May 25, 2014: That One Time I Taught My Dad On Skype..

Okay..one of the coolest things I've ever done on the mission so far? 

    Teach my dad the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ on skype! I feel so so blessed to have been able to do this. As I wrote last week, I received permission from President Pingree (mission president) to skype my dear old dad :) It was so fun to "plan" a lesson and prepare for this moment. I thought I would have to wait until after my mission to be able to teach him but now I get to do it as a full time missionary. President has given us full permission to teach him as frequently as we'd teach any other investigator so...I get to do this a lot now!

This week was just so awesome! On Thursday, we drove down to Houston for a Zone Conference where we learned all about putting God first in our lives. Sometimes, we have the tendency to look for the approval of man before we look for the approval of God. The only person's opinion who truly matters is God's. President used several examples from the scriptures and here's a quote that President Benson said, “The proud stand more in fear of men’s judgment than of God’s judgment.  ‘What will men think of me?’ weighs heavier than ‘What will God think of me?’ . . . The proud love ‘the praise of men more than the praise of God’." I never thought that I'd have my standards and beliefs so tested while being a missionary...I was so grateful for this zone conference because it just drilled into my head, "only God's approval matters." At the end of the zone conference, there was some time left over for missionaries to volunteer to share their testimonies of the Savior in front of everyone. I didn't really want to do it because speaking in front of a huge group of missionaries scares me...But when President said, "Does anyone's heart just burn right now? Who needs to share their testimony?" my heart was literally "pricked" like it says in Acts 2:37 and it began to pound. I knew that I needed to share my testimony. Hermana Crandall turned to me and said, "You need to get up there!" So I hesitantly raised my hand and President called me forward. A few missionaries went before me but when it was my turn, I had no idea what I was going to say! I got up there and bore a simple testimony. I know that Jesus Christ lives and through Him, we can live again...As I finished speaking and turned around, President stood up and led me back to the pulpit. He said, "Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Immediately, I knew what he was going to ask. I nodded my head and he said into the mic, "You have a very important appointment tomorrow night, right? Who is it with?" I smiled and said, "My dad." He asked me to explain and as I did, I watched the jaws of many missionaries drop to the floor. After the conference, President came up to me and said, "I thought we were going to keep this as our little secret?" (He had asked me not to tell anyone that I was going to skype my dad because that could cause some issues with other missionaries wanting to skype nonmember friends and family.) I responded, "I know! I was so confused when you did that!" He said that he just felt like he really needed to do that...A lot of missionaries came up to me and asked me more about it and they were so excited for me.. I feel like I had an army of friends and family behind Hermana Crandall and I as we taught my dad..

On Saturday, we drove down to Houston (again) to meet the Huntsville Hermanas, Jo Ann Stanford, and Victor Lopez at the temple! It was Victor's first time going in (he's been a member for like 5 years) and he was so happy and excited! Ah..I love the temple.

I love this work..I read a sweet quote the other day that said something along the lines of, "You've had eternity to prepare for your mission and you'll have an eternity to reflect on it. But you only have 18 months (or two years) to live it." I want to live EVERY second of this mission and not let a second pass me by!

I know that this really is Christ's church and this is the way to eternal, everlasting joy.

                        Driving to zone conference and my bottle of water decides to leak all over me..

                                                                           

                                                                            I love you all!

                                                                   Hermana Emma Seymour

ILOVETEXAS

I love Texas! I seriously think I might want to live here after my mission..I now understand why no one leaves this place!

Our week was kinda weird..We're working on finding our inactives/less actives and teaching them..And we've seen great, miraculous success. I feel so grateful for the opportunity that I have each day to pick people up through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We taught one less active, who has been working hard on going back to the temple, all about the Atonement. She felt like she was never going to be ready or forgiven. My heart hurt for her..I felt a little bit of her pain and we taught her that Christ's arms are ALWAYS open. There is always a way back. My goodness, so much peace fills me as I think that we are never too far gone or lost! 

I love being a missionary and a representative of Jesus Christ. I know that the Lord lets us pass through certain trials so that one day, we'll be able to help someone who is going through a similar problem. I feel so much closer to the Savior because He felt everything we feel so that He could know how to help us. In the Book of Mormon, Alma teaches us this (Alma 7:11-13): 11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of  his people. 12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. 13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold,  this is the testimony which is in me.

This coming week we have zone conference, Hermana Crandall and I are going down to Houston for a baptism of a girl she taught for 6 months, and we (hermana hosking, fletcher, and I and our companions) are taking Victor Lopez to the temple for the first time! wahoo! Victor was one of the less actives I worked with in Huntsville and now he's active!

