Be like the Moon

Good ole P-days......I am already getting sick of them and it's only like my 7th one hahaha..

We just washed our car, and I wish all of you could see us! hahahah it's the most funniest thing ever. Okay picture this..

3 blondes washing a car..in skirts! We only have like 4 minutes to do it because that's how much we pay for, so we're like running around scrubbing it with soap then hurrying to rinse it off...it's pretty hilarious. And we don't pay to for air because we're cheap so we just drive really fast to dry it off. hahaha good times..maybe I'll take a video next time and send it haha...

So all this week my companions FORCED me to be in charge of the phone because I have a legit fear of talking on the phone and I always sound really dumb and awkward talking on the phone...so I was the only one allowed to answer the phone when someone called and to call people...I'm pretty good at talking on the phone now haha.

We had PIZZA at member's houses like 3 times this week. It's my weakness so I was in heavennnnnn.

Last week we got a phone call from a woman who felt the prompting to start going back to church!! It made me so happy! She actually came to church yesterday and we scheduled to meet her this Wednesday to get to know her better! It's really something special to see and help people start coming back to church and getting a more Christ centered life. I love it! One of my favorite reasons about being a missionary.

We listen to this song called Starry Night. The lyrics are:

"I'm giving my life to the only one who makes the moon reflect the sun. Every starry night that was His design"

Which got me thinking about the moon. How it shines because the sun does..

I want to be like the moon!! haha but reflecting a different sun...the SON. Jesus Christ! I want my life to be a reflection of Him and strive everyday to be more like Him.

#BeLikeTheMoon

I drove for the first time last week...hahaha let's just say it's been awhile since the last time I drove a car (like 2 months)

It felt like I was driving for the first time again! haha here's what went down that day:

Jerky stopping and going

Hard stops

I hit a curb..

I drove like 10 miles under the speed limit

Almost backed up into a car

I couldn't even get the car into drive!! haha my comp had to do that for me... my car I just had to pull it down from P to D. This one you have to go sideways and then down..haha too complicated for me.

It's a nice car though...you know just a BRAND NEW 2014 Toyota Corolla(;

The pluses of being a sister missionary...we're way more spoiled than the Elders. The Elders didn't even get mattresses until like a week and a half after they got here....#PoorElders....haha I'm just grateful I'm a sister!

We visit this super old lady and she's going blind. I put my face really close to hers so she can see me better and I tell her my name "I'm Sister Manson!" haha so I introduce myself to her, and she grabs my face! and starts stroking it and saying how pretty I am hahahaha it was so funny and awkward and a little sad because she's going blind and can't see! She's pretty funny though...she flipped us off like 3 times(jokingly) and said a bunch of bad words......
hahah go old people..

I officially completed my first transfer!! (a transfer is 6 weeks) 1 out of 13 (: haha

My trainer sister howard is getting transferred.. which stinks because I love our power trio! We go to the mission office tomorrow in Pennsylvania to find out where she's going. Haha she taught me so much, and I'm so grateful for her for being that leader and example for me to follow. "Fake it till you make it!" is something she'd always say hahaha

Yesterday one of our investigators who we've been working with came to church with his family! It was really out of the blue and he wants to stop smoking so he got a Priesthood blessing to help him. We were all so happy and I can't explain it but it's just a really special feeling seeing someone start that path towards Christ. I love having that privilege to help all these people and to share the gospel with them.

A really powerful quote I read in PMG:

"Honor Christ's name by your actions"

Hope Dad had a good birthday! (:

love and miss everybody

sister manson

cute lil tree

cute lil tree

one of our investigators! 

Birthday Brownies

I've been getting pretty frustrated with myself lately...I want to be a good missionary so bad, but I'm such a bad teacher! haha no like seriously....It's really hard. But I'm getting better at teaching and helping people understand more about our Savior Jesus Christ. It'll come with time! And really when it comes down to it..I'm not even the real teacher here..the SPIRIT is!! So that takes a lot of pressure off of me.

