June 11, 2014 — “What are your plans for the summer?”

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Mike Meservy

Sister Meservy’s Letter from June 11, 2014

Subject:  “What are your plans for the summer?”

FAMILY! FRIENDS!

Okay. Today we are going to talk about summer. It’s already JUNE! So we best be makin’ plans for the warm months, right? Of course right. I’ll give y’all some ideas and suggestions as I share some stories from the week.

#1 MEET NEW PEOPLE. TALK TO EVERYONE.
So serving in the sticks again has been fun. I’m as awkward as ever, but I’m talking to everyone I can! We were driving out in the boonies one day and really wanted a way to get another lesson before we headed to an exchange…. I silently prayed for us to miraculously see someone- and it happened! As we were driving in the middle of nowhere, we saw a man who was outside at his mailbox! IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FORESTY BOONIES!  It was incredible. So we slammed on the breaks- but we didn’t stop in time. Luckily, as we called out to him he walked up to our car door. We had a nice lesson with him though, and he committed to read the Book of Mormon!

We also went on a couple exchanges this week. I got to go to the YSA ward again (which is always a blast) and Sister Knowlton and I had way too much fun together. She was in the MTC with me, so it was great to go on exchanges. We saw SO many people and it was just fun to talk to all of them! Talking to everyone is finally getting easier. I AM ENJOYING IT! There was even a time that we were talking to the bishop and saw a couple walk by so we stopped the bishop mid sentence and walked away to go talk to this couple. Oops…. 🙂

Then I got to go back to Five Mile and go on exchanges with none other than Sister Busath. Reunited again. Let’s just say it was a day full of fun and memories. Five Mile ward is AMAZING. And I GOT TO TEACH GEMMA AGAIN! Gemma has been living the word of wisdom and she is planning on getting baptized on June 21st! I get to sing at her baptism so I get to be there! I am so excited for her. I am so excited for the progress she is making!

It was such a blessing to go back to Smile. My mission is truly sacred ground to me. This land, and these people hold my heart. 🙂

#2 GET TO THE TEMPLE OFTEN!
Today we got to go to the temple. I went in there feeling totally exhausted and just struggling, but let me tell ya, there is an amazing power that comes into our lives as we attend the temple. I don’t understand everything, but I know that the Temple is the House of the Lord. 🙂 No matter what is going on in your lives- make sure to get to the temple! 🙂

#3 GET BAPTIZED.
Remember Myranda from last week? The question asker. Well this sunday she came to church and before church started we were out in the foyer talking. I asked, “So Myranda, what are your plans for the summer?”
She replied, “Well, I plan on being baptized in your church.”
SAY WHAT?! I just hugged her. Man, is that girl amazing! Sadly, we had to hand her over to the YSA sisters on Tuesday, but they will certainly do great with her! 🙂

#4 MAKE MUSIC.
Sister Tea and I sing together often. She has an amazing voice and can bring the spirit so quickly as she bears testimony through song. And she plays guitar, too. 🙂 We have so much fun sharing it with everyone. This week we sang at a cottage meeting in our ward, and the assistant ward mission leader, Brother Saxton said, “You sisters can never leave, alright?”
We screamed and got so excited. WE ARE WANTED HERE! That is such a great feeling. If you don’t want to do number four, than do number five.

#5 MAKE OTHERS FEEL WANTED AND NEEDED.
Bishop Hardy has a gift to make people feel wanted and needed. He gave me an amazing blessing this week, and told me he wished he had a 24 year old son I could marry. Both things make me feel very loved. 🙂

Anyway. I love you all. Find some good things to do this summer.

Share the gospel!

Love,
Sister Meservy!

Now some FUN pictures . . . No explanations, so you will have to make up your own captions or titles.

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June 2, 2014 — “You thought they were giddy before?”

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Mike Meservy

Sister Meservy’s Letter from June 2, 2014

Subject:  “You thought they were giddy before?”

My Family, My friends, My strangers,

Well I know that the spirit can quickeneth my understanding (D&C 88:11), but today I’m hoping he can quickeneth my fingertips too, so that I can get everything into this email!

