Week 39

Hello all!

Transfer news: I'm STAYING in Dillon! By the end of this transfer
(ending around the he end of June), I will have been here for 7 1/2
months. I might as well just start building a house here so I could
just live here permanently because that's what it feels like now.
Haha. I hope the members don't get sick of me. Hahah. Sister Shupe is
staying too but now she's out of training- so we have an extra hour to
our day to proselyte now, which will be weird.
Oh! And I'm hitting my halfway mark of my mission. Weird. Times does fly out here!
 We put a cadet at the academy on date but now it's just a matter of
getting his parents on board. He says he thinks will be good for his
life and it feels right here. :) He's a funny kid. A Young Mens leader
helps us teach him during church and he's hilarious. Just the at he
words things. It's a fun group.
We also might have to rebaptize a 92 year old man because we cannot
find his baptismal records anywhere. We've been looking for months. He
was baptized after the Korean War which makes it a but difficult too.
It snowed really bad this week. And it's MAY. Montana's weather is so
weird. It melted pretty fast but it's still cold and rainy.
We also made a spontaneous trip to Polaris because we have a referral
from church headquarters for a guy out there. But he wasn't home-
which was a bummer because it takes a lot of miles to go there. So now
we have to go there more to find him.
We also got to sing to residents of a nursing home with one of the
residents who's a member and we helped with a postal food drive at the
food bank. Some cadets came and helped too.
We had a sweet fireside by a member of the stake presidency and his
wife. She told of her conversion story and he talked about parenting.
I want expecting those topics, but it was good anyway. He also read a
part of his sons letter who is serving in the Arizona, Tucson mission.
Elder Holland surprise visited and told the missionaries that we
agreed to live our lives like that of an apostle. Wow. That's an eye
opener. I never thought of it that way. But I understand that we
really do need the spirit to guide us in very aspect of this work
because nothing can happen without it. So we have to live in a way
where it can always be with us. That is one of my main goal on my
mission. To be one with God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. I want
to become super sensitive to its promptings and be a channel through
which it can touch other people. And be able to carry that out through
the rest of my life.

Sister Lauren Ney
Montana Billings Mission

Week 38

Howdy, y'all!
So this week was busy. Cinco de Mayo came and went. Of course it's not
a big holiday here but Sister Shupe and I used it as an excuse to go
to the Mexican bus to eat because it's the best. It's super authentic
because the owners are from Mexico and hardly speak English and only
live here when it's warmer. They go back down to Mexico in the
winters. It's to.die.for.
We also had Mother's Day, so we got to skype home. It was good and
church was fun. The little primary kids sang a song and it made me
tear up and I'm not even a mother yet!! And the youth gave flowers to
the mothers.
We also were able to teach the cadet and commit him to baptism during
his lesson at church. We had the BEST member present and he basically
taught the whole thing. He loves missionary work (and has been on a
mission) and remembers the lessons exactly. Members are essential.
Members are what help them stay in the church. President Hinckley said
recent converts need 3 things:  1.A friend in the Church to whom he
can constantly turn, who will walk beside him, who will answer his
questions, who will understand his problems. 2. An assignment 3.
nourishment by the good word of God
We also had an interesting experience this week. So we had had an
active member ask us twice to make a pie for him for service. So we
did both times but this time, he asked for a strawberry rhubarb pie
for him and his neighbors/ coworkers who are not members. So we did it
and delivered the pies to them while they were working in the saddle
shop they own. So they let us have some pie (which was so dang good.
I've never had that kind before!) with them and then the member asked
if we could share a message right there and then. We talked about
God's purpose, Christ's purpose, and our purpose and committed them
all to bear their testimonies to someone this week. It was awesome and
we felt the spirit, even in a saddle shop. Haha. Montana, I'm telling
ya.
Some other fun things that happened: we found out that a recent
convert we teach has pet sugar gliders and I got to see them. They're
so cute but REALLY loud.
And we got to tract in the woods (next to Beaverhead National Forrest)
in Polaris and we saw signs that said "watch for bears" and "moose
crossing" . Polaris is like its own world. It reminds me of pictures
of New Zealand or something. It's a hidden little utopia and when I
have enough money, I will own a house over there.
This week has been great. Our zone is continuing our "12 Days of
Finding" challenge and we are seeing miracles, big and small,
everywhere! God is good.

Sister Lauren Ney
Montana Billings Mission

Week 37

Hello all!

