Can anyone else believe this? Because I am freakin out a bit :] I have officially been on half of my mission! Here are the happenings for the week!
1. We had an AWESOME lesson with Elizabeth! She is a CRAZY busy 19 year old girl. We had a lesson about the restoration and she was really paying attention and asking good questions on the subject. She does work on Sundays which will be hard BUT I feel like there will be a way for her to come to church we just have to help her see it.
2. In meeting with Brother Stepp we have decided to not meet with him and have lessons but to have him come to the class we have on Tuesday with recent converts. We hope that with not meeting with us he will see how much the gospel has blessed him and how much he needs it... He said he will still read and pray and come to church so that is a good start!
3. We went to a members house who is struggling a lil' bit and we had root beer loats! I feel like I haven't had one of those in FOREVER! So yummy! The lesson was good too! We shared some talks with her and hopefully it helps!
4. With one of our meals this week we went to the Daines... Shout out to Darin... does that sound familiar? Eric Daines, He served in your mission!! He said he thinks you were leaving about the time he got there... he was companions with Elder Jensen and Butler. ANYWAY! We ate there and one of their sons totally whacked me over the head with a FIRM, foam baseball bat. I played it off, don't worry. Life of a missionary :]
5. Since being here in California all I hear about are Black Widows... I never saw one! Until this WEEK! It was HUGE!! It was probably the size of a 50 cent piece! Saw the red hourglass and everything!
6. A less active we work with has been having trouble with quitting smoking. On Friday during our lesson she was telling us she smoked that morning. I asked her if she had any more cigarettes. She said yes. I said, "Well, how about you go get them for me and you wont have them there to temp you." She was hesitate to do it BUT she did. She is progressing in SO many ways! The smoking is holding her back. BUT she is trying and doing better than before.
7. Well my half way was Saturday... weird. I had a lot of feelings that day. Excited to be able to come home and see everyone then sad because where did the time go?! Have I done what was needed? I got a little nervous haha BUT I have 281 more days to serve and I am SOOOO grateful!
8. Alice is still GREAT! We gave her an assignment to read one chapter and she read 4! Then we went over again and she was sharing with us a scripture that she was relating to her life... She is great! I can feel that she will be baptized... when is the question still. But she will.
9. We got to watch the music and the spoken word yesterday in memory of September 11th... WOW! It was beautiful! I still cant believe it has been 10 years! I still remember telling Dustin that someone stole one of moms planes! :]
10. Favorite scripture this week... Mosiah 4:5. It is hard for me to understand how people don't realize how much Christ loves us individually. The imagery with this scriptures brings it alive for me. With His stripes we are truly healed.
I LOVE and miss you all like CRAZY!! I hope you are doing GREAT!!
Sister Arbogast
Monday, September 12, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Pasedena
Well HELLO!! Week 7 completed in Pasadena!! Here are the happenings...
1. My new companion is Sister Foster. She is from Idaho, the Boise area. She is the 7th of 8 children. She was home schooled. Loves stories and telling me all of them. She has been out a lil over a year. Pretty much a LOT different from my last companion.
2. We have been meeting with a recent converts aunt and she has been progressing slowly but still progressing. She doesn't feel pressured to come to church or read so that's good.
3. Brother Vasquez... PRAYED AGAIN!! He even prayed during the week with his family for the meal and Robbie their son said, "Good job Daddy! All you have to do is practice." then we read the book of Mormon and he read aloud... which he doesn't like to do apparently.
4. We went to go help a new member in our ward who lives in a duplex with her nonmember father. We walked up and found out that she forgot about us coming and wasn't home but we got to talk with Lewis. We had a GREAT talk and had a mini lesson about the atonement. He said we could come back so hopefully it will work out!
5. I got hit on again by this black guy. He asked if he could text me personally. I said no. Don't worry! BUT they did say the wanted to play basketball at the church so maybe a church tour before... I think so! :]
6. So we get to go to Mormon.org and I found an AWESOME video on there called, The infinite Power of Hope. One it is just good and Two I have been really into studying out what hope means and how I can apply it to my life. Which led me to my favorite scripture this week.
