Week 31

Hello world!

I hope you all are surviving, we are -- barely! Hahah.

So, this week hasn't held a whole lot of variety. On Friday the 27th, the state of Montana ordered an official "Shelter in Place". That meant that everyone else would be in official isolation like us missionaries. As missionaries, we received even more strict direction for isolation. This included not meeting any more on Sundays as Districts to partake of the sacrament… ah! This Sunday we were going to actually get to have the sacrament (I was sick within the week last time, so they didn't let us come)! Well, here goes the third week without partaking of the sacrament. I don't believe I have ever experienced such in my life!

Another rule that became more strict, is member meals. Before this, we could pick up dinner from members or they could drop it off to us. Now, we are not to receive meals from members (at all) once we get our next allotment and for the last ones we receive, we cannot open the door to them! If we pick it up or get it dropped off, either way it has to be left at the door. Ah. This was very sad for us because sometimes the only real interaction we'd get in the day was when dinner came around! It was honestly our favorite part of the day to chat for a few minutes with members in person. Since that has been enforced, I would crack the window open as members leave from our doorstep and yell "Thank you! We love you!" etc. to them, heheh. Gotta do what you've gotta do!

Spiritual thought for the week:
Elder Christofferson said in a recent devotional, “Truly see those around you and be seen so that yours will be a life well-lived, a life of ministering and blessing and satisfaction, a life blessed and sanctified by the Savior who has overcome all things,” he said. “Mortality is so short. Make this time count so that your eternity will be one of joy, not regret. Do you not feel the Spirit telling you that this is right? Then go forward with confidence.”
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/elder-christofferson-worldwide-devotional-summary-january-2020

Love you all!
Sister Alger

It's SOOO wonderful to not be sick anymore!! 

Healthy and quarantined is much better, and way more fun! 

Week 30

Hello world! Is anybody out there?

Over here in Montana, we have been in lock-down for about 1.5 weeks.! We have received SUCH love and support from our ward members, my goodness! It is almost overwhelming, hahah. They have really stepped up ministering, to us specifically. We couldn’t leave the apartment because I was ill all last week, so many stopped by to provide us meals and to help out with food storage and supplies… might I say, we are QUITE prepared for anything that happens, most particularly on the food side of things. We will not be starving, that's for sure! It has brought me such comfort and peace to know that though I am not well acquainted here,  so many are watching over us and caring for us. I often overflow with gratitude when I reflect on it all.

It has been a pretty bland, yet exciting week! Bland because I was resting or sleeping most days (I was pretty wiped out and delirious), but don’t worry, I didn’t have the Corona I promise! It was a bad sinus infection or something. Anyway, it was exciting because of all the sessions of limbo and waiting for the next urgent instruction to come out. This time of isolation has definitely been one of reflection, meditation, and coming closer to God in new ways. For that I am grateful!  I have had some wonderful studies when my brain wasn’t so foggy and THAT was wonderful.

It is hard not to know what our specific purpose and goals are -- with there being no church, no physical lessons, and no traditional ways of reaching people. So much is up in the air! I didn't even feel like I knew what I was doing or when it was "normal" missionary work. Ah. I have recently been on the path to peace and reconciling to the new situation (thanks to President Nelson’s address in the April 2020 ensign, reflecting on my patriarchal blessing, and the supportive words of friends and family).

Our situation as missionaries now encompasses technology…My nemesis. I have been running away from technology for my whole life! I am not a huge fan, heheh. I am certainly grateful for all of the wonderful things it provides for us, but I have a difficulty with how it can consume lives. As I have many of you know, I live for authentic and deep connections with others whereas technology has always seemed shallow to me. Not only that, but it seems to take people away from the present moment -- precisely where they could make the most meaningful connections and impacts. This is why I tend to overcompensate and write novels! I try to make sure that my true thoughts, feelings, and care are getting across, or I fail to respond at all because I freak out or something… heheh, whoops.

The point I am getting to is that we need to utilize and even rely on technology for the time being, and I personally have to come to terms with it. The Lord has said that He will use the creations of man for the furthering of His work and I am want to be a part of that! I will adapt to how the Lord needs me to share His light and His love. He has always got to keep me on my dang toes!

I want to share what my mission president shared with us missionaries in the Montana Billings Mission recently:

You may feel that this is unfair (LIFE’S NOT FAIR! and that is one of the reasons we have the Atonement of Jesus Christ) or untimely. In life, you will find that things will rarely align with our preconceived time frames. The Lord knew that this was going to happen when you were called, and already had a plan in place for you. Stay faithful, and be “Worthy, Willing and Capable” of doing this and anything else the Lord may ask you to do or require of you in your life. That is how I have always tried to look at my life, and the advice and counsel that I have always given to others. Be Worthy, Willing and Capable.

