Jan 9, 2017 -- Now It's Serious

My motto this transfer has been "we don't talk about it."

When people on the square ask me how long I have been on my mission, my answer has been the good 'ole, "over a year." And when they ask how long left I have, I say a couple of months. I guess when you get to this point, where you really only have 1 final day left in the mission field, you could say things have become pretty real.

This week has been a wild and crazy ride where I have learned so much about myself and about what it means to be fixed on the truth and fixed on doing what's right.

What will you do when faced with a decision that no one else knows you have to make? Do you stand up for the truth and for what's right no matter the circumstances?

I won't go into the details of this experience but this week I came to know the importance of doing what's right even when it is not popular.

There was also moments this week that we drove a sister to the hospital and thought that our apartment was being broken into.

Last night we were sound asleep when I woke up to loud knocking on our door and the lights being thrown on by Sister B. She said there were two sketchy guys outside trying to get in and so we of course hid in the bathroom as they continued to knock (pretty violently). We called one of the senior couples that lived in our building and they came running down only to find that they had left. At this point our roommate had woken up and had scared us half to death because we thought they had gotten in. Then after the senior couple left we laugh, chat and hear the knock again! So we freak out and grab shoes, curling irons, a knife (not the smartest decision I have now been informed) and try to defend ourselves. "Night Manager, you left your keys in the door!"
"Yeah right!"
"No seriously"
"That's what a thief would say; Just leave the keys!"

And he did and the senior couple came back and we found out it really was the night manager the whole time.... because yours truly left the keys in the door. Haha my bad....

Overall it has been a great week and a wonderful time to serve as a missionary. I feel blessed to know how much God loves me and watches over me. I know that He sent His son to die for me and through the ups and extreme downs it was a worthy price to pay in order to become acquainted with my Savior. I know that God has called a prophet again on the Earth named Joseph Smith. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God's kingdom, once again established on the Earth. Here's to the next chapter of my life and wherever that will take me. I know that as I hold on to the Lord's hand, I will be led where I need to go. I love you all so much.
Sister Eging

Jan 2, 2017 -- I Believe In Miracles

It truly has been a fantastic week and Sister B and I have been blessed with so many miracles together.

We truly have been working together to "not run faster than is needful," especially since this week I have come down with an awful cold/flu bug that I can only describe as an animal living inside of my chest. But, that has not stopped the work from progressing. We still have been finding, and teaching everyone we can about the restored gospel.

This week we found out that A is going to be baptized on the 27th of January and we have found two amazing investigators who want to be baptized! We found H on the square with his cousin and he had been to church a couple of times. He kept saying over and over again that he knew he was in Utah to learn about this gospel, so that he could make his life better. We called him and he said his first prayer out loud asking for guidance and the spirit that was present was tangible. I feel so grateful to be able to participate in teaching him.

Then on the last night of the Christmas lights we found T! T is 10 years old and his parents are members of the church. He wants to be baptized so badly and his parents have been looking for the sisters in their area to teach him. We were able to teach a quick lesson on Temple Square and will now be sending the sisters over to teach T and hopefully soon he will be baptized. It really is amazing to see the light of Christ work inside children as they are able to recognize truth.

I'm grateful for every second that I am a missionary and for the great blessings that the Lord pours out upon us.

We then had MLC this morning (Missionary Leadership Council) to train on how to be Christ-like leaders through the example we set. The example we set is extremely important and has such a profound impact on the people around us.

Also we have spotted Elder Holland, and Elder Oaks in just the past 3 days and received a package meant for Russel M. Nelson. You could say that we're pretty important people.

Love you all. Have a happy New Year and remember to set specific stretching goals!!!!

LOVEEEEEE
SISTER EGING

Dec 26, 2016 - Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all had just as good of a Christmas as I had this year. Christmas' on a mission really are special, unique, experiences. I'm so glad I have been able to serve on Christmas twice!!

