#TeamMoses

What is up, my buttercups? Do you know what today is? Yes, it's P-Day. Yes, it's also October thirty-first. But, you know what that means?

IT'S HALLOWEEN, YO.

HALLOWEEN.

SAY IT WITH ME NOW --

HALLOWEEN.

Halloween as a missionary is pretty lackluster, but we do our very best to make it as thrilling and not-scary as possible. Tracting is pretty pointless since most people would either laugh or maybe give us candy. Maybe. That's a very strong maybe, my friends. We also don't go out too late -- that's dangerous. We also aren't allowed to wear costumes. So, what do us missionaries do with ourselves on this wonderful holiday?

This year, God was like, "I'm going to give these missionaries a gift. Here, Halloween will be on a Monday." Cue hundreds of missionaries cheering in the distance. This P-Day, Sister Maughan and I are figuring out how many pumpkin spice flavored things we can eat. We're up to four, and it's not even noon yet. We're also spending the day eating unhealthy pumpkin treats and carving pumpkins with our dear Ocean Springs Sisters, Sister Lindberg and Sister Thompson. I love these gals. We're gonna party as hard as any missionary can!

This week has been so awesome. Can I just take a moment to mention the blessings the Lord has seriously been pouring onto us this transfer? I genuinely feel so grateful and so very blessed for the miracles I've been able to witness over the past five weeks -- and I'm even more excited to see what happens in week six!

Sister Maughan and I have been busy, busy, busy. We booked a bunch of our days, and we even had the opportunity to go on exchanges. With appointments falling out of our ears, Sister Maughan and I have been able to see all kinds of good things come from those we teach. Amidst the frustration, the crunch on miles, and the ever-unpredictable weather, we've realized that when you turn to the Lord and put the work in His hands, He shows you miracles you never could have imagined.

This week, people have kept their appointments. Awkward situations have turned into golden teaching opportunities. Answers to prayers have been laid out for us on silver platters, and as I think of the week, all I can do is smile and thank my Heavenly Father for allowing us to see and feel such blessings.

As I was studying this morning and pondering on the week's activities, I was able to read in Doctrine and Covenants section 127. On my mission, I've been able to gain a better appreciation for Joseph Smith and the trials he experienced. At home, I knew of Joseph Smith and what he did, but I didn't really understand him. I had my doubts, my speculations, my uncertainties. And so, Heavenly Father guided me to a mission where I was able to really spend time understanding all that Joseph Smith was able to accomplish after seeing the Vision.

Some part of me yearns to better understand him as I teach about him. His story relates with so many people! Even those of us who were born into the Church have to one day ask of God, just as James directs (James 1:5). This is what Joseph Smith did. And while none of us will see God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ we will receive our own pillar of light.

My pillars of light come and stay. They surround me and warm my testimony like a crackling fall fire. In a world that changes, with falling leaves and decaying life, I am able to turn to "thou who changest not" (Hymns, #166) and have my Father in Heaven stay by me and allow my revelations come to guide my testimony -- those lights are my beacons when the night grows dark, and how grateful I am for them.

In 1842, when Joseph Smith was being persecuted by unbelievers (as he always was), he still found time and energy to ponder upon the things of the kingdom. The most pressing matter on his mind was that of baptisms for the dead, which he discusses in part in section 127 of the Doctrine and Covenants. As I read that this morning, one verse stuck to me:

And as for the perils which I am called to pass through, they seem but a small thing to me, as the envy and wrath of man have been my common lot all the days of my life; and for what cause it seems mysterious, unless I was ordained from before the foundation of the world for some good end, or bad, as you may choose to call it. Judge ye for yourselves. God knoweth all these things, whether it be good or bad. But nevertheless, deep water is what I am wont to swim in. It all has become a second nature to me; and I feel, like Paul, to glory in tribulation; for to this day has the God of my fathers delivered me out of them all, and will deliver me from henceforth; for behold, and lo, I shall triumph over all my enemies, for the Lord God hath spoken it.

If there is one thing I know about Joseph Smith, it is that he waded through much tribulation. I do not know if I could stand to live through what he did, and I am grateful for the trials God has bestowed upon me because of it.

I am grateful for every moment of darkness, every section of peril, every wide and treacherous path God has seen fit to place me upon. God has been my beacon and my strength. He has given me my "pillars of light" and they light the way from whence I came and will light the way to where I go.

Be grateful for your trials, brothers and sisters. As weird of an admonition as that might be, on my mission I have had the opportunity to go through many afflictions. I have been "delivered" from all of them. Every single one of them. Right now, I am basking in the light of outpouring blessings. I am wading through brisk fields and warm breezes. The Lord is allowing me to see the lights brighter than ever, and I am so grateful for these blessings that I am so unworthy to have.

