Dear Family,

Oh my goodness, Sister Berrett and I are having a blast! She is good little missionary and we are both incredibly happy.  We have the giggles everyday to the point where I start crying, it's so awesome!  We were talking about that last night and she told me that she know this is where she is supposed to be. I know she is and it's going to be a great transfer. We have been able to see the miracles continue here in Highland. Heather is doing great and their family is so happy. We were there on Saturday and Uriah, her husband, was glowing and I know they are both working to stop smoking. They came to church yesterday and we are hoping they will stay for the second hour next week. They said they are working up to it, I hope we can help to do so. The ward has been incredible in making sure they are going up to them after sacrament. I have seen the spirit leading this family, all the people that I have taught, the spirit is guiding them to make right choices. I have been merely an instrument in the Lord's hands. Jay Anderson is doing well and is feeling more comfortable at church. We are hoping he can get a few solid fellowshippers besides his family. The ward is doing great with him as well. This ward means a lot to me and I have seen it change. I love being a missionary.   There is a lady in our ward that takes care of her great grandson and he is 3 years old and he is absolutely adorable and loves when we come over for dinner.  Apparently he was talking to someone asking if they knew me, and he told them that I was his girlfriend and that I was the best.  My heart melted when she told me that in relief society. 

Sister Berrett and I had a few lovely experiences in some lessons this week. We came home and there was a guy sitting on the stairs in our apartment building and we offered him some water and talked to him for a bit. He was such a sweet man and we started talking about the plan of salvation and the hope that comes from knowing he is a child of God. We sang 'I am a child of God' to him and it was special to look at him directly in the eyes as we testified through song. At a lesson yesterday, it started out pretty hectic and lots of distractions and then halfway through it became calm and he told us he knew what we were saying was sincere. Sister Berrett and I bore testimony of the Book of Mormon the entire time and he felt the sincerity.   Heather and Uriah have two little boys and Aiden, turned one this weekend so we stopped by to celebrate for a little bit with them and he is just a ball of joy.  He really got into the cake after a bit and it was funny.  Tate thought it was his birthday, he is 5, and wanted to open up all aiden's presents, so we had to calm him down:) 

Sister Berrett has a powerful testimony and I love our companion studies and I have so much to learn from her. She has incredible knowledge and insight of the scriptures and I love listening to her. She is amazing. The Lord needs us here in Highland.

It's a bit chilly here, but the sunshine is wonderful.  It was pretty funny at district meeting this past week, because our district that we had at the beginning of last transfer is the exact same.  Sister Bankhead went to Martinsville and Sister Berrett came here.  We have been having way too much fun:) 

Love,

Sister Lamb 

P.S. Mom you would be so proud of me, I hemmed an elder's pants....and it turned out great:)))))

 

Dear Family,

We had transfer calls this morning and I'm staying in Bloomington.  I'm so excited, this place means a lot to me and I'm glad I get to finish out here.  It has been a great week and I'm grateful everyday for Sister Bankhead. We have been seeing great success in Highland, we hit a rut for a minute, but it is growing and I love this area so very much. It's going to be very hard to say goodbye to Sister Bankhead, she really is one of my best friends and I'm so lucky to have her in my life and to have been one of her companions. She has a lot in store for her and I'm glad she is taking those steps so that she will be able to enjoy them more and more. I love her sooooooo much!!!!

The efforts that we put forth this past week were made manifest at church yesterday. Heather  and Jay  came to church with their families. Heather is doing well and is working on quitting smoking. She is preparing for baptism on May 26 and her husband, Uriah, is taking those steps with her. He is a less active but his testimony needs to be built as well. When we set the date with Heather, we had a member come and he gave her and Uriah a priesthood blessing, and Heather was able to connect that the rest of their evening was calm. When we followed up on church last night, Uriah said that the talks were exactly what he needed and that it hit the spot. Heather loved being at church and is opening up to us more. Jay  is Donna's  granddaughters husband. Her granddaughter is a member but has been inactive for years and they both have made decisions that caused a lot of grief in their family. Jay came to Donna's baptism and said that he would never forget it. We were able to meet with him and his wife and they came to church yesterday and they are both excited to learn. The ward was amazing yesterday and made efforts to go up to Heather and Jay and introduce themselves and made them feel welcome. We had dinner with one of the bishopric members and he told us that we had been doing a great job and thanked us for the work we have been doing. It meant so much to Sister Bankhead and I.

