Snow and Whoa

Hello Friends!

Well, it's been a while huh? So a few things have happened since the last time we talked. First of all, we got smart phones. That's kinda crazy right. We are doing a lot of finding and proselyting with our phones though, so it is so cool. The work is definitely moving along. Also, it snowed this week which no one was expecting. If you will recall Sister Bubert and I have been doing our study sessions outside for weeks now and then all of the sudden BAM we got snow and a lot of it. The funny part is that last Wednesday we were serving some lady by raking her leaves and then the very next day we were serving others by shoveling. Idaho weather -- it's a weird thing, man. 

Also, this will be the last week of the transfer. That is so crazy. It seems like Sister Bubert and I just started being companions. I love her so much and I'm going to pray all week that we don't get separated. This morning was really hard though because my favorite people in the world left for vacation. THE WHITMYERS. They are going to Arizona and are going to be gone while transfers happen so we had to say our goodbyes today. We were all pretty sad but on the other hand, nothing is final yet so we can just pretend that everyone is staying and no one is leaving yet.

Anyway, I want to include some crazy pictures of the week. I love you all and hope that you are not having to deal with all the crazy snow wherever you might be.

Sister Aase

Pictures 

The Whitmyers & I, A picture that explains Sister Bubert and my relationship to a T, the pretty sun setting, raking leafs all the day long, and Brother Whitmyer raking the snow!

   

I'm on Facebook!

** NOTE - Sister Aase's p-day was moved to Friday (not sure why), but hopefully, we will hear from her on Monday to explain why.  Looks like maybe they got to go to the temple.

I'm on Facebook now.  We all got new Smartphones so we could use as teaching tools - show church videos, post on Facebook, find our way to investigators and not get lost haha.

Three things I love in this picture; the Temple, the Book of Mormon and my Nametag.  I love being able to serve the Lord and serve the people here in Idaho... and fun fact, you can be a missionary too right now!  My challenge to all of my friends tonight is to share their testimony on Facebook on either the temple, the Book of Mormon or missionary work.  
I love you all and know you can do it!!
D&C 4:3

Love Sister Aase

The Story of the Dying AntiNephiLehies

Good Morning Friends and Family. How is everyone doing? Did you all enjoy groundhogs day? What about the Olympics? I don't know much about what is going on in the outside world but I do try to pick up on a few things. 

So this week, I will be very honest, was quite hard. So instead of telling you about every single day this week, I'm going to tell you about a scripture story that really helped me get through this week. It's in Alma chapter 24. 

This chapter talks all about these people who call themselves the AntiNephiLehies. Long name huh? I remember learning about them growing up but this week their story really sunk in. They were living in peace for a long time and were very close to the Lord. They loved God with all of their heart and were even visited by angels. Then one day they find out that their city is about to be attacked by their enemies the Lamanites. But they made a promise to the Lord to not fight with their brethren and to not kill with their swords, so they decide that they are going to bury their weapons and peacefully pray while the Lamanites came upon them, trusting that the Lord would protect them.

So the Lamanites came and thousands of AnitNephiLehis died. (Side note when I read this I was shocked because that is not how I remembered the story). Why did the Lord not protect them I thought? Where was He in their time of need? The story continues to tell us that after these brethren died thousands of Lamanites joined the Church because they were amazed by the example of the brethren. Then in the chapters to follow, people continue to come to the Church because of their example. My favorite verse that ties this story altogether for me is; "Thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people".

That is what I learned this week. This week a lot of our very strong investigators that were about to get baptized told us they didn't want to take the lessons anymore. It broke my heart because I have such a love for these people and I know how much joy the Gospel could bring to their life. I felt a little bit like a dying AntiNephiLehite saying "wait a minute I trusted you. now you are supposed to work Your miracles". But just like in this story there are things that the Lord must do to help in the salvation of HIS people. I don't understand it right now, but I have to trust that He knows what He is doing. He loves these people more than I do and He will protect them. I know He will. 

I know that sometimes in life we don't understand what the Lord is doing with our lives and don't know where He has gone. I know that life is hard sometimes, but I also know that He lives. I know that He loves us. I know that He is aware of us. 

I love you all and am so proud of the great things you are doing at home.

Keep up the good work 

Sister Aase 

Dutch Bros - YAY!!

HI! 

It's been a great and busy week so let's get into it. 

Monday: ALWAYS STRESSFUL DAYS haha. I love them. They are necessary. But honestly, you think that your preparation day would be easy and relaxing...far far far from the truth. I'm thinking today is going to go a little better though. Sister Bubert and I planned everything out hour-by-hour so we have time for everything. Let's just hope no one calls us to do anything else haha. 

Tuesday: Sister Bubert works hard! For everyone who has been a missionary before you will understand the craziness of what we did on Tuesday. WE FILLED OUT TWO PROGRESS RECORDS... IN ONE DAY. Craziness. We visited so many families and so many doors opened up to us (literally and figuratively). 

