Behold Thy Mother

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISTER MONSON - ON THURSDAY JUNE 1ST! We love you and send our wishes your way. Have a wonderful day celebrating all that life has to offer. - Love, Mom

Last week as I was emailing my mother she told me about how she was getting help in the yard and to mow the lawn because my dear Stake President of a father didn't have the time to mow it for himself. To be honest, it made me frustrated, I wanted to be able to be there to mow my mom's lawn for her and help out around the house. But I knew I couldn't, so all week I looked for opportunities to serve others. It started out as a few little gestures throughout the week, but as Sister Pluim and I prayed for opportunities to serve others, they were answered enormously.

Friday became a service day, and we were out doing yard and house work all day. We started out at the Masticks' washing windows, clearing land, and untangling ropes. We worked hard, and made it all look amazing at their house.

After being treated to lunch by the Masticks, we rushed over to a man named Eugene's house, we met him while knocking, and weeded and cleaned up his self-reliant mini-farm. It was so cool to see how he made his yard into a place that grew things all year round and how he was able to reduce his "carbon footprint" with a little hard work. I'm a little partial to growing grass over vegetables, but it was still cool to learn about. He was so kind and gave us home-grown vegetables!

We had to rush to change because we had a lesson with Carolyn, and we took Sister McCormick with us. Sister McCormick raised 10 children and is now in her 70's. After the amazing lesson, we asked what she would be doing with her afternoon. She told us "I'll have to mow my lawn, my husband doesn't have time to do it. It's a hard lawn to mow, but it has to be done."

This triggered something in my mind, and I remembered a verse in John 19, just as the Savior was about to give up His life, He took care of one last piece of business. 

26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

The last thing He had to do was make sure His mother was taken care of. And He had to allow someone else to do it. So when Sister McCormick told me she needed to mow her lawn, I heard the words of the Savior, "Behold thy Mother." I knew that I needed to serve Sister McCormick right then, to lift her burdens and ease her load. So we ran back to our house and put our disgusting, smelly, dirty, service clothes back on, and rushed over to Sister McCormick's house.

If you know me, you probably know that I have three brothers, and three brothers meant that I never once mowed the lawn... so when we showed up to the McCormicks' I had a lawn mower in my control and still had no idea how to use it. But the Lord always provides and I somehow figured out how to mow the lawn. It wasn't perfect, by any means, but it got done and Sister McCormick was so grateful.

Somehow, without doing as much knocking, and with doing 4 hours of yard work, it wound up being one of the most fulfilling days of my mission. Because as King Benjamin says, "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." (Mosiah 2)

I hope you all get a chance to serve someone this week!

All my love,

Sister Megan Monson

PS Don't forget to wish everyone a "Happy Megan's Birthday!" on Thursday!

Braver than you Believe

Carolyn is what is called an "eternal investigator." She's had the lessons multiple times, by multiple missionaries and she  kept having hold ups since she started learning almost a year ago. But with much prayer, the missionaries found out that her problem was the word of wisdom. She simply didn't believe that she could overcome that hurdle. eventually they lost contact with her and she stopped her path of progression.

Fast-forward to a week before I came to Bremerton, the elders were calling former investigators and decided to call Carolyn, they set up an appointment with the idea that they would be the ones to teach her the following week.

Well of course they were transferred and Sister Pluim and I came in and started teaching Carolyn. She told us to be patient with her and that she needed her time. On the second lesson she told us she wants to be baptized, and we put her on date to be baptized next month. The next time we went over we planned to teach her about the word of wisdom and she told us that she hadn't smoked in five days! She also told us that she was down to one cup of coffee a day and that even that one cup tasted nasty to her. We hadn't even talked about the word of wisdom with her!

Christopher Robbin once told Winnie the Pooh, "You are Braver than you believe, smarter than you seem, and stronger than you think."

Carolyn could have quit smoking whenever, she could have quit coffee whenever, as her missionaries, we always believed she could, she just had to believe in herself.

I think we can all learn a lesson from Carolyn's story, we are braver than we believe we are! My mom sent me a necklace for Christmas that says, "You've always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself."-Glinda the Good Witch. What an incredible truth, we are more powerful than we think we are, we are stronger than we think we are, it is only our own self criticism that is holding us back. So go out there and do something scary, or something hard, because you can do it, don't hold yourself back!

All my love,

Sister Megan Monson

Cookies!

Rainbow

Mother's Day Video Phone Call!

