Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Hello Everyone From Tennessee

This week was much better than the last.. im finally settled in and kind of know what Im doing now! So im in the Pellissippi ward and my ward is so amazing! This week they had a spaghetti dinner and auction thing to raise money for girls camp and it was so much fun! There is a lot of less actives in our ward so we spend most of our time working with them! There is a couple in my ward and they are like late 20's. They got pregnant and found out it was twins and were super shocked then a year later they found out they were pregnant again and it was triplets!!! And all boys! hahah they are so cute!! :) We don't have very many investigators right now... We do have a part member family that we are working with tho. The wife is a member but less active and the fiancé is not a member and they have 2 kids that are 9 and 11 that could be baptized. We did service for them this week and they came to church for the first time :) we were so happy! We did a lot of service this week. We have another investigator who is 102 years old!! And he still lives alone and has a full on garden that he takes care of.. he is so cute! I hope he gets baptized! This area is hard because like I said everyone has a set religion already so the main thing we struggle with is finding people to teach. yesterday we started working after church and knocked on 13 doors of people we had appointments with and not one answered!! it was awful! But its alright its all about the Lords timing :) I had a testimony when I was in the Philippines but I have really seen my testimony grow since I have been here. When your learning a new language your limited to what you know how to say but now that im speaking English I can say what Is really in my heart. I have been able to share experiences about my brothers and about dad dying and it has been so much easier to connect with people. Im so grateful im speaking English now! I want you all to know that I know Christ lives and he loves each one of us. I know that because of Joseph Smith we have Christ's true church back on the earth again. I know that the Book of Mormon is the work of God and we will get closer to God by reading it and abiding by its precepts than by any other book. Im so grateful for the gospel in my life and the opportunity I have to be here in Knoxville Tennessee to help others realize the need for the gospel in their lives as well!
My commitment for all of you this week is to share a conference talk with someone who needs to hear it. You can share a link on Facebook or email one to someone or print one off and give it to them. I can promise that as we all work together in missionary work we can help bring back those who have gone astray. Thanks for all the love and support!! Have a good week :)
Love Sister Leifson
 
P.S. is our last name Iclandic?? (I don't know how to spell that) Literally I have never been asked that once in my whole life till I got here and every single person asks me where its from!! Like literally EVERY person! hahah

Monday, April 21, 2014

1st week in Tennessee

Hello Everyone!
Well I made it here safely! President Irion was a little late picking me up from the airport haha so I was a little bit worried and had no idea where to go, but he found me! They drove me to the Mission home and I talked to all the Sr couples. There is one couple that served in the Philippines so he was SOO excited to talk to me! I taught him some Hiligaynon and he taught me some Tagolog :) They are so nice!! President Irion took me to my apartment and seriously It is HUGE!!! Its a full on house and has like 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms! I guess you could say its a little nicer than the Philippines ;) I live in a town called Farragut and its right by the mission home and mission office so we get to go there a lot! its nice! I am going to be in a trio for two more weeks till transfers.. Im with sister Brown and Sister Sellers. Sis Brown is from Texas and she has been out for 10 months and Sis Sellers is from Utah and she has been out for 14 months :) at transfers one of them will move and I will stay with the other! We also live with 2 other sisters. so the night I got here we had a dinner apt with our ward mission leader and he took us to this nice BBQ place! The bill was like $75.. But I wasn't feeling good because I threw up in the bathroom on the plane on my way to TN so i was still sick and then i threw up at my first investigators house... awkward i know! but i was in the bathroom and no one even knew :) I went home went to bed and felt much better! This first week has been completely different than i imagined... The people would be really nice here if i wasn't wearing a nametag for the LDS church... People here are ALL Baptist and are not about to change their religion.. We teach maybe like 3 lessons a day. They took me tracting for the first time since i never did that in the Philippines and it was HORRIBLE!! Literally every person slammed the door in our faces or told us they didn't like Mormons and didn't want to join our church! But that's okay! We do a lot of work with Less Actives. My ward is soo nice :) We have had a dinner apt every single day.. im so not used to that yet hahah but im sure it wont take long! Im so glad im here! Tennessee is BEAUTIFUL :) Its so green! the weather is great.. its just warm everyday! I love it here! Well that's about all for my week. I made it safe and im doing great! I hope everyone had a great Easter and i hope you all have a good week!
Love you all :)
Love Sister Leifson
My new address is:
Sister Linzi Leifson
Tennessee Knoxville Mission
11320 Station West Dr. Ste 101
Farragut, TN 37934
*Send everything thru u.s post office, if you send it fed ex i wont get it till transfers :)

First week in Tennessee:)


Thursday, April 17, 2014

Leaving for Knoxville Tennessee



in the Hospital Mar 7th Utah

Im leaving Manilla very sick

After spending 10 days trying to get better so I could return to Bacolod, I was told I needed to go to American where they could treat me with better medicine.I was so sad but so Sick. I traveled alone which was a bit scary but I was on the Lords time so i was so protected..I arrived in SLC March 7th. Mom took me straight o the ER where they began running alll kinds of tests I had more blood drawn than ever in my lifeI did every test they asked me to including a Colon Oscopy  yuck...never again for 30 more years..I experiences so many tender Mercies. ..in the 5 weeks I was home.. I got a new Stake President and he called me in I had my Medical Release Form from my Dr releasing me to go back on a Mission. I had My letter written and told him what he needed to do. My papers were sent to the Missionary  Dr. then they were sent to Missionary Committing then they were prayerd about and 2 days later I got a phone call from my St. President saying i was needed in Knoxville Tennessee and i needed to be there in 5 days..iM so happy. I thought Tennessee would be a fun place to go before I got my call to the Philippines. I loved the Philippines so greatful to have learned their language and got to preach the Gospel in Illigona..the Filipino  people touched my life forever.  Well So im off to Tennessee so I will write on P day. love you alll and thanks for all the prayers and visits.i HAVE  the best family and friends ever..LOVE YOU All