Fwd: Secret Email. Sidenotes.

Here are some side notes, not very missionary related, I'd like to share. Mom will appreciate the organ experience. Imagine freely.

If at all possible, I'm taking it upon myself to program the old organ in the chapel. It doesn't have any presets set up, and the stops it's currently set to sound like they're blasting from an evil witch's castle. It has a wobbly wobbly vibrato, and it's quite nasally. What makes it more awesome is that the organists usually play these minor classical fugues as prelude music, which adds to said castle effect. So when I played, since I stepped up last minute, I didn't have a chance to play with the stops. But of course, what is the opening hymn? Ring Out Wild Bells. Only the most minor hymn in the hymnbook. I started too soft, and since no one was really singing since it's an uncommon hymn, I had to let loose some pretty blaring stops partway through. It was an interesting experience. Blessed organs.

Crazy Story

Before I flew down south, I'll admit I'd pondered and explored the possibility of having a gun pointed at me from some crazy old man on his wrap-around porch. So, it happened. But it was no angered southerner holding the rifle...it was a member!

Allow me to explain. 

We were going to carol (in a poorer spot of town) to a member family, so we parked in front of their house. We must have moseyed in the car for a moment too long, because soon the porch light turned off suspiciously as we started walking up to the door. It was dark, but I vaguely saw a figure outside on the porch. Sister Buhler nudged me and said, "Let's start singing now." We started singing, and soon loud laughter emerged from the house as an embarrassed Br. O walked inside holding a long rifle. I just about died...I realized he was the figure in the dark, and he'd been holding it aimed RIGHT at ME and MY comPANION! We had a good visit with them. They gave us cookies, we gave them spiritual cookies, then we left. Sister Buhler and I exploded with laughter when we got in the car to leave. Lesson learned, don't linger, or you might get burned. Or shot. Don't take chances.

--

Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas. - Dale Evans

Fwd: Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas everyone!

 Training calls are coming in today (they're calling everyone who's training new missionaries coming in next week), and I guess I'm a little nervous. Last night I dreamed I was training a Sister Amy Humphreys, who was terribly homesick and I was terribly cocky. I also dreamed that Sister Buhler and I crashed F61's into the capitol building. Hopefully only the first part comes true if any of it.

This week has been one of the best so far! Sister Buhler and I have a system pretty well established, and we're rapidly becoming more efficient and effective in goal-setting and scheduling, finding and following up with potential investigators, and in how we approach situations with members and investigators. Our teaching is improving as we focus on asking inspired questions, listening, and using scriptures to teach. We are obedient missionaries. We aren't perfect at it every day, but we're trying hard. We constantly look for ways to improve.

I loved the Skype home, by the way! My view of y'all on my end was pretty terribly pixelated, but it was good to see your shapes and hear your voices. :) I love you and I'm so grateful for your diligent support of me on my mission. You're all being such good missionaries back home-- we are one rocking family!

Yesterday Sister Buhler led the singing in sacrament meeting, I played the organ, and we taught sharing time in primary. It's great to be involved in the ward.

Of course it must be time for transfers, because we've just settled into the swing of things! But I'm so grateful for what I've learned here with Sister Buhler in John's Creek. While difficult, no doubt, I'm blessed with an extraordinarily missionary-minded ward, a diligent companion, a committed and involved ward mission leader, and both the zone leaders and the sister training leaders as good examples to work with in the ward. I have some good ideas of what an ideal area is like. I don't know how the setup could be better!

The Lord gave us a great gift on Christmas Day. We visited an investigator, Vivian Bailey, who was alone on Christmas in terrible health, expecting to share a simple devotional with her. However, she was in much better health than we'd ever seen her-- and as we felt directed, we taught a lesson and invited her to be baptized. She accepted the invitation and is currently on date for January 18th. That's the first investigator we've put on date, and it was on Christmas Day. What a gift from Heavenly Father! I hope everything comes through for her. Please keep her in your prayers.

The work is picking up in every aspect. We're finding so many promising people, and the investigators we're already working with are starting to progress. I can feel the Lord is blessing us for trying so hard to be diligent. 

Could you please keep these investigators in your prayers? They'll need the extra faith. Thank you.

Morgen 

Devon

Vivian

Fernando & Miriam Escobar

Yana & Angelica Kaspirova

Thank you for everything. Happy New Year!

Sister Christa Taylor

Fwd: Christmas Season is Here!!

From: Christa Taylor <christa.taylor@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Dec 16, 2013 at 3:14 PM
Subject: Christmas Season is Here!!

