Friday, February 15, 2019
Monday, February 11, 2019
Week 81 - Just One More Step
Kaselehlie Maing Ko!
Well, it's my last time emailing home as a missionary. I hope you're all really excited to see me in a few days, because I'm so excited to see all of you! My mission has been so long, short, hard, fun, terrible, and awesome. I'm definitely returning as a very very different person, but a lot of me is still the same. It'll be so neat to see, hear, feel and think about so many things that I remember, but have forgotten. A whole new culture has become a part of who I am, that many things from who I was have been long buried and untouched for a while. I'm excited to watch you all bring it all back out of me :)
If you've been reading my emails from being a missionary in the Micronesia Guam Mission, maybe you've noticed that life out here hasn't exactly been sunshine and daisies for the past year and a half. I've gone through some pretty difficult times and there have been many things I really haven't enjoyed. But I learned that the gospel gives us joy. People don't give us joy, missions don't give us joy, food doesn't give us joy, work doesn't even give us joy. But the gospel, the idea that our older brother Jesus Christ, paid the price for all our weaknesses and faults and mistakes, and that through him, we are reconciled from our wrong doings to something greater, is what gives us really good joy. Sometimes we access that gospel through people, missions, food (maybe?), and work. And THAT (the gospel) is the very thing that makes those things joyful :)
So, no. My mission wasn't very fun most of the time. It was actually really really hard and I didn't 'enjoy' as much as I would have liked to. Sometimes it really just wasn't fun. BUT, I did find GREAT joy in seeing the Saviors gentle hand in my life. I came to know Him better through the things I experienced and I really learned what it feels like to be healed by Him. What a great reason to serve a mission!! I did it!! I really really did it! And you know what, missions are so different for every person. So just because my mission wasn't fun, doesn't mean yours will be terrible. Just because I learned "x" on my mission, doesn't mean you will too.
But hey, I actually did have some really fun times as a missionary and I got to experience some pretty great things. I lived on an island for 18 months!!! I know a foreign language or two! And I know more about who Jesus Christ is! What a great thing!
Thank you all for you're love and support as I've been serving the Lord. I hope to see you soon!!! I'm 'dying' in the mission. (To 'Die' Is to go home) But hopefully I go out like Alma 62:37.
Love you!! See you soon!
Sister Felt
That was a little longer than I thought it was gonna be. Well, last the best of all I guess!
Well, it's my last time emailing home as a missionary. I hope you're all really excited to see me in a few days, because I'm so excited to see all of you! My mission has been so long, short, hard, fun, terrible, and awesome. I'm definitely returning as a very very different person, but a lot of me is still the same. It'll be so neat to see, hear, feel and think about so many things that I remember, but have forgotten. A whole new culture has become a part of who I am, that many things from who I was have been long buried and untouched for a while. I'm excited to watch you all bring it all back out of me :)
If you've been reading my emails from being a missionary in the Micronesia Guam Mission, maybe you've noticed that life out here hasn't exactly been sunshine and daisies for the past year and a half. I've gone through some pretty difficult times and there have been many things I really haven't enjoyed. But I learned that the gospel gives us joy. People don't give us joy, missions don't give us joy, food doesn't give us joy, work doesn't even give us joy. But the gospel, the idea that our older brother Jesus Christ, paid the price for all our weaknesses and faults and mistakes, and that through him, we are reconciled from our wrong doings to something greater, is what gives us really good joy. Sometimes we access that gospel through people, missions, food (maybe?), and work. And THAT (the gospel) is the very thing that makes those things joyful :)
So, no. My mission wasn't very fun most of the time. It was actually really really hard and I didn't 'enjoy' as much as I would have liked to. Sometimes it really just wasn't fun. BUT, I did find GREAT joy in seeing the Saviors gentle hand in my life. I came to know Him better through the things I experienced and I really learned what it feels like to be healed by Him. What a great reason to serve a mission!! I did it!! I really really did it! And you know what, missions are so different for every person. So just because my mission wasn't fun, doesn't mean yours will be terrible. Just because I learned "x" on my mission, doesn't mean you will too.