Friday, Hermana Crandall and I had a very...interesting/bad experience that led us to receive a Priesthood blessing from the Bishop. This was the first blessing that I ever received in spanish and wow..I understood it all! I felt so much peace afterwards and it strengthened my testimony that God truly talks through His servants. 

We did an exchange with the Bryan english sisters and so I stayed behind in Brazos and Sister Lambright came to me..I taught every single lesson, all on my own because Sister Lambright doesn't know a lick of spanish..I could feel God blessing me with the words I needed to say and I was just so amazed by how much I knew..All the credit definitely goes to God.

Well..that's life!

 

But wait! Super duper awesome news? I received permission from my mission president to teach my dad via skype! So hopefully we'll be starting that this week! wahoo!!

                     grumpy cat..the Bustamante boys painted her pink she was a wee bit grumpy.

       while driving along on the dirt roads..we found some puddles and took the nice white truck                   through them...with our elders in the back..as you can see, Elder Howe got soaked.

     it was just hermana crandall, me, and 6 elders..wooo girl power! 

we stopped at a delicious place called Texas Burger :)

                              last pday..we went fishing! on the way to the river, we crammed 8 missionaries        into a truck..three of them were in the way back..one of them was elder howe..he had way too much fun.

I love you all and I know this work is God's work.

Hermana Emma Seymour 

May 12, 2014: I Love My Mom

Howdy fam!!

This week was fantastic! On Tuesday, we drove down to Houston and dropped Hermana Bruneel off at the mission home..She's back in Idaho now! My heart was racing as we waited for the transfer sheet to be distributed..This sheet has all of the companionship assignments, who's going where, etc..The sheets got passed around and I looked anxiously to see who my new companion was going to be..Hermana Crandall!!!

I think Heavenly Father has a sense of humor with me..Why? My past four companions (except for Hermana Bruneel) were all in the same MTC district (small group of missionaries) last March...Small world moment: When I was at BYU, I went to the temple one day and I met Hermana Crandall while she was in the MTC! I never would've guessed that we'd be companions seeing that I was assigned to be an English missionary and she was a Spanish missionary..But as yall know, yo hablo a little espanol :)

Hermana Crandall and I have been like best friends from day one..and as if life couldn't get any better, my trainer (first companion), Sister Schellhous, is now serving in the Bryan english ward so we see each other all the time!

This week has been filled with miracles..So we're trying to find people to teach..How do you do that? work! Hermana Crandall loves "finding" so for a couple nights we went to a member's home, shared a message with them, and pulled out a map of Bryan/College Station. We said a prayer and explained that we wanted them to choose where we needed to go...So they pointed on the map to a place where they felt like there was someone ready to hear the Gospel..And guess what? We've found people!

I don't really know what else to say haha..I feel like I told yall everything when I skyped yesterday!

 This week I've had the opportunity to study more on charity and christ-like love..So what is charity? Charity is the pure love of Christ. It is to love someone as the Savior loves them..In 1 Corinthians 13 (new testament), the Apostle Paul describes charity as the greatest gift of all. You can have the faith to move mountains but if you do not have charity, "you are nothing". crazy right? During the Relief Society (womens group) lesson at church yesterday, we listed all of the attributes a mother has (selfless, your best friend, etc.) and what mothers are to us. Then the teacher asked, now which of these attributes does the Savior have? All of them! It hit me like a ton of bricks, my mother is an incredible example of christ-like love, of charity. My mother is the most Christ-like person I know and I owe her the world for everything that she has given me..I love you mom!

The Church released a video for mother's day  and you can find at:motherhood.mormon.org

 Check it out!

Well, I know this is short, but know that I love yall! Give your mama a great big hug!!

Hermana Crandall and I! 

some texas wildflowers 

some of the flavors..

texas shaped waffles? wahoo!

Hermana Urbina modeling for Blue Bell ice cream. We went to the Blue Bell factory for pday last week..So fun! We got to see how all of the ice cream is made and at the end, free ice cream! I feel sorry for yall because Blue Bell is only sold in the south..It's seriously the greatest ice cream in the world.

summer has arrived.

Love,

Hermana Emma Seymour

May 5, 2014: Another New Transfer!

Welp..Hermana Bruneel is packing her bags and going to the land of endless pdays and potatoes (Idaho)...needless to say, I don't want to say goodbye!

