Week #9 - Traveling Day!!

We didn't receive an email today, but a phone call instead from Sister Rose. She left Syracuse, NY airport this morning and is en route to Australia, as of TODAY, as of Right Now. Here are a few pictures we have received in the past week of Sister Rose and her companion. Sister Rose and her companion were allowed the opportunity to attend the Palmyra Temple and the Sacred Grove this last week. She did service for others. She talked in Sacrament meeting yesterday. She packed, and said her goodbyes and is now off to begin serving the people in Australia, yet I know that part of her heart will always remain in New York. Whatever the reason Heavenly Father needed her there in New York, I guess I just don't have the answer to that.  Perhaps she will sometime.

She expressed how hard it was to leave all those she has grown to love there in New York, and yet she was so excited to be heading to Australia. She met so many that she sure is attached to and I can't wait to meet them, too! We know that Heavenly Father is watching over her and giving her the courage to serve Him, wherever that might be in this world. But, one thing about it; She will be one tired Sister when she gets there!

We love you Sister Rose!
Love,
Mom

Week #8 - Last Monday in NY‏

Well this is officially my last Monday in New York! I found out on Wednesday that I head to Australia on Monday! I am so beyond excited but at the same time really scared to fly by myself...again. But I know the Lord will watch over me and protect me :)
So this letter is going to be really short but this week we picked up a new investigator!! Her name is Laurie and oh my goodness...she is so amazing!! We met with her on Wednesday and on Saturday she was on page 32 of the Book of Mormon!! She is so ready to receive the gospel :) I love her so much!
The Elders had a baptism this weekend and asked me to play How Great Thou Art at the baptism....I have never played that song ever! Before the baptism they asked us to fill the font so I practiced the song for over two hours...it was so terrible. But the baptism went great :)
We had a member give us engagement rings this week...haha we were taking so many selfies with them so I thought I would share one!

 

Today we went to Alexandria Bay since it is my last Monday here and it was SO COOL!!  There is an actual castle! The man built it for his wife because she was his queen (adorable) but she passed away 2 weeks before it was supposed to be finished and so he never finished it. It was so amazing! 

  

I hope you all have a great week! A quick scripture that I came across in my personal study this week was Alma 36:27-28 I definitely recommend you all read it! :) It was a great lifter this week as it was a really rough week but through finding this scripture I was able to put all my trust in the Lord and just keep going because he is on behind me through every trial! I love this gospel and am so glad for all the prayers and everything! You all are wonderful!

Sister Rose

Week #7 May 16, 2016 - Doctor Visits, Training, and Lots of Rain‏

Hey Everyone! :)

What a week this has been!! We had Zone Training Meeting and it was so awesome!! I am so grateful for President Rogers and all that he does for us missionaries!! Sister Stowell was asked to say the opening prayer and we were all asked to prepare a 2-3 minute talk on the Doctrine of Christ. For some reason when President walked in and shook my hand I knew that I was going to be called on to speak. As I told Sister Stowell that I was going to be called on, she just told me that I probably wouldn't and that I didn't need to worry about that. So President gets up after we do all the business and starts saying how he was so excited to hear from 2 random missionaries today and that the first speaker would be...as everyone holds their breathe, Sister Rose and another Elder. I was so flustered haha!! It took me a second to register that he really had said my name! I got up gave my talk and after Sister Stowell leaned over and was so shocked! The spirit works in mysterious ways :)

We also had the chance to go to a Womens Broadcast in Syracuse and listen to Sister Reeves speak!! She is a counselor in the General Relief Society and it was so amazing!! I learned so much! She talked so much about a lot of stuff! So right I can't really remember what stood out to me but I will let you know next week if something is just needing to be shared :)The past few weeks I have been struggling with Shoulder Pains and so I decided that I needed to talk to Sister Rogers about what to do. I ended up going to the doctor to have it looked at! That was an exciting adventure that I never want to do AGAIN!!! WE ended up in the doctor for 2 hours!! The results were that I either have tendinitis or a rotary cuff tear which would be something that I would have had to get treated back at home. Did not want to do that option!! 

Later that day, we have a recent convert who goes to Institute who is a military doctor! She offered to look at it and within 5 minutes told me that it was Bicep Tendinitis and that I could just do exercises and not worry about getting it treated at home!! I was so happy!! :) All is well and it is starting to do better! It still hurts most of the day but it is getting better :) 

New York is such a wonderful place and I am going to be so sad to leave it here in the next two weeks but I am so grateful that I have been blessed to serve here!! My Visa has come and I will be leaving at the End of May or Beginning of June! I am not quite sure yet but I am so excited!! :) I am doing my best to remain focused until that time comes but it is a little difficult! 

The past 3 days have been full of rain and some snow! Who knew it could snow in the middle of May!? I guess in Upstate New York that isn't uncommon!! I was so shocked that it was starting to snow! I don't think it will the next couple of days which would be nice but I guess we will see :)

Thank you all so much for the love and support! You are all the best! :)

Have a wonderful week!

