Simplicity in Chtist

 Hey y'all!

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

This last transfer, my last transfer, we have been focusing on the simplicity found in Jesus Christ. When we know the Savior, we know what truly matters. As we focus on Christ, the gospel becomes easier to understand, not easier to live, but simple to understand. I love the simplicity that comes as we choose to be disciples of Jesus Christ.

In the book of Numbers we learn that, “the people spake against God, and against Moses,” so, “the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.” 

Tough.

The people realized they messed up and they went to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.”

In answer to Moses' prayer the Lord answered, “Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.”

And now we should have a happy ending where all the people repent and look to the serpent on the pole and live happily ever after. But instead…

“because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished.” (1 Nephi 17:41)

Yikes.

Why is it so hard to look to the Savior? Because is it so easy to look to the Savior.

It’s so hard because all it takes is reading the Book of Mormon everyday and it’s so easy that I still struggle. It’s so hard because it’s simply praying to Heavenly Father and it’s so easy because I don’t want to kneel or speak out loud. Why is it so hard to focus on Jesus Christ? Because it's so easy.

I’m so grateful that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have incredible patience because so often, I turn away, just like the children of Israel. I forget, I complain, I think I should have more than manna. But I can look to Christ and live. The Savior invites simplicity into my life. Elder M. Russell Ballard promised, “It is in simplicity that [we} will find… peace, joy, & happiness.”

President Russell M. Nelson said, “Whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life & teachings of Jesus Christ. Learn more about His Atonement, His love, His doctrine, & His restored gospel of healing & progression!” 

I invite you to focus more on Jesus Christ and allow Him to help you simplify your life. I promise that as you focus on Christ and simplify you will experience increased peace, joy, and happiness, I promise this in the name of Jesus Christ.

Still holding to the rod, 

Sister Owens 

Summary: When we focus on Jesus Christ we don’t die from fiery serpent bites.

Updated (& corrected) information regarding my homecoming talk 

Location 

691 E Cedarview street Tooele  

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cedarview+St,+Tooele,+UT+84074/@40.5563673,-112.2786781,17z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x8752bdb42ab180b9:0xfa04d530fb210631!8m2!3d40.5563673!4d-112.2786781!16s%2Fg%2F11smn8djr_?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDQyOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D 

Time

9:00 am 

The last email I sent said 10:30 and that’s wrong. Come at 9:00.

Be there or be square (because you’re not around).

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.

Hands

 Hey y'all!

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

Yesterday we had a sister's study activity. Which basically meant wearing pajamas, talking about things we want to do differently, creating goals and eating cookies. Wow, being a missionary is the best.

As we discussed our lives as missionaries one sister commented on how she felt when she was in the temple, explaining how her white dress and everything was beautiful until she would look down at her hands. 

This sister serves at the This Is The Place Monument, where missionaries dress as pioneers and help people learn about early Utah history and the way people lived in those times. This Sister is a blacksmith there and often gets scars and burns on her hands from the work and demonstrations she does. 

When she is wearing a dress for church or while she is in the temple in her white gown she feels self conscious and perhaps sometimes even ashamed of her hands because of the scars.

As she expressed this to each of us I couldn't help but see the parallels to Jesus Christ.

My dear friend, Jesus, also has scars from his service. No one served quite like him. No one suffered quite like him. 

President Thomas S. Monson, then Elder Monson, gave a talk entitled, “Hands” in this talk he speaks of the sanctity of hard working hands.

Of the Good Shepherd’s hands Elder Monson said, “This was the determined hand which drove from the temple the money changers. This was the loving hand that blessed little children. This was the strong hand that opened deaf ears and restored vision to sightless eyes. By this hand was the leper cleansed, the lame man healed—even the dead Lazarus raised to life. With the finger of this hand there was written in the sand that message which the winds did erase but which honest hearts did retain. The hand of the carpenter. The hand of the teacher. The hand of the Christ.”

