Monday, July 27, 2009

7/27/09

Well Shiprock is awesome! Just as I imagined it.. ugly dry, brown and full of people to teach! We don't have time to knock doors because there is so much to do and so many people to see. We already have this whole week booked with appointments. The people here are really flaky, so I am sure a lot of appointments will fall through but that's okay because we still have a lot of backup plans. I LOVE IT! This is how missionary work should be everywhere!

My first night here, Sister Mailo (a sister that was in Shiprock for about a year and she just went home right before I got here), her parents came to Shiprock to meet the people she worked with so we went to this thing at the church and I swear it sounded like a funeral. Everyone was talking about how awesome she was and what a great job she did in the ward... etc. lol it was kind of funny!

My comp is sister Sagapolutele she is Samoan but from Utah. She is a lot of fun so I am sure we will get along. We have to get to know each other first but so far so good :-) she has been out 6 months but is very strong!

Well the Navajo people are so awesome. Very humble yet A LOT of drama! They all have children from like 5 dads and all have live in boyfriends or girlfriends, we deal with a lot. People getting raped, abuse, etc. stuff that I never thought I would have to deal with especially on my mission! It's kind of like a soap opera!

We work really closely with a senior couple. They are the Myers from Washington State. They are awesome I love working with them. Since we have limited miles they drive us places and we see them almost every day.

Saturday was a pioneer celebration in Kirtland (the town just west of us) and so we went over to the parade. It was so fun! It reminded me of the Panguitch parade. Wards and families had floats. It was a grand ol' time. then Shiprock ward was in charge of Navajo tacos which is fry bread (the best stuff EVER) with beans and cheese and onions and lettuce etc. but I learned how to make fry bread... kind of. We are trying to recruit someone in the ward to teach us how to make the dough and the bread. It is kind of like elephant ears but smaller and not necessarily have sugar on it. Kind of like the Mexican soppia. Anyways I will learn how to make it and come home and make it for you :-)

Yesterday I spoke in church about faith of our fathers but I kind of changed it to faith of our mothers and told some stories I found in the ensign about women pioneers and bore my testimony. The 2nd counselor in the bishopric got up before I spoke and told Sister S. and I that we have big footprints to fill now that Sister Mailo is gone! Ugh I am nervous that people aren't going to give me a chance because I am white, blonde, and not Sister Mailo (she is Hawaiian but looks a lot like the Navajo people)

But I know I am here for a reason and so hopefully I will touch someone!

Well I am excited for the work to go forth. I can't believe how fast the time has flown but I don't want it to! I love the mission and I love seeing people's lives change. It's really the greatest work I could be doing.

Love you all! Thanks for your love and support! xoxo Sister Marchant

Monday, July 20, 2009

7-20-09

Well.... guess what!?! I am going to Shiprock! I am so excited :-) They have so much success there! They teach so much they don't have time to tract I am so excited!!!!! I just thought of that scripture in D&C that' talks about your trials being a short time and if you endure them well then you will be exalted! I feel like I am being exalted, lol, although I don't know if I consider Cedar Crest a trial because we had success here and I love it here! Anyway, I can't even begin to know how to pronounce my new comps name so I will let you know next week.

This week was pretty exciting we taught a lot of less active recent convert lessons which was good because those have been low ever since I have been here.

Ohh there was drama!!! So there is this lady in our ward that is always the "victim", and when we first got here we were looking for service and the RS pres. said that she could probably use some help. Well, we started helping her and the first time we went over she made me clean her bathroom and jokingly I said "man, I always get the bathroom" because everyone knows that the bathroom is the worst job... Well apparently from that time on she thought I had a bad attitude when I went over there. Then a couple of weeks ago she had mice in her house and she asked a ward member to come help her move the stove to get the mice out. So a couple, the Devenports, came over and helped her. So they were taking the stove out and stuff and I was trying to stay out of the way because her kitchen is super tiny so I was talking to Sister Devenport while Bro Devenport was doing his thing. So Wednesday we go over to help her and she said Sister Weatherston what would you like to clean the rugs or the bathroom and she said she didn't' care, So she said "ok Sister Marchant you clean the bathroom and Sister Weatherston can vacuum"! LOL

Remember my Christ like attribute for this week was charity and love! God definitely gave me the opportunity to grow this week, I think I failed but I am trying to love her!

