I'm Glad Strangers Got In My Car

 Hey y'all!

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

Happy Friday! Happy General Conference weekend!

This week I had zone conference! I volunteered to drive people because sometimes transportation gets a little messy for service missionaries. All of the missionaries in the zone met at a church house and then we all stood around in the parking lot talking until it was time for riders to find drivers. 

That morning I had been introduced to two new sisters who had very recently transferred home, Sister Fawson and Sister Smart. A few weeks before that I had met Sister Merritt as we were walking to our cars at the same time and sort of helping one another not get caught in another conversation so we could go home.

That morning the four of us were standing by each other and chatting. When it was time to go I said I could take four people and the three of them decided to come with me. My dad's car's name is Gator, I told the sisters this as we walked towards the car, and they agreed it was a very good name for this particular car. 

As we drove we got to talk with each other and get to know each other and listen to music. I enjoyed driving because I didn't have to participate in the conversation, I got to listen and I love to listen. They were all so funny and it was so uplifting. It was easy to be with them.

We stayed together throughout the whole day, although they couldn't leave me because I was their ride home. It was the first zone conference in this mission for all of us but because we had each other it wasn't really an anxiety inducing experience, it was just fun.

When our conference concluded one of these sweet sisters asked me, “do you think Gator wants to go and get ice cream?” And I said, “why, yes, I think he would.” So then we all went and ate ice cream together. Laughter and ice cream are such a good combo.

On the drive home we were deciding which ice cream flavors each of us would be if we were ice cream and they said that I would be cookies and cream because, “it's hard not to like.” That's like a huge compliment.

We have a group chat and I'm excited to get to know each of them better. Sister Merritt, Sister Smart, and Sister Fawson were evidence that God is aware of me, knows my heart, and loves me.

I know God is aware of you, knows your heart, and loves you. I hope that you're able to notice the tender mercies and evidence of God's love in your life. They are there, I promise. I promise it will get better.

Love you! 

Still holding to the rod,

Sister Owens

Summary: Zone conference= Yay! Carpooling with random strangers I met five minutes ago=Yay! Ice cream= Yay! You're going to be okay because God is watching out for you.

Greetings from Goldsboro

 Hey y'all!

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

Once upon a time there were four young sister missionaries living together in a city called Goldsboro located in the North Carolina Raleigh mission. Each Sister had different traits, origins, and cultures.

The first, Sister Jones, was very stylish and fun. She came from Seattle Washington and she's a triplet. Before her mission she was a ballroom dancer at BYU. She is trendy, friendly and fun. She is easy to laugh with.

The second, Sister Colasurdo, no one quite knows how to say her name. She's been nicknamed Sister French though her name is Italian. She too is stylish. She loves cheese and if she eats gluten she may suffer for weeks after just one crumb that touched a crumb of gluten. (Celiac is real and it's bad.) She is bold and loving and open and honest. A diligent disciple. 

Thirdly, Sister Tingey, she recently came to the mission from a historical site where she had to wear pioneer dresses everyday, where she wasn't allowed to have braided hair so that people would be less likely to see her and think ah yes Mormons and polygamy. Sister Tingey is a Sister of great style and of great love. She has charity and can easily identify the miracles we are blessed with. She's a delight.

Finally is Sister Owens. You know her. She's a hoot and a half.

Each of these Sisters have a few wonderful common traits. Each are hard working, loving, missionaries. Each have their own challenges and each strive to do their best and to become better each day. You may notice I mention their styles and that is because we all wear clothes. We love clothes, an appropriate amount. 

Alas, here the challenge comes in. We four, together face the great and terrible adversity of not having a functioning dryer. It's been weeks. 

The lack of dryer paired with the humidity leads to some woes. 

But we four are facing it very bravely. We begin now to understand the Law of Consecration and have been borrowing one another's clothes. 

The four of us through this unique challenge have become more unified, more united. 

While not having a dryer is tough, we know that like Joseph Smith in Liberty jail, “[our] afflictions shall be but a small moment,” indeed the Lord has said, “My [daughters], peace be unto th[ine] soul[s].” (Doctrine & Covenants 121:7)

We will look forward in faith and in wet clothes as we go about the work of salvation!  

“Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ [even if all ye have is wet clothes], having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life [and dry clothes, eventually].”

(2 Nephi 31:20)

And so we press forward with a steadfastness in Christ and in our wet clothes. 

Still holding to the rod,

Sister Owens

(Also featuring, Sister Jones, Sister Colasurdo, & Sister Tingey)

Summary: The whole email is me being melodramatic about not having a dryer.

Here's the link to my mission pictures album:

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

Mary & Martha

 

Hey y’all!

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

I leave the mtc tomorrow. There's been so much. So much growth. So much joy. So much learning. So many tears. So many cups of the famous chocolate milk. I don't know how else to describe it. I have so much love for my district. There's been so many invitations extended and there's so much we are supposed to fit into our preplanned schedules. 

I want to talk about that. The so much that we're supposed to do each day. 

I've been so worried that I'm like, failing as a missionary and not following the mission standards because companion study hasn't happened everyday. Or because I've only had an actual work out twice in my two weeks here. Sometimes I feel bad because my companion and I are late to a devotional. There's a lot of things I can't control and I'm learning to let that be okay.

The first week here we were invited to choose a Christlike attribute to work on and the one that stuck out the most to me was diligence. Diligence is, “Consistent, valiant effort, especially in serving the Lord and obeying His word.” That's what it says in the guide to the scriptures but Preach my Gospel provides the insight that diligence is using our energy on the most productive things. Knowing what is and what isn't a priority.

I think of Mary and Martha. Martha is worried and stressed, “troubled” about many things. Mary takes time to sit and listen to and be with Christ.

I think I've been more like Martha rather than Mary. It's hard to receive personal revelation when you're worried about what you're doing and what you're doing next. I've noticed that in the moments I slow down, the Holy Ghost has an easier time getting messages to me.

Luke 10

41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Before bed we have what's called miracle time. I thought it was… stupid at first, a brand thing, a way to make it so we actually go to bed at bed time. But as I take time to slow down and as I have consecrated miracle time I become more like Mary. I feel like I'm sitting right there at Jesus’ feet. I know what to say to Heavenly Father in my prayers. I'm able to think of what went right that day, all of the miracles. The best part about miracle time is that my prayers feel more like a conversation, I pause and open my book of Mormon and the verse I read is a confirmation that my prayers are heard. 

I want to be like Mary and choose that good part all the time, I want miracle time all the time.

Life is so much. So much hard. So much beautiful. So much so much. But Christ's Atonement is infinite, more than so much. He covered all of that so much so we get to cast away the worry and take time to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen.

Still holding to the rod, 

Sister Owens 

Summary: No matter how busy life gets there is time for Jesus. There's time to read one verse of The Book of Mormon. There's time to say a prayer. If you don't think you have time it's because you won't make time. 

Here's the link to my mission pictures album:

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