Short this week. But incredible experiences.

• Grandma & Grandpa
• Thanks for the updates! I read parts of your letters sometime to my companions or other sisters. You are more often than not answers to prayer. For me and others. :)
• Chelsea
• Thanks for the DARLING Solvang card! It's all the rage with the Scandinavian sisters here. THANK YOU!!!!
• Margaret
• LOVED the concord! Sounds like you're having an amazing time on your vacation!!! Thank you for being one of the most compassionate friends in the world!
• Bobbi
• Thank you for the sweet updates!!! CYLO? California Youth Leadership Organization.....I am so anxious to jump right in January! Wow! Exciting changes. And congrats on your special award!! YOU deserve it!! I couldn't think of a more sincere person dedicated to serving others. THANK YOU for your example!
• Sealings! Not the roof.
• We passed a family taking pictures outside the temple. They had a teenager and a younger daughter. From the looks of it, they had just been sealed in the temple as a family. Not Ziploc. But kind of. A sealing is a binding of a family of families for time and all eternity--so beyond death. Here is a picture of the sealing room in Denmark. I almost relish in seeing moments like these at Temple Square over seeing all the new brides.
• Met Wilson Ong and his family on the square. He's an artist with some pieces at the Conference Center. Pretty incredible opportunity. "So, what were you thinking Brother Ong when you painted this?" Pretty amazing. (you can google him)
• I taught Sister Moisio: "Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle!" this week. We've had a lot of fun using it. :)
• We met President Packer this week briefly. It was pretty incredible. He briefly came to look at the Temple model. SO VIP. We closed off the visitors center. 5 companionships. He was only there for about 20 minutes. He invited us to say hello, so we all walked over, shook his hand, said our name and where we were from.
  
  Funny thing: I've been teaching Sister Moisio some funny English catch phrases lately. ie: "whoopsie daisy", "she threw her under the bus", etc...
  --Sister Moisio: I'm Sister Moisio from Finland.
  --President Packer: Are you lonesome for it?
  --Sister Moisio: I think so....?
• Also... we found Elder Hinkley of the 70 in the South Visitor's Center looking for Hungarians this week.

Amidst all the fame this week, they were all SO HUMBLE. Christ centered. Meek. Sincere. Precious (says Sister Moisio). I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who let me meet so many humble people with strong character. It makes me think of all the people I respect back home and in Denmark. THANK YOU ALL FOR being such wonderful examples to me!

Love you all. Just another crazy and exciting week at Temple Square. It's all true. Please be patient and loving. Too many people, even if they know better, aren't. We need builders, not destroyers!

Thank you!!!

Love you!

Sister Amy

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

Short this week. But incredible experiences.

• Grandma & Grandpa
• Thanks for the updates! I read parts of your letters sometime to my companions or other sisters. You are more often than not answers to prayer. For me and others. :)
• Chelsea
• Thanks for the DARLING Solvang card! It's all the rage with the Scandinavian sisters here. THANK YOU!!!!
• Margaret
• LOVED the concord! Sounds like you're having an amazing time on your vacation!!! Thank you for being one of the most compassionate friends in the world!
• Bobbi
• Thank you for the sweet updates!!! CYLO? California Youth Leadership Organization.....I am so anxious to jump right in January! Wow! Exciting changes. And congrats on your special award!! YOU deserve it!! I couldn't think of a more sincere person dedicated to serving others. THANK YOU for your example!
• Sealings! Not the roof.
• We passed a family taking pictures outside the temple. They had a teenager and a younger daughter. From the looks of it, they had just been sealed in the temple as a family. Not Ziploc. But kind of. A sealing is a binding of a family of families for time and all eternity--so beyond death. Here is a picture of the sealing room in Denmark. I almost relish in seeing moments like these at Temple Square over seeing all the new brides.
• Met Wilson Ong and his family on the square. He's an artist with some pieces at the Conference Center. Pretty incredible opportunity. "So, what were you thinking Brother Ong when you painted this?" Pretty amazing. (you can google him)
• I taught Sister Moisio: "Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle!" this week. We've had a lot of fun using it. :)
• We met President Packer this week briefly. It was pretty incredible. He briefly came to look at the Temple model. SO VIP. We closed off the visitors center. 5 companionships. He was only there for about 20 minutes. He invited us to say hello, so we all walked over, shook his hand, said our name and where we were from.
  
