Jacksonville Illinois Sister Missionary Loves You

February 23, 2015

To the people I love,

HIIIIIII THEEERRRREEE. It is Sister Dahlberg in Jacksonville. IT IS FREEZING. SO SO SO COLD. It is Monday afternoon and we have a busy day ahead.

Hunter............... you better write me a letter. ASAP. OH MY GOODNESS.

SHAYLA AND SADEE. YOU ARE HALF WAY! CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Update on this week! I can now pray in sign language.... but I only can sign simple things. A deaf man, Ratio in the ward taught us at Arby's this week. SOOO AMAZING. He laughs at me all the time. Sometimes I make up my own sign and just go with it..and everyone just giggles.

We started the Stop smoking workshop with the some parents. It was spiritual. We realized that their baptism will be on -3-21 so we are making them shirts that say............ 321 LEAP OF FAITH. With a temple on the back saying, "next step." I love them. The story of how they found the church is nothing short of a miracle. It seriously is the most amazing story. (I will share it later because I don't have tons of time)

We are teaching an 87 year old woman. Her name is Betty and you literally have to SCREAM  for her to barely hear you. I LOVE HER SO MUCH. She did not know that she could see and live with her husband again after this life ..until Sister Rapp and Sister Haderlie told her. SHE IS THE CUTEST LADY.

We had ZLT this week. AND GET THIS.... ELDER BALLARD WAS PRESIDENT MORGAN'S MISSION PRESIDENT BACK IN THE DAY. AND ELDER BALLARD'S SON IS MISSION PRESIDENT IN OREGON. SO HE EMAILED A LETTER TO HIS SONS ABOUT MISSIONARY WORK AND HE SENT IT TO PRESIDENT MORGAN TOO SAYING, "I thought of you and your missionaries." HOW COOOOOOOOLLLLLL IS THAT???? AHHHHHHH!!!

Oh something you should know, there used to be Elders and Sisters in this area serving, but the transfer I came in, the elders left. No more elders. SO NOW WE COVER BOTH AREAS. OUR AREA IS REALLY BIG. AHHH.

We got some less actives to come to bread making at the relief society night. If only you can imagine....... it was funny!

Oh last P day we almost broke the members washer and I almost fell down the stairs…never a dull moment with Sister Dahlberg.

We are doing service for a lady named Edith. SHE HAS RED STUFF EVERYWHERE, MOM I THINK OF YOU EVERY TIME I see her.  We are trying to help her unpack and decorate her house. I spent  an hour trying to decorate a table for her and she didn't like it. HAHAHAHAHA I am going to take a picture next time. IT IS A MUST SEE APARTMENT.

We went to teach one of our investigators in the lobby of his government housing and he had homeless people living with him.  Sister Haderlie asked Lonnie, have you been drinking? He told us he didn't drink... but invited us to his AAA classes. Oh Lonnie......

Okay so remember how I told you there are a lot of people in our building that are straight from Kongo Africa? Well we taught a man named Dolly and he is solid. He has family members that are members in Kongo. I think he will get baptized soon. He just needs to feel the importance of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We went to visit Cynthia, a investigator that is progressing slowly. She came from Africa because she won the "lottery" and she is waiting for her husband to get his Visa and come in May. The sisters before me dropped her because she wasn't progressing I guess, but we went to visit her.  She was cooking chicken and fish heads. oh my gosh you guys,...... her daughter JOYCE pulled everything out of my bag and was throwing everything around. She was pulling Sister Haderlie’s hair.. and then I gave her my lip gloss and chap stick and she was putting all over my face and Sister Haderlie's face. BRIGHT PINK. We went up to our apartment and got them water and we gave Joyce some toys. SHE IS SO CUTE, but she is a little stinker. DO YOU GUYS REMEMBER HOW BADLY I WANTED TO GO TO AFRICA ON MY MISSION? DREAM COME TRUE.