Each week of the mission is always so different and filled with so many miracles..On Tuesday, Hermana Bruneel went down to Houston for a meeting and I went with the Traditions Sisters for the day..aka...Texas A&M! Ah! I lived the English missionary's dream and served on campus..for just a day..But it was so so fun! We worked in our area until 2 and then drove down to College Station and walked to campus..Man, the campus is absolutely gorgeous! Like more beautiful than BYU (except..you're not surrounded by mountains). We stood right in the middle of a square where the most foot traffic was and talked to as many people as possible, trying to find the "elect". It was very challenging at first because people are used to missionaries standing there so they walk right on by. This means you have like 5 seconds to get someone's attention and draw them in. I'll admit, it takes serious practice! There was one girl that we offered a pass along card to but she said, "I'm Catholic." and walked away..It was very weird because the girl actually stopped to talked to us rather than continue walking. Sister Maughan (my temporary companion) and I looked at each other and watched the girl walk away slowly. She walked for 20 feet and then turned back and came to us. She said, "All y'all Christians?" Um. Yes. Of course we're Christians!!!! It made me really think, there are so many misconceptions about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! For those of you who read my letters and aren't members of the Church, WE BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST.

The girl then asked us a few more questions and said that a lot of her cousins were LDS..She eventually accepted our Mormon.org pass along card and number..I love little these little experiences...Planting seeds that will one day grow and they'll be ready to hear the gospel.

super white. this is Sister Maughan! We actually have a ton of mutual friends from byu! We had a blast together and I miss her already!

After my day with Sister Maughan, Hermana Bruneel and I went to Melissa and Jose Rios' to teach them the Restoration! This is the couple that the first counselor told us to teach..Well, the lesson went really well and Melissa is set to be baptized on May 17th..wahoo! We could tell that her husband has some doubts about it all but we taught very clearly that all he has to do is read and pray. He had looked up a lot of stuff online about the Book of Mormon but he never thought to go to the actual source! So we invited him to read the Book of Mormon. We also asked him if he'd get baptized then..he responded with a smile, "It's a possibility.."

Saturday was just nuts...In the afternoon, we went to contact a referral and Hermana Bruneel heard the phone beep...President Pingree was calling..My heart dropped...It's never a good thing when he calls lol..But it was! He told me that my brother is getting married! What the what?!? And he's being deployed to Japan! President then said something unexpected, "I'd like you to call him and talk to him." For those of you that are unfamiliar with the mission rules...this is totally unheard of...So I got to talk to my awesome brother for a little bit because I won't be able to on Mother's Day..I love you, Matt!

We had zone meeting this past week and the lesson was on agency..We talked about how Christ used His agency to do the will of the Father..As He gave up everything for the cause of others, he gained EVERYTHING. And contrast this to Satan..He used his agency to do his own will, to disobey..And the result of it? He lost everything..

How are we using our agency? Isn't it so interesting how Heavenly Father asks for the one thing we truly own? Our agency. We were sent here to do what He wants us to do because he knows that this is how we return!

Bottom line: Keep the commandments people! "Keeping divine commandmentsbrings blessings, every time! Breaking divine commandments brings a loss ofblessings, every time." -Elder Nelson..

It's so simple. That is the gospel of Jesus Christ. So simple that even a child can understand it.

We had the privilege of participating in stake conference this past weekend..President Prier, the stake president, spoke of the Lord's hastened work. The "work" is all encompassing..it is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man..So temple work, missionary work, less active  member work etc..it's a "all-in-one" sort of deal. The Lord's work has been hastened and it will continue to move forward WITH OR WITHOUT US..To reiterate the words of President Uchtdorf, are we sleeping through the Restoration? Wake up people because time is running out!

Every second counts.

I know that Christ lives and He is the leader of this church.

She taught me how to make the tortillas..it's a serious art! And how to flip them-with your bare fingers touching the pan..Mexican woman do not have any nerves on their fingers for this reason...lets just say...I had some serious hot flashes!

so....Hispanics really like Mary the mother of Jesus..and they like to have shrines in their front yard..whatever floats their boat?

my dinner last night.. so simple but so delicious!

 and this is Elder Howe..no further explanation needed.

the legend..Hermana Rivera aka..Bishop's wife..She is one of the few in the ward that makes home made flour tortillas..why? because they take a lot of work to make them! But since she loves the missionaries so much, she makes them for us :)

We practically had a party at their house last night..a few families from the ward came to say goodbye to Hermana Bruneel..Hermana Rivera also made Tres Leches cake..aka..heaven.

this cutie pie dressed up for cinco de mayo at school!

6 letters in one night? partayyy!

Love,

Hermana Emma Seymour