Sister Bankhead and I had a miracle happen in a lesson that we were both terrified for. We had committed Pam to baptism the week before and she had some questions on Priesthood authority and we told we would study her questions and come back. Sister Bankhead and I were stressing and came together in our companion study of what is going to be best for her. We had a member with us and we had a prayer in our heart the entire time. I know I was praying so hard that the spirit would enlighten her. We taught simply and she had a few ah-ha moments. She understood and the member that was with us connected with her. It was incredible. The spirit was teaching her and I thrive off of those moments. I love it. I just wish she would follow through with coming to church and hopefully we can help her understand the importance of the Sabbath day.

This work is full of miracles and I am a lucky girl to be here at this time in my life. I know I have given my best to the Lord and I will continue to every day. I know what it's like to have the guidance of the spirit and to simply be an instrument in His hands, I will seek that always.

Love,

Sister Lamb

Dear Family and Friends,

 

I love general conference!!!!!!!!!  On friday night, I was like a little girl the night before Christmas dreaming about her barbie dream house.  Okay maybe that was an exaggeration, but I just couldn't wait!  I had a great week preparing for conference and prayfully went into conference.  I had specific questions and Heavenly Father was aware of me and those questions were answered.  Not necessarily an entire talk but little phrases that were said rang true to my heart and brought me peace of mind for now and confidence in my future.  We watched with our district on Saturday and then had a picnic between sessions.  Sister Bankhead and I made homemade cinnamon rolls the night before and they were delightful.  On Sunday afternoon we went up and watched it with Sam and Dixie.  It was the first time they have been able to be home and watch it, they usually have to listen to it because they travel so much.  It was great to watch with them and talk about our favorite talks with them.  Sam is doing great and is temple bound and is going to receive his patriarchal blessing and the priesthood.  His progression is fun to be a part of.  Donna was so excited to watch conference and she has had a great testimony of a living prophet from when we started teaching her. 

 

Sister Bankhead and I have been doing well and it's incredible to see her progression.  She has had a few bumps in the road this week and I hope I can continue to be a strength to her so that she can get through this.  Mission life is an adjustment and is an emotional rollercoaster.  I definitely know how she feels and so I'm more than willing to walk this path with her.  She is a strength to me and I love her very much.  It's been just a weird week in general and so I'm grateful for a fresh start this week.  We have interviews this week and I'm always so excited to meet with President and have him pour out his all knowing wisdom:))  I was getting after him for eating lamb, but I was grateful because Sister Collins backed me up..hahaha.  He asked me how I'm from Mountain Green and don't like lamb.  I just don't have the heart to eat it, but next week for Easter a family invited us over for dinner and they are going to do an authentic passover meal.  I have to eat lamb.........pray for me...hahaha

 

I love you all so much!!!!!!

 

Love,

Sister Lamb

Dear Family,

Yesterday, was a day full of miracles. In Sacrament meeting, Sam  said the opening prayer and then it was fast and testimony meeting and he bore his testimony. It was beautiful. Then two members of the ward, received the Melchidek priesthood not too long ago, blessed the Sacrament. I was so proud of them and I know their wives were as well, these families have been through a lot, but the Atonement and the gospel have made it possible for them to work towards becoming eternal families. Donna  was confirmed and the spirit that was felt throughout our lessons together and her baptism, was in abudance yesterday. She's not alone and she felt that yesterday. Her baptism was absolutely incredible. President, I can't describe how special it was and I will never forget it. She had family members there that are not members and they definitely felt something. It was an amazing spiritual experience for everyone that was there. She was baptized at the YMCA swimming pool and it was after hours so no one was there. As soon as we walked in I felt the spirit there with us. Donna's health is not doing well, and she isn't going to fight her cancer. My little heart weeps when she tells us that, but I know she was holding on so that she could be baptized and be an example to her family. Her family will follow, I know that. We sang 'Families can be together forever' at her baptism and it was powerful. Her family will be eternal.

I think about the people that I have met here and my recent converts that mean so much to me, and I know that I promised Heavenly Father that I would bring His children back to Him. I felt that confirmation very strongly a few days ago. I'm supposed to be here now, at this age, in Indiana. I read in the previous general conference issue and there was a talk about missions and how where we serve can be holy ground, I believe that. I just thanked my Heavenly Father last night for this experience, for all the experiences I have had on my mission, I have no regrets. Sister Bankhead told me the other day that she noticed I was doubling my efforts, I want to do all that I can as time is getting shorter. I want to use the experiences and lessons to continue to be on the Lords errand.

