Email 4/29/14

Yes! Spring is beginning to pop up everywhere here in New England and the weather is getting nicer. :) We have had a few days that remind me of CA and then we have gotten days with a lot of rain as well. :) 

That is so cool that someone just walked in to church!!! That's always the best! It's like my story with Anne Marie. :)

Ok, so, we got to go to the BYU Idaho Symphonietta that came to Springfield and it was so beautiful!!! and the church we were in had great acoustics. Really nice! :)

We have been doing really good in the work and we have been able to get 12 members to go out with us each week for the past 2 weeks! It's awesome! The trick we have found is taking time Tuesday (for example) for our calling/texting day where we set a little bit of time aside to ask the members when they would be free to come out with us. Then we set up the investigators/less-actives appointments. We have found a lot of success with this. :)

We got a new Investigator this week too! His name is Al and he is the one we met as he was getting into his car the day of the weed festival. ;) Well he is 76 years old and one of the most spiritually prepared people I have ever met! He is basically a dry Mormon! He was really excited to come to church too but he had some health issues but he is ok and he is anxious to meet with us again. :)

Interviews with President Packard were so nice and he totally hit the nail on the head again... I have been so frustrated like I shared in my last letter about it being hard to see so many people who don't believe in anything.e said, well I would just tell you that the cure to this is letting them see how much love you have for them and I want you to read this scripture that might make you feel Iike you have someone in common with how you are feeling.

The scripture is Alma 29...Oh, that I were an angel! Oh my goodness! I burst out in tears knowing I am understood. I Love the Book of Mormon! It is still amswering my souls questions and is the only thing I want to turn to in hard times!!! I LOVE JESUS!!! <3 ><

And I Love and miss you all an Million home runs ;)

Love,
Sarah  (Sister Patterson)

Here's a picture I drew of Sister Scott :)

Transfer Texts are coming again!!! it seems like we just did this but here we are. :) We find out on Friday!!! Oh and talk to you on the 11th!!! ;)

Email 4/22/14

Happy Resurrection Day! (I like that much better) ;)

I got the package! Thank you so much!!!! and Sister Scott says Thank you as well!!! :)

I had the honor of giving a talk on Easter Sunday and I was asked to take one specific part of the Atonement. As I thought on this, I was constantly searching in my mind for what part I would like to talk on. This continued until I just couldn't take it anymore because truly everything is about the Atonement! None of this would be possible without it! I talked about gaining a solid testimony about the Atonement. I said if they were sick and tired of having people telling them what to believe in then they should take responsibility for your own Spirituality and find out for themselves if it is true instead of being stubborn and just believing in nothing!

Stop letting the world destract us from the whole point we are here! To progress!!!

I told them that if we were all to truly see each other the way the Lord sees us we would all bow in reverence!...

Take the time NOW! and even though it hurts to grow you will never regret putting in all your effort! So choose now to NOT be Offended. Be Patient- a lot of things I used to think were so irritating, in the big sceem of things, did not matter. Be Humble in your Strengths and Weaknesses before the Lord so that you can see your Brothers and Sisters as the Lord sees them! Do NOT deny yourself or others their Divine peotential and blessings.

I love this Gospel with every fiber of my being and there is nothing that will make me doubt!

One Brother came up to me after and told me what my talk sparked in his thoughts. He said, "Christ never did anything dross in his life and we are suppose to follow Christ's example right? Then why do we do so many things that don't even matter?" I loved his comment and it has been on my mind for a while now. I love new insights that I find that were right in front of me but then someone just says it in a new way. It makes me so grateful for the different ways the spirit enlightens people. :)

A lot has been hanging on my mind about people not accepting the Gospel and knowing that their Spirits wants it so bad but their carnal minds are set and their flesh is weak. I just hate seeing people say no when there eyes are clearly saying please.... it was very emotional to give that talk. I was so overwhelmed to tears that I could not speak for a good 30 sec. as my hands shook. I put my talk that I had written aside and let the spirit take over. I have never had such a edifying moment as that. I was talking to myself just as much as the congregation.

I just found this scripture that goes along with this in:

2 Nephi 33:

10 And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good.

And this one:

2 Nephi 28:

21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.

We went to see this Less Active lady this week and as we were teaching her there were these 2 Jehovah's Witnesess that came in...

and as you can imagine it was a little awkward...to say the least.  Sister Scott was being really nice then I just said, "Ok, so you know we are all a little tence and awkword right now and of course we are going to be because we are two different religions!" They looked a little taken a back but then I continued, "With all of that aside we both believe in God right? They stood there for a moment and blinked then said,... "Yes Definitely" then they said a few kind words to us all and left.

Oh, Man! what a week and that wasn't even all of it!

We got to go to the Temple Yesterday! That is why I wasn't able to write on Monday.

We got up at 4:30am!!!! It takes two hours to get to the Temple and we had to be there by 8am!!! We picked up the North Brookfield Sisters on the way and it was such a wonderful experience! I learned so much and didn't want to leave. The Temple felt like a purification after being around so many people that don't believe in anything to being surounded by so much belief that was bursting out of everyone. :) It was much needed and also I miss you all like crazy but I recieved a lot of comfort and I found a Scripture that was just what I needed in D&C 75.


AND!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY CASEY!!!!!!!! you are the coolest and my Companion thinks your super cool and makes me tell almost everyone I meet that I have a famous brother! haha! ^^
Love ya!!!!