Sister Rose

Sister Stowell's sister and boyfriend came and took us out to lunch! We were able to teach him the Restoration :)

This is the perfect explanation to our week! It has been so long that she was out within 5 minutes after the Womens Broadcast in Syracuse! Coming home was a short ride for Sister Stowell :)

It rained and rained and RAINED all day Sunday! So we had to take a selfie..in the car...where we wouldn't get to wet!

Week #6 - Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Mother's Day everyone!! :)

To start off I want you all to know that this is what Upstate New Yorkers do...

It is a little weird to me...but I guess it is completely normal! They put anything that they don't want or need out on their lawn and people go junking and come take it...HOW WEIRD IS THAT?! Haha New York is an exciting place!

This week completely flew by! I have no idea why or how it went by so fast! I am still trying to remember that it is Preparation day!

New York is starting to get to spring though! Everyone is out wearing shorts and tank tops and I am still wearing my long sleeve shirts and coat..:) I am always cold so it doesn't help that I am from Idaho where it can get pretty cold! Sister Stowell always tells me how she is so hot at night but I am there with 3 blankets on my bed still cold. It is a great life being cold :)

I absolutely love being a missionary right now! I know I have said that so much but it is so true!! I have seen and experienced so much that I will never be the same again! It is truly wonderful what this gospel has to offer and being a missionary I am so grateful to be able to experience that working through those searching!

We have an investigator who REALLY wants to be baptized but is having such a hard time giving up smoking. She loves what we teach her and she loves the way the Holy Ghost feels! She is such a wonderful lady and I love her to death! It makes me so sad when I hear that she has smoked while we've been gone. It breaks my heart! She will get there though! :) The Atonement is what we have next and I feel like that will be an incredible thing to teach her:)

These last 2 weeks have been stressful because most of the time in the area that I am in, we can't go out and find new investigators. It is so stressful but I am so grateful for the Priesthood!! The Elders were able to give me a blessing to help me feel less stress and I have definitely felt that help me and motivate me to keep going! It is amazing what the power of the priesthood does! I am so grateful for all you priesthood holders out there ;)

I hope you all have a great week! I know that this gospel is true with all my heart! I know that Heavenly Father is there all the time watching over us! He knows exactly what we are going through and is just waiting for us to pray and tell Him what is going on in our life! He is our literal father in Heaven and loves each of us so very much! I have felt that so much these past couple weeks and I know that prayer is a great way for us to communicate with our Father :)

I love you all and hope you have had a great week!!!

~Sister Rose

New York Sunsets are so beautiful!

We love doing service!! :)

Just cuz I love Sister Stowell :)

Week #5 - Upstate New York :)‏

Hi Everyone! :)

I don't even know where to start for this week! This week has flown by but then gone so slow at the same time! Crazy how there are days that feel like weeks but then I get home and realize what a great day it really has been! Most of the days were spent out contacting people or trying to have lessons! It was a great week! :)
 

We did not get lost like we did last week..thank goodness :) This week we went on Exchanges with our Sister Training Leaders and that was a blast! It was good for me to also get to know other people in this mission because I am still trying to get to know most of the Elders and Sisters here! The Sister Training Leaders are absolutely amazing though! The sister that I was companions with has been getting ready to head home tomorrow! So she was professional and taught me a lot :) I am still working on my confidence to talk to everyone I see but I am slowly but surely getting there :) She was able to help me feel confident in talking to everyone we saw, talking to people in door approaches, and knocking at every door that I feel prompted too! It is really hard since I struggle with being shy and quiet but I will become better as I put my trust in the Lord! My area is so great! The ward that I am in is really small compared to the other wards that I have ever been in, but the people are so sweet and so willing to let the missionaries come over and teach a FHE. We had dinner at a families house this week and they have a legit farm! They have pretty much everything! They even have a 40 pound African Tortoise! It was so much fun and they are so awesome! It has been very rainy the past couple days and that puts a damper in missionary work but it must press on! So we haven't done much tracting this week but we have done lots of contacting!Yesterday was Fast Sunday and I can't even begin to say how grateful I am for this gospel and the joy that it brings to my life! I just can't wait to actually share it with people who are interested :) Yesterday the lesson in Relief Society was holding grudges and forgiveness! I truly needed that lesson mostly because I had been pretty bitter towards some family members at home but after this lesson I realized that it does nothing for me to dwell on it when they aren't truly making effort. I was so very grateful for that lesson and I hope you all can remember that holding a grudge is like putting a rock in your backpack of life :) It does nothing but weigh you down! We might as well move on and just enjoy the daily joys in life!I love you all and hope you all have had a great week! The weeks really do go by so fast and are going faster and faster! I love being a missionary and couldn't ask for a better experience in life right now :)  
Sister Rose

At the Families farm they had baby goats and they were the cutest things I have ever seen!!! :)

This is Uguay the 40 pound turtle! It is so awesome!

 These are the Sister Training Leaders! Sister Collette is the taller one and Sister Pange has the longer hair :)