Sister Rook

Sister Rook

Monday, September 25, 2017

September 25, 2017


Plattsmouth Area!!

Hi Fam!! 

Wow. This week has been absolutely incredible! It was sad leaving the Pioneer Ward- the people there are absolutely amazing and I just loved them all so much, but it is so awesome coming into the Plattsmouth Ward and seeing how incredible this ward and the people are. I feel like everyone is so missionary minded- and they are here to "git er' done" haha. The love I already have for every single human is absolutely mind blowing. 

I just have one miracle to share with you this week! It was so incredible!
   Yesterday, Sunday, we were out trying some potentials before our dinner appointment. As we were walking to our car to try one last potential I had the thought that someone needed us on the street we were on, and that we needed to go finding right now. Well, I ended up shrugging off the prompting and we went and tried the last potential and then went to our dinner appointment. After dinner we had planned to be in one of our little towns, Cedar Creek, and to go finding over there- but we both felt that it wasn't the most effective thing we could be doing. So we said a prayer and I was reminded of the street that we were on earlier that day and how there was someone there who needed us. We drove over there and the first door we knocked on answered and her name was Mariah. She has a cute family with two little kids. She said she had a couple of minutes to where we could share a message with her, so as we were teaching the message of the Restoration she had tears in her eyes. After we taught the first vision she was crying. We were able to help her recognize that God had answered her prayers in the past and that he will continue to do so. She was so reassured by the fact that we can be with our families for eternity, and that she will be able to see her loved ones again. She also commented on how she had heard so many things about Joseph Smith but that she had never heard the First Vision before. She accepted a Book of Mormon and she is so excited to read it and to meet with us this week. That experience truly testified to me that God knows each of his children and that he is always there for us.

Of course there are so many other miracles that happen on the daily but that is one that touched my heart and helped me to recognize that I should never ever postpone a prompting! Sister Hamner is doing awesome! We are working on her self confidence/not doubting herself this week! She is such an awesome missionary and I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to serve with her! I just love her so much already! 

Well, that is about it for this week. This upcoming week is going to be so incredible!! Thank you for all the support you give me!! I love y'all all the way from Plattsmouth and back!! Have the best week possible!! 

P.S. my new address is... 14220 Williamsburg Ct. #22, Bellevue NE, 68123
Letters would be much appreciated ;)

Love, 
Sister Rook

This is the Prestwich fam!! They are so incredibble!! 

Mama Gerlach and her fam!! 

Lawson Fam!! 

Mama and Papa Fergdog 

Saying Goodbye to Hector was literally the hardest thing ever! 

On Tuesday I got to go out with Sister Brinley for a couple of hours! It was so awesome! 

On Tuesday night I went on "exchanges" with Sister Bringhurst- it was fun being able to serve with her again.

Last selfie together

My daughter and granddaughter!! I literally have the best posterity! haha

Sister Hamner and I!! 

Five minutes of fun?

Five minutes of fun?

 Uno mas!

A member made us pumpkin pie that was made from his garden! 

General Women's session of conference!! 

Yay for cute companions! 

I think sharing clothes is the best thing about a companion :D 
  

Monday, September 18, 2017

September 18, 2017


6 weeks left... :D

Hi Fam!!

Wow. This week has been absolutely incredible!! There were just so many things that have happened! I hope y'all have had such a great week, and if not... then I hope this week will be better :D

Here are some of the highlight for ya! 

1. We taught Miguel this week and every time we go over there it just amazes me how excited he is to learn and how he is changing and growing. We brought Brother Conway and his son, Carson, who is 12 years old with us and it is so awesome what members can do that missionaries can't. Miguel just felt so much more comfortable, and the members always have a special spirit with them. We were so grateful for them to come with us. It is an interesting situation with him because since he is 12 years old we need written permission from the mom, and she hasn't exactly given that to us yet. She just says that it is fine that we teach him but she never joins in on the lessons or anything so we don't know what to do about that. 

2. We taught our Investigator, Robert, at our Recent Convert Hector's house. It just blows us away how incredible of a fellowshipper new members are. Hector is so excited to have the gospel in his life and he was just as persistent as us in wanting people to understand and accept the gospel! He said he would be going over to Robert's home a couple times a week to read the Book of Mormon with him because his eyesight isn't too great. It truly made our hearts so happy! Robert's big hangup on coming to church is that he doesn't feel comfortable- he is not the cleanest person so he doesn't want to be judged or anything like that so we don't really know how to help him. We have just been praying that as he reads from the Book of Mormon and as he prays that his heart will be softened. 

4. We had a lesson with Cesar and Sonia this week and we took a team up with us and it was so awesome! It was great fellowship! It was actually pretty interesting because our team up didn't say what was going on. He just spoke Spanish the whole entire time. So even though we weren't exactly sure what was being said we could still feel the spirit so strongly and we could tell that Cesar and Sonia did as well. They are still progressing- they come to church every week, read the Book of Mormon and say their prayers everyday. We are just waiting for them to get a couple of papers so that Sonia could become a citizen or so that they can get married, that is the only problem. 

