Week 67: BEST LESSON OF MY MISSION!

Hello?

Basically... this week was filled with non-stop miracles. Seriously. It was the best! Candy and Zinnia were baptized! That was really exciting, and they're both doing well. Also, on Christmas Eve, we were able to give out about 20 Book of Mormons, 3 of which the new owners became new investigators. Christmas was amazing, we got fed SO MUCH good food and I'm still about to explode, but it's all worth it. Then on Christmas night, we went caroling to a former investigator. While singing, his neighbor, Donnie, came down and was like, "You got some carolers!" Then we sang some more songs for him, then he recorded us and put us on Instagram. #instafamous But we talked with Donnie, gave him a brief restoration lesson and asked if he'd let us come back. He said yes! And he talked about how turning to Christ is a much more mature way of dealing with the stresses of life than doing what lots of others do. Mind you, Donnie is 19 yrs old. Super cool. So we got a return appointment for Sunday and it was the BEST LESSON OF MY MISSION!

We taught the Restoration lesson in more depth and the entire time, he was asking awesome questions and answering our questions with prime answers. At times though, he wouldn't look at us. He would just look at the floor and we weren't sure if he was listening or taking any of it in. But then we had him read the last 2 paragraphs of the Introduction to the Book of Mormon and asked what he thought, and he said, "Wow. That was really powerful." Then we testified of the Book of Mormon and how he can know for himself if it's true, and he started crying! He was so touched. He opened up to us about his upbringing, and I guess the lesson just really touched him. Sister Tibbitts committed him to baptism (what a great trainee she is) and he said yes! Then we got him on date for January 23rd! He seems pretty solid. As we were leaving, we asked if there was anything we could do for him and he started crying again and said, "I don't know what more you could do for me. This is exactly what I need right now, I'm just going to go read this book." It was so powerful! We just testified of God's and Christ's love for Him and explained how even though we don't know what it was that he is going through, they do. And it's so true! I know it's true. That's why I love Alma 7:11--Christ experienced everything for us. Literally everything. And why? Alma 7:12--so that He could know how to help and comfort us when we are in need. And even when we don't think we're in need! He's simply always there. I love Him and love coming to know Him better. He's my best friend. 

I love you all and hope you had a Merry Christmas! Now, continue celebrating His life. It will make you happy. I promise.

Love,

Sister Livingston

Week 66: Christmas!

No letter from Jayne this week because.....

WE GOT TO SKYPE!  She looks great.  She is so happy.  It was so much fun talking to her.  The hour went by quickly.

They had a marvelous day with other missionaries and ward members.  She ate Christmas lunch at the Bishop's home and dinner with one of her favorite familes.  Christmas Eve was spent with Madame M!  She loves being back in Kirtland and was warmly received by the members there.

Thanks to all of you who sent her cards, emails and packages.  I know she feels very loved and supported!

Merry Christmas to ALL of you!

A Picture This Week From Danyelle

Sister Davis and her companion on the left.  Jayne (Sis. Livingston) and her new companion, Sis. Tibbitts from Panaca, NV, on the left.  Isaac in the center.


Danyelle says she is glad she has gotten to know her.  She loves her sweet spirit.  She thanked me for raising an awesome young woman!

Week 65: The Eyeball Issues Companionship

Hello! What's up? I got my new companion, I'm back in Kirtland, the weather is that of a summer's day, life is great. Sister Tibbitts is from Panaca, Nevada and is doing awesome! You know how I know we're meant to be comps? Fine, I'll tell you.

Because we're both "new" (I'm an old new) to the area, we didn't have any appointments set up for week, so on our first night together, I just planned to take her around to some members I knew to introduce them to her. After we left the first house, we got in the car and her hand was over her eye and she said, "My eye is killing me! Can you see anything in it?" I looked over, her eye was BRIGHT red and she had thousands of tears on her face. "WHAT'S HAPPENING TO YOU? Did I say something wrong? It's not you, it's me." But I gave her eye a little looksey-- Sweet nothin'. We didn't know what to do, so we just drove to our next appointment with Danyelle and Issac. Before we went inside, I looked at her eye again and couldn't really see anything. It was just swollen. But then we went inside where there was better lighting and the white of her eye had a giant bubble on it! Like, a huge blister. It was the freakiest thing. So we left and called to get the Doctor's opinion who told us to get allergy pills. And that we did. As we were driving home, she was like, "I'm going to need an eye patch!" "Well friend, today is your lucky day. I just so happen to have one. Welcome to Ohio!" Except she didn't actually need it. It was just funny how it all worked out. They eye ball issues companionship. Lovely. She's all better now, though. We think she's just allergic to guinea pigs. 

