Is this real??

Dear Family..

I don't really know where to begin.. How to start this last email... how to even express what I am feeling right now. I can't! There have been so many emotions running through my mind this week and yet here it is! It's actually coming to an end.. It doesn't feel real. But my heart is so full of gratitude for this opportunity that I have been given to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I know my time, my experiences, the people I have met and everything I have went through happened for a reason and will help me for the rest of my life. 

I am so grateful for the people here.. The Missionaries, the Members, Both my Mission Presidents, the Investigators and people on the street who have been able to touch me in a way I didn't think possible. I think about this a lot.. I never was planning on coming out on a mission.. but I can't even imagine my life without meeting these people! I was called to come here and to teach these people.. but in return they have all taught me something by what they say or what they do. I am forever grateful for that!

I am also so grateful for my family and friends at home! Thank you so much for the prayers, notes, emails, packages, words of encouragement to keep going! YOU! Have helped me in a way that I can't explain! My love for you has grown since I have been gone and I am so excited to be able to get back and see you all! Thank you though for your support and helping me along the way! I can't ever repay you for this.. :)

Last, I want to Thank my Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ! I am so grateful for THEM allowing me to serve. My favorite scripture is Doctrine Covenants 84:88.. I HAVE indeed felt those angels, felt Their power and Their presence near me as I have ventured here in New Jersey. My testimony of Them and this gospel has grown so much and I will be forever grateful for that! I am grateful for the good times, but also the hard times, and for them taking me and shaping me into someone new! I couldn't ask for anything more for Them. I came on a mission to serve Them, to give a little bit back, but they in return have blessed me even more! 

Well Family. The only worldly (okay not the only worldly. I can't wait to sleep in my bed again.) thought that has come to my mind this week is the song..

"I'm going home.. To the place where I belong!" 

I can't wait to see you all! I love you! 4:12 SLC Airport.. Be there! :) 

Love, 

Sister Dahl

(Click on photos to enlarge)

Last trip to NY and the Statue of Liberty! :)

I'm coming Home!!! :)

 

...tricked you guys a little!

Surprise! I am emailing a bit early today... We have a SUPER BUSY WEEK ahead of us so there is not going to be much time soo we decided to email today... But THIS week was a great week to just work! And started off with an exchange to New City to see some old friends, went to our baptismal candidate being baptized, then to me giving a talk in Sacrament meeting! What a great week! :)

Tuesday: We were able to go on exchange early in the morning and I was able to go to New City with Sister Woodland! ahh it was so much fun! They let me see a sister that was baptized while we were there! And her mother was there! We surprised them! It was great! And then we were able to go and teach another girl that was baptized there and her little brother because he is getting baptized soon and she wasn't supposed to be there... but she was and it was super good to see her! :) She started to cry! We were able to make her part of the lesson and it was great because she remembered those feelings when she was baptized! Ah... it was the best day! :) I loved it so much!

Wednesday: We were able to go to district meeting and have a great time there then after that we switched back and Sister Coulam and I went to teach one of our investigators. That was an interesting lesson (more details in a sec) and then we were able to go and teach a less active that has been less active for like 10 years! We had a super good lesson with him and he said he wants to come back to church :) It was a great night!

Thursday: We had a great day of weekly planning! Woot! Then we were able to go and have a member pick us up to go teach another less active. He is a great guy... it was a good lesson because he needed to talk... and we talked a little bit about horses... he said he used to barrel race... haha

Friday: Wonderful day of working!!! YAY! We were able to go and see a new investigator! He is great and we taught the Restoration to him... he said he wants to be baptized as well! He contacted us on the street a couple of days ago it was so cool! After that we actually tried a lot of people with no luck but were able to go to the church and set up for the Baptism! It was such a great service... simple but nice! The Spirit was great! He bore his testimony after and I can just tell he is going to be a really strong member of the church :) It was so great! I am so happy for him and to see him and his wife be sealed soon! :) p.s. 18 months on the mission... weird...

