Treasured Treasure

 Hey y’all!

[Summary at the very bottom cuz I know not everyone has the time or attention span to read this.]

"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine."

Exodus 19:5

I liked the idea that the Lord's covenant people are a treasure to him.

As I studied this verse I thought of the things I have treasured throughout my life. I thought about my old toys and how I loved all of my stuffed animals and dolls equally but I had one particular doll that I treasured and felt a bigger need to protect, Pinky Dinky was special to me. Not in a loved-her-more-then-the-rest-way but in a this-doll-needs-me-and-I-need-her-way. 

In Come Follow Me, President Russell M. Nelson was quoted, "In the Old Testament, the Hebrew term from which peculiar was translated is segullah, which means ‘valued property,’ or ‘treasure.’ … For us to be identified by servants of the Lord as his peculiar people is a compliment of the highest order”

This insight from President Nelson brought the term "treasured treasure" into my mind. To treasure something means to protect, value and cherish something or someone. A treasure is something very valuable.

At seminary I listened as the teachers discussed this verse and I remember them saying that the Lord doesn't love the people who have made covenants with him more than those who have not. All of us are of infinite worth to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, but covenant keepers have done work to be obedient to Their commandments and they have a special relationship with the people who have taken upon themselves the name of Jesus Christ.

Making and keeping covenants invites the Lord's protection and blessings into our lives. As we worthily partake of the sacrament each week we are entitled to the companionship of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost warns us of physical and spiritual dangers. The Holy Ghost can spare us from pain and embarrassment. And we can always have the Spirit with us as we treasure our covenants in the same way Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ treasure us. 

I love my Savior, Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father and I treasure my covenant relationship with Them.

Still holding to the rod,

Sister Owens

Summary: Heavenly Father loves you. Jesus loves you. I promise as you make and keep covenants with Them you will better treasure them and you will know how much they treasure you.

Happy Hurricane Season

 Hey y'all!

[Summary at the very bottom cuz I know not everyone has the time or attention span to read this.]

Here's some low quality acrostic poems I wrote about my new area:

What

Odd

Old

Dearies

In

Grand

Tobacco fields 

Opposums

Near

Where?

Out

Of

Densely populated

Inhabitation

Nothing

Grass

Trees

Opposum

No things

What is this place so empty?

Only the locals can tell.

On errands the Lord has sent me

Devil still tries to derail.

I stand with heart, strength & might

Not an actual building in sight.

Glorious fields both left and right.

The congregation will grow as the corn.

Onward we work spreading light.

Now rescuing souls once forlorn.

Happy Hurricane season! Hurricane season started on June 1st! This whole weekend felt a little bit like a hurricane though.

I arrived in the new area on Thursday and found out there would be a baptism on Saturday. Hurrah!

On Friday I began inquiring about the details of said baptism and we found we had much to do. So we tried to do everything. Also on Friday we had the baptismal interview.

After the baptismal interview we found out we were not having the baptism. :(

So then we unplanned a baptism. But we had a very hard time un-planning it.

So then on Saturday people showed up for a baptism that wasn't happening.

Then we thought we ruined our relationships with all the members (I don't even know the members yet but this was an unfortunate start.) 

It was sad and my companion and I cried a lot.

But then on Sunday it was fast and testimony meeting and the whole meeting ended up being about… missionary work and how they (the members) and the Lord loves missionaries?

People still loved us and never didn't love us. And everything is actually okay. 

Woodington! Yay!

My companion is Sister Senior and we were friends before and we were both very, very happy to be companions. We both like poetry and good music and letting emotions exist and we love the Lord! And I think with all the crazy circumstances we have been in we really needed each other and so we are very grateful we are together. 

Also this is my first out-of-city area and my first not a military base in my area area. And everyone is trying to give us diabetes and there is always biscuits at every meal and they always do their very best to send us home with dessert. I also can't understand people's southern accent. Also in our missionary meeting they laughed at my questions and told me it really is a foreign mission. Everything is different but I'm excited to figure it out.

I hope you enjoyed this hurricane of an email & I love you!

Still holding to the rod, 

Sister Owens 

Summary: This email is a mess. There's bad poems and slightly unfortunate stories and a brief update on my new area and my companion.

Here's the link to my mission pictures album:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZMqcVg4i6kAMWJVH9

Slow Progress is Still Progress

 Hey y'all!

[Summary at the very bottom cuz I know not everyone has the time or attention span to read this.]

