Thursday, December 29, 2011

Week 7 in CCM - 12/29/2011

WEEK 7 in CCM

Place: Provo MTC

Companions: Hermana Thacker y Hermana Latham

Date: 12/29/2011

Hola Mi Familia!!

Buenos Dias!!! How are all of you doing this fabulous day? I really hope things are going well and that Christmas was really good, I can tell you that mine went amazingly well! Before I start I just want to say I got mom's dear elder and I'm sorry to hear about ginger; it was really sad to hear about but I agree with mom that she is doing much better now that she is gone and she was really old for a lab, and I'm sure that she knows that she was and still is dearly loved by all of us, you could see it in that smile of hers, if you look at that painting I painted of her with Amy I made sure to add that smile because that was my absolute favorite part about her! and I'm thankful that you sent me that picture of me and her before I left, I love to look at it!


Ok on to what occured during Christmas! So I was able to kindof tell you things that happened on Christmas Eve, we had that fireside and watched a Christmas Carol. But Christmas was really fun! Before our morning devotional one of my favorite parts was when we were all waiting outside to go into the devotional and all the missionaries were singing christmas hymns, songs and carols!! but to tell you a little more about Elder Bednars talk, which really was amazing! He talked to us about like I said in my last letter, testimonies and being converted; one of the things that he told us was that "A testimony will never be enough you must be converted unto the Lord as well!" I can testify that I know that this is true because a testimony is what leads us to a more deepened conversion and a stronger relationship with Christ! He told us that it is that conversion that helps us stay very close to christ when others aren't able to. He told us a story from when he was on his mission and said that his I think mission president asked this hypothetical question, asking "would you fall away if one of the twelve apostles decieded the church wasn't true anymore?" ok I know that, that is a very drastic situation but if you are able to strengthan your testimony in Christ and deepen your conversion, if doesn't matter what happenens around you, you will know personally for yourself that the Church is true and that Christ is the center of this church and you will always do whatever he would do. Something that I like to think about a deepening conversion is that the tie you have with our Heavenly Father and Christ as you first start our your testimony and conversion unto Him is like a piece of string, it is very weak as you begin but through daily study of him, doing what he would do and testifying of the things you know to me true and as your conversion becomes stronger so does the piece of string that binds you to him, that piece of string I believe as your conversion unto Him becomes stronger begins to become more than a piece of string but more like a metal chain or as strong as the iron rod, which is very hard to break.


Another thing that he talked about was the charcteristics of Christ and how we need to daily strive to learn about those characteristics so that we can become more like Him day, by day. One of the characteristics that Elder Bednar told us about was how Christ was always turning outward and cared for the people around Him and never turned inward and thought about himself. Think about the story in Matt. right after his 40 day fast and the situation He had with satan, he must have been very tired and if it were me I would be thinking about myself at that moment but He didn't, it says that angels came and ministered unto him, but if you look in the footnotes you will see that it wasn't Christ that the angels were ministering unto, Christ knew that John the Baptist was in jail and Christ sent those angels to minister unto John, even during a situation like that Christ always turned outward and cared about others and not himself. Elder Bednar told us that the reason we turn in is because of the natural man that is in each of us, he related the natural man to the cookie monster from Sesame Street, "I want cookie now", I just want to add the voice he said along with that was awesome and very funny, especially when he related it to us as missionaries saying, "I want baptism now" "I want investigator now" haha! but in all seriousness we should all do our best to continually think outward and think of others more than ourselves, to become like Christ we can't think "I want" we need to tell ourselve "What do they need." Elder Bednar talked about some very amazing things and I hope that I can and that all who reads this, (Which I hope it makes sense cause I don't have time to read through it) will be willing to worry and think about others and learn about Christ; I like to think that as we learn more about Christ, we become more like Him, and when we become like Him, we become someone he can trust and we are instruments in His hands.


I'm very sorry but I'm running out of time again, but I want you to know that Christmas was amazing and that the Spirit I felt was so amazingly strong, It was such a special opportunity to have my complete focus on Him throughout the whole day. I hope that everyone can think about Him in their lives always! Remember He is always there for you! Ok I have to go, our district has been asked to clean the temple today!!! can you say mucho animado!!! I want you to know I love you all so much and I hope all is well!!


Love Always and Forever!

