April In Jacksonville Illinois

April 6, 2015

OKAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY I AM DYING RIGHT NOW. HUNTER YOU ARE ENGAGED AND FELICIA I JUST OPENED UP YOUR ENGAGEMENT PICTURES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY COMPANION AND I ARE LITERALLY DYING HERE. SO HAPPY FOR MY PRETTY GIRLS!!!!!!

Did everyone have a good Easter and a happy general conference weekend? I HOPE SO! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE GENERAL CONFERENCE WITH ALL OF MY HEART! I LEARNED SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I went into conference with a question and surely it was answered right away! Oh how I love how that Heavenly Father is aware of us all.  Favorite talks... all of them, but very favorite......THE PROPHET OF COURSE, PRESIDENT MONSON, PRESIDENT UCHDORF, AND  ELDER HOLLAND! Long story short we watched conference at a members, and then at the church for the last 3 sessions. The Dambachers wanted to watch it at their house and they sent us a text saying how amazing it was and how much clarity it brought!!! We invited so many people to come, we even went with a member to pick up an investigator before conference and there was no answer at the door. Missionary life! Felicia watched conference with us at the church and I looked back at her once President Thomas S. Monson started talking and tears were just streaming down her face. It has been amazing to see her love the gospel so much. “OH GOD WE THANK THEE FOR A PROPHET.”

I don't know if any of you heard, but Saturday when we were sustaining the prophet, someone at the conference center booed. My heart hurt deeply. I almost don't even want to bring it up, but I learned a valuable lesson that day. I think we all can learn a lesson from that experience.  I wrote down in my study journal. Never will I reject the prophet, apostles, general authorities, or church leaders, etc. NEVER.  I WILL SUSTAIN, LOVE, APPRECIATE, AND SUPPORT THEM.  I wish everyone could truly understand HOW IMPORTANT A LIVING PROPHET IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh how I pray from him.

Happy news, Sammy accepted to start taking the lessons. We have been sharing spiritual thoughts with her, but tonight will be our first lesson with her! YAY, I HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT SHE WILL BE BAPTIZED SOON! We may extend an invitation tonight if it feels right.

Zone Conference was this week!! It is always great to see President and Sister Morgan and to learn from all the leaders and missionaries. Our testimony meeting at Zone Conference, WOW.  I seriously love being a missionary. 

Long story short, we had a great lesson with Mel this week. She was a lady we met awhile back.   We were leaving a potential family and I felt very strongly that we needed to turn back around and knock on her door, so we did.  She let us in and told us she would love to talk to us, but she needed to talk to her pastor first.  Weeks went by and we had not heard from her.  Finally she called us and said she would love us to teach her.  We set up an appointment and her lesson this week was so powerful.  I felt strongly that I needed to share the story of how the spirit led us to her door, because God was aware of her.  She told us that she had lost a lot of Faith and she wanted to get it back.  She is the sweetest and most humble person. She came from a fire in Chicago. Her granddaughter’s name is Jewelry and she is the cutest little baby ever. We showed her,  “The Restoration” on our portable DVD player and she was in AWWW.  Afterward, she told us she had a good feeling, a tingly feeling all over her body. YES, THAT IS THE SPIRIT SWEET MEL. She started telling us about apostasy and she even told us how important it was to have a living prophet on the earth!!!! I felt very strongly that she needed to be invited to be baptized. Her response, "That would be number three for me, but this time it will be different. I have always been an example to my family, but not always the best example.  I want to start something that will affect generations and generations.” SHE SAID YES!!  She said she wanted to learn everything and be like a sponge to soak it all up.  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I love Mel.

OH HOW COULD I FORGET???????????????????????????????????????????????????? I FINISHED THE BOOK OF MORMON THIS WEEK FOR THR FIRST TIME STUDYING IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't even have the correct words to explain, except, my life is forever changed.

I love what Jeffery R. Holland said this conference, "Jesus extends grace with his nailed hands and bruised wrists to Sister Dahlberg ( INSERT YOUR NAME) . IT IS TRUE, HE IS WAITING FOR YOU WITH ARMS OPENED WIDE. ALL OF US NEED TO COME UNTO HIM AND BE PERFECTED IN HIM. 

I love being a missionary. I love this work. I told my companion I now have less than a year and just saying it scared me just a little. hahaha where has time gone??????? I can't imagine my life without my mission. It has meant everything to me. 

I love you all. I can't believe my friends are getting married, exciting time for everyone. I send my love and my best wishes to everyone. May God bless you and watch over you all. 

Love, 

Sister Dahlberg

1. BOM FINISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME!

2. Sister Christenson, mission nurse going home this transfer...... no..... LITERALLY MY BEST FRIEND FOR LIFE

April 13, 2015

Hello,

Wow, this week has felt like 565 years, but at the same time it went by so quickly! I just received news that the oldest White daughter was baptized this Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!! yay!!!!!!!

Sister Blank emailed me and said, "We will be going to Macon to watch Allie White be baptized.... Something her mother never thought would be, but here we are going to witness this miracle... We are so excited... all because two Sisters took the time to teach and baptize the White family. Did I tell you how much we love you?????"

