Highlights from the past while (sorry it's been so long):
-The day Sister Jensen got here from the MTC I had decorated everything green because that is what the new missionaries are termed. The next day she said "do you just really like the color green...?" hahaha. If I had my choice she would be a "pinkie" not a "greenie".
-At new missionary training one of the missionaries asked a situational question and our Mission President responded by saying "What would Sister Starr do?" (: Thank you dad for always stressing EXACT OBEDIENCE.
-We are moving! I will miss smelling weed every day from our lovely neighbors, but it is probably about time we get out of our gang and drug infested apartment complex.
-Eric was baptized!
-I celebrated 1 year of being on my mission! It feels like I have been gone for 3 years, but it also seems like it hasn't been that long. I cannot believe that my brother has gotten married and my sister has had a son while I've been away. But I think of all the good that Heavenly Father has allowed me to do here in California and I am very grateful. Lives have definitely been changed for the better and many people have turned their hearts to Christ, and many have been able to do it more fully then they were able to do before.
-I am still so blessed to be able to learn Sign Language. I LOVE IT!
I will try to send more updates to my Mom so she can update this more regularly! Have a wonderful week! I am so ready for fall! I can feel it coming here in Cali.
Love, Sister Heidi Jayne Starr*
I am currently serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the California San Fernando Mission for 18 months. If you want to know more about what I am doing you can go to mormon.org/missionaries/
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011
It's Been a While
Well I guess I should give an update, it's been awhile.
Things here in Lancaster are good. The work is very different from Palmdale. The people are kind of standoffish from the start, but once they open up to you and learn to love you- you become family. We have some very stubborn people who aren't willing to give up their comfort sins for blessings and eternal life but we are working with them.
Highlights:
-finding out that the Wal-mart that we go to every week is the "busiest Wal-mart in America" We are so blessed. haha.
-Getting made fun of for being from Texas, "yall gunna do some readin' in the bible now ya here?" I swear every time "yall" comes out my mouth it is like I am speaking another language...
-My companion has been sick so we have been stuck in the apartment for several days and I swear I have read every church magazine known to man. I especially love the New Era. No matter how many times I've read them, the jokes are STILL funny!
Romans 10:15 "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" -That means I've got pretty feet!
Count your many blessings today. Love, Sister Starr*
Things here in Lancaster are good. The work is very different from Palmdale. The people are kind of standoffish from the start, but once they open up to you and learn to love you- you become family. We have some very stubborn people who aren't willing to give up their comfort sins for blessings and eternal life but we are working with them.
Highlights:
-finding out that the Wal-mart that we go to every week is the "busiest Wal-mart in America" We are so blessed. haha.
-Getting made fun of for being from Texas, "yall gunna do some readin' in the bible now ya here?" I swear every time "yall" comes out my mouth it is like I am speaking another language...
-My companion has been sick so we have been stuck in the apartment for several days and I swear I have read every church magazine known to man. I especially love the New Era. No matter how many times I've read them, the jokes are STILL funny!
Romans 10:15 "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" -That means I've got pretty feet!
Count your many blessings today. Love, Sister Starr*
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
4th of July Week
Highlights from the week:
-Seeing fireworks!
-Eating lunch with a blind lady and dinner with a deaf family. If I needed to tell my companion something I could sign it at lunch, and say it under my breath at dinner. It is so neat to interact with different types of people!
-Tilling a garden for the 1st time
-Walking in a baby pool to clean off after tilling the garden...that doesn't count a swimming, right? (we aren't supposed to swim while serving a mission)
-Going to the L.A. Temple! We went to the ASL session and it was...different. But cool!
-Taking the "scenic route" home from the Temple and seeing the ocean
-"Heavenly Father, Thanks for bringing the Witches back" - Maria's Prayer
Transfers happened this week and I am staying here in good ol' Lancaster and will continue learning ASL with Sister Robb. I am really excited to set some great goals for this transfer.
"Goals reflect the desires of our hearts and our vision of what we can accomplish. Through goals and plans, our hopes are transformed into action. Goal setting and planning are acts of faith." -Preach My Gospel
-Seeing fireworks!
-Eating lunch with a blind lady and dinner with a deaf family. If I needed to tell my companion something I could sign it at lunch, and say it under my breath at dinner. It is so neat to interact with different types of people!
-Tilling a garden for the 1st time
-Walking in a baby pool to clean off after tilling the garden...that doesn't count a swimming, right? (we aren't supposed to swim while serving a mission)
-Going to the L.A. Temple! We went to the ASL session and it was...different. But cool!
-Taking the "scenic route" home from the Temple and seeing the ocean
-"Heavenly Father, Thanks for bringing the Witches back" - Maria's Prayer
Transfers happened this week and I am staying here in good ol' Lancaster and will continue learning ASL with Sister Robb. I am really excited to set some great goals for this transfer.
