Hope

10/14/13

Dear family,

 

How's life?

Life down here in Texas has been kind of crazy, but also wonderful.

On Tuesday night I got a voice mail from President Pringree that said, "Hey Sister Gregson it's president pingree I need to talk to you about the upcoming transfers." dun dun duuuun.

 

I was really hoping he was just going to ask me to make cookies for the meeting but of course I knew it was going to be nothing close to that.

So the news is that I'm training again! My new companion's name is Sister Davis! She is such a sweetheart. She is from Reno, Nevada. She is 20 years old, and she has come out so prepared already!

The second news is that I've been called as a Sister Training Leader for our Zone. What that means is that basically I get to go on exchanges with each of the Sisters/Hermanas in our Zone.

 

After I got of that call with President I felt pretty overwhelmed. Ever time I'm asked to train I feel so inadequate (which is pretty selfish) so being called to be Sister training leader doubled that for me and I had a hard couple of days (again selfish) but I asked Elder Cummings to give me a blessing and its amazing how much a a weight can be lifted by the power of the Priesthood. I know the Lord will help me and that I'm not doing it alone. In fact it won't even be me doing any of the training it will be 100% the Lord and the spirit. Plus Sister Davis truly is the one training me. She is incredible!

 

So Sister Hutchings left me on Tuesday (she's been transferred to Katy) and I spent two days with the Hermanas in a temporary trio until my new comp came on Thursday. I got to be immersed in the Spanish world again and I love it! The Hermanas teach an English class every Tuesday so I got to go teach english and talk to their students. None of their students are members of the church so it's a great missionary opportunity for them.

Now that I'm Sister Training Leader I will get to work with those Hermanas a lot more which should be fun. I am so excited to be able to learn from all the incredible women that serve in my Zone. I know I'll learn way more from them then they could ever learn from me.

 

We had a lot of great miracles this week! The first lesson that Sister Davis and I taught together was to Erica. She is a referral we received from a member and she is incredible. We taught her what our mission calls "the first powerful lesson." In that lesson we begin by stating our purpose and we tell them right off the bat that at the end of the lesson we will invite them to be baptized by the authority of God. Then after we teach the lesson we ask them to say a kneeling prayer and to ask God a specific question about what we are teaching them. Then (while still kneeling down) we open up to the scripture in Galatians that talks about the fruit of the spirit and ask them if they have felt any of the feelings it lists. As we knelt there with her the spirit was so strong. It was as if you could feel it in the air. She mentioned that she felt joy and peace. We explained to her that that was the spirit testifying to her of the truth. I told Sister Davis before the lesson that I wanted her to extend the baptismal invitation and as we knelt there she asked Erica if she would be baptized. With tears in her eyes she said yes. There is something very powerful about extending the invitation to be baptized while you're kneeling down. I think it is because it is a very humble position. It's as if it more fully invites the spirit to be there and therefore it allows Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to be there. Erica wasn't saying yes to our invitation but to the Lords invitation. It was a really neat experience. 

Ericas baptism date is November 9th. We are so happy for her. It was such an incredible experience and Erica is so prepared. She has had a really hard life and she is searching for some hope and direction. What I love about the Gospel is that that is exactly what it brings- hope and direction. and not only that but peace.

 

This gospel truly is amazing. It is the solution to every problem, trial, and difficulty. I love being able to share that with everybody that I cross paths with. The topic that we've been sharing with each of our members and less actives this week has been hope. There are so many people out there searching for hope and the only place to find hope in is our Savior Jesus Christ. It is because of Him that we all can have hope. No matter what, hope is always there - Christ is always there. If we feel hopeless it is because somehow, someway, we have turned away from Christ. Hope can never be lost because the power and mercy of the Atonement can never be lost. We are the ones that get lost.

Isn't that amazing? Happiness, hope and peace are always there for the taking. It's up to us to never turn out backs on, trample, or cripple our own hope.  

 

Well I hope all is well at home!

Thanks again for all you love and support!

 

The Kingdom of God or Nothing!

Love, Sister Gregson

Transfers

10/7/13

 

Hola family!

How's life?

