Aligning Our Will With His

November 7, 2016

Hey Family and Friends!!

So, I have had the best week of my mission—full of miracles and spiritual revelation. This week was Zone Conference and Zone Training. Both were just so revelatory and amazing. It was all about personal and companionship study and how we can be more unified and prepared
for the Lord’s work. We are also doing a mission wide Book of Mormon challenge by reading 9 pages a day until Christmas day. It is the best!  I have loved every day of it! It is so amazing how as we read the scriptures, the Lord makes certain things that had never stood out before suddenly stand out! I just love it!!

A super cool miracle that happened this week was during district meeting. My companion and I had been talking about the changes we were going to make as a companionship to become more unified and in tune with the Lord’s will so that we can receive His blessings.

Right after Sister Goff and I discussed what we were going to do, our phone rang and Sister Goff quickly answered it. It was from Sister Brunner, the bishop’s wife. She said that she had a “golden referral” for us. A member of our church from Mexico contacted Sister Brunner and wanted missionaries to go and visit her friend Maria Munoz, right here in Abilene, KS.  She had been talking to Maria about the Book of Mormon and now Maria wanted to learn more. Right after we got off the phone we said a prayer of thanks to the Lord and then drove back from Salina to Abilene and got in contact with Maria and set up an appointment with her the next day. After our lesson with her, she was excited to prepare for baptism on November 27th!! I know that as we show the Lord that we are willing to change and align our will with His and show Him our desires that He blesses us.

Alisha’s mom asked if there was an Abilene Ward AND a Salina Ward or if they were combined.  The people in Abilene must drive 30 minutes to get to the church building in Salina, KS.  For her friends and family in CA, that is a distance!

So, the Salina Ward is Abilene and Salina mixed together but we are hoping to someday have an Abilene ward.

Her mom asked when the next transfers were.

Transfers are next week. We will find out next Monday if either of us stay or leave or if both of us leave... cuz that happens too.  

Alisha’s mom likes to ask what was the funniest thing that happened this week.  Sometimes she isn’t sure she should have asked.

The funniest thing that happened this week was... hmm.. oh!  Sister Goff and I like to see how many cockroaches we can kill while in some people’s homes and then when we get back in the car, we tally them and then make up stories on how the cockroaches reacted when they saw our foot looming over them.  Then we make up screams for them!   Hahaha so freaking funny!!!

Well, that’s all! I hope you have a great week!

Love,

Sister Magda!

Watch Your Words

October 31, 2016

HEY FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

Sister Magda knew that her mom, aunt and grandma were meeting at McDondald's on Halloween for Swiggies and Giggles so she sent this picture to show her solidarity.

I know that I have been super bad with sending emails out ha ha. It’s mostly because by the end of the week I can't remember what happened that week.... the days all blend together; it’s so weird. But, I will do my best to remember. Last Monday was Ibet’s 18th birthday so we took her out to Joe Snuffy’s for dinner.

It was super fun! She’s just a ray of sunshine. She’s getting her patriarchal blessing soon and she’s excited and so are we.
We’ve been working with Karla and she’s doing well. She had the Priesthood bestow a blessing on her home this week and the Spirit was so strong. She is such an amazing person! She loves learning more about the gospel and she loves reading the Book of Mormon! Last week she committed to living the Word of Wisdom and quit drinking coffee! She is preparing for baptism on November 20th.

