THE RAIN CAME DOWN... AND SO DID WE! Ha!

NOTE FROM CAMILLE'S MOM...  I did not get her letter posted last week, but it is now posted below this letter.

Oh what a Week!! Happy week to you all! And Happy Birthday Lisi, Mckay, and Bennett! 

 The weather, is most definitely keeping us on our toes. And sometimes, even off of our toes when we fall off of bridges when we hit slippery leaves....oh good times... haha!! Man, we seem to trip all of the time. But I have gained a new appreciation for the season of "fall". 

This week we had a lot of appointments cancel on us. WHAT!?! No thank you! And the worst part is that we had so many already scheduled with members! But I learned that the Lord will allow things to fall out of place so other things can fall into place. 

This week we met a guy named Chris. Chris is so, so, so, so, cool. We taught him for his first time this week, and in the lesson I asked him if he would be baptized by someone who held the same authority as Christ if he could. He said, "I can confidently say that is something I would love to do". And now he is on baptism date! We had a few other lessons like that this week, and it has been really fun to be a part of!  We will be teaching Chris, his mom, and his little sister later in the week, and we are so excited to help him come closer to Christ. 

In the week, however, we also meet some very unique individuals that I believe the Lord puts in my path to keep me laughing. We were door knocking this week, and were talking to a man about receiving direction from God. The man said, "The only direction I have is what is stuck to my ankle”  Awesome…..an ankle bracelet.   Well, after a few more doors, and a few other criminals on parole, we left the area.  Oh man! You've got the love the randomness of missions!

We also meet a man who served as a veteran in the Vietnam war. We taught him the restoration in his barn because his wife wasn't home. It was dark outside due to the rainy weather, so we were teaching this man, who has severe ADHD, about the gospel of Jesus Christ...in his barn; while he downed a beer and smoked his cigarette. I asked him if he loves Jesus, and he said, “Of course I love Jesus. He saved me in war!" I then asked him if he would do something for Jesus if Jesus asked him to, and again he said, "Yeah! I would do something for Jesus!" I then said, "What if Jesus asked you to stop drinking that can of beer and smoking that cigarette?" The guy looked at me for a while and said, "If Jesus came to me right now, and told me that, I would probably have to quit all of my bad habits".  Bingo... Hook, Line, and Sinker.  So that is where we will pick up next time! 

It was a great week and I am enjoying all of the random things I am able to be a part of in my day!! Thank you to all of those who are praying for me; they are so felt! I love this gospel and love seeing the message change people's faces when they hear it for the first time! I love being a part of someone's first prayer, and letting them know that God loves them! Have a great week! The church is true and I love you!!

Xoxo

Sister Ensign

Welcome to Mt. Pleasant

Be mature at all times

Interviews

 

LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! Wait, WHAT!?!?!?!

Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2015 12:10:53 -0400

 

Hello hello once again!! How are all of you!! Oh what a week it has been! The weather here is so crazy and I love it!! It was so warm this week, in the low 70's. And it also snowed. You've got to love it. We never are sure of what the weather will be like, so we are always grateful when it is warm. The wind is called the lazy wing. It's too lazy to go around you, so it goes right through you. I can boldly testify of the truth in that statement! THANK YOU FOR THE PACKAGE of warm things this last week Momma!! They came JUST in time!! I don't think I will need my warm coats yet, and would love to wait a few more weeks on that so that-if I get transferred-I won't have to transfer them as well!

 

This week we had so much going on, that the three of us became way too tired. And what happens when I get too tired? That's right! I stop breathing before I go to bed every night due to my uncontrollable laughter! I have laughed more this week than I have since being on a mission!! The funniest moment!?!  We were in the car this week, and my companion in the back was making some phone calls. I didn't realize she was half asleep until I heard her say in a voicemail to a potential, "Thank thee...I mean you, for all that thou has given us". The best part is that the potential is one of our neighbors!! She started praying!! We were dying!! She was also trying to name all of my siblings, and instead of saying Hunter/Huntie baby, she said, "Howard baby" for Howard W. Hunter. I can't even type this I am laughing so hard!!  Oh how you've got to love being a missionary!!

