~November 5, 2012~

Hello Everyone!!!

How was your week? Hope it was great! Well, our awesome miracle investigator Jennifer came to church yesterday!!!! She only stayed for one hour but that is good enough! That was a big step for her! So, this week has been full of miracles! One of them being that we found a lady who hasn't been to church in a while and her son who has never been baptized ( he is 12) and they are awesome. I just know I was meant to be here in Texas to find them. So, this is what happened. We had a dinner appointment with a family and when we got there no one was there and so we decided to go and see if we could find these two.

Well, they lived a little farther then we thought but when we got there we found out that they had just arrived home and had a couple from the church over and told them they wanted to missionaries to come because Keegan, the son, would like to learn and be baptized and Holly, the mom, would like to come back to church. We did not know that they wanted us to come over we just felt prompted to go. We had a great lesson on prayer and Keegan prayed for the first time!!

 

I know that Heavenly Father is so aware of His children and will never leave then alone. Hope all is well. Have a great week!

Love Always,

Sister Armstrong

~October 29, 2012~

Hello Everyone!

How are you all doing? I hope that everything is going well. I have an amazing miracle to share with you all! So, last Tuesday all of our appointments fell through and so we knocked doors all day. We of course knocked in areas with former investigators or less actives.

But, it was a long intense day. But, we were knocking the last door of this apartment complex and a lady answered the door and we made some small talk and what not. But, mind you have been working on my door approach because you know I don't have the Temple behind me anymore.

So, then I said to her, " Well, we are missionaries and we are sharing a message about Jesus Christ and how through Him we can be untied with our families for all eternity." As soon as a finished she said, "Would you like to come in?" I could not even respond I was so shocked!

We talked her the Plan of Salvation and left the pamphlet with her and we have taught her twice and will teach her again tomorrow. She is progressing and is excited to come to church this week. I could not believe it and still can't. She has two daughters and now wants us to teach them. I really love sharing the gospel in so many different ways. I love how God knows me so well and knew that the Temple Square mission would be the perfect place for me to share the gospel so that I could also come to Texas at the most perfect time. Everything happens for a reason. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love Always,

Sister Armstrong

 

~October 22, 2012~

Hello Everyone!!

Hope all of you have a had a great week! Things are going well here in Texas! I love my companions and all the people we meet! The miracle that I want to share with you is one of knocking doors :)

 

So, this last week we were knocking doors and it was at an apt complex and a lady answered the door and we talked a little with her and explained who we were and then I wanted to try something that I had never tried before and so I told her that we are sharing a message about Jesus Christ and how the church that He created when He was on the earth has been brought back again. I then paused and she looked at me and said "where is it?" So, I told her that we would love to share that with her and she said she would love for us to come back and so we set up an appt and then she asked if we could say a prayer with her before we left and we did and then she said you know it is good to have people pray for you especially when you are looking for that path in life!

 

I could not believe that happened and so we are so excited to see her tomorrow! Pray that she is there and it goes well. Know that God loves you all and is waiting for you to turn to him to receive all the blessings that he has for you. Have a great week!

Love Always,

Sister Armstorng

~October 15, 2012~

Hello Everyone!!!

How are you all doing? Well, I am in TEXAS!!!! This is a very interesting place. Because San Antonio is not what I think of when I think of Texas. But, it is a great place that needs lots of tender loving care! We have so much work to do here it is not even funny. I am in a trio which means I have two other companions and they are great! I never thought a trio could work out so well but it has! So, there are many miracles that I could share with you but I think I want to share one about a family that is not so active in the church. So, we went to see the mom (who is single parent) and there was a lot of commotion going on in the house and what not but then things became really calm and the Spirit was there. We were talking about how sometimes we just have so many trials happening in our lives and it seems as though it happens the worst when we are trying to do what is right.

 

We shared with her 2 Nephi 2:11:

For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

Life has its challenges but we have to know the bad to know the good and vice versa. We have to have both sides to be able to make a choice.

Well, something that this lady was worried about was that her eldest son would never listen to what we have to say or come back to church.

