My e-mail got deleted

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Hello Everyone!!

I'm sorry but my big e-mail got deleted so I don't think that I’ll have time to write another long e-mail. It is so lame, I know.

What's the weather like right now?

Wasn't conference incredible? To be honest I was a little bit under the weather. It is only the second time in my mission I've gotten sick and it was a bummer but I was functional and went to conference and got a lot out of it. I feel so lucky and blessed to be living in a day and a time where we have living prophets on the earth with the priesthood power of God. I'm grateful that I have the knowledge without a shadow of a doubt that we can receive personal revelation from God to lead us and guide us in our own lives. I feel
extremely blessed. Conference was a really good time for reflection for me. I thought back to my very first conference on the mission where I was overwhelmed and with my trainer and didn't really know what missionary work was, to the conference 6 months ago when I was sitting in that very same institute building, and now to two days ago when I felt like I belonged. I have changed a lot on my mission and I am so grateful for the changes I have felt and the experiences that I have had.

Yesterday I got quarantined! I was truly very frustrated. I showed up at the Battalion and was a little sick. I started a tour with Sister Newman and then felt super hot. She left the room to turn on the AC and when she came back in she told me I looked like I was about to pass out. So I went out to get a drink of water and the rest of the Sisters told me I wasn't allowed to give tours and made me change out of my pioneer dress and sit on the couch. So I sat on the couch with a stubborn look on my face. Then I got sent home because they didn't want the fever to spread. But I was stubborn and at home I helped my
companion with the area book and then I was too tired so I gave in and went to bed. Being on a mission has made it very challenging for me to just sit when there is work to be done. But it is all very funny now, and I feel loads better with the extra sleep.

I got to go on exchanges with Sister Kearsley again. That was so fun! I am very grateful! =) I hope that I get to end my mission with her because it would be so fun to start and end a mission with the same companion. =) We went to Spring Valley and it was a family ward. It felt so weird. I am way more comfortable teaching YSA's now then I am
teaching normal people, ha-ha.

Ari is great! He's our investigator from Japan. He came to conference on Saturday and there was a girl from Japan there. I am most grateful for that. He was so grateful that he came back the next day even though he wasn't planning on it! The ward has really fellowshipped Ari.

Ari and James are all doing really well. I love teaching them. I teach mostly international students which is fun! Yesterday we added someone from Mongolia and met someone from Nigeria! It is really fun... and I'm definitely learning about the language barrier. Also, I'm learning that I want to go into international nutrition. This excites me! So it is good news... I found out last week though that I'll have to go an extra semester because that's how the classes line up with the prerequisites.

We moved James baptismal date back because he didn't feel ready and we agreed. It is now April 21 so we will pray for that and for his faith to continue to build. =)

This week was great! Conference was incredible! It feels like time goes so fast. The days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days and it just seems like days are going faster and faster!

I love the work! I love you! You are each incredible!

Love you lots!

What are some things you got out of conference?

~ Sister Tardiff

Time to shine =)

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Hello my beautiful friends!

How was your week? Any snow storms? Sun storms?

So this week was just another week in the La Jolla Singles ward but something really exciting happened (OK, so more than one exciting thing, but this was the first thing that came to my mind.) My companion and I got to teach Elders Quorum! Not many sisters get to say that one. =)  We brought Sister Cash, the senior sister missionary in with us so we would be keeping the missionary rules. It was really awesome. The Elders Quorum is small and we shared with them the article "Do the Math" about a priests quorum that went from 2 members to 26 because people started inviting their friends. It was cool to see the looks on their faces when we said that to them. The Spirit was strong, the message was clear and I'm excited about how excited they are to share and to invite their friends. I think this might have been a once in a lifetime opportunity, ha-ha.

Something else which is exciting is that things just kept falling into place for us. We didn't have very much proselyting time because we had MTE (Missionary training exchanges) but we saw miracles. One time a potential investigator just walked into the Battalion while we were on shift named Ari and because the Battalion was kind of slow we were able to teach him the message of the restoration, watch the Restoration in Japanese with him and add him as an investigator. Another amazing moment is that we finally got in contact again with investigator John that I mentioned about a month ago and he came to the Battalion. Hallelujah! He is so cool. We still have to pass him off to the Helix Singles area but he's super sincere, super open and we were able to talk openly and candidly with him. He kind of looks like Patrick which is cool. =) We also met someone yesterday in Linda Vista named Luis who is 18 and has found God again. He seems really open to reading the Book of Mormon. We are excited to teach him and he is really spiritual.

MTE was great. We learned about making the Gospel of Jesus Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end) part of everything we teach - the frame work for every lesson, commandment and contact we teach. It has been enlightening to see the difference it has made in our teaching and a new focus and enthusiasm in the work. We were able to use it with all the lessons we have taught since MTE and it has made a world of difference. Every time I learn something, at Zone Conference or MTE or interviews or the weekly training meetings we have at the Battalion, I think to myself - why didn't I know this before, the work would have been so much better off!  But then I catch myself, because I know that God expects us to learn line upon line and precept upon precept. I can't learn everything at once so he is helping me become the missionary and the person I need to become step by step.

I think that's really similar to how life works, and I'm just figuring out how life works... 22 years later. We learn slowly if we want it to stick. We learn step by step. It kind of reminds me of the first testimony I gave in sacrament meeting - the Gospel is kind of like writing the ABC's. First you can do upper case, then lower case and then cursive. We keep evolving and becoming better and it is always, always possible. I love it! I don't really remember why I remember my first testimony... probably because I said it in my head over 100 times before I finally got the courage to get up and do it, hey, but it is there!

Also we have a Tiwi in our car which now has been activated and talks to us *wide eyes* It tracks our breaking, acceleration, speeding, GPS location, everything and it TELLS us and reports back to the mission president and fleet coordinator. I'm very grateful Sister Tanner is the designated driver this transfer and I am the passenger ha-ha. We are learning how to be exactly obedient including our driving in obeying, sustaining and honoring the law. I think it’s way good =) and you all know what a good driver I am ;) Just kidding, I've become way better and more confident on my mission. No more panic attacks on the highway, ha-ha.

The situation worked out perfectly that we were able to talk to Elisha’s friend and she wants to take the tour and learn more from us. She's a wildlife specialist so I think we'll get along really well. =D

San Diego is beautiful. It has become my home. I love the mountains and the ocean and the palm trees. I love the people.

But anyway! The week was great! We have another awesome week that seems to be coming right up. I'm excited for it, for missionary work, for evolving as a person and a missionary and striving to continually become even better (slowly) every single day. Repentance is the best. =D

Conference this Sunday! Remember to go to conference with a question!! =D It will be answered I promise! I did that last April and I was able to have 13 questions answered. It really works because we are preparing spiritually for conference and the Lord will reward us. We are making a big deal about conference and making fliers to pass out to people so they'll go to the institute. I love the institute. I love the ward. I love how I've truly come to love INDIVIDUALS in the ward as people, I've been able to make a difference in peoples' lives that are members, as it still matters. It has been a great week and a great transfer. I seriously feel so blessed that the Lord didn't listen to my plea two transfers ago to get transferred, because I wouldn't have grown as much, and I wouldn’t have come to love this work as much as I do now. Sometimes it is good when the Lord's answer is "no," ha-ha. I've definitely come to realize that here on the mission. 

I love you all! You are amazing and lovable and huggable and just the greatest. You are in my prayers. Keep up the good work!

Love,

Sister Tardiff

Funny Story: We finally got YUM YUM donuts - yep, no joke.... it’s seriously called Yum Yum. It was yummy - but I think I like Dunkin Donuts better. =D