So...It's The End?

October 27, 2014

So this is my mood as of this morning.. 

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go, I'm standing here outside the door,
I hate to wake you up to say good-bye.
But the dawn is breaking, it's early morn, the assistants are waiting, blowing the horn.
Already I miss this place so much, I could die. 
So praise the Lord  and smile for me, tell me that you'll wait for me, hold me like you'll never let me go.
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again. Oh, Bama, I hate to go.

Every place I go I'll think of you, every song I sing I'll sing for you,
when I come back, I'll bring my family 
So praise the Lord and smile for me, tell me that you'll wait for me, hold me like you'll never let me go.
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again. Oh, Bama, I hate to go.

Now the time has come to leave you, one more time let me serve you,
then close your eyes, I'll be flying home.
Dream about the days to come when I won't come back alone,
about the times I won't have to say:

So praise the Lord and smile for me, tell me that you'll wait for me, hold me like you'll never let me go.
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again. Oh, Bama, I hate to go.
I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again. Oh, Bama, I hate to go.

So i did my own little version of that song but it's so true. I am going to really miss this place. It's the whole you never know what you have until it's gone. But I have loved my time here and I am so grateful for the things I have been able to accomplish and I am even more grateful for the people that I have been able to meet. They have changed my life in so many ways and I will be forever grateful for them. I know I was called here to meet certain people so we could help each other come closer to the Savior and to our Heavenly Father. I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father sending me here.  He knew exactly what He was doing. Without this place I would have never learned what the Atonement really means to me and who my Savior and Heavenly Father are. I now know that Heavenly Father really does have a plan for each and everyone of us. He knows the path that we are going to need to walk to make it back to Him. I guess mine had to do with Alabama and Tennessee :) I don't think I can put into words how grateful I am for the opportunity that I have been given and for the love that I have felt from this place. 

Anyways I love y'all so much and I am so excited to see y'all! 

Love, Sister Denning

Callie will be returning home from Birmingham this Thursday, October 30 at 1:04 p.m.  We'll all be standing at the bottom of the escalators at the Delta side of the baggage area waiting impatiently.  You're welcome to join with us while we do a little hugging and crying all in one.  We're also having an open house on Saturday evening from 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. We would love to have you drop by as well to say hi!

   

I Hear A Voice

October 20, 2014

Hey y"all! 

This week has been pretty great! We had an amazing district meeting and Elder Clayton shared a story with us about how he was having a hard time and how he felt like no one was able to know how he felt.  Then he talked about how the Spirit told him that there was someone who knew what he was going through and that he wasn't alone.  While he was telling this story it made me think about those times that I've felt alone and like no one cared or even knew what it felt like to be me and to feel what I was going through. But it's at those times that we need to remember that someone has already walked the path that we are on. Sometimes we just have to keep walking and remember that the end is going to come and that there is joy for those who endure the trials and the hardships that are placed into our lives. 

We also had some investigators come to church this week and that was a little interesting. We had a High council man come and let's just say he wanted to do the whole meat before milk thing and our investigators ran out of there faster than kids on a fast Sunday. Hopefully we will be able to see them this week and we will be able to talk about what was talked about during sacrament meeting. Well gotta keep it short.

I love y'all! 

October 13, 2014

Hey y'all! This week has been pretty groovy! 

I had interviews with president and that was pretty good! We had a little part of my exit interview and talked about when we first met and how we have become the best of buds! 

We got to watch Meet the Mormons when we were waiting for interviews, since we aren't allowed to go to the theater and see it Salt Lake sent us a copy and I loved it! I thought it was so cool how everyone's story is so different but they are based on the same things. While I was watching the missionary mom one I was thinking about when I got my call and when I left and how I was so freaked out about the whole situation haha! I also loved the bishop mostly because he's from the south and the south has a nice part of my heart! I really loved all of them but those were my favorite! 

We've been reading a lot of the book of Mormon lately and I just love that book period. 

I hope y'all have a great week!! 

Love, Sister Denning 

October 6, 2014
Hey y'all! so this week has been great but i don't have a whole lot of time this week so I'm  going to make it short and sweet! Also don't be shocked if each week they start getting smaller. My companion doesn't really email so i feel bad making her wait forever. :) but I figure I can share all the stories with you when I get home! 

