Monday December 30, 2013

 It was so good talking to most of you on Christmas.  It seemed like you were all having a really good time there at Elise's house, I hope that you all had a really good Christmas and that you will have an amazing New Years as well.  It was so good to see you all.  Thank you all so much for the gifts that you sent me, i received way to much this year, but I will put it all to good use I promise! Overall it was a really good day for me, we saw a lot of members, I seriously love them here in this area so much! They take such good care of me and are really generous.  They family we had breakfast with that morning gave us all 50 dollars to Walmart each!!  I wanted to cry with all the gifts members have been giving us this week! We ate a lot of meals and snacked a lot and got to play games with the members as well which was a ton of fun.  I was surrounded by little kids so it felt like the Christmas I could of had with all my nieces and nephews. I might of eaten way to much this week and people kept sending us home with food and treats.  I got to kick it into high gear this week with no sweets and working out harder in the morning. 

   This week was slower than usual due to the Holiday season with trying to meet with our investigators as well as find new investigators as well.  But it is pushing me to go out guns blazing this week to help the mission reach that goal of having 500 new investigators by January 7th.  We meant with one of the over aged youth that we have began teaching and we already set him on a Baptismal date which was awesome.  He knows so much already of the gospel and is just so excited to be baptized.  We had a cool experience this week with a less active, part member family.  I have visited them before and they are such an awesome family, the dad is not a member,but loves the missionaries and helping them out whenever he can.  He is an internal investigator, deep down he knows that it is true, but we are trying to help him realize that.  He has a few hang ups that I am trying to figure out how to address.  One of them is that he doesn't understand why we spend so much on temples when in olden times it use to be a tent.  Anyways so years ago 4 of his sons got baptized and only one of them is still active.  They were all here for the Holiday season and the husband was the one that encouraged his grandchildren to be blessed.  So 5 of them got blessed this week at his house and we were there for that.  It was such a cool experience, little by little I hope that the spirit continues to soften his heart and work on him.

   Nothing too exciting going on over here, know that I love you all and hope that you are all doing well.  Double training is even more draining. Sorry my letter is so short this week but I know Megan's will be great with her Baptism.  This months Ensign is awesome, I found this story in there and I was wondering if someone could print it out for me and give it to Grandpa, that would be greatly appreciated.  I have been thinking about him a lot and hope that he is doing well. 

  I love you all so much! http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=910930409001&cid=HPTH122613304&im=true Love this video, set some goals for the new year and forget about everything and the mistakes from last year!  I feel so blessed to have the knowledge of the atonement in my life.  Just like new years we can forget about the past and move forward.

Love

Sister Metcalf

 http://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/01/the-healing-power-of-grief?lang=eng&query=  

December 23, 2013

Can you believe how quickly time has gone by?!! I still can't believe that I will be Skype-ing with you all in just a few days!!!!  Life here has been going pretty good.  We picked up two new investigators this week which was awesome.  We have reach as of last night 217 of our 500 new investigator goal as a mission.  We have two more weeks to try and reach this goal.  We are going to be pushing hard to try and find at least 4 more these next few weeks.  This week the Lord has shown us a little miracle as I see it.  Since I have been in this area we haven't really received any referrals.  This week we received 6 which was just amazing.  Maybe it is because that it is Christmas time that people are more willing to let us see their friends and neighbors.  We have contacted most of them, not much success but one person said we could come back and wasn't home when she gave us a time.  I am not giving up hope yet though because we still have a couple more we have to contact.  Can I just tell you though how much more people are receptive to us when we use their neighbors names or their friends.  They seem more friendly and are more willing to talk to us.  Tracting(I got it right this time hahaha I can't telling you how many emails I got about me saying tracking instead of tracting) Anyway it is so not the most effective way to find people but I am continually doing it and showing the Lord my willingness to do so.  I am constantly building up the member trust which has been going well.  Since we are just over two wards we are going more to the activities for Relief Society, Primary, and Young Women' and Men.  Last week the Bishop in the Summerset ward in ward council told me how grateful he was for me serving in his ward.  He says he has seen me make great strides with the members and that I have a great influence on the youth that I might not ever be able to see the fruits of it.  He says that he feels that I am truly apart of their ward.  They really meant a lot to me because I know working with members is where the real success is at.  I continually look for the small miracles everyday.  Although I may never see baptisms while I am here, (I am not giving up hope) I know that I have been successful with less actives and active members as well.  I seriously love the people here, I feel as if they are my home ward.  I know that it will be a hard day when I leave, I hope that the Lord keeps me in this area for another transfer.  But I will have to rely and trust in him that He will do what is best for me.

   Training two new missionaries is going well, they both are great(shot out to Sister Pecjak's family).  My new companion's name is Sister Moncada, she is the 3rd of 5 children and her family is a convert to the church for 4 years now.  Her English is really good, just trying to help her gain her confidence a little more with speaking to people. Sometimes her and sister Pecjak will talk in Spanish for a few minutes and I can pick out a few words here and there but that is it.  High School Spanish is worthless.  I am grateful though that I am English speaking, I wouldn't want it any other way and the Lord knew what I could handle.  I found out this week that apparently people have be reading my blog hahaha A sister who came into the mission this last transfer told me how she stocked my blog before she came up.  Such a small world.  I am tired and drained all the time though and I don't like the responsibility of feeling like the success of the area rides on my shoulders.  Times are difficult at times, but I have learned that this is how I am going to learn and grow the most of my mission.  I hope that Megan will train next transfer, she will learn so much and grow so much more as a missionary.  As much as I love training, I do not want to be doing it the rest of my mission, but obviously I will do whatever the Lord needs me to do.  I have been reading talks on how to become more of a consecrated missionary.  I just need to sacrifice everything on the alter, fear and all.  I am trying to more fully align my will with the Lord's will.