Some of you may understand this, and some of you may feel angry, or sad, or even bitter because right now that isn't how life is.

And that's okay.

One good thing about the restored gospel is that we know the truth, and we know and hope for a better tomorrow. That is the joy of being a Latter-day Saint; to know that tomorrow will always be brighter, will always be better, and will always bring blessings that you could not imagine.

Every blessing is a big one, brothers and sisters. Look for them. Watch for them. They're there.

What are your pillars of light?

Have a good week.

And have an especially good Halloween!

Godspeed!

Sincerely,

Sister Rose

We hit our fourteen months, yo! So, we decided to celebrate with pumpkin pie blizzards. This is always how I celebrate.

District pic! From left to right (starting from the top): ME!, Sister Maughan, Elder Ahanonu, Elder Houston, Elder Scoresby, Elder Clark. (Bottom row): Sister Lindberg, Sister Thompson, Elder Chukwu, Elder Hunt.

Sister Maughan caught me on my bike while we were headed down the beach!

 We put a bike rack on the car! Well, actually....Sister Maughan did all the hard work. I took pictures and supervised. #Unity

The lady at the store told us these pumpkin spice chocolates were better cold. So...air vent?

The Robinsons let us come over and do some pottery!

Some photos from the Biloxi Ward's trunk-or-treat! We had so much fun! And LOOK AT ALL OF THESE TINY ONES IN COSTUMES! SO CUTE

 

 The Ocean Springs library dressed up their statues. feat. a gross bug

@maughanotone @weirdhorsegirl

Goooood afternoon, y'all! This e-mail may have to be short since I'm a little slim on time, but hopefully you all receive this in good spirits!

It's FINALLY FEELING LIKE FALL! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? I want to shout this from rooftops and tell it to everyone I see! I can wear cardigans! Long-sleeve shirts! I can finally unpack my tights! The wind feels great! I don't sweat on everything I own!

I'm thoroughly enjoying this weather and all that Sister Maughan and I get to do in it -- like tracting, scribbling on the sidewalk with chalk, and getting bitten by spiders. Don't worry. That last one only happened to me, and it wasn't poisonous or anything. Just irritating. Plus, it added a little hilarity to our week.

Everybody is gearing up for Halloween! I'm so excited. This is one of my favorite holidays. It's not the most effective day for door-knocking, of course -- unless we wanted to reverse trick-or-treat and give them the treat of the gospel!

This week, I've been reflecting on the gift we have of temples. Now, that is a treat! We are not privileged to have a temple in the MJM, but being away from a temple has made me all the more appreciative of them.

In the temple, we have the special opportunity to be closer to our Father in Heaven. The temple is a place where Satan cannot go, where it is just us and God -- and it is there that we receive insights we could not receive anywhere else. Things are clearer, better, and more peaceful.

One thing we get to do while in the temple is do proxy ordinances (like baptism) for those who are deceased. Now, we do not go grave robbing and toss the bones of the dead into a font. That would be ridiculous!

Those who are gone have the opportunity of hearing the gospel and accepting or rejecting it. But because they do not have bodies, they cannot be baptized without someone on this earth doing it for them.

I think that doctrine (which has been taught in the Bible) is so simple and so beautiful. Nothing is more heartwarming than being able to know that your ancestors are able to receive the gospel, and that they are not lost for all eternity because they did not know of Christ's love in this life.

I think about that in my missionary work. Those who are baptized here open the gate for those who have died before them. Their ancestors are helping us to their descendants who are ready for the gospel, of that I am totally sure. They have been able to taste of Jesus Christ's redeeming love and want their living descendants to feel of that, too -- and allow them to be baptized.

Do you ever think about that? Those who are gone before you are cheering you on, leading you to the right places and people. You are not alone -- neither in this life nor in the next.

Jesus Christ's love extends far beyond the grave, brothers and sisters.

As you search for your ancestors think of what they would've wanted you to do, and what you can do for them and future generations to come.

And as you do so, you will be blessed.

As the eighteenth section of Doctrine and Covenants says, "And if it so be that you should labor all you days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall your joy be with him in the kingdom of my Father!

And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!"

What souls need your help?

Have a good week!

Godspeed!

Sincerely,

Sister Rose

 

We did some pottery with the Robinsons today (Monday)! <3 Thank you for the photos, Sister Robinson!

 

 

Our Plan of Salvation chalk talk from this week!

 

 

 

 

 

Mosquitoing Jesus

Good afternoon, world! It's a drizzly day here in Biloxi, Mississippi. Which is new since the last few weeks have been sunshine and clear skies! But, that's okay. We've come to expect the unexpected.

