COMING HOME

Monica will be home Monday August 1st!
Her homecoming talk will be on August 14th at the Ogden Foothill Chapel (1475 Cahoon Street (1500 E and 24th street)). Sacrament meeting starts at 10:50 am.

Can this really be?

I just keep thinking back to the first email I ever sent and it feels like it was just yesterday. It's amazing how it can seem so long and so short all at the same time. I have been overwhelmed by the spirit once again and have been able to find a lot of peace in the different challenges and realities that I've been facing. I am so grateful for that. I'm so so so grateful for that and that I haven't been too sad or unable to focus. I've thought a lot about what I've learned most and I think to sum it up it is to love more, be happy, and press on. I know now how much the gospel and my family and friends mean to me in a way that I would never have been able to if I hadn't of had this experience. I'll be grateful everyday for forever for the opportunity I've had to serve a full time mission. Many things that I always thought would break me in life have happened to me in this last year and a half and through the Atonement and grace of God I have made it to this point and I know He will continue to carry me through. It sure isn't me that's made it, I have been brought to this point in my Saviors arms. I know that's true. I am so excited to see where He takes me and all the joys that are ahead! This past week there was a big heat wave.. it was sooo hot and humid. We are blessed with air conditioning in our car and apartment though so it wasn't too bad. Today it poured rain. I opened the door and put a chair in front of it and watched it and listened to the thunder it was pretty neat. We had a plan of salvation night at the church on the the hottest day so not too many showed up but it was still really fun. We had rooms set up and did a tour of the Plan of Salvation. I was showing a member how it was going to go and I walked out the door where they were going to talk about the creation and Adam and eve and a hornet flew right at my head and stung my ear... good gravy it hurt. There is a big nest by that door so it really was a blessing in disguise cause we figured that out before it got started and so we used a different door. I walked around with ice on my ear for ten minutes and then it was fine. I'm glad I'm not allergic. So with the missions combining this whole going home thing is a big mystery. I still haven't got any information about what's going to be happening but I'm sure it will all work out. I am so excited and anxious. It all seems very unreal though. I am itching to hold a baby so bad! Oh how I love you. I am one blessed sister missionary to have such an amazing support group to come home to. I love you and am so grateful and so sure that the church is true!


Signing off for the last time

Love Sister Savage

wow that was the wrong approach to ending cause now I feel like crying!

What do I say!

Things have been so good and busy! We have had really great experiences and I've been blessed a lot. It is really such a bittersweet time in life. I'm thrilled to be coming home but anxious too. I really am having a hard time knowing what to write so I'll just attach some pictures! I hope you all have a great day and I know that I know the gospel is true! I'm so incredible grateful for so much!

Love Sister Savage

Hello!

July is flying by. We had a really great week. Abdul Nathani was baptized yesterday. He's from Pakistan and has been Muslim for most of his life. He was so prepared though and we have learned so much from him. He is so humble and accepting. He has read over half of the Book of Mormon and gave a sweet testimony after his baptism. He is great. We have been so blessed to have such prepared souls placed in our path. I am so thankful for all the experiences I've had as a missionary! I have learned a lot his week about the power of selflessness. I want to be more selfless. I have been thinking of our Savior and how He never thought of himself. AS hard as I try I tend to be self centered a lot but I'm thankful for those opportunities to repent and focus more on others. I read Ether 12 today and that chapter always brings me so much hope! I love how hopeful the gospel is. I am really so so grateful. Thank you for all your love and support. All the mail is moving but now is going to Brampton so I think the first opportunity to get it will be when I'm just about home! I hope you all have a fabulous day. Know that I know the church is true and that I love you!


Love me!

I'm at a loss for words

I am just overwhelmed with gratitude. Gratitude for the truth I know and the freedom I have to live it. Gratitude for all my amazing family and friends. Gratitude for how tired and worn out I feel in the best work there is. There is so much to be grateful for. I am really not able to think of coming home for too long cause it doesn't seem real and I easily get distracted by the work but when I do think of it I am filled with excitement at being with you again and applying all that I've learned into my life. This has been such a huge learning experience and one that I'm grateful to have made it through. Things are really busy here which I'm so grateful for but it makes time go by so quick. I can't believe it's July 4 already. It seems like the closer it gets to time to come home the harder it is to write these emails. I just don't know what to say other than I love you and I love being a missionary and I love my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ so much.


Love me

Just Posted this week and last weeks letter

Doubt Not, Fear Not

I have been thinking even more than usual as my mission time slips by so fast, and Doubt not, fear not are the thoughts that keep coming to mind. So all is well. I read a scripture today that I loved in 3 Nephi 21:9-10 "For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which will be great and a marvelous work among them; and there shall be among them those who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them. But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil." I love where it says that the life of His servant is in his hand... and that he will heal us from all the struggles of being a missionary and make it so clear that He is so much greater than the devil. I can testify to that! I'm so grateful for my Savior. I'm so grateful to be a part of this work and to have a month left.. it is going so fast! I hope and pray that all is well with all of you! There has been a postal strike for a while so it's been a long time since we got mail.. or at least it seems like a long time I'm not actually sure how long it's been. Anyways we are doing great, I've been blessed with great people to teach a great area and a great companion. I love you all! Keep on keeping on!


Love me!

JUNE 20th Email Spirituall​y Minded Is Life Eternal

I'm very grateful today for the opportunity I've had to be spiritually minded for such long consistent time and that it has brought so many smiles to my life. When ever i get blue I just have to think of the restored gospel and remember what i believe and It helps me. I don't have too much time today. I've heard two quotes I like


" I don't like that man. I must get to know him better." Abraham Lincoln

"It's so hard when I have to and so easy when I want to." Annie Gottlier

I like these because it shows how much our attitude determines if things get better or worse. We just have to not get stuck in our ways. If we don't like someone... get to like them. If you don't want to do something figure out why you do want to and then it will become easier. My new companion is great. My area is great. We are teaching great people. It's all pretty great. I love you all and am excited that soon I'll be talking to you in person! love me

FYI Monica's mission home address has changed. the new address is posted on the side bar. THANKS