OKAY SO GET THIS, there is a member here named Felicia. She was baptized 10 months ago and she so badly wants to serve a mission. She comes to A LOT of lessons with us. Last night I gave her the book, "how to be an extraordinary missionary" and she started screaming she was so happy. IT WAS CUTE! I gathered some things for Gail, like some of my gloves and hats for her because she is always cold. SERIOUSLY I LOVE SERVING OTHERS.

We had an YSA lesson last night and we made pretzels. Talked about God and Jesus and the spirit and how they are separate, but they work together. SUPER COOL.

Sister Haderlie is still making me laugh everyday. YOU GUYS SHE IS THE FUNNIEST HUMAN ALIVE. Last night she thought she was starting to get sick, SO I GOT HER A BOWL, in case she needed it.  She cooks YUMMY food.  She cooks for me. HOW SWEET IS THAT? She hits her year mark this week!!!! Oh mom, I guess you were right.... I am not too nice to wake up. Sister Haderlie threw a water bottle at me to try and wake me up yesterday. HAHAHAHAHA

I love you all and hope you are all doing SO WELL! I miss you all. I promise you no better joy comes from serving others.

"A mission is a strange experience. It's a trial and a test.

A mission throws at you the worst yet teaches you the best.

They told me this would be the best period of my life. But I guess they didn't explain it all too clear.

I came out looking for a bed of roses. I just wasn't expecting all the thorns I've found out here.

Since I've been out I've never been so happy. I've never been so depressed.

I've never felt so forsaken. I've never felt so blessed.

I've never been so confused. My mind has never been so clear.

I've never felt my Heavenly Father so distant. I've never felt him so near.

I've never been so discouraged. I've never been so full of hope.

I feel like I can go forever. I think I've come to the end of my rope.

I've never had it so easy. I've never had it so tough.

Things have never gone so smoothly. Things have never been so rough.

I've never traveled through more valleys. I've never ascended so many peaks.

I've never met so many neat people. I've never met so many freaks.

I've never had so many ups. I've never had so many downs.

I've never worn so many smiles. I've never worn so many frowns.

I've never been so lonely. I've never had so many friends.

Man, I hope this is all over with soon.

Gosh, I hope it never ends."

I am getting updates on Marceline and BRENT AND SYDNEY GOT CALLINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They got an outhouse at the church because there are so many people going to church now, hahahahaha in sister blanks words. "Guess what, Brent and Sydney both have calling.... Brent is the assistant scout leader, Bro Davis is the leader.... and Sydney is our Sunday school secretary.....OUR BIGGEST NEWS is we now have two bathrooms, if you love to freeze you can go outside and use the porta potty.... don't laugh..... we actually have one on the end of the building.... and man is it cold....so we are growing...."

HAHAHAHAHA I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY SO MUCH!

love you all.

President interviews are this week and I am giving a training lesson. AHH.

"God is no stranger to his servants." -President Packer

THE ILLINOIS GIRL LOVES YOU ALL, Sister Dahlberg

March 2, 2015

Hello,

5 MONTHS!!! I can't even believe it. We had a dinner appointment on my 5 month mark with members and they made me a cake to celebrate. CUTEST FAMILY! 

This week we had interviews with President. I am convinced he is the best mission president ever. Sister Haderlie helped me make the cutest little handouts for my training. President Morgan is so awesome. President and SIster Morgan's daughter left on her mission on Wednesday to Australia. Interviews were on Thursday.... I kept telling Sister Morgan and President Morgan," if we can do this we can conquer the world." SISTER HADERLIE ALWAYS TELLS ME. CONQUOR THE WORLD ONE MONTH AT A TIME.

The Elders that left Jacksonville, left their apartment a mess. So for 2 days this week we went with Members and other missionaries to try to clean that place out. They lived in an old high school. Boy, that was a project. Here is a miracle, Gail the recent convert kept asking for a picture of Christ to put up and we found one and took it to her and she was SO HAPPY!

We did a lot of service this week! We went with members to buffalo wild wings and the two deaf people in the ward came with them, so that was a cool experience. I tell you what..... I am getting pretty fast at signing the alphabet. We had sign class last week and our teacher.... Sister Drake is the cutest lady ever.

