Falalalalaalalalalalaa

Merry Merry Monday!

Well I'll be a monkey's uncle. Christmas has come and gone. Snap! That's it. Bye bye. But let's be honest...it was a beautiful reminder. A great check point for the year. People seem a little nicer around the holidays. It was SO nice talking to the fam bam on Christmas!! You are all so ridiculous. "Umm...I don't really want to take up precious phone time, but Nicole, where'd you put the paper towels?" -Dad. That's the good stuff. That's what I miss on boring Tuesdays. Brett and Nicole, I'm stoked for Big Mac's new room. Lauren-hang in there. Just listen to lots of Bowie--Chhh--chhanngess!! That should help. And maybe The Buttercream Gang. Mom and Dad--you two rock my world. Love you. THANK YOU for making Christmas so beautiful and fun!! I am SO grateful for you all!!

One of my favorite stories this Christmas comes from my friend Evelyn. Evelyn is one of the homeless women who frequents the outside of Temple Square. One day, Sister Kinman and I were on our way to our apartment. Just as we were leaving the gates of Temple Square, Evelyn called us over. "Sisters! Come here. I have something for you". She reached into the newspaper stand (which doubles as her cubbord) and pulled out a bag with a smiling snowman on the front. In it, some fresh fruit. "I know it's not much, but I'm just so grateful for you sisters. You never treat me like dirt".
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We thanked her profusely and she insisted we keep the fruit. I love what she said, "Well sisters, it's much better to give than to recieve, isn't it?"

Evelyn understands what Christmas is all about. She gets it. She definitely taught me a huge lesson this Christmas.

I'm grateful for the reminder about Christ, the ultimate gift giver. I like Christmas time because I get a season to try to figure out what Jesus Christ's gift really means.

Thanks for everything!!! I love you all so much!!

Enter New Year's!! I love it.

ALSO....Funny story of the week= me trying to help Sister Fang from Taiwan learn how to plunge a toliet in the U.S. THAT was quite the experience. Yep. Hilarious!

-Sisterere Ameirini Harmeriski

HOLLY JOLLY ALL-Y.

Welp. Merry Christmas. Happy Festivus. Happy Holidays. And all the best...essentially.

Can you believe that I'll be home in one year? Time is skating right along. I suppose that's your warning. Kid proof all the cubbords, I'll be home before you know it.

So, Big Mac, eh? I'm stoked about that little one. I keep dreaming (ok, twice) that I am at the hospital wearing scrubs and a hair net. Then everyone is laughing and telling crazy jokes and Nicole is red in the face and chewing lots of ice. Haha! I want real pictures of that. Then I wake up and start laughing.

FIRST OF ALL---LISA ELIZONDO!!! You have really outdone yourself. Thank you SO MUCH!!! You are so incredible!!! The jacket fits like a glove. SO classy. So you. I will be thinking of you every time I wear it. AND the silly bands...incredible. I'm kind of obsessed with them now. Whenever tweens come to the square, I try to use the topic of silly bands as a hip ice breaker. Most of the time I get rolled eyes, followed by sighs, then sheepish smiles...BECAUSE they know how cool those bad boys are. And the rest was all wonderful reminders of LCE. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!! I MISS YOU SO MUCH!!! AND, I will be paper responding to you--in detail....

Just as a disappointing, but honest, claim...to Lisa and everyone else I ADORE, you know who you are...including the fam bam...I am not sending gifts this year. I have zero time. None. Zilch. I kind of stressed out for a minute, then got over it, because I knew you'd all understand. Next year we'll all do a nice holiday lunch. Go big. You know. Celebrate. Hygge. Sorry in advance for the lack of physical gifts. I know you'd know that I adore and love you regardless. December 2011. Get ready.

With that....here are two fabulous Christmas videos: KIDDOS & GIVING

We met a Jewish woman this past week. Amazing lady. She's from (of all places) good old Rohnert Park. We swapped some Sonoma County stories for a while, then talked a little bit about God. We all talked about those incredible pioneers who walked across the U.S. due to religious persecution, but amidst their trials, became familiar with their Heavenly Father. She could understand. She had recently been through a divorce. It seemed like a pretty painful divorce too, she started tearing up as she shared more with us. She said something that really meant a lot to me--she said that when our hearts are broken, they're really a little more open. Truth. Loved it. We all understood. I'm sure you've been there too.

Something else that I loved this week was a hip family. 2 adults, 2 teenagers, one tween (yep. the word "tween" just made the e-mail again). We took them through a presentation here at Temple Square called "God's Plan for Families". It shows the life of a family. You know, parents a little overwhelmed out about a new baby, young kids who want to play with busy dad, grandparents who die. But hey--here's the message of hope. Life is good. It's about those moments when dad says "Maybe we'll teach her how to sing...she sure has the lungs for it" or when mom can assure her kids that they can be with grandma again, after they die. Well, the hip family family we were with was wonderful. When we asked them what they thought about it, Mom replied. Through some tender tears, looking at her busy family, she told us how its easy to get distracted from what's important. Our focus can get altered so quickly. Agreed. I learned a lot from her.

Well, I hope that you all drink an extra glass of Martinelli's on my behalf. Cheers to Christmas hygge. That's really the best there is.

LOVE you all!!!
Sister Amy Prancer Harmer

Sneaky "Service" Projects

Hello world!

This e-mail is going to be a little brief. My sincerest apologies. I need to budget my time a little better! Oops a doozles.

With that...some highlights:
•Here is the scoop on my new life:
•My new companion is Sister Kinman. She grew up in Michigan (Kalamazoo), but she moved to Ridgecrest California a few years ago with her family. She's fabulous. Get this--she definitely did Destination Imagination as a kiddo. Go figure. Basically, we have a very creative companionship
•We share an apartment with Sister Frye (from NAPA, California!!) and Sister Fang (from Taiwan!) They're both fabulous. You know, they put the toilet seat down and label the food in the fridge. All the good stuff.
•Christmas Dinner
•This week, a few of us (like, 3 companionship's) had the sneaky pleasure of going to a yummy Christmas dinner at a local Hospice building. They SPOILED us. I even met Scott Goodsell's parents! Hey-o! It was disguised as a "service project", but when we arrived, the lady that coordinated the whole she-bang said that we needed to make sure that the 30 people that were there had water in their glasses all night long. Oh, and butter on the tables. She said that service is the only way we could have been there.Blessings...
Love you all so much!! Definitely there will be more next week. I love you all so much!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy holidays!!

Love,
Sister Amy

LIGHT OF LIFE

It really is the most wonderful time of the year. Cliche...perhaps. But grand I tell you. Simply grand. This week, I thought I'd give you a top 5 events of the week. I'm all about bullet points, don't get me wrong. But I thought I would "WOW" you all with a numbered list. Oh alright....and bullets too. Bullets will kick us off. They'll be the "misillanious thoughts" category.

• HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
  MAIRE MCCANISTER. Happy Day oh Happy Day!!! I know it was yesterday, but I'm sure you understand this whole, once a week thing. I love you so much Maire Face. Please eat lots of layer cake and call it a HC Andersen cake from La Glace. If only.... I love you lady!! Oh! And if you get the chance, make latkas (I hope I spelled that right...) with Garid! I miss you two!!! Happy happy birthday!! I LOVE YOU!!!
  


• Mama CHELSEA Denster. Happy day to you! I heard about the feeding pump for Nicole. Ha! You know us Harmers...real classy. Grade A. I hope you have the best birthday ever. Maybe we'll bump into you in San Francisco and maybe your dad will almost give himself a concusion again this year. Love you!!
  


• UNCLE DAN!!!! Happy birthday!! I love you so much!! If I were home, I would be calling you and asking about directions to get off the island of Northern California. :) I love you so much!!! I'm eating lots of pie on your behalf. LOVE YOU!!
  


• CONGRATS BRETT ROBERSTON!!
  HOORAY Fancy brother-in-law/my sister's baby daddy! Hooray!! I am so grateful that you are so fabulously you. I hope that you all have so much fun in Vegas!! (And P.S...I keep meeting Lehi HS students. Haha! It's pretty fantastic. I always say..."Oh yeah, Do you know Brett Robertson, the Ag teacher?". The responses are always very positive. You're a pretty hip dude apparently. I don't need no high school student to tell me that one. You are fabuloso.
  


• THANK YOU DAD and PAIGE
  for the pictures of the baby shower!!! I relished those!! It was so nice to get caught up. It helped me feel like I was there. Thank you!!!!
  Next Wednesday is transfer day, so I might have a new P-day...so Thursday I might not be e-mailing. Just a heads up.

ALRIGHTY here's some of the high lights of the week.

• Jimmy Stewart---Yep. Last night, my companions (Sister Fox and Sister Everett) introduced the movie "Mr. Kruger's Christmas". When I asked the crowd who had seen it before, about 1/2 of them raised their hand. When I said, "Well, get excited. Jimmy Stewart's in there", a tween from the crowd said, "Who's Stewart?". My heart sunk as I gasped for air. Ok. Maybe a little dramatic...but I definitely felt old. I almost asked him to look up, keyword "JIMMY or JAMES STEWART" on his cell phone. Oh man....
  


