6/22-6/28

Hey, hey!

This week was interesting to say the least! 

Tuesday-- We did some service for the Linus Project, cutting and tying fleece blankets! 

It seemed like no one was home or interested if they were, so we prayed real hard to find someone to teach, and we knocked on Frank Taylor's door! He is a super nice man and talked to us for an hour! :) He was in the military and when he was stationed in Utah, some missionaries would visit him every Wednesday evening and teach him! So we asked if we could come back and teach him like those missionaries did and he said yeah! So hopefully that goes well. We have an appointment tomorrow with him. So wish us luck!

Wednesday-- We went to the temple!!! :) Sister McMurtrey took us and it was the best, best, BEST EVER! :) I just love the temple so much. It brought so much peace and comfort into my mind. I have been feeling very inadequate and frustrated with myself, because I always am making mistakes and coming up short on things. The impressions that I felt most while attending the temple, were that our Savior chose to come here so that we can be redeemed of everything that besets us in this life. My gratitude and appreciation for Jesus Christ, my Savior, grew so much and I'm so grateful I was able to learn the things I did. Also I just love Sister McMurtrey, that woman is amazing. She just makes you so happy whenever you are around her. So having her right next to me in the temple, brought me lots of joy. :) I hope I can be like her when I grow up.

That night we taught the Todd's about the Restoration and Joseph Smith. Someone in church last week gave a talk about Carthage Jail and Nauvoo, Illinois and the early saints, because they just returned from serving a mission there! So Alex Todd was really curious to learn more about that, so that is why we decided to have a lesson on those things. Anyhow, it went well! They are doing great, we are just trying to help them have a desire to have an eternal family by getting baptized and going to the temple. :) 

Thursday-- We taught Earlene! She is in her 50's, I think, and she is super sweet. We reviewed a little bit about the Restoration of the gospel with her and then dove right into the Book of Mormon! We went over the Introduction and she had some great questions. Then we read out of 3 Nephi 11 with her about Christ coming to visit the people in the Book of Mormon after his Resurrection in Jerusalem! I love that account so much. It gives so much detail and helps you feel like you could be there!

Brenden said he was reading the Book of Mormon and had some questions so we went over and read 1 Nephi 1 with him and it went so well! He is such a good kid. Hopefully he can come to church soon.

Friday-- We had exchanges and I went with Sister Shaw! But before we went, the sisters asked us if we could help them clean their entire apartment because they are moving out of it today and needed some extra help to get it done in time! It was fun cleaning with them haha. Sister Shaw is the cutest and doing really well. We were able to find a new investigator together! Her name was Iquo (ee-quaw) and she is 18, but she just left on vacation for a month and then is off to college after that.. story of our lives! EVERYONE IS GOING ON VACATION. But nonetheless, Iquo has a Book of Mormon, which she said she would read, and our number and we have been texting her to help her with her questions! 

We found this mug in the sisters apt? hahaha sisterrrrs?

Saturday & Sunday-- Talked to a crazy guy named Larry.. not too much success. We had dinner with the Bliss family! And their neighbors who we have been trying to get a hold of to teach came too! It was awesome! We taught the restoration and it went well. They weren't too committed to meeting with us again.. which was a giant bummer. But it was a miracle to even have that lesson with them! :)

Well, I love you all! 

Thank you for everyone's letters this week, they really helped me out and came at the time I needed them!

Love you so much!

Love,

Sister Loar

xoxo

  I found this toilet paper in this rad bathroom of a member's home. love it. hahahaha :)

6/15-6/21

Hey hey! Hope everyone had a great week!

Monday-- We stopped by the Herrings, to teach a lesson but none of the step kids were home, so we just talked to Tom and his wife! They are great haha! His voice is so loud so he was basically just talking over his wife the whole time, I was dying haha. He ended up showing us a sweet gun that a guy gave him! It's pretty intense.. I think its like a 44 mag or like 50 something or other. People from Cali get mad at me, because I am from Idaho and I don't own a gun and I know nothing about them.

Tuesday-- We taught the Restoration to Earlene! She is in her 60's I think and is just the nicest lady! She totally understood the Restoration and the spirit was so strong! We have an appointment with her this coming week, so we are hoping things continue to go well!

We ate dinner at Leanne and Robert's! They let us make dinner, so we made some BOMB grilled cheese sandwiches and salad and she made some amazing dessert. Pretty sure I gained major poundage after that, but it was definitely worth it haha! We also had an awesome discussion and were able to watch some Bible videos and others to answer their questions. I love love love talking about this amazing gospel. :)

Leanne put Buddy in the car :) hahaha - probably not allowed, but it was fun while it lasted!

Wednesday-- We went to Delano (near McFarland) for some mini-exchanges for a couple of hours to help them out in their area! We met some interesting people, so it was fun.

