Monday, Dec. 2, 2013 Rocky Mount, North Carolina, LDS Sister Missionaries, 'Mormons'

Today is the second day of the last month of the year.  That's pretty final.  I have to say that I am truly grateful that the world didn't end in 2012-- because now I can be on a mission!  And... I had some great Thanksgiving food.

 

I don't really know the full history of the Thanksgiving, I just know that it is a day that I truly enjoy, and I know that I like food.

 

There is this thing called 'corn pudding' it's like a sweet corn souflet (sue-flay--I thought I'd put a prounounciation just in case I spelled that wrong. :)  And I think that it is one of my new favorite things.  I'll have to make it for you next year.

 

Also, lemme tell ya: casseroles are for the benefit of man.  I would like to know the history of casseroles.  The person that figured those out was on track.  I like whoever it was already. :)

Serving Thanksgiving Meals at Community Center

Sooooo, There are so many miracles!  We have been able to see us beautiful miracles in this area!  The work is truly moving forward!  We had 5 investigators at church yesterday!  We were so excited!  I know that I wrote all about it before, but the Lord TRULY is in the details of His work!  I can see it everyday.  Sometimes I take it for granted and forget to look, but it is definitely there. :)

 

I forget what we did all last week, but it was a holiday, we served on Thanksgiving at a community outreach center, and ate with different members of the ward that gathered together.

 

We took a 30 minute nap.  

 

We taught the Gospel.  (That came before and after the nap. :)

 

We conversed about our blessings and showed thanks by writing in some lovely gratitude journals that a member gave us.

 

--Also, I have reached the end of my first mission journal.  (We picked a good journal mom!)  It has lasted me 8 months!  I don't know how many missionaries have that kind of luck. :)

But I'm excited to start another one!  It's like writing a sequal!--

 

We taught some investigators, and gave some people copies of the Book of Mormon.

 

We bore our testimonies.

 

You know!  Missionary life!  :) 

 

I have just continued to grow in love for the people in Rocky Mount.  This is a chapter of my life that I will never forget.

 

On that note:  We had fast and testimony meeting at church yesterday, and there was a little boy who bore the sweetest testimony and said something very profound that I would like to share this week.  He said: "The present is a gift. You have to enjoy it--otherwise you wont be ready for your future."

 

Isn't that so true?

 

I love it! 

 

I know that I'm far from perfect at enjoying the present.  If you read some of my past letters you probably could attest to that fact.  I sometimes wanted to come home, (still do sometimes) I sometimes wanted to leave an area, or just move on instead of focusing on the things that I could enjoy in each day.

 

It's sometimes hard to end a hard day and look for the good in it.  Sometimes you just say " I'm done, I'll go to sleep and it will be tomorrow, and it will be better. "  I think that I would like to change my attitude to be better in alignment with the principle of enjoying the present.  Saying something like "Well, today wasn't the best, but I know that God's hand was [here] and I am grateful for [this].  I loved today because..." I think that would make us a happier people, and it would make me a happier person.

 

Sorry, sometimes I feel like my letters are just a long jumble of random thoughts, but thank you for reading and growing with me anyway. :)  There is simple truth mixed in with the complete circle of thoughts that I have. :)

 

This week could be the best week of your life, the best day in your year could be tomorrow, but sometimes you have to make it so.  We can't just wait for happiness to fall into our lives day by day.  There are no "I'll be happy if...." happiness is not conditional upon events.   Happiness is only conditional upon our agency.  You are happy if you choose to be.  Let's face it -- we have a responsibility for our personal happiness.

 

That is what I know this week.

 

(also that) I love you SOOOOOOOOOOO much!  (And I wrote you on the card of things that I'm grateful for around the Thanksgiving table. :)

 

Love,

Sister Amber

 

Sorry for the spelling and grammar errors.  Partly because I've forgotten how to be correct, and the computer didn't have automatic spell check . :)

November 4, 2013 - Amber in North Carolina

I didn't monitor my time wisely this week: Thus the really short update.

It's November.  In case anyone missed that Memo.

I AM SOOOOO GRATEFUL for Daylight savings.

It seriously changed my life on Sunday.  I had an extra hour of sleep.  It was great.

Beautiful Scene - North Carolina 

This week we drove to Portsmouth for a Sisters Conference.  It was fun.  President Baker taught the difference between being light-hearted and light-minded.  And he had me laughing so hard that I cried.  It was great.

I'm grateful for laughter.

I'm also focusing on 2 things this month that I know will make a difference not only in my mission, but in my life.  Patience, and Prayer. 

I just barely realized how interconnected those two words are. 

I thought I was patient, but then I came on a mission and it was all tried, then it ran out.  So I'm restoring my reserves of patience.

I thought I'd let you know. ;)

The leaves are finally starting to change color, and it is beautiful!  I like it!

I'm grateful for seasons. (And that cold here only lasts from Nov-Mar.) 

I'm grateful that I have a companion.  Literally, and spiritually with the Holy Ghost.

