WOW! this week has been crazy! Ups and downs... but mostly UPS! Withers
and I have learned SO much, and have had so many incredible experiences
together. Every day was like a spirit punch in the face!! (yes... if you
couldn't tell, that's a really good thing. :))
On Monday, Aug 20th, Sister Withers and I did our laundry at our
relief society presidents house. Her name is Sister Thordson. (MAN is
she amazing!! I have never met someone in my life who serves and solves
problems like she does. Her entire life is dedicated to helping others
live better.) She and her husband have sacrificed so much and have given
so much to Sister Withers and I... We look up to them and love them
dearly! Of course as we were doing laundry there, she filled us up with
chocolate and Italian soda's...(TOTALLY a fat joke, right?! haha
secretly we love it.) After that we hurried over to the stake center and
played like crazy with our AWESOME zone! We literally have some of the
FUNNEST people here in the Yuba City Zone.
On Wednesday, Aug 22nd, we had the most AMAZING and INSPIRING Half
Mission Conference of my life time! (Granted, it WAS my first... but still
absolutely Life changing! Elder Cardon from the first Quorum of the 70
came and we had a meeting that went from 9:30ish-4:30ish with a small
break in between for a nice lunch. It was LONG, but didn't feel
that way. The spirit was there and I learned SO much. I had been asked
to give the closing prayer at the meeting, and was really nervous to get
up in front of half the mission to pray... Don't worry though.. I
survived the experience... and didn't even say anything blasphemous in
the prayer..phew.
One of the coolest things I learned at that mission conference was
the importance of having the spirit. If we don't have the spirit we
can't teach, and if we can't teach then why are we even here? Right?...
WOW. I had a lot of time to think about what qualifies me for the spirit
and how important it is in this work. I have always tried to follow the
spirit for guidance in my own life. But here on the mission I have
begun to have the unique challenge of following the guidance of the
spirit for someone else. Every day we meet different people with
different and unique challenges, each person having a story and life of
their own. How could we possibly know what they need?... We can't. The
lessons and the doctrines are set in stone. But the way we teach them is
something very specific to each individual. How grateful I am to be
learning this wonderful skill of receiving revelation for someone else
and having the discernment to KNOW what to do with that revelation. WOW!
Spirit punch in the face, right?!... One last thing Elder Cardon said
really hit me like a ton of bricks. I don't have the exact words with me
here so I will paraphrase..
"Every morning when you wake up, fall to your knees and plead with
your heavenly father to give you the strength so that you can give all
that you HAVE and ARE. then get up and do just that... give all that you
HAVE and ARE. That night when you come home, feeling more exhausted
then you have ever felt. Fall to your knees again and tell your Heavenly
Father that you gave it all you had that day... Thank him for strength
through it, and then plead with him to help you get a good nights rest,
because tomorrow... you're going to do it again."
WOW... My heart just swells as I type that. This is the type of service I want to render for the REST
of my life. These habits and this relationship I am forming with
Heavenly Father will not end in a year and a half as I go home. This is
the kind of Servant I want to be from now all the way to the eternities!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Quick update - lots of success!
HELLLOOO!!
It's sister Tittle here.
This week has been exhausting and has involved:
-Becoming an adopted daughter for a less active ( starting to teach her the lessons again... and getting fed really well!)
-DEEEEEPP DEEEEP Cleaning for a less active in her home.
-Teaching English to 2 women from afganistan (one of them had her baby! SOOO CUTE! This family should be mormons)
-Talking about baptism with a woman who has been investigating for YEARS (She is SOOO CLOSE!)
-Teaching the non member child of an amazing woman in our ward... He is 18 years old.. and he is so amazing!! (More details to come when I have time)
-Being able to spend a day doing all we could to help an almost homeless family not get homeless... (WOW that was amazing... Matt19:26)
-Having 7 investigators at church with us this sunday (TOTAL MIRACLE... WOW)
-Setting 2 baptismal dates on a first visit with a mother and a daughter who have been TOTALLY prepared!
Miracles happen when you are:
-Engaged in the work
-Excited about the work
and
-Exactly Obedient
I love this gospel. SO much.
I love my life.
the church is true.
I am sorry that this email is short. today (even though it is P day) is going to be a CRAZY one!
Keep doing the LITTLE things... They make a BIG difference!
Be grateful for ALL that you have, because all around you there are people who have less than you have!