Like 2 weeks ago my companions and I decided to celebrate all of our birthdays because transfers were coming soon (a transfer is at the end of every 6 weeks, we get a phone call telling us who stays in the area and who is going somewhere else. this is my first area so I probably won't get transferred yet, but you never know!) So yeah we wanted to celebrate all our birthdays before one of us left. Mine was last Saturday! And the Elders in our District legit thought it was my birthday and so they made me brownies!!!! hahahaha I felt so bad, but I quickly pushed that feeling away and accepted the brownies......they were really good hahahahhaha. #DontJudge

Soooo...hahaha we were walking out of an old person home because we visited one of our members room because she was sick, and this cute little old man was sitting on a chair. He saw us and quickly jumped out of his chair and hobbled on over to us. He shook Sister Howard's hand, smiled and kissed it. Then he looks at me and sticks out his hand, so I shake it expecting him to kiss my hand.....hahaha NO. I thought wrong. He shakes my hand and starts LEANING IN towards my face!!!!! I'm like Ahhhh! What do I do?? I tried to change it into a hug, but he still ended up kissing me on my cheek. hahaha goood times in the old person home....

Ew...Delaney is 15! Stop getting older little sister it's killing me!

The other day we went into Walmart, and it was my first time in a Walmart since leaving on my mission. hahaha I had a freaking PANIC ATTACK. I'm not joking. I literally had a panic attack. #SoManyWorldlyThings!!!

My girl Miley Cyrus's new CD was out...new movies on DVD...crazy celeb gossip magazines...duck dynasty merchandise...ugh. So hard. I miss all of that stuff!! But it's okay...whatevz..I'm over it!

But seriously never going back into a Walmart again until I get home from my mission.....

haha oh jeez I'm so weird..

One of our investigators got baptized yesterday!!! She's so cute!

1st of all she's a 70 year old lady!

2nd of all she's deathly afraid of swimming/water

It took her at least a good 12 minutes of her trying to lean backwards, and trusting in the person baptizing her that she wouldn't fall. we kept encouraging her saying it'd be okay, and that she could do it. She was really scared...but she did it! We were all so proud and happy for her!

We spent a good 7 hours in the church building that day...hahaha good time.s.

We went over to a less active member's home to watch a movie about Joseph Smith. We're about 12 minutes into it when she all of a sudden pops up out of her chair and runs into the kitchen and says to us she wants hot chocolate, and asks if we want any. haha we're like sure! uhh should we pause the movie? I'm pretty confident she has A.D.D. because she does random stuff like that all the time haha she's awesome though. It's entertaining (;

A member in the church talked about ALL 3 things that should NEVER be spoken over the pulpit during sacrament meeting...

1. Women holding the Priesthood

2. Blacks and the Priesthood

3. Polygamy

hahaha I just sat there cringing and trying hard to not freak out in front of everyone...

Then a couple days ago another member of the church was telling our investigator how some people who weren't righteous enough will get to clean up dog poop in heaven.....I'm like are you joking??? hahahaha where did that even come from? IDK. beats me.

Oh how I miss my West Coast Utah/AZ/Idahoe Mormons...

our sweet cute old Etta got baptized yesterday! (:

a GIGANTIC baptism suit!

our sweet cute old Etta got baptized yesterday! (:

my BIRTHDAY BROWNIES!! hahahahaha

some sweet Indian corn!

haha a gross dead frog!

me and Sister Ricks. She's awesome. She knows matt and christy

New Mission Pics

pretty sunset

we are throwing the wards harvest party next saturday haha so we made scarecrows of ourselves....CREEPY!!! haha

This little kid thought it would be funny to RAM his bike into the back of my foot.....NOT FUNNY. it hurt. Here's a sweeet pic of the scab it left hahahaption

people here in the east coast do this cool thing where they put lights in every window at night time. It's so cool!! and pretty

It has something to do with the civil war and slaves I think...hahah? 

hahah our clever way of sharing the gospel! (;
"God still speaks! Mormon.org"

mirror pic! (: with our cute friend Shamiah! 

decorated cupcakes with a cute family (:

BOM selfie pic... haha

Feed My Sheep

My p-day got moved to today instead of yesterday because it was Columbus Day...hahah what a joke! 

First of all: that shouldn't be a real holiday

& Second of all: Columbus didn't even discover America, freaking NEPHI did! Jeez people need to read the BOM and get their facts straightened out. Let's all write a letter to Obama and tell him to change it to Nephi Day. #GetItRightMerica

We decided to walk to some of our potential investigator's houses #BadIdea because we got lost....We were on the right road but the number we were looking for was 113 and all we saw were 1,2,3,4,5....etc finally I saw a woman standing outside her house so while my comps were struggling with the map I went over to her and asked for directions. We started talking and it lead into talking about the church and she wants us to come back and teach her and her family! Yay

One of our investigators quoted the song "Blurred Lines" and how her life related to it......hahahaha..

It's getting cold here already!! It's only October. I'm gonna die! Slow down NJ. Slow dowwwwn. #ArizonaNative 

The leaves are starting to change, it's way pretty! 

