Kenny's First Flight

Hello everyone! 

How has everyone's first week of summer been?!?! We've had a very interesting week, but I think every week of missionary work is interesting haha. I had multiple awkward moments this week that made Sister Robertson and I laugh for hours for example I got peed on by a dog this week, mistook a 30-year-old for an 18-year-old (at least it wasn't the other way around), and had a staring contest with this lady in her car as we stood in her driveway. ahhhh I love missionary work.

  

So this week was full of finding activities aka tracting, tracting, and more tracting. It's a very long and tiring and frustrating process but we think the Lord will soon bless us for our efforts. So during this hard week, we would take 15-minute happy breaks so we could keep our sanity.

This is where the title comes in. So a little fun fact when missionaries leave areas (especially when they are going home) they leave a ton of crap for other missionaries to deal with. When Sister Black left 2 months ago, I found my new best friend Kenny the Kite. Kenny is a rainbow-colored, twenty-foot-long, magical, taped together kite... and boy-oh-boy does he make me happy. I've brought this kite with me to every single p-day for the last 2 months and it has never made it above 3 feet and most missionaries at this point would have lost all faith in him... until this week! 

Kenny had his first real flight this week and it seriously made me so happy! But with all the silliness of kite flying, it actually made me think of a lesson that could be applied to all of this; In order to succeed, we have to align our will with God's will. These past's months as we have been flying this kite it was so odd because the wind was there (God's will) and we wanted our kite to fly (our will) but we were fighting against the wind this whole time. We tried to direct where the kite would go instead of letting the wind take it where it needed to go. I think a lot of times in our lives (maybe more subconsciously than not) we think we know best, and when we are prompted to do something or go somewhere different we panic and pull back saying that it doesn't make any sense. We must understand and remember we are living on the ground, so to speak, while God is up above and can see everything. He knows where we need to go. He knows what we need to do. He knows what he wants us to be. We know nothing. I have learned that poignantly this week. Let him guide you. Let him direct you. Let him shape you. I promise that as you do this your life will be easier and happier.

I know that God knows each of us and I know that he loves us more then we can imagine.

Hope you all have a great week,

Sister Aase 

Trial Experiences

Hello! 

I first would love to say a big Happy Father’s Day to all the great dads out there. I hope you all had great days and had a lot of people tell you how important you are. You truly make a difference in the life of all your kids and grand-kids and people all around you. 

So this week we had a Zone Conference. Zone Conferences always bring feelings of inadequacy, but also feelings of hope and of the Spirit and that's what I personally like to focus on. This Zone Conference, in particular, was super cool. We learned all about how to gain more member trust. The coolest part was this little ten-minute visit role-play activity that we did. Sister Robertson and I got to meet the Adams family (*snap snap) and they are the coolest people. (Totally real people by the way). Their daughter (who wasn't able to come to the activity) has a desire to go on a mission but she is hesitant because of her anxiety and depression. Sister Robertson and I were then both able to tell our stories to Sister Adams and she said that we were an answer to her prayers. She is setting up a time with us sometime this week where they will take us out to lunch and we can meet her daughter in person and talk to her. It's pretty cool. 

The cool thing about this too is that this type of stuff happens all the time here. We are constantly getting to use our own what I like to call "trial experiences" to relate to others. It just makes me so grateful for all the hard times I have been through and reminds me that God truly lets us go through those experience for a reason. They are hard but they are for our growth AND so we can help others.

Be grateful for your trial experiences. Let others help you with your trials. Give help to others. I promise as you do these things life becomes a lot more enjoyable and bearable. 

Love, 

Sister Aase 

Welcome to the Jungle

Hello! 

So today I was told by my dear friends Elder Bruce and Elder Bensing that my emails are not funny enough *insert face palm. So today I bring to you a joke provided by your very own Elder Bensing.  "Why can't the T-Rex play the trumpet?".... "Because he's dead!!!!!" ....... ha....ha...ha. Maybe Elder Bruce will come up with a better one but until then let me tell you about my week. 

So today marks my 8-month mark of being a missionary. That's so crazy to me. I seriously still tell people that I just came out. Sister Robertson says I can't say that anymore. It kinda breaks my heart haha. Being a missionary is the best though and there is nowhere I would rather be. 

Let's get to this title shall we haha. So this week we got a call from a less active member who has a son that we have been trying to work with. She has really bad arthritis and so she asked if we could come over and help her with her "garden". We happily said we could come over and we scheduled 2 full hours to help her out.... 2 hours was not enough. The garden we found out had not been worked on all year and last year they had these tomato plants but they never picked them so all these tomatoes just fell to the ground and created more tomato plants. The little garden that she had contained weeds that went up to our chest and no barren soil at all. Everything was either a weed or a plant and it was our job to find out which was which. Yikes, it was hard work. We ended up going the next day as well with our favorite Elders in the district and finishing it, but man alive it was tough. 

The very next day I went on exchanges with Sister Wilcox. The very first house we went to this lady with beaming eyes said "Would you like to see my garden?". My initial thought was to run because after those two days I never wanted to see another garden in my life but alas we went... and I was blown away. She had row upon row of plants that were neatly organized and tucked into place. She had the most beautiful flowers I had ever seen. She had a watering system that just floored me and my faith in gardens was restored.

