Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Hello Family & Friends,

It was a holiday yesterday so that is why I am emailing today:) We went to take a tour of the Colts stadium today with all the elders in our zone. They were quite excited and Sister Lambson and I had a good time freaking out over the little things:) It was a good time and a good bonding experience. I forgot my camera cord so I will send pictures next week, we got a little out of hand at the stadium. Sister Lambson and I have so much fun together and we are always laughing pretty much 99.9% of the day, I love it so much. We are staying safe from the tornadoes and it got a bit out of hand a couple of days ago and we had to be inside but all is well. We also survived the Indy 500, yeah that was pure madness on Saturday and Sunday. We were just told to stay away from the track but there were people EVERYWHERE!!!! And I can't believe how people parked on sunday, the day of the race. I forgot to take pictures but yeah anywhere and everywhere they were crammed on lawns, I mean it was serious business. We stayed safe though:)

Sister Lambson and I have had some truly great experiences that's for sure. We have been doing very well at staying motivated in our finding efforts and our teaching pool is picking up. I have just been praying A LOT for us to be able to find those that are ready. Sister Lambson is doing so well and is always trying to improve. I am so thankful for her and I am able to trust her and we can effective talks to improve our companionship as sisters. I love her so very much and I know that she is here for me:) We are reaching most of our goals and I love it and I know it is because we are improving on our planning. It's not perfect but it's getting there.

We had an amazing baptism on Saturday, Luke Rhoades, and has the most amazing spirit. He has been an answer to my prayers as we have taught him. It was a little hectic at first because we thought the Indy 2nd elders were getting his jumpsuit but apparently there was a miscommunication there, but we were able to get that figured out and then the font lost about 4 inches of water when we went to have the baptismal ordinance and he is a very tall guy so that worried me. I was a little stressed at the beginning but the spirit was there and I was so proud of him and was able to just focus on him and this wonderful decision he has made. We had to baptize him four times because his knee kept coming up but all was well. I was so grateful that he had asked me to speak about the Holy Ghost and it was such a tender moment for me and I love him so very much. He was confirmed on Sunday and it was such a sweet experience. The branch members have been so willing and helpful and he is going to well in the YSA branch. We were able to have an investigator there at the baptism, Michelle, who we tracted into and she has come to church and was more than willing to come to the baptism. She is doing well, but there is definitely a language barrier because she is from China but she knows english, she just has a hard time understanding the meaning of some of the words. We had a lesson with her afterwards and we are definitely going to have to go slow with her but her enthusiam is so inspiring. We also have been meeting with a guy that we met on campus who is a very devout catholic but I know he is feeling something and it has his interest, I just know it. He keeps meeting with us but is still trying to understand why the restoration was necessary and so we are trying to help him understand that, but I have felt the spirit so strong in our lessons. We also met with a student, Keon, one last time, but he came to church on Sunday and we were so excited!!!!! We gave him a book of mormon reading schedule to take with him to Florida this summer and we are going to stay in contact with him here and there this summer.

As we have been out finding on campus and on the canal, we have met some of the coolest people and also some not so nice people:) We started talking to these three men and they were very kind at first but then they flipped out on us because of what the church did in California with Prop 8 and they just thought that our church was promoting hate. It was hard to hear that we were a hateful church and we did our best to explain that it was not about that but that marriage is sacred and of God and is between a man and a woman, but they wouldn't really listen. They started going off some more and I felt the best thing to do was to let them know that we weren't there to argue and we just wanted to share what we hold dear, and then we walked away. I didn't know what else we could do. I know Heavenly Father is aware of us and he put some awesome people in our path shortly after that. We talked to a guy that has heard a lot of the music from the Tabernacle Choir and so we decided to sing him a song. I love that the spirit was there for that time with them and I know they were able to feel of that as well.

Sister Lambson and I had the great opportunity to speak in church on Sunday and our topic was adversity and hope. I was so grateful for that chance to study for that this past week. I used one of my very favorite stories from the bible of Peter walking on the water but getting scared and sinking but the Savior extends his arm and catches him, just like He will always do for us. I love that story so very much and it felt good to bear testimony of that and the hope that that story has brought to my life.

