Week 57: "You want a funger sandwich?"

 What's up everyone! Hope you all had a great week. Yours was probably better than mine because I was stuck in quarantine all week! 

Things to know:

- Transfer calls came! I am staying with Sis Hart and it'll be a lit 2nd transfer together! This might actually be the first time I have a full 2nd transfer with one of my comps, since I've either been in trios or had half transfers during the other 2nd transfers!

- Since we were in quarantine we really don't have a ton of missionary work updates since all we could do was tech work or phone/video calls. But of course no one answers us when we can only reach them over the phone.

- One big miracle that happened though is we still made someone new over tech! His name is Tupu, and him and I were messaging about finding the truth. He said he feels like his whole life others have tried to define that truth for him, but he is learning to take the truth to God. Sister Hart and I called him and taught him about the Book of Mormon and he said he is excited to read it because he believes God would reveal more truth through a prophet!! So amazing to find who God is preparing!

- We did also have 4 friends come to church again, and one of them was our members friend Mike (again) and his son! So cool that he wanted to come to church for the 3rd week in a row, and brought his son too. I love member missionaries.

- One more thing I have to mention with transfers, which is honestly such a big tender mercy for me: SISTER ASAY IS COMING TO MOSCOW! I almost cried when I saw the zone breakdown I was so happy. She finishes her mission this next transfer and I feel SO blessed to get to be with her again, especially as her STL. God is good!

- Oh also I hit my 13 months yesterday. So crazy. I promise I'm not trunky, I just like to keep track of how far I've come haha! 

Stories of the week:

- The title of my email I really can't explain but Sister Hart and I have been laughing for the entire week about it hahahahaha

- The story of how we got in quarantine was one of our members exposed us last Saturday and then texted us Sunday night to tell us they tested positive. We weren't feeling any symptoms and thought we were fine and then Tuesday morning we were supposed to exchange with the Moscow sisters and I woke up with an awful sore throat. So we called Sister Seidel and she told us to quarantine for 5 days so we were inside until Friday. We took some at home covid tests (not sure how accurate they were) and we tested negative!? So we had symptoms but apparently they were from something else if the tests were accurate. Either way we finished our quarantine so we didn't risk them being false negatives and then we went out and exposed all of our friends. We are feeling much better now and I am grateful to be out of the house! Enjoy some of the funny things Sister Hart and I did while in quarantine down below haha.

- Also not really a story but just a random testimony of how inspired our mission president is, someone close to me was going through a hard time and President reached out to them to ask how they were just because he felt like he needed to check in! So amazing. I love President.

Spiritual thought:

- This week I finished the Book of Mormon for the 3rd time. I seriously cannot put into words how much this book has changed my life. I used to dread having to read my scriptures at home before the mission, but now I crave my personal study in the mornings! Getting to receive answers and direction from God each day, whether big or small, has given me so much purpose and happiness. I am a firm believer in the little things, and I know that if we are reading our scriptures and praying every single day that we cannot go astray. If you haven't read your scriptures in awhile, I invite you to do 5-10 minutes a day and try and notice the change it makes in your day to day and in your life! 

Love you,

Sister Dickson (Diggy)

Pictures:

Athena + Hades

Got braids

Grandma candy slaps

Last & Only District Pic

Lol

Negatory!

Nothing like the boons

Our transfer board

The shining vibes

Truth

Walking on Heaven #iykyk

Week 56: Back from the dead

 Hey everyone! This week was pretty awesome if I do say so myself. Hope you're all enjoying the start of summer! It's definitely been raining here every day, so not sure when summer is going to start for Idaho haha. But I'm going to keep enjoying all the dances in the rain while I still can.

Things to know:

- My contacts came: God is good. The end

- Sister Hart and I have been listening to songs on repeat to memorize them this last week. We now know a gospel rap.

- Been out in the field for a year... weird. My Google photos gave me memories of saying bye to my family and I'm in disbelief it has already been a year, time is flying!

- Our members friend that came to church last week came again this week! His name is Mike and He is awesome. We had a lesson with him during second hour and he said he wants to come again next week?!

