Monday, March 24, 2014 - Rocky Mount, North Carolina - LDS Sister Missionaries - Sister Amber Garvin

Sister Felt

Sister Garvin

Today is transfer #5 in Rocky Mount.  I'm so grateful that I get to finish training Sister Felt,  I have loved being her companion so much!  But I'm also pretty confident that this will be my last transfer in Rocky Mount.  We'll look back in 5 More Preparation Days and see if I am right. :)  (Also, I think that Sister Felt will stay here and train a new missionary. :)  That is my hunch.  I have no idea about me.  But I've thought that she would be a great trainer since week one. :) 

This week we went to the Urgent Care for Sister Felt's ear. She woke up and couldn't hear anything and the it started to hurt.  So they cleaned it out for her. 

I thought that was funny because I've gone to the Dr. with every one of my companions and 3 of them had their ears cleaned out.  So it's not funny that they had to go to the Dr. but is funny that I've gone with all of them for that purpose.  Did you know that you are supposed to have your ears cleaned every year (or something)  How many people actually do that?  I had no idea.  What a fun job.........…

It's bright, sunny and 40 degrees outside today.  They are forecasting a possible ice storm tonight.  So that's not too great, but we can't control the weather every day.  Only sometimes when it is in alignment with God's will.

Super excited for Becca's new job, and Mike's recent engagement.  Those are both wonderful things!  Pass on my congratulations. :)

I've recently been pondering a lot about myself, and my behaviors.  I know that I cover up a lot of the things that I am feelings with goofy-ness and humor.  I'll be frank to say that it is probably a way of bearing false witness.  Which, I didn't think I had a problem with honesty, but apparently it goes a little bit deeper than that. 

So I have a new resolve to be more honest with myself, as well as with others.  I will be tactful-- I don't mean that I'll be blunt and just say everything that would hurt someones feelings, or that I'll just be a blabber-face. 

I'm trying to not make exceptions or excuse myself from things.

Last week I wrote a talk (for emergencies) on Diligence and Faith.  And how we have to have both to be member missionaries.

There were 2 quotes from Zone Conference that I wanted to share.

"There is no idleness or indecisiveness in faith." -Assistants to the President

"Don't let your weakness dictate your actions.[What you can and cannot do]...God will compensate for your weakness." -President Baker

These are short powerful statements from which I have learned a lot.

Sister Felt, Elder Belisle, Sister Garvin

If we want to be instruments in the Lord's hands in "hastening the Work"  we must tune ourselves to the promptings of the Spirit.  Then act immediately in Faith.  We cannot afford to be idle or indecisive in the promptings that we receive.  If we do not act we miss the opportunity and we get "out of tune".  The revelation we receive is determined by our willingness to act.

Sister Felt, Brother Armstrong, Sister Garvin

Satan will try to convince us that because of our weakness we cannot be helpful in doing the Lord's work or that we are not enough to do His work.

WE ARE ENOUGH!  And it is because of our weakness that we can be made strong.  

Love, 

Sister Amber Garvin

Staying in Rocky Mount - Monday March 17, 2014

Today it is with gratitude and thankfulness in my heart that I acknowledge all the other emails that I was unable to respond to this week, and also the fact that I'm not being transferred.  Yay!

I really wasn't sure if I would be.  And I'm grateful that through the knowledge that I am staying in Rocky Mount for another transfer it has been re-confirmed to me that there is still a great work to be done here, and I have a part to play in it.

It is really amazing to be able to say that I have been able to serve here for as long as I have been able to.  To this point, deep in my heart, I have the desire to stay here the rest of my mission.  That will probably not be the case, and by the time is is time for me to leave I'm sure that I may feel differently. :)  Well, actually I will just have a feeling of peace and reassurance that I am done here, and I'm needed someplace else.

Deep thought ya?

Anyway, we had a miraculous week this week.  And Zone Meeting was phenomenal.  I learned SO much and left spiritually filled.

We sang off key.  Did I mention we were going to do that?  Because we did...

And we had excellent training and practices on how we can eliminate "filler words" (like, ummm, and so, etc...) to become more powerful teachers.  I am trying to implement this more into the way that I teach, speak, and write.