This week was pretty crazy and busy. We had Zone Conference all week which means Sister B and I were giving trainings about half of the week. It was really nice as the subject and topic of Zone Conference was on the Atonement. I can't think of a greater subject to study during Christmas than the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This is why we celebrate Christmas. Without the ultimate sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ we would be stuck in a sinful state forever unable to return to God. But, due to His willingness we have been given the grand opportunity to change, to become more than what we are.

After Zone Conference was Christmas! What a treat it was to be able to Skype home and see everyone! (Don't worry it wasn't too crazy for me). And my mission president got a kick out of the VR goggles Will. After that we had a Christmas Program that Sister B and I were frantically putting together in between Zone Conferences. Up unto the very last second before it started we were still finalizing details. The cherry on top of that program had to be Elder Spencer. Elder Spencer is one of the senior couples that serves here and to be honest he is quite the character. For the Christmas program Elder Spencer was able to talk the folks in charge of the Savior of the World performances into lending us costumes. And so as a special guest we had a shepherd with a massive tangled beard read from his personal scroll the story of the Savior's birth.

Comedy doesn't get much better.

All in all it was a good week to learn and grow. We never stop serving or being asked to grow. This was a week were I once again was taught to look on the positive and happy side of things. Every person has a choice to make in this life. They can either go through life as a victim allowing the world to dictate their emotions, thoughts, and decisions or they can choose happiness. Choose to not allow the situation, attitude of someone else, or hardships dictate how you will react. We are agents to act, not be acted upon. And the moments when we truly find ourselves are the moments we fight for ourselves.

I love you all so much and hope you find yourselves. Find the gospel for yourself, find your purpose, and find your happiness.

With much love,
Sister Eging

Dec 19, 2016 -- Christmas Bells Are Ringing

As well as my head, my head is ringing and spinning. I can't believe another week has come and gone and that I am soon to be entering Christmas day! How amazing is that!

I absolutely love Christmas on Temple Square, despite the crazy look that seems to enter into every sister's eyes as the sleep deprivation really starts to hit home. In fact the weeks leading up to Christmas are so busy that we could only now start writing our email because we have been helping with various situations that have taken place on the Square.

Seriously, I feel like I've been run over by a truck....not once, but at least four times.

This afternoon we were involved in supervising a tour and interview with some of the sister missionaries on Temple Square.

And this week starting tomorrow will be the beginning of Zone Conference! I'm so excited! President is going to be teaching and speaking on the Atonement. Which is truly the reason that we celebrate Christmas. Without that event there would be no reason to celebrate the birth of a lowly infant but because of the immense sacrifice that the Son of Man endured we have reason to celebrate. Beyond that we have reason to rejoice that full access to the Lord's atonement has been granted to us through the restoration of the fullness of the gospel. Of this I rejoice and it fills my heart every time I am able to bear my simple witness of the truth.

I hope that you may all find joy this Christmas season and be able to find that truth or bring others to it.

With lots of holiday cheer,
Sister Eging

Dec 12, 2016

Well this one is going to be a pretty quick and short letter.

This week was filled with spiritual contacts and really strengthened my testimony of the power of teaching the restoration to members of the church and non-members alike. There is just something so sacred about seeing others feel the Love that God their Father has for them and their families. Being able to serve in an area where visitors from everywhere come we are able to see and explain the pattern that God has established to help us find peace in our families and return to live with Him again, the only way is and always has been through the Messiah, the Savior of the world whom our Heavenly Father sent to Earth roughly 2,000 years ago. And this peace filled those who followed Him. But sadly even with the Messiah on the Earth people still rejected those truths. And that gospel, in its fullness was lost. What a time of confusion we entered into! And what a time of light we found as our God and our Savior descended and appeared to a young boy in a quiet grove. There is no more meaningful and powerful message nor importance to the world today than that of God's activities in our lives today. He has called prophets and apostles to guide us back to Christ. And I'm grateful to share this message with all the world.

In celebration of our Savior's birth much of the mission was able to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's annual Christmas Concert, this year the guest performer was Rolando Villazon. It was a pretty special event and meant a lot to be able to see it.

