Salt Lake City East Mission

This was a story shared in a talk given at the YSA conference this past Saturday

 

Teacher :Whats brown, fluffy, has a big tail, and stores nuts in the winter?

Primary kid: I know the answers Jesus! But it sounds an awful lot like a squirrel!

(What did I take away from that?)

1. Don't complicate things

2. He is the answer

Friday

Remember that story last week of the member who was inspired to pick up the guy on the side of the road who use to be his home teaching companion years ago?  We had a lesson with him...So a really REALLY long story made kind of shorter...

We got to know him a little bit better, and see what it was that made him decided that there is no Christ, and ultimately no God.

He served a mission, and I quote, "little by little", he continued to doubt his faith and the experiences he had on his mission, and ended up throwing them all in a bag labeled "coincidences". 

He finally denoted that Mormonism was just a "culture" when out of the 5 times that he had prayed in a whole of 2 years- he didnt get the answer he wanted.  He didnt get a voice whispering in his ear.  He didn't get his own sign.

While my companion and I are listening, as he ever so gently ripped the beliefs of the church up and down, my thoughts were turned to the beginning of the Book of Mormon.  When Laman and Lemuel, after having just been visited by an angel disregard the whole event all together. 

I asked the guy "So out of two years, you prayed 5 times, and when you didnt get an actual "sign" you decided there was no God?"...He said, "Yes."  To which I replied "Why would God give you your own personal sign?  All these wonderful experiences you had on your mission, times where the Lord has helped you, and you threw them all by the way side. Who's to say you wont do the same again?" What I wanted to say was something along the lines of--Your heart is so hard right now that if an angel came and whacked you up side the head with a trumpet you still wouldn't get with the program!....but i didnt....I dont think that this guy was a Laman or Lemuel.  I genuinely believe that after listening to him he is just conflicted.  From the experinces that he told us of specific times that God clearly had a hand in his life- It sounds like he was a spiritual powerhouse!  

So why wouldn't Satan work as hard as he could to get him to doubt himself?  Even if it was little by little!!?

Gods timing is not ours, His ways wont always be the way we want it to be.  Satan is real, and he is always seeking to make us unhappy. 

I'm still trying to figure out how to help this guy.  What does God want us to do for him?  I know ultimately we are the ones that bring it unto their heart, but they have to let it in.

Saturday

There were two baptism scheduled for Saturday morning, the Zone Leaders at 9 and then Sister Curtis and I at 10. So we texted the elders saying DONT drain the font.  We get to the institute building an hour before the baptism...and its drained. 

The font takes a total of 2 hours to fill!  So, where there is a Sister, there is a way ;)  We went to the kitchen across the the way and started filling literally anything that could hold water.  Even though I was sweating from lifting, filling, and carrying, it was the best!  I was so happy filling up pitchers of water, trash cans, bowls, and coolers because it was all for the salvation of one of Gods beloved children!  We had the font running right up until Mohsen walked into the water!

 

Due to some mis-communication with the mission office, the mission President, his wife, and all his counselors got an email saying that there was a special request to come to this baptism.  Ooops! lol It was great to be able to have them all there to support our friend from Iran who was getting baptized. He has been through so much, and has been an inspiration to many.  He told us of a dream he had, while he was still in Iran, and before he knew about Christ.  He was drowning, and a man grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the water.  The day after his baptism he had another dream, an angel was welcoming him to a beautiful garden.  I love stories like these!

Sunday

We walked to the conference center for regional stake conference, while i was walking in i saw this very tall Polynesian.  As I looked closer I realized it was my cousin Bubba.  Immediately I yelled "BUBBA! BUBBA!" I ran over leaving my companion and jumped giving him a big hug.  At the time my companion was on the phone talking, and when I ran over and hugged my cousin I could hear her freaking out saying "I dont know whats going on but my companion is hugging some guy!" LOL After I could finally talk from being so excited I explained that the guy I was hugging was actually my cousin who I hadn't seen in a long time because he was serving in the Army before I entered the mission field...

It was a beautiful Sunday, hearing from two of the 12 apostles, and getting to see some family.

Another great week, another layer of foundation to add to my testimony.  Thats something that Ive found has to be constant.  Seeking the spirit, seeking in the scriptures, seeking to be closer to God. Without that as a constant, without it as our focus, we are giving satan an in. 

