Happy Father's Day!!!

I know it's a day late, but Happy Father's Day to the best Dad in the whole entire world!!!...Along with the bestGrandpas in the universe!!!  I love you guys so so so much!

This week was honestly a roller coaster ride!  haha.  We are teaching a lot of different people, and our investigator pool has tripled in the past 2 transfers so we continue to see miracles each day, but it's hard to remember that people have their agency and don't always choose this path.  I have had to remind myself many times of the training that I gave this past week for zone training... on loving people: how as long as we love people and do the best we can, Heavenly Father is pleased with us.  We also have to learn how to develop and use our personal talents and abilities, because they have been given to us for a reason.  We are also given weaknesses to learn and grow...and man am I discovering those everyday!  haha.  Anways, point of this training was to help our zone realize their potential as missionaries, but also remember the eternal perspective and how we won't always see the results immediately, but if we are loving everyone around us...doing the best we can in our physical mortal bodies, we will be blessed.   I'm so grateful I was able to put together this training; in fact, it is what I needed to train myself on and I know the Lord was guiding me every step of the way.  He never fails to do that! :)

Scott, the man who stopped and asked if we were the mormons outside some apartments a couple weeks ago on his way to the ER for a concussion, is progressing rapidly.  It's so fun to see someone go from not believing in God, to realizing that God is the reason he is still alive and who allowed us to meet.  We are struggling with getting him to church, but after an incredible lesson on the Atonement, he hasn't drunk any coffee in 6 days!!!  Something that he has an addiction too and has been searching for a reason to quit! haha.

Tuesday, I was in a meeting all day, so my 2 companions had the day in Iowa City to work without me!  Boy was that weird leaving my babies behind! haha.  They did a fantastic job though, I'm so proud of them!!! It was our last meeting with President and Sister Jergensen for Mission Leadership...I will be so sad to see them go, but know that President and Sister Jensen will be amazing and have so much to offer to this mission and am excited to see the miracles that come with them! :)

We were finally able to get Trisha into the Family History Center at the church on Wednesday and help her dig even further into her geneology!  :) ALSO.... a few weeks ago, Sister Hill's mom sent her a great great great great grandmother's history and after looking at it I saw she had some Casper's in her family....so being the curious nerd that I am, logged onto Family Search myself and YEP!!! Sister Hill and I are indeed related!  haha!  Our great great great grandfather's are brothers!!! Sons of William and Avarilla Casper!  CRAZY!!!!  :)

Oh my heavens I have so much more to say, but so out of time!  aaah! haha... well... Lawana and her family (the family of 12 kids) are wanting to be baptized and the kids call us "the sisters". It's so cute!  :)  We just need to get them to church Sunday mornings, which I can imagine is extremely difficult at 9 am with 7 kids under the age of 12!  ...but we are praying for miracles with them.  Kate, an 18 year old girl we met at a BBQ had us over for lunch with her family on Saturday (Her dad is a Methodist Preacher and mom is a Catholic school teacher) and we almost lost her in a lesson after!  She said she started to read the Book of Mormon but didn't feel right about it...it was a very spiritually exhausting lesson trying to fight with the adversary who is working so hard on her!  She is a very special one and has so much to offer, and Satan knows it!  He truly is working harder than ever, because the work is progressing rapidly, and these really are the last days.

Yesterday, we had a nice surprise of President and Sister Jergensen showing up to attend our sacrament meeting...even though we didn't have any investigators there :(  it was nice to see them and have our "parents" with us on Father's Day.  Last night we were able to attend a fireside with Vocal Point: which is just what I needed.  Their music and messages I felt were just for me, and it was nice to see a couple familiar faces!  Mckay Crockett is awesome!!! :)  I'm still trying to figure out how I can utilize music more in missionary work.  I know music touches the soul like nothing else...

I love you all so much and miss you like crazy!!! 

On to another week!!!

Love always,

Sister Natalia Alston

we forgot a knife...ha ha

Family photo: Baby Junebug, Baby April, Mama Alston, Nana Thompson!

Sister training leaders with Sister Jergensen 

Beautiful sunsets!!

Sister Jergensen and I always match!!

A UTAH license plate!!!

Iowa skies

We had a picnic on a bridge over train tracks!

1 New Week = 1 New Home, 1 New Transfer, 1 New Daughter

Jambo!  (Hello in Swahili) haha
I am SO glad it is Monday!  And So happy to hear from my wonderful, amazing, supportive, loving, incredible familia… oh how I love you all so so so much!!!

Well... I was made aware last week that this past Thursday was my 100th day out!!!  And what a crazy day it was!  On my 100th day, I GOT ANOTHER DAUGHTER, SISTER CAMPBELL!!!  haha.  It was the best 100th day present ever!  Yeah, a bit nerve-wracking, but I can already tell she is a very special spirit and will bring so much to Iowa City!  She is 19 years old, awaiting her visa to Brazil, from Idaho, and SO excited to be serving even though she was never planning on serving here in Iowa!  She's got the best attitude ever and I've already learned a ton from her in just 4 days! I LOVE HER!!!  Also...I'm so very happy my other daughter, Sister Hill, wasn't torn away from me quite yet...haha...I love my little "family!" 
Okee Dokee....so let's see...this week really was insane and I honestly don't remember a lot of it!  We moved out of our apartment and into a member's basement which took quite a chunk of time out of our week.  It is different living with a family again, but nice to have the family environment and little kids running around so it's not so quiet all the time. haha.  I got really sick on Wednesday, and it got progressively worse: so sadly I wasn't able to be completely all my spunky self at transfers when baby Junebug got here, but she was still so nice and understanding of the situation.  Yeah...I tried my hardest to be full of energy and fun and alive, but it could only last so long.  Luckily, I'm starting to feel a lot better, and back to my "normal" self again.  My companions have been amazing and making me take it easy even though I don't really know how to slow down and take care of myself: yep, I have the best companions ever! I sure have been blessed that's for sure!  :D 
I'm sorry for rambling on and on, let's get down to the good stuff.

