July 27, 2015 - Lots of pictures of my friends

This is Naomi! I love her so much.

This is Jingle (: She's a recent convert and I LOVE HER SO MUCH... Cutest lady ever

"N" got baptized. She's the amazing lady I taught on exchanges with Sister parks. (: It was a beautiful baptism and I felt the spirit SOO strong. It was just what I needed to be reminded of my purpose as a missionary - to help people make sacred covenants with God that enable us to be with Him again. She is so beautiful. It's a silly picture but describes her lol.

"T" is getting baptized next week. Love her  Told her bling bling lol

Ward Activity!

District fun :)

What a week. 

Adjusting to new companions is so fun (: Sister Nansen is so funny becase she is Samoan but lived in Sydney most of her life so she is so AUSSIE. She's the whitest companion I've had and sometimes she think's I have more brown traits than she does (: 

We had Zone Conference and I got to see ALL MY FRIENDS from the river down so that was way fun! President Fife is an amazing teacher. I learned a lot about the Sacrament this week at Zone Conference. It's amazing how much we take for granted the sacrament, or at least I did. It was the last major event that happened before Christ suffered bled and died for all of mankind. 

I learned that as you reverently come to the sacrament hungry for help, you feel the atonement working in you and that ordinance becomes sacred and lasting. It's been something I've worked on my whole mission, trying to find more strength as I come to the sacrament with a more reverent and humble attitude and seeking the Lord's will. 

It is cold in the mornings and night so I'm always wearing my fuzzy socks. lol 

We excersize in the flat mostly because the cold is too unbearable. Probs not even that cold but it feels like it. I think the problem is that it's just as cold inside than outside....... #notevenrealwalls 

Australia is still gorgeous in the winter. WE have sunny days most days. and lots of amazing sunsets. It gets dark earlier now, so the cold can't be beat #bundleup 

This week we had a lot going on. Baptisms, Ward activities, service, teaching, exchanges and splits. It felt like a mad dash but we had a lot of fun. Again, it made me more thankful for the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ that comes as we invite the spirit into our lives. 

So grateful for all of you. Sorry it's so short today, it's sometimes hard to compose my thoughts and focus, but I loved to see all your pictures and updates. I feel the spirit when I read your emails. Got a letter from Kylee this week as well (: 

Just so happy to hear all that's going on back home. 

I'm more and more thankful for the relationships I'm making here in Australia. The people are so unique and fun, and I've come to absolutely love it here. I have some amazing friends. I am so blessed to meet and love and serve here. <3 

Keep doing missionary work - the elders and sisters in your wards  NEED you (:

I love you all. SOOO much!!! <3 <3 

Thanks for all your support, it means EVERYTHING. 

<3 SIster Falter

July 20, 2015 - It's a Kangaroo!

We were driving in Byford when all of a sudden my foot taps the brakes instinctively. "just a deer" I thought "wait a second, deers don't hop like that ITS A KANGAROO" 

My Companion and I FROZE THEN SCREAMED YAYYYY. 

I only saw their backsides but it was enough... it was enough. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to my Gorgeous Sister Emmalee, who I love with all my heart

and my equally beautiful Sister Melissa Kay whom I adore. I miss you two 

Celebrate HEAPS. 

It was so sad to say goodbye to a companion and friend that meant so much to me and taught me SO MUCH about becoming like Christ. Sister Leakehe was such an amazing missionary and so many people were touched by her service. I know she's become who she is by striving to be like Christ more, so that's what I want to do as well. 

This week was amazing. We taught heaps and found heaps of people to teach. We saw lots of miracles and got organized for the transfer. 

Sister Nansen is a good cook so I've been fed well. (: It's cold every night and morning but I'm getting used to it a bit more. Fuzzy socks and hoodies when we're in the flat is the only way I survive. 

This week I taught quite a few lessons, but one stands out. 

We taught a couple who were both baptized years ago, after they had been married, but in recent years, this brother lost his faith and now both he and his wife no longer come along to church. He claims to be atheist, although he never fully denies what he felt or knew at the time of his conversion. We were teaching about faith and repentance, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, something I have grown to love and appreciate so much. 

Often times, as missionaries, we are sent to teach people, but sometimes I think God, in His wisdom, sends people that we teach to us. That lesson was more for me, looking back, than for this man. It was amazing to share my personal witness of the Saviour Jesus Christ. Many times we share our testimonies to people who have similar feelings, and it allows for the spirit to testify to each of  us that WE KNOW it's true. But I didn't have that experience. His beliefs weren't there- which is usually when I draw back- but I felt so determined to make it known that I know that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world and the Son of God, so I did. A still, small voice in my head told me what to say, and I believed every word of it as I said it. Everyone felt it. 

