Week 37

This week has been a great one! Not a whole lot of variation from the others, but we have been trying out a few new things! We've made notes and baked goods (courtesy of my companion's awesome kitchen skills) to share with others. We've also left sidewalk chalk messages/art for those we work with (actually kinda hard to do in Dillon because lots of people just have dirt walkways and roads!), among other things! It's been fun to get creative in our efforts to reach out to others. Another fun, new thing is that as we've gone on our daily walks, we actually see people! With some we've been able to exchange delightful conversation --from 6 ft apart of course. Those little moments when we see and interact with people are honestly highlights of my days (even the whole week!) 

In finding efforts, as we've been contacting formers and others through the phone, we have gotten to practice different approaches and wording. We've come a little further with those efforts than we have previously… a few individuals ACTUALLY ANSWERED their phones! Granted half of them weren't very polite, but some were civil and cordial! I just about leapt out of my socks when those moments happened, hahah. I get excited about missionary work and progression, even if they're little things(: 

Some huge blessings from this week:

I got to do service for the first time in 9 weeks... wow! It wasn't for super long and we didn't do anything special --sweeping, dusting, organizing, etc.-- but it felt SO GOOD to serve.

We had the opportunity to assist the other set of Dillon sisters with their baptism on Saturday! There could only be 10 or less people present at the service, so us missionaries only attended through video call, but it was still awesome. Some tears were shed! 

I got permission to use the church building to practice hymns to accompany at our little zone sacrament meetings! The goal is to get to the point where I can accompany whenever a pianist is needed, I'll keep playin' and most importantly prayin' hardcore to reach that goal. Through the Lord we can do all things, right? It doesn't matter how small or silly it may seem, if it's important to us, it's important to Him. He cares for us and all that we dream of more than anyone else does, and more so than we can imagine!

Spiritual Thoughts:

In life, there are many things we don't realize until something changes, then they suddenly stand out. There have been a lot of changes lately, big and small. Throughout these recent changes, I have definitely seen things in my life, and within myself stick out! 

This reminds me of the refining process of gold: 

As gold goes through the refining process, it is continually heated to the point that all of the natural impurities rise to the top and can be removed. 

As we make our way through life, when impurities rise to the surface, it doesn't mean that things are going wrong. In fact, that means the exact opposite! If we are going step by step seeing new ways to refine ourselves and our lives, this means we are on the right path!! It's those times that we don't find new ways to grow that we should be wary of… don't allow yourself to become stagnant! This life is a gift for us to grow and become what we otherwise couldn't without it. This life and life in the eternities is one of PROGRESSION. As we find new improvements to be made, new levels of understanding to pass, we ought to be invigorated! Those are blessed opportunities provided by God to refine us into the glorious beings that we are meant to be.

It has been a blessing for me personally to experience such change (and most of it sudden) throughout my mission experience. I have increased in ways that beforehand, I hadn't imagined I would. 

I challenge you all to embrace change! Reflect on how things are different than before and gauge where you are at with it all. Have you tried to run away, keeping yourself in limbo? Or are you accepting and adjusting, allowing yourself to grow?

So much love,

Sister Alger

Beautiful Montana!!!

I ache to go out and meet with people!

At least we are allowed outside now. It's warming up a bit and starting to feel more like spring!

My Mother's Day gift for my mom!

Practicing hymns

 

I love meeting with all these wonderful sisters!

Week 36

Dearest friends,

I love our area and have been grateful for the meetings we’ve been able to have with the youth and families of our ward. I am also thankful for ed and the other help and training tools we have access to. Our goal is to rely more so upon those tools and apply them as our focus. I pray that we become the tools that God needs us to be in this transition period for missionary work!

I have felt quite unbalanced the last couple of weeks! Remember how I was sent home from the MTC because of health concerns? These health concerns have been present for most of my life, but it’s not always as severe. I’ve been having flare ups lately and it’s been creating difficulty in maintaining a good mental/emotional standing! I honestly think that my physical health issues are caused by my mental state (such as stress), or they’re at least working in a cycle, affecting each other. I am grateful for my companion Sister Lewis. She is a rock. She is even keeled and is seemingly unaffected by the world around her. It is great to have her stability and strength to influence and uplift me, as well as everyone else around her.

Anyway, I am doing VERY well right now and have been for the past couple of days. It’s been a wonderful gift and blessing to be able to partake of the sacrament again and renew covenants in that way. It has truly been a source of renewal and strength. Isolation is not my jam and it has been a real challenge for me -- despite all of the wonderful resources and guidance, for which I am thankful. I am utterly grateful for the present challenges though! They’ve forced me to face myself in ways I’ve never had to before. I’ve had a pattern to try to escape myself! As a result of God’s great wisdom in sending me here and at this time, I have been put into such incredibly uncomfortable (and wonderfully uncomfortable) circumstances, in which I can truly grow. This is my goal, to grow, learn and overcome as much as I can from each challenge --as well as each blessing-- that comes my way.

