May 25, 2020 Book of Mormon

Hello Family and Friends! This week has been amazing! We have been able to have tons of member lessons, and the people we are teaching are doing amazing! 

This week hopefully I will wrap up reading the Book of Mormon for the 8th time on my mission. Each time I study the Book of Mormon, I choose a new topic. Some of the topics have been joy, atonement, the power of women, grace, pride...etc. Each and every time I study, I learn something new and deepen my love and appreciation for the Book of Mormon. 

I would like to invite you to try and study the Book of Mormon on your own. Pick a topic that you would either like to learn more about, or a topic that is meaningful to you. As you study, you can make markings in the book, draw pictures across the pages, underline, highlight, add sticky notes or stickers. Make the study your own! I often use the Book of Mormon as a miracle journal, and I will add in experiences that I have had during the week on sticky notes or share stories as I read something that relates to an experience I have had. As I have studied the Book of Mormon, I have found greater joy in my life then I have been able to find anywhere else! I promise you that as you read the Book of Mormon and apply its teachings to yourself, you will find indescribable joy from the truths of this gospel. 

I know that the scriptures can be hard to understand sometimes, but as I have read the book like a journal entry and talked about the people like they were good old friends, I have fallen in love with the Book of Mormon!! 

One of my favorite people in the Book of Mormon, besides the savior, has to be Ammon! He was once a man who sought to destroy the church, then an angel came to him and his brothers as well as Alma the Younger and it changed his entire life! He then asked day after day for permission to serve a mission among the Laminites who were a wicked people. Finally his father granted permission for him and his brothers to go and serve. He has many experiences on his mission, but in the end, he is able to help a large group of Laminites to come to the truthfulness of the gospel. Ammon is so humble and filled with such joy. I hope I can be more like Ammon! 

He is just one of the amazing people who share their experiences in the Book of Mormon. 

Maybe at the back of the book, after you are all finished studying, you can write your own conversion story. You could write your own testimony of what you know to be true! 

I hope you guys have the best week ever! This is the last week of transfers, and I will be starting the Book of Mormon again soon! I would love any suggestions on things to study in the Book of Mormon, and If you would like to study the BOM with me, I would love hear your thoughts as you study!! 

Have you Heard the Word? 

Cool Cat's

Chillin at Home!

Reading & Sharing the Book of Mormon!

Sister Elgaaen & Allen nose mask's

Sister Allen & Elgaaen Biking

Sister Allen & Elgaaen Swinging!

Sister Allen & Elgaaen Friends Forever

May 18, 2020 Involve the Lord in your life and you will see miracles

Hey Family and Friends!! 

This week has been amazing! We set a goal at the beginning of the week to find 3 new people to teach. (Finding online can be challenging...but we knew we could accomplish our goal with the lords help.) 

We worked all week! We were able to get Per on date for baptism this week and we visited the temple with Sister Guthrie, but Sunday came quickly, and we had only found one new person. 

Determined to give it our last shot at finding 2 more people, so we could accomplish our goal, we knelt and prayed. 

Do you know... it's amazing that right once you involve the Lord in your life, he brings so many miracles!! 

As we began calling people up and messaging people, we got a lot of answering machines and people who would ask who was calling and then hang up on us when we said it was the sister Missionaries.... weird right?  

I wondered why we weren't seeing immediate results.... then a thought came clearly into my mind. The thought went something like this:  "You asked me to help you find people, and I am going to help you find those who are ready to come unto me." 

We ended up having 3 really good lessons and finding a total of 4 people this past week!! 

Heavenly father will bless us in our efforts! He loves each one of us and knows our thoughts and our needs. 

He loves you, and I love you!!! 

I hope you have the best week ever!! 

Sister Allen & Elgaaen Face Mask time

Sister Elgaaen & Allen P-Day hike

Sister Elgaaen & Allen the hammock place

Sister Elgaaen Book of Mormon Writing at the Temple

Sister Elgaaen, Sister Guthrie, Sister Allen An outing to the temple because we
won a contest!

District visiting the Temple Grounds

The Hooded Sisters

May 11, 2020 The Edge of a Miracle...

Hey family and friends!! 

This week has been amazing!! We were able to have David Butler speak to our mission over zoom! 

(Not going to lie, I may have started crying when president Guthrie announced he would be speaking to us! I love David Butler!) 

David Butler is an institute teacher at UVU who does a weekly video on YouTube called Don't miss this, that follows along with the come follow me! If you haven't seen then.... go watch them!  

He shared the stories of Moses.

 God comes to Moses as an "80 year old man who is retired." And tells him that he needs him to save his people... oh and grab that stick. You may need it. 

Of all the people to choose for this task, god choose Moses. How often do we think we are unqualified for the tasks we are asked to perform. Take Joseph Smith for example. He was a 14 year old farmer boy who was chosen to restore the church on the earth! He didn't even have an education! Or how about Mormon... a 16 year old boy asked to lead an army to battle! 

There are so many examples of ordinary people who perform the extraordinary through God. 

