Yoo Hoo Family! Monday, June 29, 2015

Lovelies!

First and foremost, I stand corrected. It isn't "The Big Man, Little J, and the Spook," it is ACTUALLY "Big Daddy, JC, and the Spook." So. Shout out to Brother Lytle :) Love you, man! 

Secondly, Happy Independence Day y'all! God Bless 'Murica. My companion and I had some in depth discussions this week about why the American Revolution was so necessary for the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you 1 Nephi 13. 

And OBVIOUSLY happiest of Birthdays to ma old man Big Papa. "No no no You're not old, NO! There are LOTS of things older than you! Yeah yeah like... Rocks, and uh, redwood trees, and the planets, yeah most of the planets! Abraham Lincoln, yeah he's like a baby compared to you! Waaah!" ;) LOVE YOUUUU!

One of our investigators is getting baptized and confirmed this week and we are SO EXCITED FOR HER! This woman has so much faith in God and His plan for her, she is such an inspiration to me. 

Another marvelous human we are teaching is being such an awesome missionary. He's not even baptized yet, but he invited a friend to church yesterday (after my inspired companion felt prompted to invite him to do so), and now he is also meeting with the local missionaries. So good. 

We have met some of the funniest people on the Square, OH MY GOODNESS. It is so fun. We met these two men from London, here for a film festival (it's cool, they were just the director and writer/star. We're sure we'll get home and find out they're super famous in England). Anyways, we had one read Alma 32:27-28, which he said he loved. They were very cheeky, we shall see what comes of it. Good dudes. So saucy.

So, Sister Lytle has this gift. At Temple Square we get a lot of tourists cruising through on Harleys (they're easy to spot, they've all got Harley Davidson t-shirts on), and Sister Lytle, almost without fail, melts EVERY ONE of their hearts. They all seriously fall in love with her as soon as she tells them about her 3,500 mile ride with her Grandpa, and reveals her vast knowledge of bikes. It is so funny! One of the last groups we met were the "Road Hawgs" haha and they've had some FUNNY rides. They're always willing to do whatever Sister Lytle invites them too, because how can you say no to her? You can't. 

Basically there's no time for anything ever. We are kept super busy, which is so good. I only wish we had more personal study time, but it's all good. I've had some suuuper good reads. Acts 9 and Alma 12. read them. Love them.

I wore the same skirt this entire week. Go ahead, ask me if anyone noticed. Nope. No one. Not even me. So guess who is sending home all of her clothes. Did you guess Sister Chamberlin? You're so smart. 

Sister Lytle and I are so unified. We even have matching t-shirts and backpacks. And water bottles.

To those of you who have sent me pictures, thank you, I adore you. To those of you who haven't, I rebuke you to repent. Which reminds me. THE FUNNIEST THING HAPPENED LAST WEEK in the teaching center. We're just sitting there minding our own business responding to emails, when we hear a loud voice behind us yelling, "As a representative of Jesus Christ, I rebuke you to repent!" hahahaha aaaah and then we took a call and it was the lady who had just been rebuked and she felt bad for "offending the other sister missionary." Hahaa this lady was so funny. She just wanted to talk and was trying to tell us what we believe, so we kindly told her our purpose as missionaries, and she said she wouldn't call in anymore. But now we walk around rebuking each other to repent, because I guess we can do that haha.  

We're going to a Bee's Baseball game tonight... take me out to the ball game or something? We're excited for the change up in the regular day to day. 

Oh hey so we have relief society on Thursday mornings (it's cool, we don't do normal church here. we're a ward of 200+ sisters.) and Brad Wilcox spoke to us, focusing a lot on his talk "His Grace is Sufficient." If you haven't read it, look it up, it's so good. So I would like to invite you all to read it.

Also, the youth from Placentia Stake were up here for Youth Conference this week, and they gave the sisters that gave them tours at the Humanitarian Center and Welfare Square thank you cards (so like, me) and it was SO SWEET. So I would ALSO like to invite you all to write thank you notes this week. Can you handle that? Too many invitations? 

I'm all out of time, you lucky dawgs. ;)

Make good, choose happiness. 

I love you all! 

Love always, Sister Chamberlin

I often crave home baked chocolate chip cookies... just thought you ought to know ;)

happy fathers' day! (a day late, I know)‏

Congratulations Dan and Em!! River James is so handsome! Give that babe and his brother love from their Aunt Bex!

