Transfer One Complete!

Hi all!

For those who aren't familiar, every six weeks on the mission is something called transfers. That's when companions sometimes switch around and sometimes you change areas. It is decided by the mission president who receives revelation from God. My companion is getting transferred! I'm a little bummed about this because I feel like we are comfortable together and get along well and have a groove for teaching together, but I know the Lord has a plan. My new companion's name is Sister Mayer and I'll be with her starting tomorrow mid day. Please pray for me during this time of change!

This area is booming with people prepared to hear the restored gospel! We met with a family that has three teenagers who are not baptized but have been taught the missionary lessons before. They are nice and I'm looking forward to getting to know them better. I know the gospel can bless their lives and unify them as a family.

We also met a woman named Debra whose sister got baptized a month and a half ago. Debra is so sweet and has an adorable 5 year old girl. I am looking forward to getting to teach her, she has a sweet spirit.

We did some more service this week at Jacob's mission and also helped a family move to a new house. It's fun to serve with other missionaries and those in this area, when people come together with a common goal, great things happen. 

I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that it brings peace and clarity as we study the Bible. I know that repentance means changing our heart and will to align more with God's and as we repent, we will have a more positive perspective. Good luck to those starting school this week!!

Love,

Sister Chilson

Service at Jacob's Mission 

 Dairy Queen with Carlos and Crystal

Arizona Sunset

Pictures

A palm tree my district leader saw catch on fire during a lightning storm

Temple trip, Heat Rashes and New Friends!

Hey all,

I got to go to the Gilbert temple this morning! It is gorgeous and was such a special experience. For those who don't know what happens in the temple, go to churchofjesuschrist.org and search "temples" and some information videos should pop up:)

We met two new people to start teaching this week! Their names are Albert and Heather. They are so sweet!! They asked us such inspiring questions and are eager to learn more about the restored gospel. I'm looking forward to getting to know them more.

Saturday we did lots of service! We dug trenches at Jacob's mission. I can't remember if I told y'all what that was a few weeks ago, but in case I didn't, it is a warehouse for people with foster kids that is in its early stages so there is a lot of work to be done and we get to help! Basically, families can come and get food, haircuts, school supplies, etc. We dug trenches in the hot sun for like an hour and a half. Then we went home to eat breakfast and then helped the member with live with weed her yard for an hour. Then we went to the park to play volleyball with the youth in our stake and spent two more hours in the sun. I noticed red marks and dots on the front and back of my knees and Sister Sherman said it was heat rash. Never have I gotten that in NY before haha. It went away within 24 hours so I'm all good:)

God knows us and loves us. Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. This gospel can help us feel peace in a chaotic world. 

I have tons of pictures from this week that I will send in a separate email so look out for those! I hope everyone is doing well. Miss and love you all! 

Love, 

Sister Chilson

Gilbert Temple

Sister Chilson's Zone at the Gilbert Temple

Sister Chilson's District at the Gilbert Temple

Sister Sherman and I

Sister Sherman & I with the woman who started Jacob's Mission

In & Out Burger for the first time   

Pictures 8/20

 "Exercise time" at Red Mountain Park

 Group of Sisters in my mission after Teaching Academy

 Zone friends at the temple

One of Carlos & Crystal's pet goats!

That time I ate Seafood.....

Hi all!

Hope everyone is doing well! Thanks for your prayers and emails and support. 

The exciting thing this week was exchanges! Exchanges are pretty much when you switch companions for 24 hours. There are two sisters that are called to be Sister Training Leaders and those are the people we exchange with once every six weeks. I got to be with Sister Reiman! She is from Idaho and has been out on her mission for 14 months! My brain can't even fathom that amount of time since I have only been in the field for 4 weeks hahaha. I learned a lot from her though. We worked super hard and laughed a lot.

Pretty much every night we eat dinner at a member of the church's house. They sign up to feed us and it is so awesome! We get to share a brief spiritual message while we are there and get to know people in the area more. If you know me, you know I absolutely hate seafood. And guess what we ate for dinner on exchanges? Tuna fish sandwiches...  I ate 3/4 of mine though and luckily it didn't taste too fishy, but I can assure you, you will not see me eating seafood willing in the future hahaha. 

Once a month, my mission has something called a "Why I Believe" fireside. A fireside is just a special meeting that usually has some sort of theme or purpose. These monthly meetings are dedicated to conversion stories. Recent converts of the church tell their stories and bear their testimonies. It was so powerful!! Sharing a testimony allows the spirit to dwell there and witness to others that what you are saying is true. We are encouraged to invite the people we are teaching to these firesides so they can hear from other people but unfortunately no one that we are teaching came. I got to be in the missionary choir though which I loved of course:)

Something that I took away from the fireside last night was that just because someone chooses to be baptized and follows Jesus Christ, doesn't mean things are going to be easy from then on. We are on their earth to struggle and have our faith challenged. If you think about it, we grow the most as a person during the difficult times more than the good times. But if we continue to press forward as much as we can, we will be blessed for our faith and our efforts. Sometimes those blessings are small and easy to miss, but they are there. God NEVER abandons His children, He is just waiting for us to reach out and grab His hand. I love this simple and pure gospel and the chance I have to be a representative of my Savior for 18 months. Look for those small and simple blessings in your life and as you do that, you will come to know your Heavenly Father and see that He does love you. 

Love,

Sister Chilson

Sister Reiman and Sister Chilson

He Can Ease Our Burdens

Hi everyone!

Hope you all are doing well and enjoying your summer! 

Last Monday we had a get-to-gether at David's house with the missionaries in my district; he wanted to feed us dinner. It was a lot of fun! He told us all about his story of finding out about the church and some of his struggles. I know I said this last week but his faith is incredible! 

We met a new person this week! Her name is Kari and her daughter is currently serving a mission in Idaho. Her fiance is also a member of the church and so she figured she would take the missionary lessons to find out more. She is such a hard worker! She worked 93 hours in a week!! But she wants to meet with us weekly so that is exciting. She loves to pray and has felt the influence of the Holy Ghost in the past. She has a desire to read the Book of Mormon. I'm really excited to get to share the gospel with her!

Every first Thursday of the month, our stake does a humanitarian day service activity. Our friends David, Carlos, and Steve all came!! They are all learning about the church and it was cool for them to share their experiences with each other. We helped make mats for homeless people using plastic bags. It was a good time!

I've been dealing with some feelings of inadequacy this week. I feel like I'm not doing the best that I can and I have a lot to improve on as a missionary and representative of Jesus Christ. This scripture helped me to feel a bit better: Mosiah 24:13-14.

And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions

We experience trials in life to learn how to rely on the Lord. I'm often the type of person that thinks they can handle things on their own but I can't. None of us can. We must turn to our Heavenly Father and He has the ability to either comfort us during hard times or ease our burdens. I know this to be true. 

Talk to y'all next week! Thank you for your prayers.

Love,

Sister Chilson

My zone with our mission president and his wife

Brighton street sign!

Pictures 8/5

 A selfie just because :)

 Doing our daily studies at the church

 A selfie in Sister Sherman's cute dress

Palm trees!