   We had our Mission Christmas party this week and it was really good.  Half the mission got together one day and the other the next.  We watched Ephraims' Rescue, it you have not seen it yet I highly recommend it!!! I cried so much during that movie it was so good, I feel like I am so spiritually sensitive to everything.  Anytime I watch Mormon messages or heart warming video clips I start tearing up, I think I got that from Dad.  Anyways you all should watch that movie.  We had a talent show and since I heard that Megan did a rap I thought I would do one with my companion.  It isn't the greatest but people loved it.  Even the mission President and the couple missionaries came up to me after wards to complimented me on it.  It was a ton of fun, I will have to do a better one next year though, maybe that one that you sent me Nathan.  Overall it was really good and we had an awesome dinner as well and then a really good spiritual devotional.  

   Funny story for the week is that they lost our dinner list for this week so I have no clue who is feeding us when.  People signed up but I do not know who.  Don't worry about me though because we have been invited ouver to a ton of places for Christmas Eve and Christmas and have plenty of options.  The members here really look out for me and I love the friendships and bonds that I have built with these wonderful people here.  Jensa or Elise if you haven't done so thus far invite the Missionaries over to stop by and to visit on Christmas or Christmas eve.  It is always nice for us missionaries to have options to stop by at places.  They might not even come, but I think that would be awesome. Even if the house is full, they might not even come and eat.  I just think of how well I am taken care of here in this area and just hope that my family takes care of the missionaries in theirs.  Give the missionaries referrals, pray about your friends and neighbors you never know who is ready to accept the gospel.  Oh and Elise I saw the two missionaries that ate at your home and they said they were grateful that they had soup.  Elder Birk and Henderson are super awesome.  Ask Elder Henderson to use a German accent next time.  He lived there for a year and when he goes on exchanges he talks in a German accent, apparently he has more success getting into peoples homes that way hahaha Oh and by the way next time you see Elder Birk tell him Happy Belated Birthday, it was his bday when he went to your house, but he didn't want people to know.

      Thank you everyone for the packages that you sent me, I have been thinking things over and I think I am going to open them on Christmas eve, as lame as that sounds.  But I figured that if I am already sacrificing a year and a half on my mission I can sacrifice not opening any presents on Christmas.  I know this sounds cheesy but I really want to try and just focus on the Savior even more this holiday season.  As for talking with you on Christmas, I was thinking of doing it 2 pm Boise time since Megan was going to do it 3 pm Boise time.  I thought you were going to send me your Skype information so I will just have to call your cell phone mom to get that info on Christmas.  We have forty five minutes to talk, but I want to try and save 5 of that for Megan at the end.  I am so excited to see you all and talk to all of you!!!! I love you so much and I hope that you all remember to keep Christ in Christmas.  Sorry there are no pictures this week, I lost my camera case and SD card reader at the mission party.  Oh well I will find it or get a new one.  

   Share the gospel with at least one person by Christmas!!!! Don't forget that today is Joseph Smiths Birthday! I love you all!!!!

There would be no Christmas without the Atonement.  There would be no significance in Bethlehem without Calvary.  May we always have Christ in our heart each and everyday, not just on the day that we celebrate his birth.

Love

Sister Metcalf

P.S. Don't forget 2pm on Christmas, I will call you around then to get whose ever sign on information to talk to

Monday December 16, 2013

Dear Family and Friends,

      Let me start off by saying that I am freezing my Rastafarian nee-nees off hahaha if you don't understand that quote you should go watch cool running.  But honestly I am doing pretty good with keeping warm, I am truly blessed to have a car.  That helps a ton.  It is pretty cold here, you can ask Jensa and Elise that.  Usually snow is suppose to melt the next day or a few days after here, but that isn't happening.  We still have snow on the ground from over a week ago, but now most of it has turned into ice.  I haven't fallen....yet.  I love the winter time though, it looks so pretty, I just wish that it didn't have to be so chilly, it warmed up to the 30s this weekend which was really nice.  Mom you better pack warm clothes for your trip hahaha  Thank you so much for the boots, I seriously have worn them everyday since I have gotten them and they have come in handy a ton!

    So there are a lot of big changes here going on in our mission or at least it feels that way.  We had Zone meeting on Friday and there are few changes going on with our key indicators.  We use to count active members as a lesson(RC/LA), but now they are totally cutting that out.  We only count less actives and recent converts now.  Its hard to explain over email, maybe Nathan can explain it to you all.  So basically have the lessons we would teach are not being counted, but we are still expected to reach a goal of 20 lessons a week.  Meaning I am going to have to start working even harder to reach those goals because we still are encouraged to visit with active members and work with them to receive referrals. Also our mission President has felt inspired to set a goal for the mission as a whole to find 500 new investigators by January 7th, 2014!  That is so crazy to me, but I have faith that we can achieve that goal.  We have already found 128 last week so I totally feel like it is possible.  We had ward council in one of the wards yesterday and I told them about this and how us missionaries are going to need their help.  I told them how I have faith that we can achieve this and that I can not wait to see the plans that the Lord has in-stored for this area.  I told them how our mission is the smallest mission in the church geographically and that we still have tons of missionaries coming out each transfer.  The Lord is preparing this area for something big, I mean he is building another temple here just ten minutes away from the Boise one.  It gives me chills every time I tell members this, I feel like it is a ticking time bomb here in our mission.  

    I feel that way about my area as well.  Things are progressing here, but not as much as I would like.  I know that I am just planting the seeds for the next missionaries that come along, there is so much potential and some many people just right there and ready but are holding back.  I know that when things start happening in this area that it is going to be big.  We are picking up a new investigator this week, he is an over age youth in the ward.  We talked to the parents about teaching him and they have agreed and so we just need to start teaching him.  There are a few other older people in the ward that want us to start teaching a couple of their grandchildren that they bring to church with them because their parents are not active, that won't happen until the beginning of the year though.  Still trying to get our investigators now to be progressing but I have a feeling that with one or two of them I am just going to have to drop them.  Hopefully they will begin to gain that desire on their own and want to meet with the missionaries again. I have planted all my seeds for them but if they aren't going to nourish them they will not grow.  I still am praying for the two kids that we are working with whose dads don't want them to get baptized.  They want to make that commitment, but they have to wait for both parents approval.