If nothing ever changed- There'd be no butterflie​s

So transfers have come again and I can't believe it's my last one! I will be finishing in Scarborough with a new companion who is awesome. She is from New Zealand and her name is Sister Tolatau.. I'm still unsure about the spelling. I've never spent much time with her but the time I have spent I am really excited to spend six weeks with her. It's funny that i always wanted to serve in New Zealand because that's where dad served and it's just so cool but I was meant to come here so Heavenly  Father has given me two companions now from there so I've got connections and wonderful friends from there. Plus a companion from australia and hawaii and california... such fun places to visit. And I've got my one's in Utah and that's a bonus cause I won't have to go far to be with me fellow sisters. I'm just so blessed. We had a huge miracle. Ken was baptized yesterday and it was so wonderful! Wow. He was so happy. Sammy and Hema are still doing great and they were at the baptism so I know they felt the spirit strong because it was there really strong. It's amazing how it all worked out. I am still just excited to have six more weeks as a missionary.. I love it and I will miss it but I feel determined to never stop trying to spread the gospel. IT's just too good. I heard another quote about change that I like, " Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights." -Pauline R. Kezer. I'M SO THANKFUL FOR MY ROOTS and grateful for all the change i've experienced  that has helped me grow. Some times I panic a little when I think of how everything will be different when I come home.. both wards i'm familiar with have changed. The house I grew up in. My family has changed with losing mom and gaining another brother and two new nephews- additions I love. But different is never as bad as I think it will be and I really am excited. It's not even like it's a new chapter of life it's like one book has ended and i'm starting the sequal. exciting. I dreamed of hugging you dad and boy was it a long and tight hug... I kinda wonder if something was constricting my breathing in real life cause it just felt so real. I'm really excited to hug all of you. I'm going to attach some pictures. One of them is of us with Ken after his baptism. One of us at the temple.. I don't think the elder realized we wanted the temple in the picture too :) So I'll attach a picture of the temple too.. it's beautiful!! I love you all! love me!

Hello!

We have had some lovely weather. Things are still going well here. We are teaching amazing people who are coming to church and working towards being baptized and it's wonderful. Here are some of the funnies for the week. In sacrament meeting one of the deacons was waiting to go back up to the front but was standing a little close to the lady in front of him and accidentally was pouring water down her back.. his face was so funny but he stayed reverent. I'm always so impressed with the boys that pass the sacrament.. I don't know if you could find such reverent teen age boys anywhere else in the world. We went to dinner at a members house they are from Mexico and were asking my companion so many questions about Australia and the kangaroos. I guess they box each other so they were talking about that and all the sudden the six year old little boy said but what if those kangaroos beat your husband up. It was so cute. We had our last zone conference with our mission president this week which is so weird. We just found out we will be having another joined one with the other side of our new mission and elder Ballard is coming on Saturday so that is exciting. We also got to go to the temple and it was a beautiful day! I love temple trips but they often make me reflect on so much when I leave I get sad. I wish I could just stay all day in the temple. I read a poem the other day that I thought was pretty tender,


God looked around his garden

And He found an empty place,

He then looked down upon his earth

And saw your tired face,

He put His arms around you

And lifted you to rest,

God's garden must be beautiful

He always takes the best,

He knew that you were suffering

He knew that you were in pain

He knew that you would never

Get well on earth again,

He saw the road was getting rough

So He closed your weary eyelids,

And whispered "peace be thine"

It broke our hearts to lose you

But you didn't go alone

For part of us went with you

The day God called you home.



I thought a lot about mom while I was in the temple and I had such peace knowing that she isn't suffering and that she is happy and well and still a part of me and I'm a part of her. I'm just so grateful to know that. I love you all so much. I am yours and you are mine forever!

love me

Oh ya any mail being received after June 27 should be sent to my new mission office

Canada Toronto Mission

197 Country Court Blvd #203

Brampton ON L6W-2E2

All is well

It has been another great week in Toronto. I have some fun moments to share. I'll start with two funny ones. We were tracting in an apartment building and two young girls from Africa were jump roping. They just had one rope so they were jumping together.. it was pretty impressive. They asked us a lot of questions about God and followed us down the hall and we could hear them saying lets do our routine for them and so they did some tricks. It made me miss being little and playing. We were on the 2nd to last door and one of the girls said, "wow no one really wants to listen to you, that's pretty rude, I mean Jesus saved them." I wish we just taught kids sometimes.. they understand so much more than adults. They made it a point to make sure we knew that they liked talking to us. They made tracting really fun. Another story we were teaching a family and they can get pretty load. we were doing a lesson about how everyone needs the gospel where ever they are from and I was trying to get things on track and I loudly said everyone needs the garbage instead of everyone need the gospel... well so much for trying to calm everyone down. I still can't figure out where the word garbage came from. My brain is struggling a little. Like the other day I had written that we had an appointment with someone named Tintu but I could not find his information ANYWHERE! We never figured it out and I was distraught that I had dropped the ball on that one. Well after a teaching appointment we were waiting for the elevator and out walks a man and he was like hey how are you and neither of us recognized him but guess what it was Tintu!! We were so happy and got his information again and it was awesome. I love all the little miracles we experience everyday! The people we are teaching right now are so prepared it's amazing. The members are involved and they love church it's so great. We have investigators paying tithing and wanting to be missionary's and they aren't even baptized yet.. this area is really blessed right now. We had 5 investigators at church and it wasn't even that stressful because every time I looked someone was talking to them making them feel welcome. It's getting close to the east and west combination of the mission which is really weird. Although at first I was a little unsure if I could make it another six weeks I'm really grateful to have another transfer. It's weird that I would be coming home in just a couple weeks. I really do love being a missionary. I have learned so much. I wanted to share a quote I read by Elder Holland, " If there is anyone in the room who thinks this experience is not easy, welcome to the Church. Welcome to the gospel. Welcome to the life of the Apostles and Prophets. Welcome to the life of the Savior, who knows quite a bit about cups from which one does not want to drink, and paths that one does not particularly want to walk....I have come to this conclusion: salvation is not an easy experience. IT was never meant to be easy, and it never has been easy. It was not easy or painless for the Son of God himself, of whom you are to testify. And if i am going to be His missionary, if I'm going to declare His truth and His church, I cannot ask to avoid completely the pain that He felt or the tears that He shed, or the sorrow that He saw.... I'm asking you, as I ask myself, not to ask to get by without paying at least some little piece of that price." This quote brought a lot of perspective to me and a lot of peace. It's OK for things to be hard because that's part of the plan. We just have to knuckle down and do it and not ask to not have to. I'm so grateful to all the wonderful examples I have of others who have payed a little of that price and not complained about it. I'm so thankful for my Savior for showing me that all things can be overcome... not always avoided but always overcome through Him. I love you all. Have a great day! love me

I'm not sure what to write cause I have so many feelings!