We then wrapped up the week with an amazing lesson with B, our new investigator who already believes the Book of Mormon to be true (he was raised reading it). He is spiritually connected and knows that God is wanting him to join the church at this time in his life. It's been amazing to be able to teach someone who already knows and believes in the Restoration but had been lost for a time. He has already set himself a baptismal date for January 7th! I am so happy!

Oh we were also to take a reporter for the Toronto Star on a tour of Temple Square with Elder Clark of the Seventy. It was pretty cool. And after Elder Clark left we were able to walk her back to her ride and explain in greater detail about the Restoration and invited her to read the Book of Mormon, she was able to receive a copy and I'm grateful for the opportunity to help someone else understand a bit more and seek for them self.
I love you all! And Merry Christmas!
LOVE Sister Eging

Sprint! - December 5, 2016

My motto for the last 6 months of my mission has been to sprint.

I have been running, working, teaching, testifying, the whole nine-yards and it is the most rewarding feeling to see how the Lord blesses us when we simply try our best and also to see how the Lord will allow us to suffer in order for us to be taught.

This past week was transfer week, which is a very busy, very hectic week and, not to mention all of the Christmas programs, and events that are being coordinated,(I never realized how much coordination went into these things before). But it was a week of Divine strength and miracles for my new companion Sister B and I.

We have found some really remarkable people these past couple of days. The one I want to mention is E. We were walking on our way to the North Visitor's Center so that we could have teaching center time, away from the distraction of the office, when we saw J, a recent convert from Sister B's outbound, about to go into the Temple. We stop and start talking with her and her husband E. E has been studying the church on his own and when J asked if he would like to go and talk with us while he waited for her he said no. He said he didn't want to and was going to explore on his own and then his wife told him about this short video about the first vision we could take him to. And he agreed. As we started talking to E he told us about dreams of his father that he had been having and of this feeling that he needed to know more about the Mormons. So he started watching videos and things online and kept wanting to learn more. We taught him the restoration and asked what it would mean if he knew there was a prophet. As we took him and watched the first vision film with him the spirit filled the room. Afterwards we invited him to pray and to ask and he said he already knew that this was true. Long story short, when we left him he had committed to pray about a January 7th baptismal date. I know God had allowed us to find E.

It was a very good week. I look forward to seeing what other blessings God has every single day for us.

I also enjoyed attending the First Presidency Christmas Devotional yesterday. It was one way to really remember the reason why we celebrate Christmas. This is not just about the Savior's birth but His life, mortal ministry, and ultimate sacrifice that we celebrate.

I'm so grateful to have access to His never ending love and to be able to share that with all that I can.

Lot's of love, Merry Christmas, Happy holidays, Feliz Navidad, and all that good stuff.

Love
Sister Eging
New Companions!
Locked Out of the Square

Nov 28 -- These Are The Days

This past week was absolutely fantastic with finalizing transfers,
and Thanksgiving, and the start of Christmas schedule and then
announcing transfers! Woo!

Thanksgiving was absolutely amazing! We were able to go to our mission
president's wife's sister's home for Thanksgiving with our Mission
President and his wife of course. It was so much fun and such a
spiritual moment to be surrounded by spiritual Giants and given the
opportunity to share a message with them. And of course bring back all
the sweet potatoes and apple pie I could carry.

Then Christmas schedule has begun. This means we wake up at 7 and
leave the square at 10 pm. Unless it a day like yesterday, just before
transfer calls, then we have to stay a bit longer -- but don't worry
security is always really nice about it ;)

I just want to briefly mention how I have been able to see the hand of
the Lord in my life this week. There has been much that Sister
S and I have been expected to do and sometimes it can feel
like the weight of the world on your shoulders, like your swimming and
fighting for air. Then I have started to make the decision to choose
to trust God. Trust in his timing, in his will for me as his
missionary and realize at every single thing I do He is aware of and
will work towards my good. I serve a loving and merciful God. He has
numbered all of His children and I have been able to see Him lead us
to them or lead them to us. I am so grateful that He is allowing me to
find the prepared, allowing me to teach all in my path and simply
allowing me to be an instrument in His hands.

