February 24

Dear Family,

Wow what an incredible week! Probably one of the most amazing weeks I have had thus far on my mission. G. was baptized! Thank you for all the prayers! He truly is going to be a leader for his people. After his baptism he came up to me and Sister Soules, and said one day there will be a temple in Nepal!

We had an amazing opportunity this week to teach Ganesh in President and Sister Augustin's home. One of the coolest, most spiritual experiences, yet very intimidating to have them there at the same time! ha ha.

Well transfer news came in. I will be staying here in College Park for my last transfer. My companion Sister Soules is being transferred to a family ward in Lubbock so I will still get to see her. We both are still STL's and we will be training our companions who will be STLS for the first time. Sister Barlow is my companion, and she is [AWESOME]. She is a super hard worker, so its going to be a great transfer!!

I feel so honored to have had this opportunity to serve the Lord full time, and be a representative of Jesus Christ. I would be lying if I said it was all easy, but the trials I have gone through and the things I have learned have made me a better person, and I know its just preparing me for future life.

We are working with so many great people right now! The Lord's work truly is hastening! Whether ya'll want to be a part of it or not, it really is hastening! I have seen it right before my own eyes this past year and a half. 

Love you all and have a great week!

Sister Turner

All of us.
A. on the right is his best friend who we are also teaching!

G.'s baptism

February 17

Dear Family,

Wow the Lord's work is hastening! This week on Wednesday we had 7 member present lessons!! My head was going to explode with all the spiritual experiences we had that day! [Our investigator] G. is so close! As long as everything goes according to plan he should be getting baptized this Saturday! I can't remember if I have told ya'll too much about him, but he is from Nepal, and comes from a Hindu background. Its been so neat to see his progression, and to find Christ!

It was 89 degrees the other day. ha ha. Texas weather is so bipolar. 

I had the opportunity to teach Zone Training, that was awesome! President heard of some of the ideas I came up with for more affective church tours, and wants me to teach at MLC again (Missionary Leadership training). I thought my time teaching there was done.. .ha ha guess not. I always get so nervous teaching to the leaders of the mission cause they are all so incredible!

We have two more exchanges to do this week with sisters. It has kept us extremely busy! Transfer calls are this weekend...It will be interesting to see what happens.

We had church this Sunday at a new time and a new building due to the ward changes! Our meeting is now right after Regal Park ward, so it was so great to see many old faces! :)

Lately I have grown a strong testimony of daily scripture study. It truly makes a difference!
Sorry not too much to say this week! Love and miss you all!
Sister Turner

Nepali night! Best food ever!

February 10

Dear Family,

Our investigator G. had a pretty cool spiritual experience this week! The other day he asked us if we could send him more chapters from the Book of Mormon to read. We had a really busy day so we never got back to him. So he decided to pray about it. The spirit told him to read a speech.. he didn't know what speeches were in the BOM but he felt impressed he needed to read it. So he searched and found King Benjamins Sermon. Later the next day we left a note on his door and felt impressed to leave him the Mosiah Chapters for King Benjamins sermon! He was amazed we left him the same chapters that he felt impressed to read from his prayer. The spirit works in the coolest ways! Especially when we follow his promptings!

So we got a new car! After MLC (missionary leadership council) All the Zone leaders were informed they were getting brand new trucks! It was like Christmas! They were all parked out in a row in the parking lot. Then we were informed we were getting a new car too!! A new MOM VAN! ha ha. Sister Augustin laughed as we drove away and told us that was our future... as soccer moms ;) ha ha.

We went on 2 exchanges this week. One with Sister Tooley my old companion, so that was fun to see her! It was bike day and we woke up to a surprise... SNOW. So that was fun! ha ha.

The work is hastening and the Gospel here in Lubbock is spreading! Yesterday we had ward Conference and President Shumway( the stake president) talked about his vision again. "The vision of the vine" The vision he had years ago that there would one day be two stakes in Lubbock. And that soon will be a reality! Yesterday a new ward was created and 3 other ward boundaries were changed! These are exciting times!

The church is true my friends. My mission has really opened my eyes and taught me whats really important in life. I just hope I can truly find a balance when I get home! 

Love you all!

