LIT (cuz Mesa Lights haha)

Posterity pic. Your looking at one PROUD mama

Me and mija

Biking in the Boonies take 2

Crashed a party of some of our investigators/recent converts/potentials. Our new best friends: Valerie and Mariah. We have a secret handshake. It's lit.

All the Gilbert Mesa light sisters

Possibly the funniest, busiest, MOST AWESOME week of my mission/life but I say that every week basically. But really IT WAS AMAZING!

I'll do my best to sum it up in short points.

Funny moments include:

-Sister Neahusen's split leaving her at the house and her being left alone for an hour as she frantically called everyone (I meanwhile had an awesome split and we found 3 new potentials and a less active we didn't know about)

-us getting really lost in the Boonies and driving on roads that actually weren't roads and getting really lost. At one point google tried to take us through a ditch full of giant broken rocks. We were already on a very questionable steep path and a Chevy Cruise can only take so much #ThereIsNoWayGoogleMaps

- so I was kind of really sick and had this moment when I was drinking some orange juice and thought it was talking/making noise. Turns out the window was open and it was birds....lol @ my life

Miracles include:

- We picked up two new investigators! We talked with this guy as he was getting into a car and he invited us to come back the next day. We stopped by and he wasn't there but his two kids were. Recently they've started going to a church and praying and have seen Christ change their lives. They invited us in and invited us back. One of the most powerful lessons of my life as we talked about our savior and the power of prayer.

- 9 months! I'm halfway through my mission! I'm actually going to extend forever though so not actually halfway through....sorry mom

- winning 1st place in car maintenance at zone conference (it's a miracle because it's a cruise and we spent all of 15 minutes cleaning it...not going to lie I shed a tear or two)

- We picked up another investigator named Lidia this week. She is awesome and after we said the first prayer she was just like "do you feel that?! It just feels so warm inside!" We had a powerful lesson with her on the love our Father in Heaven had for us.

- We got picked to help host the Mesa lights! That means during Christmas this year we get to go down to Mesa and help out with the Christmas Lights they put on there. We had a training this week and got to drive down to Mesa...so weird leaving the mission!

A lot more happened this week but Sister Neahusen and I can't remember much! We were basically running from appointment to appointment and collapsing at home exhausted! There is no feeling i love more!

I know God answers our prayers because He loves us. We are His children and He knows us perfectly. Sometimes I just ponder the immensity of it all. The most powerful, great being in the universe loves us, wants us to be like Him, desires to give us all that He has. And all we have to do is ask - to reach out and trust in His plan. It's humbling. I am so grateful for this knowledge I have and even more grateful for the opportunity to share it. It is a message of joy and peace I want to shout from the rooftops!

(For now though I guess I'll just have to be content with sharing it from the dirt roads of the Boonies)

To the Moon and Back!

Hermana Showalter

Ps  Also HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEST FRIEND EVER AND SISTER MADDIE. You may be old and married but I still love you #Feeling22

The Boonies, some Biking, slightly Broken and super BLESSED

What an awesome, awesome week! Sister Neahusen and I have really started to dig in and figure out this area and it is awesome. I've never been so busy my entire mission and we get referrals almost every day. The Lord is truly blessing us and we are doing our best to qualify for them!

Our car I fondly refer to as Satan has this slight issue of the car alarm going off all the time. It also always thinks the door is open so beeps nonstop when we are driving. So we had to take it in to the dealership to get it fixed which unfortunately meant that we were car-less for a time. BUT we refuse to let pesky things like that stop the Lord's work so we have biked MUCHO this week.

There is this part in our area we call the Boonies. Miles of cacti and dirt roads and Spanish people. I love it. But we thought it would be a good idea to bike there forgetting about the GIANT hill that lies between us and the Boonies. My bike literally stopped halfway up the hill and I made us walk the rest of the way up. Hills are from the devil.

In exciting news Josesito is on date to be baptized on his birthday in December! He is so excited and his dad, Jose, who just got baptized 3 weeks ago is so pumped to baptize him.

Jose is an amazing example to me. He just wants to share the gospel with everyone and because of him we have 3 new investigators. He has started coming with us to lessons and his testimony is so powerful. I've never met a more converted man and he told us his plan is to baptize all his family. We like Jose's plan.

We also had the privilege to go to the temple twice this week! Once as a mission and the other to see Gloria be baptized for her family! I love the special spirit the temple brings and being able to feel the peace and love from my Heavenly Father.