We don't have any investigators right now, so we'll be doing lots of finding activities in the future, but I think that'll be a good experience for a new missionary. And she's all for tracting, so things are looking good!

It's so fun being back in the Kirtland Ward, though it now feels like I never left. You know how RMs always say that when they come home, their mission feels like it was just a dream? I feel like Kirtland is my home, Shaker was my mission, and now I'm back home in Kirtland. Like, did I even serve in Shaker? Yes. And I loved it. I miss it, but I'm excited to be in Kirtland. The first shall be last, and the last shall be first. 

For Christmas, we're going over to Bishop's for lunch and to skype. Now sure what time exactly, but I'm guessing it'll be between 12-2 my time. I hope that works for you! I'll be able to send a quick little email on Thursday to get a more definite time. 

I love you and am excited to see your faces next week! But I'm also freaked out that it's already almost Christmas. Where has the time gone? I don't even know.

But I know with all my heart that this is the Lord's work. I know that this is His church and that it contains the fullness of His gospel. The Book of Mormon is the best book in the entire world and I love it so so SO much, I wish I had it all memorized. I just wish that everyone would take the time to read it! If you haven't, you're missing out. Read it, and then pray about it! You won't regret it. Not even a little bit. 

Love,

Sister Livingston

Week 64: A story (with a high and no lows), a transfer, and a picture!

Goodbye to the cutest family there ever was! The little girl trying to get away kept trying to sit on my lap so that I could read to her. THE BIGGEST TEMPTATION! I just want to hold a baby again.

Hello! This week was really great. We were able to find some new investigators (one of whom was high at the        time, but he's still a child of God so we love him) which is always exciting. Hopefully we'll be able to help them       progress soon. I just have one story to share this week:                                                                                           

Okay, okay I could tell you many stories. But this one is my favorite. So, here we go!

Enjoy:

On Sunday, our Zone Leaders had an investigator come to church, whom some Sisters had been teaching online. The sisters invited him to church, gave him the address, then told the Elders to look out for him. So at church was the first time they ever met. Pretty neat. But he was way cool! It was fast and testimony meeting and the spirit was very strong. We even had a gospel lady share her testimony through song as she pointed out to the crowd. Several members mentioned Kirtland in their testimonies, so during Gospel Principles, the investigator asked what it was and said he'd like to visit it. And Sister Beck and I just happened to be assigned to sites that day! So we told him that we give tours there, and he said he would like us to take him on one. And that's really neat just by itself--here he had just spent 3 hours at church for the first time in America (he's Indian), but he wanted more! Luckily, the elders schedule allowed them to come so we took them on tour. The elders really didn't know much about this guy, so on their way over they got to know him a bit more so that they could tell us if he had any concerns. That way we'd be able to cater the tour more to his personal needs. They texted us as they drove over and said he didn't seem to have any, and that they wanted to commit him to baptism in the School of the Prophets. SO COOL and SO EXCITING. Then they arrived, and away we went! 

He was very prepared. After we watched the "Kirtland film" (covers the history of Kirtland from 1831-1838), he expressed how he felt this power go through his body when it was showing the acceptance of the Kirtland Temple. We explained to him how that was the spirit and one of the Spirit's roles is to testify of truth. And he kept bringing up how good he felt! He was just amazed at everything we shared with him. Then, we eventually made it to the School of the Prophets. (Side-note: We did a little pre-set and explained how special that room was, and he asked if he was allowed to take of his shoes before he went in. So cool!) So we were in the School of the Prophets and we told the story of all the men who were using tobacco, but gave it up immediately when Joseph told them about the Word of Wisdom. Then we talked about the other events that took place there (Mom, just wait till I take you on a tour when we come back to visit.:) ) and he explained how he felt the spirit more and how much he loved it. I then explained how everyone can feel the presence of the Holy Ghost, but once we are baptized by the proper authority, we can have have him with us at all times. He loved the sound of that. Perfect gateway into the baptismal invitation. Next thing ya know, Elder Bowcut committed him to baptism! The investigator said he would really like to, but he needed to make sure he knew what he was doing, so he wanted to attend a "session" (church) at least 2 or 3 more times before he was baptized. GOLDEN. So they got him on a date, and he is all set to be baptized on December 26th! The merriest of all Christmas presents. It was so neat! One of my favorite tours. It was just so neat to see how prepared he was. He said, "I've found something that I didn't even know I was looking for." It's almost like he read Preach my Gospel or something. But seriously! It was so amazing. And a lot of times when missionaries bring their investigators they (the missionaries) don't participate much, but the Zone Leaders were right there, teaching with us! And that really added a lot. It was like we were one giant companionship. #shakerunity. 

