week 61

Hello Everyone!

I hope you have all had a great week!  We have had a great week out here in Taylor!  We are finally starting to get into the swing of things, and the work is hastening!  So, on Monday we had a great night.  First of all, a recent convert told us about some things that the ward mission leader had done for him!  He first said, "you tattled on me to the mission president!" and Sister Christensen and I were really confused because we hadn't even talked to our mission president about him.  Then we figured out that he meant the ward mission leader.  Turns out, he offered Travis a second job at the place where he manages, then he offered a ride to church on Sundays because they don't have a car, then he also offered to take them in to Show Low to do some shopping!  Travis was so excited, he saw them as not just cool, but enormous blessings!  So that was really cool to see a member reaching out to him!  Then, we went and contacted a family who was also referred to us by that ward mission leader.  The mom answered and she was really nice to us, but she was busy so she said that we could come back on Friday at 3!  We were super excited because she was just different from people that we meet, well on Friday they were also busy but we met the dad and he was also really nice to us!  We set another appointment for this week, so hopefully something happens!  We are really excited about that family!  On Wednesday we had a zone meeting that was really great!  We learned a lot!  We also have higher standards set by our mission leaders, so we hope that we can achieve them!  Later that day we met with a less-active lady and she was telling us all of these miracles that have happened in her life, and I think it was just really good for her to remember the Lord's hand in her life!  It helped her out a lot to talk to us about it!  We also had our appointment fall through this week with the Shurter's which was sad.  They left a note on the door saying that they had to go to Show Low for a dentist appointment.  We stopped by the next day but they weren't there, so that was a little sad but we will see them again!  Then on Saturday we had a fun time moving a non-member lady who was moving out of her house because she is getting a divorce. We got her all moved out and we got her info to send missionaries over to help her unpack and hopefully will be able to touch her heart and start teaching her!  Then on Sunday we had great ward councils.  I think our members are starting to get the whole "hastening the work" idea.  It is scary to think of doing missionary work, but I promise that there are ways for you to do missionary work in your own way!  Also, last night we contacted a referral of a single mom with two young kids. She was taught a couple of years ago but she didn't like the Elder's answers so she kicked them out.  She has a lot of questions, and we will hopefully be able to help her gain peace and understanding in her life.  She recognizes that there is something missing, and knows that she needs to look into a religion, so hopefully we can help her!  So it's been a good week here!  I hope you all have a wonderful week!  

Love,

Sister Zimmerman

 I made some cute hats for my mom's soon-to-be cute bald head!  Other pictures will be coming next week of our zone and such!  I love you all!

oops, too small ;D

Week 60

Hello again!

Well, this week went pretty well!  We saw Travis and Mari and they are doing great as always.  I love getting to teach them, they make me feel so good!  We had a cool lesson with the Shurters this week! We were able to read the introduction to the Book of Mormon with them and explain a little after each paragraph. They really liked it and agreed with what it taught. We have both been studying recently about how important the Book of Mormon is in conversion, and it seemed to really sink for them. We then asked if we could come back in a week because he said we could come back in two....we compromised at a week and a half. He had been concerned that we wanted him to read a lot of the Book of Mormon by the next appointment, but we told him we wanted him to read at least 1 Nephi 1 by the next time we saw him, and he said he would do that. It's been fun teaching them, and next time we get to invite them to be baptized when we teach the Restoration! Also about their story, they were taught a couple of years ago and quit because the wife wanted to go back to the baptist church. But now we're teaching them and their hearts just seem softened. The Bishop who has fellowshipped them from the beginning even said that their countenance has seemed to change. So that was just really cool!   We feel really blessed because the area hasn't had new investigators for a long time!  On New Years we were able to get with the mountain zones, minus our missionaries in Payson who got snowed in, and play sports and watch "It's a Wonderful Life" for about 6 hours!  It was really fun!  Fun story on Saturday, we were trying to contact someone in a complex, and they answered finally but they were just house sitting for the people that live there.  So we heard a young family next door so we decided to just knock.  She answered and let us in, and it turns out that she is a member that we had been told about recently.  I don't think we ever got an apartment number, so it was really cool!  Miracles happen when you follow the spirit :).  I'm excited to have a "regular" week where we can go contact the people that we have been told about.  I'm excited for the new year!  I can't believe it's already 2015!  I love you all, have a wonderful week!

