Dating....

When I first got off the plane and my cousin Danny went in to give me a hug I instinctively gave him a high five. He has since never let me live that one down. This is another thing that took a little bit of time adjusting to, being around guys. To which my mother so gently tells me," You couldn't flirt to save your life." To which I may just have to agree. I haven't been on a ton of date since being back, but I'm not worried about it. I still have things that I want to accomplish with school, just getting a general direction in life before I dive to deep into all of that. My first date wasn't bad, it was with a long time friend so that made it easier. My favorite date so far would have to be when 6 of us all played Halo with two TV screens, bought pizza, and were yelling battle tactics at each others. Right now I'm all about having fun and being around good people that lift me to be a better me.

How was adjusting?

 To be honest, I didn't have to hard of a time adjusting back into life. As far as culture goes, I had electricity, running water, McDonalds. Whereas some people who go to serve get all of that taken away, yes, even the McDonalds. Upon getting home I went straight to the girls camp and since my family all had things to take care of they couldn't be around me all the time. This was quite a change since for a year and a half I always had a companion with me. I felt like the events that happened right after I came home, how they kept me busy, and how my mom already had a trip planned to Nauvoo really made it an easy landing for when I came home. Along with having to be alone now, the only other thing that really rubbed me the wrong way was hearing profanity. I think maybe just because I was surrounded by missionaries all the time I never really heard it expect when talking to other people. Days aren't as fulfilling, which is going to be a given. My purpose has changed now. I have a new direction in life. I still want to serve,but its just going to have to be in a different way. Finding that balance to where I can serve every day is a challenge, but I have found that that is what make me the happiest. It helps me feel the closest to how I did while I was on a mission.

What else has happened since I've been home?

Since returning I have been able to travel back to where I served in Utah, Nauvoo Illinois, and California. Not to bad since I've been back now almost 3 months. I got back into dancing right away despite my horrific farmers tan and serious chubba time around my mid section. They really weren't kidding though when they said the weight just falls off after your home. It must be because I'm not eating 5 desserts every night after dinner. I am currently enrolled in Chandler Gilbert Community College where I am trying to knock out my general ed. Ronnie, my little sister signed me up for my classes while I was still serving so naturally I ended up having classes with her. This has turned out to be one of the best things! I suggest taking a classes with a sibling, it's like a built in friend!

How was the Homecoming?

Getting to see my family was better than I could have dreamed up. I went into an all out sprint as soon as I could see moms head bobbing around at the end of the walk way. Hugs for everyone and kisses for my sweet red head nephew who still remembered me after all this time of being gone. Straight from the airport we went to a dentists office where my stake president worked. He released me from my full time calling as a missionary for the church and interviewed me. Talked to me about future goals, what I needed to continue to cultivate and what I needed to steer clear from. From the dentist office Ronnie, mom, dad, and I all headed up to camp Lomia because previously during the year mom had been called to be girls camp director. Yeah, I never went home my first day back. Instead I got to be apart of something much more fulfilling. The same day I got home was the same day that I gave a fireside to all the young women about staying anchored to Christ. They all still called me Sister Efnor, I felt like I was still in the game.

Teaching there is no greater call!

  

 There are a few things on my mind right now, this next week will be one to remember that is for sure. 

This morning I was reading through the Ensign, in this months and last months there has been a special section talking about Joseph Smith and his journey to Palmyra and his role in the translation in the Book of Mormon. As I was reading it seemed like I had heard some of this before, like in a talk or something. As I got to the end of the ensign is said that is was given by Elder Hollands son in February of 2014 at the MTC. I was there! haha I had heard all of this before, i remember thinking as I was listening to him speak "Dang, I can't write fast enough to get all this down!" But now it's in the ensign!

Serving at the Family History center i get to chat with people online, some are looking to ask questions, some are looking to shake missionaries faith. Its been a challenge, I don't always have the answers to what people bring up, accusations that people throw out there..but I always go back to the foundation of my testimony. The Book of Mormon and how I have come to find for myself that Joseph Smith was called of God. Still a man, with imperfection, but still called of God. I love this section in the Ensign..thought I would share it with you. We can not only learn from the Book of Mormon, but also the journey that brought it to past and the man that sacrificed so much, yes, even his life for.

"When Joseph arrived in Palmyra, the Lord had brought His foreordained prophet to the physical resting place of a treasure of inestimable value. This treasure would signal that after centuries of general spiritual darkness and confusion, the heavens were again open. This treasure would show that Jesus’s ministry was far more expansive in both doctrine and geography than the Christian churches of that day could possibly know. This treasure would affirm that, in miraculous fashion, God is sweepingly active in the affairs of men across time, languages, and continents. And this treasure would promise teachings so pure and powerful that if you planted them deep into your soul, you could personally be transformed, tasting of something so delicious as to make it the ultimate and unmatched feast of your desires.

With mortal eyes, we might be tempted to envision that a more fitting path for such a man and such a moment would be a path of greater ease, efficiency, and acclaim. In recognition of the earth-shattering events about to happen as a consequence of this boy entering this town at this time, could not the Lord, who so carefully orchestrated the placement of the golden plates over a millennia earlier, have provided a straighter, more comfortable and heralded path of arrival?

Yes, He surely could have, but He did not.

There was no prominent, prophetic anointing of Joseph in his childhood (see 1 Samuel 16:11–13). There was no directive dream pointing him to a promised land (see 1 Nephi 5:4–5). There was no curious Liahona to help his family avoid missteps along the way (see 1 Nephi 16:10; Alma 37:38). And there certainly was no open-air limousine traveling along a sunny, streamlined parade route with cheering masses providing a triumphant welcome.