5. We had exchanges this week and it was incredible!! I was with Sister Bengtzen! And it was a blast being together for a day again! We saw so many miracles, and I am always amazed at how much I learn from her and how so many people look up to her as well. She is such an incredible example to me and I am just so grateful for her and for the things that I was able to learn from her. 

6. Transfers are this week!! I am being transferred! I am going to Plattsmouth, Nebraska and I will be with SIster Hamner!! Sister Hamner came out with Sister Banks so she just got done training! I am so excited and so pumped! Sister Hamner is absolutely incredible and I feel so blessed to have the privilege to serve with her!! Sister Banks is staying in the Pioneer ward, and she will be training a brand new missionary!! I am SO excited for her!! 

Spiritual thought:

In my studies I was reading Helaman 13, and verse 6 stood out to me.  It says, "Yea, heavy destruction awaiteth this people, and it surely cometh unto this people, and nothing can save this people save it be repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, who surely shall come into the world, and shall suffer many things and shall be slain for his people." I absolutely love this verse because it shows that the Doctrine of Christ is that protection that we all need from the adversary. If we are striving to live the Doctrine of Christ then we will have that protection that we need and we will be on that path that leads to Exaltation, and being with our Father in Heaven! 


I know I said this last week, but I am so grateful for Sister Banks! She has been such a light to me and it has almost felt as if she was training me haha! I have been able to learn so much from her and I know that she is going to be an incredible trainer! I am so happy that I got to serve in the Pioneer Ward in Lincoln, Nebraska! It has been such a blessing serving here and I know that it has changed me so much! I am so excited for this next transfer and I know that I am just going to continue learning and growing and changing! Thank you for all the support y'all give me!! Please let me know if I can ever do anything to help you!! I love you to the moon and more!! 

Love, 
Sister Rook

We went bowling last Monday! It was so much fun!! 

We got to take a picture for our names, haha it was so funny! Our scores! Guess who won... Sister Rook DId!! I got the lowest score :D 

  
Exchanges with Bennie 

Of course we had to selfie! Bennie and Rookie reunited!! 

Exchanges were LITerally the best! haha 

These are the only pictures I got from District Meeting... They both aren't very good haha #sorryaboutit 

Another Disrict Picture! #bestdistrictever!!

Elder Lee and Elder Visnaw stole my camera... so this is what they get... Everyone seeing the pictures they took! haha 

It was cold and we got to wear long sleeves! #winteriscoming 

Because Hector is our Favorite human... we had to take pictures with him at church 


This morning we ran through the rain to Hurt's and got donuts! #wethinkwehealthy 

Selfie Time 

More pics of Hector at church! 

Cesar and Sonia!! 

We loved our outfits this day... but it is a super awk picture of us haha 

Monday, September 11, 2017

September 11, 2017


#BlessingsonBlessings #BugBitesonBugBites

Hi Fam!!

This week was pretty good- we taught some really awesome people and saw some really cool miracles!! It is always  so incredible to see the prepared people that Heavenly Father has put in our path and that we have the opportunity to teach them! 

1. On Tuesday we taught our investigator Shauna. Shauna is so awesome! She has little to no knowledge about the nature of God, so we have to start with the very basics with her. It is so incredible to see how she wants to learn about God for her family so that they can have a better life, and she knows that with God in her and her families life- that is how they will grow up to be better, and to make different choices than what she did growing up. She wasn't able to come to church this week, but she is super excited to, and her little girls are so excited to come to Primary and to just go to church in general! We are meeting with her this week so hopefully she can go to church on Sunday!! 

2. We saw Miguel this week! We were able to watch the Restoration video with him at a member's house and it was so powerful! We asked him how he felt and what he thought and he just said, "That was incredible, I absolutely love this!" He is so prepared! It is so amazing to see that he is so young but he recognizes the Holy Ghost and how it speaks to him and how it can bless his life. We are still trying to get written permission from his parents- but Miguel is just so excited to learn and grow and improve all the time!! 

3. Hector did Temple Baptisms this week and he was so excited!! He was able to be baptized for his Grandpa, then one of the youth was baptized for his Grandma. He felt the spirit so strongly, and he actually had a super spiritual experience of how he recognized the temple building and it felt like he had been there before (he has never been there before) and then when he was inside the dressing room he recognized that as well. He was pretty freaked out, but we just had to remind him that the veil is thinner than we think, and that he can never be too close to God, and how that was such a special experience. He is alright now! It is incredible to see where he came from and to watch him grow. I am so excited to see what is in store for him in the future!

Sister Banks and I are doing great! It is crazy to think that the transfer is almost up and that we have been together for almost twelve weeks! The time has flown by and it is incredible to see the changes and growth that have happened to both of us. Sister Banks is so awesome and I learn from her everyday of how I can improve and what I can change so I can be most effective. 