Love,

Sister Zimmerman

 

 Outside of the dome where we played sports!

 Hey!  We found Jesus!! :)  We found this sign on the way back from Eager and had to take pictures!  We totally got stuck in the snow, but three of us pushed the car out and we survived! We were with our district leader and his companion because they didn't want us driving in the snow. 

Sister Christensen and I busted that wall out!

Week 59

Hello Everyone!

Merry Christmas!  I hope you all had a great week last week!  This week has been pretty good, although it was pretty slow.  On Monday evening we were able to visit a less-active couple, and their granddaughter, who is also less-active was there too!  This granddaughter was someone that we had been looking for for a while, but couldn't find her because the directions we received were "go down this road, and when you pass the end of the pavement go down your last dirt road on the left, and it's at the end on the left."  Well, if you were here you would understand that those are difficult directions considering the fact that everything is a dirt road and on the left could mean 5 houses...... So needless to say, I am grateful that we found her elsewhere. :)  Anyway, that was good!  Then on Wednesday we had an eventful day!  We had breakfast with an older couple in our ward, then we went to District Meeting.  I gave a talk and two other sisters gave some trainings then we went around the room and bore our testimonies.  It was a very neat experience and I'm pretty sure that we all cried a little at one point.  Then we went to a member's home for lunch with the other sisters.  This member is so sweet, she gave us all a present and a stocking of little gifts!  We also got to sing to them at the end!  Then that evening we went with a less-active couple to a family party of theirs in Snowflake!  And at the party, we were given a stocking and were asked to sit on Santa's lap along with everyone else......we refused because we're sisters....so that made for a fun moment for sure!  :)  Then we helped a less-active member wrap presents for her little family!  Then she sent us off with presents too!  My goodness, we were so spoiled this Christmas!!  Anyway, then on Christmas we were able to have breakfast with some sweet members, then we had lunch with another family in one of our wards, and they gave us stockings and presents, then we skyped our families!  So we had a pretty fun Christmas!  Then on Saturday we were able to see a less-active couple that we got referred to us from one of our Bishops, then we saw another referral, and visited more less-active people.  It was nice to end the week with some good visits after not being able to see many people this past week.  But it's been good and I was glad that I was able to be on my mission for a second Christmas, it is definitely a different experience!  I love you all and hope that you have a great week!

Love,

Sister Zimmerman

 The Rogers!  They had us over for breakfast Christmas Eve!  They are so nice to us!

 me and Sister Christensen

 skyping with the fam

 The Stapleys!  They had us over for breakfast on Christmas!

The Fabians!  I love them so much!  

Merry Christmas 2014 !

Hello Everyone!

Merry Christmas!!  I hope that you all have a great day this Thursday and are able to spend some time remembering the Savior and all that He has done for us.  I know that our Savior lives and loves each and every one of us!!  He is truly the greatest gift that has ever been given!  This week has been pretty great!  Travis and Mari are doing great, so that is good!  We love spending time with them, and actually get to spend some time with them on Christmas!  On Tuesday we had a sister join us for the day who served here a few months ago.  So she was able to go visit some people with us that we hadn't been able to contact yet, so that was fun!  One family we went to has been less-active for a long time, but one of their kids is active and he is getting married in the temple in May!  So, we are hoping that this will be a time for them to get motivated to become active so that they can attend their son's wedding!  Anyway, then we were able to go to a Relief Society activity that went really well!  On Wednesday we were able to do a session at the Snowflake temple!!!  We had all of the mountain zones there, which made for about 80 missionaries so some missionaries did other ordinances.  Anyway, it made for a great day!  I love attending the temple and feeling so much peace while in there!  Then Thursday we were gone almost all day again for a meeting with our zone in Heber which is about 45 minutes away.  Then at night we were able to go and see a part-member family and talked to the wife for a while, who isn't a member.  We had a great conversation that ended in her sharing some cool spiritual experiences!  We were really happy, because we have heard that she isn't super open to our message, but enjoys the visits!  Anyway, that was one of our miracles this past week!  Then on Friday we were able to see Ashley again and we taught her the Plan of Salvation.  Well, the cool part was that her mother-in-laws foster child was there and he isn't a member and just turned 8.  Anyway, he was so interested in it and loved it!  So, we are going to start teaching him the lessons every Thursday!  We are so excited to teach him!  Even though it won't necessarily count towards our numbers, we get to teach him while we still have to teach Ashley! :)  So that was cool, then that evening we went caroling to a bunch of different people as a district and got rid of all of our goodies!  YAY! ;)  Then on Saturday we had another great miracle!  We were on exchanges so I was with Sister Flake in my area, and we were able to contact the Shurters again!  We taught them a short lesson on the Book of Mormon and we learned all about them, and in the end he said that he would read from the Book of Mormon before we came back!  So cool!!!  So we got TWO new investigators!!!!!  I don't know that that has happened for a long time in this area!  Anyway, it's been a very good week!  I hope that you again all have a very merry Christmas!  Remember to keep CHRIST in your hearts! :)

