Ah I can't believe it is already here! We find out tomorrow morning what the verdict is. I want to stay here so bad! I'm finally seeing people's testimonies grow and they will soo be ready to baptize! So I just really want to be apart of the conversion experience with them. It is so cool to see how people light up when they know something is true.
Okay...is Mom okay? How did the surgery go? Mom, please let me know how you are doing. I didn't hear from anyone all week, and I wouldn't mind, except that you just had surgery, so it is kind of scary. Please someone just keep me in the loop. Mom, last Wednesday morning I had knelt down at my bed and said a prayer for you, because I was feeling like you really needed it in that moment. It was about 11:15 am. How were you doing then? I was so sad to think about how you probably were going through a lot of pain. It made me think about how whenever I was in any kind of pain and in bed, you would lay down by my and stroke my hair and stuff. I wish I could be there to help you. But I know that you have been being ministered to by angels, because I prayed and asked God to send more your way. I know they are all around you. He promised me that he is taking care of my family.
How was Kate's birthday?? Kim, the pictures didn't show up that you sent me. I wanna see Kate! Cassie, that letter you typed up on the typewriter at Dad's office was so stinken funny. Thanks for that. :) I need that Cassie humor in my life still.
Guess where we are going right after I send this email...THE BEES GAME! President Winn is rich and bought every missionary in the mission a ticket. So if it's televised at all on any channel, look out for me! I'll be the girl wih red hair and a black and white checkered shirt catching the ball in the stands! :) We also have to make sure we get three referrals, so don't think we are off duty here.
My Karen is getting better! They have been teaching us, and now I can write my name in Karen. I'll show you when I send a written letter home. We had a baptism this last weekend for the coolest guy ever, Tommy (Ba Blue Htoo). He cooks us the best meals every Sunday night (my new favorite food is Karen food now), and he has the cutest kids. Nancy, she is 5 and has no front teeth, and Daniel, he is 1 and is the happiest baby ever. Him and his wife are the sweetest and help us feel like we have a family away from home.
We have a few young men that are interest in the church. Two Karenni and one Karen. The Karenni and Karen had a big soccer game on Sauturday. I wore blue and black to represent each team. :) I just love those guys! Royce, all of these boys here remind me of you. There is some personality trait that they all possess that you also have. They are all just laid back, funny, and just super cool. Love them all to death!
Okay, so family, please keep me filled in on what is happening there. (Mom) Thanks for your letters and prayers! Kara and Kaylynne, write me!
Love you for eternity!
Sister Candice LeSueur
Monday, September 3, 2012
Letter- August 27, 2012
Hey, so this week has been stinkin' crazy! Lots of things to update you on. First of all, I want to say that right now I am in Salt Lake City's Joseph Smith Memorial Building in th Family History Center writing to you! (and there isn't any way for me to send pictures from this computer, so I'll give you this week's pics next week.) We are not here doing family history, though. We're here because we decided it'd be convenient to walk here to do email...AFTER GOING TO THE TEMPLE! Uh huh, I totally got through this morning. :) It is beautiful! I was so happy to have a mission temple session this morning, because I haven't been able to go to the temple since the Saturday before I left to the MTC! Because the Provo temple just happened to be closed for three weeks. (Only the three weeks I was there...no big deal haha.) So this is the first time in about two months that I got to go. Oh, how I love the temple! Hee po ho poo, PLEASE go to the temple often! Have you taken our family names that I passed along to you to the temple do have their work done yet? Please, please, please do, and then tell me how you feel! I know that they will be so thaku (happy) if you do!
Okay, so I had a list in my head of things I needed to tell you in this email that I should've written down...Mom, can I maybe get some more foundation and a new Obagi face wash set sent to me? I use the same foundation as Cassie. Tell Mackenzie thanks so much for sending me a letter! I will write her when I can! So excited she will be here in SLC going to UVU here soon! And tell their family my zone leader here is Elder Miller who knows Marissa's husband, EJ. He actually is close friends with EJ's younger brother, whichever Mason boy that is. You can let them know that he rocks as a zone leader. And so does Elder Wilkins as a district leader. Tell our Mesa friends to WRITE HIM. He doesn't ever get any mail. :(
Okay, so now to the good stuff...we had our mission tour on Friday and it was sooo amazing! Elder Whiting and Elder Foster of the Seventy came and spoke with us. And President Winn also spoke and built my faith so much! We went out that meeting feeling so pumped to go find someone to baptize for the very next night. We went to a family's house that are Catholic and are the sweetest people ever. They had a friend there would was completely drunk. We shared with them that Christ's church has been restored to the earth and taught all about that and how we have a prophet today and twelve apostles and the priesthood, just as Christ did during His ministry. The drunk man was being very disruptive and saying the same things over and over again. Something about how he doesn't know much English, but that he knows that we were talking and that it was good haha. So despite all of our laughing over this blessed, drunken son of God on one side of the room, the Spirit was really strong in the other half of the room where the oldest son of the family was sitting. He felt it. His name is Shar, and he let us know that he could feel that everything said was true. He expressed his feelings to be baptized, but that he was concerned because he was baptized in Thailand already. We cleared everything up about the right priesthood authority to baptize and all that truth. We invited him to pray about it and let him know that he could take his concerns to God, and that God would directly answer him to know what he should do and that he didn't have to take our word for it, but know for himself from his Heavenly Father. After we closed with a prayer. We said our "tah blu pado's" (thank you's) and were about to leave because our curfew was soon.
[This is when this story takes a drastic change...]