But hey, I actually did have some really fun times as a missionary and I got to experience some pretty great things. I lived on an island for 18 months!!! I know a foreign language or two! And I know more about who Jesus Christ is! What a great thing!
Thank you all for you're love and support as I've been serving the Lord. I hope to see you soon!!! I'm 'dying' in the mission. (To 'Die' Is to go home) But hopefully I go out like Alma 62:37.
Love you!! See you soon!
Sister Felt
That was a little longer than I thought it was gonna be. Well, last the best of all I guess!
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| Saipan Sisters |
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| Personal study at the beach on Saipan |
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| Painting rocks with a little girl who got baptized the next day |
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| Just a fun selfie in the palace of Sister Bagacina and Sister Hyatt |
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| Saipan Zone |
Monday, February 4, 2019
Week 80 - Deaf & Mute on Saipan
Eeeeeevvvvery week is a new stinkin' adventure in Micronesia. Hoooolly goodness.
After we emailed from Kosrae on Monday last week, I began to feel a little feverish. It escalated pretty rapidly and I was dead weight for the rest of the proselyting evening. Luckily though we just had a ward party that started late and ended late, so I just found a place to camp out at the chapel and slugged it out there for the rest of the night.
The plane ride back to Guam on Tuesday froze me right cold, and that left me without hearing in one ear and I lost my voice. BUT I did share a cool book I found with the man seated next to me. The book was about the religious history of the native Americans and they even managed to record some of Christs literal words in the book. Pretty neat. :) The spirit testifies of truth and this man felt it as I shared the Book of Mormon with him.
We had MLC on Thursday and Guam Zone Conference on Saturday. Maybe you cant necessarily teach an old dog new tricks, but old timers need to be reminded of the basics just as much as new ones do. Of course there was lots of new things I learned, but it's neat to hear the things I heard at the beginning of my mission, but now with a deeper understanding of it all. And now I understand more of why my mission president shares it all with us.
So ya, that was my day and my week and my life story. Had a good flight to Saipan this morning. Today was the first day I've been able to talk in a while. I went to the doctor on Friday and got antibiotics and all sorts of other good drugs for my ear infection/sinus infection/laryngitis. I also got a priesthood blessing from President Poston on Thursday and they let me pick when I wanted to fly to Saipan. I had the faith I'd be better by today, and I am! I'll fly back to Guam next Monday morning and email you from there. Love you all! I'm proud to represent God's church.
Love,
Sister Felt
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| A car on Palau. Haha! |
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| Scary Chuukese lady if I ever saw one. This is what I walked into in the Sisters apartment on Saipan. :) I love Sister Petrus!! |
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| Here's birthday breakfast on the beach last Monday on Kosrae for Sister Bundy. Fun stuff! |
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| All the missionaries on Kosrae!! This is in the airport before we went to Guam for MLC. |
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| Church with the Philipinas on Guam. :) Dededo Ward! (btw this is where the Yigo temple will be) |
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| A glimpse of the mission home. :) |
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| Guam Missionaries at MLC. I guess I'm a Guam missionary now? :) |
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| Me and my old new missionary, Sister Schow, both at MLC!! |
Pics from MLC - January 2019
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| Guam Zone - Zone Conference January 2019 |
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| This is how I bore my departing testimony in the Guam zone conference. :) I had all the sisters each read a scripture for me because I couldn't speak. |
Love,
Sister Felt
Monday, January 28, 2019
Week 79 - KOSRAE!!
Okay, Pohnpei was great. I miss it with all my heart. But.......
Kosrae is one of the best islands I've seen! Holy cow I think I could live here and be perfectly content! Maybe just not for too much longer though because I have a meeting to get to on Guam this week. ;) I'll leave tomorrow. But the island!!
