Week 42: God has a plan for us!

Sister de Kock and I calling our RCs/LA
 to set up a TEMPLE TRIP!!!!

Hello! 

This week was swell.  Much better than my sick week.  That one, I think I'll rip out of my journal.  Except for I'm the worst journal writer there is and I didn't actually write about it.  Or anything else really.  I've spent my time from 9:30pm-10:30pm these past couple of nights trying to get caught up on my journal though.  I was about 3 months behind.  Yikes.

On Friday I was kind of having a hard time. I'll spare you the details, but I was just really down and being hard on myself. I felt worthless and like I was no good. Well, okay. I feel like that a lot actually. But especially on Friday. So yeah. I was sad. But then we went over to see one of the less active members that we've been working with. She really doesn't know much, so about a week ago we felt that it would be good to just start with the basics and go through the Gospel Principles Manual with her. Chapter 1 is on our Heavenly Father. We just talked about Him and who He is. We talked about His love for us and His awareness of each and every one of us. We talked about how our trials are opportunities to grow close to Him and our Savior and come to know Them more personally. We also talked about how He has a plan for everything and how everything, even when we don't recognize it or see His hand in our lives in the moment, is part of a bigger picture that He sees. And that is exactly what I needed to hear. I wasn't sure of why things were happening they

were and I let it get me down. But, Heavenly Father 

had a plan. In my personal opinion, I think that He 

I really love these little rascals.

knew that I would be having a hard time at that 

moment, so He put into our minds, through the spirit, 

a WEEK ago, what we should teach this less active. And it just so happened that what "she" needed was actually what I needed in that very moment. And he knew it the whole time. That's just my opinion. It may or may not be true. But God is our Father. He knows us, loves us, and wants us to be happy. And THAT is true. I know it is.

 

The VC Sisters.

On Saturday we took a really cool tour. We were doing our little introduction to a family, and they were all solid members. But then the seniors added two more people to our group--two non members. Their car had broken down right in front of the Visitors' Center (Happy 4th), and they decided that they would take a tour as they waited for the tow truck. So we took them on tour! And it was amazing. They seemed a little bit closed off and were pretty quiet at first. They just didn't seem too happy. Maybe because their car had just broken down and ruined their plans? Probably. But we took them through all of the rooms in the store and it was AMAZING! The spirit was so strong, and they got more into it the longer we were on tour. In the Hired Man's room, we like to take the opportunity to talk about the Book of Mormon. We had the parents of the member family share their testimonies of it and it was PERFECT. So powerful. We offered the non-members a copy and they accepted.Then they got a call--they had to leave to go deal with their car. I walked them back to the Visitors' Center and asked what they thought about the tour. Their response: "God has a plan! There must be a reason our car broke down where it did." And then I died of happiness. They didn't leave us with their information, but they promised that they would read it. That's the thing with serving here--We get to have so many opportunities like that, where we plant seeds, but we don't always get to see what happens with those seeds which would be nice. But that's okay. Because, God has a plan.

I love you guys! Glad you had a Happy 4th, and Happy Belated birthday, Mom! You're #1. I love you.

Love,

Sister Livingston

Week 41: Lots of awesome quotes!

Maybe this is what
caused the sickness!

Hello! Transfers were last Wednesday. But weren't transfers like 2 weeks ago? Alright everybody, what's going on here? Anyway. I'm still serving in the Shaker Heights East area with Sister Finlinson. And thank goodness, because there is much work to be done here. And everywhere I suppose. 

I've been sick. So this week has been extra slow. It all started Thursday night and has been going pretty strong since. But that's okay. I'll get over it. Luckily, I've had a cool little book to keep myself entertained as I spend too many hours inside taking it easy! #thankyoutrentmans #you'rethebest #youcanexpectsomemailfromme #again #okayenoughwiththehashtags

Alright. So, since I don't really have any other news, I'm going to share with you some of my favorite President Vellinga quotes in honor of them returning home yesterday. 