So conference this weekend was amazing and I loved how the whole thing talked about agency and how we get to CHOOSE what happens in this life to us, We have a promise that If we follow the Savior things are going to work out. We might not get to choose what happens to us but we know in the end it's going to be the best possible outcome. LOVE that! 

I also loved how they talked so much about knowing that this is Christ's true church and that nothing can take that away from us UNLESS we let it. 

I also loved how they talked so much about families and how keeping our covenants will help us when things start to get really hard and how only by keeping our covenants is going to remain strong families. 

What were the things that stuck out to y'all? Also Kayla our investigator came to conference but she ended up having to leave early but she said she would watch it on her computer so hopefully she was able to do that. :) 

Also this week I busted up my knee.. I fell out of a car and landed right on my knee on the road but it's ok no worries there!  Just a little banged up. :)

Love y'all so much! 

Love sister Denning 

They Ate Right Out of My Hands!

September 29, 2014

Hey Y'all!

How you doin?

 

So this week had been a really great one! I swear the weeks have just been going faster and faster!

So today we had a zone activity and it was awesome!  We went to this river and did a little devo thing and it totally made me think about when Christ taught on the earth. Just like today I am sure there were bugs and it was hot but it didn't matter tp the people and it didn't matter to us. I am amazed how people came from all over to hear Christ speak and how it was a lot harder for them. Sometimes we complain that we don't have enough miles or it's going to be hot or add in whatever else but when you think about the eariler days none of that mattered to them. They came and that is what mattered.

 

As most of you know there was a womens conference on saturday and that was amazing! I loved all the talks, how people aren't happy when they listen to those things i'll never be able to understand. But i just loved how they talked about how we are enough and where to give the credit.

 

So i don't have a whole lot of time but a few fun things we did this week. I made homemade Popcorn the kinda that Uncle stu makes and not going to lie it was a little bit of a hot mess but I have it down to an art now. Also while contacting at a lake i got to feed ducks and THEY ATE RIGHT OUT OF MY HAND!!! It made me really happy!

 

I love y'all and hope you have a great week and a great general conference weekend!

 

September 22, 2014

" Now I know how Noah and Nephi felt when they were asked to build a boat.." What Sister Hathenbruck said after we talked about the area and about the people that are ready to be baptized! 

Hey y'all! So as many of you are wondering where in the world is our favorite missionary Sister Denning- I am in Scottsboro which is back up by Huntsville so I am about an hour away from Fayetteville and that makes me really happy since I might be able to go see the people I used to work with there! I am with Sister Hathenbruck and she's a beast! She's amazing and I love her. She actually came out with me so I don't really know what it means for this area after this transfer whether they will be keeping sisters in the area or if they are going to be taking sister out. Who knows. So a little background about her she's from New Mexico and she is one of 9, she is the third oldest and she has siblings from different parts of the world- so that is pretty cool if you ask me. 

Scottsboro is totally awesome as soon as I drove in I fell in love and I knew this is where I needed to be so that is a blessing. I've only been here for a few days but I have already have had so many Emmaus experiences and awesome. Here is one for y'all so we are teaching a women named Kayla and we asked here to come to church but she didn't end up coming BUT we had a fireside last night and we stopped by her house before the fireside and SHE CAME! Not going to lie I didn't think she was coming but while she was there I just got a feeling that I needed to watch her daughter Akai and make sure she's distracted so Kayla could pay attention so i did that and the branch President looked at me totally weird that I was playing with this little 4 year old and he was shocked that i was able to distract her for the hour and a half. It pays off having nieces and nephews you know how to work with your investigators kids! :) But everything that the speaker talked about was exactly what kayla needed to hear and tonight we are going over to give her a baptism date! So amazing. 

Also Sister H and I decided we are going to be reading the Book Of Mormon before the transfer is over and i never really realized how many answers there are to unspoken prayers. 

I hope y'all have a great week! 

Love y'all 

Love Sister Denning :)

September 15, 2014

Hey y'all! 

This week has been a really good one. Not going to lie I don't remember most of it haha but I remember Elder Zwick and that was awesome! I loved how he talked about how we are the finest missionaries that the world has ever seen! That is some major motivation if you ask me! I also loved everything that Sister Zwick said about prayers. I think we sometimes forget how important prayer truly is. I think we just get in the motions and say the same things but I've noticed lately that while I pray for different things and approach prayer a different way things become so much clearer. And since we aren't saying the same things all day everyday we get answers that we didn't get before or we see things in a different way! LOOOVE IT! 