Love,

Sister Zimmerman

 We went out to lunch last Monday after emailing and we all sort-of matched!!

 

I got to make two batches of the best pumpkin chocolate chip cookies last P-day!!!  

 Sister Christensen and I at the Snowflake Temple

 Sister Flake and I after our exchange! I love her!

We were sitting penguin style at the temple waiting to take a big group picture!!! :)

Week 57

Hello Everyone!

Well, the past few days have been busy for sure!  On Wednesday after P-day ended, we went to our Taylor 3rd ward Christmas party!  It was pretty fun and they had a pretty good turnout!  We were able to talk to the bishop and he pointed out different people that the sisters had worked with, so that was nice to put names to faces!  Then on Thursday, we just had the best day ever!  By the end of the day, we realized that EVERY door that we knocked, answered and let us in!!  It was so cool!  So we were able to visit with one lady who is the mom of a less-active lady that we were trying to contact!  Well, turns out the mom is also less-active and would love missionaries to come by, and has tried to reach out and get people to come, but no one has come to see her so she has given up.  So we contacted her missionaries and hopefully they will go see her soon!  Then we contacted a referral from one of our Bishops.  They are a sweet older couple that has a son who is paralized.  (Plan of Salvation??)  Anyway, he said that we could come back this week!  Hopefully it goes well!!  Then we saw another couple who is less-active, and they are super open to us and want us to help them go to the temple!  So exciting!  We also saw a sister who is less-active who just had an adorable little baby girl!  Well, she was really open to us and wants us to keep coming back, so hopefully we can get her and her mom active again!  Then we visited a sweet old couple, the wife is on hospice and can't go anywhere, so they really appreciate visits!  They are probably one of the most humble couples I've met!!  Then we taught another older couple this week who hasn't been sealed, so we are teaching them the lessons to prepare them to go to the temple!  They are such a nice couple!  Then Friday we got to see Ashley again and this time we taught her the Restoration!  She knows that the gospel is true, and she knows that she just needs to get the motivation to come to church to be active!  Her husband is also not a member, so hopefully we will be able to soften his heart a little? :)  She's the greatest, we are so happy to get to work with her!  Then Saturday we saw Judy again and shared a quick message, she is hopefully warming up a lot and will come to church soon!  Then we had our Taylor 9th ward Christmas party!  Then yesterday we had meetings and church from 7am till 4pm!  Long day, totally worth it!  Oh, and we got to go caroling to some people yesterday, it was so great!  One man opened the door (we didn't know him) and we sang to him, then we gave him cookies and he gave us some cookies right back!  It was really surprising!  :)  Anyway, things are going GREAT!!!  The people up here in Taylor are amazing and we have so much work to do it's so great!  I love you all, hope you are having a wonderful Chirstmas season!!

Love,

Sister Zimmerman

First gift from 12 days of Christmas. Matching book marks :D

Working in Taylor Arizona!

Hello Everyone!