Saturday: Another day of working! We actually were able to see the investigator I said I would tell you about in a sec! He actually dropped us for good. It was a good thing... he had a "vision" or a dream that gave him this thought of reincarnation and was stuck with that. He was happy for the things we have taught him and the relationship he has gained with Heavenly Father! But he doesn't really want to keep learning... :( it was sad but it was a good talk and we ended on good terms. We testified and left him to think about that! After that we just went out to work all night and we found some great potential that we are excited for! :)

Sunday: Great Sabbath day! I was actually asked to talk in Sacrament! Haven’t done that in a while! It was good for me though. It was on the importance of following the living prophets’ words and examples! It was super good to study. I never thought of the example part of things... I read the story of when President Monson went to see his boyhood Sunday school teacher to give him a blessing… and the example he is to me and it was fun to study that.. Hopefully it was an okay talk... I dunno... but also our newly baptized member received the Holy Ghost! OH THAT WAS GREAT! :) He was still beaming today!! I have grown to love him so much! After church we were able to go and see a new investigator. She is a funny Nigerian lady but said if things were true, she would be baptized! :) So hopefully that will be good! And now we are emailing!

Well... Last week huh? All I can say is I am going to make it count! :) And I feel like I should say something super profound about my mission... but I don't really want to think about it ending right now... so I am not... haha but I am grateful to be able to testify of Christ like this for one more week! READY OR NOT… HERE I COME! :)

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful day! :) :*

Sister Dahl

(Click on photos to enlarge)

 My visit to New City!

 Sister Woodland and I

 Sister Coulam and I

A great baptism day!!

Wow... :)

Well it's just getting real. This week it is finally starting to hit me. I am going home in two weeks. All those crazy emotions I had right before I left... well they are back! It's weird to me… this is like my home! This is what I consider comfortable now! I have finally figured out how to be a missionary, and now I have to go face the real world and figure out how to be a real person again? I don't know what to do... Good thing I still have a couple of weeks to figure that out right? :) We had a great week this week! Thank you for all the prayers! Our baptismal candidate is set and good for Friday to be baptized! He feels he is strong and knows that being baptized is the right things :) Keep praying for him though! But here is our week!

Monday: Great P-day! As a zone we had a BBQ by the Hudson River... that was super fun! :) After that we were able to go to dinner with a member and he bought me a present for my birthday! Oh it was funny! He calls me Judy and it is a sweatshirt with Judy and a pic of Jersey on it! Pretty sweet!

Tuesday: We had Zone meeting! That was great! It was all focused on Revelation and qualifying to receive it! Something that I think I need ya know? Revelation as to what in the world to do with my life! haha! jk. I think I have it alllll figured out! :) But after that we were able to do some weekly planning then that night we had an apt with our newish investigator. We had a good lesson with him. He is actually a Doctor! He is super smart so it was more of him asking questions! But we managed to tell him about Joseph Smith and it brought the Spirit in right away! :) It was cool to see the way the Spirit humbled him... :)

Wednesday: We had the chance to go to Leadership Training! It's a whole day were the Leaders give trainings and we role play all day! It is for the new missionaries! It was super good because we didn't have to give a training... we just helped with the role plays! It was fun and the Spirit is always strong when you get a lot of missionaries into a room! After that Sister Coulam and I were able to go and see a former whose son is actually a Less Active and we were able to meet with them both and get to know them and we should be seeing them next week! It was cool that they were both there! After that we went to another Less Active and had a great lesson with him... he is super struggling right now.. :( but hopefully he will let people help him :)

Thursday: We had the same training! So that took up most of the day and after that we all got together and watched the new movie "Meet the Mormons" AHHH! It was so great! Clears up so many misconceptions about the Church! I loved it so much! :) If you can-Watch it!!!!! And then we did some weekly planning! Woot!

Friday: I was actually able to go to Englewood and be on Exchange with Sister Allen! She is a sweet sister and we had some fun going and teaching people in her area... I honestly don't even remember their names but it was a good night!

Saturday: After we exchanged back we were able to have some time and we worked and then we went to the church and our ward put on an International night with the Spanish Branch! :) IT WAS SO FUN! There was at least 10 different countries represented and they cooked food and we ate it and they danced! Wow it was so cool! I love Jersey! :)

Sunday: Well... It was my last fast and testimony meeting as a missionary! Wow! Of course I went up and bore my testimony and started to cry! AND I DON'T CRY!! My emotions just got the best for me as I reflected my time as a missionary! I truly am grateful for this opportunity! After church we were able to see a referral and then stop by some Less Actives that were super nice and wanted to see us again :) So that was a great day!