Happy Fathers' Day to all my favorite dads! But obviously especially to my own big papa. Thanks for teaching me to never quit, and rely on the Lord in all things, and to love and serve others. But most importantly thank you for teaching me (with mama) the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am forever grateful to you both.

This week has been good. Challenging, to say the least, but a growing experience, and good nonetheless.

We have some AMAZING investigators. One specifically has had some huge trials this week, but she told us God has enveloped her with His love and peace, and she has faith in His plan for her.

We learned a bit about the importance of opening our mouths to invite people to act and come unto Christ. We met a man who would seemingly have had a lot of opportunities to learn about the Gospel, but no one had ever actually invited him to do so. But now we have, and he seems to be just eating it up :)

My companion and I were asked to move apartments this week, which felt like a waste of precious time, but it's all good. It was so a sister who hurt her foot could live closer to the Square, so, all for a good cause right?

I'm so grateful for the pictures that have been sent, so good. 

I had my first difficult experience with an anti this week that actually shook me a bit. I won't go into great detail, but I was forced to confront some of my own doubts and questions that I had set aside temporarily, knowing that in time I could receive an answer. Anyways, I'm still working through some of it, I have faith in God, and I have faith in His faith in me, and I know that he won't ever give me challenges He doesn't know I can overcome with His help. 1 Nephi 3:7 right? So I will continue to go and do, relying on the Lord completely, because He is all I really have to rely on. 

Anyways. God continues to keep my prideful self humble. But He is so good to me, and has given me exactly the trainer and leaders I need right now.

It is amazing to me, all the people we meet on the Square. Contrary to popular belief, most of who we meet are nonmembers. I mean come on, as members, when is the last time you were on the Square? It's especially moving to take Christians up to see the Christus- they LOVE it. We've had some neat experiences up there. Oh! And we have a fun little video presentation called "God's Plan for His Family" and it is SO GOOD. Anyone who is reading this, if you come to Temple Square, ask for sisters to take you through it. It's a heart softener for suuuuure. Families really can be together forever.

I love you all. Study the Book of Mormon, it is so full of goodness. I wish I had more time for personal study, I just can't get enough.

Make good. Choose happiness. Rely on God.

Love always, Sister Chamberlin

P.S. please send me more pictures of my little humans. They're growing up too fast and I need to see their little faces!!

Moving Day

Cleanliness is next to godliness!

June 15, 2015 - If you've got the ball, you're gonna get tackled

Family!

Well, first things first, right? Welcome to our world, River! (as of 3 hours ago, he hadn't been born yet, but y'all can relay the message to him) And congratulations Dan and Em, and Rowen, on the new baby!! (and thank you Em for the package of love- you're the best!)

Sounds like Stake Conference went well- I'm glad it's finally over, I know how Satan likes to come knocking at the door that week or two beforehand. He's so sly. 

This week has been... long? I don't know, I don't really remember very much haha

We've spoken with A LOT of atheists... at least it feels like a lot. I usually feel pretty drained afterwards.

BUT we have these AMAZING investigators that we teach over the phone (they also meet with their local missionaries)  Let me just give you an example of how prime they are. So the night before she knew she was going to be committed to keeping the Word of Wisdom, she poured herself a huge glass of wine (she told us she's a "rule breaker" and that's why she did this) and before she got to drink any of it, her dog knocked it over, something her dog has NEVER done before. So finding this interesting, she calls up her fiance, and tells him about it, and he asks her, "so did you pour yourself another glass?" and she said, "No! I didn't want to get struck by lightening!"  she's so funny, but is taking this so seriously. She and her fiance are HUGE basketball fans, and always host big parties for their sunday games, but she told us that, because they are to keep the Sabbath day holy, they were willing to record the games and have the parties the next day. how amazing is that?? We weren't about to tell her how many active members still have those kinds of parties on Sundays :/ I just love their dedication. It's so inspiring.

We were talking to a recent convert earlier this week, and he just had so many beautiful and profound things to say. This guy is something else. He gets so much out of the scriptures. He was relating our lives to a blank canvas, and told us to consider who we are allowing to paint it- God or man? And he told us to let God create a masterpiece... it was just precious.

Last thing about our humans. We're teaching a young man.  This kid is SO PREPARED. Anyways, we read Alma 32 with him over the phone, and he now refers to the Book of Mormon and Bible as his "fertilizer." Thank you "faith is like a seed" analogy. It's sweet though. We're excited about him.