Well, this week hasn't been as crazy, but maybe it's just been a different kind of crazy!  We have been getting everything sorted out with our new area, and have been able to meet with all of our leadership which has been really nice to get to know where the wards are at so that we can know how to help everyone!  So, we were able to see a few people this week, one of them that stands out is a single mom named Megan.  She has been less-active for a long time, and has two little boys that are so adorable!  So we visited her this last week and we shared a message, then we asked her why she hadn't been to church in a long time, and we actually got the scoop on why she hadn't been for a while.  It was really cool, because while we were talking to her I just felt like she is one that we are going to help soften her heart.  I could be totally wrong, but she did let us help her set up her tree on Monday night and she made us dinner too!  She's a really sweet girl, I hope that we can help her to become active again.  Also, we have been in a trio since Thursday, so that has been interesting!  On Thursday we were with Sister Craig, because Sister Flake had to go down to the valley for a meeting, then didn't come back until late Friday night.  Then Saturday morning Sister Craig went home because she was on a trial mission and leaves for her real mission to Mississippi next Wednesday!  So we have been with Sister Flake since Saturday morning, but then her new companion, who happens to be my old companion Sister Crowther, came in late last night!  So on Sunday we got to go to our 3 wards which was really exhausting, but I sure do love our new wards, I'm so excited to work in this wonderful area!  We also met a really sweet family this last week that has actually been worked with for a long time, but now might just be the time that they are open to our message!  We will find out the beginning of January because they are expecting a baby any day and want us to come once things settle down a little more!  Anyway, it's been a great and a crazy week! I hope you all watch the He is the Gift video and find ways to Share the Gift with your friends and acquaintances!  I love you all!!  

Love,

Sister Zimmerman

 The Sisters in our cute little duplex :D

 Fun times in the car!

How will you #Share the Gift?

Bed bugs, Thanksgiving, and Emergency Transfer to whitewash what???

Hello Everyone!

Well...not too many exciting things happened missionary-work wise, but I think it's safe to say that this has been the craziest week of my mission!  So, I've been getting bites on my arms that have gotten really swollen and they've just been painful and awful.  Well, on Wednesday we decided to move my bed away from the wall and vacuum around my bed to hopefully get rid of the bug that was biting me.  Well, we didn't see any spider webs, so I looked around my mattress and there were weird dark spots and I touched the fabric and one of them moved!  So, we got a jar and caught it then brought it over to a member's home who is an exterminator, and he verified that it was a BED BUG!!!  There's sort-of an infestation of bed bugs around in the valley.....but I was so sure we wouldn't get them.  Anyway, so we went home and started washing all of our clothes and bagging them up to keep them away from the bugs.  Then the next day we went to our Thanksgiving dinners and it was great!  Then we continued to do more laundry and cleaning.  Then Friday morning we did something pretty exciting!  So, I hope you have all heard of the church's initiative called "He is the Gift". They launched a website called christmas.mormon.org on Friday with a short video showing that our Savior was the first gift of Christmas, and that we should discover the gift, embrace the gift, then SHARE the gift!  So, some sisters made posters and we stood in the median of a busy road between a mall and a big park.  We hope good things come of it, it was really fun!  I hope to get some of those pictures soon, if not I'm really sorry I don't have pictures to show for it, but it was super fun!!  Then Friday night I got a call from President Sweeney and he informed me that I needed to be packed and ready to go on a trip with him at 9 the next morning.  I was also told I would be whitewashing with a sister who has been out almost 2 transfers!  So, I am now up in Taylor, Arizona and it's sooo cold!!  But, so far it seems to be a pretty good area.  We don't have any investigators, but we will get there!  Sister Christensen is my new companion, she is so pretty and just an awesome missionary!  We get to be together for Christmas, so I'm pretty excited about that! :)  She is 19 years old, did a semester at BYU-Idaho and is from Cocoa Beach, Florida!  Also, if you have ever watched "The District 2" about missionaries in California, Elder Christensen is her brother! :)  So, this week has been pretty crazy, and this week will be very busy trying to figure everything out, but it's going to be so good!  I love you all and hope that you have a great week!  ALSO, PLEASE share the Gift with everyone that you can!  Remember all that He has done for you, and be kind and share that with others! :)

Love,

Sister Zimmerman

 Sister Christensen and I by a really cool view of Taylor! :)

Taylor Arizona :D