I'll be HOME for Christmas (12/22)

...No, really. Sorry everyone, especially my family, this is my home right now, and I can't imagine being anywhere else this Christmas. This morning Hermana Norton and I planned our "Christmas lesson" that we will be giving everyone over the next few days, and I am so excited. I love talking about the Savior - his birth, life, and death, as that really is everything to me.

This week has been incredible, with so many Christmas miracles. We are in a difficult situation with all the work we have, but the Lord is truly blessing us and guiding us with his hand. I feel like I haven't even had time to breathe, or get organized after the move, but there is just so much to do! I love it though - less time to think about things that don't matter, and focus on what's really important.

One of my favorite things about missionary work, and the gospel of Jesus Christ in general is the power that it has to change us. It is so incredible to watch as people learn about our Savior, and on their own want to make changes in their lives to become more like him. We had two incredible experiences as our investigators showed their willingness to be "humble followers of God and the Lamb." (Helaman 6:5)

First, Bernice, our investigator that has read everything that we have given her! She finished the Book of Mormon in two weeks, and recently completed Gospel Principles and Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. We're "stalling" her with a few Liahona magazines for a few days until we can get our hands on a few other things.

The other day we went over for our lesson and she started asking us questions about the Word of Wisdom, something she had learned about from Gospel Principles. She basically asked "What's this about you not drinking coffee?" We explained the principle and the eternal laws that God has given us to protect our bodies. Without any further questions she said, "Well, I had a cup of coffee this morning. I guess that was my last!" Incredible. It has been so clear that as she is studying the doctrine of Christ the Lord has poured out his spirit upon her (Helaman 6:36) and filled her with the desire to follow him.

We have also been working closely with Heidi for the past month or so, and she and her two sons have come to Church every week since we started teaching them. Heidi told us that this Sunday after Church she had a discussion with them about some of the music they were listening to and movies they were watching, and how maybe they needed to reevaluate some of their media choices. She admitted that six months ago that never would have crossed her mind, but we pointed out that now she has the spirit working in her life, and as she comes closer to Christ she wants to eliminate the things in her life that may be distractions from the peace and joy He brings. This is a natural process, and although we never asked her to do or think about any of those things specifically, she has an innate desire to what it takes to be closer to the Savior.

This special time of year is the perfect opportunity for us to focus on the Savior and eliminate the things in our life that prevent us from having Him at the center of our lives and homes. We always talk about the "true meaning of Christmas" of course, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. But this year, really let the true meaning also be the most important meaning. Unlike the inn keeper, let Him in to your homes, and let him be the center - just as the Christ child is the center of each nativity display. I know that if you do these things throughout this season, and into the new year, that you will be strengthened as the Lord pours out his spirit upon you. I testify that Jesus is the Christ, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the only true Peacemaker, our Savior and Redeemer. In his Sacred Name, Amen.

Merry Christmas

LOVE

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

In the Lord's Hands (12/15)

I don't know if you have ever had to move everything you own out of your apartment in an hour, but it is NOT fun! Transfers were today, and although we have known since Monday that I was staying in the area and Hermana Johnson was leaving (as well as Sister Stringham - she's home now! Crazy!) we assumed that meant no additional changes. However, yesterday afternoon we found out that we would be moving out of our apartment and into a member's home. That also meant that they would be splitting our areas and putting Elders in after the last four weeks that the Sister's have spent getting to know everything there, based on the assumption that we would be here until March. I was not happy. But, President Howes made a few last minute changes (based on the quiet whisperings of the spirit), and things have worked out more perfectly than I could have planned (I guess that's why we rely on the Lord!)

I can't even begin to detail everything that has happened with this transfer, especially in the past two days. Things have been absolutely crazy stressful since Sunday trying to figure out what was going on, and what was going to happen. Suffice it to say the Lord answers prayers, above and beyond anything that I could EVER imagine. Once again I've been proven to that the Lord is mindful of our needs and the needs of all His children and He will not let us fail. Our mission president said it well today during our transfer meeting... He told us it is a miracle how well things work out every transfer the way they are supposed to, because the Lord will NOT let us fail.

So anyway, my new companion is Hermana Norton, from Colorado. She is way cool, and I am excited to work with her. I am also excited to continue working with the people we have in BOTH the English and Spanish areas. I LOVE these people - they are all so different, and yet, each so wonderful.

Not much time this week to tell you more, but the work is still moving along great, and I still love all of you at home. Hope you are having a joyful holiday season.

Love,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

Gifts (12/8)

It's Christmastime! There are lights up everywhere and I love it! My favorite part is when people decorate the palm trees in their yards... definitely not something I'm used to! We've joined in on the spirit - our Christmas tree is up, we have lights around our front porch... AND even a strand of lights in our car! We wanted to frost the car windows with snow paint, but it seemed like a little much (and we're pretty sure the fleet coordinator would feel the same). Along with our never-ending Christmas music, we are really getting into the holiday spirit!

We had a chance to go see the lights at the Mesa Temple on Friday. (See picture) They are beautiful! We brought an investigator family with six little kids there and they LOVED it, of course!

I also had the sweet opportunity this week to go with Sister Stringham to contact a referral we had received for a deaf lady, Diana. Sister Stringham wasn't called to an ASL mission, but she has studied it since high school, and wants it to be part of her career... so basically she is really good.

When she opened the door Diana tried to tell us that she is deaf, and it was so cool to see her face change as Sister Stringham immediately began signing. She invited us in and of course I couldn't do much, but I was so touched to watch them communicate with each other. I could tell that it meant a lot for Diana to have someone come into her home and speak with her.

I was praying for Sister Stringham the whole time, and after we left she told me she was rusty at first, but as she began to talk about gospel things she was amazed at her fluency. It is just another testimony to me that the Lord will provide spiritual gifts in our times of need in order to bless His children. In this case the gift of... hands?

I guess I take it for granted sometimes that I am able to speak Spanish and communicate with people who would not be able to hear/understand the message of the restoration of the gospel in English. It really is powerful to know that the Lord has blessed me with this talent and invested so much in me so that I can share the gospel with His Spanish speaking children. I have seen over and over again the reality of the gift of tongues, as well as the other gifts of the spirit - the gift of faith, the gift of testimony, of knowing that Jesus is the Christ. I know that these gifts have blessed not only my life, but the lives of many around me.

In this time of gift-giving, take a moment to reflect ont the spiritual gifts our Heavenly Father has given to you, and how you can use them to benefit His children.

Happy Gifting!

Love,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

Give Thanks (12/1)

It's December already! How did that happen?! It's been fun seeing everyone get prepared for the holiday season, and knowing that I don't have to stress out about any of it! People are really big into decorating their yards here... probably since they don't have any snow to do the job! This will be my first winter without seeing any snow.... weird! Although, I can't complain!

Thanksgiving was fun! Our P-day was switched from Wednesday to Thursday so we didn't have to worry about spending too long at members' houses or multiple dinners... which we did have. Hermana Johnson and I actually only had two meals set up (one lunch, one dinner) - makes sense, but then we inherited two more dinners with our third companion. Fortunately we got out without eating too much (I've mastered the art of refusing food on my mission!), and we've been working out a lot (see picture :) above) so no damage was done!

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and took the time to talk about all the things you are thankful for. I loved President Monson's general conference talk about having an "attitude of gratitude" (thanks, Mom, for those Brite Music tapes as a child... all I could think about was "when you have a gratitude attitude"...!). We are commanded to give the Lord thanks in all things (2 Ne. 9:52), and really that should be a constant activity.

When Elder Scott came to Show Low (September) he was asked what it is that keeps him awake at night and his answer was that members of the church are not grateful enough for the blessings of the gospel. We are truly so blessed to have a knowledge of the restored gospel and we have to do everything within our power to grasp the significance of the blessings.

On Monday we had a Family Home Evening with an investigator family and their member neighbors and we talked about prophets, as well as President Monson's recent advice on gratitude. Even our eight year old investigator, Alec, knew that we need to show gratitude to our Father in Heaven by following Him. It is the least we can do for all that we have been given.