Hermana Aubrey Jo England

Monday, December 26, 2011

Week 6 Part 2 in MTC - 12/25/2011

WEEK 6 part 2
Place: Provo MTC
Companions: Hermana Latham and Hermana Thacker
Date: 12/25/2011
Hola Mi Familia!!!!!
FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!! Ok can I just tell you how excited I am that I am able to write you today!!! I really didn't think that we were going to be able to email home today, but I get to so it is so awesome!!! Can I just tell you I have been having one ablsolutely amazing Chirstmas!!! I have learned so many wonderful things and being able to have my focus completely on the Lord makes it one of the best things that I have ever felt in my life. So last night we have a Christmas Eve Devotional where we started out singing some christmas songs and one of the songs I want to share with you, but before I do I need to explain the computer keeps freezing up on me so I hope that you are able to get this letter because everyone is on the computer right now and the internet is freaking out and pausing every 5 seconds it is kind of making me upset but that is just fine I'm choosing to be happy cause I actually get to write home, think of the positive always and your life turns out so much better then focusing on the negative. ok so the song we sung was "For the 12 days of Christmas a missionary needs" and these are the words I love it!
1. a copy of the Book of Mormon
2 Heavy bags
3 meals a day
4 referral calls
5 golden contacts
6 bowls of ice cream
7 sessions planning
8 teachers teaching
9 sisters singing
10 prayers for blessings
11 Elders preaching
12 apostles speaking
Haha I really liked the song cause it awesome and my companions and I were trying to come up with words and now we don't have to we can just sing it now! :) We sing Christmas songs all the time while we do service cleaning the bathrooms it makes it so much fun and the time flies by in no time and it makes it that much more fun. . After we sung the chritsmas songs we had a little play of the Christmas Story while someone read the words from luke and the other scriptures about Chirst's birth. it was very amazing and the spirit was so strong. Later that night we got to watch a movie!! We watched George C. Scott's "A Christmas Carol" It was a really good movie and we had popcorn while we watched it!!! After the movie we went back to our room and we read the christmas story in luke again as a companionship said a companionship prayer and then we laid in bed with Hermana Lathams christmas tree on and I listened to my companions sing Christmas songs and it was so much fun and a really fun night to lay there look at a chirstmas tree and be together. We then woke up in the morning and took pictures with eachother and opened some of our presents and then we got ready and went to breakfast. So it was so much fun after breakfast we got to go and watch music and the spoken word which was really good I have to admit right now but when is it never good, hmm let me think, oh that is right, never!! It is always amazing and I love the message that is share with the beautiful music. After music and the spoken word guess what we had an Apostle come! It was Elder David A. Bednar and his beautiful wife Sister Susan Bednar!! They had sacrement meeting with us and it was the most elders I have ever seen passing the sacrement there was about 80 elders passing the sacrement and about 15 blessing it. But can I just tell you that Sister Bednar and Elder Bednar's talks were so amazing!!! Sister Bednar talked about Missionary work and how we get to go amoung all nations kindreds tongues and people preaching about the birth of Christ and shouting great tidings of great  joy like the angels at Christs birth. Then Elder Bednar was telling me about testimonys and conversion with in yourself I just want to say cause I don't have a lot of time I need to go but It was one of the most amazing talks I have heard and I will have to expalin more later this week and whatever apostle comes tonight!
I love you all so very much and I hope you are all having an amazing christmas and that all is going well here and I can't wait to call you next month, I will be writing again on thursday! Before I sign off I want to echo the words of Tiny Tim from the Christmas Carol "God Bless us Every One!!!"
Love Always and Forever!!
Hermana Aubrey Jo England



Thursday, December 22, 2011

Week 6 in MTC - 12/22/11

WEEK 6 in CCM
 
Place: Provo MTC
Companions: Hermana Latham y Hermana Thacker
Date: 12/22/11
 
Buenos Dias Mi Familia!!!!
 
FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!! wow I really can't believe that Christmas is almost here it is so crazy!! I just want to thank you right from the start, Thank you so much for those packages that you sent me, Oh My that was the biggest stocking I have ever seen in my life!! It was at least 4 feet long if not longer, but it was so awesome to get that and all the treats! I'll admit I did open everything that was in it before Christmas, one becauase mom gave me permission ;) and two she said there was something that needed to be refrigerated so I had to find it, I should have read the card sooner telling me what it was but oops oh well, I loved being able to open all of them! :) Oh and muchas gracias for sending me that music! I'm going to have so much fun playing it!! In a couple weeks Hermana Latham and Elder Stapel are going to be singing a childs prayer in sacrament while I play the piano, they will be singing the first two verses in Espanol and then the last where they combine will be in English it is going to be really cool they are really good so far, I just need to get use to someone singing while I play cause I usually haven't had that happen. Oh so speaking about people singing while I play, guess you just got a calling to be the new piano player for Branch 8? yep that would be me! Can I just tell you it really scared me half to death when they asked me because I'm not the best at playing hymns and the Spanish hymns have a few extra note here and there, but I told them I would and I'm excited for this opportunity cause it will make me better at playing these hymns; and something else so the previous person that played for the Branch was Hermana Waldron and later that night she came to me and handed me a spanish hymn book, she told me that this book has been passed down from each person who has been called to play the piano for that branch and when you recieve it you write you name and mission in the book. So this may sound very weird or it may not, but when that hymn book was placed in my hands the spirit just immediatly came to rushing into me and it was so cool to see all the names written in the book, I am actually number 15 that this book has been passed down too. I'm really excited for this calling and I know that this will be a great opportunity and I know that this will only make me better at playing the hymns as long as I dedicate each and every time I play to the Lord, He will be right by my side helping me play.
 
So your probably wondering how the goal with speaking todo Espanol week this past week, all I can say is it really didn't go well at all, we as a district pretty much had an epic fail, but this week we made a new goal and we are going to do our best to stick to it and this time there isn't a punishment, we are going to be responsible for our own actions, and just remind others we need to speak spanish on the days we need too, which is going to be every Monday, Wednesday and Friday we will be speaking total espanol the entire day no english whatsoever! So this week I would really appriciate if you could keep our district in your prayers, so that we can do our best to speak spanish, cause I know for me it is really hard I'm getting really good at understanding what is being said to me, but when it comes to speaking it, that is really hard, but I know it will just come with time. I've changed my attitude while here in the CCM, instead of being worried about "I need to learn Spanish, I need to learn Spanish" I'm not going to worry about it I'm going to learn as much as I can as I'm learning it, but my main focus while here in the CCM is going to be learning the Doctrine of the Gospel, because that is the most important thing I can do, it isn't going to matter how well my Spanish is if I don't know the Doctrine and can teach people the lessons and things they need to hear in their life, there is really no purpose to that! I know right now I need to learn how to rely on the Spirit to learn what the needs of my investigators are so that I can fulfill my purpose which is bringing others unto Christ.
 
