Hola mi familia tan Hermosa!!!
How is my family!?! I love you all so much!! My Heart is pounding so hard and I have butterflies in my stomach because I know that it is all so close and especially when you said Laren and Lindsey got the flight already booked man oh man!!! And that Bishop Tooley already said that he wants me to talk. Oh my goodness oh my goodness!!! LOL!!!
But I am so glad that everyone is doing good and the house is progressing!! How very fun and exciting times that we are having in our family!! I am glad that Case was able to have fall break now and he could help dad out on the house!! The house will mean so very much to each one of us because we have helped on that house! I remember mom and I shoveled snow out at the house remember that? while dad was cutting 2 by fours what fun memories!! I am so glad that everyone is happy and healthy! How is my cute little sobrinos? I miss them I hope that they will remember me when I come home! Hey Brynnie send me pictures of Faythie birthday I want to see it I love getting your slideshows!!
Everything is going so good! We are working hard!! We are getting our little family prepared for baptism but the biggest hurdle right now is money. They don’t have enough money to pay for the wedding. We will help them out all that we can but we hardly don’t have money either! But I know that if we put all our faith in the lord he will provide for this little family! They have a desire and they want to change their lives and that is so amazing to me!! We also have another family that we have been teaching and they too want to get baptized and married so hopefully we will have two weddings and baptisms!! I sure hope so because I have seen such amazing changes in them!! I love seeing the atonement change peoples lives I love to see when they know what true repentance is and when they have a true earnest desire to change their heart and forsake their sins! That is what true repentance is. When you want to change your thoughts and actions and forsake the things that are causing sadness in our lives! I have seen miracles when someone uses the atonement and removes their burdens. It is literally seeing someone remove a burden or carga off their shoulders they seem lighter and freeier!
I have felt it as well in my life! Especially this last change and part of this change! I was having a hard time remember? But I know that it was because I wasn’t putting all my trust and faith in my Savior! I was more thinking about me and how I was feeling but not remembering to put all my faith in the Savior and not putting all my confidence in him!! But this week I have really put all my faith in Him! Their is always struggles but if we are humble we are happier! I was praying hard how I can change me as a person and a missionary and I had an amazing answer! I was looking through my papers for my mission and I glanced down and I saw the talk, Beware of pride, I think by Ezra Taft Benson and I read it and what amazing talk. What amazing counsel that we received through this talk. I know that is was my answer how to better change me as a person! I think that Beware of Pride will always be one of my favorite talks now because I know that I found it right after I prayed ,what do I need to change in my life how can I have a better relation with my Savior and I found my answer through that talk! I know it was an answer to my prayers! And how wonderful it feels when we ask for forgiveness and have the atonement change our lives and change our hearts!! I can’t describe the love that I have for the atonement. I can’t describe the love and the gratitude I have for my Savior and Redeemer!! It is through His grace that we are saved after all that we can do!! I have been reading the Book of Mormon in a blank Book of Mormon and I have been just marking when it talks about the atonement! And it is incredible! It truly testifies almost every page tells and testifies about the atonement!! I love the verse that says through the Grace the Lord we are saved after all that we can do! I love that verse because the atonement is there wafting for us to use it. To be clean and healed but we first must do our part and we must repent and we must always live the commandments and always endure to the end. That is when the true power of the atonement can bring us into the presence of our Heavenly Father without spots! I love the opportunity to change to become better! We all have weaknesses but like it says in Ether 12:27 that God will change our weaknesses into strengths if we are humble and have faith in Christ! It is so true!! I am thankful that my weaknesses can become strengths through the help of my Savior!
It is still pretty rainy here. For about 2 weeks it just rained and rained! The sun hardly didn’t come out and it was so cold. where I have to wear socks and have two covers over me!! Seriously I will die when I come home please bring me a jacket! LOL!! But today it rained a little but the sun was out and it felt so good shining on our faces!! They said that the rain should stop by the first of November and then they said that it will be sun shiny but have wind but the members said it is the best time of year because it is sunny but feels good because of the wind! I will truly miss Nicoya! I have been here for a long time now it feels like home! LOL!!
Well I love you all! Thank you for your love and support always!! You are all so amazing to me!! Thank you for your love!!!
Love always and forever
Hermana Turnbaugh
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
10/18/2011
Familia!!!
Como Estan todos!?! Happy Birthday Faythie! I love you so much sweet baby lady!! I hope you had the best birthday ever!! You are so sweet and I miss you so so much!! I love you and I will see you very soon!!
It sounds like you had a very fun week end!! I am so sorry to hear about Lita! I didn’t know she was fighting with cancer! But what an honor, that they asked you dad, to do all those very special things at the funeral. That is a very special opportunity! I am glad that you both went and could with them through this hard time but what incredible knowledge that we have to know families will be together forever. Death is just a momentary separation! I am so blessed that we have that knowledge in our life!
Yesterday we went to San Jose because my companion and all the other new missionaries had a meeting with president Galvez. Then they have a big lunch for us! It was fun! But it is so weird to see, in the mission house, they have a big board with all the missionaries pictures and when they go home and my picture is at the top! It is so weird because I remember when I started my mission and my pictures was at the very bottom I remember saying to my self I will never ever get to the top. And look I am here and wishing I was at the bottom again! It is funny how that happens and how time is so fast before you know it Ethan and Ty and Tan the man will be off serving missions! And hopefully Faythie and Ciara too!! Because their is no experience like the mission!! I would never want to change what I Experienced here! I would go through it all again!!