I'd love to say he felt to his knees singing and praising God that instant, but he did not. Nor did it change his perspective of God, but it changed mine. I knew what I knew, and I left feeling so thankful for the spirit, and thankful for my own personal testimony. It is a gift!! 

Alma 37:44-46

For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land. And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise. O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever.

I'm so thankful for the members. I love them a lot. Elder and Sister Cammock serve as missionaries here and they are helping us teach one of Elder Cammocks lifelong friends. Their testimonies are so strong and I am thankful to have the opportunity to work with such beautiful people. 

I miss home. I miss my family and friends. Miss Washington state and Summer. 

But I love the work!! I loveee being a missionary. 

I LOVE being Sister Falter. 

Time is flying by way too fast. 

I love you all. I pray for you, all the time. 

Seriously I do. 

Be safe and make good choices. 

Sister Falter

July 13, 2015 - Transfer news.

STAYING, but getting a Samoan sister, Sister Nansen, who has already served here before. Back to a normal companionship.. That'll be so good for me and I'm SOOO excited to be a sister training leader again!! The members are going to FLIP when they see sister Nansen again. She was here for 3 months just before I came into the ward. 

I felt at peace with the news. Excited to stay with the ward - I feel at home here. (:

Service at the Lee's

Me and Sister Leakehe

This week we saw the Lord's hand in the work. We had no idea how we could find new investigators, but we had faith and acted in obedience and the miracles happened. They all came from following promptings of the spirit and acting on impressions we received in the moment. It was wonderful to see! 

My anxiety has been better this week. Some days were really bad, I think because I was anxious about transfer news. But now I am so ready and excited to do the Lords work here in Armadale ward. I think I have unfinished business to attend to here, and I am so excited, and even more excited to be a sister training leader. I've been praying for the sisters already. I am grateful for the extra support of a third companion last transfer because I was forced to work out personal matters and couldn't focus on the other companionships of sisters as much as I wanted to, so I am blessed to have the opportunity to repent and do much better, and I already feel like I've received revelation for how to spiritually lift the sisters and motivate them.
I feel like this is a fresh start for me to turn out and utilize the tools and strengthened testimony of repentance this next transfer. We spent most of our days tracting and visiting members this week, so next week we will hopefully teach more investigators and help them progress. I love the people we found already and we are SO EXCITED for them.

We had a man at the ward activity and church who hasn't been in 3 years, we had a less active family (one of them inactive) come along as well to the ward activity and church, and the inactive youth is bringing her boyfriend to church next week, and her mum expressed desire to work towards going to the temple for the first time and doing baptisms! We met with another less active family and the woman expressed her concerns to us this week about feeling judged and condemned for being less active and stated she would ONLY be there when she felt ready, and she rocked up to church this Sunday and the ward fellowshipped her! And we had another less active we've been working with come with her son and stay for all 3 hours. 

The Sabbath day was a miracle and I got to watch MEET THE MORMONS on Saturday. I missed the first 3 stories but it was better than nothing. We had more people there than ever expected. 

This week I took the advise of my much wiser and more mature YOUNGER cousin, who is in Alabama, and I made plans with Heavenly Father in prayer. I set prayerful goals. And it helped my week. There were stressful times and really fun / goofy times, but I focused on Loving Christ More, and I felt lifted. 

 "My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever. And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you forever. Amen"

I love you.

July 6, 2015 - Raise your hand if...

...you didn't think I would have time for the family email again this week.

YOU LOSE!

HEY <33 

We've adopted a new "mission father", and we already LOVE President and Sister Fife. Poor things haven't slept since they got here (it's a miracle, because I remember how long that flight was). 

Honestly, they are awesome. It's a definite change, and they are very different from the Lindsay's, but they are loved and respected and supported among all the missionaries and we already feel the power of his prayers and leadership in our efforts. 

We had the chance to learn from him on Wednesday, when he introduced himself and trained us on doctrine. He's been a teacher for just about 30 years and I learned so much. At the missionary leadership training on Friday, we felt his concern and testimony burning as he gave us counsel and more training. And on Saturday, I had a personal interview with him, where he continued to teach and testify of Christ. We had so many opportunities this week to recognize faults and repent and re commit ourselves, and have seen the miracles already! 