With all that the Lord has prepared for us to do it is important to be
worthy of the call. This Christmas is a time to become more like our
Savior Jesus Christ, acting as He would act and living the most
fundamental principle of the gospel, to love others as Jesus loves
you. With the coming forth of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus
Christ through a living prophet we live in the fullness of times where
we can access every bit of Christ's atonement. What better way to come
unto Christ than share this message with those around you. Reach out,
pray with all your hearts for ways to serve and then act.

Also take a look at the 25 ways in 25 days to serve around you on mormon.org and scroll down to the bottom to find it.

Oh sorry, by the way, my new companion will be Sister B from North
Carolina. She will be killing me... Yay....

I love you all lots! Have a happy happy Christmas and holiday season!

Love,
Sister Eging
Companions for only one more day! Going to miss her!

Nov 21, 2016 - Breakkkk

The week of breaking. It is the week before transfers which means transfer planning but on top of that there were also Savior of the World performances, an office remodel, designing and planning a surprise, helping with Thanksgiving dinners, missionary department meetings and much much more. So it is no shock to say that I am tired. Down right tired

It was a hard week for Sister S and I as we both are struggling feeling like we are doing enough so we try to run a little faster and that doesn't help. So we broke a little bit, got ice cream and shared the gospel along the way.

This week I came to learn about the reality of the adversary. That is Lucifer, Satan, the devil, and whatever else you may refer to him as. When we as imperfect people start changing ourselves to become like Christ, to help others become like Christ, when we reach for a new level of righteousness there is always push back. Feelings of inadequacy, exhaustion, despair, Satan will use anything he can to get at us but that is precisely why our Savior was sent. I know who I can turn to. He has sunk beneath the lowest points of despair and felt the most intense pain imaginable. For me, for you, for literally every single person who has lived and who will ever live.

So reach out He's there to help. Don't try to be perfect and then ask for help. Ask and do your best.

Lots of love sending your way!

Enjoy our pictures because it snowed! And share a smile with someone today :)

Love Sister Eging

Nov 14 - Companionship Unity -- A Double Testimony

This week was a CRAZY week! We had Zone Conference all week meaning little time on the square which tends to make us sadder and more irritable sister missionaries. But they were wonderful meetings (my companion will talk more about them) (Also Sister Risenmay hates it when people use the words 'double testify' so I had to throw that in there....don't worry we never actually say it to people).

From my companion, SISTER S:
This week we had Zone Conference (Sister Eging and I plan and make the agendas all the meetings when the whole mission is involved)

It was quite the Zone Conference the Spirit was strong! President Risenmay went and taught the doctrine behind the Plan of Salvation, I learned so much. More then I have ever in any plan of Salvation lesson when circles are drawn on a board. I was able to receive a lot of inspiration!

We gave two training's 2 days and three on 1 day. It was a lot but together we were able to teach and testify to help the mission improve skills. We gave a training on how to use the area book better and on inviting and promising blessings, the one day we did a role play at the Temple Model teaching the plan of Salvation and the restoration while testifying of it to each other.

ME (Sister Eging)
After Zone Conference this Saturday we also were able to go and see N baptized which was such a sweet and lovely experience.

So around this time last year my companion at the time, Sister C went on exchanges with another sister, Sister D. While they were on exchanges they found N and her boyfriend, and took them through God's Plan for His families, a little presentation that shows here at the visitor centers. And it touched her heart a lot. Now because of different circumstances and hard things it took N, a little while to get to the point where she was ready but, it was amazing to see the light in her face as she stepped out of the waters of baptism. The spirit filled the room and she made a covenant with her Heavenly Father.

What a great way to end the week.

