Plant Crossing?!

March 24, 2014
Dear Family,
It sounds like the weather isn't being so good to you, we have so much sunshine and I am thrilled. According to the English, I have made it through the winter! Now we're on to spring, and people are mowing the grass today and the sky is as blue as blue could be.

Plant Crossing?!

     This week has been wonderful. I'm feeling top notch as far as my health is concerned, and as far as everything else too. I've had some great study sessions the past couple of days. In our Zone Training Meeting we were instructed to go back to the basics and remember the things we were taught in the MTC. So, I pulled out the MTC workbook and started looking through it. It seems like it was ages ago, because it was, but I really just can't comprehend time anymore.
     Looking at the fundamentals of missionary work, and becoming "fresh" again was neat. I was able to remember all of the excitement and feelings that I had when I opened my call, and when I was a new missionary. It is so important to remember the purpose that we have as missionaries and the simple things that we help people with, like having revelation through the Holy Ghost.
     Sister Nigido and I have become closer than ever lately as well. We are always having so much fun but also we are able to teach with great power and she's the greatest example to me. It has also been great this past week to have language study (we have been this whole time, but lately it has been more effective). I read to her from her Italian Book of Mormon, and she tells me what I read in English, the one semester of Spanish when I was in Uni has proven to be useful. I was able to do that with Sister Pacis in the MTC as well. It's pretty fun too because I am learning bits and it makes me want to really study languages. Remind me to sing to you in German when we Skype next. :)
     Also, I love being in a four sister flat. Sister Monroe is one of my best friends and I'm grateful for these past four months with her. We're like sisters, we even have free reign of each other's wardrobes. It's pretty nice. She is also one of the missionaries I look up to the most. She is hilarious too, and we get along splendidly.
     I don't want to get into week 5 of this transfer! Ahhh! I know change is coming next week and I love these sisters too much. You are right Dad, there are going to be trips to Italy, Germany, Idaho, Australia, Sweden, China, and Utah in my future. (Granted that I'm a kajillionaire)
     This week we've seen so much growth with Ashleigh as well. She is fantastic and I can see a great difference in her since we first met her, and since she's been baptized. She is so confident, and she seems like she's been a member for more than just a month or two. And Tal is amazing. We are teaching  her about the prophets from the Bible because she was never taught them, and it has been wonderful. I've learned so much about Jonah, Joseph, Daniel and Moses.
    And, General Conference is coming up! It is probably the most exciting thing for a missionary. I love conference. Forget about the cinema, give me a notepad and some incredible talks from general authorities and auxiliaries and I'm happy as a clam.
   Good job Joshy on giving your first talk! I loved to read it and I'm so proud of you.
I love you all!
Sister Lybbett (it's how people always spell it...because
that is how they say it...haha)

Tal, Sister Fury and me

Sisters Neilson, Allen and me

with Sisters Nigido, Peck and Monroe

Happy Day! (2 weeks)

                                                                                                                      March 10, 2014
Dear Family,
Happy Day! It is so sunny and bright and warm out right now, I didn't wear a coat to get here! :D
     I'm pretty sure I've had more sicknesses in the past two months than ever before in my life. First it was the nasty cold, then the brutal throat infection and then on Thursday I got struck down again by a horrible cough that put me out for days...I'm still recovering...ahem.
     I'm glad you are all still crazy. It is a real talent you know, to write your name with your "bottom" in the air. I'm glad Tal is letting all of my secrets out to the world. ;). She's so funny. I love her to death and back.
     We had some fabulous miracles this week. We went to the Church of England Minister's house again and it was gr-r-reat. He and his wife showed us the things that he uses when they have communion, like his chalice and wafers and things, and then they had so many questions for us. It was another really positive experience with them. they told us about their Easter Services and it was really interesting. You know, I don't think we do enough for Easter. even in Italy in our church, Sister Nigido said that on Palm Sunday they have traditions with the palms and they have a service for that. I really think we need to commemorate all of those things more. We do for Christmas, why not Easter? Anyway, just a thought.
     We id some finding this week and found a really sweet girl that we're meeting again tomorrow. Her name is Carley. She is the daughter of a potential we found a couple of months ago and when we went by, she opened the door and had a lovely lesson with us. I'm really praying that we can see her tomorrow.
     I cannot believe we're halfway through March...ahhh. This weekend is Stake Conference again and I was here in South Shields the last time they had it! Weird! I've been living here almost as long as I lived in Edmonton...and I'm really excited because Elder D. Todd Christofferson is coming. Dad, you are so lucky you get to see Elder Holland. It is all so exciting!
     I know the gospel is the only true way to find happiness. I love you all and pray for your protection and happiness.
Love,
Sister Lybbert :)


