~April 9, 2012~

Hello Everyone!

How are you all doing? I hope your week has been good! The work of the Lord is going strong! Well, I have a miracle to share with you that just happened last night. Well, I received a referral from a girl that came to general conference and she wanted us to call her friend. Well, last night I was calling many people but they weren't answering the phone or they were really not interested in learning more. So, he was the last call that I was going to make. He answered and we started talking and turns out that he has gone to church many times with his friend that referred him and he grew up Catholic. So, we had something in common, which helped a lot.

Well, when I invited him to learn more through missionaries HE SAID YES! I was so excited but of course did not express that until after I got off the phone. But, he said to me something that really hit me, he said that he was actually just thinking about trying to get a Book of Mormon so that he could learn more! And so because his friend was prompted to refer him and I was prompted to make one last phone call before we left he was able to find the way to receive the Book of Mormon and missionaries!

So, needless to say we will be calling him to teach him on Saturday!!!  I love this gospel and have found so much happiness in it. I know that true happiness comes from following the example of Jesus Christ and by living His gospel. Thank you for all the support and I love you all! Hope you all have a great week!

Love Always,

Sister Armstrong

~April 2, 2012~

Hello Everyone!!

How are you all doing? Well, we just had conference here on Temple Square. For those that don't know, it is when all gather to listen to the words of the prophet and apostles and other leaders of the church. Well, Temple Square is very busy for this weekend.

So, as a mission our goal was to receive 7,162 member referrals just for this weekend. Well, by Saturday we only had 2,484. So, we really needed a miracle. Well, by Sunday night we actually received 7,541 member referrals. Now these are not just numbers or cards, these are God's children who deserve the opportunity to hear about the Gospel of Jesus Christ! 7,541 people who may have the opportunity to hear about the Gospel of Jesus Christ! 7,541 people who may have the opportunity to enter the waters of baptism.

Real quick, another miracle is that John, the one who recently got baptized on March 3rd, well he came to conference!!! He texted us as he was walking into the conference center! He is so amazing! I love being a missionary! I hope you all have a great week!

Love Always,

Sister Armstrong

~Carlsen Family~

Carlsen Family happened to run into Sister Elizabeth Armstrong (on her "P" Day at City Creek Shopping Center, SLC, UT with her companion)

~March 26, 2012~

Hello Everyone!!

How are you all doing? I hope this week is going well for you! Well, things on Temple Square are getting extremely busy! This last weekend we had the Young Women's Conference and so their were thousands of young women here!

Well, this coming weekend we will  be having General Conference! There will be even more people here and all the Sisters on Temple Square are very excited for this to occur. But, even with all the busyness of the time, there are still many miracles happening on Temple Square.

Actually, the person I want to share with you is a man named Taylor. He has gone through some pretty rough things in his life and has been taught by missionaries for a long time. But, has never felt that the Book of Mormon is true or wanted to get baptized. Well, last night my companion, Sister Brickley, and I had an appointment with him and it was amazing! He committed to baptism and said that he would call the missionaries in his area and tell them that he would like to be prepared to be baptized!! I could not believe it! I almost screamed!

Also, another lady named Bonny that I have been teaching for a while said that she would pray to know when the Lord would like her to get baptized! So, many people are moving closer and closer to having the blessing of Eternal Life! How could that not make you happy?!

I know that this Church is true with all my heart! I know that my Savior Jesus Christ lives and that His church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints. I know that as you read the Book of Mormon you will feel of the Spirit of God and know with a surety that it is the word of God.

There is a quote by an Apostle's Grandfather that goes, "No evil man could write such a book and no good man would and so it must come from God." I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love Always,

Sister Armstrong

On a side note, Elizabeth wrote,

"P.S. Oh and I saw Brad, Bridget and Cami Garner this last weekend! Just practically ran into them! It was neat!"

~March 19, 2012~

Hello Everyone!

Hope you are all having a great week! We had transfers this last week and I got a new companion! Her name is Sister Brickley and she is from Indiana and I just love her. Well, I mention her because the miracle that I want to share with you happened the first day that we were companions.

So, we met Juan in the North Visitor Center and he is from Venezuela. He spoke perfect English so we were able to take him around. But, we were talking about something and he asked a question about Joseph Smith and so we were able to take him downstairs to the display on Prophets of the Old Testament and Modern Day Prophets. So, we basically taught him the entire restoration. We shared with him Joseph Smith's first vision and at that moment the spirit was so strong. We then talked about the Book of Mormon and he said that he never knew there was another book besides the Bible and he said that he would like to read it!