I feel like I can help other people know they can receive answers to their prayers and feel God's love through prayer. I am able to receive revelation for others, but I had been going to Heavenly Father with some personal questions and felt like if He knows me then why are certain things happening when He knew how I would react. I don't like it when I question Heavenly Father and ask WHY, why now, but I found myself having a hard time trusting Him and the plan that He has for me. I felt like Enos, and I just prayed and prayed waiting for something. He answered. I have already received an answer and I wasn't willing to accept or act on the answer. I had to change my prayer and let Him know that I was willing now. The peace came. The focus came back. I know that God is there and now I know more than ever that He is there for me.   In our district meeting we were talking about prayer and that came to my mind. I am grateful that we can follow Christ's example, not only in baptism, but in all things and kneel as He did in the Garden. I was reading about that in the Bible Dictionary and the spirit filled my heart and prayer is more important to me than ever. I need it.

Sister Bankhead and I had some exciting events happen to us this week!  We were studying in the morning and we heard our Carbon Monoxide alarm go off, I know right, crazy, so we called our landlord and our district and then we had to call the mission office.  They told us to go and stay with the sisters in Martinsville that night and someone would come check it out in the morning.  Sister Bankhead and I come back in the morning and they sure got someone to come check it out all right, the fire department comes with their sirens blaring!!!!  Sister Bankhead and I just wanted to curl up and just go away!  They go in and check it out and it was fine but my goodenss it got made into a huge deal, we laugh about it now, but man oh man.  Then tornado sirens were going off like crazy this week.  We were having a lesson with Donna outside of the church and the sirens started going off and I have never seen Donna move so fast with her walker!!!!!  Last night the sisters from Martinsville came up and we blitzed IU campus and had some fun with sidewalk chalk, then they slept over and who knows what we are going to do today:) 

Dear Family,

Sister Bankhead and I are determined to keep the momentum up in the Bloomington area. We had the opportunity to speak in sacrament yesterday, and I felt guided by the spirit to express my gratitude to the ward and all their efforts. They really have helped us in many ways!  We had a training this past week and I will never get enough of hearing President speak to us.  He talked about following the spirit and how the spirit is protective of the doctrine.  It was awesome, as usual.  Sister Bankhead and I are doing a lot of finding and we have actually found some promising potentials.  The Lord is taking care of us.   

Donna is doing fantastic and Sister Parker, from the mission office, came to a lesson with us on Friday. It was so good to have her and hear her testimony, I know Donna appreciated it as well. She had her baptismal interview and is very excited for Saturday, as are we! She means a lot to me and I cry in every lesson without fail, the spirit is working in her and I love being around her. We talked to her about the Holy Ghost and how it will be her constant companion and she got very excited about that.  I know we have to do a lot of finding right now, but I'm not afraid to put in that work and that it will take time. I know as Sister Bankhead and I continue to be obedient that we feel peace, which I know is the Lord letting us know that He is pleased.

Michaela and Sam are just going right along and doing well. We are going to be watching general conference on Sunday with Sam and I know that will be a great experience to watch that with them. We had a lesson with him yesterday and taught him of ways that he can share his testimony as he travels so much. He will influence a lot of people, he already has, but I know he can continue to do more.

The weather is gorgeous here!!! The magnolias and red buds are out and so lovely!!!!  Sister Bankhead and I have been walking outside a lot more, it's so nice, I can't get over it:)

Love,

Sister Lamb 

Dear Family,

 

Our district is amazing! It is incredibly strong and the testimonies that we all shared last week, have been on my mind a lot. I know we are going to be a strength to one another and help each others areas. It's powerful and the missionaries that are in my district are just that, and I'm very humbled to be around them and to learn from them.

 

Donna is continuing to progress each day and I just get very emotional in her lessons everytime she tells us about how she feels when she reads the Book of Mormon. How can it not be true! She has a very hard time seeing but everyday she puts forth any effort that she can to read. We are waiting for a large print Book of Mormon to come for her. Her diligence is inspiring and she is getting excited for her baptism on March 24. We talked to her daughter and she wants us to teach more of her family now. We are blessed in this area. Sam is doing well and it felt so right as he received the gift of the Holy Ghost yesterday. Harold is another investigator who we are excited about and has been reading from the Book of Mormon and really wants to come to church. He was sick yesterday and couldn't come, but when he came last time, he enjoyed it.

