September 1, 2014

Family--

This week has  been a little cray cray!! So as for all the questions-- my mouth is fine.  I had the sweetest Russian lady that the members in the ward told me to go to and she talked in her Russian accent the whole time and I really felt like laughing.  I didn’t have laughing gas (it was over priced) and honestly if anyone ever gets another root canal they don’t need it, I was fine! Sister East hates the dentist though so she sat with me for a while before they started but then she got sick so she had to go and sit in the front! They told me that dad wanted her to give me a hug but she didn’t give me one but it was a great missionary opportunity because then she started asking all these questions so-- way to go dad! My mouth was numb for a while but we went to Sister Millers who lived right by and she made my favorite soup and smoothies and took great care of me!! I tried not to take pills for very long because President said not to so that part hurt for the next couple of days!  But Sister Miller told me to just take the pills so I did after that. But other than that it was all good.  I go back this week for them to finish up! As for everything else it has been blazing hott!!! Like no joke it has been rough outside but that just makes everything funnier when we get in bed at night and think of the day! Like literally this week we had a lesson in a house after walking there and the air was off inside because they can’t afford it and I just about died!! I kept praying for patience as the sweat rolled down my nose and into my eyes! hahaha But we had a good laugh on the air-conditioned bus ride home! Then this week was UNC's first big football game at home so the streets were crazy!  Everything was Carolina blue!! Even the fire trucks are blue here! It is actually really fun but it reminds me of ASU! So then we missed our bus because of the traffic.  We had a ward party that night and it was sooooo fun! I truly just love the Millers so much and they take such good care of us! I opened my package afterwards and it was the best! I personally think that Sister East was more excited for my birthday than I was but it was great!  Then on Sunday morning Sister Miller came over in the morning and brought a cake and sang to me!! She made me a skirt too and it is really cute!  That night our dinner appt. decorated their house and sang and had candles and all so it was really fun! Thank you so much for all of your cards and gifts they were the best and yes I got Grammy’s package!! Thank you! The Elders were knocking some referrals that we gave to them in our apt complex when I got it so we all enjoyed the cookies together and they were very grateful because it was a really hot day!! So other than that-- I spoke in church yesterday! We had a kick off to our ward mission plan so Brother  Miller and I spoke but also Sister Nduku--one of the crazy Africans,  along with Janvier who is our investigator also spoke!! It was crazy! He is not even a member and he gave a great talk! He is so ready to be baptized and he bore the best testimony at the end!! He said,  “I pray everyday that the Lord will help me take the step into his true church!”  I am telling you it was the best and I had to try not to cry as I got up after him! But other than that, we are just doing great here! I am getting transferred and yes I am sad to leave Sister East.  Last night we sung the whole Wicked Cd and acted out the parts!   We have some surprises for Chantz especially on the next camera card!! But other than that-- I know the Lord knows what I need and He knows what I can handle so I am not to worried. But I just want to let you all know how much I love you and how grateful I am for you! I truly have the best family out there and I am so proud of Clay for serving-- he will be so great! Carlee you are the top dog now hold down the fort! And Cami and Chloe I loved the singing! Everyone in the FHC was laughing!! They wish they could be in our family!!  As for today, since we are all being transferred-- all the sisters are coming over so I can dye their hair!! It should be fun! I love you all so much! Anyways have the best week!!  I love you!!