Then...the miracle...he walked into the house and someone we convinced him to stay and he did and we taught him and he agreed to let us come back and teach him again! Is that a miracle or what?! I could not believe what was happening! And you would have thought that he wasn't being sincere but he truly was he told us that he has been really pondering lately if there really is a God. And he shared about how he used to go to church and he felt good there. It was amazing. There is a lot of work to be done but I know that it can be done with diligence and obedience to the Lord's commandments. Hope you all have a great week and I will type at you next week!!

Love Always,

Sister Armstrong

My Address for letters(only):
1441 Contour Dr. #933
San Antonio, TX 78212

Packages should be sent to:

Texas San Antonio Mission
404 E Ramsey Rd. Ste. 105
San Antonio, TX 78216-4665

~Arrival in Texas San Antonio Mission~

Dear Missionary Families,

We are happy to inform you that your son or daughter has safely arrived in the Texas San Antonio Mission!  President Jones and I and our assistants greeted them at the airport at about 2:45 this afternoon. The plane from Salt Lake City was delayed, so we were anxiously awaiting their arrival.  They arrived with smiles on their faces, happy to be here.  What a great group of missionaries!

After collecting their luggage, we made our way back to the mission home where we had lunch, individual interviews with President Jones and some orientation. Then they were off to the Alamo where they learned a little history and had the opportunity to talk to people and give away copies of the Book of Mormon. They did a great job with their first true missionary experience in Texas! We welcomed them back to the mission home where we had dinner and enjoyed spending the evening getting to know one another. The Elders then left for the assistants apartment and the sisters stayed at the mission home their first night in the mission field.

Tomorrow morning we will have an orientation and transfer meeting where your sons and daughters will meet their new companions and head out to their first areas. You should expect an email from them on Monday which is their preparation day. We are so happy and excited to have the opportunity to serve with these fine young men and women. Thank you for sending such well prepared and wonderful missionaries!

Sincerely,

President and Sister Jones

~October 9, 2012~

Sister Elizabeth Armstrong's new mission address for three months:

Texas San Antonio Mission
404 E Ramsey Rd. Ste. 105
San Antonio, TX 78216-4665

Hello Everyone!!

How are you all doing this week?! Well, I have some crazy news for all of you! So, here on Temple Square almost every sister will get the opportunity to go to another State and spend about 3 months in a different proselyting area. Well, I have been transferred to San Antonio, Texas for 3 months!!

 

I am a little nervous but I think that it will be great. So, if you send a letter to Temple Square they will forward it to me while I am gone but I will post my new address as soon as I get it.

 

So, now for the miracles! Well, of course this week was General Conference!!! Where we listen to the modern day living Prophet and Apostles and other leaders of the church speak to us! Now, last conference we received many member referrals and it was crazy busy and what not. Well, this time we had a new focus for conference.

Our focus was to find those referrals that are truly prepared to receive the restored gospel and as a mission we set a goal to have 415 people enter the waters of baptism by the time the next conference comes! So, as a mission we received 2901 member referrals but the best part was is that we were challenged to uplift the members that came and invite them to come closer to Jesus Christ and in total we invited 8300 members and helped them feel the love of God! That is incredible!

We met so many great people and really worked hard to do and say what Christ would. It was an exhausted 3 days but we made it and I feel so much better about how we did our work this conference because we did what Christ would do.

 

Well, I hope that you are all doing well and that you are seeing many miracles in your lives. I love you all and will share all about Texas next week!!

Love Always,

Sister Armstrong

~October 2, 2012~

Hello Everyone!

How was your week? I hope it was a good one because life is good, especially when it is sunny out! Well, a miracle this week just happened yesterday! A man named George called in and was telling me how he was baptized three years ago but because of his family, who are strong Catholics, he eventually left the church. He told me how they stopped talking to him and that it was really hard. Well, the amazing thing was that out of all the people here I was the one who got to talk with him and we had very similar stories and so he really wants to come back to church. He wants to have happiness in his life again.

He recognized that he was happiest with the gospel of Jesus Christ in his life. So, we get to call him and teach him more and help him get back to church. Then do you remember Nick?! The miracle that came to the square and was ready to meet with missionaries right away?! Well, We have not been able to reach him for two weeks and we were so worried that we would not be able to talk with him again!