7. Ether 12:4 I LOVE that it says, "which hope cometh faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men" An anchor.... I know we all need and anchor to help us. And as I have been studying it out the world looks at hope as a wishful, doubting word. But in the gospel hope is sure, unwavering and active. interesting how many things the world likes to twist.
Well my time is up, hope you are all doing GREAT!!
Love you!
Sister Arbogast
1. My new companion is Sister Foster. She is from Idaho, the Boise area. She is the 7th of 8 children. She was home schooled. Loves stories and telling me all of them. She has been out a lil over a year. Pretty much a LOT different from my last companion.
2. We have been meeting with a recent converts aunt and she has been progressing slowly but still progressing. She doesn't feel pressured to come to church or read so that's good.
3. Brother Vasquez... PRAYED AGAIN!! He even prayed during the week with his family for the meal and Robbie their son said, "Good job Daddy! All you have to do is practice." then we read the book of Mormon and he read aloud... which he doesn't like to do apparently.
4. We went to go help a new member in our ward who lives in a duplex with her nonmember father. We walked up and found out that she forgot about us coming and wasn't home but we got to talk with Lewis. We had a GREAT talk and had a mini lesson about the atonement. He said we could come back so hopefully it will work out!
5. I got hit on again by this black guy. He asked if he could text me personally. I said no. Don't worry! BUT they did say the wanted to play basketball at the church so maybe a church tour before... I think so! :]
6. So we get to go to Mormon.org and I found an AWESOME video on there called, The infinite Power of Hope. One it is just good and Two I have been really into studying out what hope means and how I can apply it to my life. Which led me to my favorite scripture this week.
7. Ether 12:4 I LOVE that it says, "which hope cometh faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men" An anchor.... I know we all need and anchor to help us. And as I have been studying it out the world looks at hope as a wishful, doubting word. But in the gospel hope is sure, unwavering and active. interesting how many things the world likes to twist.
Well my time is up, hope you are all doing GREAT!!
Love you!
Sister Arbogast
Monday, August 29, 2011
Transfer 7!
Hello!! Well this is the start of my 7th Transfer!! CRAZY!!
1. I went bowling last week!! We went with some other missionaries!! I even broke 100 my first game!! hahah
2. A recent convert, Eric gave a talk on Sunday about forgiveness. He is one who struggles with it but his talk went REALLY well!! We were able to help him with it so it was fun to her him deliver it!
3. Last week when we did a role play about Brother Stepp we were able to figure out what his doubt was! We were able to talk about it with him when we met this week and it really made him think... Hopefully now he just prays about it :]
4. A less active we are working with, Brother Vasquez PRAYED!! This was a HUGE thing for him to actually do it! Sister Pack has been working with him for 7 months and he finally did it! Now hopefully he just keeps it up!
5. My companions translation for dinner roll... supper bun... really Canada?
6. I got a haircut!! More like jsut a trim but it had been 7 months... I think it was time yeah?
7. I got to go to the famous Roscoes! Chicken and waffles... YUM!! Ya'll need to try it! :]
8. Ice cream fondue... try it!
9. Transfers came and I am staying in PASADENA!! Im an here to stay for another 6 weeks at least. Shall be interesting! My new companion is Sister Foster... LOVE her so far :]
I hope you are all great!!
LOVE YOU!!
Sister Arbogast
1. I went bowling last week!! We went with some other missionaries!! I even broke 100 my first game!! hahah
2. A recent convert, Eric gave a talk on Sunday about forgiveness. He is one who struggles with it but his talk went REALLY well!! We were able to help him with it so it was fun to her him deliver it!
3. Last week when we did a role play about Brother Stepp we were able to figure out what his doubt was! We were able to talk about it with him when we met this week and it really made him think... Hopefully now he just prays about it :]
4. A less active we are working with, Brother Vasquez PRAYED!! This was a HUGE thing for him to actually do it! Sister Pack has been working with him for 7 months and he finally did it! Now hopefully he just keeps it up!
5. My companions translation for dinner roll... supper bun... really Canada?
6. I got a haircut!! More like jsut a trim but it had been 7 months... I think it was time yeah?
7. I got to go to the famous Roscoes! Chicken and waffles... YUM!! Ya'll need to try it! :]
8. Ice cream fondue... try it!
9. Transfers came and I am staying in PASADENA!! Im an here to stay for another 6 weeks at least. Shall be interesting! My new companion is Sister Foster... LOVE her so far :]
I hope you are all great!!
