BIG NEWS!!!

HELLO!    IT'S ME!    THE OFFICIAL VIRGINIA RICHMOND MISSIONARY!!!

Let me tell you, I am SO relieved to finally know my final missionary destination. I will be here in Virginia until December and that feels so good! December 2nd to be exact (Mom insert).  Let me tell you about the craziness of the week….well, it started off on Wednesday by getting a call from the mission office telling me that I had to do the FBI clearance over again. I had just done a FBI clearance in January and it took 12 weeks to get it back (if I had to wait that long again that would leave me only three months left on my mission and they still needed to apply for the visa). Well I guess that it is now expired and needed to be done again. Craziness! I felt bad for the lady from the mission office that called because I immediate burst into tears. She was really trying to help me feel better. Haha so it was a really rough day! I ended up getting a blessing that night from one of my favorite members, Brother H. It was a really good blessing that gave me peace. In the blessing I was told to pray more and listen more to what Heavenly Father was saying. So I did, and basically Heavenly Father and I had this conversation about how I didn't want to be the one who made the decision to stay because I really was scared to let someone down. Like if I went and really there were people here waiting for me or vice versa. How sad would that be? So I told Heavenly Father that I really didn't want to make that decision. I felt really impressed to just keep moving forward and so I did. Then Friday afternoon we get a call from President Wilson and he is the sweetest man and the first thing he says is, "Sister Siepert, what is in your heart?" So I just poured my heart to President about how hard this process has been and how I was not sure what to do and then we made the decision together to just let me stay. :) I was so happy the rest of the day! I think I made the right decision. I mean, Brazil will always have a special part in my heart, but I am happy to stay. Maybe Brazil will be in my near future? I guess, all I know is that everything happens for a reason. I am so happy to not do language study anymore! So, I might send all my language stuff home. That was pretty much the highlight of my whole week! :)

This week has been a pretty good week as a whole. We had some pretty spiritual moments and some hilarious moments. One of the best moments of the week though was a lesson we had with H. She is 15 and wants to be baptized so bad. Her father wants her to take the Catholic Confirmation classes before she gets baptized. So hard for her but understandable from her fathers standpoint. We have literally taught her everything and like any normal 15 year old gets distracted real REAL easily! School, boys, drama….haha, but we decided to read Enos with her. We learned something at Zone Conference on Tuesday it was to read a scripture and ask the investigator to tell you what stands out to them or what they like and that is when the spirit can teach them. That is what we did and it worked! She went off on faith and how important it is in life and how she feels sad for people who can't have faith. It was so cool. She was really taught by the spirit and she did't get distracted!

We also saw a lady that just went through the temple and is getting ready to go through and be sealed to her husband and twins who died. She is so funny and is hard to understand. When you first meet her you think she may be a little handicapped, but she is really just a little older and a little slow:). Be we came to her door and knocked and waited because it usually takes her a while to get to the door and she opens it and the first words that come out of her mouth are "she tied me up". The dog she had been dog sitting had wrapper her up in his leash. So we laughed and tried to untie her. It took a while because the dog is CRAZY, be we got her free. She then proceeded to tell us that we were a miracle and that she would have been stuck for hours if we didn't come…haha, that was fun!

This week was fun and it was so nice to have the Eng's at home. Felt like we had a family again! :) And having the dogs around was a lot of fun! I think I am turning into a dog person and not a cat person anymore…..Virginia is changing me….haha. I asked about my Aunt and Uncle coming and going to lunch or dinner (they only live like 20 miles from me) his first response was "no." Then he laughed and said of course, but please have them call me before they come. So they can!! They just have to call President Wilson first! I love my Mission President, he is the man! I also realized that since I am staying I get to go home with Sister Romney! How cool is that? :) So happy about that!

Keep me in your prayers and that we can find some new investigators! :)
Love you all!!!
Have a good week! :)
-Sister Siepert :)

Loved having the dogs around for the weekend:)

I am becoming a dog person here in Virginia:)

Our investigator Hannah:)

We made this for Hannah :) 

A little girl did my hair this week:) What do you think? I never thought of using stickers to decorate my hair:)

I am so excited my brother got his Mission Call!!!

