We All Need a Hero

Hello wonderful family and friends,

 

We have had an amazing week. Miracles left and right. The Lord has blessed us so much this week to be able to meet all of our goals. I love getting to see the power of grace.

 

I have been thinking a lot about heroes. I have had many heroes throughout my life, and out here I have missionary heroes. A hero is someone we look to as an example. Someone who inspires us to stretch our souls. Someone who helps us to expect more out of ourselves. I am grateful for all the heroes I've had in my life. I've also seen how at times we need to be that hero for someone else. We need to always live worthy of their trust, by improving each day, being the example they need. The ultimate Hero for all of us is Jesus Christ. I am grateful for his example, and the example of all those who strive to follow Him.

 

As a mission Pres. Castro has invited us to deepen our understanding of the Atonement each day. He promised that as we deepen our own understanding, we will more effectively help others apply the Atonement in their lives. I've definitely seen that blessing this week. Something I've learned about the atonement is that it's all about sacrifice. Christ offered a sacrifice for sin. We are commanded to live the Law of Sacrifice. Anciently, they performed animal sacrifices. A sacrifice is giving up a good thing, or something we enjoy, for something greater. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we sacrifice who we are and what we do for something greater - a better self; someone who looks more like Christ. As we strive to represent Him, we can be heroes for others.

 

Anyways, Simi Valley is amazing! The people here are so kind. I love it here! Only goodness all the time. One tragedy though - this sweet old lady was taking a picture of my companion and I and the sisters we live with - and she dropped my camera and broke it :( So, I'm sorry that I won't be able to send any pictures for a while!

 

Hope you all have a wonderful week! I love you!

Hna. Cannon

Simi Valley is the BEST!

(from Amanda's letter 1/20/14)

Hello!

Okay so everything here is amazing!!! I don't have a single thing to complain about. Well, except the apartment downstairs which gives off the worst smell I've ever smelt in my whole life. But other than that, everything here is incredible!

I love my companion! Her name is Hna. Hamlin from New Mexico. She is half Native American. We're perfect for each other. I can really see how the Lord's been preparing me to be her trainer. Getting her as a companion is kind of like finding a golden investigator. They're amazing and you just love them so much and want to do everything you possibly can to help them learn and grow. It's hard for her with everything being so new, especially the language. But she's doing great and improving each day.

We live with two other sisters! They're serving in the English ward. I LOVE them! They are wonderful. Hna. Moere is training Hna. Hancock. It's so good for Hna. Hamlin and Hna. Hancock to have each other there because they're going through the same thing as new missionaries. And Hna. Moere is so sweet, I love her. She is so obedient. It is so nice to not have to be the only one standing up for obedience. We're able to set the standard together for the other sisters to learn. They're whitewash training too, so it's so nice and really strengthening for us to all have each other.

Our apartment is SO nice. One of the senior couples said it's the nicest apartment in the mission. It is beautiful. We have a fitness room at the apartment complex!! And our car is BRAND new! It had 39 miles on it when we got it. A white 2014 Chevy Cruze.

The branch here is fantastic! They are all working so hard. About a year ago they only had about 40 people coming to church. Last Sunday they hit a record of 111! And they had NINETEEN investigators at church! Can you believe it? They definitely needed another set of missionaries here - there is so much work to do. There's 6 of us now. And I've actually served with all the missionaries in our branch before! It's so fun to see them all again. I've served with all except one, who is Marie Davidson's cousin!! It's so fun serving around him. He is totally a Davidson.

Our area is the BEST. It's huge geographically and so condensed. Tons of people to work with. And there are not one, not two, but three Walmarts! And a Trader Joe's, and Costo, and Target, and just everything we could possibly want! So, we are in heaven. I couldn't imagine a better place to serve.

We've hit the ground running and found 8 new investigators this week! Everyone here is so ripe and ready to harvest. The people here have been working so hard for so long at planting those seeds, and now it's time to pick the fruit!

I love everything. I am so happy to be here. Hooray!

Hna. Cannon

Whitewash training again! Simi Valley Spanish ward!

Got the transfer call this morning, I'm excited to whitewash train again and be back in a Spanish ward! Should be exciting!

I really have loved this area. It has been such a pleasure to serve here. I really feel I've fulfilled my purpose here. There is no greater peace than knowing you did everything the Lord expected of you. I've never felt so trusted by the Lord and those around me as I have here in this area. The Lord has used us to accomplish wonders!

This ward is amazing. They are working so hard. They're going to continue to see miracles. I have spoken twice in sacrament meeting and told them that the Lord has a vision for this area. I can see it and feel it. I know that if they keep being obedient and strive to implement the work of salvation in their daily lives, this ward is going to grow. (I just got chills while typing that. That means it's true!)