 

This has been one of those weeks for Sister Hutchings and I that helps us learn patience. My favorite lesson to learn. :)

 

Missionary life really is a rollar coaster! Some weeks you have everything go right and others everything seems to go wrong. What I love is that there is always something to brighten even the difficult times and this week the bright light was definitly general conference! This week was tougher because everything we planned seemed to fall through. A lot of our lessons and meetings were cancelled. But the best solution for these weeks is to press forward, pray hard, and work hard.

General Conference was amazing! We got to watch it at the church in Bryan! There were so many powerful talks and as I'm sure you couldn't miss there were a lot of talks on missionary work. What I love about general conference as a missionary is I not only can apply what's said to me but to everyone that we meet with and without fail something will be said that directly applies to their concerns or struggles.

 

Dispite a slow week life is wonderful! Abby is doing great! Emily and Tony are great! We've got a few new investigators that we are going to start teaching this week and we really have seen so many miracles every day!

 

We got the news last night that we would actually be getting transfer calls that night instead of on Tuesday so here's the news... Sister Hutchings is leaving Bryan. I will miss her! But I am grateful I get to stay! There is still so much work to do here! I don't know yet if I'm training and we won't know until tomorrow where she is going to go but I know that wherever she goes she will do wonders for her area!

 

This week we did get to meet with our investigator Rosemary. She is so sweet! She invited us over for lunch after General Conference. She is the one who still isn't sure if she believes in Jesus Christ so we watched Finding Faith in Christ with her and had the blessed opportunity to bear testimony of our Savior. I hope she felt the spirit touch her heart.

 

I've had a lot of time on my mission to reflect on the Savior and His Atonement and the spirit is always felt when someone testifies of him. We had a zone meeting this past Friday and they gave each of us time to bear our testmonies of the Savior and the spirit in the room was so powerful. Somehow there is nothing more moving than being in a room and listening to the simple but powerful testimonies of young missionaries. We are simple and small compared to the great task we have the great opportunity to take part in, but we are here because we love the Lord. As a missionary I've had the opportunity to see up close and personal how the Atonement works in the lives of the investigators, members, and less-actives we've met with. There is always hope of that I have no doubt and it's all because of Christ.

 

I'm so grateful for all of you and all of your support!

You've listened to General Conference now go and live it!

I love you!

The Kingdom of God or Nothing!

 

Love, Sister Gregson

Houston, We Have Another Baptism!

Hola familia!!

 

How's life? Things are good here in Texas! It's starting to cool down and we've gotten a lot of rain recently. The leaves are changing and by that I mean they are turning brown and falling off. But it feels so good outside!

 

Boy do I have a LOT to share with you I just wish I had the time to type it all!

 

This week was incredible! Last Monday we taught Abby the Plan of Salvation. (She is the 12 year old whose mother was recently re-activated. She grew up in the Baptist church.) The spirit was so strong during that lesson and as we closed the lesson Sister Hutchings asked the best question! She said, "So Abby what is the step you can make now to be able to go to the Celestial Kingdom?" Abby's face lit up and she responded "be baptized by priesthood authority." So we asked her if that's what she wanted and with a huge smile on her face she said yes. We didn't want to push too hard so we asked her when she would like to be baptized and her response was so great! She said "when is the soonest I can be baptized?" Well because she's been coming to church for months now the very soonest she could be baptized was last Saturday and that is what she wanted! So at the beginning of this week we were scrambling to get this baptism ready so that she could be baptized. So Saturday September 28th Abby was baptized and yesterday she was confirmed.

I can't even explain the joy that I feel for the choice she has made. She is an incredible young woman and I love her like a sister. Her mother was so happy. When we talked to her the other day I told her how much I loved her and she said "We're linked for life now." I love that! I'm so grateful I got to be a part of this great work and that I have been able to share my testimony with this wonderful family. Abby wanted Sister Hutchings and I to stand at the top of the stairs with her mother while she was being baptized and after she came out of the font she gave us a huge wet hug. Best hug I've ever had. I love this family so much and I can't wait for them to all be sealed together for eternity. They are planning to be sealed sometime next year in the SLC temple and they already told me they want me there. I hope I will be able to see that. I can't wait to see what's in store for Abby. I can already see her going on a mission and sharing what she's learned with others.

