazing talks!  One of my favorites was President Uchtdorf's in the Priesthood Session about getting up after falling down, and how the Savior is our champion so we should allow Him to help us up.  I also loved all of the talks about reaching out to everyone and strengthening all those around you.  In between the Saturday afternoon session and the Priesthood session, Sister Whipple and I went and tried by a few homes, and then as we were walking back towards the Thomas' we saw one of the Less Actives we have been working with, come out and light up a cigarette.  Our hearts just sank.  But we went over to her lovingly and said that we were going over to the Thomas' to watch conference to see if she wanted to come.  To our surprise she put out the cigarette and came with us.  It was one of those moments where we felt like we were at the right place at the right time.  We were able to have wonderful talks with her as we walked to and from the Thomas'!

 

In between the Sunday sessions of conference we had a farewell party/gathering at the church for Elder and Sister Thomas, because they will be heading back home this week :(  The Marshallese members were so wonderful and they made the Thomas' a matching shirt and dress!  The Thomas' have touched so many lives here in Dubuque and I have loved working with them!  

 

Elder and Sister Thomas' farewell

This morning we received a call from President asking if Sister Whipple would train and open a new area, and if I would train here in Dubuque!  I have loved serving with Sister Whipple and am sad to be splitting up, but I am excited to get another sister fresh out of the MTC, because they have so much fire for missionary work as they come out!  

 

I love you all!

 

Sister Call