It is raining here like crazy. The members said there is a hurricane over Guatemala which is causing all this rain! But for about a week straight just pure rain! Oh and San Jose is freezing. Well not freezing but because I have been in Nicoya for about 6 months now San Jose is so cold! I am going to die when I walk off the plane to Colorado! Mom you need to bring a jacket I think for me! LOL!!
This week has been good! Working hard getting our little family ready to be baptized. They have a meta for the 29 of octubre! I hope and pray they will!! It has been such an amazing experience with them. Learning and growing with them! I know that this will change their lives and they are people who have lots of dreams. The wife had a dream the other day where she was dressed all in white and she was going into a church she said but it was all white and she was going to get married in there but she didn’t know exactly where this building is! As she explained her dream it was as if she was describing the temple!! I feel like Joseph of Egypt who needs to interpret dreams lol!! But I love it because for some dreams is a way that our Heavenly Father can communicate with them! We had an amazing lesson with them the other night where we answered their doubts with the Book of Mormon! And after they read the verse I saw a light that came on and they said oh we see this is what we need to do. It is so incredible how the Book of Mormon has such power in our lives. Because when someone has a testimony in the Book of Mormon they have a testimony that Jesus is the Christ. That Joseph Smith was a true and living prophet who restored the Church of Christ in this latter-day! Our testimony is based on the Book of Mormon that is why it is the keystone of our religion! We have the evidence why our church is true in our hand and we can read it ever day! What a Marvelous gift it is to read this book and feel the spirit!! It is key for gaining a testimony!!
I am so glad that everything is going well with the Highlands Ranch house. I pray with all my heart that the loan will go through! I just know it will!!! So the house is almost done how exciting! A lot of years in the making right?!! But I am excited that my mom and dad will finally have their dream house. It will always be something special to them not because of the beauty or the size but that they got to work on it together! That they worked side by side to make their dreams come true! I love that!! Well thank you for all your love and support that you always give me!!
Oh mom will you please tell Alex Young that I love her so much!!!!! She is seriously one of the truest dearest friends. She sent me a package and sent me things that are meaningful to her and I and Leanna Davidson!! It made my whole entire day!! The office got it at the end of September but no one writes me hardly and only my mom sends me packages so I just stopped looking to see if I have mail! But yesterday I saw a few packages and I just was curious and I read Alex Young on the book and I was like weird. I have a best friend named Alex Young. Then underneath I read my name!! But seriously it was so thoughtful!! She sent me pictures of us in Jerusalem and one of her and her Boyfriend and please tell her she is so beautiful and he is very cute and that I miss her like crazy and I think about her a lot!! And that I need to see her when I get home!! Oh and tell her I have been craving Honey nut cheerios like crazy and peanut butter but they both are so expensive here that I couldn’t buy them! So thank you!!!!!
Well Have the Best week ever!! I love you all so so very much!!
Love always and forever
Hermana Turnbaugh
Como Estan todos!?! Happy Birthday Faythie! I love you so much sweet baby lady!! I hope you had the best birthday ever!! You are so sweet and I miss you so so much!! I love you and I will see you very soon!!
It sounds like you had a very fun week end!! I am so sorry to hear about Lita! I didn’t know she was fighting with cancer! But what an honor, that they asked you dad, to do all those very special things at the funeral. That is a very special opportunity! I am glad that you both went and could with them through this hard time but what incredible knowledge that we have to know families will be together forever. Death is just a momentary separation! I am so blessed that we have that knowledge in our life!
Yesterday we went to San Jose because my companion and all the other new missionaries had a meeting with president Galvez. Then they have a big lunch for us! It was fun! But it is so weird to see, in the mission house, they have a big board with all the missionaries pictures and when they go home and my picture is at the top! It is so weird because I remember when I started my mission and my pictures was at the very bottom I remember saying to my self I will never ever get to the top. And look I am here and wishing I was at the bottom again! It is funny how that happens and how time is so fast before you know it Ethan and Ty and Tan the man will be off serving missions! And hopefully Faythie and Ciara too!! Because their is no experience like the mission!! I would never want to change what I Experienced here! I would go through it all again!!
It is raining here like crazy. The members said there is a hurricane over Guatemala which is causing all this rain! But for about a week straight just pure rain! Oh and San Jose is freezing. Well not freezing but because I have been in Nicoya for about 6 months now San Jose is so cold! I am going to die when I walk off the plane to Colorado! Mom you need to bring a jacket I think for me! LOL!!
This week has been good! Working hard getting our little family ready to be baptized. They have a meta for the 29 of octubre! I hope and pray they will!! It has been such an amazing experience with them. Learning and growing with them! I know that this will change their lives and they are people who have lots of dreams. The wife had a dream the other day where she was dressed all in white and she was going into a church she said but it was all white and she was going to get married in there but she didn’t know exactly where this building is! As she explained her dream it was as if she was describing the temple!! I feel like Joseph of Egypt who needs to interpret dreams lol!! But I love it because for some dreams is a way that our Heavenly Father can communicate with them! We had an amazing lesson with them the other night where we answered their doubts with the Book of Mormon! And after they read the verse I saw a light that came on and they said oh we see this is what we need to do. It is so incredible how the Book of Mormon has such power in our lives. Because when someone has a testimony in the Book of Mormon they have a testimony that Jesus is the Christ. That Joseph Smith was a true and living prophet who restored the Church of Christ in this latter-day! Our testimony is based on the Book of Mormon that is why it is the keystone of our religion! We have the evidence why our church is true in our hand and we can read it ever day! What a Marvelous gift it is to read this book and feel the spirit!! It is key for gaining a testimony!!
