Monday, March 31, 2014

Here for Spring!"




Guys this week we got the call. Guess what? I'm staying. Going on 6 months here in Fairbanks! Loving it! I am seriously so happy I don't have to say bye yet. I seriously love everyone here so much. I am still staying as a sister training leader with Sister Platero and Sister Hewitt is heading off to Wasilla to train a new sister! 

Things are going good, Atrina is getting baptized this Friday!!!! I can't wait! Seeing her whole family in church on Sunday warms my heart. I love that family SO MUCH!


At sacrament meeting yesterday the cutest little girl got up and said "I know that Jesus bled from every pore. He just kept bleeding and bleeding and I bet that really hurted." How cute!



Guys I love being a missionary it's seriously just who I am, I feel like. I can't imagine NOT being called Sister Hallmark. I love it. I love my name tag. I love being a representative of Jesus Christ. I just love who I get to be. It's cool! I'm really cool, guys!

I love you all like alot! Don't stop being awesome! 
Love, Sister Hallmark

Monday, March 24, 2014

It's just a donkey




We met with two of our new investigators, but we found out that they will be moving this week back to their village, so we won't be able to continue teaching them. We were pretty bummed about that, but we still dropped by to teach them one last lesson before they flew out. When we stopped by, there was another lady there we didn't recognize. We asked her who she was, and it turns out she was one of the lady's sister. We found out that SHE will be staying. We told her who we were and she started asking several questions about things she's heard about Mormons. We were quickly able to clear up all the concerns she had. As we testified of the book of Mormon, she announced "Well I need to read this book, I'm excited!" We gave her a copy and she agreed to read. She explained to us that she is staying with a friend a few apartments down and was about to go back but decided she needed to stay there with her sister in that apartment for a few minutes longer. She said she thinks it was for a reason. We told her we KNOW it was for a reason. It's incredible the people the Lord puts in our path. Every day I find a little more evidence that our Heavenly Father REALLY is in the details of our lives. 

We had another lesson with our 10 year old investigator and she is really excited to get baptized on Saturday. We also had a lesson with her moms boyfriend, and we cannot believe how much his heart has softened! It's incredible. He had his book of Mormon and sat and read with us and her. Before, it was impossible to even get him to sit down and be apart of the lesson. His whole countenance had changed. Before he's been really goofy and loud, constantly talking. But in this lesson, as we read, he was quiet. He just listened. The spirit was so strong. We committed him to be baptized on April 19, and confirmed on Easter. He is still hesitant, but we know the spirit is touching him. We testified that we KNOW he is prepared. He just needs to act in faith. :)

Guys so many cool things are happening!!! I can't believe how many people are being put in our path constantly. We are so excited for little 10 year old Atrina to get baptized this Saturday! It will be an awesome experience for her whole family. 

Something funny that happened this week was with cute little Sister B...she is almost 90 years old but she's as sharp as ever. We were reading a chapter in the BOM with her and she read over a part that said "ass" she giggled and whispered "that's just a donkey" She's so cute!!! Haha!!!

Another funny story, we were helping with this primary activity about missionary work and we were watching this cartoon video of Ammon and as we were watching it this little 6 year old boy leans over and whispers "he doesn't even LOOK like Ammon!" So cute! I don't know how he knows what Ammon actually looks like, but it was hilarious. :)

Man I love this gospel! I love my Savior Jesus Christ so much. My love continues to grow deeper and deeper. Just like that country song "And I thought I loved you then..."  every time when I think I love Him more than anything in the entire world, I find a deeper love. He is incredible. I can't wait to see Him and live with him and my Father again. :)

I love you all sooooooooo much!!!!!! Have a fantastic week!

Love, Sister Hallmark
Once there was a snowman.... :)

Working our volunteer shift at "Ice Alaska" it's the worlds largest ice park! They have people from all over the world come and compete in a huge ice carving competition. Pretty neat. Sorry it's crooked, a very elderly woman took the picture.

 Crazy H's! Sisters Hewitt and Hallmark! 




Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Miracle Monday


 
Hi everyone! 

Hi hi hi! We are having miracles thrown a us and it's kind of awesome!
We have picked up so many investigators this week through tracting. There are so many willing to let us in and listen to our message. The Lord is softening the hearts of people ALL OVER, it's so cool to witness.