 

You also know how I CAN'T order anything at the drive-thru because I laugh and then I can't talk? Yep, that happened on the phone this week also. My comp had to come save me, and then she also started laughing, so my other companion had to save the day. It was awful, but so funny. And all too late, we learned we can re-due voicemails.

 

We had trade-off's this week and we also had interviews with the mission president. They both went well, and I am excited to see what will happen in the next transfer! I will know on the 30th what will be happening for the next little bit and I am freaking out!!

 

Thank you, again, to all of those who write me and send me things! It means the world to me!! I love you all!! My scripture this week is D&C 11:21. I have seen so many miracles I can't even stand it. God is so great!

 

I love serving the Lord and am happy to be here! I hope you all have a wonderful week and know I am praying for you!! Love you!!

Xoxo

Sister Ensign

 

Nope it's actuallty Saturday

Note from Mom.. I think Camille must have been thinking that she would tell us why the subject of her letter was "Nope it's actually Saturday", but I believe that part of the story was left out. 

Hello, hello, hello!!!! Oh what a week it has been!! I would like to start off by THANKING all of those who sent letters/packages this week! It is the best thing ever to hear from those I love. You don't know how it brightens my week, so thank you!!!

We have had a crazy and good week this week! One of my companions goes home in 3 weeks!! It is crazy! And the even crazier part is that I will most likely be…(you never can tell what the next transfer will be) taking over the area all too soon! What the heck!?!

This week we door knocked into a part member family! We are super excited!! They have met with the missionaries before and it's awesome! The dad served a mission when he was my age, but hasn't been to church in a while. We'll see what happens!!

This week in church, I had a profound realization of how much the members in this area have to work to be members!! They are SO sweet and they give so much for the church! Some have to drive about 40 minutes to come to church. Some live on very modest incomes, yet insist on feeding us. I am realizing every week how blessed I am and how much I owe my sweet parents! Thank you mom and dad!!

The funniest thing that happened this week? Ok, so can I just tell you that I have NO IDEA how to be a missionary? I was doorknocking with my "trainee" who had never been doorknocking as a duo until I took her on Saturday.  As we were doorknocking, I was struggling because I realized that I didn’t have my own trainer to rely on. Though it was a struggle, I also realized how much I have learned! Yeah baby! And in the moment I think I am doing really well, I hear my companion snort because she is laughing so hard at my struggle. It's a working process!!!

Well, I hope you all have a great week!! Love you all, and thank you again!!!

Xoxo

Sister Ensign

BYU Dance Camp Information on Ward Bulletin

 

I'LL SEE YOU IN HEAVEN

Hello hello!! Greetings from Midland! I am in Midland today while Sister M. is at a "goodbye" conference. It's crazy that she'll be home in less than a month!

 This week was so busy and so so so good. 

 First, thank you for the package Mom and Dad!! I absolutely loved it, and loved the letter more than anything. Thank you for the Pumpkin Spice cake, it was so good and we enjoyed it! Thank you for the cute decorations that have helped make our apartment feel more like a home! I love it even more knowing my momma picked them out! Thank you for the CAMERA!! I have taken so many pictures, and I am sorry they came in single-e-mails today. I loved taking pictures and it was so fun to look for things to take pictures of to send home. Thank you thank you! I am so blessed.

 Fun fact for your day: President Jacobsen is the oldest mission president in the world:)

 Another fun and really weird fact for your day: My "trainee", Sister Roberts, entered the MTC July 22nd, a week before I did. However, due to her long time in the MTC, I spent an entire transfer out in the field before she came. So the person I am "training" has been a missionary longer than I have! Crazy, huh?