This week, Sister Maughan and I have been busy, busy, busy! To save some miles, we spent a few days on our bikes, which was a blast. I have to say, we're rather spoiled on the coast. Unlike the rest of Mississippi, most of the land is flat, which makes biking rather easy -- minus the occasional missing piece of sidewalk, sudden off-roading, or unfortunate pedestrian coming the opposite way.

I do have to say, I don't sweat nearly as much this time of year than I did in the summer! That's a blessing right there. What blessings have y'all had this week?

Sundays are usually the busiest days for missionaries. In Biloxi, that is the day we meet with our Ward Mission Leader, make a million phonecalls to be sure our investigators are making it to church, suffer through the sweat and stress of making sure those said investigators are enjoying their time, and sometimes we help the other missionaries with their investigators as well! Before a mission, I had no idea that missionaries were so busy on Sundays. It's been quite the eye-opening experience -- the missionaries in my home ward always looked so calm and collected, like they're sure of what they're doing and where they're going. I now understand how they feel -- and realize they were fooling me the entire time.

To add to it, Sister Maughan and I had the opportunity to speak at the Keesler Air Force Base Branch's sacrament meeting this week. We went from our rather large, child-filled ward to a quiet classroom dappled with twelve airmen, ready to listen and receive guidance. Sister Maughan and I were a little nervous, but we did it! I will have to say, Sister Maughan is an excellent speaker with a fantastic testimony. I wish all of you could hear it. She's awesome.

We spoke on the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, one of the most important events of all human history. I'm so grateful for this event, as it has allowed me to know the truth, to serve a mission, and experience the foretaste of eternal joy that comes from being a member of Christ's true Church in the latter days.

In the search for truth, our Heavenly Father asks us to listen with different ears than those on the sides of our heads. A friend once told me, "In this life, you are not a body going through a spiritual experience; you are a spirit going through a bodily experience."

As I've talked to a myriad of people, prayed, and worked, I've realized the truth behind this statement and what it really means. We are spirits, you know. Our spirits and our bodies were meant to be as one for eternity, and this life is just the beginning of it. We, of course, will die and our spirits will be released for a moment, but there will come a day where they will be reunited once again. My spirit knows my Heavenly Father. My spirit was there before she came here, and she knows my Father's voice.

It reminds me of the eleventh chapter of third Nephi in the Book of Mormon. This is the chapter in which Jesus Christ, after His death and resurrection visits His followers in the American continent. In the third and fourth verses, we read:

And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing with one another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn.

And it came to pass that again they heard the voice, and they understood it not.

That voice came to the multitude thrice. By then, they could hear the voice, which was our Heavenly Father telling these people that Christ was here, and this was His Beloved Son.

Sometimes we have a tendency to only listen with our physical ears. We listen to a friend, a family member, the television, what's on around us. We take in our external influences but forget the quiet, gentle influence trying to nudge us inside. Think about this experience: this event was the Son of God appearing to them! Wouldn't we want to hear shouts of praise? Something loud, something like a trumpet? Wouldn't we expect something crazy and astounding?

But that didn't happen here, did it? The scripture says that the voice that came to them was "not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice." And yet, it did pierce them straight to their cores.

Our spirits know when heaven needs our attention because our spirits were there not too long ago. Our bodies have learned the earthly language, the temporary reality that we are in. But our spirits know more; they know of a Heavenly Father who has a greater plan for us --

-- so why don't we listen?

The pursuit of truth requires that we listen with more than just our ears, brothers and sisters. It requires that we utilize the scariest path any human being could take -- the path of faith.

Faith requires that we listen with our hearts. Faith asks us to trust that there is someone or something higher than us, who knows more than us. We do not know everything, nor will we ever in this life. But we can know that we have a Father who loves us, that there is more to come after this life, and that the only thing that needs to prove it is how we feel.

Do not deny the feelings you have. That is truly how our Heavenly Father talks to us; He chooses to speak to us in small, gentle, nudges of the heart because He knows that that is the thing that will test our trust the most.

Trust your heart. Trust your spirit. Trust how you feel.

Because Heavenly Father trusts you.

I've seen this principle used this week. I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to rely fully on the Spirit for eighteen months. I'm so grateful to be able to spread this message -- to help others recognize the voice of our Father, just like the Nephites did in the Book of Mormon.

Listen well, brothers and sisters.

Have a good week.

Godspeed!

Sincerely,

Sister Rose

Selfie with the comp <3

 It was Elder Chukwu's birthday this week, so we made him a cake. This is what happens when you don't have anything to serve a cake on... #MissionaryApartments

 

Sister Maughan had some Utah honey frozen in the bear container. The only way to defrost it was let it sit in boiling water without letting the plastic touch the pot. So she used spoons.