My trainer is still awesome (surprised? just kidding) and we have so much fun together. We are SO different in a lot of ways, things I didn't recognize at first, but it's been good. We are learning from each other (obviously I'm doing most of the learning).

I love spending time contacting on the Square. Contrary to popular belief, it's mostly nonmembers who come to the Square, with the exception of Christmas time, and General Conference. We've met so many interesting people, from all over the world. I got to talk to two boys from Germany earlier this week, and teach them the Restoration. I may or may not have had them both download the Book of Mormon in German... so actually Das Buch Mormon... on their phones to read during their say in the US. I don't know if they'll read it, but at least now in the Spirit World they won't be able to tell me I didn't try. Oh oh AND I met a man and his son from Vienna!!!! And I used my very limited German (which they complimented, thank you very much) and they live in the 1st district! Not so interested in the Gospel, but they said when I go back to Vienna that I can email them, and come teach them about the Mormons haha.

There are so many Mandarin tours every day, it's really fun. These huge groups of people, mostly from China, who have no concept of God, walking around Temple Square and learning the basic doctrine of Christ. It's prime. Ben would LOVE it here haha. And they always want pictures with the American blonde girls hahah it's seriously so funny, they just get in our faces and take pictures (which we're not supposed to allow them to do, they're supposed to also be in the pictures) anyways. turning our faces away has become a fun game.

It's summer time now, so we get organized youth groups of antis on the square. they always have a backpack and a water bottle. sweet kids...

We went to Walmart today for our grocery shopping. I saw cute little things for the new movie Inside Out. It still looks so cute. Sarah and Scott, I'm expecting you to see it and let me know if it's one I'll need to see next year. Also, this RIDICULOUSLY KIND man paid for our groceries at the check out. He was the nicest, we felt so blessed.

Read Mosiah 4, especially verses 6,9, and 12. It's so good. King Benji. Such a good man.

Thanks for the pictures of the little humans. I love them, they're adorable. I'm so excited to see River!

Keep making good, family, and choosing happiness. 

Love always, Sister Chamberlin

P.S. I've shared with my companion Brother Perry's "If you've got the ball, you're gonna get tackled" analogy that he taught us in seminary years ago. She loved it. And now, when we get rejected, we just look at each other, say "tackled," brush it off and start the next down. We even tell God in our prayers before we head out onto the Square that we're ready to play football. Sometimes I worry that we're inviting Satan to come beat us up haha. But it's good. We're good at football, because we've got the star quarterback. "The Big Man, Little J, and the Spook" as Sister Lytle's dad calls them :)

June 8, 2015 - Time Flies

Mama and Big Papa, thank you for writing. I love you both so much. 

This week has flown by so fast. But also, it all feels like it happened forever ago. 

My trainer is still the greatest. We dread exchanges (although they're good, I guess.) I learn so much from her. 

Ah I don't even know what to write. We've been assigned to work at the Humanitarian Center once a week this transfer, which is different from the normal day to day routine of preaching the gospel of Christ. We aren't allowed to proselyte there, so we are, quite definitively, tour guides there. Which we hate. But it's fine, I think it just makes us appreciate all the more being back on the Square where we can openly bridge every conversation to the restoration of the Christ's gospel, and the Priesthood. 

So that miracle boy we found last week. he's from the South, and it just amazes me to see how God works with His children to prepare them to accept the gospel. He's been reading the Book of Mormon (in fact, he apologized when we asked him about it after only two days, and he said he was "only" in 1 Nephi 14). I love hearing him tell us about how the truths he is finding are resonating with him. Like when Nephi goes into the mountains alone to talk with God, he says he likes to be alone (like on a road trip across the country by himself) to "experience" God. Anyways, we're way excited for him.

Oh my there are just so many amazing people we have been working with and teaching, it is CRAZY. And honestly, it is so fun to be out on the Square talking with people, learning about their relationships with God, and then teaching. Teaching the truth.

Also, there's a sweet temple model in the South Visitors Center with a wall cut out so people can see exactly what is inside the temple, and we get to talk to them about it and explain how families have the potential to be together for eh verrr. It's such a fun experience. People always ask about the bulls around the baptismal font- my companion (and I, now, too) like to tell them that after we are baptized we ride them around the font. Don't worry, we always let them know we're just teasing, and let them know they are in fact statues and that they represent the 12 tribes if Israel. 

We had the opportunity to attend Elder L. Tom Perry's funeral last Friday in the Tabernacle. It was a pretty neat experience. The Prophet and all the Apostles were present, and the Spirit was so strong. 