- I went on exchanges with Sister Schnebly and it was SO FUN! She is so precious, and is probably the most positive person I know! We had a really cool lesson with a family and showed them the video of President Nelson, and the mom was crying!

- Somehow this next week we are already getting transfer news?! So stay tuned! I have had a great transfer with Sis Hart and we will see what happens with us soon.

- Saw one of my favorite families last p-day from my ward when I was in Moscow!! 

- Also side note, my sweet trainee Sister Skinner had a baptism in my old area on Saturday and I am so proud. We found Opal through a miracle, she actually reached out to our bishop and asked to meet with us! And look where she is now!

Stories of the week:

- WILLIAM IS BACK FROM THE DEAD! Haha. Seriously though we are so happy. Apparently he was just in Spokane the whole time, and he only has a landline so he wasn't answering because he just wasn't home! He has dropped coffee and smoking (so amazing!) and is only struggling with Tobacco now. We had a great lesson with Him about why we follow the word of wisdom and choose God, and we set a new baptism date for July 9th! 

- We put our friend Joe on date this last week too for July 2nd! He is so awesome. He is ready to make these changes in his life and knows that its something he needs to do. We had him do a faith flip because he was really back and forth about setting a date and he flipped right open to 3 Nephi 11:19-21 (where Christ gives Nephi the authority to baptize) and said that was a direct answer for him! Faith flips are always the answer !! Funny story though, he's in a car club and we went to street contact at the car show over the weekend and we found him with a red solo cup in hand. He said he will stop drinking after this weekend lol. Haha pray for Joe! :))

- We also got back in contact with a recent convert Charmaine that has been avoiding us and hasn't been to church since she was baptized! So amazing. I know the Lord sent me here to be able to get back in contact with her, because I actually went to her baptism and a couple lessons with her on exchanges when I was serving in Moscow! She was happy to see me and we set up regular lessons with her. Pray for her too!

- One last one because it was so special (This is for you Sis Jackson if you're reading this!). Our recent convert Teddy got up and bore his testimony yesterday and everyone was in tears. He used to be terrified to even talk to people at church, and now he is able to stand up and talk in front of all of them. So incredible to see how Jesus Christ changes people !!!

Spiritual thought:

- I read a really great quote this week from a conference talk by Elder Bednar:

"As you and I come to understand and employ the enabling power of the Atonement in our personal lives, we will pray and seek for strength to change our circumstances rather than praying for our circumstances to be changed. We will become agents who act rather than objects that are acted upon"

When we start praying for God to give us strength to endure our trials instead of praying our trials away, we are able to call upon the enabling power of the Atonement! Christ literally runs to us and empowers us through our faith. It doesn't mean it will become easier, but God will in fact make us stronger! Turn to him this week, He is there and He is waiting for you to pray :))

Love ya!

Until next week!

Sis Diggy, Sister Dickson, etc 

Pictures:

April

Brandon + The Teares = FAM

Chipotle

Dynamic Duo

Free shirt!

Gem of the gem state

Gotta get the energy somehow

Ice Cream addicts

Is Mormonism now Christian

Joe at the Car show

Sis Schnebs

The Lassens

:)

Week 55: SUBWAY miracles?!

 Hey y'all! Nothing too crazy, but there were lots of small miracles this week! I am always grateful to witness them, I have been praying for them more and more and either my eyes are just opening to them or the Lord really does give us exactly what we ask for. Anyway here's my email, & I hope you all have a great memorial day!

Things to know:

- I went on exchanges with Sister Nygard and it was awesome! She is such a powerhouse, and probably the funniest ever. We had a great time & saw lots of little miracles!

- We had zone conference this week and it was a really good meeting. I got to learn how to better use the Book of Mormon in my teaching and saw lots of good friends!

- May or may not have driven to chick fil a during our dinner hour after zone conference... it made me happy to be in North again. Also someone that called Sister Skinner and I asked for a visit from the missionaries is getting baptized this weekend. Congrats Sisters I love you!

