Hello from the Land of Missouri - Week Four

Day of departure. 

Well hello! Today is the day. Ready or not here I come! I'm so excited but nervous at the same time. 
We had to get up around 4:00am to get ready and finalize packing. Then be at the bus at 5am.
When I woke up and said my morning prayer I was hit with all different emotions. I truly believe that music invites the spirit. So I hurried and said a prayer in my heart for comfort turned on some music and got ready!

We got on the bus which took us to the front runner.... Yes, it was very stressful. With about 30 missionaries and all of their luggage, we only had a few minutes to load and unload the luggage from the front runner. We then had to run and catch the tracks. Yes, I almost missed it, because I was helping my companion with her luggage because she was struggling, so I was the last one to the tracks and there was like no space,  but "NO MISSIONARY LEFT BEHIND"  that's what our district kept saying all day. So we made room and I didn't get left yay!

Let's just say I got a really good shoulder work out from moving my luggage everywhere haha. Airport was great. I was so excited to call home until I saw an Elder in our group get off the phone and he was crying.... I could instantly feel the tears coming. I was waiting in the security line and so I just decided to get it over with. As soon as I heard my mom's voice I lost it,  I've never be so emotional, but I got to talk to my mom and dad for about 5 minutes, the line moved faster then I thought, so I had to say goodbye early. After security I went back to the phones because I needed a proper good-bye, I was allowed to and I had time. So I got my call card and went to the payphone (haha) old school.  But the calling card wasn't working, I got my credit card out and tried but the phone was being weird and said I couldn't call. So I hung up, sad because I wanted a proper goodbye, when, sent from heaven, the phone I was on started ringing, you should have seen my face, I was so shocked and confused.  I picked It up and it was my mom! Thank you Heavenly Father truly what I needed. talking to my family, yes was hard, but very much needed. I love them all so much!

Had to get Cafe Rio for the plane, because I needed some real food! Haha not MTC food that I never really knew what I was eating. 

The plane ride was good I sat next to a sister missionary that was going to the same mission as me that I hadn't met yet! She's super sweet and it was really good getting to know her. I also read the testimony book my mom sent me! Thank you all for your encouraging words and testimonies! I love you all so dearly❤  

Arrival! Missouri is not very pretty (haha0 everything is brown and dead right now but I can't wait for spring with all the green. It's not that cold here, knock on wood. 

I got the first hug from Sister Love and a hand shake from President Love! I love them so much! They truly are their last name. President Love knows the Clydes! So he now jokes with me and calls me Sister Clyde. He use to own a construction company and got supplies from Geneva Rock, Small world. 

They took us to the temple, Liberty Jail, and Independence Visitor Center! It was so fun to be back here. I love it so much!

I love my companion -Trainer, She is from South Jordan and I actually know her cousin. She was my coach for lacrosse for a couple years! Such a small world. 

My companion is Sister Payne! Yes a ton of jokes about our last names together. Bitter-Payne She is so sweet and very patient! We get along really well! 

The people here are amazing and I already feel so much love for them! Part of my area is an Air Force base which is pretty sweet! That's actually were I had my first dinner was on base with our ward Mission Leader!  

3 Cool experience. The spirit truly prompts you and leads you. We were out tracking and no one was home or we got turned away, so we were just standing in the street not knowing where to go when I looked at this house and I said let's go to that one. When we were approaching it, it looked scary and the dogs in the back yard were going crazy! But that just shows you not to judge and follow your promptings! Because, who lived there was the sweetest lady and her dogs were even sweeter! She let us in and talked for a while and we exchanged numbers and most likely going back to teach her. 

Next experience was that same night, we were in the car not knowing where to go. We had this note card with potential names on it, my companion asked me to choose where we needed to go and who we needed to try and see. So I looked at the card and basically said in my head okay heavenly father where should we go? One name on the card kept catching my eyes, so I said head to the Moltins. Well say hello to our new investigators. So pumped! The spirit is truly with us and leading us. Couldn't do it without the spirit and my loving Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. 

Next experience was today. Driving out to a church to meet up with our zone for p-day sports. We were driving and I was just thinking about the atonement and getting emotional and just thanking Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in my heart for the Atonement and their love. When our phone started ringing,  it was this lady asking if we had called her? We had not called her, we had no idea who this women was, but we got talking with her and she had questions and she said she wouldn't mind meeting with us. So Heavenly Father truly places people in your hands! 