Thursday--We had a lesson with the Todd's and the Williams came too. It was on the Word of Wisdom and it went really well! They are such an awesome little family and they are expecting a baby in October so they are pretty excited about that! It's their first!

Friday-- We went on exchanges with the Laurelglen sisters! I went with Sister Cashin again and it was really fun! We went to go contact a potential named Christian, and ended up teaching the Restoration to his little brother who answered. Andy's 14 and wanted to know if what we said was true! We asked him if he would read and pray and he said yes! We also invited him to be baptized if he were to find out if it was true and he said yes! We asked him why, and he said, "because I love Jesus!" Haha love it. Super stoked to hopefully teach him and the rest of his family!

We tried to use this lost dog to find new people to teach.. it didn't work out as planned. But it was worth a shot!

Saturday-- We had a lesson with Ernie.. we are hopefully going to schedule a baptismal interview with him for this week. He is ready, and knows everything, but is just a little bit old and confused about some things still. So we will see where it goes. It has been a struggle with him lately.

We were walking down the street and met this lady named Yvonne! She is super nice! She was painting some old furniture in her garage and we just started talking to her and she ended up having friends that were Mormons. She asked us a few questions, but we just talked to her for a while and it was a really great contact. We didn't get to teach her anything, but hopefully the next time we go by, she will be ready! :)

We had planned to go see this lady named Stacey, and when we went to go talk to her, her son and her cousin were outside working on a car and she wasn't home. The cousin's name is Tony and he started asking us a bunch of questions! During the twenty minute conversation, he told us that he just got out of jail and he was going into a rehab program in a few days for his alcohol addiction. We just had a really good discussion with him about the gospel and how faith in Christ really helps us.We gave him a mormon.org card and gave him some mormon messages to look up about the Hope of God's Light and about the Atonement and how God wants to forgive us! He said he would definitely check them out and he said that he doesn't think it's just a coincidence that he keeps running into Mormon missionaries lately. :) God has His hand in EVERYTHING.

Hopefully he calls our number when he gets out of rehab, or hopefully Heavenly Father guides other missionaries to him when he gets out! :)

That night a couple sitting in chairs on their front lawn with a cat climbing all over them talked to us for EVER about Wurlitzer organs.. it was pretty interesting. They really liked Mormon Tabernacle Choir! Some day they will be ready. They were really nice, just not ready to act on anything right now.

Sunday-- Church was great! We taught the kids in Primary about the Holy Ghost and stories of the people in the Book of Mormon being guided and directed by the Holy Ghost. During the opening part of Primary they did a spotlight on one of the kids. His name was Joel and he is 5. After talking about some of his favorite things, they asked why his favorite animal was a pig. He simply explained that he liked pigs, because they make bacon. :) hahahaha YES!

We had Father's day dinner at the Krauss's! They had some family in town and they already have a big family, so it was super fun being there with all of them! Made me feel like I was at home again. We taught the Restoration to them, and it was really brief, but the spirit was so strong. I love preaching this beautiful gospel. :)

That night we went to go contact Bill, but his daughter answered the door and we ended up teaching her the Restoration! She is so awesome! Her name is Hannah and she is almost 16. She is really nice, and super into FFA stuff! She said she would be baptized if she found out this is true! So great! We have a lesson with her on Tuesday! 

Such good things are happening! I'm so grateful to be serving a mission and to be serving in Bakersfield... even though I feel like I will melt everyday of my life, it has been such a good experience. I love serving the Lord and I am so happy to do this work! 

The steering wheel is soooo hot always haha!!!!   So this is how we drive sometimes!!!!

They changed the rules on when we get to go to the temple. The whole mission gets to go twice a year now, in June and in December. So we get to go this Wednesday!!! :) I'm so so so so excited. I haven't been to the temple for 7 months, so happy to be going again!

Also it is my year mark this week... say WHAT?!

I can't believe I've been gone for a year!

Well, I hope you all have a blessed week!

Love you so very much!!

Miss you all!

Love,

Sister Loar!

6/8-6/14

Hello hello!

Monday-- We went on an 18 mile bike ride with Sister Himle, Sister Christensen and the Brimhall sisters! :) It was super fun! We also got to take the new sisters coming into the mission tracting for their first time ever! My first time, I went out with Sister Hirschi and her companion Sister Lords, so it was a sentimental moment haha. We had an awesome day and taught the Restoration to a guy going to get his mail! Not sure if he wanted to stop and talk that long, but he listened! :)

Tuesday-- I sang with Sister Dodson, Sister Barney, Sister Hansen, Elder Marrott and Elder E. ( I can't remember his name..) at transfer meeting! We sang "For the Beauty of the Earth" and it was so much fun! It turned out so good and it was just a blast! :)

We visited Leann Wohl, someone who the Elder's before would visit and teach and we had the best talk with her! She is awesome!! Love that woman so much. We talked about some mormon messages and the Gospel Library app and I think she really liked it! :) We are going back to her house for dinner this week. She is the best.

