Give Thanks!

Smile it's a Beautiful Day!
Isn't it a great day? If not... You better make it that way! As President Hinkley always said "life is to be enjoyed, not just endured!" This week Sister Phelps and I have been focusing on the little things, the miracles, and seeing the positive in everything! We have had such a great week! There were some pits but a whole lot more peaks!
This week we were able to spend a few hours doing yard work with an awesome less active. It's  Mandarin Orange season now, and for your information....Utah "cutie oranges" have nothing on the good California stuff! (I may just stay in California forever...I'm so addicted to all this fresh fruit!) But back to the story! We found the perfect looking orange and Sister Phelps told me this awesome story/I don't know what you would call it..
"CONSIDER THE ORANGE"
A tree, that is naturally growing upon the earth produces naturally this round vegetation.
You and I can pick off these products and see that they fit into the palm of our hand.
Whose hand? Our hand! It was made for us!
It has a layer around it so as to keep the contents within fresh, protected and delicious so that we can consume it! We can eat it! It was made for us!
You peel off that outer layer and see there is multiple bite size pieces! What size pieces? Bite size! It was made for us!
Each of those bite size pieces has another protective layer around it to make it convenient for us to pull apart, and not get our hands sticky, throw into our mouth and delight in the taste while it
provides us with multiple necessary vitamins we need to survive!
IT WAS MADE FOR US!
Within the Orange, most often are seeds. That when planted can bring forth another tree to carry on the same process. All coming forth naturally from the earth!
Man has never been able to create something so miraculous and simple. This orange, as well as other wonders here on the earth were given by a loving God, who is our Heavenly Father, to us! Everything that has been made is for us! He loves us. This earth was created by him, for us! There is no better, more loving, knowledgeable, understanding and powerful being than your loving Heavenly Father. Consider the Orange and remember it is all for you."  -Mike McKinnon

We truly do have so much! "And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more."
D&C 78:19
A few other highlights from our week...
We went to the B Family's home, which they have a big farm and do Markets with their produce. They are the coolest people ever! Brother B taught me how to read the sugar percentage in fruit. I was thrilled to learn new agriculture stuff! I also ate a Roasted Fire Ant! Nasty!!! They are a delicacy in Peru. I was brave and ate it plain! Brother B bragged about us to the whole Ward at the ward
party how cool of sister missionaries they have! Haha the things you have to do on a mission!
The Thanksgiving Ward Party was nice! We had a lot of less actives and non members there and it was a good night.
R was Baptized on Saturday! What an awesome experience. The spirit was so strong at her baptism and her family was able to be there. R is the last one in her family to get baptized and now they are
working towards going to the temple as a family. Such a cool experience. Just a side note. Last week we were teaching R and she shared her testimony on how she found out that God was real. I was in
shock!! As I listened to her story it started sounding more and more like the experience I had. As tears filled my eyes I knew I was sent here to help teach R. It's such an amazing blessing to be on a mission. Her confirmation was a spiritual experience for all. As she sat down to be confirmed, in front of the ward, she started tearing up. Her blessing was amazing, led by the spirit, and boy does she has an amazing life ahead of her. She stood up and looked at the ward and said "wow, that
is happiness!" I'm so blessed to be on a mission!

I hit my half way mark! 9 months have gone way to fast!
Family and Friends I'm so thankful for this life on earth, for every day we get to wake up and see Gods creatures, and to know each one of you! Thank you all for the support and encouragement!
Love,
Sister Reber

Have a great Thanksgiving!!

 -Celebrating 9 months at Mongolian BBQ for the first time

 -Hump Day!! 9 Months:)

 -Sister Hänninen(was able to come back for the baptism)R, Me, and Sister Phelps. Happy time!

 -Our Truck....his name is Lance Kelly!

 -Fire Ants!

 -Zone Meeting with President Marston!

Good Afternoon!

Good Afternoon!!
I hope this email finds you all well and happy! I am so happy today and so grateful to be on a mission! This week has been a lot of hard work but fun! Last Tuesday I took Sister Hänninen to the mission office and got Sister Phelps. Not only a new companion BUT....I got a brand new blue truck! I didn't even have to beg! They love me that much;) Sister Phelps is awesome! We hit it off right away! She is from West Valley, Utah ,been out 15 months, and just fun! She is an all out exerciser and wants to be a personal trainer. Don't worry I'm still alive....just way sore! I have my own personal trainer and it's great! Haha.

This week Sister Phelps and I have made a lot of goals for our time here in Auburn, went around meeting a lot members, spent some time with the Bishop, and just got excited about being here together. We work really well together and have a lot of new ideas we have came up with.