It was Sister Haderlie's one year mark, so I had fun making her breakfast and decorating for her special day! 

We went to visit a less active and recent Convert this week, her name is Brenda Bell. She has down syndrome, oh I love her to pieces. She was telling us how overwhelmed she was feeling.  I had her write down things that were bugging her and rip it up. #Dr Dahlberg Also I taught her how to scream into a pillow to let out her frustrations. We were both screaming into different pillows and sister Haderlie was just sitting there DYING LAUGHING.

We went and visited a former investigator and we are so excited to teach him this week, he seems really interested.

It is official, I HATE SOUP AND STEW. I never thought it would happen..... but I just can't eat that stuff anymore.....

The Dambacher baptism is coming up this month!!! This week we taught them fasting and tithing. And we watched Because of Him. Oh ZL's grounded our cars yesterday due to the snow..... so sister haderlie and I walked 3 miles to the Dambacher lesson. #justtryingtospreadthegoodword you know how in the movies you see a person having a really bad day.... and a car drives by and splashes the people with water or slush...... yes that happened to us. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA

The people at the Dunlap Center are awesome. A lot of them are from Africa and they speak French. Sister Haderlie sometimes tries to speak a little French to them, mostly we just smile and say hello!

Church was cancelled on Sunday, due to the snow! We taught Dolly last night and he is so ready for baptism. He hasn't been coming to church so we had to move his date back and he was like who moved my baptism date back? hahaha  Sister Haderlie and I are going to go to Africa someday!

OHHHHHH we had a lesson and dinner with our neighbors who are straight from India. THEY ARE AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!! Indian food........................... they wanted me to eat more and I just couldn't. It was spicy. Haha I love India people. THEY ARE SO FUNNY! They told us all about their 500000 dollar wedding in India..... WOW!

We went to have a lesson with Thomas and we literally had to beg him to let us teach his wife. I never thought I was a bold person.... but sometimes as a missionary you just have to be. THIS IS PEOPLE'S SALVATION!!!!!

It sounds like a lot is going on at home! Everyone is getting married! AHHH! Spring is around the corner! YAY! HAPPY MARCH!

A quote that Sister Haderlie gave me this week- "God is not the author of confusion, but the author of PEACE." -Quinton L Cook

Side note- how awesome are the 2000 STRIPPLING WARRIORS?????????!!!!!!! I LOVE THE BOM.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK BRYCE!!!!!!!!!!

love you all to pieces.

Love, sister Dahlberg

p.s. don't worry sis haderlie already asked me to take her wedding pics. haha 1 year pic! SHE IS THE CUTEST!

March 9, 2015

Hello,

IT IS FINALLY SUNNY AND WARM. REPEAT IT IS FINALLY SUNNY AND WARM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAPPY DAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This week, wow a lot happened!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On Monday evening we got permission to watch some of, “Meet the Mormons” with a family in the ward, we are trying to teach their son’s girlfriend, Sammy. I love that movie and if you have not seen it, WATCH IT ASAP!

I have such an awesome story I want to share with you: So we were supposed to have a lesson with a former investigator, but he has called and cancelled. Sister Haderlie and I were bummed. A member, Sister Brim signed up to take us to dinner, she picked McDonalds. We are TRYING to eat healthy, but we were grateful. That day in particular I did not have my leather scriptures with me. I just had a blue BOM. While we were at McDonalds we shared the story of ENOS with Sister Brim. I felt very strongly that I needed to leave the BOM on the table at McDonalds. So I wrote a sticky note with, "Jacksonville Sister Missionaries" and our number. I saw a young man looking at the BOM, we left and got in the car and that same young man came running out, holding up the book to give it to us back. We quickly learned that he was deaf and Sister Haderlie signed to him that he could keep the book! He smiled and went back inside with a smile on his face! We got down the road and the spirit was telling me to have Sister Haderlie turn around the car and go back, but I thought I don't know sign language very well and it will just confuse him. We kept going down the road and I turned to Sister Haderlie and told her we needed to turn around and go back. She told me that I was going to do all the signing, so all the way back I started practicing signing. We got there, went in, and explained that we were missionaries. He couldn't understand our signing very well, so he wrote notes on a napkin. We learned about him. He lived in Jacksonville and I wrote on the napkin, "Would you be willing to listen to the lessons about The Restored Gospel Of Jesus Christ." He wrote down his address and shook his head YES! Don't you worry that napkin is in my journal and I will cherish it forever. I love when we follow the spirit, the miracles that Heavenly Father can provide. I HOPE WE CAN SOON START TEACHING MATT! small world. Sister Drake in the ward taught him at school, years ago. I LOVE HEAVENLY FATHERS PLAN!!!!

