Let go and Let God

This week my Heavenly Father answered a prayer that I said when I was 6 years old. "Heavenly Father, I really want a sister." And He certainly gave me one! 14 years later, but who is counting? I am so grateful for the knowledge that Families can be eternal and that we are not meant to be individual beings but members of family units.

If you can imagine this week was a little bit rough, I wanted so much to be with my family for my sweet brother's wedding, but the Lord told me He needed me here, so here I am! As I pondered why I could possibly need to be here rather than there, a phrase I have heard a thousand times came to my mind, "let go and let God." Our Heavenly Father is very aware of us and our situations, He wants to bless us and He wants to guide us, sometimes we need to just let Him take the reigns and trust that He can lead us better than we can.

I will never lie and say that my mission has been easy, or that I haven't ever thought about giving up. I have been studying the Old Testament with what little free time I have, and the phrase that sticks out to me constantly, is "and Noah walked with God." or Adam or whomever. This life is a time for us to learn to walk with God.When the Savior taught His people and they found something that was a little bit hard to handle, they gave up and left. In John 6 it says:

66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

I know that my Savior is there holding me. Every trial I have had on my mission is nothing in comparison to what He went through, suffering for my sins. I know that He is there and He understands me. Jesus is the Christ. He is my Savior and my friend, He is my older brother and my comforter. I know that there is nothing that I can do to repay Him, but I am certainly trying! 

All my love,

Sister Megan Monson

This is what Sister Monson was doing on Saturday July 1st:

Having lunch with Bishop and Sister Hill

enjoying the sights of Bremerton while doing missionary work

AND... attending her brothers wedding in the Bountiful Temple 

She fit right in as one of the Bridesmaids

and even gave the groom (Jaymes) a photo op

but actually she was in Bremerton all day enjoying a drink run with her comp

All in the Lord's Timing

This week was Basically the Longest week of my entire life. We went on exchanges on Tuesday and I gave a training in District meeting on Wednesday, but when I was looking back on my week I thought that those things happened last week it felt so long ago!

This week we had an amazing experience with the Bergman Family. Our Bishop had gone over to visit them for ministering visits on Tuesday, and felt that we needed to visit with them as well. We had to put it off because all the times we could visit Sister Bergman were either filled, or we didn't have our car when we actually had time to go visit them. So Friday came around and we had left our ward list at home!

The ward list is the most important tool you have to find people to visit, if you don't have an address how can you find them?!?!? Sister Pluim and I looked at each other and decided we could probably find our way to the Bergman's house.

The coolest thing was that just as we were pulling up, they were building a fire to roast s'mores, but Brother and Sister Bergman were wondering how they could help all of their 7 children to roast marshmallows.
When we walked into their yard they were so grateful for two extra sets of hands! So we roasted Marshmallows and laughed, and talked to the kiddos. I wound up having a really great conversation with Sister Bergman about why they aren't coming to church, and a couple of her children expressed desires to come to church! So we are hoping to get them in there one of these days!

The Lord's timing is perfect, even for simple things like roasting marshmallows!

All my love,
Sister Megan Monson

Ode to Dads

Admission time: Fathers' Day is the worst as a missionary, at least on Mothers' Day you can talk to your mom! But Fathers' Day was just sad because all the talks were on fathers and the little kids sang about fathers, and all you are thinking about is your dad and how you don't get to see him! So naturally you decide to write your weekly email on fathers!

The little primary kids sang a song in Sacrament meeting yesterday that really touched my heart and made me think of my sweet daddy,

My father’s hands are steady and kind.  They hold me and show me the way.
And when they are gently placed on my head, the fear in my heart goes away.
My father’s eyes are tender and wise.  They twinkle with laughter and fun.
They scatter the sunshine, weep when I’m sad, and rest when the day is done.
Knees which are worn from the years of kneeling to pray fervently.
Feet which have walked many miles, making a path for me.
My father’s heart is turned towards God.  He serves doing all that he can.
Reflecting the love that comes from above, He follows a heavenly plan. (My Father) 

 

A year ago I was asked to give a talk on Fathers, with the stipulation that I wasn't talking about my dad. Well, now it's a year later, and this is my blog post, so I can talk about my dad all I want! 

My dad is an incredible gospel scholar (he will probably deny this) and he taught me everything I know about the gospel. I remember watching a video about the Savior appearing to the people in the Americas, and my dad testifying of the reality of Christ. My testimony grew from an early age, because I knew my father had a testimony, and I wanted to have what he had.

My dad is an amazing example and I will follow in his footsteps for the rest of my life. Where would I be without a father who guides me?

Dad, you're incredible, you have truly taught me everything I know. Without you I would never know the difference between a Phillips and a Flathead, or a mallet or a hammer! But seriously, thank you!