We also had interviews this week with president and for the first time we had hardly anything to talk about! It has been an amazing few weeks full of miracles and hard work. We ended talking about President' s plans and how he was doing. It was so nice to just see him and get even more pumped up to work hard! 

I hit nine months this week which is my halfway mark and I can hardly believe it. 18 months seems like hardly enough time to serve my God and my Savior. I owe them everything, even more now, and the thought of leaving breaks my heart. Being a missionary is the best thing I could have ever done for my life. I've had life changing experiences, met amazing people and come to know my Savior more perfectly. No one says it more perfectly than Alma:

" O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!

Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth."

To the Moon and Back!!

Hermana Showalter

Us with Jose and Josesito (I have been slightly sick...veryish actually but I refuse to admit it so I'm fine and sneezing in this photo)

Classic AZ sunset

WITH HERMANA TERESA DE LOS REYES MY FAV (straight up just like Grandma Diane but Hispanic)

All the Miracles

 modeling the PINEAPPLE necklace from mija

Well I finally said goodbye to my area and it was definitely a mix of feelings. Before I left I had been praying to leave it better than I had come into it. We had been struggling finding people and I wanted to give it everything I had. In the last two days there we found 3 new investigators with at least 3 solid potentials. It made me a little sad to finally leave but happy I could pass it off as it grows. Luckily I still see everyone so that is definitely a plus.

But this past week has been BOMB with Sister Neahusen. She's ridiculously full of greenie fire and we've been working a ton. Also between the two of us the poor Hispanics have just given up on saying our names right. Haha that darn German heritage kicking in..

And I just love LOVE training. This transfer is really bringing me back to my second one when I was whitewash training (the glory days with Hermana Shaffer). Sister Neahusen has only been in the area a transfer and doesn't know it that well so it's kind of like starting from scratch for both of us. We have no biases and no clue which direction is which. I LOVE IT. We also saw a pretty cool miracle Our first day together we got crazy lost (RIP @ our miles) and just when we got ourselves oriented I looked at her and was like "do you feel like we are supposed to be here?". So we prayed and decided to knock a certain door. As we approached the spirit was so strong and we just knew it was where we needed to be. A Hispanic lady opened the door, we taught her how to pray and got a return appointment. IT WAS AWESOME. And that is just one of the many we have seen so far together. I love being a missionary.

I really am jealous of elders because they get an extra 6 months to serve. My time on the mission has helped me grow in so many ways. It's the best thing I could have done with these 18 months of my life and I will never be able to thank God enough for these experiences or this gospel.

Also the gospel truly is one eternal round because after a lot of confusion last transfer they ended moving me into a different house and I inherited 4 new roommates...one of which is my old college roommate Sister Norgrant aka Emily! So weird but so fun. Our house is the size of a small peanut so we have 3 bunk beds literally in one room. Its been very... cozy. Another miracle we saw was, as we are VERY food broke and real broke (@theMissionLife), a member literally gifted us a whole fridge of food. Mom go feed the elders a lot because we need to spread the food miracles around or maybe just give them some food. Trust me it is appreciated.

I would also like to shoutout Elder Romero and Sister Baggaley because we have now served 6 transfers together aka half my mission. It will be weird when we get split up eventually.

I truly love being a missionary and teaching others about my Savior. He has changed my life. I love that this is a gospel of second chances. We have a recent convert here who has come from a pretty dark past but as he has turned to Christ he literally glows. Every moment he has to share the gospel he does and even though Satan is doing everything in his power he has refused to turn from the light. He has been such an example to me in the little time I have known him and I am so grateful for the blessings the gospel of Jesus Christ brings into our lives. I know it is the power to change.

To the Moon and Back!

Hermana Showalter

awkward family photo with the Bleas (I love them)

last pic with Veronica and Ruby

One last district photo (fixing my hair awk)

our bunk bed set up ft. Sister Barlow (we've served together 5 transfers)

New Zone another hike

A WHOLE NEW WORLD!!!!!.....kind of :)

Fiesta de la Hispanidad

Well folks transfer calls are in and after a solid 5 transfers (1 transfer = 6 weeks) in the good old Bella Vista Zone I am getting transferred...TO THE BELLA VISTA ZONE! You see there are 2 sister areas in our ward so I will be going over to the other one. I am so pumped as it is part of my old greenie area. After my first transfer my area got split in two so I am so excited to go back and work with some of my old investigators and see how they have progressed :) Also I still get to see all of the people from my current area as I am still in the ward!

Although we technically won't know until Wednesday there is a 99% (re: basically 100% chance) that I will be with Sister Neahusen finishing up her training. I can't wait because her Spanish is fire and she is so ready to work. We've lived together the past transfer and it will be fun to just skip the intros and get to work.