Also  I am leaving Prattville and going someplace new I guess.  We will see what the Lord has in store for me! 

It's so crazy to think that it's my last 6 weeks. I keep wondering where the time has gone and if i've done everything that i could have. But since i only have a certain amount of time left it just means i need to go that much harder and testify that much more! 

So the kids that i talked about in my last email are doing pretty good- we lost one of them but gained another and we are now teaching the mom of one of the girls so we might be able to get a family. Well they might since I am heading out haha 

Sorry this one is short since I don't remember a lot I can't really tell y'all a lot haha 

Love y'all 

Love sister Denning

September 8, 2014

" Sister Denning I wish I could kiss you" (What a little four year old said to me after church yesterday I just thought it was so funny that I had to share! )

This week has been great! It was such a blessing to be able to go to the temple with April ( pictures on the bottom of the email.) So I'll tel l y'all about that a little more. So on Tuesday after email I went to hoover and  I was able to see some of my favorite people! It was so fun to see people who I worked with at the beginning of my mission and see how they are doing a year later.. Totally crazy to think it's been a year! Then Wednesday we went to the temple and that place is a place of peace and a place of Joy. I can't tell you how much I just love being able to be in the temple and feel of the Savior's love there! So great! But April was so happy and she kept saying how she feels such peace and safety while she was there, She's gone back a few times last week and she'll be going back later this week! 

We weren't in our area a whole lot this week between going to the temple and going back to Birmingham later that week for a baptism that Sister Neufville wanted to go to. And that was crazy I'll tell you more about that later in this email 

 But while we were in our area we were able to see the teenagers that we started to teach a little bit ago. They are the coolest kids while we were talking about the Book Of Mormon one of them started talking about the 3 Nephites crazy right? And he said he knew that after Christ visited people in Jerusalem He came to the Americas and taught people there. This kid has never met with missionaries before he didn't even know about the church until we started talking to him. But this week we were able to talk about the restoration and he knew about Joseph smith.. He knew that an Angel led him to the golden plates and what age he was when he first got told about the Golden plates it was totally crazy and we hadn't talked about Joseph smith at all with him but he knew a lot about him. And the even crazier part he doesn't really go to church so it's not like he's been anti-ed and knows all about it that way he just knows it some how. The gospel is awesome. 

So back to the baptism that was such a s great experience. It was kinda weird being back in the building because that building was the first place I was able to see someone be baptized on my mission but the Spirit was so strong and was so great! But while we were going home we ran into some struggles. So a member was driving us home and their car wouldn't cut on so we jumped it and it still wouldn't really work so we ended up having to sleep over With the sisters in the ward.  We went to their sacrament meeting since the member had to be there so we ended up being late to our meeting but at least we were able to take the Sacrament so that's good!

Well that was my week! I hope y'all had a great week!

Love y'all 

Love Sister Denning 

September 2, 2014
Hello family! 

So this week has been pretty great! Funny story and then I will tell the good stuff so #1. I got to cut Tiwi out of our car! Which means the little black box that yells at us while we speed just a little bit. But this week I got to cut it out of our car- oh did it make me so happy that is the pic that is attached! And then the other story while doing the dishes the other night I was minding my own business and our water spitter outter thingy the actual word is not in my mind right now. But it blew off and got me sopping wet from head to toe.. Thanks sink. 

So this week has been great we had Zone conference and that was totally awesome we talked about a lot of different things. But the thing that I thought was the coolest was President got up and said that he had some bad news somethings that were going to be very hard for us as missionaries he goes on to tell us that one of the Apostles has denied the truth and has gone public with it. While he was telling us this I was thinking 1. I'm going to fip this table and 2. It doesn't matter. I know the truth and I wont deny that. Then he said it was Peter. SO he pulled a fast one on us but it made us realize where our testimonies were and what they relied upon. Super cool! 

I don't have a whole lot of time today to write because we are heading to B-ham today April is going through the temple tomorrow and I am going through with her I am super excited!! 

But I love y'all and hope y'all have a blessed week! 

Love Sister Denning

 

Fan or Follower?