Short powerful statements.  That's where it's at. (as the kid's refer to it. :) (haha... I know that I've said it before, but I really think that I'm really funny.... not in the prideful way.... just the way that when I say that to myself it makes me laugh even more.)

I don't remember what the situation was, but sometime last week I told Sister Felt that I would probably be the funniest companion that she would ever have (she said "that's sad." --- but meant it in a positive context.... "that's sad that no one is as funny as you are!")

This is the story.

Also, Let me tell you, Spring season is spider season.  And on the way to zone conference we unrolled the window a little ways and a spider that was hanging on for dear life on the outside of the car zipped right in the unrolled window.  Do you know how hard it is to drive straight when you and your companion are screaming?  Really hard!  (I did it though.)  It was on Sister Felt's side, so every time she screamed I screamed, (and it was on my Birthday so we all screamed for ice cream) And it was a frightening experience.  Good news though.  We were almost there, it climbed into the place between the door and window, and then it had the opportunity to escape while we were spiritually fed inside the church building.  I reminded Sister Felt last night that we hadn't ever found it, so it must not be in the car anymore.

That's the story. :)

We had a wonderful experience on Saturday with inspired planning and the power of prayer. 

We prayed fervantly that none of our plans would fall though, and that we would be able to teach the people we had planned to see according to the direction of the Spirit.  We were able to find opportunities to serve, teach the principles that we had studied, and extend commitments to each person that we came in contact with.  We felt so incredibly blessed to be able to have such a wonderful day.  Especially since the next day was really gloomy, and awful. 

Opposition in all things.

So now I'm out of time because I was emailing nice things to my friend named Sister Newbold.

Missions are awesome.  I will love the people that I have served with FOREVER!.

Yahoooooooooooooooooooooooooo......

Okay,

Bye.

I love you.

Talk to you TTYL. 

Haha.

Told you I'm funny. :)

Alright.

Love to the moon and back!  (or farther.  Like infinity, google, trillion, zillion, eternity.)

Love,

Sister Amber Garvin

Monday, March 10., 2014 - Rocky Mount, North Carolina - Sister Amber Garvin

'Zone Meeting'

Whew-wee!!!!

How incredible is it that it is already March?  We've already had Daylight Savings? It's been 11 months today that I've been a missionary?  That time flies so, so fast!

It's amazing.

Well, here's the status update for this week:

We had Zone Meeting on Friday with just our zone, and set a goal to have 25 baptisms in the month of April.  It's a really high goal, but we are SOOOOOO wanting to see the miracles that come from working towards a high objective. :)  Sister Felt, and I have really been praying fervently that we'd be able to contribute to God's Kingdom by inviting someone to be baptized in April.

I just want to SEE someone that I teach get baptized SO much! 

It's not my golden ticket or anything..... I know that I've done good here, but sometimes I just want to ya' know.... do something that is everyone knows that misisonaries do-- help someone accept the invitation to be baptized.

I'm trying to continue to maintain the faith and hope that it will happen.  But sometimes I think "Ahhh!!!  Only 7 months left!!!  There isn't enough time left for someone to be baptized!"

But there is.  Because those who are ready have been prepared before I even got to talk to them.  So.....I just keep praying, and trying to be active in following the Spirit to put me in the place that I need to be in order to be a helpful servant of the Master of this lovely, and ripe vineyard. (Poetic right?)

Just in case I don't get to the emails that people have sent me to say about my birthday, I just wanted to send out a generalized 'Thank you!' I'll try to send out a more personalized one next week.

I know that sometimes I ramble on, and on about things in these emails, but I think that I'll like to look back at them someday, and see the progress that I made, and the changes in me.  And that will make me happy when I have some of the "woe is me" syndrome that seems to be infiltrating the minds of many these days.  If I'm ever in that mode and don't catch or correct myself (which I do fairly well at) please help me.  Permission granted. :)

The sun is finally shining regularly, and this summer promises to be really hot, because it's already 70 degrees in March.  I hope that I don't die, because then it would be "woe is you" syndrome, and I really wouldn't want to cause that big of a problem. :)

So yeah, that's the status update.

I'm out of things to say today.  I'm going to try to catch up on some letter that I need to write. 

And laundry.

And clipping my toenails.  Although, you probably didn't really need to know that really interesting fact....

