September 16

Dear Family,

R. got baptized!! It was such an incredible day! He made so many changes in his life because he knew it was true. When he received the Holy Ghost I lost it. It was such a powerful moment for me, because having that gift is something he desperately needed in his life. I truly have so much love for that man.

Our new companion Sister Lagrosa is awesome! We click really well and she is super energetic and loves to work. She has been out 3 months now, and she is a convert herself to the church. She is the only member in her whole family, and its so neat to learn from her and her perspective on things as a new convert to the church! She had to make so many changes in her lifestyle as well and its just so amazing all her experiences she's been through. This church is true, my friends!

We are beginning to do service for a baptist women, A. She is HILARIOUS. This morning as we were helping her she talked about how amazing us Mormon sisters are. She then told us if we had ever heard of the Latter Day Saints? And that church has been such a help to her. We had to inform her we were the same church! Then later in the conversation she talked about how much "helping hands" has helped her and once gave her 2500 dollars. We had to inform her again that, that too was a part of her church. She was blown away. Its so neat how much this gospel helps others in all aspects. We actually are teaching her tomorrow for the first time too, so exciting stuff!

We are teaching a family that is very devout. They are a little intimidating but with the spirit all things a possible. ha ha. The father is a great man and when we first met him in his southern drawl he told us, "The only two things that matter are God...and Texas football!" ha ha a true Texan.

I love this work so much. As a sister training leader I get so many opportunities to train and teach other missionaries. Yes can you believe it, me speaking in public.. and I actually am learning to like it. ha ha. This week I had the privledge of speaking to the missionaries in a conference call on how our attitude makes or breaks our mission. Something I truly have seen for myself. I got a lot of good feedback saying it really pumped up the missionaries. So that was a neat experience. And I cannot believe how fast it is going!

I am getting excited for General Conference that is coming up in a few weeks! What a great time to receive revelation for ourselves from our prophets and apostles called by God.

I know this Gospel is true. I know the Book of Mormon to be the Word of God. I am almost done reading it a 3rd time through now. I am beginning the New Testament as well, and loving it. Read your scriptures people! ha. So much power!

Love each and every one of you!
Sister Turner

Our goodbyes (transfer day)

 R.'s big day!

New companionship with R.

September 9

Dear Family,

History was made in the Texas Lubbock Mission. We got an additional 32 new missionaries this transfer, making 256 missionaries in our mission now! Its crazy. ha.

This week we witnessed a miracle. There sure is power in fasting, let me tell you. R. is so excited for his baptism, and thanks us every day for changing his life.  He has completely changed in the past month we have been teaching him. I think my testimony of the Atonement really grew this transfer. His family and friends around him are shocked at the difference, in fact we should have a referral coming from him soon. His neighbors are interested in talking to us, so thats exciting! So as long as he stays clean, we should be having a baptism this Saturday. Please keep him in your prayers.

We went on exchanges again this week to Monahans. I am beginning to know West Texas very well. haha.

Transfer calls were Saturday. Sister Tooley and I will be staying, and we will be getting a new sister, Sister Lagrossa who just got done training. Sister Bradford will be going to Brownwood, so hopefully I will still be her sister training leader! We are getting more and more investigators and teaching opportunities. Its exciting, but of course exhausting. I pray for the strength everyday.

Alma 38:5. Replace Shiblons name with ya'lls. Its comforting to know he will help us through anything! Love and miss you all!

Sister Turner

September 3

Dear Family,

R. is doing incredible! My testimony of the atonement has increased immensely! We found out he had another addiction, but for over a week now he eats peaches instead ;) ha ha. He hasn't touched coffee, and he only smokes every once in awhile due to stress, and soon that will be over! He is truly a different man than when I first met him. He even is working on his language and watching his swearing problem. His family, even though not totally for us, has seen the change in him and is shocked.

We were so excited for him to come to testimony meeting this week, but he told us he had made a promise to someone else to go to their church and he felt he couldn't break that promise. He told us he knows the church is true, but he is a man of his word. I was really sad, because I know what an impact fast and testimony meeting can have on others. We fasted as a companionship that day and in the morning he came and found us and told us he knows this church is true, and its his church, and he had to come. All three of us bore our testimonies for him, and he said he never had felt the spirit that strongly before and we made him cry.

Ha ha funny story. He noticed the pulpit going up and down for the speakers and he asked us if the spirit did that!? ha we had to break the news and tell him no.. it was by the push of a button. We were cracking up! ha ha.

He has been talking about Alma 32 and Lehi's vision about the tree. He said he is a tree that is full of bugs and disease, and he can't wait to be clean again and sitting in the sunshin "shakin his leaves." ha ha if only you could hear his voice. He is constantly teasing us, and he always prays to God and thanks him for how awesome he is and that he gave him and us a sense of humor. We have pretty much taught him everything we can, and he wants to know more. He just eats it up. The only thing that is holding him back is the Word of Wisdom. He is for sure getting baptized on the 14th. We may be transferred, but he told us he will make us proud if we do leave, but hopes we all stay. Because I am in training I think we will stay, but you really never know. I would love to be there for his baptism, but I am still happy either way.