LOVE YOU!!
Sister Arbogast
Monday, August 22, 2011
Week 5 in Pas!
Hello!! Well there are the weeks happenings for the 5th week in Pasadena!
1. I forgot to tell you last week that on Sunday when presidents daughter in law came to a lesson with us we went to drop her off and she said, "Oh President wanted me to invite you in for ice cream! Come in" So we went in and we talked a lil bit about our lesson then another set of missionaries came in. Presidents 5 kids, 2 friends, 4 missionaries, him and his wife all were sitting talking about missionary work, eating ice cream then we played catch phrase... what? That really all just happened at our mission president house... it was fun to be in a family setting!
2. Sister Pack and I made plan of salvation flash card type things fro teaching... they are AWESOME and I think will be really nice for people to have a visual.
3. We had a lesson about temples with Cesar our recent convert. We watched Between Heaven and Earth... WOW! He was so moved the whole time! He just wants to go and make more covenants. He is so strong and wants the gospel in his families life. He said that he had been praying about some things and watching this video he has gotten the answers he needed.
4. We went to teach Sharon who had questions about the temple and we got to talk about the blessings and how she is working on wanting to go there. At the end of the lesson it came out she has Bronchitis.... great.
5. We got a new bishop on Sunday! And it was in our new, old building. This ward has been going to a different building for 3 YEARS while the other one was being worked on... but yesterday was the day! It is HUGE and a true California building with a courtyard :]
6. Transfers are Saturday night so we will see if I will be in Pasadena another 6 weeks or not...
I LOVE YOU!!
Sister Arbogast
1. I forgot to tell you last week that on Sunday when presidents daughter in law came to a lesson with us we went to drop her off and she said, "Oh President wanted me to invite you in for ice cream! Come in" So we went in and we talked a lil bit about our lesson then another set of missionaries came in. Presidents 5 kids, 2 friends, 4 missionaries, him and his wife all were sitting talking about missionary work, eating ice cream then we played catch phrase... what? That really all just happened at our mission president house... it was fun to be in a family setting!
2. Sister Pack and I made plan of salvation flash card type things fro teaching... they are AWESOME and I think will be really nice for people to have a visual.
3. We had a lesson about temples with Cesar our recent convert. We watched Between Heaven and Earth... WOW! He was so moved the whole time! He just wants to go and make more covenants. He is so strong and wants the gospel in his families life. He said that he had been praying about some things and watching this video he has gotten the answers he needed.
4. We went to teach Sharon who had questions about the temple and we got to talk about the blessings and how she is working on wanting to go there. At the end of the lesson it came out she has Bronchitis.... great.
5. We got a new bishop on Sunday! And it was in our new, old building. This ward has been going to a different building for 3 YEARS while the other one was being worked on... but yesterday was the day! It is HUGE and a true California building with a courtyard :]
6. Transfers are Saturday night so we will see if I will be in Pasadena another 6 weeks or not...
I LOVE YOU!!
Sister Arbogast
Monday, August 15, 2011
Ummm the heat is coming back...
Hello family!! I know all of you are out and about but here are a few of the happenings from week 4 in Pasadena!
1. On Mormon.org (the only website I get to go on besides my email) I got to watch an AMAZING video about a woman who was burned and how she has had to change her whole life and not dwelling on her "old" life. Her video if you feel so inclined to watch it is called, "My New Life" Warning:its a tear jerker.
2. We are teaching this less active man and we have been trying to have him pay attention to the way he feels during prayers with his family and such. We watched Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration with him. First of all, lights came on and he had a little misty eye and we asked him if he could feel that spirit and he goes, "Yes. I felt it" He is cracking! He never would have admitted to feeling the spirit. So he is coming, slowly but surely.
3. Met with Cesar this week and we talked about temples, eternal marriage and family history. he is SO in tune with the spirit! He asked when he could go and we told him a year so August 2012. He asked if we would be there and we told him OF COURSE!! The next day he went to the Newport temple to take pictures and he was telling us how excited he is to be able to go in there and be even closer to God. He is solid. Love it!