- We had a non member come to church out of nowhere and Sister Hart and I spoke and then had a lesson with him after church, and now we are teaching Him! His name is Nathan and He is super cool. 

- We made someone a new trying to visit a part member family that didn't even live at the address anymore so that was pretty lit! The Lord definitely guides us to find His children in places we wouldn't expect.

- We had a member meal last week and invited our members to think of someone that was struggling while we shared our message. The wife thought of a friend and she came in contact with him this week and he told her that he was in fact going through a hard time. She told him that the only way she gets through hard times is by coming to church, and so yesterday HE CAME TO CHURCH! #Loveshareinvite 

- William was supposed to get baptized on Saturday but is still ghosting us :(( Makes me so sad, but its his choice now. We got to celebrate a fun birthday for Sister Belnap anyway so that made up for it.

Stories of the week:

- So this was truly my favorite miracle of the week. On Friday we did district service and then had comp study with the Moscow sisters, and then after we went to grab Subway for lunch (classic) because we had some coupons. There are two subways there in Moscow and one of the sisters asked which one we should go to, and for some reason I felt like we should go to the one that is further away. So I was like let's go to the Blaine Subway and we all hop in our cars and skeet on over. We get there and I'm casually ordering a sandwich, and then I look at the guy making my sandwich and I swear on my LIFE that it is someone I taught in Moscow back in October, but he has a different name tag on. So I thought well maybe its his brother?! And I asked him if he knew Jonas Crothers. He looks up and says "that's me" and I almost lost my mind! Jonas was someone Sister Archibald and I taught and put on date in our first lesson and then we both got transferred less than a week later. He got baptized at the beginning of the year and I thought I would never get to see him again! Needless to say we had a happy reunion there in Subway! He thanked me for all I was doing and said he was so grateful to see me! (Best part was he said he didn't recognize me at first because of my glasses). What a great day it was.

Spiritual thought:

- I was having some ups and downs this week, and I always feel like it's not okay to have bad days because I just want to be happy all the time. But a friend reminded me of how there is opposition in all things, and without the bad days we can't appreciate the good! I was grateful for that, and I'm also really grateful for my ability to see the positive in all things. I take it for granted sometimes, but I've been recognizing it truly is a gift to be able to look for the good in the bad. I'm grateful for my Savior and for Him being the reason I can find so much to be grateful for! I was reading the scriptures and came across a verse that I really needed to hear:

"Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life"

This is actually our mission scripture but it popped up in my Book of Mormon reading at exactly the right moment! I am grateful to be reminded of my calling as a missionary, especially when it can be really easy to get caught up and lose sight of why I'm doing what I'm doing. I have been called of Jesus Christ, and I will gladly declare of Him even if everyone wants to reject me. Because even Him and His apostles were rejected, and I feel honored to stand up for Him and on His side.

Hope you all have a FANTASTIC week!

Let me know if I can pray for anything

And if you want to write me a letter I definitely would write one back 

116 No. Main St. Troy, ID 83871

God is good!

Jesus is real!

They love you!

And so do I!

Sis Diggy

Pictures:

"Hit me with 3 real quick"

B-day lunch!

Best mission mom 

Brandon

Chick fil a

Elder Garner

Gifted a false bible

Jonas!!!!

Moscow Sisters

POV: the Mormons are here

R.I.P. Elder Stead

Sis Belly fan club

Sis Bowie

Sis Fotu!

Sis Nygard!

Sushi addicton

Thrift store service

Wally world

Week 54: A week of R.I.P.'s

 **Important message for Sister Skinner, Allen, or Bird if you are reading this** >>

Please bring my sunglasses and boots to ZC and give them to the office staff so I can get them on my ZC! Thanks love ya'll :)

Haha sorry about that everyone! I put that at the bottom of my email a couple weeks ago but the attempt was unsuccessful, so now I'm trying it at the top. Anyway, this wasn't a super exciting week, but that's okay. There is joy to be found even in routine or "uneventful" days! (I put it in quotations because the days are still eventful, even if it wasn't 'the usual'). My title is "a week of R.I.P.'s" because a lot of things died this week: literally & figuratively.