I love gospel! And I am SO grateful that I can share it with others all day every day! It is so special to see the powerful influence for good that these truths can have in people's lives. We had an awesome experience this week with another investigator, Bernice. She has read about half the Book of Mormon in a week, and loves it! She has a thorough knowledge of the Bible and she told us she always thought there is no way she would be involved with Mormons or "the blue book". The Book of Mormon has brought about a change of heart within her, and she, like many millions of others, is feeling herself coming closer to Christ through His gospel. I am thankful for the Book of Mormon, and for Christ's church, which has been restored in its fullness today!

May your gratitude continue through this holiday season.

Love,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

PICTURES

TOP:"Disasters - First Response" - This should be a missionary truck!

BOTTOM: We found this epic pink track suit at a ward clothing exchange, and I HAD to wear it the next morning to the gym.

Don't Give Up! (11/4)

Where to start? I haven't written in two weeks, and SO much has happened in that amount of time! I guess I'll give you a quick run down of the highlights.

Transfers
Lame. I was really upset, and I don't feel like my work was finished in Show Low... 6 weeks is not long enough to be in an area! I LOVE the people there and am really going to miss, them, but there is a possibility I could end up back there before my mission is over. I am now in Gilbert - back in the valley, and I must admit this is the perfect time of year to return... went from 32 degree weather to 80s in less than 3 hours. My new companion is Hermana Johnson, and the best part is this is the area Hermana Wilkins just left so I get to follow in her footsteps. As I said, I wasn't thrilled with the change, but I'm excited to make the most of it!

Halloween Extravaganzas!
This week was FULL of Halloween adventures. It started on Wednesday with our zone Halloween party that I organized (right up my alley!) - most of the missionaries dressed up and we had some "gross" finger foods and played volleyball.
The people of Show Low voted for Saturday night to be the official night for trick-or-treating... we were going to go "tract-or-treating" but our mission president put us on lockdown for Saturday and Sunday night. Those of us who didn't have appointments went to the church for our lockdown party. We had an appointment Saturday night so we missed out on the Elders' capture the flag game, but Sunday we went to the stake center with our district and ended up forming a quartet singing group. We sang hymns for an our (cheesy, I know!) but we sounded awesome!
To wrap up our celebrations we had our branch Halloween/Dia de los muertos family home evening at the church on Monday night. Unfortunately it turned into more of party than an FHE, but we had fun! And we had investigators there who very much enjoyed themselves. Hermana Jones and I also dressed up for this one... well, as much as we could with missionary attire... I wore a metallic silver shirt and a purple wig, and she pretty much had all red on with a tall red Cat in the Hat style hat. I want to show you all pictures but this computer I'm at won't let me load my camera :/

Pranks
The Elders put a TARANTULA in our apartment! A living, breathing, out in the open tarantula! Ridiculous! We did not know how to retaliate without getting sent home, so things have mostly died down, although we formed an alliance with a member in one of their wards should something need to happen in the future. Unfortunately I won't be there, but I'm sure I'll still hear about it.

Missionary work
Oh yeah, that one thing I'm out here to do! I LOVE it, and even though it hasn't been my focus on the things I've shared with you I promise it is my focus EVERY single day. I love the people we work with, and we've had several awesome lessons recently - one with a man named Oliverio and another with Lourdes. I love being able to answer people's real questions and help them come closer to Christ. The spirit in these lessons is incredible.
Obviously being in a new area will mean a new teaching pool, but I'm excited to find those people that have been prepared for me and are ready to receive the gospel at this time.

This transfer has been amazing, and even though there have been PLENTY of hard times and struggles, I have learned SO much. As I look back over the past years its so interesting to see how much more I have learned in the times that are more trying... that's when I can see the biggest personal growth.

Hermana Jones and I gave talks in our branch on Sunday, and that's basically what mine was about. I think if I were to put a title on it it would be "Don't Give Up". I talked about how our reaction to our trials basically determines our destiny. The question isn't when we will receive trials, but how we will react to them when they come. I gave three examples of people's whose decisions have impacted our lives - Nephi, Joseph Smith, and most importantly the Savior. If these men had decided to give up we would not have the Book of Mormon, the restored gospel and the blessings it brings, including temples. And, most importantly if the Savior had given up after all his persecution, or even after Gethsemane we would not be able to enjoy the infinite effects of the atonement. It is that same atonement that empowers us to continue forward when times get tough.

I know that the Lord will bless us in our righteous desires, and that sometimes we have to go through the refiners fire. But, as Elder Hallstrom said "Never let and earthly circumstance disable you spiritually." I think this simple piece of advice is critical, especially when we put our lives and our trials in the eternal perspective. Don't give up!

Love & Hugs,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

Halloween Pictures (10/27)

These are photos that Richelle sent home the week after Halloween....the top one is a Ward Halloween Party in Show Low, AZ.

Middle one is Richelle's pumpkin creation.

Bottom one, I believe, is the tarantula that the Elders put in their apartment as revenge for the pink bike attack (see previous blog November 4)

Thanks to ALL for your love and support of our missionary

Mom Ouellette

BIG Changes (11/24)

This week has been interesting, to say the least. It all started with a voicemail from Sister Stringham, another sister in our zone, last Wednesday night that basically just said "Hello Companions!" We called her back and found out that she wasn't kidding... she is our new companion in the power trio. (We have also been dubbed "Tres Amigas" and "Charlie's Angel's" among other things.) There was a sister in another area that got sick and had to go home, so some rearranging was done and they combined our area with Sister Stringham's. With that we had a "corporate acquisition" (that's what our District Leader called it) of 5 new wards! This week has been exciting, stressful, hilarious, frustrating, and so much more as we try to figure out how to make things work.

Saturday night we had a baptism in the Spanish branch for Angel, probably the biggest, non-Mexican-looking-Mexican you have ever seen (not obese or anything - just football player big - see picture :). It was kind of an ordeal getting a baptismal suit for him, since the largest one we had in the building was too small! Panic Mode!

Fortunately, we have another companion (who was on exchanges with a member at the time). We called her and she picked up a much larger suit at one of her stake buildings. It worked, the baptism went well, and afterwards we took the extra suit home to wash it so we could return it to the other building. I threw it in the washing machine right as we walked in the door, and we started our nightly planning session. After we were done I took it out of the washing machine and we all kind of freaked out when we realized that it was now BLUE! We thought it might have been the detergent at first, but checked the washing machine and found the culprit: a blue sheet that has been left in there to spoil the load.

We did the only thing we could think of and re-started the washing machine, this time with some bleach in the water. We were relieved that our plan worked, because I don't think the person in charge of the baptisms would have been very pleased with us returning a 5X blue baptism jumpsuit.

It was a miracle of forgiveness! Just like when we made a mistake we were able to correct it with bleach, our spiritual mistakes can be corrected by something far more powerful than any chemical. Sometimes we are involved in things that leave stains in our lives, or even completely change our colors. As we apply the atonement in our life we can be made pure and clean no matter what... there is NO stain that Christ's atonement can not wash away. I paraphrase the words of Isaiah... "though your sins be as turquoise, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18).

True repentance is a complete change, and sometimes those set-in stains take a lot of work and will power, but it is possible as we rely on the Savior. As we focus on His life and Atonement (especially this holiday season) I know that our true colors will shine through as we rid ourselves of our stains and sins in our past. The future is bright... especially when we look into the eternities!

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with family and friends. Our goal for tomorrow is to eat as LITTLE as possible with the 5 or so dinners we'll be making an appearance at. I'll be thinking of you!

Love,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

Halloween Fun (10/27)

Richelle didn't write a blog this week because of transfers (moving)....but she did send pictures she wanted me to upload....so here they are.

ENJOY!

Love

Pat Ouellette

Computer is being STUPID! I'll try again in a few minutes.

Faith + Diligence = Joy (11/17)

As of this week I have officially been out a year! Weird! Thursday was my year mark, and it was actually one of the hardest days of my mission. I hardly ever complain, especially on the blog, but this week I feel like it's important for you to see the "real me", and it will also help me explain another powerful experience I had later in the week.