"If you train wrong, I'm going to take away your favorite tie, tie you up with it, throw you in the dumpster behind your apartment, throw a bunch of Jehovah's Witness literature on you and light a match." (I've shared that one before, sorry. It's just SO good.)

"In this mission, we obey ALL the rules because we're going to heaven. But don't be Hitler. Have fun being obedient."

"Learn to like good music so that you like it when you get to heaven."

"If you think Heavenly Father didn't know what He was doing when He sent you on a mission, then you're dumb." (I might have shared that one already, too.)

"Look at these earrings {on the dress and grooming website]! These are petrified raspberries."

"Boys have fleas. When you're on your mission, they've got big ones."

"Some Elders get lazy and don't want to cut their head for a certain amount of time, so they buzz their hair and look like boiled chickens. You ever seen a boiling chicken?"

"Keep your eyes, minds and hearts on your purpose because you're ugly. So don't flirt."

"Make sure your tie isn't a thin silver space blanket tie, and make sure it's not huge. It's not your bib."

"You can't control the length of your life, but you can control what you make of your life."

"If you don't like work, you won't like heaven."

"There is no room for rebellion in full-time missionary service. It will only shut out heaven. There is no room for rebellion in the heart of a missionary."

"All boys have fleas while you're on a mission. All girls have cooties when you're on a mission. And you're all ugly until this [name tag] comes off."

"People like to be around people who love everybody. Love everybody. Love is a choice. Choose it."

"We love all missions. They're all true. But with the Historic Kirtland sites, we have a thread of gold in ours." 

"You'll get old, too! I mean, Look at them! *points at senior couples*  Can you spell fossil?"

"You haven't been translated yet, so there's still room to grow."

"I just want you to know that you're good enough. Okay? You're good. Satan's a liar. Believe that you're good."

"Love your mission. Love life. If you know how to love your mission, you'll love life."

"Believe in Miracles. Love your mission. Go to Heaven!"

Blurry, but treasured.

So there's a little taste of how great President Vellinga is. Do I need his permission to share all of these gems? Shoot. I don't know. Probably. But too bad. In conclusion, I would like to say that I love President Vellinga. I love his testimony and his humor. I will be eternally grateful for the time that I have had to serve with Him. 

I love you all, too! I hope you're all happy and are loving life.

Love,

Sister Livingston

Week 40: New friends and new games

I'm a true lover of yard work these days.

Hello!

This week was a good one. On Friday, I got to go on exchanges with Sister Morrison! She is Sister Allen's new companion. Sister Allen trained her. Therefore, she's my granddaughter. It was really great! We stayed in my area and saw many miracles. One of our appointments with an investigator fell through, what's new? But as a back up, we had planned to do some former stop-bys. We went to this one house where a couple lived, saw a man and woman outside and asked if they were Johnny and Becca. PS those aren't their real names. I forgot them. But they said it wasn't them! So we were about to leave, but then I slapped myself on the wrist, turned around and said, "Actually, can we leave you with this card?"And gave them a pass along card. We started to talk to them and they had SO many questions! And they LOVED what we shared with them. They gave us their numbers and asked us to come back! So we're going to see them tonight and I'm really excited.

Our Elders made us cupcakes for Father's Day.
Don't laugh at my chubby cheeks.

Also, we were walking down a street and a lady was about to walk past us so we offered her a pass along card, but she said, "Is it Jesus? I'm Jewish. We don't talk about that." Then kept waking. Then a few seconds later, we heard her yell, "Hey! There are some people down there playing ping pong! Maybe they'd want to listen." So, we gave it a shot. We walked down there and found a family, Mom and Dad, with their two sons, Alex and Alex. Both in their 20s. Step brothers. They were actually playing corn hole, by the way. Alex 1 was shirtless and drinking, and they were swearing all over the place. So I was scared out of my mind. But his dad was like, "Play us! If you win, Alex will convert." So we thought, "What the heck. Lets do it." Well, we lost. Sorry, everyone. But they said we could come back! And by the time we left, they had stopped swearing! Also, they got our first names out of us and kept calling me Jayne. It was the weirdest, yet most exciting thing I've ever been called! The mom called me Sister Jayne though, and it made me think of the Trentmans. So that was fun. 