So yeah. He's really neat and I hope I get to go to his baptism. I think I will, because even though I'm getting transferred tomorrow, I'm staying in the Kirtland Zone. And guess. What. I'm going back to the Kirtland ward to train a new missionary. I'LL BE IN THE KIRTLAND WARD AGAIN!!!!! Isn't that so crazy?! I honestly can't believe it. They're going to be so weirded out when I show up on Sunday. "I'm baaaaack!" So crazy. So exciting. Such a tender mercy. I thought I was going to train in an area that I didn't know, but nope! Going back to Kirtland, baby! So I'll only have served in 2 areas my entire mission. And that's a little weird. But they're the best areas I could have asked for, so it's fine by me. :) I just need to figure out a way to convince President to let me bring Sister Beck with me. And to bring DK back, of course. 

Okay, that's my life. Christ lives, and he LOVES! Don't you forget it, ya hear?

Love,

Sister Livingston

Pictures sent by a couple on one of her tours

They said she was lovely!  And she wanted to share her with me.  So sweet.  :)

She sure looks happy!

Week 63: THANKSGIVING and MIRACLES

Hello! This week, you actually get to hear about my life. You're welcome. 

First off, Thursday was Thanksgiving and it was wonderful. Our Zone all met together at the Stake Center and did fun things together, then we went over to the VC where the seniors hosted a HUGE feast for us. So we ate until we exploded, then we got to go home and relax! It was quite nice. Then, the next day, WE WENT TO  THE TEMPLE WITH BILL! It was so good. It was like a little "Shaker Heights missionaries and their Recent Converts" trip. It was me, Sister Beck and Bill, the Elders and their 2 recent converts (one of whom I found out I'm related to. Not even kidding. See attached picture.) and our Ward Mission Leader. All 8 of us squeezed into a little van and took a nice little road trip. It was really fun and all of the Recent Converts had great experiences. Then, Friday evening, we headed back to the VC to watch the lighting ceremony. (Elder Wynder hired professionals to light up the VC. It kind of looks like Temple Square not, but not even close). While we were there, we saw Candy! Candy 

is the biggest miracle to ever take place. Here's her story:

Candy was walking around in the mall one day and saw a little wreath Christmas tree ornament with a white star in the center of it. She said that when she saw it, she felt like she needed to go somewhere, but she wasn't quite sure where. So she began to drive home and on her way, she drove past Historic Kirtland, where she saw a big wreath hanging on the building with a white star in the center! A huge version of the ornament she saw in the mall. She said she knew that was a sign, so she turned into the parking lot.  Sister Beck and I got to take her, her daughter and their friend on a tour, and the whole time she was very in tune with the spirit. She kept mentioning how she loved how she felt as she walked on the sacred sites and how inspiring all of the saints were. We could just tell there was something special about her.

Towards the end of the tour, she said to us, “This may seem like an ‘out there’ question, but I need to know--Do you guys believe in the power of healing?” We went on to explain the Priesthood power and told the story of Elsa Johnson, who had an arthritic arm and was miraculously healed after a blessing of healing given to her by Joseph Smith. I then told her the story of my eye situation. She was amazed! She explained to us that she didn't have the best health and had been diagnosed with cancer multiple times in the past. She then
said, “Now I know where to come next time it comes back!” 

At the end of the tour, Candyy accepted a Book of Mormon but didn't want to give us her contact information. She said she would come back to see the Nativity display, though! We were very hopeful and we prayed for her multiple times the following days. We prayed that she would either come back to the sites or that the missionaries in her area would find her. About a week later (Friday night), we saw Candy and her daughter wandering around the sites looking at the Nativities. We ran up to her and began talking. She explained that within the past week, she met two elders who talked to her on the street. She told them how she had taken a tour, received a Book of Mormon and couldn't wait to go back. They were able to set up a return appointment and she became a new investigator. During that week, she also found out that her cancer had come back, and she knew she needed to come back to the Historic Sites. Once she arrived at the Visitor’s Center, she approached two random elders (the Assistants, no less) and explained how she needed “the Grace of God” and needed a blessing. They were able to take her up to a quiet room and give her a blessing of healing. After talking for a few minutes, they committed her to baptism, and SHE ACCEPTED! She continues to meet with the Elders and has come back to the sites multiple times. She just can’t get enough! It's so crazy! At our Zone Training Meeting yesterday, we spent a few minutes talking about miracles we had recently seen, so we told that story and as we were, other missionaries were throwing in bits and pieces that they had heard about from other missionaries who were involved. It was so neat! It was like a mission-wide miracle. Okay, not mission wide. But Zone-wide, plus the Assistants. SO COOL! So we are now meeting with her at the VC while the elders in her area work with her out in her area. It's the neatest thing! Everything about it. 