Last week was really a struggle for me. I've been feeling like I haven't been having as much "joy" in the work, or as much fun as I did in the first part of my mission. I haven't given up at all, but recently I've felt like I've just been going through the motions of tracting, contacting people, studying, teaching, etc. It's really taken a toll on me emotionally and was starting to wear me down. Thursday we had zone conference and our trainings were perfect for me! Although... it led to a bit of a "breakdown" later in the evening when my thoughts and feelings overwhelmed what my brain and spirit could handle. I was able to talk about some of the problems with my companion (besides Heavenly Father I don't really have anyone else to talk to about these things!), and that helped me a lot.

What helped me more was one of the most tender experiences of my life... The next morning in personal study after I finished reading the Book of Mormon I decided to pick up my reading in Doctrine & Covenants instead of continuing my usual path to the New Testament or another topic. I was on D&C 6, and what I learned is that that chapter was written for me. I have had experiences in the past when I've read in the scriptures something that I needed to read, but I have never felt so strongly that my Heavenly Father was speaking directly to me. As I read the section I literally felt that I could hear His voice telling me the words that he wanted me, his daughter, to hear. Verse 16 says :"Yea, I tell thee, that thou mayest know that there is none else save God that knowest thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart." Then to prove it the verses that followed spoke directly to the thoughts and intents of my heart - there were several verses that answered exactly my doubts and concerns.

The verse that stuck out to me at the end of the section was the promise of obtaining joy in missionary work, something that (as I mentioned) I have specifically been struggling with. The promise was an exact answer to the question that has been in my heart. I was reminded of my knowledge that there is joy in this work, and that it only comes after we have labored with great diligence. I was also reminded of a verse in Alma: "this is the account of Ammon and his brethren, their journeyings in the land of Nephi, their sufferings in the land, their sorrows, and their afflictions, and their incomprehensible joy, and the reception and safety of the brethren in the land of Jershon." Yes, there are many sufferings, sorrows, and afflictions in this work, but the joy it brings is literally incomprehensible. I too rejoice in "the reception and safety of my brethren" to the kingdom of our Heavenly Father.

This section and the fact that I read it the day that I most needed it was a tender mercy of the Lord. I know that as I labor diligently and faithfully I truly do experience that level of joy. Especially as I testify of my Savior, and see how that changes attitudes and lives I am filled with the love of God and a joy that I can not describe with words. I testify that our loving Heavenly Father knows and loves all of His children, and His Son Jesus Christ "suffered for all" to help us on an individual level. As we keep our part of the promise, He will bless us with His. His promise includes joy in this life, and an even greater eternal joy in the life to come.

Love always,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

Friends FOREVER! (11/10)

All of a sudden its summer again! I LOVE it! The warm weather makes it so much easier to work hard, plus there are lots more people outside to talk to.

This weekend we did a really fun activity called "Prepare The Way" with the youth of our branch. We had come up with four survey questions and had our mission leader type them up for us. On Saturday we all gathered together at an apartment complex, paired off in twos, and went door to door asking the survey questions. If the people answered yes to any of our questions the youth got their information for us. I paired up with a laurel named Daniella and we had fun knocking our assigned buildings.

It was a great experience for the youth to be involved in missionary work and see a little bit of what our life is like. Each one of them had some negative experiences (rude people, etc.) but they all also had at least one positive experience. Daniella and I talked to a guy named Nick that doesn't really have a belief in God, but has always wanted to learn more about our beliefs, and has always been curious to attend one of our church services. So we invited him!

It was so cute to watch them after we all gathered back together because they were so excited to share with each other some of the things that had happened. On Sunday, several of them also shared their testimonies in sacrament meeting and it was so sweet to see the joy of missionary work that they had experienced.

On Sunday we went to the Mesa Visitor's Center with one of our investigators to watch a movie about Joseph Smith. It was great, but the absolute best part for me was seeing one of my very best friends, Sister Chelsea Everette who is serving in that mission. It is such an amazing feeling to see someone you love and know that they are doing so well in life and in their testimony. I felt just like Alma when he reunites with the Sons of Mosiah (Alma 17:2) knowing that she has "waxed strong in [her] understanding of the truth."

The gospel is amazing. It blesses lives, and I know that when we all meet again after this life we will be filled with an incomprehensible joy as we experience eternal life with our Heavenly Father. The relationships we have cultivated with our friends and family on earth will be continued after this life... I can not imagine any blessing more incredible. Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to be happy, that is why he has taught us the plan of salvation. We have the "map to happiness" in our hands, and we have to use it! Take a moment to reflect on your life and make sure you are on course for those eternal goals!

I love you!

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

Pray Always (10/20)

The weeks keep going by faster and faster! This week has been a blur, and I don't really know what to even write about.

We got the Elders back! Their bikes looked fantastic, and I don't have my camera with me to upload a picture for proof, but know we were satisfied with the results. We wrapped pink ribbon all the way around the frames, covered their seats in pink fabric, stuck heart & flower stickers on their helmets, and placed a "Princess" tag on the front. Of course, when we got home that night all of that stuff was on our door instead of their bikes! :) Things in the prank department have ceased for the time being...

Last week when I was on exchanges in Eagar the sisters in Pinetop lost our cell phone, and we were almost an entire week without one. I don't know how missionary work was done without cell phones! Well, we managed, but it definitely made some things a little more challenging... and interesting.

As I thought about the frustration of not being able to communicate by phone (we don't have a landline either) with our members and investigators, I thought about the frustrations that come with not communicating with our Heavenly Father through prayer. Unlike the phone He will never be lost, although sometimes WE misplace Him in our lives. Then comes the frustration... we try to do things on our own, but are so inefficient and ineffective by ourselves. We are so blessed to have prayer as a tool in our lives (I'm realizing cell phones are a big blessing too!) so we need to USE IT!

Yesterday we ran into a 13 year old girl, MaryJane, that was sitting on a cooler in a trailer park crying. I sat down next to her and talked to her, and although she didn't want to tell us any of her problems it was clear that things were not going well for her. I talked to her about the fact that she is a daughter of a Father in Heaven that loves her, and Jesus Christ suffered for us so that he knows how to help us. I then taught her how to pray and she offered a simple, but sweet prayer. After our conversation and her prayer she was much more calm, and promised that she would continue to pray to Heavenly Father.

Prayer is something that MaryJane has never really been taught, but she was grateful to learn and I know as she continues to pray she will grow in her understanding of her Heavenly Father's love for her, and that He is there for her. I know He listens AND answers prayers. Prayer is a power tool, and we waste a lot of time not using it! Pray always. (Alma 37:37)

Have a great (prayerful) week!

Love,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

Hard Work Works! (10/13)

"Remember, the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." (D&C 18:10)

This week was filled with about 3 weeks worth of activities. First of all, it has been one of incredible success. We have been working hard (see picture for proof!), and it is finally paying off! We found TWELVE new investigators this week, and most of them are pretty solid! We already have one (Ricardo) with a baptism date for next weekend and he is so excited. His grandmother also wants to be baptized, but she hasn't been to church yet, so we'll be working with her a little bit longer. The cool part is that by the time she's ready Ricardo should have the Priesthood and be able to baptize her!

We are in the middle of heated prank war with the Elders. It started purely with sticky notes based on inside jokes, but this Sunday increased in intensity when on our way out the door for church we found our door mat covered in shaving cream, and our truck covered with silly string and messages on the windows. We didn't have time to wash it before church, so it was slightly embarrassing driving around like that... vengeance will be ours.

So, after several days of brainstorming it is finally P-day and we can purchase supplies for our retaliation. Since the Elders actually live outside their area they have been leaving their bikes on our porch at night. Let's just say that this evening when they come pick them up to proselyte they are going to find some beautifully decorated bikes. I'll send pictures next week :) Other ideas may be submitted in writing to: 1871 E Del Rio Dr, Tempe, AZ 85282, or emailed to richelle.ouellette@gmail.com.

(Yes, this is a call for letters, it's been a slow week in the mail department... although maybe the Elders that share our PO Box are hoarding my letters as part of the prank war... hmmmm....)

The other exciting thing this week was going on exchanges for the first time. Yesterday I returned to Eagar to work there for the day with Sister Peters, and my companion stayed in Show Low with Sister Hay. It was fun to be able to return to the area and see people, but I had the very distinct impression that this is NOT my area anymore. I am definitely supposed to be where I am, and as much as I loved the area, my time there is over and there are people in Show Low that I have been sent to find and teach.

