~Sister Elizabeth Runs Into Previous Sister Missionary (at Temple Square) Tina Pogue!!!

~Pictures of Sister Armstrong~

~December 26, 2011~

Hello Everyone!!!!!!

Feliz Navidad!!!!!! (I am learning Spanish from my companion). I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas filled with joy and peace. I feel so grateful to have this time to reflect on the Savior's birth and how each and every year since that day it continues to be the greatest gift we were ever given. There have been so many amazing miracles this week. So many wonderful people have been coming to Temple Square full of the spirit of giving.

Yesterday we met this wonderful Spanish family from El Salvador, now living in LA. They came and are not members of the Church but the Lord had truly prepared them. They came to the Christus with us and then we took them through our family presentation ( which is our favorite) and they just loved it. They felt the love of their Savior and wanted to feel that always. They want to meet with missionaries and have us call and teach them. I didn't think anything like this would happen on Christmas but I was definitely humbled.

What better day to find someone ready for the Gospel of Jesus Christ then on Christmas day. We also had the privilege to go caroling around Salt Lake last night. I can't think of anything better then serving the Lord and His children on Christmas day. We met some wonderful people. I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and that we will all continue to remember the birth, life, death, and Resurrection of our Savior throughout the rest of the year. I love you all and hope to hear from you soon.

Love,

Sister Armstrong

~December 19, 2011~

Hello Everyone!!! Well, today was my first transfer conference and it was so fun!!! I will be with my trainer for another transfer (as will all the other sisters that came with me). We will be in the same zone but with a different District Leader and different Zone Leader. Also our new assignment is Temple Group. Which means that when people come and want a tour of the Temple we take them and if family comes for a wedding and some are not members or can't go in we are there to explain what will happen and make them feel comfortable. How fun is that?! Anyway, we are also getting new sisters this week and I am so excited! I love serving here with so many wonderful sisters. This week has been very busy.

The closer it gets to Christmas the more people that come in the evening. It is really crazy the amount of people but so fun to meet so many wonderful people. The miracle I want to share this week is from someone that I have never met but that I had the opportunity to call. So about a month ago we had a RM sister come to the square and we challenged her to go through her planners and see if there are any lost or dropped investigators that we could call and give a second chance. So, she did and she gave me 18 names!!! That was a lot to me. Anyway I called a lady named Bonny this week. She is a 60 year old woman who lives by herself.

So, when I called and mentioned this sisters name she told me that she thinks of her everyday and has never forgotten the things that she was taught. Mind you it has been a year since Bonny has seen this sister. She was so thrilled that she was thought of that she agreed to meet with missionaries again and so they are coming over tonight! Also Bonny lives in Canada and I only sent the referral three days ago. So, for the missionaries to get it in two days, outside of the country is a miracle itself!!! I love this work and feel so blessed to be here serving the Lord. Please don't forget those who need you especially this season. I love you all and can't wait to hear from you!

Love,

Sister Armstrong

~December 11, 2011~

Hello Everyone!!

Well Christmas is in full swing here on Temple Square! There is not a minute to be wasted! We are constantly busy and constantly talking to someone and finding new people to call and share the gospel with.

The miracle I want to share this week is about two men. One named Terry and the other is a man from India and I cannot pronounce his name let alone spell it. They came to Temple Square because they had a business trip here and thought it would be fun to see before they left. Well, my companion and I walked past them and they asked if we were guides and I told him, no we are missionaries.

From that moment on they wanted to know all about the LDS faith. We took them to the Christus and then to the Old Testament paintings. We talked about the Book of Mormon and Prophets. They were both very taken back when we told them that there is a living Prophet today. Then we took them through a presentation called God's plan (which is our favorite) and was perfect for Terry because his mother just died a few months ago.

When we finished the presentation, they were both in tears and Terry said that he wants to learn more and the Indian man wanted a Book of Mormon. It was a very spiritual experience and they were both so prepared. They were so grateful for us but I feel as if we did nothing. All we did was share with them the things we know. We have an appt. with Terry on Wednesday.