Oh so speaking about investigators I just have to tell you muchas gracias for sending those christmans M&Ms they came in great handy when we taught out lesson the other day, so we have been teaching Jorge who is a senior in High school and this last lesson we have been teaching him the Commandments, and I taught him about the Law of tithing, I bet you can imagine what I did! Well I still don't know enough spanish to completely explain myself so i brought the m&ms with me and used them as a visual to explain what tithing is, and you are never going to believe this but when I reached into the bag to grab ten m&ms I didn't notice until I handed them to him that there were 9 green and 1 red it was awesome and so not planned!! but after he gave me the one red one I told him that when we pay our tithing God blesses us with many many blessings and I dumped like half of the bag in his hands, and he loved it!! he was acutally eating them in the lesson and after he was passing out them to other elders saying here eat some blessings!! haha! :)
 
Ok so I'm running out of time so I just want to quickly tell you that I hope you were able to read what I left you last time if you haven't I hope that you will this week cause it is amazing and I have learned so much, Elder L. Whitney Clayton spoke to us this week in our devo. and told us something that an apostle said, he told us that there are many people who complain that others start Christmas too early, but this apostle said "It is never too early to start celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ" I thought that was amazing let us all remember that this Christmas and remember that Wise men still seek him today! Watch the new mormon message it is awesome. Ok I got to go I love you all so much and have a wonderful Christmas!!!!
 
Feliz Navidad!!
Love always and forever!!
Hermana Aubrey Jo England

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Week 5 MTC - 12/15/11

WEEK 5 in CCM


Place: Provo MTC

Companions: Hermana Latham and Hermana Thacker

Date: 12/15/11


Buenas Dias Mi Familia!!


How is everything going for all of you? I really hope things are going really well! I really cannot believe that it is already p-day again and I'm writing you, it felt as though I just wrote all of you a couple days ago; again time really does fly so fast here. Things here are going absolutely amazing! Oh so I have to tell you about this goal that we have set as a district for this week! So we made a goal that we were going to habla su idioma, or in other words Speak your Language, and we decided to do it all week at all times, so basically the only times we are allowed to talk in English is when we are getting ready in the morning in our dorms, during class intruction, during p-day, during gym, when we talk to someone who doesn't know spanish at all, and at night when we are in our dorms again, other then those things we have been having to speak todo Espanol!! Can I just say it has definitly been more quite this week than it usually is, but I guess not too bad! Oh and hear this we have a punishment if we talk in English, for every word you say in English outside of time that you can speak, you have to either do 5 situps or pushups for each word you say, and it was sad I had to do about 115 sits ups on monday because I caught myself talking english a little to late to an hermana in another district, it wasn't fun having to do that many in gym the next day, but Esta bien it will make me stronger and will give me the encouragement to not speak english and speak Espanol. This goal will definitly be a really good one for us and I feel it is pushing me to learn more words which is nice. Slow and Steady the Spanish is coming but it will come, I know it!!


There are so many things I want to tell you it is crazy but I know I don't have much time but I will try to the best of my ablility to tell you most of the things. So on Sunday for Relief Society we got to hear from Sister Ann Dibb, the Second counselor in the gerneral YW presidency! She was amazing and I guess I didn't put two and two together but I found out that she was the daughter of President Monson, which is so cool!!! After she gave her lesson about the spirit and that by small and simple things great things come, she spent a half an hour more telling us really amazing things about President Monson, things he likes and experiences growing up with her father! It was so amazing and my testimony that President Monson is a Prophet has grown that much stronger!! and after Relief Society we go to go and shake her hand and talk to her which was so amazing! Later that night for our Sunday night devotional we got to hear from the BYU Men's Chorus and they were ablsolutely amazing with their testimonies and the songs they sing it really brought a strong spirit! And it was nice to hear music because while we are in the MTC we can't listen to our music so it is nice to hear any music when you can.


Oh I need to tell you something very important before I continue, if you send anymore packages you need to send them before dec. 23 they will not accept anymore past that date untill next year I think? but I'm pretty sure that is how it is. oh and I Will NOT be able to call you on christmas no one in the MTC calls home on christmas you call in the airport before you leave so I'm going to need a calling card if you could please send me one cause I would really love to call you before I leave in Jan. it is coming really fast it is crazy!! oh and if you could, could you please send me a copy of the music "Child's Prayer" from the childrens hymn book and there is a music piece called "The Power of His Love" it is on a black contruction paper, and it is either in the piano bench up stairs or downstairs on the piano. if you could find that I would really appriciate it cause I really want to play it for Sacrament meeting and have my hermanas sing along, they sing so beautiful and we want to do something for Sacrament! I really hope you can find them if not let me know, oh and I was stupid and didn't bring the book that has my address in Chile and the check off list could you send that too so that I have the address to give to people here. I would really appriciate it!


Ok really quick before time is up. so On tuesday for devotional we got to hear from Sister Elaine S. Dalton and can I just say she was absolutely amazing and said exactly what I needed to hear, one of the elders in our district called her "the female version of Elder Holland" haha! :) She was so powerful and told us many great things about spiritual gifts and our endowment and missionary work and how they all go together. She told us that Christ gives us so many gifts this christmans season and always with the many spiritual gifts we have or obtain over time. Which is so true. Sorry I'm running out of time so I can't completely tell you all she said, but I would really highly encourage that this week you all join me in reading the Christmas story with me and learning about Christ in Matt. 1:18-25 and ch. 2 Luke1:26-55 and ch 2:1-20, Helamen 14:2-8 1nephi 11:8-23 please join me along and read these this week and I will talk about it next week in what I learend and I would love to hear from you. Sorry times up!!