He is very sick, but has such a positive attitude, he always says even if he dies at least he was able to die the right way, and be baptized by the proper authority. Wow what an incredible man he is, I really feel like this is why I am here. To meet him. I just know it. I get emotional just thinking about it. I feel like I have known him my whole life. I truly love him. I do. The pure love of Christ is an incredible thing. I wish ya'll could see and feel the experiences I go through, but I hope I can do some justice in my emails.

Today we leave for Monahans to do some training for sisters there. Then Friday I am up in Lubbock for a training meetings. Its hard on me having to leave my area so much and my investigators, but I know the Lord is helping us and is taking care of Midland 3rd since i'm helping others.

Game day was a lot of fun, but it made me grateful for the work as well. I was sun burnt and exhausted by the end. ha ha. 

Love and miss all of you!

Sister Turner

August 26

Dear Family,

This week we are really beginning to see progression in our area!  We are teaching more than ever! R is doing really well! He came to church, and he is doing better with his smoking every day. He is thinking baptism for the 15th of September. Which is after transfers so we are praying we all stay for it. I really have grown to care for that man. I always tell him he's my Home Boy in Christ. ha. No but really he's been through so much and is so sick, and the gospel truly is changing him. Its neat to see the change. He still has more things to learn but I know he'll be well prepared by then. He is beginning to see the changes in himself too, which is awesome!

We had a county Fair for our ward, and that was a big success. We had one of our investigators there, A. She seemed to enjoy herself. There was food and lots of games and the members were very welcoming to her. A member in our ward who was baptized not too long ago he has a dancing horse, and so we had some great entertainment too! ha

School started back up today here in Midland. Probably the fastest "summer" of my life. ha ha. We are having our game day this Wednesday as a zone. I can't wait to see President Augustin play baseball. ha ha.

I love this work so much. However there are some days where I honestly don't know how I make it. I remember though that the Lord is always there for me, and thank goodness I don't have to get through the tough times on my own. May we apply that to all our trials in life. I know this gospel is true, and what an opportunity it is for me to help others come to that truth for themselves. Love and miss each and every one of you!

Love,
Sister Turner

Training sisters in San Angelo

Training Sisters in Brownwood

Brother Flores and his dancing horse

August 19

Dear Family,

This week we set a baptismal date with R for September 7th! At first he didn't understand the proper aurthority of baptism and didn't think he needed to be rebaptized. But we showed him both in the bible and in the Book of Mormon where not only authority is important but you must recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. And then everything clicked for him and he realized when he was baptized he did not recieve that. It was so cool to see the change of heart in him!

 

On Saturday we took a leap of faith and decided to teach him word of wisdom. I felt impressed that even though we haven't taught many of the lessons yet, he really needed to understand the importance of the word of wisdom before he could really progress.

 

He loves his cofee and his cigarettes but I trusted in the Lord that if he really was ready and prepared the spirit would teach him the importance of it. And WOW was my testimony stregthened. As we were teaching him he first said there is no way he could give it up, the more we taught the more he began to understand. He then said he would try to cut back to 4 cigarettes a day. And then by the end he handed me his box of Cigarettes and told us he really wants to quit so that he can be baptized(pretty sure my jaw was open that whole lesson) ha. I truly feel the Lord is preparing him. I am so excited for him and the steps he is making to come closer to Christ. I know God is so proud of him, because I can feel his love.

 

He told us in the past he has been taught by missionaries but they were so uptight and he was honestly just listening to be nice. Now he said he is REALLY listening and he is amazed we are able to answer all his questions. I informed him that its not our work, its the Lords. And he is beginning to recognize this. This gospel is so incredible and I love every minute of this work. Somehow even the bad, because I know the Lord is wanting me to learn something.

 

I have other really great news. N who we were teaching in my last area who was from Lousiana. We lost contact with him and it was really sad, but the sisters there now got a hold of him again and are teaching him again and reset his baptismal date! I am so happy!

 

I also got proposed to this week.. very interesting. ha ha. Lots of stories to share with ya'll when I get home.

 

President had an announcement to make and we all got on a conference call. We were all making our predictions mine being that we were going to start having that new technology they were talking about back in the braodcast a few months ago. We were all wrong. President wants to have a fun field/game day next week to end the summer. I was in shock. I was like, is this President? ha ha. So we get a day off next week which will be a change.

 

I love this gospel so much. I know with all my heart this is Christ's church once again established on the earth, with the authority again to perform those saving ordicances nessesary to return to live with our Loving Heavenly Father.

 

Love you all!

Sister Turner