Then on Tuesday, we had our Mission Christmas Conference. It was SO GOOD! It started out at the VC where we all looked at nativities and watched the new videos the church has produced. Then we had 2 hours for lunch. We were all way confused and didn't know what we were going to do with our lives for all that time, but then lo and behold, "The Best Two Years" began to play on the projector! WE WATCHED THE BEST TWO  YEARS! Ahhh it was the best 2 hours of my life. Just kidding. But it was really exciting/fun/weird/letsdoitagain. Then we all headed to the temple and had a devotional. We sang Christmas songs, listened to special musical numbers, and heard the testimonies of multiple missionaries/church leaders around our mission. It was so good! The spirit was so strong. I love love LOVE it when all of us missionaries gather together. The spirit can be felt like none other. I wish you all could have been there. I wish everyone could experience being a missionary. There really is no greater way to spend 18-24 months of your life at this age. I love it so much. Thanks for the support. :) And sorry I wrote an entire novel. 

I hope you had a good week as well. If it was anything like mine, you're probably in heaven.

 I love you!

Love,

Sister Livingston

1. My cousin, thanks to Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings.

2.  Sister Evans. Apparently I'm her "special friend". Whatever that means.

2. Yay for chubby cheeks! (Elder Bowcut and Jensen (ZLs) have a goal to make all of the Site Sisters fat. Isn't that horrible? Yet, SO hilarious. It's working.)

I just realized it looks like all I ever wear is black/white patterned shirts with the yellow cardigan.  Perfect.

Week 62: Reassurance!

IM ALIVE AND DOING WELL! Gotta go. love you!

-me

Week 61: The Best Thing I've Ever Done With My Life!

Heeeeey!

The week of never ending exchanges is over!! And 3 District Meetings. It was really hectic, but really fun. Really draining, but lots of learning. So, I'm happy. 

I got to go back to Kirtland on Wednesday with Sister Davis and that was FABULOUS! Got to see Sister C and boy do I miss her prayers! Love that little lady. So much. I also got to see Madame M! Still a hoarder. But the cutest one you'll ever see. Then on Thursday, I stayed in Shaker with Sister Berry and it was amazing! We found a new investigator. He was the one who offered to give us his number, he made sure we had his address and then when we were getting ready to leave, he was like, "Don't forget about me!" His father recently passed away, and he's proposing to his lady friend on Christmas, so he's prime. Hopefully all goes well with him! Then on Friday, I served in the Euclid area with Sister Janairo and we almost got blown over to California due to the crazy wind. By this time, I didn't even know who Sister Beck was. Just kidding. But it was nice to be back with her on Saturday.

On Saturday, we took the coolest tour! 3 non-members. A mom, daughter and some other guy. We're not quite sure how he fit into the picture. But at first they said, "We're just here to learn." But by the end, they had so many questions! The mom kept saying how the spirit told her to come to the sites, and how she loved the feeling that was there, and she was SO inspired by the saints. We told her about the Book of Mormon and she was like, "I would love one!" So we got one for her, and then the daughter asked if she could have her own. SO COOL. At the end of the tour, she said, "I know this may seem weird, but I just want to know. Do you believe in the power of healing?" YEAH WE DO!!!! Then we told her a story of one of the saints, and I told her the story of my eye. She loved it! Then she explained how she's had cancer multiple times and has had to go through chemo, but then she was like, "I know where I'm coming next time it comes back!" Supersupersuper cool. The sad part is they didn't want to give us their information. But they live nearby, so I trust that they'll be back. 

Basically, this is the best thing I've ever done with my life. I'm grateful everyday for the decision that I made to serve. I wouldn't trade it for a thing! I love Ohio (though I don't mind that I don't live here permanently) and the people, I love the sites, I love the missionaries I serve with. I just love it all. 

CHURCH IS TRUE!