Love Always and Forever

Hermana Aubrey Jo England

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Week 4 in MTC - 12/08/2011

WEEK 4 in CCM
 
Place: Provo MTC
Companions: Hermana Thacker and Hermana Latham
Date: 12/8/2011
 
Hola Familia!!!!
           
         How is everyone doing? I really hope that everything is going well!!! So this week has been super awesome! Like everyweek is in the CCM. I really can't believe that it is already my fourth week here!! Time is flying by so fast! and yet it isn't. What we like to say is that "the days pass like weeks and the weeks pass like days" it is so true, I mean time here is blended so much that you can't remember if you had lunch or not. Oh by the way Muchas Gracias for the pictures that you sent me!!!! I love being able to see your faces each morning as I'm getting ready! Oh so do you want to know one good things about P-Day besides that I get to write my awesome familia and I get a day of rest, the next coolest thing is that we get to sleep in until 6:30! so it doesn't seem like that much of a difference from 6:00 in the morning but trust me it is nice to have 30 extra minutes to sleep. we usually have to wake up at 6 because a half and hour is definilty not enough time we have figured out to get ready, be out the door and in our class room at 7. so we all decided it would be better to get up at 6 so that is what we have been doing, and it works great!!
 
       So last P-Day I got to go to the temple!!!! I love, love, love the Provo Temple!!! It is so beautiful inside and I loved being about to go and do an endowment session with mi companions and the district! it was such a needed thing to revitalize myself. I just love being able to go to the temple and do the work that needed to be down for someone who as passed on, it is fun to see the name that you get and while your in the chaple to think of them and wonder about who they were and what their life was like. Which reminds me of something, so on Sunday we has a mission conference and one of the speakers that spoke was President and sister Wilkens, and something that Sister Wilkens said just popped into my mind, she told us that her granddaughter looked at her one day and told her "Grandma I want to be just like you!" isn't that so sweet!!! Then she posed this question to us, which was "What do you want your children, your grandchildren, your great grandchildren and others to remember you for?" I started thinking about that seriously throughout the week and I'm still thinking about it, but I hope for one thing that they will be able to remember me as someone who was strong in the faith! Which also reminds me of the movie 17 Miracles, which by the way we got to watch here and it was really fun to watch again, we got to watch it on Thanksgiving!! but one part I liked was when the older pioneers were saying things of what they wanted their family to remember before they were gone and it really makes you think, how people will remember you when you are gone and I don't mean just passed away but when you aren't in their lifes any more, such as I'm only going to be in Chile for 18 months and I hope that I will be a good example for the Lord and people can see in my eyes the love I have and the love our Heavenly Father has for them!! President Hollister came and talked to us again, and he is such an amazing man!!! He told us that "You won't know the effect you have on many people until after your gone!" He gave us a hypothetical situation where say I was in a park and was talking to a man whose name is Jose and handed him a pamphlet and we didn't here from him again, but President Hollister said that one day a boy will come up to you and say Hermana England how are you doing? and you aren't going to know this boy but he will say "I know you don't know me but do you remember being in a park and talking to a man Jose? and I'll say yes of course I remember. Then the boy will tell me well that man thought about your messages for many years and ten years after your encounter in the park he decided to learn more about the church and was baptized and not long after found a wonderful woman and was married in the temple and has had many kids and grandkids who have gone one missions and through the temple, and I want to let you know that I am the Grandson of Jose, and I want to thank you for talking with him that day in the park, getting to know him and handing him that pamphlet, He still talks about you!!" When President Hollister told us that I was filled with the spirit with excitement and I'm really happy to be on my mission!!
 
I'm running out of time, but I just want you all to remember how much I love each of you and how much of a wonderful example that you are in my life and I want to tell each of you personally, dad and mom and my grandparents that "I want to be just like you!!!" I will be writing by responses to all your letters today so you should get them hopefully soon. I love you all and I'm sorry I don't have more time to talk and that this email makes sense as you read it cause I don't have time to look over it. I love you all again, God Speed
 