I am really sad to leave the Wilsons they are so awesome! They gave me the cutest card it said that I really touched Brad's heart :-) That's the real joys of missionary work I love it! Hopefully he will get baptized soon and then I will be able to come to the temple when they get sealed! Or if he waits long enough (I really hope not) I can be there for the baptism. His dad has cancer and so he is really struggling.

Colleen is doing really well! She got an opportunity to train for house manager at a beehive home from jay manning. that will be really good for her although she still has to keep her other job that she hates (she finds jobs for mentally and physically handicapped people) but she was telling me that what she does is prays and follows the spirit and she has found so many jobs for the people! It's so amazing to see people's lives touched by the gospel. and how it helps them so much.

I really am going to miss a lot of people here and I absolutely LOVE the people but I am ready to go and move on.

Shiprock is the reservation so it should be fun. I will learn all about the Navajo people, their customs, and mutton (ew!) plus I MIGHT get to slaughter a sheep :-) awesome hu?

Love you and hope all is well (sorry about my stupid drama story but I thought you would enjoy a story about crazies)

xoxo Sister Lizzie Marchant xoxo

Monday, July 13, 2009

7/13/09

Glad to hear your trip went well! I have never been to the UP except our Mullet Lake adventures! I don't know if we went up to the up though. Although the trip to Mackinac was pretty exciting (remember it was raining cats and dogs!)

Anyways this week has been pretty uneventful. We really didn't do anything but tract. We didn't teach any investigators (the 2 we have are super busy) but this week should be better. We are meeting with our investigators and we are meeting with that referral from Texas. So hopefully something will come of that.

This has been a REALLY long transfer. With no investigators that are progressing.... But, I love the ward and I love the Clifford's so it wasn't too bad

Well since nothing happened this week I will share with you my insights from studying. Every week I study a Christ like attribute from chpt 6 of PMG (preach my gospel). This week is charity and love. So this morning I was going through the scriptures and I came across 1 Cor. 13:13 and it says "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
I thought that was interesting because if you would have asked me, I would have said "faith, duh!?" but then as I thought about it, charity is the most important because, as we grown in charity we feel the love that Christ has, not only for ourselves, but for EVERYONE. As we develop that perfect love of Christ then we know what Christ feels for each one of us and we know that Christ would never let one of us fail (as we know hope is the abiding trust that we will gain eternal life through Jesus Christ) so our hope is strengthened, and obviously our faith in Jesus Christ is also strengthened. Then also I noticed there was a picture of Christ in Gethsemane next to the "Charity and Love" section and it hit me (duh, everyone else already knows this but I just got it) that the atonement really was the greatest act of Charity that anyone could ever do, because it was done with perfect love from Christ. He didn't do it for the glory or the gratitude that we would give to Him, He did it because he honestly and TRUELY loves us!

So anyways what we learn from this is that I am not even CLOSE to having the perfect love of Christ, and how important Charity really is.

Anyways that's all I got for today! Love you all and hope all is well. xoxo

Sister Marchant

Monday, July 6, 2009

7-6-09

Dearest friends and family,

HELLO THERE!

This week we had interviews and president gave me the idea to study baptism. I am still working on it because it's a long study, but it's amazing. Every scripture so far has talked about the extreme importance of baptism. I have always known that it was important and an essential ordinance but I didn't realized that it's more than just an action we need to go through. Although, all ordinances are more than just an action. But I am still continuing my study and will hopefully learn more.