Oh. By the way, next week our Preparation day is being moved to Thursday for Thanksgiving. So I'll be emailing on Wednesday for like 4 seconds. And the week after that, Preparation day won't be till Thursday. It's a good thing sacrifice brings for the blessings of heaven. 

Until then, be good.

Sister Livingston

Week 60: She is in love!

Greetings, from freezing Ohio! Just kidding. It's actually not that cold yet. And you know what? I'm okay with that. I took some people on tour from California the other day. They said it was in the 90s out there. Is that true? If so, I'm a bit jealous. Okay, enough weather talk. It's like we're on a date and we don't know what else to talk about or something.

This week was really great! We had 0 time in our area though. My week goes as follows:

Monday: Preparation Day

Tuesday: Mission Leadership Council

Wednesday: Sites

Thursday: Zone Conference

Friday: Area

Saturday: Sites

Sunday: Sites

But the good news is, since there's only one set of sisters in our area now, we are way busy during the time that we are in the area, so we still get a lot done. We seem to only be teaching men at the moment which is extremely difficult. We can't teach them alone inside because that's scary bears, but it's too cold to teach them outside because, not to bring up the weather again or anything, but it's a bit chilly. Ideally we would bring members with us, and ideally it would be men around their same age, but we can't bring just one other man because we can't be paired off. #doubledate. But we don't want to bring just one woman because we don't want them to think we're love doctors, so as a result, we have to bring the entire Relief Society. And then we scare them off. But it's okay, I'll survive. Don't worry about me. 

Only one of our investigators was able to make it to church yesterday. His name is Mr. A, and he lives in the same apartment complex as Mr. Bill. He's so awesome! He's 19 and is here for school. He's from Kentucky and has the thickest southern accent. It's hilarious. He's really funny. We were hoping to have about 4 of our investigators at church, but at 9:00, NONE of them  were there. Sweet nothin'. Our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, but behold the Lord comforted us, and said: Turn around, and there ye shall see Austin. And lo and behold, HE WAS THERE!! Hallelujah. He saved the day. So things are going well with him and it's really exciting. 

Guess what. We're going on 3 exchanges this week. Back to back. Therefore, who even is Sister Beck? It'll be crazy and draining, but hopefully effective. The Zone Leaders are doing the same thing with the elders. We (us and the ZLs) will be going to all of the District Meetings in our Zone, then going on exchanges afterwards. So nuts! But I'm excited. It'll be grand. 

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! I love my companion, I love those I serve, I love those I serve with, I love the Visitors' Center, I love the leaves, I love beans, I love it all. Mostly though, I love my Savior, Jesus Christ.  And I love the Book of Mormon, because it's allowed me to come to know Him better. It's amazing to think of the amount of love he had to have for each of us, and the Father, in order to perform His sacrifice. And I absolutely love the moments I have when I just feel an overwhelming sense of love from and for Christ. He truly is my best friend.

You come in a close second though. Wink. I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!

Love,

Sister Livingston

Week 59: The Spirit is Still Here, No Fear!

The Calista Crew

Heyheyhey! 

This week was really exciting, but also really depressing. Exciting, because I'm still in Shaker with Sister Beck. Depressing, because I'm in Shaker with no DK. And that's the worst. It's weird not having her around and I don't like it. Not one little bit. It's a good think Christmas is coming up though, now she can send herself to me. In a package. 

I Love to See the Temple

So there used to be us 4 (me, Beck, DK and Erickson) serving in our area, but now DK is home and Sister Erickson got transferred, so it's just Sister Beck and me! And it's freaky. We live in a huge home by ourselves, we weekly/nightly plan by ourselves, we eat by ourselves, we sleep by ourselves (nothing new, don't worry), we do it all by ourselves! It's definitely taking some adjusting. But it means that we're staying busy! So that's a blessing. PS when I say "by ourselves" I mean just the two of us mortals. The spirit is still here, no fear. 

Good-bye, Sis. de Kock (DK)

One Last Selfie Together

We were able to find some new investigators this week! One is a former investigator. He's from Italy and it's a struggle to understand him. Plus he like to hold our arms and place his face no further than 5 inches from our faces. Some might say it makes me feel weird. Plus we can hardly get a word in when we meet. Plus he says he already knows everything that the Bible and Book of Mormon teach. But he is still a child of God and we love him. The other is a man we just met on the streets. He calls us like, all the time though. And he's a little too excited to meet with us. So we may or may not have to pass him over to the Elders. The last one was a Head Quarter Referral. Her name is LaFawnda (not really). We stopped by yesterday and she was like, "I ordered this a looooong time ago, girl!" But we just stoked her hair and said it would all be okay. Just kidding. We gave her a free Bible and she was said, "Great! And how often are you in this area? I work the night shift from 8pm to 8pm, but usually don't go to bed until12pm so mornings are best for me. When can we meet this week?" We were blown away! It was a miracle. She's super neat. We're excited to see what happens with her.