I love serving the Lord, and hearing how my little sister is preparing herself through daily scripture study for when she decides to put the tag on.  I love my family and I love this work.  Make it a good one guys :)

Keep it real, Keep it righteous.

Sister Efnor

Its a dang good day when you wake up, look in the mirror, and you've got the Lords name on your chest.

Wednesday

There is this girl, who's a member, she hadn't been going to church for awhile, and she wanted us to come teach her the lessons.  Almost as a little refresher.  We taught Plan of Salvation, and were able to see what it was that she needed help understanding.  At a certain point in the lesson we explained to her that these aren't things she hasn't heard before, she looked puzzled.  We explained how in the pre-existence that this plan was presented and she accepted it by taking the first step of coming to earth to gain a body.  We explained that she already had taken a step in the right direction, and when she feels the spirit, when she feels good inside when we are teaching, its because her spirit is remembering.  Her smiled widened from ear to ear and she yells "Are you serious??!!?! Mind blown!!" haha

It truly is a beautiful moment when you can witness the flame rekindled in someone else, and might i add, that it is so motivating to see someone brought to such humility... even though she was already a "member" she was humble enough to ask for help.  I hope that whenever i might be struggling i would have the courage to call up the Lords servants to help me.

Thursday

We had a lesson with Alexis, she was recently baptized and confirmed a member of the church.  Long before her baptism she would constantly say.."after i get baptized i dont want these lessons to stop, i want to keep learning from you guys."  Alexis realizes that there is still a lot to learn, and she wants it bad.  After the lesson we asked if she would say the prayer.  Previously she would sometimes say "dear Jesus", we would try to correct her, but sometimes she would forget..so this time before she says the prayer she goes... "Now ive really been practicing this whole prayer thing, the Dear heavenly Father part.."  I couldn't help but smile!  Just to hear that she has been practicing, i dont know what it was but it hit me so hard. Then she offered up her prayer.  Have you ever heard someone pray and you could just feel that this person knows they are talking to God.  They pour out their whole soul, thanking him, asking for help, seeking guidance.  I LOVE it!

Friday

The YSA stake had a carnival!  This is a perfect finding opportunity...and they had free pizza lol haha!!! 

 

So we went around the carnival that night looking for referrals or maybe non members that were invited to come. We did end up getting a couple referrals. When we were about to leave they turned on the Cupid Shuffle...oh the urge to JUST DANCE! Started tappin my toe a little, swayin back and forth, AHHHHHHH! I CANT STAND IT ! But dont worry mom and dad, I overcame the natural man lol ;)

Saturday

We had dinner with a member, Rich Johnson.  So we get to his house and he says that he has to go pick up the 3rd female. (if we are with a guy we always have to get a 3rd girl to come with us) When he comes back he ends up having a girl and a guy in his car.  On his way back he saw this guy James , with whom he had been home teaching companions with years ago, walking on the side of the road. So he invited him to dinner!  After dinner, and our spiritual thought he says he doesn't agree with the scripture... he believes that Christ ended at the cross..that there is no life after this one here on earth.

James went on a mission, his parents are serving as mission presidents in Africa, and he doesn't believe in Christ.  It was a little heart breaking, he said he felt conflicted, he just seemed confused... What a miracle-  What are the chances that he'd be walking down the street right as Rich was driving by, and that on that day Rich had invited us over for dinner.  There are no coincidences!  I know that it was the prayers of his parents serving in Africa that someone in their sons ward would reach out to their son. Those prayers were answered. We invited him to church, which surprisingly didn't take any pull on our part and he came.  James even drove all the way to his parents house to get clothes for church.  That night we got a text saying "Hey sisters, thank you so much for the invitation to come to church.  I really loved going.  Hope you have a great week!".  I can see the Lords hand in every single day!

Its been a beautiful week. News of one of my cousins going through the temple and preparing for his mission in Korea has been so exciting!  Receiving a letter from my mom of all the experiences she had in Nauvoo was such a blessing... The work is moving forward in so many different ways!

I had the chance to bear my testimony, I talked about the power of a testimony and the influence ive seen as we have brought members to lessons.  Got a testimony?  Share it!  You see a friend walkin on the side of the road and you feel the spirit tellin you to pick em up?  Do it!  I know that we are all Gods hands and feet here on the earth, he is constantly looking to work through us to reach out to his sons and daughters.  I hope that you all have a blessed week!  I love you all to pieces. 

