Transfer! Feb 26, 2011

Hey! . Today is a makeup pday because we missed ours because of transfers. Our new pday is Monday so I'll write again on Monday. But things are going okay, this transfer is going to be pretty tough. I changed areas and am now with sister Kamada, she's Japanese and is very soft spoken but very honest, and funny. The reason it's going to be hard is because we have about 8 nonmembers who have been taught a lot and they are pretty hard to get a hold of we also have some less actives who are also hard to get a hold of. Oh and me and sister Kamada came out at the same time. So there is still a lot that we don't know. I was pretty overwhelmed my first couple of days because I feel like even though sister Kamada has been in this area for a couple of transfers its so big that we don't really know what to do. Not to mention we are both still learning how to teach (can you imagine trying to learn a new language and how to teach and how to help someone understand how the area works, it's very challenging, for both of us) . But man I'll tell you the power of prayer is amazing. I just keep asking for help and a while later my feelings are completely different, I know the lord is just telling me that everything is going to be alright and to just keep trying our best. From one moment feeling like things are too hard and I'm a failure to feeling confident and reassured. I'm so thankful to be loved. Change is hard but it is truly what helps us grow.

We had an experience the other day, a couple came in and they asked a lot of questions and were fairly curious, I could tell their hearts were a bit hard. They believed in Christ and and the bible we shared the restoration story. I asked them about prophets and if they could believe one leads us today. They basically said no. I asked them what a prophet did in the bible. They said they prophesied of Christ but once Christ came they didn't need one anymore. I testified of the Book of Mormon and how it also testifies of Christ, I invited them to read it for themselves. They didn't want missionaries, and said that they didn't need another book to follow Christ. It made me sad that they believed in Christ but truly thought that he wouldn't lead his people today like he did in the past. I mean after all he will come again, that is why we have a prophet today to help us stay on the path. Sister Kamada said that she was reminded of Ammon when I was testifying of the book of Mormon. That made me excited because I felt like a true missionary. And I thought well yeah we are like the people in the scriptures. Not everyone we share the gospel with is going to accept it but our mission isn't to drag everyone to baptism, it's to cry repentance to the people to invite them to change their hearts and follow god. That means following his mouth piece which is the prophet. It felt good to bare my testimony about the Book of Mormon the spirit was strong, and I know that it is the key stone of our religion it proves god is the same yesterday today and forever.

Learning Feb 17, 2011

Aloha!

Well it has been another six weeks, so on Monday I will find out who my new companion is and when my new Pday will be. I have learned a lot this transfer, especially humility. It is really, really hard to accept criticism with love but I'm learning. I'm also learning how to not look for something to criticize back. It was nice to hear from some of you and to get a little update, I hope you all had a really nice Valentines day.

We taught a young woman (investigator) the other day about the gospel of Jesus Christ we asked how she was doing with her reading. She told us that she had been reading on her own and she had been going through some trials, so she turned to the book of Mormon, which is great for someone one who isn't a member yet to realize all the answers in life are found in the Book of Mormon, any way she came upon the scripture in 2 Nephi 2:11 that says "there must be opposition in all things. If not righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility." She said that it really made sense, if we don't have hard things we wont have good things either. I was really happy that she had found that on her own and was able to be comforted by the words of god. I think that message is so amazing. Yeah things do get hard sometimes but we remember how we overcame that difficult time and learned from it. We also keep those good times close because we know that it isn't always going to be easy. It's nice to know that the lord knows what he is doing and what will help us the most, and what will help us to get through those hard times.

Well that's my thought for this week, I'm not sure when I will write again but I hope you have a great week!

Love sister Pinder

Blessings Feb 10, 2011

I have been so blessed this week! I was able to see a few people refer for missionaries, and we have a couple of investigators now with baptismal dates! Both of them had heard the lessons before but weren't ready. Now the spirit has taken hold and it's a completely different story. It such a testament that it really isn't what we say or do it's when they person is ready and the spirit confirms what they have learned. We had a special visitor center training from brother Lusvardi. He is "in charge" of all the visitor centers around the world. I actually was able to hear from him while in the MTC and when he talked with us on Monday he told the story of Julia the waitress from Olive garden. It's a really good story. He asked his kids where they wanted to go eat. They told him olive garden. Now he hates olive garden because it's not authentic Italian food, but he went because that is where his family wanted to go. The waitress was Italian and was 72 years old. She brought out "beautiful salad" and made it look beautiful on the plate. She told them that she would bring out the food for them, they didn't need to look at the menu, she knew what was good. She only had three tables because she took such good care of the tables she had. She loved them and took care of them. Brother Lusvardi said they continued to go back. Not because they food was great but because Julia loved them and they loved her. They would go for celebrations and Julia would give counsel and advice. One day they went for a birthday but it wasn't for a celebration. This was the birthday of a daughter that had passed away in a car accident. Brother said that he didn't want to go but that they needed to tell Julia that their 20 year old daughter had been killed in a car accident. He said their was no talking of counsel at this meal. Julia cried with them and loved them. They still keep in contact today.