ALWAYS help other people... you never know when YOU will be the person who needs help.
Helping hands brings happy faces.
"If we're not giving, we're not living..."
"God never expects more from you than you can give... when your strength is gone, he'll give you some of his..."
One of the greatest lessons I have learned here on the mission is to LOVE others unconditionally. They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
I love you all!!
Keep writing, it brightens every day!
Love, Sister Tittle
It's sister Tittle here.
This week has been exhausting and has involved:
-Becoming an adopted daughter for a less active ( starting to teach her the lessons again... and getting fed really well!)
-DEEEEEPP DEEEEP Cleaning for a less active in her home.
-Teaching English to 2 women from afganistan (one of them had her baby! SOOO CUTE! This family should be mormons)
-Talking about baptism with a woman who has been investigating for YEARS (She is SOOO CLOSE!)
-Teaching the non member child of an amazing woman in our ward... He is 18 years old.. and he is so amazing!! (More details to come when I have time)
-Being able to spend a day doing all we could to help an almost homeless family not get homeless... (WOW that was amazing... Matt19:26)
-Having 7 investigators at church with us this sunday (TOTAL MIRACLE... WOW)
-Setting 2 baptismal dates on a first visit with a mother and a daughter who have been TOTALLY prepared!
Miracles happen when you are:
-Engaged in the work
-Excited about the work
and
-Exactly Obedient
I love this gospel. SO much.
I love my life.
the church is true.
I am sorry that this email is short. today (even though it is P day) is going to be a CRAZY one!
Keep doing the LITTLE things... They make a BIG difference!
Be grateful for ALL that you have, because all around you there are people who have less than you have!
ALWAYS help other people... you never know when YOU will be the person who needs help.
Helping hands brings happy faces.
"If we're not giving, we're not living..."
"God never expects more from you than you can give... when your strength is gone, he'll give you some of his..."
One of the greatest lessons I have learned here on the mission is to LOVE others unconditionally. They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
I love you all!!
Keep writing, it brightens every day!
Love, Sister Tittle
Monday, August 13, 2012
Get PUMPED.
As a missionary, I have had the opportunity to help others to improve
the quality of their lives. What a marvelous experience this has been.
Our message is centered on Jesus Christ... and because of that, the
things we teach will help improve others as the people keep their
commitments and strive to be more like the savior! How GREAT is my
calling!
Sister Withers and I were asked this week in Zone meeting to teach about how to get PUMPED about missionary work.
We like Acronyms so this is just a tiny sliver of what we taught:
Prayer - Start EVERYTHING with a prayer!
Unity - One with Heavenly Father, One with the Spirit, and One with your companion!
Motivation - When one is falling, lift the other one up! Keep the energy flowing!
Purpose - "My missionary purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them to receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the end..." The missionary purpose should encompass everything We do here.
Well I love you LOTS!! Keep the prayers and the Letters coming! Its always SO fun to hear from people and to see pictures!
Choose the Right!
Sister Tittle
Sister Withers and I were asked this week in Zone meeting to teach about how to get PUMPED about missionary work.
We like Acronyms so this is just a tiny sliver of what we taught:
Prayer - Start EVERYTHING with a prayer!
Unity - One with Heavenly Father, One with the Spirit, and One with your companion!
Motivation - When one is falling, lift the other one up! Keep the energy flowing!
Purpose - "My missionary purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them to receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the end..." The missionary purpose should encompass everything We do here.
Well I love you LOTS!! Keep the prayers and the Letters coming! Its always SO fun to hear from people and to see pictures!
Choose the Right!
Sister Tittle
"Here we GO, Here we GO!"
"Here we GO, Here we GO!" - A Frequent Sister Tittle Quote
Another P Day is here... This week the days were long but the week flew by! Man alive, I can't believe I have been here almost 2 transfers!
It is always so hard to know what to update on here because SO MUCH happens every week!.. So much happens every DAY!
This week we had a Less Active Member/Investigator(her child) with kind of an emergency situation. The weather was over 100 degrees today and the AC went out in their Apartment. When sister withers and I got there it was a SAUNA in the house. In a matter of minutes, Withers and I had rounded up SEVERAL box fans and were able to create an airflow in their house. It was a miracle. The family was concerned for the children because of how hot it was... There was no way anyone would be able to sleep in that heat. So Withers and I went to work and set up camp for them in the living room. by the time we left the temperature was 10x better and the kids had calmed down. Straight up and down Inspiration from the spirit! WooHoo!
