August 26, 2013

Woop woop! Yo girl started her 4th month of being a sister missionary! Its going by so fast. its crazy! I've had so many amazing experiences on my mission and I can't wait to see how many more I'm going to have!

So this week was on the slow side. Sis Harper and I did lots of service and it was so much fun! We painted a sign for a neighborhood in our area, and we hope we planted a seed :) It was a friend of a member we did it for (awful grammar, I know).  She was really nice and we hope that maybe one day she'll talk to missionaries :) The sign took two days to paint. We thought it would only take a few hours, but it took a lot longer than that. But it was lots of fun, so I can't complain. :) Eddie and Andrew (Amanda's son) came and helped us start painting on Thursday. Eddie was such a big help. He challenged Sis Harper and I to talk to 2 nonmembers about the gospel because he had already talked to 3. He's such a great missionary! While we were painting, people would walk by and Eddie would yell to them and tell them that he just got baptized into the Mormon church and asked them if they would like to take the lessons from us! Everyone walked away from him, but he didn't care. :) 

We also had a lesson with Amanda, Eddie, and Andrew Saturday night. Andrew is not a member and it was so great to have them there. The family went on the ward camp out and it really strengthened their family relationship. Andrew gives them a hard time, but he's really opened up and been a lot better. Sis. Harper and I brought them dinner and taught them about Patriarchal Blessings. Eddie and Andrew said they would bear their testimony on Sunday in Testimony meeting, so we can't wait! :)

We had a lesson with a Less-Active from Korea! I asked Tyler to type an experience in Korean about coming to church and have her translate it for me. It worked beautifully. :) She really opened up about everything and is hoping to come to come to church once her son moves back in with them. We challenged her to come to church on Sunday. and she wasn't there. :( but we go back on Thursday and she's making us a Korean lunch. haha.

On Wednesday we helped out with a mutual activity and taught Janine, our on-date. They are struggling financially and while I was on exchanges they taught her about tithing. They committed her to praying about it. On Wednesday when we taught her, she had received a job offer and was basically asked to work all week! She's been looking for a job for a long time.  All she needed was a little faith to pay tithing. :) 

I love my area and I've been so blessed here. I love the gospel and all the lives it changes. Work hard to be an example of your faith and help others to feel of God's love for them.

I miss and love all of you.

Love,

Sister Gardanier

                               This is the newly painted sign.

                    I found this picture on her companions blog.... totally funny!!

                                    These two sister missionaries are having way too much fun!                       

August 19, 2013

Trial week #2!!

This week was just as crazy and trying as last. But I know there's hope! :)

We had another mini missionary with us last week! I just adored her. Her name is Sis. Martin and she was amazing. She helped us out a ton with some of our recent converts. They even adored her more than I did. She lives in Cheney, Washington and is planning on serving a mission after the week she had with us! :)

Our recent converts are awesome and we just love them so much. This week they hit their breaking point with their trials. I went on exchanges during the week and I guess while I was gone a TON of stuff happened and I needed to go fix it. So as soon as I got home we went to their home and I had the wife talk everything out. Her new husband had left and she told him not to come back. But I knew she didn't mean it. Sister Harper and I left the home and went to go buy her some dinner and on our way WE SAW THE HUSBAND so we pulled over. He was not happy. I got to talk to him a little bit and told him to go back to the home and apologize and we'd be back with dinner. In the end, everything worked out. Just not an ideal situation. Sis. Gardanier to the rescue :)

As I said before, I went on exchanges this week and I went up to Foothills. It was lots of fun. :) Going on exchanges always makes me so happy to come home to my own area and my companion. Exchanges are amazing and you see lots of blessings. And they definitely make you appreciate the little things :)

Its been a short week since I was just emailing on Wednesday! But I hope you all are well. I miss you all so much and I can't wait to hear from you. Your letters bring me joy and I absolutely love them. :)

Be good to the missionaries and let them do some service. They like it. :)

love,

sis gardanier

                          The sisters and their mini missionary they had last week.

August 14, 2013

Jordan's P-day was moved to Wednesday this week instead of the usual Monday.  Her district was attending the Spokane Temple on Wednesday.  Her letter this week is short, but sweet...

Hello, friends. 

So this week and a half has been crazyyy and it's been EASILY the hardest week of my mission. Too many adult trials for a 19 year old to deal with. But I have high hopes for this week! Last week we had a mini missionary! Her name was Sis. Lat and she was so much fun! A mini missionary is a Laurel/Priest aged youth who comes out and lives with the missionaries for a week! She does everything we do. Its a good experience for them! They defninitely work hard. This week we got a new one! Her name is Sis. Martin and she's so cute. On Monday (her next P-day) I'll talk more about her. We just got her yesterday. But we like her lots!

This week we have been working with some recent converts who are stuggling with some personal issues. Life has been very difficult for them, and Sis. Harper and I didn't know what to do. We've been over there a lot and we know they're having a really difficult time. Things have been really tense for this young family.  It's been really weighing on me and Sis. Harper . Missionary work is really hard work. We also got dropped several times last week and almost all of our appointments fell through. We were so done with the week. I'm really glad to be able to start fresh. :) This week so far we've been doing lots of service for members in the ward. Yesterday we had a training for 7 hours and then we went to help our struggling converts. They currently live in a teeny home so Sis. Harper and I went over there after the training to help them make things more comfortable. I hope it helped them feel less cramped. They are really amazing people. I love them so much. :) I love you all! I hope you had a good week! I can't wait to hear how everyone is doing. 

Be good to the missionaries and feed them lots. :) 

 love, sis gardanier

                                         The sister's and their "mini missionary"

August 5, 2013 - Liberty Lake, Washington

Hello friends,

So I am currently in Liberty Lake, Washington. It is literally across the border from Post Falls. If I hiked to the top of Mica Peak, I could see Post Falls. I am over two wards again! I cover Mica Peak and Saltese. We have a car and we don't have to share it... Yet. The elders in my district hit a deer this weekend so they're out of a car. The area I'm in is much different than Post Falls. Its a hard adjustment. My companion is Sis. Harper and she's so great. I adore her. She's been out for 6 weeks so I'm just finishing her training. She's so sweet and she knows how to do her job. She's basically training me! Its hard to be in a new area and training someone who already knows what to do. So I just tag along. But it's lots of fun :)

So I came into the area on a crazy week! I came in to a baptism and a wedding! Amanda and Eddie got married on Wednesday and baptized on Saturday. They come from a really rough past and they have changed so much. I love seeing how the gospel can change people's lives so much. The wedding was beautiful and the baptism was probably the most spiritual one I've had on my mission. Sis. Harper and I got to watch Eddie while Amanda was getting baptized. He was tearing up the whole time. After the baptism, Eddie got up and bore his testimony. It was amazing. I'm so proud of them. I hardly know them, but I love them already! 

We have 2 other on-dates and I got to teach them both this week. They're lovely. :)

I love you all so much and I miss you lots. I can't wait to hear from you. 

all my love,

sis gardanier

                                      Jordan and her new companion, Sis. Harper.