 

Emily and Tony are great as ever. We've been reading the Book of Mormon with them and they already understand them so well. Tony is such a good kid! He already has such an incredible testimony and a great love for the Book of Mormon.

 

Mike's family is doing great! I love them so much! Yesterday we went to their home to share the Plan of Salvation with them and the lesson was so powerful. Every time we go through the lessons with an investigator the most powerful lesson always seems to be the Plan of Salvation. I love being able to testify of Jesus Christ. I love sharing hope with others.

They had such great questions and they've already begun to recognize that the things we are teaching them are in the Bible and without the Book of Mormon and modern-day revelation we don't realize they are there or what they really mean.

 

I wish I knew how to express my great love for my mission and for the people I have had the opportunity to serve. I feel so happy. This gospel is amazing. The Lord has helped me to do things I never would be capable of doing without Him. He's allowed me small glimpses of heaven every day that I've been here. To this day in my life choosing to serve a mission is the best decision I've ever made. I can't imagine my life without these people. I have learned so much from them and I've felt a more divine and eternal love for them than I knew was possible. It's like I get a small glimpse of the perfect love Heavenly Father has for them. The Lord is so good to us. I am so grateful that he allows us to be a part of His great work, to share his words, and to feel His love for His beloved children.

 

I love y'all!

Hope all is well at home!

 

The Kingdom of God or Nothing!

 

Love, Sister Gregson

 

Abby's Baptism

 

Happiness is not only the destination, it is also the pathway

9/23/13

Oh hey family!

 

How's it going?

 

Boy this week has been incredible! We started out with our interviews with Pres. Pingree. I just love him so much. He is always way to kind to me! He told me that he trusts me more than he trusts himself. I am always humbled by his greatness and I always hope i can live up to his kind words.

 

P-day has been awesome today! Our ward mission leader (brother Lowe) and his wife drove us out to the Bluebell factory. If I haven't told you about Bluebell yet then I will now. Bluebell is the ice cream they have in the south and it is the BEST ice cream in the world. Anyways they took us on a little road trip to go tour the big ice cream factory and it was really fun. We got to drive out in the country a little bit and see all the cotton fields and longhorns.

 

We saw so many incredible miracles this week! The best was this family we just started teaching. The father (Mike) has been less-active since he was 16 years old (now he's probably in his 50's). The other week we had our ward search party where members of the ward split up into companionships and went to visit less-active members. Mike was one of the many miracles that happened that night. When the members came to his house he told them he had recently been picking up the Book of Mormon and reading it and that he had been praying for them to come! Miracle #1

Since that night he has been coming to church every week!

Well this past Thursday we went to stake correlation meeting and one of the visits they wanted Sister Hutchings and I to make that night was to Mike's home with President Chapel and Brother Henderson. Mike's wife is Baptist and they have 3 sons under the age of 18.

The fist visit we had that night with them went really well. They invited us to come back and Mike's wife said we could teach her the discussions. Miracle #2

Then on Sunday we were sitting at the back of the congregation and in walks not only Mike, but his wife and 3 boys! Sister Hutchings and I plus the bishopric could not stop smiling! We all looked like giddy fools. Miracle #4

That same day we went and taught the first discussion to their entire family and we gave each of them a Book of Mormon and invited them to read and pray. It was so amazing! Miracle #4

They are such and incredible family and I already love them so much. Mike is incredible. He wants his family to be sealed so badly and he is so steadfast in his decision to come back to church and be an example for his family.

 

Many other miracles came too! Two of the less-active women that we've been working with came to church this week! We were so happy to see them there! (Like I said we looked like giddy fools).

 

We're really starting to see so many blessing and we've met so many incredible people.

 

We had exchanges with the Hermanas this week so I was submersed in the Spanish world for a day and it was awesome and really hard too. I had to pull out all my Spanish that I learned at BYU. It was neat because I could understand about 75% of what they were saying. What was hard is that I couldn't speak back! Missionary work is hard when you can understand what people are saying but you can't respond and help them out. I wanted so badly to talk with them more personally like I can with the English members but I couldn't. It was also neat because I got to see the gift of tongues up close and personal. I was out with Hermana Stockton and she didn't know any Spanish before she came out and now she sounds like a native speaker. It is so amazing what the Lord can do for his missionaries!