What a great week. I got to go on exchanges in the YSA ward again, and I always enjoy that. 🙂 One of the recent converts I got to work with in Deer Park, Lexie, goes to that ward now, and we got to be missionaries together on Saturday. She brought a less active convert to the relief society activity we went to so we pulled her out for a few minutes and had an amazing lesson. Seeing a convert that I love so much being such a great missionary lifted me SO HIGH. An evidence of being converted is that we naturally will have the desire to SHARE IT! I love that.

Not only did I get to see Lexie this week, but I got to see members from 5 Mile because we went to clean up the church. 🙂 TENDER MERCY. 5 Mile will never leave my heart. haha. 🙂

Anyway, While Sister Huffaker and I were contacting some YSA referrals we didn’t notice an apartment door open so we walked past it heading upstairs until an old man from inside yelled “Is that a guitar!?”

His name was Art. We played him “Where Can I Turn for Peace” and had a great lesson with him. He wasn’t interested but he sent us to a young mom who was very interested and we got a new investigating family for the Greenbluff ward! Then we went and saw Madison. Madison is an Ex-Jehovah’s Witness. She used to do missionary work for them, until she realized she didn’t believe that religion was the right one.  She explained to us that she knew there was one true way out there because God wouldn’t want us to be confused, but she wan’t sure where it was

CAN YOU SAY PREPARED?

We had an amazing lesson on the Restoration and she said an amazing prayer at the end, asking for help to know these things are true! I’m so excited for the YSA sisters to be teaching her!

Now let’s transition into Nine Mile. The Beautiful Boonies.

Tanner Hardy (the Bishop’s 18 year old Son that acts like a return missionary) invited his friend Myranda over for the lessons. Myranda has been raised with little to no religious background. She believes in science and isn’t sure if she believes in God. Now let me tell you some of the questions Myranda asked us throughout the lesson:

Questions #1 Shouldn’t the Bible tell us more about Satan and his designs to trick us so that we can know how to avoid him?

Mind blown. Right? Well, Yes Myranda. That’s something that we love about the Book of Mormon. As President Benson said, ” the Book of Mormon exposes the enemies of Christ. It confounds false doctrines and lays down contention. (See 2 Ne. 3:12.) It fortifies the humble followers of Christ against the evil designs, strategies, and doctrines of the devil in our day. The type of apostates in the Book of Mormon are similar to the type we have today. God, with his infinite foreknowledge, so molded the Book of Mormon that we might see the error and know how to combat false educational, political, religious, and philosophical concepts of our time.” As you learn about these things we know that Satan will try to convince you not to continue on this path, but as you study the Book of Mormon, you will have the strength to endure and draw closer to Christ!

Question #2 If Prophets are called of God, doesn’t that take away their ability to choose? Or were they called before they were born?

No Myranda, it doesn’t take away their agency, because we all have the choice to follow our Heavenly Father and we are all called to do great things. Everyone has been called, before we were born, to play an important part in God’s plan, but it is up to us to choose if we will accept that call! 🙂

Question #3 So… Wouldn’t it have been a good thing that the Serpent got Eve to partake of the fruit? (Keep in mind, we weren’t even teaching the Plan of Salvation. Just the restoration.)

Yes Myranda! We are the only Religion I know of that believes it all happened in the wisdom of God. Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy! 

CAN YOU SAY PREPARED?!

As we continued to teach her she was so excited about the message of the Restoration, and so were we! She testified to us that she was feeling the spirit. She testified to us that having the Book of Mormon made her more comfortable with our religion than any others because we had two witnesses. She prayed and felt that our Heavenly Father is so aware of her, and she desired to be baptized!

Then she ended with a great question.

Question #4 So… Where can I get a Book of Mormon?

Everyone in the room pointed to the table in the middle and said, “That’s yours!”

I feel SO blessed to know Myranda. We were texting her last night and she was already in 2 Nephi 8! She said she was feeling the spirit and felt like she could really understand who Heavenly Father is and what he wanted her to know. She is amazing. I LOVE HER.

Anyway. This week has just been filled with miracles and I am so grateful to be a missionary.