I asked her "how long does a garden like this take you to maintain? It seems like you would have to spend hours a day!" She responded that she spends 15 minutes daily and never misses a day. She said that she loved her garden and would never want anything to happen to it. 

Thinking about these two gardens this week, my mind was filled with all the ways it can relate to us and our testimonies. A lot of us have a desire to have a testimony, but just like a garden, a testimony takes work. We cannot forget about our testimonies for a year and expect them to be okay. We must work on them daily. The appreciation for our testimonies will grow as we work on them. Instead of it being something that we feel like we have an obligation to take care of, it will soon become something we want to take care of. Something that we want to show to people. Something that gives people hope in building up their own testimony. Something that is beautiful. Testimonies take work but the result is always amazing. 

I love you all and hope you have great weeks ahead. And as I promised here is a great meme given to you by Elder Bruce. 

Making my Ancestors Proud

Hello! How was everyone's Memorial Day weekend? Has everyone hit the pool yet? If you haven't ...welp same haha, but I'm okay I have only cried myself to sleep about it a few times hehe.

So before you have to read this whole email, I will tell you about transfers DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUHHHNN NOTHING'S CHANGING! Sister Robertson and I are staying here in Meridian and our other missionary roommates are staying too! I'm excited to get another 6 weeks with all of them and our investigators are really excited that we get to stay too. 

I have a few things that I need to fill you up on because all of these events have been happening for a while but this week it all just came full flippin circle. So ever since we got our phones, there are a bunch of language apps that you are allowed to get (obviously not for the English missionaries but I digress). So when we are winding down for the night, one of the things that my past companions and I have been doing is learning languages on Duel-lingo. So 3 months ago I started learning Danish because why not (I mean if I ever want to go there with Farmor and Farfar (my Scandinavian grandparents), I’d better start learning it now). Anyway, I’m not that good but I can say a few things and understand some stuff so progress, right? Like for example did you know that Kvinderne laeser os menuen. 

Okay, so next story. A few weeks ago, I found out that Sister Ray knows how to play hand and foot. So we went to a dollar store, bought a bunch of cards and have been playing hand and foot like every night (after doing duel-lingo of course). I have been beating the snot out of her. Like seriously the last game we played I doubled her score. Yet she still wants to play me and is still convinced she is going to win every time #whatashame. 

Last story. So we went to this “get to know you” activity for Relief Society and we had to tell people three interesting things about ourselves and one of my things was that I like cheese... cause why not? I didn't really think anything of it until this week. We were invited over for a game night and the mom brings out a platter of cheese and I'm not talking just the boring stuff. She brought out Brie and Gouda and Georgian and all other sorts. The best part (and also a tragic part) her family doesn't even like cheese so I got to take it all home!!!!!! It was the best day ever. 

So yes, this week as I was eating my cheese while playing hand and foot and practicing my Danish that I thought to myself "man this would make my farmor and farfar so proud.

I love you all and think about you often. The church is true and will make you very happy. 

Sister Aase 

I Love Sundays

Hello!

Wow these p-days just seem to come so fast. I feel like I was writing home just like 3 days ago! Crazy;). How has everyone been? For those of you still in school are you excited school is almost done?!?! #highschoolmusical2time 

So I didn't get to tell you a lot in my last email because we were in a rush but this last week was pretty exciting. We got a brand new investigator! Her name is Susan Buney. She is in her 70s and a very talkative lady. Sometimes that is really good... sometimes it is really bad. But we love her and feel like she will progress quickly.

The temple was amazing on Friday (no shock there haha). Sister Robertson and I actually cover the area that the temple is in so this past week we have been doing our personal study at the temple. It has been so great. For those of you that cannot go inside the temple, I encourage you to visit the ground of the temple often. There is such a sweet spirit of peace there and in a world like this, peace is the first thing we need. 

Yesterday I also had an amazing experience during sacrament meeting. Our schedule on Sundays is a little crazy because we cover 3 wards and a lot of their meetings overlap. By the time we got to our last ward's sacrament meeting my stress level was through the roof. I could feel pressure in my chest and my weekly Sunday headache was at its prime and on top of all of this, Sister Robertson and I were very late because one of our meetings ran long. We walked in and surprisingly found the pews a lot more filled than normal, so we had to go all the way to the front. I sat down and all of the sudden a huge blanket of peace just rolled over me. I was comfortable. I was calm. I was home. 

I just want to bear my testimony of the power of Church and especially sacrament meeting. There is a peace there and the very longing and questions of our hearts never fail to be answered in those meetings. Go every week. Don't take it for granted. Love your time there. I promise as you prepare yourself spiritually each week before you walk through those doors on Sunday, you will feel the same peace that I felt so strongly yesterday.

I love you all and am grateful for you all and hope you have amazing weeks.

Sister Aase 

Picture: This is Elder Bruce and Elder Wahrer. I don't think I've ever talked about them before but they are the coolest Elders, and Sister Robertson and I work with them a lot. We probably talk to them every single day. They are two of our closest friends:) 

The Gospel is Like a Plate of Cookies

Hello Friends and Family!

