All is well. It's just freezing over here!

Well this week was... cold! As my mom and dad know... ha! Pretty crazy thinking that you were both sooo close to me this week! I am sorry you had to deal with the coldness... don't worry. I am sure Florida will be better for you... woot. (sarcasm intended.) But this week was good other than that! We still had a pretty good week and only one snow day! :)

Here is my week! :)

Tuesday: Well we had like 5 appts set for this day and yes! Guess what happened? It snowed and snowed and snowed and snowed and snowed some more! ALL DAY LONG! So they told us that we had to be on lock down again! I asked an older missionary how often this happened last year and they said that they had a snow day one time. We have already had like 5! It's crazy! And I'm not gonna lie, I go crazy sitting inside all day! We were going to try and see if the Kays could take us out and they said no! You silly? We aren't driving and we aren't going to let you walk either!!! So they made us come over to their house and be with them haha needless to say... it was a long day!

Wednesday: We got off lock down (I feel like I am in prison or something ahhah) around 11 and then we had district meeting late so we ran down to Jersey did that, then came back up and we were able to teach a couple people. We saw a Less Active who has been struggling with the Word of Wisdom and she said she hasn't had anything in a week! That was great! :)  Then we saw an investigator. We taught him the first lesson and the spirit was sooooo strong! It was great because he is the type of guy who likes to talk a lot but every time we testified he went quiet. No one can argue with that! So the whole lesson we testified and I know that he felt something! :) Then we were able to go another Less Active Member who we haven't been able to see forever and she cooked us dinner! :) So we sat with her and her boyfriend who is Jewish and had a nice talk and dinner with them! Their food was sooo good! :) Then we went home with all the left overs! :)

Thursday: Supposed to be our walking day but since we didn't use the car on Tuesday, we drove today! :) We had some appts fall through though so we saw our recent convert and her son and taught them great lessons, after which we went to Young Mens and Young Womens! :)

Friday: We had a good day on Friday... We were able to go to a member’s home and teach them for a little bit and check up on how they are doing! Then we were able to go and see another member who is really struggling and we taught them a short message. Then we did some contacting and we met this kid who is 18 years old and we talked with him for a while and ended up giving him a Book of Mormon. He didn't want us to come back... but the fact that he has that book means something! :) Then we saw our convert again then off to have an Herbal Life Shake for Dinner. yum.

Saturday: An interesting day because our ward decided to have a giant Blood Drive with the red cross in our gym. So they wanted us there the whole time in case any non-members came. So we were there all morning... and it was mostly just members! There was maybe 2 or 3 but they were getting their blood sucked out of them (sick) we couldn't really talk so that was hard. But we did leave and go and have a great lesson with our first baptism in the middle. She is doing good! :) Then that night we were able to teach another investigator and we had a great lesson with him about how the Spirit works! Then we were able to go and see another Less Active and found out he didn't even know why he got baptized... :( So we told him and so hopefully that will help him figure his life out... :( Interesting some of the people that get taught... sometimes you wonder how they even got baptized... :/ but then our next appt juked us so that was our night pretty much! It started snowing again so they told us to get back inside... yay.

Sunday: We had a crazy Sunday! But good! :) Elder and Sister Pead, came to our ward today, who are on a mission here in the city... they are over helping people get jobs and stuff... last time they came I found out they are the ones who are friends with Nana!!! But anyways this time they were here I found out he was the vice principle for Northridge in 2010... so I didn't know him but he was my vice principle!! haha and it takes both of us coming out here to meet! Small world! :) But three of our investigators came to church and we also taught Youth Sunday school... interesting! They are crazy! hah! but it was good! :) Then we taught a youth and we taught him a great lesson about praying to know! :) Then after church we went to the Bishop’s house and we taught the kids that are on date for the 16th of Feb. We hadn't seen them very much but they were at church and we had a great talk with them about what it means to be baptized and how important it is and after we left they asked Bishop to baptize them I guess... so that’s great! We will see what happens there... pray for them! :) And then we went to dinner at one of my favorite families! They are so sweet and that was great then we went to teach our recent convert because she was talking to Elder and Sister Pead during Sunday school and she missed part of the lesson and she was mad! haha she was like I need you to teach me what they were talking about! Tonight! So we went and taught her more about the Fall of Adam and Eve! :) That was good! :) And that was our day! :)

Pretty good week I would say! I am excited for this next week... is it already February? That’s crazy. But all is good! Super Bowl Sunday! Pretty crazy thinking I could literally drive to the super bowl in 20 min... weird! Don’t worry I won't, but let me know who wins! :) All is well here and hope it gets warmer... but if not, I still know the church is true! Heavenly Father really cares for each of His Children. Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind! And I know that Joseph Smith really did see them both face to face and that the Church has been restored!