 

Well, I felt like I should try and call again two days ago and he answered the phone!!! He was in Canada for work and his phone stopped working there! So, he is actually working for the Mitt Romney campaign and so once elections are over he is going to have more time to devote to church and what not. But, the miracle is that he is still alive, he is still reading the Book of Mormon and he still wants to learn more!

Well, I hope you all have a great week and that you will keep smiling!

Love,

Sister Armstrong

~September 25, 2012~

Hello Everyone!

How are you all doing? I hope this week has treated you well! I have a miracle that I want to share with you about Fred! So, Fred is our investigator who is Jewish but then turned Christian and now claims to be Catholic but feels something special about the LDS church. He is quite the hoot! So, when we taught him this week we talked about a lot of things that he was concerned about and at the end he just made a side comment says, "Well who knows maybe I will be baptized before I finish the Book of Mormon"! And then he made another one that went like this,"Well, maybe when I get baptized and am a member of the church..." Holy Cow!

 

We kept feeling like it was not time to give him a date for baptism and then this last week we found out why! He told us that he feels that we have really invited him to come closer to Jesus Christ and that we don't just want him to get baptized. Which is true we really want him to come closer to Jesus Christ. I know that baptism is and essential step to eternal life but that is not why I am on mission. I am here to invite others to come unto Christ and if they choose to get baptized because of that then I have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Fred also went to church and found the missionaries! Of course there was traffic and so he didn't actually get to stay for church but he is bound and determined to do it this Sunday!

I wanted to share with you all the challenge that my mission president gave to us this week! It is that we will read 6 pages of the Book of Mormon everyday and mark different things in it. Well, I want to extend the invitation for you to read 6 pages of the Book of Mormon everyday and mark all the references to the God head in it! I know that as you do this that you will see just how amazing and true the Book of Mormon is and just how much it compliments the Bible. The Book of Mormon is truly the word of God and the only way that you can know this for yourself is if you read, ponder and pray.

I hope you all have a great week!

Love Always,

Sister Armstrong

~September 18, 2012~

Hello Everyone!

How are you all doing? Well, I don't have much time this week but I do have  a miracle to share with you! So, we have this great investigator named Fred who lives in New York! Now he was raised Jewish and has now gone Catholic; yes he is an interesting character, but we still love him!

 

So, anyway he has been telling us that he is not going to go to church until the missionaries contact him and what not. Well, the missionaries did not contact him but then he told us that he was going to go to church anyway! We asked him what changed his mind and he said that he was just too darn curious! He is so funny!

 

So, we are praying that he went and that he found the missionaries! I just know with all my heart that he is going to find his answers soon! I know that he will get baptized! I just feel it! When we were setting a return appt. with him between our two schedules we won't be able to call for a week and he said, "I don't know if I can go for a whole week without talking to you two!" I feels that something has come into his life that he can't let go!

 

Well, I hope that you are all doing well and have a great week! Here is a scripture that I really love:

Romans 8: 24-25 - 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Love Always,

Sister Armstrong

Sister(s) Armstrong and Shamanga (from Africa)

Sister Shamanga and Sister Armstrong
Music and the Spoken Word

On a personal note, Sister Armstrong wrote:

So, today for pday we are going to go to this Polynesian restaurant that feeds missionaries for free! I have never been but the sisters always talk about it. But, next week we are going to the home of someone in the mission presidency and we are going to go bowling and eat Chinese food. President Seppi, is his name, and he has offered to pay for everything! So, we have gotten some money together from our zone and are also going to Walmart this week to get things to make a date basket for him and his wife to thank them for paying for our zone activity! (that may or may not have been my idea! :))

 

~September 11, 2012~

Hello Everyone!

How are you all doing? Hopefully you have had a great week! Okay so first I have an update on Nick- the miracle from last week- for you! We taught him again and he was actually in the airport but he still read scriptures with us! He said he was going to church which was a few days ago and we call him tomorrow to find out!!! He is solid as a rock! When we shared with him about Christ visiting those in the ancient American continent he said that it just makes sense. And it does!!! I mean why would Christ only visit those who lived in Jerusalem when God loves all of His children no matter where they live or what race they are- 2 Nephi 26:33 " For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he ^ainviteth them ^ballto ^ccome unto him and partake of his goodness; and he ^ddeniethnone that come unto him, black and white, ^ebond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the ^fheathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile. " We love Nick!!!