I know that God is aware of each one of us and truly is noticing all of the details of our lives. He knows exactly when we are ready to hear the gospel and will continue teaching us throughout our lives regardless of whether we are receptive or not. I'm so grateful for such a loving God and I'm grateful to know the fullness of His plan for me.

I've also come to stand face to face with many of my weaknesses and am truly grateful that there is a way for me to overcome them. I'm not perfect, and will never be in this life, but I'm grateful for the plan that has been given to us that allows us to always progress and become better.

Hope you all are working on your missionary commitments.... I'm looking at you family!

But seriously if you sincerely ask God who is ready to receive the gospel around you and are quiet, and listen for that answer, you will receive it. Just act.
Love,
Sister Eging

Nov 8 - Happy Halloween!

Well I will just say that I am exhausted! It has been quite a week. Last, last Friday I got to go to a sealing in the Provo Temple and it was such a special experience. This is what the gospel is all about, families.

It strengthened my testimony of the eternal and loving nature of God. As God has given us our families and those that make us happy, He also gives us the gospel through His son Jesus Christ, restored through the prophet Joseph Smith, so that our families can be sealed together forever. I had to step back a moment and consider just how blessed I truly have been to be a part of this great work.

Then after the sealing, for Halloween our mission had a surprise! Usually we all go to the Temple on Halloween but because it was Monday the Temple was closed and so we had to do something else. Our amazing mission president decided we would all watch a movie as a mission and so we watched The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. What a powerful movie. I loved watching it with what I call my new 'missionary eyes.' The symbolism was strewn throughout that movie and it put the Atonement of Jesus Christ into a little bit more of perspective for me. (However the movie in general freaked my companion out... hahaha her transition home's going to be a little rough but... so will mine.)

The rest of the week we have been working a lot on helping our investigators progress towards baptism. We have a couple that are working towards baptism at the moment, but there is this family that I'm very excited for. They are living in Texas but originally from Burundi in Africa. The man is on fire for the gospel and his first Sunday to church he brought 5 friends. Now to help all those that don't live around him he is using us. We have two separate households we are teaching and getting in touch with missionaries in Burundi and he is slowly giving us more and more of his family and friends. I'm so excited for them to receive the gospel and become converted.

Conversion truly is a choice, it is not something that just happens to us. But, as we make the conscious effort to read the scriptures, to pray, to open our mouths and share the gospel, the Lord will make up the difference and our conversion will be sure. It doesn't mean there won't be hard times or tests of your faith but it means that God is watching over you and there are angels round about you. At the moment where you face giving up or enduring and your heart holds on, in that moment God endows us with power. Keep holding on to the faith and don't allow the winds or waves of the world to shake you.

I love you all. I know that this is the true church. Please share it.

Love you!
Sister Eging

D&C 6:34
34 Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock,they cannot prevail.

Better Late Than Never - Oct 24, 2016

So sorry my weekly email is getting out a little late today. Just as
Sister S and I were leaving for p-day we received a tour
request from Guest Services for Bishop Gerald Causse, his wife, and
niece, from the presiding bishopric. It was such a powerful experience
as we were able to teach them the restoration and hear their
testimonies. His niece is planning on serving a mission so we were able
to help her begin her missionary work.

This week has been a blessing. It was transfer week so we were able to
make sure all the new sisters arrived safe and sound and that they
were all situated the first day. Then the rest of the week went by
fast as we took every opportunity we could to get out on the square.

At the end of the week we had a wonderful little lesson over the phone
with a small family that we found. The daughter is 8 years old and at
the end of the lesson she was so excited to go to church. We then had
a kneeling prayer over the phone and it was the sweetest thing in the
entire world. I know that we have been given this gospel so that we
and our families can be happy. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the way.
There is no other. We have to be willing to share this message. I love
the gospel.
Sister Eging

The Cat's Outta the Bag -- Oct 17, 2016

All beans are spilled!
Transfers were announced this Monday so Sister S and I don't have to keep anymore confidentiality things. It has been so much fun to see the sisters get so excited about their companions and everything.