We picked up Hermana Usher from the mission home and she spent the night and all day on Wednesday with us! Her flight home was a day later than everyone else's so we took her under our wing. :)

Wednesday-- Was such a good day! We talked to Kelsey a couple of weeks ago and just checked back and we were able to teach her the Plan of Salvation and she said if she knew it was all true she would be baptized! She doesn't really have a religious background, but she was totally willing to learn! Woohoo! :)

That night we had the best lesson with the Todd's! We taught the Ten Commandments and it was such a good and spiritual lesson! They are doing so great and are willing to keep all the commandments, especially the Sabbath Day! 

Thursday-- We ate lunch at Soleil and Travis'! (the family we met at the BBQ a week back) It was great! They have a lot of mormon friends, so we are hoping their family will want to come to church and stuff soon!

We decided to go visit Sister Noall, since we didn't get to it the day before and it was definitely the Lord's timing when we stopped by! We showed up and she was telling us how her washer just had a leak and there was SO much water in the laundry room. ALSO this woman is super pregnant!!! Like super prego! She is due in a couple of weeks! So she was so grateful we followed the spirit and showed up when we did. We helped her clean up and then made a quick dinner for her kids. It was so fun serving her in that way! 

That night we had dinner at Bonita Nelson's with her neighbors and the Reeber's! It was awesome. We shared a message afterwards and are hoping to contact her neighbors again soon. Such good people!:)

Friday we brushed wigs at the American Cancer Society for service, so that was interesting. Haha :) Then we had an awesome lesson with Brenden! We taught him like my first week in this area. He's sixteen and he just GETS IT! We taught the Plan of Salvation and he totally understood it! He is super busy with work and it's summer so we struggle getting a hold of him. Miracle we were able to have a lesson with him! Andrew White from the ward came with us, he is also 16 and it was just perfect! We stood outside for 45 minutes.. dripping sweat because it was so bloody hot outside! But it was so worth it and I loved every second of it!

Sunday-- We met Erica and Brooklyn (a family the sisters taught before) and it was such a good visit! We shared a message and said a prayer and the spirit was definitely there. They felt it! They are such a great family and said we could come back, so I will keep you posted on their progress!

Well, that wasn't even everything that happened this week! But I'm out of time.

I think I'm starting to get a hang of this STL business... still always a struggle. But if it wasn't a struggle, I wouldn't be learning or growing. So definitely a learning experience. I'm trying my best and trusting that the Lord will do the rest. 

Love you all so much!

Thanks for all the love and support!

Love,

Sister Loar

xoxo

6/1-6/7

Hey hey!

I'm so out of time for this week... so it'll be a lame email sorry about it!

Monday-- We played tennis with Sister Himle! She's the best! And also she took us on a ride in the Brat! 

We had a good lesson at the Lahoda's! A family in the ward, and some of the kids friends were there, so that was fun!

Tuesday-- We saved the Highland Manor Sisters from the car dealership and did a mini exchange in their area while they were out of a car for a day! We went to Fabulous burger for dinner and ate for free because it's owned by a less active member from LA! It was super delicious.

We dropped by a Rene, a potential and we have a lesson tonight with her!

Wednesday-- MLC! It was really good and we are helping set the standards for the mission! It's really exciting being a part of a mission that is so new! :) The sky is our limit!

Thursday-- Had dinner at the Antongiovanni's house, it was so fun! They are a part member family and we are hoping the husband, Beau starts taking the lessons soon after they get back from a long trip to Idaho!

Friday-- Some members invited some friends and part member families we are working with to a big BBQ and kickball night! It was super fun! Skirts will never hold me back from playing! ;)

Saturday-- We did a mini exchange with the Laurelglen sisters! It was great! Miracles happened and we were able to align a lesson with a lady in our ward's daughter, who is currently living in a women's home and just out of jail and so she is on probation and used to be on drugs, but now is turning her life around and she wants to come back to church and live a good life! It's amazing what power the Atonement can have in our lives. It changes people into the people God wants us to be.  We went and invited some people to church we are working with, with Sister Rodriguez! 

Sunday-- Church went well! Ernie, Jacob, and Claudia came! Claudia and Alex Todd have been coming to all three hours of church (they are a part member family we have been working with) and they are just loving it. They have really gained really great relationships with people in the ward and that is what is helping them out the most!