Love Always and Forever!!
Hermana Aubrey Jo England

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Week 3 MTC - 12/01/2011

WEEK 3 IN CCM!
Place: Prove CCM
Companions: Hermana Thacker and Hermana Latham
Date: 12/01/11
Hola Mi Familia!!!
               How has everything been going for you all? I really hope things are going a bit smoother than they have been. Things here at the CCM are amazing!!! oh and by the way CCM does not at this point mean Chile Concepcion Mission; at this point it still means MTC it is just the Spanish way to say MTC. So I have been dying all week to tell you everything that happened last week with Thanksgiving. Can I just say it was Super, Super Bien!!!! We got to hear from two apostles which is such a treat, we heard from Elder D. Todd Christofferson, and Elder Russel M. Nelson, both of these men and their wifes are so amazing and taught really wonderful things to learn about. Something the Elder Christofferson told us about that I thought was really cool and hadn't thought about before is that; we as missionaries not only have the companions that we are put with during our missions but we also that each member in the 70, the 12 apostles and the first Presidency are our companions as well! Isn't that so cool!!? :) So I have many, many companions!! and Elder Christofferson also told us that they give us as missionaries the Apostolic authority to teach, and we share that authority with them, and I thought that we the most amazing of it all! Elder Nelson also spoke to us and he has a messages for each of you at home that he wanted me to tell you personally! He wanted me to tell each of you THANK YOU! He wanted to thank each of you for supporting me while I'm on my mission and letting me come on my mission to preach the gospel. And I just want to send the love that both Elder Nelson and Elder Christofferson have for each of you!
          So Thanksgiving was awesome, we had a wonderful Turkey dinner and we got to do a cool service project as well, we made 8000 first aid kits to be sent to somewhere in Africa, it was so much fun to make all of those and to talk and sing with all the missionaries, yeah it was awesome they played different versions of primary songs while we were putting them together it was really awesome!! Thanksgiving was great! and I'm glad to hear that you guys had a good Thanksgiving as well!
        Oh quickly I would like to tell you, I don't have many of the addresses for people to send them any letters too, and so if there is anyone waiting for a letter from me and hasn't already gotten one it is because through all the hustle of moving here to the MTC they got misplaced somewhere, so if you could write me a letter so that I have your addresses please, I would really like to recieve some letters it is my only connection to the outside world at this point. Amy and Danny I am in the proccess of sending you a reply to your letters you should hopefully get them by tomorrow or Saturday, and Nanny you should have a letter coming as well. but I really need your addresses if you want me to write you, I'm very grateful for the few letters that I have recieved from all of you. oh and Dear Elder if that would be easier for any of you is a great way to send a letter to me, if you write it by 2:00pm I'll get your letter that night when Elder Lowery gets the mail. It is crazy that we have to wait till 9:15 to get our letters you should have seen the Elders last night, they were litterally bouncing off the walls and counting down as if it were New Years waiting for the mail, and to be honest I was a little of the same way.
Just so that you know I am not able to use the Costco.com here at the MTC so I''m not really sure how I''m suppose to get pictures to you except for printing a few and sending them to you through the mail. I''m sorry that is is that way, hopefully things will be different when I get to Chile! oh and if you could please send me a pair of shoes that are flats, size 9 or 9 1/2, preferably in black, the reddish shoes that I have, I don''t know why but I have nearly twisted my ankle at least 6 times already and I''m lucky I haven''t broken it yet, the Lord really does bless his missionaries. 
I really hate this time limit because there is so much I want to tell you but I don''t have time, so if you guys write me the letters I can tell you more when I reply back to you. I just want you all to know that I love you so very much and that I miss you all! It is great being here and being able to learn the language, even though it is really hard at times and I feel like jumping out the classroom window, I know this is just a short time and I will understand it as long as I have patience, I''m just still trying to figure out my learning style, but it is coming along real well! Ok times up, Love you all and hope things are going well!
Love Always and Forever, 
Hermana Aubrey Jo England

Friday, November 25, 2011

Week 2 MTC - 11/24/11

Week 2 MTC
Place: Provo MTC
Companions: Hermana Thacker and Hermana Latham
Date: 11/24/11

 Hola Mi Familia!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you !! I really hope you all have been having an amazingly, fantastic week and that you having fun with all the family. Things here at the MTC are going so so so amazing can I just tell youI absolutely love this place! Oh by the way Dad and Mom muchas muchas gracia for the backpack, it is amazing and it feels so good not having to carry all the books I need back to the residence hall in my arms, it gets really tiring after awhile! Oh and thanks for the other things that were in the package, i love it! Especially the letters! It is so good to hear from you all please continue to send me letters I love being able to read about what is going on with all of you! Oh and that doesn't just include my family, I'm talking to mi amigos as well, hint, hint! ;) Chiste (which means just kidding in Spanish) because I consider all mi amigos to be amoung mi familia as well we are all brothers and sisters right? Si!!! Oh one thing I would love you guys to send me is pictures!! Por favor!!! I would really like some pictures to put by my desk I have a few but I would love more to look at!

So Dad you ask how the food was here at the MTC? Well actually it is pretty good food when you are eating it but there have been a few days here and there where definilty the food just doesn't agree with you and your stomach hurts, probably because a lot of the food is processed so usually my companions and I try to stay more towards the fruits and veggies and less processed stuff, but other then the stomach aches and amoung other things the food is pretty good.

So I just want to say I absolutely love, love, love my district we have all gotten to know eachother and we have lots of fun; there are seven elders and then Hemana Thacker, Herman Latham and me; and guess what we are all going to Chile! three different missions but it is so cool, four are going to Orsono, four are going to rancaugua (I am not sure if I spelt those right?) and then Elder Judd and I are going to Concepcion and we have the coolest mission! ;) But our district is so tight, "tight like unto a dish" is what we like to say! :) so we are all learning spanish still, and we are all beinning to do very well, some better then others but it is all a process. I'm learning slowly but surely, I think grammer right now is killing me, I'm like Hermana Latham and feel like I need to go back to 6th grade english just to learn grammer principles, but I'm sure and know I will learn it eventually, I just need to learn to be patient. Elder Judd is hillarious though we were all sitting there studying then our district leader Elder Lowery said it was time to sing and Elder Judd didn't know the word sing in Spanish so he was like "Alright it's time to singello!" He adds ello to any word he doesn't know, it is funny and he has the whole district doing it now. We have lots of fun and many spiritual moments together as a district! I just love them!