It is a sacred privilege to be the Lord's hand as his service missionary. An honor even more for this sister who will forever look at her hands and find Christ. How sacred that her service should reflect the Savior’s.

“I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!

Such mercy, such love, and devotion can I forget? …

Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me enough to die for me!

Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!”

His hands are always stretched towards us. Accept his hand. Let him help you. Oh how he loves you. When Jesus looks down at his hands he thinks of you. 

To this fellow missionary and representative of Christ, I humbly share, Psalm 24:3-4

“3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?

4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”

Your hands are clean and you are worthy to enter the Lord’s house. Thank you for taking upon yourself the name of Jesus Christ. You are an exceptional representative of the Lord. However, I would kindly suggest that we find you some high quality, thick, leather gloves.

I hope all of our hands can be a little more like Christ's.

Still holding to the rod,

Sister Owens

Summary: Let us not be ashamed of the service we do in the Savior’s name. Celebrate those scars that make you more like Jesus Christ. Do more of what the Savior would do.

Sources

Hands

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1972/10/hands?lang=eng 

I Stand All Amazed

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/hymns/i-stand-all-amazed?lang=eng 

Psalm 24

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/ps/24?lang=eng

 

Stay Gold (Goodbye Goldsboro)

 Hey y'all!

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

Some updates from last week:

☆The quad moved to a new apartment. It's brand new and it's nice. It comes with a brand new washer and dryer.

☆ Sister Jones and I gave talks on Sunday and it worked. We wanted to strengthen our relationship with the members because, basically nothing we do matters without them & people felt the Spirit and really enjoyed our talks. (Hurrah!)

☆ I went on an exchange with my trainer and she was like, wow you talk now and I was like yeah. Kinda cool.

☆I'm getting transferred to a new area (don't know where yet, only know I'm leaving Goldsboro)

For my last big move in the mission I talked about all of the things I had learned in Fayetteville and I think I'll talk about some of the things I learned from my time in Goldsboro.

♡ Waffle house is great place to go find characters to write into a story. 

♡ Prayers of safety work & so long as I am obedient to missionary standards and rules, so long as I listen to the promptings of the Spirit I will be safe. There are certain areas we have been advised to be very cautious of, or even to avoid… but mission leaders are supportive of us going there when we have a purpose. So we go & it's a little sketchy and people are very confused about why we are there and people also tell us we will get robbed but, so far so good. There's also been times where I knew that if people tried to do something to us they wouldn't have been able to. I know the Spirit protects.

♡I'm so capable of talking to people, like, just saying hi is not that much more than the wave and smile I was already doing.

♡ I'm so grateful for priesthood power. The priesthood is one thing that sets our church apart, its one thing that makes it the one true church. People don't really like when I say that but I know it's true. Lots of churches have lots of truth. And that's awesome. But the best thing is to have the fulness of the gospel & in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints we have it all. I'm grateful to be a missionary and to have power and authority within my sacred calling. I'm grateful to partake of the sacrament each week which if not for the priesthood would be just bread and water. The power of God is on Earth today and there are many, many, many, miracles because of it.

♡ A friend in need is a friend in deed. My great grandma used to say that but I didn't really understand it for a long time. Then I met Shamond (one of our new members here) & her best friend Jamie Brown (she's in the ward & she's awesome). They help each other out so much in so many different ways that their friendship just runs so deep. They have love for each other like I've never seen for friends. I can't describe it but they make the phrase a friend in need is a friend in deed make sense. 

♡ If you are seeking and expecting miracles, you had better be willing to act on spiritual prompting. Miracles take a little work, you need to be where you are supposed to be and you need to be doing what you're supposed to be doing, if you do this then you'll stumble on miracles.