I am so glad that everything is going well with the Highlands Ranch house. I pray with all my heart that the loan will go through! I just know it will!!! So the house is almost done how exciting! A lot of years in the making right?!! But I am excited that my mom and dad will finally have their dream house. It will always be something special to them not because of the beauty or the size but that they got to work on it together! That they worked side by side to make their dreams come true! I love that!! Well thank you for all your love and support that you always give me!!
Oh mom will you please tell Alex Young that I love her so much!!!!! She is seriously one of the truest dearest friends. She sent me a package and sent me things that are meaningful to her and I and Leanna Davidson!! It made my whole entire day!! The office got it at the end of September but no one writes me hardly and only my mom sends me packages so I just stopped looking to see if I have mail! But yesterday I saw a few packages and I just was curious and I read Alex Young on the book and I was like weird. I have a best friend named Alex Young. Then underneath I read my name!! But seriously it was so thoughtful!! She sent me pictures of us in Jerusalem and one of her and her Boyfriend and please tell her she is so beautiful and he is very cute and that I miss her like crazy and I think about her a lot!! And that I need to see her when I get home!! Oh and tell her I have been craving Honey nut cheerios like crazy and peanut butter but they both are so expensive here that I couldn’t buy them! So thank you!!!!!
Well Have the Best week ever!! I love you all so so very much!!
Love always and forever
Hermana Turnbaugh
Friday, October 7, 2011
10/3/2011
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU HAVE A HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR BROTHER HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! Yo espero que usted tenga un cumpleanos muy especial manana! Usted es increible!!! Te quiero muchismo!!!! Gracias por su ejemplo de animo y amor por su salvador!!
Hola mi Familia!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Beautiful Ciara! You are 5 now! WOW! You are such a big girl!! I can’t wait to see you!
How is everyone doing? I know I just loved Conference also!! It spoke right to me too!!! I felt the love of my Heavenly Father and before I listened to conference I wrote down some questions that have been on my mind and guess what? Every single one of my questions were answered! I know that the prophet is so inspired to choose who will speak and I am so thankful that the speakers listen to the spirit as the are preparing their discourses! I am so thankful for the prophet. I know that he is a true a living prophet on the earth and that he is lead and guided by our Heavenly Father! I am so thankful for revelation!! Conference filled my soul and made me want to be better!! I remember when I was little I thought that conference was so so so long and I hardly couldn’t keep my eyes open but now I feel like it goes by so fast! And I just wish that it could last longer!! I am so thankful that we can listen to the prophet and the apostles every six months what an amazing opportunity that is!! I just can’t wait till November when the ensign will have the conference edition so that we can read all the talks again!! I watched it in English with another missionary. I have never listened to it in English before the whole time I have been here on my mission! It was so good to actually hear their voices!! LOL!!
We have been working hard! We have a cute little family that want to get baptized on the 15 of this month! The had a lot of struggles and problems in the past but the are reading the Book of Mormon and the are changing! It is so wonderful to see the gospel change people!! The Book of Mormon changes people!! I loved the talk about the Book of Mormon!! They were just so powerful and so so true!! The Book Of Mormon puts a stop to all false doctrines and helps people come to know the Savior in such a personal way! I have seen it change my investigators lives and also helped change my life! I have come to know my Savior through its pages!! I know this family is also coming to know of the infinite love that the Savior has for them! The other day we taught the plan of salvation and talking about how families can be together for ever because this plan is so incredible! And I know that the Spirit was there testifying that it is true!! So while we had a cita with this family we were talking about how are your animos for your baptism and they said yes we want to be baptized. Then they started telling us that some of their neighbors were talking bad and were saying to them, so you are going to be MORMONS and you are going to pray to Joseph Smith? Well the husband said Yes we are and we are not going to pray to Joseph Smith because they don’t pray to Joseph Smith they believe he was a prophet exactly like Moses or Noah. They believe in God and Jesus Christ! I just felt so good when he was testifying about that! I know that he didn’t realize that he was sharing his testimony but he was! I love this gospel because it changes people for the better! There is no better feeling when you feel the spirit and a family feels the spirit and their eyes open and their hearts are softened!
I have been reading a book called Our heritage. It is a history of the church and it is so wonderful! Today I read about the handcart companies! And I read of the testimonies people gave after the experience. One man said he overheard some people talking and they were saying how foolish President Brigham Young was to send hand cart companies across the plains with out anything! And this man stood up and testified you will never hear a person in those companies complain! We lost every thing! We went through things you hardly can imagine but through those time we came to know God and we had a closer relationship with him! We know that through those trails he was with us! When I read that testimony I was truly touched! I thought of my own life. What and am I giving to sacrifice for my Savior and my loving Heavenly Father!? Do I complain when I am in moments of difficulty or am I strong like my great great grandmother who crossed with those fearless saints! I want to be like Sarah Ann Norris. I know that she didn’t complain but she listed to a prophets call and followed her Heavenly father! I am so thankful for my ancestors and for their willingness to give up everything for God and they were valiant and patient and humble through all their trials! As I read those stories of the pioneers, I should never ever complain about my problems or difficulties because what are they in comparison to the pioneers? And more importantly what are my trials in comparison to my Saviors?! He never once complained but did His Fathers will!!! He never looked down but always looked up as Thomas S Monson said! I am forever grateful for the faithful and fearless pioneers that knew this gospel is true and were truly living disciples of Jesus Christ who took up their crosses and followed him through everything even unto death! I want to be like them. Braver, bolder and I want to have more faith like they had!!