My heart is in a lot of places today. I got the picture of mom's headstone and it's just.... well i can't describe it. A big mixture of gratitude and grief. We had a wonderful Sunday.. a family we are teaching came to church and they had such a great time and are really feeling the spirit. We were elated on Sunday. Yesterday we taught a man who has had such a broken life...so much bad and drugs and violence... he is so paranoid and he wants so much to change and be better. He bawled... We sang Be Still my Soul with him... I was the only one singing most of the time. I was feeling so much for him but I just couldn't cry and as I sang I have so much confidence in those words and that his soul really can have peace through the Atonement. He has a long way to go but I know it's possible. We had some other pretty heavy appointments yesterday so it was a heavy day. Thus is missionary work and life. It's like the weather sunny one minute and down pouring the next. That's how the weather was yesterday. I'm grateful for the consistency of the gospel no matter what circumstances may be. I am elated to hear Mel and Mike's little one made it safely and I am just thrilled at the idea of having such a little one to hold when I come home. I was amazed by a see through fish I saw yesterday. There are just so many cool things that have been created. I read a great talk by Elder Holland and he said that no one can promise heroic results for our efforts but we can all pledge to give a heroic effort. I liked that. He said that no one in the church or in heaven will ever expect more than your best from you.. so don't worry about being like others.. just be the best you. I read another quote that said, " Don't try to be different. Be good. Being good is different enough." that is true. I've met people on my mission who barely now what good is and it's amazing to see what effect coming to church and meeting so many good people has on them. I am so blessed to have had soooooooooooo much good. I still wonder why I've been so blessed sometimes but I have faith everything will be made right and that those who have had less will have everything made up for them. We had a really great week last week.. the members are getting a lot more involved and it's wonderful. It makes such a difference. Hey this is a weird random side note. The other night I woke up with this horrible charley horse in my calf... i almost woke my companion up but I made it through... anyway the next morning I saw a bruise there... I have never had one of those give me a bruise. I thought that was really weird. Anyway. I see and hear and feel and touch and smell so many things everyday. Being a missionary can sometimes be a sensory overload but I really love it and all the experiences we have. It's the best. I love you all so much and thank you again for all that you do and have done for me! This is a really all over the place email!


Love me

Happy to be a missonary

We have had a really great week. So many blessings and gifts in finding and teaching some really cool people. We are blessed. I don't have too much time. I cut myself with a coconut this week.. the shell is really sharp. I have a lot of really great quotes i want to share.




" The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry , I prefer to laugh, crying gives me a headache." Sister Hinckley

"Doubters do no achieve." Pres. Hinckley

"Don't be afraid to go out on a limb, that's where the fruit is."

"The Blessing of bringing others into the gospel far outweighs anything you will ever sacrifice." Sid Going

"Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did!" Newt Gingrich

" Consider the postage stamp: It's usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there." Josh Billings



I love quotes I think they are empowering. Well my dear family and friends I love the gospel I love being a missionary I love spring I love the blossoms on the trees I love so much and I'm so grateful for that! I hope you are all well. Today Laurie sent me pictures of her at my mission office and my chapel and they went to the zoo which is in my area... sooooooo crazy! It's weird that this is a real place in the world that people I know actually could come to.. sometimes i feel like I'm on a different planet or something. You want to know what my favorite word people use sometimes when we ask them how they feel about the restoration is.... excited. It is exciting. We live in an exciting time and we have exciting news to share with the world. I love you all! Have great day!

Love me

(Last weeks) I have been blessed (May 9th email)

Throughout this week and the many many feelings I've had it always comes back to how blessed I am. This sweet sister last night at the mothers day fireside said she was born while her mom was in prison and that soon after her mom took her own life. Hearing things like that just puts things in perspective so fast. I was born to a very wonderful mom and had her to love and comfort and teach me as I grew and although I'm heartbroken at the what could have beens if she was still here I'm just so grateful for what I've had with my mom and what is promised in eternity. Mothers mean so much to me and being a mother is my greatest dream. I think of the wonderful women in my life and how they've mothered me and set such great examples and I'm just so thankful. So so so thankful. It was so great to talk to you all yesterday. Hearing your voices was so refreshing. I decided to attach some random pictures one of which is me in a bush trying to pick out the garbage, another is of the way we tried to trap the mouse in the closet thing, there are a bunch of holes for ventilation that we to cover but not block. then the next is the hole the mouse chewed through my towel.. disturbing eh? and then there is one of a plaque at my mission presidents house that I really like. It's so true. The gospel is true. I love all of you!  be safe and be grateful. love me

Hello again

Still no mice in the traps but we haven't seen any for a week. We had a funny experience last night. We live in a basement apartment and we have to walk down these stairs by the side of the house so I started down them and then at the bottom I saw this huge raccoon ( I think it's the same one) Blocking the way we had a stare down... we weren't sure what to do so we went and sat in the car. our district leader called and we gave him our numbers and he just said to scare the raccoon but it's impossible to scare that thing and we hear they are really mean. We had to end up knocking on the door and asking if we could go through the house. Our landlord is pretty funny he was like don't you know all you have to do is politely ask it to move and it will.. we've trained it like that. He's going to talk to the neighbor about not leaving the food bin out. We had a good week. We had a couple days where nothing worked out and a couple days where everything worked out and then some in between days. We are teaching a family from Jamaica a mom and her three kids and they are wonderful but didn't come to church again.. man that hurts. We have also met a family from Haiti and two families from India. It's wonderful to teach families but hard to get them to church! Missionary work is the best. The other day I went to call someone who was baptized last year and his name is Kevin so I just found the contact in the phone and called it. It didn't sound like the Kevin I knew so I asked for Kevin and he was like this is Kevin and I was like no it's not.. I then spent a minute telling this man that he didn't sound like Kevin so he couldn't be Kevin.. I finally realized it was a different Kevin that hasn't been to church in a long time. We had a good laugh about it in the end but I was pretty embarrassed. I am so grateful for all the experiences I've had- the awkward, wonderful, weird, enlightening, tiring, exciting, sad, happy, frustrating, peaceful moments as a missionary. I love it. I'm grateful for all you. I know that this gospel is true!


Love Sister Savage

Oh and happy birthday Barbara ( you're one of the lucky ones I actually remember in time to include in my email:) I'm sorry I don't remember more often for all of those that I forgot to wish A happy birthday I love you all!

A piece of cake week-liter​ally!

So I don't mean it was an easy week but I mean that we ate soooooooo much cake this week. It was sister Arnold's birthday and we made a cake and people gave us cakes and we made other cakes for other peoples birthdays and we just ate cake all week. Breakfast, Lunch, dinner. It's getting a little springier which I am grateful for. Easter was nice.. I had to speak in church and it was an emotional time but I sure feel different this Easter. I am just so thankful for the Atonement and resurrection. I know they are real. I am thankful that we don't have to do this alone. I have been thinking a lot about how important our thoughts and attitudes are towards ourselves and others. This is quote that I like and I dedicate it to you dad cause it made me think of you,


" A good thing to remember

A better thing to do

Work with the construction gang

Not with the wrecking crew"

We need to focus on building up not tearing down. I think of what you would always say dad.. are you part of the problem or part of the solution. I am amazed at how often I hear others and myself tearing down what we should be building up. I learned a lot this week. We saw really big blessings amongst our challenges and it was wonderful. thanks for all your prayers. I feel them. I am so blessed. I don't have very much time but know how much I love you!

Love Sister Savage

Oh we still haven't caught those silly mice... they don't like anything! We think we have them trapped in the furnace room.. hopefully.. we haven't seen any the last two days. I just can't believe how smart and tricky they are. I have another rodent story. We were driving home and we had ten minutes and we were thinking what can we do when we saw this raccoon that had knocked over someones compost garbage bin and was rummaging through it. We decided to scare it off as an act of service. So I drove up real close and the lights were right on it and it just stared at us while it's little hands kept on rummaging through the garbage. It wasn't scared at all. finally it walked off and we picked up there garbage. I just couldn't believe how defiant that raccoon was. I heard Toronto has more raccoons than any where in the world. I'm not sure if it's true... you should look it up and let me know.. Have a great day!