So that was our week! Today we had an all Sisters p-day (hence why we are late emailing) because the Sister Training Leaders put it on and it was good... I gave hair and make-up tips! I am rusty and have to think about all that stuff again! Weird... but it was fun! :)

I just know that I am so grateful for the opportunity I have had to represent my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! I know and can stand as a witness that He Lives! He Loves us! And that His Atonement is real. I am grateful that I have come to know and feel the power of his Atonement on my mission and know that it is there for me for the rest of my life. I am so grateful for the chance I have had to allow people to feel and use His Atonement as well!

Know I love you all very much! Next week I'll be inside the Statue of Liberty on Monday so I don't know when I’ll email... but know I love you all and hope you have a good week! :)

Sister Dahl

(Click on photos to enlarge)

 Sister Allen, Sister Brown and I

Me and the other gluten geeks in the mission with our special food :)

22 Flippin' years old??

Welll Gooooood morning. Is it getting cold in Utah? Because here comes the coldness here! Man oh Man! What a good week though! :) Exchanges, meetings, birthday (and getting totally spoiled) and conference! :) Just awesome! :) 

Monday: After P-day we were able to go and see our investigator family! Had a great dinner and fun with them! They are great! We were able to talk about how we can best prepare to watch conference! It was exciting to see them so excited about it. 

Tuesday: We had district meeting and after that we were able to go on exchange with the Sisters in Paterson! Sister Robinson, a new sister, and I stayed in Caldwell! We were able to teach an investigator and have a good lesson about the 10 commandments. I have found it interesting that people always think they are living the 10 commandments but when they just read over them... there is always something they can improve on! Even me! I always have something better to do when I read over them! After that we were able to contact some people and meet a new lady! She is super old and funny but wanted to talk to us because she loved Romney! So we got an appt for Wed. Then we went to dinner at a family’s house and that was good and fun and we were able to teach their little kids about Prophets as well! :) 

Wednesday: We exchanged back and went right back onto another one! I stayed in Caldwell again with Sister Stout! That was good and we went to see that old lady! She is a Born Again Christian but a sweet heart and wanted to keep talking so we will see how that goes :) Then we were able to contact some people and go and teach another lady that night! :) That was a good lesson and she really does want to be baptized she just is going to try to start getting off of work! :) 

Thursday: We were able to exchange back from two exchanges! Makes me sure miss Sister Coulam! haha But then we were able to do some paper work then we went to help a new member unpack! Feels so good to do service! :) 

Friday: We had Misison Leader Council allll day then District Leader Council alll night! Long day of sitting but it was good meetings :) We are working on Revelation and working with members :) 

Saturday: My mom’s Birthday :) What a great day! :) haha but really I got spoiled! We got to watch conference! Then get sushi! Teach our investigator, More conference, Then that night we got to teach an investigator and our baptismal candidate! What a day! :) I loved it! Then I came home to loads of flowers on my steps! Thank you for all the presents and everything! Love you alll! :) 

Sunday: More conference and we went to a member’s for dinner! 

That was our week! 

Update on our baptismal candidate: He is good to go to get baptized! He has changed his date a couple times but he wants to be baptized the 17th of October! If you could-pray for him... one of his friends gave him anti-Mormon stuff and he is confused. He should be okay but could use some prayers! The devil is the worst! :(

Conference: WOW! What a conference! I thought the overwhelming theme for me was families staying strong in the gospel together! I loved the focus of trusting in the Prophets and what they say! I love the feeling I get when I listen to them :) I don't really have a favorite talk but one of my top ones had to be the Prophet! I loved is talk about walking as the Savior! I also loved Elder Bednar’s about Missionary work along with Elder Anderson about having a strong Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the restoration! There was just so many and I can't wait to study them again! :) 

Well Thank you again for all you have done for me! Fyi... my pdays from here on out will be weird! So I don't know when I will email... :/ but know I love you so much! Know that I have an even stronger testimony, since this past week, of the reality that Christ’s Church is truly restored to the earth TODAY. And we have the privilege of being a part of it! I love you all and hope you have a good week!

Sister Dahl

(Click on photos to enlarge)

 Sister Robinson and I

 Love my comp :) Sister Coulam and I

Spoiled birthday girl!!