trampoline smiles

So here is a funny/odd story... we went to a less active member’s house to visit a lady.  We brought a member of our ward with us.  This lady wasn't home but her mother was. (Her mother is not a member of our church.) We were visiting with her and admiring her Halloween decorations. The conversation then turned to speaking about her daughter and the Gospel.   The mother then opened up to us and told us she had listened to the missionary lessons when the elders were teaching her daughter and that she almost got baptized.  The sad part was that when those particular elders were transferred to another area, she decided not to. The member we had taken with us said, "It sounds like you were only interested in converting for the elders and not for the Lord or his Gospel"... I thought to myself, "uh oh" and then those two just went at it and were like bickering and the member said, “Your daughter is less active because of you and your stubbornness!" Then the mother got so mad and walked back to her house yelling "GET OUT! GET OUT!  THIS IS WHY I DON'T LIKE RELIGIOUS PEOPLE" and slammed the door.... I was mortified. Later that day the less active member that we were trying to visit in the first place called us and asked who the member was that argued with her mom so she could go talk to her. It was so scary!  We must be so careful with people!  Even if we are saying truthful things, if it hurts someone, it may be best left unsaid. 

Last Tuesday I went on exchanges with Sister Dingman in Salina, and we had such an awesome time!

I love having the chance to learn from other missionaries and see how much they love the Savior and how they share His love for their investigators through them. Afterward, we exchanged back and went to Olive Garden and talked and laughed and had a great time.

I love my mission so much there is literally nothing better than to be the Lord's missionary preaching the gospel to my brothers and sisters. I love Kansas so much!!

It is the most wonderful and beautiful state. The Lord has blessed me so much; he sent me to the best mission in the world!!!

I love you all so much have a Fantabulastic week!!!

Love,

Sister Magda

---

 [jm1]

Gatorade, Soup, and Two Left Feet!

October 17, 2016

Dear family and friends!!!!

This has been an awesome and crazy week! We had interviews with President McCusion (her mission president) on Wednesday, and then on Thursday I got super sick with the flu and stayed in the whole day with a fever and other unmentionable things that were not fun. At 6pm that night my companion went on splits with a member from our ward and then another member from our ward stayed at the apartment with me so that I wasn't alone. She was so sweet a brought me Gatorade, soup, ginger ale, and saltine crackers.  It was so nice and helped so much.

Sickly Sister Magda and Silly Sister Goff

This week I have also been reflecting a lot on what it truly means to be on a mission. I simply could not learn the things that I have learned any other way, then by coming out here and serving the Lord. I have come to see that sharing the gospel with my brothers and sisters, and seeing them apply the atonement into their own lives has brought me so much joy!

The Lord has been showing me this week how I can know when my brothers and sisters are prepared to learn and know more of spiritual things and when they aren't at this time. We invited an investigator to take a tour of our church building this past week. The spirit was strong and we felt very Christ centered.  Despite how we felt, the things that stood out to her was that the basketball hoop above the baptismal font, the fact that the chapel looked like a courthouse room, and that the air conditioning was on so high that she felt cold.  Of all the blessings, we talked about and how Christ centered his church truly is, those were the things that stood out most to her.  I'm grateful for the Lord and the fact that He gives us all the time we need to find Him. He also gives us the gift of discernment.  Through that gift we can discern whether or not the time is right for another person. I’m thankful that he places all people in our path, and to know that she will be prepared one day to see.  It just wasn’t that day.

I've been thinking about Mathew Chapter 14. It's so easy to look at the waves around us at times instead of keeping our eye on our Savior, Jesus Christ. Abilene is approximately a thirty minutes’ drive from the church building, so at times I let that get to my head. I worry that people would not be willing to drive that far.  But I've seen that as long as we (the missionaries and members of the church) do our part, the Lord will do His and if they truly are prepared they WILL come to church. They will make that sacrifice for Jesus Christ because they know it is His will.

I love being a missionary! I love my companion! She has taught me so much and I just can't express how grateful I am. I’m full of gratitude. I've never loved my mission more. The Lord is aware of me. He definitely has placed many people on my mission for many reasons. This has  inspired and helped me to grow and change.

