Becoming a 'Mommy'

The wonderful Kirtland Sisters

Hello family!

I didn't really have a fear of becoming trunky as I get ready to begin my last transfer here in Ohio, but now I REALLY have no option but to not get trunky! President Sorensen called Saturday afternoon to let me know that I will be training a new missionary for my last transfer. Whoa! Training at the very end of my mission. Should be interesting/cool/stressful/good. At our trainers meeting on Monday, it was confirmed that I would be training in Mayfield, so that means that I will spend HALF my mission here, a full 9 months. That's a long time, but I have to admit I am SO glad that I will be finishing my mission here in Mayfield. I love it here! and I hope that my new greenie will love it too :) Transfers are a week from today, so we'll have one more pday to email home (next Tuesday) and then I'll meet her on Wednesday. I'm sad Sister Schwanke is leaving, and I know that she is really bummed too. It's been such a good 4 1/2 months... :( But that's okay, there are great things in store for her wherever she goes for her last transfer.

There are great things happening in Mayfield, and we have seen lots and lots of miracles this week! We found a couple new investigators, who are all searching for truth! It's incredible. They both came to church on Sunday and both just loved church! The greatest thing is that they were both found from different members. That is a miracle in and of itself! To see the members of the church doing missionary work is fantastic. Truly, this is the Lord's way of doing missionary work! Yes, we can--and do--go door to door, but the members are really the ones who share the gospel. But we did a neat experience tracting this week.........

We were supposed to have dinner with our neighbors, but at the last minute she got called into work so we got to do our backup...tracting! woot woot. So we were tracting one street just as it was getting dark and no one was even close to interested in talking to us. Some were rude, some not, but either way we weren't finding much success. Then we knocked on one man's door. He was nice and talked to us for a while, and you could tell he was interested, but when we asked if we could come back sometime and bring him a Book of Mormon, he hesitated then said no. 


Just as we were getting ready to leave, Sister Schwanke asked if we could sing him a song! So we sang him "I am a Child of God". Singing while proselyting has been something President has been pushing for a month or two, and we really are finding success with it. By the time we finished the song, Bill was bawling. Then he opened up to us. He said that his mom had died 2 months ago and the next day was supposed to be her 90th birthday. All day he had been feeling lonely and sad, and when we sang "...has given me and earthly home with parents kind and dear" it really touched him. We talked with him about God's plan for the family, and about life after this and his eyes lit up. By the time we finished, he wasn't letting us leave! He wanted us to keep telling him more! He accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon right there and said we could come back. That really showed me how amazingly aware the Lord is. We never would have gone to his house right at the time that he needed us if our neighbors had taken us to dinner. But Heavenly Father knows His children, and helped us to be sure we were at the right place at the right time :)

Well, I'm going to attach some pictures for ya before I go. But I love you all lots and lots! Surprised?! haha. Have a fantastic week, and Scott/Elder Maughan, I would love to send you a snowball for Christmas :)

Much love,
Sister Maughan

Schbaptize Maughanthly!

Hello Hello!

This has been a great week! Although, time is flying. Transfer decisions are next week! I can't believe how fast time is going. I think it's a discussion that Sister Schwanke and I have daily, and it never ceases to amaze. I know today is October 12, but tomorrow it will shock me that it is October 13. haha. We're just putting our heads down to work. And combining our names to set a goal for ourselves haha.

So we have had a lot of pretty amazing realizations this week, mostly about the need to be more creative in our missionary work and break out of traditions. When you are transferred into a new area, the trend seems to be that the remaining missionary just teaches the transferred missionary the things that have been going on in an area and the ways things are done, and that continues from missionary to missionary. Foolish traditions, right? Well, if we get caught in that rut, we're doing the same things over and over again! So this week, we finally realized that that has been going on here in Mayfield for quite some time. But we found a scripture this week that is now our motto, basically:

"For there are many promises which are extended to the Mayfield Sisters; for it is because of the traditions of their mothers that caused them to remain in their state of ignorance; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them and prolong their companionship in the land." (Alma 9:16...with some alterations ;)

We know that there is SO much potential in this area, and we can feel it. So many promises...So we're gonna take it and run! We wrote out many of the traditions of our "mothers" and we are going to abolish them. It's things like stopping the weekly service that missionaries have done for years that really isn't bringing forth much fruit... now we have a new service opportunity that Sister Schwanke and I are REALLY excited about.... EMERGENCY ROOM! It makes sense we'd be excited to be back in the hospitals again :) I'm REALLY excited! We start tomorrow! The main volunteer position is comfort care for the patients and their families, but the coordinator said that with our nursing background, she's quite sure we'll get to do some nursing things. We're really excited, for the nursing, yes, but also because it is a GREAT opportunity! We get to help out in the community and have great exposure and especially get to help people when they are really in need. Christ helped the sick and the needy, so shouldn't His servants?!