I forgot to post monicas letter last week so I just got it up. She hasn't emailed yet this week.

April 18th Letter (last week) MOUSE Drama

So the other morning I was half asleep clipping my fingernails over the garbage can and all the sudden a mouse jumped out... ahh! since then we've seen it a couple of times and we always manage to make it to the couch in about a second flat. We bought some mouse traps.. the kind that you don't see the mouse it just says when it's caught. We put peanut butter in there cause everyone said that works well. We have been so disappointed that it has yet to be caught. Two days ago we were doing our comp study and we saw it run into my wardrobe. so we grabbed the trap and put it in there and then taped my wardrobe shut so no escaping was possible. We left it for two days so I wore the same thing twice. Well we checked this morning and it still wasn't caught so we pulled everything out.. that thing must be so sneaky. Well I found some dark chocolate that I forgot about in a bag and it had a big whole and the mouse had helped itself. So now we have peanut butter, cheese and chocolate in the trap and we are hoping we can catch it finally! I'll update you next week. Which will be on Tuesday because we are having preparation day late for Easter. I went back to my old area this past week on an exchange and we went and visited this less active girl that I met at the beginning of my mission that we used to go read with and she was so so shy but so sweet. She has been going to church and it was so amazing to see the difference she is so confident and I was so happy the whole time we were with her. The gospel really does change people! I hope you all have a great Easter. It is especially meaningful to think about and remember that all sin and death has been overcome. I am so grateful for that knowledge. I am so thankful for our Savior. I am thankful to be a missionary. I am thankful for all of you! Have a great week!


Love sister savage

always learning

We had a pretty good week :) It seemed like a lot didn't go the way we planned but we still saw a lot of good things come from the week. Last weekend we went and visited an older sister from Barbados who has had both her legs below the knee amputated. She wasn't feeling to well and she had to excuse herself and then a minute later we heard a really faint help me come from the bathroom. I went in and she has one prosthetic leg that she uses for support to get out of her chair but in the process it had come off and she was draped across the bathroom counter with just her arms to hold her up. I was desperate to help her but so afraid that I would hurt her or make the situation worse. I was trying to ask her what she needed me to do but she couldn't really tell me and so I wrapped my arms around her and she was heavier than I expected and I was so worried about squeezing too tight. I got her into her chair and we were all pretty flustered. I've pondered a lot about this experience. I share it cause it has helped me understand both sides of suffering a little better. Sometimes we are the ones draped over the counter unable to support ourselves, unable to say what we need, desperate for help, scared, embarrassed, and helpless. I've been there. Then there are those who could help and there are a two options. Some just avoid the situation because they are not sure what to do and are afraid of making things worse or think someone else can take care of it better. This may leave those in need feeling confused or alone. Then there are those who help the best they can, they give support and reassurance that you don't have to do it alone that you won't fall and if you do they'll brace you. Often times it is uncomfortable and unsure for both. some may squeeze too tight or say something that makes it hurt worse but we have to be understanding and grateful that they are trying to help. I am so grateful for all those who have reached out to help me as I've gone through an emotionally traumatic experience I understand why some have distanced themselves and I have learned so much. It's best to just try. That's what I got from conference too.. we shouldn't shy away from suffering. No where is it said that suffering should be in silence. I read a great article in the ensign and it has helped me a lot. I wonder about faith a lot.. I read that when we are healed or are prayers are answered in the way we want than it is a faith promoting experience and when we aren't healed and are prayers aren't answered the way we want and we stay faithful it is a faith perfecting experience. I read in Hebrews 11:40 "God having provided some better things for them through their sufferings, for without sufferings they could not be made perfect." We are never being punished just perfected as long as we remain faithful.I know that's true. I love all of you and am so grateful for the support I've been given! I am so grateful for spring too!


Love sister savage

A novel:)

This is going to be long one cause I just loved Conference and I kept wanting to call someone and tell them what I was feeling. So many of the talks were just for me! I usually can pick a couple favorites but I just couldn't this time. Jean A stevens talk reminded me of my sweet nieces and nephews who have taught me so much about faith and I miss them so much. She said that sometimes life experiences rob us of our childlike faith- I've felt that but in thinking of all the sweet children I've known helped renew my faith. I remember asking a little girl how she felt about God and she said He is my hero. Her simple faith increased mine. Walter F Gonzalez tlaked of the power of love-love is my favorite. Kent F. Richards shared the purpose of pain and reminded me that it is a privelege to become more aquainted with the Savior through our pain. Oh and then Quentin L.cook addresses a concern I had developed just that morning. I read in Timothy that women should be in silence and not be allowed to teach-ouch. but then his sweet talk assured me of the equality of men and women and the divine role I have as a woman. I love how Henry B Eyring called us to action in serving and loving the work. Boyd K packers talk about leaving int a lon made me yearn for the many people I've met who have been offended and can't let it go. Letting go isn't easy but it's liberating. Russel M. Nelson spoke of how death is a part of life and assured me my prayers are heard and heavenly fathers promised to answer them. I also like when he spoke of the angels around us. Richard j. Maynes talked of celestial traditions as families and wonderful memories of family scriptures and prayer came. Especially when I was little and would kneel in the middle of the circle and everyone would do a family kiss at the end of the prayer and they'd all kiss me... I'm pretty sure i'm not making that up but i just got a little worried. Cecil O Samuelson jr said we can't have higher expectations for others than we do for ourselves. Also that when we are too hard on ourselves it can be as bad as being to casual. Dallin H Oaks spoke of desire and making our greatest desires help us overcome our physical ones. This hit home especially when he talked of sleep... I have been praying for help with that one and Heavenly Father has been blessing me. Wow Even my sleeping problems were addressed. M Russell Ballards talk was helpful. It applies so well to missionary work. We talked to a couple who served there mission in africa and they said everyone they taught got baptized. Those are th ekind of big nuggets I had hoped to find on my mission but now I see i have a wonderful bag of gold flakes and I am so grateful for every flake. Dieter F utchdors talk was wonderful I am guilty of waiting too long on the road to damascus and I see how moving forward and striving to be the answers to other peoples prayers will help answer our own. Paul V Johnson talked of why we face trials and how we will be tested with what matters most to us. Thats true. Our family is the most tender and treasure thing in my life and losing mom didn't tug at my heart strings it cut them all to pieces. BUt I know that they will be healed and made even stronger. David A Bednar analogy on light was very illuminating:) WE have to appreciate the gradual revelation instead of begging for the light switch.President monson talked of how temple attendance will help us withstand all of life's problems. I'm excited to go more often someday. Ruchar G scott spoke of the powerful motivation our deceased loved ones have on us to be with them again. I loved hearing of the sweetness in his marriage.. love makes even death ok because we know it never ends. D Todd Christofferson shared the current bush stary which I love. God loves us enough to cut us down. Lynn G robbins confused me at first with all his to be's and to do's but I loved that message of being and not just doing. Benjamin Hoyos our understanding my not be as deep as our testimiony. That's true I don't know how but I now Christ atoned for all of us. C. Scott Grow talked of the miracle of the atonement and how I'm so thankful for the effect it 's had on my and on so many that I love. Elder Hollands talk was what I was feeling. I once wrote a paper on the phenomenon of migrations but woah general conference is way more phenomenal! I kept turning to my companion and saying why isn't every one a member of the church this is amazing. I loved the prophets last words of the empty linen and tomb.. How grateful I am for the resurrection. As you can tell I learned so much and had so many prayers answered! IT was great. I was glad we had some come but it made it so hard when people didn't show up cause it was just so great. I love you all so much! I think you are amazing.. next week i'll write of another important lesson I learned this weekend. Have a great day! I'd love to hear your thoughts on conference as well and how all you are doing!