 

It was also a great week because we had a huge downpour of rain for a good 24 hours! When it rains in Texas it rains hard. It's amazing!

 

I'm a little worried because transfers is coming up soon and everybody thinks I'm out. I kind of think so too.

The most difficult part of my mission so far has been leaving the areas that I've served in. Each area I go to I love more and more and it's hard to leave your companion, your investigators, and your ward. Every time I leave my area it feels like I'm saying goodbye to my family all over again. But what I always remind myself is that wherever I go it's where the Lord needs me. And who knows maybe I'll actually get to stay in an area for more than 2 transfers. :)

 

We are getting 40 new missionaries this next transfer and 27 of them are Sisters!!! It's so amazing! We went from 140 missionaries in March to 260 now in September and almost 50% of the missionaries are sisters!

 

So awesome!

 

Well I love you all so much. I know this gospel is true. I was reading a talk by Elder Uchtdorf this morning and I loved what he said... "Happiness is not only the destination, it is also the pathway." SO TRUE!

Nothing has made me more happy that this gospel. Nothing COULD ever make me more happy than this gospel. I love being a missionary and I can't believe I'm coming up on 7 months! It's weird to think that a year from now I'll be home. It's all going by WAY to fast. I'm trying to enjoy every second of everyday and absorb as much of Texas as I can.

 

I love you!

 

The Kingdom of God or Nothing!

 

Love, Sister Gregson

 

Now go out and be a missionary!

 

 

 

I Love Texas!

9/16/13

Dear family,

 

How have ya'll been?

Life in Texas is grand as ever!

 

This week was so wonderful! We were able to get so much work done!

Emily and Tony are doing so wonderfully! They came to church sick yesterday because they were determined not to miss! Their outlook on going to church is so refreshing. They refuse to miss it because they love it so much. Of course we told them to go home and rest after sacrament meeting and they weren't too thrilled about that but they also didn't want to get anybody sick. I have really enjoyed teaching Tony and Emily because they see everything we teach them in such a wonderful way! We talked to Tony about recieving the Priesthood and about serving missions and he was so amazed that he would have the priviledge to have that power and that opportunity. I wish you could have seen the look of joy and amazement when we told him he could have the priesthood power. They are so incredibly humble too. This past week we had to reteach them a few things that they've been struggling with (swearing, sabbath day things, etc.) and instead of being offended or defensive they were so grateful to us that we would remind them of those things. I just love them. They remind me of how lucky we are to have the blessing of the gospel in our lives.

 

This week we started teaching Abby! She is twelve years old and is darling. Her mother has been less-active for years but recently married a man in our ward and has been reactivated. Because she was less-active Abby didn't grow up going to our church, she actually went to a baptist church so now every Monday night we are going over to share the lessons with her!

Another teenager to teach! I seem to be teaching a lot of youger people since I've been in Bryan but I love it! I love telling them that they have a loving Heavenly Father who care so much about them.

 

Jaelynn is doing great! The Young Women stopped by her house on Wednesday night and they have been so good about showing their support and love. I think it's a little bit foreign to Jaelynn to have so many stangers care so much about her, but we just love the heck out of her!

 

Our other new investigator is Rosemary. She is an older woman who has been coming to church with her sister who is a member of our ward. She is the coolest person ever! We've asked her before if she'd be willing to take the discussions and she wasn't too sure but this time she decided it would probably be good to know more. She is an expert quilter! We went to her home and she showed us some of the quilts she's made. Amazing! Iz would have loved it!

