Octopus Jerky

The experiences this week was made just for me. Particularly to humble my little spirit.

I went on an exchange with a sister this week and had such a sacred experience with her. The thought came to ask her randomly if she felt Heavenly Father was proud of her. She started to cry and it was clear she wasn't sure and was trying to know Him better. We were able to feel the spirit so strong as I bore my testimony and help her feel That He is. I am very grateful to be serving where my sphere of influence is not only to strengthen our investigators or members of the ward, but also my some specific fellow sister missionaries that sister Bennett and I are with.  

One of my favorite things about being a missionary is personally feeling the intense a,punt of love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for each one of us.

ZONE CONFERENCE!

Thoughts:100 best zone conference of my whole mission. Good thing because it was my last one! Learned a lot more about the atonement and the doctrine of Christ. Shared our new mission 2015 theme with us: D&C 128:22 "shall we not go on is so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage and on to the victory. Let your hearts rejoice and be exceedingly glad" 

Can't even describe how perfect this scripture is. Just for me:) 

We had some "octopus jerky" with sister Chang. It was good!

She is still set for january 31 to go get her temple endowment! So excited for her. 

Sunday in relief society we had a lesson all about prayer. I know that too was all just for me. 

I've been really studying and working on my prayers. Ultimately I've realized and gained a testimony of how prayer changes us. I've started to say personal vocal prayers. Which are 100x powerful. I feel the spirit the whole time while praying in my head it's so easy to get distracted.

If you have never prayed out loud privately before, I encourage and invite you to do so. It's alittle awkward and different at first, but I promise you'll be able to see and feel a huge difference. 

Heavenly Father's love for me cracks me up. He knows me really well..and it has just felt like for at least a week and half I've been running into a brick wall and just feeling really crappy for 100 different small silly reasons. I am a bit prideful when it comes to asking other people for help... But Heavenly Father gave me some very specific experiences and feelings and thoughts with the spirit to help me be humble enough to ask for a priesthood blessing. But so much peace came during and right after I got a blessing. I wrote down all my thoughts and made very specific promises to Heavenly Father and for the first time in a while i felt an INSANE amount of peace. That experience helped me gain an even stronger testimony of the priesthood power and its ability to heal and comfort and bless and uplift. I am just so grateful for the priesthood and that experience I had last night. 

One of our appointments canceled so we decided to stop by a referral. Sister Bennett  Originally thought it was the house # was 908 and I said it wasn't. Haha so we knocked on a door we thought she lived and got no answer. Then we were going to go back to the car but sis Bennett wanted to knock on 908 so we did! 

Something my mission has taught me is to be persistent. I have a very strong testimony and belief in being persistent. A women opened the door and didn't want to talk to us..at all!

At first we could barely see her eyes as she cracked the door open. Then we talked and could see her daughter and started talking to her and we were there bearing testimony for like 2-3 minutes in the rain! At this point she was about ready to either let us come in or kick us out. 

She finally said "okay come in" after we practically begged her to let us share truth with her. 

Super cool experience! Bore testimony of restoration and Book of Mormon. She opened up a lot about some deep personal things and I just felt so much love for her and did not want to leave until she knew what I knew about the gospel. I felt strongly inspired and prompted to promise her if she kept her commitments we left, she would get the job she was worrying about getting. She felt the spirit and it was way powerful. We are going back tomorrow:) 

Good things happen as we push ourselves and go beyond that which is normally done. 

Inconvenience verses convenience.

One of my favorite principles of the gospel. 

Missions are hard and taxing...but everything about the gospel is also.

Salvation is not a cheap experience. I am grateful for the times on my mission, but at the beginning and more recent times, where my heart and soul have seemed to be stretched so thin, only to realize that it was so I can feel joy deeper. 

Alma 36:20

"my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!"

I love you!

Sister Manson 

"either 12"

Hahahah oh this week...I don't even know what happened.

Let's just say I am really happy today is PDay.
Remember when we were little and we went to the body world place??
Where this science place had a bunch of dead bodies to look at and see
as art? Well they have something similar here in philly that were
doing to today! EXCEPT ITS WITH ANIMALS! Stay tuned for pics next
week:)
I pray there's a giraffe there.