 This week started out a little rough. I was having a hard time trying to be ok with being a beginner trainer and trying to help other people. Overall, I was simply struggling. I prayed to ask God to let me know that I was doing what He wanted, and that He was proud of me. And guess what happened? We door-knocked into a deaf man named Casey.  Let me tell you, ALL OF THE BLOOD RUSHED OUT OF MY FACE. Oh freak!!! For the first time being on my mission, I could not turn to my trainer for help. I introduced myself, did my best to explain who we were, and fervently prayed to understand what he was saying. I can understand much more sign language than I can say, but I am not too familiar with church words. BUT! I was able to clear up and we were not Jehovah's Witnesses, and that he can learn more by visiting Mormon.org. He told me something about the Bible, and how he saw 4 angles when he was 14. (Let's just take a moment to appreciate this moment. Here I am, soaking in the rain, STRUGGLING to tell a man about Joseph Smith as a Prophet, (in sign language) and he GANDER-RANTS in a language I don't know very well! AHHHH!!) So during this door approach I learned two things: 1) I am exactly where the Lord wants me to be 2) I NEED to learn more sign. How can I do that without a teacher? Where can I get books or something?  It was so cool, but would have been cooler if I could have explained something like....um...the Restoration:) 

 Speaking of Jehovah's Witnesses, some knocked on our door this week! Haha!  Their faces when they saw our nametags were priceless!! We talked for a long time, and when they gave me the Watchtower, I asked if I could give them a Restoration pamphlet. They said no, but it was a really funny moment! Haha!!

Another Miracle this week: a few weeks ago, we met a man named Pat who told us his story about his brother who has cancer. He cried telling us how God has helped him in his life, but has struggled to find faith in him. We testified that God knows him and loves him, and he thanked us for our time, but said he wasn't interested in setting up an appointment. This week, we were knocking on some doors, and Pat answers one of the doors. He says, "So we meet again". What? He was at his daughter’s home watching her kids while she rested. NO WAY!! He said how grateful he was to see us, and how much he has thought about our conversation.  We found him, AGAIN!! We gave him a Book of Mormon, and it was so cool! I don't know what it is about him, but something in his eyes looks so familiar to me! I can't tell if he has the same eyes as Daddy, but there is something about him that just rings a bell. It was a really neat experience. 

 We also met this really old man this week that is devoutly catholic. We talked about the Plan of Salvation, and when we walked away, he said, "I'll see you in Heaven" and it was the saddest moment because this lonely old man said it!!

 

Another miracle this week: I was standing in line to get food with some members, and this woman looked at me and said, "Hello!" which is not the normal response of people around us in public. Turns out, she is a less active that we have been searching for. I wrote her name a couple weeks ago to try and contact, and there she was, a few towns away from her home, behind me in line at Burger King. What are the chances?!?

 

It was really a good week, and thank you to all who sent me things. It is seriously like Christmas getting a package/letter. Thank you!!! Conference was AMAZING! We watched all sessions at the church with some members. I loved ever talk, and it's amazing how conference is so different on a mission. I was worried about President Monson at the end of his talk, and we are all praying for him. I loved hearing from Elder Christofferson, and the three new apostles. It was so amazing!! 

 

Funniest moment of the week? I was making rice at the church, for lunch, in between conference, and Sister R. and I were trying to find the microwave. There were other people, so we were trying to be quiet, and search. After looking through the whole Kitchen 48,738,047 million times, we decided to simply bake it. The MINUTE after we put it all in the oven, we hear the microwave beep....behind the door. SERIOUSLY CAMILLE!?! DUH???!! I was laughing so hard I was sobbing. Haha  It was so funny!!! I felt so dumb! 

 Thank you again for all that you do!! I hope you have a wonderful week and know I am praying for you! The Church is true and God knows you!

 Xoxo

Sister Ensign

*Note from Camille’s Mom:  I wrote and told her who the person was that Elder Christofferson (a member of our ward), talked about in his Conference talk.  Her reply.. “I KNEW IT WAS D.!!! I tried searching through the ward in my mind, and then I leaned to my comp and whispered, D. K. That is so cool!! So many people talked about his talk.  It was a blessing from on high because it answers so many of the questions people have here.  How I wish I could personally thank him for his talk.  It will make missionary work easier as I have something to refer to now.  I whispered, ‘You knew I needed that’.  THANK YOU ELDER CHRISTOFFERSON!  It was amazing!!!”

It's Freezing!

The Ladies