This week has been a bit rainy and snowy (and yes, even in April). It
tends to be like that whenever we travel. We drove out to Wisdom,
where we tracted out a big chunk of the town within a half hour
because it's so teeny. It's in the Big Hole. It's a little over an
hour away from Dillon. We want to stay the night out in the Big Hole
this week so we can tract out Wisdom, Jackson, and Polaris. Maybe even
Argenta. The towns are super small.
We also had exchanges in Helena and both Sister Shupe and I went and
did work up there. We tracted and contacted for-ev-er , it felt like.
Possibly because I had a massive headache the whole time. For some
reason, I have gotten a headache every day this week and sometimes I
wake up with it. It's no fun and makes the work hard.
We had a chilli cookoff for the youth to fund raise for their camps
this summer. There was an auction and it was hilarious. Family members
were bidding against eachother and one guy wanted a cheese cake so bad
that he was trying to push another guys hand down when they were
bidding. We got some recent converts and nonmembers to that, which was
good.
We also had a youth family history workshop with some members who are
stellar at family history. It was part of their missionary madness
challenge for the month and the Young Men in our ward beat the other
groups with over 200 points. They were determined. So they get a pizza
party!
We taught a cadet from the MYCA (Montana Youth Challenge Academy) at
church. He wants to get baptized and some LDS cadets helped teach the
lesson, which was neat.
We also had a cool experience this week where we went out with one of
our new ward missionaries and it was great. She is so motherly and
friendly and we could tell that the people that we contacted took to
her well. And we went to a less active's house that hasn't been
contacted in a while (because she has a sketchy living situation) and
taught the Restoration and it went super well. She really appreciated
it and connected to the ward missionary that came. :) WARD
MISSIONARIES ARE THE BEST.
And we have "The 12 Days of Finding" going on in our zone right now
and we are reading the Finding People to Teach section in Peach my
Gospel and doing and applying all of the activities in there for the
next 12 days. So our Zone Leaders call us every day to report to the
zone what finding miracles have happened each day in our zone. So it's
been pretty cool!
Anyhow- that's it for me. Hope everyone is just peachy!


Sister Lauren Ney
Montana Billings Mission

Week 36

Hello, all!

I have got to say, the mission is totally helping me set goals on what
I want my future family to be like. I don't know how my life would be
without coming out here and meeting the people I have met. Heavenly
Father knew what I would need and He knew a mission would help me do
that!
It's been kindof a cool week. So in district meeting, we were doing
role plays about trying to resolve people's concerns using the spirit
and How to Begin Teaching points (and not straight up asking the
person what their concerns are) and I was nervous because the gift of
discernment has been something I'm struggling with and asking Heavenly
Father to help me have. So we got up in front of the district to role
play a first lesson with an investigator, who was one of our zone
leaders, and right off the bat I decided to state that we are
representatives of Christ and that our whole purpose and desire is to
bring all of Gods children to Him and our Savior. And then we asked
him (hopefully) inspired questions to help him and get to know him
after that. After the role play, he said his concern was that he
wasn't sure Mormons believed in Christ and that he didn't believe that
2 19 year old girls could teach him anything. And he said that we
resolved both of them within a couple minutes! How neat! I definitely
felt touched that Heavenly Father gave me and Sister Shupe the power
to discern his needs and put words into our mouths because there's no
way that would have been possible on our own.
And we also had the privilege of teaching institute this weeks to the
YSAs. One girl that came was less active and the lesson this week was
on Esther, so I think that was perfect for her because it's all about
courage and that's what a lot of these struggling college students
need. Courage to stand up for their beliefs and not fall into the
evils around them.
And we had another open house and we had a slightly better turn out
than last time. We had one more nonmember come- which is progress,
even if it was small. Her dad and sister converted a year or so ago.
So maybe she was impacted in some way to be in the church again!
AND we had an investigator come to church! This was the first time in
a long time that we were able to get someone to come who wasn't
already halfway baptized (our other recent converts have just been
super ready and they had no issues). So this lady that came is still
hesitant but we were able to bring a member couple to meet her on
Saturday and offer to bring her to church on Sunday and she was
actually waiting on the curb to be picked up before church!! She
stayed for sacrament but the deal was that she wanted to be dropped
off at her church, the Cowboy church, afterwards. That was a weird
deal to make but atleast she came!! And she enjoyed it and knew some
people there.

Sister Lauren Ney
Montana Billings Mission

Pictures: Sister Shupe and I found earth worms today because it was rainy!

Week 35

Hello, family and friends!