So, funny story/true story. Last Monday Sister Goff and I went to Famous Footwear because I needed a new pair of shoes that were warmer than my dress shoes but not as warm as my winter boots. I found a pair that I liked that came to my ankles and were super comfy, so I bought them and left happy and ready to wear new shoes. The next day I put them on and they felt a little weird but I didn't think much of it because they were roomy boots. I thought that they just needed to be broken in or something, so I started walking in them. My companion looked at me and laughed and laughed so hard.  Through all of the laughter she choked out and asked if I put my shoes on the right feet! I was a little ticked. I looked at her and said, “I know how to put shoes on!” Then looked down and noticed what she was seeing. I was like, “What the heck?” And so I proceeded to switch them but then realized the store had sold me TWO LEFT FEET SHOES !!! I had walked for half the day in these things looking like an idiot. but all is well because I got it all sorted out today and now I have a right and a left pair of shoes.

I love everyone so much and hope you have a great week !!

Love,

Sister Magda

Cat Tails,Trailer Parks,and More Tornadoes!

October 10, 2016

Dear Friends and Family,

So this week I will be writing an epistle... Ok maybe it will not be THAT long. Ha ha ha!

As you can tell I have not been the best at writing letters home and I do apologize greatly. I will do my best to include things from the past two weeks, but my memory isn't that great and I lack in the journal writing department ... a lot. But it’s ok because I am now repenting and am changing. 

Guess What These Are?

 

Cat Tails!  I know.  Random.

Last week after General conference, Sister Goff and I decided to go try tracting this trailer park that neither of us had ever seen or been to before, and knock at least three trailers (tracting isn't the best method of finding here in Kansas). We knocked at the first house and no one answered then another and another still no answer.  We then decided to try one more trailer before we left. We said a prayer and then looked around and then decided to knock on this one trailer home that seemed nice and not too scary. We knocked and waited a good 5 min.  About the time we thought no one was home someone answered!! Donna is the mother of that home and her daughter’s name is Kansas... Yep her name is Kansas! Kansas has a 6-month old daughter and her boyfriend Donny lives there as well. We have been teaching Kansas and Donny all week. We had many spiritual experiences with them. We had many members come and love them with open arms. Donny (Kansas's boyfriend) even ended up accepting a date for baptism. Things were going well. They felt the spirit in the church when we gave them a church tour. The Barney's came and blessed their home and Brother Barney gave them blessings. An hour before their ride was going to come pick them up for church Sunday, they completely dropped us. It was so very disappointing, but we are still choosing to rely on faith. It's unfortunate how hard Satan works. It's hard that our brothers and sisters have their own agency at times, but we definitely are not going to give up this is just a small trial of faith😊.

 On Thursday sister Goff and I were in our car planning for the rest of the week when we heard these loud sirens outside that sounded like an ambulance so we roll the window down and this HUGE wall of rain and wind just comes out of nowhere! Then the Salina sister texted us and said to get in our shelters right away! Yep, the tornado sirens went off and we had members texting us telling us about what was going on on the news. I wanted to go chase the tornado and take a selfie with it and take pictures but my companion sister Goff wasn't about that life.

Selfie with Sister Goff--not the tornado!

We ended up going to the library basement. After a while were really getting hungry so we left the library and went to get something to eat at our apartment. It was hailing so hard and the wind was blowing the car but our reassurance was we had a bath tub to sit in if a tornado hit... But it managed to miss us and hit the outskirts of Abeline.  Another tornado six miles away hit Solomon and then started towards us but then changed directions. It was so exciting.

What kids do here after the tornado sirens are over!

Transfers were last week and I am staying in Abilene with sister Goff for another six weeks yaaay!!  It's so awesome! She is such a great companion. 

Love,

Sister Magda 😃

 

Enjoying the storm.

Happy Baptism!

September 19, 2016

It's almost October!!!!