The week started out great though! Haha and then we just crashed and
burned hecka bad.

We have been teaching sister change temple prep and helping her be
ready for January 31!

Out investigators joel and tatyana accepted a baptism date! In
February and April! So that's amazing.

Sister menlove sent me the best talk in the whole wide world that
changed my life.
Everyone go read "the atonement:all for all" by elder Bruce c. hafen

Taught me so much about the atonement and what it means. That's
probably the best thing about my mission...I've learned so much about
the atonement and what it means and how to access it. And really feel
it's REAL power that comes into our lives as we live the gospel of
Jesus Christ, by having faith, repenting and changing, remembering and
renewing our covenants by the sacrament and going to the temple and
continuing to do all of these things to the end!

Had a great district meeting. Really powerful and felt the spirit.
During our Roleplay, I did with sister Bailey, and some other
missionaries. We were to not think about what to say but say what
christ would say to them if he were here. Totally changed my
perspective. I remember looking into each of their eyes and really
feeling and knowing that Jesus Christ knew and loved them personally
and things just came to my mind that I would say, trusting it was what
they needed to hear. Lifechanging. I just freaking love being a
missionary.

Sister Bennett cracks me up everyday but she gets a particular
shoutout right now.
We wanted our investigators to read a Ether 12 in the Book of Mormon,
and she spelt it as EITHER 12!!! Hahahah. We had another lesson with
them to follow up and they were confused and couldn't find either 12
in the Book of Mormon...I laughed so hard. Next time I'll be sure to
check what she writes down for them haha. Good times.

Had a crazy lesson with a wanna-be pologomist who wanted to marry BOTH
me and sister Bennett hahaha.
So many people yelled and flipped me off this week while I was in the
car..it was very rude of them haha these Philadelphians are one of a
kind:)
Saw a cool sign that said: "DRIVE CAREPHILLY"
I died!
Sister Bennett accidentally drove down twice the wrong way in a one
way street...haha we got even more yells and honks. Almost all of our
appointment canceled from like Friday to Sunday. That's always a
bummer when that happens..

And scariest moment of my life!! Are you ready?
We rode the subway home from church and
I get off at our stop and sister Bennett DOES NOT!
So I'm now left alone in the creepy dark subway while she rides off to
the next stop.
First missionary rule they teach you in the MTC: never be alone!
All I can do is just laugh at the situation and I just sit there
trying to decide how the heck we're going to get back together. I said
100 prayers and read some comforting scriptures to keep myself calm
and then the next train pulled up so I got on it and thought to get
off at the next stop thinking sister Bennett would have gotten off and
just waited for me. I get off at the next stop and she's not there!
Ahh by this time I've majorly freaking out, but knew Heavenly Father
would help me. I crossed over and got to the other side of the subway
to go back up to our original stop to see if she went back to get me
instead. I got there and didn't see her. I had the thought to just get
up and out of the subway on the street and look at the phone (our
phone doesn't get signal in the subway) so I did that and I had a
missed call from an unknown number. I immediately called and it was
sister Bennett on the other side! Told each other where we were and we
were reunited.
I HAVE BEVER BEEN MORE HAPPY IN MY LIFE TO SEE HER.

Good news we were both safe and reunited.
Lesson learned. So grateful for companions.
I don't think I'll be able to handle being alone for a while when I go home!
So sorry not sorry if I cling to some of y'all :)
I of course immediately thought of 100 gospel parables that can be
related to this story. I'll leave it to you to think of them:) and
learn from my experience.


I have good goals set up before the end of my mission.
To read the Book of Mormon over again and read the New Testament. I
just want to learn and study everything I can about Jesus Christ.
Studying more deep charity also.

I honestly have never been happier in my whole life. Being out here as
a literal representative of Christ. Bad days or even whole weeks
come..but I still have such a deep amount of joy it doesn't even phase
me.

Twentyfifteen

HAPPY 2015!!

I loved 2014 so much...first of all because I was a missionary for
that entire year!
Whenever I look back on my little life at 2014, it'll be mission memories.

Me and sister Bennett are waiting right now to get my haircut(: we're
in a really ghetto part of the city...but our investigator is cutting
my hair, so it's worth it.