    Right now I am trying to find that balance with finding new investigators.  I love my new companion, don't get me wrong, but she just wants to track 24/7.  I am trying to help her understand that tracking is good, but we shouldn't be focusing our time on that sorely.  There are more effective ways to find people to teach.  Working with the less actives and part member families are just as important and she doesn't see that yet so I am trying to find that balance as well as helping her find that balance as well.  I know working with members is the best way to go,but nothing we haven't been receiving referrals or meeting their friends.  They want to help us out but they are scared to take that next step with their neighbors or friends.  I don't want to give up on working with them, but I need to figure out how to get the ball rolling with them because I truly believe that is the best possible ways to find people to teach who are ready to be taught.

    So it seems the Lord was giving me a little break from trios or something because my mission president talked to me last week about getting a third companion.  She was kept in the MTC a little bit longer because she didn't know English very well, no this isn't the Samoan.  She is from Honduras and was suppose to come in last transfer.  Apparently the Lord and my Mission President still think I am capable of training two missionaries at the same time and  with one that doesn't speak English very well.  We are picking her up from the mission office tomorrow.  I am kind of excited because I love Trios, I have been in them for most of my mission. 

    Funny story from the week. So the first day that we decided to begin tracking I was driving down a street and saw this older man walking so I decided to pull down a near by street and we were going to "walk into him".  By the time we had got out of the car and got back on the street the man had turned around to start heading home.  My companion and I followed him for a block and a half trying to catch up to him.  When he got to his house and by his front door we called out to him and tried talking to him.  When we told him who we were he said "so your missionaries..." we said yes and he just said have a good day and went inside.  My companion and I just started laughing at what had happened.  Us following him for a block and a half isn't the funny story.  Two days later we were at our ward Christmas party and that same old man came up to me!  He talked to me how we saw him the other day and he told us how he thought we were Jehovah witnesses and that we were trying to hit on him(im pretty sure that last comment was a joke) Anyways turns out he is a member but was visiting his daughter, who we haven't met yet, that lives in the ward for the holidays.  Well at least I am trying.  No success yet with knocking on doors, if any of you return missionaries know any good door or street approaches be sure to let me know.  I have tried them all.  My companion wants to go caroling, I said we would, but I am not looking forward to that hahaha

    Know that things are going well, yes there is struggles and difficult times, but that is all part of the missionary life.  If everything was so easy and perfect that I wouldn't be learning and growing.  I hope you are all working with the missionaries and helping them find someone to teach.  I love you all and miss you all so much.  I haven't really figured out when I am going to Skype yet or not, but I promise to get you all those details later.  Make sure to send me the information of who you are wanting me to call to Skype with.

    Slow down this holiday season and don't focus on the gifts you want to give or receive this year.  Although we should be thinking of our Savior year round.  I hope that you take more time this season to think about the importance our Savior has played in your life.  I am so grateful for this time of year to remember our saviors birth.  I know that He Lives and that through Him we can find peace and joy in our trials in life. This time of year is a great opportunity to talk to those around you about their beliefs and why they celebrate Christmas.  Find opportunities to give good gifts to our Savior. D&C 19:29.Christmastime is the perfect season to study and learn more about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who promises, “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (D&C 88:63).

Love

Sister Metcalf

 Breanne enjoying the cold!

 Mom sent another package- boots!

 And another package- Christmas tree!

Thanks Mom!

Monday December 9, 2013

Hello to all from the cold,

       I can't believe how cold it is here right now, I am keeping pretty warm and hearing that it will be in the 40s on Saturday keeps me excited.  You ever thought I would be excited for it to be 40 degrees.  It snowed a few days ago which was super exciting and fun to play in for a few minutes, the only thing is that it hasn't left.  People told me that snow only stays for a day or two and then melts, but apparently this snow storm came here to stay.  But Its okay because I have been doing well with staying warm, fleece tights are a big help!  Mom did you ever get my letter that I mailed to Jensa's during Thanksgiving week? It had some list of things for you to mail up or small items you can get.

     So the Lord answered my prayers, I only am training one new missionary jk jk.  I promise you I wasn't praying for this, I was actually really excited to be in a trio, I love trios.  Apparently a sister was suppose to come in from Samoa, she is staying at the MTC a little longer.  They had put her in the 2 week program and apparently she didn't know english as well as they hoped so she will be coming out in January for the next transfer.  The easiest solution to this problem with having one less sister come out was just to have me train one since I was the only one that was double training.  My new companion is Sister Pecjak (pronounced like p-jak the c is silent), she is from Henderson, Las Vegas and just turned 19 a few months ago.  We get a long pretty great and it has been good thus far.  She is the oldest of 3 kids and is half Venezuelan.  Spanish is actually her first language, but you can't even tell.  I have a feeling that President will probably put her as a Spanish speaking missionary.  She is super awesome.  This week a lot of the things have been on me which is expected since she is new and I am the only one that knows the people and the area.  I love training don't get me wrong but I am kind of burnt out of it, I would love just a short break, maybe a transfer or two.  The renewed stress of being in charge of everything and how the day goes and leading the area isn't the funniest thing to deal with.  I really hope that she will be outgoing and help me in being bold.  I can do it on my own but it is a lot easier when you have a companion that is bold as well.

   I am still over the same two wards which I am excited about, I have been trying to hold on to two wards for as long as I can.  We were suppose to get a new set of missionaries in but housing feel through.  Next transfer we will be getting two new sets of missionaries no matter what.  They want one of the wards that I am over to go down to one set of missionaries and they want it to be sisters.  So If I am here next transfer I will be over just 1 ward.  Which is scary, but I know that overall it is for the best.

