December 26, 2016

Hey Fam! 

 Happy belated Christmas!! And Happy Birthday to all the birthdays in December that I have missed... I'm  not very good at this whole emailing thing... but I'm trying to be better at remembering birthdays!   

 Christmas on the mission really is the best, it was so incredible to really ponder about my Savior and what his atoning sacrifice personally did for me. In my studies yesterday, I read Jesus the Christ, all about Christ's birth. I was just amazed at how many people recognized him as being the son of God right when he was born, it was super cool to be able to ponder about if he came right now would I recognize him? I was also able to ponder on the things I need to do differently and the little changes I need to make so I can recognize him more fully in my life. I also read the talk "Characters of Christ" by Elder Bednar, and it is just incredible, it talks all about turning outward instead of inward in any situation we are in. Christ is the perfect example of that!  

 This week has just been so fun! It felt like everyone was just in a more joyful mood, because they were, it was because of Christmas! We talked to so many people at the Trail Center as well as in our area about how Christ is the light of the world, and they were just so happy to hear about it. Most of them were not interested, but that is alright... because Sister Borla and I know that we planted seeds, and one day they will come to know that this gospel is true :) On Christmas Eve it was super cool, we were at a member's home, the Wang family,  for dinner and whenever missionaries come over they always make sure to invite a nonmember as well! They are such great member missionaries!! But earlier in the week May, the friend that they invited, had asked questions about what the purpose of life was, so they gave her some references to the Bible and Book of Mormon so that she could search for herself instead of them just telling her, and they said they would talk about it at dinner with us! And they did!! She searched and searched and she gave a phenomenal answer!  She had so many amazing questions about Missionary work and the Book of Mormon, and it was super cool to watch her faith increase the longer we talked to her. The elders taught her the Plan of Salvation that night, we would have taught it to her but we had to go to the Trail Center for a "Christmas Eve Party" . I was so sad we couldn't teach her, but the elders said it went pretty well! Sister Borla and I are going to follow up with the Wang family so we can get her information and continue teaching her! May is just the cutest, sweetest asian human in the entire world, and she is so prepared!! We are so excited!! Srylek, (pronounced shree-lek) is another investigator we have. She is about 11 years old and she has been coming to church with her best friend who is in our ward! Her family was Buddhist but they have just recently converted to Christianity, we had a lesson planned with them on Wednesday... but she ended up getting lice, so we had to cancel that lesson... We are super excited to continue teaching her and her mom! It is just so incredible to recognize all the miracles that happen everyday through out the week! 

Guess what?! Another small sorta funny miracle! I wore a shoe on my left foot yesterday and it didn't hurt!! I am so happy to be wearing normal shoes again, and most importantly I am so grateful for the miracle that this whole ordeal was, I know Heavenly Father was truly watching out for me and that he is always watching out for me. I can't run yet... but I'm sure in a couple of days I will be able too! 

Well, I think that is about it for this week! Thank you for all the support you continually give me!! I love and miss you all so much!! Im always praying for you! Have the best week ever!! 

Love,

Sister Rook

 Christmas Zone conference!!

More pics from zone conference, this was during the talent show part :) 

Silly gift exchange

Christmas Eve party at the Trail Center!

I saw a California license plate... so naturally i had to take a pic with it. 

Christmas morning we opened our packages together! 

Always gottta have those crazy pics! haha This is sister Cutler and Sister Parsons! Sister Cutler was another full proselyting sister who got moved into the Trail Center.  

Sister Borla and I with the Crandells. They are the directors of the Trail Center right now, at the beginning of the year we are getting new directors... 

After church we had a Christmas brunch.. it was super fun! 

Waiting to skype our parents!

Skyping my parents!!! 

The Schroaders!! We had Christmas dinner with them, they are so funny! 

My mom went a little crazy at the dollar store... she wrapped all of these things up and I had to read the scripture before I opened them haha it took such a long time... My favorite gift was probably the Book of Mormons I'm holding... they are from the primary in my ward back home, the kids had written their testimonies in them and they sent it to me! It was so sweet!! 

Tuesday December 20, 2016

Hey Fam! 

 Whats up?! How are you all doing?! It is so crazy to think that Christmas is less than a week away!!!  It is so exciting!!! Well, this email is going to be pretty short because I feel like not a lot has happened this week... 

 Miracles!

1. We finally got a service opportunity! We got to go to the salvation army and help load boxes full of Christmas gifts! Afterwards we got to help decorate for a Christmas party they were having later that night. It was so much fun! 

2. We received a total of 5 referrals this week!!! We got 3 at the Trail Center that we were able to give to other missionaries, and then we received 2 for our area! They are so solid! I am so pumped to teach them! 

Well that is basically all the Miracles for this week :D I have to go... next week will be a waaaay better email and I will have a Christmas message as  well even though it technically won't be Christmas anymore... but that's okay! So I will talk to you all next week!! Love you!!! Super sorry about the super short non descriptive email!!! Have the Best week ever!! Merry Christmas!! 

Love,

Sister Rook

We had zone training this week!! 

I was in charge of making all the popcorn for the Christmas party the salvation army was having. It was pretty fun. Now I can say I'm a professional popcorn popper :D 

We are so thankful to have Sister Rook working at the Mormon Trail Center. We are senior missionaries from Palmdale and working here to tell the story of the pioneers at Winter Quarters is a blessing.  Your daughter is an amazing missionary!

