Go to the Edge to Find Miracles! - Week 31

Hello Everyone!

Sooooo.... I have officially been on my mission for 7 months!  How crazy is that!  I love being a missionary so much and I am so grateful to be serving in Sacramento California!  The weather here is a lovely 70 degrees usually and Sister Brandley and I are enjoying getting to bike around, talking with everyone, and sharing the gospel!  It's the best!

Highlights (Miracles) of the Week:

-  We had Zone Conference this past Wednesday and it was absolutely fantastic!  We talked about the importance of giving the Lord our all and trusting that He will make up the difference.  We also discussed how when we go to the edge of all we can do, that's when we are able to see miracles!  We have been invited as a zone to pray, push ourselves and work for miracles so that our whole mission can help 100 people enter the waters of baptism by the end of May!  It is going to be AWESOME!

-  We had another lesson with Rufus yesterday (our favorite 92 year old man).  We talked about the restoration with him and invited him to read the Book of Mormon, which he said that he would do!  The coolest part though was at the beginning of the lesson, he was talking about this family who would come by and wave to him (Rufus likes to sit in his garage and wave to people) and how he really respected them and wanted to be their friends and brother.  Then literally 0.3 seconds after we said a closing prayer, the VERY SAME family came up and introduced themselves to him.  Rufus began to tell them that he respects them and wants to be their friend, when all of a sudden, the dad turns to us and says, "Hello Sisters!  Which ward do you serve in?"  Turns out, the whole family were members!  So we told Rufus that they were members of our church and he was so impressed and amazed!  It was very obvious that the Lord had His hand in that entire experience and it was such a miracle!  God is so good!

-  Another Miracle!  The very second day of the transfer (about 3ish weeks ago), we visited a less active, older mother and daughter.  While we were there, the daughter explained why she had stopped going to church and a lot of her struggles with the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith.  She felt like the Book of Mormon and Bible didn't go together.  Sister Brandley and I ended up testify to her that we knew the Book of Mormon would bless her life if she read it.  We invited her to read 3 Nephi 11 and to pray about it.  Well... over three weeks later, we get this call one afternoon and it ended up being the daughter.  She went on about how she had started to read the Book of Mormon again and how grateful she was that we asked her to do that.  She said that she had felt so much happiness and peace since reading it again and that she had read all the way to Alma!  She said that she was going to go dress shopping so that she could get a dress to wear to church this Sunday!  She was just so happy and we were literally crying on the other end of the phone.  It was such a miracle to be able to see how much her life had turned around since reading the Book of Mormon and how happy she was!

- More Miracles!  We had 5 friends come to church this Sunday!  The whole Smith family came and our new friend Brenna came too!  After church, our ward mission leader took the Smith family on a tour of the temple grounds and they really liked it!  I am so grateful to know such amazing people and to get to see them make steps in faith towards the Lord!  Being a missionary is literally the best!

Scripture of the Week!

Therefore, dearly beloved brethren (and sisters), let us
cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then
may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see
the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.
D&C 123:17

I love this scripture so much and I absolutely love this new perspective our mission is taking on going to the edge to find miracles!  I know that if we give all we have to the Lord, He will be able to make it enough!  I know that if we act in faith and trust in the Lord, we will be able to see the salvation of God in our lives and the lives of those around us!  I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  I know that miracles are real and that God loves all His Children!

I love you all so much and I hope you have a blessed week!

Lots of Love,

Sister Ferrin

Mailing Info:

8267 Deseret Ave
Fair Oaks CA 95628
United States   

Pics of the week:

1. Zone P-day picture (featuring President and Sister Hymas)

2. Literally the biggest cheeseburger I have ever eaten 

Heart Attacking Older People (Not Literally) - Week 30

Hello Everyone!

This week was full of many ups and downs but still super awesome!  We were able to make so many new friends this past week and participate in some really amazing lessons (so I really can't complain)!  God has blessed us so much out here and I am so grateful for all the many tender mercies that we have seen!

Highlights of the Week:

-  Heart Attacks!  In honor of Valentine's Day, Sister Brandley and I decided to cut out and decorate a bunch of paper hearts, then we sneakily taped them to the doors of several members in the ward, include a lot of less-active Single Sisters.  The hearts had a bunch of different compliments and scriptures about God's love on them.  We had so much fun doing it and everyone seemed to really love the hearts!

-  We met the cutest old man this week who wants us to come back and visit with him again.  His name is Rufus and he is 91 years old.  We met him riding our bikes around town while he was sitting in his garage.  We started talking to him and we gave him a Plan of Salvation Pamphlet.  At the time, he didn't really want to talk about religion.  However, we stopped by about a week later and turns out, he had read the entire pamphlet and had a bunch of questions about what happens after we die.  So we were able to teach him about the Plan of Salvation and it was such a great lesson that he wants us to come back next week!  Afterwards, he asked us if we wanted some chocolate then proceeded to whip out a yard long, 40 piece chocolate box.  We ended up bungee cording it to our bikes.

