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