Happy Thanksgiving!

When life gives you a lemon, make lemonade. OR-go black Friday shopping with the entire Isabella county because IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!!!

Hello hello once again from the most pleasant of Places...Mt. Pleasant, where it can snow 6 inches and melt, all in the same day. 

We had a pretty crazy but good week this week!! There were a lot of people out of town because of the holiday, so we didn't teach too many lessons. We were able to see some of our top investigators, and things seem to being going really well. We ate dinner with Denise this week at her home, and she made grape leaves. THEY WERE SO GOOD! I thought all about you Momma, and I told her how much you would have loved them! We also have been teaching Gary, who should be getting baptized in the next few weeks! He doesn't have extra money, so we got him a few little things to decorate his apartment and warm it up a little. It's been really fun to have it finally be Christmas!

This week was also THANKSGIVING!! We had such a wonderful time spending it with AMAZING MEMBERS!! I love the people here, and have been so blessed to be around those who are so willing to sacrifice on our behalf. The Harrast family, in particular, have been so kind, and I ADORE THEM!!! We spend thanksgiving morning knocking on doors, and then we had the ENTIRE day to do whatever! So, we visited people, had a beautiful dinner, and then went Black Friday shopping to buy a few things to decorate our apartment. It is so cute with a huge red bow on our front door. We also were able to be in the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping at Walmart, which is basically one of the only stores in this town. And.. it was the only one open. So everyone was there. And I absolutely LOVED IT. 

We had trade offs this week, so I spend the night in Midland with Sister R. It was fun to do missionary work in a new town, but I also realized how much I love being here in Mt. Pleasant, and how much I truly want to do my best while I am still here. 

Sister W. is doing amazing things. She is so great at opening her mouth "at everyone opportunity to teach", and we have been led to so many people because of her service. She has such a desire to improve, and I am learning along side of her every single day. What a blessing she is :)

I studied gratitude this last week, and especially President Uchtdorf's talk : Grateful in any Circumstance. As I have thought about the last 4 months, I have truly learned how blessed I am, and how grateful I am for all of the things the Lord has blessed me with. No only do I have an incredible family that is stable, but they are also REALLY COOL people!! I love you all! I also have been blessed with incredible opportunities like dance and to serve a mission!!! Being a missionary is definitely tiring, but also a privilege to help not only others, but help myself become closer to Christ. 

Speaking of dance: Good luck Folk Dance Team in Christmas Around the World this weekend, and good luck Acadamh Rince in Festival of Trees. Whoever is gets to be Vixen is a lucky lady:) 

Anyway, I hope you all have a great week, and know that I love you! The book is blue and the church is true!

XOXO

Sister Ensign 

Pictures!!!

A family that needed some help.

I love this family that we taught last night!

My former companion

Sister W that I adore!

The Lansing Sisters

IT"S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS!

EVERYWHERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Everyone, everyone! Hello! How are you today? I hope you are staying warm and dry, and are enjoying this new change of scenery! Happy Birthday Molly! Congradulations to all who competed in the Oireachtas! It sounds like it was a very successful day, and I am so happy and excited for all of you!! #Orlandohereyoucome :)

This week was SO MUCH FUN! It is kinda crazy to say that I actually really enjoy missionary work because it truly is so hard. But I really am finding it to be so fun! This week started with a nice 60 degree Monday, and ended with a 25 degree Saturday. Thank all that is good for a 1) Car 2).Dick's Sporting Goods and 3) a companion with a good sense of Humor! Haha Oh my goodness I honestly cannot say enough good about Sister W! She has such a positive attitude and a desire to be the best she can. You can't ask for someone better-especially as a trainee. 

This week was full of on-the-spot teaching opportunities. These are actually my favorite because I know that the conversation HAS to be lead by the Spirit. Sister W and I both spoke in Sacrament meeting this week, and as the sacrament is being passed, we looked at each other and said, "What should we talk about?" Haha! We both spoke for about 10 minutes, and they were very much prompted by the Spirit. It was a really neat opportunity. She spoke about how grateful she is for blessings of the gospel, and I spoke about some of my greatest blessings. Namely: being a missionary, My Savior's love, AND...My Momma. I started talking about my Mom and STARTED TO CRY!!! To which I then laughed thinking that if my Mom was there, she would cry. Haha! So I had this interior vision of my mom's reactions to my talk and I thought it was so funny....all whilst I cry in front of the congregation. Confused? Yeah, my emotions were too. Overall, The talk ended well, and I was grateful to see that the Lord will fill our mouths like D&C 100:4-6 says:) 

Happy Thanksgiving this upcoming week! I am SO EXCITED FOR THANKSGIVING! We will be door knocking for a couple hours in the morning, and then we have most of the day to DO *WHATEVER WE WANT!! (*according to that which is appropriate to my calling and position)... So by that I mean... WE ARE DECORATING OUR APARTMENT WITH CHRISTMAS THINGS AND MAKING GINGER BREAD HOUSES!! I AM SOOOO EXCITED! We are going to a members home for dinner, and they are easily some of my favorite members in the ward. AAAAAND they make AMAZING FOOD! You better believe we are pretty much not eating anything for the next 3 days. We will then probably visit some less actives, and see some people who we feel may be lonely on Thanksgiving. Then? CHRISTMAS TIME BABY! It is fun to see everyone get into the holiday spirit. 

