Sister Ariel Dearden: December 2013

(First things first, a huge shout out and THANK YOU to the Pocatello Missionary Moms and the stake and members of the wards and Eagle Rock Stake. They have been very generous with their time and photo skills and putting this momma at ease. I know Ariel is safe and warm, and most importantly growing from her time in Idaho. She expresses her love for Idaho in every letter home and as evidenced in this one, doesn't want her mission to ever end. Thanks again!!!!!)

Hello Everyone!

So you got some of the nice snow to? Isn't it wonderful?

So this week was pretty busy with meetings but it was great. Anyways Monday we went to Ijump which is this trampoline park. It was tons of fun! There were 2 zones that went so a bunch of us were there. Anyways it was missionary Heaven because we got to bounce off the walls to something other than MOTAB. Funny story, so we had just started messing around and then there was a long pause in the music and we were freaking out because we thought that maybe they were changing the music to MOTAB or something. But they were just changing it to a different station. Anyways, another funny story. We went up to pay and we were standing there talking to a lady and she asked us where we were from and i told her California and then she asked where and i said a small town called Sonora. She was like OMG do you know the Mele's? I jumped up and was like yeah i do! Anyways she is really good friends with Becca. And I met one of Elle's dates. It was super funny I wish that i remembered their names. That night we met with the H family, our new investigators. They invited us back so that's AWESOME!

Tuesday was a dreadful day. It just kept snowing and snowing and snowing and snowing and snowing and snowing... That morning we had to go to a Christmas program practice. I got to meet a few new people there so that was fun. After that we had to go to this Zone Meeting thing that was pretty pointless but it was good to see everybody. Our Zone leaders are AWESOME and they like to use the word Testify, a lot. It’s really funny though. Anyways after that we finally got to go back over to out neck of the woods. We went to lunch with some elders at Reeds Dairy and it was Delicious as usual! After that we got to visit a few more people and then we got to go home. It was like Christmas tons of letters and packages, mainly Sister Halbison’s because she sent a whole bunch home with Sister Rose. Anyways it was good to hear from everybody that night. We also got to start Elf on the Shelf with the Rocknaks. We named our elf Ashriel. Cute. I know :)

Wednesday was a very interesting day. We had a doctors appointment that morning so we went on over to our favorite place and got some tests done for Sister Halbison and we were told that most of Idaho Falls was out of power. We didn't think very much of it because we had power. Well when we got home about an hour or so later we didn't have power. We then got a phone call that said we are on lock down until the power comes back on. So we weren't allowed outside or anything. We studied a little bit, then ate some lunch and took a nap. The power came back on that afternoon but we were told we couldn’t leave the house until we got the OK so we sat around the house a little more and finally we texted our Zone leaders and asked if we could go out and I guess we just missed the part where we could have gone out when the power was back on. So we wasted a lot of time but it wasn’t our fault. They never specifically said anything. So we got to meet with a few people that night and we had a delicious dinner. We taught the Plan of Salvation to an inactive sister and she was just in tears the entire time.

Thursday was AWESOME! It snowed pretty much all day again but luckily we were inside from 8-5 so it was nice. We had our Zone Conference that day and it was Amazing. We learned so much from our wonderful mission president and his wife. The AP's did a fantastic job to. Oh and we got to see Santa that evening!!!! It was so exciting! We got a scarf as a present. I forgot to take a picture but I will this next week. So after a wonderful conference I went down to Blackfoot for exchanges and Sister Brown our Sister Training Leader came up to Idaho Falls with Sister Halbison. We do Exchanges at least once a transfer. Anyways so while I was in Blackfoot we went to a Relief Society Christmas party thing and I met Sister Payne. It was hilarious because she instantly knew who I was. She had seen Sister Halbsion and I on that Pocatello Moms Facebook page. It was really funny. So that night was really fun and we learned a lot about the nativity. My favorite part was though when we got a little bell to remind us to always listen to that still small voice.

Friday was interesting too but tons of fun. My day companion Sister Lagizimon is from Argentina but grew up in Utah. Anyways it was a super fun day. We got along great and couldn't stop laughing at all the random things we were saying. So we met up with Sister Halbison and Sister Brown and switched back that afternoon. So we went to dinner at this family’s house that we have been teaching, the little girl Z. She is 8 but turning 9 next month and wants to get baptized. So we were craving Mexican food and this family is Mexican so they wanted to thank us and make us dinner. We couldn't argue with that so we went over. Friday night was so much fun! They were so funny and we are pretty sure we all got really good ab workouts because we were laughing so hard. Oh and the food was AWESOME! That night we went over to a ward Christmas party and met a bunch of new people so that was awesome.

Saturday was crazy cool. We had a lesson that afternoon and then went over to visit two girls that we have been working with. Anyways these girls that we have been working with opened up and told us a bunch of their concerns and stuff so we set up an appointment with their young womens leader to teach them in her house. This Young Womens leader is awesome to! She is super nice and totally relates to the girls. That evening we had the adult session of stake conference. It was probably the best adult session I have been to. Elder Batts was there from the 70 and he is hilarious. He had us going all night. President and Sister Brinkerhoff were there also speaking to everyone and it was just amazing what they had to say. The coolest thing was that you know missionaries were talked about and we were mentioned a little bit but we were prayed for by name at the pulpit. It was so cool. And I think the Brinkerhoffs were really impressed with what has been happening up here in the Eagle Rock Stake. We will see how things go though. Sister Halbison thinks one of us will be getting transferred next time.