Wednesday: Have I told y'all about Peyton Couch? She is my favorite little girl in Nampa. She is 7 and part of a PMF (part member family). Her dad who is not a member...yet.... wanted to make sure she took the lessons before getting baptized to make sure she knew what she was getting into. I love teaching her lessons. On Wednesday we taught her Law of Chasity, Tithing, and Obeying and Honoring the Laws. We did it all outside with outdoor activities like chalk and picking up leaves and playing red light green light. So fun. 

Thursday: I experienced my very first Dutch Bros Hot Chocolate today. I don't know if Dutch Bros is just an Idaho thing or if it’s in other places, but let me just tell you it is like the hip hoppin’ place to go. It was the first of the month and so we had to wake up super early so we could get ...wait for it...their monthly sticker! Apparently, all the missionaries collect them and they run out of them within hours of opening. So I now have my first DUTCH BROS sticker. YAY. 

Friday: District Meeting was really goofy today. Let me tell you sometimes the Elders here act like missionaries and other time they do things and then you just have to remember "oh yeah that's right they are only 18 year old boys" so you just have to laugh it off. Today was one of those days. Apparently, some Elders in my district are trying to convert a pig...? Don't ask me how or why... I still don't really get it.

Saturday: All the missionaries in the Stake had breakfast with our Stake President. It was super fun. We analyzed movie plots, learned how to play "master tic tac toe", and talked about things we could do as a Stake. Later that day since it was so nice outside we did our studies in a park. Fun fact about Castle Peak Neighborhood... they have street cats... like 4 of them. These cats looooove us... and we tolerate them. Ha. They make us laugh and so one of them joined us in our studies on Saturday. We are pretty sure they will convert and be baptized soon. Hopefully, they will get baptized before the pig. 

Sunday: I LOVE SUNDAY DINNERS. All dinners we have during the week are fun and enjoyable but Sunday dinners are just special. They always remind me of dinners at home and that just makes me happy. After dinner, we went to the Spence's home to pick up some Nerf gun ammo for today's P-day (we are totally going to annihilate everyone). The Spence's are so funny and just make me laugh. The littlest Spence just kept on coming down the stairs with more and more Halloween costumes...eventually, we had to try some of them on.   

It's been a great week. Sister Bubert and I are always laughing...like always. Sometimes we knock on doors and then one of us will say something funny and we will just be laughing when the person answers the door #awkward #wearetryingtobelikejesus #butitmightnotbeworking. I love being a missionary. I love seeing the small changes it makes in people's life. I love being bold. I love this gospel. 

Thanks for all the support and I hope you have a SUPER week. 

Sister Aase

Superbowl Sunday Shenanigans

Must be a Nampa Idaho thing.  Sister Aase & her companion having a little fun at the Spence home.

...bubert...bubert...bubert

Good Morning Friends and Family!

How has everyone’s week been? What is the winter like in other places right now? We have not had snow for weeks! We were supposed to have snow this week, but that did not happen. What did happen though was fog... and lots of it. Sister Bubert and I just kept on saying to each other “and this is the moment when the zombies come out of the woods and we die.” Seriously, folks, it was creepy.

So before I jump into the highlights of my week, I want to introduce you to my new companion Sister Bubert! She is from Bountiful Utah, but she was born in Guatemala. Her dad served as a mission president in the CA Long Beach mission. She is the youngest of six and graduated from beauty school before her mission. We have already become very close and I'm so excited to be spending at least another 6 weeks with her. 

Monday; was super crazy with lots of packing and saying goodbye to families. Did I tell you that everyone loves Sister Soelberg because boy oh boy everyone loves Sister Soelberg.

Tuesday; felt like an eternity haha. We woke up super early for transfers and I sent my little chickadee off to Emett to probably “die” (missionary term for your last area before the end of your mission, not actually dying). Then Sister Bubert and I had our first P-day together. Here are some highlights that the day included; going to taco time for the first time, getting very lost and possibly going outside the mission boundaries (shhhhh), being the only sisters that show up to P-day activity #awkward, Sister Bubert basically breaking her thumb #welcometoNampa, taking Sister Bubert to the ER, coming home and having an in-depth conversation with Bro Whitmyer about everything and nothing at the same time (man do I love that guy). Just in case you are wondering Sister Bubert is totally fine. She has a really cool splint wrap now and we've been trying to use it as a door approach...it's pretty awesome.

Wednesday; For those of you who do not know this already--birds are of the devil. Today while we were tracting, a huge swarm of them tried to attack us. I thought I was going to die. 

Thursday; Thursday was a blah day. They happen every once in a while. We tried meeting with people, but they kept on canceling on us. We tried to stay positive though. Sister Bubert and I have very similar senses of humor and we make each other laugh a lot.  