Sister S and I get to stay together for another transfer woot woot!!

There has been a lot of busy-ness going on over here which is good. It keeps us on our toes. The new sisters will be coming to the mission on Wednesday and we should be having two baptisms this Saturday.

One crazy cool thing! Remember the general and his wife from Lebanon that came for a tour of Temple Square during general conference? Maybe? Maybe I didn't mention it. But he is a very high up general for all of Lebanon that came and he is a less-active. His wife expressed a lot of interest in the gospel. As we taught her about the prophet and about God's love for His children she began to lighten. Her face turned brighter and she shared her experiences that she had during general conference as she listened to the prophets and apostles speak. She couldn't remember the words they spoke but remembers the sweetest feeling washing over her in waves. Well after the tour we said good-bye and asked her to meet with church representatives in Lebanon. We then had no way to contact her until this week.

We were in the Teaching Center taking church headquarter referrals when a call comes in and I take it. This man starts speaking and explains how he needs to order two Book of Mormon's in French and in Arabic. He tells me that he had just taken his friends to Temple Square that were visiting from Lebanon. As we talk I tell him that we were the sisters that took him and the general on the tour! And we keep talking about how they are progressing in the gospel. Long story short he gave us her and the general's emails and asked us to email them during our preparation day to just reach out as friends.

So cool!

The gospel really is reaching every nation and the work of salvation is hastening.

My mission just keeps getting greater and greater. I'm so grateful for my Savior and the example He set. I'm grateful for the fullness of the gospel and how it has been restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. I'm grateful for the plan that God has for His children and the guidance He gives us.
Lots of love being sent your way!

Work, Work, Work - Oct 10, 2016

THERE IS NO SATISFACTORY SUBSTITUTE!!!

ESPECIALLY IN MISSIONARY WORK!!

Wow what a week,

We have had so much fun, as Zone Conference is now over, we had so much time on the Square and in the teaching center so we have been able to find and contact a lot more of our investigators. We were able to find out that one of our investigators had been baptized! And we are so excited to see the many other miracles that will be coming to the mission in the upcoming months/ this month.

This week we have also been able to help with Transfer Planning which is an amazing experience to literally pray over each and every sister in the mission and what the possibilities are for next transfer.

Other than that there has not been much excitement going on.

Yesterday we had a meeting with a Chinese branch around Salt lake City and Sister S and I had the opportunity to kindly explain the role of Temple Square missionaries to a whole room full of not very happy members. But all in all I think, hope and pray by the end of the meeting, they now know just how much teaching does go on in Temple Square. We teach constantly and talk to people all day everyday.

Not much else funny has been happening. We have this family that lives in our apartment complex that we have been friend/stalking. Missionaries are like the best stalkers.... seriously. But its all good, they're cool with it and they love us! haha Today is our Mission President's birthday so after this we are going to 'break-in' and decorate his home and leave cake for him. Pictures will follow!

I love you all so much!
Sister Eging

Me and my companion!

Oct 3, 2016 – Blurry

Well our week was quite the blur. So much happening. We had three days straight of Zone Conferences. This is where we are able to help the President and his wife train all the sisters in the mission. The focus for Zone Conference was on personal conversion and also on increasing our faith.

The Zone's have increased their vision and with the next month of October are looking to help even more people enter into the waters of baptism. They were wonderful conferences with some really amazing trainings.

And then the week ended with GENERAL CONFERENCE!

I LOVE GENERAL CONFERENCE!

It is one of the best weekends ever and some of the greatest times of my mission have been running around Temple Square at Conference time. What a wonderful time to remember the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Everything that God desires for His children. He loves us and so He called prophets to give us the scriptures. He sent His son to die for us and show us how we can return to Him. Then as Christ and His apostles were rejected, God in His love for us, called a prophet again in the 1800' to bring back that same authority that Christ was baptized by. This same authority is held by the prophets and apostles today and we are able to learn from them. What a privilege to know these things for myself. To be able to study the Book of Mormon and to gain my own witness from the Spirit.

