be why you?

18 March 2013

WELL this was a crazy week!! First of all, last week at Walmart someone stopped us and asked me where I got my shoes........ I was wearing my classic "sister missionary" shoes hahaha it just made me laugh.

Two member stories this week........ one horrible, one awesome haha. :)

soooooooo last Wednesday was exchanges, so I went up to Green Bay! (I always almost type "green bey!" since that's how everybody says it haha). it was fun, i got to work with a sister who's still being trained, we volunteered at St. Vincent's (thrift store), which i loved, we got to work check out so i just talked and talked to everybody about their families and "oh this is so cute!" and lalala, it was way fun :) AND a dream came true - someone used the phrase "yous two"!!! hahaha i about died. "are yous two sisters?" haha. loved it. the accents are even stronger in green bay, if you can believe it :) okay but now for the horrible story....... we went to a member's house for dinner, their daughter had JUST been released from her mission, like we were there for her release. which was kinda weird.... but cool? whatever. anyways, it was just a super weird situation, we were there for like a family dinner? with a less-active sister and her nm fiance? and it was just super weird, i don't even know these people... and without going into too much detail since i don't really like to remember it haha basically there was a huge expectation miscommunication and we got CHEWED OUT like hardcore by the mom for inviting the family to think about someone they could share the message of Jesus Christ with hahaha like CHEWED. OUT. it was sooooo awkward! she was way embarrassed that we would do that in front of her less-active/non-member family i guess. but it's what we're trained to do..... she just wanted a "Christ message" but uh we don't really do that haha. soooo that was horrible haha. luckily i was on exchanges and i never have to go back there again!! haha. ew. so horrible. basically the lesson i learned was to always clarify the member's expectations for your visit BEFORE you go over there hahaha. there's a huge culture shift that has to happen in the church... people have to go from thinking that the missionaries come over for dinner and a "spiritual thought" (ew) to the missionaires coming over primarily to help them in their missionary efforts. food is whatever... we get $155 every month for food. we don't NEED you to feed us. it's way nice of you, and it's an awesome service! but that's NOT our primary purpose for coming over. and we don't do spiritual thoughts hahaha we ALWAYS always invite people to repent and to do something and change because of our visit. soooooo that's a change that's gotta happen, and there's going to be some awkward moments along the way haha.

so that was... horrible. haha. so we went home to get ready to end echanges and i just felt ICKY. so i decided to pray (now there's an idea! haha) and it was kind of cool, just praying and thinking of the words to "did you think to pray?" and as i was praying i could picture so clearly Jesus with His arm around me, rubbing my back and helping me to feel better, and i just felt like i was leaning on His shoulder, and knowing that He's been through everything I have and He overcame and provided a way for me to do the same, and when I was done praying I could still imagine Him going with me where ever I went with His arm around my shoulder :) So that was nice. and I love that hymn "did you think to pray" now haha :)

Something I've been thinking about a lot lately... and I'm not sure if I've already written home about this but whatever... is the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how He's been in every situation that we're ever in and He has overcome it all... every sin, every temptation, every bad habit, personality trait, awkward situation.... EVERYTHING that would keep us from returning to the presence of God and living in complete JOY with Him forever, Jesus Christ has overcome. and because He's overcome, He's provided a way for Me to do the same - and that way is through Him! it's just awesome the strength He gives us to do the impossible... to forgive, to let go, to CHANGE... ahhhh. it's INCREDIBLE. <3 i know i'm not explaining it very well haha but it's just the greatest. :)

Now for the awesome member experience! :) last Monday night we went and had family home evening / dinner with the A****S who I've decided i LOVE FOREVER <3 <3 They're so awesome haha it's the Bishop's family and their SIX daughters 10-newborn. It's awesome. They both served missions in Provo Utah haha and their family is awesome. I'm overusing that word I know haha. anyways they're the best, their 4 year old did not stop talking the ENTIRE time we were there hahaha. they all got to ask us a question at dinner and we had to answer for our companion, but E***** just kept telling us a story about preschool when it was her turn to talk haha. So that was awesome.... they're just SUCH a great family and they love missionaries and missionary work. it's the best. K**** (the oldest) once had a friend over and they decided to play "sister missionary" so they dressed up and knocked on the front door and gave a schpiel about the Book of Mormon and invited their Dad to activity days haha. they were going to do the other doors on the street but their dad decided maybe they'd better ask her friend's parents first haha. anyways, they're just the best. we taught the family home evening lesson - after "i love yous," where one person says what they love about every other person in the family, and "spotlight," where K****** (the toddler) played the piano and then yelled out "SING!" so we all sang along...... hahaha. we asked what they had done that week to be like Jesus and the older girls all told stories about being friends to the friendless that were really inspiring.... kids these days. who even are you??? how are you so Christlike???? it was awesome. and we invited them to read a chapter from Preach My Gospel and K**** raises her hand (she's the most polite and helpful child i have EVER met) and says "thank you for telling me about this; i'm really excited to read it now!" haha. aaaaand she asked for our autographs hahaha <3 love. i just LOVE this family. :) :)