I've been learning little phrases in several languages, it is so fun. I'm mostly getting Tagalog and Mandarin (from my Filipino and Chinese roommates) and it is just so fun.

Oh, Ben, before I forget, if you're ever interested... We teach over the phone, and sometimes the sisters teach with a "member present"... but like, just on the phone? And if you want, I know the Mandarin sisters would appreciate your participation. I can't ever use your missionary brain, but they can, and I know they'd love it. So, just let me know. You could speak Chinese and be a missionary again! Your two favorite things after your family!

I'm glad to hear everyone is doing well. I'm so excited to hear about River! 

Big Papa, we'll be praying for you as you prepare for Stake Conference.

Mama, yes, I am happy, I am healthy, and I have everything I need. 

Read this happiness.

Jacob 3:1-2

I love you all. Keep making good and choosing happiness. God is so good. This gospel is real, and it is the only way we can access the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 

I wish I had more time, but alas, I do not.

June 1, 2015

MOM! AND FAMILY! AND EVERYONE!

Oh my goodness. I know I've only been here less than a week, but it feels like I've been here for months. In a good way. 

Well. I guess I'll start with the basics. My trainer is Sister Lytle. She is seriously the greatest human. She is this precious little barbie doll from St. George. Seriously, so beautiful. And she is so ridiculously in tune with the Spirit and just loves everyone. Before the new sisters (that's me) arrived and were assigned trainers, she already knew, like two days earlier, that she was going to train me. She told everyone, "I'm going to train Sister Chamberlin." She just knew. And two days later, after the LONGEST time it's ever taken President to make the assignments, she was justified. It was cool. Legitimately, EVERYONE has told me that I have the best trainer ever. One sister even threatens to kill me in my sleep because she wants to be her companion. And we'll be together until she goes home in August. Ah she has just been perfect. And she's so stinking funny. She makes jokes all the time. And teases everybody. For example, we were in the north visitors center where the Christus is (the big white statue of Jesus) and an Elder was there with some investigators, and he asked her how to turn on the voice (it's a recording of some of Christ's words) and she looked at him square in the face and said, "You pray." He looked SO confused, almost dumbfounded, and said, "What?" and she was just like, "Yeah, you just pray, and it comes on." Hahaha aah he was so confused. I wish I had heard what was going on sooner, because I would have went around to turn it on while she had him pray, but alas, we only got to enjoy his confusion. She did eventually fess up and turn it on for them.

She is just so patient with me and I am so grateful.

We only get a half hour to exercise 5 days a weeks, no more, no less. Fortunately, my companion and I have been going down to the track, so I can kind of sort of run for a little bit. Which is nice. Not superb, but nice. 

Everything here is wonderful. The Spirit is so strong. It is so cool to see SO MANY MIRACLES EVERYDAY. God just prepares people. Even just today, we met a boy who is so ready for the gospel, and he's going to read the Book of Mormon. 

Don't misunderstand, there are also so many antis here, and people that are really good at driving the Spirit away. But I cannot tell you how amazing it is to be guided by the Spirit in everything, and be able to discern who is sincere and who is trolling, and treating them all with love without wasting too much time.

We are so busy always and I love it. I mean no offense to anyone, but I seriously don't even have time to miss anyone. Which has been a huge blessing. I can only imagine what a burden I would be to the mission if I were moping around homesick all day.

I got to talk to Sister Annie Loy on the phone a couple days ago (I know she's home now, CRAZY!), it was so good to hear her voice. And we ran into Elder Eddie Shin on the square on Saturday, so so good to see him too. 

Oh, my regular post address for my entire mission, with the exception of outbound, is: (drum roll please)

Sister Rebekah Chamberlin

Temple Square Mission

50 N West Temple St BVSC

Salt Lake City, UT 84150

Thanks for forwarding Elder Chamberlin's email. I love that little flagellum. I love that he loves the grind.

Give my love to all my little people. Especially the little human that's still inside his mommy.

Oh oh oh mom, please please please send me pictures, of everyone. Like, hard copy. Because I can't print :( 

I am happy, healthy, and don't need anything except your prayers and pictures :)

The Atonement is so real. I love that I get to spend all day everyday telling everyone about it. 

Favorite scripture of the week- 2 Nephi 4:17-35. God is SO GOOD.

I love you all. Make good and choose happiness.

Love always, Sister Chamberlin