HAPPPPPPYYYYYYYYYYY DAYYYYYY. I love this gospel so much. It truly changes lives forever and ever. 

I went on exchanges this week to Springfield. I love Sister Bittle, she is a fan of pictures and Polaroid cameras, and laughing, and the gospel, so we had tonzzzzzzzzz of fun. It was great to serve there for 2 days! I came back with a referral from Springfield in Jacksonville, so that was awesome. 

WE HAVE 5 NEW INVESTIGATORS THIS WEEK! GOD TRULY IS IN THIS WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We really had such a great week, teaching so many new people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Miracle, we were going to have a FHE on Thursday with a less active.  Her friend was with her and we sat down and she turned to us and said, "I asked Sherri if I could come to church with her." We started teaching her the next day and she loved it so much. We invited her to be baptized.  Sunday, when she came to church she was telling everyone about her baptism on May 1st!! She turned to me in sacrament meeting and asked me all kinds of questions. She is the sweetest. THE DAMBACHER BOYS PASSED THE SACRAMENT FOR THE FIRST TIME YESTERDAY!!!! WOW! What a neat experience to watch.  I was wearing a "Utah" bracelet yesterday. Kim kept looking at it, so I took it off and gave it to her.  I told her to keep it and use it as reminder of the day she will be sealed in the temple in Utah in one year. It was a tender moment.  I love being here.

The work is really pressing forward.

Here is a little miracle that reminded us that that God is aware of everything, even the small things.  My companion was thinking about how old her shoes were getting and how she just wanted some new blue shoes.  Later that day, we were teaching a lesson with an investigator, Shikana.  Her little son came out carrying a box because he wanted to show us the new shoes his mom had just received.   He opened up the box and inside was the cutest pair of blue shoes ever.  Shikana explained that they were a gift and she hadn't worn them because they didn't fit her. Guess what? THEY WERE EXACTLY SISTER EWELL’S SHOE SIZE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shikana gave them to Sister Ewell and we left the lesson.  Sister Ewell said, “God is aware of us, he cares about the small things. If it matters to me, it matters to HIM.” It was a sweet, tender mercy to watch.

We made a Plan of Salvation game to help teach Walter and Mora and their sweet family. We are planning on giving Sammy a baptism date tonight!!!!! We are teaching a boy who is agnostic, and he has some DEEP QUESTIONS. LIKE QUESTIONS PEOPLE HAVE NEVER ASKED ME BEFORE, DEEP DOCTRINE.... so that has been super interesting. 

A quote to leave with you, "A saint is a sinner who just keeps trying."

I love you have a good week!

Love, Sister Dahlberg

April 20^th, 2015

Hi, I hope everyone is doing well with finals and everyone is happy and well. I send my love.

This week was great. I want to encourage everyone to read the March and April Ensigns and to truly study them. I have done so and I have started the Book of Mormon over again and my testimony has grown deeply. I cherish my study time and I am learning so much. I wonder how many study journals I will go through in the next year! hahahaha

It was Sister Ewell’s birthday this week and I made her breakfast and did some decorating for her. I wanted her to have a special day. On P day we went out and got our nails done. It didn’t even seem real. hahahahhaha my nails were so bad.  The nail lady said, “you haven't gotten your nails done for awhile huh.”........................#missionarylife LOL

We tried to record a missionary lesson of us using signing language to sweet Ratio, but I cracked under the pressure of the camera.  We will sign a song or something and I will send a recording, just for proof. hahahaha

We have an investigator named Chelsey,  and some people from her church came over and told her not to talk to us anymore.  Thank goodness she totally defended us and gave us 3 referrals.  We are teaching her and her 7 year-old daughter about life after this life.  She has so many awesome questions and is so close to the spirit. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will send you a picture that she drew that says I love Dahlberg.  SO sweet. They call us the church ladies!

We played a game called the plan of salvation with Walter and Mora and the kiddios.  I loved it.  They kept calling it the plan of Jesus! I love them!

We started FHE with some less actives and Tami, the lady with a baptism date. Her date is going to have to be pushed back a few weeks... she has been having some health problems and it is really worrying her. Please pray for her.  Sister Dahlberg had the genius idea to have a pizza party, so we did and we talked about the prophet and it was a happy time!!

On Saturday after a long day, we walked up to our apartment and there was an African wedding going on, no joke. We have pictures for proof. We were just so tired and wanted to get to our apartment.  What a wedding celebration with tons of people all dressed up!  WOW!  I woke up and thought it was a dream.... but nope!!!!!!!

We did service this week for a library and another church, we have been moving so many books. It is always so fun to help!

Oh, I gave away my shoes to a member. We had to go back home and get some shoes for me to finish the day. She needed them more than I did.

I wish I could share all that I am learning right now, but there just doesn’t seem to be enough time. Please remember I love you all. 

Have a happy happy week!!!

Don, Kaylann, and Maddie went to do baptisms at the St. Louis temple!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My heart is so happy!!!!!!

Stake conference this week and transfers next week.

wow!

I am learning. I am growing. "All is not lost, for with God our potential is endless."

love you, 

Sister Dahlberg