"Goals reflect the desires of our hearts and our vision of what we can accomplish. Through goals and plans, our hopes are transformed into action. Goal setting and planning are acts of faith." -Preach My Gospel
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Last Week of June
Highlights from the week:
*striking up a convo with someone at the laundromat because of his Texas Rangers shirt.
*Giving service for a member by painting faces for her company at a park- soo fun.
*Walking out of my room and seeing that Sister Robb and I were both wearing Black and White dresses... We kept it.
*Being asked if we are allowed to wear paints. "uhhh yeah girl. As soon as I get home I put on my sweatpants!"
I love my new ward and especially learning sign language. We have an interpreter for every meeting at church. I am learning slowly, but It is easier than Spanish in some ways. Yet I still mix up the two, it's weird. I hope everyone is doing great wherever they are.
My mom send me this scripture this week. She is so great.
"That no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way...Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edify another."
Romans 14:13,19
Love, Sister Heidi Jayne Starr*
*striking up a convo with someone at the laundromat because of his Texas Rangers shirt.
*Giving service for a member by painting faces for her company at a park- soo fun.
*Walking out of my room and seeing that Sister Robb and I were both wearing Black and White dresses... We kept it.
*Being asked if we are allowed to wear paints. "uhhh yeah girl. As soon as I get home I put on my sweatpants!"
I love my new ward and especially learning sign language. We have an interpreter for every meeting at church. I am learning slowly, but It is easier than Spanish in some ways. Yet I still mix up the two, it's weird. I hope everyone is doing great wherever they are.
My mom send me this scripture this week. She is so great.
"That no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way...Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edify another."
Romans 14:13,19
Love, Sister Heidi Jayne Starr*
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Happy Father's Day!
Happy Late Father's Day to all you Daddy's and future Daddy's. Yesterday was sad not being with my dad, and I am such a sucker when the Primary kids sing "I'm so glad when Daddy comes home" - Who cries during that song? Sister Starr does...
I love you Daddy. Thank you for always funding my love for shoes, teaching me how to work hard, being a worthy Priesthood Holder, cooking cinnamon toast, teaching me to drive, teaching me how to pump gas (over the phone), teaching me how to pop my hood (over the phone), waking up in the night when I was little to walk me around the house and show me it wasn't on fire, giving me fathers blessings, and most of all being the best dad ever. (just to name a few things).
Also a special shout out to my brothers too. Jordan, you are a great father, Thank you for raising my niece so well and being so wonderful to my sister. I am so glad you are a part of my family. Alan, I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU ARE MARRIED NOW! I am sad I wasn't there for it, but I am sooooooo happy for you I forget that I wasn't there. Michael, I love you tons. You are the most generous person I know. I am so blessed to be your sister and Alan's too.
This week was pretty good. It is so funny when we knock on someone's door- because THEY set an appointment with US... and we can hear them inside. And we ring the doorbell like 5 times and still no answer. Avoiding us?? nahhh.
..... So since everyone cancelled we just bonded as a companionship. Which is a very important aspect of missionary work, since you are together 24-7. Unless you are in the bathroom. So it is nice to go for the same goal and both be pushing instead of having one pulling, because resistance makes the work go slower and not as smooth. So the more unified we are- the more successful we are (:
Another thing I also realized this week is that, Goodness Gracious I have it so easy. So many of my companions and the people we associate with have so many trials. I have had hardly any in my life. I am so blessed. But sometimes I also wonder if I'm a wimp or something and maybe Heavenly Father doesn't feel like I'm not strong enough. It's terrible to say but I wish I have gone through more so I could relate to others and so I could be the person Heavenly Father wants to be. But I know they will come and I will be refined. I just need to be patient and grateful for the blessings I have now.
Have a beautiful week. Stay cool!
Love, Sister Heidi Jayne Starr*
I love you Daddy. Thank you for always funding my love for shoes, teaching me how to work hard, being a worthy Priesthood Holder, cooking cinnamon toast, teaching me to drive, teaching me how to pump gas (over the phone), teaching me how to pop my hood (over the phone), waking up in the night when I was little to walk me around the house and show me it wasn't on fire, giving me fathers blessings, and most of all being the best dad ever. (just to name a few things).
Also a special shout out to my brothers too. Jordan, you are a great father, Thank you for raising my niece so well and being so wonderful to my sister. I am so glad you are a part of my family. Alan, I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU ARE MARRIED NOW! I am sad I wasn't there for it, but I am sooooooo happy for you I forget that I wasn't there. Michael, I love you tons. You are the most generous person I know. I am so blessed to be your sister and Alan's too.
This week was pretty good. It is so funny when we knock on someone's door- because THEY set an appointment with US... and we can hear them inside. And we ring the doorbell like 5 times and still no answer. Avoiding us?? nahhh.