the work here is good.... it's going pretty slow right now, we're doing a lot of "finding" and that's fun...... haha. this week there were lots of people not home when we went to contact them, or busy or whatever, which is frustrating... but we'll go back this week and try again! haha we've been trying to use smarter finding techniques and a lot of them are kind of the slow process type... like finding through members and all that. but it'll be better in the long run! we put in our best efforts now, and the Lord gives us miracles later :) i know that's true -- i've seen it before! we've just got to keep putting in our best best hardest effort right now, which can be hard when we're not seeing immediate results haha. but it'll be good :) Sister Ross only has like 17 more days!! crazy!!

ALSO - this is hilarious (to me) - we've been asked to help break down the cultural barrier between the Hmong people and the Cauasian and Hispanic people, so we're trying to go visit more Hmong people but only like 3 of them speak English haha. Sooo we drive out to this Hmong members house kind of by us, and we knock on the door and this oldddddd old Hmong gramma just lets us right in! and we figure out pretty fast that she does NOT speak ANY English hahahaha it was just the most hilarious thing, i had NO idea what she was saying and she had no idea what we were saying but she was just SMILING and LAUGHING and it was crazy.... hahaha. Sister Ross knows how to say "goodbye!" in Hmong and i know how to say "hello!" (kind of.....) so we basically just said hello! and then asked the little hmong children if mommy or daddy was home and they said no and that they didn't know when they'd be back and then we said "goodbye!" and the Hmong gramma went on and on and on and we all just laughed and then left hahaha. She was so nice!! it was so crazy and funny!! hahaha. we saw her at church yesterday and i waved and she smiled and laughed hahaha ohhh boy she probably thinks we're just crazy hahah :) :)

Sooooo that was pretty much the week! it was a good one! it always is! This is God's work! :) :) the man in the computer lab at the library right now is singing along to his headphone music and it is CRACKING me up hahaha too funny :) yea, public libraries!! ;) oh - we got a new Relief Society President! So sad - I love Sister M*****! the whole ward does! Sister N***** will be great..... she's so young! she's only a few years older than me!! craziness.... it's exciting! it's crazy! i love the Gospel!! :) :) oh - & since they translate everything at church into Hmong we have to speak slowly.... haha guess how well that's going for me ;) it's pretty fun when the talks are in Hmong and the Elders translate :)

The Church is true!! I love you!! rhyme time all the time....... okay i'm done now haha :) :)

love you guys!!!!!!!!!

xoxoxoxoxoxo

SISTER PROFFIT :) :)

Joshua 3:5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you. :)

. Okay, so this is everything I know about Hmong people. They're from Laos, they helped us during the Vietnam war and because of that they were hunted down by their own government and so they had to escape and come to America. They came as refugees here and there are only a very few left. They mostly live here, in Minnesota, and in Sacramento. Some of the older Hmong people have the craziest stories about leaving Laos and Taiwan (I think...) and coming here. They gave up and sacrificed a lot to help America in the Vietnam war. It just blows my mind. We're going to Brother S*** and M***'s house for dinner tomorrow and they're making Pho! (fuh) Hooray! :)

 

i'm SO EXCITED for General Conference I can hardly wait!!!!!!!!! Hey here's a question for you all -- how can the missionaries best help the members to be finders? instead of just pestering and asking for referrals? what would be a more productive and helpful way to help you all? will you ponder that & get back to me? that'd be great :) :) chocolate cheese is BIZZARE hahah i can't even handle it :) :) yep, do not contacts are dumb. if they're more than a couple years old.... whoops! we "forgot"! hahah. :)

i love you alll!!! so so much :) :) the church is true!! I know that it is. and i KNOW that Jesus Christ lives!! and that He is our Savior & Redeemer! & the God of the whole earth :) (3 Ne 11:14)

xoxoxoxoxox

 

SISTER CECE PROFFIT :) :) :)

 

Mormon Messages - Power of God. so so good!! that one and "stay within the lines" and "sanctify yourselves".... ahh. get me EVERY. TIME. watch em!!

 

quick book of mormon sharing before the computer shuts off -- 2 Ne 31:3. Jacob 4:12. Jacob 4:13.

1st 3 lines - jacob 2:10

also the 1st part of jacob 1:7

i'm so worried the computers about to shut off hahaha