♡ Fasting works. On some level I was pretty sure fasting worked but I had never really had any personal experiences with it. One of the miracles from this transfer is a new member named Frank. As missionaries we get to work with people that have recently joined the church and help learn more and continue to progress. The majority of my time here we were unable to contact a new member named Frank. We would stop by, text, call, leave notes, and send emails. We were like crazy stalkers and we simply couldn't get in contact. I didn't know what to do anymore so I fasted for Frank, last fast Sunday. And, one day we were in Frank's area and I knew we needed to stop by. We were a little behind schedule and my companion was a little hesitant but the Spirit was very clear to me that that is where we needed to go. So we went and we met Frank and he attended Sacrament meeting this last Sunday. 

♡Trios and quads mean you have more people taking care of you and more people to take care of and they are awesome! 

♡Charity will get you pretty far. About as far as the Savior would get. Jesus was still rejected even with his perfect love. And as a missionary, people definitely still don't care to hear our message or talk with us but having charity I also have confidence and it's much easier to feel love for people even when they are rude than to have resentment begin to build up. Choose to be charitable. Assume people have good intentions.

♡Crockpot Chicken 10/10

♡There is joy in daily repentance if you aren't repenting everyday you are missing out on joy everyday.

Still holding to the rod,

Sister Owens

Summary: I'm leaving Goldsboro. I learned stuff while I was here. Yay!

Here's the link to my mission pictures album:

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

Thanks ♡

 Hey y'all!

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

Some exciting things that happened this week:

♡ There was an air show on Seymour Johnson Airforce Base. We live right next to the base and the traffic was crazy for the air show. We saw 4 jets flying next to each other and that's the only part we saw, it was really cool though.

♡ I witnessed a car crash (twas mild and no one was hurt)

♡ I was called Cinderella (in a derogatory manner) and many other things by a guy who asked if the ring I was wearing was a wedding ring.

♡ I knocked on a guy's door and said we offered messages of joy and hope and he said he was a Satanist then he saluted at us and closed the door.

♡ I told a lady I knew the Book of Mormon was true and that it testified of Jesus Christ and it made her very mad and then she yelled at us.

Anyways, thanks for praying for me because your prayers really do protect me. I like to think I'm intelligent and that I avoid doing things that would put in me in dangerous situations. Alas, the world is kind of crazy but I know the Spirit and your prayers have really protected and blessed me. Thanks for being so involved in my missionary efforts! Your prayers are working. 

Love you! 

Still holding to the rod,

Sister Owens

Summary: Your prayers for missionaries really make a difference! Thanks for praying for us!

Here's the link to my mission pictures album:

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

Superman

 Hey y’all!

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

My talk was great. Like actually I think k it was pretty good. The only thing is I talked about 8 minutes longer than necessary. 

For my talk talk I wore my contacts. Usually I wear my glasses, this is relevant, I pinky promise. 

Brother Catlett, the ward mission leader in the Fayetteville 4th ward (my ward), came up to me after my talk and said I was Just like super man, before with my glasses I was Clark Kent and then I took my glasses off and became Superman. High praise. He also asked for a copy of my talk. 

But actually I think I just blacked out a little and read what I had written. Thanks for the prayers and words of wisdom my talk rocked.

In my talk I talk about President Nelson's 2022 talk “The Power of Spiritual Momentum” he talks about 5 things we can do to increase our Spiritual Momentum and continue on the covenant path. He talks about the following:

1.Get on the covenant path and stay there.

2.Discover the joy of daily repentance.

3.Learn about God and how He works.

4.Seek and expect miracles.

5.End conflict in your personal life.

So I talked about all that and made it all personal and meaningful, all that jazz. 

I'm now the designated driver. I'm pretty alright though, I haven't bumped into a single thing and not a single thing has bumped into me. That's all I'll say there.

We had exchanges this last week. I went with Sister Peterson we came together from the mtc. we are both in training and so it was bit tough because neither of us have this super figured out yet but we had fun together and we were pretty productive so I'm proud of us. 