 

Another new investigator we have is Donelle. She is another wonderful woman. Last week we went to visit one of our members - Jet -  and Donelle (who is Jet's cousin) was at her home visiting. Donelle and Jet are hoping to move in together in an apartment in Bryan so they'll both be in our ward boundaries. I love these two women so much. They have both been through some difficult things and both are still strong and loving life. They have shared many of their difficult experiences with us and I'm always amazed at the things that Jesus Christ can help us mere mortals through. Donelle started asking us some questions about the Book of Mormon that we were able to answer and we asked if we could come back to share more with her. She is so sweet. The thing that I love about Texans is that you meet them once and they already love you like a family member. They don't want you to leave and they hug you till your eyes bulge out. They want to take care of you and feed you and talk about God. That includes all Texans, not just the members of the church. I know I've said this before but one of the things I love most about being a missionary is meeting so many people and learning about their lives - the things that bring them joy, sadness, stress, happiness. They tell ALL. They are honest about how they feel, and not in a whining way, but in way that they want to share what they've been though so they can help eachother. It's amazing. They share their experiences with others and help lift eachother in a way I've never seen. Even if they don't know somebody they want to give them the shirt of their backs. Even if they don't agree with what we have to share they want to make sure we're drinking enough water and that we don't stay out in the heat too long. I love the love in Texas. They are good people.

 

We're still meeting with Diane (the less-active we've been teaching the discussions to) and she is so great! She invited us over the other day because she really wanted to make lunch for us. She is another amazing woman I get the chance to learn from. She really wants to find out if this church is true and I'm so glad to help her out with that!

Right now we're teaching the dicussions to 3 less-active members and I love it. Most of them have that small seed of a testimony, it just a matter of reminding them what they already know, and helping them see even more fully how wonderful and true this gospel is.

 

Sister Hutchings is amazing! She has improved so much since she first came out! Remember how i said she used to be so shy? Well every minute of every day since she's been out she keeps trying and keeps improving on how much she talks! She says so many wonderful things and I know that if it's what's in store that she could definitely train! I definitely think that by the end of her mission one of her biggest strengths will be her ablilty to talk with others and open her mouth! I can't wait to see it!

 

Anyways, life is great! I love being a missionary so much. I still am amazed that I get to do this everyday for 18 months.

The gospel is the best thing in life.

 

I love you all so much! Thank you for all your love and support!

 

The Kingdom of God or Nothing!

 

Love, Sister Gregson

 

If Texas was it's own country who would be president? 

So one wonderful woman in our ward whom I love very much went to a Keith Urban concert recently. One of the first things we bonded over when I first met her was Keith Urban so a few Sundays ago she came up and hugged me and slipped this into my hand! I was so excited! 

 

Go Cougars! (Just had to add that in there)

9/9/13

Family Dear,

How are you? How is life in Utah? I so wish I could be there to see the colors of fall. In Texas the leaves just die and fall off.

 

This week has been amazing. We have seen a lot of miracles particularly with the less-active and part-member families we've been working with.

This week seemed to be the week of tragedy for our ward. We had a lot of members end up in the hospital for one reason or another. One of the less-actives we've been working with passed away. And another ones 10 year old son was diagnosed with MS. We've gone to visit each of these people who are struggling and it's amazing to see how each one of them handle the difficulty that has come differently but they all have one thing in common -They recognize that they can find hope in Christ and in the gospel. 

I love being a missionary and having the opportunity to take part in being a spiritual nurse for these people that I have grown to love like my own family. Life may be hectic but there is always solace and peace found in the sciptures and in prayer and in the love that we feel from others.

 

I read a talk recently that says, "If Christ had my opportunities what would he do?" I've thought about that question a lot. These past few weeks I have come to know Jesus Christ on a deeper level than I've ever known. I feel a connection to Him as I talk with His brothers and sisters that he gave his life for. I still can't believe I have the great opportunity to be a representative of Jesus Christ. There is no way that I could ever take his place or fill his shoes, but he lets me be a small part of his work. I love it.

 

Tony and Emily are amazing! We went to visit them this week and they had a great miracle happen. Emily has been talking to her husband about the gospel a lot and he at first would listen, but then he completely shut it out. (Sister Hutchings and I haven't been able to meet him because he doesn't live at home right now.) Well this past week we taught Emily and Tony about eternal families and getting sealed in the Temple.

Emily is the best missionary ever! Every time we teach them something new she will go and teach it to her husband. Well this past weekend he asked her if she could send the missionaries to him so that he can learn about the gospel and when he returns home he wants to be baptized, and then married in the temple. What? Emily and Tony were thrilled.

It's a testimony to me that the Lord keeps his promises. Emily was really concerned when her husband shut out the gospel, but we promised her that as she acted in faith his heart would be softened and someday they will be able to be together as a family sealed for eternity. She had faith in the promise and they've seen miracles with him ever since.