I love you all so much!

Have a great week!

Sister Dahl

the Book of Mormon DID change her life!

What a wonderful week... one of those weeks that were just really solid! We were able to get a lot done and help bring others to the knowledge of the truth! :) Plus we found 4 new investigators this week! There is something about training a new missionary... because of their faith you see so many miracles! It's a fact in this mission!! I am grateful to witness it! :) 

Well to start off...

Monday: We went shopping at Goodwill... again... love that store. We just have one problem... When I came out on my mission I had like 8 skirts... well now I have 25! haha what in the world? That’s okay I am not willing to admit that I have a problem yet! :) But after that we had Family Home Evening and we had a great lesson on Christ’s Apostles! I am learning so much! 

Tuesday: We were able to go to Union City and have Zone Conference! We had to go super early because all the people that are bad drivers have to go and watch a movie about driving and then they get to drive again... well we had to go not because I am a bad driver but because of that wreck that happened a while back! Made me a little more bitter about it! haha but all is well, we had an amazing Zone Conference! :)  President talked and ya know, I can't even sum everything up, just know that it was incredible and the Spirit is always so strong! During lunch Sister Jeppson asked me to tell everyone how to barrel race! hahaha so i went up and I had 3 other sisters up there and I ran around them and showed them how! :) It was funny... I don't think anyone got it... but all is well! :) After all that we were able to go home and go and see our recent convert and she agreed to go out on a Team up with us so we grabbed her and brought her to see a new lady. She is Haitian and so there is a big lang barrier there... but our convert was able to talk to her in Creol and they had a great conversation. After they were done, our convert looked at us and said... "I told her that this Book (pointing to the Book of Mormon) changed my life!!!" It was so amazing to hear that... to hear that the Book of Mormon DID change her life! DID convert this lady! I know that she will be a strong member! :) 

Wednesday: We had district meeting this day and we had a great time! :) Then after that we were able to serve. We have this lady in our ward who is suffering from kidney disease and she has two kids about 12 years old so we went over and cooked them all dinner! :) We cooked pasta and cookies and all sorts of stuff! It was so much fun and the mom was so grateful! She was praying that we would be able to come because she was so hungry and didn't think she could cook... it was sad! It felt great to help her out! :) And it was fun to be with her kids! After that we met with this guy, I think i have talked about him before... he is the one that likes to argue and find mistakes in the bible... well... we went back and I had one of the most powerful moments on my mission I think I could ever have! He started out arguing and Sister Legg and Sister Kay (she came with us..) were trying to persuade him and I just sat there in silence. Every time I wanted to say something I felt like I couldn't/shouldn't. I was restrained! It was insane. Well... after I while... I just get this feeling I needed to testify to this man... however I had no idea what to say. But the Spirit overcame and I just told him to stop and all I remember saying was...  “Sir, I know that God is the Same yesterday, today and forever....." I testified of the Book of Mormon and after I was done he agreed he would read and pray and ask God if it was true. All arguments stopped and he wants us to come back. It was amazing. I have never felt the spirit so strong in my life! We will see what comes out of it... but i know that I did my job! 

Thursday: We were able to do weekly planning and go to Young Mens where there were more friends there and we were able to set up appts with them! :)  and that was really it.. 

Friday: We had a busy day... we were first able to see our first convert... she is doing good... we talked to her about receiving revelation! Then we saw our recent convert and she had a friend she wanted us to go and see so we went with her! :) We were able to teach her friend and she said she wanted us to come back! :) Then we saw an investigator that night, he is a funny one but we had a great lesson with him about the restoration! 

Saturday: Another good day, we had correlation in the morning then we went out and saw a less active... she is trying to overcome smoking so we had a great lesson about that! She wasn't sure if she wanted to quit it... so we left her with the commitment to think about it and Sunday at church she told us... Sisters, I am done with smoking. I know I need to stop! It was great! We also saw another new investigator! He was one of the youth’s friends and he wants to learn more and change his life! So we will see where that goes! :) Then we were able to see another LA and that was good! And then the Bishop invited us over for dinner that was good! And that was really our day! 