Also, little update on our neighbor! We've had some good conversation with her back and forward through texting, and we got to talk with her yesterday. We're going to have dinner together later this week; she said that she has a lot of questions for us. That's what a missionary likes to hear! She is so nice and we are all really looking forward to dinner. 

Well family, I love you all. I'm so happy, and I'm so happy that you are all doing so well. Talk to you in another week! which will feel like a day haha.

Sister Maughan

One of those stories that you think will never happen to you...

Hello Family!!

This has been such a great week, although it was really long week though too! Sister Schwanke and I both agree that a pday has NEVER looked so appealing before. It's probably a result of 10 days since our last pday, plus our old tiring bodies needing rest, plus all the hard work this week! whew! But we were able to see lots of good things this week. We found some new investigators, we were finally able to meet with other investigators who had fallen off the face of the earth for a time, we had some awesome experiences chatting, and we were able to find some less active members that we haven't been able to get in contact with! Yesterday, we even had an awesome experience. Sister Schwanke and I were invited to the mission office to attend mission council. This is an all day meeting with President Sorensen, the assistants, and all the zone leaders...and us. haha. There are all kinds of workshops and lessons and role-plays that we do,  and then there is a council in the afternoon where we discuss the needs of the mission and work together to figure out how to improve it. It was a really neat experience to see how the leadership of the mission works. It became very clear to me that we are not the ones in charge of this mission. The Lord really inspired all of us so that we were able to receive revelation that was very specific to the needs of the Ohio Cleveland Mission. It was incredible, really. I was really glad that I was able to go to that meeting and see how the Spirit works.

So we had a real miracle this week. Last Sunday night, we woke up around 11:30 pm to a tapping noise. After quite some time, we figured out that the tapping noise was actually someone at our door! I went to the door and it was our neighbor across the hall. She's pretty young, and a nurse, and I think she used to think we were weird--not totally uncommon haha--until we talked to her one time by our cars and made the nursing connection and told her what we were doing in Cleveland. Anyway, she had been knocking on our door for a LONG time, letting us know that our car light was on. This was extra weird because the light that was on, was the light in the back seat, that we never turn on for any reason. But we were really appreciative, especially because we had 'zoned out' the next day and had to leave extra early that morning. We thanked her profusely, then went back to bed. The next day we wrote her a thank you note, slipped in a mormon.org card for her to check out the website, and slipped it under her door, and that was that.

Fast forward to this past Sunday night. We were getting ready for bed, when we saw that there was a card addressed to us under the door. We opened it, and it was a thank you card from our neighbor! Then we opened it and found a miracle inside -- a wonderful note that shared her faith in God and His hand in her life, and how much she enjoyed the stories and experiences on mormon.org.
It really is such a miracle. Preach My Gospel says that we need to develop faith to find those who are prepared, and that they will find us. This was a huge testimony builder for me. If we live worthy of the Spirit, the Lord will inspire us and well trust us with His children. Now we have this goal to remain as humble as possible and receptive to promptings so that we go forward the way that the Lord wants us to. I have no idea what the future holds for our neighbor, but I know whose Hand was involved in two nursing students/missionaries living right across the hall from a nurse who is searching for truth in her life...

All I really have to say is that missions are the best! I'm so glad that I get to serve and see miracles and tender mercies on a daily basis. The lessons that I have been learning and will continue to learn are more valuable to me than anything I could ever imagine. I love you all so much! Have a great week!


Much love,
Sister Maughan

Chat-a-lat

Well this week has been interesting. We had VERY little time in our area. Sister Schwanke and I were called to be the trainers for Chat, so we've had to go in several times in the last week to train companionships. Right now, some missionaries are a little stressed about this "new" form of missionary work, but really, it's just exciting! I LOVE doing it! I must admit, it is pretty complicated to try and sort things out, scheduling and such, but we are just trying to explain to the new sisters that this is just exciting, and the same thing that we are always doing, only typing instead! Hopefully over time, it will become second nature. Yesterday I actually chatted with someone from Salem Virginia!! Crazy, right?! We can--and do--chat with people all around the world and yet I talk with someone from my second home. Coincidence? I think not. :)

Because of change in schedule last week, we have extra time in our area this week, which is really nice! We're in our area for 3 1/2 days straight! So we are having a lot of finding this week!