• Dallin H. Oaks---Yes. I definitely met this apostle. Here's a link to his Bio: Dallin H. Oaks. But in the most unpredictable of circumstances. The hour was about, oh 6:15am. In the morning. No sunshine out yet. A group of us were assigned to go wash the mission vans. He came up to us and shook our hands, asked us where we were from and thanked us for our service. Nothing crazy. And yes. We were in our sweats.
  


• Reggie from Alaska/Japan---awesome guy. When Sister Fox, Sister Everett and I shared with him the scripture from Moroni: (click here to see it), we told him that he could read the Book of Mormon for himself. And that he could pray to find out if it's contents are really from God or not. There's one part that says: "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would aask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not btrue; and if ye shall ask with a csincere heart, with dreal intent, having efaith in Christ, he will fmanifest the gtruth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost" He couldn't stop thinking about Lauryn Hill's "These things, these things...." Love it.
  


• Carol from Temple Square-- (she's my friend, and one of the the homeless women that frequent here) She admonished me when I didn't have a heavier coat on. "Where's your coat young lady?" "Oh I'm inside for a few hours" "Oh. Well, that's just me being mother hen..."
  


• LIGHTS---CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO of the lights at Temple Square. It's a great preview of where I am right now and what I'm doing. (It's about halfway down the page).
  

I LOVE YOU ALL!!

TAKE CARE!
Sister Amy Harmerino

W-I-N-T-E-R-

People people people....

Happy day oh happy day. It is full fledged winter. 100%. W-I-N-T-E-R. Yup. Cold. Freezer status. I keep debating if it's colder here or in Copenhagen. The verdict is still out. Here's the thing though, I honestly can't complain. If we ever get cold at Temple Square, we simply scuttle over to a nearby historical building of warmth and peace and voila! Warm again. Then the walls--the walls that have heard the cries of those historic pioneer babies who didn't have electric blankets to go home to--those walls raise their eyebrows at me a little. So, no bellyaching from me. Jack Frost does seem to enjoy the occasional strangle though. No nipping at the nose. Strangle I tell you.

OK. Well with that, some fun World. First of all...as with birthdays and all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRETT SIMS!! Yup. Tuesday, November 30. (Mom and Lauren...can you give him a call? Say happy birthday! THANKS!)

Tuesday night was ludicrous. If you haven't heard, Utah experienced a blizzard. Yup, just like those drinks at Dairy Queen. Blizzard. Storm. Snow. AKA, we went home early and had a snow day! Thus, we made a yum dinner and chocolate/raspberry cupcakes (thank you Madre via Cake Works). So fun. It was really nice to just "be". No cares. No worries. I caught up on some reading, some thinking, and some quality bonding time with the roomies.
My companions and I got to go to the Music and the Spoken word this week! It was the Sunday before Thanksgiving, so it was really special. BELLS! Orchestra! Choir! =Amazing.
For Thanksgiving, President and Sister Holmes really provided us with the feeling of "home" and "family". And for about 180 sister missionaries from all over the world, I bet it was quite the task. We got to go to this amazing events venue in Utah called Noah's. They have a theatre room, a pool table, a racquetball room and a huge dining area. We watched Toy Story 3 (and we saw the preview for Cars 2...stoked), sang karaoke and even had that good old fashioned pumpkin pie. Even though we felt super fancy, the best part was really having all 180+ of us together for a huge chunk of the day. That doesn't happen often. I sat next to Sister Tizhanina from Russia during dinner. It was so nice to talk with her about typical Russian foods and some of her family's traditions. That's what Thanksgiving is all about. People. Yeah, yeah...the food is nice, but really, it's people. Although I love me a nice thin crust veggie pizza from Willow Street with goat cheese (yum), that's not the reason I'm obsessed with Willow Street. It's about the people. People people people. Thanksgiving is about being thankful for the people who have shaped who we are. That usually, for me can be bundled up into family, friends and the Savior. (No gift receipt required...) (But sure, gift wrapping can be available upon request.)
So, today is Black Friday. We went to the local mall to check out the scene. AND...the best part of the day for me= finding out that the Beatles are now on iTunes!! This is Revolutionary! (pun). Seriously! Happy day!! Beatles. Ugh. The world just improved a little.
Here's my favorite video of the week. I hope someone out there in creepy cyber land likes these as much as I do. This is Sergio. Southern California native. Scientist. Ph.D. and a...yup, you got it, a Mormon. Sergio--http://mormon.org/me/2PGJ-eng. I like it because he's a man of science and a man of faith. We meet people all the time at Temple Square that have a hard time finding that balance. It's possible!!
I'm definitely learning a lot while being here. One of the things I'm really appreciating is sacrifice. Like, "for what?" I'm surrounded by sacrifice. The pioneer's legacy that runs so thick here. They walked from the east coast to Utah, for their faith. The sister missionaries from really unique parts of the world that come to dedicate 18 months of their lives to help people learn more. My family and friends who keep my spirits high with notes of encouragement (and those celeb updates that keep me in touch with the weird, and fabulous, world). And especially now, as we enter the Christmas season, Temple Square is surrounded with all these things that help turn our thoughts to the Jesus Christ, the ultimate example of sacrifice. But for what? I guess that's the question that brings me the most "thanks". When I think of the sacrifices from others in my life, I like to ask "for what" a lot. It helps me keep perspective and really remember what's important in life.
I love you all so much. Thank you for being some of the best family and friends in the entire world.

~HAPPY THANKSGIVING!~
Love,
Hermana Amy Magoo.

The bread guy who gave me a free cookie

Helllooooooo World!!!

Well. Let me tell you. I have just had way too much fun picking my favorite pictures for the week. And wouldn't you know, I'm picking for time. AND I have SO much to talk about!! Thus, it came to pass, bullet points. This week, I'll be brief. Simple and to the point. Maybe you'll read all the way through. :)
Sister Everett from Hawaii!! (I included a picture...its the one with me, Sister Fox and a Hawaiian...use your best judgment to figure out which one it is)
This is probably THE news for the week. Sister Everett will now be joining Sister Fox and I! Yup. Trio. As if 2 sister missionaries aren't intimidating enough, add a beautiful Hawaiian. She's fabulous. She's almost done with her mission actually. She leaves in a few months. She is the oldest of 4. She's from Oahu. She loves life. Really laid back. Simple. Powerful. Focused. Needless to say, she makes a great addition to our team. :)
Ron
We talked to Ron. Almost 40 years old. He was in an accident over 20 years ago. Has ADD. Wants to make better friends in his life for the first time. He prayed for the first time with us. Afterward, we asked him what that felt like to pray. His response: "warm tingles".
Inner Jimminy Cricket
This is what one woman at Temple Square described to us as her conscious. I've come to understand it as the Holy Ghost, guiding my life. I like how she termed it though--"our inner Jiminny Cricket". We've all got that ability.
Susanne and Pernille
A huge highlight of my week was a surprise package from Virginia!!! I mean Denmark? :) THANK YOU SO MUCH Susanne and Pernille!! I almost started to cry!! But I was laughing with too much 10-year-old giddiness. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness. To be honest, it made a few of the other sisters a little jealous. "Who'd you get a package from? Your family?" Me: "Yep...my Danish family". I love you so much!! Thanks for thinking of me!! Save a seat for me this Jul with a plate of aebleskiver...I wish! DANSK JUL HYGGE!!! That's the BEST!!!
Aunt Suzie! (Oops. Definitely called her Aunt Ruth)
I gave Aunt Suzie (Uncle Ray's sister) a big hug on the square the other day! It was nice to see her. She was leaving work. Funny thing is, she doesn't sing in the choir any more. She's retired. Aunt Lisa, why didn't you tell me?!? I have been looking for her next to the organ for years! Ugh. Alas, we cleared things up. Temple Square has a clarifying effect on people. And speaking of news...I heard about Uncle Ray's surgery. Yikes! I hope you're feeling better!!
Bells on Temple Square= tomorrow @ 7:30pm
This one's for Mom. They have a bells performance. I thought of you. You love bells!!
Mom--Danish Rugbrod!!
What a fun box! Thank you so much for all of the treats and LOVE. I am excited to try the random corn on the cob situation. Haha!! I actually gave one of them to a random guest we met. He was so great. Very Sonoma style. Bike. Beanie, TOMS shoes. Bracelets. Open mind. Curious. We shared more with him about some of our history and basic beliefs, then later, when we saw him on our way home, I gave him one of the corn cob kits. He loved it. THANKS MOM!
Dad--Barack Obama Thanksgiving card
No words. Just lots of smiles. Happiness. Joy. THANK YOU!
Lauren--tape. Pork chop!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
I LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED the tape. Obsessed. It felt like you were in the room talking to me. I was laughing audibly. And really more like loud sqwaks. I loved the story about Pork Chop. Oh...the inner turmoil. You'll be getting a response eventually. Thank you for your patience and understanding with this regard.
Choice...err...Joyce.
As missionaries at Temple Square, one of the things we get to do is invite people all over the world to learn more about some of the history and basic beliefs of our faith. Well, I called Tonga this week my friends. The guest told me that their friend's name was Choice...or so I thought. (In my head= "wow. what a fabulous Tongan name") She's a busy lady. Works a lot. When I called, she asked me to just e-mail her. I did. "Hi Choice, etc..." Her response began with, "Thanks for the e-mail. It's great to hear from you. By the way, my name is really Joyce". Oops.
Carl Bloch @ BYU
Another fancy surprise this week was a mission activity/ field trip. Yep. Field trip. I was STOKED. I put my hand over my heart when we passed the Pleasant Grove offramp. I about started to sing. Almost. Not quite. But here's the thing people: CARL BLOCH. FYI, he is a DANISH artist. I was kind of freaking out. Original pieces in a gallery. I was quite nostalgic and very grateful that day. Denmark + Jesus + Art = a very good day for one Amy Harmer. I had a couple favorites. One of them that really stood out to me was depicting a young girl. It's about the story in the Bible when the girl dies, then the Savior comes and heals her. I loved it so much because Carl Bloch didn't choose to paint the miracle of the Savior healing her. He painted the moment right before. When everyone was really really sad. Anticipating something better. And in the background, Christ is about to enter the room. HOPE. I think we can all relate to those moments. Hope when we hit a low point. Then, for some of us, we find that hope in Christ's example. His atonement. His teachings.

