July 15, 2013

Hello! I hope everything is well :D I am so excited that today is P day! So I can write to you!!!!

I wanted to write today about love, but now I kinda forgot where I was gonna go with it...

I think I've just seen a lot of love lately and it has touched my heart. But for some reason I can't think of any particular experiences. But WOW! I watched a pioneer movie 17 Miracles and balled the whole time it was such a tear jerker! But the best part is, that miracles happen every single day!!!! They really do! They're sooo real! 

Thursday we had a leadership training with a whole bunch of missionaries and our mission presidency and it was really good! At one point we watched clips from the movie "Facing the Giants" and talked about how our Savior is always there telling us not to give up! We just have to keep pressing forward ya know, our trials are deep but God's love is overwhelming. It's really difficult for us to see through our trials though, so we have to just learn to trust and accept Heavenly Father's love because we are each His children and even if it hurts there is a reason. Sometimes it's to make us stronger and improve our lives, I know it can seem difficult, but turn to Him in prayer, He hears and answers. Let His love into your life.

Plus my name means love so i was going somewhere with that too....and I'm out of time. 

Forgiveness is possible!

<3 Sister Amanda Jayne R.

Family! July 8, 2013

This week, for me, it's been really focused on family and how important they are, how miraculous they are, and how great the love that is found within them. I am sooo truly grateful for my family those blood and bond, because you all truly mean so much to me! I don't want my life without you all!!! oh, sorry "ya'll" I'm trying to work on my southern accent ;) But truly, Heavenly Father has blessed us so much by giving us families, and I am so grateful for the knowledge that families can be together for all eternity!! 

Also, if you want to get closer to Jesus Christ read the Book of Mormon. Seriously. It is so powerful and true and just amazing. I feel closer and stronger to my Savior and Heavenly Father each day that I read- and I just can't get enough of it! I keep reading all the time through out the day, and it is definitely lifting me up and helping me. I know it can help you too. No matter what you are going through. 

SUNDAY!!!! Miraculous Sunday!!!! IT RAINED!!!!!!!!! it was beautiful and wonderful and wet!!!!!! For a few hours and then it was all dried up again. So this week had a little cool weather associated with it- 99 and 103 feels soo good! Ha

Well, I hope you're all doing well. Remember you can always pray to Heavenly Father and He'll hear you because no matter what, you are always His child.

MUCH LOVE!!!

Sister Amanda Jayne R. 

The Sister Missionary

oh! and watch mormon messages on mormonchannel.org they make me cry all the time they're so good!

July 01, 2013

Well hello everyone! 

Saturday JUNE 29th was a breaking record high for the people here in Henderson. Our car read up to 122. SO basically as a missionary here you just sweat. and live in your sweat, even if you get a car. And I got Muppet band-aids!!!!!!!!!!!! SO totally exciting!!!!

And I know this is super short, but nothing really has changed, I'm just trying to work really hard. OH! and parents you'll lovee this- I've probably cleaned more on my mission that i have my whole life. We've mainly been doing a lot of service with helping people move and clean- and I've even Cinderella styled "moped" a few times. And this one lady her husband just left her for his girlfriend this week, apparently its at least the 4th one he's had that she knows of in almost 15 years of marriage. So needless to say I came right over and started packing up his stuff! But she is so much nicer than just throwing it out. AND HAPPY JULY!!!!! IT's going to get soooo hot!!!!! :'( :' ( but I can do it! 

I don't really know what else to say but i love you! Oh and i got to play with a chinchilla! and it kept cuddling up on my chest! Enjoy the family reunion for those of you who go, i wish i could be there. but just remember if it's hot I'm sweating more than you ;) 

LOVE

Sister Amanda Jayne R.

Today is perfect!

June 24, 2013

Its about 10:30am and the weather is only 86!!!! IT'S SO NICE!!!!!!!!

I've been waiting to write this email for 2 weeks now because I've had so much to say!!! But now I finally get a chance to write and I can't remember what all I was going to say!!!