Sister Dodie

Every week seems to be my best week ever!!

Tuesday!

ZONE CONFERENCE!!!!!!!

It was the bessstt! Don R. Clark came and talked to us!  We were all a bit scared since the Monday prior we had received an email from our mission president that had a talk on receiving chastisement with grace... lol

Turned out to be the perfect mix of love and chastising.  Missionaries who have been out awhile say that it was the best training they have been apart of in a zone conference.  I'd have to agree. 

A couple points that he made that I really loved...

-Take care of His sheep and He will take care of yours.

During zone conference Elder Clark said "Everyone who has a family member, or loved one that is inactive, stand up."  Almost everyone in the room stood up.  As we were standing he told us that when we put our whole heart into the work, "Genuinely" loving those that we teach, the Lord will bless our family and friends who have lost their way.  What motivation!!!!  I want my family, and my friends to experience the blessing of the gospel but first i need to feed His sheep.

-Will the mission go through you? Or will you go through the mission?

There are definitively times where I have felt I was just going through the motions.  Was i happy?  No.  Was I effective?  Nope.  The mission experience I have, or even the experience I have here on earth, can all be determined on how I act.  What will be my response to trials, sucky companions, investigators not keeping commitments etc.?

-The Lord needs to trust you.

Ain't it the truth, i can definitely testify to this.  If He cant trust me, He's not going to even think about sending one of His precious sons or daughters my way.  My mom recently shared a couple stories of different times where she has had the opportunity to lend a helping hand, or a shoulder to cry on.  I know that the Lord will put people who need a hand- in our paths when he knows He can trust us.

Those are just a few of the MANY points that Elder Clark talked to us about..oh and he said.." If your dating an RM, you call his mission president and ask him what kind of a missionary that boy was. If he says good, DROP HIM! You want and exceptional missoionary!" lol

Saturday

C O L O R  R U N

There was a color run taking place in Salt Lake and our mission presidents wife had a family member who needed help getting more volunteers, so they volunteered the missionaries! lol We helped people check in and went to the finish line to cheer people on and hand out packets of the colored chalk, there were some of us handing out water bottles and granola bars as well.  It was really fun when people would run by or check in and they'd yell out... "ITS THE MISSIONARIES!" 

Sunday

We were blessed to have a baptism, her name is Alexis.  Alexis has one of the most inspiring stories. Born in a Bulgarian orphanage, adopted to Minnesota, reconnected with someone she was friends with in the orphanage who got adopted to Provo and is now on a mission in Bulgaria. 

Sister Curtis and I have been so blessed this week, mission life is great and getting better. I love you all, keep smiling :)

keep it real. keep it righteous.

Sister Efnor

Salt Lake City East Mission and LOVING every minute of it!!

I think it's interesting how different the work can be, granted I am in YSA wards, but I could get transferred to an area 30 minutes from here and I'd have a totally different experience.

Serving in these 5 wards has been such a blessing. 

Just this past Sunday a girl came up to me in a rush, she had read the book Power of Everyday Missionaries,  and she had set a goal/date to find someone who is interested in learning more about the gospel.  "You do this all day everyday, I have tried literally everyone I know and no one has seemed interested to take the lessons! What should I do?" she said to me.

I was just in awe of her raw desire to share the gospel with someone.  She was in the same ordeal that Clayton Christensen talked about in his book, she was to the point of desperation.  How inspiring i thought!  I told her that with her attitude whether its the day before or the day after, the Lord was gonna bless her with someone to share her sweet testimony with.

 

We have been teaching this guy from Japan, Shuhei.  We have been taking him to temple square so we can have some language barrier assistance from one of the Japanese speaking sisters there.  Lessons have been going really good, he was coming to church and was getting a lot of fellowship from the ward.  After a lesson we had with the temple square sisters, we asked him about his scripture reading, he said he had been reading everyday.  Pretty awesome, then he said that since the Book of Mormon has been hard for him to understand he has just been reading and studying the index everyday. 

Does it get any more precious?! He wants to know for himself if its true to the point of reading anything out of it so he can get his answer.  Its really inspiring to see the will and desire of people when they feel the spirit and they want more.

 

(Slade)... 

