Conference!

Letter from Oct 3

Hello!!


I hope you are all doing well and that you enjoyed Conference weekend.
How was it?! What did you learn? How did you feel?

This time around, I learned a lot about the importance of the Restoration. I was reminded of what I need to do each and every day to be more sincere in my prayers and in my testimony. I was reminded of the importance of daily scripture study and of Family Home Evening. I know that all the commandments and suggestions of the prophets come from God and that they are for our benefit. I know my role as a daughter of God and know what I want to do to be a disciple and example of Christ at all times. I am grateful that we have the opportunity to listen to Gods servants and learn from them and the spirit. I would love to hear about what you all learned!

Everyone always talks about writers block, and says its the most terrible thing. I mean, I'm not even a writer, but I know that I have no idea what to write about today. I went bowling today, and scored 106. I beat everyone on my lane. I had In N Out, so I'm really full. Something is in my eye, just like many other weeks, but I can't touch it because of keyboard fingers. General Conference was WONDERFUL and I can't believe it's already over. Today is a month mark that can not be spoken about because it almost brings tears to my eyes. The high temperature for today is 79. I had my last Multizones conference where tears were actually brought to my eyes. I received a tire and another part of a car and a wooden yard sale sign as prizes from some elders. General Conference was AMAZING.  We taught a lot of lessons, invited a lot of people to baptism, and are still working on getting everyone out to church so they can progress towards baptism.

So Multizones. All of the trainings were so wonderful! We learned all that we needed to know to better serve the people in Corona and help them progress. We learned how to effectively give a church tour, and practiced our street contacting with awesome members who came in and helped us. Hna Pena came in and was so happy to help a whole bunch of missionaries who have helped her change her life. When we talked to her later in the week, she asked us if that was an experience that she could share in testimony meeting at church. She's so cute. We also were given deet bug spray, that we have been asked to use every single day. The church is taking a big step to protect the missionaries, and even though we don't really understand why we were given a fancy perfume, we will be using it every day to be obedient and follow the brethrens suggestions. At the Multizone conferences, the incoming and outgoing missionaries are asked to bear their testimony. Since they only happen every other transfer, I gave my outgoing testimony and did it without crying. It wasn't until after I sat down that I lost it. Sister Mullen told me to be happy because I would be home for Christmas, but I told her I didn't want to be. I love you all. But I wanna be a missionary 5ever.


Have the best day ever!
Love,
Hermana Sager

Corona distrcit bowling day!

Hermana Hernadez Sanchez and Hermana Sager

Prizes from the elders!!

Corona Zone 

Sid being Sid! Love this girl!!Halloween is on its way!

Letter from Sept 26

Hello!!

This week was much better than last week, and last week was great, so this week was the best week ever! The work flowed a bit nicer, we found a lot of new people to teach, and we are learning more about how to be the missionaries that the Lord wants us to be. We were able to teach the Restoration more this week, and invite people to be baptized. Hermana Hernandez Sanchez is so ready to invite every one to be baptized, and we're working on focusing on the spirit to be guided to when to do so. We have a lot of lessons coming up where we will teach the Restoration and hope to be able to find those who are ready to accept baptism at this time.

Last night during a lesson, as I took a pause from talking, the hermano asked if my parents are from Mexico. He was very surprised that I speak spanish, and just thought that was the most reasonable explanation. hehe. No, my parents are not from Mexico, but I like to pretend like I am sometimes. Not very many people actually believe me. That's fine. Hermana Hernandez Sanchez is helping me with my spanish, and trying to help with my accent.

I hope you all have a great week and that you enjoy General Conference! Pay attention, take notes, do all you can to receive answers to your prayers. I know that you will receive answers and revelation if you listen closely. It's going to be the best weekend ever!!

Have the best day ever!
Love,
Hermana Sager

Hermana Sager and her new companion Hermana Hernandez Sanchez

Here's a nice picture of me and Rafael. 

Mole enchiladas. SO GOOD.

Nuveacita Hermanita

Letter from Sept 19

Buenas tardes mis hermanos!

Ok, so first week for Hermana Hernandez Sanchez!!! She's so great. She is 4'11", from Nashville, but was born in Mexico, speaks spanish, is very kind, loves everyone and every thing, and has so much fire and desire for the work!!! She just wants to be out working all the time. She understands the importance of talking with everyone, to the point where it hurts her when we are in the car, driving on a busy road, and there are people outside walking. I feel that if she were driving, she would pull over and try and talk to each person she saw at all times. She has no fear of starting a conversation or teaching boldly during a lesson. She is learning so quickly, and has full intentions and desires to be completely obedient. She teaches with sincerity and love with a firm testimony of Christ and His Church. She's already on fire, and I'm so excited to see how much further she goes within the next 11 weeks and for the rest of her mission.