The tiny little baby District.

And yesterday we took a youth group on tour. They were all from Utah and had just graduated from HS. Except for they looked like they were all 5 years older than me so I was really intimidated. (I've discovered that I feel as though I'm not capable of certain things because I'm short. And that isn't a joke. Sad, right?) Plus, I was by myself. But it was actually super cool! They were asking so many questions. A lot had received their mission calls already, and some were still deciding whether or not to serve, so it was really neat speaking with them. It was neat being able to help them prepare for their missions, even in the smallest of ways. I just wish I could know what actually happens with them! I really liked them. 

My mission has been so good to me. I have loved it way too much and it's going by way too fast. But I sure do love you guys! I hope you're all well. I hope Lake's little chin feels better soon. I love him so much. 

Love,

Sister Jayne

Week 39:#blessedbeyondmeasure

This week was a little bit sad. Mostly because President and Sister Vellinga are leaving soon, so last week they had a "Mission Tour" where they met with different Zones to give us words of wisdom and say their final goodbyes. I cried like a baby while we sang our Mission Song for the last time together. Then afterward when we were all shaking his hand, he looked me in the eyes, smiled and said, "I love you, Sister Livingston" and told me how proud of me he was. And then I cried some more, naturally.  I am so grateful to have leaders like the Vellingas. I have been able to learn so much from both their words and their way of living. I'm really going to miss them. But, we still have transfers next week so I'll get to see them one more time. So dry those tears up, friends. 

Also, at our Zone's Mission Tour, we played a musical number. There were 2 violinists, a viola and a cello. And the accompanist. We played "Come thou Fount". It was a really pretty arrangement and made me miss playing the violin. Except for I'm not that good at it, so that's unfortunate. I'm also playing at our transfer meeting next week for the final goodbye. Yikes. 

This week I went on exchanges with Sister Barfuss in her area, Euclid East. It was great. She's hilarious and I love her passion. It's so neat being a Kirtland STL because when we go on exchanges, we go with the other sisters in the VC, so we already know each other. It's kind of like just going on an exchange with a good friend for the day. Except for the Missionary Handbooks says not to go on exchanges just to get with a friend, so I'm doomed. 

We also had Stake Coordination this week. So we got to see President again to discuss the missionary work in the Kirtland Stake with our Stake President and the ZLs. That's why I'm happy that I get to get an STL. Because I get to go to meetings and listen to President speak more than usual. #blessedbeyondmeasure 

Really though. I am blessed beyond measure. The hashtag just makes it funny. On my mission, I've really been able to solidify my testimony which, to me, is the greatest blessing. I know that Christ lives. He is my Savior and I love him. I love that I've been able to come to know him more personally, but I want to know HIm even better. I know that Joseph Smith truly did restore Christ's church and I'm grateful for all of the sacrifices that went out in our behalf so that we could enjoy the blessings of the gospel today. And trust me, there are many. I love my Heavenly Father. I love the gospel. I love my mission. And I love you guys. 

Thank you for you love and support and have a wonderful week!

Much love,

Sister Livingston

Week 38: The hula, the temple, 7 wives for 1 brother and a farmer's tan

Hello, hello you wonderful citizens of my family. It's me.

This week was great. Last night, we got to have a little combined FHE with all of the VC sisters/senior couples and the Community of Christ. We had a barbecue, then went on a hike and saw the most beautiful view of Ohio there is. You could see the lake, and all of Cleveland in the distance. Ohio is SO pretty. I love it. Also, we learned how to hula. Okay okay, tried. But mostly I'm a robot so it didn't work out too well.  