I believe that it will be a really good one. Also, we have been really struggling with finding people to teach and just yesterday we found three new investigators. All in one day. And after weeks of committing people to go to church and them not going, two finally went.

I never thought I could be so happy because someone went to church but I have never felt happier. My companion and I were screaming for joy. It feels so good to wake up everyday knowing that I get to focus the whole day on teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone I meet. I can really say that this is the Lord's church and this is His work.

I love Temple Square and all of the sisters that I serve with. I hope you are all doing well and can't wait to hear from you. Have a good week and know that the Lord is always listening.

Love Always,

Sister Armstrong

~December 5, 2011~

Hello Everyone!!!

This has of course been another amazing week. The Christmas Season is in full swing here on the square. We are working 12-13 hour days because of the amount of people that are here. Thank goodness I worked for Disney so I can handle this.

We have met so many wonderful people this week. I think the one that really sticks out is Brother Arnold. He has been a member of the Church for eight years and he was here at Temple Square with his young men group. We were talking with him and found out that he grew up in UT with his family who was Greek Orthodox. So think my Big Fat Greek Wedding.

He, of course, married a Mormon and it wasn't until he realized that his children were growing spiritually more then he was that he decided to investigate the church. The missionaries taught him for 6 weeks and he was ready to be baptized but he wanted to wait until his son was 16 so his son could baptize him. so, the missionaries visited him three times a week for a year, until the day that his son received the proper priesthood authority and baptized his dad. That son is now on a mission.

But, Brother Arnold's family is still very Greek. By the end of the conversation, my companion and I had shared similar stories with him that had also happened to him with his family and him joining the church. When he realized that he wasn't alone he wanted to share his siblings with us. So, we will be calling is brother and sisters soon to share the gospel with them. It is so amazing to know that the things we go through are really to help others.

I know that this gospel is true. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that He will one day come to the earth again. I know that Heavenly Father lives and that He loves us all so much that He sent His son to atone for our sins so that we have the opportunity to live with them again.

During the month on December will you all read about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and then share it with someone who needs to know about or remember their Savior? Because I know that as you do your testimonies of the Savior will grow and you will be apart of the growth of someone else's testimony.

I promise you that as you share this gospel you will feel happier then you have ever felt because you are sharing the greatest gift in the world; and what a better time then now?! Well, I love you all and will write again next week. Thank you all for the examples you are. The Lord knows you and the efforts you make. Have a great week and if you have time please read Matthew 10 (especially verse 8). Hope to hear from all of you soon.

Love Always,

Sister Armstrong

~Friends Visiting SLC Temple Square at Thanksgiving~

Bowman's



Here is what Elizabeth emailed us that the sister missionaries from Temple Square did to celebrate Thanksgiving together... (We were so curious as the sisters do not have ward families to invite then over to have a homecooked dinner)

So, for Thanksgiving we worked on the square until 12:30 pm and then we got to change into our jeans and we all got on a bus and went to this place called Noah's here in Utah. Then they played Disney movies and had volleyball and Karaoke and dancing. Then at around 4:30 pm we had Thanksgiving dinner that was catered from this place called Apple Spice. It was so good.

This was the first year that they let us dance but this is President and Sister Holmes' last Thanksgiving so they wanted to make it fun. Also, it is really busy here now that the lights have come on.

I am pretty sure the first night there was at least 20,000 people on the square!!! The second night was even worse!!! The first night was this last Friday and Kinsey was here with her family. She is the one that you have only met once and she went on a mission to San Diego and I hung out with her 18 year old sister.

So, they looked for me for two hours and finally at the last minute before everything was closing they found me. It was so fun to see them. They took a picture so you might see it on Facebook soon. I am sure I look really horrible cause we had been going for a long time and so I was so tired. But, it is really weird that I am always so tired but am always so happy. Of course you know that I love the mass amounts of people that are here in the evening because I love people and it reminds me of working at Disney World.