So many miracles happened this week. I honestly am so in love with
being a missionary.

New Year's Eve is crazy here in the city, but we were in and safe in
our apartments sleeping at 1030(: we volunteer at this place called
"The Watermark" right by the temple. It's a retirement place and
everyone there loves us. We helped them run their party for the
residents. It was adorable. Try and imagine this: old people dressed
to their best, a guy play music on an accordion, 100 walkers, a
handful few who are able to dance, dancing carefully in the middle.
People shouting across the tables because they can't hear that well
and then me and sister Bennett with our tacky missionary skirt attire
in the middle of it all. Haha definitely a new year I will never
forget. They all soften my heart.

We miraculously ran into a member of the church! We were walking late
one cold night on a street we neeeeever go on and as we were walking
we heard this guy walking the other way say "hello sisters" and kept
walking. And we were WHOA! Hoooold on wait a minute sir. So we quickly
turned around and chased him down and we were like do we know you? And
he said he knows us, but we don't know him. He is from Albania & a
return missionary, BYU graduate living here in Philly. I know we were
meant to find him! Because he's totally inactive and doesn't even
believe in God anymore which broke our hearts hearing. He actually
stopped and spoke to us for almost a whole hour. There were many times
in the conversation where he felt the spirit as we talked to him about
"holding fast to the iron rod" (see 1 Nephi 8) in Lehi's tree of life
vision. We asked him when we "let go of the rod" (meaning like when
did he stop reading the scriptures)
He said YEARS ago, and we were like duh of course that's why you
strayed, your lost in the mist of darkness confused when you should
have been holding to the rod. We bore our testimony 100 times and
still he had no desire. But I know we did everything we could and he
will be telling this story 10 years from now at sacrament when he's
called to be a bishop.
I love how the gospel can truly change us as we apply it.

I had such a powerful experience at zone training. And I think I
realized why I absolutely love being a missionary.
Our purpose is to: Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them
receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His
Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost,
and enduring to the end.
Something that clicked about halfway through my mission was that our
purpose IS the doctrine/gospel of Jesus Christ "faith, repentance,
baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the
end" (see forth article of faith and 2 Nephi 31)
So my mission has really taught me the gospel of Jesus Christ and the
gospel of Jesus Christ is HOW we access the Atonement. That's what
clicked on Thursday for me. And that's why I love my mission because
it's literally helping me apply and use the atonement every single
day.
People always talk about the atonement and it's always been a hard
concept for me to wrap my brain around, never really been sure of how
to use it or apply it, but the gospel especially faith, repentance,
renewing our promises we made at baptism from the sacrament for
already members of the church and especially baptism and Holy Ghost
for nonmembers = atonement.

Remember Tatyana? I have been talking about her In a couple of my
emails..but I had the random thought to stop by her one day, it was
alittle out of the way but we did it anyways. Best choice ever.
(Always follow those promptings from the Spirit)
Her friend Terrance was there!! Let me try to describe to you the best
way I can who Terrance is.
Well first off he is gay. Like super super gay. He is black and loves
fashion (he tells me all the time how my outfit never matches my bag
hahah) he's a senior in high school, he's pretty skinny and tall. But
he's super in love with himself and he makes that very clear how good
he looks. Andddddd I want to be his best friend!
He has such a special place in my heart because of how much he LOVES
the gospel, we've seen him 3x this week, we taught him the restoration
and gave him a Book of Mormon, taught half of the plan of salvation
and he is getting baptized February 1!!!! He has been very open about
him being gay and we have been very open about how the churches and
heavenly fathers view on homosexuality. He knows the Book of Mormon is
true! And has thought a lot about it being gay, and knows that
Heavenly Father can change our desires and soften our heart. Every
time we go over there he is just so full of the spirit and soaks it
all up. Good things are happening!!