Video clip of the week
I'm a little obsessed with the new www.mormon.org and soon the new www.lds.org. Here is my favorite video for this week: it's of a real woman. Artsy. Sassy. Classy. And she's Mormon. http://www.mormon.org/me/18TC-eng
LOVE YOU ALL!!
I'm thankful for
simplicity.
chapstick
trees
pens
The bread guy who gave me a free cookie the other day.
Choice/Joyce
Silly Bandz
LOVE
Heavenly Father
Snow!
Pumpkin things
apples
~~~LOVE LOVE LOVE~~~

~Off to another week~ TAKE CARE!!
Seestrrr Amy

~~Hooray for Winter!!!~~

First of all…I must say to one and all…I’m so sorry for not being better at individual communication!! There are so many of my friends and family that I haven’t written to yet! In months! But please know that I think about you all the time!! And I’m trying to get letters out.

I don’t have much time to write home during the week, and when I do, a big chunk of it I spend writing this e-mail. But, with that said, if you write to me, I will write back…eventually. Way eventually. (sorry!) And I can write back via paper letter (that’s the best. Most sincerely hyggelit). So if you write me e-mail wise, please send me your mailing address and I can get back to you.

Now…back to what I was saying…..…~~Hooray for Winter!!!~~

So, yesterday was my companion’s, (Sister Fox) birthday!! Hooray! We are going to Café Rio tonight to celebrate. I’ve never been, but I hear it’s yum yummers. (Says my pregnant hermana). Sister Fox is a doll. Very sweet. She kind of reminds me of Paige Knudsen. You know, always has something nice to say about other people. And every once in a while will surprise you. For example, precious Sister Fox was the captain of her high school boys wrestling team. Go figure. Sassy.

I’m grateful for technology. I think it’s kind of funny. God has a bit of a sense of humor methinks. You know, 18 months later, Amy Harmer may not know all the words to the latest Beyonce, but she will still be able to insert hyper-links and format spreadsheets like nobody’s business. Ugh…I miss Beyonce. Queen B. Love her. (P.S. I saw the new Taylor Swift CD at Target. I had to wipe off the drool from my face a little bit). I’ll be ready for grad school (or credential school) right when I get home.

I’m so grateful for this experience. I really am. At first, I was tired. ALL the time. Now I’m still tired, but not as much. And I keep meeting people from all over the world who are curious to know if there’s more to life than what they are living. I love this video (from www.mormon.org) about Daisy (CLICK HERE to see it). Most of the people I meet are like her. In fact, she reminds me of a lot of my friends. She’s happy. Loving family. Great morals and values. And then curious to know if there might be some more to life. More purpose. More happiness. More. And I love what she does. She finds out FOR HERSELF. That’s what I had to do. I’m serving a mission because I figured out that I am not just walking around being happy. I’m still figuring it out. It’s taking me a long, solitary (and consistent) journey. But over time, I’ve come to know a few things. For myself. I am a child of God. We all are. It’s that simple. God really exists. He knows us. And wants the absolute best for us.

This week…I am thankful for Patrick. He’s homeless. He frequents one of the corners at Temple Square. I am grateful for him, because most nights, on our walk home, he is sitting, playing his harmonica. With a big toothy grin. And whenever I say “Have a good night Patrick. It’s good to see you”, he responds with, “ Good night Sisters” + an over exaggerated eye roll + that same big toothy grin.

Thanks for everything!! Don’t let the Christmas camels overshadow the Thanksgiving turkey. On the reals, let’s not forget Thanksgiving.

Love you all!! MUCHO GRANDE!! Keep it real and fresh!!

-Amy Carol

~~Hej everyone~~

Well well well. Halloween has come and gone. To some, I wore the spookiest costume ever- I was a sister missionary. Ha! If you would have asked me 3 years ago, I would have said so myself. Oh, life. Well, a humongo CONGRATS to my buddies the San Francisco Giants!! I am proud of you!! I'm sure you all read my blog. Attached like glue. Hooray! I will eat garlic potatoes (closest thing to fries) in the near future....in your honor.

Here is a picture of (left to right) Sister Peets from Canada, Sister Javier from Arizona/Mexico, Sister Fox from Massechuetts, and Sister Harmer from San Jose, CA.

A few of us got to go do a little community service. WHICH, if you know me at all, is my volunteer style of choice. Pretty fun actually. We got to help clean up/ tear down the Haunted Village at Heritage Park here in Salt Lake. Post-spook week. So, here's me thinking...ok. No big deal. I'll put skeletons in a box and call it good. NOPE. We went into this old pioneer vintage house. Inside= the creepy doll room. Cheese cloth + spider webs + doll limbs + creepy doll eyes = our adventure. So fun actually. And they had creepy music that played in the background of kids laughing and playing. I thought it was a brilliant creep factor. I'll throw in a picture or two.

Check out this week--bullet points methinks...

• THANK YOU Tiffany for the Halloween treats and LOVE!! You'll be getting a leetttttteerrrr!!
  


• One of the things I do now is talk with people who come online and have questions about the church. Well, if that's the case, I'm sure you all know, we're bound for weird-os. One guy came on and was asking for dating help. When we told him that unfortunately we weren't dating experts, he replied, "Well, a friend of mine said that he came on to this site and got some really good advice. Can't you help me? Come on. Mormons date, right?"
  


• Sister Fox and I met a wonderful couple this week. My heart was a little bruised for them. I think they are misunderstood by the world, big time. But they reminded me of SO many pieces of different friends of mine. They were in their late 20s. Kind of grungy. They had been traveling for a while. Dahlia, Josh and their precious black lab puppy, Gravy Train. (a name I love). They were both wanderers of sorts. I felt like I could relate a little to my traveling days in Europe. You really rely on human kindness when you are on your own. Josh was raised in a Mormon family. He even reported proudly that he had attended 5 years of seminary. (4 + a make up year). Dahlia was raised in a Jewish home. She even lived in Jerusalem for about a year. Now, they both are this wonderful wandering spiritual couple. Even though Josh didn't consider himself a member of the church, he wanted to stop by Temple Square on their travels. He wanted to visit the Temple. We talked, shared some warm conversation and they were on their way to find a motel for the night, before it got too cold. We went down to the kitchen and I grabbed my unimpressive excuse for what I had packed dinner. Before they left, I gave them the bag with an orange, some yogurt, some bread and of course some chocolate. I remember those travel days! France= Corn Flakes.. Loved them. I hope I can meet them again someday. I am so curious to see where their journey takes them.
  

Love you all!!

Miss your guts! Hooray for THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!

I better start my "I'm thankful for...." in these e-mails. :)

Love you all so much!!
-Seeesterrrr Ahmmeeee

4 sassy Donny Osmond fans

HELLO WORLD!!! AND HELLO AUTUMN!!

True story: today= SNOW. The snow didn't stay on the ground, mainly because I was outside catching it with my hands. No big. SNOW! There's snow on the mountains!! Which means, yep, it's cold. But really, who are we kidding....it's not terrible. I like it really. Crisp. Fresh. There was a guest who put it well: The snow brightens up the gray skies. Perfect, methinks. Hooray for scarf season. And hooray for new one liners. "Hi! Welcome! Where are you visiting from?....Wow, you've come a long way!...Oh. I'm from California....Yep. It is a little different. But I like it" Probably with 1/2 of the people. I plan on spicing that up. Through people for some loops.

Well, perhaps the change in weather is a good indication that it's time for change in life. It's that time again. Time for change. Another 6 weeks have come and gone. Sister Kemsley is a Zone Leader now!! Hooray!! I am so excited for her!! She is an incredible leader. Really needed too. She keeps the gospel real, applicable and Christ-centered. Get ready world...Sister Kemsley is going to rock this transfer.

Here's the new scoop for this upcoming 6-week transfer (Transfer #3 out of 10!!)

1) My new companion is Sister Fox from Massachusetts
2) I am living in the same place (AKA no moving this time around!! Hooray!)
3) I will be in a zone called "Teaching". Basically, I will be on the square for about 1/2 of the day, and during the other half, I will be working with people who are curious about the church via e-mails, phone calls and other sources. Sounds like I'll be busy! :) Busy=good. Bored=bad.

I am really growing to appriciate this experience. It's hard. But really really incredible.

I met these 4 ladies this week from Denmark--go figure. 4 sassy Donny Osmond fans who were on their way to Las Vegas to see him perform. The four of them met online--apparently through mutual adoration for Mr. Donny. Ha! Well, they loved it here at Temple Square. One of the four ladies was already a member of the church, while the other three were not. (I meet Donny fans all the time. Hahahahahaha!!) After spending a few days here at Temple Square, they told me that they could really feel something special here. The 3 wanted to learn more about the Book of Mormon (eller Mormons Bog paa dansk) when they go home. I LOVE when people continue exploring after they leave Temple Square. Love it. So much.

---This week-- a belated shout out to the dear ANGELA TAM!!! LOVE YOU!! Congrats Annie!!! Hooray!! It was so nice to see you!!

---And I hope you feel better Grandma Harmer!! Sorry to hear about your leg! I will be writing you a letter today!! Ask Lisa to get you lots of Taco Amigo!! :)

---Uncle David. I needed that e-mail. Quite refreshing. So true. I meet people EVERYDAY who need to know that this gospel is not about tie pins, Pioneer Days and treats after the lesson. Thank you!!