So much happened in Eagar that I can't even BEGIN to describe everything. I was able to show Sister Peters the area (they are struggling to learn it), and we had four lessons (good day!). The highlight of my day was with Paul, the investigator I believe I was sent to the Arizona Tempe Mission to find.

Like most of the other people they are teaching, he has regressed slightly with two new sisters. He's going through some really hard times, but I feel that him seeing me (he could not get over the fact that I was back) really helped him remember that our Heavenly Father is mindful of him, and I made him promise to keep meeting with the sisters and to step up his prayers and scripture study!

I also got to talk to Ronnie, our recent convert that we hadn't gotten to see before we left the area (because he was in Colorado). He is doing so well, and said he took his Book of Mormon with him on his trip and read it every day! Yay! I feel like a proud mom!

Well, the good news is I still love being a missionary! I can't believe I'm on the downward slope. Time seems to be going by faster and faster! Hermana Wilkins (my trainer) goes home in three weeks, and it is so surreal. I'm just working my hardest to make every moment count.

Thanks for your love and prayers, it made a difference in my week!

Love you,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

Conference Weekend (10/6)

First things first: I saw a tarantula this week. We were walking on a dirt road and I didn't notice it (I had my chin up, mom!), but Hermana Jones made a strange noise and jumped out of the way, and just kind of pointed. It was the biggest spider I have EVER seen in the wild... the size of my fist, all harry and tarantula-like. There it was just crawling down the dirt road we were walking on. I wanted to catch it and put it in a jar, but my companion wouldn't let me. We currently have a pet caterpillar named Fuzzy Wuzzy that we are waiting to cocoon, but Hermana Jones said "I put my foot down at the tarantula!" So, no new pet, but just another crazy experience with Arizona wildlife.

Conference was AMAZING! I love hearing the Brethren speak and instruct us. Most of them talked about the basics of the gospel, but I love learning things in new ways that strengthen my testimony. I felt like some of the recurring themes included faith, prophets, and families... these are all really basic doctrines but I feel they were focused on because of how very important they are. As Elder Uchtdorf said, quoting Vince Lombardi, "we can only become great by mastering the fundamentals." I know that it is these basic building blocks that make up our testimonies and allow us to build a strong foundation on Christ.

One exciting thing from conference was President Monson's announcement of the Hartford, CT temple! It is awesome to know that the church is growing strong enough at home to merit the construction of a temple in the area. One of the other themes that stuck out to me this weekend is the impact of the gospel on generations. It is through the work done in these holy temples that the links between generations are made possible, as we are sealed to our ancestors who have gone before us, and prepare future generations to be born in the covenant and receive the same blessings.

We had one instigator come to conference, Ricardo. He had come to church a few weeks ago and had gone to the wrong building because stake conference was that day. Fortunately, one of the members of the branch presidency happened to drive by, spoke to him, and brought him to the stake center. But then this week, he came to the wrong building again! General Conference was being broadcast in Spanish at our regular meeting house, but he came to the stake center thinking that's where we met all the time. He ended up stayed and watching the Sunday morning session of conference even though it was in English and he didn't understood any of it! He still told us that he really like it, so he must have been feeling the spirit! We started teaching him yesterday, along with his grandma and niece, and he is really excited about learning more about the gospel.

I, too, am really excited about the gospel, and grateful for the instruction we received this weekend. If you were not able to watch conference, it's available on line! Go to www.lds.org and enjoy a session! Thank you for your prayers and support.

Love always,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

Still in the White Mountains.... (9/29)

OK, so we've officially moved and settled into the new area. We actually live in the neighboring town of Lakeside and cover all of Pinetop-Lakeside, Show Low and the surrounding area... back to lots of traveling.

In an answer to one of my mom's questions, something some of you may be wondering as well... I am still in the White Mountains, which means I am enjoying wonderful fall-like weather. Although, the people say it starts snowing here around the end of October, so I'll probably even see some of that! Who knew in Arizona..!

Our home (the cabanita) is awesome! With all the stress of transferring to this area, it was more than wonderful to arrive at our new place, which turned out to be a cabin in the woods. It is this adorable little knotty pine cabin in the middle of nowhere... it is basically a vacation home. Even though we are rarely there to enjoy it, I love it! And I love the beautiful scenery of this area!

What makes this area not feel like vacation is all the work we are doing. I love it of course, because I would way rather be busy than bored, but without being too negative about the Elders that were here before, there is A LOT for us to do.

I definitely feel that we are supposed to be here. More than one person has mentioned that Hermanas are needed at this time (they haven't had them in over 10 years). I really feel that there are both non-members and members alike whose lives we are here to touch. There are some changes that need to be made, and work that needs to be done, and I am ready to do it.

If my own personal confirmation wasn't enough, I read an email from my mission president. I'll share part of it with you:

"I am sure that you realize that the decision to transfer you to Show Low was done before we went to Show Low. As Elder Scott and I talked on Sunday and we spoke of you and Sister Jones, I told him that I was moving you and that it would be a difficult change because of your recent success in the old area. He just smiled and said it would be good for all. I hope you know that I had that confirmed to me even before he said it but it was a nice thing to hear."

And yes, by Elder Scott he was referring to Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, whom we had a chance to meet a couple weeks ago. According to Sister Howes (our Mission President's wife) he was very impressed by Sister Jones & me. Wow. Can you say humbling?!

Being back in Spanish work is fun. I have definitely missed it. We've spoken more Spanish in this past week than I have for the entire past three months. I love it, and have definitely felt the gift of tongues, as I have not suffered too much with it coming back to me. Of course I have to smile at all the little cultural things that make the work just a little more difficult! :)

I REALLY enjoyed President Monson's talk this weekend from the Relief Society General Broadcast. For those of you who didn't see it, he spoke on charity, and I was so overwhelmed with the feeling that every SINGLE person is a beloved child of God. The broadcast was like a little teaser for the rest of General Conference, and I am so excited! I am also looking forward to several of our investigators having the opportunity to hear the words of our prophet and apostles.

I hope you all (members of the Church or not!) get a chance to watch at least part of it. I promise that if you do so with a prayer in your heart, and listen to the Spirit, you will find answers to your questions.

Hope all is well on the home front!

Love,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

FYI, for those that don't know, the "talks" are on www.lds.org

Walking in the Dark (9/22)

We're getting white-washed! For the majority of you that don't know what that means, both Hermana Jones & I are getting transferred and new sisters are coming into our area. It's been hard saying goodbye to everyone here for the past two days, especially because we have to leave the area and our investigators in the hands of two new sisters that don't know them, their concerns, or the area.

I am doing my best to trust the will of the Lord, in that he has somewhere else for us to be. That somewhere else is Show Low... we are being "inner-zone transferred" meaning we'll be in the same zone, and we'll stay together as a companionship. We are also white-washing into an area, which means we'll have the same set of challenges as the sisters coming to our area... trying to learn the area, leaders, and investigators, etc.

On the plus side, we are going back to Spanish work. There is a small Spanish Branch in Show Low that apparently needs us, and we are really praying that we will be able to find the people that are waiting for us to teach them about the gospel. From what we hear, the AZ immigration law has affected the Spanish population there just like everywhere else, so it is not going to be a cakewalk by any means.

As I said, I am learning to trust the will of the Lord and through prayer trying to find out what He has in store for me. Fortunately, we just had the incredible opportunity to hear a fireside (in Show Low) by Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Most of his talk consisted of learning the Lord's will and following it. It definitely prepared me for the fateful phone call we received the next day.

Elder Scott said that as we pray, we receive answers to our prayers and an understanding to the Lord's will in pieces. He said that he has never received an answer to a prayer in one package. It's true that as we earnestly pray in faith to our Father in Heaven we can see His hand in our lives, and can piece together the His will.

Last Wednesday (P-day) we went to a cave in Vernon... not one of those caves that have become a tourist site, but pretty much a hole in the ground that we crawled through which opened up to a series of underground tunnels. It was very fun, VERY muddy (as you can see from the pictures), and also very dark. Each of us had a flashlight, and most of the time it was impossible to see in front of me any farther than my dim light shone.