Yikes y'all I just do not have the energy or time to write a super email. Here's one of my favorite parts of my talk:

Prophetic promises have power. You will be prepared to perform temple work after baptism as you act on these prophetic invitations. As you work on these things you will have greater strength to resist temptation. You will have more peace of mind. You will have freedom from fear and greater unity in your families. These steps will not only bless us but also our families. 

Temples bless all of Heavenly Father's children. Temple worship helps us realize that it doesn't matter if you bring a family name or do a temple name because all of us are part of God's family so either way it's a family name.

In the temple our families get to be sealed together forever. Forever. Heavenly Father loves us and He knows how important families are because we are His children and He wants all of us to return to Him someday. Through temple ordinances families can be together forever.

I know that families can be together forever, through Heavenly Father's plan. I always want to be either my own family and the Lord has shown me how I can. The Lord has shown me how I can.

Love y’all!

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

Ok

Hey y’all!

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

Sorry I didn't send an email last week, not that sorry though, it will happen again. 

This last week the heating hasn't been working at our church building and I've had several meetings happen there and they were super cold and uncomfortable but that's okay. The lack of heating did make it so church was canceled. But it's okay because we were invited to go to another ward at our stake center. That church was also canceled. Because the electricity was out. Along with more than half of Fayetteville. None of the stoplights worked. Driving was terrifying. Tears were shed. Horns were honked. But it's okay. We talked to our zone leaders and they told us to go to a different ward, one about 30 minutes away in Gillis Hills, there's some other sister missionaries there and we were excited to show up to their ward and surprise them. Their ward started at 11:30 so we left Fayetteville and found that some of the stop lights in Gillis Hills also didn't work. Not super fun. But its okay because we arrived safely at the Gillis Hills church building. We walked in and almost no one was there. Their were a few people lingering in the hallway but no one in the chapel, we were then informed that the Gillis Hills ward had started at 9… New year, new time, website hadn't been updated and all that. Awkward. But it's okay because a branch was about to start at 12! But it was the Spanish branch… but it's okay I know like, 17 Spanish words and there were some Spanish elders there who were very confused on why we were there. Honestly we were confused too. But it's all okay because we were able to take the Sacrament and the Spirit speaks in a language anyone can understand. Even though I didn't know much of what was being said, I could easily recognize how much they spoke of, rejoiced in and loved Jesus Christ. Also a bunch of people came and shook our hands or gave us a hug at the close of the meeting, they were super excited to get hermanas and then they were disappointed we were just visiting. But its okay they said. 

It's okay. 

I hope taking the Sacrament is important enough to you that when life is chaos you will still find a way to make it happen. I don't know if taking the Sacrament is the highlight of my week but I know it's important to me. It's especially important to take the Sacrament when life is chaos. The Sacrament, Jesus Christ, taking part in an ordinance so focused on Christ, that's what makes it all okay. I love you. I miss you. I'm okay. Take the Sacrament you'll be okay.

Still holding to the rod, 

Sister Owens 

Summary: the Sacrament is good and it's important. And life is crazy but through Jesus Christ we get to be okay. When we do what the Savior has asked us to do everything gets to be okay. You'll be okay.

Here's the link to my mission pictures album:

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

The Best Christmas Church Service Ever

 

Hey y’all!

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

This last Sunday day was THE Christmas church service. Sister Job and have been hyping this Sunday up, a lot. I've been inviting people to this specific church service the entire time I've been here. I've mentioned it in at least 100 text messages inviting people and telling them how awesome, wonderful, cool, fantastic it was going to be.

It was awesome, wonderful, cool, and fantastic. But not in, like, the usual awesome, wonderful, cool, fantastic way(s). 

It was a beautiful mess. Ladies, you know how you do a messy bun to wash your face and it's actually the most gorgeous hairdo you've ever done in your life, but then you can never recreate it? That was this Sunday. 