So, we got the Book of Mormon in Spanish and had him read the last two paragraphs of the introduction in Spanish and invited him to meet with missionaries and receive a Book of Mormon and he said YES! So, since he was not going back to Venezuela until a few days ago we have an appointment to call him on Wednesday and start teaching him!

He is so prepared to hear the message especially because he just lost a close family member. I am so grateful to know that families can be together forever through the proper priesthood authority given from God. I know that no matter what, the Lord loves us and when we go through hard times it is just a trial of our faith.

If we can continue on and push forward, we will see the miracles that are waiting just around the corner! I absolutely love sharing these things with people everyday and know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way that we can have true happiness. Hope you all have a great week!

Love Always,

Sister Armstrong

~Called to District Leader~

This brought tears to our eyes (so proud) of Elizabeth!

~March 13, 2012~

Hello Everyone!

How are you all doing this week? I hope everything is going well and that you continue to see the Lord's hand working in your life. This week has been crazy here on Temple Square. The Square is starting to get busier and busier and so we are just running around like crazy people. Conference is coming in a few weeks and I am so excited to be apart of it.

The miracle that I want to share with you is quite small but still very important. On March 7th we met two return missionaries who had already been invited to share people they know that we could call and share the gospel with. But, neither one had given anyone and since we didn't know that we invited them again and shared an experience I had last transfer. After that, one of the return missionaries said that he will take the challenge and not only find people for me and my companion to call but for the other sisters as well.

Well, the next day sisters gave me the cards that he had taken and in total he gave us 9 people to call!!!! That never happens! Then come to find out he gave the other sister, that had invited him first, the same amount. Not only did he give all these names but he kept his promise and came back to give us the cards. He taught me this week what it means to be a disciple of the Lord even when you are not wearing a name tag. What a great example he is. The Lord is just waiting to bless us with all the miracles that are in our box of miracles and all we have to do is open it. Have a great week and know that the Lord is watching over you every step of the way.

Love Always,

Sister Armstrong

~Visit from Sylvia and Family~

~February 27, 2012~

Hello Everyone!!!

 

This week has been chalk full of miracles! You will not believe it... I went to Colombia! Okay, just kidding but one of our investigators that lives in Colombia got baptized on Saturday. She has been waiting to get baptized because she wanted her fiance to baptize her but he lives here in Salt Lake and could not afford to go there. So, my companion and I were talking about a way that he could be there and then I thought well maybe they could Skype it and guess what THEY DID!!!

 

So, Vici is our investigator and her fiance is Carlos. So, Carlos and his family set up Skype in the Chapel in SLC and they invited us to come and watch Vici's baptism and so we did. It was a very neat experience and we are so excited for her and her new journey. In just one short year her and Carlos will be married for time and all eternity in the Temple (hopefully the SLC temple of course.)

 

Well the miracles didn't end there that day. After the baptism we met a wonderful mother and son and had a really spiritual conversation and then we went to call some of our investigators when we had a voicemail from Tamara. Now we haven't been able to get a hold of her for a few weeks and she was struggling with giving up coffee. But, we texted her everyday with a scripture and a little uplifting thought. Well all we could hear from the voicemail is "they are going to baptize me". We were so excited and so even though it was really late were she was we called and found out that she had gotten baptized THAT DAY!!!! Holy cow we had two investigators get baptized in the same day!!!!!

 

What an amazing feeling to know that they have made the first promise towards Eternal Life with our Father in Heaven. And all we did was share with them the things that we know. SO AMAZING! Well, those are the miracles that I wanted to share with you! Know that the Lord is watching out and even if it doesn't feel like it He is listening, He is talking to us, and He does answer our prayers. Oh and I can't forget that we also received a text from our investigator John who has finished his baptismal interview and will be baptized this Saturday! What a great week and I can't wait for what lies ahead. Keep doing the Lord's work it is the best work you could ever do.

 

Love Always,

 

Sister Armstrong

Us today at our Zone activity

Me and my companion Sister Jordan, getting ready to leave the phones and go to the Square

Last week having some Valentine's Day fun

 

~February 21, 2012~

Hello Everyone!!! This has been an amazing week! I have learned so much about the Gospel and about myself. I want to share with the miracle that I had with a man named Frank. So, we have been teaching this man named Eric and we had an appt. to teach him but he didn't answer. So, I tried calling him a few days later to see what happened and what not. Well, someone answered the phone and I asked if it was Eric and it wasn't. The man who answered was Frank and he found Eric's phone on the bus where he left it and has been trying to get it back to him (probably why he did answer when we called for our apt.).