NC has lots of Cotton Fields that glow in the Sunset Sunshine.

Missionary work would be devastatingly hard if I had to do it all my myself.

Also, I'm grateful that right now I feel like I have enough stamina to do this for 11 more months. 

Can you believe that? 

I know I say it every week, but it really blows my mind!

These 18 months are a speck in eternity, and it determines so much. 

Wow.

I wish I had time for more, but most of all I'm grateful for you. 

You are my most treasured everybody!

Love Forever,

Sister Amber Garvin

Ward 'Trunk or Treat"- we shared treats and 'pass along' cards

Hello Whole World - From North Carolina, Monday, Oct. 21, 2013

Hello whole world.

Sister Garvin and Sister Friend from High School

Sister Garvin here, with news from the North Carolina front.  Or west-east, I don't really know.

Anyway, there is this thing called the sun, and I pretty sure that the world revolves around it, and it just so happened that today it is shining.  So it's a good day.

I keep thinking and saying that one quote from Finding Nemo--"The sun is shining the tank is clean, and we are getti... AHHHH the tank is clean!"

That's basically a metaphor for life.

Preparation Day is tank cleaning day.  And nap time. 

It means a lot.

This week was a little bit overwhelming, but great too.  We met with lots of people and had some of the highest key indicators in a couple of areas that I've ever had, so I'm thrilled to know that it's possible, that it's happening, and that I'm a part of it.

We worked really hard to stay busy all week, and there was so much going on.  So many new people, so many appointments, and just so many manys.

I have the need to nap so that I can process information.

Something that I have learned from this area is that I have not had it as bad as I sometimes think, in terms of life and experiences.

People have real struggles, and the movies are more accurate than I thought. 

I love them so much for their desires to find something better, and to be better, and my knowledge of this one fact has increased: God doesn't create a no-good anything or anybody.

We all have goodness within us, it is who we are.  And I think that is one of the reasons that we look for happiness.  Happiness is a good thing, and two good make an even better.

Yes, we fall short, and sometimes we look for good, and for happiness in the wrong areas, but we are doing the best we can with what we know and with our current capacities.  And life is a hard thing.

We were listening to a talk tape this week by Mary Ellen Edmunds, and she said something that struck my thoughts at the time "Happiness never was misery." and "Happiness doesn't mean a lack of sorrow."

There is great wisdom in that.

These are scrambled thoughts, but the I hope you get the gist.

Also words of wisdom from me:

1) Look for happiness in the right places!  The Lord has provided the correct and good resources for us to find those right places.

2) Endure to the end!  There will be sad times, but next year you probably wont remember them.

I know that I'll look back on my mission and I wont remember the times that were hard--which is at least 80%.  I'll remember the joys, and the happinesses.

So, yeah.

I still love you as much as I have always if not more!

Love, 

Sister Amber

Our 'District"

Sister Garvin, Sister Watt, Yolanda

Amber in Virginia - Monday, Sept. 23, 2013

So apparently when I try to type really fast my brain spells the wrong version of words that I am thinking of like four instead of for.  Well, that's embarassing..... Oops!

Guess what I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited for?!

You probably will take to long to guess so I will just tell you.

General Conference is (not this weekend) NEXT WEEKEND!

Guess why this is momentous?! 

Because it will mark 1 year since the age change for missionaries (which changed many peoples worlds--including mine.)

Also, I get to spend 10 hours sitting-- which is way more than I have done in 2 days in the last 5 months. :)  So that will be great.

This week I have been thinking a lot about being successful, and becoming, and other deep thoughts like that.

I have reached a really wonderful conclusions (thanks again to my lovely mother, and also my great mission president) 

Wise words "all we have to show for this is what we have become."

So then the question is: What would have to happen for me to feel like I had served a successful mission?

Would it be 'X' number of baptisms, or 'Y' number of miracles?

You are right if your brain just thought "NO!"

Go you!

While my realizations may not be accurate for all other missionaries around the world, they are for me, and on the slight chance they may benefit somebody I am willing to share.

If (super metaphorically) I came home tomorrow, or next week, or next month, would I be satisfied with who I had become?  The answer: yes. Why you ask?  What is the point, or what do you have to show for it?

Well, my answer is simply that I have become more.

I know that it sounds weird. But it's true.  I haven't become a completely different person (I still think I'm SO funny!)  but I have become more, and maybe even more important than that is that I LOVE the people here.

I could come home tomorrow and feel like I had been successful simply because I opened my heart up again, and I learned to love the people.

I can show for all this that I loved. And that I served out of love.

That's good enough for me, and I feel that it is good enough for the Lord.

I know that He called me on a mission so that he could teach me about this really miraculous, and minor-ly comprehendable thing called love.

And that's that.

Also,

Well, not also, 

But! 

(as always)

You are in my prayers, and 

I love you forever.

Love,

Sister Amber

From:  Mission Conference in July - (Photo posted by my Mom)  

(Amber is on third row back, kneeling 5th from left, red top.  :)

Missionaries in Virginia, Chesapeake Mission, 2013