We learned an amazing way to teach about the Book of Mormon using the pictures in the front and we have used it a few times this week and it's been incredible. We tried it out on a bum the other day, it went quite well I must say:) We have been using our companion study to be more effective teachers and we have been doing well at role playing every day. We are working more and more with the branch members and they have been so great and have been inviting friends to our dinner appointments. We also received three referrals yesterday from the branch members, of course we wouldn't let them leave the table until they gave us one, but nonetheless we received them:)))

Love,
Sister Lamb

Monday, May 23, 2011

Hello family and friends!!!!

Another eventful week that's for sure! Transfer meeting was quite the shocker at least for me:) My new companion is adorable, her name is Sister Lambson, yeah everyone just laughs when they meet us. She has been out for 6 weeks and so I'm her follow up trainer and I have never felt so inadequate. President Collins talked to me afterwards and told me that the Lord will make me equal to the task. Sister Lambson is an absolute blast and we are just having fun and working hard that's for sure. We have had quite the experiences, oh me oh my, but thankfully we have just been laughing the whole time after the craziness.

The branch members have been so wonderful and are the best fellowshippers. Chris Yim, who is our recent convert has been so amazing and taking care of one of our investigators, Keon. He is always calling him to hang out and it's been so good for Keon. The elders in the White River ward had a baptism and Keon was able to come and he loved it and I know that he really felt the spirit. We talked to him afterwards about Christ being baptized and how that authority that Christ was baptized with is the same authority that we have today. Sister Lambson and I have been doing a lot of finding this week and we have seen little miracles as we have been doing that. We were on campus the other day and talked to quite a few people and then we started talking with a guy named Joe, who had lots of questions and we had a great discussion with him. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he was very open minded about it and wanted to read it. We are going to follow up with him this week. We also tracted some apartment complexes by campus and oh my goodness, we met some funny people that were so awkward at the same time and it was just a good time. We knocked on a girls door and she invited us in and her roomates joined us well. Everything was going well and they were very sweet but then they just started throwing fireballs at us!!!! I think they have the Bible memorized or something cuz it got pretty intense. We did the best we could to resolve their concerns, and we read some verses from the Bible and the Book of Mormon, but they were not open to the Book of Mormon at all. One of the girls just handed it back to us at the end and just was not willing to accept our message. It was hard to have our testimonies challenged like that but I know that the spirit was there and we pretty much just testified the entire time. Oh man we just walked feeling like what in the world just happened but Sister Lambson and I remembered something that Preach My Gospel says and that Christ was completely perfect and he was still rejected and so some people's hearts are just not ready but I know we walked out of there with our testimonies strengthned.

We were tracting in those same apartment complexes and met this sweet girl, Michelle. She is from China and hasn't really had a lot of knowledge of God. Then yesterday at church she showed up!!!!!! We were so excited that she came. We are going to teach her this week and we are just thrilled that she enjoyed church too. Also we have been working with some elders with a YSA, Luke, and he is getting baptized on Saturday. He loves the YSA branch and wants to be baptized into the branch. We met with him lastnight and he is so ready, he has a good knowledge of the gospel and in Sunday school yesterday he made some great comments about the plan of salvation. We taught him about priesthood authority and he totally gets it and understands baptism. We are pretty excited about that!!

Yeah it's been a crazy awesome week though. We have a new zone leader Elder Ketch, who is hillarious and I know he will do a good job with Elder Van Zant. And we also have a new district leader, Elder Williams. We were suprised to find out that Elder Eames was leaving. He told us on Monday morning that he wasn't getting transferred then Monday night at like 10:30 he got a call saying he was being transferred. This mission is just full of suprises:)

Love,
Sister Lamb

Monday, May 16, 2011

Helloooooo!!!! So I have happy news, I am staying in my area and I'm so excited. I couldn't sleep a wink last night because I knew that transfer calls were coming in the morning. I'm so stoked to stay in the Indy YSA and continue to help the area grow. I am sad though because I'm taking Sister Summers to the mission home tonight:((( We have been crying all week, but all is well. I will find out who my companion is on Wednesday at transfer meeting and all that good stuff. It's been such a great transfer and I have learned so much. I'm going to miss Sister Summers but oh we have had great times that's for sure!

We had an amazing testimony meeting yesterday called 'Why I Believe' and it is something that I look forward to every month. It's a great place to bring investigators because recent converts and investigators bear their testimony of the gospel. It's so inspiring and I love it. Renee spoke and she has such a solid testimony and she brought a friend as well so she is already doing her missionary work:) It was fun to see President and Sister Collins and be around a lot of missionaries, we had a little too much fun with the camera last night. Sister Summers and I did a musical number for the fireside and she sang, while I played, my favorite childrens song, 'When He Comes Again.' It turned out so well. We also had stake conference yesterday and it was a broadcast from Salt Lake and Elder Perry and Elder Eyring spoke. I thought they would have talked more about the temple and plans for it but they didn't.