What does the sun look like?? IDK I didn't see it all last week, because it rained STRAIGHT for like 4 days

We went over to a member's house and it was the best lesson of my life....hahahahahah alright here's what went down:

They have this cute but crazy puppy named Scorch Meatballs...and in the middle of the lesson (we're reading 3 Ne 11 when Christ came..super spiritual) their dog Scorch runs up to us all 3 sitting on the couch, jumps/climbs/paws his way up onto the couch and sits on Sister Menlove's lap, and then he THROWS UP! On Sister Menlove's skirt!!!! All of us just sit there......Sister Menlove can't even look at it because then she too will puke so she's looking in a different direction, the family's son is over in the corner/on the ground on his hands and knees gagging/dry heaving. I'm like laying on the couch DYING of laughter for my poor comp and just grateful it didn't happen to me. Funniest thing I've ever witnessed in my life. Hahahahhaahahha ahhhh missionary life. good times. good times...

Haley my Whaley I find an excuse to say YOLO at least once every day (; hahaha it makes things more exciting.

I caught myself humming a hymn while taking a shower...ahh I'm so weird. but whatevs, I'm over it. All I listen to is either MoTab, or Christin pop/rock songs hahha. Someone give me an update on my girl Miley! I will always love her, she just needs love...and the gospel (:

RIP Mervin St. Todd.....

Sunday was fast Sunday, and whenever I fast I always feel the spirit 10x stronger. I was fasting for a lot of different things/reasons. Sister Stubbendorf a taught the relief society lesson and it was so good and just what I needed to hear! She gave a BOLD lesson on missionary work and I felt the spirit so strong. I truly am so grateful for this calling, to be a full-time missionary. You won't find joy in working and teaching/sharing the gospel if you don't love it. That got me thinking...do I really love the Gospel? Do I love Jesus Christ ENOUGH to share Him to people I meet?

In the car we were listening to to Elder Holland's talk Feed My Sheep. He based it off of John 21 (go and read this chapter if you haven't because its so good!!) Here's a little gist of it:
Jesus asks Peter "Do you love me?"
and Peter says "Yes Lord you know I love you."
Christ "Feed my sheep"
Christ asks Peter the same question again. and again Peter replies "Yes, you know that I love you Lord"
Christ "Feed my sheep"
Then a third time:

17 "Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep."

Christ says he needs to forget about fishing and his old ways because he needs to share the gospel and FEED MY SHEEP.
 

It's such a blessing and a privilege to serve a mission and invite others to come unto Christ! I decided to take the word "SACRIFICE" out of my vocabulary. I used to always think of missionary work as a "sacrifice"

I'm "sacrificing" my time, schooling, being away from family/friends.....Oh how dumb that sounds now. 

SERVING A MISSION IS NOT A SACRIFICE. It's a blessing. I'm so happy everyday I wake up and get the opportunity to serve others and share the gospel and Christ.
 

Don't be afraid to share the gospel (:

I love Jesus Christ!! I want to be better everyday. I am representative of Him! 

We all are. 

Mission Pictures

hahah model wanna bes

in the ghetto traiin to philly!

perfect picture

it's illegal to pump you own gas here!!whaaaaaat??

it rained today!

Halloween! we have ghosts hanging in our trees haha

#MirrorSelfie

#ILickedTheLibertyBell
show frank this one! he'll get it. HIMYM

Barney Stinson would be so proud hahaha go and watch that episode!

building pic! haha some cool building

Giraffe love for life
 saw this beauty when I looked out the window.
I almost died!!! I was so excited. GIRAFFE LOVE

my compsss

sister williams african cooking! peanut butter soup.

she's the cutest lady ever hahaha

Look Ahead & Believe

Sooooo this was like the best week thus far. #Hallelu

Philly was fun! Rode a creepy ghetto train so that was interesting..haha

After we went to Philly we went to Sister William's house. She's the cutest lady ever. She's from legit AFRICA! and made us African food. Peanut Butter soup and Fufu! It was good! Fufu has the consistency of straight up GUM so me being funny dangled it above my mouth and it dropped and got stuck in my hair!..I had African gum in my hair!! niiiiiiiiice.

So I'm in like a very weird transition stage. I want to be a good missionary and really give all my energy and thoughts to the people here and serve the Lord, but at the same time I've been thinking about my family and friends and what they're all doing and what I'd be doing if I wasn't serving a mission right now...

I read Mat 6:24 "Ye cannot serve two masters..." And made the choice right there to be doing missionary work full heartily.

