Half Way Mark! (For the MTC)

Dear Krom Kruassa haoy Mitpeak! (family and friends)

I can't believe that another week has come and gone. It feels like just yesterday that I was sitting down to email! This morning one of the districts from our zone left to go out to the field! Not just the exercise field by the temple... the ACTUAL mission field in Hong Kong! The sisters in that zone really helped me transition into MTC life and I am going to miss them so much! They are all going to be amazing missionaries. It is crazy because you come to the MTC missing family back home and then you make all these awesome new friends and have to say goodbye all over again! It was a little emotional, but we are happy for them. 

Last Monday night, after P-day, Sister Uresk and I had to teach our investigator Bang Ny. Usually after not speaking Cambodian on Sunday and P-day, we struggle teaching, but the lesson was actually amazing. We taught him about the restoration (because we failed to teach it well in previous lessons). We asked him if he believed that Joseph really saw God and Jesus Christ. He told us he would believe anything we said. This made me so sad because it meant that we had failed to help him recognize the spirit. We taught him more about how to recognize the spirit and invited him to pray about it and he said that he would. We also taught him later on in the week about The Plan of Salvation. Both he and our other investigator (Look Puu Trii) had the same concern. They said that they have been praying every day and bad things are still happening to them. They dont have money or food for their families and the don't understand why good things happen to bad people and vice versa. This question is hard to answer in English let alone CAMBODIAN. My companion and I struggled for a little, but eventually, through the spirit, were able to help them understand that we all have to face bad things in life because God wants us to grow. We taught them that it is in their trials that they will come to grow closer to God.On Saturday night I read the verse about how God will ease our burdens and I am excited to share that verse with them this week when we teach. So, we already have a baptismal date with Bang Ny (this SATURDAY!) and in our lesson with Look Puu Trii we set a date with him as well! We weren't planning on doing it but the perfect moment came up and I just went ahead and asked. It was bold, but he said that we would work towards it! We are so excited for him. 

Another highlight of the week was when Elder Cook and his wife came and spoke on Tuesday night at our devotional! I don't have my notes with me... but one thing I remember them saying was that "Our missions started the moment we got set apart." We are legit missionaries even in the MTC! It is easy to forget that when you are surrounded by youth your age and go to class 12 hours a day... but we really are missionaries! Sunday nightdevotional we had Sheri Dew come and speak to us. It was amazing!!! She spoke about the grace of God and how a lot of people don't even know what it is and how they can access it. She taught us that grace is divine power from God and everything in the gospel flows from it. I really wish I had more of my notes so I could expound on that... but basically I just realized that I want to study about grace this week. 

Sorry this email isn't super informative! The weeks are starting to blend and fly by! I did have one funny/non spiritual experience this week though that I think you all might get a good laugh at. We (my district) were all sitting around at about 9:25 pm getting ready to pray and go back to our residence and my thumb got stuck in between two bars in the bottom of my chair!!! I don't even really know how it happened but I informed the district and they all gathered around me trying to help me get it out. We were all laughing because it was so random and weird! My thumb started swelling up and it was getting pretty painful so we decided to go ahead and say our nightly prayer and pray that we could get it out. It definitely was not our most reverant prayer because I was praying for my thumb... but it worked!! After we said the prayer, someone thought of a way to get it out. It was a good bonding moment for our district. 

Thank you for all of your love and support! I have received many packages/letters/emails from friends and family and I feel SO loved. Thank you all. 

Love,

Sister Lindley

Sis Lindley with her companion (on the left) and the two Cantoneese sisters (on the right).

Sister Lindley and a Sister from Australia.