Well, this week wasn't too crazy.
We had an awesome lesson with a less active who moved back into town
with his family because of some rough things he's going through. His
mom referred us to him and we had a member of the bishopric come and
it was one of the best lessons we have ever had in that home. The
bishopric member was able to teach and testify about the Restoration
and the spirit was there. Usually, when we teach at that house, it's a
disaster and we are not sure if anyone learned anything. So I
definitely have a testimony that when the right member comes to a
lesson, it makes a world of a difference!!
We had a little earth day celebration here in Dillon and in the
morning, the community helped pick up trash around town and then we
had a bbq and vendors at the park. I love small towns. :)
This stuff doesn't happen in the city.
We were able to talk to a couple people and one of our former
investigators there.
We also had a service project for the youth to clean the church
building this past Saturday! This building is always soooo dirty for
some reason, so as part of the missionary challenge for the month,
they could come and earn points by cleaning the church. And it will be
nice and clean for our open house this week. :)
My testimony in talking to everyone also has grown this week. So,
during the winter time, my street contacting skills weakened because
it's cold and no one is outside, so you don't keep up on it. So I'm a
bit rusty and I'm trying to get used to street contacting again/
talking to everyone. I
just have to force myself to do it and when I did, we were able to get
a new investigator! We were walking out of an apartment building and
she was sitting on a bench while she was smoking so we talking to her
about the Restoration. She wanted us to come back again to teach her!
Woo!
And we were also contacting a potential investigator and her friends
were on the porch with her and we talked to all of them (one of the
guys' names was Goob. No joke.) and he referred us to his friend a few
doors down who also became a new investigator! Miracles happen when
you obey the principle of talking to everyone. :)
Sister Shupe and I also spoke in sacrament this week about the
blessings of obedience and I mentioned that in there.
Hope everyone is having a great week!

Sister Lauren Ney
Montana Billings Mission

Pictures- tender mercies: rays of sunshine in the laundromat

Week 34

Hello, family!

So this week we did a lot of biking because it has been warming up. It hit the 70s is week! I thought I would never see the day! I don't know how many miles we have gone but it was a lot. Sister Shupe and I might buy some FitBits soon so we can start tracking. I have some sunburns and a tan line from my watch. 

We have been contacting a lot. And trying to get more people to teach. I came across another guy who thought my name was Ranea when I said that my name is Sister Ney. It happens alllllll the time. So apparently I am Ranae and Sister Shupe is Sister Shupe. So she's just some weird person that goes by "Sister". Haha. I also realized how funny it would be if my name was Ranae Ney. Haha. It sounds funny.

Well, 3 recent converts we are teaching are going to all be ordained to the Aaronic priesthood within the next week. One already was yesterday and we have 2 more next week! So it has been awesome seeing them get excited to receive the priesthood. 

We had a missionary mutual on Wednesday for the youth. There were stations of handy skills you might need as a missionary like naming a scripture story from seeing a picture, sewing a button, tying a tie, pumping a bike tire, and ironing clothes. It was fun and they made it a race between Young Mens and Young Womens. Then they did a tug of war afterward for some reason. And then we kicked off our "Missionary Madness" challenge for the month of April. We are having the Young Womens and Young Mens from both wards complete different missionary things all month long and whichever group gets the most points by the end of the month gets a pizza party! Different tasks have different points attached to them, like "Bring a friend to church- 10 points", "post something spiritual on Facebook and tag the missionaries-5 points", etc. We really hope this will get the youth more involved in missionary work.

Oh! And we might be teaching some Youth Challenge kids from the academy here soon. They come to church and mutual a lot if they have been on good behavior, so some have been interested in learning about the church. We talked to their sergeant, and we have to talk to a few more of their leaders to make sure it's okay.

Well, I know the church is true and I have gained a greater testimony of the Sabbath day. I used to be all stressed out on Sunday's because there were so many different things to take care of and people to talk to while we were there that I would just feel so spread thin. But this time a

I let it all go and focused on what we should do on the sabbath- rest, worship and learn about the Savior. And boy, it made a world of a difference!! I just enjoyed the company of the ward family and soaked up the spirit. And that's how it should be! 

Have a good week everyone! 

Week 33

This has been a crazy awesome week!!

Transfer news: Sister Shupe and I are both staying here in Dillon! So this will be my 4th transfer here. When I first came on the mission I thought I would never want to be in an area for that long, but I have come to love this town. I was SO happy.  I could stay here forever and just live here for the rest of my life. The people are the best. 

We had a miracle baptism this week after the Saturday afternoon session of conference! The father of the girl who's baptism we sang at last week was baptized! His wife's whole side of the family is lds and they came and so did a ton of ward members. We ran out of seating for everyone that came! The whole process of teaching him and him being baptized happened all within around 10 days. He was just ready. His 12 year old son spoke at his baptism and started crying because he was so happy that his dad was being baptized and that they can be sealed as a family a year from now. The closing song was "Families Can Be Together Forever" and almost everyone started crying. It was awesome. He spirit was there and he was so grateful.

Moments like that make it all worth it.

Conference was also this week! We watched one session with a member, one at the chapel with the elders because no one else had us over and no one else showed up at the church, and two sessions in Polaris with a recent convert. I loved it. I was also super glad that President Monson was able to speak for a little bit. I liked Mervyn B. Arnold's talk and how we mentioned that we are ALL called to the rescue. I know that's true! Missionary, member, or non-member. We are all God's children with the same potential and worth. Heaven won't be heaven unless we are all there.

Besides those highlights of the week, some other stuff that happened was that Sister Shupe and I biked and walked a lot because we ran out of miles on our car and we also took turns being sick, which made biking and walking even more fun. 

But it's been great here in paradise. Hope all is well in the outside world!