Our bishop got up to bear his testimony on Sunday and he said, “I saw how giddy these Sisters got when we said we were inviting someone into our home. My wife told me later that If I thought they were giddy then, I should have seen them when Myranda accepted to be baptized.”

Really though. I can’t explain the joy I feel.

Reach out to those around you. Invite them into your home. Believe that there are miracles waiting to happen!

I LOVE YOU ALL! I love my Savior. I love His work!

Love,
Sister Meservy.

with Sister Strom from Five Mile Ward

2014-05-31 Sister Strom from Five Mile Ward

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May 27, 2014 — “He’s Goating at Me!”

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Mike Meservy

Sister Meservy’s Letter from May 27, 2014

Subject:  “He’s Goating at Me!“

Hello! Thank you for your prayers. I know that this week was only made possible through lots of prayer. As I mentioned last week, I got ripped out of Five Mile Prairie and away from Sister Busath, and I wasn’t too stoked about it. I’ll be honest: It’s hard to adjust. There are a lot of people whose lives I still want to be a part of, but I know that I was transferred for a reason.My companion, Sister Tea, had similar feelings when she got transferred to 9 MIle, so she is super sympathetic. I can’t even tell you how grateful I am for her. 🙂 She has made this week not just bearable, but extremely fun.I’ve been praying for strength and I really just feel so much gratitude in my heart. I know that Heavenly Father knows me. He knows that it is hard for me to leave the people I love. When I came out on a mission I was expecting that it would be hard to leave behind my family. What I didn’t know was how hard it would be to leave behind family after family when I got transferred from area to area. I felt so at home in Smile, and it was hard to leave my family.

However, I am grateful to know that I am suppose to be in 9 Mile Falls. I just feel an overwhelming trust in the Lord. I know He is guiding my path. 9 Mile is an amazing area. It is still in the North Spokane Zone, so I hopefully get to go to Gemma’s baptism, and Darlene’s baptism. 🙂 It also boarders Deer Park. . . . SO, YOU MAY HAVE GUESSED IT… I’M OUT IN THE BOONIES AGAIN.

Sister Tea and I have had a blast of a week. I can’t even tell you how excited I am to be here. It took me about a week, but I am really feeling grateful to be here. We had a baptism on Saturday for MaKenna Langton and let me tell you- it was powerful! I feel so blessed to be a part of here life right now! She is 13, living with her grandparents, and trying to get her mom to come back to church. She taught us in Family Home Evening last night, and man was it powerful. She will be a great missionary! 😉

So Elder Aidukaitis, of the Seventy, who spoke in general conference this last time, came to our mission. We got to have a leadership training with him, and a Zone Conference. Wowza. He’s hilarious. I’m excited to be able to start fresh with all his trainings and not let anyone put a cap on the success we can have. Sister Tea and I are seeing so many miracles.

For example:
R.O.C.K….Y.
Rocky is a new investigator we got this week. He has been taking tons of initiative in meeting with us. And he is only 14. He’s reading the Book of Mormon. 🙂

DIANE AND JERRY.
We got a referral to go see them because their neighbors told us they had just got back from Israel. It was an amazing contact. They asked us to come back and see them this Saturday when their Mormon Niece and her family are visiting. 🙂

BISHOP’S FAMILY.
Remember how good I am at making bad first impressions? Well that’s been a running joke this week as I have been able to make MANY memorable first impressions. (Like smelling the lilacs as I walked into the Larsen home, and screaming because a bee flew at my face). Well we had dinner at the Bishop’s house on Sunday and I was certain there would be plenty of embarrassment for me. However, it went great! Sister Tea has a beautiful voice so we basically sing EVERYWHERE WE GO. It’s been fun to build trust so fast just by singing our testimonies. 🙂 I am so grateful for my guitar. We see miracles with it every day here. Anyway. Turns out the Bishop here is amazing, and after we taught a quick lesson he testified to the families at his home that they could all trust us with their friends. 🙂 Then his son set up a time for us to teach on of his friends this week that asked to learn more about the church. SAY WHAT? Let’s consider it a miracle that I didn’t make a terrible first impression on the bishop.

