Sacredness of Missionary Labors

I'm a day late, but I have reason, and permission to be.

Yesterday Sister Felt was throwing up in the Halloween bowl.  Like, probably for a couple of hours.

Is no bueno.  But so far today, she is feeling better!  That's good!

I spent the day watching Mormon Messages that someone gave us to watch, and sewing up my pile of stuff to sew up, eating sour patch bunnies, and writing a pile of substantial letters to a bunch of people that I love. :)  It was good.  The Mormon Message "Lessons I learned as a Boy" by Gordon B. Hinckley made me cry.  What a wonderful spirit in that profound, but simple lesson.  (I'm not going to expound, because it will give you all the chance to watch it. :)

Watch here: http://www.mormonchannel.org/mormon-channel-daily/193?v=911029440001

Also, if you haven't taken the time to watch the new on on bullying please do. It will bring a new perspective, and make you want to be, and do better.

I'm not sure of the direction of this letter this week.  There has been a lot that has happened.

For the first time in my mission we have an investigator with a baptismal date.  We are thrilled about that, but I also wonder if I should feel more thrilled about that?

I am happy because she wants it.  But it has also been re-confirmed that baptism is not my "golden ticket".  It is truly wonderful, but it is really seeing the lives of people change that is my golden ticket.  I love to see the light of the gospel shine in the faces of people that I love, and truly, I love them. I know that I'm going to be so sad to leave Rocky Mount when the time comes, because I know that this has been a place that my efforts have gone to good use in building the Lord's kingdom on earth.

I had a lot of time to ponder yesterday, and I don't know exactly what triggered it, but there was a shift in me.  I was led to pray for something that I hadn't prayed for before.  I said that I was so sorry that I didn't always understand how truly sacred this work is.  I was devastated that it had taken me this long for it to finally click, and I shifted.  I wish I could express the depth of the feelings of my heart in sharing how I feel now.

This work is SO sacred.  It is a privilege and an honor to be a part of it.  Although there are over 80,000 missionaries world wide, I am not an insignificant part of this work.  It cannot be done without my efforts, and I have been a major part of this work in a specific place.  In Rocky Mount No. Carolina, Virginia Chesapeake Mission.  Also, fun fact for you; I am the best Sister Garvin in this whole mission (mostly because I am the only Sister Garvin in our mission. :)

And I continue to thank all of those who have provided me with the means of going on this sacred journey.

I sometimes get caught in wondering how there could possible be room for any more growth, but it is the little things now to put me through the refiners fire over, and over again to get out all the bits of dross.

From the hymn "How Firm A Foundation" it says:

1. 5. When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
   My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.
   The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
   Thy dross to consume, thy dross to consume,
   Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

I hope that I will trust enough to continually go through this process.

There is so much to hope for in a bright future, and it is oft times easy to lose sight of that when we are passing through the "dark ages" of our lives.

I just know that no matter how dark a trial may seem there will have to come a time when it shall pass.  And through the divine help and strength that provided through the Atonement of Jesus Christ it will be possible to be refined, and not consumed.

(Here's my new thing that I came up with this week. #GarvinSoapbox any time I say something that I know is true I say "Hashtag, Garvin soapbox."  Yes, I'm still funny even when I know profound things)

I love you each so greatly, and I hope that things are home are more refining than consuming. 
Also for A&A:  the youth of this church are prayed for almost as much as the missionaries, you have untapped potential to be a tremendous force for good in this world.

I love you all!

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

May 20, 2013

Dear...Best family in the entire world who I love (and friends),

I had my one month missionary birthday!  Can you believe it?  I sort of wish I could keep starting over so that time never moves forward and I can learn as much as I have learned all the time. That probably doesn't make sense.  

But mostly I am trying to say that time has really just flown by, and we only have 13 days left in this transfer which is really soon!

We don't know what is going to happen, but Sister Jasperson and I did some math (which I didn't think would ever happen on a mission.  ;) and there is a possibility that we will be getting 140 new missionaries in the next two transfers.  WHICH IS THE EQUIVILANT OF AN ENTIRE MISSION....almost.  Basically, that is really a lot of missionaries. Also, I am not really sure how to spell equivilant...the computer says it is wrong, but has no alternative spellings.

Sister Jasperson and Me

This week was really busy, and I loved it a lot!  Also, through many many miracles we were able to set two investigators for baptism in June!  So they will be the first baptisms in a year, and we are super thrilled--so is the ward. :) 

Being able to see the gospel change people, and bless their lives is a miracle to witness, and I love it! 

Along with the miracles comes great opposition, and I am learning how to pray with sincere desires for others, and humility myself.  Something that one in my branch presidency at the MTC told me is to never forget humility, and that has really become a goal for me.  I am learning a lot of things about humility that I never let myself learn before because I wasn't being humble.  HaHa now I am learning a lot, but it is really a special blessing. :)

Also, this is important.  I have learned some really important things that I would like to share with you this week. They are not in order:

1- A good box springs is more important then the actual mattress.

2- Those dried coconuts and mangos we get from Costco are supposed to be refridgerated.... it says so on the bag.  Woops. :)

3- Always pack an umbrella for unexpected torrential rain storms.

4-  The MTC is one of my favorite places in the world.

5-  It is important to laugh, but also really important to be moderate in all things and maintain a dignity at home as well as at all the other places you go.

6- Pray for everyone, and everything all the time.

7- Don't drive with the emergency brake on because it doesn't work and then you have a heart attack. 

I will continue the list later.

Also, I splurged and bought a pair of shoes at Walmart because they were on clearance and I loved them really fast.  Sooooooo.... That is that story. :)

All the roads look like this, and you can't tell where the houses are!  :)

I am sending pictures this week. Sorry it has taken so long. And sorry this letter isn't really an update.  

I am doing really alive, and I miss you my family, and I love you, and almost everybody now. :)

I also learned a lot about forgiveness this week.  I was reading somewhere between Alma 33 and Alma 43 and I learned a lot about forgiveness.

That is more of an update. :)

I love y'all for all my years forever! :)

-Sister Garvin

MTC District