September 24, 2015

One Year Serving In The St. Louis Mission






 September 8, 2015

Hello,

Labor day yesterday has us emailing today. It really is September and I still have not decided how I feel about it. A mission seems to be a roller coaster of emotions and today I am feeling all the emotions and I can't quite figure out why. 

Saying goodbye to sister Montgomery Sunday night on the phone as she was trying to last minute pack was hard....... I already miss her. I have known for a long time that the time would come, but for some reason, goodbye never gets easier.  One moment, I feel like we were just in Marceline with the mice running around in the trailer while we were teaching, and other moments it feels like it was so long ago.

Another transfer here in Danville, finishing training sister Erickson, something that I have come to realize is that, I really have changed. My companion has been out one transfer and she feels similar to the way I felt when I first came out.  I see with different eyes, so different than I did before. I don't know how to explain it, and to be honest I don't know how to break it down in my head to explain it to myself..... but I am starting to see really how much my mission has changed me, but with that being said I also can see how much further I have to go and learn.

Something I realized this week, the Lord is not and will not ask me to move a mountain, but he does ask for each one of us to do our best. Taking one step at a time to become more like him. With the touch of the master’s hand, we can each feel his touch through his servants.

Christy's baptism is this Sunday!! MY HEART IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY ABOUT THAT and I know that God's heart is happy too.

Honestly and truly, Christy is one of the most amazing people I have been able to teach.  She is as prepared as they come, truly.   Happiest part of my week- when Christy walked into sacrament with all 5 of her kids and they came and sat by us.  We often refer to her as super mom.  When I got up to bare my testimony, seeing the smile on her face........melted my heart.  Another highlight was when her little 2 year old boy started running all over in sacrament meeting and she kept whispering, "I am going to faint." HAHAHAHAHA I was dying. I LOVE HER AND HER FAMILY.

There is a motab song that says, "You may rescue, you may save." I still can't believe the mercy that our heavenly father has shown me, even though it was not easy to come and it still is not easy, each day he finds a way to save me, yet I came to help do his work by rescuing and saving others. 

Sometimes, we have to suffer and fall, just like Peter did when he walked on water, so that we can reach upward and feel the Savior immediately pull us up, he has promised to do that for each one of us. 

We are having a lesson with Christy and her family tonight about the touch of the Master’s hand and it should be a really fun, inspiring, and uplifting message.  We will be meeting president Morgan this week with Christy for her interview.  I seriously cannot wait for him to meet her.  He has heard so much about her.

Remember my sweet last companion, sister Law?  She is training this transfer and is so excited. I am so proud of her. 

We went to the corn festival yesterday with the Tillman family.  Boy, oh boy, the Midwest just makes me laugh sometimes. 

The mission is what you make it; this week is going to be a HAPPY one.

love you!!

sister dahlberg


















 September 14, 2015
Hello sweet people,

Christy's baptism interview went so well.  We rode with her to Champ and president Morgan was waiting for Christy and us was embarrassed that we were late.  President Morgan, in his calming ways says, “Hey, don't even worry about it for a second." He had chairs for all of us and we talked and laughed and laughed. We left the room and she had her interview and then we all came back together and talked and talked and laughed and laughed.  She is such a miracle and I just knew President would adore her.  Christy even did her birthday dance for all of us out in the parking lot.  President looked at me with a big smile on his face and gave me a thumbs up.

I love this work and my heart felt warm.  I felt like heavenly father was letting me know, that I made the right decision to come and serve a mission and that he was proud of me and he was telling me through his chosen servant.  On the drive home, we talked to Christy and laughed and laughed. I hope you all understand how much I love her. She is just what Danville needs. 

Christy's birthday was this week and MOM she loved her presents. We took her to lunch for her birthday.  When she opened the scriptures, she just kept telling us how pretty and nice they were.  It was so sweet.  She really did love them.  She kept telling us not to make her a cake, but we did anyway.  While she was taking a nap, with the help of her children, we put sticky notes all over her house and hung the adorable birthday sign.  We surprised her with cake and ice cream and her smile was priceless.  We wanted to make her birthday special, boy she is a strong lady.

SHE WAS BAPTIZED SUNDAY AFTER CHURCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was great. Wow! I am so proud of her. She is just so down to earth and has easily has accepted the gospel. It is most definitely a spiritual gift she has been given.  I wish I could describe her baptism in words, but it is hard to convey how I feel over the keyboard. 