So guess what? Our investegator Oscar is getting baptized!!!! Ok so he isn't a real investigator and is a teacher here but that doesn't mean the Spirit we felt while we taught him wasn't there, each time we taught him, in Spanish mind you, the Spirit was usually always really strong. I don't know a ton of Spanish to express myself but the most I can do is get him to read a scripture, bear my testimony, and I'm getter better at saying my prayers in Spanish but last night we talk to him about baptism and after we asked him the interview question to see if he was ready or if we needed to teach a little more, then I share 2 nephi 31:10-12 with him, bore my testimony and then I looked Oscar straight in the eyes and said "Oscar, Seguira el ejemplo de Jesucristo al ser bautizado por alguien que posea la autoridad del sarcerdocio de Dios?" Basically Oscar will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding the authorized priesthood authority? and I tell you I felt the spirit very strong testifying to me that the work I'm doing here is correct and is true, it was so amazing is all I can say!!!!

So our branch president, President Hollister, is such an amazing man, and is so intuned with the Spirit, he told my companions and I something amazing he told us "that in the preexistence we were individually picked out of the crowd and placed on a self to be saved for this time to preach the gospel and we each went up to our brothers and sisters and promised them that we would find them and would share the gospel with them. It is so cool to think that the people I'm teaching in Chile are desendents of the lamanites and I'm so excited to go to Chile and share the gospel and through the spirit find those brothers and sisters I promised to find! One more thing President Hollister said was that this was not going to the the "best 18 months of your life," He said the is very wrong, he told us "It will be the best 18 months for you life" and I absolutely believe this so be true and I will be saying from now on that this 18 months " are the best 18 months FOR my life"

AAH I have so much I want to tell you all but my timer is almost up, it has only been a week and so many things have happened, we go to hear from Elder Christofferson on Tuesday and Elder Nelson today!!! I will write more about them next time I'm so sorry I really wish I had more then 30 minute to write it just isn't fun to be limit, But please please please write me I would love to get letters from anyone and everyone of you all, and those who have wrote me I will so my best to write you back as soon as possible, it is realy busy here but I will write when I'm able, Oh and just so you know Pday is on Thursday. aaah time is almost up. ok I love you all so so much and hope all is well.

Hasta Luego


Love always and forever


Hermana Aubrey Jo England

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Week 1 MTC 11/19/2011

Place: Provo MTC
Companions: Hermana Thacker and Hermana Latham
Date: 11/19/2011
Hola Mi Familia!!!
             How is everything going? I hope that everything is going alright! Things here in the MTC are absolutely amazing!!! I love all of the wonderful things that have happened so far, and you really feel the Spirit all the time which is SO nice! So as you can probably see from the top of the letter I have two companions, and it is awesome, the other hermanas called us a tripod which is funny, and I like that definition! Both Hermana Thacker and Hermana Latham are so amazing and we have been getting along real well. Oh and guess what, so the Branch Presidency can and talked to us I believe it was the second day that we were here and they assigned senior companions for all the companionships in our district, and guess who got called to be senior companion, that's right I did! And I have to tell you it was by the most amazing inspired way every, want to know how? It is called alphabetical order! haha yeah so I'll be senior companion for about three weeks then it will be switched to one of the other sisters; although I have to be honest I don't really feel like I am really cut out to be a senior companion at the moment I feel a little inadequate but I know things will work out if I just rely on the Spirit.
           So the Spanish is coming along, it is very slow but surely coming along, so as you know I have only been here what three or four days and guess what we had to do on Friday night? We had to teach our first investigator and his name is Oscar! and we couldn't speak any ingles only espanol! can I tell you right now the moment that they told us that we were going to be teaching I nearly had a heart attack because I really don't know any Spanish, but we prepared as much as we could. What was really cool was I was so extremely nervous and I felt that this was going to go absolutely horibble but once we knocked on the door and started talking to Oscar the nervousness just amazingly went away, sure when we got in there we definitly didn't understand over half the words that he was speaking to us, but we taught him the best we could that we have and we had him read a few scriptures in Spanish (and yes they gave us a set :) ) and asked him what he thought they meant, and we also taught him that we have a loving Heavenly Father and Savior who knows who he is and loves him very much; and at the end each of us bore our testimony to him in Spanish, mine was very short and simple because I don't know too many words yet, but I want to tell you the Spirit I felt as I was bearing my testimony was so amazing and I felt so much love from my Heavenly Father and I knew the words I was saying are true. I know that Concepcion Chile is the mission I am ment to go to and I'm so excited to be able to go there in eight weeks. I want you each to know that this gospel is so amazingly true and that it will help you with anything that you have going on in your life! I can testify of this!
         I know that this letter is a little short, but I just barely got on the computer and I haven't really thought out everything that I want to say to all of you, but I promise that the next letter will be a bit longer and more details of what is going on! I love you all and again I hope all is going well!
  
Hasta Luego,
Love Always,
Hermana Aubrey Jo England

Sister Latham, Sister Thacker
and Sister Aubrey England

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Dropping off at the MCT - 11/16/11

November 16, 2011
Hermana Aubrey England goes to the MTC
Today started early at 5:00 AM for all of us but Aubrey who was up at 6:00.  Lisa made Aubrey and family a breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast and juice.  Good byes were very quick for Brandon, Amy and Danny who needed to get to school, but not before pictures were taken of her with all of us.  Grandpa England came over and took a family picture.  The only one of us missing was Josh who was unavailable at the time it was taken.  She also asked for pictures with our very old dog, Ginger, who probably will have passed away when she returns. 
After the kids went to school it was busy for us while Aubrey had some last minute packing to do.  Don helped her with that while Lisa made sure other last minute details were attended to. 
The time to leave for the MTC came all too fast.  Don packed her suit cases into the back of his truck, and then we were on our way to see Nanny so she could also have a chance to get a hug from Aubrey and say goodbye.  Nanny was working but we all had a chance to chat for a moment and get hugs.
After we left Nanny we had just barely enough time to stop by Wendy’s drive through to get Aubrey some chicken nuggets and fries. She ate them while we all made guesses about what would be different when she returned.  We decided that the biggest difference could be that Danny who is now 12 may possibly be taller than her and shaving.
When we arrived at the MTC it all went very fast.  We got out and unloaded her luggage.  There were Elders there to help her with it.  We all got in a last minute hug and the Elders quickly took her inside. 
We are all very happy for Aubrey to have this wonderful opportunity to serve as a missionary for the church in Chile. 