I told my comps how I wanted to be better at this and Sister Menlove gave me the PERFECT talk for this. Everyone should read it!

"Remember Lot's Wife" by Jeffery R Holland

Lot and his family were commanded to leave their home and city and to not look back. Lot's wife did and was turned into a pillar of salt...

"I plead with you not to dwell on days now gone, nor to yearn vainly for yesterdays however good those yesterdays may have been. The pas is to be learned from, but not lived in. When we have learned what we need to learn and ave brought back with us the best that we have experienced, then look ahead we remember faith is always pointed toward the future" Lot's wife didn't have faith! She doubted the Lords ability to give her something better than she already had.

I cannot serve my mission 100% if I'm looking back. I need to look ahead & believe the Lord will help me through my mission.

I feel like I've been humbled so much by being here! Not gonna lie, when I was in the MTC I thought I had this missionary thing down pretty well. I was teaching with the Spirit, lessons were going so well, I felt like I was good at teaching others the gospel. AND THEN I GET OUT HERE! and I realized how LITTLE I knew. The MTC is great...but the real mission field is a lot different! And a whole lot more REAL. I've realized how I can't do this alone, and that I am literally NOTHING without Jesus Christ and His Atonement and having the Spirit with me constantly. I need the Holy Ghost with me in every lesson and I need to be doing everything I can everday to allow that to happen. How can I do that if I am looking back? I can't. I need to start looking ahead and focus all of my time & thoughts & energy toward the work. Have the faith to move forward. Let the past go and look forward.

I think I had some pride build up while I was at the MTC, but I've definitely been humbled the crap out of while I've been here...hahahaha I'm not joking.

#HumbledTheCrapOutOf

Friday October 4th was my 1 month mark! HOLLAHHHH! That was the best day ever. Because I finally started to actually love being here and being a missionary. Last week we were looking through our finder-binder ( a binder that has contact info for less actives and members) and we came across a name that stuck out to all of us. Francis Cortese. We meant to stop by but we were really busy all that week with other people, but Friday 2 of our appts cancelled on us! I was so bummed..but we decided to stop by and see Francis. Hahahahaha and she's the coolest funniest lady ever. She's a doll. She was born in Puerto Rico! We shared what we've learned so far being missionaries. It was a really cool lesson because we all felt the spirit so strong. Afterwards I said I prayer in my heart expressing my gratitude for her! It's crazy how quick you can LOVE someone and really sincerely care for them. I know that's just how Heavenly Father feels for each of us. After that experience

My attitude/thoughts/prayers have been changing day by day since being here serving the Lord. I'm slowly but surely learning to forget about myself because serving a mission literally has NOTHING to do with me. It's all about the person and helping them come unto Christ. I can't force them, all I can do it create an environment for the Spirit to be there so they can be touched. My words and voice goes to their minds, while the Spirit can pierce their hearts...and that's where true conversion happens! It's all about the Spirit they feel.

General Conference was this weekend. Sooo good. Okay confession...I never fully watched GC in my life until a year ago. I never really enjoyed it so I wouldn't really watch it, and it seemed like there was so many better things to do than to watch... I picked a good time to start watching it because it changed my life!! A year ago they announced the age change, and here I am a sister missionary! haha coooooool. anyways I really liked this session. It seemed to go by so fast! They hit on so many important topics

Here's what I got from it:

"Look ahead and believe"

"Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith"

"Patiently endure"

They talked a TON about missionary work and how the members need to help us out! haha my family better be doing missionary work at home! Share the gospel, don't be afraid to talk to someone about Christ and the restoration. Pray for missionary opportunities!

For the 2nd session of GC we went over to VAI SIKAHEMA'S house to eat lunch and watch a session with him and his family! If you don't know who he is..google him!! (; hahaha he's a pro football player

such a sweet and fun family! we were cracking up watching GC with him because he kept rewinding it when mo-tab was singing and pointing out all of the funny faces the people were making hahahaha

Lolz of the week:

So we were in the car and Sister Menlove is telling a story she overheard in he library to us about how some guy got jumped and only suffered a mild concussion.

Me: "Uhhh I don't want to sound dumb but what does the word jumped mean?"

Sis Howard & Menlove: "You don't know what the word jumped means?? Hahahhahahahaha

Me: "Guys I'm white, of course I don't know what that word means..."

They're just dying of laughter now....hahaha I'm so naive...I never know what's going on! haha btw it means to get robbed/attacked

Oh Sis Howard just told us there's a tornado watch today...hahahaa YOLO.