The drunk man after shaking my hand asks if he could look at it. He started reading my hand and Shar translated his Karen for me so I knew what he was saying. He told me that I get sick a lot. I don't really get that sick, but I do feel a little headache when I don't drink enough water, so I said he was kinda right. Then we were ready to walk out the door, but the man forced me to sit down in the middle of the family room and insisted on telling me more with the whole family watching. You guys, he started saying things about my personal life that he shouldn't know about. He said things about our family and other things. It freaked me out. We looked at our watches and saw it was 9:38 pm, eight minutes passed the time we were supposed to be in our house, and we got out of there. That really shook us up, so we sang More Holiness Give Me and said a prayer before we started our planning that night for the next day. The next morning, I couldn't even really exercise, because I was still too deep in thought about the whole thing. I thought about how everything he told me about my life had truth to it in a sense, but that it was all presented to me in such a negative way. (I'll give you more details about what he told me in a letter home.) So he basically told me a bunch of lies based on truths. This is what I concluded... I know that because that man was drunk, he had no control of his agency. I know that one of Satan's angels was placed inside of him and that is who I was talking to. I know that Satan can't know what we are thinking or what is in our hearts, those things that he knew about were things that I have said out loud to my companion. That is the only way that he knew these things. I think he is pathetic. He tried to make me feel discouraged. He knows we are children of God. He tries to distort that truth all the time. I know that he only has power to bruise our heel, but we ave the power to crush his head. (or however that scripture states it.) I amd grateful to have the knowledge of this restored gospel and to know how much our Father in Heaven knows us.
Oh so by the way, Shar came to church yesterday. :) He is on his way to baptism! I can feel it! Even though we didn't baptize anyone this last weekend, i have learned so much with the determination and fiath that we gained by trying our hardest to do so. I love this work! I love the joy I feel when sharing these precious truths to God's children! I really do not want to be transfered out of this area. I could live here forever. I love these people so much.
And I love you, family! Let me know how you are doing! And also, I would love any advice you have for me. Scriptures, talks, missionary opportunities you've had. Spiritual experiences. All of those things. Royce, Shar actually reminds me of you. Sometimes he looks like he is too cool for anything, but I know he has so much love and loyalty inside of him yearning to learn all these things and then be obedient to God. do you have any advice for me on what we can do to help him come out of his shell more? Okay, I love you guys lots!!
Sister Candice LeSueur
Okay, so I had a list in my head of things I needed to tell you in this email that I should've written down...Mom, can I maybe get some more foundation and a new Obagi face wash set sent to me? I use the same foundation as Cassie. Tell Mackenzie thanks so much for sending me a letter! I will write her when I can! So excited she will be here in SLC going to UVU here soon! And tell their family my zone leader here is Elder Miller who knows Marissa's husband, EJ. He actually is close friends with EJ's younger brother, whichever Mason boy that is. You can let them know that he rocks as a zone leader. And so does Elder Wilkins as a district leader. Tell our Mesa friends to WRITE HIM. He doesn't ever get any mail. :(
Okay, so now to the good stuff...we had our mission tour on Friday and it was sooo amazing! Elder Whiting and Elder Foster of the Seventy came and spoke with us. And President Winn also spoke and built my faith so much! We went out that meeting feeling so pumped to go find someone to baptize for the very next night. We went to a family's house that are Catholic and are the sweetest people ever. They had a friend there would was completely drunk. We shared with them that Christ's church has been restored to the earth and taught all about that and how we have a prophet today and twelve apostles and the priesthood, just as Christ did during His ministry. The drunk man was being very disruptive and saying the same things over and over again. Something about how he doesn't know much English, but that he knows that we were talking and that it was good haha. So despite all of our laughing over this blessed, drunken son of God on one side of the room, the Spirit was really strong in the other half of the room where the oldest son of the family was sitting. He felt it. His name is Shar, and he let us know that he could feel that everything said was true. He expressed his feelings to be baptized, but that he was concerned because he was baptized in Thailand already. We cleared everything up about the right priesthood authority to baptize and all that truth. We invited him to pray about it and let him know that he could take his concerns to God, and that God would directly answer him to know what he should do and that he didn't have to take our word for it, but know for himself from his Heavenly Father. After we closed with a prayer. We said our "tah blu pado's" (thank you's) and were about to leave because our curfew was soon.
[This is when this story takes a drastic change...]
The drunk man after shaking my hand asks if he could look at it. He started reading my hand and Shar translated his Karen for me so I knew what he was saying. He told me that I get sick a lot. I don't really get that sick, but I do feel a little headache when I don't drink enough water, so I said he was kinda right. Then we were ready to walk out the door, but the man forced me to sit down in the middle of the family room and insisted on telling me more with the whole family watching. You guys, he started saying things about my personal life that he shouldn't know about. He said things about our family and other things. It freaked me out. We looked at our watches and saw it was 9:38 pm, eight minutes passed the time we were supposed to be in our house, and we got out of there. That really shook us up, so we sang More Holiness Give Me and said a prayer before we started our planning that night for the next day. The next morning, I couldn't even really exercise, because I was still too deep in thought about the whole thing. I thought about how everything he told me about my life had truth to it in a sense, but that it was all presented to me in such a negative way. (I'll give you more details about what he told me in a letter home.) So he basically told me a bunch of lies based on truths. This is what I concluded... I know that because that man was drunk, he had no control of his agency. I know that one of Satan's angels was placed inside of him and that is who I was talking to. I know that Satan can't know what we are thinking or what is in our hearts, those things that he knew about were things that I have said out loud to my companion. That is the only way that he knew these things. I think he is pathetic. He tried to make me feel discouraged. He knows we are children of God. He tries to distort that truth all the time. I know that he only has power to bruise our heel, but we ave the power to crush his head. (or however that scripture states it.) I amd grateful to have the knowledge of this restored gospel and to know how much our Father in Heaven knows us.
Oh so by the way, Shar came to church yesterday. :) He is on his way to baptism! I can feel it! Even though we didn't baptize anyone this last weekend, i have learned so much with the determination and fiath that we gained by trying our hardest to do so. I love this work! I love the joy I feel when sharing these precious truths to God's children! I really do not want to be transfered out of this area. I could live here forever. I love these people so much.
And I love you, family! Let me know how you are doing! And also, I would love any advice you have for me. Scriptures, talks, missionary opportunities you've had. Spiritual experiences. All of those things. Royce, Shar actually reminds me of you. Sometimes he looks like he is too cool for anything, but I know he has so much love and loyalty inside of him yearning to learn all these things and then be obedient to God. do you have any advice for me on what we can do to help him come out of his shell more? Okay, I love you guys lots!!
Sister Candice LeSueur
Letter- August 20, 2012
Hi my wonderful family!