More stories will be shared next week, but for right now, just know that I am doing great. I love the work. I love the Lord. I know he leads me every day to do his work. I hope to continue learning every day of what He wants for me now, and later. I talk to everyone, because I know that are my brothers and sisters. I know God wants all of is children to return to him, even more than the parents of a missionary can't wait for theirs. I know that I am important in this work, and that helps me to feel Gods love, I know we're all important in the work. Get out there, and share your testimonies. If you look to me for help, I'm just going to smile big, and make you do it because you need to learn. (hehe, ask Hermana Hernandez Sanchez).

All week long, we had struggled to find investigators. We knew that if we continued working with faith, that God would lead us to the people who he has prepared. Saturday night, when we set our goals for Sunday, we set a goal of 7 new investigators. 7 new is a good goal for one week, and so it was a very challenging goal for one day. But, we had the faith and had the real intent of working to receive the blessings. After 2 different lessons Sunday night, we were able to find 8 new investigators. Two new families to teach. To new families to help them learn about the restored Gospel. We are so excited to continue working with them, and strive to be dililgent in daily contact, and getting the help from members to help in their conversion process.

I hope you have the best day ever. I pray for you every day, and love you every minute. All the new missionaries from Provo told me that it was already getting cold. Good luck with that.

LOVE YOU ALL!
Love,
Sid.

My dumb little card reader won't let me send pictures. Sorry. Imagine me smiling.


Sids mom here!!!  since her card reader wasnt working I thought I'd post a couple of pics anyway.

Sid and her eyes!! Arent they the best)

This was the first surprise  picture I got from a memeber from Hemet. It was her first week in the field, with her trainor Hermana Rutherford.  Thought since Hermana Sager is now a trainor I'd  share her pic with you all!
If you see a missionary send a surprise pic to their parents, we all want to see that our chldren are doing well.

I sent this camel to Sid at her halfway mark!
She attached the sign.  I love that just over the camels hump you can see Jesus!!
She truly LOVES being a missionary. 

Mariposas y misioneros!!

Letter from Sept 12

HELLOOOOO!!!!!

Today I have mariposas in my tummy. Transfer calls happened, and Hermana Brown is leaving me. She goes to Riverside, and I will be here in Corona with a new missionary! I will be training a new missionary, right out of the MTC, full of fire, drive, and desire to baptize. I am so excited to meet her tomorrow after she hops off a plane, sits in meetings for a few hours, and is ready to work.
 I am very excited! I hope to be a great trainer and hope that she starts off her mission with obedience, diligence, desire, and love for everything that we do. I slightly feel that you think you know how to be a missionary, until it's time to teach someone else how to do it. I'm sure she will already be so prepared, and I know that we will further help this area. I will be going back to 4 hours of studies instead of 3 now, so hopefully I don't snack all day in the apartment. pero de todos modos, wish me luck! Or pray. Prayers are more powerful.

Yesterday in Sacrament meeting, we did a musical number. Us two, and the Elders in our ward. The elders are both really musically talented, and So is Hna Brown. And then theres me. I was taugh the harmony part, and we sang a four part musical number, and it actually sounded nice! All the members loved it, and the spirit was very strong. Afterwards, the white musically talented second counselor in the bishopric, told us that the harmonies were perfect all the way through. So now you have a daughter/sister/ friend that sang in Sacrament meeting and actually invited the spirit rather than chasing it away.   Also at church, we taught the gospel principles class. The topic was La Obra Misional, aka, Missionary Work. The lesson went really well and the spirit was so strong. As we taught and testified about the importance of missionary work and why we do it, the spirit confirmed to me that this is the Lords work, and there is no where else he wants me right now. Missionary work is so important because no unclean thing can enter into God's kingdom, and the restored gospel has given us the chance to be clean! Through repentance and baptism performed by the restored priesthood power, we are clean. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored. I know that he is leading and guiding his church today. I know that the power of God to perform miracles and sacred ordinances is on the earth and it is found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After teaching the lesson, we gave everyone in the class an opportunity to do missionary work and to share their testimony. We brought pens and paper for everyone, and asked them to write their testimonies to share. If they had someone in mind to share it with, then they kept it and will give it out this week. Many didn't have someone to share it with, and if this was the case, we asked to share their testimonies with our investigators. We now have a stack of testimonies that we will be giving to our investigators as we teach them. I am excited to see how the testimonies of the members help the investigators to strengthen their own, and to come to church. I know that we are all missionaries, and we are all working together to help everyone return to Gods presence after this life.