This week was a miracle. Three of the people we've been working with, we decided to stop visiting. We LOVE them (I can't even describe how much I love them), but we recognized the true nature of their concerns, and there was nothing we could do to help them without their own personal desire, so we acted in faith and let them go. Out of the blue, we received a call from a member who's friend lives close to us. Her friend has been in need of some spiritual guidance so we set up an appointment to meet with her. When we met her for the first time, she welcomed us into her gorgeous home and gave us some slippers for our feet. She opened up to us and shared her desire to feel God's presence in her life. In her own words, despite going to church every week, she felt spiritually dry. We shared our testimonies of Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation. We helped her recognize that God's influence in our lives comes in the form of the Holy Ghost, that it touches our hearts and minds and guides us through our life. At the beginning of the exchange, she looked so upset and tight, but by the end she was so excited and happy and energetic. She felt the spirit so strong, and so did we, so we invited her to follow Christ's example and be baptized, and she could not stop saying YES YES YES. I know that's the way she can feel God's influence in her life, by qualifying to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by being baptized. 

She could not stop thanking us, and calling us "beautiful angels" HAHAHA. (: She's a Filipino lady, and she's honestly a beautiful angel herself but I'm glad she already loves us. 

At the beginning of the week, we went on exchanges with the Murdock sisters (Sister Parks and Sister Allen-- both of them are American). I went with Sister Parks in Murdoch. We had an awesome exchange. I've worked with sister Parks in the past, and have heard her powerful testimony so seeing her in action was a gift. She taught me about following the spirit, and being convincing in lessons by simply testifying with power and authority. The lesson we taught was one of the best I've ever experienced, and I am so thankful for the Spirit's still small voice. The spirit, through us, resolved all her concerns, and she is prepared and excited to be baptized at the end of this month. What a beautiful experience for her, and for us!

I'm so grateful for the week I have had, for the miracles I've seen.
I love Armadale ward, and the members are getting excited about the work!!! We are having a ward activity on Friday and we're watching Meet The Mormons. (: CAN'T WAIT. All the members are bringing their friends. I love this ward and NEVER WANT TO LEAVE. (which means I'm probably getting transferred lol)

Heavenly Father is so good to us!! 

I love you all. Remember to let HIS light so shine THROUGH YOU. 

REMINDER: Email your favourite sister/daughter back. lol. <3

xxxooo Sister Falter

June 29, 2015 - Short and Sweet

FAMILY

This week we had the opportunity to go to the temple with my zone and have training one last time with President and Sister Lindsay! They will be missed. We miss them already. I was able to sing one last time for them with my companions at the training meeting. Isreal Isreal God is Calling.. on the fourth verse everyone stood and sang. I loved hearing their final testimonies. They have influenced my life more than they could ever know. <3 

This week I also learned about Nephi, when Bishop spoke of His Psalm. 2 Nephi 4. I learned from him that yielding to Satan, or the adversary, means that we do not put our full or complete trust in Jesuis Christ, and allow Him to make us whole. Allowing Satan in our lives is more than just doing the wrong things, but not allowing ourselves to think or feel the right things. Not allowing God or others to help us, to lift us. Alma spoke of His conversion in Alma 36, and at the beginning briefly describes the horrible crimes he knew could not be compensated for by his personal right actions or personal worthiness,  but it could be made right through Christ's grace and mercy. We have to accept imperfection- but not let it overcome us. We have to trust God, do our best, accept Christ's atonement, and strive to live faithful to the promises we make when we are baptized and confirmed. THEN we are good enough. Nephi recognized this. Alma did. We can as well. 

This week we taught one of our new investigators the gospel of Jesus Christ and expressed the beautiful way we can be relieved of all our guilt and pain. You could almost feel her relief that there was something big enough to do that for her. That she could eventually feel right with God again. It was a beautiful thing to testify about it after the week I had and all I had learned. 

We did heaps of finding this week and I got to be with sister Tukuafu for a day as well!!

I have to go now. sorry it's so short. 

Miss and love you all

Siste Falter

June 22, 2015 - There is a fight going on outside the library in the mall!

You heard me. ALL I hear is a man hollering because there's two little ones on top and pinning down one big guy and all of the customers are just stopped watching it happen. Half of them are on the phone with the police and the other half are either laughing at how ridiculous it is, or anxiously looking up and down the mall for security. Nice. 

The police just arrived and everyone is still watching. I'm just very confused about the whole thing. 

Anyways, this week was so good. 

I went to the temple with Mya and Melissa for the first time. They LOVED it. They could not say enough about how beautiful it was inside, and how good it felt. Mya said it felt like she was in Heaven and Melissa couldn't stop smiling because of the spirit she felt. It was a blessing to be a part of that! All the youth were there and most of the leaders as well. Such a cool night. 

I learned this week about fasting. That is one of my new favourite commandments. 

Fasting is such a blessing. I am so excited to fast with greater faith and purpose for the rest of my life. (: We always teach people that fasting is an opportunity to be closer to the spirit as we focus more on the Spirit, and less on our own physical needs. As I fasted on Sunday I never felt fatigued or hungry, but all day I felt close to God. I felt the still small voice teach me and comfort me. Many questions I had were answered and I felt so loved. 

