Week 53

Happy Halloween!

Sister Arnold and I went to a pumpkin patch and carved pumpkins last week. We had tons of fun, and Sister Arnold impersonated a scare crow.

Exchanges were also this week. Heavenly Father is funny because Sister Zavala is my STL so we went on exchanges together, and they just so happened to be on our year mark. BLESSED! We were reminiscing about our time so far and everything that we've learned. It's been a whole year since the MTC (oh, and I just found out that my MTC teacher is engaged. Congratulations Gretchen Brock!) Since then I can see that I've grown and changed a lot. The best way I can describe it is Mosiah 5:2-3 "...because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.

 3 And we, ourselves, also, through the infinite goodnessof God, and the manifestations of his Spirit, have great views of that which is to come..."

I've loved every minute of being able to serve here and I can't wait to see the Lord's hand in the work that we have to do for the next 6 months. Happy Halloween! I love you all!

Sister Hammond ♥

the rain is coming down in Washington again! Say hello to winter time ♥ and goodbye to the sun ☼

Week 52

"to resist the temptation to be physically violent with my siblings"

Last night we were in a member lesson and we asked the family how they have seen the Lord's help in their lives. Well, their daughter answered "He helps me to resist the temptation to be physically violent with my siblings." I think she wins the best answer award. That was priceless, plus the look on her parent's faces!

My new companion is Sister Arnold. She's been out for 3 months and I'm only her second companion. She's my 8th...haha! We've had such a great week together though! We've worked really hard with throwing our whole selves into the work. God has been blessing us. We were out one night this week and we still had an hour of knocking on doors, but then it started raining and it was dark and we just were really not excited for it. So, we prayed for God's help and went to work. About the 3rd or 4th door a lady answers and we start talking with her. As she's answering our question she pauses and asks, "would you like to come in?" That is the question that every missionary longs to hear! Sister Arnold and I were so excited. Her name is Michelle Baxter and we taught her and her husband and her daughter. We will be seeing them again tonight! 

Another miracle and tender mercy and AMAZING experience from this week, Elder Rasband of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, Elder L Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy, and Bishop W Christopher Waddell of the Presiding Bishopric (all leaders of our church) visited our mission this weekend. We had a special devotional for the missionaries and had the sacred opportunity of shaking their hands and hearing them speak. I know that they are called of God and special witnesses of Jesus Christ.The spirit taught me an abundance of truth as we were able to hear from so many key holders! First, that the Lord trusts me. That is incredible in and of itself. To know that Heavenly Father trust me, an insignificant and imperfect person with flaws and weaknesses. Second, we are called specifically to our areas where we serve through revelation. God needs us here. He needs Sister Arnold and I in Lake Holm! Third, diligently studying the scriptures and the life and teachings of Jesus Christ will change our very natures so we can align our will with God's. Fourth, the Book of Mormon is the evidence that what we teach is true. 

I finished the Book of Mormon this past week as well. I had the opportunity to pray again, to ask God if it truly is scripture. I know it is. I add my witness to that of the prophet Joseph Smith and Moroni and President Monson, and all who know for themselves. This book is true. There is no if's, and's, or but's about it. It can't be half true, or partly true. Either it's real or it is not. And I know that it is. It has changed my life and as I apply it's teachings it's shaping me into the person that God wants me to be. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I love you all.

Sister Hammond ♥

our excitement the night before we met Elder Rasband!

(I'm the one with the orangeish shirt on the front row, sister arnold is in white right next to me, Elder Rasband is the one with the blue tie in the middle.)

   

We found some lamas. like 6 of them.

Week 51

"NO NO NO NO NO"

*Ring Ring*

Us: "NO NO NO NO NO NO"

Them: "Hi sisters! Sister Roberts, you're being out of zone transferred!"

Us: "WHAT?!"

Them: "Good luck! Bye!"

haha, hope you liked this little rendition of our Sunday night at 9:30 pm. Well, we got the transfer call and Sister Roberts is going to Silver Creek in Puyallup! haha, Sister Heiner, Sister Zavala and Sister Dodson will know that place well ;) I got to serve there for 5 weeks

As always, we got our new transfer blessings last night. I can't even begin to express how much my Father in Heaven knows me. I prayed the other night and set some goals with what I want to be able to accomplish this transfer. In my blessing He basically told me the 3 things that I needed to do. Quite boldly, specifically, and directly He said

-Read the scriptures, use our resources to have a firm understanding of His gospel.

-Study my patriarchal blessing (that was super powerful.)

-Follow the promptings of the spirit with exactness. 

He promised that He knew who was prepared. That means that that if I can do my part, He will lead us! With that understanding, how could I not talk with everyone? How could I not use our studies to the fullest? and plan? and work hard? Luke 18:28 says, "lo, we have left all and followed thee." I think I'm finally starting to understand what it means to lose myself in the work.

I found a scripture in Matt 24:31 this morning in my studies

31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

He has called us as His angels to declare His word.

I love you all! 

Sister Hammond ♥

Week 50

"My house is a vortex of memory loss"

We have a cute mom that we go and see once a week and for some reason none of us could remember ANYTHING. So she eventually said, "My house is a vortex of memory loss." Good thing the spirit will bring all things to our remembrance!

This week has been exciting. 