-  We had another really awesome miracle just yesterday!  We went to have a lesson with a friend I had made on team-ups but she ended up cancelling because she had forgotten about it (sad day).  However, she mentioned that her niece had read the introduction to the Book of Mormon we had given her and had a bunch of questions.  So we ended up talking to the niece and having an amazing lesson with her!  She really wants to know how she can become closer to God and we testified that she would be able to feel God's presence and love for her through reading the Book of Mormon.  She was so excited to start reading the first chapter and to meet with us again next week!

-  We got to have a wonderful lesson with the woman (Hillary) who had stopped us in the streets and asked us to come over.  The best part though was that we got to teach her daughter too!  We introduced the Book of Mormon to them and talked about how God answers our prayers.  We invited them to read Enos chapter 1 and they were both excited and said that they would read it as a family.  We are planning on going back tomorrow for another lesson.

We had interviews with President and Sister Hymas this past week and we were asked to share our favorite scripture in the Book of Mormon.  So I thought I'd share my favorite scripture with all of you!  It is Alma 26:37 and it says:

"Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen."

I love this scripture so much because it testifies of how much God loves us and knows who we are.  He understands what we are going through, what we have gone through, and we will soon go through.  He knows us all individually.  Not one of His children is forgotten or alone.  Like Ammon, this knowledge that God loves all of His children, no matter who or where they are, has brought me great joy and thanksgiving!  That's why being a missionary is so amazing!  We get to help people everyday to understand that they are loved by God and that He has a plan for them!  It is so incredible!

Have a wonderful week and know that I love you all!

Lots of Love,

Sister Ferrin

Mailing Info:

8267 Deseret Ave
Fair Oaks CA 95628
United States   

Pics of the Week!

1- Chocolate from Rufus

2- Heart Attacking in the dark!

#1TeamRanchoDream - Week 29

Hello Everyone!

Well, I haven't gotten hit by a car yet (or hit a car) so that's good!  Biking is definitely an adventure and I'm getting sore less everyday!  Whoo hoo!  I am having a great time in my new ward and I absolutely love getting to know all these new people!    

Highlights of the Week!

-  SO MUCH FINDING.  One thing we get to do a lot of in this area is finding people to teach.  It's been fun trying out different ways of getting to talk to people, everything from knocking on doors, visiting part-member families, and talking to random people on the streets.  This week, Sister Brandley and I were able to find 6 new people to teach which was so exciting!  One lady actually came up to us in the street and asked us to come over and teach her (Umm... that literally never happens.  Miracle!)  We also found out that a really active family in our ward has two children who haven't been baptized yet.  We are going over on Thursday to teach them and invite them to be baptized!   

-  We made an awesome friend named Brenna!  We "accidentally" ran into her while we were looking for a less active member.  She opened the door, let us straight in, and started talking to us!  We introduced the Plan of Salvation to her and were able to get a follow-up appointment.  Fast forward to the follow-up lesson that we were able to take a member to.  It went super well!  Brenna really opened up and we were able to listen to her and support her.  The Spirit was so strong and when we invited her to church, she said yes!  The sad news was that Sunday morning, she ended up getting really sick and couldn't go, but she is planning on coming next Sunday and is really excited!

- The whole Smith family came to church on Sunday!  Sister Brandley and I ended up going with the two youngest daughters to Primary and Young Womens which was really fun.  After church, we went over and read the Book of Mormon (and watched part of the videos) with the Smith kids!  They are so cute and have so much energy!  We also had a visit with the family on Tuesday, and one of the Smith sons actually braided my hair!  It was pretty fantastic and the next day, my hair was SUPER curly!  

-  All the Sisters in the Rancho Cordova Zone got together today for P-day and painted!  A member in our stake is an artist and invited us all over to paint the Sacramento Temple during a sunset.  It was a lot of fun painting and getting to spend time with the other sisters!

Here's some inspiration for your week!

In this week's Come Follow Me readings, we get to read a small but powerful verse in chapter 5. Verse 27 says, "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness." This verse stood out to me because I don't know about you but I really like being happy. But what made it possible for the Nephites to live after the manner of happiness? What brought them joy? As I studied the rest of the chapter leading up to this verse, I discovered that it was the small and simple things that the Nephites did that brought happiness. They cared about family, keeping the commandments, studying the scriptures, attending the temple, magnifying their callings, and working hard. It was the small and simple things that helped the Nephites stay close to the Lord and as they stayed close to the Lord, they found true happiness.