Oh wow it's so gorgeous, everywhere you drive, there's houses on one side, and then, the ocean on the other side. White sand beaches and gorgeous towering waves! Most people here have little gardens and they're so cute! There's not much as far as town and stores go, but there's enough to get by.
Currenly there is one companionship of sisters (Sister Stapley and Sister Tuihaa) and one companionship of elders, and one senior couple (the Bundy's). The Bundy's are AMAZING. Elder Bundy is a cowboy through and through. And they know Wellsville!!! We've had some amazingly fun conversations together. :)
I think the best part though has been the work. Sister Stapley is a MASTER in Kosraean, and most Kosraeans are a little shy about speaking English. So everything is done in a language I do not know. It's been great though! Because I don't know what's going on while we're teaching, I can just feel the lesson. I can feel what the other people need. and by the power of the Holy Ghost, I teach. The words just seem to flow out of my mouth, as I explain something that I know is true and that I believe will bless their lives. It has stunned myself and the sisters. And the people we're teaching are being changed by it too! God only works through his most humble good hearted servants, and he fulfills his promises that 'you shall not be confounded before men'.
Any missionary can teach like this! Even though I have now had 18 months of experience and gospel study, all missionaries know something the people they're teaching don't. All of us know that the gospel has been restored. All of us know the Book of Mormon is true. All of us know where we came from and why we're here on earth. We may not know why, or we may not understand everything. But we can always testify and share what we do know. And what little we know really does lead and guide those we teach to the truth! Because they don't know what we know :)
I love this gospel and I know this church is true!! I'll talk to you next week on Saipan!
Love,
Sister Felt
Kosrae is one of the best islands I've seen! Holy cow I think I could live here and be perfectly content! Maybe just not for too much longer though because I have a meeting to get to on Guam this week. ;) I'll leave tomorrow. But the island!!
Oh wow it's so gorgeous, everywhere you drive, there's houses on one side, and then, the ocean on the other side. White sand beaches and gorgeous towering waves! Most people here have little gardens and they're so cute! There's not much as far as town and stores go, but there's enough to get by.
Currenly there is one companionship of sisters (Sister Stapley and Sister Tuihaa) and one companionship of elders, and one senior couple (the Bundy's). The Bundy's are AMAZING. Elder Bundy is a cowboy through and through. And they know Wellsville!!! We've had some amazingly fun conversations together. :)
I think the best part though has been the work. Sister Stapley is a MASTER in Kosraean, and most Kosraeans are a little shy about speaking English. So everything is done in a language I do not know. It's been great though! Because I don't know what's going on while we're teaching, I can just feel the lesson. I can feel what the other people need. and by the power of the Holy Ghost, I teach. The words just seem to flow out of my mouth, as I explain something that I know is true and that I believe will bless their lives. It has stunned myself and the sisters. And the people we're teaching are being changed by it too! God only works through his most humble good hearted servants, and he fulfills his promises that 'you shall not be confounded before men'.
Any missionary can teach like this! Even though I have now had 18 months of experience and gospel study, all missionaries know something the people they're teaching don't. All of us know that the gospel has been restored. All of us know the Book of Mormon is true. All of us know where we came from and why we're here on earth. We may not know why, or we may not understand everything. But we can always testify and share what we do know. And what little we know really does lead and guide those we teach to the truth! Because they don't know what we know :)
I love this gospel and I know this church is true!! I'll talk to you next week on Saipan!
Love,
Sister Felt
Monday, January 21, 2019
Week 78 - Alii from Palau
Hello hello hello!! What an amazing week! I landed on Guam and hung out there for a day or two (lol 'hung out') while I waited for my laundry to dry, then I hopped on a plane again and headed off to Palau!
I hope you've all had a fantastic week and have been enjoying the home studies. I'm headed to Kosrae on Friday, so I'll see you there ;) Love you!! Have a great week!