Love always,

Cass

August 24, 2014

As for the family!!! Nawapenda!! That means I love you! in Kiswahili! This week--well what a week!!!! Sometimes I feel like the week is so long but then it is always Monday again and I realize that time is just flying!! Ahh Well Clay-- ARE YOU CRAZY GET DAT BELT ON!! YOU CRAZY HEATHEN CUTTIN UP AND ACKEN FOOLISH!! hahaha just kidding But for real-- I am so happy that you are ok! I hope that no one else gets in an accident! Please all be safe!!  Well Clay--this is the week that will change the rest of your life!! Just hit the ground running! You will do great and you will love it! I am so excited for you! Just remember there is no comfort in the growth zone and there is no growth in the comfort zone so if you feel uncomfortable just keep going-- you know that you are being shaped into what Heavenly Father needs you to be! As for Eh Thoo-- her dad will not give her permission to be baptized so it is postponed but our Mission President speaks Thai so he is going to come to a couple lessons with us so that he can talk to him about it!! It will be great! We had interviews this week and I truly just love my Mission President so much!! It is kind of funny because he has us plan stuff to talk about in our interviews with him and every time I have an interview with him we just talk and talk and talk and the stuff I prepare is always a back up plan!   I know that President Bernhisel truly loves each of us missionaries here in the NCRM! I have learned so much from him and he is a huge influence to me.  He gave me a side hug once.... ahhh all the rules down the drain! hahaha but He is great! He did tell me though that I will be transferred and that I am going to be a Sister Leader again so I have been scoping out where I could go.  I really hope either Raleigh or Wilmington! But wherever-- I am excited!! It won’t be for a couple weeks though so I will let you know when I find out! Well as for this week, Vernetta’s boyfriend, Calvin was baptized! We started teaching him and passed him to the Elders! He is great and was an alcoholic that quit cold turkey! Pretty amazing! It was great to see how it is all about finding the one who will go get one who will go get one! Other than that I feel like I have learned so much this week.  I read a talk called “The Inconvenient Messiah” by Elder Holland and it was the best talk that I have ever read! It has changed the way I think about so much and has truly helped me in so many ways! I had been feeling a little sluggish lately... I didn’t really know why or how to fix it but I just felt like I was going to be a missionary forever.   I came across this talk that talks all about how it wasn’t easy for Christ so why would anything that is worth it -- be easy. He talks about how the road of easiness is the way of Satan and how much more we as disciples have to take the hard road more often than not. I often relate everything to myself and I realized-- if Heavenly Father just gave me everything or made my mission easy then it wouldn’t mean anything but if I learn true Christ- like humility then I will recognize that it is to my benefit to struggle and to have the hard road in front of me.  That is when I gain more knowledge about my Savior and His life therefore I put more trust in Him and gain a closer relationship! I truly love the talk and would recommend it to each of you! I know that we all go through hard trials and we have hard days or weeks or months and we wonder why it can’t just be easy or why Heavenly Father won’t just give us what we yearn for, wouldn’t that just be so convenient! But like Elder Holland says-- it wasn’t convenient for Christ or Joseph Smith so it won’t be convenient for us either.  When we do go through the inconvenience then that is when the greatest blessings are given! I love you all so much and I hope you have the best week! You are the best family!!  God be with you till we meet again! hahaha I know cheesy! But I love you all 

Love always Cass

July 14, 2014

Mom as for all of your questions.... hahaha  First off-- yes we are going to dinner with Rachelle and Charisse tonight.   We are going to a Mediterranean place down Franklin Street!! It should be fun Anyways as for the others-- I forgive you.  Don’t worry it actually was a strengthening experience... I felt a little sick for the first few days but then all the thoughts went through my head of what I would do and I realized that I would stay out here. I know that this is exactly where I need to be and I know that I have been called to do a work that is the most important work I could ever choose to do! I love being a missionary and yes there are a lot of hard days but I love them because every time there is a hard day there is always a blessing afterwards!  I also have learned a lot about relying on the Lord in times of trouble.  I came to a point this week of wondering what my own relationship with Heavenly Father is.  We ask people all the time but I never thought about my own so I have been studying a lot about my Heavenly Father and I have come to know that all I have to do each day-- is my best. One of the greatest parts of that is-- I am the only one who knows what my best is so yes I have to push myself.  When I keep going and try a little harder to be a little better each day, I am able to see and feel that my Heavenly Father is proud of me!!   Well I loved the pictures and the package!!! It all meant so much to me!!! Your vacation sounded and looked like so much fun and I wish I could come and watch the movies with you and relive it each family night!! hahaha But don’t worry-- there will be plenty of time for that!! Oh and you all look so old and pretty and skinny and good looking and I just made Sister East look at the pictures over and over again!! haha Well this week has been crazy as well because the Elders that are in Chapel Hill with us are great and we love them! They are so hard working and we all are trying to work close together! They give us referrals almost everyday and we start teaching them.  Then we have people baptized that are dating or related to someone who they can teach!   We often pass our investigators over to them! This week we have been trying to get them over into Joey’s house and they gave us a referral of a lady named Pam who is so great!! She just moved in and when she was moving to Chapel Hill-- the Elders in Wilmington ran into her and helped her pack her house up.  Then when she got here the Elders ran into her and helped her unpack only to later get the referral from the Wilmington Elders! haha So then they passed her to us and now she calls us all her God given servants of the Lord! We love her and she laughs like Kitty on “That 70s Show” so I have to hold back from laughing so hard every time she laughs!! hahah   Also this week we were privileged to have Elder Parker from the 70’s come to our ward! It was a little intimidating because he came up to us before Sacrament and said to Sister East and I, “I want to meet your investigators after church.”  I died a little inside because he is very Southern Baptist but a miracle happened and we had 5 people come to church!  The Elders had a couple as well! He met them all and talked to Vernetta afterwards and told her that she just signed up for the biggest job she has ever been given of doing missionary work! haha I think she died a little but with all these Baptist folks out here-- he really touched their hearts!! It was amazing to feel the Spirit that was there.   I hope that you always  know that I love you all so much and you mean the world to me!! I am so grateful to have such an amazing family!! I hope you have the best week!!

Love always Cass