God Be With You, DK!

What else? I don't know. Oh! Bill bore his testimony in church yesterday! That's 3 times in 3 weeks! And we didn't even ask him to do it this time! He also bought Sister Beck and me some CTR necklaces and Journals. Precious. HE GOT THE PRIESTHOOD YESTERDAY!!!! So we're trying to set up a temple trip with him and Rose, the Elder's Recent convert who was baptized a few weeks ago. Temple party. In the most reverent way, of course.

We also got to take President and Sister Brown on a tour with some of their extended family. Elder Wynder made us. It was scary, but it was SO good! It 's neat getting to spend some one on one time with them. Well, I guess it was actually two on five time, but what is math anyways? 

The Last Hurrah!

I love my mission. I've been able to learn so much and really strengthen my testimony. I wouldn't trade it for a thing! Not even all the Rubio's bean and cheese burritos in the world. It's here that I've really come to know Jesus Christ and feel of his love for not only me, but for everyone. And let me tell you, His love is real. And it's strong! It's eternal and will never end. It's amazing. I love Him with all my heart and want to be more like Him.

I hope you all have a great week! 

Much love,

Sister Livingston

Week 58: God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Hello, hello!

Sorry the past two emails have only been half a gallon long. I'll try to be better. This week was great! We got transfers calls on Sunday, and I'm staying in Shaker AGAIN! So crazy. Like, nuts actually. 5 Transfers in Shaker. I was shocked when I found out. I assumed I'd be leaving, because usually STLs don't stay in an area for more than 3 or 4 transfers, so I started to pack my suitcases on Saturday night. My closet and dresser had SWEET NOTHIN' in them. Then we got the call, and I had to unpack my bags! The thing that's weird though, is the fact that Sister de Kock's companion, Sister Erickson, has only been here for 2 transfers and she's leaving! So she wasn't prepared at all to leave, but she's leaving. I was super prepared to leave, and I'm staying. President Brown is a tricky one. But I'm glad. I really love this area.

Speaking of Sister de Kock, she goes home tomorrow and I want to cry. It still hasn't quite hit me yet though, so tomorrow will be rough. Especially because during Transfer Meetings we have all the departing missionaries stand on the stand and we sing, "God Be With You Till we Meet Again". It's always really sad, but to have my dk leaving! Someone get me some tissues, please. She is the best. I really love her a lot and have been able to learn so much from her. She'll be a life long friend, no doubt. Is it okay if I move to South Africa? Thank you.

On Sunday we had what was called a "Non-Member Sunday". All of the talks were supposed to be completely geared to those who aren't of our faith. They were going to be on: The Restoration, Plan of Salvation and Gospel of Jesus Christ, though we only ended up having time for one. But Bill bore his testimony and it was awesome! He's so cool. We hoped that a lot of members would invite their friends and we'd be able to meet some potential investigators, but there was a grand total of one non-member who showed up to Sacrament Meeting. And that was our former investigator. So that was kind of sad. I mean, it was great that she showed up, but sad that no one else was able to make it! But it's okay, because it was just want she needed. That was her first time attending church and she LOVED it. She told us, "Usually I don't listen to every word that is said in services, but I did this time. I really enjoyed it and learned a lot." So neat! So hopefully things continue to go well with her.

Thank you for the emails each week! You're all the bomb.com. Especially you, mom. (You know I pay her to say things like that about me.) I love you all! Have a great week and say your prayers.

Much love,

Sister Livingston

Enjoy my face and the really pretty trees.

Week 57: Forgive me.

Heyheyhey!

This week was great! I'm safe, happy, growing (in more than one way) and loving life. We went to the temple this morning and it was WONDERFUL! Love that place SO much. Though the Columbus temple is TINY!!! Still grand, nonetheless.

I can't remember much other than that. But most likely more stuff happened than the temple. If you're lucky, I'll tell you some day. 

Much love,

Sister Livingston

"Short and sweet, just like her."  Mike Trentman

Week 56: "You Wanna Go Where Everybody Knows Your Name" (Cheers)

Hello! Get ready for the shortest email you've ever received from me. 