I love you all. Thank you for your examples!! I am thankful for my ancestors. I feel very close to them and especially Sarah Ann Norris. I don’t know why but I have a very special relationship with her! I can’t wait to meet her and tell her thank you for everything that she did for me and for our family!! I am very touched by the sacrifice she made. I hope that one day I can be like her!! I am just so blessed that she held my grandpa before she passed away and that I could then hold my grandpa and feel close to her too!!
I know this church is true with every fiber of my being!! I love this gospel and I love my Savior more than words can possibly say!! I know He leads and guides this church through living prophets! How blessed we truly are!!!
Love always and forever
Hermana Turnbaugh
Hola mi Familia!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Beautiful Ciara! You are 5 now! WOW! You are such a big girl!! I can’t wait to see you!
How is everyone doing? I know I just loved Conference also!! It spoke right to me too!!! I felt the love of my Heavenly Father and before I listened to conference I wrote down some questions that have been on my mind and guess what? Every single one of my questions were answered! I know that the prophet is so inspired to choose who will speak and I am so thankful that the speakers listen to the spirit as the are preparing their discourses! I am so thankful for the prophet. I know that he is a true a living prophet on the earth and that he is lead and guided by our Heavenly Father! I am so thankful for revelation!! Conference filled my soul and made me want to be better!! I remember when I was little I thought that conference was so so so long and I hardly couldn’t keep my eyes open but now I feel like it goes by so fast! And I just wish that it could last longer!! I am so thankful that we can listen to the prophet and the apostles every six months what an amazing opportunity that is!! I just can’t wait till November when the ensign will have the conference edition so that we can read all the talks again!! I watched it in English with another missionary. I have never listened to it in English before the whole time I have been here on my mission! It was so good to actually hear their voices!! LOL!!
We have been working hard! We have a cute little family that want to get baptized on the 15 of this month! The had a lot of struggles and problems in the past but the are reading the Book of Mormon and the are changing! It is so wonderful to see the gospel change people!! The Book of Mormon changes people!! I loved the talk about the Book of Mormon!! They were just so powerful and so so true!! The Book Of Mormon puts a stop to all false doctrines and helps people come to know the Savior in such a personal way! I have seen it change my investigators lives and also helped change my life! I have come to know my Savior through its pages!! I know this family is also coming to know of the infinite love that the Savior has for them! The other day we taught the plan of salvation and talking about how families can be together for ever because this plan is so incredible! And I know that the Spirit was there testifying that it is true!! So while we had a cita with this family we were talking about how are your animos for your baptism and they said yes we want to be baptized. Then they started telling us that some of their neighbors were talking bad and were saying to them, so you are going to be MORMONS and you are going to pray to Joseph Smith? Well the husband said Yes we are and we are not going to pray to Joseph Smith because they don’t pray to Joseph Smith they believe he was a prophet exactly like Moses or Noah. They believe in God and Jesus Christ! I just felt so good when he was testifying about that! I know that he didn’t realize that he was sharing his testimony but he was! I love this gospel because it changes people for the better! There is no better feeling when you feel the spirit and a family feels the spirit and their eyes open and their hearts are softened!
I have been reading a book called Our heritage. It is a history of the church and it is so wonderful! Today I read about the handcart companies! And I read of the testimonies people gave after the experience. One man said he overheard some people talking and they were saying how foolish President Brigham Young was to send hand cart companies across the plains with out anything! And this man stood up and testified you will never hear a person in those companies complain! We lost every thing! We went through things you hardly can imagine but through those time we came to know God and we had a closer relationship with him! We know that through those trails he was with us! When I read that testimony I was truly touched! I thought of my own life. What and am I giving to sacrifice for my Savior and my loving Heavenly Father!? Do I complain when I am in moments of difficulty or am I strong like my great great grandmother who crossed with those fearless saints! I want to be like Sarah Ann Norris. I know that she didn’t complain but she listed to a prophets call and followed her Heavenly father! I am so thankful for my ancestors and for their willingness to give up everything for God and they were valiant and patient and humble through all their trials! As I read those stories of the pioneers, I should never ever complain about my problems or difficulties because what are they in comparison to the pioneers? And more importantly what are my trials in comparison to my Saviors?! He never once complained but did His Fathers will!!! He never looked down but always looked up as Thomas S Monson said! I am forever grateful for the faithful and fearless pioneers that knew this gospel is true and were truly living disciples of Jesus Christ who took up their crosses and followed him through everything even unto death! I want to be like them. Braver, bolder and I want to have more faith like they had!!
I love you all. Thank you for your examples!! I am thankful for my ancestors. I feel very close to them and especially Sarah Ann Norris. I don’t know why but I have a very special relationship with her! I can’t wait to meet her and tell her thank you for everything that she did for me and for our family!! I am very touched by the sacrifice she made. I hope that one day I can be like her!! I am just so blessed that she held my grandpa before she passed away and that I could then hold my grandpa and feel close to her too!!
I know this church is true with every fiber of my being!! I love this gospel and I love my Savior more than words can possibly say!! I know He leads and guides this church through living prophets! How blessed we truly are!!!
Love always and forever
Hermana Turnbaugh
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
9/26/2011
Oh my most wonderful family!!!
I am in awe of how truly blessed I am to have a family like you!! Your Letters this week were so incredibly wonderful. I feel of your love and I feel my Saviors love as well for me!! What you said is so very true! I have been hurting deeply and feeling lonely and feeling helpless. But truly I am feeling much better with more faith and with a positive attitude!