The work is going really well and I am seeing the Heavenly Father loves, knows personally and is blessing all of His children! Seriously, miracles really do happen and I see and experience them almost everyday. Did I mention that they call Nevada the Mississippi of the west? Cause it's all Dixie... well, there are lots of sitings of rattle snakes but luckily I haven't met them yet! I Do however want to met the baby bob cats that are here, my area is up against a mountain and I think I heard cyotee the other night! And there are family of quail that run around and are soo cute!!! Almost everyone here has a dog, so I'm starting to like them...sometimes ;) 

And I spy Vanessa (Davis) Dunckliy in my photos! She's from the Fayetteville ward and is recently married, in my ward and a ward mission leader with me!! How cool right? First Sunday we both looked at each other and said "I know you" 

The people here are all really sweet! And we get a long so well! The little kids are awesome! One little girl made me a bracelet that I now where all the time, and it truly is a blessing to be in the right time at the right place for someone. The other night we were having a lesson with one of our recent converts and we had a member over, and it turns out we were suppose to be there for the member and not the convert because at one point she just broke down because she was burdened and it was so great to comfort her and to speak in behalf of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Also, there is this newly married 21 year old couple with a 17 mnt old girl who is fostering till they can adopt 3 of their cousins! a 3 year old, 7 and 8! I am so impressed! They're both 21! So we've been able to go help them and the other day we popped in to drop off some clothes and they were like "can you teach about honesty and lying!" SO we totally just made that up! It's hard though, cause there was some brainwashing involved and abuse in their old foster home, soo the 8 year old  is kinda stuck in her ways...but she looooves Jesus! (though she still thinks that God and Jesus are the same) but the 7 year old has my heart! 

THEN!!! Friday we had a Sisters Luncheon where all the sister missionaries in our mission got together and I got to conduct the second half of the meeting which was totally awesome!!!!! And made me feel super good and important :) (and my mission president, his wife and our health coordinator all thought I did really good- i love being in charge ;) )

AND I GOT TO DRIVE!!!!!!!!! For the first time in 2 months!!! It was crazy but felt so nice!!!!!! We were on exchanges and I got to be the senior companion in my area for a day- yeah! and I get to do it again tonight!!! Sorry this is long, and i know i'm forgetting a lot. but love you hope you're well!

Sister Amanda Jayne R.

Triple digits

So let me describe the heat. Take a blower dryer, on, and put it in front of your face.

What I've discovered is that Nevada has wind. And when it's hot its just blowing hot air. Yesterday after church it was like 116, later we came back outside and I was like "oh! it's sooo cool!!" and noticed it was 102. Ha! 102 was cool to me! Crazy...I guess let the summer begin!

ANNND I went to Boulder City (where the Hoover Dam is cause I'm totally awesome like that and have the Hoover Dam in my mission ;)) on Saturday for exchanges and I started the day off by pulling up and removing cactus!!! CACTI! Can you believe it!!!!! It was like the coolest and awesomest thing EVER!!!! Hahah and I found sooo many cool things! We were working on this old famous drummers house because his yards were overcome and infested with cacti- like it was crazy!!!!! So cool things I found: an old plastic doll house hidden between cactus - which totally scratched up my arm, and now I might have a new scar...
Also, a rusty old red ridder wagon without wheels, later we found them. A Michigan license plate from 1971. Two records that were all wrapped from the heat. Lots of stuffed animals and a plastic alligator, woolly mammoth and those long necked dinosaurs! I was having soo much fun hahah. Well, they wouldn't let me use the chainsaw or machete sooo...really, i had to find fun else how. Also like 5 toilet seats, a payphone, a weather vain that was sitting up on a collapsed shack or something, and 3 parts of a vertebrata. Um, serious? What died out there? I have no idea. Soo...anyways, by the end I actually dont think I like cacti so much anymore cause I'm still stuck with some needles I can't really get out.... :( boo not so fun anymore.

And Sunday was amazing! It was sooo miraculous! So on the first sunday of every month in church we have an open mic for people to go up and bear their testimonies. So my heart was sooo full that I got up immediately to go and as I did two little girls got up behind me, so of course I let them go first. Then my companion got up (because she made a promise to the 2nd girl that went that she would get up) and little children kept pouring out of their seats to come to the microphone and tell the things in their heart. And it was so pure and powerful and I was just overwhelmed with the Saviors love and their innocence. I kept thinking that when Christ suffered the little children to come unto Him and how He always counsels us to be child like and to see with their eyes. I totally got it. It was beautiful and I wish you all could have experience it with me.

Anyway, those were some fun adventures from my week! And I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

<3 Sister Amanda Jayne R.

Miracles

May 27, 2013

Wow, what a week of miracles! You wouldn't even believe it and I'm still trying to comprehend all of them though I was a personal witness!!

First, Mormon Messages have changed my life!!!! Please Please PLEASE take a few minutes to watch them. They are amazing! You can find them on mormon.org or the mormon channel and probably lds.org

2nd. I have always known that I love the Lord and that He loves me and that I am his daughter. But everyday I'm finding out how much depth there is to those truths. As you turn to the Lord and just tell Him openly that there are somethings you can not do and when you put your love and trust in Him, He takes you in His hands and takes care of the rest.