So before I start this email, I want to wish a very happy birthday to my mom, my sister Kate & Maddie, my FarMor (Grandma Aase), my Uncle Jan, my Aunt Laci & cousin Shelby. So many birthdays... and even more to come! Also Happy Mother's Day to all the moms, grandmas, and future moms. I hope you all had an amazing day and got all the "thank you’s" you deserve:) I love you mom!

Okay now that that is out of the way haha, I will tell you a little bit about my week. I have to apologize first because Sister Robertson and I were slow to get out of the house this morning so we don't have too much time before we have to head off to the temple. (We are so excited to go to the temple today. We love it so much.) 

So I will just tell you about 1 fun thing that happened this past week and a half. 

First, we got to meet Bekka's kids. We had so much fun with them! We came on Saturday and told them that we were going to make cookies with them so that we could then give them to the neighbors. They loved it...especially eating the cookie dough haha. So when it was time to give them to their neighbors, they wanted to choose the right ones and so we walked up and down the street until they felt right about a house and then we would go and knock on it and give it to them. It was so cute because they were so nervous it reminded me of my first (and let’s be honest every time) tracting. We try to follow the Spirit and knock on the doors that feel right so we can give them something that we know will make them happy. It was such a fun day.

Later this week we have this event called “Pie in the Park”. We have been working on this for about two months now so please pray for us that it will go well and a lot of people will come. 

I love you all a lot and I know this Gospel (just like a plate of cookies ;p) can bring you much happiness if you just let it.

Love you all very much,

Sister Aase 

Our Miracle Girl

Hey Friends and Family!

How is everyone doing? I hope you are doing well. Have you gotten presents for your mothers yet... you should because Mother's Day is soon... and moms are awesome:)

This week was great! We had a nerf war last P-day with just our district which was a lot of fun! I got shot in the face multiple times and I shot others in the face multiple times. It was fantastic. We found out shortly after this that nerf wars are now band from the whole mission... this surely was not because of our nerf war...surely...if it was though... we are sorry????

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Also this week our favorite Elders let us borrow there ukulele for a week and that made us very happy haha. We didn't listen to music all week long but instead, I just serenaded Sister Robertson in the car with original songs such as "The Idaho Nampa Mission, Where Mok is Always Fishin'" and my favorite "Go away Satan". Our mix-tape will be coming out shortly. 

So if any of you know me well...or really at all... you know that I have a huge fear of birds. So this week on Tuesday we knocked on this super sketch door and were waiting to see if anyone was home. So while we were standing there I started to tell Sister Robertson a story (because sometimes I just do that so we don't stand in silence for a minute hoping that someone will answer the door) and apparently during my story, Sister Robertson heard something on the roof so she turns and looks at the roof which makes me turn and look at the roof when all of a sudden this bird flies out of the rafters right over my flipping head!!!!!!!! So I of course scream and run to the car because at this point I do not even care if someone is in the home. I literally saw my life flash before my eyes but luckily the Lord protects His missionaries so no need to fear for me.

Friday we had Zone conference. I love zone conference. I get to see my very favorite people like President Sorenson, and Sister Tuft, Sister Bentley and Elder Bruce and Elder Wahere and PRESIDENT SORENSON! It's great. Also, my second favorite mom (Sister Soelberg) got to teach a training. I was so proud of her. She is an STL (Sister Training Leader) now. She hates speaking in public but she did so well. She is amazing. 

Saturday. What a busy day. We went to two baptisms that day! It was crazy. The first one was down in Nampa. I don't remember if I have told you about Peyton but she is this amazing amazing little girl. Sister Bubert and I taught her. So I got to see Bubert on Saturday which was fantastic. She is doing well. Anyway, Peyton's dad is not a member of the Church, and so for each of his kids who want to get baptized, they have to pass this "test" of his. So before the test, we taught her all the lessons. She loves the Gospel so much and it was so fun to teach her. it was a great baptism and Bubert and I cried the whole time. I also was in Nampa so I got to see my favorite Sister Gibbens. "Oh, how I love that woman". 

The second baptism was for a girl named Becca but of course, we just call her “Miracle Girl”. We love her so so so much. She is 35 and her boyfriend Nick is a member and brought her to the church. So let me tell you her story. 32 days ago we had a meeting with Elder Natress of the Quorum of the Seventy. It was so amazing. While we were there, he made us set a goal of how many people we could bring to the waters of baptism in 30 days, 60 days and 90 days. We have a very slow area and at the time had no investigators at all so we put down on this sheet of paper that in 30 days we were going to find a "miracle girl" and baptize her in 30 days. Later that week Nick called us and told us about Becca. We were so excited, but what made us more excited was when we actually met her and realized how prepared she was. She flew through all the lessons and then told us that she wanted to get baptized May 5th. This was exactly 30 days from when we set our goal. How amazing is that? She is truly a miracle and we love her so much. The Lord prepares His sheep. He loves them and He loves us and blesses our efforts. 

I hope you are all doing well. I love you lots and know that this Gospel is true. 

With love,

Sister Aase