August 25, 2014
So this week has been really great! We tracted/ contacted into this apartment and it had no lie like 8 kids in it.   We taught them and it was really cool! At first they didn't really want to pay attention, but then we did the blessing tool and they all chilled out.   They all started to listen and pay attention and they wanted us to come back so we are going back on Friday after school-  they are pretty legit!  Funny story of how we found them actually... so we were on an exchange, I was with sister G and we went to wolly world aka walmart and there was a worker who flagged us down and turns out she talked to the Elders but then lost their card and asked if we could come over. So we went over and while we were standing outside we got a text from Nicci and she said that she thought we were Jehovah Witnesses and that's why she wanted us to talk to her. So someone actually wanted a JW at their house... I've never come across that one before but while we were there there was a group of kids and that's how we met all those kids and the mom of some of those kids. 

Also we were talking with this elders the other day and they ran into this guy and he asked if they were followers of Jesus Christ or if we are just fans. So then that made me think about if I was an actual follower of Christ or is if I was just a fan. A fan to me is someone who loves to watch from the side line and cheers them on, but a Follower is someone who will follow them into the battle field and will work with them to win the fight. So everyday  I am trying to be a better follower and I am trying to be a more of a disciple. Wanna join me? 

Sister N and I had to speak in church on Sunday and I spoke about the Restoration while Sis. N spoke about the Plan of Salvation. People said we did really well. We also taught Primary about being obedient and we gave them obedient bucks when they were good. It helped them out so that was nice. I just love being around little kids. I feel like I am better at teaching them because it's easier for me to get on their level since i've been around kids for so long. I just love how their little minds work and how the Spirit is so powerful in them! Love them!

I love y'all and I hope y'all have a blessed week! 

Love sister Denning 

August 18, 2014

Hey y'all! 

Do you know what one of the COOLEST things that happen on your mission? (Other than having the best mission president ever) So like a month or so go I got a thought that I should write Denise a story about her conversion story I told her that when I was back home I would make up stories for my nieces and nephews and she wanted one so I told her the story of how she met the church. And I didn't know why I thought I should write that one but I did. So for the rest of this story you need a little background. So Denise has a friend named Rebakah and she's SUPER against the church. She even came down the Fayetteville a couple of weeks ago to try to help Denise " See the light" but Denise is super converted and it's awesome so she emailed me the other day and she told me about the story about meeting up with her friend and I thought I would share it with you. And I asked Densie if i could share this and she said yes :) SO HERE WE GO 

"On Monday Rebekah made the long trek to Fayetteville to talk with me face to face. Her thought was that with both of you now gone from this area she could talk some sense into me. Our conversation was not going well and we were both getting frustrated. We were sitting at my desk here at Toyota and suddenly I heard a small voice say show her the letter Squish sent you in June. That letter was a wonderful once upon a time story, illustrated, about my original meeting with Elder Clay, meeting you two and my journey to Baptism. I took it out of my book I inherited from you Squish and opened it up and handed it to her and all I said was read this please.    I sat quietly and watched her face as she read it. The serious look on her face gradually changed until it was completely replaced by a huge smile. She sat still for a few moments when she finished. Then she looked up and said, "You care a great deal for these young people, don't you."  I laughed, reminding her she is only 25 and said yes, I do love them very much. They did what no one has never been able to do. They made me WANT a relationship with our Heavenly Father and made me want to be Baptized and they taught me so many things that made me CHANGE inside and WANT to hold tight to the rod and live a life that allows the light to shine through me.

We are not in agreement at this point on the Church I have joined, but that beautiful once upon a time story did what all the words I have spoken to her the last few months could not. It opened her heart and mind to see the joy I now have in my life thanks to the work of two young missionaries. So once again I say thank you for all you have done for me in the short time I have known you"

So it's so wonderful to me to know that I am a tool in the Lord's hands and ALL i have to do is be willing to be the Lord's hands! I love my mission and I love everything that I have learned so far.

In other news I'm not in the trio anymore. A sister who went home for some family things came back on Friday. We got a call on Thursday morning saying that Sister Haslam is leaving prattville and is going to Cahaba Heights. So we were running around pretty much all day getting things ready because the sister would be coming back on Friday and we needed to get to Birmingham to switch companions and everything. But I am still with Sister Neufville and we are going to rock this place and we are so excited to see what the Lord has in store for us!!  Love Y'all!