Have the best day ever!
Love,
Hermana Sager

Hermanas Brown and Sager

I guess this is the food Hermana Sager was pointing at in the first pic. Beef Tounge tacos!

Happy Labor Day!!

Letter from Sept 6

Every day I get more and more grateful for this chance that I have to serve a mission. I am learning so much, and am excited to put all the wonderful things I have learned into practice for the rest of my life. One thing I have noticed has made a huge difference in Sabbath day observance. A lot of the music we listen to in our car is from EFY soundtracks and different things. But, on Sundays, we have only been listening to Hymns, and I love it! I am able to feel the spirit a long stronger, and know that it is one simple way to further keep the Sabbath day holy. I plan to change how I live my Sundays for the rest of forever, and strive to further dedicate those days to the Lord. I know that as we strive to keep the Sabbath day holy, we will have the spirit with us even stronger and we can understand more of how to follow Christs example.

So Hermana Brown is awesome. We have become really close and love working together. As we were driving home Sunday night, we decided that we are going to change how we work. Instead of just jumping straight to the video in every contact, we plan to teach and testify more of the Restoration. We are planning to teach more short and powerful lessons helping people learn of the restored gospel and it's importance, and in this way, finding more of those who the Lord has prepared to be baptized at this time. We know that as we are more diligent in teaching the restoration quick and powerfully, we will invite everyone to be baptized, and the spirit will help them recognize the need. We hope to help more people progressing towards baptism.

A family that we are teaching, there is a two year old boy named Luis. He is really small and round and so cute. He just kind of waddles around and makes noises. If we ask him something he will growl at us, and then just keep on going. It's adorable. His mom had asked him to go get us water bottles. So he growled at her, and then waddled away and came back with one. When she said to get another, he went through the same motions, but this time walked past the water bottles and just kept going. After being so kind and getting us water, Hna Brown gave him a sticker that has a picture of Jesus on it. His mom asked him "Quien es?" or "Who is it?" and in a very growly scary voice he says, "JESUS". He then goes back to speaking in a child voice and growling occasionally. We're not really sure where that comes from. Especially because he says it in english and not spanish, but they only speak spanish in their house. Atleast it is a testimony that no matter who you are, how old you are, or where you are, Christ is recognized and he is important. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I know he loves us.

There is another  a family we are teaching ,There are 4 kids, and they love the Book of Mormon! They're normally outside playing when we come by, and so they will run up to us and ask, "Should we get our books?" YES! As we have taught and testified of the Book of Mormon, they have felt the spirit testifying that it is true. In the introduction of the Book of Mormon is on of Joseph Smiths statement. “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” After reading this testimony with them and 3 Nephi 11, the mom told us she knew it was true. She knoes that she will come closer to God as she continues reading the Book of Mormon. The Book f Mormon is the word of God and it helps us in every aspect of our lives. I love the Book of Mormon, and am so grateful that God has given it to us in these times.

Have the best day ever!
Love,
Hermana Sager

​Our Zone! The paper I'm holding is a maze puzzle that spells Jesus, you just can't see it. Sorry. 

The District!

The sisters don't have a car anymore, so they are our pday buddies.

​Panera Bread and sassy pony tail. 

Literally overfilled with HAPPY!!!!

Letter from Aug 29

WOO HOO!!

I'm so happy. Yesterday during church, I just felt so good and was so happy. For no reason at all or for every thing combined together. I couldn't stop smiling and since I had to sit still and listen, I was just trying not to laugh throughout the entire Sacrament meeting and gospel principles class. I was just so happy that I was literally overfilled with happy that it was flowing out with smiles and laughs. I felt the spirit very strongly and just wanted to share the happy with everyone. BE HAPPY! Jesus loves you. He wants you to be happy, and him and our Heavenly Father have provided multiple ways for you to be happy at all times.

This week was different. We had to stay in a couple days because my body is attacking me. I am slowly getting better and stronger and healthier. We were still able to find new investigators and have some success this week. After a couple days, I forgot what it was like to teach a lesson again. The first one taught after a couple days in was wonderful. It made me realize that I cannot take it so lightly. Every lesson we teach is so important and they make me feel so great. I love being able to share my testimony with others, to invite the spirit, and to help others to have spiritual experiences and come unto Christ. Being a missionary is just the coolest thing ever. I love it all.