I think our lives are like this - sometimes we walk in the dark, not exactly sure where we are going, with only a faint light to lead the way. As we move forward following the light, we find that it continues to light the way in front of us.

President Boyd K. Packer put it this way: "Somewhere in your quest for spiritual knowledge, there is that ‘leap of faith,’ as the philosophers call it. It is the moment when you have gone to the edge of the light and step into the darkness to discover that the way is lighted ahead for just a footstep or two."

This applies well to one of our investigators, Mike. I have written about him before and described his stubbornness and indecision of what path to take, but we had a HUGE breakthrough with him this week. We fasted with him last weekend, and when we followed up with how it went he told us we had some interesting things to talk about. He described that at 8:05 pm Monday evening (a couple hours after closing his fast) he was sitting in his living room when a feeling of complete peace and comfort completely overcame him. It was AWESOME to hear him say that, and to describe the Spirit, something he has never before felt, or at least recognized. We promised him that as he continues to read the Book of Mormon and pray he will continue to have the Spirit with him, and know that the path he is on is correct.

The Lord's will is the light in front of us, and as we follow it He will continue to make clear what lays ahead of us. As of 6:00 this evening I know I will be walking in the dark. But I also know that the Lord answers our prayers and if we let Him, He will direct our paths.

May you each make a renewed commitment to follow the Lord's will and "step into the darkness". God bless you on your spiritual journey.

Much love,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

PICTURES:
TOP: Hermana Jones and I after caving in Vernon, AZ
BOTTOM: The zone after caving--Lots of laundry to do!

Lost & Found (9/15)

So much happened this week (and two days)! I don't even know where to start!

We had an awesome three-day training last week (which was why P-day was Monday). We had lessons from our mission president on being better missionaries... following the Spirit, using the Book of Mormon, asking inspired questions, etc. All week we've been trying to implement the things we've learned, and as a result have had some great teaching opportunities, where the Spirit was really strong!

During the training at lunch time each day we had an ice breaker activity... on the second day we had a paper airplane contest. Hermana Jones and I were favorites to win because both our dads work for Boeing. I'm proud to say I came in second for the entire zone... I built an airplane instead of a jet! :)

We seemed to get lost a lot more than usual this week... both times trying to find places that are not on our map. And both times we had pretty lame directions. The second time this week was yesterday and we were out in the middle of NOWHERE! Literally, picture the most vast desert/plain you can imagine... it was worse. The directions were to take a right after the bridge and follow the dirt road about 5 miles until you hit a house. We figured it couldn't be that hard...we just had to find the right turn-off. Well, apparently our definition of a bridge (a structure over a large body of water of gulf of land) was not accurate, and you have to know the area to know what they are talking about. The county road was not on any map or GPS and we had no cell phone service to call the family.

After driving around the same area looking for the road for almost an hour we finally found some random people to ask for better directions. Fortunately everyone in this area knows their neighbors (even when they are miles apart)... BUT they gave us the exact same directions, with a less than accurate description of the bridge.

We tried again, but still no luck, so we finally got out and tried to look if we could see a road better if we weren't driving... no, BUT we had one tiny little bar of service, so we were able to call the family, get a better landmark to go by and FINALLY made it to the appointment!

All the driving around, wasted time, and miles on our car were worth it because we had a great lesson. We had planned to teach the Restoration because we thought that the lady of the couple (Nita) was an investigator... she wasn't... but both her and her boyfriend (Mike) had been baptized at a young age, but had never really attended church. In fact, a month ago was the first sacrament meeting Mike had ever attended in his entire life, even though he is a member of the church.

So we started to teach the Restoration anyway, but only made it to talking about families, and Nita got excited because she said that's what she had been thinking about for the past couple days.... they have been talking about getting married in the temple! We decided to follow the detour and instead of finishing the Restoration, we read the Family Proclamation... they loved it, and we had a great discussion with them about their goals.

Side note: About half way through the lesson Aunt Gloria walked in... she is 85 years old, with long silver hair, and was wearing gray leggings, a red flannel shirt, and was carrying a walking stick. I wish I could describe her to you in a way that you would know exactly what I mean, but she was epic! I loved her, and the best part was her short term memory loss, which meant that she asked me where I was from at least 10 times, and told us "I'm nine of a ten litter" about half a dozen times. It was like talking to Dori from Finding Nemo... awesome!

Anyway, back to Mike and Nita. As I said they have never really attended church their entire lives, but the main reason they have come back is because they have had a solid home teacher that for years has made the trek out to their ranch every single month. Basically, they were lost, but because of the guidance of one man, they are starting to find their way.

Just as we were lost and had to rely on a call to "the source" to finally find our way, so it is with life. The difference is that the spiritual GPS and maps that we have will never fail us. The scriptures are a source of truth and will guide us in the right direction. We must always remember to "call" our Heavenly Father in sincere prayer. He will lead us, guide us, and walk beside us.

I also have to put in my plug for Home and Visiting Teaching... If this sweet couple did not have a solid home teacher there is NO way they would have EVER started coming to church again. As members of the church we have such an important duty on our way to find those other lost sheep who have wandered off the path. This family is an excellent example of how one dedicated servant of the Lord went WAY out of his way to help them come back, and now they are preparing to enter the temple... that's what it's all about!

Good luck on your way, and find those lost sheep!

Love,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

PICTURES:
TOP - Hermana Jones & I with our airplanes.
BOTTOM - Our whole zone after the training meeting.

Whirlwinds (8/31)

This has been a crazy crazy week... so many things going on!!!

First of all, I am sick! It is kind of annoying, but it's just a cold, but I'm on the uphill getting over it. There's definitely been something going around this valley... EVERYONE we see is either sick or getting sick. They say in a small town news travels fast, but apparently so do germs!

It is starting to feel like autumn weather, and I love it. There was a breeze on Sunday that just had that distinct hint of fall. (Side note: Springerville, Arizona is officially the windiest city in the United States - take that Chicago!). Anyway, the weather is still beautiful, even though I've been wearing sweaters more often recently. I'm not looking forward to the snow though, which they say can start in October. Hermana Jones the other day commented "I don't know how to drive in the snow." I replied "I don't know how to proselyte in the snow!!"

In other big news we had a baptism literally fall out of the sky this week. The Elders want us to pray for "baptisms from the sky" all the time, but usually I don't like that phrase because it seems to imply a lack of hard work. Anyway, we got a call Wednesday night about a lady, Wanda, coming up here from Queen Creek (my last area!) that wanted to be baptized this weekend. It was a very unique situation because she is 79 years old and has a terminal illness, so time was a sensitive issue. We met her on Thursday with our Stake President, taught her the lessons on Friday (we actually just reviewed - she had been taught most of them in the valley), she was baptized on Saturday, and confirmed on Sunday. It was kind of a whirlwind week for us trying to pull it all together, but we made it work. She had a TON of family there to support her, and her baptism ceremony was awesome. Everyone kept telling us what a wonderful job we did, but we didn't feel like we did anything!

On Saturday we also had the incredible opportunity to go down to Tempe to hear from Elder Hallstrom (of the Presidency of the Seventy) and Elder L. Tom Perry. We had to wake up at 3am to make it down there on time, but it was totally worth it. Elder Hallstrom talked about teaching and learning by the spirit, so that we can instruct and edify each other (D&C 43:8) He commented that we all need to repent for something... something that is keeping us from coming closer to our Heavenly Father, and we should use every meeting to help us do that (including Sacrament Meeting, Sunday School, RS/Priesthood, Home/Visiting Teaching, missionary lessons, etc.) There is no reason for us to be bored in any of these meetings, IF we have the Spirit. He involved us a lot during his talk, and at one point asked how many of us knew the very first word to the Doctrine and Covenants. A few people raised their hands, including myself, and he called on me to answer... fortunately I was right when I answered "Hearken". (Thank you Brother Hamilton for an awesome seminary lesson from ninth grade that I still remember!)