  

CHECK OUT THIS HOUSE ON THE AIR FORCE BASE. YES. GOOD. A+ HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS.

 

Sometimes I do this when I study. #PonderAndDraw

Sister Maughan is a goober. The hard-boiled some eggs and this is what she did. (In case you can't read it, the package says, "Little Humpty-Dumpties.")

 

Acorns in the Face

What a good morning, my brethren and sistren! Well, I guess it's afternoon now. Sister Maughan and I spent our morning in Firestone, so we're finally here, ready to send home some Mississippi love!

The weather is kinda-sorta becoming fall. Kinda-sorta. You see, Miss'ippi likes to feel like fall in the morning when we walk to the gym. It reminds me of fall afternoons at BYU-I when I'd be bundled up walking to a class, trying not to slip down the sloped sidewalks of campus. The air is crisp, the wind gentle and chilled. It feels familiar, and then it slowly rolls into summer as we climb into the afternoon -- which by now is also familiar! I'm excited for the full-on cold, even if it won't last for very long.

This week was the long-awaited Cruisin' on the Coast. If you aren't familiar with this Gulf Coast tradition, it is when tons and tons of old, restored cars drive along the coast of Mississippi. Where it starts, I have no idea. Where it ends, I also have no idea. I just know I needed to avoid the highway if I needed to get to an appointment. It was so cool to see all the cars, though! Even if some people lost their minds and forgot how to drive...

Anyway! Sister Maughan and I have been cranking out the finding. We've done a lot of door-knocking this week, but we didn't do it aimlessly. See, sometimes we missionaries like to do this thing called "inspired tracting." What happens, is one of us kneels in front of a map of our area and prays for guidance from Heavenly Father that He will lead us to the streets we need to go to that week. That person writes down ten streets that stick out to them while the other is kneeling, praying for their companion.

The person praying then goes to the list of streets when the other is done, prays, and picks out five streets that stick out to them while the other also prays for them. We switch one more time, and that person also picks out five streets. When we're done, we come together and see what streets we have in common.

Sister Maughan and I had four streets in common. Cool, right? Knowing we were led by the Spirit, we consistently went to those areas when we had nothing else to do. We planned in time to tract, to find, and to focus on the waiting gems in that area.

There is a heavenly calm that befalls us when we tract such areas. I feel ready at each doorstep, knowing that this is where Heavenly Father wanted me to be. He led us here; He had to have a reason for leading us to this area.

It reminds me of a scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 84, which reads:

And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will beon your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.

When we go where our Heavenly Father wants us to go -- whether that be to tract, to a school, to a city, to a person -- He bears us up and carries us through this decision. No heavenly request is denied heavenly help. If you are aligning your will with God's, then He will make miracles happen before your eyes.

And that, brothers and sisters, is certainly what He did for us.

We found multiple people on those streets -- and we aren't even finished! Not to mention, every second we've spent tracting there has been divinely inspired. In every situation, the timing has been absolutely impeccable! I could hardly believe it every single time! Thinking about the intricacies of God's timing just blows my mind, and warms my heart. It swells with joy, and a sense of pride as I think of the Father in Heaven that I know -- and that He knows me, and knows His children.

There are so many miracles happening around you. Heavenly Father is so aware of your situation and your trials. He knows you. He knows that you are doing your best, and that is what matters.

If God has asked you to do something, do not delay. If you have felt that something is right, then what is holding you back? If you know that something is true, that something is worthwhile, then tell me -- what cause have you to procrastinate the day of your happiness?

Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ have nothing else in store for you than true, pure, eternal happiness.

Prepare for it, brothers and sisters. It's coming.

I love y'all!

Have a good week!

Godspeed!

Sincerely,

Sister Rose

Check out these creepy Halloween decorations :'D

 Sister Maughan and I are totally in sync. Completely unified.

 LOOK AT THESE GIANT RABBITS WE SAW IN AN APARTMENT COMPLEX. WHAT. THEY'RE HUGE. AS BIG AS MY FACE. BIGGER THAN MY FACE

 

More chalk talk. If God called prophets then, why not now?

 

 

Biloxi beach <3

Sister Conder and Sister Bennett are truly dignified STLs

They also gave us this on a goodie bag

These are old photos, but I just found them in the e-mail! :'D (Left to Right...sort of): Sister Conder, Sister Bennett, SISTER MARRIOTT!, Sister Thorpe, ME!, Sister Jones, and Sister Sandoval.

(Right to left): Sister Conder, Sister Bennett, SISTER CORDON!, Sister Thorpe, ME!, Sister Jones, and Sister Sandoval!