    Things in our area are going.....well its flat lined.  I don't know what is going on, I feel like there is so much potential and nothing is really happening.  We dropped and got dropped by a few investigators this week and all our other investigators are not progressing still.  We work a lot with less actives and part member families and don't get me wrong I love them and love it when I see them come to church.  But I miss teaching people about the gospel, there is just something that is amazing when you are teaching someone the restoration for the first time.  I love seeing people progress and it is hard when they are not.  I always wonder what I am doing wrong.  I get discouraged for a minute, but don't worry i am continually staying positive .  Sister Pecjak and I have sat down and talked about how we can progress this work along and how we can find new investigators.  Relying solely on the members is not going as well as we would hope.  Looks like we are probably going to start tracking, we will see how that goes.  I am not a fan of tracking, but if that is the only way to start finding new investigators I will have to start doing more of it.

    I saw Alex, one of our investigators who wants to get baptized but her dad won't let her, at church yesterday.  We talked for a little bit and it was really good.  I continually pray that she will get the courage to talk to her dad with at least meeting with us or with someone else in the ward about talking about her getting baptized.  I am not worried about her, her testimony is strong, but I can tell that she is getting pressured from home to go to her dads church.  Anyways I know that I just need to keep giving it my all and that is all that matters to the Lord.  Even if I do not see the fruits of my labors I know that I am carving the path for future missionaries that serve in this area.

   Some funny stories this week is that I had finally set up an appointment with a less active that I have been trying to pin down to meet up with since seriously day 1.  She has always been busy, but we met with her Thursday

 at 4.  Apparently there was mis-communication because when we showed up she asked us if we were hungry and we said we were good.  We walked around the table to see it set and food on the table, she just said "oh, well I prepared dinner for you".  I just looked at my companion and said okay we would love to eat with you.  It was a good dinner, at the end of our meeting I talked to her about why she doesn't come to church.  She said how she felt we were to busy like, and she feels like she had grown closer to God since being inactive.  I talked to her about the importance of church attendance about partaking of the Sacrament and she feels like that won't keep her out of heaven.  I didn't know what else to say to her, I didn't want to get into a debate about things so I just asked her if my companion and I could practice the lessons on her and she agreed.  Hopefully the spirit will be able to touch her heart as we teach her.  After that we headed to our actual dinner appointment which was at 5.  I said a prayer that my companion and I would be able to eat here and my prayer was answered.  Funny how I was good about not over eating or eating at every ones houses we went to on thanksgiving, but how it caught up to me exactly a week later.  So know that I am being taken care of..... too taken care of.

    The next night we showed up to our dinner appointment and apparently they forgot, it was quite a funny encounter.  I could tell they weren't expecting us so I just said we had stopped by to visit with the family, but they said they were busy.  Kind of funny because that has never happened to me before on my mission.  We ended up going to the Ward Christmas party with the people we live with so it all worked out.  Other than that nothing really new exciting happening here.

     I hope all is well back at home.  Know that I love you and miss you all!  I can't wait to talk to you all in just a few weeks!  Work with the missionaries in your ward, accept Elder Ballards Challenge and invite just 1 person to meet with the missionaries by Christmas, even if they say no.  I saw the missionaries serving in your ward Jensa, keep working with them, invite your friends over for a FHE lesson.  This is the perfect time of year to invite others to feel the spirit of Christ(mas).  Continually look for those around you to speak with.  How great was the Christmas Devotional last night?  I hope you all are finding opportunities to love and serve those around you!“There is a way for everyone … to participate in this great work. We can each find a way to use our own particular talents and interests in support of the great work of filling the world with light and truth.” —President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Love 

Sister Metcalf

Monday December 2, 2013

Mi Familia!