What about missionary work. God sends out 19 year old's to bring people unto him. However old 19 might sound to you, we are just kids! Why do people open up their doors to us and listen? Why do they give up smoking and coffee just because this teenager is telling them to. They come to church, read from a book they have often never opened before in their life, they pray to a being they cannot see, and they do it just because we ask them to. Missionary work is WIERD! Yet every day people are coming closer to Christ and being baptized into this church. Why!!! Its because this isn't our work, its gods work!! 

God works through the normal people and he performs miracles with their meager efforts. Like The brother of Jared who carves out a few stones and lays them before the Lord asking him to make them glow. We can all make stones, but only god can make them glow. We can all knock on doors, make phone calls, bike for miles, teach all the principles of the gospel. But only god can ignite that fire inside of those we meet and help them have an everlasting desire to come unto him. 

When Moses lead the people to the edge of the red sea, what do you think those people were thinking? If you could take a picture of that situation, what would you title it? The Israelites are waiting at the waters edge as the Egyptians March to destroy them. 

Would you title it disaster? Mistake? Chaos? 

God would call it: The Edge of a Miracle

Moses, through the power of god, parted the red sea for the people to walk through. Could you imagine that!!! 

Here we are, stuck in our homes. If you could take a picture of this situation what would you title it? Disaster, pandemic, hopelessness? 

God would call it: The Edge of a Miracle. 

How is god working miracles in your life? 

Lunch

Riding our Bikes

Thumbs up

Sister Elgaaen & Allen kissy faces

Sister Elgaaen & Allen Bike lifting? 

Those are just a few things that David Butler shared with us (obviously I added my own little twist). I know that god can use you as an instrument in his hands. An instrument is beautiful, but it takes the touch of the masters hands to let the music stream across the land. 

Let the lord begin to work through you to touch the lives of those around you! He will work miracles through you, if you let him. 

I love you all!! Have a wonderful week! 

May 4, 2020 May the 4th be with You!

Hey Family and friends!! 

I once heard a story told by a dear leader.  She spoke of a woman who taught a young primary class. This woman had a friend who wasn't quite sure what he believed. One day the woman invited her friend to church to come sit in her primary class. 

The children were shocked as the friend came into the class with their teacher. The man had long shaggy hair and wasn't dressed in his Sunday best. He sat right up front next to the teacher. 

Class began, but soon a child hopped right out of his seat and made his way to the front. 

The child approached the teacher's friend and looked him straight in the eye. 

"Are you Jesus?" The child asked. 

The man looked frantically to the teacher as if to say HELP! 

The teacher jumped in "No" she said. "But this is his brother". 

The young child smiled. "I can tell" they said quietly while wrapping their arms around the man in a tight embrace. 

The story went on to explain that the Friend of the teacher was moved by the love of the child. He later served as a missionary for the Lord.  

This story touched my heart. We are all brothers and sisters of Christ. We are ALL children of a heavenly king! We are of Devine worth, and we should treat everyone as they deserve to be treated!! 

As a full time missionary for the lord, I have learned that part of my calling is to help others recognize their worth as a beloved child of God. When we understand who we are, it it easier to see the worth of others as well. 

I love you all!!! I am so grateful for each and every one of you! 

I hope you have the best week ever!! 

Pictures: 

* pictures with President Guthrie!! 

*driving with Sister Allen

*cooking! 

*face mask selfies 

*walk with Pat in Herman park 

Cooking!

Masked Selfie's

Sister Allen & Elgaaen masks are required for Covid

Sister Elgaaen, Pat ( investigator) Sister Allen at Harmon Park

Sister Allen & Elgaaen in the car

Fashion masks Sister Allen & Elgaaen

Sister Allen, Elgaaen, and President Guthrie

Sister Elgaaen & Allen at Harmon Park

Sister Elgaaen & Allen 

April 27,2020 MacGregor

Hey family and friends!! 

This week has been amazing!! We have seen so many mini miracles as we have reached out to members and the people we are teaching. 

This week as we started messaging people to set up appointments; we texted an older woman named Pat who has been taught by Missionaries for a while. We asked her how quarantine was going. She responded and said she has been reading a lot! We wanted to keep the conversation going, so we asked her what books she has been reading. She told us she read the entire Book of Mormon!!! We were blown away! She said she loved how the Book of Mormon was a history of the people from the Americas! 

As we reached out to another girl we are teaching named Yasmine, we asked how she was feeling in quarantine. She said she wanted to find joy and peace in this life, especially during this difficult time. 

Sister Allen and I came up with a great idea. 

What if we did a study of the Book of Mormon with the Yasmine!!! 

We know for ourselves that the Book of Mormon has brought us more joy and peace then we can even comprehend! If there was one thing Yasmine needed most, it was to study the Book of Mormon, and seek to understand it for herself. 

We reached out to a few of the young women leaders and they wanted us to extend the study to the whole young women's. We messaged the girls and explained the idea, and they were all in!! 

We began to gather small things that would help the girls treat the Book of Mormon like a journal. We got sticky notes, pens, stickers, images of Christ, crayons, a notebook. We wrote our testimony in the Book of Mormon and tied everything up together. It was a Book of Mormon kit! 

When we shared our idea with a few of the members in the ward, they became eager to help in any way they could. 