There was a choir. I was in it. We did something that some generous souls, might consider singing. Some might consider it simply, making noise along with a piano. It was… a song for people with acquired taste, like people who eat snails and stuff on purpose. I'm being harsh but I don't know that anyone would describe it as a choir of angels singing.

Also during the church service a toddler threw a hymnbook at the row behind him. A girl behind me tripped over someone's purse and all of the contents of said purse spilled all over th isle, and the girl almost fell over. A family sang a Christmas song and they were using YouTube for the music with and an ad came up during their singing and they had to like skip it really fast. Someone behind me blew their nose really loud. A few primary kids were practicing their song for primary, while others were performing their music numbers.

We are a congregation of real people. We're awkward and some of us laugh too loud and we are definitely people. I really love that. When I see other people being silly or awkward or whatever I feel so validated. I feel like I belong because I too am awkward sometimes. The environment was lighthearted and I felt so welcome and I think everyone else felt comfortable too. We are not a church with professional priests or bishops or leaders, the most sacred event of the week, the Sacrament, is brought to us by 11 year olds, little tweens. All of these little things help remind me that our church is for everyone. All these little things help me see everyone as children of God. 

As I saw everyone be so human at church I felt love for everyone there. I felt like Heavenly Father was so proud of us all for waking up and coming to church and celebrating together. Jesus was and is perfect and full of grace but that doesn’t mean He was always graceful, I bet he tripped over the roots of a tree or something at some point in his life. We're imperfectly perfect, it's beautiful. I love people being people. 

I love you all so much! Merry Christmas!

Still holding to the rod, 

Sister Owens 

Summary: Church this last Sunday contained a lot of distraction but it was silly and uplifting and validating and beautiful because of those distractions.

Here's the link to my mission pictures album:

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

 

Funny Business

 Hey y’all!

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

Well it's been a crazy week. Here's some funny things from the last little while.

On the way to the airport from the missionary training center I fell out of the bus, like flat on my butt, highly unfortunate. The bus was stopped, I think I should make that clear.

While door knocking (my fifth house or so) Sister Job (my awesome trainer) and I interrupted a party, they yelled at us to come in, but we just like stood there and then someone came to the door and Sister Job started sharing about the Book of Mormon and he was like, this isn't my house and we're having a party right now. Awwwkwarrrd. 

I'm learning that we're just supposed to ignore social cues, a lot. Like we read the room and then ignore it. All the time.

We accidentally left our area like 3 times, because I forget I'm navigating… I'll work on that.

There actually is an obsession with biscuits. Like there's so many advertisements for biscuits. I think it's really funny all the restaurants brag about their biscuits. 

I was asked to give the closing prayer in Sacrament meeting yesterday. I thought I smiled and put on a brave face but then we had dinner with some members and they said I looked like I did not want to be up there. And I didn't. But I didn't want them to know that.

Also at that same meal, I thought I was talking so much. I felt like I was not exactly dominating the conversation but like, being an active participant and then the members said, that soon I won't be so quiet, I'll be an extrovert by the end of this…. I thought I was doing so good but companion also confirmed I should talk more.

We got a cute little bash text and she told us she loves and that we are going to burn in h-e double barbie legs.  I thought it was a little funny. 

Anyways today I just wanted to focus on the funny. I think when we choose to let things be funny instead of just focusing on how cringey life gets we can be happier. Also, Brother Limatua (one of my seminary teachers) said “silliness is next to Godliness” or maybe he said “silliness is next to holiness” something like that. My point is: choose to laugh! I love and miss y'all. God is good. Put the Christ in Christmas. Read your Book of Mormon. 

Still holding to the rod,

Sister Owens

Summary: Basically in this email I just shared some silly stuff that happened lately. The funniest ones are paragraph 3 and 4, in my humble opinion. Let awkward stuff be funny, send me an email of something funny and awkward that happened. Or don't. Put the Christ in Christmas. Love ya!