After we went and saw Gail, she was sad, so I told everyone that we were going to draw pictures about why we loved the gospel. IT WAS SO FUN! After we went to see Brenda, a recent convert and she was sad, so we drew pictures about why we loved life!!!! We all had happy spirits!

District Meeting this week, we made district lunch, that was fun! I went on exchanges with Sister Barret, she is from Washington and goes home in 2 weeks. I learned a lot and it was fun to have her see the work that is going on here in Jacksonville.

We went to St. Louis this week and we got SOOOOO LOST. But hey..... I saw the city and the FAMOUS ST LOUIS ARCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yay!!!

Another miracle happened this week. Well before I get there, I must tell you that another appointment fell through, so we were bummed. I felt strongly that we needed to go visit a potential family that we had met a few weeks back. (side note. they were not very happy that we were there last time. they wouldn't let us in.) Anyway, we went and a lot was going on. The mom was mad and we heard yelling. She wasn't very happy that we were there again, Sister Haderlie asked if she could have a hug, and she very firmly said, " I DO NOT HUG PEOPLE." As Sister Haderlie bore her testimony to her, her eyes literally started to get more full of life, brighter. SHE WAS FEELING THE LIGHT OF CHRIST. By the end of the conversation, she was like....."WHAT THE HECK.......GIVE ME A HUG!!!!" IT WAS SO COOL YOU GUYS!!!!!!!

As we were walking to the car, I felt strongly that we needed to knock on the neighbor’s door, so we did. An African American lady named Mel let us in. She is Pentecostal and was just the sweetest lady. I WANT TO TEACH HER SO BAD!!! Her granddaughters name was jewelry, her daughters name was diamond and sister haderlie was like, is your name ring??????????????? OH MY GOODNESS. She was like no it is MEL. HAHAHAHAH We got her number and we hope to start teaching her this week!!!!

We had a lesson with the Dambachers this week about some of the commandments, I cannot wait for their baptism, that will be an oh so happy day!!!!! We have been working a lot on our Area Book, trying to combine it with the Elders information of the area. People actually came to YSA last night, so that was neat. SAMMY CAME!!!!!!!!!!

OH mom, there is a lady here........Sister Ellias...............SHE REMINDS ME OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is sewing some of my skirts for me. She had us over for dinner and she is the cutest thing. YOU WOULD LOVE HER AND HER HOUSE, she was baptized about 3 years ago. If you get the chance, watch "turning the hearts" an LDS documentary. She is on that and so is the jess family, a family in the ward!

Well I love you all a lot. Happy March. Happy warm weather. Something I want everyone to think about this week. Jesus Christ did not just suffer for all our sins and pains mixed together. One by one, he suffered for you and me. What if Jesus Christ would have given up 5 minutes in the garden of Gethsemane........ HE DID NOT and if we want to become more like him, WE MUST NOT GIVE UP WHEN THINGS GET HARD. He is our example. We can do anything with HIM on our side. I love that I get to wear his name on my nametag everyday. He is my hope. My example. My hero.

 Have a happy week!

Oh I wrote 15 letters last P day, so I hope they arrive safe and sound!

Love,

Sister Dahlberg