4. With another less active we were able to teach her about Christlike Attributes and where we can improve. She knows and since she has changed her reading of the Book of Mormon to everyday. She also has not been smoking for 22 DAYS!! We are SO proud of her!
5. We met with Kevin who is a less active who hasn't been to church in about 12 years. He showed up on Sunday!! We were able to met with him later that night with our mission presidents daughter in law. He just unloaded the trials that were going on in his life and how he has really turned it over to the Lord. He has been praying and fasting. He said that he knew he was gone for a little bit because he thought he knew better but he knows now how wrong he was. He knows that church is where he needs to be. He is such a sweet man.
6. Sister Pack was told she was going to be the next Canadian Idol... lucky me!
7. So lately we have been coming home and our apartment smells like something has died in it. We cleaned out our refrigerator, our cupboards, everything! We have NO clue where this smell is coming from!! We hopefully will figure it out soon cause its gross.
8. This morning we got to do a fun workout... no not washing the car. A sister in our ward went to the Rose Bowl and walk/jogged around it! It is 3.2 miles and yeah... it was actually fun and we did it!! Sister Pack was not happy but I think she didn't mind it after we finished.
9. Favorite scripture this week... Jacob 3:1-2 It talks about how we need to FEAST on God's love. I love it. He loves us, even when we feel there is no way he can he does. He is there and we need to feast on it. I just LOVE it!
Miss you all and LOVE you!!
Sister Arbogast
1. On Mormon.org (the only website I get to go on besides my email) I got to watch an AMAZING video about a woman who was burned and how she has had to change her whole life and not dwelling on her "old" life. Her video if you feel so inclined to watch it is called, "My New Life" Warning:its a tear jerker.
2. We are teaching this less active man and we have been trying to have him pay attention to the way he feels during prayers with his family and such. We watched Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration with him. First of all, lights came on and he had a little misty eye and we asked him if he could feel that spirit and he goes, "Yes. I felt it" He is cracking! He never would have admitted to feeling the spirit. So he is coming, slowly but surely.
3. Met with Cesar this week and we talked about temples, eternal marriage and family history. he is SO in tune with the spirit! He asked when he could go and we told him a year so August 2012. He asked if we would be there and we told him OF COURSE!! The next day he went to the Newport temple to take pictures and he was telling us how excited he is to be able to go in there and be even closer to God. He is solid. Love it!
4. With another less active we were able to teach her about Christlike Attributes and where we can improve. She knows and since she has changed her reading of the Book of Mormon to everyday. She also has not been smoking for 22 DAYS!! We are SO proud of her!
5. We met with Kevin who is a less active who hasn't been to church in about 12 years. He showed up on Sunday!! We were able to met with him later that night with our mission presidents daughter in law. He just unloaded the trials that were going on in his life and how he has really turned it over to the Lord. He has been praying and fasting. He said that he knew he was gone for a little bit because he thought he knew better but he knows now how wrong he was. He knows that church is where he needs to be. He is such a sweet man.
6. Sister Pack was told she was going to be the next Canadian Idol... lucky me!
7. So lately we have been coming home and our apartment smells like something has died in it. We cleaned out our refrigerator, our cupboards, everything! We have NO clue where this smell is coming from!! We hopefully will figure it out soon cause its gross.
8. This morning we got to do a fun workout... no not washing the car. A sister in our ward went to the Rose Bowl and walk/jogged around it! It is 3.2 miles and yeah... it was actually fun and we did it!! Sister Pack was not happy but I think she didn't mind it after we finished.
9. Favorite scripture this week... Jacob 3:1-2 It talks about how we need to FEAST on God's love. I love it. He loves us, even when we feel there is no way he can he does. He is there and we need to feast on it. I just LOVE it!
Miss you all and LOVE you!!
Sister Arbogast
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
What is up with me thinking 66 degrees is COLD?!
Hello everyone!! This week has a lot... you ready...
1. Last Monday I got to play basketball... me one sister with the 25 elders that were there. BUT i held my own thank you! It started off with, "I don't want to guard the girl" to "Guard the girl! Shes good!" It was fun!! My companion was nice enough to let me go play while she hung out and just talked to some elders.