The church is true:)
Also..I went on exchange with my favorite sister ever--->SISTER COST.
She joined the church only 2 years ago. And ohh if you could hear her
story and see who she was before and after joining the church. She is
incredible. We had some really spiritual moments together just talking
about our missions and how much the gospel and the church means to us.
We get a weekly letter from our mission president every week and this
week was good, it kept saying the phrase "your highest self"
So that's my main goal, to become my highest self! By doing small and
simples things because I know that's how great things come. Alma 6:36

What are your goals for this year?
Email or write them to me!

christy.manson@myldsmail.net

1715 spring garden st. Apt F2
Philadelphia, PA 19130

Love Sister Manson😇

CHRISTmas

This week was a blurrrrrrr

We did so many things! We're always running around haha.

Tuesday we had our Christmas conference.

Ah-mazing as expected.

We watched 17 miracles and I pretty much cried the whole time.
If you haven't watched it, watch it!! It's all about the pioneers and
the difficult times they faced as they made their way across the
plains. I felt the spirit really strong as I watched it. Something I
thought about was why Heavenly Father made it so incredibly difficult
for them to come west. He could have made it really easy for them..but
he did not. Only until they had done all they could, and prayed was
when the miracles happened. When they were able to keep moving
forward. I learned a lot about the power of prayer. That's probably
the MOST important and biggest thing I learned from my mission is how
powerful real sincere prayers can be. Also learned how many people are
always with me while I'm out here on my mission. Sister Nielsen
(apostle elder nielson's wife) once said

"there are more people on the other side of the veil ROOTING for you,
than there are on this side"

powerful right??

Right. There's Angels and especially our ancestors and loved ones
who've passed away here with us helping us. Imagine how much we would
change if we could see them all! I'd never be scared or worried again
haha. But that's where faith comes in.

Christmas was good. Loved seeing all you guys! Thank you for all the
letters and fun presents & packages.

We spent most of our time with the members here. And it was very
special and a Christmas I won't forget! A lot of people here don't
have that much, so it was a very sweet spirit we felt as we talked
more about Christ than presents.

Saturday was a very special day as well because we had MLC (mission
leadership council)
Where all the zone leaders, the sister training leaders, come together
with the APs and our mission president and talk about the things going
on in the mission and are trained on what to take back to the
missionaries we're over.
We learned incredible things!! Me and sister Bennett get to train at
zone training this Thursday up in pennypack and 2 sets of the sisters
we cover are in that zone
(Sisters Handy, Gerber, Bailey & Cost)
We'll be talking about the commitment pattern and how we can better
leave commitments in our lessons. We're going to share Peter's account
in Acts 3:1-8
One of my favorites. I'm obsessed with peter
The rest of the zone training will be on our purpose as missionaries
and the doctrine/gospel of Jesus Christ and how they help us use the
atonement. Ahhh so good!!
Faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.
We are pretty close to all the sisters we cover as STLs and some of
them are struggling big time and it breaks me! But good things are
going to happen and this zone training I know will be answers to their
prayers.
I'll be sure to share my notes and thoughts next week.

Speaking of next week....2015!!!?

What the...not sure where 2014 went, feels like it just started, I
still think it's like August over here haha. #missiontimeprobs

I don't have any New Years resolutions other than to keep up all these
great things I'm learning after I go home from my mission.

I love you all so much and hope you'll have a good week and a happy
start to 2015!

Hugs from Sister Manson

Spiritually led

Last week was so good
And this week will be even better!!
Here's what we have planned this week:
Tomorrow we are having our Christmas mission conference and a talent show.
(Me and sister Bennett are sharing a few tricks we've learned from the
streets of philly haha we are going to step dance! Oh it sounds really
cool when we do it, while sister cox songs a Christmas carol. It'll be
great haha)
Then Christmas Thursday--face timing the family! YAY!
Not sure if I'll get to see/talk to frank though
Then we have mission leadership council all day Saturday.
So many good spiritual things happening!
I'm really excited.
But last week: here's what went down

Last Monday we caromed as a stake in the city! So much fun we were
handing out passalong he is the gift cards like crazzzzy.
My study of faith in the Book of Mormon has been amazing, I learn so much!
We saw Tatyana Tuesday. She said the closing prayer and started to cry.
First time she's ever really said a prayer. The spirit was strong.
Sister chang is going through the temple for her endowments January 31!!!
Me and sister Bennett will be going with her :)
The Washington, D.C. Temple. Oh it will be a glorious heavenly day.
I miss the temple and being inside one.

