The Value of Sister Missionaries

Dear Family,

I tend to have a lot of interesting weeks out here in North Carolina.  And, guess what, this week has been an interesting week.

A few weeks ago, Sister Budge and I were at the home of a teenage boy who had been baptized a few years earlier.  We were sharing a scripture about service.  Then, he asked, "Can you give blessings?" We told him, "No, we don't have the Priesthood."  So then he asked, "Then what do you do?"  We told him that we teach people.  But, the question has stuck with me.

That has stuck with me.  I thought about it a lot today during study.  As Sisters, we cannot give Priesthood blessings.  But, we can still invoke the powers of God and use the Atonement to help others receive blessings.  The biggest reason why I came on a mission was for the blessings of my family.  I may not be able to have the Priesthood and bless others in that way, but I can certainly help bring blessings to people.  Blessings are not limited to Priesthood, but they are enhanced.  Sister Budge and I can bless the lives of others.  We help people make commitments that allow them to receive blessings.

Anyways, Sister Budge and I have a new motto:  GOIN' POACHIN'.  Our ward is split into an Elders' area and a Sisters' area.  Sister Budge and I will now be working a lot more in the Elders' area.  When Sister Budge and I decided that we would start "poaching," I just felt relieved.  I felt free. I feel that we will be getting a lot more work done now.

Go with God,

Sister Turley

He has a plan.

Dear Family and Friends,

First of all, yes, I am now on Facebook.  Some strange person did not hack my account, but I do have to say that it is still a strange person who is posting on it.  This should be an interesting endeavor.  It will be just like proselyting in the area, but online.

Next, Sister Budge and I are still in the process of finding.  As missionaries, we will always be in the process of finding.  

One of our investigators, Anne, made it to Stake Conference on Saturday.  That was a big step for her.  We have been asking her to come to church for a while.  I know that her heart is being softened.  Her daughter, Theresa, is a member.  After lessons, Theresa will stay and talk to Anne.  They discuss what we have just taught and how they feel.  On Sunday, Theresa came up to us and told us that she has seen many changes in Anne in the past few weeks.  She told us that Anne has begun to open up.  I love Anne. I just want her to be able to trust us even more.  We asked Theresa how we can help Anne trust us, so Theresa will be thinking of more for us to do.

Spiritual Message: From the Plan of Salvation pamphlet, page 10: "In paying for your sins, Jesus did not eliminate your agency or personal responsibility--He will not make you clean against your will."  I haven't thought about that much, but it makes complete sense.  If we don't want to be clean, we won't be.  If we resist, He lets us.  We get to choose.

I love the gospel.  I love the work.  It's hard, but I love it.  There is no instant gratification in this work.  Everything comes step by step.  The reward we earn is love.  We love the people of North Carolina.

Go with God,
Sister Turley

Passion for Finding

Dear Family and Friends,

Sister Budge and I are still developing a passion for finding.  We are continually searching for people to teach. Last week, I wrote about Mormon 9.  This week, I reread Mormon 9, and read alongside it Elder Neil L. Andersen's talk from April 2013 General Conference "It's A Miracle."  http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/its-a-miracle?lang=eng

My goal is for my faith to overcome my doubt.  The Lord requires a lot from missionaries.  A quote on my desk says, "Faith in the Lord includes faith in His timing."  Sister Budge and I had a discussion about that today.  We need to be patient but urgent.  It is somewhat of an oxymoron, but it is what the Lord requires of us.

There isn't much else to say.  We are in the process of finding.  I love all y'all.  Have a wonderful week.

Go with God,

Sister Turley

Mormon 9

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been a Mormon 9 week, in several ways.  I have had quite a few experiences with Mormon 9 that I want to share.  I have three in particular that stick out from this week.  The experiences have to do with my quadruple combination, finding, and teaching.

QUADRUPLE COMBINATION

For my mission, I received a new quadruple combination.  I got my name on it and it closes with snap and it is nice and shiny.  As I have been on my mission, I have super-glued the edges because the outside leather wasn't really put on correctly, so it just has been coming off.  I have noticed that the snap comes undone easily.  And, around Alma 30ish, there are tears in the pages right next to the binding.  But, with all of this, I love my quadruple combination.  Then, we were reading Mormon 9 this week.  We were reading it with Adam.  I looked at a member's Book of Mormon and noticed that her copy looked different than mine.  I looked at my pages a little more closely and realized that I was missing 2-3 pages.  My copy didn't come with the end of Mormon 9 or Ether 1.  Luckily, we didn't read all of Mormon 9, so I wasn't lost.  I still know the Book of Mormon is true without having all of the pages in my quadruple combination.

FINDING

Since I have been companions with Sister Budge, we have really been struggling to find people to teach all day.  We have had to resort to tracting.  I had become a little disappointed and wondered how I was disappointing the Lord to cause Him to not let us have people to teach.  What was I doing wrong?  In my personal study in the Book of Mormon, I was reading Mormon 9.  Mormon 9 talks all about how God is a God of miracles.  Mormon 9:21 says, "Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth."

I need to doubt nothing.

TEACHING

Right after church on Sunday, we had a lesson with Adam.  We talked about the Word of Wisdom.  We read part of this chapter with him.  I know that he can quit smoking as long as he trusts in God. I trust Heavenly Father, and I pray for Adam every day.  I know that he can do this.  I just want Adam to keep that every day, and remember the feelings he has every day.

God is a God of miracles.  Ask; He will hear you.  I promise.  I know.  He hears everyone.  He will help you find opportunities to share the gospel.  Go out and share.  Be lovingly fearless.

Go with God,

Sister Turley

Well, There Goes the District

Dear Family and Friends,

This is the letter from last week.  I didn't have enough time to send this to my blog.  

Here is a wonderful picture of the Wilmington District.  It is about to change. Only one of the five companionships will stay the same.  That's about all I can say.  I am having a hard time not laughing as I look at the picture.  I am pretty sure I got the most normal-looking picture out of all of our cameras.  

The only companionship that is staying the same is Elder Hook and Elder Larkin.  Elder Hook will be the new district leader, and they are in the Leland area, so the district won't even be the Wilmington district any more.  I will now be in the Leland District.  Elder Mora and Elder Salinas were the Spanish-speaking missionaries in the district.  Elder Salinas will be training this next transfer, so Elder Mora will no longer be in the district.  Elder Williams and Elder Peck are the zone leaders, but Elder Williams is being transferred, so we will have a new zone leader. Elder Perryman is heading home.  He starts school in a few days. (I think he is crazy: only a few days.) I don't know if Elder Packard will be training or not.  And, Sister Shaum is leaving me to go train a new sister in Pinehurst.  And, so I will also be training a new sister here in Wilmington.  That releases me from my Sister Leader duties.  I don't have to teach in any zone meetings this transfer.

PRIESTHOOD

For the past two weeks, I have really been trying to get to know the pamphlets that we use in our lessons.  I have been reading the Restoration pamphlet. As I have been reading, one topic has been repeated: revelation.  As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are able to receive revelation for ourselves and have the blessings of revelation through a living Prophet.  I know that revelation, or communication from God, is important for our welfare.  We would not be able to be saved without revelation.  Jacob 4:8

Go with God,

Sister Turley