Sunday: A GREAT DAY! We had 3 investigators show up to church! :) Two who were our regulars and one brought a friend. :) And then someone who we picked up as an investigator Sunday as well! So that was soo much fun! :) We taught Gospel Principles and then we taught an investigator at church as well because he is really hard to get ahold of... he is a little brother of a recent convert and he comes to church all the time and he said we could teach him there so we did! :) It went great! But yes... great Sunday! :) Then we were able to go and see our recent convert and she told us of how she is really trying to always keep the spirit with her! She told us on Saturday she was at school (college) and all the people were having a party because it was the last day and they were dancing and swearing and everything! And so she said she didn't want to be there and she left and went and found herself a room and started to read the BOM! :) It was sooo cute to hear her talk about that! She is such a huge example! :) Then we taught her son as well, and then we were able to go and see a member! But that was our day! :)

Really great week being a missionary! :) Still loving it. But can you believe I only have 9 months left? Wow... Half way… that it just crazy! Well the best thing is, is that the church is true! This week my testimony of the Book of Mormon was really strengthened. I know that it is the word of God! I know it has power. I know when you read it, it really does bring you peace! I know it brings me closer to my Father in Heaven and teaches me more about my Savior Jesus Christ than any other book! I love it!

I love you all as well! Have a great week!
Sister Dahl!

(Click on photos to enlarge)

 Our District

and Sister Legg and I being our usual crazy selves!!

Wellll goooood morning from the FREEZING east coast!!!!!!

Wellll goooood morning from the FREEZING east coast!!!!!! But no worries, I am still living. The first couple days this week it was cold...like a high of 10 degrees. But thennnn the last couple days it’s been in the 40's and I have been walking around without a coat cause it feels like a heat wave! :) Soo alll is well... the work goes on! :) (and I just pray for warmer weather!) :) 

It has been a really good week! It's the first week that we have almost had a normal week! :) It's been great though and we still experienced lots of great miracles and felt the spirit a lot! What is better than that? 

Monday: As you know I was in Fardale area on exchange... well that night we went to the hospital to switch back and since it was P-day we decided to play games with the sister who was sick. As we were playing she started to eat... (she hadn't been able to keep anything down for a week!) then we just started to distracting her and played more games and guess what? She kept it all down! :) She was released the next day and is doing much better! :) Glad we could help them and be of service!

Tuesday: Well since Sister Legg was at the hospital alll day she didn't get to email so we studied then we were able to have her do that, then that night we went to see a sweet member, and our recent convert! We were able to talk to her about having Faith and it went really well! :) She is so strong! 

Wednesday: We had Zone meeting! We have a focus each month for us to work on and this month’s focus for the mission is Repentance. It's so great! Repentance usually sounds scary… sounds hard! But that is so not the case! Repentance is a GIFT! That we get to use to change our life!! Change those little things about us that make us better! :) It was all about Repenting every night and coming up with a plan on how you are going to FIX that thing tomorrow! It's been great! I love the gospel!  Then since we didn't get to go shopping on Monday, we ran to Cost-co... yay! Then we saw our recent convert again (don’t worry.. it seems like we see her a lot.. but we are supposed to I promise! hah) we talked to her about Temples and oh my goodness! She wants to go sooo bad! :) Then we saw a head quarter referral! All he wanted was a bible... but we gave him a Book of Mormon too! :) then we saw the Herbal Life member again! :)  woo. 

Thursday: Sooo it was our walking day and so we decided we were really going to walk! and walk far!! :) So we had an appt with a member for lunch and we walked to her our convert’s house and then we had a member with us so we asked her to take us home! But it was still good! We had our hand and toe warmers and all sorts of stuff and we started to sweat! hahah after that we did weekly planning and then had young mens and young womens and that was great! sooo many people were there! The youth ALWAYS bring their nonmember friends! It's great :)

FRIDAY: Oh goodness...most interesting day of my mission so far. So we went to see this old lady this morning that is Less Active...she is so old, that she didn't even know she was a member! haa but we go see her every great once in a while cause she is all alone and super lonely! Well we get there and she opens the door and tells us she is super sick! So we tell her to go sit down and we tried to talk to her for a second to make sure she was okay. She wanted us there! So I was sitting next to her and we were talking and then she just stops talking and starts breathing really hard! I looked at Sister Legg and the only thing that was running through my head was that this lady was going to die... it was sooo scary! soooo me, being scared, like woke her up! haha and she snapped out of whatever she was doing and she decided to call the hospital! So she did and then the ambulance came and got her! haha it was nuts! But then we just left pretty sneakily! :) After that we saw 2 Less Actives and then saw our convert again and talked to her about a family History! She already knows what name she wants to take to the temple! Then we talked with her son as well! It was a great day... near the end! 