How are you all doing?? It's been so fun getting all of your letters and pictures and things and seeing what's going on at home! I laughed so hard when I turned to the picture of Royce getting ready for bed. Oh my studly, little brother. Mom, I can't believe you need surgery!! Are you going to follow through with it? Dang, I am so sorry! I will be praying hard for you! That is no fun. :/ Tell me if there is anything I can do for you from here.
Kim! I don't know if you got my letter I sent home yet, but I DID finally see the banana that you wrote on with eyeliner! Haha that is so funny. It was dark when I picked everything up off the porch to bring upstairs, and to be honest, I didn't really look at it very hard til the next day after I had sent that email saying I didn't know who it was from. I remembered seeing a banana laying on top of the bags and thought it looked old, because of the black stuff on it hahaha. I should've looked a little harder! The gatorade and the granola bars and sandwiches have been pretty much all I've been feeding myself all week! You know me too well! I I have been saving the one banana to eat last, because I don't want to not see your message on it! But it is starting to get pretty old, so soon I won't be able to see that writing anyway haha. Oh and to update you on the shoes...no. I never got new shoes haha. I didn't have time! So I wear the sparkly ones all the time! I'm probably the only missionary with sparkly shoes haha. But they are getting pretty old, too, and don't look so shiny and sparkly anymore. I have to go shoe shopping soon. Oh and tell Kate that I LOVE the pictures she draws me! I miss that sweet, little girl. Kimmi, are you pregnant again yet? I would love to have another little niece or nephew. :)
The baptism went well! The father chickened out on baptizing his own daughter, though. So we found a last minute replacement. It's crazy seeing a whole nation being introduced to the Gospel and trying to learn all the responsibilities that come with it in the church. I guess they have come a LONG way since they first began the branch. The white people in the branch tell me, "you would not believe what it was like 2 years ago." I finally am starting to feel completely immersed in God's work, now that I feel more comfortable with the people and the branch and have built some close friendships. These people are truly amazing. I know that they were led to this country by the Lord. 2 Nephi 1 or 2 talks about that. It is remarkable to see how the Lord has prepared them for the Gospel. They would not be as humble and willing to listen I think if they didn't go through all the things they go through.
Mom, that case you were talking about...the guy who kidnapped and murdered a child in the community...that happened a couple years ago. They named a community center in South Parc after the little girl. (South Parc is a neighborhood where a lot of our people live, along with Nepali refugees and Swahilis.) In fact, we are in the process of teaching the family of the girl. The Dad's name is Carton. Sister Matteson and her companion before me have taught them a few times, but stopped for some reason. And now we really feel like they are ready to have the missionaries come again. They need to know about the healing powers of the Atonement.
So you were also wondering what I do exactly here. Well...I am very lucky, because we get to teach A LOT. We have 30-40 lessons a week. And I just love it. We are working on really {focusing} on only 5 families right now, though, because I think we are getting lost in a huge pool of people to teach. We need people to progress towards baptism more.
Oh guess what! I also was given a dress! It's hot pink! And so fun! Because it has tassles! :) I am thinking about wearing it this Saturday to the Karen Friendship party. It is a HUGE deal. All of the Karen community that came here will be there. In OUR stake center! Missionary work, holla!
Okay, so I love you, but I have to go. I feel like there is so much I am forgetting to tell you, so I will just send home a written letter with more. And it'll be more personalized. :) Tay la thah la kee!
Loves,
Sister Candy Cane LeSueur
How are you all doing?? It's been so fun getting all of your letters and pictures and things and seeing what's going on at home! I laughed so hard when I turned to the picture of Royce getting ready for bed. Oh my studly, little brother. Mom, I can't believe you need surgery!! Are you going to follow through with it? Dang, I am so sorry! I will be praying hard for you! That is no fun. :/ Tell me if there is anything I can do for you from here.
Kim! I don't know if you got my letter I sent home yet, but I DID finally see the banana that you wrote on with eyeliner! Haha that is so funny. It was dark when I picked everything up off the porch to bring upstairs, and to be honest, I didn't really look at it very hard til the next day after I had sent that email saying I didn't know who it was from. I remembered seeing a banana laying on top of the bags and thought it looked old, because of the black stuff on it hahaha. I should've looked a little harder! The gatorade and the granola bars and sandwiches have been pretty much all I've been feeding myself all week! You know me too well! I I have been saving the one banana to eat last, because I don't want to not see your message on it! But it is starting to get pretty old, so soon I won't be able to see that writing anyway haha. Oh and to update you on the shoes...no. I never got new shoes haha. I didn't have time! So I wear the sparkly ones all the time! I'm probably the only missionary with sparkly shoes haha. But they are getting pretty old, too, and don't look so shiny and sparkly anymore. I have to go shoe shopping soon. Oh and tell Kate that I LOVE the pictures she draws me! I miss that sweet, little girl. Kimmi, are you pregnant again yet? I would love to have another little niece or nephew. :)
The baptism went well! The father chickened out on baptizing his own daughter, though. So we found a last minute replacement. It's crazy seeing a whole nation being introduced to the Gospel and trying to learn all the responsibilities that come with it in the church. I guess they have come a LONG way since they first began the branch. The white people in the branch tell me, "you would not believe what it was like 2 years ago." I finally am starting to feel completely immersed in God's work, now that I feel more comfortable with the people and the branch and have built some close friendships. These people are truly amazing. I know that they were led to this country by the Lord. 2 Nephi 1 or 2 talks about that. It is remarkable to see how the Lord has prepared them for the Gospel. They would not be as humble and willing to listen I think if they didn't go through all the things they go through.
Mom, that case you were talking about...the guy who kidnapped and murdered a child in the community...that happened a couple years ago. They named a community center in South Parc after the little girl. (South Parc is a neighborhood where a lot of our people live, along with Nepali refugees and Swahilis.) In fact, we are in the process of teaching the family of the girl. The Dad's name is Carton. Sister Matteson and her companion before me have taught them a few times, but stopped for some reason. And now we really feel like they are ready to have the missionaries come again. They need to know about the healing powers of the Atonement.