This last month I don’t know what it was but I just felt that I couldn’t hardly Breathe! I felt sad and I felt like I had no clue what I was doing and that my Spanish was horrible like I was just starting my mission! Because one member said, I am not going to lie your Spanish isn’t very good, and it hurt so bad! Because no one ever has said that before. Everyone says that my Spanish is good. I know its not perfect but it is good and I can communicate and I can understand. So I don’t know why he said that, but it truly did shake my confidence as a missionary and as a person. And just other things that I have went through this month. I just felt like I didn’t have any confidence in myself at all!
So one day we were studying and I was just hurting so deeply and all I could do was cry so I got up from my desk and I went to my room and I just cried like a baby and I prayed to my loving loving Heavenly Father and I talked to him. I told him everything! Everything that I am feeling and that I have been going through. And He was listening because I felt Him there. I felt a peace that came over me that I couldn’t remember my sadness anymore! I heard in my heart that si se puede or yes you can do it! That your Spanish is not horrible.That you are a good missionary and that He loves me!! I felt his loving arms around me and Him helping me in that moment! That I need to always humble myself before Him! Because I am nothing without Him!
Then I read something from Elder Richard G Scott that said;
"Trust in the Lord. Just when all seems to be going right, challenges often come in multiple doses applied simultaneously. When those trails are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels that you are prepared to grow more. He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion, which polish you for your everlasting benefit. To get you from where you are to where He wants you to be requires a lot of stretching, and generally entails discomfort and pain!"
Wow huh? It was Heavenly Father telling me that I was ready to learn more! To change my heart into someone that He wants! It hurt but in those moments of pain and sadness I have felt the Atonement working in my life. I know that it is real with every fiber of my being! I know that it helps us get to where Heavenly Father wants us to be! It helps us learn what is true charity and what true patience is! I am so thankful for this experience in my mission. Truly I am because I know that I am learning and growing and I am learning that I can’t do anything without the help of my Savior and Redeemer!! I truly can feel of the infinite love He has for me!! I know that night in the Garden of Gethsemane He suffered pains and afflictions that I can’t even imagine but he did because He loves us! I know that night He saw me my face and all my trials, afflictions and sins that I would pass through in my life. But He loved me and He suffered for me!! What an amazing experience that I have to wear my beloved Saviors name on my chest over my heart to represent Him! These last 17 month He has been with me and I will never be able to repay Him for everything that He has done for me! This week I was thinking of all the blessings that I have in my life and all the experiences that I have had. I am in awe and so humbled and amazed at the love He has for me!! I truly feel like the hymn says: I stand all amazed and the love Jesus offers me confused at the grace that so fully he offers, I tremble to know that for me he was crucified, that for me a sinner, he suffered he bleed and died! I want you all to know that I know without a shadow of a doubt that my Savior lives and that he loves us! I know that this is his gospel and it is perfect! I am thankful for trials in our lives so that we can better come to know our Savior and his love for us!! I am so eternally grateful for this opportunity in my life to serve a mission what an amazing experience this has been. It has been hard but the best thing that I could and can do in my life! I know that it is changing me as a person into something better!!
Thank you for you words. They were exactly what I needed to hear!! I know that I have worked hard and I know that my successes was not because of me it was because of my Savior and Redeemer and I will work with all my mind might and strength for these last 7 weeks of my mission!! So I can say I had no regrets!! I love you! Thanks for listening to the Spirit and writing those incredible words that has strengthen me so much. I am going to print them out so I can read them for always!!
I love you!!
Love always and forever Hermana Turnbaugh
I am in awe of how truly blessed I am to have a family like you!! Your Letters this week were so incredibly wonderful. I feel of your love and I feel my Saviors love as well for me!! What you said is so very true! I have been hurting deeply and feeling lonely and feeling helpless. But truly I am feeling much better with more faith and with a positive attitude!
This last month I don’t know what it was but I just felt that I couldn’t hardly Breathe! I felt sad and I felt like I had no clue what I was doing and that my Spanish was horrible like I was just starting my mission! Because one member said, I am not going to lie your Spanish isn’t very good, and it hurt so bad! Because no one ever has said that before. Everyone says that my Spanish is good. I know its not perfect but it is good and I can communicate and I can understand. So I don’t know why he said that, but it truly did shake my confidence as a missionary and as a person. And just other things that I have went through this month. I just felt like I didn’t have any confidence in myself at all!
So one day we were studying and I was just hurting so deeply and all I could do was cry so I got up from my desk and I went to my room and I just cried like a baby and I prayed to my loving loving Heavenly Father and I talked to him. I told him everything! Everything that I am feeling and that I have been going through. And He was listening because I felt Him there. I felt a peace that came over me that I couldn’t remember my sadness anymore! I heard in my heart that si se puede or yes you can do it! That your Spanish is not horrible.That you are a good missionary and that He loves me!! I felt his loving arms around me and Him helping me in that moment! That I need to always humble myself before Him! Because I am nothing without Him!
Then I read something from Elder Richard G Scott that said;
"Trust in the Lord. Just when all seems to be going right, challenges often come in multiple doses applied simultaneously. When those trails are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels that you are prepared to grow more. He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion, which polish you for your everlasting benefit. To get you from where you are to where He wants you to be requires a lot of stretching, and generally entails discomfort and pain!"