Hey, Hey,

I AM SO EXCITED FOR TY!!! When I found out where he was going I was actually at a festival where we had a booth. I listened to the voicemail from Sister Chuntz. When she said where he was going I just started to cry! Haha, we were walking through a huge crowd of people and I just couldn't keep it in! I AM SO HAPPY FOR TY!! The Halifax Canada Mission is so lucky to have him! Missions are the greatest and the hardest at the same time. I know he will make an awesome missionary! I got kind of sad because he is leaving in September and I come home in December....But I got over it super quick because I know this is what he is supposed to do. I am SO proud of him. I wish I could have been there when he opened his call. in church yesterday I just sat and cried because I felt the spirit so strong when I was thinking about Ty going on a mission. We were pretty good friends and I would probably call him one of my best friends. Anyways, I am excited! :)

We had a really good week! I am so happy here and I just love everything about this area. members want to work with us, The bishop is soooo nice, we don't have to tract because the member do all the finding for us, and the list goes on and on. I feel so blessed to have been put here and to be experiencing the things I have so far.

Last Monday (Pday) we went to the mall. Basically it was heaven!!!! It is huge and has everything I have ever wanted! :) They have a Vera Bradley store. I bought the cutest bag for $30 it was originally $70. Steal! Huh? We also had a lesson with an investigator that night. Her name is H. She is awesome! She has been a long time investigator but has to wait to be baptized until her father gives her permission. She is 15. She really feels the spirit and is so strong. She is so sweet and so fun to be around! We have another investigator that is names N and is 14. She is sooo great too! We had a fireside with the youth last night and she came to it!! I find it interesting that my whole mission I have taught either the youth or young adults. I love it! They are young and seem to be able to feel the spirit so strong.  It is so cool to see it in their faces. On the flip side it is so hard to see them feel it and deny it. On Tuesday we went to the church and played volleyball with the youth and that was so fun! The bishop's son here is exactly like Ty. He even looks like him! It kind of freaks me out sometimes. It is really fun to spend time with the youth. Sometimes I have remind myself I am not one of them! Haha!

We had a really cool experience this week when a member invited her neighbors over for dinner and she invited us too. She is a returned missionary and so is her husband. Her husband is no longer active but she comes to church and is one of the greatest members. At dinner she taught her neighbors the restoration. I loved it! :) She just did it and we didn't really have to do anything, but testify. It was so cool to see a member take the lead though and be a missionary. Afterwards she felt really good and was like, I have been wanting to tell them that for a long time. Sure , we aren't teaching them, but they did feel the spirit really strongly and it will happen again one day. :)

Saturday was really interesting. We went to the "Nokesville Days" which is a like a little festival. It is in the area the other Sisters we live with serve. It was in our Ward boundaries. It is really interesting because it is like 30 minutes from D.C. and it is country! Not as country as Goochland but pretty close. There was a tractor parade and stuff....haha. But it was fun! Our ward mission leader set us up with a booth. It was a good idea, but it was awkward. I mean our booth was between two home improvement places that were trying to give away like $15,000 and other stuff. We kind of sat there and waited for people to come to us because it felt weird about going out and yelling at people because we are not trying to seel the church or anything...but it was interesting because the men working the booths on either side of us kept yelling, "this will change your life!" and it made me think. I love Heavenly Father because he doesn't force us to do anything. He wants us to choose him and doesn't yell at us or force us in anyway to change, we have to do that on our own. Ironic that they were yelling that and that we were right next to him, eh? It was a good experience for me and for us! We at least got out in the community, right? SEE! It was a great week! :)

Well I love you all and I am glad to hear that this week was so great! :)

-Sister Siepert

We mowed the lawn at our house! Exhausting:)

Our Festival Booth

Cat Power.....meow

The train tracks are literally the border of our mission.........So close:)

We got caught in a rainstorm. The members that live at this house fixed us up in rain apparel.

Sister Christensen and I (My companion)

Companions (I look a little bald) Haha

Transfers last week.............Yep I transfered!

Since we got to google hangout with Sister Siepert her email was rather short! I decided I would just put together a blog post for her using her email and our conversation with her yesterday:)

Marianne Siepert (Katie's Mom)

Well yep it was a week of changes. I was sad to leave the countryside of Virginia. I was in Goochland for a long time. six months. I met and became friends with so many nice people there. I will miss serving them and serving with Sister Rushton. I left a piece of my heart there and many fond memories! Many life long friends!