Missionary work is all about inviting our Brothers and Sisters to actively do the small and simple things. When we invite our friends to read the Book of Mormon, pray, come to church, and be baptized, we are inviting them to come unto Christ and ultimately live after the manner of happiness. We read in Alma 37:6 that "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass." May we all strive to help our friends and those we love live "after the manner of happiness" by inviting them to do the small and simple things!

Have a wonderful day and an amazing week!  

Lots of Love,

Sister Ferrin

P.S. The title of this weekly is our zone's hashtag for the transfer.  It's supposed to help us feel more unified. So... BOOM! UNITY!

Mailing Info:

8267 Deseret Ave
Fair Oaks CA 95628
United States    

Pics of the week!

1. Sister missionaries and the Sacramento temple 

2. Me, Sister Brandley, Sister Olsen, and Sister Kim having dinner together 

3. My cute companion!

4. Rocking the braids! Shout out to the Smith family! (Ask my mom for pictures of the aftermath) 

Two Mean, Lean, Green(ie), Biking Machines - Week 28

Hello Everyone!

Things have been pretty exciting around here!  We had transfers last Tuesday and now I'm officially serving in the River Park Ward on the east side in Sacramento.  My brand new companion, straight from the MTC (my baby) is Sister Brandley from Ogden, Utah and she is absolutely adorable!  She is really funny, bubbly, and always smiling!  She also is an incredibly talented artist!  We are having a great time zooming around on bikes and talking to everyone (SO MANY PEOPLE)!  We also have a couple of really solid people/families we get to teach which is super exciting!

Highlights of the Week!

- I met Sister Brandley on Tuesday during the New Missionary Transfer Meeting!  After we had lunch together, all of the new missionaries and their trainers drove to the temple for pictures.  Then we got to go to our new apartment.  The apartment was... straight up nasty.  Elders had been living there previously (enough said).  Sister Brandley and I have been having a great time trying to clean it up and make it pretty.  We are doing pretty well if I do say so myself!

-  We have gotten to visit with so many awesome members this past week!  The whole ward is super excited to finally have sister missionaries in the ward since they have only had elders for a long time.  Our ward is made up of a lot of older members who have been living here since the 60s and a lot of young students, since we cover Sac State.  We have visited with a lot of cute older single ladies and we get to spend a morning making cookies with an inactive sister this next week!

-  Our ward had a special Ward Sports Night on Friday, so we got to go and meet a ton of ward members!  We played dodgeball and had pizza with them.  While we were there, we got to meet the Smith family.  Missionaries have been working the Smith family for a while now and one of the kids just got baptized.  Now Sister Brandley and I get to work with the rest of the kids!  We are so excited to work with them and the two daughters are super cute and already calling us "their missionaries"!  We are going to be having a lesson with the family on Tuesday!

- We got to go to a baptism this Saturday for a young man named Zack in our ward.  (We share the ward with another set of elders, our zone leaders, and they have been teaching Zack).  It was Sister Brandley's first baptism as a missionary so that was super exciting.  We were asked to give a missionary moment so we prepared a lesson on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Sister Brandley did such a great job throughout the whole thing (she is a natural teacher) that even our mission president, who was there, was impressed!

- Sunday we got to go to church!  It was a lovely Fast Sunday, and all the new missionaries in the ward were asked to bare their testimonies.  That was a fun way to get to introduce yourself to your ward.  We also had two of the Smith kids come to church which was awesome!  I am so excited to get to work in this ward and with all the great members!

So yes, things are going great and I'm doing really well!  I haven't even hit anything with my bike...yet.  One thing Sister Brandley and I have been really focusing on this week has been noticing and appreciating the small and simple things in our lives.  Let me tell you, those small and simple things such as reading the Book of Mormon every day, saying prayers as a family, taking the sacrament each week, smiling more, MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE!  If you want to know the key to happiness and great peace in your life, it is doing the small things daily!  1 Nephi 16:29 says, "And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things."  I promise that if we focus on doing those small things that bring us closer to Christ, then we will be able to be closer to Christ.  It is as simple as that!

I love you all so much and I hope you all are having a wonderful February!  Stay safe and warm (if you are in Utah)!  

Lots of Love,

Sister Ferrin 

 

Mailing Info:

8267 Deseret Ave
Fair Oaks CA 95628
United States  

Pics of the week!

1-2.) Temple pictures with my brand new companion!

 3.) One door down, twenty million more to go

4-5.) We found a cool foggy river during our morning exercises, so... photo shoot!

7.) Throwback to when a dog got his thin rope leash wrapped around my legs and almost took off both my feet. 

6.) Partying on P-day! (In another set of sisters' car)