So you were also wondering what I do exactly here. Well...I am very lucky, because we get to teach A LOT. We have 30-40 lessons a week. And I just love it. We are working on really {focusing} on only 5 families right now, though, because I think we are getting lost in a huge pool of people to teach. We need people to progress towards baptism more.
Oh guess what! I also was given a dress! It's hot pink! And so fun! Because it has tassles! :) I am thinking about wearing it this Saturday to the Karen Friendship party. It is a HUGE deal. All of the Karen community that came here will be there. In OUR stake center! Missionary work, holla!
Okay, so I love you, but I have to go. I feel like there is so much I am forgetting to tell you, so I will just send home a written letter with more. And it'll be more personalized. :) Tay la thah la kee!
Loves,
Sister Candy Cane LeSueur
Letter- August 13, 2012
Hi family. :)
How are you guys? Mom, are you feeling better yet? I'm glad to hear that Cassie is better. Oh wait! Kate was sick, too! Is she doing alright? Kim, those pictures she drew me are SO precious! Thank you so much for sending those to me! They now hang on the wall above my bed. My bed with Mom's lovely Heavenly Hug blanket that keeps helps give me happy dreams at night. :) i love it, Mom. Thank you so much for making it for me before I left. By the way Kim...you said you were in SLC? That's awesome! And I want to know if you know anything about what we received on our front porch last night. Usually Sister Lichenstein gives us a bunch of food that they have left over at the food bank, so we just quickly picked it up and took it upstairs when we came in from teaching lessons last night. When we finally looked at what we got when we were in the kitchen, I saw that it clearly was not from that sweet sister, because we know what she usually brings us. It was a few of my favorite things!!! Bananas, CRUNCHY peanut butter, and cinnamon bread! Everything to make a yummy PB AND BANANA SANDWICH. I got sooo freaked out! Did you happen to be the culprit who put them there? If so, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I almost cried. Seriously, if it was so you, that is just so weird that you were at my house and I never saw you. But if it wasn't you, then I was so very grateful for whoever the angel was that gave us those things! I feel so blessed!
So this week has been funny and wonderful. Like the pictures show, we were given some pretty nasty things to eat at a certain investigators' house. I usually love the food we're given. But just not at this house haha. They gave us that drink, which I had to act like I enjoyed. And they gave us saltine crackers. I wanted to get rid of the taste out of my mouth, so I ate a saltine cracker...which ended up being worse! It tasted like cardboard that had been sitting in a smokey room for a year. So then I went back to the drink to get that gross taste out of my mouth, and then I took one of the little girl's cheese puffs out the bag she was eat out of haha. I don't want to eat there again.
Sister McClure was a wonderful addition to our companionship all last week! She wanted to end her mission helping other sister missionaries out, so she came to us. SO THANKFUL, because my trainer has only been out for 2 more months than me, and then there's me haha. So it was so great to gain insight from her. She actually found her calling in life while on the mission. She served in the same area as us 9 months ago, and received revelation from the Lord that she is supposed to work with these refugees after her mission. So...she didn't go home after she was released yesterday. She's staying here! Her mom wasn't too happy. But she will be learning Karen and Karenni completely and working with these people for the rest of her life! I am so happy to have her stay with us in the branch.
We have a baptism scheduled for this Saturday! When we took the people to temple square this last week, we got to the Christ statue, and I asked the father if he would like to baptize his daughter using the priesthood he has. He discussed it with her and his wife. I kept hearing the word "mahooni" which I know means Saturday, and then Paw Law Eh (our translator) turned to me and said, "they would like to do it this Saturday." Woot! I was so happy! So we are getting them prepared for this weekend.
I have been being humbled more and more every day here. It is good. President Winn sent us a good email this week that I want you to read and would love if you apply it to your own life.
I love my family! Thank you for being so supportive!
Love always,
Sister Candice LeSueur
p.s. I take back what I said about dearelder. Turns out it gets forwarded straight to my home address, so it gets here fast. :) You can use it if it's easier.
p.s.s. Cassie, get a job at Guthrie Mainstream! You would love it!!! Let me know your progress with school. Remember that you and I have to go to BYU-I together!
p.s.s.s. Royce, I hear you started school! That's awesome! and Dad, i love you! And yes the boundaries have changed slightly, and there is a new west mission. So I think it takes over Nevada, and our mission only goes from salt lake up to wyoming now. Not completely sure.
How are you guys? Mom, are you feeling better yet? I'm glad to hear that Cassie is better. Oh wait! Kate was sick, too! Is she doing alright? Kim, those pictures she drew me are SO precious! Thank you so much for sending those to me! They now hang on the wall above my bed. My bed with Mom's lovely Heavenly Hug blanket that keeps helps give me happy dreams at night. :) i love it, Mom. Thank you so much for making it for me before I left. By the way Kim...you said you were in SLC? That's awesome! And I want to know if you know anything about what we received on our front porch last night. Usually Sister Lichenstein gives us a bunch of food that they have left over at the food bank, so we just quickly picked it up and took it upstairs when we came in from teaching lessons last night. When we finally looked at what we got when we were in the kitchen, I saw that it clearly was not from that sweet sister, because we know what she usually brings us. It was a few of my favorite things!!! Bananas, CRUNCHY peanut butter, and cinnamon bread! Everything to make a yummy PB AND BANANA SANDWICH. I got sooo freaked out! Did you happen to be the culprit who put them there? If so, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I almost cried. Seriously, if it was so you, that is just so weird that you were at my house and I never saw you. But if it wasn't you, then I was so very grateful for whoever the angel was that gave us those things! I feel so blessed!
So this week has been funny and wonderful. Like the pictures show, we were given some pretty nasty things to eat at a certain investigators' house. I usually love the food we're given. But just not at this house haha. They gave us that drink, which I had to act like I enjoyed. And they gave us saltine crackers. I wanted to get rid of the taste out of my mouth, so I ate a saltine cracker...which ended up being worse! It tasted like cardboard that had been sitting in a smokey room for a year. So then I went back to the drink to get that gross taste out of my mouth, and then I took one of the little girl's cheese puffs out the bag she was eat out of haha. I don't want to eat there again.