SISTER TEA.
She’s just a miracle. I have no doubt we will enjoy our time together. When we answer the phone to our Zone Leaders it goes like this, “Hello, This is Sister Tea and Sister Meservy, Till death do us part.”  I’m hoping we stay till I die. 🙂

MEMORIAL DAY.  What a great day to go contacting less actives in the boonies. THE BEAUTIFUL BOONIES. I’ve never been somewhere so beautiful in my life. We stopped at one less actives home and started to pull into her driveway when we saw a giant goat. Then a sign that said, “No trespassing. Violators will be eaten.”

Well, we trespassed, but let me tell you, it was hard to get past that goat. It just wanted to stand in the way. The less active wasn’t interested so we headed out, but tried to get a picture with the goat and the sign first, then the goat started running toward me and I was certain I was about to be rammed so I ran away and screamed, “He’s goating at me!” 🙂  The correct term is bleating, I believe. It’s hard to think of things like that in stressful moments though.  🙂

ANYWAY. I love y’all. I love my mission. I even love Nine Mile Falls and all the people here. Wish us luck in our week of miracles!

LOVE,
Sister Meservy!

 

Picture 1: MAKENNA’s BAPTISM

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Picture 2:  OUT IN THE BOONIES, AGAIN

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Picture 3:  WIND BLOWN

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Picture 4:  BEAUTY

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Picture 5:  MORE WIND AND MORE HAIR

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Picture 6:  MORE BEAUTY

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Picture 7:  MY COMPANION

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Picture 8:  NOT MY COMPANION

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May 14, 2014 — “Celebrating Happy Mothers.”

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Mike Meservy

Sister Meservy’s Letter from May 14, 2014

Subject:  “Celebrating Happy Mothers.”

This Sunday I wrote Happy Mothers Day on my planner. Then I thought of it as a day to celebrate Happy Mothers. Luckily, it’s a day to celebrate all mothers. 🙂 So Happy Mothers day to y’all. Mothers or not mothers. Happy or not. 🙂 Hopefully you can be happy though.

I sure am happy. Talking to the family on Sunday was the greatest thing. I was beginning to think I never wanted to come home. Then I skyped home.

I’ve changed my mind. I think I’ll probably come home, eventually.

This week was pretty great though. The weather is looking BEAUTIFUL and warm, but not too warm yet. It was fun to be able to walk home at night and just enjoy the beautiful weather and sunsets. There is a huge difference between now- with it getting dark at 9:00pm, and 5 months ago when it was pitch black at 2:00pm. Yes. That really happens in washington. Anyway. I’m grateful to have light throughout the day.

Speaking of light. We have been talking a lot about feeling the spirit lately, because I love to feel the spirit and point out when others are feeling the spirit.  One of the Young Women’s leaders in our ward thinks that it is like bottling up light and then drinking it. I guess that explains being Enlightened.

Gemma Mace knows she is feeling the spirit when the hairs on her arms stand up and she feels good inside.

Speaking of Gemma,
SHE IS GETTING BAPTIZED ON JUNE 7th.

I hope that I am here because I know it will be an amazing baptismal service!  I LOVE GEMMA SO MUCH.

I was grateful to have a lesson with her on Tuesday this week because we got dropped by 2 of our investigators and we needed something to be happy about. Getting dropped feels worse than a break up in some ways because I know how much the gospel could bless peoples lives. (Usually after a break up I don’t think, “Wow, I really would have been a blessing to you.” But I know that the gospel would be! So it’s hard to see people reject it.) So we got broken up with in person, and then 10 minutes later over text. Things like that truly strengthen my testimony of HOW MUCH THE GOSPEL BLESSES US AND OUR FAMILIES.

One thing I love about serving a mission is seeing all the different families. I have learned so much about the way to build a strong gospel centered home by being able to go into homes that are centered on the gospel and homes that aren’t. Seeing the HUGE difference helps me know what I need to do to make my home and family strong. Lately I’ve been realizing how much of an impact family prayer had on me.  Thanks for making that a thing, Dad! Praying together. Reading together. Keeping the Sabbath day Holy. these are all important. 🙂 I know that the gospel blesses families. I know that this is Christ’s Church.