I am now living and serving in Manassas Virginia. I serve in the Woodbridge Stake. Manassas is located just outside of Washington DC. In fact most of the people that live here commute into DC for work. I am so close to my sister and even closer to my Aunt and Uncle. I think they live less than 30 miles away. To bad they live outside the Virginia Richmond Mission. So close but so far. I will probably never see them:( In fact My area is probably the furthest north I could serve and not be in the DC South Mission. Last week we accidentally crossed the boundary into the other mission. It really was an accident. It is that close.

My new companion's name is Sister Christensen from..........Utah. Surprise......not:) She's great! All my companions except one have been from Utah. Haha It's kind of fun to be different and be from a different place. We live another Sister companionship that also serve in our ward. We (the four of us) live in a rather large nice home. They owners are living in New York and have let the Missionaries live in their home while they are gone. So it's really beautiful! We each have our own bathrooms and I get to sleep on a queen size bed. Just like home:) I will send more pictures soon! My brother Ryan told me he is fancy now that he has graduated from college. Well guess what I'm fancy now too! Haha  I love living here! 

Pretty Nice huh!

My new ward is really nice and really love and take care of the missionaries! That makes me so happy! In fact on Sunday they introduced me from the pulpit! Never had a ward do that before! They love to help the missionaries here and support them so much! We don't have a lot of investigators but we have quite a few inactives to work with. I guess watch out Manassas Sister Siepert has arrived! Haha

I am so excited to be serving in the same District as Sister Bunnell. I trained her in the Richmond YSA ward. I love her so much. Today our zone is spending our Pday together and going to a huge mall! Should be fun, I haven't been to a mall in awhile! 

I loved talking to the family yesterday. It truly felt like I never left. Thanks for making it so fun and filling me in on all the good stuff going on in the family and with friends. Our family is at an exciting time right now with Ty graduating in a few weeks. Ryan starting his new job. Megan and Eric's kids are getting so big. At home you are doing a remodel to the house. So exciting! I love it. It feels unreal that this is the last phone call home until I come home. It really blows my mind! I am still trying to figure out how that happened.

This has been such a good week! My stress level went way down. The weather has been beautiful and it's beautiful here. Great combination! Thank you for all your prayers on my behalf, I feel them and feel all your love. Heavenly Father sure loves me. I know that because he sent his Son for me. He loves all of us!

I miss you all!

Love, 

Sister Siepert :)

Someone in my new ward has a wood shop and we got to help out there last week! It was so fun!!

A fantastic week full of Elder Bednar and rain storms!

Hello everyone,
It was a fantastic week!! Full of rain storms and Elder Bednar! Woot Woot! First the bad news, I am getting transferred. Transfer meeting is tomorrow and that is where I will find out who my new companion is and where my new area is. Let me tell you how transfers work: Well, on Saturday night we have transfer calls. So, if you get a call from President Wilson or the Assistants that means that one of you is leaving. They also tell you if you are training or are going to be a training leader and such, but that is all they tell you. Then on Tuesday we have a big transfer meeting and over the pulpit President Wilson tells you where you are going and who you are with. Then after the hour long meeting you go! It is an anxiety filled day, but so exciting! But here is a fun fact: I only have 5 more transfers left (not counting this new transfer I am about to start!) Soooo weird..but anyways!