I was hardly with Sister Finlinson at all this week. On Thursday we had a Zone Training Meeting, then afterwards we went on exchanges with Sister de Kock and Sister Adame, who are the other sisters who serve in our area. Two of us were at the VC (Adame and I) while the others were in the Area. Then on Friday we went on exchanges again, and I got to be with Sister de Kock! So much fun being back with her. It felt so normal and I loved it. Probably because I love her. Then on Saturday, Sister Finlinson and I were finally  back together, but actually not really. We were at the VC and it was super busy so we were split up all day taking solo tours. We spent 45 mintues together from 9am-9pm. Being split up with my companion is like a guilty pleasure. Not because I don't like my companion, because I definitely do. I've loved                                                                                                all of them. It's just exciting because it's so different. 

Also, we just got the best news that's ever existed. President emailed us and we can now to go the temple on our missions! I'M GOING TO THE TEMPLE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love that place so so so much. And I miss it too much. I was okay with not going for 18 months because it meant I was serving Heavenly Father and His children all the time. But now, I get to do that AND go to the temple. So I'm happy.

And that's my news of the week. 

Okay. I actually have a funny story. While I was with Sister de Kock of Friday, we got a HQ referral, who had requested the Restoration DVD. So we went to deliver it to him and teach him the Restoration! IT was actually someone whom we had given a pass along card to, so that was neat. First thing he says is, "Isaiah 4. Read it." So I started to read it and it was about 7 women clinging to 1 man. Then he told me to stop. We were pretty confused, but then just taught the restoration. He was all over the place. But at the end of the lesson, he was like, "The only reason I would join the Mormons is so that I could have 7 wives." Then he proceeded to tell us about the 7 women who are after him. It was funny. Then he started telling us about electric dreams that he has. And it just got weirder and weirder as the lesson when on. Don't worry though, we told him that we couldn't offer him 7 wives, but we could offer him greater happiness, peace, joy, guidance and comfort than he had ever experienced. He didn't love that answer too much. 

Missions are the best and I've decided that everyone should go on one. Especially if you want a farmer's tan and have never had one before. Because, it will happen. Trust me. 

I love you guys! 

Love,

Sister Livingston

Week 37: Nothing better than a soft bun. Except maybe a baptism.

1. Thank you for the new shirt, mom!
My face doesn't accurately portray
how I feel about it, don't worry.

Hello! 

First of all, I'm sorry for not telling you that I wouldn't be emailing on Tuesday. I hope you guys didn't cry too much. Just kidding. Not even funny, knock it off. We had a Mission Leadership Council meeting with President Vellinga and all the ZLs/STLs on Tuesday. And it was amazing. But, it was also so depressing because President Vellinga leaves in less than a month so that was his last one. I love him so much! He is amazing. When Chancey was talking about how his Mission President does things at transfer meetings after the departing missionaries share their testimonies, I just thought to myself, "Wait. President Vellinga is your Mission President, too?" Because that's exactly what he is like. It must be a Mission President thing. So in tune with the spirit, so adaptable in what they say, so inspiring, so encouraging, so loving and so proud of us. 

2. "Just" cats? What does that even mean?

On Friday we went on exchanges. This time, I got to go to the Kirtland North area with Sister Merritt! So I was back in my old ward. :) Though, a different area. It was so amazing though! Also, guess who fed us. Brother Decker. What. A. Blessing! It was really fun to see him again. Plus, the burger was delicious, so that's a plus. The buns were so soft. But not like a soggy soft. Just soft. You know? I really like going on exchanges with all of the sisters here. It gives me a chance to get to know                                                                                              them better, and I learn so much from them. 

3. MLC

Also, I forgot to tell you this last week. But two weekends ago, we weren't allowed to leave our apartment because of some rioting going on in Cleveland. So it was really exciting. Except for I was sick so I stayed home anyways. Because I'm a weakling. But it was still exciting. Your'e welcome.

