Letters from Sister Alston

Thursday, August 14, 2014

I'm comin' home, comin' home...tell the world I'm comin' home!

So....I'll be leavin' on a jet plane Friday morning, not sure when I'll be back again...but planning on sometime soon because boy has Iowa grown on me or what?!? haha. Man....I'm going to miss this place! In fact, I wrote a song about it this morning! I cannot believe this time is here! It seems like just yesterday I was getting set apart and heading down to the Provo MTC, then flyin' here to the middle of nowhere, USA...literally having NO IDEA what to expect of the land, the people, the food, the gospel...and having no idea how much all if it would come to mean to me! I AM SO BLESSED to have served in the BEST MISSION IN THE WORLD! This week has been full of more fun and hard work, and many many miracles!

Exhibit A: Last Monday we wanted to do something a little different for P-Day, so we invited the 1st ward sisters over, got little watermelons, and carved them!...and then we made watermelon slushies and zucchini bread! (okay fine, I made the slushies and bread while the other sisters talked and watched...) haha.

Exhibit B: Tuesday I had the departing temple trip with all 23 departing missionaries, APs and President and Sister Jensen. It was amazing! It was also so fun to spend the day with Sister Andersen again, and hear how the past 9 months of her mission have been since we served together. We had WAY too much fun with everyone in the transfer van driving down to Nauvoo. The temple itself was incredible. I learned so much about my life, and Heavenly Fathers plan for me and how it just continues moving forward. Even though this time of my life is coming to an end, there is so much ahead to look forward to.

Exhibit C: Wednesday morning we went and saw a Pompeian less active/part member couple and had an incredible lesson on finding truth. Alsanay, the husband, hasn't been baptized, and had never really prayed to know if what the missionaries taught was true. He went to church with his family, his wife was baptized, but something was holding him back. As we talked about the Book of Mormon, and the restoration and how we came to know for ourselves the truth. Benita shared the strongest testimony of how she came to know it was true, and even though it was in Pompeian, we could understand every word through the spirit. At the end of the lesson, Alsanay knelt down, and sincerely prayed, for the first time, to know if the Book of Mormon was true and if Christ's church had been restored to the earth and if Heavenly Father wanted him to be a part of it. We sat in silence for a couple minutes, then he got up and asked if he could sing us a song. I could barely hold back the tears as he sang this simple, cultural song about Jesus helping him...and he began to cry too. These people are amazing, and I am so grateful Heavenly Father has allowed me to serve them!

Exhibit C: Friday we had the amazing opportunity to travel back down to Nauvoo for the British Pageant with Michele and Sister Perry. We knew that it would be a blast, because anything with Michele is entertaining and we laughed the whole way down in the car! The whole pageant was incredible. My testimony sure was strengthened of how perfect Heavenly Father's plan and the restoration is. It went through the early missionaries travelling over to England and the surrounding areas in the 1800s and how the work progressed there. It was neat to think of my ancestors joining the church over there and travelling over to Nauvoo. Near the end of the pageant, the cast came over to the side of the stage right in front of us (we were lucky and got front row seats), and were waving goodbye to an Elder.... the spirit struck me so hard as they talked about how he would be missed and what a great thing he had done for that area. It was like they were waving and speaking to me!...I just about lost it... I know, I've been quite emotional lately... haha. At the end of the pageant, they had all the missionaries in attendance march up on the stage singing "Called to Serve", and ended with Redeemer of Israel...as I stood up on stage singing, my heart was so full of gratitude for this time that the Lord has given me to serve Him. And to be serving here in this blessed area of the world. I could go on and on about how amazing it really is, but for uncle Dan's sake, I guess I'll stop... haha. It was also fun to see the Pena Family IN the pageant...they did such a wonderful job! Man, I love them! ...except the whole time, I just wanted to put on my pioneer getup and join them! haha...maybe next year?