LAST THING...Earlier this week, we were talking with Skyler. Skyler works on the grounds as a gardener. He's about 20 or 21 and grew up in Salt Lake. Sister Kemsley and I were talking to him a little about life, the gardens and his awesome 2-toned beanie. One of the things we were talking about was the Atonement. Sister Kemsley and I, in our aim for authenticity and REAL, have really tried to make the Atonement of Jesus Christ an every day source of strength and comfort...and not some non-applicable feel-good story. So we decided to come up with a few answers to the phrase, "The Atonement is...".

Here's some of the things we came up with.
...a cold glass of water after a good run.
...a warm puppy who will listen, when no one else will.
...open 24-hours
...time.
...sunshine.
...100% hygge.

We asked Skyler what he would say. The next day, when we saw him again, he gave us an awesome one. He said that the world is kind of like a crazy snow storm. And the Atonement is like a car that can withstand the storm. You can go fast or slow...any speed you want really. And in the car you're safe. And the heater...that's God's love. Oh yeah. :)

I liked that. Agreed.

I hope you all have a SppPooooKy Week!!

CHEERS! LOVE YOU!!!!!
-Sister AmarilloooooooaOOoOO

Drop your pita chips

Wheewww!! What a week.

HAPPY BIRTHDAYs all around the world!!!
DAD!!!--Happy birthday!! I hope Mom makes German chocolate cake or Mud Pie........Yuummmmm.....And I hope you GeoCache to a treasue too!! :)
Sweens!--Happy birthday you!! I haven't talked to you in AGES! I hope Scout (and of course Quinnie) purrrrade around and sing to you. Maybe Rose's does cakes. :) Love you!!
Miss Brittney Davis!!!!--I love your guts!! I hope that you have a wonderful birthday cousin!! Full of love and no sweaty bike rides.

Tons of stuff went down. Let's start with the basics--the weather has been unusually gorgeous. Hooray for that. My happy meter is sky-rocketing. Today, I am getting a fabuloso hair cut. I've been anticipating this for a solid 3 weeks now, at least. So I am READY. Nothing crazy. Don't fret World. I just don't know what to expect. Andrea (my rockstar cousin) is the only person I really trust with my hair. So, here goes nothing!! I'm still super tired. Curses to the terrible Mono that plaques my life.

So, the story of the week has to do with a guy named Will. Good old Will. He's actually not old, but you get the picture. He is from West Virginia. Quiet. Logical. Shy. Engineer. Quirky. Here for a conference.

We met Will at the North Visitor's Center at Temple Square. We were talking with a family and took them through a 15-minute presentation about the importance of families. He came in and joined us too.

Most of the time, this presentation leaves people loving everyone 10 times more than usual and grateful to know that after we die, we can live with our families again. Will just didn't really get it. It was a little to tender for him. He likes logic. Things need to make sense to him.

Will: "How do you know? Do you really think God sends you messages?"
Me: "Well, not necessarily a text message, but I really do believe that God answers my prayers".

We ended up talking with Will for about 25 minutes or so. He requested to learn more back home in West Virginia. We kept talking about experimenting to really test our faith. Great convo. Then Sister Kemsley and I had to go to our next assignment.

Will: "Well, will I see you both tomorrow?"
Sis. K: "Maybe"
Will: "Well, how can I see you tomorrow?"
Sis. K & Me : "Pray". Haha!
Will: "haha.. Got it. Oh ok."

Well, with over 180 sister missionaries, 35 acres of places we could be and different assignments, that is really a challenge. Sister Kemsley and I prayed (and fasted too, for a boost) to see Will the next day.

Que next day...we were sitting outside, enjoying the sun in a spot we normally don't sit for lunch. With 5 minutes of our break left, I see a guy and say, "Hey! Sister Kemsley! Is that Will?"

Sis. K: "No...." Then she looked over her shoulder and sees a guy walking down the street. "BUT THAT looks like Will". We dropped our pita chips and booked it down the street! Haha!
"Will!!" Yep. We found him. He was just about to leave Temple Square.

Me: "Prayer so works!! See Will!! God knows you! And knows your heart!"
Sister K: "Will, did you pray to see us?"
Yep. He had.

I love it.

I hope you're all doing well!!

Love and friendship!

Happy Halloween!! I hope you have a SPOOoOoOooOktacular Week!!!
-Seeester Scary Harm

Good afternoon crazy world!

Good afternoon crazy world!

Life is so funny. You know, I figured that middle school was crazy. Then I got to high school. Then I thought, whew...scratch middle school. High school is loco. Then came life at college. And Res Life, Denmark, graduating, Willow Street and summers in California. And now--I'm in Salt Lake City, on a mission......Life is crazy. And wonderful.

Highlight= A motor coach full of Danes just walked into one of the Visitor's Centers one day. A huge group of them!! I almost had a heart attack. Like 40 Danes. All in the same room. After the "Hi, Welcome to Temple Square!! I am so glad you are from Denmark!! Welcome!!" [all in Danish], they smiled and said "Thank you. Now why can you speak Danish?"

Love the Danes.

One of my favorite things about serving a mission is really re-defining stereotypes. This week, Sister Kemsley and I have met so many people who have left Temple Square with fresh perspectives. We met this guy last week named Chris. He reminded me of a lot of my friends in California. His hair was about mid-neck, he was geared out in North Face, he had his water canteen and a bracelet from Africa. He grew up in Ohio, but was just stopping through on his way out to Kenya for a humanitarian service project. He came into the South Visitor's Center at Temple Square. In this Visitor's Center, we have a model of the Salt Lake Temple. It's essentially a giant doll house of the Temple. It's a cut-out that exhibits all of the rooms inside with interactive kiosks (that remind me of larger-than-life-iPads) nearby that help people explore and understand the rooms in detail. Chris was just staring at the Temple model, like it was a cake in a window. I walked up to him and we started talking a little bit. Sister Kemsley joined us and we talked for about a half hour. Chris was so annoyed with the culture of the church. He didn't like some of the things that people who are members of the church choose to do. Well, little did Chris know, he had just met two sister missionaries who do not submit to most stereotypes.

We were able to share with him our individual application of the same gospel in our own lives. To me, the Gospel is not always "culture". God's in charge of the Gospel. People fiddle with the culture. The gospel isn't about CTR rings, green jello and Donny Osmond.(Although I wouldn't mind a nice night in with a big bowl of green jello, listening to Donny and Marie with a huge bling-bling CTR ring...oh yeah)

The gospel is about the Atonement. Jesus Christ. Our Heavenly Father.

The gospel is simple, sincere and true. We can't always say that for people's cultural make up.

Chris left us that day with a smile. When he was leaving, we said, "Well Chris, hopefully you know now that Sister Missionaries aren't weird-os". To which he replied, "Well, people talk about diamonds in the rough, I just met two diamonds". Thanks Chris. We needed that.

I love the Gospel. It helps me find REAL happiness. The kind of happiness that doesn't fade in the wash. The kind of happiness that doesn't lose the fizzles after the cup has sat on the counter for 5 hours.

People are real.

Today, I miss the fam. And the amigos. Love you all. Thanks for all of the support!! Serioso.

Love you,
Sister Aimeister.

What a week!!

People. Really. It's been loco.

Primero.....CONGRATS NICOLE AND BRETT!!!!! MACKENZIE JANE!!!! I will definitely be calling her Big Mac.

Check out some of the talks from the Oct 2010 LDS General Conference for yourself: (http://new.lds.org/general-conference?lang=eng). My favorite take home messages:

---SLOW DOWN in life.
---More gratitude!

There were about 100,000 people here at Temple Square this weekend. I bet I told about 80,000 where the bathroom was. And then about 65,000 where the drinking fountain was. True life. I am so tired. But happy tired. It's been a crazy week. Time to physically and emotionally recover.

Overall, this weekend was a wonderful experience. I was able to see about 100,000 people who had the chance to learn more about LIFE. Where we came from, why we're all here and where we're going. Love it. And the conference all started with one of my favorite songs, "Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel". It reminded me of Lauren, so I kind of teared up...which out of context is a little bizzaro. The song is about having a good attitude no matter what. And there I was, whimpering. Hahaa!! I love that Lauren Quinnfield.

I got to see some wonderful familiar faces this weekend! :) Thank you all for love!! Hooray for the Los Gatos crew!! You're wonderful!! It was so nice to see you!

As wonderful as conference was, Sister Kemsley and I keep having so many wonderful experiences daily at Temple Square.

---Gotta love the regulars. Bob, one of our favorite regular visitors, has a speech impediment and is in a wheel chair. He always gives us a slow wave and usually a quirky, "A-LoooOoo-Hhaaa". Love Bob.

---Sister Kemsley and I have also been meeting so many searching and confused people. A guy named Dawson called in last week. He was from Portland. He said that he got a Book of Mormon from his friend Katie and had read some of it. But he was so confused. When I asked him what he thought about what he had read, he wasn't sure. He said that the things in the Book of Mormon made sense and when he read, he felt peace. But then he said that he was really confused about what to do. He was afraid about what his parents would think about him reading another book of scripture, in addition to the Bible. I am so grateful for parents who continue to let me explore my spirituality and my PERSONAL relationship with God. Thank you Mom and Dad.

