Monday, February 27, 2017

It's The Little Things!

Hello!

This week was honestly one of the best weeks I have had in a long time!  We had such a good week filled with service, meeting with less-active families, teaching our investigators, and meeting a new family that we are going to start teaching.  So much happened, but I have no clue what to share.  We saw so many miracles and had so many tender mercies each and every day.  Heavenly Father is watching out for this area, and I feel so blessed for that.  

On Sunday, it was like miracles after miracle.  We had these less-actives that hadn't come in a really long time just show up.  Two minutes later some more walked through the door, and then our two investigators walked in, and we were just sitting there with the biggest smiles on our faces.  I just had so much joy.  It was such an amazing Sacrament Meeting as well.  So many blessings!!

After church, we went from appointment to appointment, which normally doesn't happen.  We had an awesome lesson with this family that we are so excited to start teaching.  They have four adorable kids, and they are all just so funny!  

 Oh, my gosh!  Here's comes Santa Claus!!!

It snowed like a total of about nine inches, so we were able to do so much service for members, less-actives, and non-members, which was so fun.  Also, living here, you have to find those little things that keep you sane during the winters, and one of those things for me has been running.  We had what we called the "miracle treadmill" because it was a legit miracle and answer to so many prayers that it was given to us!  Anyway, it broke this week, and Sister Cox and I shed a few tears, but thankfully it was 25 degrees outside, so we were able to run outside.  I never thought that running outside would bring so much happiness, but I ran those three miles that morning with the biggest smile on my face ever!  It felt like paradise, and I realized how beautiful this place really is.  You can see that we literally live in the middle of nowhere, and the roads are these small snow-covered roads without any traffic, and there's not a house to be seen.  It's the little things that keep you sane living here.

 On my beautiful, scenic three-mile run!

Honestly, this week was so good.  We saw so many miracles and had so many blessings.  I have been studying the Plan of Salvation a lot this week.  It truly is the Plan of Happiness.  It is the coolest thing being able to teach people about the plan and see the joy that comes from them finding out that they can experience that joy and happiness in this life and the next--being able to return and live with our Heavenly Father again.  I have seen it bring joy to so many people, as well as the joy it has brought me.  

I know this Church is true.  I love this Gospel.  Hope you all had a great week!  

Love you all,
Sister Lake

P.S. A shout out to Amy Christensen for the adorable PJ pants!!!  And, if any of you were wondering...if you stick your tongue to the NORTH POLE, it doesn't stick!  

 Thanks, Amy Christensen!

 Checking to see if my tongue will stick...!

Yay...My tongue didn't stick!!

Monday, February 20, 2917

Jesus, take the wheel!

Hello!
We had the opportunity to have Elder Ardern from the Seventy come and visit our mission this week, and it was such an amazing experience.  We had an incredible scripture study with him, and the Spirit was just so strong.  He asked all of us to choose our favorite scripture, and then he called a few of us up to read it.  We then thoroughly studied the scripture word by word.  I was one of the lucky four chosen to share my favorite, and it was a really terrifying experience but SO cool.  

 Elder Ian S. Ardern

Funny side story--As I was walking up to the front, Elder Ardern said in his thick New Zealand accent, "You look like a very "'hippie"' missionary, and all of the missionaries started laughing.  He meant to say "happy" but said "hippie" instead.  Even the General Authorities can tell...Haha!  It was such an awesome experience though, and I am so thankful for that opportunity to share my favorite scripture.

 Zone Conference with Elder and Sister Ardern, mission president and his wife, and missionaries in the zone

Other than Elder Ardern's visit, my companion was really sick this week, and so we spent a lot of time in the doctor's office and inside our apartment, which has given me a lot of time to study and read the book, "Jesus the Christ."  

We also had an awesome experience this week with a less-active, part-member family.  A couple of weeks ago we were looking for a less-active member, and totally got lost.  We were driving down this super sketchy road in the middle of nowhere with only three homes.  All of a sudden, I felt a prompting that we needed to turn around, and so we did.  We then drive by this one house and they have a BYU football flag hanging up.  We looked in our directory but didn't have any listing of members in that area.  I said to my companion, "Let's go knock."  We did and met this guy named Dave Adams.  He is a less-active and was shocked that we found him.  He has an awesome family who aren't members, and he told us to come back.  We ate dinner with him and his family this past week, and we had such a cool evening.  They are seriously the greatest, and we are eating with them again soon.  We were able to answer so many questions they had and just got to know them.  I freaking love them!

