Enduring it Well

Well...not going to lie.  This has been the hardest week of my mission, emotionally.  However, it has also been one in which I have been able to learn and grow and completely rely on Heavenly Father and feel his love more than ever before.  The week started off really great, having an amazing lesson with Donny Tuesday morning - finally getting him and Nellie to the church to show him around a bit, and to get him a blessing to help him quit smoking.  As we were walking around the church, he loved all the pictures of Christ, and took time to really look at the paintings and talk about them.  It was really cool to feel of his love for the Savior, and to see how his testimony has grown so rapidly the past couple weeks.  After the blessing, we went into the chapel and talked about the importance of the sacrament.  When asked how he felt, he said "well...I think I need to start coming Sundays".  He continued to talk about how he is so grateful for the support he feels, and how he feels it is right in his heart.  He knows it's going to be hard, but he wants it so bad.

 Tuesday continued to go really well.  We were finally able to meet with Lydia again and teach her more of the restoration.  She wonders about there being one true church, but said she would experiment and see what happens.  It was neat to hear more of her story; growing up in church and believing in God, then falling away a bit later, and now has a very strong testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  She is the single mom of 3 adorable little boys, and we are excited to continue working with her.  After Lydia, we saw Alexis outside her house (a former investigator) so we walked over there and said hi and found out she had lost her job and is looking for a new one...and even opened up the Book of Mormon a couple times.  She said she is still open to learning more, especially now that her schedule is more open.  We walked over to Cedric and Carrie's to see how they were doing, and ended up helping them in their yard for a while.  Carrie wanted to make sure she got all our information so when we leave, we can stay in contact; it was awesome!  We then went down to see Brittany, Chris, and Phoenix and they had some questions about the Plan of Salvation.  It's really cool to see how their desire to learn has grown and they truly want to know if this is true.  Phoenix is 8, and will be getting baptized on the 27th of this month; which will hopefully help Brittany and Chris feel the spirit more and want to be baptized themselves.

Wednesday...Nellie had invited us over for lunch and to help plant the garden with Donny, so we go out there with Rachael and find out that the garden wasn't hoed yet and we couldn't plant...but she still made us a delicious lunch of chicken pot pie, bbq chicken, and pecan pie. :)  We are so spoiled!  So we ate, and talked for a bit, then headed back into town.  We met with a less active, and while we were there got 2 missed calls from Sister Jensen.  When we got out of that lesson and drove to our next appointment, figured we should probably call Sister Jensen back.  So I do...and she tells me I needed to call home because my dad had called.  At this point, I knew something was wrong, just didn't know exactly what.  So I take a couple deep breaths and call my dad, who proceeds to tell me the Grandpa Ted had passed away.  Wow.  Wasn't expecting that one at all.  My heart just fell and I tried to stay composed, but it didn't really work.  Got to talk to him for a bit, then Tasia, and then called mom and grandma to see how they were doing.  Found out that the little stinker had gotten back into Arizona the night before, and took Taylor out for dinner!  What a tender mercy!  ...he was always one to be a rebel and break the rules.  ;P  So pretty much the rest of the day I was useless.  I tried really hard to be okay with it, but I wasn't okay.  Grandpa Ted is one of my best friends, and I thought he was going to live forever!  It's been a couple days now, and I am okay...but it is still hard to think about going home and not having him there.  I am so grateful for so many wonderful memories with him though.  Memories that I will cherish forever.  I still feel in denial a little bit, but it will just take time. I know he is okay, that now I just have one more angel alongside me to help me along in the work.  I guess he was just jealous of his 3 grandchildren serving missions and wanted to serve another one too!  I could go on for days of how this has been a rollercoaster ride, but just know that I am grateful for the knowledge I have of the Plan of Salvation.  I was able to go to the temple Friday night and being there I was reminded of the beautiful blessing and knowledge we have of eternal families.  Rachael reminded me of Uchtdorf's talk just this past conference about how we are made up of eternal stuff.  We were not made for goodbyes.  That is why it's so hard to lose loved ones.  We need to remember that "There are no true endings, only EVERLASTING BEGINNINGS."  I am grateful I will always remember Grandpa as his crazy, spontaneous, rebel self...because when I see him again...I know he will be alive and well.  (Probably just as crazy, too).  I am grateful Heavenly Father kept me here in Keokuk so I could be surrounded by support at this time.  I am so grateful to have the support system I do both here and at home.  THANK YOU!!!!!

Thursday was a new day.  However, a few days previous I had been asked to give a training on "Enduring it Well" for district meeting.  Fitting, right?  haha.  Yeah... now we know why I was asked to train on that!  Talked about how we will be able to endure all things as we 1)strengthen our personal testimonies; which gives us the eternal perspective necessary to see past our trials.  2) Humble ourselves and rely on the Lord, remembering that "Without him, we are nothing."  and 3) Repentance.  Using the atonement daily to become who Heavenly Father needs us to become.  "Knowing who we are, we should never give up the goal of achieving our eternal destiny."  As children of our Father in Heaven, we have so much potential than we can imagine in our earthly state.  This life is so much more than our earthly existence.  There is so much to come, and so much to look forward to.  I had to buck up and move on (just as grandpa would tell me to)... and go on exchanges with the Macomb sisters for the rest of Thursday.  It was rough, but we had fun and saw many miracles.  We decided that our theme for exchanges this transfer is FUN... full of fun-dips, forts, facials, finding... ALL THINGS FUN! :)  Yep...that's sister Pratt and I for ya! haha... so it ended up being really good, and the sisters appreciated it.

Saturday was the branch Easter egg hunt!  ...there were about as many non-members as there were members!!! It was amazing!  Biggest turnout I've ever seen at an activity, it was a miracle!  It was so fun, and so good to get our investigators more associated with the members in the branch. 

I guess that's about it for the week... not really... there's a lot more.  BUT UNCLE DAN THINKS MY EMAILS ARE LIKE BOOKS so I figured I'd keep this one "short" haha.  Sorry Uncle Dan! Love you!

 anyways, I am so grateful for this time that I have the privilege to be on a mission.  I am constantly reminded that even though I am in the refiner's fire, the refiner (God) is in control.  I am grateful for his love, and all he continues to bless me with.  I am grateful for my trials, and for the strength and courage and refinement they give me.  I know it is through divine revelation to the prophets that we are able to know about the Plan of Salvation.  I am so grateful Heavenly Father has blessed me with so many angels, both on earth and above, to watch after me and help me along.  The work continues.  On both sides of the veil. 

Love Always,

Sister Natalia Alston      

PS... it was 75 Saturday, and now it's a blizzard outside...what the?

Fun dips, facials and forts! We know how to do exchanges...fun! 

Easter Egg Hunt

we are so cute 

This is Charley Scudder. The day I met him, he reminded me of Grandpa Ted. Personality and everything. Now I just want to hang out with Charley all the time. haha

nail party

cutest puppy ever!!