I was going to get my haircut by someone in the ward, but we had to reschedule.... there is a nasty bug/virus that is hitting all the people here. (And I love everyone, but I do not love being sick, and I'd like to avoid that if at all possible.)

Oh!  Sister Felt and I are singing at Zone Conference this week.  So I'll let you know how that goes.  I'll probably be sharp, or flat, or something since we only found out Saturday. :) 

Okay, Bye!

I love you forever!

-Sister Amber

Monday, March 3, 2014, Rocky Mount, NC, LDS Sister Missionaries

Good morning!

A few minutes to e-mail home...

This week seemed to fly by!  Just as fast as the first 2 months of this year.

Does time seem to go faster when you get older, or is it just a mission thing?  I don't know.  But I seem to be going on a really fast train, and I feel like when it's finally time for me to get off I'll have to take a jump, and the fall will be a little rough.  That scares me, but I think that it's the right feeling to have because it means that I'm finally becoming aligned with a greater understanding of my purpose here.

I caught myself thinking for a small moment this week about how totally devastated I would be if I had to leave this area in a few weeks.  I would be thrilled if I could spend the rest of my mission here.  Rocky Mount has become such an amazing miraculous chapter in my life, and I literally cannot see myself in any other place or in any other calling.  So I guess that's another way of Heavenly Father reminding me that I'm in the right place.

I think that I forgot to share the cool news!  Sister Jasperson is serving in an area that borders mine.  :)  She's in the boundaries of the other stake, but it's good to know that we'll at least see each other again. :)

I've definitely gained a new appreciation for her, and for the experiences that we had in Jamestown together.  At the time some of it seemed difficult, but I look back at it now and think (This is how my brain speaks...) "Man!  That was like the easiest time in my whole mission!" 

But I don't really want to go back and do it again, because then I think that it would be the hardest time.  

The point is:  I think that this has turned into a joyous experience becasue I have the reassurance from the Spirit that I will remember the fulfillment, and the joy, and the good things that happened.  So that makes me happy!!!!

IIIII CANNNNNNNNNN BEEEEEEEEEEE SOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

This is a good email.  Not a bad one.  :)

We had a miraculous week, and I've learned that members of the church are awesome.  A small testimony can open a door, and soften a heart.  Christ can change a heart. And "the church is still true contrary to popular belief". :)

Also.  I'm definitely going to cry when I come home.  Definitely..... 

Because I don't want to leave SOOOO bad!!  But I want to be with all of you SOOOOOO bad!  But I love the people SOOOOO much! And I will not know how to be a regular person probably.

This is a really extreme slew of things that I know are going to happen.  I'm not going to dwell on it, but I thought it a little.

Let me just say this!

I add my word to the testimony of Elder Uchtdorf "Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith."

And when you say you "can't" do something that is a choice.... And it makes it harder on you when you actually CAN do it, and you are fighting the whole way because you are telling yourself that you can't.

Yeah.  I've grown in wisdom.  That's what's up.

I recognize that sometimes I cover up deep stuff with humor, and irony.  I've had extensive talks with my companion(s) about it.  But just know that from the depth of my soul I know that this is Christ's church restored to the earth.  I know that the Book of Mormon contains the fulness of the gospel as does the Bible.  And I love this church.  I love my Savior.  I know that I am loved by both He, and Heavenly Father.  And I love you.

From the depth of my soul I love you all!  And it doesn't get better than family. :) 

(Except for when we are all a glorified, and exalted family.  Then it might be a little better.)

Sending love from North Carolina! 

(I love it here!  And SPRING IS COMING!  Along with an Easter Egg hunt I hope!)

Love,

Sister Amber in NC.

Had to send this '5,555' miles.  :)

and this…..'big tractor'

Gabby did our hair like hers!  :)

Sister Felt in 'Conetoe'

Also...my favorite City.....pronounced Koe-Nee-Tah.  :)

Monday, Feb. 24, 2013 - Sister Garvin, Sister Felt

Well,  I've left only about 15 minutes to type this email, and I'm not sure how long that will get me.  I guess we'll have to find out in 15 minutes. :)

This week was really miraculous!  We have started focusing more on Revelation through Planning, and Finding.  Because of the trainings from our District and Zone meetings, as well as us being directed as to how we can implement the ideas from those meeting into the work in our respective areas, we have begun to see so much progress already.