Love Sister Savage

This was written so fast and so please excuse all my mistakes :)
This is a picture of my and my new companion sister Arnold

I'm itching for spring!!!!

So the sun came out but it's still sooo cold! It's like spring is tricking us. It will come though. That's comforting. So moving area's has been pretty... hmmm.. I'm not even sure how to describe it. I've felt quite numb.. I think that's a blessing. It was hard to leave downtown and all the people because they were all so aware even if I had never said anything and now I'm with a whole new lot of people and I just dread questions or having to tell people... I usually handle it quite well but there have been a few time where I just crumble inside when I talk about it. This ward seems really awesome though. Lots of fun people and I'm glad to have a new start. My companion is great she was born in England and then has lived in Australia for a long time so her accent is a mix.. it's fun. My last companion and I got into the habit of talking in accents just for fun and now i keep doing it because sister Arnold is always talking in an accent. She says I have a very proper English accent. Our apartment is a basement apartment and is very quite and dark at night.. so I've been sleeping better... running into more stuff though when I do get up. There are a lot more kids in this ward and it is so hard cause I just want to hold them! Sister Arnold says I'm clucky... I like the words she uses. This random little boy came up and gave me a big hug and a long one yesterday and it was so sweet. random crazy stuff happens here too. We were tracting and down the hall we heard this door open and then saw someones very serious looking face peek out and just kept staring at us and going in and out and so then I started to walk towards them and said hello and they slowly pulled there face in and shut the door.. didn't say anything. It was kinda creepy. We have had some really great surprise lessons and investigators which is great. We see lots of tender mercies. I heard a quote I like.. " I attribute my success in life to this: I never gave or took an excuse." Florence Nightingale. I am trying to adopt this in my life. I don't like excuses and I've seen how just accepting facts and moving forward is best. I kinda wondered though cause some things aren't excuses they are reality and then it's hard to tell whether I'm making an excuse or just having to deal with what I'm experiencing. I am not sure if what I am saying makes any sense. Anyway all is well. I'm thankful for you all! I love you! Don't let anything hold you back from growing and loving and forgiving and being more like our Savior. It's all about love. I've decided that as things get worse in the world we have to love more and more so that we can handle it! Have a great week. I can't wait for conference!


Love Sister Savage

3/21/2011 Changes

Life is always changing. I am leaving downtown and going to Scarborough... it's a mix between my first area and here I think. I will be with Sister Arnold who has been out two transfers. She is from Australia so that will be fun. I will have a car which actually is a lot of responsibility and I think we'll still walk a lot cause I like walking. This week was a good one. We had a pasta overload which left us rather sick but we're doing better. We had Filipino spaghetti fri night which is spaghetti with hot dogs in it and then sat lunch Elder and Sister Lindsey made spaghetti for all the missionaries and then we went to the relief society dinner where they had lots of lasagna. Then we had an appointment with a guy we met on the subway from Germany and his wife unexpectedly made us dinner which was pasta and cheese. SO much pasta! I sure love downtown. I love all the people and how there is never a dull moment! Elder Kearon spoke at our Zone Conference this week, I was happy to hear him speak 3 times while he was here. I am a fan. He and his wife just radiate love and it's wonderful. I am so thankful for the scriptures and for all the wonderful words of our Church leaders. they make me so happy.I hope all is well with you. All the horrible stuff going on around the world reminds me of something mom taught me that has helped me understand physical disasters and strife more. She explained to me after the tsunami in (was it Thailand or Sri Lanka I can't remember) that Physical death isn't the worse thing... that has been overcome for everyone but when God's children spiritually die then that is what is really sad. that's when they choose to be separate from him. That doesn't lessen the pain or suffering we experience but it helps us turn tragedy into triumph. Some man just walked up to me and asked if I was Mormon and how do men support all of their wives. I love being a missionary and sharing the truth of the restored gospel. Thanks for all your love and support.. I can feel it!


Love Sister Savage

03/14/11-The Sun Is Out

I feel like I have so much to say. We have had a lot of great meeting and speakers. President Eyre's brother came and he and his wife are motivational speakers in a way. Richard and Linda Eyre. Anyway they did a debate. He said that missions are easy and she said they are hard. My neck kinda started burning when he talked about how easy it is.... I just kept thinking... parts are easy but parts are HARD. I don't think it would be as profitable if it were easy. Sure the Lord said that his yoke was easy and his burden was light but there is no escaping the fact that was He did for us was hard and painful. The end conclusion was good though. It is that the goal is easy but the plan is hard. If you have perfect faith things are easy but until then it is hard to develop perfect faith. She said something I really like. God is more concerned with our character than our comfort. Some times good things hurt. Like we saw this man really struggling to walk the other day so we offered to help.. before I knew it he was getting heavier and heavier we were both kinda hunched as we walked. we made it but boy my arms and back hurt. Then we were walking down the street and a car drove by and sprayed us top to bottom with slush... we had a good laugh. Jaurex is doing good we were running late to see him the other night and all the sudden he jumped out from behind a building.. I screamed so loud. Have you been writing him justin?


Elder Kearon from the seventy was here yesterday for stake conference and he talked about really letting go and how we can't be satisfied but we can be happy. We always have to be trying to be better but we can't get down on ourselves. He says the strength we have today isn't enough for the tests of tomorrow. We have to be constantly struggling for it! I miss my mom so much. It hurts. I love Romans 8... I don't have time to type it out but I would like to challenge all of you to read it! Will you? I promise that if you do you will feel of God's love and awareness of us all. Have a wonderful day!

Where did spring go?