Ahi Limpoak Koaros,
Sister Felt
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| Ticket to Palau! |
This island is incredible. So clean, so stunning, so good. And the missionaries truly are the best part. I am with Sister Langi (Tongan heritage, grew up in Cali) Sister Kuar (Fijian) and Sister Nalau (Vanuatu)
Side Note: Are you all learning so much about the pacific islands because of this? I had no idea these islands existed until I met the people from there.
President and Sister Poston also flew to Palau with me for Zone Conference, and as I was heading into security, they caught up to me and invited me to go to a dinner with them. I was like 'ya sure, no big deal' and then we turned into this secret 6 billion star black velvet diner that looked like only James Bond could enter in. Little did I know, President Poston was just as fancy as James Bond, and he could bring a Plus One. So I ate dinner with them AND they let me see the video of my sister CORINNE opening her mission call to DENMARK. WHAT?!
So ya. We got on the plane (with 10 other utahns going to dive) and got to Palau at 9pm. The next day was Zone Conference and preisdent poston had me give an on the spot 10 minute talk on the atonment. I did fine :) It was a great experience. Basically, because of everything I've suffered and felt, I've been able to help and comfort those going through the same thing. Just as Jesus condesended below all things in order to help everyone, at the lowest of their low, get to the highest of highs. I'm not quite there yet, but I'm getting better :) And the mission has definitely helped a lot. The more you suffer, the more you know. Tis the bitter sweet truth.
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| Palauan Sisters |
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| Me and Sister Nalau |
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| Sister Cragun and Sister Tantiangco dropping me off at the airport again. :) Woo! |
So ya. We got on the plane (with 10 other utahns going to dive) and got to Palau at 9pm. The next day was Zone Conference and preisdent poston had me give an on the spot 10 minute talk on the atonment. I did fine :) It was a great experience. Basically, because of everything I've suffered and felt, I've been able to help and comfort those going through the same thing. Just as Jesus condesended below all things in order to help everyone, at the lowest of their low, get to the highest of highs. I'm not quite there yet, but I'm getting better :) And the mission has definitely helped a lot. The more you suffer, the more you know. Tis the bitter sweet truth.
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| A beautiful family I taught on Guam! Sooo nice. Only the mother is a member and she hasn't been to church in a while. Such a good innocent soul. |
I hope you've all had a fantastic week and have been enjoying the home studies. I'm headed to Kosrae on Friday, so I'll see you there ;) Love you!! Have a great week!
Ahi Limpoak Koaros,
Sister Felt
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| Me and a Dog that was so friendly! Palauan Dogs are so much more friendly than Guam or Pohnpeian Dogs. I just opened the door to go to an appointment and then Sister Nalau needed to tell me something, and next thing you know, this little feller came and said hi! In the most polite way. Such good dogs. (I know you all think I'm crazy and disgusting but I enjoyed it very much. He was a good boy. Very good boy.) |
Monday, January 14, 2019
Week 77 - YAP (plus a little more)
This week I'm on the beautiful island of yap and only have 5 minutes to email because the library closes in 30 minutes and 6 other missionaries have to email and there are two computers and the churches wifi hasn't been paid for. wooo
Yap is cool, the sisters have taught me a lot. Definitely a little weirded out by some of the new missionaries from the states because wow they are super american. But it's good to see the island culture that I missed while I was on Guam.
Wednesday I'll be on guam for a few hours then fly out to Palau. I'll join them for Zone Conference :) I hope you all had a good week! Don't get too trunky for me, by the time I'm home you'll wish I was gone again, so enjoy it while it lasts!! I'm trying super hard to just have the holy ghost with me often. But it's a daily battle :)
Love ya!
Sister Felt
PART TWO - SURPRISE!