Sister McClure was a wonderful addition to our companionship all last week! She wanted to end her mission helping other sister missionaries out, so she came to us. SO THANKFUL, because my trainer has only been out for 2 more months than me, and then there's me haha. So it was so great to gain insight from her. She actually found her calling in life while on the mission. She served in the same area as us 9 months ago, and received revelation from the Lord that she is supposed to work with these refugees after her mission. So...she didn't go home after she was released yesterday. She's staying here! Her mom wasn't too happy. But she will be learning Karen and Karenni completely and working with these people for the rest of her life! I am so happy to have her stay with us in the branch.
We have a baptism scheduled for this Saturday! When we took the people to temple square this last week, we got to the Christ statue, and I asked the father if he would like to baptize his daughter using the priesthood he has. He discussed it with her and his wife. I kept hearing the word "mahooni" which I know means Saturday, and then Paw Law Eh (our translator) turned to me and said, "they would like to do it this Saturday." Woot! I was so happy! So we are getting them prepared for this weekend.
I have been being humbled more and more every day here. It is good. President Winn sent us a good email this week that I want you to read and would love if you apply it to your own life.
I love my family! Thank you for being so supportive!
Love always,
Sister Candice LeSueur
p.s. I take back what I said about dearelder. Turns out it gets forwarded straight to my home address, so it gets here fast. :) You can use it if it's easier.
p.s.s. Cassie, get a job at Guthrie Mainstream! You would love it!!! Let me know your progress with school. Remember that you and I have to go to BYU-I together!
p.s.s.s. Royce, I hear you started school! That's awesome! and Dad, i love you! And yes the boundaries have changed slightly, and there is a new west mission. So I think it takes over Nevada, and our mission only goes from salt lake up to wyoming now. Not completely sure.
President's letter to missionaries- August 12, 2012
Dear Elders and Sisters,
We are all familiar with the statement on page 2 of PMG which says, "As your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ grows, your desire to share the gospel will increase." This is just as true for us as it is for members and investigators. We must constantly be deepening our understanding and appreciation for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As we do this we will have a greater desire to be a missionary and fulfill our purpose. How can we increase our understanding and appreciation of the Atonement?
First, we can learn and study about the encompassing nature of the Atonement. In your personal study this week I would encourage you to re-read your favorite passages about the Atonement. Some of mine are 2 Ne 2, 2 Ne 9, Alma 7, D&C 19, Alma 34, Alma 42 and Alma 11. Whatever your favorite passages are about the Atonement, please read them this week and ponder on the great power that is inherent in the Atonement.
Second, see the great changes that are occurring in your investigators and in your own life this week as you go about your teaching. As people exercise faith they are repenting and beginning to put the Atonement to effect in their lives. As you notice and watch this your own appreciation for the Atonement will increase. Let me know in your letter this week some of the changes you are seeing in yourself and in your investigators.
Third, examine how you feel when taking the sacrament and as you repent in your personal prayers. One of the greatest blessings we can have in this life is to feel the peace that comes from forgiveness. This peace and calm can only come through the Atonement of Christ. I have done so many baptismal interviews where the people just want to feel clean and have the burden of sin lifted from their shoulders.
Fourth, when you get discouraged or lose your desire for the work, remember and picture in your mind the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane. As you see that image remember that in the most difficult of all things, our Savior did not quit. He saw the Atonement through to the end. If we are to accept his sacrifice we must also keep going and see our mission through to the end. Find your motivation in the Savior.
Increase your appreciation, understanding and gratitude for the Atonement and you will want to go out and work. You will feel motivated and inspired to invite others to come unto Christ and you will feel driven to help them receive the restored gospel and help them prepare for baptism. This week and always, keep Jesus Christ at the center of all you do.
We love you,
President and Sister Winn
We are all familiar with the statement on page 2 of PMG which says, "As your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ grows, your desire to share the gospel will increase." This is just as true for us as it is for members and investigators. We must constantly be deepening our understanding and appreciation for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As we do this we will have a greater desire to be a missionary and fulfill our purpose. How can we increase our understanding and appreciation of the Atonement?
First, we can learn and study about the encompassing nature of the Atonement. In your personal study this week I would encourage you to re-read your favorite passages about the Atonement. Some of mine are 2 Ne 2, 2 Ne 9, Alma 7, D&C 19, Alma 34, Alma 42 and Alma 11. Whatever your favorite passages are about the Atonement, please read them this week and ponder on the great power that is inherent in the Atonement.
Second, see the great changes that are occurring in your investigators and in your own life this week as you go about your teaching. As people exercise faith they are repenting and beginning to put the Atonement to effect in their lives. As you notice and watch this your own appreciation for the Atonement will increase. Let me know in your letter this week some of the changes you are seeing in yourself and in your investigators.
Third, examine how you feel when taking the sacrament and as you repent in your personal prayers. One of the greatest blessings we can have in this life is to feel the peace that comes from forgiveness. This peace and calm can only come through the Atonement of Christ. I have done so many baptismal interviews where the people just want to feel clean and have the burden of sin lifted from their shoulders.
Fourth, when you get discouraged or lose your desire for the work, remember and picture in your mind the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane. As you see that image remember that in the most difficult of all things, our Savior did not quit. He saw the Atonement through to the end. If we are to accept his sacrifice we must also keep going and see our mission through to the end. Find your motivation in the Savior.
Increase your appreciation, understanding and gratitude for the Atonement and you will want to go out and work. You will feel motivated and inspired to invite others to come unto Christ and you will feel driven to help them receive the restored gospel and help them prepare for baptism. This week and always, keep Jesus Christ at the center of all you do.
We love you,
President and Sister Winn
Monday, August 6, 2012
Letter- August 6, 2012
Hee Po Ho Poo!!
(That means family in Karen hehe.)