We work at the food pantry twice a week and its super cool to help and talk to people. A very humbling service we do every week. There is this man that works there, his name is William and he loves us! He's so funny, he just has the sweetest spirit. 

We did another service project this week, we went and helped this family tare down some walls in their home.... Well let's just say, I got my frustrations out on those poor walls, (haha)

I have a fear of bugs,  it was something I had to get over very fast, because knocking down those walls, I found a ton of BUGS. Yay, I HATE BUGS!! 

Well thank you all for the love and support with the emails and prayers❤

Love you all so much, you are all in my thoughts and prayers. 

Always in my heart ❤

Come what may and love it👍

3D&G

Sister Bitters 

Liberty Jail with President and Sister Love

Saying Goodbye to Sister Hansen from MTC District

Sister Bitters with her companion Sister Payne

First Apartment

This is the mom of the Sister Missionary that  Missy met before going on a mission at the Provo Temple and she said to go find her mom she would take care of her, well she heard missy had arrived and made the 45 min to attend her church. 

Week Three MTC - Heading Out:)

Hey y'all! (Ha Ha) yes I just said y'all and I don't care:)  

I'm so beyond excited to head out to the field! Also nervous but mainly happy and excited! 

Okay, so last week Tuesday's devotional was amazing! Someone came and talked about the Book of Mormon and how truly amazing it is. It really is a gift from God and so amazing! He also showed us a trailer for what is coming out this September "The Book of Mormon Movie" I'm so excited!! It look's incredible and I'm going to be able to use it in my missionary work! I'm such a visual learner that this is just amazing! 

The rest of the week was mostly the same. ups and downs. Just the normal :) 

I had a neat realization of how stupid Satan is (Ha Ha) yes, that's blunt of me, but he is so stupid. In one of my personal studies I had a thought to read Joseph Smith History - The First Vision".  After Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, he said he knew what had happened was the truth, because of how hard the adversary was trying to stop him. That's what's happening to me, but what he doesn't understand is I get my strength through my Savior! He's pushing me closer and closer to my savior! So thank you Satan!

Sunday was a fun day for me (haha). Me and my companion had to teach the lesson in Relief Society and the spirit was defiantly present. 

Then they thought I should do more, so they asked me to give a talk in Sacrament.... if you know me, you know how much I dislike speaking in front of big groups, but this time was like my farewell talk. I felt so much peace and comfort and the Holy Ghost just spoke through me. 

The Holy Ghost is so amazing and I truly have grown to love him here. The Holy Ghost gave up his body because he loves us, and wanted to help us! I truly can't do it without him or my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! 

The film on Sunday was amazing! I went and watched "Missions are Forever"

It changed my whole thought on a mission! Heavenly Father doesn't need me. He could do this on his own, but he is so kind to let me be part of it. A mission is real life! It's the life we all should be longing for! HOLLAND told us when we come home don't change! 

I don't want to regret anything! I pray everyday and tell my heavenly father if he needs anything done to send me. I have made it a goal to act upon every prompting. A mission is a once in a life time opportunity that you will never, never get again!  Holland told us that we were witnesses of Jesus Christ just like he was, we are the same.  We are all called to be a witness of Jesus Christ! He told us why missions are so hard. It's because salvation isn't easy! You want to represent the savior then expect to go through at least a sliver of what he went through! 

I feel honored to represent our loving Savior, Jesus Christ. I feel honored to have been called to harvest the Lord's fields, because he has already planted the seeds. I love this gospel so much! I love my Savior, Jesus Christ, the holy ghost and my Heavenly Parents! This gospel has changed me and I hope it has the same impacts on my investigators. I feel like some one's out there waiting for me and I'm going to find them with the help of my Savior. 

Thanks for all of your support and love❤ 

xoxo Sister Bitters

Sister Bitters running into her Dentist who happens to be her sisters boss... she had no problem going and telling him to tell her hi and that she loved her:)

Week Two - MTC

Hey everyone! I love you so much and miss you all like crazy! 

This mission has been a roller coaster so far, (ha ha) but that's what makes it so fun! 

Thank you, for all those who have emailed or sent Dear Elder letters to me.  I love getting them and can read them whenever. 

So last Tuesday we had an amazing devotional, it was full of the spirit. Me and my companion got escorted to the front so that was fun!  I learned that I'm not only a child of God! I'm a child of authority! So that was cool I never viewed it that way.  Also to be cheerful, this gospel should make you so happy, that you need to show it! 

I had a great week of cramming things into my brain, I hoping they stay in there. I usually get about 3 hours of personal study and it goes by so fast.  I long for those personal studies, it's time for me to just breath. 