 

I'm so grateful to be a missionary. I love the people in Bryan so much. I love being able to share hope and love with others everyday! I love that every ounce of effort goes into helping others other than myself. It is a good feeling.

 

I hope all is well at home! Love you lots!

 

The Kingdom of God or Nothing!

 

Love, Sister Gregson

Gig'em

9/3/13

 

Hola family!

 

Sorry to email a day late but the library was closed so we got permission to send out our emails today!

 

This week has been great! As you know the first Texas A&M game happened this weekend and the area was packed full of traffic! It's so fun to be in the football season atmosphere even though I can't watch the games. This is the first year in a long time I won't be able to watch BYU play, but don't worry my ward mission leader Bro. Lowe is a BYU fan so he keeps me updated. I hope that's ok... I figured Grandpa would probably approve but if not don't tell me.

Great news! Emily and Tony got baptized on Saturnday Aug. 31st and confirmed on Sunday! It was so wonderful! I am so happy for them! Emily is deathly afraid of water so she was really nervous to get baptized but talking to her afterward she mentioned that she was in shock because she wasn't scared. She recognized that the Lord helped her feel peace. Many of the ward came to support them and they were just glowing with joy. I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have had to be a part of this important step in their lives. Heavenly Father is just too good to me.

 

We've seen a lot of miracles this week! We have gone knocking a lot and come across so many people who have let us into their homes to share a message! Unfortunately most of them have been young single college students so we have to pass them over to the missionaries in the singles ward.

One night we were out tracting and we came across this man playing outside with his son. He had been watching us knock doors and repeatedly getting rejected so he was especially kind to us. His name is Casey and he is so cool not only because he has grills and a do-rag but also because he was really excited to read the Book of Mormon. We're planning on going back to visit with him this week and he told us we could quiz him on the book because he's going to for sure read it. I certainly hope he does!

 

I'm so glad I get to stay in Bryan. I've really grown to love this place. President sent us all a text letting us know that we now have 260 missionaries in the Texas Houston Mission. In march we had 140 so it has really grown since I've been out! It is such an exciting time to be a missionary! I was reading an article on the church website that said we've reached 75,000 Missionaries serving in the field and that 42% of the missionaries in the MTC's are Sister Missionaries!

 

I just feel so blessed to have a small part in this great work. I love Texas! I love Texans! I love the church! It is the greatest thing in the entire world.

 

We had a rough night a couple nights ago. We were out tracting and we came across this nice young couple who let us into their home. They knew quite a bit about the church so we talked to them a little bit about the Restoration. After we finished talking about the first vision the atmosphere completely changed. The man we were teaching was very logical and he felt we were fools to believe that such a thing was even possible. He believes in the trinity, that God the Father , Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are one being. Therefore he said it was impossible for Joseph Smith to see them as separate beings. He mocked us pretty well. He spoke so negatively about the Book of Mormon and Mormons in general. The only thing I felt I could do was bear my testimony to him and so I did, but it meant nothing to him. He told me I didn't have any clue who God is and because of that I am headed on a path that will lead me to Hell. He told me he hoped I would lose my faith.

Boy was this hard to hear. It was literally breaking my heart to hear this. I couldn't believe that another human being would even say those things to someone. I know he was only trying to save us from what he thought was wrong and I can't blame him for that.

We walked out of there feeling just awful. We didn't argue. We didn't fight. We just left them with an invitation to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and we walked away.

I couldn't really figure out why we had been led to them but let me tell you what I do know. I know more now that ever that nothing and no one can ever shake my faith. I have no doubts about who Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are. I love them so much. Sure I often fall short of the person I'm supposed to be but I believe I've found the right and true and only path that God intended me to be on.

I hope someday that that couple will be willing to open their hearts to this gospel because I know they will have such joy if they do. I don't blame them for the things they said, they were just trying to help us in their own way, it was just really hard to be talked to that way.

 

Anyways I love this gospel and I'm so grateful to have it in my life, and nothing will ever change that.

 

I hope you all have a wonderful day! Love you!

 

The Kingdom of God or Nothing!

 

Love, Sister Gregson