    This week has been a crazy world-wind of a week, I will try to keep my thoughts focus as I type to you.  Thanksgiving week was tough for us missionary work wise, a lot of families going out of town as well as people having families over, we did the best we could.  The schools up here had a whole week off of school which is just nuts to me!!!!  Thanksgiving was a really good day for us, lots on invites, but we made sure to keep everything down to just 3 meals hahaha.  We had breakfast with a family in our ward who is super awesome, the husband use to be a engineer.  He is retired and is the one that we rode in a train with on Halloween.  We went and played on his zip line, trampoline, and air stopper chair(apparently if you Google that his is the first one that comes up).  It was a ton of fun.  We then had lunch with the people we live with you had their whole family over!  It was really their Thanksgiving meal, it was good to sit and visit with them, one of their sons is less active so I talked with him a little bit.  We then had dinner with a family in my old area, the Cluffs.  They are super awesome, we didn't have dinner till 6 so that was nice to have time for food to digest and what not.  I was well taken care of for thanksgiving, don't worry mom I watched my portions and ate healthy, only had 2 small slices of pie.  I kind of laughed when I got that package in the mail from you.  We visited some other members in our area as well as the people that I use to live with.  Luckily they had smoked their turkey so Brother Dalling gave me some, so I got my filling of smoked turkey that I missed out on.  You had just emailed me about eating good this holiday season and then I got all this junk food.  I ended up sharing it with my companions and I left it out for the Andrus'(the people we live with) granddaughters who were there.  Can I just tell you how appreciative I am of the people we live with.  I heard of missionaries who had to stay at other places because their family was coming into town for the holidays.  The Andrus' let us stay there even with a lot of their family staying there, they made the kids squish together in the rooms.  The are seriously an awesome family, I am being well taken care of with them.  I always go down and chat with them after we plan at night and they always have lunch for us in between our church sessions.  They are just amazing, I fell apart of their family.  People have already started inviting us over for Christmas and Christmas eve which I am relieved about because I am worried about not having places to go for those days, but the Lord is taking good care of me.  The rest of the week nothing too exciting happened.  I ended up dropping off Sister Dickey Saturday morning for her to head home.  Aaron or Nathan, did you ever have a companion that went home?  She finished off her mission and it was so hard for me to say goodbye to her.  She was such an awesome trainer and I loved being companions with her, she is just so similar to me.  I got emotional and cried when I dropped her off, I like this was the first time that I have felt homesick as well! Saturday was a tough day for me.  I am good now, don't worry.  I think everything just hit me with the Holiday season, losing a good friend in the mission, and then transfer calls were on Saturday as well.  So you want to know what is happening with me with transfers.....drum roll please....... I am staying!!! and double training :(  Meaning that this transfer I will be training two new missionaries!!! I am the only missionary that is doing that! There are so companions that will be in a trio as well training but two of the trainers have been out for a while now.  Sister Roberson got transferred to two other sisters, they will be good for her.  I am sure that they will still be loving and understanding with her.  Can I just tell you how scared I am to be training two missionaries at once.  To be honest I cried when I heard that, my emotions were running high from dropping Sister Dickey off, do judge me!  I feel like the Lord is pushing me to trust and rely on him more and more.  I know that training is more for my growth then the two new missionaries.  I know that this is going to push me to grow so much more so quickly as a missionary.  I just hope and pray that I get good companions, I trust the Lord and my mission President with the decision that is best for me.  There are so many other Sister missionaries that are training this transfer that I think are way more capable then me to double train, but Sister Winder assured me today that she felt like I was the best one for the job!  Its a lot to handle and I am getting a little stressed out, but that is normal.  Things will die down in a few days and everything will be good.  One a good note I am keeping my two wards!!!! Which I am super stoked about, I have been trying to hang out to two wards for as long as I can.  Going down to one ward won't be bad I just didn't want to give up my wards.  We were suppose to get another set of missionaries in our stake, but the housing fell through so nothing changed.  Mom and Dad are they looking for housing for missionaries in Simi? If so I would say to house them, it is such a blessing to the missionaries!  I'm not pushing it, just a suggestion hahaha Also yesterday I found out that we will be picking up a new investigator.  A less active family that has been coming back to church the last few months, their son just turned 9 so he has to be taught by the missionaries.  Kind of funny, but hey I will take it!  I am still trying to figure out how to contain all this potential work in my area and get it rolling.  We are working with a lot of less actives and part member families, our investigators aren't progressing which is tough but I am not giving up hope on them.  I might have to drop a couple, but if they aren't going to keep their commitments than there is nothing I can do to help them.  They got to have that desire, I can't force it.  Weird side note, today I got some mail from the mission office.  There is no return address, but it says that it was mailed from Salt Lake.  All that was inside was some papers inside, pretty much looks like anti stuff.  I kind of laughed at it.  There is an e-mail address and website written down.  I almost wanted to email them and say thanks but no thanks.  I am not going to, I am just gonna toss the papers out and not even read them.  That is best, Satan is working hard!  I can't tell if I recognize the persons hand writing or not, but if it is not someone I know that is funny to me that people are looking up missionaries and sending them things to their mission office hahaha  Don't you ever look at any anti-Mormon stuff!!! YOU ALL BETTER PROMISE ME THAT!!! No matter how strong you think your testimony is!!! Satan knows how to desensitize us and knows how to get to us.  I am working with a lady who got into some anti literature, and she is struggling trying to figure out what is true.  She is a mess trying to figure out her testimony and about life.  Hold on to your testimonies and keep strengthening them! They need to be nourished daily!!!!  Read your scriptures and pray always!  I love you all so much! And whoever is sending me anti stuff, it's not working.  I know that this gospel is true and this is Christ true church.  I just finished the Book of Mormon once again, and let me tell you that that it is the greatest books that we have access to!  Joseph Smith is a true prophet and restored Christ church once again!  I know that this is all true and God knows that I know that it is true so I can not deny it!  Reach out to those less actives, if they don't come to realize that all of this is true, they will be judged harshly by God by knowing that it is true and then denying it. 

"The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done"- Joseph Smith Jr.

This work is going to progress whether we are helping or not.  Satan is building up his armies and we need to be spiritually prepared.  I love you all so much!!!! I can't wait to talk to all of you in 23 days!!!! Thank you for all your letters and packages they are much appreciated.  Pray for Megan and I and our areas!  No that even though that their are hard times out here in the mission, I never for a second regret serving a mission.  I have learned and grown so much and have come to know a little more who I am and my relationship with my Father in Heaven!!! Thank you all, especially mom and dad for the sacrifices you are making to have two daughters on a mission.  I will be forever indebted to you!  I love you all and pray for each of you individual every night! 

Love 

Sister Metcalf

P.S. Is it flying by as quickly for you as it is for me?!

 50 lbs of potatoes for $10.  I love Idaho!

 Boise West District

 Dropping off Sister Dickey

 So many packages for me!

 Family we live with

 Way to many treats from Mom!

Monday November 25th, 2013

Family,

     It's crazy to think that pretty much all of you are so close to me, but yet a whole other world away.  Things this week have been really good.  I set a goal this week to try not to focus my letters on my companions because there is so much going on around me in the area.  Let me start off by saying that the Lord answers prays.  It took a lot of patience and persistence my part.  I don't know if you remember me telling you about Brent.  He was an investigator we found and were teaching who was living with his sister who was less active.  He moved away and we had been trying to figure out where he was living.  No joke every night and at every weekly planning session I would pray so sincerely that we would be able to find Brent for either us to teach or for us to pass off to other missionaries.  The Fellow-shipper who knew him pretty well had been texting him to find out where he was living and if he still wanted to meet with the missionaries but he wasn't really responding.  We tried texting him to, but he never responded.  Pretty soon the fellow-shipper kept trying and my companions told me that we should just give up on him about a month ago.  But I wouldn't let them erase him from our white board I told them that I still had faith that we would be able to find him.  This week I was talking to his fellow-shipper because we had heard from his sister about where he had moved (which is out of our area).  So he called up Brent and he picked up! He said things had been hectic and that he still had a desire to meet with us and to learn more.  When the fellow shipper called me to set up the appointment I started crying.  The Lord had heard my prayers.  We met with him on Friday and we introduced the Book of Mormon with him and talked about the importance of it all.  He feels like he doesn't have a relationship with God and we told him he can build that relationship by reading the Book of Mormon.  We started reading it with him and helping him understand it as well as how to apply it to his life.  The lesson went so well and I could tell he has a true desire to read it.  I have such high hopes for him and am so happy that we found him even though we will have to pass him off to other missionaries soon.