Summer semester started this past week and there are a lot of people on campus and the weather is beautfiul so we have been able to talk to more people and it's great. I was a bit worried for summer with everyone leaving but I know that there are people that are prepared for our message. It has been so blasted hot here, and the humidity, oh my heavens, I don't know if I am going to be alive by the end of summer. Apparently the weather now is nothing compared to what it will be so that will be interesting:)))

We have had some great lessons this week and the members of the branch have been so helpful in coming to lessons with us and we have been encouraging them every chance we get to invite a friend to church next week. We have put a lot of work into this day and I know it can be fantastic and the members are getting excited too. Ahhhhh I'm just so happy to be here in Indy YSA for another transfer because I know that this area has so much potential.

Well my letter is kind of short this week, we have to be at the mission home in a little bit but everything is wonderful here and I know that this gospel is a way that we can experience that true joy that Heavenly Father wants all of His children to have. I'm enjoying this work and being a disciple of my Savior, it's a lot harder than I thought it was going to be but seeing that joy and teaching this gospel helps me to endure:)

Love,
Sister Erica Lamb

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Hellooooooo!!!!

So they announced where they are building the temple today!!!! A girl from the singles branch texted us this morning:) It's going to be in Carmel about 3 miles from the mission home. Groundbreaking will start this Fall and will be done in 2013. We are all so excited!!!! It has been a hectic week, I went on exchanges with some other sisters in Brownsburg because s. summers was at a training. It was so fun and I had such a blast with sister haefley. She is from california and is going to byu hawaii, she leaves in 4 weeks so I'm sad to see her go but we definitely bonded as we tracted for hours in the worst snow storm and no one was answering there doors or being very nice to us but we endured happily. The other morning it was a high of 11 degrees and it was mostly 5 degrees throughout the day. It was ridiculous and they don't plow roads here so our little mazda 3 had a struggle but we were safe.

I love serving with a YSA branch, they treat so great. One of the members took us to Benihanas the other night and then another member took us to texas roadhouse. It was so nice. I am getting to know the members better and it's fun to giggle with the girls about their boy drama. There are a couple of girls preparing to serve missions and we are so excited for them and they have been coming with us to lessons which is great!

We had three new investigators who are incredible. Kristen was a refferal and she used to be catholic but wasn't happy. She met a guy that was a member and she went to church with him in D.C. and wanted to learn more so she is so motivated and will probably be baptized in the next few weeks. Renee came to church yesterday and the members fellowshipped her and so she wants to continue meeting with us and knows that baptism is something that she needs to do to continue to feel the happiness that she has felt as we teach her. Lindsey isn't a YSA but she wanted to meet with sisters so we went over there and she is so sweet and has the cutest kids. We are going to go to the family ward with her on sunday and she wants her family to come too and she is so fun and I just love her.

Oh my goodness it's so cold here and we are freezing in our little apartment but we are making the most of it. We have figured out if we turn on the heat vent in the bathroom, open the oven door and bundle up when we study, it is bearable. The work has been picking up and the members are helping so much. I'm exhausted but loving the work and the people that I get to meet. I have been so humbled and thankful to have grown up and raised in the family that I have. My eyes have been opened to a whole other world here.

Sister Summers and I are doing awesome and she has been such a blast to be with. I am praying that we get to stay together for this next transfer. !

Love,
Sister Erica Lamb

Monday, May 9, 2011

I just wanted to share some things that I learned from zone conference. Oh I wish we had zone conference every transfer instead of every other but I walked out feeling a bit overwhelmed but I really want to do my best and this mission is doing some amazing things and I'm so happy to be a part of it. President Collins is so inspired and truley is in tune with what the Lord needs each of us to do to be successful. One thing he mentioned that has stuck with me was when he was telling the story of Peter, after Christ was resurrected, and he didn't know what to do to continue the work, so he went back to fishing and Christ came to him and told him when I asked to leave your nets behind I meant forever. So President was just trying to emphasize that we have been called disciples of Christ forever and that we have promised him that we will leave our nets behind and continue to go forward. I can't believe how many pages of notes I took for this zone conference, I love it so much.

