I LOVE THE MORNINGS!!

Just thought I would let you know :) David & Drew, it is a BLESSING to be able to get up and go to seminary each morning. Soak it up! Here in Utah, most schools have seminary in school, which is sad. They miss out on the opportunity to exercise their faith and show their diligence towards getting up early and showing dedication. Remember that, AND remember... I am already up! I may be a couple states away, BUT I am up by 5am your time. SO! think of me! I am studying by 7am your time so we can study together! :)

As for my health, I am doing well! We are back in business and teaching as much as we can...I can't eat much so I am losing weight and the coordinating sister was freaking out the other night but I am OKAY!!

We had a sisters training from the APs and President on Friday, it was GREAT! They expressed how important Preach My Gospel is, I challenge you (Mom, Dad & David) to read from it each week. Use it in your FHE!!

It WILL make a difference, I promise you this. OH! And next time you go to the Temple, stop at the Distribution Center and pick up the Preach My Gospel DVD (The District 2) David, watch it!! You can see what missionary life is and what YOU will be doing one day :) AND it is in San Diego!! We have to have the DVD running at all times that we are home and awake, it is a GREAT tool, and will strengthen your testimonies, this I KNOW.

Last week President Miller came to visit us at our apartment and taught us how to plan better, he broke down how to plan for each and every single investigator on what WE need to DO for them each day of the week.

The next night he held a fireside for one of our stakes with the entire Mission Presidency. It was a POWERFUL meeting...except for the part when he called Sister Pousima and I to role play in front of all 300 of them...

She taught about dispensations and he had me tell the story of the Restoration.

OH! TRENT!! (The little boy who is 11 and is on date) He was in the primary program yesterday!! It was so great to see him up there!

We also went to contact a girl on the other side of the Zone (it was a sister refferral so we went to try & find her, she wasn't home so we ended up OYMing (Open Your Mouth) her neighbors...I felt prompted that we had to sing so I turned to Sister Pousima...gave her "the look" and we sang I am a Child of God. We gave them a Book of Mormon, a pamphlet, and a card with our number...they said we could stop by again but wouldn't set a date.

We are going to be busy this week, but it is all worth it!!

I CAN'T WAIT FOR CONFERENCE!!!

The Relief Society Broadcast was INCREDIBLE!!! I LOVED it, mom, AL, nana...i hope you ALL watched it. I kept thinking of each of you while sitting there.

Know I love you and am thinking about you often.

Today was my choice for pday so our district is going to.....brrrrr (drumroll) Chuck E Cheese! hahaha

but seriously, we are.

Squeeze those kiddos for me!

Oh and dad, the house looks great!!

and Mark is a BEAST...go baptize him ;)

tell short fry I say hello.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this last week, but read Alma 35-37.

Especially David and Drew.

Remember I love you and that your Heavenly Father CHERISHES and TREASURES you.

Tell AL I am working on another letter for her/tape...i have NOT forgotten.

PS I am DYING for some back to school pictures and trio pictures.

We had dinner with a family who has twin girls who are exactly one year older than the trips...tender mercy.

Love you!!

Sister G

Hello famsters!

I am feeling SO much better, this week had its ups and downs but i am BACK HOME IN SANDY and feeling GREAT!!!

I got back last night at about 9:30...had a dr appointment this morning and now just getting things done for pday and going to a recent converts house, Heather to play games and have lunch!:)

Oh! by the way, there is a sister from San Diego, Sister Baylon who is in the Tacoma mission...look for her! I remember her from high school...she lived up in the La Costa area. She left the MTC when I entered...Kelsy Welch told me but I forgot to let you know to keep your eyes peeled until now :)

David, I am glad to hear you are loving ASL! I have a few books on it, look on my bookshelf or in the rafters & you can use whatever you find...ps nice try, mom ratted you out. haha you will be driving soon enough, enjoy this time NOW!

This week I learned a lot about sanctifying & consecrating yourself to God. I read an article from Elder Corbridge (who lives in our stake) it's called the 4th Missionary...it's INCREDIBLE. Elder Crowther sent it with me to South Jordan this week and asked me to read it, it changed my WHOLE perception of a mission.

It talked about continual change and sanctifying your life, trading the bad for good, making the okay ideal. Jesus Christ's whole purpose in coming here was so that we can CHANGE and come home someday.

Sanctification: Repenting. Cleansing. Purifying. Recognizing. Suffering. Growing. Rejecting. Accepting. Sinking. Avoiding. thanking. Appreciating. Laughing. Crying. Choosing. Sacrificing. Struggling. Opening. Exhalting. Understanding. Abandoning. Embracing. Surrendering. Loving. Submitting. Giving. Sorrowing. Agonizing. Striving. Speaking. BECOMING SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU'VE BEEN!

This comes slowly and not without patience, one more quote then I am off (President changed the rules and we only get 1 hour to write on pdays)

"If we wait patiently on the Lord, He will incline unto us. He will hear our cries. He will bring us out of our horrible pit an set our feet upon his solid rock. He will put a new song in our mouths and we will praise our God, and many around is will see it! And they will hear it! And they will trust in the Lord!"

I love you all!

SMILE BIG & LAUGH LOUD!!

Love, Sister Givens

John 12:40:

"He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted and I should heal them."

2 Nephi 16:10

"Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes - lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed."

Elder Bednar instructed us to, "Pray for eyes to see and ears to hear. Have faith. Heaven trusts you."

This week has been a whirlwind.