2. If you want to see someone from the ward I am serving in right now... just check out Mormon.org!! brother Ngo... He is the one who rights the unicycle. He is in our bishopric!
3. So one of my favorites in the ward... the Kohnle's had a ROUGH week! We have been able to go over and help them a little bit thankfully! They are always so willing to help us we FINALLY got to go and really serve them.
4. So we have a degree gage in the car... 107 this week. Just saying.
5. We have a new service opportunity... the Ronald McDonald house here in Pasadena. We have only gone once so far but WOW! I love it already!
6. We saw a movie or show set with SNOW! Snow in Pasadena... yep, I saw it :]
7. I got REAL southern food this week... Jumbalia... YUM!!! From a member who is is from Louisiana so it was legit
8. We have a new investigator... Elizabeth. Elders were teaching her but they were Spanish and she prefers English. She is pretty busy but has already read some of the Book of Mormon so we shall see!
9. Also Eric's Aunt. We met with her this week. WoW! Just a feeling of someday she will be baptized. Her prayer was even asking to help her change. She is great! Even kept her reading commitment and said she would be at church on Sunday!
10. We had Zone Conference yesterday. i think this quote sums it up, "Did I just get slapped in the face or kissed on the cheek?" It was REALLY good!! I used to leave depressed I wasn't good enough but excited to work up to what I could do but yesterday I just felt energized!! I loved it!! he brought up the quote, " The enemy of best is good" SO true!! I need to just be the BEST! Screw "good" Sister Becerra talking about how we need to "Make thy bed" And read Acts 9:34. We need to just make our beds and get on with work. We need to leave all of our other worries and cares behind and move on and work for the Lord in this short time. It was REALLY good!
I hope all of you are doing GREAT!! I LOVE YOU!!
Sister Arbogast
1. Last Monday I got to play basketball... me one sister with the 25 elders that were there. BUT i held my own thank you! It started off with, "I don't want to guard the girl" to "Guard the girl! Shes good!" It was fun!! My companion was nice enough to let me go play while she hung out and just talked to some elders.
2. If you want to see someone from the ward I am serving in right now... just check out Mormon.org!! brother Ngo... He is the one who rights the unicycle. He is in our bishopric!
3. So one of my favorites in the ward... the Kohnle's had a ROUGH week! We have been able to go over and help them a little bit thankfully! They are always so willing to help us we FINALLY got to go and really serve them.
4. So we have a degree gage in the car... 107 this week. Just saying.
5. We have a new service opportunity... the Ronald McDonald house here in Pasadena. We have only gone once so far but WOW! I love it already!
6. We saw a movie or show set with SNOW! Snow in Pasadena... yep, I saw it :]
7. I got REAL southern food this week... Jumbalia... YUM!!! From a member who is is from Louisiana so it was legit
8. We have a new investigator... Elizabeth. Elders were teaching her but they were Spanish and she prefers English. She is pretty busy but has already read some of the Book of Mormon so we shall see!
9. Also Eric's Aunt. We met with her this week. WoW! Just a feeling of someday she will be baptized. Her prayer was even asking to help her change. She is great! Even kept her reading commitment and said she would be at church on Sunday!
10. We had Zone Conference yesterday. i think this quote sums it up, "Did I just get slapped in the face or kissed on the cheek?" It was REALLY good!! I used to leave depressed I wasn't good enough but excited to work up to what I could do but yesterday I just felt energized!! I loved it!! he brought up the quote, " The enemy of best is good" SO true!! I need to just be the BEST! Screw "good" Sister Becerra talking about how we need to "Make thy bed" And read Acts 9:34. We need to just make our beds and get on with work. We need to leave all of our other worries and cares behind and move on and work for the Lord in this short time. It was REALLY good!
I hope all of you are doing GREAT!! I LOVE YOU!!
Sister Arbogast
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
8 Months as a Missionary!
Hello!! This week was GREAT!! Here goes the details...
1. I had some visitors... Jodi and Tina! We went to Chinatown and lil' Mexico street, Old Pasadena and then they were off back to Arizona. It was SO fun to see them and talk about missionary life and to hear some of Jodi's stories from her mission. And going to the different places was fun too :] LOVE THEM!