Wow huh? It was Heavenly Father telling me that I was ready to learn more! To change my heart into someone that He wants! It hurt but in those moments of pain and sadness I have felt the Atonement working in my life. I know that it is real with every fiber of my being! I know that it helps us get to where Heavenly Father wants us to be! It helps us learn what is true charity and what true patience is! I am so thankful for this experience in my mission. Truly I am because I know that I am learning and growing and I am learning that I can’t do anything without the help of my Savior and Redeemer!! I truly can feel of the infinite love He has for me!! I know that night in the Garden of Gethsemane He suffered pains and afflictions that I can’t even imagine but he did because He loves us! I know that night He saw me my face and all my trials, afflictions and sins that I would pass through in my life. But He loved me and He suffered for me!! What an amazing experience that I have to wear my beloved Saviors name on my chest over my heart to represent Him! These last 17 month He has been with me and I will never be able to repay Him for everything that He has done for me! This week I was thinking of all the blessings that I have in my life and all the experiences that I have had. I am in awe and so humbled and amazed at the love He has for me!! I truly feel like the hymn says: I stand all amazed and the love Jesus offers me confused at the grace that so fully he offers, I tremble to know that for me he was crucified, that for me a sinner, he suffered he bleed and died! I want you all to know that I know without a shadow of a doubt that my Savior lives and that he loves us! I know that this is his gospel and it is perfect! I am thankful for trials in our lives so that we can better come to know our Savior and his love for us!! I am so eternally grateful for this opportunity in my life to serve a mission what an amazing experience this has been. It has been hard but the best thing that I could and can do in my life! I know that it is changing me as a person into something better!!
Thank you for you words. They were exactly what I needed to hear!! I know that I have worked hard and I know that my successes was not because of me it was because of my Savior and Redeemer and I will work with all my mind might and strength for these last 7 weeks of my mission!! So I can say I had no regrets!! I love you! Thanks for listening to the Spirit and writing those incredible words that has strengthen me so much. I am going to print them out so I can read them for always!!
I love you!!
Love always and forever Hermana Turnbaugh
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
9/12/2011
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY SETH!!!! I hope you had the best day ever!! I am so glad to be your sister!!! Thank you for loving and taking such good care of my sister!! I know you are a wonderful husband and father and the Lord is blessing your little family so much!! I love you thank you for all you do!!! Happy Birthday SET(In spanish!) LOL!!!
Oh my most wonderful parents. How amazing is it that you have been married 34 years! That is such a wonderful blessing!! I know you love each other so much!! I know that you love our family more than anything else! We have been so blessed as a family and it all started when 2 people fell in love! I am so blessed to have you as my parents! I am so thankful that you have always put Heavenly Father first in your lives. You both are so amazing. I am so blessed to be part of this family!! Congratulations on 34 years of love and happiness!
Hola Mi familia!!
How is everyone doing!?! It sounds like everyone is doing so well!! I am so happy about that!! How fun that you went to Le Mis!! I love that musical so much!! But who watched the Kids!?! LOL!! How fun! I love that we do such fun things as a family!! We are so truly blessed to be such a close family that is exactly what God wants. A family with unity and love!
Oh I am so hoping to hear that some one put an offer on the house. I pray everyday that it will sell! I know it will soon!!! That house has a lot of beautiful memories and that is why God is waiting to send a wonderful family who can appreciate the love that the house has!!
This week has been a week of learning and growing! It has been hard and I have spent many nights reading and praying of what I should do and how I can find peace? I never thought I could be tried so much but I know that God knows why and I will look back on this time and know that it was to help me to be a stronger person.. This week I have been brought down pretty low but I know that through trials and afflictions it is to better help us to come to know the Atonement and better come to know of the grand love God has for us!! I know that Prayer is real and I know God hears our prayers! I know that if we put our faith and trust in our Savior we can overcome whatever trial that we might be facing in our lives!!
But we are working hard and we are finding new families to teach! We found a cute little family the other day! They are a couple who is married and the wife said after our lesson “what do I have to do to get baptized? That sentence is what every missionary wants to hear!! I know that she will progress and she said her family is the most important thing to her and we told her how families can be together forever!! I know that family can be together forever. But first have faith and then exercise their faith and be baptized. Because baptism is the first door in the kingdom of God but if they want to pass through the door they must enter in the temple and become a favored family through the sacred priesthood power!
I love this gospel with all my heart I know we go through things to better help us understand the Atonement and to come closer to our Savior and Redeemer! I love the scriptures and the words of the living prophets they help me to find the answers I need from my Heavenly Father!!
I love you all so much. Thank you for your love and prayers!!
Always and forever
Hermana Turnbaugh
Oh my most wonderful parents. How amazing is it that you have been married 34 years! That is such a wonderful blessing!! I know you love each other so much!! I know that you love our family more than anything else! We have been so blessed as a family and it all started when 2 people fell in love! I am so blessed to have you as my parents! I am so thankful that you have always put Heavenly Father first in your lives. You both are so amazing. I am so blessed to be part of this family!! Congratulations on 34 years of love and happiness!
Hola Mi familia!!
How is everyone doing!?! It sounds like everyone is doing so well!! I am so happy about that!! How fun that you went to Le Mis!! I love that musical so much!! But who watched the Kids!?! LOL!! How fun! I love that we do such fun things as a family!! We are so truly blessed to be such a close family that is exactly what God wants. A family with unity and love!
Oh I am so hoping to hear that some one put an offer on the house. I pray everyday that it will sell! I know it will soon!!! That house has a lot of beautiful memories and that is why God is waiting to send a wonderful family who can appreciate the love that the house has!!