Ok so I have been the WORST at writing lately so I apologize. This week has been crazy/awesome! last Sunday on Sep 11^th, Caesar, Ibet's brother, got BAPTIZED!!!!! it was so awesome!!  We had been teaching him for over a month until we had to give him to the Spanish elders in Salina... not sure why. They then got white washed (“White Wash” is a term used to describe when both missionaries in an area are transferred away at the same time and two completely new missionaries replace them.) out so we continued to teach him along with the two new Spanish elders—so we did it together. He was so prepared and he had such a strong testimony and faith in God. He would tell us that he didn't ever have to worry because if you put your trust in God he will take care of you no matter what. After he was baptized his sister, Ibet asked him how he felt and he told her that he felt just as she had described her baptism, "like a huge weight had been lifted of my shoulders and someone was giving me a warm hug".  When hewas being confirmed with the gift of the Holy Ghost his blessing told him that the Lord has great things for him and that as he continues following the will of the Lord he will be blessed and that he will be a great missionary to his family. IT WAS SO AMAZING!!!!

        

We have also been working with our investigator Kala W. and she was preparing for baptism on September 17th. Every day that week we saw her and helped her to feel ready. I asked her if there was something that would stand in the way of her being baptized what would it be? She said, "probably my kids telling me not to do it (get baptized) or telling me that it was a stupid idea" and then she said, "if that were to happen I would tell them to SHUT UP SATAN!!" It was so cute haha.
       

We had exchanges this week with the STL's last Tuesday after district meeting.

I stayed in Abilene with Sister Dingman and Sister Goff went to Salina with Sister Southwick. I have such a hard time going on exchanges because I don't think I know what I am doing and I don't want to screw things up or look like a failure. But the thing is, is that it doesn't matter if you don't know what you are doing because this is the Lords work not ours; so if we are following His promptings and going to Him and having faith that He will guide us then nothing will go wrong. It doesn't mean that we will not have hard times or rejection, it just means that we can always pick ourselves up and keeping going with faith that the Lord will provide away no matter what.

I have been struggling with doubt in myself and that the Lord called me here as a missionary to help his work move forward, but that is because I was focusing too much on myself and my abilities. It’s true I can't do this by myself; only with the Lord’s help and having faith in Him can I be able to accomplish those things He has asked of me. There is no room for Faith when there is doubt in our mind. The way I have learned to keep doubt out of my mind is by replacing it with thoughts of the Savior and I have seen such a difference in not only my faith but also in my relationship with my Savior.

My exchange with sister Dingman was so amazing. I have learned so much with her and we saw so many miracles. A funny story—it was like 8:30pm and we were trying to find a former investigators house that was in our area book. We stopped at what we thought was his house but we couldn't see the number because the porch light was just flickering off and on in a really creepy way. I was ready to go knock on it but Sister Dingman anxiously exclaimed, “What if he is a murderer?!?” We knocked on the door anyway and it was the wrong house but it sure was funny.  We then found his house and had a really spiritual lesson with him.

The next day Sister Goff and I went over to his house and had another lesson with him but when we got back to the car I tried to start it and it DIED!!!!!! The following morning, we went to have it jumped started and taken to the Firestone to get a new battery. We then walked to the gas station to get water and we met Sharon at the counter. We started talking to her and she
has been to church before in the Junction Ward once and loved how it's like a family and not so much like a country club like her church is. After talking with her some more, she is coming to church this Sunday with her kids and is now preparing for baptism on October 8th !!!! The
Lord has prepared people everywhere!!

Last Saturday Kala W. got baptized!!

And her whole family came to the baptism it was wonderful and the spirit was so strong. As she came out of the waters of baptism she was like, "WOW that felt good!" and then she came up to us and was telling us how her shoulders don't hurt that bad anymore. Then her confirmation blessing on Sunday told her that she will be sensitive to the promptings of the spirit and that as she bares her testimony to her family and friends she will find great joy and she will be a great example to them. Ahh I just love her so much!! We were late to our appointment with her because our lesson went over and she texted if we were ok and then replied to our text that it was ok she just had a strange feeling and wanted to act upon it. I love my mission so much and am so grateful that the Lord has sent me to the greatest mission in the world!! I love you all so much and pray that you have a great week 😃

Love,

Sister Magda
      

Answering Some Questions

September 5, 2016

Dear friends and family,

Ok so again I l have no time to email so I will start off with the questions my mom emailed me. 