Elder Perry was so amazing to listen to as well. Before he started we all got to go up and greet him - it was so cool to shake the hand of an apostle of the Lord! The Spirit that was there really just confirms my testimony that he is a called, ordained, and sustained servant of the Lord. He spoke about the apostasy and restoration... it was basically the first lesson we teach to our investigators, only it was perfect. You would think it would be boring for us to hear the same thing again after we've heard it/teach it a hundred thousand times, but it wasn't! He used interesting scriptures and asked thought-provoking questions, and of course testified so strongly. I was certainly instructed and edified, and learned some new things I can incorporate into my teaching.

Let's see... I have so much to write, and not enough time!

Yesterday, Hermana Jones and I were studying repentance and talking about some of the needs of our investigators. We finished our discussion and I sighed and said "That's what it's all about!" So... that evolved into what we now call the "Repentance Pokey" It goes something like this:

You put your dirty hands in,
You take your clean hands out,
You put your dirty hands in,
And you work it all out.
You do the Repentance Pokey and you turn your heart around...
That's what it's all about!!

We pretty much thought it was hilarious, and thought it would be fun to use with primary kids, but I don't think Hermana Jones ever thought I would actually pull it out in a lesson, but I did! Last night we were teaching Ronnie about the gospel, and when we talked about repentance I told him about the song. I didn't sing it for him, but he (and all 6 of the other members who were there with us) absolutely loved it! Feel free to use it, but know that Hna. Jones and I are working on the copyright. :)

I have more to tell you, but we're really short on time... we're trying to get through here as quickly as possible since we're on our way to New Mexico. We're going as a district to eat Pie in a little town called Pietown! I'll send you pictures and give you more of an update next week!

Sorry if this one feels rushed. I still love you!

Love,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

Pictures - TOP - Wanda, in the middle, with a good portion of her family.

BOTTOM - Hermana Jones picking which cold medicine to use. She was sick first, but between the drugs she had, the drugs members gave us, and those she bought (as you can see) she's doing significantly better :)

Happy Labor Day (9/6)

This week went by pretty quick, but I guess it hasn't technically been a full week since I last wrote... we have three days worth of meetings this week (starting tomorrow) so they had to push our P-day back to today. We didn't realize it was Labor Day until a few days ago... The public library is closed, but fortunately we still get to email - a member let us into the Stake Family History Center.

So first of all Pietown update: There was a lot more anticipation than anything. It took way longer than expected (GPS said 50 miles; 45 minutes, but it was actually 77 miles and closer to 1 1/2 hours!). Anyway we got there and the pie shop was CLOSED! You can imagine our dismay, especially because we had all been fasting all day. (For blessings... nothing to do with pie :) Luckily, Hermana Jones' cousin lives in the area, so by some crazy coincidences (blessings?) we were able to get in touch with her and we went to her house for peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. It was quite the adventure, and slightly disappointing, but definitely a p-day we will never forget!

Our investigator Ronnie got baptized on Saturday! I haven't told you much about him, so here you go...

Ronnie is 18 years-old, just graduated from High School this year and is dating an LDS girl, Camrie. He first took the lessons in March, but got busy with a new job, and still being in school so he stopped meeting with the sisters. He called us a few weeks ago and told us he wanted to take the lessons... We were obviously pretty excited seeing as that NEVER happens! Anyway we scheduled an appointment to meet with him at Camrie's aunt's house. We showed up, but he didn't. When we talked to their family they were worried he might just be doing it for Camrie and wasn't really that interested (that's what they kind of thought before). They also told us where he was living (not our area, which meant we'd have to turn him over to the Elders anyway). We were also bummed that he hadn't at least let us know that he wasn't going to make it to the lesson.

Well, we finally got in touch with him (he had tried to call us to reschedule, but had our number wrong). We set up another appointment for the next day. Right away he asked us how many lessons there were before he could get baptized, and he said he had been thinking a lot about being baptized. We told him there are not set number, but we could set a date for his baptism and meet with him as often as necessary to prepare him for that important step. He agreed, and we decided on Sept. 4, less than two weeks from that day.

That night we taught him the first lesson, and it was AWESOME! The Spirit was super strong and he said we answered all his questions - he said everything we explained made perfect sense! Over the next two weeks we taught him the rest of the lessons, and he became more and more excited about each one. He told us that after every time he met with us he could not stop smiling! He also said when he opened the Book of Mormon to read he couldn't put it down! He was actually excited to keep his commitments, and when we committed him to live the word of wisdom and law of chastity he said "Heck yes!"

Basically, he was as golden as they come. His baptismal service was awesome, and the confirmation went well... he had a lot of support from friends and family. Yesterday fast and testimony meeting in his ward was ALL about missionary work. It seemed like the whole meeting was just for him - everyone that got up talked about how wonderful their mission experience was, or shared their conversion story, or raved about how exciting missionary work is in general. We are REALLY hoping that Ronnie decides to serve a mission when he is eligible in a year. We've mentioned it before and he said he's definitely thought about it in the past.

This whole situation was really a miracle... having someone so ready placed right onto our laps was such a blessing... definitely an answer to our prayers. The Lord loves us and He wants all of his children to have His gospel. I feel privileged to have been the one to teach Ronnie, and I know that he was truly prepared. It is the coolest thing to see how happy the gospel makes him, and all those who choose to accept and LIVE it.

Hope you all had a fabulous Labor Day and a fantastic week.

Much Love,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

This Week's Picture - (L-R) Me, Hermana Jones, Camrie & Ronnie

Cupcakes (8/24)

I love the people here! There are so many wonderful hometown folks - members and nonmembers alike, as well as many crazy people that we enjoy for entertainment... is that bad? Anyway, we talked to this sweet old lady the other day, Winnie, who is quite possibly insane, but also very lonely. She didn't want to talk to us at first, but once we got her going, she didn't stop! She told us all about her modeling career back east, and how recently she was looking at greeting cards at Safeway and saw herself on one of the cards... "I'm on an American Greeting!!" Anyway, she continued to detail her life story for us, and we're really not sure how much of it is true, but that's OK! After about 45 minutes we finally broke loose and went to talk to a recent convert in the same apartment complex. Winnie could still see us and called us back saying "I have cupcakes for you girls!" The funny part is that they were completely frozen, but it was so nice that she wanted to do something for us.

Yesterday was a miracle day! We had a meeting in Show Low in the morning, and then came back to Eagar to work for the rest of the day. Our first lesson was with Gary... he was a referral from a member a couple weeks ago, and we knew he was very interested in the church, but we had a hard time setting up an appointment with him because he just started a new job. Anyway, we taught him the Restoration last week and yesterday the Plan of Salvation. He mentioned he was very much looking forward to his baptism so we gave him a baptism date. All of us were excited, and it's awesome to see his understanding of how important that step is.

Then, later that night almost the same thing happened. We met with a young man named Ronnie for the first time (he has met with Sisters in the past, but also had scheduling conflicts because of work). He also mentioned baptism right away, and after we explained the Restoration to him we decided to pick a date for his baptism. Ronnie was adamant that it be as soon as possible, and we certainly weren't going to object. He's been coming to church, and reading the Book of Mormon, so he already really has a testimony; he knows he needs to be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (which he's excited for) to continue to progress.

I am so amazed at the way the Lord prepares specific people and puts them in our path. Sometimes I struggle to understand what I'm doing differently in the times when we have less "success" - as far as I can see I'm working just as hard and being just as obedient. We do get blessings for our diligence and obedience, but it isn't only about us. Things happen on the Lord's timing and in His way. As long as we continue to do our part He will eventually bless us with the things we need.

He loves each and every one of His children, and for that reason has given us the gospel. It is amazing to see the effects it has in people's lives each and every day, and I am so grateful to have it in my own. I was studying in Enos this week, and found his experience (really his personal conversion) very interesting. We know that his father, Jacob, had faith that could not be shaken (Jacob 7:5). Enos had been taught by his father, but came to a point in his life that he couldn't rely on his father's testimony anymore. I think that's one of the reasons he went to pray, and did indeed have a testimony building experience where his own faith "began to be unshaken in the Lord" (Enos 1:11).