Wednesday we went to the care center...nothing too funny happened this week! Same sweet little old people!
Thursday we had our Zone meeting. It went great! We taught a little and the rest of the missionaries bore testimony! It was so great and the spirit was strong!

Friday we went to the temple. Sister Phelps had a recent convert going to do Baptisms of the Dead and went to watch. What a cool experience! E is 71 years old and super tall! He was baptized for his brother. I have never felt the spirit so strong in the baptismal room. He was smiling ear to ear! That's what a mission is all about! It's not seeing them in white at their baptism, that's just the first step,
seeing them in the temple is when you see the success!
R is getting baptized this week and we are very excited for that! She is very excited for this next step in her life. She is such an awesome women!
Well it's time to get to work!
I love you all and thanks for all the support and encouragement!
Love,
Sister Reber

"O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods."
Psalms 95:1-3

 Look who I found! Elder Avery!! What an awesome Elder!

 Sister Phelps and I at the temple.

Smile!

Hello Family and Friends! 

It's been such a good week! Transfer calls came last night and Sister Hännanen will be leaving me. She is going back to her greenie area for her last 5 weeks. She is super excited and has been a hoot to listen to all morning. I'm getting a new companion, Sister Phelps, which I know nothing about but I am super excited to meet her. 

This week I was able to go see the H family, from my last area, go through the temple! It was such an awesome experience. President Marston always says "We shouldn't think of the people we teach in white at their baptism but wearing white in the temple." I can honestly say it is one of the greatest feelings being the the celestial room with people you have come to love. They were shining and so happy! It was great to see the Palo Cedro Ward as well. 

So here's another care center story! This week we were teaching M. G wanted to listen too. We started talking about prophets and President Monson. She wanted to see a picture of him so I showed her. She holds my iPad, looks at him, and starts talking to him! "Let me look into your eyes...you sure your called of God." "Why is your hand fisted?" "What's that grin on your face...you look too happy to be a prophet." Haha she is a hoot! These care center people are the best! 

Hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Sister Reber 

Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God

Good Afternoon Family and Friends, 

 

It has been a great week! I don't have much time to write today but...this week I have had a few things on my mind. This week during our time at the care center I had some interesting conversations. One of them was with a man that asked me "Am I dead?" And said "No, you're alive" and the conversation went on. Later I looked over and he was praying. His prayer was so simple. He was asking God for help to get through this time in his life. 

Another man, that never talks, came and sat by me. As I asked questions, not expecting an answer, he started to talk. He started talking about how beautiful it was outside and how warm it was. I didn't say anything for a few minutes and noticed he was looking at me. I asked "what are you doing?" He smiled and said "looking at you" ...."you are beautiful". My heart was filled. 

As I thought about these conversations over the week, these conversations with men that probably won't be on this earth for much longer, it reminded me of what really matters in life. The knowledge of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation, thanking and recognizing God for the little things in life, and treating others with a great respect. I am so thankful for this wonderful opportunity to be on a mission and the things I learn everyday. 

Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;

D&C 18:10

A few other of this weeks highlights:

-Came upon a car accident, called 911, and well it's along story.

-Zone Blitz in Grass Valley. The whole zone went to Grass Valley and spent the day there doing missionary work. Contacting mostly less actives. We saw a lot of success from it. 

-Interview with President went great. 

-Halloween night was spent weekly planning but we got one trick-or-treater. 

-I have now had a physiological reasoning for my personality...as well as the rest of the zone. We took color personality tests a few weeks ago and had fun figuring out about each other. 

Sorry it's a boring letter this week. Love you all!

Love,

Sister Reber 

Photos- A cute family made us "Sister Missionary" cookies. 

Our CRM pumpkin. 

Today's the day!

It's a beautiful day here in Auburn! The sun is shining, it's about 70 degrees, and it's P-day! 

Let me start off with some quotes from this week.....

"Ohh honey...you're going to have a good lookin hubby"- Betty from the Care Center(favorite lady now;))

"I want to be a fish cleaner when I grow up!"- 7 year old boy in our Ward

"Sisters you are on lockdown until further notice!" - Zone Leaders

"You're mormon?"...."ooooh" - Gloria( in a different care center)

It's been quite an adventurous week! Monday we went to a pumpkin patch with our awesome district, had a great time. 

We have been going through our area book and cleaning it up, contacting Potentials and less-actives. I had an embarrassing moment this week when I knocked on a less-actives house and the first thing I said was "Hi, we're the sister missionaries..." (Awkward pause)...."how long have you been a member of the church?" Nice job Sister Reber😒 ! We had quite the laugh for a few hours about that. 