I love it. 🙂

Next week I’ll try to keep track of the funny things that happen so I can write a good email. 🙂 I sure love y’all.

Love,
Sister Meservy

Sister B and I at The Milk Bottle  (Part of ‘Benny and June’ was filmed here, Brutt! You made me watch that with you right before my mission. :)) 
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SPOKANE TEMPLE

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May 5, 2014 — “Yes. We would all like to be baptized.”

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Mike Meservy

Sister Meservy’s Letter from May 5, 2014

Subject:  “Yes. We would all like to be baptized.“

Well HELLO.I wish I could just send you this week on video. I’ll do my best to help you visualize it all. Let’s start out with exchanges in Greenbluff.  Sister McCabe and I drove past an 80 year old Lady mowing her lawn. Then we pulled over, walked up the hill, and asked her if we could help. and SHE SAID YES! SO walked around a little gate and came over to take the lawn mower from her.  I’m not sure if it was the Tag or the Skirt- but something she saw made her decide not to let us help and she told us she was not interested.  Changed her mind, I guess.

However, notwithstanding her rejection, we continued to talk with her until she gave us referrals to go visit some of her neighbors, and we got to teach her about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I gained a love for dogs again this week.  Love might be too strong of a word. Tolerance is too weak. I enjoy a dogs company moreso now than I did a week ago.  This is a good thing. It gives me more patience. 🙂

Thunder. Thunder warms my soul. That’s another new thing about me. I used to hate thunder storms. I truly love them now. That means I’m not as fearful, right? I’m getting over some of my fears. Next thing you know I’ll be hiking angels landing without stopping to cry and without making my brother stay behind with me. 🙂

Don’t hold me to that.

Gemma Mace. She is truly progressing. If I am here one more transfer I have no doubt she will be baptized. She is excited. She wants to find out if these things are true. She is amazing. I LOVE HER.

Ludwig/Olsen Family.  THEY CAME ON A CHURCH TOUR on Thursday. We gave each of them a point of the gospel to remember at the beginning of the church tour. Faith. Repentance. Baptism. Gift of the Holy Ghost. Enduring to the End. At the end of the Church tour, after talking about the priesthood, they wanted to be baptized! We invited each of them and they had the sweetest answers. Then when we had our lesson on Saturday  we taught them the restoration and they each got their own Book of Mormon. They have been wanting their own copies for a couple weeks now so they were so excited. Let me just tell you- MY TESIMONY OF THE POWER IN THE BOOK OF MORMON IS SO STRONG. Even looking at the books, that family knew there was something special in it.  It felt so good to give something so precious to a family that was truly cherishing it. At the end of the lesson they told us their points of the gospel that we had taught them on the church tour. It warmed my heart to see their family working together to learn about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 🙂 I love them.

Things here are amazing.

OH. and CHRISTINA. We got an amazing new investigator. This week we taught her the Restoration and she BELIEVES IT! I love that no matter what I feel my abilities are as a missionary, not matter what I am struggling with day to day, I CAN ALWAYS HAVE FAITH IN THE CONVERTING POWER OF THE SPIRIT AND THE BOOK OF MORMON. Christina told us that she knew she was feeling the spirit after we talked about Joseph Smith’s vision. She is so prepared. Then, when Sister Busath invited her to be baptized– before the whole invitation was even out– Christina said “YES.”  There is a power in the Book of Mormon. I know that it is real. I know that the Spirit is always present when we are sharing these things.

I love this gospel.  I love the Spirit- He truly is my constant companion. My comforter. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. He has felt all of my pain, anguish, heartache, and suffered for my sins. His grace is sufficient for me. I love my Heavenly Father. He is watching over me and guiding my life. He is listening to my prayers and speaking back to me.

Moroni 8:
 25 “And the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins;”
26 “And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer,until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.”

I love the roles of each member of the Godhead. I am grateful for the successes we are having in Smile Prairie. I feel SO blessed to be here.

Love you all!

Love,
Sister Meservy

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