Hello everybody! Short on time. A few highlights:

1) While the work investigator-wise has been slow, our ward is FANTASTIC. So missionary minded. For example. At the Relief Society dinner, some sisters were telling us about an experience they've had with their Preach My Gospel study group. (Yes, several ward members get together every few weeks and study Preach My Gospel. How awesome is that?!?! Nbd.) They were talking about ways to share the gospel with their friends/strangers, so they practiced easy introductions with each other (they were ROLE PLAYING. we do that as missionaries every day!). THEN, they started a challenge with a point system of sharing the gospel with other people. For example, talking to the clerk at the checkout counter. One point per conversation. WHAT?! THEY STARTED THEIR OWN OYM COMPETITION! (OYM=Open Your Mouth-- it's our "slang" for meaningful contacts, which we track daily). These members are mushing up the member/missionary line fast! I LOVE it. What an inspiration. There are so many member stories I could tell you. Just know they're awesome.

2) Last night I met a recent convert (baptized last week) named Mahalia. She was eating dinner at a member's home we visited. She's in her sixties, black, from Alabama, and sweet as anything. I ended up reading from Alma 32 with her, and Enos-- and ohh, she just eats it up! It applied so perfectly to her and she loved it. She's already volunteering at the Bishop's Storehouse and getting so involved. I loved meeting someone so hungry to feel the Spirit and learn about Christ.

3) I was well taken care of on my birthday! I'm 20 now! Sister Buhler elaborately decorated the apartment, bought me Georgia sweatpants, made me a birthday cake, and called our dinner appointment ahead of time so they had decorated the table settings in yellow (my favorite color), bought my favorite ice cream, and they gave me a balloon and card. And a cupcake with a candle to blow out. President and Sister Wolfert wrote me a card and called me too. I was very spoiled and felt very loved. :)

Much love! Merry Christmas!

Sister Taylor

Fwd: Picture 3 -- The Shack of Misery

Not many suffer as gravely as the owners of this humble abode. 

Fwd: Picture 2

(We sang O Christmas Tree with excessive vibrato and danced while we put the star on top of the tree. Thought you should know.)

Fwd: Pictures!

Before I write my big letter, here are a few pics of mission life. I think I can only send 1 per email, sorry :/ The one with the pie is from our pie miracle experience. Then there's our tree we decorated last night (it's real!) (we're wearing the headbands you sent, Mom-- it's become our rule/tradition that we have to wear them while we're decorating or doing Christmas stuff around the apartment. Thank you much :)), and the last one is a member's house in our stake. As you can see, I'm serving in an area of devastating poverty. Pity me.

--

Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas. - Dale Evans

Fwd: Merry Christmas!

First, guess what family! We can Skype home for Christmas!! 30-45 minutes I think. How great is that!! I'll let you know more about what time etc as it gets closer but that will be a great Christmas treat. :)

My time is short, but here are a few highlights from this week. Saturday night was the ward Christmas party, and oh, it was wonderful! We had a less active couple, the Browns, come-- and we didn't expect them to be there. They don't ever come to church, but they accepted our invitation to the party and we loved getting to know them. I hoped they felt welcome and loved. I and the other missionaries in the ward did a musical number last minute upon request-- it was "I Cannot Find My Way" from the Forgotten Carols. I and a few others did solos in it, we threw in a key change, and it came together in two practices. When we performed, it was the best all of us had ever sung it! It brought the Spirit, and we received several compliments on it. I also got to play the piano at  some members' homes this week-- just improvising hymn medleys. I wish I had time to practice, but the Lord helps me play well enough to bring the Spirit, and that's what matters. I love getting to share music when I can!

On Tuesday, some researchers from Church Headquarters in SLC came out and interviewed about 20 of us. I think we're one of ten stakes in the world they've interviewed so far! They're interviewing bishops, stake presidencies, ward leaders, missionaries, and missionary leaders for feedback on the effects of the "wave" of new and younger missionaries. In my interview, there were about ten of us, and we were the younger (mission age, not real life age) ones in our companionships. I realized during that experience how I felt when I came to the field. I was prepared for the external, physical stress-- prepared to jump into a new schedule, to work hard, to try new things. I don't think I was prepared as much for the internal stress, the psychological stress. I've never been as mentally and spiritually stressed as on my mission-- and because of it, I've grown a lot. And struggled a lot. I've overcome the initial shock stage of hitting the gravel, but I know I'll be stressed my whole mission-- and that's okay! Stress is good for you when you know you have the resources you need to meet your needs. The Savior is a pretty good resource, and I've got Him on my side. So I know I'll be okay.