STEADFAST IN CHRIST FOR ETERNITY!!!

Love, Sister Denning 

August 11, 2014
Hello family! So like I said on Wednesday I am in Prattville and it's a party and I am in a trio which is a party by it's self. So my companions are Sister Haslam she's from Kaysville Ut and she's been out for about 3 months.   She's really nice she likes to run and to play sports and eat. The other one is sister Neufville (newville the f is silent) She's from Boston Mass, And she likes to dance and to play volleyball and to cook. 

We are having a lot of fun in P-ville! We went tracting yesterday and pretty much it's like the mormon mafia but what you gonna do? I was able to meet most of the active members in the ward yesterday and it's super fun! We also met with one of the high counselors and talked about missionary work and they got us all fired up. He's a convert and his conversion story is super cool! So he's in the military and right before he left to do a tour he got a Book of Mormon from his friend and while he was on the tour a guy asked what he was reading and the other guy his name is Chris i believe asked what he was reading and then Brother Watson said it was the Book Of Mormon and Chris is a member and asked if B.W wanted to talk about it so he came to know it was true.  Where he was they couldn't have any christian baptisms so at like 3 am they ran to the sea got him baptized and then ran back to the base. CRAZY RIGHT!?!?! 

But other than that I have been studying a lot about light lately. So while doing that I thought about how Christ is the Light and the life of the world and while I was thinking about that I thought about John 3:16-17 and it made me think about how Christ has to love the world as well to come down here and to suffer everything that this life brings us. So that was a cool little thing!  Also how Christ covenanted to be the Savior of the world and that His example shows us how we can better keep the covenants that we had made or that we will make. So stay in the Lord's light and follow his example! 

Love y'all have a great week! 

Love, Sister Denning 

Pictures: The new companions and I 

August 7, 2014
Hey y'all! I am now in Prattville and it's super awesome!! So... fun stories of coming to Prattville is #1. We drove  hours in the wrong direction so we had to turn around and drive for about 2-3 hours to get back into our area. We left the church at like 4 and didn't get to our area till about 8 that night- super fun! #2. I am in  a trio this transfer I am with Sister Haslam and Sister Neufsville ( the f is silent)

So my new address is: 100 McQueen Smith Rd S. Apt. P8 Prattville AL 36066

But I love y'all and I hope you're having a great day!!! :) 

August 4, 2014

Hey y'all! This week has been a pretty great one! I'm just sitting on the corner of awesome and bomb diggity.  So I got news that I am fixin to head out of Anniston and going somewhere else. I'm super excited for the new adventure that I will be starting! I have loved this ward and I feel so very blessed to call it mine! 

This week my companion has been sick so I've been reading from the Book of Alma and that is such a blessing- I love that book a lot. It just shows me that Heavenly Father truly knows our true potential and knows who we truly are. Last night while laying in my bed thinking about life The song "Better Promises" By hilary weeks.. well i think it's called that... it's what I call it and it talks about how at first she thought the Lord was giving her stones but when she really realized what was happening she was given bread and at the first of my mission that is really what I thought was happening that I did something wrong so I had to serve a mission but now I realize it's not like that at all. Heavenly Father knew I was going to become the person that He needed me to be and the only way that was going to happen was for me to come on a mission. So i am very grateful for my mission and everything that I have learned while i've been out here.   I've never been able to study before and I'm so GRATEFUL for that! 

I'm so very grateful for the Savior and to know that since He walked such a long and lonely path I never have to. I am so grateful to know He's going to be with me every step of the way and that I never need to doubt or fear what is going to happen because I have a Heavenly Father that loves me too much to let anything that won't help me in the eternities. I know that the Book of Mormon is a true book written by true prophets. I know Joseph Smith was called by God to restore His true church and to bring the Priesthood power back to us. I am so very grateful for the blessings of the temple and for knowing that families can be together forever! 

Pictures We had a taco eating contest in honor of me leaving- i ate 7 of them :) The family is the Wood family - my favorite family in the ward :) 

I love y'all SO much!!

Love, Sister Denning :)

Sacrifice or Willingness

July 28, 2014

Hey Y'all!