I'm feeling for the first time that really, really... our plans each night are directed by the goals that we set weekly and daily.

Let me just put a little plug in for my companion....

Sister Felt is ~AMAZING!~

I just love, love, LOVE this girl!  She and I laugh ALL THE TIME!  And she just has great perspectives, and inspires me to "try a little harder to be a little better."

Ooop.... I got distracted reading things that people send me.  So not I have 2 minutes left.

Okay.

So I learned this really great thing in the Bible Dictionary about Charity.  It says that charity is "never used to demote alms or deeds".  I think that's really interesting.  So we don't have ACTS of charity, but as we develop charity--the pure love of Christ-- I think that it drives our actions.  So charity itself is not an act, but when we have charity we act to serve, help, strengthen, bless, and uplift those who are around us. :)

I hope that little snippet of an epiphany makes a little bit of sense to you. :)

Hmm.  I'm full of inspirations quotes, and have run out of time. Sorry about that.

Oh.  We've had BEAUTIFUL weather this week, somedays in the 80's.  Now we hear it is supposed to snow this week.  I really think that the weather here is more tempermental, and unpredictable than that in Utah.

PLEASE DONT SNOW THIS WEEK!!!!!!!  I HATE WEEKLY PLANNING FOR 3 DAYS IN A ROW BECAUSE WE CANT GO OUTSIDE!!!!!!

And that's all I have to say about that situation....

Have a lovely week!  No matter the weather!

Love forever,

Sister Garvin

Birthday Surprise for our little friend

Sister Felt

First day Sister Felt arrived in Mission

Tuesday, February 18, 2014, LDS Sister Missionaries, Rocky Mount, North Carolina

Hint, Hint!!!

Good morning family!

I know that you all hang off of my every word, so I'm sorry about the delay in my letter this week. ;)  Just kidding about the hanging.... not so much about the delay.

There were more snow days last week.  Everything shut down because it was an "ice storm" which is mostly just really wet snow....  School was cancelled from Tuesday-Friday, and so they had to go to school on Pres. Day as a make-up day, and they're supposedly having to shorten Spring Break because of all the snow days. SO SAD!

Good news:

Sister Felt and I get along really, really well.  I just really feel like we are equally-yoked in this companionship.  We have a lot of similarities character wise, but some really different strengths.  She is going to help me plan better since that is not one of my strengths.  So Heavenly Father did answer my prayer, because I prayed that I would get a companion that could help me improve my planning.  Yay.

We saw some truly amazing miracles this past week, and were able to contact some people that we haven't been able to before and share short messages with them.  We are trying to help strengthen the ward members by being purpose-driven missionaries, and to this point we have seen great improvement-- some within ourselves.  I love being purposeful!!!

I tell so many people this because I think that is is profound: "Purpose doesn't evolve from friendship-- friendship evolves from purpose."  That is something that the sister Training Leaders in Newport News really helped me to understand.  Our purpose is to "invite others to come unto Christ" and when we are driven by that we develop stronger and deeper relationships and friendships with people than we would if we just chit-chatted with them for 5 hours.  A purposeful 15 minute lesson is much more effective than an hour lesson where you just get to know someone. Hark!  There is wisdom in these my words.

I've just had a good week.  Also, I realize that sometimes I complain a lot-- and I don't always know that I'm doing it, and I really have no reason to-- so if that comes through my letters, I give you permission to call me out.  Help me do better, because I can't always do it myself. :)

Life is good. 

Maybe not always ideal, but there is always good to be found to combat the bad if we but look for it.

I love the scriptures.  They are a constant source of good.

I also love dessert.

And when I get a solid 8 hours of sleep.

And when people allow their testimony and faith in Jesus Christ change their lives. 

And shoe shopping.  But I don't do that very often because I don't need more shoes right now.  I sometimes just like the way my feet look in shoes.  Oh!  I found out that I can fit in little girls sizes 5/6 shoes.  My horizons have been expanded.

Oh again!  I LOVE letters, and when I come home and see letters on my bed from people that I love.  It makes
my day. 

Toodle-ooooh!

Love,

Sister Amber

Valentine's Cookies -- "Thanks Mom!"