Rather, for Joseph and his family, there was a wildly meandering trail of sorrow marked with bad luck, ill health, poor judgment, natural disaster, crushing pain, callous injustice, continuing obscurity, and unrelenting poverty. This is not to suggest that the Smith family lived in one continual round of abject misery; they did not. But the path to Palmyra was anything other than direct, prosperous, and publicly notable. Lame, limp, and bloodied, the Prophet literally had to be carried to his unparalleled rendezvous with destiny by a nameless stranger.

Remember this as perhaps the first lesson of Joseph’s life and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. In spite of failure, mishap, and bitter opposition—and in many cases precisely because of those things—Joseph Smith got exactly where he needed to be to fulfill his mission. So, if now or on some future day, you look around and see that other perhaps less-devoted acquaintances are succeeding in their jobs when you just lost yours; if major illness puts you on your back just at the moment critical tasks of service seem to come calling; if a call to a prominent position goes to someone else; if a missionary companion seems to learn the language faster; if well-meaning efforts still somehow lead to disaster with a fellow ward member, a neighbor, or an investigator; if news from home brings word of financial setback or mortal tragedy you can do nothing about; or if, day after day, you simply feel like a bland and beaten background player in a gospel drama that really seems made for the happiness of others, just know this: many such things were the lot of Joseph Smith himself at the very moment he was being led to the stage of the single most transcendent thing to happen on this earth since the events of Golgotha and the Garden Tomb nearly 2,000 years earlier.

“But,” you may say, “my life and earthly destiny will never be like that of the Prophet Joseph.”

That probably is true. But it is also true that your lives do matter to God, and your eternal potential and that of every soul you will meet is no less grand and significant than that of the Prophet Joseph himself. Thus, just like our beloved Joseph, you must never give up, give in, or give out when life in general, or missionary work in particular, gets utterly painful, confusing, or dull. Rather, as Paul teaches, you must see that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28; emphasis added).

Just as He did with young Joseph Smith, God is shaping and directing you every single day to ends more glorious than you can know!"

Love and hugs… 18 months to serve, a life time to reflect, no regrets! 

Sister Efnor

Salt Lake City East Mission!

This week has been great but I don't have to much time to write. 

Finally we were able to teach Davida's husband Carl! We were able to teach him three times in the past week, BABAAMM!  One really cool experience...in our second lesson with Carl, he was talking about how he has felt the "vibe" while reading the Book of Mormon. He said that the first time that we were able to meet with him I asked him a question and he felt that same "vibe". He couldn't remember the question, but he could just remember what he felt. It just goes to show that it is nothing we do as missionaries, it's the spirit. That is what they remember, how they felt, the spirit that you invited into their homes..into their hearts. I am so grateful for these precious weeks that I have left to serve our Father in heaven.

Run hard, and to the tape.

Love,

Sister Efnor

To Blessed to Stress!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last Wednesday on our way back to the Family History Center Sister Weaver and I decided to make one last stop. While we were walking we saw a guy taking pictures of the scenery, we stopped and chit chatted a little bit and then we moved on. 

When we were about to jump back into the car Sister Weaver looks at me and says "We need to invite him." We have like 10 minutes before we are suppose to be back at our house so I just start running to find the guy. He had walked a little farther, still taking pictures. His back was towards us, as we approached Sister Weaver whipped out the Book of Mormon and we got his attention. He was so nice, apparently he was from St. Louis, has a family, and was just here for work all by himself.

Sister Weaver asked if he had ever seen missionaries "No." and if he had ever read the Book of Mormon "No." She explained to him what it was and then I showed him the two last paragraphs in the introduction. He said he would love to read it and gave us his phone number so we could call him this week when he would be back in St. Louis to see how his reading was doing.

While we were driving back to our place I was thinking about how this guy had a family, he has a job that takes him away from work, really friendly, and has an open heart. I just thought about how my own dad has to leave for work a lot and how much I love him and how grateful I am that missionaries taught him and the difference it's made in not only his life but in the life of his family.

I thought about how this guys whole life could be changed, the lives of his kids, and so on..and it would have all started with just an "invite".

Yesterday we got a text from Davida telling us to come over to meet her new husband! We swung by and finally got to meet the man she has been telling us so much about all these months, turns out he has already read the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price. I started to share a scripture in 1 Nephi about when he is commanded to build a ship. Before I can even start giving background on the scripture Carl (Davidas husband) starts telling me about it LOL  When we asked when we could come back to start teaching him the lessons Davida looked at us with this "What do you think?!) face and said "Tomorrow!". 

Getting to come back to Park City and see this all come full circle..with Davida's daughter in law getting baptized, Davida getting married, now we are teaching her husband.

I know I talk about Davida all the time, but she blows me away. Her influence has bless the lives of so many, including mine.

When missionaries who had a short amount of time left to serve would start freaking out, to be honest, it irritated me. It felt like when you get down to a month or a week there was this expected response from missionaries. Like if you didn't hyperventilate then that means you didn't love your mission..Well..it still irritates me LOL But I have had a couple experiences that have kind of hit me in the face about the reality of things. Like when we went and talked to that guy from St. Louis, or when I finally got to meet Carl..Yes, I'll still be a missionary and I'll share the gospel after I am released, but it won't be the same. 

There is just something so special, something so personal, when you are set apart and getting to devote all your time and attention..just every fiber of your being, to His work.

I can feel it inside, but I can't describe it. The feeling of gratitude that I have for being able to come out on a mission and serve is something I will feel for the rest of my life. Heavenly Father is very aware of the needs of His children and their potential, I am so grateful He saw more in me in times when I saw nothing..

Sister Efnor