On Saturday we baptized our friend Anastasia. Anastasia has been meeting with missionaries for well over a decade. More than ten years. Here's the story:

Once upon a time in December Sister Job & Sister Owens were checking their text messages (something that, frankly, we aren't very good at) and much to our surprise a random number had texted us saying Merry Christmas, how are you guys? So naturally we looked up the number in our cute, little, (we would not function without it) app with our area book and all of the relevant information for missionary work. We found Anastasia was the one who texted us and we failed to scroll all the way down to the bottom.of her information. We texted her and planned a time to meet her and her husband and see what would come of it.

So we went over to their house and met them and chatted and it was great and we thought cool. We found out that Chris (Anastasia’s husband) had been baptized a few years ago but at this time wasn't particularly interested in church. We found out Anastasia had previously been on baptismal date but chickened out the last minute or something (still unclear).

After our first lesson/discussion/meeting I decided to do some #research and take a quick scroll down Anastasia's time line on the PMG app (previously mentioned would not be able to do anything without it app). As I scrolled I realized it kept going and going and going. And then her time line went to 2014. Shortly after that we found out that they had missionaries be the witnesses for their wedding, which was in 2009. Its been a hot minute of them hanging out with missionaries. 

Sister Job and I really weren't sure what to do next.

I was really concerned that there was nothing we could try that previous missionaries hadn't already tried. I didn't really know what to do. Anastasia had been taught every point and every lesson at least once before. And she had been invited to do everything we knew to invite people to do.

After careful council and consideration we decided to extend the invitation to have her read/listen to the Book of Mormon in its entirety, from cover to cover, in one month.

She did it in two. And was baptized the day she finished the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon paired with the Spirit is the most powerful tool in conversion. I remember that because I got it wrong on a training type test. (It was a trick question, and I'm still mad.)

It wasn't really me or Sister Job that got Anastasia to be baptized and make covenants with Heavenly Father. It was the Book of Mormon and her learning to recognize the influence of the Spirit as she read. 

If you haven't read the Book of Mormon, read it. Especially if you have been Baptized. The Book of Mormon will invite the Spirit into your life and help you learn to recognize how you can receive revelation for your own life. 

At Anastasia's Baptism Sister Chae spoke. There, we learned that when Sister Chae was pregnant with her oldest daughter (who is now 5) Sister Chae went to a lesson at Anastasia's house. Sister Chae told Anastasia she knew her journey to reach this point was long and not easy and it wouldn't necessarily begin to be easier but it would continue to be worth it and she would continue to be more like Christ.

It doesn't matter how long it takes as long as you are continuously moving in the right direction. Keep going towards Christ. Continue forward on the covenant path even if all that looks like is opening up your Book of Mormon. Maybe it's not even reading it yet but just taking the time to open the book.

One of my MTC teachers told us that on her mission whenever her or one of her companions had a bad dream they would open the Book of Mormon. Not read anything, just open it. 

Sometimes just doing that is enough. You don't have to get through it all in two months. You probably already know your next step on the covenant path. It might simply be scheduling your next temple appointment. And if you want it to happen in one month and then it takes two that is still something to celebrate. 

Even if takes over a decade for you to make your next covenant or read the whole Book of Mormon or forgive that one person, keep moving forward.

Still holding to the rod, 

Sister Owens 

P.S. Happy Valentines Day! Love you all!

Summary: Our friend Anastasia got baptized. Pretty cool. She's been meeting with missionaries for 10+ years. Sometimes doing the right thing can take some time but it's still worth doing! 

Work

 

Hey y'all!

[Summary at the very bottom cuz I know not everyone has the time or attention span to read this.]

I've survived my first transfer! Yay! 

In other news I’m giving a talk this Sunday about preparing for the temple after baptism. So if you have any resources or cool ways you prepared to go to the temple send them in in. I'll report next p-day.🫡

It snowy here. There's like two inches of snow but they only have one snow plow in the entire state of North Carolina (I made up that statistic, it might be true it might not) so it's a big safety hazard & such. Mostly because no one knows how to drive in snow, or salt the roads and sidewalks. Bless their hearts (respectfully). Everyone here freaks out with winter weather and it's a little funny but also everyone thinks I must be from Florida or something because I shiver more than the locals. Humidity goes crazy I guess.