Brother Lusvardi asked what missionary work,(or jobs, and home) would be like if we all were like Julia? If we loved everyone we came in contact with and weren't preoccupied with the actual "job" with what we should/shouldn't say (for us he was referring to giving tram tours). Even though I had heard this story before, I think I needed to hear it again. The whole training was about helping people feel they are important and that this message we have to share is such a blessing! I just made me so much more excited to share this message. If Julia can love strangers this much her first time meeting someone I can do that too. I can help others recognize the peace and happiness felt in this church is a piece of gods love he is giving to us. Do people know what blessings this church can bring? Do they know how much god loves them? I have truly felt gods love for me and all the visitors who have come to the visitor center this week. I just wish everyone could feel this! Honestly, they can but everyone has their agency, they have the choice to decide if they are going to allow god to love them. They have the choice to recognize gods hand in their life or not. They have the choice to follow Christ or not. Because when it all comes down to it that's all this Church is. It's the commitment we make to follow god. I struggle with the fact that people choose not to allow god to love them. I mean after all why did Christ come to earth? Because he loved us enough to provide a way back to our father in heaven. He loved us enough to be that perfect example so that when things get hard we have someone to turn to. My testimony of my savior has grown so much since being on a mission. He Loves us SO MUCH! and it is his only desire that we follow him so that we can return and have eternal life- immortality with god! It just blow my mind that some people say you know think I'll just stick with the promise of immortality it's easier, when we could have eternal life and live with our heavenly parents forever. Our father is master of the universe, creator of all things, our brother is our savior our example. I can't imagine living my whole life and not be able to return to live with not only my earthly family but my heavenly family as well.

I hope you all know how much I love you! I know that I didn't express it a lot before, I suppose showing emotion was almost like showing weakness but not any more. I know who I am, I know who you are, I know how much you matter and I can't be deterred from sharing this message. :) Read the scriptures they are the word of god, they are the counsel from our past family and from our supreme father in heaven. I love you all and pray that you have a fantastic week.

Familiar Faces

Another week gone, crazy. This week has been extremely busy and slow at the same time. I know it's a bit weird but our schedule is completely full, but the visitor center isn't all that busy.

I was thrilled to see Grandma and Beth this past week and am truly grateful that I was there and was able to show them around. It was a beautiful experience and I will remember it for the rest of my life.

So I received two wonderful surprises yesterday! Two packages from my loving parents and grandma. They were AWESOME, the other sisters were thankful as well and have been so kind as to help me eat all the candy :).

I forgot that you were leaving and would be gone for a while. How's the trip? I hope you are enjoying it, especially the weather. I definitely can't complain it truly is perfect :).

We went tracting for the first time the other day. It was a neat experience but I must admit a bit stressful. There was a area with three houses on the hill and we went and knocked on one door and were able to talk with one woman for a while and she was really nice but then an older woman and her husband came out and were on bikes and told us we needed to leave because they were closing the gate. We walked down the drive way with them but they really didn't want to talk with us. They of course left the gate open though when they left. :) Tracting is hard because who ever we find we have to give to the elders to teach because they aren't in our area. So it's nice to do for the experience but I prefer to stay in our area.

Mom the ring is beautiful thank you so much, but... it's a half size to big. I would just deal with it but I know you paid a lot for it and I don't want to lose it. I pretty sure I'm a size 6. I was also wondering if you could send dice. We have a lesson we do with dice but they don't have any here in the store.

Thank you for all you do and I love you all. Until next week.

Elder Bednar/ first Baptism!

Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:03:42 -1000
Subject: ElderBednar
From: whitney.pinder@myldsmail.net
To: s_pinder@live.com; doug@provoland.com; whitney.anderson@myldsmail.net

It's been a good week. I really like my companion, she is really experienced and that can be intimidating. It's kind of funny though because It's like last transfer all over again. She takes Chinese tours and I just follow and nod my head pretending like I know what is going on. Just like when Sister Watanabe would give Japanese tours. I'm sure that won't be the last tour I go on with a sister that speaks another language though.

Today I was blessed to go to a devotional where Elder Bednar spoke. It was so good! He talked about how testimony is not enough we need conversion. Testimony is a knowledge we gain through the spirit. Conversion is when we apply what we know. Conversion isn't a one time thing it's a process that we need to continue. He then related that to the 10 virgins. He said the lamp is our testimony, the oil is our conversion. We cannot give our conversion to someone else. That is why the 5 virgins tell the other 5 that they have to go get their own, it's not because they are selfish it's because they literally can't it won't do either of them any good. And when the bride groom comes, he tells the women that he does not know them because they didn't take the time before hand to truly be converted. We can't wait to come unto Christ thinking that we will do it at the last moment. It doesn't work we have to earn that oil drop by drop day by day it's never going to come all at once. It was really good! He talked about how when people are converted it's not because they had good missionaries, or good teachers in church or anything to do with the members of the church, it's because they have the sincere desire to follow Christ no matter what. That's why we always need to build our knowledge-testimony- and then do what we know. No one else can convert us, it has to be our desire to love and follow Christ. So how much do you love Christ? How willing are you to follow his example? Because it is literally up to you to accept or reject god and his teachings. Pretty powerful hun?

Oh our Baptism was sooo awesome. Nick was amazing. Sister Wantanabe and I talked about baptism and it went pretty well. We shared the waters of Mormon scripture and 1 john 1:7. The spirit was really strong. The next day when we called Nick to see how he was doing he told us that that evening when he was driving home he picked up a hitch hiker. Now I was a little worried because I didn't want him to think that now that he was baptized he had to do service all day long, because he's the type who would:). But he said, "honestly I don't normally do that because it is dangerous but I really felt like I needed too, so I did. The man got in and we started talking, he said that he was on a bus headed to the hospital to see his wife who was having open heart surgery; but he was kicked off the bus." That's when Nick picked him up. He said that they talked about how the lord puts certain people in our path for a reason. Nick told him that he was just coming back from his baptism and they continued to talk till the man was dropped off at the hospital. It was a really neat story because Nick wasn't even a member of the church quite yet and he was still able to listen to that prompting. He asked me the next day if that was how it was going to be from now on, and I just smiled. haha he's a bit worried about that haha. But truly what the lord wants to happen will happen. He is going to be one of those who is truly converted and I'm grateful for that.

Well life must be busy because I haven't heard from anyone in a week I hope that's a good thing :) I love you all, have a great week.