Tuesday we had an awesome District Meeting and came up with a plan on how to use iPads in planning more effectively and how to be better planners. That night we went to contact a less active and parked at the end of their "drive way" ended up hiking in the pitch dark about 1/2 mile uphill...we only fell into a few pot holes:) 

Wednesday we volunteer at a care center and help in their "activity room". There are some awesome people there. Most of them either have dementia or Alzheimers. I was studying this week and came across a talk that talked about our knowledge we gain. Even if we forget it all on this earth it will still come back to us in heaven. So....we should always continue to learn. And that's the cool things about helping the people at the care center.

Thursday morning we started volunteering at the local food shelter. It was very fun working with all the people there. The Elders and I bagged candy for 3 hours straight...and as boring as that sounds...it was a blast! 

Friday was a very interesting day! We had weekly planning and we were planning in our apartment when we heard tons of cop sirens. We went outside and saw 4 helicopters. Basically short story... We were in the middle of a manhunt and got put on lockdown all day. There was 2 police officers killed here and it was pretty scary. That has been the hot topic everywhere we go. 

Saturday night we had a ward Halloween party. 

It's been a great week and miracles are happening! 

Love you all! 

Sister Reber 

 Missionary thought for a missionary minded person! 

What is the proper relationship between members and full-time missionaries?

Elder Bednar said, “We properly pray for the safety and success of the full-time missionaries throughout the world. And a common element in many of our prayers is a request that the missionaries will be led to individuals and families who are prepared to receive the message of the Restoration. But ultimately it is my responsibility and your responsibility to find people for the missionaries to teach. Missionaries are full-time teachers; you and I are full-time finders. And you and I as lifelong missionaries should not be praying for the full-time missionaries to do our work!

“If you and I would truly pray and ask in faith, as did Joseph Smith [see Joseph Smith--History 1:10–20]--if we would pray with the expectation to act and not just to express--then the work of proclaiming the gospel would move forward in a remarkable way.”

Good Afternoon

Family and Friends, 

Think for a moment about this fill in the blank. How would you fill it In? “I have felt the most love from someone when ___________.” Maybe you are like me and have many: they take time out of their lives to spend it with me, I get a random text that shows their thinking about me, or they never give up on me even in the hard times, etc. 

Jesus Christ, Your Savior and brother, came to this earth to be an example for us. In Moroni 7 verses 47-48 we read "But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen."

"Love is the very essence of the gospel, and Jesus Christ is our Exemplar. His life was a legacy of love. The sick He healed; the downtrodden He lifted; the sinner He saved. At the end the angry mob took His life. And yet there rings from Golgotha’s hill the words: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”--a crowning expression in mortality of compassion and love."*

"There are many attributes which are manifestations of love, such as kindness, patience, selflessness, understanding, and forgiveness. In all our associations, these and other such attributes will help make evident the love in our hearts."*

This week we found ourselves looking into a room of a care center. In this room was two women, both in wheelchairs, one struggling to eat and the other talking softly to her and helping her. We were so shocked by this sight, we just sat in the door way for a minute and watched. We've visited this lady, the one helping, many times. Every time we went she had a negative vibe or just rolled her eyes at this other roommate. As we walked into their room we could feel the love they had ACQUIRED for each other. As I thought about this two wonderful women, I thought about my relationships, some people I idiomatically loved and others I had to ACQUIRE. But, I am so thankful for those relationships. Sometimes all it takes is to get to know someone, spend some time with them, and have a desire to want to have a Christlike love for those around you. 

President Spencer W. Kimball said  “We must remember that those mortals we meet in parking lots, offices, elevators, and elsewhere are that portion of mankind God has given us to love and to serve. It will do us little good to speak of the general brotherhood of mankind if we cannot regard those who are all around us as our brothers and sisters.”

It has amazed me the people I have come to love on my mission. People I never would have even probably talked to at home. It's been such a blessing to meet people and share the gospel with them. 

How do we gain Charity or the pure love of Christ? Preach My Gospel says "Charity is a gift from God. The prophet Mormon said that we should “pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that [we] may be filled with this love” (Moroni 7:48). As you follow this counsel and strive to do righteous works, your love for all people will increase, especially those among whom you labor. You will come to feel a sincere concern for the eternal welfare and happiness of other people. You will see them as children of God with the potential of becoming like our Heavenly Father, and you will labor in their behalf. You will avoid negative feelings such as anger, envy, lust, or covetousness. You will avoid judging others, criticizing them, or saying negative things about them. You will try to understand them and their points of view. You will be patient with them and try to help them when they are struggling or discouraged. Charity, like faith, leads to action. You will develop charity as you look for opportunities to serve others and give of yourself." 