Some sisters in our district saw him walking around the neighborhood in a storm trooper outfit.  Oh yes.  He hadn't been to church in a long time, but was totally up for visits from the missionaries.  So we set up a time where we could introduce ourselves and tell him about all the activities that the YSA wards do.  He knows that he feels good when hes around us, or around the ward members.  He says that he'll never give up drinking, but we'll see about that ;)  Now Slade texts us asking when the next activity is, if work would permit him then he would come to church..hopefully as we continue to meet with him then he'll slowly make changes in his life to make him happier.

(Divine Rendezvous??)

There might not be a direct correlation between all of these people, but when i was thinking about it in my head it made sense.  So lets cross our fingers that i can tie this together in a neat bow!! haha

 

The will and want for good in people is so inspiring, even though all of these stories are different in a way they are all searching for light.   They feel the light of Christ within themselves as they share the gospel, read the scriptures (even if its from the index), or visit with the missionaries.  Its inspiring for me personally because it feeds my own testimony. 

 

I had the blessing of going to the Salt Lake temple this morning with the missionaries I serve with. What a blessing that is, to have the temple so close to where I serve. 

Alexis, who is getting baptized on Sunday, came and did a temple square tour with us. We stopped at the replica of the temple and talked about the importance and the blessings that come from us. She leaned in to get a better look and WACK!  She slammed her head on the glass.  I lost it... Laughing so hard... then the guy next to me said with a chuckle " OH! she feels the spirit so much that she wants to jump right in!"

 

Its a funny story, but with a great underlying message. Lets all "Jump In", and get a good "wack" from the spirit ;)

I love you all, especially little Joe ;) haha oh and you to Ronald haha i hope you all have a great week!

Love Sister Efnor

Me and my new Comp!

 A favorite place of my Mom's to take family pictures since I was a small child... I have many pictures of myself in front of this temple and in this same window- of my big sisters holding me when I was a small baby... Feels a bit like home for me to be here!

 

I've been transfered... from my beloved Family Tree and Park City!

(preface to the following story)

The new apartment we live in is pretty nice, aside from the fact that the ceilings are accommodating to dwarfs, but that's not even the problem. Our apartment is infested with box elders (sp?) its this black and red abomination of an insect, and instead of saying box elders, we just call them elders. I still am trying to understand their purpose.

Pretty much every night before we start planning we go through an all out brawl with them so we can plan in peace. 

(the actual story)

So sister Curtis goes to hop in the shower..5 minutes later... I hear..."THERE'S AN ELDER IN THE SHOWER!"...I died laughing.

Anywhooo...

IM SERVING IN YSA WARDS NOW! (and I welcome every change and challenge)

My new companion is sister Curtis from Boston, she is the beezneez.

It definitely is a change going from one ward in Park City to 5 wards in YSA, but i welcome the busy schedule with open arms that is for sure.  I wanted to cry tears of joy when sister Curtis filled me in on all the potential investigators, the areas, and the people they are teaching.  The wards that i cover are so diverse because they are all college students going to school at the U.  Its a little intimidating, everyone is so educated..that sounded dumb hahaha anyway... Everyone LOVED the sister before me so its been hard because i feel like i have big shoes to fill, however last night made me really happy. We were in a lesson with this girl, she only had one lesson before i got here.  The lesson went great and then the investigators offered the closing prayer.  In it she said, "And i was really nervous because sister Tennyson had to leave us and now we have a new sister, but sister Efnor is awesome and I'm happy that she is here", it warmed my heart to hear those words.

There are so many return missionaries in the wards we cover so we can always find someone to go out to a lesson with us which is such a blessing. 

Dinner appointments are a lot different in YSA wards than in the family wards haha but hopefully ill lose some weight since ill be eating like a college student and not like a Maharajah!!!

Getting to teach people my age has been such a great experience, being able to relate to people helps so much during lessons.

I have another kicker for ya'll..

Sister Curtis was on the phone with an investigator who was being illusive about setting an appointment, but she kept at it trying to hook him for an exact date we could meet.  He said " your very persistent"...to which she replies "yes but its motivated out of love"...then he said, "What are your boundaries?"  She thought he was implying that she had gone to far with the whole "love"comment, immediately she starts back peddling "I meant Christ-like love! like charity!"..when really he was only asking her what our actual boundaries were that we covered hahaha oh the awkwardness..