Here's a story from this past week. Remember Domitila? She was the one from months ago who got a priesthood blessing and was healed from tuberculosis. She wasn't willing to change so we stopped visiting her. Last week I felt prompted to go back. We did so and ended up getting to teach Domitila and her granddaughters, Jessica (7) and Gabriela (4). They are so sweet. I love them. We taught them how to pray and they both did! We committed Jessica to help Gabriela learn to pray and remember to do so each night. We went back again on Saturday and had another great lesson. The girls were so excited to see us. You can tell they recognize the spirit we bring. They drew us pictures, and we gave them a picture of the temple. Gabriela couldn't stop looking at it - she loved it. Then Hna. Prestgard had a nice Spanish Book of Mormon with a testimony of a ward member written inside that was given to her by her home ward. (They do that there for each missionary in their mission language). She gave it to Jessica, who loved looking at the pictures. Domitila was even asking questions about our message and seemed to want to know. At the end of the visit Jessica said, "I knew you were going to come today." We both really felt like these seeds we planted will bring forth fruit one day. These little girls will grow up and remember the missionaries coming over and how it made them feel. Hopefully they will remember how to pray and do so. Maybe one day, when Jessica's older, she will find that Book of Mormon again and read it. It was a sweet experience :)

Other exciting happenings in Solvang:

Our recent converts are doing great! Dane continues to bless the sacrament each week and he is starting to make friends in the ward. Connie said that when she started meeting with us she didn't know her purpose (I even remember her saying that). But now, she knows her purpose is to share her experiences and her knowledge to bless others. She's going to do so much good. She even just got assigned to visit teach this less active sister who she'll be perfect for! I really think she's going to touch her a lot and help bring her back. So exciting! Carl got the priesthood and wants to get a limited use recommend and his patriarchal blessing soon! He is anxious to serve and lift others. His son Woody said he wants to be baptized too, which will probably be in February!

There are so many joys of being a missionary. You don't realize sometimes how huge your influence is. You help change one person, then they impact others, and so on. It's incredible to be a part of. I love being a missionary. This is the most joyful time of my life.

I love you!

Hna. Cannon

Happy New Year! 2014 is THE YEAR of the harvest!

Hello!

What a wonderful week. So much growth. All the time.

CARL GOT BAPTIZED!!!!! He is amazing. His service was beautiful. He began his new life on New Year's day. He was beaming. He is going to be such a solid member of the church. He was confirmed yesterday and was presented as a new member to the ward and he just looked so so happy. That's one of the greatest joys of being a missionary. And he received the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday!! Soon enough he will be able to baptize his son, Woody! Too much happiness. I can't even handle it.

One word to describe this week is guided. We have always known where to go and what to do - the Lord has really been leading us to the people he is preparing to receive the gospel. It's amazing.

These past two transfers have been full of so much growth for me and my companion. The area was thriving when Hna. Millet was here, but after she left it was a struggle to get the area back to where it was. We finally got it back. The price is obedience and being focused on our purpose. A nice moment for me this week was when my companion told me the greatest thing she's learned from me is the principle of obedience. It felt so good to hear her bear a testimony of obedience that she did not have when we began as companions. If there is one thing I would want all of my companions to learn from their time with me, that is it. When we are obedient, the Lord has to bless us. He has been preparing this area for so long, and now it is ready to be harvested. When we got here they hadn't had a baptism in a year - but I know if the missionaries here continue to be obedient and focused, with all the help we are getting from the members, this area will continue to see one baptism each month.

The Language Training I did went really well! I was super nervous. But it was fine. I was glad for the opportunity to grow. I was wiped out afterwards with everything we've had to do this past week. For the first time in my mission I actually considered taking a longer break for lunch to rest. But there is no time for that! You know when you don't think you can go any further, but then you just do? We stuck to the hour for lunch then kept thrusting in the sickle. Honestly, that day I was barely hanging in there. But as we kept just doing one thing at a time, through the enabling power of the atonement the Lord blessed us with strength. It was amazing! We had such a great day and talked to so many wonderful people. Afterwards we were like, where did that energy come from? Because it definitely wasn't from us. Grace carries us through yet again!

There is this amazing family - the Williams. They found not one, not two, but three new investigators for us this week! We had 3 appointments in their home to teach their friends. They have been reading that book that everyone talks about that I can't remember what it's called. The one Jeff Clark gave to all the ward members. They just talk to all their friends, invite them to things, live the gospel, share it, and invite their friends to meet with missionaries! It's amazing.

I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have an amazing week. You are the best family ever. Thank you for your love and support. You are the BEST.

Hna. Cannon