This week has been pretty good I was able to go on an exchange with sister Sheffer and that was really nice. We met some really nice people! While I was there I went to meet their progressing investigator and we challenged her to throw away all of her cigarettes and her coffee and her tea and president she did. IN LIKE 30 SECONDS!!!! It. was. AWESOME!
While I was in Leeds the other sisters found a lady named Sheronica and she's very nice and wants to be baptized again because she knows that will bring her closer to the Lord but her mom is a preacher and her grandparents are JW's but that doesn't mean anything if she doesn't let it mean anything. She knows that the message is true but she is one of those people that don't want to do anything about it. So i think it's time to bring out the big guns of boldness. So we are going to try and help her see that she shouldn't let her family, herself or Satan stop her from doing something the Lord has prepared for her!!

So the last couple of weeks some of the elders in my Zone have been calling us with an Elmo voice and one night while they were with our elders they bought an elmo and put it in our mailbox hence why there is a picture of my eyes with his eyes.   Then the other day while we were contacting in the mall there was a Life sized elmo there so we had to take a picture with him.

So while I was studying the other day i was reading in alma and it talks about how Alma the younger baptizes thousands of people and it made me think about how Abinadi didn't know that Alma was believing what he was telling evil king Noah but because one person was prepared and wasn't afraid to go forward with faith it blessed so many other people's lives. So I have been thinking about my mission and the things that are going on and I love planting seeds, I never know where those people might go but because I had faith and i talked to them at some point they are going to be able to accept the gospel more easily. I used to laugh when I would read in PMG how they say no effort is wasted but really it's never wasted because someone who you might be talking to feels the Spirit and wants to know more about the gospel. So remember everything you do has a purpose!! 

Love y'all have a great week!!!
Love, Sister Denning 

July 21, 2014

Hey y'all! So this week was a little bit slower. Sister wells was sick so we were inside or a lot of the week but it's ok I got some good study time and while we were able to be out I saw the tender little mercies of the Lord.

Like this one:
While we were out this week we met a lady names Betty. We were in the projects tracting and we came across this house and this lady (betty) met us as the door.  We said a prayer with her and while we were talking, I felt like she needed to know about the Plan of Salvation but she was busy at that moment so we gave her a pamphlet and are going to be going back this week. While I was telling her what the pamphlet talked about she started to cry and said I know the Lord has sent you girls to me. My mother and my sister passed away a few years ago and I'm worried about where they are. While we were talking to her I could feel the Saviors love for her and that her family was happy where they were and that they wanted her to know more. I felt very blessed to feel a little part of that while talking to her.

On Wednesday we had bible study and we talked about Lehi's dream and that was great! We talked about how it doesn't matter when you find the Iron Rod but the important thing to make sure you are doing is holding fast onto the rod once you find it. We also joked with Bill ( the bible study teacher) that on Wednesday we should wear pink. We found out that on Wednesday all the missionaries would have something pink on so we told Bill and he wore pink with us! We had to take a selfie! 

Yesterday during Sunday school we talked about sacrifice and Sister Wood ( My favorite ward member) and I started talking about how nothing is really a sacrifice because you still have the agency to chose whether or not you want to do it. While we were listening in class the teacher asked us what we had to sacrifice to come on a mission and it dawned on me that sacrifice is another word for willingness. Because I was WILLING to leave my life to help others find the life they are looking for. I was WILLING to leave my family for a little while so others could be with their families for eternity. I was WILLING to leave school so I could teach others about the Savior and how peace He can bring you. So  now I don't think anything we do is actually a sacrifice because we are giving something up to have  something better. When we are doing what the Lord asks us He's not going to make it seem like such a big thing in the end. So I would invite y'all that before you think it's going to be such a sarifce! Love y'all have a great week!

Love sister denning 

July 14, 2014

Good morning President!
So this week has been an adventure!

So Sister Wells and I went tracting and we ran into this women, She's not all there but she great. Her name is Deborah
So we were in the Projects and we knocked on her door and at first she didn't say anything when she opened the door so we didn't know she was there. Then she asked what we wanted so we asked if we could pray with her and at first she kept saying she's all prayed up and she's saved and doesn't need anymore- I'm thinking : Oh so you don't want to you Father in Heaven? Fine be that way. - She goes on to say how she's like Job she has boils in her mouth and she's going through the trails of affliction of her life and that is why she's eating a Popsicle... I eat them because i think they are yummy but go ahead girl do what you gotta do. So then she lets us in and says we can pray with her so while we are praying he does the while AMEN, THANK YOU JESUS, YES JESUS. All that good stuff and then at the end she says a prayer and she is crying at the end so i give her a hug and she doesn't let me go for about 5 minutes I totally thought she was going to kidnap me.. Well missionary nap me I guess. Anyways she lets go and hugs Sister wells for like 30 seconds and then hugs me again and once again doesn't let me go. Then she goes on to tell us that she is a lamb in a crate and Jesus is holding the crate. So you know southerns are awesome.