Hi! How are all of you? How was the beach? And the Pioneer Day celebration in Snowflake? I'm jealous ! But not really, cuz I love it here. Cassie!! Are you still sick? I'm so sorry! Mom and Dad, I just received your letters that you sent from the office July 26th. I got them this last Friday! Not cool. I didn't know Cassie had been sick til I got those. I'm so sorry! I really hope you are better now, Cassie! And I sent you a letter in the mail this morning, so be on the look-out for that. Let me know what day you receive it, so I know how fast mail travels from my house to yours. Speaking of which, let's not use DearElder anymore. It was awesome for the MTC, but it is now faster for mail to get to me just by mailing it to our house. I received a letter from Sister Williams, Aunt Teresa, and Katie Wilson S. last week. Let them know it was so good to receive something in the mail! I appreciate them so much, and I'll write back soon! OH speaking of Aunt Teresa, tell Allie that Elder Kyle Clifford and I saw each other at the MTC all the time! He is super sweet. Tell her I approve haha. He's probably just trying to get on my good side knowing that he might be my cousin one day. ;) I also saw Elder Waite at the MTC. Only once though. It was great seeing Sister Hansen all the time.
ANYWAY, I love the mission field. I feel way better about working with these awesome people this week than last week. I felt pretty overwhelmed. Mom, to answer your question in your email, I found out when we went to the Mission Office that Wednesday morning (July 25th) where I would be serving. We had a meeting when we first got there. President and Sister Winn spoke, then they had all the new missionaries go up and introduce ourselves, and then we all had interviews with President Winn. In my interview he told me he knew where I was supposed to be and looked me in the eye and said, "Sister LeSueur, you have been being prepared throughout your life for this." He didn't tell me where I was going yet, though. We had a luncheon after that, and that's where they announced where everyone would be going. When they announced where I was going, I was awestruck. I just kept saying "For real?! Are you being serious?" P.s. I think Sister Winn put up pictures of that day on the blog. I think it's something like MamaWinn.blogspot.com. I don't remember though. Tanner Green does if you wanna ask him. Somehow. Oh another thing Mom, you wanted to know my schedule. Mondays are my P-days, and that's the only day I write letters. Sorry. :( Today we didn't have to walk to the church to the email. I now know ladies in the branch who are happy to take us places on P-day, since we can't drive our car except to go to Walmart and then to start proselyting from 6-9 pm. And more about the schedule, I get up at 6:25 am, exercise, get ready for the day, eat, study, and then work the rest of the day finding and teaching God's children.
On Saturday, we took a family to Temple Square and I saw Sister Williams there! I got teary. It was great. But it was a great experience seeing this family learn how families can be together forever by going to the temple. We planned on me inviting them to baptism at the end of the tour, but when the time came, I felt the Spirit constraining me from saying what I was going to. When they Spirit tells you not to speak, DON'T SPEAK. When it tells me to speak, you can count on me speaking. But it's harder for me not to speak. So you can guess, I spoke up anyway and invited her to baptism. She said she would think about it, and that she wants to learn more. I told the girl I was doing splits with afterward about how I felt like I shouldn't have said anything, but I felt pressure that I needed to, so I did it anyway. She said that she had something to say when I spoke, so I felt really bad after that. I wish I would've listened to the Spirit. Who knows what the outcome could've been. So I learned my lesson. I really need to not do my will, but the Lord's will! It's His work, and He knows how it is to be done.
Last night, we had an amazing lesson with a man named Maung Tin Win. We had translators there, and that always makes a world of a difference. We taugh the plan of Salvation, and I bore testimony of how much God loves them, and how well he knows them. Things like that. The Spirit was strong. And then the Spirit told me to invite them to baptism. I did. He wants to, but is also hesitant to do so. We asked him to pray about it. He had never prayed before, so we taught him how. He loved what he was feeling, but also told us that he is going to pray and see if God wants him to when he's alone, and he'll let us know. I know he will be baptized.
I love this work! I know God has so many things in store for this people. They are amazing. One day, they are going to have a well-developed branch, and I know they are going to play vital roles in the church.
I love you guys! Please keep me in the loop! Write me letters in the mail addressed to our house. It goes way faster.
Yah eh nah!
Sister Candy Cane (<--That's for you Daddio! :) )
(That means family in Karen hehe.)
Hi! How are all of you? How was the beach? And the Pioneer Day celebration in Snowflake? I'm jealous ! But not really, cuz I love it here. Cassie!! Are you still sick? I'm so sorry! Mom and Dad, I just received your letters that you sent from the office July 26th. I got them this last Friday! Not cool. I didn't know Cassie had been sick til I got those. I'm so sorry! I really hope you are better now, Cassie! And I sent you a letter in the mail this morning, so be on the look-out for that. Let me know what day you receive it, so I know how fast mail travels from my house to yours. Speaking of which, let's not use DearElder anymore. It was awesome for the MTC, but it is now faster for mail to get to me just by mailing it to our house. I received a letter from Sister Williams, Aunt Teresa, and Katie Wilson S. last week. Let them know it was so good to receive something in the mail! I appreciate them so much, and I'll write back soon! OH speaking of Aunt Teresa, tell Allie that Elder Kyle Clifford and I saw each other at the MTC all the time! He is super sweet. Tell her I approve haha. He's probably just trying to get on my good side knowing that he might be my cousin one day. ;) I also saw Elder Waite at the MTC. Only once though. It was great seeing Sister Hansen all the time.
ANYWAY, I love the mission field. I feel way better about working with these awesome people this week than last week. I felt pretty overwhelmed. Mom, to answer your question in your email, I found out when we went to the Mission Office that Wednesday morning (July 25th) where I would be serving. We had a meeting when we first got there. President and Sister Winn spoke, then they had all the new missionaries go up and introduce ourselves, and then we all had interviews with President Winn. In my interview he told me he knew where I was supposed to be and looked me in the eye and said, "Sister LeSueur, you have been being prepared throughout your life for this." He didn't tell me where I was going yet, though. We had a luncheon after that, and that's where they announced where everyone would be going. When they announced where I was going, I was awestruck. I just kept saying "For real?! Are you being serious?" P.s. I think Sister Winn put up pictures of that day on the blog. I think it's something like MamaWinn.blogspot.com. I don't remember though. Tanner Green does if you wanna ask him. Somehow. Oh another thing Mom, you wanted to know my schedule. Mondays are my P-days, and that's the only day I write letters. Sorry. :( Today we didn't have to walk to the church to the email. I now know ladies in the branch who are happy to take us places on P-day, since we can't drive our car except to go to Walmart and then to start proselyting from 6-9 pm. And more about the schedule, I get up at 6:25 am, exercise, get ready for the day, eat, study, and then work the rest of the day finding and teaching God's children.