Erin thank for the pictures! made my day haha! ^^

I miss and love you all!!!!! Thank you for all the letters and pictures :)

Love you a million miles to the Temple! :)

Love,

Sister Patterson

P.S. Presidents interviews are next Monday too, just so your aware.  Just in case my email is latter than normal.

Email 4/14/14

Man, Oh Man, do I have a Story for you all! Ok well here it goes!

This is Saturday the 12th:

Well we have a lot of things coming up like our Easter Musical Fireside which is on the 13th, a blood drive on May 10th that is being held in our chapel and the BYU Idaho Sinfonietta coming to Springfield. So as you can imagine we had a tons of flyers to give out!

After we find a place to park and start walking towards a Festival that was going on and handing out flyers. Before we got to the heart of the Festival Sister Scott froze! and said,

"Oh No!"

"What? is something wrong?"....

"Oh NoNoNoNoNo!"

"WHAT?!"

"Yes it is!...This is the Weed Festival!!!"

"Oh, Man!.....no wonder they all look like Hippies!"

Ha ha! Oh dear! We decided to avoid the heart of it all and just walked by the restaurants where there were more families...Who takes there Families out near this, seriously!!!! PEOPLE REALLY!

Surprisingly enough we got some pretty good contacts out of it! There was this old man getting in his car and the feeling was so slight that I could have easily looked past it. I mean he was going somewhere but I politely yelled, "Excuse me Sir!?" He just sat in his car and we started talking to him...turns out he is looking for a nice Church to go to and I told him that thats what we do. We tell people what we believe so that they can find for themselves about the gospel. Then we asked if he would like us to come by sometime to do so. He loved the idea and gave us his name, number and address!!!!! :)

THANK GOODNESS I followed that still and small voice! It's like the saying, "If it is a good thing, DO IT!

Then another guy playing the harmonica was really nice :)

Oh man, then Sister Scott went up to a group that you could tell was totally stoned and they told us that we were glowing and to keep letting our light shine! haha! Well there right! ;) To bad they had to be stoned to see it…haha!

Oh, then I think we sparked something with this kid sitting on a bench! We started talking and asked him what it would mean to be able to have true and full happiness without it being temporary? It totally baffled him. He said, whats wrong with temporary happiness? and we told him how our relationships and everything about our lives were so much better and stronger and REAL. Then his phone rang!!!!! I HATE CELL PHONES!!!!!!!!! We had to leave but we feel like we at least prompted thought and curiosity and we gave him a card so hopefully he will look at it.

Well that is just as much as I can write about today. We have to go finish some things and then go to a softball game of one of the girl that we take with us all the time named Sasha. :) So fun. :)

Love you a million Crazy Hippies!

Love,

Sarah
Sister Patterson

We sang as well for our ward fireside. We sang "Savior Redeemer of My Soul".

And Sister Bell and Sister Wagner are the Sisters doing a special assignment for a mobile visitors center and if it goes well, the church is going to grab it and spread it through out all the Missions!!!

Email 4/7/14

  

                                                     When we went to Harvard square! 

My last P-Day with all those Awesome Missionaries :( 

                                                     It was fun. :) soooo windy! haha!

 

    

    

I was so enthralled for General Conference. To me it feels as though the talks are getting bolder and bolder, clearer and clearer. There is just black and white. The thing that kept sticking out to me is Obedience! I can over come my weaknesses and carnal desires; making sure my thoughts are wanting to obey with willingness that is essential to success in the work.

We had a wonderful meeting with our new ward missionary Sister Benjamin after conference. She is so excited for this calling and taking it on head first! She sat down in her chair in front of us with her note pad and said, "ok! speak! What do you need me to do?" We are putting her right to work helping us organize dinners and splits. She has become like our Missionary Mom ;)

Sister Scott and I are beginning to figure our how we teach together and learning a lot from each other :) She makes me laugh so hard sometimes and reminds me a lot of my own Sister Erin :)

I have been struggling with having courage with talking to people but role playing like crazy helps me loosen up and not be so nervous. I go through waves of being good at things and then not but that's just the way it is sometimes especially when you get out of practice. ;)

We got to be Sister Bingham and Sister Southworth's first exchange as new Sister Training leaders! so fun. :) and it is extra fun because I went with Sister Bingham who was my Trainer and Sister Scott was Sister Southworth's Trainer. Family is reunited. ;)
We had a wonderful time reminiscing and seeing how each of us have changed and grown Spiritually. :) Sister Bingham was really fun with helping me practice role play and really got into character. ^^

Oh, something that Sister Scott and I are Super excited for is that we get to perform for the Sisters Conference!!! This has been a dream of Sister Scott's and myself included! :D We are singing a medley of, "I'm trying to be like Jesus" and "If the Savor stood beside Me".

So many of my dreams have been coming true lately: Doing a Tap number and Playing Guitar and Singing for a ward talent show, walking in the rain, being Sister Scott's Companion, and now getting to preform with her for the Sisters Conference! Oh, and I discovered frozen Grapes!!!! My life will never be the same now! ^^ They are so gooooood!!!!

I feel so blessed! :D

Well, I could keep blabbing on all day now couldn't I? haha! I will let you go ;)

I love you a big empty bag of (once filled) frozen Grapes! ;D

Love,
Sister Patterson :)

I did get a bag of treats on our door but it was while we were gone! that was so weird to think that Brent was right there.... oh man! haha

One of a new outfits that I thought you would like Mom! ;)