This week has been a week of learning and growing! It has been hard and I have spent many nights reading and praying of what I should do and how I can find peace? I never thought I could be tried so much but I know that God knows why and I will look back on this time and know that it was to help me to be a stronger person.. This week I have been brought down pretty low but I know that through trials and afflictions it is to better help us to come to know the Atonement and better come to know of the grand love God has for us!! I know that Prayer is real and I know God hears our prayers! I know that if we put our faith and trust in our Savior we can overcome whatever trial that we might be facing in our lives!!
But we are working hard and we are finding new families to teach! We found a cute little family the other day! They are a couple who is married and the wife said after our lesson “what do I have to do to get baptized? That sentence is what every missionary wants to hear!! I know that she will progress and she said her family is the most important thing to her and we told her how families can be together forever!! I know that family can be together forever. But first have faith and then exercise their faith and be baptized. Because baptism is the first door in the kingdom of God but if they want to pass through the door they must enter in the temple and become a favored family through the sacred priesthood power!
I love this gospel with all my heart I know we go through things to better help us understand the Atonement and to come closer to our Savior and Redeemer! I love the scriptures and the words of the living prophets they help me to find the answers I need from my Heavenly Father!!
I love you all so much. Thank you for your love and prayers!!
Always and forever
Hermana Turnbaugh
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
9/5/2011 & Pictures
How is everyone this week? It sounds like everyone is doing so good!! Oh how sad that Baby Tru was sick! He is better now right? Where did Crystal and Seth go on their Cruise again? How fun for them! I know I love watching their kids too when I have to put them to bed it is so fun to read the Book of Mormon with them and have a group hug! That is so wonderful they are starting those traditions. Those kids will never forget that ever! It is so good to start those kinds of traditions in our homes that our kids will grow up strong and know who they are and that the things of the Lord is important! So I am so glad everyone is happy and Healthy!!!
But yes, everyone is very glad that I will be staying here in Nicoya! I am glad to I know that I have not finished my work in this area. I have so much more to do before I can go home so I need to work hard and run as fast as I can for the final stretch!
So for my birthday we didn’t get to do to much. We had citas far away so when we finally got back to Nicoya it was 8:30 ish so we just went to our Cocinera and she had a cake for me that we had to eat real fast so that we could be back in the house at 9 pm! But it was fun and very sweet that they had a cake there for me! But on Sunday two families wanted to make lunch and dinner for my birthday which was very special!! So it was a great birthday!! But no eggs on my head this year!!
My companion is great! She doesn’t have any fear to talk to people which is a big help to me! So we are working like crazy and trying to find more people to teach! We dont have to many people but we are working really hard to find more. We had a very cool and spiritual experience the other day!! So we had a couple of citas but all of them fell through! So I told my companion we need to pray. We need help in finding people because we can’t do it alone! So we went back to our house and my companion offered a prayer! But before the prayer I told my companion that I am going to write the names of the neighborhoods on pieces of paper. I know you dont know where they are but I know God will speak to us both. So she prayed and after she looked at a card which the barrio is kind of far away. She said I feel like we need to go there so we did! And as we started walking we saw a young mother with her baby and she was walking in the direction we were heading! So I started to talk to her and little did we know that the missionaries were visiting her neighbor before and she was always curious to know who those missionaries were. So she said yes come to my house I want to learn more! So we found a cute little family! The husband is evangelico and the wife is catholic and she said that isn’t right. We need to find the church of Christ so that we can have a family more united! So we shared how they can have that in their lives! It was a very special experience because I know that we can’t do anything in this work with out asking our Heavenly Father where we should go? We can work on our own but it is like we are running in sand and we won’t be able to get anywhere! With his help and his guidance He will lead us to those waiting for this Gospel because he knows who is ready and who isn’t! I have such a strong testimony in prayer!! I love Prayer and the time that I can talk to my Heavenly Father and receive guidance from Him!! I know that the Lord is guiding us in our work here and when we are humble and we let him guide us we will find success but if we try to do this on our own we will be just going in circles!! I know that my Heavenly Father loves me! I love Him and I know this is His work and when we work with Him in His work we will be happy and find success!
I love you all! Thank you for all your love and support! I love this Gospel. I know it is true with every fiber of my being no matter what anyone says. It is true! Because I have prayed to a loving Heavenly Father who has answered my prays and continues to answer my prayers!
I love you all!!
Love always and Forever
Hermana Turnbaugh
Saturday, September 3, 2011
9/1/2011
Oh mi Hermosa Familia!!!
Thank you so very much! To get your birthday wishes today on my birthday it makes my birthday even that much more special!! THANK YOU SO SO SO SO MUCH mom for my birthday package it was so cute. I love the clothes that you sent. I am wearing them today!!! I got my package yesterday during changes so it was very special! Thank you for everything you all are so thoughtful!! And there was things that I needed so badly like for my eyebrows so you are very in tuned to my needs mom!! Thank you once again it made my whole day so special!! You are the best family ever to think of me on my 23rd birthday!!! Today my cocinera, she is going to make a cake for me and have a little party tonight and then on Sunday a family invited us over to have dinner and a party with them because their son also has a birthday this month but on the 4th! So it will be very fun and special!!
How fun to be with kisses kids. It sounds like you are having a blast!! I bet Ethan and Ciara are just loving to spend time with you both!! I want to spend time with you both and I will even run a mile and a half with you dad!! LOL!! I think that is so special that you ran with Ethan trust me he will never forget that!! So special!!