Sister Turner

Bike day in the snow

Sister Training leaders at MLC (so many of us now! :)

One of my favorite senior couples, the Kelly's, on their last day

February 3

Dear Family,

Wow the Lord truly is blessing us. This week we were CRAZY BUSY. So busy that we literally were running from appointment to appointment. I think the Lord...is blessing me with keeping me very busy so I don't think about home.

We had Zone Conference this week! It was incredible. It was sad because it was my very last one. The instruction given and the spirit there always pumps me up! I was involved in a role play and I was the "member present" as the missionaries taught an investigator. It really hit me that soon that truly would be my role. That I no longer would be the full time missionary, and no longer the teacher, but the fellowshipper and friend. It broke my heart to know my journey here can't stay forever, but I am so grateful for my incredible experiences that I have had, and honestly my mission has made me know how to be the best member missionary, because before I honestly just had no clue.

This weekend we took one of our investigators to a baptism. Little did I know the baptism was someone in Regal Park!!! I got to see all my recent converts and the members! It was such a tender mercy! The ward and the missionary work has just sky rocketed since I left! The man who got baptized married his wife a little over 18 years ago, when they were newly weds she joined the church but he never really wanted to be a part of it. It took him 18 years before joining her in the Lords Kingdom! I was in shock when I saw him because when we would go over there to teach his family, he was always nice but never interested. It just shows its all in the Lord's timing! T., an investigator I taught a year ago, who I had one of the most amazing spiritual experiences with giving her achurch tour was there too! The sisters just started teaching her again! So I just was overjoyed! Of course seeing Sandy was the biggest blessing though! She plans on going through the temple very soon, and it is just a blessing I get to be a part of that experience with her!

I just feel the Lord is truly showing me and pouring down blessings of all the hard work I have done over the course of my mission! F, one of the people I knocked into a year ago that we contacted, went missing in action for like 2 weeks. I was so sad, but last night he called! And he said he was so sorry he hasn't gotten back to us, but just a lot has been going on, we told him  how Heavenly Father loves him and is so aware of him, or he wouldn't have led us to him! He told us thankyou and said he is so grateful he hadn't completely given up yet. We are meeting with him this week. :) I am SO excited!

...

I love you all so much!! The church is SO true. I have witnessed miracle after miracle after miracle. I think I need to write a book of them all! Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Turner

January 27

Dear Family,

This week was crazy. Lots of ups and downs. A bigger campus equals more people, which also equals more rejection. But hey if the Savior could do it, we certainly can do it! We are looking for those who are ready and prepared!

We are teaching G. He is from Nepal. He has no Christian background and never had been to a church until Sunday! He is great! So open, and really wants to know about his Savior. We are preparing him for baptism on the 8th.

We are working with C. She is from New York, and plays soccer here at Tech! She is catholic, but is willing to find out if this is true. We are preparing her for baptism on the 15th.

We are working with a lot of less actives. I am realizing how crucial this time in life is. My age is really the age where you make huge decisions that affect the rest of your life! I am so grateful during college my testimony was strengthened and I chose to follow the path of my Savior. I am gaining great friendships with many of the members. Especially some of the recent converts! They blow my mind! How amazing they are, how strong their testimonies are, especially with some who's family have disowned them. 

We got to teach S! The guy i knocked into a year ago. It was great! He has a lot of questions, but they are sincere and he really is just seeking truth. With time I know he can receive his answer.

We also received a referral from another mission. T has been taught all the missionary lessons and is pretty much ready for baptism. He just moved here and in fact we are meeting with him right after we email, so I am way excited to meet him! He is solid, so I feel fortunate the Lord is letting us have the opportunity to teach him before his baptism. We are planning to have his on the 8th as well.

This work is incredible. Its the hardest/most re rewarding thing I could have ever done!! Love you all! Have a great week! 

Sister Turner

The missionaries serving in our ward

January 21

Dear Family,

Well I made it smoothly to Lubbock. Definitely the hardest part was saying goodbyes.. and then also having to pack again...ugh. ha ha.

Texas Tech is huge. There are a lot of atheists and agnostics. I am trying to adjust and learn how I can best help and benefit those here. My companion is Sister Soules from Hawaii. She is awesome! She is trying to convince me to go to BYU Hawaii. ha ha.