Not only did the young women accept the invitation, but also Pat wants to study it with us again as well!! 

Quarantine doesn't prevent us from moving the lord's work forward, it has only helped us embrace the technological side of missionary work, which will be a huge benefit in the future! 

We got a message from Yasmine after we delivered her Book of Mormon kit. She said she not only was going to read one chapter each week, but she was so excited for the study that she is going to try and read a chapter every day! 

I hope we can all do as Pat and Yasmine are doing and begin to use the time God has given us during this quarantine to grow closer to him! 

I want to extend an invitation to each of you to make sure you are taking the time to read your Book of Mormon every day, every day, every day!! Consider your prayers as well. Are you setting aside time to communicate with your loving heavenly father who is waiting anxiously for you to involve him in your life each and every day? 

If you are continuing to pray and study your scriptures every day, I promise that you will be able to find indescribable joy and peace, even in times of trial.  

Pictures: 

*district calls!!! Its crazy how we have district council over messenger or zoom now! As a mission they have encouraged us to contact our district multiple times a week and share what we are learning in the scriptures as well as play a game that can bring us closer together. 

*game day with the Hermanas! Hermana Jorgenson and Hermana West are in our same apartment complex and we are able to meet up with them frequently to play games or to chat 

* The Book of Mormon is TRUE!! 

*happy nature day! We got challenged to climb a tree on nature day. The challenge was extended, and accepted!! 

*Sister Allen is such an amazing companion! I love her to pieces!! 

*mission zoom call with DAVID ARCHULETA! He has such a strong testimony of the gospel, and he is such a good singer! Our mission president happens to be good friends with David and he was able to convince him to talk to the whole mission. SO COOL! 

*face masks!! As of Monday we will be fined 1000$ for not wearing a face mask in public areas!!!!! Crazy times! 

*a walk in the park with Pat! We met up with Pat at Herman park Sunday morning to go on a walk and talk about the Book of Mormon with her. We stayed 6 feet apart, don't worry!!! 

I love you all!!!! 

Have the best week ever!

Hermana Jorgensen & West Sister's Allen & Elgaaen

Fashion Masks

Sister's Allen & Elgaaen

Climbing a tree on Earth Day

Zoom meeting with David Archuleta 

April 20, 2020 Mac G!!!

Hey Family and Friends!!!!

This week has been such an adventure! Monday night we had a wild experience at a nearby Walmart that helped us know how much our Heavenly Father is truly watching out for us! 

We were shopping for a few essential things at Walmart in Victoria; when we arrived a man was walking out of Walmart and he greeted us. We thought nothing of it, and continued to spend around 30 minutes in the store. On our way out a man called out to us saying "Sisters!" 

I thought it was a member and waved back. He was far enough away that I couldn't make out who he was. When I got in the car, I told Hermana Lopez about the man who had called to us. She thought it could have been a member as well. As we drove away, he started following us. My companion stopped, and this man pulled up next to her in his big white truck. He rolled down his window and we realized it was the same man from before. He had waited for us to get out of Walmart... 

We didn't feel comfortable at all! 

The man talked to us for a little and he kept saying that he was a very wicked man, and that he could not he forgiven for what he has done. 

We tried to explain the atonement, but he changed the subject and asked where we lived. Hermana pointed to the opposite direction in which we lived and said "somewhere over there." 

The man then opened his door and started to climb out. Hermana Lopez began rolling up the window as the man was stepping towards us. 

His laugh was sickening. "Don't be scared." He said staring us up and down! 

We quickly said goodbye to this man and begin to drive off before he could say or do anything else. 

He followed us. As we drove faster, he sped up. As we switched lanes, he followed. When we slowed, he slowed. 

We knew that we needed to lose this man. We said a quick prayer and Hermana Lopez began to drive around Victoria taking turn after turn to lose this white truck. 

Thanks to heavenly father, We lost him! 

Thinking back on the experience later, we wondered why we ever stopped to talk to this man! What an odd contact! 

But then we realized that this man would have followed us whether we had stopped or not. We would not have known he was following us if we had not stopped and talked to him for a brief second, and he would have been lead right to our apartment. Because we were guided by the spirit, we were able to stay safe from this potential harm! 

God his looking out for each and every one of his children! He knows you, and he knows your current circumstance. He will be there for you through every moment! 

This week we closed Victoria to Sisters. I moved down to MacGregor with Sister Allen who is an amazing missionary! She is such a diligent loving person who is SO happy to be on a mission. I am so grateful for the chance I will have to be her companion! 

I love you all so much! 

Love,

Sister Elgaaen 

Address for those who have asked: 

1800 el Paseo Houston Texas 77054 apt 505

Biking in Victoria

Riding a bike again!

Elder Mulligan, Sister's Lopez & Elgaaen, Elder Perkins

Elder Perkins & Sister Elgaaen

Solimar, Azul& and their Grandma saying goodbye through the window!

Saying goodbye to the Mooney's who made facemasks for us.

Mission Zoom Meeting with Hank Smith

Sister Lopez & Elgaaen

Sister Lopez & Elgaaen 

Sister Elgaaen & Lopez saying good bye to Solimar & Azul