I did 2 exchanges this week with Sister Freer and I went to her area in Brownsburg and then Sister Latu came to my area!!! It was a blast and I learned SOOOO much on these exchanges. Sister Latu only has one more transfer left and so I was able to learn a lot from her and she gave me some great advice for the journey ahead. Sister Latu is tongan and she goes to Hawaii every summer to work at the Polynesian Cultural Center. She wants me to come join her when I get home, so I think that would be pretty sweet! I can't believe Sister Summers goes home next week, I'm going to miss her so much. I was so happy to be able to serve with her again and it's been a blast that's for sure. We have had some incredible experiences together and I'm so grateful for those little miracles that we have been able to see.

Hilary got baptized on Saturday and she was so nervous to tell her parents about her decision but she finally did and they ended up coming to the baptism. I know that meant the world to her and I was so happy they came. She is just so sweet and she got a lot of support from the YSA branch and she is going to do great things. It was a bit chaotic at first because everyone was there except the people that were speaking and giving the closing prayer. We were worried for a bit but luckily they finally showed up and it was all dandy after that. She had Sister Summers and I do a musical number and she sang Where Can I Turn for Peace? and I played the piano. I'm so grateful for the many opportunities that I have been having to play the piano. I truly have felt the Lord using that talent on my mission and I have noticed that I am improving a lot.

The weather is continuing to be beautiful and I love it!!!! I have a busy week ahead of me but I love it cuz our week is full of teaching appointments and that is something that the Lord is helping us with and people are continuing to progress so it makes my heart smile. I love you all so much and I'm so happy that everything is just swell back at home. You are all so wonderful and you are in my prayers daily and I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3<3<3

Love,
Sister Erica Lamb

Monday, May 2, 2011

It's been a really great week! We spent a lot of time on campus and had some great short little lessons with some students. We were talking to this one girl and we mentioned the Book of Mormon and she got so excited because she had always wanted to know what it was about. So we started to teach her about it, she didn't want to meet with us so we could teach her even more, but it was a great experience nonetheless. It's finals week and so a lot of people will be leaving soon from the branch which makes me so sad, but it's an awesome branch and hopefully we can continue to find new people that are taking summer classes or something. A girl in our branch, Kristy, just received her mission call to Utah Salt Lake City South Mission. She is going to love in Utah, I just know it. She leaves in August and she is going to be an amazing missionary!!!!

The weather finally straightned up for a couple of days so we did a lot of service outside this weekend. We dug weeds for Sister Leonard, and then we went and cleaned up another lady's yard, and then the branch got together and cleaned the church yard up. It was so nice to wear pants, I'm like I have legs!!! Then of course it started pouring again yesterday when we were out PCing so that was lovely to go to church completely soaked but oh well. We taught the gospel principles class yesterday and I'll be honest it was super awkward, it was on the law of chastity and I've taught that tons of times and it's never been weird but for some reason yesterday it was just uncomfortable for everyone apparently, oh it was funny!!!!!

Hillary is doing awesome and we had the best lesson with her the other night. We asked her to bear her testimony to us and it was beautiful, she is so solid. She is getting baptized on May 7 and so Sister Summers and I have a lot to do this week putting it together, but I know it will work out. Hopefully we will get a lot of branch support. We taught her about fasting and she is going to fast today that all will go well, oh she is just so awesome and just gets it and knows that this gospel is bringing her happiness and she is starting to see her potential.

We have just had some great lessons this week with the coolest people!!! We met with Lindsey and she is doing so much better and is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. We met with her outside cuz it was such a beautiful day and her little boy who is 18 months was so excited to be outside but then he got upset and started throwing a tantrum and threw himself on the ground, it was so dramatic and funny. We just let him cry it out:) Last night we watched a conference talk with Carolynn and she loved it so much that she sent it to her dad. It was Quentin L. Cook's talk about the role of women. We each got something different out of it and I think she is seeing how she is a daughter of God. Then Sister Summers and I went to go PC on the canal and we saw this lady sitting down and we went to talk to her and she just started crying. She told everything that was going on in her life and promised her that God has a plan for her. We talked to her for about 45 minutes and she was so sweet and she started to light up again and wasn't sad. We went to visit her the other day and we are going to have the elders in her area start teaching her because I know that will help her so much.

Love,
Sister Erica Lamb