I have realized that I need an outlet --a source to help me sort out reality versus what’s all in my head-- to help me focus better and become more effective and successful. Through my pursuit of filling that need (and actually being present to the fact that something new had to be done) I’ve been able to feel and hear the Lord in new and wonderfully personal and sacred ways. It is ONLY HE that can deliver us from the grips of the world around us and the natural man in us. Unless we can see clearly, we will ALWAYS be in danger! Without God’s help, we simply WILL NOT be able to see and understand reality. It is with our spiritual eyes that we are able to discern truth and reality.

This is why there has been a pattern of emphasis on PERSONAL REVELATION in recent addresses from church leadership and authorities. As President Nelson has said, “...in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.” It is my plea to you, along with President Nelson, to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. How do you hear Him? Remember, God manifests Himself to us according to our desires to hear Him. Trust in Him, submit to Him, rely on Him. He has all power and all wisdom to sustain you. If we pour out our hearts to Him in continual prayer, we will know that He knows us and hears us:

        12 And Alma and his people ... did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.
13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.
14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.
16 And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.
17 And he said unto Alma: Thou shalt go before this people, and I will go with thee and deliver this people out of bondage.


I pray that we all may be the tools that God needs us to be in this transition period for the world!

With all of my love,
Sara

Fun little thing:
I accompanied hymns for the sacrament meeting (not well, but I DID IT!) In the past I have tended to be nervous to play piano, let alone accompany! I have had a goal to work on improving that so I can help where there are needs, forgetting my sometimes silly and nervous self! It has been good(:

Starting to get a tiny bit of green, but still mostly dead looking outside.

 

 

 

Ouch! Basketball injury

 

 

 

 

My new blue light glasses

My bracelets, I love these and the people they remind me of.

Starting to get blossoms!

Week 35

Loved ones,

I don't even know where to start for this week!

Well, we were finally able to have legitimate lessons with people this week! They were with families and youth from our ward, nonetheless, they were amazing lessons! I am so grateful for technology which enables us to get to know and support our ward members even through isolation.

Guess what? The shelter in place order is ending this week! This doesn't mean much for us missionaries, as we are going to be normalizing very slowly. It'll be slower than society will be for sure but what this does mean is that members can bring us meals and we'll be able to meet as districts/zones (as long as it is 10 or less people). Yesterday, as a result of all of that, we finally got to partake of the sacrament!!! Ahhhh, my heart was overflowing with joy and gratitude on our 1 hr drive to receive it. The irony is that at this pivotal moment when we were participating in the sacred ordinance of the sacrament, a random old guy waltzed into the room and interrupted! The elders didn't stop for him but he tried to pull some of them aside to say something and then stated he would "let us finish". Oh my, heheh. This was just so random and right when we were trying to have a solemn, reflective, and spiritual experience. Oh well! We partook and renewed our covenants, that is what matters!

I have been reflecting deeply on this phrase throughout the week:
"BE NOT AFRAID, ONLY BELIEVE."

We were able to have an online zone conference mid last week and that was a big theme that I took away from it. If we don't believe, we won't see miracles.

As a missionary, I don't have a lot to worry about except to learn from my experiences. I have a very focused purpose --to bring others unto Christ-- and that's it. Right now I don't have to worry about being a student, an employee, a daughter, a sister, a friend, among the other numerous roles we have in life. I AM A MISSIONARY. Why do I tend to end up worrying? Even doubting? And not necessarily doubt in the Lord, but myself and the world around me. I know that I am and we all are where God intends us to be. Don't look at your situation and compare it to anyone else's! Everything looks different from the outside anyway. What matters is where we are NOW and what we CAN do where we're at. If any of us are feeling pointless (or purposeless) whatever our situation may be --this includes everyone, not just missionaries-- we are doing the wrong thing! We are MISSING THE POINT. This isn't what any of us expected and that's okay. This is what the Lord has handed us and we just have to learn from it. Adapt and learn! Not many have the opportunity to experience the fall of the pride cycle --hearts are being humbled and softened!

The Lord is taking us into the future, whether we like it or not. Things will never go back to the way they were, the world is adapting! We must adapt in order to make the difference we are meant to as God's servants.

My companion and I are still struggling a bit with the fact that we have to rely on technology as much as we do. We weren't anticipating being online missionaries when we signed up for this --this hesitation will simply not work! We didn't volunteer to be missionaries to work for ourselves or our own conditions, we offered ourselves for the work of the Lord! To do His will! We must leave all of our worries, concerns, and discomfort behind. We need to leave it all in His perfect hands and stop trying to do things our way. He is all knowing and all powerful, who better to trust in than Him?

I was struck by this verse shared in our little sacrament meeting on Sunday:
"Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him." (1 Nephi 7:12)

As long as we have trust in the Lord and are faithful to Him, all will work out.

All of my love,
Sister Alger💛

 

 

It was a bit windy!

Me and my companion, Sister Lewis

Trimming my own hair!

It turned out pretty well. Whew!

Zone gathering for Sacrament Meeting