So, a miracle this week is that we found a new investigator on mormon.org! He came on and was just so interested in learning more! He said that he had met with missionaries before but that he never took the step to get baptized! So, we have been calling him but we are kind of playing phone tag right now. I am sure that we will get to talk with him soon! He already left us a message saying that he started reading the Book of Mormon again! The church is true!!! Thank you all for being so great! I want to invite you to start reading the Book of Mormon if you have not already and really take your time to go through and know what it is that the Book of Mormon is telling you. I promise that as you do this you will see so clearly the gospel of Jesus Christ! Have a great week!

Love Always,

Sister Armstrong

Sister Armstrong also wrote the following when we asked about her new leadership opportunity:

"Well, yes I am a Zone Leader which is way more responsibility then District Leader. This means that my companion and I work together as Zone Leader's because there is so much work to do. We have been given stewardship over 20 other sisters in the mission. We are one of the biggest zones! And this week our zone had 4 baptisms!!!! Awesome!!!! The goal that we have set is to have 15 people enter the waters of baptism this transfer and I know that we can do it! It is great to be able to serve the sisters in our zone and motivate them to do the Lord's work. The Lord is really stretching me this transfer and really molding me for something more... not sure what it is but I am really being tested. So, thank you for all the leadership skills that you both taught me and always encouraging me to take those leadership opportunities it has completely helped me in my missionary work."

Leadership Opportunity~Sister Elizabeth Armstrong (Zone Leader)

~September 4, 2012~

Hello Everyone!!

How are you all doing this week?! I hope all is going well and life is treating you good. Well, I am dying to tell all you of the amazing miracles that have happened this week! First of all I have a new companion, her name is Sister Shamanga and she is from Zambia, Africa! That is miracle number one! I have been dying to have an African companion and now my prayers have been answered! She is awesome! She speaks a really cool Zambian language, but I am not sure what it is called. All I know is that Natasha means thank you! Okay miracle number 2: We have a new investigator named Nick!!! You won't believe how we found or should I say how he found us. So, we were leaving the North Visitor's Center (on T^2 of course) and this man is walking by and then he turned and looked at us and said " I think you two can help me." Then he proceeded to tell us that he has been to many churches and studied many religions and the more he studies the LDS faith the more it feels right to him and then he said, "What do I do now?" CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?! I had to hold back my tears and excitement so I didn't scare him away! So, he had told us many times that he had not been to church yet and so finally I just asked him if he would like to go to church and he that he would love too. Then we taught him about the Holy Spirit and how that is what he is feeling right now. Then shared with him how to get a copy of the Book of Mormon because he travels a lot and so he may not be home if we mailed it to him. Then we got his info and set an appt. to call him the next day after church to see how it went. I mean how does that happen?! And I mean there is no other mission in the world that could teach someone who is always traveling and never home! Well, then we called him on Sunday and he told us about how he found out that his boss is a member of the church and they tried to go to church when their work schedule got changed on them. But, his boss took him to the YSA ward at BYU for break the fast. He LOVED it! He said that everyone was so nice and that he just could not believe it. Then we just happen to call right when he got back from break the fast and we taught him the entire restoration. He told us that it is definitely possible that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Then we invited him to be baptized once he came to know that all of this was true and he said that he looks forward to the day! So, then we invited him to be baptized on September 29th and he told us, "You know I have a lot to learn and I know it will take some time but I know that I can be ready on September 29th!!!!!!!!!!!! My companion and I were just in shock! In 24 hours he found us and then committed to be baptized in less then a month and bought himself the Book of Mormon! This is one of the biggest miracles that I have witnessed on my mission. There are many more wonderful things that have happened this week but this is the best one! Hope you all have a great week and never forget that God loves you and knows you and will always be there for you!

Love Always,

Sister Armstrong