Little miracle today! We were grocery shopping at Target, and we asked an employee to help us find matches. Her name was Irma-- she's from Mexico, about 4'11", and speaks poor english. While we were walking through the store with her, she pointed at my badge to ask what it was. "We're missionaries," I said. Immediately, she stopped, her eyes welled with tears, and she gave me a hug. "Oh, I need the Lord, I need the Lord," she said. Our time with her was short and between her poor english and being choked up, I didn't know much of what she said. But I said we would love to visit her and help her, and she just nodded a big yes. We exchanged information and I gave her another hug. We prayed this morning for courage and opportunities to talk to people while we were out, since we wouldn't have other opportunities to meet people today. The Lord definitely answered our prayers. 

I went on exchanges for the first time this week! I was with Sister Blackett, Sister Buhler's first companion. She's a sweetheart. She has a bit of a shell-- not a shy, reclusive shell, but rather a shell you have to get through in order for her to trust and love you. I had a strong impression while on exchange-- "You don't know Sister Blackett, but I do. You're going to have to pray to see her the way I see her, then you'll be able to love her." I wrote that down, and I'm going to try to apply that with every companion I have. Really, with everyone in life...but I'm starting small. :) It was a good experience to be around a different missionary for a day and see how she worked. 

Sister Buhler and I have such a great companionship! We really hope we get put together again later in our missions so we can fulfill more of the potential we have to be much more effective missionaries. We're both very high strung and strong willed-- but we're working on using those to our advantage. We both are very self-aware and have great desires to love more and serve more. We're always looking for ways to be working smarter and harder, and to increase the companionship of the Spirit with us. And, since we're both so musical, we're going to carol to members this week as part of member visits! We're looking forward to that. 

We got to watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional last night. It was inspiring, and I was so happy to get to watch it. 

I know this is where God wants me to be. He has a purpose for each of us and He loves us more than we know. Don't be afraid or hesitate to look for opportunities to lift up other people. The love of Christ is one of sharing. I know the Lord will bless you with opportunities to be a light for someone else if you ask for them-- He's done that for me, and I've felt His love and been strengthened through that.

I love you!

Sister Taylor

Fwd: This I Know, God Answers Prayer

Prayer has been the theme of my week. I felt chastised earlier this last week...God helped me see I haven't been praying very seriously or sincerely in my personal prayers, and I have been working on that. Right after I studied that, we talked about the SAME pages in district meeting later that morning! Definitely what God wanted me to know this week! 

I'm working on being more loving, proactive about working, and more service oriented. I think God approves of my goals-- I'm getting better at all these things as I pray about them! I'm so grateful God answers prayers.

Miracle #1: Speaking of prayers, Sister Buhler and I had some incredible experiences with prayer. The miracle of the pie was simple, but probably my favorite. On Thanksgiving, we ate with a family, but as we thought we had another dinner lined up, we left before they brought out desserts. Our second dinner fell through, so we continued with our planned visits. Sister Buhler especially wished that we could have had some pumpkin pie-- it's such a sweet reminder of home. So, in one of our prayers, we asked that if it were God's will, we would really like some pie for Thanksgiving. 

We went ahead to our last visit at a member's home. They had asked us about why we came out on missions (two completely un-food-related stories), and when we finished, the sister said out of the blue, "Have you two had dessert yet?" 

"No..." we said, caught off guard.

"Well, I have four extra pies sitting in my kitchen, would you like some?"

Sister Buhler and I just looked at each other and laughed in disbelief. We explained our surprise to the family-- we had prayed for pie, and unexpectedly, here she had offered some! Long story short, we enjoyed pumpkin pie that night, photographed the event, and thanked God for the sweet tender mercy. I'm sure it seems small, but it was a sweet (no pun intended) testimony that God does care about the little things. God has certainly been looking out for us.

Miracle #2! A member set up an appointment for us unexpectedly with a girl our age named Devan who's dating a member, and the lesson was hosted at a member's house. We had the member couple, two of Devan's best friends (members, one a recent convert), her boyfriend (putting in his mission papers), and us there. Teaching a lesson with her member friends in a member home made SUCH a difference!! It was incredible! The Spirit was so strong, and the members had such wonderful experiences to share. Devan cried some, and so did several of us. I know she felt the Spirit, and I have never felt it that strongly in a lesson. We invited her to be baptized, and after resolving her concerns, on the third invitation she accepted. I don't want to do a first lesson any differently ever again! My testimony of member presence and teaching in members' homes was so strengthened. 

Miracle #3: You know the "God helped me find my keys" stories everyone has? Totally happened, and it was amazing. It was a dark night, we climbed out of the car, and I heard my nametag and magnet fall to the ground. Sister Buhler and I rummaged through the leaves in the gutter, looked under the car, on the grass, and we couldn't find the magnet anywhere. I suggested we say a prayer. "That's the fastest way to find it," I said laughing. We prayed, and we both felt impressed to look under the car. There it was, sitting by the tire! We laughed and thanked God for answering our prayer so quickly and clearly. It was one of those little things that reminds you how much God loves you.