..... So since everyone cancelled we just bonded as a companionship. Which is a very important aspect of missionary work, since you are together 24-7. Unless you are in the bathroom. So it is nice to go for the same goal and both be pushing instead of having one pulling, because resistance makes the work go slower and not as smooth. So the more unified we are- the more successful we are (:
Another thing I also realized this week is that, Goodness Gracious I have it so easy. So many of my companions and the people we associate with have so many trials. I have had hardly any in my life. I am so blessed. But sometimes I also wonder if I'm a wimp or something and maybe Heavenly Father doesn't feel like I'm not strong enough. It's terrible to say but I wish I have gone through more so I could relate to others and so I could be the person Heavenly Father wants to be. But I know they will come and I will be refined. I just need to be patient and grateful for the blessings I have now.
Have a beautiful week. Stay cool!
Love, Sister Heidi Jayne Starr*
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Transferred to Lancaster
Hello Everybody! So transfers are happening this week. After almost 9 months I am leaving Palmdale. I am going a whopping 15 minutes away to Lancaster (even more into the desert. I will be serving in the Juniper Ward. It is a bilingual ward with English and American Sign Language. So I will be learning ASL... We'll see how that goes (:
We had a pretty good week. We had this couple come to church. They were interested and looked up the church online and found out where they were to meet and at what time and just showed up! I hope that they see that this is where the truth is. It just showed me that sometimes God leads the missionaries to his children to teach the truth, but other times he just leads his children to the truth.
We'll I'm sure I will have more to update you on next week, being in a new area and all. I hope everyone has a great week.
Isaiah 41:13- For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Love, Sister Heidi Jayne Starr*
Here's my new address: Sister Heidi Jayne Starr
44030 25th St. W Apt #7
Lancaster, CA 93536
Lancaster, CA 93536
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Week of Miracles
*Kay was Baptized! Golly I'm such a cry baby at these things (thanks dad). Her husband was able to do it after being away from the church for 30+ years! They have improved their lives though the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so proud of them for quitting smoking so they could do this together. Now off to the Temple in 1yr to be sealed for eternity!
*We received a referral from a recent convert who thought her step-dad might be interested. He has read The Book of Mormon twice and loves it, though he was very anti the first time he read it. We stopped by and he invited us in. We talked about some of the things he liked while he was reading. We read over the last two paragraphs in the introduction to the The Book of Mormon and he said "yes girls, I know the book is true!" And we said "so if the The Book of Mormon is true... than Joseph Smith is a" and before we could finish he said "yes he is a prophet!" We then explained the significance of this. That Christ's Church is here on the earth, restored, for him to be apart of! He then told us that he had given up smoking and was working on coffee (: He is so prepared! He did have a concern though about being baptized again and was really firm on that. We told him that we would be teaching him more about that in our next lesson. He did come to church and during sacrament meeting he was writing in a journal. He then showed me what he wrote and he said "Today I went to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with Sister Buchanan and Sister Starr. Eureka Lord! I finally found your house. If there is such a place on earth." I assured him that there is such a place, and he did find it.
A member of our bishopric talked to him after about baptism and authority and he said "yeah, it makes sense" he was able to resolve his own concern as he came to church. At the end of church he said "I hope you girls are planning on coming over to teach me what I need to know about this church because I know there is still a lot I need to learn" We are definitely planning on doing that (:
It was really humbling to get this referral because we had been teaching the person that lived above him and next to him... but never HIM. So this showed me that there truly are prepared people right where we already are. Heavenly Father keeps showering us with undeserving blessings, which makes me want to be the best I can be. Even though it will never be enough. But His grace is sufficient for me.
Have a wonderful week y'all.
Love, Sister Starr*
*We received a referral from a recent convert who thought her step-dad might be interested. He has read The Book of Mormon twice and loves it, though he was very anti the first time he read it. We stopped by and he invited us in. We talked about some of the things he liked while he was reading. We read over the last two paragraphs in the introduction to the The Book of Mormon and he said "yes girls, I know the book is true!" And we said "so if the The Book of Mormon is true... than Joseph Smith is a" and before we could finish he said "yes he is a prophet!" We then explained the significance of this. That Christ's Church is here on the earth, restored, for him to be apart of! He then told us that he had given up smoking and was working on coffee (: He is so prepared! He did have a concern though about being baptized again and was really firm on that. We told him that we would be teaching him more about that in our next lesson. He did come to church and during sacrament meeting he was writing in a journal. He then showed me what he wrote and he said "Today I went to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with Sister Buchanan and Sister Starr. Eureka Lord! I finally found your house. If there is such a place on earth." I assured him that there is such a place, and he did find it.
A member of our bishopric talked to him after about baptism and authority and he said "yeah, it makes sense" he was able to resolve his own concern as he came to church. At the end of church he said "I hope you girls are planning on coming over to teach me what I need to know about this church because I know there is still a lot I need to learn" We are definitely planning on doing that (:
It was really humbling to get this referral because we had been teaching the person that lived above him and next to him... but never HIM. So this showed me that there truly are prepared people right where we already are. Heavenly Father keeps showering us with undeserving blessings, which makes me want to be the best I can be. Even though it will never be enough. But His grace is sufficient for me.
Have a wonderful week y'all.
Love, Sister Starr*
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