Trisha was so excited when she found out she could do the work for her family who has passed on...and has done her family history online back to the early 1800s already!  She said, "I just want them to feel of the same joy and happiness that I have felt from the gospel!"  ..and she's not even baptized yet!  I really am so excited to see all the amazing things she will accomplish and I know she will have a lasting impact on many people's lives.  It made me want to do more of my own family history work!
Last week I met a lady at the crisis center who was moving to Iowa City this week and said she would like to know more about the church.  We were able to teach her and her family - wait for it - of 10!!!  I know the power of the spirit is real, for before the lesson I was exhausted and so sick in the car, but the second we walked into her home and started teaching I felt something carrying me and my words through the lesson...then it was gone once we left.  haha.  I love teaching families and being able to tell them they are able to be together forever through this gospel and as they come to know for themselves that what we teach is true, they will grow closer to Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ, but also to each other.  The kids are so willing and ready to learn, and their mom has been searching for a church but hasn't found one she feels is true.  As we knelt in prayer at the end of the lesson, she thanked Heavenly Father for letting her meet us (by name) at the crisis center and for leading us to follow up with her and her family.  It's moments like that when I am reminded of the importance of the work I am doing.  I know Heavenly Father continues placing me where I need to be, and around certain people every single moment of every day.  I know I am being carried and lead by unseen hands, and am so grateful to know some of those unseen hands who I know are up there doing the same work I am. 
I can't wait to see the miracles that are just waiting to happen here in Iowa City this transfer.  We are all learning, stretching, and growing into who Heavenly Father needs us to become.  I am grateful for the reminder yesterday in church to always submit my will to the Father's will...that as I do that, the miracles come.  I know that there are so many people searching for the truth everywhere we go; and even at home!  I am happy to hear of the work progressing around the world, and I am so grateful to be a part of it at this time and forever more.  I didn't go to the MTC for 2 weeks and serving my mission for a year and a half: I am in the MTC for a year and a half and on my mission for the rest of my life!!! :) 
Love Always,
Sister Natalia Alston

Introducing baby JUNEBUG! AKA: Sister Campbell

Transfer #3 Arrives!

Holy Cow, I can't believe transfers is this week already!  AND some more exciting news as always!!!  

TRANSFER DOCTRINE

1. I will be staying here in Iowa City at least one more transfer

2. We are moving into a member's basement!

3. I will be finish-training Sister Hill 

4. I will be training another new sister!  (Yes, I now have TWINS!!!...haha) She is a visa waiter to Brazil, so we'll be in a tri for a transfer or so.  

5. I was called as a sister training leader!

Apparently I have a lot of growing and learning to do out here on my mission, but I know through the strength of the Lord I can do hard things... I can do all things with Him! :)

This week was full of exciting events, we found a few more solid investigators which is always nice!  Jacob is the YSA Sister's neighbor who approached them and wanted to know what they did, and we get to teach him!  He grew up Baptist, but really likes and believes what we teach.  We had an amazing church tour with him, and taught him the restoration.  The spirit was so strong and he felt like it was right and good.  Trisha continues to progress and is getting more and more involved with the ward and constantly wants to read more church books (has already gotten through Teachings of the Living Prophets : Lorenzo Snow...so we gave her the Joseph Smith one)... SHE IS AMAZING!  She was so excited when we talked about the temple and the work that is done there...and can't wait to do the work for her ancestors!  We will be teaching her about family history and familysearch this week so that will be fun!  I know Heavenly Father is very much aware of her and her situation, and will provide a way for her to receive the many blessings and miracles in store for her.  We were at an apartment complex (we call it "little Chicago") the other day, and a man walked by and asked us if we were the Mormons...not knowing they sent out girls on missions now and asked is we could stop by sometime.  We did and found out he had the weirdest thought to talk to us as he passed, and made the connection with Alston to Walter Alston of the Dodgers...and took that as a sign or something... haha.  He's awesome and I'm excited to see him progress and come to know for himself that this church is true.  He has always believed there should be a prophet on the earth today, so when we taught him about the restoration he got really excited!  It was great! :)

On Friday night we had the incredible opportunity to go clean the temple!!!  IT WAS AMAZING!!!  We cleaned the sconces in the sealing rooms, and were able to walk around a bit.  What an incredible experience to be in Heavenly Father's house, to clean it and make sure it is perfect for him and for those to visit the next day.  As we walked into the celestial room, I felt so much love and warmth and peace... just what I needed.  I just felt at home.  The truly is what the temple is...it's home...it's what we are all striving for, to make it back to live with our Father in Heaven and with our families forever.  I am so grateful for the temple and the blessings the comfort that come from it.  After we finished cleaning, they took us up into the bell tower...a tall spiral staircase all the way up to the top where Moroni is!!!  It was so amazing!  We looked out of a window and saw the statue of Joseph and Hyrum Smith on their horses, leaving Nauvoo, with the Mississippi River in the background and an overwhelming spirit came over me.

I love this gospel, and know it is true.  Even though days get tough... I know that there are always better and amazing days around the corner. (Thanks dad) haha.   I love you all and pray for you always!!!

With Love,

Sister Natalia Alston

Pretty skies before a storm rolling in

The district

District Leader; Elder Steele!

Elder Heap goes home this week!

The temple at 10:00 at night...I went up in the bell tower!! CRAZY COOL!!

The sisters of the district 

Lovin' us some corn!!