Here are some things that made my heart smile- 

When she came out in her white and her kids started giggling and she said, "Don't you laugh at me."

Her 2 year old was running around.

Brother Fulton gave a spiritual message of baptism and the Holy Ghost and about how the temple was the next step, oh how I loved seeing her face light up. 

She didn't want her new hair to get wet, so she rapped it up in a garbage bag and t-shirt.  We saw her and started giggling, softly.  She walked down into the font and asked if she looked like an alien.  I love her so much. 

She walked back into the room, after being baptized she looked at the elders and said, FLAWLESS!! It was so funny. Only she could pull it off. I am obsessed with her.

The thing that touched me the most, I was standing in the back of the room, watching her enter the font.  All 5 of her children where line up sitting in front of the font.  They were watching their mother follow our Savior Jesus Christ’s example and being baptized.  Truly, this day is something I will never forget and it will always stay in my mind.  Their life has not been an easy one.  Christy's journey has not been easy, but there she stood in the waters of baptism, a new start, a new day, a new beginning.  She was being the amazing person that she has always been, but now she has a new light, a new hope.  A hope and light that only the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring.

I was reading in studies this morning and, what we as full time missionaries are doing, is helping make other lives better.  It is simple. It is true.  That is what we are called to do, and that is exactly what the Savior would do if he were here in our spot, right here, right now. 

After Christy’s baptism, her second oldest son looked at his mom and asked, “When can I be baptized? My heart is full as we plan to start teaching these sweet children.

I want you to know that I am so happy that God called me here to serve. I would not change this for the world.  Being able to be a part of Christy's journey will always be something I hold dear to me, not only for the rest of my mission, but for the rest of eternity. I betcha we were good pals pre-mortally and I promised her I would come find her.  As missionaries, we are just filling those promises we made long ago and it is something so wonderful to be reunited with those friends again. 

How in the world is one year coming up? 

sincerely, 

sister dahlberg 











 September 21, 2015

a year.................. a year................. how can it be? 

I am not sure.................... how it happened. but. 1 YEAR done.
I remember the drop off at the MTC..... I remember the flight to the mission field........ I remember it all so well.  I remember my first transfer meeting..... I remember my first day in the mission field... 4 areas already.  I have met god's children that truly have changed my nature and changed the person that I will be forever.  Almost 365 days of wearing my favorite accessory in the world, my little black nametag. This morning as I was getting ready, I was thinking and I do not even know how to describe the way I feel about what my mission has done for me. 

The people I have met.
The lessons I have learned.
The growth I see.
The pure testimony I have gained.
My companions. 
The areas I have served.
Mean the absolute world to me. 

The past (almost 365 days) has truly meant everything to me. Notice how I did not say, it has been the easiest thing, because it has been one of the hardest and most challenging things I have ever done.  But by far the most rewarding thing I have ever done. As you serve him, you want to become more like him, and the more you serve him, the better you come to know him.  He has molded my heart and shaped it to be smoother.  He has helped refine me, yet I realize that there is a lot to do still.  My love for the Book of the Mormon is strong, my love for the gospel, my testimony of my Savior and my father is my soul. 

Six months will go faster than I realize.  I really am trying to take every day for what it is worth. Believing in miracles and remembering that hope is never lost. 

I continue to add to my list of things I have learned, and it just amazes me. I can't wait to share that list someday.

Now about my week......... the past 2 1/2 transfers we work with the ward council planning ward activities to help less actives.  We try to have a fun activity at the church, so we came up with a bubble show, watching meet the Mormons, and ice cream. OVER 100 PEOPLE CAME TO THE CHURCH ON WEDNESDAY AND IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!! Lots of less actives came, members brought friends, members were able to fellowship and get to know everyone better. IT WAS SO GREAT!!!!! There is so much more to missionary work than knocking doors. so so so many other ways. 

Another highlight from the week- CHRISTY WAS CONFIRMED A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH AND RECEIVED THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST ON SUNDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As I sat next to her at church yesterday, I can see how much her nature has changed, her smile, the happiness that she radiates is just so special.  I love her and she and her family are so special to us.  She still has her fabulous personality and she has let the gospel change her. Yesterday at church was a happy day!! We are going to teach her kids tonight!

I love my mission. I love everything that I have learned the past year.  I love you all and I thank you for your love and support.

love you all
SISTER DAHLBERG







No comments:

Post a Comment