Well, we talked for a minute and then I told Frank why it is that we are calling Eric. I asked if he had ever heard of our church and he hadn't. Then I asked him if he was religious and he said that he was trying to be. So, I told him what we do as missionaries and if he would like to learn more about Jesus Christ and God and he said this, "Well, that is what I have been looking to do and I think you just found me." That literally blew me away.

I knew at that moment that I was supposed to call and find Frank. Otherwise, how in the world would I have found him? I wouldn't. Well, this is just the beginning of the amazing week that I had. The people we find are just so prepared and ready to hear the great message we have for them. Oh and just so you know we have an apt. to teach Frank this week. Hope you all have a great day and an even better week. Know that God loves you and will always be there for you!

Love Always,

Sister Armstrong

~February 13, 2012~

Hello Everyone!

I hope that you are all doing well and that you have had a great week! So, I believe I told you about John and how he is getting baptized on March 3. Well, I want to tell you that I have heard some more great news from my old companion. So, since she speaks Spanish she took all of the Spanish people. But, I loved them all so much that it was hard to not teach them anymore. But, she has been keeping me updated on their progress. There is a couple that I would like to tell you about. Their names are Juana and Pablo, now mind you they are very old - like in their 70's.

Well, we met Juana and some of the other family on Temple Square and we ended up taking them around and sharing more with them about the church. Juana, who has never heard of a prophet or anything before, was so amazing. We walked into the South Visitor Center to show them the model of the Temple and before we could walk over there she sees the picture of Thomas S. Monson and goes right up to it and touches it. She asked us who he was and we told her that he is the Prophet and then she looked right at us and told us, "I know he is a prophet". It was so powerful and she had such an amazing time at Temple Square that eventually Pablo flew from CA to visit us as well and we were able to meet him during Christmas!

Then when they both went back to California we were able to start teaching them. We found out this week that they will both be baptized on Feb 19th. Even though they are older and have lived good, long lives they have finally found the truth together and will be able to be an eternal family. It really is a miracle especially since Juana told us that Pablo doesn't like church (he was the first on to tell us that he was going to get baptized). I love them like they are my own grandparents and am so happy for them. How amazing is it that Heavenly Father loves us all so much that we can all have this happiness in our lives whether we are 8 or 78.

Have a great week and remember that it is never too late to change.

-Love Always

Sister Armstrong

New Mission Companion from Germany :-)

Sister Armstrong and "Valentine's Treat" from Mission President's Wife and Senior Couple Missionaries :-)

~February 6, 2012~

Hello Everyone!!

This has been a wonderful week! I want to tell you all about a few men that we were able to teach over the phone! The first one is a man named John who we met during Christmas time on Temple Square and he referred himself. So, we called him and started teaching him. Then the missionaries in his area got in contact with him and so we haven't called him in a while. Well, we called him this week to see how he is doing and come to find out he is meeting with missionaries two- three times a week and will be baptized on March 3rd!!! He was so excited to tell us that he is getting baptized! I feel so blessed to be able to be apart of his journey to the truth. And he lives in Chicago, by the way.

The next man  is named Austin. Another Sister was teaching him but she finished her mission and so she asked that I call and teach him. Well, go figure, he is from Washington. So, I called him and asked if we could teach him some more and he said yes. We called him the next day and taught him about the Plan of Salvation and told him that he could be with his wife and new born baby girl (3 months old) forever. He was so amazed. He said that the church that he goes to doesn't teach him that. Also, I was able to teach him how to pray because he said that he wasn't sure. Well, then he told us that he prayed with his wife and that they felt so good when they prayed. He said that whenever they talk about this church they feel this very calm feeling. Of course we told him that this was the Holy Ghost and that the Holy Ghost is there to lead us to the truth. 

I am just so grateful to be a missionary and to be able to share with people how they can find the most happiness and the truth. Thank you for letting me share with you every week all the neat things that happen on Temple Square. Not that I am biased or anything but my mission is really the best mission in the world. Hope you all have a great week! Don't forget how much you are loved by your Father in Heaven. Sometimes it takes a while to see results of the things that we are doing but everything will work out all in the Lord's time.  

Love Always,

Sister Armstrong