Each of us, even those who have been raised in the Church, has to have a personal conversion. We must each commune with our Heavenly Father on a personal level and he will grant us faith and a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel. He will help us embrace the gospel, have a "change of heart", and give us the strength we need to LIVE our testimonies. The gospel of Jesus Christ truly changes lives and I am so grateful to be a part of helping people recognize that.

Thanks for all your support!

Love,

Hermana Ouellette

PICTURE CAPTION - can't see it very well, but these are our frozen cupcakes from Winnie. Also - that's my new companion, Hermana Jones.

Invite to the Party (8-17)

It has only been a couple of days since I last wrote, but it feels like a lot longer. Hermana Jones and I are enjoying working together, and I am loving introducing her to all the people (many of them very crazy) that we know. She is an English major, and wants to write books, so she is getting tons of ideas for characters. We laugh every night as we discuss our daily adventures and interactions with people.

One of our investigators, Mike, has progressed so much recently. Yesterday, he finally admitted that he pretty much knows the church is true... and he should by now... he's reading the Book of Mormon for the second time, and is also almost done with Doctrine & Covenants. Anyway, we have been inviting him to be baptized, but he said he feels he needs to stay at his church, and that maybe God just wants him to be an ally to the LDS Church from the outside. For some reason we can't get him to understand that if this really is the Lord's church, he needs to be a part of it.

We talked about how this is a missionary church and how he can be an ally to it even from within, and can (and should) help people as he says he wants to do. We used several analogies to try to get through to him, and one of them I really like was from a training we had with our mission president, President Howes. We were talking about our purpose as missionaries to "invite others to come unto Christ". I also recently read in 2 Nephi 25:23 how we "labor diligently to... persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ..." This is really what we do... all day every day. Anyway, President Howes put it this way:

Imagine you are planning an incredible party but as you start inviting people to it you tell them how awesome it will be, but then say you're actually not going to be there. "You should go to this party, I hear there will be great food and music, but I don't really want to go". How much stronger is the invitation when you say "I am having a party and it's going to be great and I and all my friends will be there so you should come too!!"... much more credible.

Brothers and Sisters, the gospel is the party! And you are all invited! And you are encouraged to invite others, but you have to be willing to come too! We have been called to invite people to the gospel of Jesus Christ but we have to be willing to live it ourselves. Our friends and family around us will have very little desire to accept the gospel, if they can not see that we are excited about it and have received many blessings because of it.

Maybe you are afraid to invite people to the party is because you're not sure of the details... what time it starts, where it's going to be held, etc. I think one of the reasons we are sometimes are hesitant to share the gospel is because we are afraid we don't know enough, or that we won't be able to answer people's questions. But that should not stop you from inviting people... take the opportunity to do what you need to to find out... study, research, ask! I promise the answers are there, and the more we understand, the more excited we become.

The scriptures invite us all the time with "Come unto Him" and we need to invite others to do the same. Hopefully Mike will soon understand this, and I'm sure as we continue to help him resolve his doubts he will want to "come". Make sure you are in the right place to be able to invite others, and I know you will enjoy the party even more :) The closer we are to Christ, the happier we are, and the greater influence we can have to help others come unto Him.

Love you all,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

PICTURE CAPTION - On the left is Becca, whose parents will not let her "come to the party". She is awesome, and we have had a great time teaching her with lots of her friends (one of them, Holly, is on the right). She is leaving for college this week, but has promised to continue meeting with missionaries there, and I know that when the time is right she will be baptized.

Transfer Week

Sorry for no entry yesterday... it was transfer week again. Sister Emrazian and I weren't planning on transferring, so we were kind of taken by surprise when we found out she was leaving. Tuesday was kind of a commotion day trying to get ready for Wednesday... (like "Saturday is a special day, the day we get ready for Sunday.....") We drove to St. John's Tuesday evening, spent the night there at a member's home, and then left Wednesday morning at 5 am for the valley. It was a looong day of driving, but it was a good one.

So, I have a new companion - Hermana Jones. That means there are two Spanish speaking sister missionaries up here, even though this is not technically a Spanish area. We have hardly any Hispanic investigators or potentials right now, so it's kind of frustrating for me, but apparently with two of us up here there is SOMEONE that we are meant to find and teach.

Fun fact: Sister Jones and I were born in the same hospital. Well, I'm just assuming it's the same one - she's from Renton, Washington, and that's where I was born... how many hospitals can there possible be? Also, her dad works for Boeing, just like mine, so it's fun to have that in common as well!

We met the sweetest family this week, the Torres family, and started teaching them English. They were all so excited to learn (parents and two teenagers - on boy and one girl) and we were really excited to teach them. It was so incredible to me to see how much they value education - so many people in the US take it for granted how much access they have to education. I was so impressed by how precious learning is to the Torres family, and how much it means to them. They were so appreciative of us. We taught them the alphabet, and after teaching, Sis. Emrazian and I sang the "A, B, C" song for them, and they loved it! Apparently they were shopping a few days later and found a doll that sang the alphabet song and bought it so they can remember.

We were planning on transitioning to teaching them the gospel - we had given them a copy of the Book of Mormon, but they have decided to return to Mexico. It's crazy how close we got to them in only a few days. They invited us to Mexico to stay with them after our missions, and when they come back to Eagar in October (we'll see if I'm still here then) we're going to start meeting with them again. Plus, we promised them the missionaries in Mexico will come visit them.

We had a booth at Eagar Daze (I wish I had a picture for you, but it's on Sister Emrazian's camera)... we had literature including free Books of Mormon, and pamphlets, etc. We talked to tons of people (mostly members) but there was one girl from Dallas, TX that came and talked to us and took a Book of Mormon. She was fairly young (teenager) but really seemed interested. She gave us her information so we can send missionaries to her house in Texas.

I'm so grateful for the worldwide organization of the church, and that when we meet someone that lives in another part of the world, we can make sure they still have the opportunity to learn about the gospel. Heavenly Father loves all of His children and wants them all to know of His love. It's so cool to me that there are 50,000+ young men and women doing the same thing I am all over the globe, ensuring that His purpose is fulfilled. The gospel is perfect, and the work will go forth!

Thank you for your love and support,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

I Believe in Christ

We got to do some more working with cows this week! Last night we were eating dinner with one of our ward mission leaders and his wife (the Penrod's - awesome family!) and he invited us to come over this morning and milk with him. So, we woke up early, got geared up and went over to milk ol' "Bessie" - that's really her name! We had fun (it was Sister Emrazian's first time), and to finish we went in and had home-made granola with fresh milk (from the day before so it would be cold) for breakfast! Last night at dinner we got to try the cheese Sister Penrod had made from the milk, and everything we had was just delicious! I love country life!

I just have a few other funny things I have to mention from this week. Both of them are funny things children have said to us...

Our apartment is right behind a family that has 10 kids, and often when we leave in the morning and walk through their yard there are children out there playing. They are always excited to see us, and say "Hi Sisters!" every time. One boy who is about 2, has started asking us where we are going, and every time we tell him we're going to work. Yesterday as we were leaving he asked us the same question and we gave him the same response and he just said "Again?!" We laughed and responded, "yes again!"... this is what we do all day every day! He told us he is going to be a missionary when he grows up... so I guess some day he'll understand.

The other situation was in a lesson with a less-active family with 3 kids - we were talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ and had taught them the first principles and ordinances with a bottle and a hard boiled egg - you have to get the egg (a person) into the bottle (the kingdom of God) through faith, repentance (peeling the egg), baptism by water (rinsing it off) and by fire (lighting a match and putting it into the bottle which sucks the egg in). Anyway, the kids loved it as they always do, and as we were reviewing the steps at the end of the lesson they answered faith... repentance... and then they got stuck so I started to prompt them with "ba...." and the four year old shouts "BATH PRISON!" Usually I can contain myself when something funny happens in a lesson, but I really just had to laugh for a good minute before I could pull myself together... it didn't help that my companion and the parents were laughing just as hard!

Well, enough of the funny things... onto the spiritual, I had some of those experiences this week too (just a few ;) that I wanted to share with you.