 


Aubrey's Farewell Talk 11/13/11

Good afternoon brothers and sisters. I am really excited to be able to speak to you today. I have known for a couple months that I would be speaking today, and over that time I have had to think about what I would speak on I have had everyone of you in my mind, and prayed constantly hoping that the Spirit would bring the words to my mind on what I should speak about, and I pray now that the Spirit will be with me and that I will be able to say the thoughts and words that have come to my mind as I have studied. There is a story I would like to share with you that I heard quite a few years ago at a young women’s camp that has stuck with me ever since; the story is called “A Piece of My Heart”

One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen.

The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart. Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said "Why, your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine."

The crowd and the young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly, but it was full of scars. It had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in, but they didn't fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing.

The people stared -- how can he say his heart is more beautiful, they thought?

The young man looked at the old man's heart and saw its state and laughed.

"You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with mine. Mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears."

"Yes," said the old man, "yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love - I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren't exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we shared."

"Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges -- giving love, is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?"

The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands. The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man's heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges.

The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man's heart flowed into his.


As I have thought about it more and more this story symbolizes more than just an old man, a boy, and their hearts; by more I believe that it symbolizes Christ, each of us, and His wonderful atonement or the piece of His heart that He has selflessly and willingly given to each and every one of us. So today I would like to talk about gratitude and some of the many ways that each of us can show gratitude to the Savior for the piece of His Heart that He has given each of us, and how each of us can give a piece of our heart back to Him.

The first way we can show our gratitude to the Savior is to be grateful for the little things. The more that you thank God for what you have, the more you have to be thankful for. When I was very little there were many weekends that I would spend the weekend with my grandma, or as I like to call her Nanny; because of the distance that we lived apart we would meet half way and she would drive me and my little brother the rest of the way to her house. I will always remember how we would sing primary songs as would drive to her home, one of them I loved to sing was My Heavenly Father Loves Me, the particular words I loved are; “He gave me my eyes that I might see the color of butterfly wings, He gave me my ears that I might hear the wonderful sound of things, He gave me my life, my mind, my heart I thank Him reverently, for all His creations for which I’m apart  yes I know Heavenly Father loves me!” As I really began to think about it I was amazed on how much I took for granted in my life, such as each breath I take, the beat of my heart, the hands I work daily with, and yes even a really cold winters day because if it weren’t for the very cold day I probably wouldn’t enjoy a delicious cup of hot chocolate as much. When we begin to notice those little things we are blessed with we begin to see how overly abundantly we are blessed each day!

The next way that we can show our gratitude to Christ is to Pray, pouring out our heart in thanks. We should pray as Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon, “whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people.” A few years ago one of my seminary teachers gave each of his students a challenge, he gave each of us a piece of hard candy and challenged each of us to go home that night put the candy into our mouth, kneel on our knees and suck on the candy while saying a prayer of gratitude not asking for anything just giving thanks, and we weren’t allowed to bite the candy. As I knelt there it was a little tough at first to get started because of the candy, but it began to get easier and easier and before I knew it the candy was gone, but I kept going, giving thanks; it was one of the longest and most meaningful prayers that I have said and it felt absolutely amazing and the spirit was so strong, and I have done this many times since. President Hinckley once said, “Get on your knees and thank Him for His goodness to you and express to Him the righteous desires of your hearts. The miracle of it all is that He hears. He responds. He answers—not always as we might wish He would answer, but there is no question or doubt in my mind to He answers.” Isn’t it amazing to know that no matter what we are going through, we are never alone? There is always someone you are able to talk to, who knows every little thing that you are feeling; I love this so much and I’m extremely grateful for prayer.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love quotes, and one of my many favorite is this; “We ask for strength and God gives us difficulties which make us strong; we pray for wisdom and God sends us problems, the solution of which develops wisdom; we plead for prosperity and God gives us brain and brawn to work; we ask for favors and God gives us opportunities.” This brings the next way we can show our gratitude which is thanking Christ for each of our trials and for the opportunities of growth. Throughout our lives we are all faced with many trials, it doesn’t matter who we are the trials will come, they may be small, they may be bigger, but we will face trials, because that is why we are here on this earth, to be tested and prepared for eternal life ahead, but unless we are challenged we won’t know how far we can reach! This is why we should show gratitude to the Lord for our trials, because He gives them to us to help us grow, and to become more like Him and our Heavenly Parents.

This brings me to the next way we can show our gratitude to Christ; which is reading the scriptures to learn more about Him. Sister Elaine S. Dalton once said, "Everything in the scriptures is applicable to our lives. The scriptures answer our questions, they provide role models and heroes, and they help us understand how to handle challenges and trials. Many times the scriptures you read will be the answer to your prayers.” As I have read the scriptures I have read about many of these heroes and role models, and I have learned much from each one, but my absolute favorite hero and role model is our Savior. When we read the scriptures to learn more about the Savior we can’t just read them once, Sister Julie B. Beck said, "It would be impossible to learn the lessons the scriptures contain by reading them only one time through or studying selected verses in a class.” The reason we should read and study the stories over and over again is because through the spirit you will learn something new each time you read. When we read about Christ; we learn more about Him; when we learn more about Him; we become more like Him; when we become more like Him; we become fit instruments in His hands for Him to use to help others.