Well it warmed up quite a bit and then all the sudden there was snow on the ground again. It was a great week thought. Juarex (sounds like Wuarex though) was baptized yesterday.... on Thursday he said i don't want to wait till April anymore, I'll be at the church on Saturday cleaning (he loves to come help clean the church) then I could have my interview and get baptized on Sunday! We were putting together his program and we said afterward we can have some snacks and he was like no we can't we'll be fasting. we thought it was great that he remembered and funny that we forgot. After church though we couldn't find him anywhere and I got a little nervous but then I saw him in the bishops office giving his tithing. It made me so happy. The only thing that went wrong was that at the last baptism we went to the water was really cold. Juarez doesn't like the cold so we turned it on pretty warm and it was way too hot! whoops.. we were bringing pitchers of cold water from the kitchen trying to cool it down... then we he was going into the font he was like Ohlala this is hot, which made me think of how mom would always say ohlala.... it was a sweet feeling though thinking of her then..not sad. They made it through.. he said it was better to have it too hot than too cold. We had an awesome sports night on Wednesday and 4 investigators came and we had a lot of fun. I laughed a lot. It was so funny to see people from all over playing sports together... like India, st. Vincent, Grenada, Cuba, Korea, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, England, Russia,Philippines and so on. I am so grateful for the gospel. I'm grateful for the priesthood blessings and fasting... both of which have really helped me out a lot this week. I know the gospel is what keeps us strong. Sister Eyre shared a poem with us the other day that i really liked.


The OAK TREE by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr.



A mighty wind blew night and day

it stole the oak trees leaves away

then snapped his boughs and pulled his bark

until the oak was tired and stark



But still the oak tree held it's ground

while all the other trees fell around

The weary wind gave up and spoke,

"How can you still be standing oak?"



The oak tree said " I know that you

can break each branch of mine in two

carry every leaf away

shake my limbs and make me sway.



But I have roots, stretched in the earth

growing stronger since my birth.

You'll never touch them , for you see

they are the deepest part of me.



Until today I wasn't sure

of just how much I could endure

but now I've found, with thanks to you

I'm stronger than I ever knew.



Those roots and that strength comes for the gospel of Jesus Christ and his Atonement and as we come to understand and apply it more in our lives. Thinking of trees always reminds me of when I was in Russia and I loved to look at the really tall skinny trees cause I always thought they would blow over but they wouldn't... they'd move a lot but they stayed standing. I'm grateful for all of you and I love you and miss you and love the gospel! Have a great day!



Love Sister Savage

In Motion :)

Well I just read emails and my heart is so full of gratitude for all of you. I have a new favorite song that came on the other morning and it reminded me a lot of my prayers these past few months and how grateful I am the I have been able to Keep in Motion even though at times it has seemed far beyond possible. It goes like this.

Stop the world from turning long enough for me to catch my breath,
I'm caught up in a whirlwind wondering if the storms will ever rest.
The road is rough but IT'S WORTH TO MUCH to let it slip away,
give me strength to make it one more day!
Keep me in Motion when I'm frozen by the fear
of these emotions and I can't see my way clear
when I'm up against a wall
when I stumble and I fall down on my knees,
Oh please, keep me in motion
like the river to the sea
give me devotion to live more faithfully
till I find myself again like the rhythm of the wind on the ocean
Keep me in motion
This path that I have chosen is harder than I thought that it would be,
But all along the journey I FEEL THE HAND OF HEAVEN GUIDING ME,
And when the light I'm living by leads me to the edge
Give me faith to take another step
KEEP ME IN MOTION!

I know that I have been able to keep going not because of me or my strength but because the Lord knows my desires and He has helped me have the strength to keep going. We had a meeting this week and one of my zone leaders shared the bible dictionary's definition of conversion and I love it. IT says's "Conversion denotes changing one's view, in a conscious acceptance of the will of God..... Conversion will change a natural man into a sanctified, born again, purified person- an new creature in Christ Jesus. Complete conversion comes after many trials and much testing. To labor for the conversion of one's self and other is a noble task." I have thought a lot about conversion. I came on a mission wanting so much to make a difference in helping others to become converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ... sometimes it is hard to see if you're making a difference. I know Satan wants us to believe that maybe we just aren't meant to make a difference as much as we had hoped. I have been fighting against this thought I know that any effort we make in strengthening our own or others conversion is of worth. I was thinking of how all of you are in this same process to. Barbara wrote me and said she felt like me when we had a lot of investigators at church with her kids and making sure they are having a good experience. That is so awesome to have that view.. I have learned that our greatest investigators we will teach will be our children. I am excited for the things I'm learning here and I hope to have missionary work be a part of my life and home forever.

Sometimes I wish I could record my mission and send you clips because there just aren't words to describe. We had some great experiences and some strange ones this week. We went to another baptism in Spanish and they sang I know that my redeemer lives and God be with you till we meet again and the spirit was really strong and I cried and laughed through them both because there is this guy who got baptized in another ward but he is just super friendly and funny and he kept looking back and waving to me.. I think he was worried cause I was crying... so then I would just laugh cause everyone would look at him funny and then look at me and smile. Then we went and taught Juarex and he is doing so great, he is really feeling the spirit which is awesome. He was describing how his heart felt and how he knew that what we were saying was true. Then he told us his heart is on the right side of his body but I think I've been teased to much in my life so I didn't believe him cause he likes joking around.. turns out he was serious. I've never met anyone with their heart on the right side. So now for some strange moments. We were waiting for the subway and there was a pretty rough looking crowd next to us and all the sudden this man who looked like a pirate from the Caribbean jumped over and he continued to jump around us for about two minutes, telling us his version of some religious stories. We stepped closer to the wall so he didn't accidental knock us onto the track and then afterwards we just laughed and we're really grateful is wasn't at all scary or threatening.. just really weird. Then this morning there was a guy dancing/walking down the street. Heather he looked like that guy in that clip we would watch of the guy going step bomp step bomp bomp.... i hope you know what i'm talking about.. it was funny. So all is well. We were able to teach the Komasa family and they are wonderful.. just really busy. There too year old atia kept saying uh huh.. ya... and repeating what we were saying. It was darling. She gave me about five hugs that night and it was an answer to my prayers cause I miss hugging all my nieces and nephews so much. And she really knows how to squeeze. I hope you all know how much I love you and pray for you. Everyone of you are an answer to my prayers in so many ways! I'm so thankful. Have a great day!
Love Sister Ferocious... that's what this older man from the Philippines calls me :) I don't know if that's how you spell it though.

Different

So I don't have much time to write this week. I've been kinda struggling with how different I am. I wonder how all of you think I am doing by what I write. I am different but I hope you know I am happy still. I still love the blue sky and babies and dogs and I laugh often. I am accepting the changes and just trying to keep move forward. on sunday I had an awesome experience.. a girl in the spanish ward that i have gotten to know quite well got baptized and we invited an investigator from Korea to come and so there we were me sitting by Junghyun and we were both trying to sing in Spanish. I think he did better then me:) We had a great week. I love you all and I love my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. It's all going to be ok. Have a wonderful day.
Sister Savage.