I have to admit, that this past week I have been able to do some of the most fun things of my mission...We work hard, but we play hard too!! Here's some snippets :)

1. Last p-day, we went with the South Euclid Sisters (Sisters Bringhurst and Manwaring--we are the quadruple up!) into Cleveland to walk around Little Italy, enjoy some AMAZING Italian food, and then over to the house that was used in the movie The Christmas Story! Complete with leg lamp and all. haha. I personally am not crazy about the movie, but I remember watching it with the Brooksbys, so I've already written Jared about it. :) Plus it was the fulfillment of Sister Bringhurst's dreams so she was a happy camper! Man, you should have heard her squeal! haha

2. We had another Zoned Out on Monday! That is the big mission wide p-day that they have every year. It was SO fun! We go to the John Johnson home, take a quick tour, and then just play games and other fun activities with the mission. I ended up playing football for 2 1/2 hours...and not being able to walk all the next day. haha. Dad, I miss the days of playing in the front yard where you draw on on your hand where you want me to run, haha. Good times, yet again. Although we were both strangely sentimental as we left. It's weird to repeat significant days of your mission. I remember last Zoned Out like it was yesterday.

There's some fun things for the letter today! I've attached some pictures of each of these events. Hope you all have a good week! Pray for us to find!

Love you all,
Sister Maughan

The Christmas Story house

Me and the Johnsons. Sister Johnson used to babysit my mom when she lived in England!

Ask Jeeves--> Ask Missionaries! :)

Hello family!

Hope you are enjoying the beautiful fall weather! I'm serious,  I'm pretty sure that autumn came just overnight! Literally. But I have to admit, it is absolutely beautiful! It's pretty funny to go to sites though and see all the sisters wearing coats. Sister Schwanke and I are in denial, though, and have decided that we are not wearing coats until at least the first day of October...and we wonder why we get sick? haha.

We have had a really amazing opportunity come up at Kirtland that we are really excited about! We got a call from the Training Sisters this past week asking us to come in early and be trained in a new program called Chat. It has been in a trial run for the last 2 1/2 years, but now they are starting it up in a few visitor centers around the world: London, Kirtland, and one other place, but I can't remember. It's something similar to what Eric and I would do when we would volunteer at the MTC before my mission, but it's even better. Sister Schwanke and I are heading up the program here in Kirtland, so it's still pretty new and we're learning, but we as companions talk to people who chat on mormon.org. We are able to answer their questions, refer them to different videos and different links to help them understand the gospel better, and it truly is amazing. We are reaching a whole new level of people! So far in the test program, they average 1-2 baptisms a week with a 95% activity rate! It's incredible! 


The end goal when we talk to these people is not for them to have the missionaries come to them, but to move at their own pace. But make no mistake, we aren't ask jeeves or anything. This is the incredible part: we are literally teaching them! We teach them principles from Preach My Gospel, we extend commitments, follow up with them, and even have return appointments with them! We literally have investigators! And for those who have served missions, we even have an online area book where we keep track of what we teach them, and what we should do to help them next. 


We have only done it one day, but it is incredible to see the miracles. The spirit is so strong as we chat with these people, and we meet sincere seekers who want to know more. We have 2 investigators already, with return appointments and a desire to read the book of mormon and pray. Sister Schwanke and I were able to talk to 2 people in Brazil, 2 in the UK, and many all around the USA. We talked to a 14 year member who was struggling with her testimony of Joseph Smith; a man with no faith in Christ who is a recovering alcoholic looking for happiness in his life; a recently married woman who has lots of LDS friends but was to afraid to ask them how they made their marriage eternal and why they are so happy; a less active woman in Ohio (!!) who hadn't been to church in 11 years, had requested to not be contacted by the church, but now wanted more than anything to come back but was scared...These are just a few of the people we chatted with one just one day! It is incredible.

It seems like every day someone (or something) is reminding me that I go home next transfer, and as a result I've been able to think about what has already happened in my mission thus far. Especially with the addition of Chat this week, I have been filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the chance that I have to serve in literally the best mission in the world!!! How many people get to say that on their mission they get to:

• proselyte 5 days a week teaching and tracting and baptizing
• give tours of a spiritual and significant church history site, teaching church history, testify of the restoration, our Savior, and a true and living church on the earth and strengthen the faith of others
• call others around the world and invite them to learn more about Christ and how a faith in Him and the Book of Mormon can help us find eternal happiness
• chat online with people with all different backgrounds and allow them a safe place to open up and have their concerns met as they have questions answered about the church
• PLUS, get to serve right near their hometown and therefore get to see family and friends from time to time!?!?

