Exchange Insane!

Wellll I made it. I am back! And still kickin! This week was the craziest week of my mission.. (I’d love to count how many times I have actually said that.. haha it's probably a lot.. they just keep getting crazier and crazier I'm tellin ya!) But really…this week was nuts! BECAUSE WE WENT ON 4 EXCHANGES! That is like an exchange every day! But it was so good and fun to be with so many of the great Sisters! It's really cool… I think Heavenly Father gave me this calling because He knew I needed to learn from all the other sisters we have around us… because that’s what I did this week! Learn from each of them! :) But hereeee we go! :)

Monday: P-DAY! We had a zone activity and played some games! Then after P-day we were able to go to a family’s house for dinner! :) They are so sweet! It was fun to be with their family and their kids! After that we went to try to visit some Less Actives :)

Tuesday: We had district meeting then I went on exchange to be with Sister Monsen in Paterson! She is Spanish and so there was a lot I didn't understand...haah we had a lesson with an older lady in a hospital... then we had correlation with her ward mission leader... all in Spanish... and then we went to contact people on the street… all in Spanish! haha we found a couple English! It's funny though... I am like a useless missionary when I can't talk to the people! But it was fun to be with her! She is a sweetheart!

Wednesday: We woke up and studied and set some goals, then we were able to find some service opportunities for them to do in their area! That is a big push from President right now so it is fun to be able to go and find something for the Sisters to do! We found some great ones! Then we went back and had lunch all together at our house and then I was able to go on another exchange with Sister Mendoza but I stayed in the area this time! :) Since Sister Mendoza and I BOTH can't drive we got some members to help us out! We did teach one lesson at the church to a returning member and it was really good! It was all about Missionary work! :) Then we had another member come and pick us up and we went to their house and they fed us and then we did service for them! We painted their doors because they are getting ready to sell their house! :) Then she drove us back home and that was that day! :) It was fun to be with Sister Mendoza again! Love that little squirt! :)

Thursday: We woke up and studied then we were able to meet back together as companions and have lunch! We made some Filipino food! mmm :) Miss that! haha but it was good! Then we had a couple seconds to ourselves before we went on another exchange! I left and went with Sister Shiman in Rutherford! It was a good night! Luckily this one was in English so I could understand it :) but we contacted a lot of people... we even contacted a guy who was using his phone and we asked him to watch a video called Because of Him so he did! He loved it so much and said he felt the chills! He was so cool he said the video made him feel like it was just a trailer to something bigger! So we said you are right! Can we come and teach you! :) haha so he gave us his info! It was really cool! Social Media is pretty cool… when it is used for good! :) So yes that was good! Then we taught a lesson with a family that night and that was about it! :) Gooood day! 

Friday: We had a good morning and we were able to talk a lot! :) and set some really good goals then our companions came back and Sister Coulam and I had like 11 min together and we were off to the last one! I went with Sister Haycock in Passaic! Another Spanish speaking one... haha it was really good... I think... haha we taught some lessons and I just tried not to fall asleep I am not going to lie... :( but all is well! :) It was a good day! We had fun!

Saturday: The next morning we woke and went and played soccer with some people in her branch! That was fun! Hispanics are really good at soccer! And I am really not! But it was fun! Then we came back and studied and then went to one appt where of course they fed us! A GIANT PLATE OF RICE AND CHICKEN!!! oh lanta I wanted to die... there is this real thing called a Hispanic tummy. Where you eat sooo much and then it just sits there in your stomach and doesn't digest. It made me want to die! But it was soo good :) But I am glad I am English! :) Then we did exchanges back and finally we were done! :) Sister Coulam and I had to run real fast to an appt to the guy we met a couple of weeks ago! We had a good lesson with him and our Ward Mission Leader came! That was fun! We had a good lesson. A Little unfocused... typical jersey lesson :) But all is well! He said he would want to be baptized and we committed him to continue to pray for an answer! :) Then that night we came back and filled out a million exchanged forms and then we were able to go to the Adult Session of Stake Conference. That was fun! :) And that is that! It was all about missionary work… which we like right? 