On Saturday, we took a family to Temple Square and I saw Sister Williams there! I got teary. It was great. But it was a great experience seeing this family learn how families can be together forever by going to the temple. We planned on me inviting them to baptism at the end of the tour, but when the time came, I felt the Spirit constraining me from saying what I was going to. When they Spirit tells you not to speak, DON'T SPEAK. When it tells me to speak, you can count on me speaking. But it's harder for me not to speak. So you can guess, I spoke up anyway and invited her to baptism. She said she would think about it, and that she wants to learn more. I told the girl I was doing splits with afterward about how I felt like I shouldn't have said anything, but I felt pressure that I needed to, so I did it anyway. She said that she had something to say when I spoke, so I felt really bad after that. I wish I would've listened to the Spirit. Who knows what the outcome could've been. So I learned my lesson. I really need to not do my will, but the Lord's will! It's His work, and He knows how it is to be done.
Last night, we had an amazing lesson with a man named Maung Tin Win. We had translators there, and that always makes a world of a difference. We taugh the plan of Salvation, and I bore testimony of how much God loves them, and how well he knows them. Things like that. The Spirit was strong. And then the Spirit told me to invite them to baptism. I did. He wants to, but is also hesitant to do so. We asked him to pray about it. He had never prayed before, so we taught him how. He loved what he was feeling, but also told us that he is going to pray and see if God wants him to when he's alone, and he'll let us know. I know he will be baptized.
I love this work! I know God has so many things in store for this people. They are amazing. One day, they are going to have a well-developed branch, and I know they are going to play vital roles in the church.
I love you guys! Please keep me in the loop! Write me letters in the mail addressed to our house. It goes way faster.
Yah eh nah!
Sister Candy Cane (<--That's for you Daddio! :) )
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Official Mission Call! Email- July 30, 2012
MY DEAREST LOVELY FAMILY!
I HAVE MISSED ALL OF YOU SO MUCH! It's weird not getting at least one letter in the mail from DearElder every day. Now that I'm in the mission field, the letters being sent to the MTC address or the mission home will take a while to get to me.
You can now send me mail to my new home:
2473 S. 700 E.
Salt Lake City, UT 84105
It's an awesome house! It was made in the 1890's. :) So everything is all vintage. We live in the upstairs and a young family lives downstairs.. It's so weird not hearing from you for a week. I keep seeing or hearing things that remind me of you. Dad, my new companion, Sister Matteson, snores sometimes. :) It makes me happy, because it makes me feel like you're still snoring in the room next to me at night haha. Mom, I was listening to MoTab this morning, the cd that you always would put on repeat. The Pilgrim Song reminded me of how you would always sing that in your bathroom as you got ready. You always sounded like an angel. Royce, I saw a red-headed boy, and it made me think of you and how you never write me. (WRITE ME. I MISS YOU, BUDDY.) Kara, my companion reminds me of you. :) (p.s. how is Steven doing in Afghanistan? Do you and him share this email, so he can read these I send home?) Cassie, everything reminds me of you. No joke. I miss you "creeping me out" all the time. Kaylynne and Jack, Kim and Matt, when giving lessons, I always show our investigators our family picture of all of us outside the temple, and they always ask about the babies you're holding, and I proudly say that those babies are my nieces and nephew and the twins had just been sealed to you that day. :) It is so good to keep in my scriptures, because it is awesome to give them a vision of what they can look forward to if they decide to get baptized and sealed to their family for time and all eternity. I'm so grateful to be sealed to mine.
So you wanna know where I've been called to? So you know how I have always dreamt of living in a foreign place and meeting people of different cultures? Well the Lord has truly blessed me! I am serving in the KAREN PROGRAM. Just so you know, Karen is a language, and yes I am trying to learn it. I get to teach BURMESE REUGEES. AND NO I'M NOT KIDDING. It has been slightly overwhelming, but it is good to be stretched. I LOVE the people. They are so humble. they have been through so much in their lives. They used to live in refugee camps in Thailand and started coming here 3-7 years ago. Most of them never had heard of Jesus Christ until they came here. They worshipped Buddha. But now there are SO MANY here that once they heard about Christ, they turned their lives to him. We cover all of the Burmese people in the mission. They attend the Columbus Branch in the old church building here, and a lot of them are not even members of the church yet. They just want to go to church, and they know a lot of Karen people go, so it's like they go just for the social aspect and to hear about God. It is all a new concept for them, so it isn't like going to a white ward where we're all spoiled and had the opportunity of being born into the church and to grow up in a well-developed ward. When I walked into the chapel this Sunday, I laughed to myself, because (Dad) it was about as loud as the ward we went to in Anthem. The leadership in the Branch is all white, with the exception of one member of the presidency. His name is Lay Ka Baw and I'm pretty sure he is the first Karen member of the church in the world. It is so awesome to imagine what it was like 5 years ago and see how far these people have come. I am hoping that in maybe 2 years, they will be able to be organized and lead their branch (hopefully it'll be a ward by then) all by themselves.
The reason why it seems so overwhelming is because they are still trying to get on their feet. There are so many new members baptized in the branch and we have so many investigators and potential investigators. We're trying to figure out who to give new member lessons to AND find those people who the Lord has prepared to receive the gospe and be baptizedl. It seems pretty impossible to do it all, so right now we are focusing more on the investigators, as we should be, and we're hoping to have a grasp on it all...someday. I just feel bad that it is all so disorganized. I want it all to be more organized, but I don't know how. I've only been here almost a week and my trainer has only been here 2 months. With the Lord, though, we can do anything.