So I had a really cool experience as I was thinking in the car.
I saw a picture of a sister missionary from this mission who just went
home and she posted a picture of her and her brother hugging each
other and they were both crying. It stirred a lot of emotion in me as
I thought about all of you! I really will be so happy to see and give
hugs to everyone. But on another level I thought about how it will be
to go home-home..when we see Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and I
felt the spirit so strong! I felt so much love from Heavenly Father as
I sat pondering these thoughts. (That's something sister Bennett has
taught me..to be good at pondering)
THE CHURCH IS TRUE.
Next we were miraculously led to mackenza. She's amazing. We stopped
by to see her brother who's a less active member. He wasn't there but
she was and their grandma. Our thoughts were to share and talk about
Christmas and the true meaning. But randomly during the opening
prayer..I had the thought to thank Heavenly Father for eternal
families and knowing we can be with our loved ones after they die. So
I said it and finished my prayer. A few monuments later, their cute
old grandma shares how mackenza's grandfather on their dads side in
Arizona passed away THAT MORNING. Talk about direct spiritual leading
going on...we were totally led to them.
We bore our testimonies and the spirit was very present. Mackenza is
not a member and we are going to see her again soon!

Super good district meeting all on the Book of Mormon and just how
important it is. Sometimes I think we totally take it for granted and
don't use it to the fullest. My testimony was strengthened in the Book
of Mormon. I know it's true.

It doesn't really feel like Christmas here. It's kinda cold but no snow.
Saturday was freeeeeezing. The windchill makes it like 7degrees it
feels like haha.
We were debating on walking or driving to our next plans. I wanted to
drive...cuz I was so cold but we decided to just walk. Best choice
ever. Saw 2 tender mercy miracles :)
Met Darlene! I had literally said a prayer about 1 minute in my heart
before we saw her just praying to have an opportunity to bear my
testimony and be lead to prepared people.
Darlene was raking her leaves and we stopped and asked if we could
help. She of course said no but we started talking and she had met
missionaries before. Also she shared how it was really funny because
she had been talking with her FAMILY that she wants to find a new
church start of the new year, hahaha DONE!! Check. Here ya go(:

We're seeing her again tomorrow.

Then we met Roselyn later that day. She had met with missionaries a
lot....14 YEARS AGO!
But she moved and lost touch. And then we found her :) as she was
walking home. She wanted to come inside right then and talk to her
more. Haha so we were like SURE!! Showed her henis the gift and gave
her a Book of Mormon. She is looking for peace in her life and we
promised she would find it.

Heavenly Father totally led us to 2 very prepared people. So happy and
excited to be here.
I love philadelphia and being a missionary.

I love you!
MERRY CHRISTMAS
{sister.manson}

Good Things Are Happening

Uhh I am very upset...It's halfway through December? Hahaha what the..
Christmas is like next week then it's 2015!

Sooo i have been starting to have small panic attacks about coming
home..I have like 12 weeks left on my mission. That is NOT okay. I'm
happy to see everyone because I really miss you guys haha....but
that's about all I'm excited for.
When we FaceTime each other on Christmas we need to have a real
serious talk about what I'm gonna do when I get home so I don't freak
out haha...because I am starting to.

My mission seriously means everything to me and I am not ready to go.
But I have been thinking about about these next 2 transfers I have on
my mission and I have some really good goals and plans and things I
want to do. I am going to do another Book of Mormon challenge because
I love it so much. I have a clean mini red Book of Mormon that I am
going to read 11 chapters a day to finish by January 9. I am
highlighting yellow for christ and blue for faith. I really want to
stay more about having faith in Jesus Christ and what that truly
means. I only got to chapter 4 today of 1 nephi....but oh man I have
learned so much already and felt the spirit very strong teaching and
helping me strengthen my faith.
Something that I struggle a lot with is my confidence.
And that is something I have been studying recently along with faith and hope.
Sister Bennett and I always have really good conversations about these topics :)

I found something super sweet in my studies this week.
But remember my #belikethemoon motto? I learned a new meaning for it.
I was studying confidence and I found this scripture
D&C 121:45 "..let they confidence WAX STRONG in the presence of God"
super cool right, but I had no idea what the heck the word "wax"
meant..so I defined it.
it means to increase in size--like how the moon waxes into a full moon!
Something to point out is that when the moon waxes it does it
gradually..not all at once.
🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕
So that is something I am going to remember now when I look at the
moon: to try to wax brighter in my confidence & shine bright. And to
not let myself wane(another moon term for the opposite effect)

#belikethemoon--ah I love it.
Also as we have charity and faith our confidence waxes strong.