Sunday was AWESOME! We had Stake conference and were able to hear from the Batts again. They are an AWESOME couple. So I thought of you dad. He said that his sister said this, " You know Alan I know you are called of God because no one else would call you. " Super funny. He was also telling us how much he "loves the smell of Cigarette smoke in the chapel not when the deacons are experimenting but when someone is there to change their life." There were a few other really good quotes too. All in all this weekend was AWESOME!

Did I mention that this whole week it hasn't been above 14 degrees. The last few days it hasn’t been above 5 degrees! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So this last week I have been pondering my mission so far. I think it has been the best thing I could do right now in my life. I am so excited to share this wonderful Gospel that I have in my life with those that don't. It is so worth everything to go on a mission. On Christmas I will have been out for 3 months and I am already so sad I have 15 months left. That is just not enough time. Anyways I just wanted to share those thoughts with you. Hope all is going well and keep warm. :)

Sister Ariel Dearden

HAPPY LATE THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!

I hope you all had a great turkey day! I know I did! It was awesome. Anyways to i told you a little bit about last monday. I got my back fixed and it has been fantastic all week!!!! Sister Halbison got her Gallbladder meds and her shoulder fixed. So we were good to go this week!

Tuesday we were a little slow. Sister Halbison’s gallbladder was hurting so we couldnt do to much. We did get to visit with Sister A that day who is a bishop's wife in W ward. That family is awesome. We are pretty sure their oldest son is going to be a prophet one day. Anyways that night we stopped by the Bs to confirm that he was coming with us to a appointment the next day. We ended up staying like 45 minutes. That couple is awesome and they just chatted up a storm with us. We were totally okay with it because it was a little chilly that night.

Wednesday was pretty neat. We had district meeting that day. Elder Plunkett did a fantastic job. We knew he was super nervous to be district leader but he is a natural. He got up there and owned the place. Elder Edgerly (his companion) gave a fantastic training on church tours to. I think it was one of the best district meetings yet :) So on or way home we stopped by a families house and talked to them about some referrals. They hooked us up that day! Anyways We then stopped by this other ladies house and she is going to cut our hair in a few weeks. We asked her what she charged and she was sweet she just said "nothing for you girls all i ask is that you put my name in your journal." DONE!!!! Oh i forgot the best part im a dork. So before we went to the hair lady we went and stopped by S’s house. S was outside and talked to us for forever. He was awesome. We asked him if he ever thought about baptism and he said yeah all the time. So we are still really hopeful about it. We have a church tour set up for this next week so hopefully that will bring the spirit in really strong. He is ready he just doesn't know it. So we were pretty excited about that. We went and met a few more people that day and that night we had dinner with... wait for it... the DEARDENS!!!!! It was super cool. They are in the W ward. I think we may be related distantly. No idea though. He was awesome and super talkative with us. I am pretty sure these are the first Deardens i have met. You can do a little genealogy if you want. Their names are …..

So thursday was awesome!!!!!!!!!!! We woke up super early and went to the hunger run. It was neat because there were tons and tons of missionaries there. That is were i saw Susanne the "Board auntie" just out of nowhere i heard SISTER DEARDEN! I had no idea who she was or what she wanted. I figured she knew me from the board or something. Anyways it was super funny and exciting! After the run Kelsey came and picked us up and we went over to her house. Can i just say the Js are AWESOME!!!! Totally love them. So we just kind of hung out for a bit and then we sat down for dinner. Brother J gave the sweetest prayer and by the end we were all in tears. It was neat. So then we ate!!!!!!!! It was DELICIOUS!!!! After that sister halbison and i did the dishes cause we needed to do something! lol Then we put in a movie and took some naps. It was great! After we all had pie and woke up a bit we made gingerbread houses! It was so much fun!!!!!!!!! I will include pictures. So this Thanksgiving was awesome and the Js are amazing people. They really make us feel like family. :)

Friday we walked a lot. We tried to set up some appointments but not very many people were home. We also had to do some weekly planning that day since thursday was a P-Day.We had a great dinner that night with a family that is inactive. They were so excited to have us over. They contributed a lot to the lesson to. It was cool. So on our way home we decided to stop by the Cs who are ward mission leaders in P ward. And they live across the street from this house that has music set to christmas lights. It is awesome. We had a blast with them and we got to see a sneak preview of the lights. He is opening tonight. :) Also i got your package that day. THANKS for the everything :)

Saturday was awesome. We were both feeling good and productive so we went out and contacted a few referrals and we got 2 new investigators. We stopped by and they have the same name as an Elder in this mission so we decided to go that route. And the Elder is their nephew. It was neat to find his family. We are starting to teach them tonight. So we got some new people to teach finally!

So sunday was a little dreadful We had to be up at 5:15 that morning for stake correlation. It was actually really well. Something we talked about was Hastening the work. President Stewart brought up something i never thought about. In Joel 2:28 it says that "your sons and daughters will prophesy..." It was kind of neat to read that what is happening is really a sign of the second coming. It is awesome that this work is Hastening and that we are all part of this wonderful work. I am so blessed and so excited to be here in Idaho with these wonderful people who are catching the wave of hastening the work. It is really awesome to watch it all come about. :)

Alright well i love you all and miss you bunches :)

Sister Dearden