I have been thinking so much about the power of the Atonement, and some things happened on Sunday that make me think, and really helped me to understand some important principles of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

First of all, in Sacrament Meeting in the Spanish branch there was only one person there (apart from us, the American counselor, and the other English speakers who come as support... but for the sake of the example, ONE). Still the bread and water were still blessed and passed for this one man to partake. I thought about the significance of the Atonement, and how even if there were only one person that had lived on the earth, Christ would have still come to redeem that person's sins.

His love for us is infinite. I have come to love so many people here - our investigators, active and inactive members, and even people I talk to for a few small moments on the street. But the love that I have for each of them does not even compare to that of our Savior's for each of us. It is eternal, all-encompassing and literally incomprehensible.

As missionaries, we work so hard to help people come to understand the idea of His love. As Christ's representatives we become instruments in His hands to do His work on the earth. As such I believe we take upon ourselves some of the characteristics and feelings that he has for His children. I don't think people understand how much we care about them or more importantly how much our Savior cares about them, but the pain that we feel when someone rejects our (His) message is only a fraction of the pain He feels when someone rejects Him.

This is the second thing I learned this week as I thought about all the things we go through to bring the restored gospel to the lives of the people in this area. We labor so diligently all week, teaching, serving, helping, and inviting people closer to Christ. Sometimes, much of our effort is simply focused on the weekly goal of getting our investigators to church on Sunday. Each week it seems we work harder and harder to meet this goal, but again in the end each person has their agency and the decision to act is up to them. At the end of the week, I often feel how I imagine the Savior feels when His own children reject the invitation He offers to "come unto me". It hurts us to see the people who choose not to come (to Church, or more importantly unto Christ), but our suffering is NOTHING compared to His suffering. Having an idea of what He feels makes me want to work even harder to bring souls to Him.

To my family and friends and loved ones: I know that Jesus Christ has suffered infinitely for our sins, our afflictions, our pains, suffering and temptations, but we have to do our part to accept His help. We have to come and take His outstretched hand. The Atonement has already been performed and can be a very real power in our lives if we will only use it.

It is not enough to believe in Christ, but we have to believe Him. We have to follow His example, learn His words, and keep His commandments. I know that as we do these things we come closer to Him and can learn of the power of the Atonement and apply it in our lives; by so doing we are blessed. Believe in Christ, and believe Him.

Love always,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

Miracles Happen

This week has been full of fun and miracles! A few highlights from this week:
Friday: We got to do some service by prepping bulls (bucking broncos) for the Luna Rodeo... giving them B12 and Dex shots. OK, so we didn't actually get to give them the shots (keep in mind they're bred to buck), but we at least got to fill the syringes.

Saturday: We got to go to the Luna Rodeo! It was great being in proselyting clothes and feeling completely out of place at this back country, small town rodeo. We were doing service there (serving concessions) so we didn't see a whole lot of the actual rodeo, but when the lines slowed down we could catch a few glimpses of mutton bustin', team roping, and bucking. When we got back to Round Valley we got to go to the Pioneer Day Celebration where we and the Elders were judges of the food contest. It was all dutch oven cooking and each ward in the stake had prepared posse stew (Round Valley thing apparently - (cross between beef stew and chili) and cobblers. It was all delicious and very difficult to decide a winner.

Sunday: We fasted today as a district, and this is when our miracles started coming. We received a couple of referrals from the celebration yesterday that we are excited to contact, plus some of the potential investigators we have been trying to teach have warmed up to us, and are prepared to start taking the lessons.

One girl, Alandra, is 13 and lives with her grandmother, who is a inactive member. We first taught Alandra when she sat in at another investigator's home about a month ago. She is so intelligent and spiritual for her age... we watched the Restoration video, and she said that she felt something different. We felt that she had been prepared, and have been trying to get in with her for about the past month. We have met her grandmother several times, but she hasn't been very open to speaking with us. Sunday evening, however, she invited us in and began talking to us about her conversion and what the Church has meant to her... even though she hasn't been active in years, she had nothing bad to say. She has agreed to let Alandra start taking the lessons because she really feels like her granddaughter needs some help right now. We are so excited to start working with both of them.

Sunday evening we found out that Girls Camp for their ward is this week, and our ward mission leader suggested that we try to get Alandra there. It seemed like a long-shot since we would have to make it happen in one day, but somehow we did it... another miracle! Alandra had to take a lot of initiative to make phone calls, ask her grandmother's permission, and get packed in less than 10 hours, but she did it, and we know she's having an awesome experience right now.

On Sunday we were also able to talk to a man named Mike Geisler, who was referred to the missionaries in this area about 6 months ago. They were never able to get in with him because he was so busy, and not really that interested, which is essentially the same thing he told us about two weeks ago. But, when we went back on Sunday, he was totally different and even though he was busy at the time he said we could come back later that night, or sometime during the week. We scheduled an appointment for Tuesday and went over last night with two of his friends that are members and had an awesome, spiritual first lesson. Turns out since the last time we talked to him he has experienced the death of a close friend, and he is finally looking for answers to questions he has had for a long time.

It is interesting to see how important timing was in his situation - a few weeks made all the difference in him being ready to meet with us. We can see that he has been prepared, and we are grateful to know that the plan of salvation offers the answers to the questions he has.

I know the Lord prepares people, and I can see how our prayers have been answered for the Lord to lead us to those who are ready to learn about and accept His Gospel. I know our fast played a part in all this, and that our faith provides miracles. I am so grateful to be receiving the blessings that we are at this time.

As we continue to pray for the things we need, and then do our part through diligence and work, the Lord WILL bless us. Everyday people are being prepared to accept the gospel, and it is up to YOU to find them.

Never cease to pray, and you will see miracles in your life!

Love always,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

THIS WEEKS PICTURES:
TOP: We got caught in a torrential downpour, but fortunately a member helped us out with a poncho and some trash bags - I got the trash bags :)
MIDDLE:"Welcome to Arizona!" - on the way home from the Luna Rodeo - I figured it was my only chance to ever get a picture (in pros. clothes) of me at the Arizona border.
BOTTOM: Me and a syringe of B12 :)

Now!

First of all, THANK YOU so much for the influx of mail this week, it helped make my birthday super special! Really though, the increase of mail was significant enough for the ladies at the post office to say something about it, and as a missionary, it really means a LOT!

I had a great birthday, and my companion's birthday was the day before mine, so we had lots of fun telling people it was our birthdays... usually it went something like, "Did you know Monday is her birthday?!" and then whoever hadn't spilled the birthday beans would say, "but Tuesday is HER birthday". Anyway, it made for an exciting couple days!

In other news I went to New Mexico today for the first time! We went as a district to a place called The Catwalk in Glenwood, NM... it's a really neat one mile hike through a canyon, and we had tons of fun!

I'm sorry this is going to be a short one, but we're pretty rushed today with traveling all morning, and still trying to get everything else done that we need to within the few precious hours that make up P-day.

I did want to share one thought I had that actually goes along really well with a comment in the email I just read from my mom about focusing on the "now". It actually comes from the June Ensign which I was reading the other day (we get them a little later than normal people because we have to wait for our zone conferences). Anyway, the author talked about the early Saints arriving in Kirtland knowing they weren't going to be there permanently.

It says: "I like to picture those early Saints hearing the Lord’s instructions and getting right to work. They plowed fields they didn’t know they would harvest, planted trees whose fruit they might never eat, and built a beautiful temple they would ultimately have to leave. I picture them living busy, productive lives, not peering endlessly into the unknown, wondering where they would go next and when. They acted “as for years,” trusting that their work would not be in vain." (Your Mission in Life is Now, Ensign, June 2010)

It really made me think about how much we worry about the future, and make conditional statements such as "I'll be happier/it will be easier/things will get better when______, etc." Although goal setting is great, and it is very important to look to the future the time to work is NOW. We need to take advantage of the present to accomplish those goals we have set, and to strengthen ourselves RIGHT NOW. Even though we may not always have the opportunities to see the final fruits of our labors, we will grow in the process, and will be better prepared for the future for when it does arrive. Think about that this week, and do one thing today that will help you accomplish a long-term goal you have. Get to work!

Thank you again for all the letters and packages!

Much love,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette

Hopefully a few pictures will make up for a lack of a long entry... you know what they say...

1-3 Hiking at the Catwalk this morning.
4 Another beautiful Arizona sky this week