Sister Withers and I love our people here! He have so many "Squirrely People..." Its soo awesome. haha OHHHH the stories I have.
One lady told us the funniest story about how an elder she knew got "Pooped on... 8 times... in ONE day!..." By Birds. haha (We could not contain our laughter... maybe you had to be there!)
There are also a lot of Punjabi people here... they wear turbans, its super cool. haha They make up like half the population of the people here in Yuba, I swear! haha
Another P Day is here... This week the days were long but the week flew by! Man alive, I can't believe I have been here almost 2 transfers!
It is always so hard to know what to update on here because SO MUCH happens every week!.. So much happens every DAY!
This week we had a Less Active Member/Investigator(her child) with kind of an emergency situation. The weather was over 100 degrees today and the AC went out in their Apartment. When sister withers and I got there it was a SAUNA in the house. In a matter of minutes, Withers and I had rounded up SEVERAL box fans and were able to create an airflow in their house. It was a miracle. The family was concerned for the children because of how hot it was... There was no way anyone would be able to sleep in that heat. So Withers and I went to work and set up camp for them in the living room. by the time we left the temperature was 10x better and the kids had calmed down. Straight up and down Inspiration from the spirit! WooHoo!
Sister Withers and I love our people here! He have so many "Squirrely People..." Its soo awesome. haha OHHHH the stories I have.
One lady told us the funniest story about how an elder she knew got "Pooped on... 8 times... in ONE day!..." By Birds. haha (We could not contain our laughter... maybe you had to be there!)
There are also a lot of Punjabi people here... they wear turbans, its super cool. haha They make up like half the population of the people here in Yuba, I swear! haha
1st transfer DOWN!
July 30th, 2012
Well, it's official. 1st transfer DOWN!! We got our transfer call
and Sis. Withers and I are changing Districts but we are still in the
same area (not really a surprise because I have 6 more weeks of
training) - It is funny though because the district we have been in was
the "Spanish District." Because they were spanish, their areas were
pretty big, and we hardly saw them (They didn't even meet for church at
our same building) But now that things have been changed a little bit...
We are in a district with 4 elders that we have spent a lot of time
with. It will be fun, we all have become pretty good friends and are
excited to get each other pumped about the work.
I got my hair cut today... just a trim but it was so
weird getting my hair cut by someone other than mom. It turned out
really well though. She is in beauty school right now and she gave us
free cuts... pretty awesome!!
Well, we are on the computers at a members house so I really have to go, but I love you so much!!
Love Sister Tittle
Update
Tony (The man who got baptized July 1 had to quit smoking as well... he
bore a simple but powerful testimony yesterday in church as he said that
since he has been baptized, he has no more cravings to smoke..."I still
keep a pocket full of candies though," he said with a big grin. I love
this work. It is hard but it is worth it!!
There is a part in the Joseph Smith movie that gets be every time. Its at the part where the people are building the temple and Joseph says..."We're not just building a temple here... God is building us..." WOW... There is not a line that could describe how I feel more. I am not just trying to build other people here... As I do it.. Heavenly Father is truly building me. I am grateful for all the sacrifices my loved ones are making at home to make it possible for me to be here. I know that they will be blessed for their sacrifice. I love the gospel. I love seeing the happiness and peace it brings people. Missionary work is not about forcing people to believe in what you believe and do what you do. It is about loving others and teaching truth by the spirit. Only THEN will others have the desire to change.
I love you all and hope that you are continuing to build your testimonies every day. We are so blessed for all that we have. The Gospel, a nice home, air conditioning, loving families, solid friends, opportunities for education, the knowledge that families can be together forever. We are truly a blessed people. Remember that every day! :)
I love this work and am grateful to be serving here in Yuba City! They truly are "My People's" here!
With love,
Sister Sydney Tittle
There is a part in the Joseph Smith movie that gets be every time. Its at the part where the people are building the temple and Joseph says..."We're not just building a temple here... God is building us..." WOW... There is not a line that could describe how I feel more. I am not just trying to build other people here... As I do it.. Heavenly Father is truly building me. I am grateful for all the sacrifices my loved ones are making at home to make it possible for me to be here. I know that they will be blessed for their sacrifice. I love the gospel. I love seeing the happiness and peace it brings people. Missionary work is not about forcing people to believe in what you believe and do what you do. It is about loving others and teaching truth by the spirit. Only THEN will others have the desire to change.