But this week WAS SO FUN! We had our wards Fiesta de la Hispanidad and it was (to put it mildly) LITTTT. Hermana Fuimaono invited some of her Samoan friends and I've decided it can't be a party unless there are Samoans there. She told us all her family parties are like that and we've decided to go to them when we are all in Utah. We also were taught how to dance the Baile de la piña for the ward talent show and it was well... interesting. If the gringas are the best dancers you have a problem.

Anyways another great week here in Gilbert and Queen Creek. I love being a missionary and serving the Lord. It truly is the best calling in the world :)


To the Moon and Back
-
Hermana Showalter

Early morning hike because Hermana Anderson is leaving us (Look at how Adorable my HIJA is)

 

I miss Wegmans.

Celebrated our Elder Romero's Bday with a taco pinata (we've served 6 transfers together now)

"No puedo negarlo"

Something I've done throughout my mission is stop by English members that speak Spanish to see if they know anyone. So this week when we stopped by a English member, I didn't think much of it. I thought it would be pretty much like every other member we had stopped by and that hopefully she would have a referral for us.

The moment we walked through the door of her tiny apartment though, I knew this time would be different. The spirit hit us like a wall walking in. She radiated with light and before we could hardly blink, we were sitting at her table eating as she danced around her kitchen and told us her story and gave us more referrals than I've ever gotten before in my life.

Her husband had divorced her and taken away her 4 kids who were everything to her. She was living out of her car. Yet in the midst of this she never once questioned God. She told us that no matter what, she knew He loved her and that the Church was true.

She told us of how she prayed every night and not once doubted that He would provide a way. She prayed for a lawyer and judge that spoke her language and that wouldn't charge anything. It was an impossible wish that she asked for with faith and God provided. She ran into a friend and after recounting her story, her friend told her that her dad was a judge and knew a lawyer who had served a mission in her home country.

He took on her case for free and won her kids back.

Later, another friend called her and offered to buy her a house for her and her family. She gratefully accepted and they selected a beautiful house. As she picked her kids up from school that day she told them excitedly that they were going to their house. As they were on the way her friend called and said that the house was ready on one condition: They leave the church.

As she told us this part she started to cry and said "I told her 'no puedo negarlo'" - I cannot deny it. But she left the choice up to her kids. With tears in their eyes they told their mom that they would not leave the church. They too knew it was true and would not deny it.

That simple phrase "no puedo negarlo" changed me.

There comes a time in everyone's life when we have to choose. Sometimes the choice will appear hard but is it really?

In 2 Nephi 2:27 we are told "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself"

Regardless of the earthly circumstances, as we choose Christ our eternal reward will be so much greater. Our heavenly mansions are being prepared as we give up our earthly ones. It is a choice but in the grand scheme of things it really shouldn't be that hard of one.

I love all of you and invite you to choose Christ.

To the Moon and Back

Hermana Mallory Showalter

Ps. ANA MARIA WENT THROUGH THE TEMPLE AND IT WAS AWESOME

Mesa Temple

Ps. We are going to be dancing in our wards talent show " el baile de la piña" and it's going about as well as that one photo

Why?

8 Months!

This week I walked up and started talking to a man who was washing his car.

It's a normal thing that I've done almost everyday on my mission. He wasn't that interested at first so I asked him what blessings he has seen in his life. He replied quickly that he couldn't think of a single one but after a moment he replied again and said "actually I can think of one". He told us that he was grateful that his parents has made it home safe. They had been at the concert the night of the Las Vegas shooting.

He stopped washing his car and turned fully towards us and asked "Why did the woman standing next to my dad die? Why didn't God protect her too?"

Two weeks ago I stopped and talked to a landscaper and I asked him if he had any questions for me. He looked me in the eye and asked why a loving God would let all these natural disasters affect the lives of so many.

There are many things in this life I don't completely understand, a lot that I still have to learn but there is one thing I am coming to understand perfectly. And that is God's love and plan for us.

There are things in this life we are simply not going to understand. But I do know that whether it is because of the choices we or others make or because of natural disasters that God is going to do everything in His power to help us come back to Him.