I love you all!

Keep building your testimonies and helping others build theirs. Our testimonies grow as we bear them!

(Also we pushed a piano across Temple Square today, it only took us two hours because we were contacting people along the way)

LOVE,
Sister Eging
(taken from the Temple Square blog, http://slctemplesquaremission.blogspot.com/)

Sep 26 – There Can Be Miracles!

This week as we had encouraged other sisters to set stretching goals and especially as we have raised the Standard of Excellence for baptisms per month Sister S and I revised our own baptismal goal. Though it was the last week of the month our goal has changed from 2 to 5. And we started the week with a fast. As the week went on we prayed and searched our area book for those who may have been baptized and we reached out and taught everyone on the square about the blessings that come from baptism in the restored church. Then the Lord worked miracles.

By the end of the week though we weren't able to have 5 of God's children baptized our number of individuals on date for October went from 1 to 5. This is a miracle. Also we taught Relief Society:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h7WoJM1PbUvBLcNn2ouWAf5Y8-SgGKWgiyranvi9cfg/pub

http://slctemplesquaremission.blogspot.com/


Sorry this is a pretty short and lame letter but we are preparing for Zone Conference this week as well as Conference Conference so it will be busy!!!
Love you all!

Christ Stands at the Head of This Church -- Sep 19, 2016

Hello friends and family!
What a week it has been and I can say that I am certifiably exhausted. But that's the best feeling in the world so I'll just keep rolling with it.

This week has just been spiritual experience on top of spiritual experience and I am just amazed at the tender mercies that the Lord has shown both Sister S and I. We don't really get a lot of time on Temple Square contacting so every second is precious and a spiritual experience. We are being led to those who are truly ready to learn and act upon the message of the restored gospel and I have come to gain an increased testimony of how this work is directed by Jesus Christ. There is no person that we talk to that we were not meant to. We are led to every person be they member, guest, or anti. Every person is a child of God simply on a different place in their path back to Heavenly Father. Of course there are things that are necessary for everyone to return; faith, repentance, baptism (by proper authority), the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring, but everyone is able to know for themselves that this is the Church of Christ. It is all about connecting others to heaven. and who wouldn't want that?

This week we were able to work closely with the Mission President and the Zone Leaders to discuss the raising of the standard of excellence for baptisms per month per Zone. There are more people who have been baptized this year than in the history of Temple Square and in less than a month we should be hitting our annual goal of bringing 1,016 souls unto Christ through baptism in the year 2016!
How amazing!!!

We also went and spoke in a ward this Sunday and Sister S and I whipped a musical number together real fast where she 'plunked' the piano and I sang "I Stand All Amazed".

I forgot just how much I LOVE singing. It was one of the best feelings in the world. I was a little nervous and rusty but it was fun!

Well that's all for this week.

Love you all. And take extra time today to pray for the opportunity to show someone God's Love. Pray, and then Act!

Love,
Sister Eging

Assistant to the President Life --- lots and lots of time in an office. . . .

And So It Begins . . . Sept 12, 2016

There sure has been some craziness happening this past week of
transfers but it has been a blast and a half.

So sorry if we don't have a lot of time to write but I will be sure to
hit the highlights of our week with my wonderful new companion SISTER
S FROM CANADA!!!!! And in case you didn't know...it snows in
Canada!

She is the best and has already taught me so much!

The first day we had interviews with all of the new sisters which was
an awesome way to get to know them and to see the wonderful spirit and
influence that these sisters are bringing with them to the mission.
They are on fire and truly are here to hasten the Lord's work.

After Tuesday President and Sister Risenmay left for a mission
President's seminar that went until Saturday afternoon so Sister
S and I were running around trying to do the best we could
to hold the mission together while they were away. We've had a couple
of scares and sticky situations but all in all it went pretty
well....but boy were we glad when they came home!