I'm back on! All the missionaries on Yap didn't get to email last week because Wifi was down too. So a couple hours ago the elders found this old computer repair shop that will let us come and use their wifi and the computers they're fixing for just a dollar. So, here I am :) I'm staying with Sister Cook and Sister Dalton and Sister Komeri. Cali, Colorado, and Kiribati. Fun times :)
It's super good and we really enjoy it. Sister Cook is brand spankin new (8 weeks in the mission) and is still adjusting. Her mom got to meet and shake hands with the prophet and then stand next to him and shake hands with everyone else because of fires that happened in California. I'm super stoked to come back home and just study everything that man does. I want to learn all the languages.
I've had cool experiences doing language study and randomly learning the exact word that someone needed to hear that day. So even though I don't speak the language of the people the sisters i'm with are teaching, I use the gift of tongues and am able to help the people none the less. It's super awesome and the people on Yap are so unique. The sisters are killin it out here :)
This work is so good and also so stinkin hard. It's like, insane. We just go and do. And when we go and do as fast as we can then there's not much time to feel down or unloved :) It's great! But when things slow down, that's when things get confusing. But working on Yap has been so fun and I've learned so much from each of the sisters here. It's amazing. Good week, good memories. I'm sure I'm not telling you enough but hey, this is better than a 5 minute email! plus pictures :) I promise I've been taking a ton of random pictures. So ya :)
btw did you get my christmas letters?
Thanks, that's all :) Bye!
P.S. On Tuesday night/wednesday morning i get on the plane again to go back to guam and then wednesday night I fly to Palau (8 oclock if you wanna stalk me @Mom)
Yap is cool, the sisters have taught me a lot. Definitely a little weirded out by some of the new missionaries from the states because wow they are super american. But it's good to see the island culture that I missed while I was on Guam.
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| Proselyting in the villages with Weloy sisters |
Love ya!
Sister Felt
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| Sister Tantiangco and Sister Cragun (Guam) when they dropped me off at the airport to go to Yap. |
PART TWO - SURPRISE!
I'm back on! All the missionaries on Yap didn't get to email last week because Wifi was down too. So a couple hours ago the elders found this old computer repair shop that will let us come and use their wifi and the computers they're fixing for just a dollar. So, here I am :) I'm staying with Sister Cook and Sister Dalton and Sister Komeri. Cali, Colorado, and Kiribati. Fun times :)
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| Cook, Dalton, and Komeri leaving the library after emailing |
It's super good and we really enjoy it. Sister Cook is brand spankin new (8 weeks in the mission) and is still adjusting. Her mom got to meet and shake hands with the prophet and then stand next to him and shake hands with everyone else because of fires that happened in California. I'm super stoked to come back home and just study everything that man does. I want to learn all the languages.
I've had cool experiences doing language study and randomly learning the exact word that someone needed to hear that day. So even though I don't speak the language of the people the sisters i'm with are teaching, I use the gift of tongues and am able to help the people none the less. It's super awesome and the people on Yap are so unique. The sisters are killin it out here :)
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| Missionaries on Yap |
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| Picking up luggage at Yap airport |
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| Church |
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| Church with Sister Jimmy |
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| Proselyting with Sister Gerwan |
Thanks, that's all :) Bye!
P.S. On Tuesday night/wednesday morning i get on the plane again to go back to guam and then wednesday night I fly to Palau (8 oclock if you wanna stalk me @Mom)
Week 76
So you want the low down on transfers? I'll give it to ya.
I have no companion. My area is the entire mission. I am in charge of scheduling my flights to all the islands. And I have to do it all in 5 weeks.
Boom.
When I got to Guam on Tuesday I went to the Sisters in Dededo Central area who are acting as my chauffeurs and 'home base' between flights to all the islands. Sister Cragun and Sister Tantiangco. That night the Zone Leaders called with a message from President. They said he wanted to let us know that I am not their companion, and Sister Tantiangco is still the senior companion. And I am not an active Sister Training Leader. That was all I knew. Okay....