On Saturday we were able to go and see and hear Elder Bednar speak. It was so incredible! We had to be there at least by 8:15am, so Sister Rushton and I decided to leave early because we wanted good seats. We got there at 8 and still had didn't get to sit in the pews. However, we sat in the chairs right behind the pews. So we weren't that far back. Crazy thing is the meeting didn't even start til 9 am. It was sooo cool, when he came in the spirit was just overwhelming. Our AP (my old zone leader!) got to sit right next to him on the stand. How cool was that? Bishop Davies (of the presiding bishopric) and Elder Robbins (quorum of the 70) came with him. They were both great! The first speaker was Sister Bednar and she actually called some missionaries out of the audience and talked to them about their missions. It was so cool and kind of nerve-racking…but then Bishop Davies went ups and he started off by singing the James Brown song, "I feel good" and it was hilarious. He talked to us about opening our hearts and minds for the meeting. And about being all the way there as the meeting goes on and not thinking about everything else that you have to do. Then Elder Robbins got up and he just talked about how a mission is like going to college. He said that we were taking some really hard classes such as: Charity 505 and humility 505. But he talked about how those classes will help us in our lives. He was a Mission President so it was cool to have him talk about his missionaries like they were his children. my favorite quote from him was: "That which is bitter to endure, is sweet to remember." He was awesome and also very funny. Then the humble Elder Bednar spoke. Let me tell you, he is hilarious! He had us laughing a whole lot. It was really interesting how he lead the meeting. We were given three talks on Faith from him to read before we came to the meeting and he asked us to say what we learned. Then off of what we learned he taught. It was so cool, he didn't just lecture us about being better, he just personally talked to us about what was important to us. Basically what we talked about though was moving forward with faith and how faith is action. This is a quote I loved from him though, "We don't have to be perfect, we just have to be good and do our best and better each day." It was cool because he was talking to the sisters with that and said that we are too hard on ourselves and the Elders are not hard enough. Haha, one funny thing he also said was about the leadership positions of the mission (such as AP's, Zone Leaders, District Leaders, etc) and how he believes that people get this e positions sometimes because the mission president needs to keep a better eye on them and because he doesn't trust them. Haha, he was so great. After we talked about what we learned for like two hours, he then did a question and answer session. My absolute favorite part of the conference was when a sister asked, "How can we better sustain you in your calling?" And he took a second to think and the two simple words he said was, "Love Him." That was just so powerful to me. He is such a humble man and he knows his purpose. It was really touching to me. He also talked to the senior couples which is cool because they get overlooked often and told them that their absence in the lives of their children and grandchildren will be the most meaningful memory for them. And that their grandchildren are more likely to go on missions because of it. It was really cool. Another part I liked was when an Elder asked how he could stay converted when he went home. Elder Bednar said that we can when we become missionaries.  He told us to go home and feel weird because that is when you know you really became a missionary. Then he left us with a blessing that we keep working on our conversion here and at home then we will never fall away, ever. So cool! The last thing they did was all of them bore testimonies of the Savior. It was so powerful and I have never felt the spirit any stronger in my life. It was a long three hour conference, but it was a really cool conference. On of the best experiences of my mission!:)

This week we also did a blitz in our area. Which is when we get a ton of missionaries to come and take over Goochland. We planned it out really well and we had members from our ward driving the missionaries out here and some even tracted with them. It was a miracle because we had 9 sets of missionaries out here. We have a few people that look super promising that we need to visit, well I guess Sister Rushton and her new companion need to visit…but it was really good! :) We had a few lessons this week and nothing to exciting with them other than we got dropped :( That is always hard, but we know she will come back in her own time. Then we almost got dropped by a recent/less active member…she can't drop us! but we went over and talked to her about her concerns and are working with her and helping her through it. It was an eventful week. Friday night after our blitz we were at the church helping clean because of Elder Bednar coming and because my companion and I signed up to help. We vacuumed the chapel…that takes forever! But I vacuumed the chair Elder Bednar sat in!!! Oh Yeah! We had to leave a bit early I wasn't feeling very well. I hadn't eaten very much and was dehydrated. I got really pale. We went home and ate and I drank a ton of water. I was feeling much better the next day.

I am so excited that Ty's mission papers are in and it sounds like everyones life is crazy. That is so good to hear!  I am sooo excited to talk to you in six days! I feel like I just talked to you though on Christmas…but that was like five months ago. I will be google chatting with you from a new area, so I have no idea where and when. I think we can text you the day before to let you know. It will workout though so don't worry.

Well, I am really sad to leave this area because it has become my home. I also really love Sister Rushton. Goochland and I got off to a rough start but I really honestly love is so much here. I have had a lot of trials here and I have overcome a lot of trials here. I love the people and I am so grateful to have gotten to know them all. They will forever be in my heart! I am excited and scared all at the same time to move forward, but I will just move forward with faith I guess!!

Well, love you!!!! :) Family, I will talk to you SOON!!!

Love,
Sister Siepert :)