---And the Danes!! Seriously. This is no accident people. I meet Danes every week. I am so grateful for these beautiful encounters!! I LOVE Danes! Just today I met Anita and Jacob from Aalborg, DK. Wonderful people. We talked for about 30-40 minutes about everything. Life. Denmark. The Book of Mormon. Danes. California. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Jehovah's Witnesses. And ETERNAL hygge. The kind of hygge that doesn't end when our bodies die. I LOVE Anita and Jacob. Beautiful people.

---And speaking of Danes, TUSIND TAK Aunt Pernille!! :) Jeg elsker din sode danske chocolate!! :) What a wonderful surprise!! THANK YOU!! Jeg savner dig!! It was such a SWEET reminder. Thank you!!

Thank you everyone for your love and support. I tell everyone (from all over the world) stories about YOU. All of you.

Love you!!

Amy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA BRETT ROBERTSON!!!
May the cows call home and sing a MOOooOOoving rendition of the classic, "It's your daaaayyyy....its yourrr birrrthhhdayy... mmmaaayyyyy aAAAlaaaaalll your dreams come true! :) Love you!!!

And I quote.... "Baby Jesus! Baby Jesus!! Look Mom! It's Baby Jesus!!"

That's what a little girl was saying last night as she was sprinting up to a huge painting of Jesus and Mary in Bethlehem. At first I thought I was caught up in a scene from Talladega Nights. But no. Just pure simple love for Jesus. I think I love the things that kiddos say here at Temple Square the most. Pretty candid. Pretty real.

With that......

This week has been fabulous! I LOVE and adore Sister Kemsley. She is a breath of fresh air! Sassy and poised. Artsy and refined. AND she speaks Arabic!! I am so glad she knows Arabic! She likes to recycle too!! :) I appreciate her love for every single person we meet. No matter what.

Just to put everyone's nerves to rest, I received my flu shot this week. (Mom, you may now sleep with peace). Hooray for vaccines!

AND surprise treat of the week: I was able to attend the LDS General Relief Society Broadcast. AMAZING. The Relief Society is the largest and oldest women's organization in the entire world. It was incredible. I got goosebumps. To be honest, it's a bit of a challenge to explain what it feels like, so I'll try to paint a picture: IMAGINE: 20,000 women, all singing songs like, "Count Your Blessings", hearing words of encouragement, guidance and peace, and all from incredible women who are strong and respectful.... and then, in addition to all that, we were able to hear the living prophet. It was really a wonderful experience!! We definitely had a mini-tailgate of sorts beforehand. About 8 of us got together and sat outside in the warm, Utah weather and ate our dinner. Sandwiches and brownies. So delish. Thanks Mom for the brownie mix. J

After that, I am SO excited for this upcoming weekend--LDS General Conference. 21,000+ people come from all over the world. I like to think, "Well, what kind of environment would be here if Moses or Abraham or Noah were planning on speaking? What would I do?" I would try to find out what they said! That's for sure. And that's what's happening this weekend. The whole entire world has the access to hear a living prophet--via the internet, TV, radio and I'm sure a bunch of other avenues. I just have the privilege of being here where that will all take place.

You can find the LDS General Conference online at www.lds.org after this upcoming weekend. Maybe you’ll get goose bumps too. J

And here’s the bottom line for the week: I am grateful. I am really grateful for all of the friends and family members in my life. All of you. You’re all wonderful. Weird. And wonderful. And everyday at Temple Square, I meet people from all over the world—and it’s easy to love them, because most people remind me of someone I’ve met before. I am so grateful for CALIFORNIA!! Especially the Bay Area.

Please talk to people. Everyone. And more than that, LISTEN. People need listeners.

I’m so grateful that I can talk to my Father in Heaven anytime, anyplace. It’s wonderful to know that we all have a listener every second of every day. Hooray for God being a full time listener!!

Hooray for Nicole and Brett and Gummi!! TREAT!!
And thank you Montie and Margaret for all of your LOVE!!
Stephanie and Michael—you two rocked my week month. Sorry Steph if me clobering your face with my hand was weird. Thank you both for the loves!!

And to the following people….you will be hearing from me shortly!!!
Lisa-Loo-Who (I can't believe all the new juice!! And I am so SO proud of you + those (I'm sure) adorable kids!! You are perfect for this Lisa), T-Call (Michael Kors was a nice touch), The General (MB!! Hold down that Willow fort!!) and others…..

Love you all!! Cozy up!! It’s starting to become HYGGE weather!! J

-Seester Ahhhhmmeee

Guts

Another suprise from little old me....TUESDAY!


Wahoo!! So, a switcheroo for you all. My preparation day is now on Tuesdays, not Wednesdays. I have a new assignment--different than the one I thought. So, you'll be hearing from me a day earlier than you had all supposed. I hope you wrote this all in your planners in pencil.... :)

So much has happened this week!!! I was graced with the beauty of Paige and Andie Knudsen earlier this week. Gems. Love them. HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAIGE!!!!! Here is digital "Icing on the Cake" cake for you. :) Yum..... It was so wonderful to see you both! You both are rock star women. Thank you for the surprise joy to my week. :)

And Montie and Margaret! What a beautiful treat. Thank you!!! I loved the oppourtunity I had to share more about the history of Temple Square with you. I'm sure you're still road tripping...so I hope you're having fun! And thank you for all the goodies. I am really spoiled to have you both in my life. Thank you!

Brettly and Nicole. You two...loves. I hope the cows are doing alright. Brett, you are the boss. :) Sister, I met one of your students last night. It was awesome. She said she was from Alpine and I just HAD to ask if she went to your middle school. Yep. And go figure, you're one of her favorite teachers. No big deal. You go girl!!!! THANK YOU!!!!

Also, this is for everyone I suppose....we no longer allow scheduled tours with specific sister missionaries at Temple Square. It's become a security issue, and a hassle too. With over 5 million visitors a year, I understand. :) I hope you all do too. Sorry for the inconvenience.

So....4 fantastic stories for the week:


1) Between Sister Kemsley and I, we can speak 4 languages. We both speak english and spanish (me...not so much...). I can speak some Danish, and she's all over Arabic. WOW. I wonder what would happen if we were sleep talking to each other....

2) Annamarie. We met this incredible woman. She was kind of wandering around Temple Sqaure. Typical person here. Sauntering, taking pictures. Smiles and nods. We started talking to her. She said she was in town for work. Super tired too. She had gotten up at 3:00am to make her flight out to Salt Lake from the east coast. Sister Kemsley and I decided to show her a beautiful view of the Temple. The three of us just sat on the grass and talked for about 45 minutes. It was so refreshing. Raw. And refreshing. She is having problems with her husband. With two small children, she is struggling and looking for help from him, but not finding it. She feels alone while trying her best. After sharing my background, I said, "Welp. There you have it. You've got my guts. That's me. 100%". As if she was finally allowed to exhale, she said, "well, since you've shared your guts, I'll share mine". Sister Kemsley and I were then able to share with Annamarie some of the beautiful promises God makes with us through the temple. Temples can strengthen our individual relationship with God just as much as temples can strengthen our families. I loved being with her. We needed her. She needed us. Edification. Hope. Love. All of that happened on the grass, on a beautiful September day, just beneath the Salt Lake Temple.

3) I taught a sister missionary from Taiwan about the words, "chillin' " and "peeps" after we passed one of our guests. The guest was wearing a shirt that said, "Chillin' with my peeps"--which included a picture of a marshmellow Peep. Subsequently, I attempted to explain what marshmellow "Peeps" are. The joys of serving with over 180 sister missionaries from over 50 countries speaking over 40 languages!! :) I love it!!

4) I have talked to about 10 Danes this week. MIRACLES. How often do people just bump into people from Denmark...in Salt Lake? No accidents.

I hope you're all doing well!! Love you all!!

Get excited for general conference!!

And...check out . GOOD stuff.

Cheers!
Seeeester Amarooooooooo

Wacky Wednesday

People people people......

IT'S WEDNESDAY!! Hooray for the middle of the week. Wednesday is my new Preparation Day for the next 6 weeks. So, I will be e-mailing out on Wednesday. Whew! I am tiiiirreeedd... my body hates me. But, my calves love me. We are on our feet from 9am-9pm. And it's good. Real good.

Sister Montano finished her 18 months today!! She hopped on a flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Love Sister Montano. She really has been such an angel in my life. Empanadas, smores, "too cool for school"....soooo good. Right before she left, we had a lot of really wonderful experiences.

There were so many people who came into Temple Square last week visiting with a conference called 4Life. I'm not sure what the company is entirely about, but I do know that the 4Life people who came through were so incredible. They were so respectful and open-minded to learning. We met people from all over the world who asked to learn more back in their hometowns in Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Spain, Mexico, Argentina from missionaries just like me.

AND!!! Last week was the Salt Lake City GREEK FESTIVAL!!!!! I LOVE GREEK FESTIVALS!!! I don't know why, but I am obsessed with Greek festivals and have been for a few years. We drove by it on the way to Welfare Square last week and I about died. Opa!!

Sister Kemsley is my new companion! I will be working with her for at least the next 6 weeks (you can see her blog for yourself: www.imthefourth.blogspot.com) We are in for some fascinating stories with Sister Kemsley, my friends. She is from Connecticut. Fabulous. Sassy. Short hair. Scarves. Mutual friends: Paige Knudsen & Rachael Holland.