Things to know:

- The reason why it was more uneventful is because we had a hard time getting in contact with everyone this week. No one responded to us about visits and when we stopped by nobody answered :,( (R.I.P. #1 - everyone is "dead")

- Our friend William was on date for the 28th but he has also been ghosting us, and didn't come to church this week :(( Please pray for William that he will be able to have the faith and desire to overcome his WOW struggles! We are worried he is ghosting us because he slipped up & feels ashamed. (R.I.P. #2 - William & his baptism are "dead")

- We did have a great lesson with April and Allen though and they came to church! We can always count on them. Allen is a huge miracle as well, because the sisters only got him to join in on one lesson before I got here, and April has been taught for a long time! His heart has truly been softened.

- Something exciting as well is that I got to exchange with Sister Belnap! She is such an amazing missionary and I loved every second with her. We saw lots of miracles and cows together!!! Hahaha it was great.

- Sooo sad news. Our mission is getting rid of Instagram for anyone who isn't in YSA. Honestly I'm pretty bummed about it because it feels like everything I worked hard for in tech was for nothing. Swag. But it's okay, I know that the Lord needed to teach me some really good lessons that I could only learn while on tech. Hard to explain but those transfers taught me how to truly rely on my Savior and know that He is there for me. And now we just get to use the tool that has seen more success in finding: Facebook!  (R.I.P. #3 - Instagram is "dead")

Stories of the week:

- So its last pday. I'm just vibing, getting ready for the morning and messaging friends and all that good stuff. I go to put my laundry in the washer, and I see something zoom past me on the floor. A death-defying scream exits my body, and Sister Hart comes sprinting out of the bathroom to see what happened. She thought I got murdered. Sadly no... it was much worse. A RAT! Hahah sorry I was having fun making that a dramatic story. In reality I did scream really loud because the mouse scared the crap out of me. We got some mouse traps from our housing coordinator and set em up. We come back from exchanges on Tuesday night and the Lil sucker was caught. Actually was tragic, he was so tiny and pure and was just trying to get some food. But that’s what happens when you aren't paying for rent. Haha we held a funeral for him and laid him to rest in the garbage next to the confiscated material from William last week. (R.I.P. #4 - Lil mouse is dead)

- Not really a story but we ate at the most BOMB mennonite cafe in one of our lil towns Deary this week. Definitely gonna bring the fam back after the mish. We also do service for a thrift store next door and they let us get a whole bag of clothes for $3... it even has a fun name: Bag day! Needless to say I accidentally got more thrifted t-shirts than necessary last week. I also found a treasure and got to reminisce on my days of rock before the mission... pic attached below.

- Oh also had this homie named Chris try sooo hard-core to bible bash and anti us, and honestly it was awesome. I was not afraid of anything he was saying, and Sister Hart and I stayed calm and bore powerful testimony that confounded him at least 5 times. Totally reaffirmed my testimony of the Restoration of the gospel!!! (R.I.P. #5 - Chris' argument)

Spiritual thought:

This weeks thought goes along with my title haha since lots of things "died". I was feeling a little blue because of other peoples agency (something I have always joked about as the hardest part of missionary work haha), but then I remembered one of my favorite sections in Preach My Gospel! Its under the section called "A Successful Missionary" and it says: "When you have done your very best, you may still experience disappointments, but you will not be disappointed in yourself". Other people may choose to ignore us, disregard our message, or avoid change; but as long as we are doing our part and striving to teach and love them as Christ would, we won't be discouraged in ourselves and in the Lord. Grateful for this lesson I've learned on my mission of trusting in the Lord and doing my best :))

This next week we have zone conference and more exchanges and I'm so excited!

Hope you all have a great week!

Love you all

Sis Diggy 

Pictures:

Adam Sandler vibes

April :)

Bovill sunsets

Elders table hahah

For fun

I <3 Sister Hart

Missing the shred

My people

R.I.P. Lil Mouse

Sister Belnap!!!!

The Pie Safe

THEY FLOCKED TO ME

Twins