 

We had an awesome lesson with a lady that we met at the Shaloam center, where we do service each week.  We met with her before and she just doesn't believe their is life after death and that we are here to make the most of life and that's it.  We taught her about her relationship with God and that he does have a plan and we lived with Him before.  It definitely made her think and we gave her a Book of Mormon and she had started reading it and was frustrated because she said that a chapter could be summed up in one verse:)  It was kind of funny.  We asked her if she would continue and she said she wanted to and that she wants to come to church.  We didn't think she would want to.  Sister Bankhead and I were in awe, and excited that she wants to come!  It was a tender mercy that day.

 

We are working with the ward council to help a lot of the part member families in the ward.  We are starting to see miracles happen and I'm grateful for the support that we have from the ward.  They are so good to us and I hope I stay in this area.  Miracles are everywhere as we both take the time to see them everyday.  I know it's still in a couple of weeks but I'm getting excited for general conference!!!! 

 

Daylight savings is a rough!  We had ward council at 7:00 a.m. and about 8:00, a member walks in and starts joking if the meeting started at 6:00 and we were all like it's 8:00 and he stops and was a little stunned and we told him it was daylight savings!  His reaction was priceless and then left again to go call his wife:)  We are going fishing today with Sam and Dixie, yeah that will be an adventure!!!!!

 

Love,

Sister Lamb 

 

 

Dear Family,

Sam Davis' baptism was remarkable. I have just been telling Heavenly Father how grateful I am that I was able to be a part of his life. He truly has made an impact on my life. There was a lot of support from the ward and they just have always embraced him and so I know he will continue to progress. He is a great example of the Lord's timing.   Elder Lance Wickman, of the 70, was there and he came to church and as I met him and interacted with him throughout the day, I felt such a connection. I felt he knew my spirit and I felt so much goodness from him. I have been having those days where Satan puts those doubts in my mind and I believe them, and I have felt a little off. I know I have been giving my all regardless, but I felt off. Sister Bankhead and I were teaching gospel principles and we were teaching about Heavenly Father and how he gave us each talents and ablilities to bless one another and to become like Him. It was an amazing experience. I felt the spirit testifying to me the entire time we were teaching that it was true. I wondered how I could see my potential and Elder Wickman made a comment about each of us seeing ourselves the way God sees us. I then asked him how can we see our potential. I felt like I was pleading to him to help me understand and see it in myself. He simply said keep his commandments. I felt the burden lifted as he said that. I have a deep love for Elder Wickman and the spirit that he has. I'm grateful that Heavenly Father is aware of me and I was able to have another person in my life that has made an impact. The burdens that I was feeling were continuing to be lifted as a sister taught a wonderful lesson in Relief Society. Have hope, and have hope in the Atonement. I know that yesterday I experienced the power of the Atonement as I could take another step, as I gave my all, as I listened to the spirit. It was a wonderful day.

Donna is doing well and just makes my heart smile. We taught her the plan of salvation and as we taught it I knew that it was a plan from God. She felt that too, it gave her hope to know that her granddaughter that passed away is learning, just as she is now. She does have a hard time hearing and so she had a difficult time in church, but she kept telling us that the Lord knows she is there and the intent of her heart. One of my favorite things on the mission is when the people we teach say the prayer and they use Heavenly Father. Oh my goodness, I just feel overwhelmed with the spirit. I feel so lovely as they are praying because it is so personal and sincere. It's as if they are starting to believe that they have a Heavenly Father who is listening to them. I know He is listening to those prayers.

It was so funny as we were filling up the font for Sam's baptism, the font must have a leak or something, because we had it on for 2 hours and it wasn't very full at all.  Two members of the bishopric came and one of them brought a hose and we hooked it up and filled up the font:)  It was hillarious, we had a hose and we were filling up big pots full of water as well.  Oh we just had to laugh and it all worked out!  I got a happy phone call from on my recent converts, Chris, he was in Bloomington and he called us up and took us to ice cream.  It made my day to see him!!!  He got into dental school and will be heading to California later this summer.  I'm so proud of him and he is doing well and taking the temple prep class.  It's been weird to think that he was baptized almost a year ago.  Where is the time going???? 

It snowed last night and I'm not happy!  Luckily it's been pretty nice today but it's still a bit frigid.  Sister Bankhead and I are staying together for another tranfer!  That wasn't really a suprise since I'm training we are together for 2 transfers, but we are so happy anyway!!!  Love her to pieces.  We get the giggles and she truly is one of my best friends.  It's crazy though because my district leader and one of my zone leaders are going home today, and then we found out that their companions are being transferred so our we are a getting a new district and his companion and 2 new zone leaders.  Our little district is completely different!!!  We will find out on Wednesday who they are, so Sister Bankhead and I are pretty excited though. 

Love,

Sister Lamb