Yesterday, Hna Pena was called to be a Primary teacher! She is so nervous and so excited. She loves the gospel and will be the best teacher. I heard that Zaid is doing well. He is at the church every Friday to  help clean the church, and he should be receiving the Aaronic priesthood this coming Sunday. He loves the church and knows he has found his place. I'm so happy to hear that he is doing well. Also, Hna Rasmussen went and visited the Arizmendi girls when she came back to visit. She said that they are doing so well, and that they want me to come back and visit. I want to go see them again too! Those people who I have helped come unto the gospel have helped me so much and have changed my life! I love them and pray that they will always continue faithful.

For sacrament meeting yesterday, we had the hymn testimony meeting. It was awesome. One by one, the members went up and shared a short testimony of why each hymn was their favorite. The organist for our ward can only play the songs after having played them, so he didn't play for the entire time. Normally, spanish wards struggle a little bit more in the music department, but yesterday was wonderful! As we all sang without an organ or piano, we were united in sending prayers and alabanzas to the Lord. The spirit was so strong as we sang about our Savior and how much he loves us. I love all the hymns, and know that they invite the spirit without fail. What's your favorite hymn? Why?

Have the best day ever!
Love,
Hermana Sager

FELIZ

Blurry.. We had a combined lesson with the Elders and with la familia Leon.
Working in a quadpanionship is tricky, but the kids loved the lesson! 

There is a Difference!!

Letter from Aug 22

Hello!

This week I was reminded that there is a difference between having a testimony and living it. We are working with this less active family who have strong testimonies. They know everything is true, and they love learning more. They know the Book of Mormon is the word of God, they just aren't currently reading it. They know they need to come to church, they just aren't doing it. It makes me think about all the things I know to be true. My testimony has grown tremendously as I have had the opportunity to study and to share it many times a day. We need to be looking for ways continuously to strengthen our testimonies by our actions. Sometimes actions require faith, but then those faithful actions will strengthen our testimonies. So I want you to think... Do you have a testimony? And what are you doing to live it? In Ether 12:6 it says,   "And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerningthese things; I would show unto the world that faith isthings which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore,dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witnessuntil after the trial of your faith. " We don't receive testimony until after the trial of our faith. So have the courage to continue trying. Have the courage and the faith to continue acting, and the spirit with help you to strengthen those testimonies you already have.

I hope this makes sense. I was sick this week and my brain is sleepy.

Okay, so the temple last week was wonderful. I love love love the temple, and the way I feel when I am there. Everytime we go to the temple, I like to think that the person whose work I have done has already accepted and is helping us in the work. This time, one of the members in an english ward gave a bunch of missionaries family names. I was able to do a family name for one of the members here, so I hope that she will help us and guide us around Corona to find those who are waiting. Heavenly Father leads us in his work and does so in many ways. I would like to think that Hna Brown and I have a little army of angels guiding our paths and protecting us from behind. I am so grateful that we have the opportunity to go to the temple as frequently as we do.


On Saturday I went on exchanges with a wonderful human named Sister Banks. She is serving in Eastvale. It's a very new city with a lot of new communities, a lot of money, and a lot of asians. It was a different exchange because the only time I used my Spanish was to contact the landscapers working in the yards. However, I learned a lot from Sister Banks. She taught me that I need to ask more questions during lessons to understand what the investigators know and feel. In the ward where she serves, they have a group of Chinese members who attend, and everything is translated for them by one of the elders. They don't have enough members yet to form a branch or ward, but they are working on it. So for dinner we were invited over to eat with a Chinese family. The mom didn't speak any english, and the dad just a small amount. They invited another family over who knows more english to help communicate if it was needed. When we showed up, I took off my shoes, showed off my tanlines and worried they would smell my feet. I also realized that eating dinner at a members house with your shoes off is actually really nice. We ate real life dumplings, with a soup that you drink from the bowl instead of using a spoon. Except they gave us a spoon after they saw us struggling. I was also given a fork because I couldn't pick up a dumpling from the plate with chopsticks. The family was so loving. No matter the person, race, language, or location; the gospel is the same. In very broken English, the dad bore his testimony to us of the truthfulness of the gospel. Before meeting the missionaries, their family didn't know about God or Jesus Christ. Their life has changed completely and they know the source. They know that they are loved and they know that the Book of Mormon will answer any question they have. After sharing a video in Chinese, we bore testimony in English. As we bore testimony, I could feel the spirit helping them understand our words. They were comforted and not worried. I love the gospel. I know the spirit testifies of truth, and we should pay more attention to the times when we are being taught by the spirit.


Love you all!
Hermana Sager

Hermanas Brown and Sager at the Redlands Temple

Cute Companions!1

​Hna Brown helped me with some corn rows on a sick day.
They need a little work, but we don't want another sick day to practice.

Representing the Larsens, the Sagers, the hood, and the Lord. (corn rows are a result from a sick day. hehe)
​