The closeness of Temple Square has been such a blessing.  We can meet people over there whenever, and go have lessons as well.

I am more than excited to be here, serving where I am.  Yet again, i can see so clearly why the Lord sent me here.  I have so much to learn still.  Daily I am being pushed and challenged to do and be better.  I have to go now, man i wish i was fast at typing instead of this chicken pecking crud. Curse my lack of attention in computer class! haha

I love you all so much! keep it real, keep it righteous.

Sister Efnor

 

Saying good bye to Sister Tigno... (My first trainee, my baby)

Before leaving I threw my shoes up in the "Tree" Something done when leaving that great place!! 

 MY FAMILY- My last day with Davida's family- That was such a hard goodbye.  But when I hugged Terri, she said, "A lot of things wouldn't have ever happened if you hadn't come here to us."  Then she told me that she was just in the back room reading the beginning of the book of Mormon.  It was a huge cry fest, but I am so happy to have known them and been a part of their conversion.

 Me and my new companion!!

Yup, they booted me out of Park City!

I don't know yet where I will be going, but honestly, I am so excited I cant even stand it!

I had the opportunity to serve in Park City for 4 1/2 months and its been a great run.  As much as I'd love to stay for so many reasons, from the people that I have met and learned from as well as taught I know that nobody ever grows in their comfort zone.  I feel like I may have started to get comfortable, a little to comfortable, and we all know what happens when we get comfortable!

I thought of Elder Hollands talk "Sadly enough, my young friends, it is a characteristic of ourage that if people want any gods at all, they want them to be gods who do not demand much,comfortable gods, smooth gods who not only don’t rock the boat but don’t even row it, gods who pat us on the head, make us giggle, then tell us to run along and pick marigolds."..

I don't want to pick marigolds! Give me challenges! Rock that boat! So basically, Im excited for new experiences and opportunities to grow and learn.

I thought it was pretty interesting that the night before i found out i was getting transferred I had been reading another talk by, guess who- haha, that's right- Elder Holland!

Anyway, it was titled "The Best is Yet to Be"...how fitting haha

It was so perfect that I read it last night for a couple of reasons, one being that I was going to be getting transferred the next day.  Its not always easy to "be where you are when you are there".  We have cell phones and all these other objects that take us away from the here and now.  Obviously I'm not on Facebook or Instagram since I'm on a mission, but our thoughts can also be a distraction.  Just as much as any cellular device.

In his talk Elder Holland recalls the account of Lot's wife, what was it that she did that was so bad?  It wasn't just that she looked back, it was that she yearned to be back.

I think of home, my family, and my friends, and if i do it long enough..i might as well be as effective as a pillar of salt.  Elder Holland then makes the statement "FAITH points to the FUTURE"...A perfect example of this is Paul "After the Apostle Paul reviewed the privileged and rewardinglife of his early years—his birthright, education, and standing in the Jewish community—he says to the Philippians that all of that was “dung”compared to his conversion to Christianity.He says, and I paraphrase, “I have stopped rhapsodizing about ‘the good old days’ and now eagerly look toward the future ‘that I may apprehend that for which Christ apprehennded me’. 

 

 Then come these verses:

“This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto thosethings which are before, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13–14).  No Lot’s wife here. No looking back at Sodom and Gomorrah here. Paul knows it is out therein the future, up ahead wherever heaven is taking us,that we will win “the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” 

With a new area, new companion, and new challenges... I plan to look forward with faith!  I know that with this transfer, I will be where Heavenly Father wants me to be, in a place where he has prepared more of his children to hear his word.  Bring it! 

I'll end with this last quote from Elder Holland "To all such of every generationI call out, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Faith is for the  future. Faith builds on the past but never longs to stay there. Faith trusts that God has great things in store for eachof us and that Christ truly is the “high priest of good things to come” (Hebrews 9:11).
 

I am so grateful for these 18 months of my life that I can dedicate to the Lord, lessons like this, of looking forward with faith.  I will carry them with me forever.  I know that as we all " look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes " 

our lives will be richly blessed. 

I love my family, and I love the Lord, I hope you all have a great week!

Love sister Efnor

 I will miss these ransom sightings of Moose!

 My view of Main Street Park City from the Tree- I have a feeling I might be back here before my mission is finished... Love this place!