1. Today we had a zone P-day so that means everyone in our zone came down to Salina and we all went to the Salina Rolling Hills Zoo... yep it was called Rolling Hills Zoo just like my last area. But it was super fun!  Have you all seen the hippo video on Facebook?  Well, we saw this HUGE rhino that had an…. intestinal issue.  We backed away from the fence super-fast and held our ears for about 2 minutes!  It was super funny! The zoo was so much fun we just pretty much joked and laughed and acted like little kids haha!  It was a good thing the zoo was pretty empty.

2. Sister Goff and I are doing awesome! She is so much fun!  I love her! We are working so hard together and I am learning a lot from her.

3. What was the craziest story this week...hmmm. As we were driving down the street this guy was trying to ride his motorcycle and wasn't quite getting on it so well, so Sister Goff ROLLS DOWN THE WINDOW AND ASKS IF HE NEEDED ANY HELP!!! I was like WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Then when he said, “No I’m good,” she started encouraging him and saying things like, "you got this!" "just keep trying" as we were driving away.... we were laughing so hard and I LOCKED HER WINDOW AFTER THAT. CRAZY!!

4. No crazy pet stories... oh wait this lady lost her dog and we helped her find it and brought it back to her... but she didn't want to listen to our message but she was very sweet. 

5. We cooked leftovers from a member a dozen different ways. you can't do that much with just smoked pork haha. but I would love if would send me the Porkurt recipe and the South african pancakes recipe. 

6. Fast and Testimony Sunday was pretty good.  We had our investigator Kayla with us and she said she loved it.  AWESOME! 

7. I kinda need new Shoes but that’s about it mine keep getting destroyed!!

8.  Here is a great quote that I love! "Do the best you can until you know better, and then when you know better do better." by Maya Angelo 

Well that’s all the time I have I love everyone so much and hope you have a great week!!!

NEWS! Next week on the 17th Kayla is getting Baptized!!!  super excited for her to take this step and come closer to her Savior.

Love,

Sister Magda

A New Companion!

August 29, 2016

Dear Friends and Family,

This week was an awesome week!!! On Wednesday I got a new companion and her name is Sister Goff. She is super fun and is a really hard worker so we have been working our butts off haaha. She is from West Jordan, Utah and has been out for one more transfer than me. When she got to our apartment and we switched we went straight to work! It has been so awesome being able to just work and see so many miracles from it. We went and saw an investigator that was dropped a few months ago because she wasn't keeping commitments, and had a wonderful lesson with her about how Christ can help her overcome all of her trials. We invited her to baptism for September 17th and she gladly accepted.

We have seen her every day since and she has solidly been keeping every commitment that we’ve given her. She is so solid. she came to church Sunday and loved it. That evening we went over to visit her and teach her the plan of salvation. Her granddaughter had questions that tied really well to the lesson we were teaching her. As we continued to teach our investigator about the Plan of Salvation, her granddaughter kept asking us more questions and saying things like, “that makes sense,” and things like that. Then she asked her grandma if she could come to church with her next Sunday! Now we are teaching our investigator AND her three granddaughters and possibly her daughter as well and they are all coming to her baptism. 

This transfer I am not going to let anything hold me back from giving my all to the Lord because I am here for Him and I want be like Nephi—be that person He can always rely on to do His work. I love my mission so much and am so glad for the things that help me to change and more important help me to know my Savior better. Prayer is the thing I love most because through prayer we can feel the love of our Father in Heaven and he can answer us. I have been trying this new thing where whenever I pray I picture sitting right next to Heavenly Father and telling Him everything and it has brought me so close to Him and knowing His will for me.

I love everyone and hope you have a fantastic week!

Love,

Sister Magda