On another, more pessimistic note---I loathe moving. I really do. Perhaps that's one of the lessons I am supposed to learn while serving a mission. I'm grateful for the time that we get to re-cooperate. Hooray for fresh starts. Hooray for the time we all get in life to breathe as we turn the pages in our life...even if it's only one breath. Thank goodness for that wonderful, refreshing breath!!

Some gratitude for the week:
Thank you to all of you Grandmas and Grandpas from all over the world who keep me filled with uplifting motivation and love!!
Thank you to cousins and friends who keep me updated and HAPPY!!! :) I love you Krista, Lashelle, David and The Woodlands!! :)

Until next week....

Here's a challenge...if you feel so sassy to accept--
Sometime this week, get to know a stranger in less than 2 minutes. (I attempt to do this every day all day. And it's fun!!). You know find out what they like to do and where they are from. It's simple. But it takes courage. Then, leave them feeling a little bit more listened to and loved than when you first met them. Try it. I dare you.

~Take care~xoxoxo~
Sister Famous Amous Cookies.

I love Baptist and Jewish people

Hello Dolly!!

It's been a wonderful week. My companion, Sister Montano, is going back to Argentina this week. She has finished her 18 months here in Salt Lake City. I love her! She has taught me so much. She is so patient and just loves every person that comes into Temple Square.

This upcoming week, we should be having some changes. For my mission, my time is divided into whats called a "transfer". There are 12 transfers on my mission (every 6 weeks= one transfer). As of Wednesday, I will be entering my 2nd transfer.

With each new transfer, we could be getting a new companion, a new assignment and even a new apartment. So, next week brings with it a sense of FRESH! :)

Here are some of the memorable things that happened this week:

--We met this woman who volunteers with the Red Cross (she was such a LOVE!!). She said, "Oh! We like you Mormons. You're always so ready and organized when we need help with disaster relief. But don't get me wrong. We love those Southern Baptists too. They sure know how to cook some good food!!" :) I love the Baptists too my friends.....love the Baptists.

--We met some fabulous Jewish people this week. I loved them!! We shared with them some of the history about the early members of the church and how they moved from the East Coast to Utah. The reason why they moved was due to religious persecution. The woman we were with just nodded her head and sighed, "join the club".

--Sister Montano and I did a little math...Sister missionaries at Temple Square get to meet so many people. We invite people to learn more about things like the Book of Mormon, temples, prophets or Jesus Christ from missionaries back in their areas (anywhere in the world). In 6 weeks, each companionship will usually be a part of about 50 people or so saying that they are interested in learning more.

--Yesterday, a woman asked me about the Book of Mormon. She said, "Now tell me, do you really think that all of those stories in the Book of Mormon--you know about wars and things from hundreds of years ago--are useful to you?" Well everyone, my answer is "absolutely". We can ALWAYS learn from the past. The accounts of people in the Book of Mormon help me manage the battles and wars that may be in MY life. I deal with different battles--how to spend my money (and save it too), where to go to school when I am finished with my mission, how I will spend my time...SO many different things boggle my mind. Choices. And at the same time, I can read about how people in the Book of Mormon made choices too. The tread is how those people and people in 2010 can make choices with their values as the foundation and motivation of their choices. Although my choices are different than people in 600 BC- 400 AD, I can still let my heart and my Heavenly Father guide my choices. Just like they did. Beautiful! It's still applicable today!! The Book of Mormon is such a wonderful tool in my life. I love it.

--Shamelessly, I grinned from ear to ear this week as I heard the one and only Miss Miley Cyrus come on the radio at the food court. Gotta love her.

Thank you all for another week of updates with those beautiful letters and e-mails. I love hearing about how you are all doing!

Thank you Margaret, Grandma & Grandpa, Bishop Knudsen, Sister Woodland, Bishop McAdam and everyone else for all of your sweet words and uplifting stories! I really appreciate you all!!

I hope you're all doing well!! Until next week.....go out there and be happy people-- it's a choice.

Love,
Sister Amy

"All that and a bag of chips"

This is Amy with Carlee Rodriguez who entered the Missionary Training Center last Wednesday, she will be serving her mission in the Washington State Spanish Speaking Mission. Carlee and Amy used to play Volleyball together, Carlee's mom Sheila was the coach :)




It's been another exciting week here in Salt Lake City. I've been lucky enough to meet more people from the Bay Area, Denmark and even some unconventional places like Prague and Pittsburg......

Today's e-mail is 3-fold.
1) ~Shout Outs~ (It seems like this title has caught on in my brain...and I think I'll keep it)
2) Catch phrases (from California to Argentina)
3) Love love love

1) ~Shout Outs~
First of all HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMILY MEREDITH!!!! YAY!!!!!! I know that the river that runs between our distant hearts is full of vegan birthday cake. : ) Yum!!!! And we can eat it with all of the Res Life silverware we can scrap from programs! I love you!! I wear my club t-shirt ALL the time when I am working out. I get lots of questions about it, "Oh, what club is that? An environmental activism club heh? That sounds really amazing!" ME: IT IS!!! (and so is my fabulous friend who --no big deal-- piloted this program) I love you Ems! I am so proud of you and I think of you often!! I will hopefully be sending you a lovely hand written note of love sooooonnnn... Until then... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I hope you have a FUN week!! :) I think of you ALL THE TIME!! LOVE YOU!!!
---Tiffany: Tiffany Call. My heart is heavy for you. I am thinking about you Tiff. You know I am. Thank you for your e-mails. You'll be hearing from me soon, via letter. Don't forget to write those tender mercies down. I love you.
---Mom, Dad, Nicole and Brett: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! I got that wonderful box. And it was perfect timing. Utah weather is bizarro. The day the box came was the first really cold moment...perfect weather for a jacket. :) Tender mercies! And thank you for the incredible letters this week. I loved hearing about Donna, Dewey and all the sorts. :) love you all!
---Lisa: You are such a LOVE!!! I really appreciated your floor plan/ diagram. Wonderful. Loved it. You are quite the artist. You have a wonderful way of capturing the real vision. I can just see you and Muong prancing about. :) I love you so much Lisa Loo. I'll be writing you back sooooonnnn.... :)
---Paige: PAIGE!! Thanks for all the updates!! I am so excited that you and Steph are living together!! FUN!!! I can only imagine what that will be like.
---Chelsea: Meatloaf vs. Fishsticks....oh the flurries of living with grandchildren. You are so hilarious!!! I
---Vans: I love you! Got your fabulous letter! Since when did we have a Danish professor at Sonoma!??!?!?! Hooray!! No wonder we love SSU so much!! Tell him about "hygge". You'll get an A. :) Love you Vans. I miss your guts. Thanks for the love Lady!!
---Grandma and Grandpa Davis: Thank you so so much for all of the sweet letters!! I love them! They always make my day. To answer your question (re: letters vs. e-mails)...I love them both. At the same time, I often have a little more time to read letters (as my e-mail time is short). But I always read them all!! :) I love you both so much. I hope you are doing well!! The gardens here at Temple Square remind me of your gorgeous yard!
---Maire: Don't think that I have forgotten you or your terrible experiences with Dr. 90210 from UCLA. I am going to write you back soon. I hope you are doing all right!! I have been thinking about you all week friend!! I wish I could be there and give you some Matilde and a Res Life sized "get-well" poster. Love you Princess Maiiireeeeee....
---The Woodlands: Thank you so much for thinking of little old me! :) I get so excited to see your thoughtful cards in the mail. THANK YOU!! :)

2) Catch phrases (from California to Argentina)
Here are some of the catch phrases I found myself saying this week, then needing to explain their meaning to my companion from Argentina:... (so funny).
-"Too cool for school"
-"Move it or lose it"
-"All that and a bag of chips"
-"The bomb"


3) Love love love
Thank you all so much for thinking about me. It's really wonderful here. I am meeting people from all over the world. Something that everyone notices when they come to Temple Square is how beautiful it is here. Most of the time, people really notice the beautiful gardens and how peaceful it is. Today, we met 4 people from Pennsylvania. They were football fans, librarians, friends, catholics, and overall, wonderful. It was so wonderful talking with them. They were so refreshing to talk with them. They were so respectful and genuinely kind people. I love meeting new people!! All day!! They recognized how they felt here. And I love that.

Feelings often speak louder than words ever can.

So wonderful.

I love you all!!!

Until next week,
Sister Amy

~Jersey Shore~:)

MMmmm.... it's a good day. I am sitting here at the computer all cozy-like. My stomach has a wonderful Lion House sweet roll resting nicely in it. Delish. Gotta love warm homemade rolls with honey butter. Welcome to Utah. :)

Some SHOUT OUTS are down below!! :)