Tuesday we had the BEST district meeting with our entire Zone. THe spirit was stronger than I have ever felt since I have been on my mission. The 3 district Leaders and 2 Zone Leaders each took about 10 minutes to discuss what they were prompted to share. The part that effected me the most was when Elder Crowther (Our District Leader/aka my dad) talked about faith, He referred to Elder Wirthlin's talk called "Shall He Find Faith on the Earth" look it up, Study it. Apply it to the Doctrine of Christ.

There is just so much I want to write you about.

First I will give an update on my health...

Tuesday I wanted to go and work, we went to District Meeting, then went to lunch with our District where we got the call we were all staying together for at least another transfer (which everyone was shocked because a couple missionaries have been here for over 6 months) but I prayed that weekend that if I still was going to be battling my health, then to PLEASE keep our district together. Well...Heavenly Fathers answers prayers. So I was overwhelmed when we got the news, knowing I was not done, but that I had the support of so many and that my Father in Heaven does NOT forsake his child. I am grateful for Him. I LOVE Him.

The day went on, and slowly I got worse and worse. The pain was worse than I have ever experienced, so Sister Miller told us to go back to the ER. Elder Crowther and Elder Aleman came along and for the next 7 hours or so we camped out in the Hospital. I was blessed this time to have a GREAT doctor, he was LDS and truly had the Spirit with him, nothing I had experienced before. All of my nurses that night were LDS as well and were telling us stories about their missions. THe pain increased more and more...7 IV's later we were sent home with strict instructions on what to eat/what not to eat/which surgeries to look forward to next.

OH! BUT NICO GOT THE PREISTHOOD THAT NIGHT!!!!!!!! IT WAS AMAZING!! :)

Anyway, so Wednesday I was determined to work through it and figured...duh..the Lord will provide...I'm a missionary! Wrong-o.

We had to cancel everything and get by until further instruction from the Doctor.

Thursday Sister and President Miller called asking if I wanted to go home.

NOPE.

I already got my answer for that one. Nice try Satan.

I am here. I am going to stay here until I die or get released...which ever comes first ;) haha don't freak out mom.

Sister Miller then told me to go stay with a member that day so after going to service with our district, I went to the member's while sister pousima went with another member on splits.

I stayed with Sister Johnson, got a call from the Doctor and found out I was having surgery the next morning...

We carried on with our night, then went to the Riverton Hospital on Firday morning...got all hooked up and off I went.

They did the procedure, then we took the detour home and drove around the temple grounds then went and helped Nanette (an investigator who is getting married on October 8 & baptized October 15!!!!) We are teaching their whole family!

While we were over there helping with invitations Sister Miller called, said I needed to REST and was putting me on a 10 day exchange with Sister Kaufana who had knee surgery that same day.

So now we are grounded to the basement in the Jordan Temple Zone, BUT the backyard is backed up to the Temple!! So I see it EVERY DAY!

It's already rough.

I miss the work.

I miss our investigators.

I miss our District.

But we prayed, and KNOW this is what God wants for me.

So I am here, gaining more and more faith, being converted even more, and having faith I will be healed. I was promised in a blessing that if I aquire faith strong enough I will not only be healed, but this healing with be a PERMANENT healing. WOW.

Anyway, I am short on time.

I am so grately blessed to be part of this gospel, to be able to learn of Christ, apply what he CONSECRATED his life for.

Learn of his teachings and invite others to come unto Him as well.

I love Him.

I love you.

Study the scriptures EVERY day.

They keep you going.

Be safe.

Be well.

I am on my way to doing the same

:) Sister Givens

Tender Mercies

Hello to all!

I thought of all the scouts this morning when we saw all the US flags on people's lawns...pretty familiar! I figured the fam would be getting together today, how fun!

We are getting the Zone together today (since Wednesday are transfers) and playing Catch Phrase, Volleyball and Dodgeball. Woo!

So, I don't know if you have recieved a call from Sister Miller, but in case you have I didn't want you to worry... Long story short, I have an ulcer...some things never change right? Anyway, this week was driving me NUTS! I gradually was getting worse and worse throughout the week, then finally had to go in to the dr on friday and stay home and rest throughout the weekend. President sent me into the ER yesterday, so with the combination of Priesthood Blessings, and medical care I am feeling MUCH better. I still have it and need to go through the drill of a couple more tests this week, but things are looking up!

We were doing Companionship study yesterday at the Hospital and while we were there we sang Come, Come Ye Saints. The lyrics to that song brought me so much comfort. I thought about the Pioneers and their journey west, how much sickness and pain they had to endure. I then looked up the scriptures that correlate with the song.

The one that stuck out to me most was D&C 61:36:

"And now, verily I say unto you, and what I say unto one I say unto all, be of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken you" It goes on through 39, but 36 hit me really hard. I remember Lyndsey Larsen telling me that as a missionary you feel totally invincible, and I did. I thought nothing could stop me, nothing could get in my way. Yet, it had. Right then I knew it was going to be alright. THAT was enough.

In my personal study today I thought of a quote I saw on a ward program. It says:

"To follow the Savior's example, each one of us must look around and reach out to the sheep who are facing the same circumstance and lift them upo and encourage them to proceed on the journey towards eternal life."

From this, I studies the Worth of Souls in the Topical Guide.

I challenge you to do the same, then to find what the Worth of Souls means to you, then to act upon it and to find those sheep, no matter who they are.

The work is slowly picking up, we are working with other companionships in our zone...since we are sisters they listen to us more hahaha just kidding, but the Lord truly does bless us with SO many tender mercies each day. I am so grateful for Him.

I love you all, have a great week.

Sister Givens