2. We took a recent converts aunt on a tour of the chapel. She started out all skeptical and just there for support for Eric she said but when we started talking about Joseph Smith and The Book of Mormon... she changed. You could feel it. Hopefully now she just acts on the feelings and listens :]
3. We had interviews with the mission president this week. Wow. He is a great guy and really cares. He was very complimentary about Sister pack and I and why he put us together and in Pasadena to work it. Now we just have to live up to it!
4. I got my black shoes fixed from an old Greek Armenian guy... interesting but the shoes are GREAT now!
5. Sister Pack and I found a new work out... the stairs... O-H M-Y! I remember doing the stadium at BYU-I with Kelsey but it has been a while apparently hahaha it was good and we are going to keep doing it! We only did it once and it was Saturday and we don't work out on Sundays and today we washed the car for work out... tomorrow though...
6. Cesar was BAPTIZED!!! WOW! He is SO in tune with the spirit is it amazing! When we talked to him about who we wanted to baptize him and who he wanted to talk it was like he was just listening and he knew very quickly. He ended up surprising his two nieces who were the ones who brought him to church in the first place. He told them they were all going to go to an event at church. He had given us his extra clothes and towel so he didn't bring them in. He walked in... we gave them a program and they were just like what?! It was the sweetest realization I ever saw! They were so happy for and with him. We took some pictures then the service. After he was baptized and still in the font he just kind of stood there and just soaked it all in. Afterwards he said that he thought it was just a way to phrase it that when you are baptized you feel clean but he said, "I really felt it. I felt clean and pure." Then when he was confirmed on Sunday he came back and sat down and during the hymn he said, "I feel it all over!" What an example! We can truly feel like that if we are paying attention! It was really an amazing baptism!
7. I was reading in D&C 88:32... Well there you go. Are you willing to receive the joy that is waiting for you. This just really struck me the other day while I was reading it. I don't want to not get the joy because I wasn't willing. Its not going to be me.
LOVE YOU ALL!!
Sister Arbogast
1. I had some visitors... Jodi and Tina! We went to Chinatown and lil' Mexico street, Old Pasadena and then they were off back to Arizona. It was SO fun to see them and talk about missionary life and to hear some of Jodi's stories from her mission. And going to the different places was fun too :] LOVE THEM!
2. We took a recent converts aunt on a tour of the chapel. She started out all skeptical and just there for support for Eric she said but when we started talking about Joseph Smith and The Book of Mormon... she changed. You could feel it. Hopefully now she just acts on the feelings and listens :]
3. We had interviews with the mission president this week. Wow. He is a great guy and really cares. He was very complimentary about Sister pack and I and why he put us together and in Pasadena to work it. Now we just have to live up to it!
4. I got my black shoes fixed from an old Greek Armenian guy... interesting but the shoes are GREAT now!
5. Sister Pack and I found a new work out... the stairs... O-H M-Y! I remember doing the stadium at BYU-I with Kelsey but it has been a while apparently hahaha it was good and we are going to keep doing it! We only did it once and it was Saturday and we don't work out on Sundays and today we washed the car for work out... tomorrow though...
6. Cesar was BAPTIZED!!! WOW! He is SO in tune with the spirit is it amazing! When we talked to him about who we wanted to baptize him and who he wanted to talk it was like he was just listening and he knew very quickly. He ended up surprising his two nieces who were the ones who brought him to church in the first place. He told them they were all going to go to an event at church. He had given us his extra clothes and towel so he didn't bring them in. He walked in... we gave them a program and they were just like what?! It was the sweetest realization I ever saw! They were so happy for and with him. We took some pictures then the service. After he was baptized and still in the font he just kind of stood there and just soaked it all in. Afterwards he said that he thought it was just a way to phrase it that when you are baptized you feel clean but he said, "I really felt it. I felt clean and pure." Then when he was confirmed on Sunday he came back and sat down and during the hymn he said, "I feel it all over!" What an example! We can truly feel like that if we are paying attention! It was really an amazing baptism!
7. I was reading in D&C 88:32... Well there you go. Are you willing to receive the joy that is waiting for you. This just really struck me the other day while I was reading it. I don't want to not get the joy because I wasn't willing. Its not going to be me.
LOVE YOU ALL!!
Sister Arbogast
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