Can you see why I am overwhelmed with gratitude? I love this. I love my mission, and I love all the experiences that I have already had, continue to have and WILL continue to have :)

I love you all sooo much! Thanks for all your love and support! Have a fantastic week!

Sister Maughan

"So, my darling, you shall have a home and a cow"

Dear Family,

This has been a crazy week. After so much sickness last weekend when we both had to stay in, we left the house for the first time to go to Mentor (right next to Kirtland) and tour the only thing Mentor itself is famous for: The home of James A. Garfield! Anyone know who is he? anyone? anyone? 20th President of the United States, but only served 200 days in office before he was martyred. Yup yup. Very exciting. No worries,  I had no idea who he was either until I came here. It was an interesting tour. It was mostly exciting because we were the tour takers not the tour givers! The subject line was written on the wall, something he had told to his wife. I plan on telling my husband that I, too, need that. At least written on my wall.

So we were able to get out and about for a little bit on Tuesday and then we went to sites on Wednesday. As soon as we got to Kirtland, I looked at Sister S and she was sweating and looked so flushed. I felt her forehead and she had a very high fever! Complete with fever rash and all! Finally, after 2 months of being sick consistently, Sister So told Sister S that she needs to stay inside and rest for at least 3 days...the ultimate torture for a missionary. But she was obedient, and was in until Sunday, when we went to church just for sacrament meeting, then to our dinner (with Emily! That's awesome you got to talk to her!) and then rest. Sister S is definitely feeling better, but still is being careful about resting, because her body is still fighting.

With Sister S staying in, I've had different companions each day to go out into the area with me to work. So I have had 3 different companions this week. There was a pretty big possibility that one of us would get transferred, so I thought that I would have 4 companions in one week, but it turns out S and I are staying together for a third transfer! This will be 7 1/2 months (at least) in Mayfield! Whew! Should be good though :)

One of my temporary companions and I had an awesome experience on Friday night. We got to take one of our recent converts over to the Cleveland Stake Center and hear from Cheryl Esplin of the Primary General Presidency and Barbara Thompson of the the Relief Society General Presidency! It was FANTASTIC! They were so nice and absolutely hilarious! Most of all, the Spirit was so strong. They are incredible women who are so inspired. It was a perfect meeting for our recent convert with us. Everything that they said, especially Sister Thompson, was just perfect for her. She talked about family, and the temple, and how to become holy women. It was phenomenal and to hear Chris talking on the way home, she was incredibly moved by the things that were said and that she felt. It was a huge tender mercy for us to be able to go. At the end, when we got to meet them, Chris gave them both a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek :)

Well, I love you all lots and lots, and I hope that you have a great week.

Much love,
Sister Mayfield

I mean, Sister Maughan

Transfer of sickness continued....

Hello Family!

 

Well, I feel like I just very very recently talked to you, so there's not a whole lot to give an update on. I appreciate all of the updates on Sister Bentley. It breaks my heart. She, her family, and Sister Love and her family have been the focus of many many prayers here in the Ohio Cleveland Mission. Thanks for keeping me updated. Truly.

So our transfer of sickness has definitely continued. In fact, today is the first day that we will be doing missionary work since Friday. We were stuck inside ALL weekend! All in all, I think we are on the mend for the most part now. Which is good, because I can't handle this for the last 3 months as a missionary.

 

I've learned an important lesson this week that I want to share. We had an interesting week with one of our investigators. She was found just before I got here, and so I have been teaching her regularly for 6 months now. I love her. I feel very close to her. She LOVES the gospel, she loves coming to church, she loves the Book of Mormon, and she has such a testimony. Before we had even taught her the Word of Wisdom, she heard about it at church, and gave up coffee before we had even asked. But she's not baptized, and is now no longer progressing. She refuses to live the law of chastity. That's it. She is willing to live every commandment, keep every commitment, except one. Granted, it's a big one, but the principle is still the same. This week, we had to drop her, because she flat out refuses to live the commandment. We can't progress if we aren't willing to completely follow Christ's example, in everything. It breaks my heart and has been difficult for me to think about not teaching her anymore. But I keep thinking how happy we are if we just are obedient to the commandments...ALL of them! It's not to restrict us, but it really is what brings us true happiness. When we teach someone who knows that they are living wrong, they are miserable. The guilt that she felt would make our lessons start out a bit awkward, because she knew she was wrong and she wasn't happy. It makes me think of Mosiah 2:41. Just consider the blessed and happy state of those who live the commandments, and then choose to be obedient to them all! So many blessings await when we do.

 

Anyway, I hope that everyone has a better week than they had this last week, I love you all.

 

Sister Maughan