I read in one of my favourite talks of all time about how sometimes we feel like we're in spiritual prison, but in those times we can often create a refuge, a temple, a light that will penetrate the darkness and free us from the adversary. Joseph Smith was in his own Prison Temple in liberty jail, under the worst of conditions because of his willingness to seek the will of God, Listen to the Spirit, and have faith in His Saviour and Heavenly Father's promises to Him. I felt that way when I was fasting. I felt like I was close to God, even when the adversary was coming at us! What a blessing to feel that way. I recon most people don't have that blessing of knowing they can escape their own personal prison by seeking reverent guidance through the Holy Spirit as we make our ground sacred. 

My companions and I are having so much fun together, but part of the week was spent with other sisters. 

Sister Bisogno from NZ came to our area one day and I went with Sister DeVera in Melville one day. I LOVE these sisters. I've been on exchanges with both of them before and they teach me so much every time. We've all improved since last time, which was so good to see. Sister De Vera is from the Phillipines and she made me Pork Adobo and taught me how. I LOVE Adobo. Yummm. We had a pretty interesting day. Met some weird people and most people were VERY keen to talk but not very keen to listen.... Makes for an interesting day. Loved it though. We had so much fun! (: 

I'm learning so much and growing. 

It's very cold but so beautiful here in Australia. We live next to a beautiful fountain/lake and park and when we wake up, the sun Is JUST coming up. 

President and SIster Lindsey leave soon. Our goodbyes are on Wednesday. What will we do without them?! Probably work hard and do exactly what we're doing now... (: But the APM will miss them dearly. Especially President's Announcer voice and Sister Lindsay's tears when we sing. AND her cookies. (: I adore them. Cant' wait to meet president and Sister Fife!! 

Well the police came and everyone's cleared out so must be fine #likeitneverhappened

Lots of love, 

Sister Falter 

PS DAD IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!

Merry Christmas (in the words of Austin) 

Jokes. 

Happy Fathers Day. ILY! 

June 16, 2015 - Sorry about last week.

I am such a failure sometimes but THE emailing is the most stressful part of the week. I'll tell you why: 

1. There is a time limit at MOST libraries incliding this one. 

2. You barely remember what you have planned for the day let alone what happened 24 hours ago. 

3. too much to say but you don't want your family falling asleep. 

4. IT'S ALL EQUALLY IMPORTANT 

There are more but those are the main ones. 

Don't judge my emails ok fam?! 

Right. Now. Let's get started... 

This week I learned so much. I learned about the love of our Saviour. He just loves us unconditionally. I don't fully comprehend how the Atonement works or how someone unclean can be washed clean of the sins and mistakes and distortions in our minds and hearts and become like Him. How? I don't know. But I KNOW he can heal our spirits. Especially as we make and keep sacred covenants and use our experiences in life to learn right from wrong. I can't explain how or what happened this week as I went to church and the temple, but my spirit felt healed because of the pure love of Christ and my Father in heaven. I learned that the love of my companions is so essential in progress and healing. and that when we covenant to remember Christ at baptism, not only do we 'Remember, Remember' to keep the commandments, but we 'Remember, Remember' His love, sacrifice, and mercy! 

God loves us. All of us. He took us by the hand almost literally, it felt like, and lead us to meet so many precious people this week who we have shared the gospel with. I love being a missionary and talking with everyone because we give them the opportunity to learn about the saviours grace and mercy, and not only that but to access the blessings of His atonement by living the principles and ordinances of His gospel, Baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. In a time I have never felt the adversity and satan so close to me, I have also experienced the most love and beauty from His opposite. 

I am just so grateful. So So grateful. 

Our prayers this week have been literally answered as we worked hard and followed the small voice of the spirit. 

My companionS are angels. We sing to EVERYONE and it is SO MUCH FUN. Sister Vea cut my hair yesterday ... and she's teaching us to HULA. She gave me her lava-lava (bless her <3) and sister Leakehe is the least trunky missionary in the APM and she leaves in 3 weeks. So much focus. 

The members are SO PRECIOUS. They take care of us. Give us people to teach, and love to hear us sing. 

We had a Mexican fiest as a ward activity so my taco cravings were satisfied. 

Last night we visited a member who fed us the BEST chop sui. 

I love every minute. 

It's not for Him that he sends missionaries, it's for Us. 

But our humble contribution is enough. 

Thank you for your undying love and support. I felt it this week as I received letters and cards from those I love dearly back home and in far away places.  I love getting letters from my cousins on missions, family and friends and members of my ward family back home. 

I'm probably not the missionary you all expect me to be just yet but I'm working hard to get there. Some days are better than others. Please pray for me. (: 

Love you all!

xoxo Sister Falter