    Another Miracle this week was with Alex.  She is the girl that wants to get baptized, but her dad is not okay with it.  We haven't been able to meet with her and we really only see her at church.  I have been praying for her and thinking about her a lot as well.  Last night she sent me this long text about how she was with her family and felt like she needed to go upstairs and read some conference talks.  She came across "Be Not Moved" and she said how nothing has ever hit her that hard spiritually.  She told me how thankful she was for everything that I have done for her and have just been there for her but not pressuring her to constantly nag her dad about Baptism.  She said that she is going to talk to her dad about meeting with us this week.  I am so proud of this girl, she is so amazing.  She is only 14 years old and is standing up for what she believes in even when her family is not supportive of her.  I teared up when I got that text.  The Lord has blessed me so much in this area.  I might not have as many progressing investigators as I would like, but there has so much that I have been able to accomplish in this area with less actives.  We actually picked up a new investigator this week that is a part member family.  It sounds like he wants to know for a knowledge purpose, but who knows maybe the Lord with soften his heart.

     This week we went on what we like to call mass exchange.  A third of the mission at a time goes on exchanges and the trainers and leadership missionary have a special training from President Winder.  We talked a lot about finding, it was so good.  He talked about how only 10% of investigators end up getting baptized from our own finding efforts.  He talked about how if we just double the number of people we talk to or talk to at least 10 different people from street or door contacting how our investigator pool will double as well as our baptisms will double as well.  I really got fired up on trying to talk to everyone that I see, he gave us all a rock that said "be a little bolder", it was a cute little pun.  I ended up going to another Sisters area, and I just talked to everyone, it was such an awesome experience.  We went to an apartment complex to contact a former investigator and we saw a lady sitting on the steps and just began talking to her.  Literally 4 other people came up to talk to us.  There were a lot of interesting conversations that we had, but I don't regret talking to anyone.  I have been keeping it up being bold with members, less actives and strangers on the street.  This has been something that I have been wanting to work on and I feel like this has pushed me to be even bolder than before.

    I am nervous for transfers to come up, I have a feeling that I will stay in the area, but i don't know if I will be over the same wards or go down to one.  I know it won't be bad to go down to one, but I am not ready to give up either of my wards.  I feel like I have started to get things moving and I can tell things are just going to be on fire in these two wards, but I want to be there for that.  I know that I can not be selfish and I do trust in the Lord.  Sister Dickey goes home this Saturday and this makes me a little sad, I am not ready to say goodbye to her.  She is such an awesome missionary and has taught me so much about myself and has pushed me to be a better missionary.  I feel like I trust her so much and that I can rely on her to be bold.  Sister Roberson is doing good.  I truly do love her and believe that in the pre-earth life she was a better spirit then I was.  I know that she was one of God's choicest spirits who accepted the challenge to deal with the difficult of autism.  She has been wanting to go home and even called President who allowed her parents to call her.  It seems like she was homesick and starting to get bored with things.  I have been working on trying to focus on her and help her and encourage all.  It is tough sometimes because when I focus on her the missionary work starts to suffer, but when I focus on the missionary work then she begins to not do so well.  I am really trying to find that balance.  There have been ups and downs, but I have decided that I don't want to be emailing every week of the negative things.  I feel like it has been putting a negative attitude on my emails.  I don't want you to think that of all.  The mission has been such a positive experience in my life.  I can't even explain to you how much I have learned on the mission.  I still have so much more that I need to learn and grow from.

     I hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving week!!! Talk to those around you, share the gospel.  Look for ways that you can serve and just love the people that you home and visit teach.  Believe that the Lord is preparing a way.  I have been working on trusting in the Lord and have faith the the field in Boise Idaho is "White and ready to harvest".  It might not seem it at times when I look at which is happening in just my two wards.  But when I look back from a few months a go and there were just two missionaries in just the stake, it has progressed so much.  Each individual companionship might not see dramatic changes, but when we look at a stake as a whole and how we all are helping to progress this work it is amazing.  Us missionaries in this stake have been working on setting a missionary fireside for the youth.  I am trying to work more and more with the Youth because that is where it is at.  

   Know that the Lord knows you all individual and he does hear your prayers.  It may not seem like it but he is blessing your lives each and everyday with little miracles.  I love you all!  Save me some smoke and deep fried turkey!!!

     One thing I am thankful for is the knowledge I have of the Gospel, and that my family are all active members. I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father and for my Savior.  I am thankful that the tomb was empty and that because of our Savior we can break the bands of death and Hell.  I have been study talks on the atonement and i HIGHLY suggest that you do the same, I have gained so much more appreciation for my Savior.

   One last thing I am thankful for is the temple.  We got to go this week and it was so amazing and spiritual for me.  Mom I did the name that you sent to me and it had grandmas name on it since she was the one that printed the card. (ill be sending it to you this week so you can do the sealing to the parents).  I felt the spirit so strong and I could just feel like Lena Sophia Sternhagen accepted the work that I was doing for her.  I felt like grandma was there as well.  The temple is such an amazing place, especially the celestial room.  I feel like it is there that I feel closest to my Father in Heaven and can feel the spirit so strong.  I wish I could take that feeling out of the temple with me.  I am not looking forward to the day where I have to lower my mantel of being a missionary and won't have the spirit as a constant companion.  I do not want to waste any valuable time I have to have this amazing opportunity.  I wish I could just describe to you the feeling of having the spirit so strongly all the time.  I am sure all you RM's can relate.  I don't regret my decision for a second to serve a mission, there is no other place that I rather be at this point in my life.

Love 

   Sister Metcalf

P.S. I heard that BSU lost this week and pushed USU to the championship game, if USU doesn't lose.  That is one way I get in the door with less actives that are men.  I start talking about BSU and football.  The Lord works in mysterious ways.  I love you all and am so proud of you!  

Monday November 18th, 2013

Familia,

     Sounds like things at home are going well.  Thank you all for your letters and emails, they have been so good to read. This week I am a little scattered on my thoughts so I am just going to write my letter like how I did last week.