Monday, February 10, 2014, Rocky Mount, North Carolina, LDS Sister Missionaries

Wow.

 

In all seriousness I haven't felt as much contentment, and joy from just being a missionary as I do sitting here right now, in a very long time. 

 

I just am really content, and happy.  So that's good.  In fact, it's great!

 

Our experience getting to transfer meeting was a little bit crazy.  We had to wake up at 4:30 am to get ready to go, and meet some other sisters so that we could be in Portsmouth by 8:30 in preparation for the trainer's meeting. 

 

I was so glad that I got to go to transfer meeting though!  So many people got moved!  President Baker said that this transfer meeting was the largest.  The first largest was when we had transfers like a week after the mission opened. 

 

Anyway.  We welcomed 18 new missionaries, and I saw, Sisters: Barnes, Newbold, Adamson, and Sister Jasperson (This is her fifth time training-- which is incredible!!!)  Also I saw my old zone leaders, and Elder Snow, and Elder Noble who were in the group that I came out with.

 

I was so glad to see some of my mission friends!!! Things seem to be going well with all of them. 

 

Another sister, Sister Hurley, whom I came out with, was called to be a Sister Training Leader in the Kinston Stake.  She is so great!  She is the first person that I was with when I shared the gospel with someone in the airportthe day we lef tthe MTC.  I just LOVE her!

 

Also, our cousin--who I think may have forgotten is related to me because sometimes I forget to say hello..... is now a zone leader!  That is great! 

 

Sister Felt is my new companion.  She is from Southern California, and is 22.  I don't know if I'm just supposed to be taught maturity or what, but every single one of my companions has been older than me....... And taller.... except for sister Watt.... She was shorter.

 

Okay, so that is a really long-winded bout of information that is probably completely irrelevant to anyone outside of this mission, but it's stuff that I like to know, and now I'm sharing it.

 

I have been really full of inspiring revelatory information the last week or so too.  Being able to talk with Sister Felt has sort of brought it out of me, but I've run out of it today, also time..... Almost out of that.

 

So in the most dignified way possible I'm going to peace out.

 

Oh!

 

10 months.  Today.  Right now.  In this very moment.  (Isn't that incredible?!  Who would have thought I would have made it this far in such a short amount of time.  I'm still going to be 20 years old when I get home, and I feel like I'm 79.  So that's weird. Spiritually I mean.  

Anyways........)

 

Love y'all!

 

-Sister Amber Garvin

Me with my 'Thumbs Up'  :)

New Companion: Sister Felt and I eating the BEST Cheesecake in the World!

'Transfers' - Rocky Mount, North Carolina, LDS Sister Missionaries

I think that I will keep this week brief.

We received our transfer call a day earlier than expected.  Saturday!  So I've known for a little while longer than usual, but the good news is that Transfer calls are inspired, and I can trust that the Lord knows what's best. Plus, I keep praying almost daily that we will be led by the Spirit to know where to go, what to do, and what to say.

So I will be staying in Rocky Mount, and training another missionary.  In all sincerity I am excited, and I feel good about it, but I'm trying really hard to maintain commitment to serving with all my" heart, might, mind and strength" because I am tired!!!!!  I guess it will be good though because new missionaries always have a lot of energy, and drive.  I know that will help me keep going.  I just hope I don't get dragged along! :)

Sad to be losing Sister Watt, and so are many of the members of the ward.  She has left a big impression here. :)  Funny though because her next area is like 20 minutes south of here, in Wilson.  They have a wonderful ward there, and the Sister who will be her new companion is basically me. :)  She and I came out at the same time-- she was called to the Raleigh Mission though and I was Richmond.  She and I also have basically the same sense of humor, and personality.  I love her, and hope that Sister Watt will as well.

So that the status update.

I just love all of you!

keep in Touch --- Kay!  :)

  

Love,

Sister Garvin

Monday, January 27, 2014, Rocky Mount, North Carolina - SNOW

Sister Garvin and "Chester, the snominary'

This week there was a snowstorm.  We went to the Bishop's house to eat dinner, and we came outside after about 40 minutes and there was snow on the ground!  About 3 inches!  Whew wee!

 

We were "grounded" for lack of a better term, and had to stay inside from that point on until the next afternoon about 4:00 because we are not allowed to drive with ice on the road.  We built a little snowman in record time, and most of the snow on the roads had melted by the next day. 