That night we went by the Herrings (we just got the dad, Tom's name on the ward list recently) and they have apperantly lived their for two years. I wasn't sure if I already told you about them, but they are awesome! We stopped by to give Jessica, his step daughter, some info on scouting for her two boys and she invited us in! They were watching the NBA finals game and they were freaking out because it was overtime, so after an awkward cheer session with them for like five minutes until the game was over we were able to talk to them and get to know them more! The people who were there were Randall, the step son and his girl friend, Taylor and Jessica all asked awesome questions! We were able to teach the restoration and the spirit was so strong! They said we could come back anytime so we are definitely going to do that!

Well I love you all!

Love,

Sister Loar

xoxo

 Also we found a petrified frog on the road... it was really hard and we tried to prank the elders but it didnt work.. next time.. next time.

 I got to ride a long board this week! holla holla 

 A member gave me this necklace! The nicest! 

5/25-5/31

This week was great! :)

Monday-- We had a fun P-day! We played this dice game with the Himle's and then helped prep for their Memorial day BBQ that evening and we had a Nerf war! Super fun! :) Love love love the Himle's.

 Sister Himle says:  We love our Idaho missionaries and potatoes!! 

 Nerf War

 Sister Dixon drew our District... yes I know I'm the fattest, thank you. hahaha

Tuesday-- We went on exchanges with the Brimhall Sisters! I was with Sister Dixon! She was with Sister Barney in Palmdale after I left, so she knew all of the people that I love in Palmdale! :) So awesome to hear the great things that are still happening over there. I had been praying super hard leading up to this last exchange of the transfer that we would be able to find some new people to teach, and voila! We got a new investigator! :) Her name is Leslie and she was on some pain meds, but she was great! She totally needs the gospel! WE talked to her and taught the Plan of Salvation and really focused on the resurrection and how we know she will be free from all of her physical pain and trials when she is resurrected one day. Sister Dixon is awesome and so good at teaching! It was super fun being on exchanges with her! Miracles happen and are so real! 

For dinner that night we ate at the Rodriguez's and when we walked in Sister Rodriguez said, "I hope you like pizza!" hahaha yayyyyyy pizza for the seventh time! Haha it ended up being such a good evening with them and their 13 year old son, Aaron reminded me soooo much of Mason! He was crackin' me up! :)

We then used the excuse of needing to use the Moyes' bathroom so we could talk to them for a little bit and that was good! We set it up so we can come back and teach them! :) Yay!

Then we went and stopped by Craig and Sandra's! They were so awesome! It was an awesome visit and so good to reconnect with them, after 10 years! Can you believe that?? Time flies!

Hopefully we will be able to stop by again soon, it was so great to see them!

Wednesday-- We taught the Restoration to this girl named Ashley on her doorstep... well it wasn't her doorstep, it was her cousins, and she was just visiting. So bummer deal we weren't able to continue to teach her because she was leaving for the summer! But it was an awesome lesson and she has some Mormon friends, so we are positive she will be alright. :)

We had a BBQ for dinner with the Hunter's poolside, in their neighborhood pool place! :) It was fun. Their kids are hilarious.

Thursday- Sunday--

Sister Porter came out with us to Leslie's for another lesson, but Leslie wasn't feeling up to it, so we ended up just stopping by at Sierra's! (the new investigator Sister Dodson and I found a couple weeks ago) and we ended up teaching her the Restoration again but using the Bible mostly because she had some major concerns with adding new beliefs in her life. It went really well! The spirit was there and she committed to baptism! June 27th is the date! She was supposed to come to Stake conference this weekend but she was asleep when we went with Sister McMurtrey to go pick her up.. so that was sad she didn't end up coming. I have faith though that she will come around!

We talked to this kid named Jack at his lemonade stand! He's a little old to be selling lemonade... but it's okay cause it was awesome! He's 14 and knows his bible! He was awesome. It was great talking with him and teaching him the Restoration. He took a pamphlet! so that's good! :)

We talked to a lot of people and there's lots of potential, we just need to start teaching them!

Welp, 

Love you all! 

Have an awesome week! :)

Love,

Sister Loar

xoxo

{1 Nephi 17:13}

The Lord is our light in the wilderness, we can look to him and find the way to the promised land.

We can help Him out and be the lower lights along the shore for the people searching for the path. 

Hymn #335

1. Brightly beams our Father's mercy
From his lighthouse evermore,
But to us he gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.

[Chorus]
Let the lower lights be burning;
Send a gleam across the wave.
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may save.

2. Dark the night of sin has settled;
Loud the angry billows roar.
Eager eyes are watching, longing,
For the lights along the shore.

3. Trim your feeble lamp, my brother;
Some poor sailor, tempest-tossed,
Trying now to make the harbor

PS:

Sister Himle took us to Panera and Yogurtland! :)

Elizabeth White in the ward (she is in choir with Aly Bryant!)