SATURDAY: We were able to see a member and her kids who are really struggling right now... she is super sick so we made a plan to make her and her kids dinner next week! :) I love that being a missionary you can just simply serve. That makes me so happy! :) Then we saw an investigator. He is funny... he is one that we will have to work realllly slow with! Then we saw a member for Dinner! A Spanish member but her food was soo good! :) They are a cute family! Trying to learn English. Then we saw our convert again and talked with her about her conformation! :) 

SUNDAY: awe! Sunday was a great day! Our recent convert received the Holy Ghost! :) She was sooo happy! I honestly have never seen the gospel change someone like it has changed her! I have been so blessed to witness it! She has forever changed my life and I know this gospel has forever changed hers! She is one that will be strong for the rest of her life! :) After church we were able to go and see the 3 kids we have been teaching and they are all on date to be baptized! We had a great lesson with them and they even came to church! But that was really our day! :) We ate dinner... and don't worry Sister Legg and I are such good cooks. I don't remember what it was called that we cooked last night but it was goooood! :) hah

But that is our week here in the big New City! :) I love being a missionary and being able to help people change their lives! That’s what the gospel is alllll about! I love what I am doing and I can't believe I am almost hitting the downwards slope... this is going by too fast… too fast!!!
Well I love you all and know that I love my Savior more than anything! 

Have a great week!
Love ya!
Sister Dahl

(Click on photo to enlarge)

Ah. I just love everything.

WOW! Okay! Well this week has been one of the best, most stressful weeks of my mission! I don't even know where to begin... so I will just start!

Monday: For P-day we hung out as a district and played cards... So the Fardale Sisters came up and that was super fun! After that we had Family Home Evening at the church again and that was really great! :) Then we went to teach our baptismal candidate! We just talked to her about her baptism again and she was all set to go! :) And that was that!

Tuesday: Well we woke up and got studies done then we got word that one of the sisters in Fardale was super sick.. So our District meeting was delayed.. But after we had that, we were able to go and teach the some kids we have been talking to. Their Grandma is a member but they aren't so we have had some lessons with them. Wellllll the two girls weren't home so we talked to the boy on the door step and he was supposed to ask God if the Book Of Mormon was true and he told us that he felt a REALLY calm feeling when he prayed! So we helped him recognize that was the Spirit and then he was sooo excited! He was like "WOW! I got my answer? That’s great!" It was great to see him! :) After that we saw our baptismal candidate again... We talked to her about the Doctrine and Covenants and such! That was good... Then for New Year’s Eve one of our investigators Grandma invited us over! (our inv, wasn't even there! haha) So it was just this lonely Grandma that wanted us over so that was great, we went there and we talked and she fed us then we left to be home by 9! Then it was funny cause Sister Legg and I had these big plans and we made brownies and we were going to wake up at 11:57 and eat them and wait for the New Year... Well we still had to be in bed at 10:30 so we were out... ha! The alarm went off on time and we looked at each other and say "We are NOT getting up...Happy New Year..." haha then went back to sleep. So I guess you could say we had a great New Years! :)

Wednesday: We found out this morning that the sick sister in Fardale was in the Hospital because she had been throwing up all day.. :/ Not good... But we kept working. We had the opportunity to see soo many people today! :) We saw a Head Quarter Referral that wanted a Book Of Mormon and she didn't really want us to talk to her... but we delivered it to her and then she just opened up to us! She was an alcoholic for 30 years and she is now sober and we just told her that the Book WILL change her life! So we will hopefully get to follow up on that! :) After that, we saw a Less Active and that was good.... Then we went to see another new Investigator who had been taught before. He seems like he really wants to know so we will see how things go there! Then we were able to go pick up dinner at a members! So sweet of her! :) And then we saw another Less Active and her husband and they were really great! They were talking about going to the temple! They have been coming to church quite a bit so that’s nice! :) Then we were able to see another Less Active and it was interesting lesson because we just let her talk. She pretty much shared her testimony with us and it was amazing! We hope to work with that and get her back to church! :) Then last one... we went to see our baptismal candidate again and we had a Family Home Evening with her and her son and she LOVED it! :) She said she is going to teach her son everything she knows now! It was sooo cute! :) She said she will do that every Monday! I love seeing them come together!!! :)