I have seriously learned a new aspect of the Atonement. It REALLY DOES cover EVERYTHING in life. I am so used to pushing my feelings aside if they are sad or anything negative. I have found that I really cannot do that anymore. I was doing things too much on my own. God expects to rely wholly and completely on Him. I need to use His Atonement in EVERYTHING I do. So if I feel overwhelmed here or whatever, I can no longer push those feelings aside, because they will still be there weighing me down anyway without me realizing it. Through Christ, He can relieve us from all our burdens. He makes them light. I love Him so much and have become so much closer to Him and my Heavenly Father. Them and the Spirit are my best friends. When we don't have a translator with us to teach a lesson and I feel like the people aren't understanding what I am teaching, that's when I say a little prayer and then I am filled with the Spirit and just open my mouth and let Him take over. When I feel and speak by God's power, I know they can feel it. And then I don't have to be worried if they understood or not.
Family, please be a dynamite family who helps the missionaries. They need people fellowshipping investigators, new members and less actives. Mom, thanks so much for doing that. I know you wrote me telling me how you help the missionaries and are trying to make friends and have missionary opportunities. Pray and read scriptures! I know that whenever I saw Mom and Dad do that, I felt happy inside and the Spirit filled the home. What great examples I have in my family. I love you all soooooo much!
Forever and always,
Sister LeSueur
I HAVE MISSED ALL OF YOU SO MUCH! It's weird not getting at least one letter in the mail from DearElder every day. Now that I'm in the mission field, the letters being sent to the MTC address or the mission home will take a while to get to me.
You can now send me mail to my new home:
2473 S. 700 E.
Salt Lake City, UT 84105
It's an awesome house! It was made in the 1890's. :) So everything is all vintage. We live in the upstairs and a young family lives downstairs.. It's so weird not hearing from you for a week. I keep seeing or hearing things that remind me of you. Dad, my new companion, Sister Matteson, snores sometimes. :) It makes me happy, because it makes me feel like you're still snoring in the room next to me at night haha. Mom, I was listening to MoTab this morning, the cd that you always would put on repeat. The Pilgrim Song reminded me of how you would always sing that in your bathroom as you got ready. You always sounded like an angel. Royce, I saw a red-headed boy, and it made me think of you and how you never write me. (WRITE ME. I MISS YOU, BUDDY.) Kara, my companion reminds me of you. :) (p.s. how is Steven doing in Afghanistan? Do you and him share this email, so he can read these I send home?) Cassie, everything reminds me of you. No joke. I miss you "creeping me out" all the time. Kaylynne and Jack, Kim and Matt, when giving lessons, I always show our investigators our family picture of all of us outside the temple, and they always ask about the babies you're holding, and I proudly say that those babies are my nieces and nephew and the twins had just been sealed to you that day. :) It is so good to keep in my scriptures, because it is awesome to give them a vision of what they can look forward to if they decide to get baptized and sealed to their family for time and all eternity. I'm so grateful to be sealed to mine.
So you wanna know where I've been called to? So you know how I have always dreamt of living in a foreign place and meeting people of different cultures? Well the Lord has truly blessed me! I am serving in the KAREN PROGRAM. Just so you know, Karen is a language, and yes I am trying to learn it. I get to teach BURMESE REUGEES. AND NO I'M NOT KIDDING. It has been slightly overwhelming, but it is good to be stretched. I LOVE the people. They are so humble. they have been through so much in their lives. They used to live in refugee camps in Thailand and started coming here 3-7 years ago. Most of them never had heard of Jesus Christ until they came here. They worshipped Buddha. But now there are SO MANY here that once they heard about Christ, they turned their lives to him. We cover all of the Burmese people in the mission. They attend the Columbus Branch in the old church building here, and a lot of them are not even members of the church yet. They just want to go to church, and they know a lot of Karen people go, so it's like they go just for the social aspect and to hear about God. It is all a new concept for them, so it isn't like going to a white ward where we're all spoiled and had the opportunity of being born into the church and to grow up in a well-developed ward. When I walked into the chapel this Sunday, I laughed to myself, because (Dad) it was about as loud as the ward we went to in Anthem. The leadership in the Branch is all white, with the exception of one member of the presidency. His name is Lay Ka Baw and I'm pretty sure he is the first Karen member of the church in the world. It is so awesome to imagine what it was like 5 years ago and see how far these people have come. I am hoping that in maybe 2 years, they will be able to be organized and lead their branch (hopefully it'll be a ward by then) all by themselves.
The reason why it seems so overwhelming is because they are still trying to get on their feet. There are so many new members baptized in the branch and we have so many investigators and potential investigators. We're trying to figure out who to give new member lessons to AND find those people who the Lord has prepared to receive the gospe and be baptizedl. It seems pretty impossible to do it all, so right now we are focusing more on the investigators, as we should be, and we're hoping to have a grasp on it all...someday. I just feel bad that it is all so disorganized. I want it all to be more organized, but I don't know how. I've only been here almost a week and my trainer has only been here 2 months. With the Lord, though, we can do anything.
I have seriously learned a new aspect of the Atonement. It REALLY DOES cover EVERYTHING in life. I am so used to pushing my feelings aside if they are sad or anything negative. I have found that I really cannot do that anymore. I was doing things too much on my own. God expects to rely wholly and completely on Him. I need to use His Atonement in EVERYTHING I do. So if I feel overwhelmed here or whatever, I can no longer push those feelings aside, because they will still be there weighing me down anyway without me realizing it. Through Christ, He can relieve us from all our burdens. He makes them light. I love Him so much and have become so much closer to Him and my Heavenly Father. Them and the Spirit are my best friends. When we don't have a translator with us to teach a lesson and I feel like the people aren't understanding what I am teaching, that's when I say a little prayer and then I am filled with the Spirit and just open my mouth and let Him take over. When I feel and speak by God's power, I know they can feel it. And then I don't have to be worried if they understood or not.
Family, please be a dynamite family who helps the missionaries. They need people fellowshipping investigators, new members and less actives. Mom, thanks so much for doing that. I know you wrote me telling me how you help the missionaries and are trying to make friends and have missionary opportunities. Pray and read scriptures! I know that whenever I saw Mom and Dad do that, I felt happy inside and the Spirit filled the home. What great examples I have in my family. I love you all soooooo much!
Forever and always,
Sister LeSueur
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