We had two amazing tender mercies this week. A year ago (when I was in the Regal Park ward) we were teaching this guy named S. He grew up Muslim but in the past couple years converted to Christianity. Because he wasn't going to be in the family ward we passed him to missionaries that were currently in the YSA ward. After awhile he wasn't being taught anymore though. So a year later I give him a call, thinking he wouldn't remember me at all. But he totally did! And in fact he wants to meet up and start taking the lessons again!

The other tender mercy, was a year ago on Sister Dunham's first day in the field during her orientation all the new missionaries were assigned neighborhoods to knock and get some first day experience. I went with her and we knocked on a door and this guy answered. He was really interested and talked about how Jehovah Witnesses knocked on his door last week, and he is searching for truth, but how can he come to know which is true? I remember thinking he had so much potential. We gave his information to the missionaries in the area, but unfortunately I don't think it ever got carried across. I had only met him once for about 10 minutes, but for some reason since I had gotten here in Lubbock he kept coming to my mind! I knew the Lord was trying to tell me something. The only problem was I couldn't remember where he lived or what his name was. I remembered he lived by a park... So we looked up parks in the GPS near campus. We tried two and neither of them were it. We decided to say a prayer, and the third park we went to was THE park!! We knocked on his door... but he no longer lived there.  His sister lived there though, and she told us he still is here in Lubbock and going to school at Tech! We got his number and gave him a call, and he too totally remembered me.. Which is CRAZY! Because it was over a year ago and we met so briefly and left him with a Book of Mormon. So we are going to start teaching him as well!! 

Its so neat how my experiences a year ago have led me to where I am now. Even though it was extremely hard to leave my old area, I know this is where the Lord needs me now. I am excited to start working with the ward and members as well. 

This transfer our companionship theme is "enduring to the end"! We are working with a lot of less actives who we are helping to try and understand this concept. And with me coming to the end of my mission, I am trying to give my all!

Its awesome having a companion who too is a sister training leader! We are staying very busy! We have 6 companionships of girls we cover, so we have to do 6 exchanges this transfer! But I am excited! Its going to be lots of fun!! Love and miss you all!

Sister Turner

January 13

Dear Family,

Well you will NEVER believe it...I am getting transferred.

I was just as shocked as you are!! When I first heard the news I was devastated. I am feeling better now though. I have really learned to align my will with the Lord's, and I know I am needed somewhere else. 

So any guesses where I am going?

I am going back to Lubbock! I will be in the YSA ward there on the Texas Tech University Campus. The ward is SO big that there are 3 sets of missionaries that cover that ward. I will be sharing the ward with my wonderful old companion Sister Kramer and her new companion, and then also with the assistants to the president. My companion is Sister Soules. She is AWESOME! She also is a Sister Training Leader! This transfer is the first time in our mission that STLs will actually be serving together! We are going to make a great team! I am so excited!! I know a few people from the YSA ward there as well, and I am excited to be in Lubbock because I will be able to see old faces from my first area! So it definitely has its pros.

I have learned so much these past 6 weeks, and I have fallen in love with the branch. Our branch president is incredible. I look up to him and his wife in so many ways! We both thought I would be here till I went home. I hope I made a difference. 

Of course the people I will miss most though are my recent converts. They were pretty shocked too.. Luckily I can just add them on Facebook in 3 months though... so weird. ha ha. 

The girls we knocked into last week we are teaching tomorrow.. and there are many others we are working with I will have to say goodbye too, but I know Sister Davidson will continue to help the work here in Canyon. I went on exchanges this week up to Dumas too. That was a lot of fun. I always love how much I learn on exchanges. Even though I am the one training, I feel I always learn so much more in return. 

D's baptism was incredible!! He is the most humble person I have ever met in my life. Its just so amazing how life changing the gospel is, and to think only a few weeks ago he knew nothing about the church!

I love this work so much! I can say I know for a surety this church is the only true church on the earth today, with Christ at the head and the restored priesthood power to perform all the saving ordinances required. I am going to give these last 2 transfers my all!! Miss you all!

Love,

Sister Turner