This week was also filled with Miracles galore and people going above and beyond to help the missionaries. Truly, I can't thank my Father in Heaven enough for allowing me to spend some time with these people. I was able to teach a gospel principles class on the spot yesterday, and I learned how much the Lord is aware of us-no matter what our circumstance is in life. I know and can proudly testify that His Grace is sufficient, and that He IS helping us throughout our life. 

Seriously, I love being a missionary. 

Anyhoo, I hope you all have a great week! Thank you for all of the letters! STAY WARM! (I HATE it when people say that to us right before they slam the door in my face. Like, "I WOULD stay warm if you let me in your home to teach you!" Haha!) I love you all and I know that He lives! How grateful I am to be His servant, and to be apart of His Church in these latter Days. 

Love you all! BBYYYEEE!

Xoxo

Sister Ensign 

YOU SISTERS NEED A RIDE? OOH YYEEAAHH!!

(Note from Mom.  Camille sent lots of pictures.  I will be posting them soon on this post.  In the first paragraph, Camille is talking about the Western North American Irish Dance Championships which she participated in numerous times.)

Needless to say, it was a great week.       Do you ever have those moments when you are in bed, and all of the sudden you have a complete panic of a “recall number” overcome you because you realize that this week is the Oireachtas? Because I know I sure do. And I did this week! I guess old habits die hard. So to all those who are longing for orange legs, overpriced water bottles and warm sandwich meat, and to all of those who will be competing in this years' Western Regional Oireachtas, GOOD LUCK!!!! You Will be amazing Acadamh Rince!!! Remember to turn out your feet, smile, and enjoy every second of it.      This week here in the big ole’ Michigan was CRAZY!!  It was also full of many, many, miracles. Everyone, I have no clue what I am doing. And the scariest thing is that I fear this realization may never go away for the rest of my life. WHAT AM I DOING? I don't know how to be a missionary? I've only been out here for 2 and a half transfers! So what happens when I am asked to train? I do things the only way I know how: laugh at all of the good things, and pray when things aren't looking too great.  Like President Hinckley said, "It will all work out in the end.  If it isn't working out, it isn't the end".  I can boldly and happily testify of the reality of that! There are some nights I am trying to accomplish so much that I am pushing for time just to change out of my skirt before 10:30. I am definitely being kept busy, which is the best thing that could have happened.     There are many times I feel like I am running faster than I can run, which A) makes me feel like I should get a cute new runners jacket to celebrate  and B) realize the truth is, that this is God's work, and He won't let us fail if we are trying our best. I have been trying to find rides to and from places this week, and have been trying to find members to join us in lessons, and it is crazy. But miracles after miracles have happened. This was one of the best weeks of the mission. And as we were walking home from church, (which takes about an hour) a Sister in our ward-a police woman- says, "Sisters, you need a ride?" OOHHH YEEAHH WE DO!!! It was the hardest seat I've ever sat on. I hope to never be in the back of a cop car again, but I also really do because it was so fun. I guess if that is the extent of my rebellion, I'm doing alright.   Side note, I had some grape leaves this week, and I thought about you the whole time Momma. Love you!   Honestly, I have seen Heavenly Father's help more than ever before as I have had to rely on Him coming through to help make this work possible. I have also learned that being EXACTLY obedient is my “most favoritest” thing in the whole wide world. "Obedience brings blessings, exact obedience brings miracles".     Again, thank you to all who send me things including packages and letters. I love you all! I hope you have a great week, and know that I pray for you!!    Love you!!   Xoxo Sister Ensign

SISTER W HAS ARRIVED IN STYLE

    

Hello Everyone!!

 

     I hope you all have survived this week much like I have! This has questionably been one of the craziest weeks I'll experience in the mission, and I absolutely loved it! This week, both of my companions left. Sister R. left for Australia, and it was so sad! (First there were three) and Sister M. went home! (Then there two...which then became one.) It was weird to watch her get on the shuttle! 