Sister Lindley & her companion 

I Know My Purpose

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been awesome! I have felt the Lord's love for me every single day and have a renewed desire to serve him with ALL of my heart, might, mind, and strength. Last Tuesday morning started out rough as I tried to catch a fly ball while my district was playing kickball and ended up getting ball-burn on my chin... It was actually really funny and we all had a good laugh. That day in class we discussed some of the struggles that the people face in Cambodia on a daily basis. Our teacher taught us that when we ask our investigators "How they are feeling", that question translates differently in their minds than it does in ours. They think about the fact that they might not be able to have food on the table (well actually floor) for their family that night. They think about the fact that their children cant go to school because they can't afford it, or they are going to school and it is corrupt. They think about the fact that if they get sick, not only will they not be able to work, but the chances of full recovery are close to none because of their poor health care. They think about how their economy is the third worst in the world. You can't simply ask a Cambodian how they feel because they feel far more than we have ever felt in a single moment. We learned that our questions need to be more specific. We need to ask them questions like, "How do you feel knowing that Savior Jesus Christ has felt the exact same way you do? How do you feel knowing someone loved you enough that He died for you?". Needless to say, I learned a TON about how to ask thought provoking questions. 

On Wednesday, my district was able to act as hosts for the incoming missionaries. There were about 300 new missionaries so we were all very busy!!! One of my best friends, Sister Francis came in, and it has been a tender mercy to have a little piece of home here at the MTC with me. In class we discussed the difference between being a light-hearted missionary and a light-minded missionary. Honestly, I didn't really know the difference and I thought both were bad, but I learned that being a light-hearted missionary is understanding our purpose and taking this work seriously. We need to love the people we serve and not be inappropriate or joke about salvation. Salvation is serious business!

Anyway, we had some really awesome lessons throughout the week but the highlight was Sunday night. We have the opportunity to see a "film" at about8 PM every Sunday night. They usually give us four options, and this week our district decided to all go see a devotional given by Jeffrey R. Holland in the MTC on Thanksgiving day in 2012 (I think). It was life changing. The devotional started out with a few of his grandkids (the Mccans- they went to Orem High) giving testimonies and musical numbers. After that, his wife, Patricia Holland shared a powerful testimony on the Book of Mormon. She told us that we need to have a testimony of the Book of Mormon so deep within us that we can't even stand not telling every person we see about it. It was powerful and I committed myself to reading the Book of Mormon every day for the rest of my life in that moment. I challenge each of you to do the same!! I know that blessings will come the moment we open the book!

Elder Holland spoke about the things he is grateful for, and that we too should be grateful for. He spoke about being grateful that we are born in this last dispensation, when we know that we will succeed. He spoke about prophets in previous dispensations that KNEW their dispensation would end in apostasy yet they STILL gave everything to serving the Lord and his children. He talked about how he has often asked himself, "Why am I so lucky to be born in the covenant? Why am I in this chosen generation? Why do I have so much?" I have often asked myself these questions as well! While he was speaking I felt so much love from the Lord and I knew my purpose. I felt inspired to write down why I am serving a mission in that moment, so I would like to share that with you all as well.

"I am serving a mission because I have been given so much. I was born in the covenant and with that blessing comes great responsibility. My responsibility is to remind my  fellow brothers and sisters, children of God, of the truth that is at the very core of their beings. This mission is as real as my life will ever get. I won't serve for 18 months and then go back to "real life". This is my life. These next 18 months, if I am 100% dedicated, I will literally be saving souls 24/7. The Lord is constantly saving souls and we need to be 100% committed. Some of my dearest friends have been kept from the truth and it isn't fair but because I DO know, it is my job to share. Missionary work is so vital because EVERY person need to have this knowledge. Every person deserves a chance to have their soul saved- because that is what Christ would do if he himself were here. We owe this to those that don't know the truth, to the past prophets, and to the Savior, Jesus Christ. The prophets knew that their dispensations would end in apostasy yet they still gave everything- they literally sacrificed everything- to save souls. We know that our dispensation will not end in apostasy so we should be all the more engaged because the Savior could come at any moment and I want to be prepared and I want everyone I love to be prepared as well. We need to be those that step up and hasten the work. We say the work of salvation is hastening but are each of us individually contributing to that? I need to wake up every single day and ask myself that question- What can I do today, to hasten the Lord's work? He is coming and I will be ready."

Love,
Sister Haley Lindley

P.S. We set a baptismal date with one of our investigators this week! WOO! June 21st!