I'm thankful for all those that have and do show their love to me! I pray that I can do the same! I know with our Saviors help we can overcome our weaknesses and find the love for those people we may not have it for. I invite you to think of someone in your life that you may have a "problem" with and pray for them, get to know them, and love them! 

Dale Carnegie once said "Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.” I know that to be true!

"And behold it is written also, that thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy;

But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you;"

3 Nephi 12:43-44

Love,

Sister Reber 

Other fun things this week

-Went to a wedding of a less-active in our Ward. Weddings are quite awkward as a missionary. 

-Went on my first exchange as STL. Sister Patterson and I had a blast in Alta Sierra. We had an awesome spiritual lesson there as well. 

-Today we went to a pumpkin patch with our District. 

-We helped move a family. 

-Sister Hänninen and I made a goal! I quit eating chocolate and she isn't having candy. So far so good. 

Pictures:

-The wonderful women at the care center. Gloria & Murna.

-Wedding crashers! Sister Hänninen, Elder Ewell, me, Elder McGuffy

-District at the Pumpkin patch. Elder Vielstich, Elder Hyde, Sisters, Elder McGuffy, Elder Ewell.

PEAKS, PITS, PRAISES, and PRAYERS!

Hello Family, Friends, and RM's,

What a crazy week! This week I'm going to use the format of PEAKS, PITS, PRAISES, and PRAYERS! After all that is what a mission consists of!

Peaks:
There were SO many peaks this week, but here are a few that stand out.
 -We had an awesome lesson with R. R is a lady we are teaching. Her husband and kids are all members and she has decided to get baptized. She has a date set for next month.
-A lot of you asked if we got to see "Meet the Mormons". We did! Our mission, as well as many other missions, received the dvd before it came out. Missionaries were able to watch it so we could encourage members, and others, to take their friends to go see it. Our Zone was able to watch it on Thursday. It seems like Auburn has been a place of miracles for me! Watching 2 awesome sisters go home and now a third, watching them struggle to go home and not want to leave the mission,
has been a blessing. I couldn't figure out why I didn't feel that way, why I couldn't get into the groove of missionary work, why that day coming down the escalator in the airport was what I was looking
forward to, I wanted to absolutely fall in love with my mission! Watching Meet the Mormons is what did! Watching that Elder get his call, getting ready to leave, and leaving, for some odd reason, made
me fall in love with being on a mission and even thinking about going home made me tear up. I understand the feeling my past companions have had, and I love it!
-J's Baptism! I was able to go back to Palo Cedro, yesterday, for her baptism! I am so grateful I did! 6 hours in the car was totally worth it! There was an amazing spirit there, there was a lot of people
there to support her, and she was glowing! It was a very cool experience. She wasn't even nervous until right before. We went into the chapel and said a prayer with her. It was a very cool experience
with many different missionaries. Just a little history of J. Sister Brewster and I had been tracting for months straight and one day we were prompted to go tract a road. I remember praying that we could
just find someone! Tracting for two or three months straight, I was starting to loose faith(or really didn't have any faith) in it. We started tracting and no one was interested. I told Sister Brewster
"alright let's be done" and she said "one more!" (sadly she must have had more faith in my prayer than I did). We went and knocked on the door and there's Jesse. First thing she says, "come in!". It was history after that! Nothing stopped her! Her testimony is amazing! It was good to be back in Palo Cedro to officially say bye to people, but still hard.

Pits: Got "dominated" by a dog 3 times in one night! What is this?? #forreals

Praises:
-The Anderson Sisters, for taking on the lessons and loving J. They were amazing yesterday and let me into their companionship, getting her ready.
-Amazing friends and family that keep me going! The emails, letters, and prayers! Thanks!

Prayers: My prayers have been full of praying for the people here in Auburn. Some sad things in some people's lives. For me, praying that I can remember all this new stuff, names, and places I am going.

We heed prophetic word even when it may seem unreasonable, inconvenient, and uncomfortable. According to the world’s standards, following the prophet may be unpopular, politically incorrect, or
socially unacceptable. But following the prophet is always right. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."
-Live according to the Words of the Prophets-

Thanks for all you each do!
Last week The challenge was to post a conference talk on Facebook or give a referral to your local missionaries, I hope you were good member missionaries and did it! This week is the same challenge...just do the other one!
Till next week,
Love,
Sister Reber

 Sister Comstock(Anderson), J, me, Sister (Lori) Brewster, Sister Alan(Anderson), and Sister (Kelly) Gibbons. All the sisters that taught J, in just a few months.