Honestly I was a little nervous to talk to her. I know how phone calls home can be hard on missionaries, causing homesickness and lack of focus. Unfortunately it caused this for me too! But the minute her sweet face popped up on the screen I just cried. She looks beautiful, happy, sweet, full of life and spirit and just plain amazing. They were tears of sweet joy that I need to feel. Being a missionary mom is not always easy, yes the blessings come and you do feel a sense of peace most of the time about your missionary serving but there is a piece of a mother's heart that goes with them and the ache is tangible and other times so hard to move forward without missing them more. 

My favorite part of her video phone call was the chance to have her fill our home with laughter and love. Megan has always had that ability to bring light to each room she enters. Last night at 7:00pm the room filled with her light. It was magical! She had curled her hair so nicely and looks a little older and much wiser. She has grown up... is a lovely women and I could not be more proud of her.

The chance to have all my kids and my new (almost) daughter with us too was a special gift I will forever treasure. We panned the room so she could see everyone there but I kept the camera on me! It was Mother's day after all. We all asked her questions and specifically about what she loves about being a missionary. What miracles she has seen, her response was she see's one everyday! 

We even sang happy birthday to her, since her birthday is in two weeks. That was fun, she didn't want us all to sing but we did :) She wants a hair cut for her birthday.. done!

At the end we asked her to share her testimony. What power and conviction she shared. I cried another round of joyous tears as she testified of the Book of Mormon, of prophets, of the restoration, of a Savior who atoned for her sins and ours, for a loving Heavenly Father and her love for the priesthood power and eternal families. Really it was all encompassing. She also shared that she KNOWS she is supposed to be where she is now, serving the Lord. She expressed gratitude for a loving family, companion and opportunities. 

We closed with a family prayer that John offered and blessed her with protection, feeling the love from home and gratitude for the blessings our family receives as she serves. 

It was hard to say goodbye but we did it. Could I love a daughter more? I bet as the years continue I will. She is a gift Heavenly Father knew I needed and knew I would cherish! Love you with all of my heart Sister Monson, Megan! May the Lord continue to bless you with experiences that will shape, mold and prepare you for now and your future.

Love, Mom

Forget Me Not

When you are on foot for an evening and you don't know where anyone in your area lives, you just kind of have to knock doors all evening. So that's what we did Tuesday night. The Elders had to borrow our car for a baptismal interview which left us on foot without any idea where we were supposed to do. So we started knocking.

Door after door was slammed in our face, many people had quite colorful words to use for us knocking on their doors at 8 o'clock. We had no other ideas, so we kept on knocking. We came across a door that had 2 "no soliciting" signs. One means "don't knock on my door." Two means "I will seriously be peeved if you knock on my door." With a little trepidation we knocked on the door, not knowing what response we would be greeted with.

Holding my breath I waited... To my surprise a sweet little old lady answered. She wasn't interested in our message, but she asked if we would like to cut some flowers out of her garden so we could have fresh ones in our home. We agreed and she brought us garden clippers and gloves. We filled bags full of beautiful flowers and talked as we made bouquets. We learned that her name is Mary and her husband is in a care facility on the other side of the state. She told us that she had been so very lonely and had been praying for a  friend that day. What do you know but we knocked on her door!

As we gathered flowers I found one that I had only heard about before but had never seen, little tiny blue flowers called "forget me nots." They reminded me of a story that President Uchtdorf told in General conference several years ago.

forget me nots and so many more beautiful flowers

A while ago I was walking through a beautiful garden with my wife and daughter. I marveled at the glory and beauty of God’s creation. And then I noticed, among all the glorious blooms, the tiniest flower. I knew the name of this flower because since I was a child I have had a tender connection to it. The flower is called forget-me-not.

I’m not exactly sure why this tiny flower has meant so much to me over the years. It does not attract immediate attention; it is easy to overlook among larger and more vibrant flowers; yet it is just as beautiful, with its rich color that mirrors that of the bluest skies—perhaps this is one reason why I like it so much.

And there is the haunting plea of its name. There is a German legend that just as God had finished naming all the plants, one was left unnamed. A tiny voice spoke out, “Forget me not, O Lord!” And God replied that this would be its name.

Heavenly Father did not forget Mary that day, and He has never forgotten any of us. The Lord is so very aware of us and He wants to give us the blessings we desire and deserve. I know that He loves us. He cares deeply for us, whatever our circumstances. Forget not that He is there for you.

All my love,

Sister Megan Monson

She lives in a beautiful area, Bremerton. Many people ride the ferry to Seattle each day for work. 

flowers from a sweet ladies yard

Happy Sisters!