Friday; We got to meet the new district today. We got a lot of new people. I have a feeling that this is going to be a very good district. 

Saturday; Today we went to the Public Library for studies. The Library here is so nice. We loved being there. Also, we talked to this really neat guy named Lonnie. He worked on the temple and he said that he would love to take the lessons #score. I'll let you know how the lessons go with him next week. 

Sunday; I gave a talk in church today. It was my first talk of my mission and I hear that I should expect a lot more. The talk went well. I love giving talks because I always learn a lot from them. Later that night I was talking to the mission president and he told me that he heard my talk at church went really well. HA. Unbeknownst to me, the Stake President was in our meeting listening and he called my Mission President after my talk and told him that I had given an amazing talk. I found it very odd, but ok. 

So yes, that has been the week. Thank you for all the prayers and just thoughts that you are sending my way. I love you all and I know that our Heavenly Father loves us too 

Sister Aase 

P.S. I forgot my camera but I'll send pictures next week.

P.P.S. Bro Whitmyer has been calling Sister Bubert "Sister Bueller" all week and then will quote from Ferris Bueller's Day Off Haha. We just find it super funny. 

Well this is a LONG email!

Hello Family and Friends,

So, this email is a little long and a lot different. You'll have to tell me how you like it.... so, I guess here we go.

Monday: So, some highlights of today was we had a game day with the Gibbens family. Boy oh boy do I love them. We played golf which I haven't played in a really long time and we also played a game called 3 to 13. Both card games - both a blast. Also, today we got “Alpha Smart;” it's basically like a digital keyboard that I can keep at home. So, now when I'm writing in my journal at night I can type it up instead, so my mass email won't take me so long to write. Pretty cool huh? Hopefully, that will make it so my letters can be a bit longer and better :)

Tuesday: I loved President Nelson's address! As we were watching it today, I just had an overwhelming sense of peace. I know that he is going to be a great Prophet of the Lord and lead the Church where our Father in Heaven wants it to go. After the address, we listened to his past 3 conference talks while we were in the car going to appointments. Man oh man I have forgotten how much I love his talks. October 2016 one on Joy is just phenomenal.

Wednesday: We taught seminary today! It was so strange being in a release time seminary classroom. The whole feel of the class is just different. We taught all about Alma 5 and having a change of heart (great chapter btw, would highly recommend it).

Thursday: That was an interesting day. I got to experience my first real basher #fun. We fasted all day on Thursday because we are really trying hard to find some new investigators. I would love to tell you we had this miracle moment where the last door we knocked on opened and they had been waiting just for us, but that didn't happen. We planted a lot of seeds, we hopefully cleared up some misconceptions, and we just learned a lot about patience. This is God's work and it all happens on His timing. He appreciates us working hard, but sometimes we really just need to, as it says in D&C 123:17, "stand still". We are doing all we can and now we just need to wait for the Lord's hand to be revealed.

Friday: District Meeting! I'm going to miss our district. We all got along well and had some great memories together.

Saturday; Well transfer calls came and I regret to inform you that my dear tiny quirky companion Sister Soelberg will be leaving me. She got called to Letha... don't worry if you don't know where that is... because literally, no one knows where that is.

Sunday: Sundays are always just the best days. You get to see everyone you know and love, be uplifted by your meetings and stay super busy. I love it. Sunday was a sad day though because Sister Soelberg had to say goodbye to everyone. The members in the 1st and 36th ward love Sister Soelberg and are going to miss her so much... not as much as me... but still a lot. To celebrate Sister Soelberg's last Sunday though we wore our matching gingerbread socks with Sister Gibbens! We also ate with the Arters that night and told riddles and cheesy jokes for an hour. (The joke book that I got for Christmas really came in handy) :). Here is a riddle for you that stumped all of us last night "What can go up a chimney when it's down but can't go down a chimney when it's up?" Email me with your guesses:)   

Well, Transfers happened this morning and now I'm with Sister Bueburt. She came out from Bountiful but is originally from Guatemala. She is super nice and I love her already. So, what do y'all think? Did you like the longer email this week haha? It was way easy to write. Hopefully, it wasn't extremely boring. I try to make them fun and spiritual because guess what SPIRITUAL THINGS CAN BE FUN! I was talking to a 6-year-old named McKenna on Sunday and she was trying to convince me that missions were boring and I should quit and go to the movies with her. haha. I talked to her for a while telling her why I love my mission because I get to bring people true joy every day. I get to feel my Heavenly Father's presence hourly. I get to watch cheesy Mormon videos. I get to be an instrument in the hands of my loving Heavenly Father. How fun is that?!?! Answer: So much fun.

I love this gospel and I love being a missionary. I hope you all have great weeks and know how much I love you all at home.

Sister Aase