Week 3: MTC

Hello Krom Kruassa haoy Mitpeak! (family and friends)

Another week has come and gone and it is crazy that I only have 6 and a half weeks left here. I know that sounds like a long time, but for how much I still have to learn... I need all the time I can get! :) On Tuesday night, Elder and Sister Nelson came and spoke to us! Sister Nelson talked about how we all need to be desperate! We usually think of desperation as a bad thing... but it is actually when we are desperate that things change. It is only when we are desperate that we will find out exactly what the Lord wants us to do and find those that are desperate to hear His word. Elder Nelson spoke to us about how we, as missionaries are established the Lord's church. He said that we do that through the doctrine of Christ (2 Ne 31). We have read that chapter at least 10 times since I have been here. It truly is exactly what our purpose is all about. Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Holy Ghost, and Suu Troam (Enduring to the End). I really liked how he said that we need to Endure to the Endowment. Missionary works is all about helping families be together forever. I am so grateful that I get to be with my family forever. Being away from the family has made me love you all more than I knew possible! (Even you Brady! Write me!!)

Sister Uresk and I thought an awesome lesson on Saturday morning. We had planned to teach about the Atonement and Sacrament, but everything changed when we went into it. Bang Ny (our investigator) hadn't been praying because he felt like his prayers would be too short and God didn't want to hear from him. I explained (in broken Cambodian), that the Lord loved all of us, and just wanted to hear from us, no matter how short or long our prayers were. We reminded him how to pray and then invited him to pray. His prayer was the most beautiful prayer I had ever heard. He started off by saying "Dear God, It's me, Bang Ny". My comp and I started tearing up because this was his first time ever talking to God (well not really because he is our teacher, but as his character...it was the first time). Going to a buddhist nation will be so awesome because we will get to hear so many people pray to God for the first time ever! I cant wait to help people make that connection with their Heavenly Father that loves them SO much! 

Because this week was fast Sunday, we had a mission conference and heard from the MTC presidency and their wives. Sister Hacking gave an awesome talk on work and said that the privelege to work is a gift, the power to work is a blessing, and the love of work is success. As we come to love work, we will be blessed with feelings of empowerment and confidence. Everything we do in life is considered work, and it is up to us to complain or enjoy it. For the happiest, fulfilled life, we need to work. President Hacking gave a doctrinally deep talk on Oaths. He talked about the many examples from the Book of Mormon and Bible where people are true to their word/covenants. At the end of his talk, he made reference to our missionary acceptance letters and talked about the promise we made when we signed that paper and sent it back to Church Headquaters. If we want to be true to our word, we need to follow through with that promise. Sister Nally spoke next and gave a remarkable talk. It was a big moment for me, because it changed my perspective on my entire life/mission. She talked about a small mountain near her home, called Mt. Mahogany. It completely blocks her view of Mt. Timpanogos. She related Mt. Mahogany (the small mountain) to things that obstruct our view of the bigger picture. On a mission, those Mt. Mahogany's could be homesickness, discouragement, sleeping in, a bad attitude, etc. When we take a step back, or change our perspective, we can focus on the beautiful view of Mt. Timpanogos and remember why we are here. I didn't explain that very well, but it was a powerful talk and I loved it a lot! I actually am emailing down in the laundry room right now and Pres. Nally just walked through and visited with me. I am going up to their office later today to visit with them. They are so sweet. Yesterday, President Nally spoke about how people will turn to God when things get hard, and how we need to be there when they are prepared and ready to hear the Gospel. 

The MTC can be hard, but with an amazing companion and awesome district, I know that the Lord is watching over me and helping me. I have felt so many spirits beyond the veil helping me through this experience. On one occassion I felt Grandpa Lindley and Collin's spirits sitting beside me and encouraging me on a rough day. The MTC truly is a dedicated campus and I am grateful for the opportunity I have to be serving a mission for the Lord. I miss you all so much, but I know this is where I need to be. I cant wait to see Hannah this wednesday!!!!! My district is "hosting" the new missionaries this week, so I am SUPER excited. I am also excited to see Sister Horton and Sister Herrmann too! Sister Herrmann went to Orem high and will be in my zone and on my floor! 

Anyway, more next week!

Sralan (love), Sister Lindley