The few times people are meanish to us helps me really realize how much people are nice to us. I haven’t been bashed yet, I know it'll happen thus the yet, but sometimes people think we are trying to sell them something and they point at their sign that says no soliciting and want argue with us and we don't want to argue so we just leave. But y'all I looked up (via meta AI on messenger) the difference between missionaries and solicitors and we are in fact not the same thing, unfortunately the main difference is our intentions and people can't immediately see such a difference. Super unfortunate. But really and truly everyone here is pretty willing to talk to us. People love Jesus, although I sometimes have doubts about how much they really know the Savior. I especially struggle with the idea of only Heaven and H-e- double barbie legs. Like, what? I knew people believed that but it's so hard to see their perspective when everyone except the 28 people that are a part of their congregation are doomed. I know Heaven is going to be crowded. I know after this life we get to look forward to many, many, happy reunions. How can anyone talk of charity and also be okay with only 28 people you know going to heaven. And if that was your perspective wouldn't you tell everyone about the church you attend? Wouldn't you want to save everyone? It's fine though. Kind of. I just really like the plan of Salvation. It's good stuff. Actually the best stuff. God really, really loves us. And Jesus took care of EVERYONE, Christ's Atonement is actually infinite. I can't comprehend that but I know it feels good in my heart and it makes sense in my head. 

The other dealio with people, I don’t think this is South specific or a North Carolina thing but people sometimes say, “That church just isn't right for me,” or “I prefer blahblahblah type of worship” like, okay? But what does God prefer? It's just such a silly mortal perspective. The whole religion thing isn't quite about what we want or what we prefer, it's about what is true and what God, like the real God, what He has in store for us. Y'all I don't even like church all the time. You think I (or anyone for that matter) want(s) to give a talk on Sunday?! No! That's scary and stressful. But it's not about me! 

You think all of the missionaries here really just love getting bashed and having their hearts broken because people are enthusiastic and interested one day and the next day that same person says they'll call the cops if missionaries ever come back? No. It's not fun. But it's also not about us. (Shout out to Elder Bush & Elder Johansen. I almost cried when I heard them tell that story.)  

My dad told me to talk more about the work. So there's some more about the work. Turns out it is work. And it's supposed to be. President Holland has a quote something like, “Salvation isn't cheap.” Discipleship takes work. And it should. It's not supposed to be easy to become like Christ. Christ never had it easy. 

No one likes a story without a little bit (usually a lot) of character development.

I love you all. Please, please, please, keep doing the work. Cling to the rod. Look for missionary opportunities. Christ never had it easy, following Him will not be easy but it will always, always be worth it.

Still holding to the rod, 

Sister Owens 

Summary: This email consists of me saying yup following Christ's footsteps is hard sometimes because Christ didn’t walk an easy path.

Here's the link to my mission pictures album:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZMqcVg4i6kAMWJVH9

I'm Trying to be like Jesus

 

Hey y’all!

[Summary at the very bottom cuz I know not everyone has time or the attention span to read this.]

I've drafted this email 3 times now. I've taken a different approach every time. I'm not sure what to share. In missionary standards for disciples of Jesus Christ it says we're supposed to talk about what we are learning. That's boring though. I'm learning character development. Is that something you learn? 

I'm trying to be like Jesus.

Sometimes, most times I feel like I'm trying to try. 

“Gentle and loving in deed and in thought”

Well. I'm trying. And that's all I need to be doing.

This week we put someone on date for baptism. It's my first time doing that (yay! woo-hoo!!!). We're keeping it on the down low though so none of you are invited. But I would invite you to review the promises you made when you were baptized. Baptism helps us be more like Jesus. When we are baptized we promise to 1. Be willing to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. (Try to be like Jesus) 2. Keep the Commandments of God (Try to be like Jesus) 3. Serve God and others (Try to be like Jesus) 4. Endure/enjoy to the end (Try to be like Jesus) That's only 4 things. Maybe we can't be like Jesus in every way yet. But we can focus on those 4 or 1 of those 4. To try to be like Jesus I'm trying to serve God and others and I'm trying to have a good attitude as I do it (see 3&4). I'm trying to be like Jesus. This week I will try to be gentle and loving in my thoughts. 

I hope you will try to be like Jesus. I love you. Jesus loves you too no matter what.

I feel like I didn't add anything funny to this email and I just think emails should be kinda funny. Rather than laughs and giggles I offer you these: some of my favorite emojis. Enjoy.

️️

Still holding to the rod, 

Sister Owens 

Summary: Jesus. Be like Him. 

Here's the link to my mission pictures album:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZMqcVg4i6kAMWJVH9