This week we were able to actually sit and discuss goals together as a
companionship and there is something to be said about developing and
increasing our faith in the Lord. I see this calling as such a test of
faith as I am not able to be out on the Square as much as I would like
to be; it is important that I can develop my faith and learn to rely on
the Lord that all things will be done in their proper order. There are
many things to learn and much patience to develop but I know the Lord
is preparing people for us to find everywhere we go.

I love you all and I love this work!
Sister Eging
Sent from my iPad

Note from Sis Eging's mom -- Aug 30

So she warned us in last week's email that she wouldn't have time to write this week, however, she did shoot off a quick note to let us know that she was called as an Assistant to the President. From what I understand her and her companion help the Mission President with things, such as training new missionaries, etc. For those of you who know Sister Eging well and her "not so quiet" side, you may be asking if I am sure I understood her correctly. I was told that she was "pretty sure that this is proof that the Lord uses imperfect people to further His work hahaha" So, we are pretty excited for her. This should keep her busy as we back home look forward to beginning our "100 Days Until Melissa Comes Home Countdown" in October (we decided counting down any sooner might make it seem to go longer so we are going to start at 100 days). Thanks for those who have been praying for her, writing her, etc. We appreciate it! Thanks, Melissa's mom

The Week of No Sleep - Aug 24, 2016

And no personal study... and no companion study.
It was a very busy week here on Temple Square as Sister R and I went on exchanges with all the sisters in their first transfer here on Temple Square and we also had ZONE CONFERENCE

Which was amazing.

This week I want to reflect on commitment.

In Preach My gospel it says

"Your success as a missionary is measured primarily by your commitment to find, teach, baptize, and confirm people and to help them become faithful members of the Church who enjoy the presence of the Holy Ghost."

This week has been harder for Sister R and I to find new investigators for ourselves as we have been on exchanges all week (serving with others for training purposes). This was a great opportunity to reflect and to learn from the other sisters as well as to reflect on our own commitment. When things get difficult usually the first response is how do I get out of this situation. I think commitment is being so focused and determined that it changes from how can I get out of this situation to how can I use this situation?

The situation then turns into a productive learning experience and we are able to grow.

It comes from an inner desire to reflect more of Christ's character, a desire to be more like Him and to change the world one smile, one principle, and one invitation at a time.

Zone Conference was also amazing as a lot of the focus was on developing these Christ-like attributes within ourselves. We can not ask anyone to change beyond our own transformation. I loved the trainings (one of them given by yours truly and my wonderful companion) and also the remarks from our mission President. He taught us more about Joseph Smith and the trials he went through and how he responded in a very Christ-like manner.

Well I hope you also enjoy the pictures of me and my trainee and trainee's trainee haah at East High oh and of course my companion.

Love you all so much! I will probably not be writing you all next week as it is my companion's last p-day so we are going to help her pack and things!

Lots of love
Sister Eging

East High (of High School Musical fame)

Aug 16 - Busy As A Bee

Hello one hello all. I can officially say that I am living at the Beehive house . . . haha, it is my official residence.

I have spent exactly 21 hours serving in the Beehive house this week through exchanges with the other sisters in our zone and covering the assignment for sisters who are sick; it has been great and I feel like I have been best friends with Brigham Young my entire life.. (or maybe I've just gone crazy?) Either way it's been great.

Speaking of exchanges, its the part of the mission that I used to fear the most but since I've been back from Outbound (3 months serving in San Diego, CA) I love them so much! There is so much to learn from every sister that I get to be on exchanges with and I love it. I also love my companion this transfer and have been so blessed to be with her. She is such an example to me of hard work and dedication to the Lord's work (as well as simply having joy serving, I love it)

Sister R and I have been work. work. working. as we do our very best to talk with EVERYBODY we have been able to see a lot of miracles of many people who have been prepared to meet with local missionaries.

There is just something about helping every single person who comes on Temple Square connect in some way to Heavenly Father that brings such great joy.

Not much else to report this week. I love you all. We will hike Ensign Peak today (Sister R has never been so of course we have to go).

Love
Sister Eging :))

17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.