This week has been really interesting. I have met so many people from all over the world (again...I am learning that this is the norm). My favorite bunch of people were a group of people from New Jersey. Two couples were out in Salt Lake on a road trip. They were fabulous. One of the couples was actually celebrating their 43 wedding anniversary! Who-ah!! (Al Pacino). I asked them what they thought of Jersey Shore (from MTV). These wonderful Catholics were unamused at the depiction of their lovely New Jersey. :) They were sassy. Loved them. They wanted to know more about some of the buildings at Temple Square and some of the basic beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

One of the things that we talked about was the construction of the temple. People--let me tell you. Since I have been here, I have learned SO much!! Early pioneers arrived here in Salt Lake City in 1847 from the East Coast of the United States. When these early members of the church arrived in the Salt Lake valley, they got to work. The construction of the Salt Lake Temple began in 1853 and wasn't finished until 40 years later in 1893. 40 YEARS. That's 40 years of hauling huge granite from about 20-25 miles away. That's 40 years of sacrifice. 40 years of dedication to something tied to purpose. And there are SO many more stories associated with the construction of the temple. Ed, one of my New Jersey friends got the picture. He made a really great point. He said that "when we have a WHY in our lives, the HOW will always eventually follow". That is what it was like for these early pioneers. They were building a temple. They knew what they wanted, but more importantly, they figured out why they cared so much. And I presume that learning HOW they would build the temple took all 40 years.

I figure that's what my life is like. I know that I want to be happy. I love learning. I miss my pet tortise Tonka. I am excited that my sister is prego! I know that I want to be my very best self, every day. HOW all of this will play out, I'm not sure. But I know that everything will work out.

After dedicating 40 years of their lives to something, these people that helped build the temple left behind such a wonderful legacy of living a life driven by PURPOSE. When we infuse our life with purpose, it helps make every minute meaningful...and worth all of the blisters.

I know that's true. Thanks New Jersey friend, Ed.

AND---I met MORE Danish people!! HOORORRRAAAYYY!!!! I loved them. AND they also gave me their e-mail address so that when I go back to Denmark, after my mission, I can go visit them.

And I met a few sour people. Here's one now.....
Me: "Hi! Welcome to Temple Square. Would you like me to share a little bit more about this beautiful building?"
The husband: "Sure. That sounds great. Let's go talk with my wife over there"
The wife: "Oh great......Sigh...Ugh...(laments)
Me: "Is everything alright Mam?"
The wife: "Just tell me about the building!!!"
But hey, after a 15 minute conversation, she was able to ease up a bit. They lady was having a bit of a bad day. It reminded me of when I was restaurant hosting at Willow Street. Sometimes, we meet people in the middle of their bad day. I am just glad that Sister Montano (my companion) and I were able to help them relax, even just a little.

And there are regulars here at Temple Square!! WAHOO!! I love the regulars. Many of them have some issues--but hey don't we all. (Thank you SSU psychology department). I love talking to them!! This one guy, Abdullh, has gold teeth. He loves to watch the movies here at Temple Square and always carries a Bible with him. One day he told Sister Montano and I a little about us. He looked deep into my eyes and said, "You...you're strong. I can tell. Hmm...." Thanks Abdullh. Temple Square is fabulous.

SOME SHOUT OUTS!!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY INEZ!!!!! NESSI!!!! :) JEG ELSKER DIG!! TILLLYYYKKKEEE!!!!! JUBBIIII!!! HURRA!!!
--Mom, Dad, Brett and Nicole-- THANK YOU for the letters, notes, LOVE and support!! I will be responding to you all today hopefully. You have no idea how fortunate I feel that you are all there for me. DOT the Dove. Classic. Loved it. Keep Dot Alive!! :)
--Maire!!!! WOMAN!!! Thank you SO much for your fantastic "love on stationary". Yep. Stationary. You're fancy. I love you. You'll be getting a letter from me back real soon. Sorry it has taken me YEARS to get in touch with you....the dust in my life is quasi-settling.
--LAUREN MARLEY QUINN.... You've really outdone yourself. I laughed. I cried. I took notes. (If that isn't a book title, I don't know what is). THANK YOU. I miss you. Response will be coming sooooonn...Boyfriend pillow= priceless. Thank you for not cutting off the order phone number.
--David--You're wonderful. Thanks for the e-mail. It was just what I needed. Keep shaking things up in the casinos. You never know who you were meant to meet. :) Thank you!!!
--Tiff...I'm going to write you a letter. Check your mail. Hahah!!!
--Grandma and Grandpa--Thanks for the letters! You're so sweet. I love hearing from you. LOVE YOU!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! Let's not pre-judge people. Especially people from New Jersey.

.....Keep it real......

~Love~
Sister Amy

Did you just put butter on......

Howdy personas!! :)

What a wonderful week!! I am beginning to understand the life here at Temple Square. And let's be frank--I love it. There are people that come here from all over the world, sister missionaries from all over the world, and crazy people all over. :) There is this fabulous man who stands at the entrance to Temple Square every once in a while. He is super tan, has long white hair and wears jeans topped off with a white tank. S-a-s-s-y. He usually stands really prominently on the sidewalk and stares at traffic. Love him.

One of the things that I do, is every once in a while, I answer phones for people who call and want to learn more about the church, Jesus Christ or the Book of Mormon. Well....let me tell you...I have gotten a few doooozies of phone calls from people.
Here's a few of my favorites this week:
1) William--84 years old. William calls and says, in a wonderfully old, southern accent, "Now. I am calling because I want to get one of them FREE, and I'm gonna repeat myself, F-RrrEEee DVDs about Jesus". My response, "You bet William". William was fabulous. We chatted for a good 5-10 more minutes. Really interesting person.
2) John--one too many drinks. John called in, we chatted for a few minutes, and when I asked him for his zip code, I got a "K-9-J-4er.....". Good ol' John. :)
3) Christina--pregnant!! :) So, I was actually calling her to talk with Christina's mom (who some friends asked some missionaries to call). I ended up talking to her for a little bit, and she said, "Oh! You're with the Mormon church!"
Me: Yes, yes I am.
Christina: That's funny, because we have a sign on our door that says "No soliciting"
>>> a nice awkward pause <<<
Me: Oh, ok.
Christina: Yeah... and my mom wrote underneath, "Except for Latter Day Saints". All of the missionaries think it's so hilarious! They always take pictures with the sign. :)
Me: :)

I met DANISH PEOPLE!!! HOORAY!!! They were fabulous!! I used my best Danglish that I could muster. They were so sweet! And in true Danish form, they were very knowledgable and loved learning about all of the buildings and history. At the end of our short visit around Temple Square, they weren't interested in learning more about the church, but they were so sweet. They told me that because I love Denmark so much, I should come back when I was done with my mission and meet up with them. They gave me their e-mail and everything. I LOVE Danes!! :)

I was at Welfare Square twice this week. So great. Did you know that at Welfare Square, we have huge wheat elevators (or wheat silos) and in them, there is 14 MILLION pounds of wheat?!?! I had no idea!! That's so much wheat. And every 4-5 years, the wheat is taken out and either donated or sold to different places and then replaced with new wheat. So amazing. The purpose behind this is all about being prepared. We use the wheat for any sort of natural disaster (not just for members of the church, but anyone, anywhere in the world). And the huge wheat elevators are a wonderful symbol of being prepared, personally, for anything. Physically, emotionally, spiritually, educationally...what have you. I love these giant reminders of how we can all be mindful about our personal preparation. So great.

And here is the BEST STORY OF THE WEEK:
--So, a couple came into one of the Visitor's Centers here. I welcomed them and commented on the woman's fabulous purse. Another sister missionary nearby (from India) overheard me. The couple went into the bathroom. Sister Vuppada comes up to me and asks, "Did you just put butter on them?".
Me: "Did I what?"
Sis. V: Did you just put butter on them?
Me: No! Was I supposed to?
Sis. V: No...you know...you complimented them a lot.
Me: Oh!! Did I butter them up?

Hahaha!! We shared a good laugh!!!

AND--Check this out!! I have seen so many friendly, familiar faces this week!! Dom, The McAdams and Julee-- all from the Redwoods!! It was so fun to see you all!! It was so refreshing to get a bit of Santa Rosa sunshine here! (And Bishop McAdam--Thanks for the letter!! :) It was a wonderful boost!)

And thank you all for those sweet letters! (And I am working on writing you ALL back...from last week too. Sorry I am such a slow poke!)
--Chels--YOU are HILARIOUS!! I love you so much!!! Haha!! I was so grateful for the Rohnert Park update (I am so happy you are cookin' with the rooms! :) Sounds like the good old days!) And I really appriciated your Pandora Coldplay shoutout/ Celeb update. What the?!?! MADEIRA!?! VACANT? How can this be? The legacy must be preserved I suppose. :) Keep on being sassy!!
--T-Mahafffff!! Eagle eye!! You're a doll!! Thanks for the love decorated with those darling butterfly stickers too! :)
--NICOLIOLIO!!!-- APPLE?!?!?!?!? You have no idea how creepy I am with babies here at Temple Square. I "coo" a lot more than usual. Babies love me. Adults inch away slowly. I am so excited for you four!! :)
--Grandma and Grandpa Davis-- Thanks for the incredible letter about service!! You shared some really sweet stories. Thank you so much!
--Jennifer--Hiking, the zoo and treats-- oh my! Sounds like the Bryan bunch is really having a fun summer!! :) Thank you for keeping me in the loop Jennifer! Happy birthday to Emily!! I can't believe she's already 3!! WOW!! Time flies!!