On Sunday we were able to go to a baptism in our ward that the elders have been teaching. It was amazing! I love baptisms. This one was especially good for some reason. The spirit was just very strong. I love the spirit. It makes me happy and it makes me hope my mission never ends. So I think I'll just live here forever. Thank you. 

4. My buddy, Jordan.

                                                                                                    We took some pretty neat tours this week. It is always a great experience when we get to witness righteous mothers and fathers taking opportunities, like being on sacred grounds, to teach their kids the truths of the gospel and to share their testimonies. It makes me want to raise a family of my own and be a perfect mother. That's not too much to ask for, right? Speaking of mothers... 

Congrats to Carter and Jackie!!! Jackson is a cutie. I love him. I don't even know him but I love him. And I'm sad that I couldn't have been there for it. Well, after the whole birthing experience. And cleaning the baby part. But really. I'm happy for you two. I love you guys! 

I hope you are all happy and know how much Heavenly Father loves you. If you're not sure, just read the Book of Mormon. Then you'll know. :) I love you guys!

Love,

Sister Livingston

Week 36: More Kisses and Back to Old Tricks

Hello!

I don't have much to say, but if you vote for me, all of your wildest dreams will come true. 

But really. I actually don't have much to say. On Friday we went on exchanges. I went to the Euclid Area with Sister Guinn, with whom I lived when I first got to Ohio, so it was really nice! We went to an Assisted Living Center for service, and this cute little old lady kept staring at me, so I went up to her because I thought she needed something. I bent down to talk with her, then she kind of perked up, and started getting real close to my face. I thought she was going to whisper something so I got closer, then she grabbed my face and gave me a big ole smooch on the cheek. Like, not just a little peck. It was like 3 seconds long. I was a little weirded out. But then I got to thinking and was like, "Okay, she's just a cute little old lady who is very affectionate with everyone." Then I walked away. 

A few minutes pass, and I saw her staring at me again. And again, she looked like she needed something, so I asked what I could do for her. Next thing ya know, another smooch! This time, probably 4 seconds long. "Okay. This is a little weird. But she's still just cute and old."

I leave. Then a few minutes go by, and I see her walking up to me. Once again, I thought she just needed to tell me something so I lean in so she could whisper something to me (you'd think I'd learn). Another. Kiss. 4 seconds. Then she looked at me, smiled and asked, "Do you have a man?" 

.......And then I felt weird inside. Not so cute anymore. So I ran away and wiped my cheek off lots of times. 

We went to a frozen yogurt shop this week and once we got inside, my inner former Schoolhouse Yogurt Employee came out and I went a little nuts with putting the lids on everything, wiping the counters, putting the serving scoops back in their holders, pushing up handles, etc. It was great. 

On Sunday we got to go to the John Johnson Farm in Hiram, Ohio, which is where a lot of really neat things took place in the history of our church. Usually just senior couples give tours there, but during the summer they have the young Sisters who serve in Hiram give tours there. However, none of them really knew the tour yet, so Sister Finlinson and I got to go (she served there last summer) and practice with them! It was really neat. I would love to serve there as well, but most likely won't ever get to. It was especially fun because Sister Heckert is serving in Hiram now so I got to spend the day with her. And I really love her. And sometimes I just want to live with her again. 

The more I think about it, the more amazed I am with the opportunity that I have been given to serve in such a significant place in the history of our church. Before serving here, I had NO idea how much Ohio impacted the early church. No idea. And I'm still learning everyday! I love it so much. I'm excited to come back some day and take you guys on a tour with me. I might cry though because I love it so much. I love learning about the early saints and their courage and faith, but especially about their love and devotion to following our Savior. Theirs are examples that I look up to and need to be much better about following. 

I love you guys! Glad to hear Carter made it to
China safely, but also sad that he's not with Jackie. I hope all goes well with everything! I'll keep them in my prayers. I'm excited to see the little guy soon. :)

So much green.

Look what the cat dragged in.

Love, 

Sister Livingston