Fast forward to Wednesday and two senior Elders came to our house to drop off my bed and a note from the mission office. The military relations elder was wearing dark shades and handed me a note with my name written on it in pretty cursive and, as he was leaving, said "this is from the mission office." With curiousity and excitement and the james bond music playing in the back of my head we opened the envelope and I pulled out a slip of paper that read "Sister Felt, President Poston would like to visit with you Friday, Jan 4th at 12pm in the mission office. Call if you have any questions! -Sister Van". What mystery!! What excitement! What could be in store?
Turns out, I'm on "Special Assignment". Two other sisters, (Milne and Memmott) have been 'traveling Sister training leaders' before. But they had their own companions and areas. I'm the first to not have an area. and i think i'm the first to have to figure out my own schedule. president even said if there is time he'd send me to Chuuk for a couple days if he can.
I made my schedule and this week I'll be traveling to Yap to visit the Sisters there. Next week (after p-day) I'll hopefully (if we can get a plane ticket... pray for me!!!!! We're trying to get one right now) head off to Palau with the Postons and visit the Sisters there and join their Zone Conference. After that I'll go to Kosrae, and then Saipan. Pohnpei and Chuuk are still in the air, president will let me know if he would like me to visit those islands. But the rest I'm in charge of making sure I get there. Crazy!! It's been really fun and serving in Guam with the sisters here has been amazing. A great culture shock for sure (lots of philipinos and they like to talk, a lot. oohhh geez it's been rough haha chit chat is hard to get good at again! I forgot how to do it while I was on Pohnpei). I'm focusing on looking for the good in others and being a light to all I know. Wish me luck! I'm trying to change my very nature and it's a painful painful process. But it's also wonderful :)
Love you!!
Sister Felt
I have no companion. My area is the entire mission. I am in charge of scheduling my flights to all the islands. And I have to do it all in 5 weeks.
Boom.
When I got to Guam on Tuesday I went to the Sisters in Dededo Central area who are acting as my chauffeurs and 'home base' between flights to all the islands. Sister Cragun and Sister Tantiangco. That night the Zone Leaders called with a message from President. They said he wanted to let us know that I am not their companion, and Sister Tantiangco is still the senior companion. And I am not an active Sister Training Leader. That was all I knew. Okay....
Fast forward to Wednesday and two senior Elders came to our house to drop off my bed and a note from the mission office. The military relations elder was wearing dark shades and handed me a note with my name written on it in pretty cursive and, as he was leaving, said "this is from the mission office." With curiousity and excitement and the james bond music playing in the back of my head we opened the envelope and I pulled out a slip of paper that read "Sister Felt, President Poston would like to visit with you Friday, Jan 4th at 12pm in the mission office. Call if you have any questions! -Sister Van". What mystery!! What excitement! What could be in store?
Turns out, I'm on "Special Assignment". Two other sisters, (Milne and Memmott) have been 'traveling Sister training leaders' before. But they had their own companions and areas. I'm the first to not have an area. and i think i'm the first to have to figure out my own schedule. president even said if there is time he'd send me to Chuuk for a couple days if he can.
I made my schedule and this week I'll be traveling to Yap to visit the Sisters there. Next week (after p-day) I'll hopefully (if we can get a plane ticket... pray for me!!!!! We're trying to get one right now) head off to Palau with the Postons and visit the Sisters there and join their Zone Conference. After that I'll go to Kosrae, and then Saipan. Pohnpei and Chuuk are still in the air, president will let me know if he would like me to visit those islands. But the rest I'm in charge of making sure I get there. Crazy!! It's been really fun and serving in Guam with the sisters here has been amazing. A great culture shock for sure (lots of philipinos and they like to talk, a lot. oohhh geez it's been rough haha chit chat is hard to get good at again! I forgot how to do it while I was on Pohnpei). I'm focusing on looking for the good in others and being a light to all I know. Wish me luck! I'm trying to change my very nature and it's a painful painful process. But it's also wonderful :)
Love you!!
Sister Felt
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| Me leaving Pohnpei |
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