--T-Call....you will be getting a letter from me. I love you. :) DOLL FACE!! You kill me!

Well, thanks for everything everyone!! I'll be talking to you next week!! :) Love you!
-Sister Amerilia

Amy Update via Mom

Hello to Amy's friends and family,
Today I received a letter and CD from Amy and thought I would share some of her latest news with you.
First of all, she's arrived at Temple Square, this picture is of her in front of the Salt Lake Temple. Amy says "The Salt Lake Temple is GORGEOUS!!!"



Her current companion from Argentina Sister Montano


The following is some of the writings in Amy letter I received today in the mail.

MIRACLES! We meet so many people from all over the world. The Lord really puts people in our paths for special reasons. I honestly can't tell you how many people I talk to everyday from the Bay Area. My Argentinian companion, (who has been here for 17 months)(she's awesome)she said, "that she's never talked to SO many people from the Bay Area". Between the two of us we mainly talk to people who speak spanish, from the Bay Area and lots of really amazing people from all over the world.

Here's a miracle for today (only time for one today.....sorry)

Just tonight, we met a person T__, with a BYU shirt on (typical around here). We talked to him and found out that (go figure) he just graduated from BYU and is moving to San Jose to work for a company. Well--we took him to the Christus, then to a clip of Thomas S. Monson (President of the Church) bearing testimony of Christ then we felt like we should take him to the room with the Humanitarian stuff. Generally, we usually stick to Tabernacle, Christus, Temple Model Display and the Assembly Hall, so these other places are generally where we take members or just anyone who we feel would feel the spirit best at these places.
Well, Good ol T___ felt the spirit. For sure, we played a clip for him about Hurricane Mitch and the church's response (temporally & spiritually). Tears, Tears, My friend. Spirit + Tears. He didn't need Sister Montano & Sister Harmer. He needed that spirit (via us :)) But the spirit told his heart things we didn't (I love that). So then, (I love what happens next) We bore testimony that this gospel is about what we apply in our lives. He said, it made him think about what Christ did for us and what we can do for others.
I stopped him and said "Exactly, this gospel is about DOing.
What will we DO?
What will we DO with what we know?
What will we DO with the experiences the Lord blesses us with?
What will we DO when we have been through trials and can then relate to others in new ways?
T__ had a lot to think about, so did I.

This is hard out here. No lie.
My feet hate me. But they are proud of me for wearing the Danskos :).
My back wants to collapse most of the time, and
My neck wants to disconnect from my body.
My eyelids burn.
My toes smell funky~all the time
BUT my heart is FULL!
Love,

Amy (Sister Harmer)

Week One! :)

Week One. Over and out. It has been a CRAZY week!! Welcome to Temple Sqaure!!!

First of all, a few MAJOR shout outs are in order:

1) Happy anniversary Mom & Dad!! I hope Nicole gets you a really nice gift on behalf of me, Brett and Nicole. :) I hope you get to have a really delicious dinner and celebrate!!
1.5) Nicole, please follow up on #1. :)
2) Happy Birthday to you Lisa Elizondo!! Gorgeous friend!!! (A little somethin' somethin' will be coming your way!! It's in the works...) I hope you have an incredible birthday!! :) (And I loved your letter too! I was cracking up when I was reading it. I just totally imagined you talking to me. Hahaha!! I love our friendship so much!!)

So...this week at Temple Square has been really amazing. I can't even begin to tell you how many people I have met from the Bay Area. (I had the special treat of seeing Doug and Kathy Pulley this week!! Yay! And Spencer Nance, Sheena Arnold and Calle's Mom!!) But there are lots of people here from all over the world that come to visit Temple Square. Lots of summer tourists driving through on their way to Yellowstone, cross country trips, the works. My companion from Argentina is amazing. She has been here for 17 months--so she's almost finished. And she said, that she hasn't met this many people from the Bay Area in such a short period of time. I really think that every person I've met has not been a coincidence. I am learning so much about the world! Go figure. In Salt Lake City.

And, since I've been here, I am learning so much about how to be the best missionary. It isn't to just tell people things or facts about buildings, but really, the best thing to do, is to create a space where people can feel safe to explore for themselves. Silence is golden (Mandy! Maria Hess! :) Love it) As a missionary, I am happiest when I can create an environment where people can LET their hearts be moved in a positive way. So basically my thought of the week is that SILENCE has really helped me listen to what I am feeling. I've heard a lot when I don't say words.

Thank you all so much for all of the love, support and thoughts. I feel so fortunate to meet all of the people I have met since I've been here.

And some other shout outs (If you sent me a letter, I will be writing you all back in a longer note by letter *hopefully* today)
~Lashelle!!--Thank you for your letter!! I love you cousin!! I am sorry that I haven't gotten back to you sooner (it has been a really crazy month!). You really gave me a boost! Thank you. I hope you are doing well!
~Kjestine!!-- I got your darling card and letter!! Thank you so much!! I will take your advice about the pigeons. :) I'm glad to hear that you are back in the lovely Denmark!!
~Calle og Inez!-- I saw Calle's Mom at Temple Sqaure!! I started talking to her in Danglish!! :) I think I freaked her out at first. "Uhhh...excuse me, where are you from? What's your last name? Are you Swedish?" Haha! But it was so so refreshing to see her! I love her so much! We had a really sweet conversation...full of hygge. Loved it.
~Paige- you are such a doll!! Thanks for the picture!! Sassy thing!! I'm so glad you got to go to the country concert! I was cracking up when I read that. I can just imagine you and Andie with your matching belts and bandanas. Perfect. :) Your letter seriously gave me an emotional and spiritual boost. Thank you friend! I love you!
~Aunt Debbie-- WOW! Kyle sounds like he is having some really incredible experiences! I love the pictures. Thank you. And the stories behind them are even better. I think about him all the time!
~Aunt Lisa---I am so proud of Mr. Craigski! He is so amazing! I am so glad we got to spend so much time together at his eternal mission district.

Love you all!!
~Amy~

I'm a Square on the Square... :)

Buenos Dias people!!

Yup....it's Friday. Fridays will be the day I send e-mails for the next 6 weeks (at least). Let me just tell you all: WOW. It just got really real. On Wednesday I moved up to Salt Lake City, Utah. After I chose to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I could have been called anywhere in the entire world, but I was called to serve here in Salt Lake City. Although Salt Lake City may sound a little bit "commercial" or "typical", I have met so many people from all around the world. While at Temple Square, most of the visitors that I have met are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS). I have met people from France, Korea, Switzerland, Florida, Washington, England and Guatemala (to name a few). Not to mention, the female missionaries (called sister missionaries) that also serve here are from all over the world too. There are sisters from Japan, Germany, Kenya, Nepal, India, Cambodia, Uganda, Canada, Hong Kong and so everywhere else you could imagine. There are tons of sisters from California too. I have a new companion, Sister Montana, from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is a spit fire! I love her! She has a really positive attitude and really has a wonderful way of connecting with people. She is showing me the ropes and helping me so so so so much as I keep trying to figure out what I am doing. I feel a bit dazed most of the time as I do my best to figure out where everything is. I really don't know much yet, but I have a pager, so I feel pretty official. :)

My first assignment here is in Welfare Square!! :) I only spend a few days a week there, while the rest of the week, I am in the general area of Temple Square. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Welfare Square!! It is incredible. I have only spent one full day there and I have already learned so much more than I ever knew. Most of the people that come to Welfare Square particularly are already members of the church. Thursday, my companion and I took 60 people on tours of Welfare Square. But many people (members or otherwise) aren't very familiar with the really amazing things that Welfare Square does. I, for one, have learned SO SO much!! I've learned about how the giant white grain silos store 16 MILLION pounds of wheat!! Wowza!! (On one of the tours, there was a lot of kiddos. I initially told them that the big white silos were where we produce the marshmallows in the entire world....ba dum ching. Don't worry, I told them about the wheat too)

I've learned about the church's LDS Employment Center too. Basically, people can utilize the LDS Employment Center to improve their job skills and learn more about how to get (and keep) jobs to support themselves.

There is so much more about Welfare Square for me to share (you'll learn more over the weeks!). I love the 3 main goals of the Square. Essentially, the purposes of providing these programs for people are to:
1) Help take care of the needs of others
2) Help empower others to take care of themselves
3) Help others learn how to care for others.

I love it!! HELPING!! I am so grateful for the chance that I have to learn about different pieces of the church that so many are unfamiliar with. I know that Welfare Square serves as an example of the gospel: the teachings of Jesus Christ in ACTION. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a church of SERVICE and action. I am reminded of that everyday. I keep learning new things everyday! :)

Thank you all for your love and support!! I love you!

Love,
Sister Harmer