1) Mom and Dad have smart phones now? I never thought this day would come.  Of course once Megan and I leave then the family switches over to smart phones and what not.  Don't be texting and driving or talking on the phone.

2) Last week I forgot to mention a cool experience that my zone had on preparation day.  We went hiking at table rock which was a ton of fun.  We were all sitting up at the top and there was a guy who was about 25 sitting up there as well.  Sister Dickey and I ended up starting up a conversation with him, he told us how he is moving to North Dakota for work and is contemplating about some things.  We got talking and the other 6 missionaries joined in and talked about random things and then we started talking about missions.  A little about transfers, companionship, things we are allowed and not allowed to do.  He started talking about the bible and religious beliefs and we asked him what he has heard about the LDS church.  HE said not much.  He asked all of us what we all liked about the gospel and we all pretty much bore our testimony to him about things.  I asked him if he reads the Bible a lot and he says he does quite often and I asked him if he would be interesting in reading the Book of Mormon.  One of the Elders had a BofM in his bag and pulled it out.  It was such a cool experience.  Its crazy the people that come into your lives, it was just such a perfect moment and setting that we talked to him, it was so peaceful and the spirit was so strong.  We told him about Mormon.org and he said he would read the Book of Mormon and we told him to look up the missionaries when he got to North Dakota.  I don't know what will happen to him, but that was such a neat experience to have.

3)This week has been pretty good for us, not exactly the numbers we would like and none of our investigators are progressing, but it was still a good week with less actives and part member families.  The two investigators we found last week we passed off to the Spanish branch.  That was so hard for me to do, especially when I have been trying so hard to find new investigators, but I know that the Spanish branch will be the best place for them.  

4) I keep forgetting to tell you all the success we are having with less actives and part member families.  We got into a part member home that the ward has been trying to get into for weeks.  I literally have been stopping by the home for 6 weeks in a row! Each time they were either at home or were two busy. We saw a miricle the other week because we stopped by and the dad finally let us in!!! He is a return missionary and his wife is a member but they have 3 children 16,13,11 that have not been baptized.  We talked and it was a really good conversation.  I finally bit the bullet and got down to the nitty gritty.  I asked him if he is able to come to church often and why not.  I was straight up with him about things.  I felt like if this was my only chance to talk with him then I would be going out guns blazing.  Sister Dickey was there to back me up and Sister Roberson was at home sick which made a difference.  We basically found out that he doesn't have a strong testimony anymore.  We talked about the importance of raising the kids in the gospel.  We decided that we will be coming over to do some Family Home Evening with them, which is so awesome and is a huge step for them.  There are a few ward members that are friends with them that we talked to yesterday, they are just so shocked and thrilled that we got into their home.  Apparently after our talk with him the sons now will be going to scouts and their dad has been supportive and excited for them.  I am excited to work with this family.

5) We also got into a home of a part member family that are in their late 60s.  The husband is a member and was sealed in the temple, but got a divorced and remarried to this nonmember.  It took the home teacher months to get into his home, and he is rarely home.  We were driving around this week trying to find people that were home in the middle of the day to visit, I saw that his garage door was open and so I felt like we had to stop by there.  So I turned around and we went back.  He was the only one home and invited us in.  We had such a good talk with him.  He told us how he knows and believes that the Church is true and has a testimony of everything.  But he likes to drink his wine with his wife once in a while.  We had a good talk and we invited him to church which he said he would like to come.  This was so awesome because he hasn't been in years to church.  Sadly he didn't come yesterday but I know that he will come, we just have to keep stopping by and visiting with him.  The cool thing was is that he wants us to come back and meet his wife, he thinks that she will open minded about it but that we shouldn't pressure her.  I see potential there.  I love going to ward councils and telling them about the visits that we have been having with these families and the surprise and shock on their faces of the homes we are able to get into.

6) I so wish we had more progressing investigators, but I know that the work that I am doing is pressing the work along and the work is hastening here.  Working with less actives and part member families is a lot of our focus.  I am trying to focus on the positives here and look for the little miracles each and everyday.  I have been so blessed out here and have seen so many miracles, I just need to recognize them more.

7)We also like to go and visit the older people during the day.  We actually visited a Part member couple in their 80s.  The husband is a teacher and the wife is not a member.  We got in the door and spoke to the wife because the husband was out hunting hahaha. Anyways we talked with her and asked for service and she graciously excepted which was awesome.  We got to talking with her and she told us how she investigated years ago and loved how everything is about families.  She wants her husband to be all in before she joins the church.  We will work with her on that and work on the husband as well.  They have an active daughter that was out visiting a few months ago.  I see potential there as well.  I see it all around me, I am just trying to figure out how to get the snowball rolling.  I know that once it starts that it will keep on going.  I am hoping that in two weeks that I will end up staying in this area.  I feel like there is so much work that is about to happen in these two wards that I am covering.

8) Dad are the missionaries visiting the elderly in the ward and spending time with them? They do not realize how much of a blessing it is to them.  I know if might now be "progressing" the missionary work along, but I think of how important it is for us to strengthen everyone, not matter what

9) So here is a side note from my story from #5.  We were visiting with Brother Gomm and Sister Roberson had to go to the bathroom, which is normal.  She was kind of in there for a long time and when she came back out it smelled like acetone.  So I touched her nails and they were a little sticky-ish.  When we left I asked her why it smelled like acetone when she walked out.  Apparently she felt the need to paint her nails in a less actives home!!! I was just like seriously?! Are you that bored?! I couldn't believe it, she amazes me everyday.  It makes me wonder all the other times that she has gone to the bathroom.

10) Also she gets very distracted easily.  So many times this week we will share a message with a less active and will be talking about the importance of prayer or church attendance and the next thing we know she is asking what their cat is doing.  Or where they got a painting.  She kind of changes topics and the spirit is gone and it is hard to get back to the topic we were on.  I try to skip over her comments and bring things back, but I feel like she has been with me for so long that she has caught on.  When she wants to talk about something or say something she will keep going back to it until she gets what she says out.