We're working with a part member family and this guy has been through so many missionaries and he told us the other night that he's going to be baptized but he doesn't want to do it until he gets a better foundation so if someone says something he doesn't ran away from the church but can defend it. So that makes me happy. Because not going to lie I am a little tired of people that are just getting baptized with out realizing what it actually means and when something happens they blame it on the church so it's refreshing for someone to want to defend the church!

Also I got sick this week whoop...NOT I got put on antibiotics and those are helping I'm not 100% yet but i am  still doing what I can to help those around me!



Have a blessed week!

STEADFAST IN CHRIST

Love, sister Denning 

(So as you can tell i got confused to who i was emailing i was going back and forth... something i shouldn't do.. )

July 7, 2014

Don't scare my llamas!-What Ammon ( a youth in our ward) said when we asked him how his sheep were. instead of protecting Sheep he protects Llamas

Hey y'all! This week we had a funeral for someone in our ward. The family wasn't too sad just because of the blessing and the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. The family sang "I am a Child Of God" And Families can be together forever. It was such a sweet little sight the family knew that they were going to be able to see her again and they weren't worried about where she was.

Since yesterday was fast and testimony meeting the husband of the women talked about above talked about how he didn't see the point in a grief counselor. He has to meet with her and she kept saying you'll see her again and this man is a little sassy which is why we get along and he told the counselor "Look I know you are doing your job and trying to make me feel better and what not but I know I am going to be able to see her again because I am sealed to her for time and all eternity. She did her part now I need to make sure I do my best so we can be together forever. I know where she is and what she is doing." After that the counselor didn't see the need in meeting with him again. Haha

Since it was the 4th of july we got to see some fireworks while we were in the projects and it was really fun a bunch of little kids talked to us and wanted to have us come over so we will try to see them next time we go back and a lady wants us to help her stop smoking. That's going to be fun! 

I hope y'all have a great week 

love you!

Can You Feel So Now?

June 30, 2014

Hey Y'all! So this week has been a pretty good one. We had transfers and i got my new companion Sister Wells- she's super nice!

This week a member of our ward passed away on Friday and  we have been trying to help the ward with whatever we can :)  So this week has been crazy! Well mostly Saturday! So the Elders had to do an emergency exchange but they ran out of miles and since we didn't drive to transfers ( a member drove us) and the elders took our miles. We said we could since we knew why they had to do the exchange. So on Saturday we- well the Elders had a baptism and I was helping the elders out since one of the Elders it was their first and the other one just came into the area a few days before. So we had to bike to the church which is 15-20 miles away and we had to ride on the highway- fun fact the highway is hills the whole time so we pulled into the elders apartment complex because sister wells shoe broke so we were going to sow it and the elders asked why we were so out of breath while that was happening they decided that they would tell us there was a bike trail that was flat and would have gotten us there.. SO they said we could drive their car the 2 miles to the church. So we start to fill up the font and while I am putting the plug in 3 really big spiders jump out and try to bite me so i stomp on them and continue to finish getting things ready. But the computer was broken so we had to run to a member house to make the program so it was a fun day haha 

Today I was studying about a change of heart and I made up 6 steps to have a change of heart (Alma 5)

1. Pray- Pray for the strength that you will be able to have that change of heart that you are looking for.

2. Let yourself be changed- Don't be the one thing standing in your way of changing. Is there something that the Lord is trying to have you let go of but you keep hanging on? Let it go. You will be happier and better tin the end.

3. Pray again- Pray that you will be able to resist the temptations of going back to old ways.

4. Let the Atonement find place in your heart.- Let the Atonement CLEAN and ENABLE you to become your best self. Let it make you become a saint (Mosiah 3:19)

5. Remember you aren't alone- You aren't alone in this journey the Savior is walking every step of the way with you. He had promised that he wont leave you comfortless (John 14:18)

6. Repeat steps 1-5 that way you can always say I feel so now (Alma 5:26)

I love y'all and hope you have a great week!