Lift Where You Stand

This week I had a great experience with a young woman named Allison. Allison wanted so desperately to serve a mission but because of medical reasons she is unable to go out and proselyte. She thought all hope was lost and that she would never be able to serve until someone told her about serving a service mission. She decided that serving a Family History and indexing mission would fit her needs more than a proselyting mission, but she was sad that she wouldn't be able to be what she considered a "real missionary." Her Home teachers, who were also there and one of them shared a story that really struck me, I found it on Lds.org from President Uchtdorf.

"Some years ago in our meetinghouse in Darmstadt, Germany, a group of brethren was asked to move a grand piano from the chapel to the adjoining cultural hall, where it was needed for a musical event. None were professional movers, and the task of getting that gravity-friendly instrument through the chapel and into the cultural hall seemed nearly impossible. Everybody knew that this task required not only physical strength but also careful coordination. There were plenty of ideas, but not one could keep the piano balanced correctly. They repositioned the brethren by strength, height, and age over and over again—nothing worked.

"As they stood around the piano, uncertain of what to do next, a good friend of mine, Brother Hanno Luschin, spoke up. He said, “Brethren, stand close together and lift where you stand.”

"It seemed too simple. Nevertheless, each lifted where he stood, and the piano rose from the ground and moved into the cultural hall as if on its own power. That was the answer to the challenge. They merely needed to stand close together and lift where they stood."

I thought that this was profound insight, Allison's place to lift is different than mine, but that doesn't make it any less important.

This past week my place to stand changed, and it's been different than what I am used to. Bremerton is super different than Shelton, mostly in the fact that there are actually people to talk to here, and I don't have to drive half an hour between appointments, and there are always things going on. So it's a big adjustment, so much has changed in the past week and I can hardly believe I only traveled 40 miles and life is so different.

The Manette ward has had a lot of switched in their missionaries lately, they had Elders until last August, then Sisters for thee months, Elders again for four months, and now Sister Pluim and I! So they are having a hard time with the switch again, but it will be good!

We all have to learn to lift where we are standing in that moment, and when that position changed we have to adjust our hold. So that is what I am doing, adjusting my hold.

One of the greatest examples of lifting where you stand is my sweet mother, I thought I would give her a shout out because Mothers' Day is next week and she deserves it! My Mom is incredible at switching on a moment's notice. Just a few weeks ago my Daddy was put in as Stake President, and that has implications for not only him but my whole family, especially my mom. And yet she takes it in stride and adjusts accordingly. Moms are pretty great, and they deserve all the praise you can give them! So give your mom a big hug and tell her just how much you love and adore her, because she deserves all of it!

I love you, Mom!

Have a great week everyone!

Love, Sister Megan Monson

Saying goodbye in Shelton

For Good

I've heard it said,
That people come into our lives
For a reason
Bringing something we must learn.
And we are led to those
Who help us most to grow if we let them.
And we help them in return.
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you.

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes the sun,
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood.
Who can say if I've been changed for the better
But because I knew you.
I have been changed for good.

This song is from my favorite musical of all time, Wicked. As Elphaba and Glinda part, they recognize what a sincere impact they had on each others' lives. There is definitely a reason for every place the Lord puts us in, we are where we are to influence and to bless others and that is especially true for missionaries.

This weekend Sister Rust and I learned that we will both be getting transferred. I will go to the Manette ward in Bremerton, and Sister Rust will go to the Southworth ward also in Bremerton! We are sad to be leaving, but we both agreed, it's time. We have worked hard and we have done absolutely everything that we could possibly do. Shelton 1st will be getting a set of Elders and they will work miracles the sisters can't do. There is a time and a season for all things, the Sisters have had their run and now it is time for the Elders to take their turn here.

This adventure in Shelton 1st has been a whirlwind and I have come to love this little town. I have truly been changed for good from serving here. The members of this ward have had a profound influence on my life and I will forever be grateful for them.

The people I have learned the most from in this area have definitely been my three companions. From Sister Philippi I learned to be patient and humble.

From Sister Ireland I learned to be diligent and optimistic.

And from my sweet Sister Rust I learned to share responsibility, to be strictly obedient and to have fun while doing it.

I am grateful to have spent a portion of my mission here, but I am so excited for this new adventure in Bremerton. My new companion, Sister Pluim and I will both be new to the area, so it will be one huge adventure!

All my love,

Sister Megan Monson

Saying Goodbye-

The Bennett's

The Deacon's

Sweet Molly

Beautiful river

Rainbow

Beautiful country

Beauty everywhere

Sister Smith

Sister Rust and I

Waterfall

Fun pday hike with Sister Rust and Molly