-my birthday and mac&cheese at Sister Ainsworth's house

-our car had to be fixed so we borrowed the zone leaders for a day then got a temporary car. (It was a chevy cruise and took me back to the good ol' times in Pioneer Valley ♥)

-Special training from President and Sister Rasmussen

-starting to do member lessons every night at 8 and they are going so good. Our members are on fire for missionary work. (The Heals are this little family that is picture perfect and adorable. They have 4 kids and whenever they see us they say, "HI MISSIONARIES!" and run as fast as they can to hug and wave at us. Doing a lesson at their house was the best because we talked about how they are going to be missionaries when they're older ♥♥ )

-Took Andrew to a baptism and he felt the spirit. The Elders needed someone to do a Restoration presentation, so for some reason they asked Sister Roberts and I to do it. The spirit always comes so strongly when we talk about Joseph Smith and his experience.

-Gotta see my bff today at choir practice. and she popped my back #blessings

Week 49

Conference + I'm 20?

What a week. General Conference was completely amazing. I'm sure all of the missionaries around the world greatly appreciated the Saturday session. Also, Sister Miles did an amazing job singing in the MTC missionary choir :) I'm pretty sure that we could hear her.

Some of my favorites from conference were

-Both of President Uchtdorf's talks

-President Nelson's talk on Joy. (seriously though, we are so blessed to be a part of this gospel in which every aspect of it can bring us so much Joy. It makes me think of my mission scripture in Alma 29:9 "I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my JOY." There is so much Joy that comes from losing yourself in the service of God. Even if it is super duper incredibly hard. Our mission president said, "As you look back on your missionary service and ask yourselves when you were the happiest, I believe that you will discover that it is when you were diligently working to find investigators and to teach them the gospel, and when they are preparing to follow the covenant pathway. Wickedness never was happiness, nor was disobedience. When President Nelson speaks of joy, I believe that we can find it as we lose ourselves in the work, and put forth our best efforts to share the gospel in the most effective way."')

-Elder Bednar's talk on understanding the Savior and learning about Him.

I can't wait to listen to, read, and study these talks because there is so much treasure to be learned and greater light to be found. I love this gospel and I love the opportunity that I've had to serve as a missionary. There truly is no greater joy than being involved in the Lord's work.

Sister Hammond ♥

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Week 48

"FOURTH FLOOR, LAST DOOR"

So, I forgot to tell you about the title from the last email. We met this guy who was walking past us, we handed him a card and he looked at it then said, "Oh yeah, this is cool. I know about the pioneers. Bye!" Sister Roberts and I were like, "Alright!" then watched him dash away after his friend...

The General Women's session of Conference was Saturday. President Uchtorf changed my mission. He is incredible. I love his story about his sweet wife, Harriet. He literally spoke to the missionaries because he said something about keep knocking and keep trying! The phrase that was coined from this conference is "fourth floor, last door". He told a story about how he met Harriet. Well, she wasn't a member and lived on the 4th floor of this apartment building. Missionaries went tracting there and knocked on every door starting from the bottom up. NO BODY was interested, but they kept going. The last door they knocked on was Harriet's and her mom's. FOURTH FLOOR LAST DOOR! okay. I'm ready to be a missionary for the next 7.8 months. 

I've also been praying to understand the Atonement and how to be bold in missionary work. Obviously God hears and answers our prayers because Sister Oscarson talked about being not ashamed of the name of Christ that we bear. I love how she said that one person of faith and action can have lasting effects and make a difference in God's work. Well, I'm one person. Even though I am weak I have faith that God can continue to increase my faith and all He asks is that I put one foot in front of the other and continue working. We can make a difference together. I think that's what the Atonement is all about. helping us to become something bigger and better than what we are as we turn to the Lord for help.

I hit 11 months this week. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I look forward to the bigger and better heights that God and I will reach throughout the rest of my mission.

I love you all!!

Sister Hammond ♥

Early bday present from Jenn and Shiloh ^.^ thanks!!

Exercise is a part of the missionary schedule.

Week 47

"I know about the pioneers"

This week was so full of the spirit. I have such a strong testimony that Heavenly Father answers our prayers. I've been trying to understand the Atonement more in my life and it's correlation with missionary work. We had a zone training that just so happened to be focused on understanding the Atonement in order to plan more effectively. Preach My Gospel says something along the lines of, "As our understanding of the Atonement grows then our desire to share the gospel will increase." (pmg pg. 2) Christ's Atonement is everything that He did in order to prepare the way for us to return to live with our Father in Heaven again, beginning with His suffering in Gethsemane and concluding on Sunday morning when He was resurrected. Everything that Christ did in His life was for us. To help us to overcome the affects of sin and death. 1 Nephi 19:9 says that He suffered all things because of His, "loving kindness and long-suffering for the children of men." There's not one person that we pass on the street whom the Lord didn't love enough to pay the full price for. That is the message that we take to the world. The better we understand this, the more urgency we will have and the more people we will invite to come unto Him.

The week ended with an amazing mission devotional. The stake president talked about pruning trees in order to help them bear fruit. He said, "What do you need to prune from your life in order to let in that Heavenly light?" I think that is a good question for us all to ponder. What are some things in our lives that are distracting us from being able to receive all of the blessings that God has in store for us?

I know that the message that we share is true and that it truly brings that Heavenly Light into our lives. It is centered on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, who loved me, and you, and everyone else enough to pay the price for us to live with our Father again. Don't take that for granted.

I love you all!! I'm praying for you!

Sister Hammond ♥

Congratulations to Aspyn for her mission call to Bismark ND! say hi to my dad for me ;)

Good luck in the MTC Abby Miles! Finland is going to be so blessed by you!