Miracle #4: We met this guy, Morgen, who's 27 and a rapper/hip hop artist/photographer, while tracting and he was super open to our message. To everything we said, he said "Yeah, I believe that." We're hopefully meeting with him this weekend. We felt led to that street, and I think he's the reason why. Miracle! 

Sister Buhler and I are working extra hard to make miracles happen in the John's Creek Ward. Our obedience is good, we aren't perfect but it's a constant priority effort. I'm getting a small taste of the great joy I know missionaries feel when they help others come unto Christ. 

Merry Christmas!

Sister Christa Taylor

Fwd: The Pie Miracle

This is my companion's email home, and I liked her version of the pie miracle best. Enjoy it from her perspective! -Sis. Taylor

Happy December Everyone!! :D

   I hope you all had a very wonderful Thanksgiving! From the letters and emails that I've seen thus far, it has been a very eventful and satisfying week for you all. :) What a wonderful week! Don't you just love this season?! There is just something different in the air. There is an added measure of love, but there is also an added measure of greed for some too. But I just love the feeling of joy that seems to hang in the air around this time of year.

   So this has been quite the interesting week for us. We weren't really able to meet with any of our investigators because they were all gone for Thanksgiving, but we got to see a lot of people anyway. I have seen so many miracles this week and am just amazed at all that the Lord has done for me.

   Miracle #1: I felt that we should tract this random street and turns out there was this guy who is really prepared. Everything that we said he responded with, "Yeah, I believe that." It was so incredible. Hopefully, we will be able to continue to get a hold of him.

   Miracle #2: We had a goal to teach a lesson this week to an investigator with a member, but all of our appointments fell through. Then suddenly a member planned a surprise lesson for us to teach to his friend and she was so prepared. Her name is Devon and she is just amazing. It was such a miracle because we were able to meet our goal without even really knowing it. The Lord seriously is in every part of this work.

   Miracle #3: The namesake of this email, and coincidentally my favorite miracle. ;) Once upon a time, Sister Buhler woke up her first Thanksgiving morning on a mission. The air hung with the feeling of something different and exciting and she remembered that it was a holiday. As soon as the thought took hold, she realized that today she would have pumpkin pie. Her mouth watered just thinking about it, and dreaming of the pumpkin cheesecake that her mother would be making at home. Still she contained herself, counting the hours to dinner when she would be able to get a bite of the wonderful pie. Then the family that she and her companion were going to eat with had a problem. Her oven broke. So Sister Buhler and Sister Taylor got to save Thanksgiving by cooking the turkey. Eventually dinner came and they all had a scrumptious meal, and were praised for the turkey that they simply just put into the oven. It was so wonderful, and they would've loved to stay, but then they had to leave to get to some other appointments... and still no pie. They were heading to another family's house and figured they would get pie there, but the family was all cleaned up by they arrived. Determined, but still in great want for pie, Sister Buhler prayed as they arrived at their next appointment. She prayed for the spirit and then said, "If it be thy will, please bless that we will get some pie tonight." It was silly, but worth a shot, because Sister Buhler still wanted some pie. Eventually when the clock reached 8:45 and they were about to go home, the sister they were visiting cut in and said, "Have you had dessert yet?" We had been discussing why we came on our missions just before. Then Sister Buhler laughed until she cried because the Lord had answered her silly prayer. Then they were sent home with pumpkin, cherry, and lemon meringue pie. A simple miracle to let them know that the Lord loves them.

   Anyway, I hope you liked the stories, because I know I sure did. :) It was an amazing week for sure. And I got a package from my family with all the warm things I need. :) Not to mention the beautiful wedding invitation that I got from my Brother and Laurel. Aw, it just makes me so happy to see them together at last. :) The work is hopefully picking up and we are so excited to keep working with Devon and Morgen. What a wonderful week! Happy Thanksgiving to you all and just know this: If I had to categorize the things I am grateful for they would be: my Family; my Friends; my God; my body; and my possessions. I am truly a blessed person, and that is why I am here on a mission. Because how else could I show God that I was grateful for all that I have, if I did not try to share that with everyone that I can. I love you all, and I love you so much that I am here to thank the Lord for your influence in my life. :) I love you! Keep being amazing and remember that the Lord is ever mindful of you, even if it's just some pie. :)

   Lots of love and prayers,

   ~Sister Julie Buhler

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~Sister Julie Buhler

1150 Cole Drive SW

Lilburn, GA 30047