Heavenly Father will put us where we need to be, and when we need to be there, to find those people we need to find.  He will lead us and guide us.  He is aware of each person,  what they are in need of, and when they will be prepared.  I love this Gospel and know it is true.  I love my Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I am grateful for the knowledge of their love for me and each and every one of us.

Love, Sister Lake

 Singing "Jesus, Take The Wheel" while driving on the icy roads

P.S.  "Jesus Take The Wheel" has been our theme song this week because of the icy roads and stuff.  Also, transfers happened and Sister Cox and I are staying together in North Pole, but our favorite Zone Leader peaced out.  Sad day!

 Additional pictures from the Zone Conference

Monday, February 12, 2017

THE SUN IS OUT!

Okay...I am the worst and totally ran out of time and forgot to send a weekly email out.  

Quick update:  Life is so good!  THE SUN IS OUT and Alaska is truly beautiful.  We had a couple rough days but ended the week on a day full of miracles.  Such a blessing!  Heavenly Father is aware of this area, and I am so thankful for that.  

 The Sun is out!!

We met with some incredible less-active families that I just instantly fell in love with!  We taught our two investigators this week and the meeting went really well!  They are so ready!

Something important that I came to realize this week is that happiness is a choice!  I can choose to look at the fact that I am in the coldest place ever, in the middle of nowhere, where no one answers their door--LIKE NEVER--as a hard thing, or I can choose to realize that serving in the North Pole as an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience, where I I have the opportunity to bring the light of the Gospel to the people here and see how its teachings bless so many peoples' lives.  I realized that once I started looking at things positively, there was a world of difference.  Happiness is a choice, no matter what situation we are in.  We have that choice, and that is something I have come to learn this week.

This Church is so true.  I love the Gospel and am so thankful for the blessings I have received and have been able to see others receive as well.  I LOVE the Book of Mormon, and I love the opportunity to serve a mission.  Hope you all have a great week!

Love, Sister Lake  

 No doubt about it...we are in Alaska!

 Bald eagle sitting on a telephone pole

Monday, February 6, 2017

Weekly Email

Hello!  
This week was good; it went by really quick!  We had Zone Meeting this week and so our mission president and his wife were able to fly in, and it was really fun having them up here.  We had such an amazing meeting, and the spirit was so strong.  We focused a lot on the importance of the Sacrament, which was such a good reminder for me.  The Sacrament truly is such a blessing and gift to be able to renew those covenants we made when we were baptized.  We also had interviews with our president and his wife, and I just love them.  It was good to spend some time and just get to know them better.

 Our beloved zone!

We also had two amazing lessons with our two investigators!  I didn't realize how much I miss teaching!  The lessons went well and the spirit was very strong.  We talked about the Plan of Salvation, which was truly such a special experience.  The investigators are incredible.  This Church is so true!

Church on Sunday was AMAZING.  The testimonies that were shared were exactly what I needed.  They helped answer many of my questions.  It is so cool when Heavenly Father answers your prayers through other people, and on Sunday that is exactly what He did multiple times.

We shared with a few people that we visited this week my favorite chapter in the Book of Moron, which is 3 Nephi 17.  One of my favorite verses is Verse 9, which states, "And it came to pass that when He had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and He did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto Him." 

I love this scripture so much because our Savior is inviting us, anyone who is afflicted in any manner, to come unto Him and as we do, He promises us He will heal us.  It is so powerful knowing that as we come unto our Savior in times that we are struggling, He will heal us.  He loves us.  It has been so special being able to read this chapter and watch as the spirit touches the hearts of the people we teach, as well as my companion and me.  This church is true.  I am very thankful for a loving Heavenly Father and for my Savior and his atoning sacrifice.

I love you all!  The temperature is dropping back down to negative 50 this week, so prayers would be greatly appreciated!  Much love from the NORTH POLE and Santa and his reindeer, of course!

Love, Sister Lake

 Sister Cox and I found the first smoothie/juice bar in all of Alaska--Pure joy!!!

 Sister Lake on Lake Dr.

 Our Fig Newton cookie obsession has gotten unreal!!