Sunday was hard again it was better then last week. I got to meet with my branch president and I fell apart, he is amazing and just comforted me.  After that I was really good.  I just kept feeling overwhelmed, but the joy of this gospel keeps me grounded. 

Sunday night we went to a video devotional and learned about the spirit.  I've been stressing out to know if I was feeling the spirit or if it was just me.  Well Elder Bednar,  set me straight, he said,

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT !  BE A GOOD GIRL ! HONOR YOUR COVENANTS, AND KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS "

That hit me so hard because I felt like if I wasn't feeling the spirit, I wasn't going to be a good missionary, when the truth is, god has called me to this work. He needs me and I need him and he has promised me he would be with me. I love my savior so much.

Cool experience at the Sunday devotional, before Bednar let me have it. I was sitting there having a stressful moment of doubt and fear and so I just had a thought, close your eyes.  So I closed my eyes and I saw my Saviors face smiling at me.  The stress and doubts went away. Then with my eyes still closed I saw his hand stretched out to me and me grabbing it. The savior is aware of me and all of you! 

I love you all so much and I love this gospel.

xoxo Sister Bitters

Her favorite in her package this week from Chelsey even if it was Mini:)

Week One - MTC

 Hey everyone I'm alive (haha)
>
> The MTC is amazing! And the spirit is so strong here!
>
> Day 1: I couldn't stop smiling as soon as they put that tag on me:) then they showed me to my room and then to my class room. I got the best companion ever,  we had connected on Instagram about a month before I came here.  So crazy that we ended up as companions. Her name is Sister Hertzberg and she's from California. Me and her are very similar. She's pretty reserved and quite and so am I!  Well sometimes ( haha ) but we have really opened up to each other and we really teach well together. I have learned so much from her.
>
> Days 2-4 were pretty much the same. Go to class stress myself out haha go to lunch. Then companion/personal study which is one of my favorite times of the day. Here at the MTC I spend most of my time in building T4 which is the new building. It's so peaceful and bright in there I love it. They also have so many beautiful paintings/pictures everywhere with scriptures to go along with them. They also have ponder rooms with beautiful landscape pictures and music. There is two on every floor and there are 6 floors. 
>
> Day 5 (Sunday) okay this was my hardest day and that's going to shock most because that's everyone's favorite day, it was a good day, but Saturday night was the night me and my roommates forgot to say roommate prayers.  Everyone was asleep and I was still trying to fall asleep when I got a ton of pressure in my chest and doubts feelings in my mind. I knelt down and prayed and I felt comfort and peace and then it hit again. I did this about 5 times. On the 6th time when I got up from my prayer crying to heavenly father. I crawled back into bed and my doubts started coming, I had the thought repeat your missionary purpose in your head. So I did over and over again and I was able to fall asleep. When I woke up I thought it would be all over. Oh boy was I wrong! Satan hit twice as hard and I was in anxiety all morning. I kept having a feeling to get a blessing and I didn't know where to go for one. It wasn't until after church.  Well, I went up to one of the branch presidents wife's and in tears asked her who could give me a blessing?  She grabbed her husband and they took me into a separate room and asked me what was wrong and how I was doing. I fell apart and told them everything. The wife was crying with me and then he gave me a blessing of comfort and it was so beautiful. They told me I was meant to be here and that I was an amazing girl and that coming to them was the right thing to do.
>
> Well, that comfort didn't last to long because yep Satan was back and coming down on me so hard. It wasn't till the 6th day Monday morning when we taught Doug our investigator and the spirit taught through me and my companion that Satan wasn't there. I came to the realization that Satan was trying to tear me down and make me break so that I would quit. Well, I'm not going to quit I know this is where I'm meant to be and Satan is so scared of  what I'm going to do out in Missouri.  I've also learned while being here, that when life's hard and Satan is trying to break you, to not turn inwards.... Turn outwards. That's what I've been striving to do and it really helps. Just losing myself in the work and my investigators.
>
> I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me so much and are always by my side. I know that they wouldn't have me go through anything that I can't handle.
>
> Me and my district joined the choir...haha yes you are right I can't sing and I told my district that haha
> But I went and it was amazing! The director is so funny and has amazing stories.  Yes, half the time I'm just faking it (opening my mouth and mouthing the words).
>
> I love this gospel so much and can't wait to be out in the field but I still have so much to learn. Love you all so very much!
>
> Come what may and love it
> 3D&G
> xoxo Sister Bitters

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