Sunday: we were able to go to Stake Conference and that was really good... it was kind of interesting because it was really just a big testimony meeting but some people shared some really good testimonies! And because I am back in the stake I am usually in I saw so many people that I love! :) So that was really fun! :) but then we went back and had to do weekly planning because we didn't get to do that during the week and so that was pretty much our day... it was good though! :) 

Well not too much of an update of our area because I wasn't here! haha so hopefully the next couple weeks I will be here and I will update you more on that :) Today we get to go and play softball with our mission! We are having a tournament! We will see if my softball skills from before the mission are still there... haha yeah right! But I am doing good! :) loving life! Love my comp! And I love the gospel! I was reading in Alma 5 this morning and that is probably one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon. HE JUST THROWS down to the people. Okay he doesn't, but the Spirit does! What came to me this morning is the fact that it never talks about the people’s reaction. Ever. If a guy was asking me those types of questions I would react some way! But what I liked a lot is I kept reading into chapter 6 and it talked immediately about how they built up the church. That was what they did. That was their reaction. It was ACTION. They repented and did what they needed to do! That’s what the gospel is all about. Acting. Not just having faith but acting on it. Not just repenting but Changing! I love that and I am so grateful I get to share that will others and help them ACT on the gospel of Jesus Christ! :) I love you all so much! Hope you have a good week! 

Sister Dahl

(Click on photos to enlarge)

 Sister Monsen and I

 Sister Mendoza and I

 Sister Shiman and I

Sister Haycock and I

What my comp did to my desk while I was getting ready this morning! haha

sick, sick...go away!

Welll gooooood morning! Ya know today is a good morning... because I feel much better. But this past week haven't been good mornings... haha nothing is worse than being sick when you know it is your fault. Sister Coulam and I have this problem where... we like to talk... a lot... so this past couple weeks together that is what we do instead of sleeping... ha! So give it a couple days and that wears on a Sister! Sooo all is well now, but had a little head cold! :( But despite that, we were able to see some amazing miracles and have some really spiritual lessons this week! And we started exchanges! WOO! 

Monday: Great p-day playing sports... then after that we had one of our Sisters call us and needed to do an emergency exchange so we spent the night in their area trying to help them out! All is well now... just a rough little night for them! :) 

Tuesday: This day was a different day... we were able to go to Zone Meeting. Sister Coulam and I were asked to give a training in the meeting and that went well! It was on promising people blessings! It's pretty great to think that US as MISSIONARIES really do have 18 months to 2 years to promise people blessings and watch them come true. No other time will we have the authority to do that in this position and it is amazing to be able to see how we are inspired to promise someone something and then if they follow through, it really happens!! After that we spent the day with Sister Taggart. We were able to go and visit some of the Sisters that we are over and it was really good for them to see her. Then we came back to our area finally and had coordination with our ward mission leader and that went great too and that was really our day... it was weird not working... :( 

Wednesday: We were able to go on exchanges with Sister Webb and Sister Greenall! I went with Sister Greenall (a sister I came to the mission with) in Paterson and so that was really fun! We saw some great miracles! One of their investigators who is getting ready to be baptized wasn't talking to them for a couple days but while I was there he finally called them and we were able to go over and he told us he is suffering with depression and it was so amazing to be able to comfort him and let him know all is well. When we left he said he still wanted to be baptized! :) 

Thursday: We exchanged back and then we spent the day planning and getting ready for the week! Not much was able to happen… planning takes so long! We also made our map and got our area organized. It is so hard going from an awesome area to having it split... but Heavenly Father is still blessing us! :) 

Friday: We were able to go on another exchange and I was able to go with Sister Allen and stay in Caldwell! She is so cute! But we had a pretty great day trying to visit potentials and Less Actives but we did see some cool things! We were at this guy’s house and he wasn't home but as we were walking out we saw this man walking on the street and this guy, from the looks of it, looked a little less accountable so I almost didn't contact him but the Spirit told me I needed to so I did! Turned out to be an amazing guy! His name is Mike and he has been through a lot in his life. His mother died of Breast Cancer, his father has cancer, and a little while ago his house burned down... :( BUT the best part is, when his house burnt down he actually stayed in a Marriott hotel and didn't have anything to do so he saw the Book of Mormon and read it! So he was so excited to see us and wants to know more about the book! :) MIRACLE!! We also were able to go and see this guy who was a former investigator who one day walked into the church and loved it! Well we got in contact with him again and he seems so great! We taught a great lesson with him and he just kept saying "I have been to so many churches and I just haven't found what I am looking for yet..." YOUUU WHOOO!!! IT'S RIGHT HEREEEE!!!!! :) 