11) We had dinner with a family this week.  Who was living in El Paso Texas 12 years ago.  Sister Roberson claimed that she saw them 10 years ago when she was visiting.  So funny.  Let me tell you that she can pack salads away!!! She could put a Tongan to shame with how much she can eat.  I always feel bad because she eats the last of the members foods and if they don't have a salad she will rudely ask for one.  I have tried to address this with her put there is no helping this matter.

12) Saturday we made copies at the church library and apparently Sister Roberson decided to go threw the lost and found and she took a watch without us knowing.  It was later in the day that I heard a beep and I saw that she had a watch one, she has never had one before.  I was so upset!!! I am tired of dealing with this, i hope that I will be able to make it the next few weeks with her.  My patience is so thin right now.  I feel like I am always angry inside, okay I really am not put some days are hard and I keep all my emotions in side.  On those days I just want to go home a yell in my pillow or something.  It's tiring to watch her like a hawk and when I stop to breathe something happens and then I have to tighten the reigns again.

13) This week was the first time in this area that I met a less active that was angry and hostile to us.  Interesting story that I will tell you sometime, and he happened to be a red head.  Sister Dickey and I ended up just laughing when we got back to the car.  I feel like I have been laughing a lot more this transfer which has been nice and makes the hard times easier to deal with.

Sorry that this all doesn't make sense, I will have to explain things better when I get home and have you read my journal.  Know that all is well and that I miss you all!!!! Love you so much.  I read this talk by President Thomas S. Monson this week that you should all read, it is called " I Will Not Fail, Thee, nor Forsake thee" "Our Heavenly Father … knows that we learn and grow and become stronger as we face and survive the trials through which we must pass."  I have been studying the atonement this past week as well and have been reading a bunch of talks on the subject.  It is just so amazing to be and I feel like I am continually learning more and more and have been growing a greater appreciation for my Savior.  I will send you some of the talks sometimes(Megan I don't know if these are the same talks you got, Sister Dickey got this packet around Easter time that I have been reading.)
I love you and miss you all!!!!!!! Your in my prayers every morning and night.

Love 

Sister Metcalf

Wednesday, November 13th, 2013

 60 bags of leaves

 Everyone in my zone

 Hiked table rock as a zone again

 Raking leaves

Random deer sighting

Mi Familia,

     Sorry you haven't heard from me yet, on Monday all the libraries were closed for veterans day and yesterday we had a Zone conference.  To be honest this one is probably going to be a short one.  Nathan did you ever have those days where you just didn't want to email? That is kind of how I am feeling today.  

 1)Everything is pretty much the same here.  I am trying my best to progress the work here and sometimes it gets frustrating when I feel like I am trying my hardest and our investigators are all at a standstill and nothing seems to be happening.  I am trying to stay positive and to just keep pushing.  We actually found 2 new investigators on Sunday which was such a miracle.  We are going to be seeing these people again tomorrow so we will see.  

2)There are some changes happening in our mission which I feel like is for the best.  We use to get together as a whole mission to play sports which was nice, but now that a lot of younger elders and sisters have come in you could see that their was a lot more flirting going on.  Now we are only suppose to do activities on P-days with our zone, which is the norm in other missions.  \

3)Also we now will be doing what Megan does in her mission with temple trips.  Sadly we will not be going to the temple every transfer.  We don't know how often it would be but when we do go the day we go to the temple with be our p-day.  Like Megan how today she went to the temple so this is her p-day.  

4)The missionaries in our mission have to wear yellow neon vests at night while riding bikes.  Look out for them Jensa and Elise. hahaha I think that it is quite funny.

5)Same old same old with my companion.  Some days are harder than others, luckily there are two of us so when one of us can't put up with her any longer the other can take over.  This week she has been trying to take charge a little bit more which you think would be good but it is not.   She started setting up appointments with people and then would forget to tell us or it was a time when we had another appointment.  I am still trying to work with her on writing things down in her planner.  

6)Funny story this week.  We were having dinner at a members house and there was a 15 year old girl selling cookie dough for her basketball team and she came in and we were talking with her.  She was a member and all of a sudden sister Roberson starts asking her some weird/random questions.  It came down that she was trying to set her up with her 17 year old brother.  It was so funny and awkward.

7)Our ward council this last week was super awesome, this ward is such a missionary minded ward, I love it.  The whole time we talked about Elder Christensen "Power of an everyday Missionary" book and how the auxiliary leaders can invite people and get more members excited about the hastening of the work

8) We did a bunch of service this week raking leaves.  It was actually a ton of fun and we raked this one mans house who is not a members so there could be potential there.  Of course with piles of leaves around Sister Roberson had to jump in the piles like a little kid.  It was actually quite entertaining.  On Saturday we went out with one of the wards we cover.  It was awesome and I got to know a lot of the members a lot better.  At one house we filled up 60 bags!!! It was nuts, I will attach the photo of all the bags that we filled up.

9) apparently there are a lot of disobiedent missionaries in the mission.  I feel like my bubble of missionaries has popped.  A lot of them sleep in till like 10am.  There are some that even went to a concert, which is just shocking to me.  I am more disappointed when I hear about sisters being obedient.  I feel like it is their choice to be out here serving and they know what is expected of them and what the rules are.  If they can't handle it then they shouldn't have come out.  Luckily all my companions I have have been able to get up at 630 every morning because it would be difficult if I had to do that by myself.  I hear of a lot of missionaries that also hang out at members house a lot as well, which I feel like can be a waste of time.  I really like this quote I heard a few weeks ago. "obedience brings blessings, but exact obedience brings miracles" .  I want to be able to say at the end of my mission and to the Lord on Judgement day that I gave it my all and I was obedient to all the rules.

10) Happy Birthday Mommy!!! I hope you have an amazing day!  I love you!

11)Spiritual thought this week: http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2714780496001 .

Love you all and hope that all is well.  It sounds like there is a lot going on at home and a lot of changes happening.  I think about you all and pray for you all everyday.  I promise that next weeks e-mail will be better.

Love

   Sister Metcalf