We found a new investigator this week! We'll call him Marley! He's Jamaican, so it's hard to understand. But he's JAMAICAN! So neat. We taught him twice last week, then he came to church and got there half an hour early, and was asking about baptism! So amazing! Pray all goes well with him. :)

Yesterday, I got to take the Bishop of the Kirtland ward on tour with his family! He was actually released yesterday, so with all of the time that he had when he wasn't in meetings/interviews, they decided to come to the sites! It was really fun and nice to see him again. And he remembered me. I don't know why, but that ALWAYS shocks me. And when people know my name. For example, this lady in the Elders area called me by name yesterday. I was wondering how she knew my name, and when I looked down at my name tag, it was covered by my hair. HOW DID SHE DO THAT?! So yeah.

Also, I sang in church yesterday with the Elders and that was scary. But it went decently well. We sang "I'll Go where You Want me To Go". On the first verse, we each had a little solo, and my line was, "It may not be on the battle's front, my Lord will have need of me." It was supposed to be silent humor. Because I'm a girl. And they're boys. But I got that line. Get it? Battle's Front? Okay, okay that's all I have time for. Missionary work is the best and I'm in love with my Mission. Christ lives! 

Love,

Sister Livingston

Week 55: 5 points from General Conference Weekend!

This week was quite a bit slower, but good things still happened! I can't really remember it at all though. Shoot. I went on exchanges back to my baby area! It was actually really weird--I was in the Kirtland area with Sister Finlinson. My old area with my old companion. But it was so good! I got to see Sister S, and she is doing awesome. She's working towards going to the temple in November! 











Then I also got to see Sister Clarkson, and she is one of my favorite people EVER. Love that lady. Then we had dinner with a family that I absolutely LOVE. And they actually remembered me! And random things about me, like my birthday and the fact that I like spicy food. So that was nice. Sometimes I feel like no one is ever going to remember me. 







 


Then after that we went to see Danyelle and Issac, my
best buddy. He gave me a big fat hug. Lots of them, actually. I'm not sure it was allowed though, so shhh. It was so fun being back! It kind of felt like coming home

. 

And General Conference was amazing, as always. 3 new apostles! So exciting.  When they walked to their new chairs--what a scary/exciting walk. On Saturday we were serving at sites so we just watched it there on the big screen. It's the next best thing to actually being there. They also show the Priesthood session, and the Kirtland Ward always comes to the sites to watch it, so I got to see Brother Decker! It's always so good seeing him. Then on Sunday, we watched the First session at Bishop's house. It was so fun/weird. I almost didn't feel like a missionary. Originally, we planned to meet there with the Elders and Bishop to discuss our "non member" sacrament meeting and the needs of individuals in our ward. But when we showed up, they had a huge feast for us! Probably for Korea's Thanksgiving. 

I ALSO GOT TO SEE Madame M LAST WEEK!!!!! Sweet, sweet miracles.

Then we had the meeting. Afterwards, Bishop wanted us to play a game of ping pong with his boys to interact with them a little more, so we did. #dutycalls. Then we all headed back up to the kitchen to do the dishes and clean up. Then they invited us all to stay for conference since we had no where else to go. Then after conference, Bishop's wife hemmed a dress of mine while we did studies on their couch. So it felt like we were just hanging out with friends all morning. It was definitely a different day in the life of a missionary. Here's a quick summary of what I got out of conference:

1. Make Christ the center of your life, and He will mold you into who you are capable of becoming.

2. Mother's are the best! But mostly mine. 

3. Keep the commandments, stay within the boundaries.

4. Always seek to have the Holy Ghost with you. 

4. PONDERIZE!! Loved that one. 

5. Our leaders are called of God and are inspired. 

And lots of other little golden nuggets. Here's what I'm ponderizing this week:

"But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God." Moroni 7:13

So good and so true. I just want to be better. Luckily for me, I can become better through Christ. I love Him and know that He lives. I hope you have a wonderful week and are able to personally apply the things you learned during conference. 

Much love,

Sister Livingston

Look who got called to serve in Kirtland!

This is one of Jayne's best friends from when she was in elementary school!  Brenley just got called to serve in Cleveland, OH, in the Historic Kirtland Visitor's Center, just like Jayne!  Brenley leaves February 10th, so they'll miss each other.  Jayne's release date is March 5, and Brenley will have 3 weeks in the Missionary Training Center.  But we want to take our family back so we may see her then, and enjoy getting to be the ones to take the pictures and send them to her family!t  What a special treat for these girls!

Week 54: BILL WAS BAPTIZED!!