Saturday: Another great day… we exchanged back and we were able to come back and go see an investigator again! We taught him and he shared some spiritual experiences with us... he told us that he saw us in a dream a year ago and he recognized us when we talked to him... crazy! But he seems to be great and we will keep working with him! The rest of the day was just contacting and trying to find people to teach! :) Oh we met a guy named Laban! WHAT? Who has that name! We thought it was cool! haha! 

Sunday: Great day at church! Our young investigator came to church and some of the young women got up and bore their testimony about Girls Camp and talked about how she was such a good example to them there... it was cool! I love her and hope to get back to seeing her again this week! After church though was the great part! We were able to see our investigator from a part member family!!! He is so great, they brought me gluten free banana bread... haha love his family but on top of that we had a great lesson with him. He really opened up to us about his past life and how he is feeling so much guilt... :( it made me so sad to see someone suffering so much!!! That is not what Christ wants! That’s why He performed the Atonement. So we talked a lot about that and I can't explain it but it was a powerful lesson... I am so grateful for our Savior! But that was our day.

That was really our week! I love seeing and being a part of the greatest miracles of all. It really is amazing to be able to be a missionary and see people looking at the Book of Mormon for the first time. Letting people hear about Josephs Smiths Vision for the first time. Watching them PRAY! All the things that mean so much to me, yet I get to bring that to others and allow that to make a difference in their lives! I am one lucky duck! Well hope you all have a good week! :) I love ya! 

Sister Dahl

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 Sister Greenall and I

Sister Allen and I

here we go again!!

Wellll Good Morning everyone! Isn't Crazy I have been up for 5 hours already and I bet you haven't even been up for 2?????????????? Not going to lie... I probably will sleep in for the first week when I get back. Just saying! :) But not that we are thinkin about that or anything!!! Because I am so grateful to be a missionary! This week was... boring. Not even going to lie! But I have an AWESOME new companion, Sister Coulam! She is from St. George and she is super great! She is 23 and already graduated school to be a Math teacher... (just what I need) and she has been out for a little over a year! BUT the best part is... she is super sarcastic and funny! Which is just what I need because I lost a little bit of that out here and I needed someone to be able to break me so that I can be ready to come home to my sarcastic family. Heavenly Father knows what He is doing! :) hahaha

Monday: Well we spent the day at a Zone BBQ then the night with Sister Shearer visiting some people she wanted to see one last time before she left... and packing! 

Tuesday: In the morning we were able to go and see two great people and Sister Shearer just said goodbye to them as well! :) After that we got some ice cream and drove on down to transfer conference! It was weird having Pres. Taggart doing the conference and not Pres. Jeppson but that was okay... it was still good! :) Then we got the new comp and everything and drove on home! That night we had to get everything ready because the Elders took over half our area and we had to get everything ready for them!

Wednesday: We were able to have district meeting and then we had the chance to see a bunch of people which was great... just nobody was home so I guess we really didn't see them. Saw a lot of houses. haha but anyways! After that we went to coordination and got everything organized with our Ward Mission Leader! He is incredible! 

Thursday: We had a full day of planning... :( We planned for our week and we also planned for our newish area and then planned for the transfer and how we were going to see all the Sisters! :) so that was a good little day!

Friday: Well Sister Coulam had a meeting on how to be a STL so I went to Short hills with some other Sisters and spent the day with them... We mostly just did studies but we did go and do a service project and we were able to help this thing called Bridges. It’s where they get food and clothes and organize it and take it to people who are homeless in the city and in Newark. It was soo humbling to be a part of that and help them out. After that we came home and we had an appt with an investigator. He is still on our side of the area! But we were able to talk with him about the Priesthood! It was cool because his stepson who is getting ready to go on a mission just received the Melchizedek (please help my spelling) Priesthood so he had lots of questions. But the best part was when we asked his wife, who is a member, what the Priesthood meant to her, she started to tear up and the spirit swept in the room and she testified to her husband the blessing of being able to have her son have the Priesthood in the home. It was so powerful! I was so glad to be a part of it! So that was awesome! :)

Saturday: We had a whole day of meetings. Literally. We spent the day in Morristown at Mission Leader Council and then after that we had to go to District Leader Council and with driving time it took up the whole night!!! 