                                                                                                                               March 17, 2014
Dear Family,
It is incredible that you were able to see Elder Holland! We had a fantastic Stake Conference here with Elder Christofferson. I shook his hand and we got a zone picture with him. Tal got a selfie with him too, she was so happy about that, haha.
     This week has been alright, I'm going to the doctor tomorrow because of this illness, things got worse Saturday when I started running a temperature. I'm feeling pretty weak, so hopefully tomorrow things get sorted.
     In Stake Conference, Elder Christofferson mentioned that one of the biggest worries that the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve have right now is the problem of distraction. I've seen it as well and I've probably bored you to death on the topic but I am so against having technology in church. So many people think that if you have your scriptures on your iPod/iPad/ device, it makes it alright, but to a child, all that goes through their mind is the fact that there are adults on their iPods in Sacrament meeting. Therefore, they think it is okay for them to be. Also, we all know that if there is an incoming message, it doesn't matter how 'focused' you were on the lesson, because the new message has to be replied to that instant. Distraction. argh. At the Stake Conference, there was an apostle of the Lord speaking at the pulpit, and the teenagers sitting next to us had their iPhones out the entire time and were texting, sending photos, giggling, etc. and I was going to go crazy. I have learned that there is a special spirit in holding the weight of our holy scriptures and opening the pages to see where we have felt revelation come, and to read the notes we have left in the margins. I have a testimony of this.

Our zone with Elder Christofferson

     Well, now that rant is over, we had an absolutely incredible miracle this week. I don't know if I told you about it but about a month ago we lost contact with one of our most solid investigators and Sister Nigido and I were both devastated. We had been praying that something would happen to let us get back in contact with her, and so much time had gone by that I was losing hope. Then, our ZL suggested that we drop a DVD by as a gift and leave a card just to let her know we've been thinking about her. So, we did, and we even knocked on the door. She was in, but she didn't answer. I took it as a definite drop and was ready to move on. Then, Saturday night, she texted us. She told us she was going through a hard time and was so grateful for the gift. And, we have an appointment with her tomorrow! I know it was a miracle and I am extremely grateful for it. I feel so blessed.
     What else? I also really loved Sister Christofferson's talk in Stake Conference about the importance of studying the Book of Mormon as a family. I feel blessed to have grown up in an environment where scripture study was a priority. And being here has really solidified that desire to make that sacred family time a priority.
     I've also been studying Sacrifice in my personal study and it has been so good. It has opened up so many new ideas for me about why sacrifice is always required of us. As we see in Matthew chapter 19, the rich young ruler had been following the commandments, and he had sacrificed. However, he hadn't learned what sacrifice was because he hadn't given up what was most precious to him. There is a significance in sacrificing what we love the most, because it helps us understand the Atonement. In Romans 8:17 it says that in order to be joint heirs with Christ, we need to have joy with Him, but we also need to suffer with him. He sacrificed all, and that requires us to as well. I wish I could write more about it but I don't have the time.
Anyway,
I love you all, and hope all is well.
Love,
Sister Lybbert

Week 38

March 3, 2014

Dear Family,
     First off, happy 14th Ashy! I cannot believe it! And thanks to my funny brother Kyler for the e-mail! You are the greatest dude. I tell all of the people here that my little brother is Native American and they all think it is so super neat. People here are obsessed with Native American culture because there aren't many here, so they all love to hear about you.

Sleeping on the Metro at 5 a.m. (Bleh!)

Surfing on the metro

Mother/ Daughter picture

     This week was pretty good. We've done a lot of finding this week and it actually hasn't been too bad. We've been enjoying it actually and meeting all sorts of interesting people. The other day we tried street contacting separately at the South Shields town center. I didn't even know until last week that we could do that. I didn't like it so much because I just looked like a lost puppy as people were "too busy" to stop and talk. then three men who were sitting on a bench eating fish and chips called out to me saying, "are you lost?"...before that I was trying to avoid them because they looked rather interesting...but then I walked over to them and started to talk to them. They were hilarious. they were actually buskers who had their equipment all set up just down the street. they were from the Inca tribe in Peru and they were friendly. When they went over to play their music, it was absolutely breathtaking, and then it started to rain. So they asked me (through the mic..I was way down the

Buskers from Peru

 street by then) if I could pray for them...oh my. I got a picture with them...I can't say I look my best, maybe just a bit creeped out?
     Shaun, the other sisters' investigator, was baptized Friday. South Shields is harvesting some good souls, haha.

matching Primark Skirts

     Last week we also had Zone Conference! I love it. I don't really know how to rewrite everything that I'd want to say in such a short time, but President focused on Moses chapter 1 and also parts of exodus. this is an excerpt from my letter to President afterward, I don't want to rewrite everything I felt over again so I'll just give you it:

I really loved how you compared us to Moses in that as we make progress in the work, Satan will try to destroy it, but as we recall the past miracles we had and the testimony we've built, we are able to overcome and be refined through it. Something that I have done since I was little, but I want to be more committed to it, was write the miracles and the hard things in my journal so that in the future, when I feel like my testimony is not enough, I can look back and "call to remembrance" the things I once knew with all my heart.

I was illuminated as you were speaking of this, and instead of putting myself in Moses' shoes, I put the investigators of the church in his shoes. As a representative of Jesus Christ we have the responsibility to do what God did, by giving Moses all the spiritual testimony building experience and assurance he needed for the challenge that would face him as he was approached by the devil. We all know that before something miraculous happens the very jaws of hell will open and as missionaries we must teach with all our hearts and then pray that what we've done was enough to get them through. It's changed the way I want to teach President. Thank you.

I really loved the meeting, as always. Zone Conference is such an uplifting experience.
Thank you everyone for all you do. I love you and pray for you every day.
Love,
Sister Lybbert