Thursday: Well it was supposed to be our walking day but they knew a big storm was coming in on Friday so they said, go out today and don’t' drive Friday! So we did! We didn't have any plans... but we were able to still see a lot of people! We saw a member and then we went back to the house with the three kids and had a great lesson with them! We talked to them more about prayer and we prayed with one of the girls right there and she said that she felt that peaceful feeling too! So now she knows it’s true! :) We committed them to be baptized on Feb. 16... What a great day right Nicole? :) Oh yeah. They said yes! :) After that we went to see another Head Quarter Referral and she said she wants to learn more so we said we will be back! :) Then we went to see our baptismal candidate again and we had a great lesson with her about what to expect for her baptism! :) She was soo prepared! Then after we taught her son separate and that turned out really good as well! So a busy day! :)

Friday: SNOW DAY! (boring) I would rather work. But all is well... we actually got in our studies, then we went to clean the church with the Kays (they drove us) and so that was a great service! We cleaned the whole baptismal font! :) that was fun! Then after we actually went with the Kays to the hospital because the sister from Fardale was still there... :( So we went to visit her and keep her comp, entertained because she had just been sitting there for the last couple days... :( Then that was pretty much our day...

Saturday: Welllll the Fardale Sisters actually had a baptism this morning with a kid that I taught when I was there... So since they have been in the hospital all week they didn't know what to do... but President said we could go on exchanges so the other companion could go to the baptism! Soooo of course... I offered to go with her (I probably would have thrown up at the hospital anyways...:/) but I got to go back to Fardale and be there for that! It was sooo fun! It was like a family reunion walking in the door and seeing everyone! I missed them sooo much! :) I love them! The baptism went great!! :) It was cool to see this young man get baptized. I only taught him a couple times but he finally decided to be baptized! :) After that, we went back and we were able to exchange back and Sister Legg and I went to dinner with a member... Macoronni Grill! Don't worry... they have gluten free pasta WITH ALFREDO SAUCE!! It was the best! :) Then we went to teach another former investigator and she and her son were super interested and so that was good as well! :) Then we went to see our baptismal candidate again and had one last lesson with her about the sacrament and her baptismal covenant! It was great! :) Then we went on home!

Sunday: Stressful little day! Baptisms seem to be that way... I just want everything to go perfect! But all is well! :) She came to church in a beautiful dress and she was sooo happy and excited! So we made it through church and finally after church it was time! :) So we got her all changed, took pictures, and then started the service. Sister Legg talked on Baptism, and we had a special musical number with us missionaries "Teach me to Walk in The Light" That was fun! :) Then after that she was baptized! :) She only had to do it once!  WAHOOO! And when she came out she started to cry... she felt like a new person! :) It was such a cool experience! After that I talked on the Holy Ghost... and I didn't even prepare it because of our crazy week... but the Holy Ghost SURE helped me cause I just talked... ha! Then after she bore her testimony and it was so tender! She knows she made the right choice! :) I love her! Then that was that! She will receive the Holy Ghost next week! It was a beautiful service! After that, we went to see the kids again and had another great lesson about the Book of Mormon. Then we came home to study and then all of a sudden the Zone Leaders called us and told us we need to go on another exchange with the Fardale Sisters! So we packed up and went to see our new convert again and she told us a cool story.. She said that in November she had a dream that she was baptized by her grandfather in some river in Haiti... and when she woke up she knew that she was ready to be baptized! That’s why she told us she was ready! Well it turns out that just two weeks earlier, her son, had been baptized for her grandfather in the temple! SOOOO How cool is that? She was being worked on from both sides of the veil! So amazing! I am so proud of her!! :) So after that we drove down to Hackensack, NJ and dropped off Sister Legg and then I came up to Fardale and spent the night! Weird to think I am back here... but just for the day! Transfers came and Sister Legg and I are staying together another transfer in New City! I am happy and excited for what this one has to bring! :)

I love this gospel so much. I love seeing the happiness it brings other people! Witnessing this is incredible! I am so blessed that the Lord chose me for a tool... I love being the person in the middle and allowing the Spirit to work through me! :) I know Heavenly Father Lives! I know Christ Suffered for us! And I KNOW the Book of Mormon is the most amazing book we have! Ah. I just love everything.

Love you all!

Sister Dahl!

(Click on photos to enlarge)