All over the world today, as in times past where war, famine, civil unrest, disease and natural disasters (wow, all signs of the times and precursors to the Second Coming of Christ) have occurred, the missionaries are abruptly, unceremoniously, and surreptitiously pulled out of their missions and either returned home or reassigned. We are not the first to experience this, and we WILL NOT be the last. So, when people ask you about your mission, be proud of the time you have served and say that you served in the time that was affected by the COVID-19 Virus, and everybody will understand and respect you for the challenges that they know we all endured, and regardless of the personal effect on us individually, as a mission family we overcame. It is and will always be regarded as an historic time. What an adventure!

Let us bind together in love and unity, and uplift each other no matter what our circumstance may be. Remember the words of our true and living Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson who teaches us “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.” Don’t lose your focus.

I echo these words to you all as well.

Let us come closer in this unique time, let us strengthen our bonds with heaven and with one another.

I again invite you all to reflect on how you can strengthen your conversion* to the Lord. Reflect on how you can come closer to Him and bring others closer to Him.

I love you all dearly.

💛 Sister Alger

Getting out of the apartment!!!

Week 29

Oh man, my week has been WACK.

Almost all of our appointments have been cancelling on us and people are going crazy... As I am sure you are all quite aware heheh. We heard that there was a show-down at Costco with some lady and an old lady fighting for the last pack of toilet paper! Yikes. Also, apparently someone was robbed of every inch of their apartment! The toilet paper, towels, bedding, dishes, EVERYTHING. What on earth people?

Anyway, enough of that! We had to run around and try to find supplies for an emergency box of food and supplies to be kept in every missionary apartment from now on. Luckily we had help --and by help, I mean a LOT of help!-- from our ward members, so we are set.

It has been hard to have all this craziness at the beginning of the transfer. It has made getting to know the people and area quite a challenge, but it is all the more interesting I s'pose!

Despite everything being up in the air, this has definitely been a great opportunity to bond with my companion. It felt so weird not to have church or the sacrament yesterday, but we had a wonderful session of church / studies together. Come Follow Me has really prepared us all for times like these! We are home-centered for a reason (many reasons at that) and self-sufficient if need be. And it is quite needed at this point in time! It's wonderful that we have a living prophet who guides us so we don't have to worry in crazy times like now... food storage, home centered church, hope and faith, and unity and support

Missionaries are being sent home left and right and we are receiving missionaries left and right from all sorts of foreign places. We found out just now that all elders at 21 months or more will be sent home at the end of this or the next transfer. Our hearts are broken in two… The mission will suffer a great loss in numbers, but more importantly, in honorable, hardworking missionaries. We will have to make what we can out of this last bit we have, although we may be in quarantine.On a lighter note, we got two new elders in our district toda! They were serving in Mongolia, came home for self isolation for 14 days, and then got reassigned to Montana! We played card games and got to know Elder Coffey and Elder Tanner, they are awesome humans!

Here are some spiritual thoughts I have had this week:

This crazy situation we're in with the Corona Virus and everything shutting down could be incredible for building the foundations of the Lord's people!

Mosiah 27:13
..."the Lord hath said: This is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people."

It is only His people that can destroy His church.

If you think about it, most of those who attack the church -- that cause any lasting disputes or damage -- have often been a part of the church before or still are. Therefore, it is of immense importance and urgency that we work with each other and help every single member of Christ’s church become TRULY converted to the HIM -- rather than converted to other members, leaders, the organization of the church, or anything else other than Christ Himself!

Jacob 4:15-16
..."by the stumbling of the [Lord's people] they will reject the stone upon which they might build and have safe foundation.
     But behold, according to the scriptures, this stone shall become the great, and the last, and the only sure foundation, upon which [we] can build."

HE is the only sure and safe foundation upon which we can build! Let's help strengthen the foundation of those of the Lord's church, as well as our own in the process.

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.
     My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation."

 There was an awesome discussion with Elder David A. Bednar on revelation recently. I have listened to it multiple times, it is seriously perspective (and life) changing! My invitation to you all is to study this discussion and to apply it to your individual lives. It is utterly important that we understand the GIft of the Holy Ghost and how the Lord communicates to us through it.

Here’s a link, I also have an audio file saved to my phone that I can share directly with anyone if you'd rather.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/broadcasts/archive/evening-with-a-general-authority/2020/02?lang=eng

SOOO much love and care for you all. Seriously, I pray and think about you often. Be safe physically and spiritually my loved ones!

💛 Sister Alger

My new area, The Heights in Billings

We are up on the plateau.

Love Monday chats with these crazy guys!