 

On a side note,

Yesterday we were also asked to go to a missionary's homecoming, we were told to sit with all the people around our age, so we did and basically listened in to their conversation. All of them had served foreign missions and were very critical of missionaries who served in the states and were from Utah... so basically me. I left angry, why is it that there is such a stigma about both things? and why did I have to fit both descriptions?

This morning I studied a talk by Elder Bednar, "Called to the Work," and it struck a chord with me. Elder Bednar says:

"Every year tens of thousands of young men and young women, and many senior couples, eagerly anticipate receiving a special letter from Salt Lake City. The content of the letter affects forever the person to whom it is addressed, as well as family members and a great number of other people. Upon arrival, the envelope may be opened neatly and patiently or ripped apart excitedly and with great haste.Reading this special letter is an experience never to be forgotten.

The letter is signed by the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the first two sentences read as follows: “You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the ______ Mission.”

Please note that the first sentence is a call to serve as a full-time missionary in the Lord’s restored Church. The second sentence indicates an assignment to labor in a specific place and mission."

There is a stigma in the church and I think all should throw it out, missionaries who serve in foreign countries think that they are more worthy, better servants of the Lord. There is no difference. Missionaries who leave from places other than Utah think that they are more valiant in their faith. There is no difference. Members of the church everywhere, especially in the states, think that missionaries from Utah as somehow less competent than missionaries who grew up other places. There is no difference.

I beg all who have these notions to cast them out and to appreciate missionaries wherever they are from and wherever they serve. We are ALL trying to serve the Lord, and we are ALL trying to do what is right. It hurts when members scoff at where I am from, and it hurts when people ask "what did you think when you were called to WASHINGTON?" 

I know that I am exactly where I need to be, and I LOVE IT!

All my love,

Sister Megan Monson

The Gospel Blesses Families

A year ago in a tiny tiny little town called Clarkfork, Idaho, two missionaries knocked on a door, just like missionaries do. They talked to a young man named Ben, who truly embraced the gospel wholeheartedly, as the missionaries taught him, his mother, father and wife all eventually joined in. They were baptized and immediately started sharing the gospel with their family members. Ben's mother, Sandra, referred her own mother on Mormon.org several times, with no response. She continued trying until finally the missionaries were able to make contact with her mother, Carolyn.

Carolyn had some reservations, she wanted to know, for 100% positive, that the church was true before she ever even went. The thing about that is, if you don't go to a church, you can never know it's true!

Over the course of the 8 months she was being taught, she went to church only once. Eventually, the third set of missionaries who taught her lost contact with her and decided it would be better to wait for a few months for her to be more prepared.

That's where Sister Pluim and I came in. We started teaching Carolyn again and she came to church almost every week since we started teaching her. Her heart changed and she was ready to listen. We had about a billion lessons on the Word of Wisdom and Carolyn really changed her view of smoking (which she has done for 60 years) and Coffee (which she has had many times daily for 65 years).

The most amazing part about this story is that her grandson, Ben, who listened to the missionaries a year ago, was able to come out from Idaho to baptize her. One of the first points in the first lesson is "The Gospel Blesses Families," how true that is, the gospel blesses families so much!

I love the gospel and I love seeing how it can change lives. What an amazing blessing it is to know that through our Savior, Jesus Christ, we can be with our families forever.

All my love,

Sister Megan Monson

It's not Always Easy, but it is Always Worth it

Sometimes you try so hard, SO HARD, to get people to church, you are so sure that they will show up and that they will have a great experience and everything will be great. This past week we tried SO HARD to get people to church, and come Sunday we had two people committed to coming and a couple people who were likely to come but we weren't too sure whether or not they would make it. So we showed up to church, more than half an hour early, to wait for an investigator, Brian, and give him a church tour... and we waited and waited and waited. And none of our investigators showed up. Carolyn called and told us she wound up in the hospital for a health condition, which we don't really have control over.

While we watched out the window anxiously, President and Sister Blatter showed up... and the only thing worse than not having investigators at church, is having your mission president show up to your ward and none of your investigators there to introduce him to.

We took our seats deflated, we tried so hard! And it seemed like it was to no avail. During fast and testimony meeting a sweet sister shared that "it's not always easy, but it is always worth it." I was writing that in my journal, because it is just so true, and as I finished writing it, Sister Pluim tapped me on the arm and pointed at the door. Right outside was our investigator, Brian! He came late, but he made it! And he had an amazing experience at church, and wanted to tell everyone about how he met us and how excited he was to be there. God truly works in mysterious ways.

It wasn't easy to get Brian to church, but it was so very worth it!

Life's trials are never easy, but with the gospel they are possible. I love this quote:

So "when upon life's billows you are tempest tossed, when you are discouraged thinking all is lost," (like your investigators aren't coming to church so they can't be baptized,) as you turn to the Savior, things will work out. I know that is true, all things will be right in the end, if it's not right, it's not the end!

All my love,

Sister Megan Monson

celebrating her birthday

She lives in an absolutely beautiful place

saw someone wake boarding the other day and was so jealous!