I love you all and hope that you are continuing to build your testimonies every day. We are so blessed for all that we have. The Gospel, a nice home, air conditioning, loving families, solid friends, opportunities for education, the knowledge that families can be together forever. We are truly a blessed people. Remember that every day! :)
I love this work and am grateful to be serving here in Yuba City! They truly are "My People's" here!
With love,
Sister Sydney Tittle
"Getting Real... With Zeal!"
July 23rd, 2012
Monday night we did a family night with a family who has a few less actives. It was amazing. The spirit was so strong and I truly learned the importance of "Teaching People, not lessons." Before sister withers and I left, Dylan (the 18 year old boy who has been inactive since age 15) told us that this was the first missionary lesson that actually meant something to him. He said that we were "Real" and listened to what he had to say. From that day on, sister withers and I decided to never go back! To always make sure that we are "Getting Real... With Zeal!" That is the motto for our day to day work here! What a valuable lesson for me to learn so early in my service as a missionary.
Wednesday we did the "Search and Rescue" for our ward... that is going pretty well... but I am working on getting creative as I think of ideas on how we can "Re-Vamp" and "Build" this great program!
We have a Potential Investigator who is BIG on family history work. It is amazing how some people come to find interest in the gospel. For steph... she had a great experience in the Family History Library in SLC and is now getting interested in the church. The Lord works in mysterious ways ;)
On Wednesday we ran into Mark Williams (our former Inv. who moved into the Sutter Buttes area) - What a miracle that was. Sister Withers and I were trying to follow the spirit on how to best use our time and decided to say a prayer that we might be guided to know what street to tract. Well, once again... sometimes the Lord works in mysterious ways... because we both had specific names come to our mind on who we should visit instead. We decided to turn around and go visit Rick.... And there ended up running into Mark. We talked to him about quitting smoking, and he gave us half of the cigarettes he had in his pack. We wrote all over the pack of Cigarettes (Scriptures, words of wisdom, notes of encouragement, etc.) And he committed to us to never smoke again after he finished that "Last Pack," as we called it. Mark was at church again yesterday and only has 1 cigarettes left. That man is incredible he is accomplishing AMAZING things in his life as he follows the gospel. First he quit drinking and now he has quit smoking. Miracles can happen, Sister W and I are seeing that every day here! God is great and his work will ALWAYS keep moving forward.
Monday night we did a family night with a family who has a few less actives. It was amazing. The spirit was so strong and I truly learned the importance of "Teaching People, not lessons." Before sister withers and I left, Dylan (the 18 year old boy who has been inactive since age 15) told us that this was the first missionary lesson that actually meant something to him. He said that we were "Real" and listened to what he had to say. From that day on, sister withers and I decided to never go back! To always make sure that we are "Getting Real... With Zeal!" That is the motto for our day to day work here! What a valuable lesson for me to learn so early in my service as a missionary.
Wednesday we did the "Search and Rescue" for our ward... that is going pretty well... but I am working on getting creative as I think of ideas on how we can "Re-Vamp" and "Build" this great program!
We have a Potential Investigator who is BIG on family history work. It is amazing how some people come to find interest in the gospel. For steph... she had a great experience in the Family History Library in SLC and is now getting interested in the church. The Lord works in mysterious ways ;)
On Wednesday we ran into Mark Williams (our former Inv. who moved into the Sutter Buttes area) - What a miracle that was. Sister Withers and I were trying to follow the spirit on how to best use our time and decided to say a prayer that we might be guided to know what street to tract. Well, once again... sometimes the Lord works in mysterious ways... because we both had specific names come to our mind on who we should visit instead. We decided to turn around and go visit Rick.... And there ended up running into Mark. We talked to him about quitting smoking, and he gave us half of the cigarettes he had in his pack. We wrote all over the pack of Cigarettes (Scriptures, words of wisdom, notes of encouragement, etc.) And he committed to us to never smoke again after he finished that "Last Pack," as we called it. Mark was at church again yesterday and only has 1 cigarettes left. That man is incredible he is accomplishing AMAZING things in his life as he follows the gospel. First he quit drinking and now he has quit smoking. Miracles can happen, Sister W and I are seeing that every day here! God is great and his work will ALWAYS keep moving forward.
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