Last Blog from Cali...

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WEEK:

-Being called the "duo" at church. Sister Robb and I really do make a great team.

-Having a wonderful final interview with President.

-At our departing missionary training, having our President compare Sister Brown's and my missionary efforts to Paul's!

-Knowing that when I go home It's going to be different. 

I've truly learned that there is no satisfaction in serving yourself. It lasts about 20 minutes and then it's gone. Whereas the satisfaction from serving another lasts forever.

I've learned that there's no place like home, especially our   Heavenly home.

I've learned that being kind and loving to others really does make a difference.

I've learned that you have worries, but when you find out about the worries of the person beside you your worries get smaller.

I've learned that Heavenly Father is your biggest fan and knows EVERYTHING.

I've learned that the Church is SOOOO TRUE!

I've learned that the adversary is real and too many people listen to the wrong voice.

I've learned that blessings come from being obedient and that you prosper.

I've learned that those who have the least to give, usually give the most.

I've learned how to ride a bike.

I've learned that if it's not eternal, forget it.

I've learned that God will always forgive me.

I've learned how to become a good mother and wife.

I've learned that there is nothing that I have to do alone.

I've learned that humor can make any situation better.

I've learned that it's worth the climb up the hill so you can coast down it.

I've learned that anything is possible in a skirt.

I've learned that you find whatever you're looking for.

I've learned how to celebrate differences.

I've learned that if you receive a prompting, the adversary will always counteract it with an opposite thought.

I've learned that you can never have too many letters.

I've learned that the Atonement of Jesus Christ can heal you spiritually, physically, emotionally and mentally if you have the faith and do your part. 

I have LOVED my mission. The best choice of my life so far and the best blessing too. How did I get so lucky! I will always be so grateful to my parents for teaching me so well about this Gospel. 

Love, Sister Heidi Jayne Starr*

Happy 2012.....

Highlights from the week:

-We had two baptisms this week! When Sister Robb and I first got into this area it was pretty dead. We have fasted and prayed a lot to find those who are ready to hear the wonderful message of the Gospel. Our goal was to have "faith to work miracles". On our goal board we had a little square that represented this goal. Each week after trying our best to be diligent we would color in a little bit more of the square. After our two baptisms this week the square was completely filled in. We knew that after doing our part, Heavenly Father had done his part and we had faith to work miracles!

-While at a dinner appointment the little boy snuck upstairs and come running down during dessert with only his underwear on! Plus another pair on his head! hahaha.

-Being called a nun

-Less than 1 month till I come home...

I am in COMPLETE denial about that ^. I have uber mixed feelings. I hope I have changed for the better and helped others to do so too. I know that I have learned sooo much that I can hardly hold it all in. This was definitely the best decision I have made in my life so far. It has quickened me spiritually in ways that would never have happened had I not gone. My priorities have changed for sure.

-Love, Sister Heidi Jayne Starr*

It's December......

Wow this has been an awesome week. This truly is the Lord's Work I have NO doubt about that. We have seen MANY miracles. At the beginning of the transfer our area was just about dead. We wondered what kind of trust the Lord had in us to start from the ground up and do it all while riding a bike. The past 4 weeks have been slow. We have been yelled at, rejected, but more importantly we have relied on the Lord. Our goal at the beginning of the transfer was to have "faith to work miracles". I'm not sure if we are exactly there yet, but we are definitely getting there.

Highlights-

-We had dinner with this great family. As we were leaving they were putting their 5yr old son to bed and he was whining and not wanting to go to sleep. "I wish I could go to sleep now!" Sister Robb says. "You can go to bed with me! I don't pee! Serioussss!" hahahahahaha. Temping...

- As we were out visiting people we decided to knock one of the streets that was close by. We looked in our little book to make sure we knew where all the members lived so we didn't look silly contacting their door. We locked up our bikes on a light post and said a prayer. We decided to start with the house next to where our bikes were. We knocked and the man who answered the door said "sisters!" What! We thought we looked at where all the members were! Well he invited us in and we met his wife and his daughter who is not a member. It turns out that they are a "do not contact" on our ward list. I'm not sure if we would have gotten in any other way! They were soooo kind! We were honestly shocked that they lived there. Heavenly Father knew that we needed to see them so he literally placed us on their porch!

-We were able to sit down and talk with a family who just had a loved one pass away. We cried together about the tragedy. I love how the gospel can bring complete strangers together. We all knew that their daughter was happy and progressing and more importantly that they would see her again and be with her as a family unit FOREVER. That's God's plan, if we do it HIS WAY.

http://lds.org/bible-videos?lang=eng - Check out these videos about the real meaning of CHRISTmas!

Love, Sister Heidi Jayne Starr*

Thanksgiving Week

It's been an interesting week. I guess the holidays are actually here. I know that I can make it though without getting homesick. I really have been so blessed on my mission to not be homesick. As sad as it sounds, I just have to tell myself that "I don't have a family, This is my life. You wake up at 6:30am- teach about the glorious gospel and then return home at 9:30pm" And then I don't even worry about it. The picture on my desk of all those oddly family people is just from a magazine and it seems familiar because I've seen it so many times. One day I'll realize that all of this is not true. Denial is my coping mechanism.

Highlights:

-We had a WONDERFUL thanksgiving. Complete with turkey bingo. I won lots of fun prizes.

-While knocking we met some very interesting people who were sadly not ready for the Gospel. Here are some of the responses we got...

"Actually I'm a Heathen and I know it. When Christ come I know I will be left to fight the battle alone." (Should we tell him that he will actually be burned and he won't have to worry about the whole battle thing?)

"You're not welcome on my property! .... God bless you and I hope he straightens you out" ...

"We are HIGHLY HIGHLY offended that you would come over here. HIGHLY offended."

-Many kind members offered to drive us to and from places so we didn't have to bike.

-No crashes this week (:

-We have our Christmas decorations up! Complete with 3ft tree.

Love y'all. Hope everyone is doing great.

Love, Sister Heidi Jayne Starr*

Stevenson Ranch is Awesome!

So I've been transferred to a new area. It is called Stevenson Ranch (in the Santa Clarita valley) and I get to be with Sister Robb again! We are on bike, so we don't have a car. It is an interesting adventure, but I love it already!

Highlights of the week-

-Moving into ANOTHER elders apartment. We told them that "it better be clean when we get there" and I'm sure to them it was, but girls and guys will always have a different standard of "clean". (See the couch picture below).

-Celebrating my 2nd birthday on my mission! Am I really 23 now? Crazy.

-Learning to ride a bike, in a skirt, for all of Valencia to see. haha. We wear leggings when we ride so it works out. I made friends with a lot of nice soft bushes. And luckily I never fell over... but my bike did a lot.

-Getting a hug from this nice Korean man during a door contact. It was a good thing that we made friends with him because we had to use his bathroom after knocking the rest of his street.

-Coming to our new ward on Sunday and being overwhelmed with the goodness there. The members are phenomenal. They are sharing the gospel with their friends and they want us to meet them! They know how precious the truths they know are and they love their friends enough to share it. It was so wonderful to be there. It isn't that the gospel is cool, or fun, or it sounds good. It's that it is TRUE. It's true and it changes lives for eternity if you grasp on to it, believe it, share it, and live it.

List 100 blessings that the Lord has blessed you with this week.

"When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings; name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

- Hymn 241 Count Your Blessings 

                             LOVE, Sister Starr*