 

     So, what does that mean? I'm companionless you say? NOPE! I got to go down to Lansing and Serve on MSU campus this week!! IT WAS SOOOO COOL!! I met so many people, and I can't even tell you how good it felt to be back in a city. Oh how I loved it. We were in the mission headquarters building for quite some time, so I had the opportunity to meet and talk with many of the Office Missionaries.  I loved it. Talking to people for 8 hours a day was exhausting, but I loved the experience!  President Jacobsen, if you-by chance are reading this letter on my blog-I LOVED MSU....just saying...:) 

      Why was I at MSU? Because I was picking up my NEW SISTA! Oh and Behold, I have a cute new Sister named Sister W who hails from the great State of UTAH!  She is from Highland, and I love her to pieces. I don't know if it is possible to come on a mission Pre-trained, but if it is, she is. What a blessing she already is to me, and I love her to death.  I can't wait to share all of our adventures and let people know how blessed I am be TRAINING Sister Wilde, because I feel like she should be the one training me.

This week was full of stress and miracles: a perfect combination really. We were doorknocking, and A MIRACLE from Heaven alone occurred before our eyes. We received a referral from Lansing a couple months ago, and have been in contact with him for a while. He hasn't given us his address, so we texted him on Thursday to see when it would be a good time to meet this week. Oh and behold, the last door we knock on the last night was HIS. It made me feel so much better because I don't know what I am doing as a trainer, so to be LED to this man's apartment was a BLESSING! A Blessing I tell you! He said, "What are the chances that you would find me? This is all so crazy to me. I didn't want to tell you where I lived because I live with my sister while I am trying to figure out my life. So instead of me finding you, you came and found me. I can't believe you found me". And I can't believe it either. It was so crazy! I know this church is TRUE!  It HAS to be!

 

I love you all! Have a wonderful week!!

Xoxo

Sister Ensign 

HALLOWEN AND TRANSFERS

Note from Mom.. I am sorry that the text is black.  I have my person working on it. (Camille's brother Taylor).

Hello there dear family! I hope you are all doing well! Thank you to all of those who sent me things this week. Truly, it means the world to me! I love you all to pieces! Thank you again! 

This week has been pretty nuts! We had our transfer calls, and it went differently than I expected! Sister R.'s Visa came, so she left yesterday morning for Lansing and then Australia today. It was so sad to see her go. Mom, the skirt was PERFECT!!! It meant the world to her. The letters from both of you nearly made her cry, and she isn't a crier. Her family life is pretty rough, so to get letters from both of you, and a PERFECT skirt meant so much to her. She has already made plans to come to SLC. Thank you for making her feel loved and welcomed.

Sister M. and I will be headed down to Lansing in a little bit to drop her off. It has been a crazy week! We got the apartment all situated for my sister to leave, and it is SO sad!! What an experience this truly has been. 

You know how I told you not to freak out 6 weeks ago because I wasn’t a trainer? Well, let the FREAK OUT commence. Haha!! I will be training a new sister, and I can't even believe it. So this week has consisted of a lot of change and a lot of prep for my new sista coming! I have no idea what will happen, but I assure you there will be a lot of laughter and tears. Here we go! 

One of the craziest things that happened this week was that we doorknocked into an Irish man. When I told him I that I Irish dance, he grabbed my hand and started to spin. A). Don't touch me, I'm a missionary and B). That is NOT how you Irish dance! When he started to correct me, I nearly wet my skirt I was laughing so hard. He then began to chastise us for our belief in God, which made things a little less cool, but I still really enjoyed hearing the accent. 

Halloween was so fun! We had a ward part on Friday night, and it was so great to be with the ward. We had some investigators come to church and to the party, so it was a smashing success. We taught lessons on Halloween, and it rained the whole day, so we weren't too bummed to stay inside in the evening. We were outside on Halloween, and it was freezing cold. Like, SO COLD!! I was shaking so hard underneath my umbrella, and I couldn't feel most of my body. I looked at my companions, looked up at the sky, and laughed as I said, "I seriously am beginning to love this". The Lord has blessed me so much. For the first time, I truly am beginning to love it! What a great week! 

Sorry about the randomness of this letter, so much happened, and so much is going on around me. But overall, I am doing well! I am nervous to train, but I am honored for the opportunity to attempt to teach someone even newer than I. I definitely have mixed emotions, but overall, I am going to hold off on the complete break down for a few more days:) 

The weather has been so different every day, that I don't think I will be needing my coats this week. It should be warm, and I will be in Lansing for the majority of the week waiting for my new sister. I am thinking I may need them next week though! I'll have to get back to you on that! Thank you again for the packages sent and the letters from so many people this week! I love you all!!

Have a great day! Love you all!!

Xoxo

Sister Ensign

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