Which leads me to the next, and I believe one of the most important ways to show about gratitude to the Lord which is doing service and charity as He would. President Hinckley once shared a story that I would like to share.

“An older boy and his young companion were walking along a road which led through a field. They saw an old coat and a badly worn pair of men’s shoes by the roadside, and in the distance they saw the owner working in the field.

“The younger boy suggested that they hide the shoes, conceal themselves, and watch the perplexity on the owner’s face when he returned.

“The older boy … thought that would not be so good. He said the owner must be a very poor man. So, after talking the matter over, at his suggestion, they concluded to try another experiment. Instead of hiding the shoes, they would put a silver dollar in each one and … see what the owner did when he discovered the money. So they did that.

“Pretty soon the man returned from the field, put on his coat, slipped one foot into a shoe, felt something hard, took it out and found a silver dollar. Wonder and surprise [shone] upon his face. He looked at the dollar again and again, turned around and could see nobody, then proceeded to put on the other shoe; when to his great surprise he found another dollar. His feelings overcame him. … He knelt down and offered aloud a prayer of thanksgiving, in which he spoke of his wife being sick and helpless and his children without bread. … He fervently thanked the Lord for this bounty from unknown hands and evoked the blessing of heaven upon those who gave him this needed help.

“The boys remained [hidden] until he had gone.” They had been touched by his prayer and felt something warm within their hearts. As they left to walk down the road, one said to the other, “Don’t you have a good feeling?”  

As we can see from this story that many times the answers to peoples prayers are answered through the Lord by using us as His instruments, through service. There are many ways we can do service and show charity; such as helping a neighbor in need, doing service in secret, visiting teaching, home teaching, a friendly hello and smile to a random person, and my favorite, missionary work! When I opened my mission call my absolute favorite part is “You are hereby called to serve in Chile Concepcion Mission.” I wasn’t called to just work and get things done, I was called to serve! Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love charity and service; in the scriptures it mentions that charity is the greatest of all the gifts of God; this is why every day we should pray to have service opportunities and take the action to find them. 

Finally the last way I would like to talk about today about showing gratitude to the Lord is by bearing testimony of Him. One thing that I love about the scriptures is if you look hard enough you can find hidden treasures. There is a hidden scripture in Moroni that someone showed me that I have never forgotten. This hidden scripture is in Moroni 7 and it is hidden in verses 26 and 31 starting in 26 and going across the page it says “And as surely as Christ liveth, bear testimony of Him.”  In the scriptures we are told that we should be witnesses of God at all times and in all things and in all places; when be bear our testimony, we become a witness of the savior, and I believe that this is a wonderful way to show our gratitude to him. Along with Moroni’s testimony I would like to add my own by saying things that I am grateful for in my life and I know to be true. 

I’m very grateful for my family, for my extended family and the things that they teach me, for my brothers and sister that I have been able to grow up with and have and continue to have wonderful memories with. I’m grateful for my grandparents and the wise words that they teach me over the years as I have been growing up. I’m especially grateful for my three wonderful parents; my dad who has always been there for me with anything I need, my mom who has taught me so many things that has helped me become the person I am, and my birth mom, even though she isn’t with me physically I know she is with me all the time as my guardian angel, guiding and protecting be throughout my life. I don’t think I can ever show my complete gratitude but I will always try to. 

I’m also very grateful for the many friends in my life, for the times we have had to be together, to laugh together, to cry together, to pray together; I’m grateful for the many examples that you have been in my life, and it is more than many of you realize; and I hope that each of you know you have a piece of my heart. 

I’m grateful for President Thomas S. Monson. He is such an amazing man, and has taught so many wonderful truths and I know that he is a true and living prophet on the earth today.  

I’m grateful for a young boy who had a question and went into a grove to find an answer. I’m grateful that Joseph Smith through the power of God was able to translate the Book of Mormon, and I’m grateful for the teachings that are in it.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission, and to serve the Lord for the next 18 month of my life. I don’t know any of the people that I will be serving, but I do know that every day as I pray for the people in Concepcion Chile I have grown a greater love for them, because I’m able to feel the love that Heavenly Father and the Savior has for them. 

Most of all I’m extremely grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ, for His selfless, infinite, wonderful, atonement. I am definitely in no way perfect, but I hope that as I continue to learn about the Savior, to little by little gain Christ-like attributes to become more like the Savior, and to become a fit instrument within His hands. 

I know with all my heart, might, mind, and soul that they things I have told you today are true, and that we can each give a piece of our heart to the Savior, when we show our gratitude to Him through many ways. I testify of this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Aubrey England's Mission Farewell

Sister Aubrey England's mission farewell talk will be on November 13th!
Sacrament meeting starts at 2:50pm, but we recommend that you be there by 2:30pm.
South Jordan Highland Stake Center
10227 South 4000 West
South Jordan, Utah

I would love to see all family and friends that can make it there, before I leave for the Chile, Concepcion Mission, to serve the Lord for the best 18 months of my life! :)

There will be a get together at my house following church at 4:00pm. Everyone is welcome to come!!

3738 W. Whispering Sands Dr.
South Jordan

If you need any help with directions or questions, you can give me a call at (801) 253-4685 or text at (801) 455-1362