Exhibit D: Saturday we were finally able to see Cime, who kept his appointment for once!...not only that, he had 3 of his friends stay and listen to us...he translated the whole time and told them how he knows this is true, and they should too! It was awesome! :) oh and funny story of Saturday night: Maggie, one of our investigators was finally home, and as soon as we go in she says, "you wanted to have a lesson in the mustang tonight, right?" haha... so she kind of kidnapped us and went for a ride in the black mustang convertible...

Exhibit E: Last one, I promise! :) haha SUNDAY was the best! My last Sunday as a full-time missionary....bittersweet...but amazing. Even though we were at the church from 10:30 to 6:30...so much goodness happened. Just before sacrament meeting, Cime called to make sure he had the right address for the church and told us he was on his way!...we get halfway through the sacrament hymn and in walks not only Cime, but his 2 kids, and his 3 friends that were at the lesson Saturday, and another man. 7 people!!!! WHAT???? It was amazing to see them all walk in together, and sit in front of a family who welcomed them and told them a little about what was going on. (Since we were on the opposite side of the chapel.) Elder Anninos and I were able to sing "Because I have been given much", which was great, then the ASL interpreter asked if I would come help her. Honestly, I was really trying to ditch signing, but as I was up singing, "Because I have been given much, I too must give..." yeah... I knew I needed to help. haha. I said a prayer begging Heavenly Father to help me...and He sure did! I was able to understand and interpret clearly, I think, for the first time! The spirit is an amazing thing. In Relief Society I once again felt like a chicken with my head cut-off...going from playing the piano to interpreting...but hey...it makes life interesting! We also had a wonderful meeting with the Bishop after church, and things are really going to start picking up here in Cedar Rapids. Miracels, Miracles, Miracles!

I know the Lord is hastening His work, and I'm so grateful I have been a part of it, and will continue to be a part of it! I know Christ's church has been restored to the earth in it's fulness...and that is why I'm here! I love you all so much, and will never be able to thank you enough for your prayers and support this past year and a half. I LOVE YOU!!!!!!

Love Always,

Sister Natalia Chantae Alston

summer P-day Fun!!

Carving watermelons

What can you do with a watermelon?

Stanley...the watermelon turtle

...he died...

Departing temple trip

It was so hot and humid...the camera lens was fogging!

I LOVE THE NAUVOO TEMPLE!

oh..and my contacts were also fogging over!

last time painting their nails : (

The Cedar Rapids DISTRICT!

What can we say? We're more Elder's Sisters than Sister's Sisters...haha

Awkward turtle...our lives!

Stripling Warrior FOR LIFE!

Sister Madreen...I love her!

Nauvoo British Pageant!!

We got to be IN the pageant!

Maggie kidnapped us in her black mustang convertible...

wind blow hair...

Palisades...oh my Iowa...who knew you could be so pretty??

the hidden treasures of Iowa

There is beauty all around

Monday, July 21, 2014

"Master, the Tempest is Raging"

Are you sure it's Monday again?... when did it sneak up on me? Oh that's right...we have barely had time to even breath this week!

Monday night we drove to Mt. Vernon and started exchanges with Sister Call and Sister Porter. I was able to spend the exchange with Sister Porter whom I love and who I was able to do a lot of exchanges with when she was in Macomb and I was in Keokuk! SO FUN to be with her again! I love being able to see the sisters change and grow from the beginnings of their missions. However, it still feels like I just came out yesterday! Didn't I? haha. Anyways, this exchange was great. Sister Porter and I spent 2 hours Tuesday morning finding in a park...which was incredible! It turns out that 10-12 on Tuesdays, the park is the place to be! We talked to EVERYONE we saw!...and even though most weren't receptive, they were all relatively friendly and acceptedmormon.org cards! We were able to sit and talk to a father of 2 girls who shared how important having family time is to him, and how he even quit a job so he could be at home more and spend especially sundays at church with his family. He was awesome! Another man was sitting on a table waiting for his kids to get done with swimming lessons and we talked to him for about 15 minutes about how his younger daughter had been asking him how to know what church to go to and all these questions he wasn't too sure how to answer. We shared with him our testimonies and the spirit was very strong. He said he would like to learn more and think it would be good for his whole family to learn together! Wow... I love how Heavenly Father just places people in our paths that if we talk to for just a minute, we are given the opportunity to share our testimonies and help them feel the spirit. Even though we only got a couple addresses/phone #s, we knew that is exactly where we were supposed to be at that time and that we did as much as we could. It's always the best feeling to walk away knowing that you literally talked to everyone you possibly could in one place. That's why we're here!...to talk to people! We were also able to do service at the Lisbon History Center...and boy was that fun! I really have come to love history. In fact, I think it might be an obsession of sorts...we can blame Grandpa Ted for that one? haha.