A couple weeks ago I wrote about a girl named Tatyana. Do you remember
her? ((We met her and invited her to come to church but we got there
to ride the subway with her and she wasn't there but we were able to
meet dasse at the subway instead miraculously! -That's a brief summary
of her))

Well accidentally we stopped by her house again Saturday. A less
active member used to live there and we forgot to make note of that so
we stopped by again but remembered that's where Tatyana lived so we
were like sweet! We knock on the door and she was there! She is so
sweet and we showed her "he is the gift" and she loved it. Also gave
her the Book of Mormon and she is going to read it and we're meeting
with her again Tuesday.

GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING HERE.

I just love how Heavenly Father works(:
I also have a goal to write in my journal everyday..sooo hold me
accountable to that.

I hope everyone is having a good CHRISTmas season
Don't get caught up in the craziness of it all.
remember He is the gift.

I love you!!
Sister Manson

Spiritual gifts 101

 

Um it's almost Christmas...haha what the.

We had such a good week.

I'm grateful for Heavenly Father allowing me to struggle and feel alittle inadequate because it always helps remind me to turn to him.

That's how I would sum up this past week.

Fast Sunday's are always just what I need. I was also fasting for things I can be doing more or better at. I had the thought to really study and dive into Christ's life and get to really know Him better, I felt like I strayed abit and got caught up in other gospel principles. During relief society the lesson was ALL about christ and how we can better know Him. I was like whoa! Perfect, thanks Heavenly Father for helping me get started.

Sister Bennett is seriously the best. I hope we will be together for her last transfer.

We taught for zone training about spiritual gifts and our hearts. It was awesome. Spirit was strong and a lot of the missionaries came up afterwards and thanked us a lot for it.

We have all been blessed with spiritual gifts!

Here's a tid bit of what we shared.

"Let us review some of these less-conspicuous gifts: the gift of asking; the gift of listening; the gift of hearing and using a still, small voice; the gift of being able to weep; the gift of avoiding contention; the gift of being agreeable; the gift of avoiding vain repetition; the gift of seeking that which is righteous; the gift of not passing judgment; the gift of looking to God for guidance; the gift of being a disciple; the gift of caring for others; the gift of being able to ponder; the gift of offering prayer; the gift of bearing a mighty testimony; and the gift of receiving the Holy Ghost"

The unexamined life is not worth living” (“Apology,” The Dialogues of Plato, trans. Benjamin Jowett, Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1952, p. 210). It is up to each of us to search for and build upon the gifts which God has given us" (Marvin j Ashton)

A prerequisite for seeking after the gifts of the spirit may require that we find out which gifts we already have been given."

Read your patriarchal blessing and identify your spiritual gifts you already have and seek more!

Sis Bennett came up with this goal of inviting seriously 100 people to be baptized this week. About 15 everyday.

At first I was like.....uhhhh okay. But The more she kept talking about it the more excited I got and was able to feel the spirit.

Today is our first day, it's our preparation day and barely 3pm and we already shared alittle about the restoration and invited 4 people to be baptized!!

It's amazing what happens when you're desperate president.

One last thing, my zone leaders in my last area promised us that if we were to bare our testimony about Jesus Christ, we'd find a family to teach. I love "He is the Gift" so much because it is a good reminder to do so. And as we have done that and talked to a lot of people, sister Bennett and I have been able to find 2 families! Work is picking up. I am grateful for the

"he is the gift" many miracles around the world in every mission are happening I bet. We're seeing them later today!

Read this talk of you have time...saved and changed my life.

"What it means to know christ"

September ensign 1974

I love you!

Sister Manson

Ice tea a stranger gave us....hahaha 

It was a long day...haha