Tuesday we were exploring this road that we have never been down looking for houses to tract. As we were driving I saw this house that didn't have a gate! I was pretty excited but decided that it wasn't worth tracting the whole street for one house. So we left and went on our way. Well, we drove past it again and I knew we had to stop there, but my lack of faith stopped me. I was thinking no, that's just my brain making that up. So we continued on our way again. Well, then we drove past it on our way back home for lunch and I knew I couldn't just let it go. So I asked Sister Weatherston if we could tract this street really quickly. So we walked up to this house and knocked on the door and the lady came out and she said "sorry it's a bad time" and kind of walked inside, but I just stood there because I wanted to share my message!! so she saw that we were still standing there and came out and said it again "sorry, but it's a bad time" then I am not exactly sure how but she said something about us being Jehovah's witnesses and I said actually no we aren't, we are LDS and our views are completely different than the JWs. and that started a conversation! We ended up talking to her for 45 min about the plan of salvation and answered some questions she had! It was so awesome. We didn't get a return appointment but we left our phone number and the Plan of salvation pamphlet! So we are praying that she will check out mormon.org and then call us!

Our 4th of July was pretty lame. We did service all day. And we didn't' have a dinner appointment so the Clifford's fed us and invited their brother (who works in the mission office) and his wife, and colleen (our recent convert), and Helen (a single lady they used to home teach) guess what we played!? Rummikub I totally thought of you mom because that is your favorite game :-) but we didn't' see any fireworks at all! I saw one when we were driving home from service but other than that... NOTHING! I guess fireworks are a bigger deal in Michigan because they do them for days on end over each lake! Oh well, next year :-)

A couple weeks ago we got a referral from this lady in Texas because her friends were moving here. She told us to wait to stop by until they are more settled in and in town for permanent. So we stopped by last night and she was so excited! She said she can't wait to talk to us but she has visitors in town and so we don't have an appointment until next week but she is excited! So we are going to baptize all 4 of them :-)

Well that's life in the fast lane... if tracting all day is the fast lane. Glad to hear all is well! I love you all and you are in my prayers xoxo

Sister Lizzie Marchant

Friday, July 3, 2009

6/29/09

Thanks everyone for the bday wishes :-) It turned out to be a wonderful day, and getting flowers was super awesome! It made the day that much better! As you know when it comes to surprises I have a hard time waiting, so I opened all my presents except for one before my bday. Mom... I ABSOLUTELY love!!!!!!!! the stamps! They are sooo awesome I have been playing with them all week, and making awesome stationary... perfect gift! The clothes... Mom I thought I told you I have been getting fat... why all the extra smalls? lol Everything fit except the green jacket which makes me really sad because that was my favorite! It is sooooooooooooo cute! BUT we don't have a Nordstrom rack here, sooo I will have to send it home sorry :-( Everything else was super cute and fits pretty well... a little tight but I know how to fix that, lose weight! haha Well Bryant got baptized on Saturday! It was so awesome. His mom and dad both came and LOVED it! (His mom, Lisa, isn't a member and his dad probably hasn't come in a LONG time). We have taught his mom before but she kind of stopped taking the lessons when we started teaching her son. But anyways the parents were both touched by the spirit at the baptism and they said they would be there the Sunday for the confirmation...but they didn't end up coming. It was really disappointing but hopefully we can go over there and snag them! We had a fast for Brad Wilson to help him quit chewing and then they found out that his dad has cancer! Ugh why can't he catch a break! It’s so hard to see people struggle like this! I wish I could just lock him in a room with nothing in it except the scriptures for a few weeks and he could come out clean of his addiction! haha if only life were that easy :-)So Bro Manning came up with this idea that we were going to wear buttons to church that said "ask me how?" and then we were going to start this program of teaching about service and have everyone doing service for their neighbors and it's the idea that "we aren't asking for any names... just for you to serve" then we would go behind and tract and see if people were more responsive to us coming by. Soooo... yesterday we wore these HUGE buttons (about 3'' in diameter) and we didn't get one appointment out of it! Haha people would say "uhhh I don't really want to know" haha they knew it had something to do with missionary work! SAD... silly people! But anyways...Well that was pretty much all that happened this week! Got to love the exciting missionary life :-) love you all xoxoSister Lizzie Marchant