 

Everything was mostly shut down though for a little while.  They cancelled school, and people tried to stay home, and stay warm. 

 

The wind chill is fridgid!!!!!!

 

We stayed warm, and were able to get permission to move our weekly planning day, so we did that while we were inside-- which was great!  We were able to stay productive and do the things that we needed to be doing, so the day wasn't just lost.

 

We did feel a little bit bad about cancelling some of our appointments, but people were very understanding, and didn't want us out driving either! :)  So everything worked out.

 

Sister Watt and I spoke briefly in Sacrament Meeting yesterday.  Our topic was Hastening The Work.  From the First Pres. Message in the Feb. 2013 Ensign El. Uctdorf gave a talk for "... The Hesitant Missionary..." it was really good, and I based my talk off of the things that he presented there.

 

One of the other speakers invited over 100 people to come hear him speak, and 30 came!  So amazing! 

 

It's possible people! :)

 

Love you! 

Beautiful Snow and Sky

First Snow of Season

Beautiful Sun between the branches

Gotta go!

Sorry for the rushed message this week.  I was looking at pictures of all the craft things that Ashley has been doing.

Do you all know that I have an amazing talented pair of siblings?!

(I do. :)

 

Love you all forever!

 

(Possible snow-day again this week!) Pictures to come again next week!  And transfer calls!  I forgot about that.

Call are next Sunday.  Surprise! :)

 

Love,

Sister Amber Garvin

First Snow - Rocky Mount, NC January 2014

First snow of the Season….Photo from the Bishop who had the missionaries over for dinner.  Thanks Bishop!!!

Rocky Mount, North Carolina, LDS Sister Missionaries - Monday, January 20, 2014

So.  I don't really know what to write this week.

I just know that the Holy Ghost is a better teacher than I am.  And I'm really grateful that I don't have to try to figure it out on my own.

This week I'm sending home some pictures. 

We bought matching mustache pens with a gift card that someone gave us for Christmas.  

They are really funny.:)

Also,

I tried to make some bread.  We were going to give it to a member of our ward with the talk from Pres. Monson's address at the Relief Society Broadcast Oct. 2013.

But we didn't have an exact yeast measurement, and we used self-rising flour.  So, it didn't rise at all, and it was really salty. We had to use our sharpest kitchen knife to saw through the crust....

So I was embarrassed and refused to give it to them, and we made cookies instead.  The cookies were better anyway.

So lesson: We have to follow the exact directions and put in the exact ingredients for the end product to turn out the way it was intended.  So it is also with exact obedience.

Ummmm...

I had some blue pajama pants that turned my white bedspread blue.  So I'm going to probably spend all day trying to remedy that situation.... Good thing I have some trusty stain removers!

We had interviews with President Baker this week and he asked us to role-play teaching him some part of the Restoration.  It went really well!  It was good to be able to spend some time with him and Sister Baker, they are really delightful to be around.

Something really great that I read this week was the second half of 1 Peter 3 there is some good stuff there!  Very uplifting.  It talks about how we must always be ready to stand and bear testimony, and how Christ suffered all, and it is better to suffer for good than to suffer for evil.  So I really liked that.  If you have a few minutes to read and ponder it I would encourage you do to so.  Maybe you'll get something out of it that I didn't and that is personally important and relevant to you. :)

All my love!  

-Sister Garvin

Monday, January 13, 2014, Rocky Mount, North Carolina - LDS Sister Missionaries

Life has peaks and valleys….

"Peaks and Valleys"

Sometimes I think that I should look back over the things that I wrote last week so that I don't repeat the same things over and over again, but then I think "hmmmm..... that takes time....." And I don't do it.

So I might repeat the same things over and over again.

Someone once compared life to peaks and valleys.  I'm really glad that they did that because it is a good description. And it helps me to express myself better.

This week was mostly a valley.

Besides the normal things that are thought of as discouraging to missionaries-- like all your investigators dropping you in one week, and having nobody answer their doors after you spend 3 hours trying to contact people, and hitting a half-way milestone in your mission life and feeling like I'd not made much of a difference to anyone or anything anyplace--I was having a little bit of an emotional melt down too.