Sunday: We went to church :) Which was great! Had an awesome Sunday! We were also able to come home and study and then we were able to go to a member’s home for dinner and then go and visit some potentials after that! :) But it was a good Sabbath day! 

So that was our week. Exchanges start this week! For the next 4 weeks of the transfer we have something every day... yay! :) Love being busy! But all is well. Adding my testimony to our member’s... I know that the Priesthood power is real. I know that it really is God’s power on the Earth! I know not much would be able to done without it and I am so grateful to be able to have grown up around the Priesthood my entire life! Well know that I love you all very much! Hope you have a good weeeek!

Sister Dahl

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 Our District!

 Sister Shearer and I

Sister Shearer and Sister Coulam and I

Family, Family! :)

Wow! What a week... full of lots of planning and teaching people! :) But here we goooo! :) 

Monday: After emails we had a zone activity and we were able to go play games and basketball... totally won! :) After that we went and met with a former investigator who we helped move! Luckily she moved to be in our area still because we really made a good impression on her serving her first! It will be good to teach her soon! :) Love service!

Tuesday: We had district meeting then we were able to go after and have another lesson with a couple. They are great... we finished talking about the Articles of Faith and her heart is really softening up! It's amazing! She told us that it makes total sense there is a prophet on the earth! Why would God stop talking to us?? So we are excited for her! After that we were able to have coordination with the bishop then we went to see a recent convert and teach her and her son about the Armor of God! :) 

Wednesday: Busy Day! We were able to go and see a cute lil Fillipino! Then we went to see a LA who let us in and we taught her! Then to do service for a sister in the ward! That was really good… she really opened up to us! p.s. mom she may be emailing you some healthy recipes... Then we went to see another Less Active! That was good. Cute old man that just needs to come back to church! But we taught him about Family History! Then dinner with a member! Busy dayyy!

Thursday: We spent the day getting organized because they told us to split our area book and the area book needed some serious reorganizing! It was a mess... so we got that taken care of finally! :) And then we went with a member to visit another Less Active who hasn't been letting us in so that was really good! :) We were nervous to ask for another appt back but she asked us to come back so yay! :) 

Friday: Another busy day! We were able to go see a member in the morning who just moved here from Reno! She was baptized about a year ago... amazing lady! So that was fun! After we went to see a head quarter referral and had probably the funniest lesson of my life! This lady was nuts and on drugs... (sweet daughter of God I know..) but man... while we were teaching her she would fall asleep! Like straight up fall asleep! It was so crazy... needless to say I couldn't feel the Spirit very much so I am glad we got out of there safe. Then we went to see some potentials and then we went to dinner with a member and that night had a lesson with a part member family! They are so great and we had a goooood lesson with them on the importance of receiving the spirit! They have a lot of potential and they came to church Sunday! :) 

Saturday: Was Juke day (people not being there) so that wasn't fun... we spent a lot of time planning which was good because we needed to finish that! :) Then we were able to see an investigator which was good! Then go to dinner with another investigator and his family! They fed us more Filipino food and oh my lanta it was soo good! I really hope I can make you Filipino food when I get home! :) But I ate so much! After that we talked about temples and family history again and he loved it so much! :) 

Sunday: Great Sabbath day! The 12 year old Brazilian came to church! All by herself… she is actually staying with some members this weekend because her parents are out of town and then she goes to girls camp this week... we are sooooooooo excited for her! We really hope she has a good experience and want to be baptized when she gets home :) she is awesome! But other than that it was a good Sunday! It was all focused on missionary work which was awesome! We loveee that! That night we went on a visit and then we got a call about Sister Shearer getting released from her calling and so that means she is getting transferred and I am staying! 

But that is the news for the week! I am nervous about the next transfer but excited to work hard! :) Know that I love you all and hope you have the best week too! 

Sister Dahll! 

(Click on photo to enlarge)

Our District!