June 16, 2014
"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace." - C.S. Lewis 

We got this quote from our zone meeting and I thought it was so great and I wanted to share it with y'all! 

Hello family! So this week has been a party! I don't really remember much that happened! But something funny that did happen we were contacting at the mall and this women came up to us and said " I've never have seen Mormon girls" She then asked us to take a picture with her and we were about to ask her if we could come over and teach her but soon as the picture was done she ran away.. Also I am getting transfer calls on Saturday heads up there friends. Sorry this email is going to be short and sweet but I am running out of time today... 

I love y'all and hope you have a great week! 

June 9, 2014

That is what a preacher said to us while contacting,
GOOOOOOD morning!

So this week has flown by and I don't know where it went.. But lets talk about the highlights

* I was able to go to the temple with Denise for baptisms for her Mom and grandma :)There was such a Spirit there, her mom and her grandma were both there. It really shocked me to know that baptisms for the dead are real. I knew they were before my mission I worked in the baptistry in the for crying out loud but there was something that happened in the temple that day that made me realize how many people are waiting for the truth. It made me think of why it's so important to share the gospel now so people don't have to be waiting around after they pass from this life.

* Jesse got the Aaronic Priesthood! I haven't had a guy convert before and it was so cool to be there when he received that power. Loved it.

* While contacting at the mall the other day we walked up to a preacher and started talking to him. We didn't know he was a preacher until we talked to him for a while but something kinda hit me at that moment. He got his authority from man and we have our authority from God. So when people ask us were we get our authority it comes from the only place that authority actually matters. It doesn't matter how much we know, As long as we are doing our part the Lord is going to help us he didn't send us out here to fail. And he makes weak things become strong and I love that.

Also I went to Georgia! We were by the stateline so we went and took pictures 

 

AND we got stuck in a rain storm :) 

Also... Thanks for all the birthday packages i loved them!! 

I hope y'all have a great week! Love you!! 

A Very Unhappy Birthday To Me!

June 2, 2014

Hello family! So this week has been GRRRREAT! Only not really it was a beast of a week but the Lord gave me strength to make it through! 

Monday- we played soccer for hours with the elders and we had dinner with a family (the Stewart/ Parkhurst clan) we ate hot dogs and talked about life. One of their daughters knows some of the people i know from BYU-I aka a lot of Utah #goutes 

Tuesday- We had a tie dye party for the RS and it was really fun :) I always love when I get to do something with my hands :) Sister Houston and I tried to make ours say bama with tape but who knew that tape didn't keep dye out of the fabric?? Not I that is for sure. 

Wednesday- JESSE GOT BAPTIZED!! And we ate ribs it was a great day :) 

Thursday-it rained a lot which made it SUPER humid but I had fun jumping into the puddles :) I also had  very good time singing " I'm singing in the rain just singing in the rain" My companion thinks I am crazy.. I am shocked it took her this long to figure that one out.. Also we had bible study and y'all it became a bible bash and no it wasn't the investigators ( we didn't have any this week) But it was the members a guy who was baptized 6 months ago went off about how it's heaven or hell nothing else. So needless to say we need to talk about the Plan of salvation with him.. 

Friday- We moved a bunch of bricks and i almost caught a salamander- he was black with gold spots he was cute. Then we had district meeting and that was great some sister missionaries made cookies. I am glad some sister missionaries make cookies because we don't haha. After that we had taco bell yes I still love that place. And while we were there we talked to so many people- so that's awesome. We also went to the mall and we had 15 Unplanned invites whoop whoop! it was totally weird going to the mall. Fun fact we went to bath and body works and while there I started straightening things and making the shelf look good It's like I started working again my companion made fun of me. haha Old habits die hard i suppose.

Saturday- Rained and someone drove into a puddle,.. I attached a picture.

we also helped people around their house and I got to play with fire :) I also caught a lizard and a salamander so it was a good day until the member fed the Lizard to their cat.. awkward minute.. 

Sunday- Jesse got confirmed and we tried to see some less actives.. didn't work out super well but we had fun :)

I love you and I hope you have a great week! Also thanks for all the birthday wishes :) 

Love, Sister Denning