LAST ZONE CONFERENCE! So funny story... we thought the last zone conference would be my last zone conference and I was sad I didn't get to sing at it (I did play piano though...)...so when this zone conference was added and they asked me to put together another musical number I was so happy I was able to sing for my last zone conference! Heavenly Father is so kind... we sang as a quartet, "Come Unto Christ"...the youth theme song for this year. It was amazing! The spirit was so strong, and I even teared up a bit. Man, I love music! If you haven't heard that song, go check it out! It is the best! The message was perfect as well, because the whole conference was about the Atonement.

On Thursday after Zone conference, Sister Farnsworth and Sister Pierce came and did exchanges with us in Cedar Rapids for the night and all day Friday. We had a blast! Friday morning, Sister Pierce and I were following up with a family we are teaching, but they weren't home. Across the way there was a lady outside, who looked a little distraught. I was about to just keep walking down the stairs when the spirit said, "don't you dare walk down those stairs!" haha...yeah, sometimes the spirit has to be very forward with me. So I walk over to this lady and just ask how she's doing. She said she just found out that her sister had passed away yesterday and is struggling. Her name is Diamond, and she is from Chicago. We also had a recent convert named Laverne with us...who is also from Chicago. She stepped in and shared the sweetest testimony of how the gospel has blessed her life and they became instant friends! So cool! We also shared a little about the plan of salvation, and invited her to be baptized on her porch! haha...that's always fun! She was so receptive and really wants to learn more and strengthen her relationship with God.

Saturday we went to KEOKUK to Charlie Scudder's baptism!!! I wasn't sure we would be able to make it because our original ride fell through last minute...but sweet Patricia Albin (who was baptized in May) gladly stepped up and said she would take us! It was amazing! When Charlie walked in, he was so happy to see all the sisters there! (okay fine, there are only 5 of us...but still...) It was cool to all be there together! After 25 years of being taught on and off, he was finally ready to enter the waters of baptism. And he's already brought 2 friends with him! He said he was feeling the spirit so strong and was so happy! To see him in white was the best thing ever! This gospel is true!

We were finally able to contact Virgil again, who asked where we had been...haha...We kept missing each other and he thought we were ignoring him or something. He said he knows he needs to take things more seriously and wants to continue working towards baptism.

Yesterday we had ward conference, and it was very powerful. The stake president did a training in ward council that really hit me. He talked about "Master, the Tempest is Raging"... and how it's okay to be on a raging tempest, that in our callings especially there will always be storms. As we are on the boat with the Savior, we can find peace and know that all is well with Him. We are all inadequate for our callings, no matter what they may be. We can find peace in the storm as we trust in the Savior and rely on Him to lead and guide us in all that we are asked to do. We shouldn't be so worried about what to say and do as HAVING THE SPIRIT AS OUR GUIDE.

The spirit really is the most important thing in all we do. As we are worthy and ready to receive it's guidance and direction...all things will work together as they need to. This is one of the most amazing lessons I have learned on my mission: trusting in the Savior and following the spirit, even though the world and everything seems amiss around, is what brings true peace and happiness. There will always be storms, trials, disappointments, sadness, heartache...but with Him we can make it through. I know our Savior lives, and loves us.

Love Always,

Sister Natalia Alston