It's a little warmer today :)

Well things have been going well in the city. We had seven investigators at church yesterday which was amazing.. We were wishing there were three of each of us though cause we probably looked kinda frazzled trying to make sure everyone was feeling comfortable. I love being a missionary. I have such a testimony that God gives us gifts when we need them... maybe not when we want but when we need them :) Transfers happened and I was sad to see Sister Rosenlof go.. We've been through a whole lot together but all is well and my new companion Sister Phillips is great. She is also from California. I'm a little sick and I'm still always tired but the Comforter is real and I've been helped so much. I'm just so Grateful. We ate some pretty gross stuff this week. We went to a sweet Chinese members house and she gave us some pineapple that was really off tasting... I had to swallow a lot whole.. my companion tried to set it down before it was all gone and she was like... finish it! So we did and we lived but it was pretty gross. Then we went and ate at an investigators house and his food is great but we were saying how full we were and so he brought out some digestive tablets from India and oh my goodness. I had to spit it out as soon as it touched my tongue.. luckily he didn't see. Elder and Sister Lindsey were with us and it was fun to see there reactions as well. We all laughed really hard afterwards. So all is well. I love church music and the scriptures. I find a lot of comfort and strength in them. I love you all. Happy Valentines day!


Sister Savage.

I've realized it's been a long time since I sent any pictures home so I'm attaching some

The first one is us at Christmas time

From Sister Savage

The next one of is me at the temple.. I'm making a funny face because it was bright outside but the temple is so beautiful huh!

From Sister Savage

The next one is of me and my new companion Sister Phillips

From Sister Savage

And another one of the temple because i like it!

From Sister Savage

I don't have much time

This song sums up life pretty well right now. It's by Hilary Weeks and is called He'll speak peace. I sing it lots.


How do I walk through the darkness
Trust that I'll find your hand
Where do I look for the answers
So that somehow I will understand
And when it feels like i am falling
When I've given the best I have
How will I know you're there
When my heart aches
when my soul yearns
When the road seems far too long
How will I learn what you teach me
When I don't even know how i'll go on
When the sea of life is raging
Only you Lord can calm the waves
and help me know, you're there
There are times that I can almost feel You
And it feels like You are right by my side
I need you there, to know you're there
And when it feels like I am falling
When I've given the best I have
When the sea of my life is raging
Only you Lord can calm the waves and
help me know
How will I know
I need to know
You're there.

He is there.. I am so grateful to know that.

Here are some funny text messages we've gotten from investigators running late for appointments
"I'm struck at subway i'll be there soon"
" Sorry i'll be there shortly... too much snow, hard to move" He's from India so the snow throws him off :)

It's cold outside!

It was -20 C this morning which is -4 F. Wow! It hasn't gotten above -17 the last couple of days and yesterday I experienced having the inside of my nose freeze which is a really strange sensation. The cold really makes me appreciate the warmth just like the bitter and sad things in life are helping me appreciate the sweet and happy things. I am truly blessed. we had an adventure the other night the fire alarm went off at 12:52 and it was sooo loud.. we all just waited in the lobby so I was grateful we didn't have to go outside. I found a lot of people don't feel like talking when it's the middle of the night... it's a good thing we stop proselyting at 9:00. We got back inside at 1:30 and I have never fallen back to sleep so fast. we have had a lot of miracles this week and I'm so grateful. We had an investigator finally set his baptismal date and some investigators we lost contact with finally called us and so we are really grateful. I read an amazing talk by Elder Utchdorf that was given in a priesthood session. Here are some of my favorite parts." There is an important concept here: patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can- working, hoping, and exercising faith;bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it's enduring well!... I know for sure that the promises of the Lord, if perhaps not always swift, are always certain......Often the deep valleys of our present will be understood only by looking back on them from the mountains of our future experience. Often we can see the Lord's hand in our lives until long after the trials have passed. Often the most difficult times of our lives are essential buildinging blocks that form the foundation of our character and pave the way to future opportunity, understanding, and happiness.... Patience means staying with something until the end. It means delaying immediate gratifications for future blessings is means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace and faith. Ultimately it means being "firm and steadfast,and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord every hour of every day, even when it is hard to do so. Patience is a process of perfection. patience means to abide in faith, knowing that sometimes it is in the waiting rather than in the receiving that we grow the most." Isn't that Great stuff! This talk really helped me out. So I was thinking I would do a little play by play of this past weekend so you know what life is like here. Friday morning we woke up... it's a challenge for me. I usually set a seperate alarm on the phone and so it goes off a little after sister rosenlofs and then I hit snooze twice.. it's so dark and cold in our apartment in the morning. Then into the bathroom where the floor is wet because the sink is leaking.. we still need to report that. Then I think I tried jump roping for a bit. I get ready and my sweet companion makes us a some breakfast. We study.. I love study time. Then we went to go help Nandranie who is from Gayana go move some stuff from a strorage shed.. it was a big cement building and we froze!Then we went and visited one of my favorite recent converts Mandla who is from Swaziland. Then our appointment with D'andre who is from the Bahama's cancelled. So we went and rode the subway and talked to poeple. I talked to someone from Taiwan, India, France, Ethiopia. Then we met with Pankaj who is from India and watched finding faith in Christ. Then we visited a member from China. It was really a funny experiece. Her appartment is full of boxes and dolls (my companion has a fear of dolls) and stuffed animals. She invited us in but when I went in she kept standing there and I'm pretty big with my coat and back pack and I just lodged myself between her and the boxes.. so i backed up and we all managed to get through. She had boiling cups of water for us and at first i was like i've never just had hot water but it was rather enjoyable when it cooled down a little and it warmed us up. Then she was in the kitchen and I was petting her cat and all the sudden it bit me and then starting scratching my arm like crazy.. it scared me and I was looking at me companion for help, The cat bit her too. Then she kept asking us if we liked her cat but every time it came near me I would get so nervous. I've got some good battle wounds. Then we went home and colored a picture for and investigator and planned for Saturday. We taught English and my class is Meedo who is from Saudi Arabia and Shiukumar who was a monk in the Himalayas for 10 years. We had a very interesting conversation. At the end of Class meedo asked me if I would go dancing with him and a couple of the elders were around and it was an awkward experience. Then we met with Pradyut who is from India and he has been meeting with the Jehovah's witness's and he is really confused. But he really likes the book of Mormon. then We had an appointment with a lady from Jamaica but she cancelled cause it's too cold. We went in search of some referrals and made some visits. We had an awesome appointment with a family from the Congo and the parents have been baptized for 5 years but none of their children so we are very excited to teach them. They are really lovely people. Then we did some more finding. Church was busy because I sat by Agdus she is from Iran and then two other investigators came in so we kept moving around to help them understand what was going on. Our ward is so diverse I love it. The bishop is from Canada and his counselors are from Italy and England, used to be the Philippines. The Relief society president is from Ecuador and the primary one is from Tonga. Our ward mission leader is from Grenada. So then we went and visited a family from Vietnam and then one from the Czech Republic. We went to visit Jason who is from Lebanon but he wasn't home so we did more finding :) Well I'm running out of time but I hope that gives you a picture of missionary work in downtown Toronto. I love it. I love you all and think of you and pray for you so much. Remember that God keeps his promises. Have a great day. Wow this is a long one