Heeey! This week was a good one! BILL WAS BAPTIZED!! It was so neat. The spirit was strong, he was excited, the water was warm, the members were involved and everything about it was perfect. Except for the part where I attempted to sing. But let's not talk about that.

 

 After he was baptized, he got up and bore his testimony. He said that when he first gave us his number, it was because he liked to mess around with missionaries of other faiths (JW), but then after we met, he realized that we could answer a lot of questions we had, so he took it very seriously! And he moved right along. Originally we had set a baptismal date with him for October 17th, but then after the first 3 lessons we realized that he was ready RIGHT THEN so we moved it up to September 26th. But now he's going to the temple on the 17th! Then he got confirmed yesterday and said he felt remarkable. He also said he's really happy with the timing of everything because now he'll have the Gift of the Holy Ghost while he watches General Conference. Basically, he knows what's up.

 

Ignore the fact that I'm standing a mile away from him. I was scared to get too close.

Then after his baptism, the Zone Leaders brought their investigator to Kirtland and Sister Beck and I got to take them on a tour! It was really good. She was a bit quiet at first, but we tried really hard to involve her and get her to interact more. Then when it came to the School of the Prophets, we told the story of all of the men throwing their pipes into the fireplace when they learned of the Word of Wisdom and asked what she thought of it. She said, "They must have really known Joseph was a Prophet of God!" And it's TRUE! They really did. She later went on to say that she does too! So neat. Then we left her in that room with the Elders and she was able to pray to our Heavenly Father. The Elders said it was a super good experience for her and that the spirit was so strong! She is getting baptized soon as well. 

THE SITES ARE THE BEST! They are so powerful. Some like to put it this way: The Sites are the best missionary in all of Ohio. Amen to that, my friend! Just being there is amazing, but learning about all of the stories and things that took place--nothing better.

Have a great week! Say your prayers, read your scriptures, brush you teeth, you know. The usual. 

Love,

Sister Livingston

Week 53: The Spirit in the School of the Prophets

Greetings, friends. 

This week was really great! Though I'm not too sure what all happened. I feel like it was preparation day just yesterday! Weird.

I get to stay in Shaker Heights for another transfer which I am absolutely THRILLED about! #shakerboundbaby! I just really like it here. Like, a lot. Bill is getting baptized on Saturday! We had our first lesson with him on August 28th, and he's getting baptized on September 26th. Less than a month. It's so crazy! That never happens here. Well, rarely. Veeeery rarely. But when we told our WML about moving Bill's baptismal date forward so much, he was like, "Are you sure he's ready?" We explained that he was. Then yesterday Brother Rhodes, WML, took Bill from church to work and afterwards he said to us, "He's definitely ready. His understanding is incredible." YEAH IT IS! Hes' so neat. 

#siteelders

Last Tuesday, the Elders had their Preparation Day on Tuesday because it was Transfer week. But we were serving at sites, and they all came in and wanted to take a tour-- That's just something they do the Preparation Day before transfers, especially when elders are leaving the Kirtland zone. It's like a last hurrah kind of thing. So Sister Beck and I took them, but we made them give us the tour based off of what they remember from bringing investigators and what not. Plus they threw in some random ridiculous "facts". It was so funny! But then we got into the School of the Prophets, and two of the elders really took control and buckled down. They just talked about how special that room is and how blessed we were to be in it, and the atmosphere completely changed! They invited us all to kneel down and pray to re-dedicate our missions to Heavenly Father. We all did that at the start of our missions, and the spirit was strong, no doubt. But get that room full of Elders and Sisters who have done nothing but pray about, study and preach the word of God for the past 3-18 months, and there is nothing better! The spirit was SO strong, I didn't want to leave. I'm just so grateful I was able to experience that. It was so neat to see the contrast of everyone before the School of the Prophets, and in the School of the Prophets. The spirit--it's a powerful tool. 

The Baby District

I don't really know what else to talk about. But I do know that Christ lives, and I know that He is the one leading and directing us today, through His servant, Thomas S. Monson. I'm grateful for the knowledge of a Savior who died for me and you and knows us individually, perfectly and eternally. It is only through following him that we are able to make it back to live with our Heavenly Father, who is there for us every step of the way, but is SO eager for us to return to him. I am so excited to go home (not Auburn home) ((gross)) (((just kidding, its' a good place))) and speak with them! It is going to be the best reunion of my life. 

I love you guys! If you have time and they have the need, feed the missionaries soon! They'd probably really appreciate it. :) Have a wonderful week.

Love,

Sister Livingston