So you are probably all dieing to see what happened during cambios (Drum Roll Please)
......................................................................................................................................... My companion had changes and I am here in Nicoya and I am here till I finish my mission because I am TRAINING AGAIN!!!!!!! You have another nieta!!! Your 3rd granddaughter can you believe that!!! So I will be with my companion for 12 weeks until I finish my mission!! I am so excited to be here and to be with Hermana Trejo, she is from Mexico!! She is really awesome! She is fun and really outgoing so that is awesome!!! I can’t believe I am training again!!! When I saw my picture with hers and President announced congrats your a trainer again I couldn’t believe it!! And then Hermana Galvez gave me a hug and said how special it is to train 3 times not that many sisters do! I feel very blessed that God has confidence in me to train again especially my last changes as a missionary! I know that we will find success! I feel really good about my companion she is fun!! She is exactly what this area needs! Last night when we arrived to Nicoya we went to visit our cocinera and she said how much fun to have to sister missionaries that are both so happy and outgoing! So I am excited to work with her!!
We are going to work really hard to find success in this last 12 weeks of my mission I promised myself and my Heavenly Father that we will baptize a family my last change and I know that with the help of my dear Heavenly Father I will be able to accomplish this goal!
I love this work so much! The work is so much like a roller coaster a lot of ups and a lot of downs but I know trials and difficulties are for us to learn and to grow. I know that all my companions were with me for a reason and that I have learned from them and I am a better person because of them!! I know that I have a special purpose here in this area! That I need to find someone here! That is why Heavenly Father is allowing me to be here for another 12 weeks!! I am in awe that my Heavenly Father always has so much faith in me even when I doubt. He is there always cheering me on and telling me I can do it!! I love Him so much!! I feel Him so close to me when I pray!! I know that He is leading and guiding my life in the direction that I need to go!! I love you all! Thank you for loving me so much!!
Have the best week ever! I will write more next week!! Thank you once again for all the birthday wishes!! It made my day so special as if I was actually there with you!! But this birthday was so much easier than the last. I remember I was a pretty sad little girl last year and missing my family like crazy! But you grow and you learn and know I am just so blessed that I can spend my birthday here in this beautiful country that I love so much! I love Costa Rica as if it is my home!!
Love always and forever
Hermana Turnbaugh
Thank you so very much! To get your birthday wishes today on my birthday it makes my birthday even that much more special!! THANK YOU SO SO SO SO MUCH mom for my birthday package it was so cute. I love the clothes that you sent. I am wearing them today!!! I got my package yesterday during changes so it was very special! Thank you for everything you all are so thoughtful!! And there was things that I needed so badly like for my eyebrows so you are very in tuned to my needs mom!! Thank you once again it made my whole day so special!! You are the best family ever to think of me on my 23rd birthday!!! Today my cocinera, she is going to make a cake for me and have a little party tonight and then on Sunday a family invited us over to have dinner and a party with them because their son also has a birthday this month but on the 4th! So it will be very fun and special!!
How fun to be with kisses kids. It sounds like you are having a blast!! I bet Ethan and Ciara are just loving to spend time with you both!! I want to spend time with you both and I will even run a mile and a half with you dad!! LOL!! I think that is so special that you ran with Ethan trust me he will never forget that!! So special!!
So you are probably all dieing to see what happened during cambios (Drum Roll Please)
......................................................................................................................................... My companion had changes and I am here in Nicoya and I am here till I finish my mission because I am TRAINING AGAIN!!!!!!! You have another nieta!!! Your 3rd granddaughter can you believe that!!! So I will be with my companion for 12 weeks until I finish my mission!! I am so excited to be here and to be with Hermana Trejo, she is from Mexico!! She is really awesome! She is fun and really outgoing so that is awesome!!! I can’t believe I am training again!!! When I saw my picture with hers and President announced congrats your a trainer again I couldn’t believe it!! And then Hermana Galvez gave me a hug and said how special it is to train 3 times not that many sisters do! I feel very blessed that God has confidence in me to train again especially my last changes as a missionary! I know that we will find success! I feel really good about my companion she is fun!! She is exactly what this area needs! Last night when we arrived to Nicoya we went to visit our cocinera and she said how much fun to have to sister missionaries that are both so happy and outgoing! So I am excited to work with her!!
We are going to work really hard to find success in this last 12 weeks of my mission I promised myself and my Heavenly Father that we will baptize a family my last change and I know that with the help of my dear Heavenly Father I will be able to accomplish this goal!
I love this work so much! The work is so much like a roller coaster a lot of ups and a lot of downs but I know trials and difficulties are for us to learn and to grow. I know that all my companions were with me for a reason and that I have learned from them and I am a better person because of them!! I know that I have a special purpose here in this area! That I need to find someone here! That is why Heavenly Father is allowing me to be here for another 12 weeks!! I am in awe that my Heavenly Father always has so much faith in me even when I doubt. He is there always cheering me on and telling me I can do it!! I love Him so much!! I feel Him so close to me when I pray!! I know that He is leading and guiding my life in the direction that I need to go!! I love you all! Thank you for loving me so much!!
Have the best week ever! I will write more next week!! Thank you once again for all the birthday wishes!! It made my day so special as if I was actually there with you!! But this birthday was so much easier than the last. I remember I was a pretty sad little girl last year and missing my family like crazy! But you grow and you learn and know I am just so blessed that I can spend my birthday here in this beautiful country that I love so much! I love Costa Rica as if it is my home!!
Love always and forever
Hermana Turnbaugh
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