3rd. I know that the gospel can lives and I knew I would be part of it. But this week I have truly seen it. There is an indescribable feeling when you see the light of the gospel touch the hearts to those who have been searching it. This week in particular we met with Willie and his daughters. Willie has a history of drug problems, his wife prostitutes herself to get the drugs and their 13 year old daughter has been left in juvy neglected and has been messed up with some bad things. Wille called his brother because he finally realized he needed to change his life. So we met with him and his two daughters, he left his wife and we taught him about Gods love. Tears were weeping from his face and he felt the Holy Ghost touch his life and I sincerely believe that this was the first step forward to rescue him and his family. We're meeting with them again on Thursday.
Also little small things. like running into people and being in the right place at the right time. It really is amazing. And Steve. Boy, he's another story but last week he admitted he was supplying the drugs to his wife and they had binged the night she basically ODed. But he was too out of it, just thinking it was another "normal" night. BUT since he confided in us, and admitted it was a problem I've seen a new light in his eyes and I believe that is hope. Hope that our Savior Jesus Christ supplies to all. SO....week of miracles and I am just so grateful and honored my Savior trust me to put His children in my hands.

4th. A personal miracle for me :) Last night we walked by this house that was throwing out some notebooks (they're moving) and one was bright and caught my eye. The design was 70s! So of course I collected it into my safe arms and when I returned home I opened it up to reveal the pages it had inside. It was indeed a notebook from the 70s full of poems. It has been the most beautiful and amazing personal gift ever! Inside lays treasures of souls dated from 1972 and 1974. There was one poem that talked about losing a loved one who was killed in Vietnam. I still can't believe what I have found! I am so lucky

The gospel of Jesus Christ as restored in His church is the truth! I see it, feel it, and know it every single day. This is the most amazing experience ever. Please get to know your Heavenly Father better. He listens and answers your prayers

OH!!! I FORGOT TO MENTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I met Kendra Jackson who is Gladis Knights' daughter!!!!! She is sooo fantastic and amazing and a fire cracker! They started this thing called Saints United Voices that's a traveling musical fireside held in our chapels. It sounds amazing and they were just in Memphis, so look them up and they should go to georgia (since that's where they're from) of course its free! So many talented and amazing people are here! But that's my brag to fame right now, I'll be hanging out with her a lot this summer as she teaches me how to bake ;)
 

<3
Sister Roberts ;)

The MTC Experience

Sorry it took so long to send word.

The MTC. I almost don't have words to describe it it's almost like something you just have to experience to completely understand. The MTC stands for Missionary Training Center, but others encourage it to stand for 'Make The Change' or "Make Time Can't". For  me I have only been in the MTC for 13 days, & though that number seems really short it's felt like I've been here for weeks. 

I left my home early on Wednesday April 17, 2013 traveled 1588 miles by plane at an average speed of 496 MPH at 38,000 ft in altitude with 71 degrees Fahrenheit  outside. I can say today that that has been a trip well spent. I arrived in Salt Lake City with a temperature of 30 degrees!! I was freaked that it was so cold, but but when but when I went outside it actually wasn't that bad! It felt like 60 degrees Georgia weather. 

As I pulled into the MTC there was a very long curb of missionaries lined up to greet everyone & honestly it freaked me out! It was an instant impact of what I was about to do, so nervously I got out of the car handed over some of my bags to my "host" missionary & started my journey, rolling my suitcase behind me up the hill and snow began to fall. Here I am my first day and it's snowing- ok, it was like sleeting because they were very lite and few. The day I reported there was a total of 253 Elders who also gave up everything to serve the Lord & do His work, & I was one of 259 Sister missionaries who have also put their life on hold for a period of time. Now I'm at the end of this journey here and I can say that I've learned a lot about the Gospel, others and myself.

Pieces for you

-As you do everything to walk closer to God, He will walk closer to you.

-Truth declareth  all things

-No matter what other people do You chose to
1) BE HAPPY      2) LOVE them!

-Next time Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future.

-Every sorrow is but a moments tear

-Modesty is a condition of the heart

-The Atonement isn't just infinite, it's intament

-To love your neighbor and the Lord, you need to know how to love yourself first.

-"music is the language of heaven"

I could write so sooo much more, but I know this is really long so I wish you all well and I leave with you this primary song 'smile'

"If ya chance to meet a frown, Do not let it stay. Quickly turn it upside down and smile that frown away. No one likes a frowning face. Change it for a smile. Make the world a better place by smiling all the while."

<3 Sister Amanda Jayne R.