Funny Moments: 

1. This one is from last week but I learned how to start a lawnmower this week, and I was able to mow a part of Miguel's yard! It was so fun! Videos to follow :D
2. We had a dinner appointment with one of our members and they din't give us dessert, which is alright- I don't usually care. But this particular night I was craving dessert so badly! I didn't care what it was I just wanted some sugar! So after dinner we went to try this referral and one of our members was changing his tire, so we were able to help him and then share a message with his family, and afterwards he gave us cookies!! haha Heavenly Father knows me so well, and he blessed me even though  I complained about not getting dessert haha!
3. I got eaten alive by mosquitoes this week... hence the subject line... and we saw so many blessings this week as well!  

Spiritual Thought:

On Sunday, in one of the talks that was given the speaker said, "In order for you to recognize the blessings that God is granting you everyday, you cannot be complacent." Then he went on to say, "Do your best until you know better, then when you know better- do better." I love how this gospel is all focused and centered around Eternal Progression, that is the only way that we are going to reach the potential that we have to become like our Father in Heaven. It is so crazy to recognize that people change everyday with the choices that are before them and the decisions that they make everyday.I know that this gospel has blessed and changed my life so much. I thought that I had a pretty good life back at home but being able to truly "feast upon the words of Christ" and to share it with everyone has forever changed me into someone I can't even imagine! I am so grateful that we can always change and become better every single day! I am so grateful to have this opportunity to serve a mission and to to be a representative of my Savior. I know that this is his work upon the earth and that this is his restored church.  

Well, I think that is about it! I love you so much and I hope you have the best week possible! Please let Sister Banks and I know if we can ever do anything for you!! 

Love,
Sister Rook 

Look at me being all fancy with the cross thingy! 

Hector at the temple!!!



On the ride home from the temple! Brother Pearson found us on Instagram and Facebook... it was so odd to see social media again! 

Cezar and Sonia gave us fruit! They actually like us :D 

Of course we had to do a funny face!

This is the cutest little girl ever!! Her name is Natalie! 

We felt at home with these cacti... 

Me with a Chinchilla!

Sister Banks with a different Chinchilla!

We were feeding the birds!  

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

September 5, 2017


"happiness is the design and purpose of our existence"

Hi Fam!!

This week was so interesting- it was so good, yet pretty difficult at the same time. Now that I look back on it- Studies were great, we met so many awesome people, Zone Conference was incredible, and Church on Sunday was what I needed to hear... but the whole difficult part was that for some reason I was so focused on my weaknesses and that just brought me down. I wasn't intentionally focusing on them, but that is one of the ways Satan gets me in my comparison with others. And Zone Conference and Church were the two things that were able to get me out of that weird funk I was in.Here are some of the things I learned at Zone Conference and at church!!  

Zone Conference. I absolutely loved all the trainings that were given, and the one that is sticking out to me right now is the last one President Gardner gave about Agency and Responsibility. The only person who is responsible for how I am feeling is myself. No one else can control that. It is so easy to forget the little things and that you have to personally choose to be happy every singe day. I loved the quote he said,  "Difficult Situations are the test of one's faith. Difficult situations are the result of one's character." Of course on my mission I am going to have good weeks and bad weeks and not so great days and the best days, but it is up to me how I am going to let that affect me. It was just a very good and needed reminder for myself. 

On Sunday, church was absolutely perfect. It was seriously a spiritual feast! Our ward is doing a missionary month right now and the members in our ward are fasting for missionary experiences and to have that desire, so a ton of the testimonies were on missionary work and it was absolutely incredible to see how missionary work has affected so many people whether they served missions or not, and how it has truly helped them to come closer to our Savior, and I know that it is so true that when you are doing the Lord's work of course you are going to draw nearer to him and you are going to have his help! Then in Relief Society the whole lesson was about happiness, and how we need to choose it for ourselves. It was just perfect. It helped me to realize that of course I am going to have weaknesses and I am not going to be perfect but I can still obtain happiness in any situation that I am in!  " Happiness is the purpose and design of our existence, and will be the end thereof,  if we pursue the path that leads to it." (Joseph Smith.) We were put on this earth to be happy- of course it is not always going to be like that- but we can always try a little harder to be a little happier! 

Sister Banks is truly incredible. I feel like I say that every week because it is so true. She is such an incredible missionary and she just has such a capacity to love and serve others it is unreal. Everyday I learn from her how to be a better disciple of my Savior. I am so incredibly thankful for the example that she is to me and that I have this time to serve with her! 

I just wanted to thank you for all the support you have given and shown me! I am so grateful and so humbled to have such incredible people to look up to. I hope everyone has the best week possible! I love you to the moon and more!! 

Love,
Sister Rook

On August 19th, we were blessed to have President Russell M. Nelson, President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles with Sister Nelson and Elder and Sister Wilford W. Andersen and Elder and Sister Mathew L. Carpenter of the Seventy speak to all 200 of us missionaries in Nebraska!!!

Zone conference!! 








All the sisters in the Lincoln Zone!! #bestsistersever #goteamgo




Of course... because tacos are bomb :D

Five minutes of fun in a cornfield! 

More corny pics haha

Selfie Time!! 

This is Caesar and Sonia! They are our Spanish friends! We are teaching them right now until we get Spanish elder again!