Don't take this the wrong way.  I'm not complaining. Merely explaining, and expounding.  And also-- when I write emails home I always learn something from having to form the jumble of thoughts I have into words.

SO, anyways, I was seriously low, and depressed.  That's not really fun if you know what I mean.

Ugh..... sometimes being a person is hard because there is all this emotional stuff.  I think that it's sometimes easier to just smash something and be done with it.  (that's an aside, and definitely just a fleeting opinion.... I don't really want to be a gorilla or anything.)

I read Elder Christofferson's talk on the 'Moral Force of Women' from Oct 2013 General Conference (this may be repeated from last week) and he said basically that the most important thing to remember is our relationship with Heavenly Father and the Savior.

It has been impressed upon me that that is something that I haven't been as focused on for a little while.  I need to improve on that.  I realized that if my relationship with Them is suffering then all the relationships I have with other people are suffering as well.

So okay, I got it.

I've really been praying more fervently than this email explains - and that I can do better at that.

I've also been going to all my church meetings and missionary meetings with a question.  Elder Perkins of the seventy who spoke to us last month encouraged us to change the attitue of "going to a meeting" to "going to have a revelatory experience". So, that has been helping as I've been working through the things mentioned above.

Without many details, because I'm running low on time, there is a principle that I learned this week while walking in the valley -- that I wanted to share.

The Lord always sends rescuers.

I'm part of a team of rescuers, but this week I needed rescuing.

The Lord sent me rescuers in many forms this week.  Leaders in the mission and in the ward.

Can I express the depth of my gratitude to those who listened to the Spirit to ask after me? Can I express my gratitute that the Spirit prompted me to answer with courage, and honesty-  something other than the rote reply of "good" or "well"? Well, no actually, because gratitute is a really overwhelming feeling and I don't do well to express it in words.  Just know that I'm realy grateful to the Lord for sending me rescuers, and for reminding me to look for the answers to my prayers that came through other people, and for the encouragement to act on the answers to those prayers.

We are NEVER forgotten. My favorite scripture was brought to my mind again "For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. " (3 Ne. 22:7)

Don't give up the opportunity to take the help of the rescuers, or to search them out. 

I also read the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15:3-7.  We each deal with times that we feel lost, or are lost, but our Shepherd will never give up the rescue efforts.  He is always searching, always calling, and always true to his role as our Savior.

I hope that if anyone who reads this is struggling with any challenges similar, feeling lost, forsaken, or forgotten that something here will strike them with a remembrance of the deep-rooted truths that are in our hearts.  We are never so lost that we can be found by our loving Father in Heaven, His Son--our Savior-- and the Heavenly Rescue squad that covers the whole earth.  We are never as alone as we think we are, and we are NEVER EVER beyond being rescued.

You are greatly loved!

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

(I felt that was a better close than anything)

-Sister Garvin

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P.S. (the following was written to my Mom as we emailed this morning -  but I told her she could share it on the blog if she wanted to.)

My Mom writes:  I'm grateful for these words of wisdom that helped me this morning as we are making some major decisions in our family and seeking the Lord's guidance.  It's been such a great blessing to have a missionary daughter who is serving the Lord, and who offers us strength, encouragement and guidance we we travel life's pathway together.)

Even when he was 90 years old Pres. Joseph Fielding Smith prayed that he'd stay faithful, and be able to keep his covenants.  We can't afford to lose the faith to pray for those things all the time.

There really isn't a rest from the tests that we are asked to go through in this life.  The "world" and the things of the world are incredibly wicked and people who turn a blind eye will not learn from it.  They will lose the opportunity to become discerning. 

I pray that now more than ever our home will compare to the temple as a refuge, sanctuary; holy House of the Lord; where there can be strength received as we strengthen each other.

I'm often discouraged and depressed, but it never diminishes the faith that I have the the Lord is watching.  Nor does it diminish the faith that I have that the gospel is true, nor that I can be happy. 

Sometimes I want to hide under a rock.  So I'm grateful that my spiritual self has the courage to ask on the promptings to keep going, even when my natural self wants to do nothing except hide and be by myself.  :)

I'm still learning, and there are just peaks an valleys all the time every day.

And if I'm in a valley and things aren't okay, the Lord doesn't let me stay there without offering some way to get to a peak. Then every thing is okay.