Sister Savage

The best and worst of times

Well wonderful things happened this week and it was one of my hardest weeks as well. The fifth was 2 months since mom passed away and the sixth was a year since the last time I saw her and got to hug her. There is no way to really say how that makes me feel. Time is passing and I feel like I'm in a dream. I read a scripture in Luke though that stuck out to me. Luke 21:19 " In your patience posses (preserve, win mastery over) your souls." That's what we want right so it's good have to be patient. I also read some good quotes by Jeffrey R Holland about looking to the future and not dwelling on the past. " I plead with you not to dwell on days now gone, nor to yearn vainly for yesterdays, however good those yesterdays may have been. the past is to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to learn and brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead, we remember that faith is always pointed toward the future. " So now on to the good and lovely things of this week. A family of five from Hungary was baptized yesterday and it was a very spiritual experience. The elders didn't tell me I was conducting the music so it was announced and I rushed up trying to find the page and guess what we sang, families can be together forever... I was totally unprepared. I struggled and cried through it in front of everyone but I felt so close to mom. I felt my testimony strengthened that our family is forever. Wow. and then to see them be baptized and we did the half time show while they were getting changed and watched some clips on temples and bore our testimonies.. I felt so privileged to be there to see them take the first steps towards making there family an eternal one. The elders made sure to empty the font this time because a couple of weeks ago they forgot and then we were playing a game at the church on preparation day and one of the elders was trying to get away from another one and tried to go through the font and he ran into a full font of water... it was pretty funny but we felt bad he had to walk home in the cold sopping wet. I tried some interesting food this week and pleasantly i loved all of it. We had Vietnamese noodles and meat in broth stuff call Pho but it's pronounced Fu. And we had congee which is melted rice and I was a little worried but it was very tasty. We had some Filipino pie that was yam and coconut and it was so yummy. So we ate good this week. We had a pretty interesting teaching experience. I talked to a guy from Saudi Arabia on the subway and we set up a time to meet and talk some more but there was a big language barrier. So we met him at a little shop and he wasn't getting much and then he was like hold on my friend is coming so another man came from Saudi Arabia and then another and another.. it ended up being five of them and two of them were really not happy that we were talking about Christianity but the other ones were asking good questions but it was really hard to communicate with them. Then we remembered Sergio who was baptized not to long ago speaks Arabic so were hoping to take him teaching with us which would be awesome! Our friend Gerald is progressing so well and knows he can't keep putting off baptism and is planning to talk to his fiance this week and he has gained such a strong testimony of the Book Of Mormon. He invited her to church next week so we're hoping she'll come. I forgot some things last week that I've been learning how to do.. one is deciphering if people are talking to themselves or on a blue tooth and another is running for the bus. Sister Rosenlof and I did a very impressive dash for a bus the other night. unfortunately we couldn't talk much once we got on cause we were panting so bad.... but we made it! We are blessed people and I love and miss you all so much! Keep sharing the good news in all you do!


Love me

Things i'm learning

I'm Learning:


How to start and end conversations very quickly

How to embrace awkward moments

How to share the message of the restoration in one subway stop or less

How to mix random things together and make some pretty good meals

How much of a choice it is whether we are happy or sad

How much I really don't know

How much help I need

How much I love the gospel

How much so much of the stuff the general population worries about doesn't really matter

How much God knows each of individually

How Christ really is the only one who knows how we feel

How to cry without making too much noise or messing up my mascara too badly

How much I want to help people be happy

How much the scriptures apply to us today

How much music helps me

How to stay semi warm when it's freezing outside

How much i'm grateful for all and love all of you!

and the list goes on and on and on. Everyday i'm learning and for that i'm grateful for that.

We had some great lessons this week and a lot that fell through but of course there has to be that opposition.

i'm excited for the New Year and hopeful that this next year has a lot more learning and healing and understanding to come.

I love you all and miss you. Love me!

Sister Savage

But if not

Well recently I've been thinking a lot about a talk i remember reading for the first time in Russia. Called But if not. I've wanted to read it again and then the other day in companionship study sister Rosenlof said my mom sent me a really great talk and it was it! I was very excited. I wanted to share my favorite parts. This is after He told the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego and he said " They knew that they could trust God-even if things didn't turn out the way they hoped. They knew that faith is more than mental assnt, more than an acknowledgment that God lives. FAITH IS TOTAL TRUST IN HIM. Faith is believing that although we do not understand all things, He does. Faith is knowing that although our power is limited, His is not. Faith in Jesus Christ consists of complete reliance on Him." " We must understand that great challenges make great men. We don't seek tribulation, but if we respond in faith , the Lord strengthen us. The but if nots can become remarkable blessings." "He has the power, but it's our test" "Our God will deliver us from ridicul and persecution, but if not.. Our God will deliver us from sickness and diesease, but if not... He will deliver us from loneliness, depression, or fear, but if not.... Our God will deliver us from threats, accusations, and insecurity, but if not... He will deliver us from dearth or impairment of loved ones, but if not... WE WILL TRUST IN THE LORD" " We will have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that if we do all we can do, we will in His time and in His way, be deliverd and receive all that He has." Wow huh. Pretty cool.


Christmas was so different but it was great. We had breakfast at the senior couples house and they colored there two front teeth black and sang all i want for christmas is my two front teath. We then exchanged secret santa gifts and it was fun. I loved talking with you and I feel so blessed to have such an amazing family. I'm thankful for all the letters and packages sent.

We started to teach a guy from india and on from Iran this week. I love talking to people cause you never know where they'll be from! We got a referral a month ago and set up an appointment and then found out it was just out of our area. Her english name is blessings and she is from Africa and yesterday she was baptized and it was so neat to hear her bear her testimony afterwards. It strengthened mine. she's amazing. I called the family from India that sister simons and I taught in the beginning of my mission and it was wonderful to talk with them. They are moving to new jersey but He said as soon as they get settled they will find the nearest church because he said they've been missing those days. I just know they'll be baptized someday. Patrick from my old area was supposed to baptized but he has had major health issues. Hopefully he'll be better soon. My previous companion from New Zealands parents sent me a really cool necklace. It is made out of bone and they say they carve it to mean certain things. This symbols on mine are the spiral which is "New Life or befinning, growth, harmony, and peace" and the twist or crossover is " Bonding of friendship and joing of lives for eternity. It is really cool. They also taught me a Maori phrase "Kia Kaha" or "STay Stong" So Kia Kaha all you who I love!

I love serving in Downtown and i'm glad sister Rosenlof and I will be staying another transfer.. our whole zone practically is staying which is nice. We all got nerf guns for christmas and we spent today at the church playing with them.. they hurt a lot less than kill ball. I'm trying to think of other new stuff... hmm.. i'm not sure. I know how much i love you! It's getting really cold! love me!