It makes me think about a certain story in the Book of Mormon. Alma and Amulek are bound and are forced to watch as the righteous get cast into a fire and die. These people were probably Amulek's own family and people he loved dearly. He too asks Alma "'How can we witness this awful scene?". Alma responds "behold the Lord recieveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing...according to the hardness of their hearts...the the judgements which he shall exercise upon them...will be just". (Alma 14)

I know that God has a perfect plan for everyone because He knows us perfectly. Oftentimes that plan leads us along a bumpy road. With growth comes pain, sorrow and often, tradegy. But it is through Christ that we will find the peace and comfort we need in these times. We will better be able to see the path He has for us and find our way to our true, eternal destination where our Heavenly Father is waiting with outstretched arms

I love you all!!!

To the moon and back :)

Hermana Showalter

ps. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE CUTEST 17 YEAR OLD BOY IN THE WORLD AKA MY LITTLE BUT VERY TALL LITTLE BROTHER ROSS. WHAT A STUD!

shoutout to my grandma for sending me a cardigan....YOU ARE MY HERO

aint Arizona if there isn't a cactus

added a good book to this little library

wild peacocks because AZ

And the Antis said "Let Them Eat Cake"

Let's just start with the highlight of the week.... GENERAL CONFERENCE!

So so SOOOOOO good. If any one reading this did not watch all of it I invite you to repent and watch it right now. Like right now. Just go to this website-> lds.org and it should be right there. If not email me fast and we'll figure it out.

For those that are like...what is general conference??? Lemme tell you. It's when we get to hear from the apostles and prophets that God has called in this time. Crazy awesome right?! The best part is that if you have questions and pray about them you have a GUARENTEE to get an answer. I did this and everyone of my questions were answered. Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"The gospel is a transcendent message of hope, happiness, and joy. It is the pathway that leads us home." President Uchtdorf

"...make use of adversity. Our trials help us discover and prepare for the work Heavenly Father has for us. … " Elder Pingree Jr

"Brothers and sisters, we are all prodigals. We all have to “come to ourselves”—usually more than once—and choose the path that leads back home. It’s a choice we make daily, throughout our lives. … To all who seek forgiveness...I invite you to come home...Sometimes the journey will seem long—after all, it is the journey toward eternal life. But it can be a joyous journey if we pursue it with faith in Jesus Christ and hope in His Atonement." Elder Owen

 "The critical question to ponder is “Where do we place our faith?” Is our faith focused on simply wanting to be relieved of pain and suffering, or is it firmly centered on God the Father and His holy plan and in Jesus the Christ and His Atonement? … " Elder Hallstrom


That is only a small part of this past conference. It was amazing and I truly felt the spirit over and over testifying to me the reality of living prophets. What a blessing! What a miracle! I truly invite each and everyone of you to prayerfully watch conference. It will change your life.


Strangely enough conference wasn't the only thing that happened this week....

First off I had the amazing opportunity to see Hermana Coulam (and her dad) this week! She was one of my MTC companions and is such an inspiration to me. She is killing it in the family history center and is a whiz at missionary work for the other side. Literally my heart just filled with happiness and pride as we sat with her. Hna Coulam is probably the strongest person I know. We are all called to serve our specific missions in life and I KNOW she is filling hers.

We also had exchanges! I am convinced that every time I go English bad things happen. But I made it out this time relatively unscathed. Also I got to spend the say with Sister Norgrant..aka my old college roommate. Haha it was so weird but so fun to spend the day reminiscing and working hard.

We also got antied probably the hardest I ever have on my mission but it only made me even more grateful for the spirit and the church. Sometimes we can't answer all the questions but when we KNOW something to be true no one can take that away from us. The antis also fed us cake so I think they were trying to not only tear us down spiritually but physically too...haha little do they know the mission does that to you anyways.

But besides the antis we had an awesome miracle :) we were trying to figure out where to go and a name came to my mind even though I have no idea who lives in this area. Well we decide to go visit this super active members whose name I had thought of. And right before that Sister Norgrant (who covers a young single adults ward) was telling me how hard it can be to find people to teach for that ward. Well that member wasn't there but there were some other people doing yard work who turned out to be members and we  through them we ended up finding two solid YSA referrals. Sister Norgrant was shocked...mostly because we also met someone from her super small Minnesotan hometown ... but also because you never tract into YSA potentials #MiraclesRainingOutOfTheSky

Then Thursday we had a special sisters training meeting and it was so good! I got to see my mission daughter and granddaughter (man I feel old) and listen to my mission president and his wife. I love the many blessings that come from being in a small mission.

I know this church is true. I know that when we make the Book of Mormon the keystone of our testimonies nothing will be able to shake it. I am grateful for the priesthood. And I know we have modern, living day prophets.

To the Moon and Back!

Hermana Showalter

first Skype lesson was a success!

Me and Emily aka Sister Norgrant

lunch with Sister Coulam!