These Sisters worked an overbooked clinic tonight and once again were angels to our patients. Words cannot express how much they do and how appreciative we all are of them

Merry Christmas!

Sneak peek of Christmas card 2016..... hehe christmas on the mission is kind of the best thing ever. 

December 12, 2016

Hey Everyone! 

 How have you all been? This week has been absolutely insane. It is so hard to balance out your proselyting area with the Trail Center, but somehow we are making it work!

 So many Miracles have happened this week, but I want to focus on just one that happened. This occurred yesterday afternoon after church. We went up to the TC (trail center) to go get a car because we don't have one, we participate in a car share. While we were there one of the Senior Couples, Elder and Sister Henry, wanted to tell us of a miracle that had happened to them that day. It was so fun being able to talk to them, they don't work at the TC so it was fun hearing from them! We got back in our car and we realized we had left something at our apartment and we needed it, so we drove over there and we were in a rush, we had an appointment we needed to get to and so we were literally running everywhere we could. Sister Borla got back in the car and I was backing her as fast as I could. Somehow while she was backing my foot got ran over and I fell down, she jumped out of the car and asked if I was okay and I told her to move the car because she was still on my foot. I could not move my foot at all and I couldn't put any weight on it either. Somehow we got my boot off and Sis. Borla  helped me in the car and we drove to the TC, and she miraculously carried me inside. Elder and Sister Henry felt prompted to come back to the trail center so they were there to help, which was a huge miracle. they laid me down on the couch and they took off my sock and examined my foot. It looked so wonky. It was turned sideways, and was  super lumpy and we seriously thought it was broken. After a ton of tears and phone calls Elder Henry was able to give me a blessing. The pain immediately subsided, it still hurt a ton but it was more bearable. They drove me to the urgent care/ er thing and we had to wait about 15 minutes before I could be seen, they did an examination and I could feel my foot and it didn't hurt all too bad, and it looked for the most part normal again, at least it was turned the right way- it was still pretty swollen. After some x-rays they came back and told me it wasn't broken!!!! Not a single bone was broken! They said it would take about 3 days for the swelling to stop and I could be back to normal! It was such a huge miracle, and it really strengthened my testimony of the Priesthood and how it is real. It was literally insane to watch my foot be healed right before my eyes.  I am so grateful the priesthood was restored to the earth, and that we have it today. Well, I'm not sure if any of that made any sense, but it was pretty crazy. Well I have to get going, but my challenge for all of you this week is to really look for the Lord's hand in your life this week. Whether it is a super small miracle like finding a penny on the ground or having a bone be healed he is watching out for all of his children no matter where they are or who they are. Well I got to go. I love and miss you all to the moon and back! I will talk to you next week! 

Love,

Sister Rook

P.S.-My new address is:

Sister Rook

1325 State Street

Omaha, NE  68112 

This was my boot... haha it won't go back to normal. I have no idea how we got it off my foot!

We legit found a castle... in the middle of Nebraska! It was so cool! 

  Elder and Sister Henry and Sister Borla when we got home from the hospital. I wouldn't have been able to make it without any of them there. I will always be eternally grateful for them! 

Sister Rook

1325 State St. 

Omaha, NE 68112 

December 5, 2016

Hey Everyone!

So I don't have a ton of time today to email. But I did get transferred. I am assigned to serve in the Mormon Trail Center for 1 or 2 transfers. So I am no longer a full time proselyting missionary. It is kind of sad, but it is definitely an adventure! And it won't be like this for the rest of my mission, so that is exciting as well! I am serving in the Old Mill ward. It's not like the Chalco Hills ward at all... I miss it so much, but I am learning to love the people in this ward as well! Well time is basically out! I am so sorry this is short! Just know That I love and miss you all so much! 

I just have one miracle to share with you!!  I think a couple of week ago I told you about Cami and the pass off lesson that we had with the Ralston La Vista Elders. It was a super good lesson and she and her husband had made such a good connection with them! It just made us so happy! Well, on Saturday night she had come into the Trail Center when Sister Borla and I were on shift!! She had brought someone who was related to her, her sister maybe, and her sister's husband and her two kids! The two kids were going pretty crazy and Sister Borla and I were trying our best to keep them under control while taking them through the tour. Cami's sister had gone to the restroom, and the husband was just amazed at what the pioneers went through! I took that time to teach him the restoration. I was able to teach it simply but teach the whole thing as well! It was a complete miracle! I then offered him a Book of Mormon and asked  him if he would be interested in learning more and he was!! He filled out the light the world referral card and was so excited to learn more!! That was one of the few times that I have felt comfortable in the Trail Center because I was testifying of the things I know to be true!

Sorry if that didn't make any sense at all haha, but now I definitely got to go! Love you all!! Have the best week ever!! 

Transfers!

 I got to see Sister Gershin!! 

I also got to see Sister Wininger!! 

We got to see Sister Oscarson!!! She was incredible! 

My cute companion and I, her name is Sister Borla and she is incredible!! 

New Sister Orientation. 3 proselyting sisters came into the Trail Center and 2 Trail Center sisters left and became full proselyting sisters.

Sister Borla and I again! 

It snowed!! 

After the Christmas Devotional. We were the only people at the church building... It was pretty awkward being with elders.... I think I might be allergic to them... hahaha 

Sister Borla's arm is not around that elder! I promise!! He was just standing pretty close and it was super awkward! 

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