We had some fun experiences this week. This Friday was pie day...so guess what dinner was? A lot of pie. 8 pies, to be exact. Plus a chicken pot pie. Man, I was as full as a frog! Worse than thanksgiving day! That pie was good! :)

Also, funny story...we have been smelling a strong burning smell in our car for the last week and couldn't figure out what it was. We finally took it to the car dealership and they took it in. We sat in the lounge for about 10 minutes and then they came in and told us they found an animals burning flesh on the bottom of our car. Apparently we ran over an animal a week ago and it's just been burning. GROSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Working in both wards is finally starting to balance out. I am grateful for that. Something I've found is that I receive he most strength and peace each day from studying the Book of Mormon. It brings more happiness to me than I can even explain. I love that book SO MUCH. I crave reading from it every morning. I have also been reading a lot of the new testament and my testimony of Christ has grown so sweet to me. I love Him so much. I'm so grateful I have another testament of Jesus Christ I can read alongside the Bible. I love the scriptures and it's teachings. I will never get tired of reading them!!!!

I love being a missionary. I know this gospel is Christ true gospel. I feel so blessed to have the restored truth in my life today. I am so grateful to share this knowledge with others. :)

I love you all!!!!
Love, Sister Hallmark

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Cold, cold, go away come again another day

I thought when the time change SPRINGS forward, the weather was supposed to also...am I wrong?
It's still negative temps, guys! Not okay!!!!!!!!!!! 

Clearly I need to keep building my testimony so the fire inside can give me more warmth! 
Something that's been a huge asset to my testimony is my moms mission journal! She just sent me another one because I finished her first one. I've been reading it every night and It gives me so much strength! I love reading about the difficult times and the sweet moments that she had on the mission because they all seem to be identical to mine! It's really neat. In the package with the journal she also sent me honey roasted BBQ sauce from chick fil a....yeah buddy. :)

K so I've probably said this in my last emails buuuut covering two huge wards a lot like I chicken with it's head cut off. Trying to balance two wards is definitely challenging. It's nice to have 2 sets of elders to work with in each ward, though. 

This week has just been a lot of meetings. I didn't realize that as a sister training leader I would have so many meetings to go to for mission training. I am learning a lot about being a leader, though! 
And then of course we have double the ward meetings to go to as well. I am getting anxious to go out and work. There aren't near as many meetings this week so hopefully we can completely dedicate our time to seeing people. I just want to teach!!!!! :)

I love you all so much!!!!!!!!!!!! thank you for the support!

Love, sister Hallmark

Monday, March 3, 2014

Hello hello hello!




It's just another week in Fairbanks town. It's going good. We have had some pretty incredible finding experiences. I complimented this girl on her hair in the gas station and suddenly we have her number and she's coming to church! Crazy how the Lord is really putting people in our paths. I can't let a single person walk by without sharing this truth that I know. There are people prepared to hear EVERYWHERE. :)

Atrina is still prepared to get baptized on the 29th of March. :) We are so excited for her! She is so excited to get baptized. Every time she prays she says "please help my baptism go good." Haha so cute.

GUYS I'M FREAKING OUT! ! I hit my 9 months this week! Well...kind of. Feb. 29th was supposed to be my 9 months, but that day doesn't really exist so...we counted it on the 1st of March. Haha I cannot believe I am halfway through with my mission. It's unreal. I don't want it to end!!!


OH I have news!!!! I don't know if anyone remembers Toby from Sitka? We taught him and he was SO beyond prepared to be baptized! He wasn't able to be though because there are some things that were holding him back and he needed to get an approval from the first presidency... well...HE GOT A SIGNED LETTER FROM THEM! AND HE GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!! He sent me pictures and I DIED. SO awesome. He is doing so so so well. He is a ward missionary. :)

Man I love life!!! I love this gospel! I know it can bring the most happiness anyone could ever experience!!!

Love, Sister Hallmark

9 months!!!! I know...my pregnant belly is like legit. Right? Don't worry, I'm not really pregnant. :)


Eating lunch with this cute little Thai lady house. She is so sweet but she gives us SO MUCH FOOD! Hahaha