  Funny thing: I've been teaching Sister Moisio some funny English catch phrases lately. ie: "whoopsie daisy", "she threw her under the bus", etc...
  --Sister Moisio: I'm Sister Moisio from Finland.
  --President Packer: Are you lonesome for it?
  --Sister Moisio: I think so....?
• Also... we found Elder Hinkley of the 70 in the South Visitor's Center looking for Hungarians this week.

Amidst all the fame this week, they were all SO HUMBLE. Christ centered. Meek. Sincere. Precious (says Sister Moisio). I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who let me meet so many humble people with strong character. It makes me think of all the people I respect back home and in Denmark. THANK YOU ALL FOR being such wonderful examples to me!

Love you all. Just another crazy and exciting week at Temple Square. It's all true. Please be patient and loving. Too many people, even if they know better, aren't. We need builders, not destroyers!

Thank you!!!

Love you!

Sister Amy

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

Finnish Strong

Hello LIFE.
Favorite links first!!
Beatta is FINNISH! Just like my new INCREDIBLE companion (Sister Moisio).
Hooray for girl power!!

We taught a 22 year old named Logan this week. Arizona. 99% of his friends are LDS. And he knows a lot about the gospel. Logistics I suppose. He knows what a home teacher is and a companion. He's met missionaries before. So when I asked him if he wanted to again, he said, "Yeah. I'm looking for answers but not really finding any".
Me: Well, what would you like Sister Moisio and I to prepare more for you about? Anything specific?
Logan: I know it all. You better have your guns loaded when you call.
Ha! Well, Logan is hilarious. We prayed probably 3-4 times for him before we called. Well, when we called, the spirit took over. It was one of the smoothest conversations ever. Spirit-led. Christ centered. His needs, not our agenda. He hasn't prayed in over a year. How can he find spiritual answers if he doesn't ask a spiritual source? He realized what he needed to do to find answers.

With the lieu of a new transfer comes my favorite things. "Getting to know you's" and "check-ins". Room check-ins, sure, but if you know me at all, you know my favorite type of check-in involves uninterrupted eye contact (thank you Baby Mama).

Speaking of Mamas....I gave a talk on Sunday. I was asked to speak for about 7-10 minutes about this quote: "No other success can compensate for failure in the home. The poorest shack in which love prevails over a united family is of greater value to God and future humanity than any other riches. In such a home God can work miracles and will work miracles. -President David O. McKay"

Basically I focused in on 3 incredible women who live that motto. Women who help their homes put trust in God and faith in Jesus Christ.

The first was a woman who, as a teenager, was asked to serve as the mother of God's son. (no pressure). But when she was first told of her destiny, here's some reassuring comfort: "And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God" Luke 1:30. With no better circumstances, she gave birth to the Savior of the world in a tiny manger. With no better medical supplies, this faithful woman turned to her Heavenly Father. Trusted Him. Put His will first. Then put her faith in that tiny baby. She knew who He was. And humbly, lived what she knew.

Then there is Lucy Mack Smith. The mother who would raise the prophet of the restoration. She's incredible. I thought about the strength that she had as she watched her young son endure a painful surgery in the early 1820s. The surgeons operated "by boring into the bone of his leg, first on one side of the bone where it was affected, then on the other side, after which they broke it off with a pair of forceps or pinchers. They thus took away large pieces of the bone". (History of Joseph Smith) When the surgery ended, Lucy was incited to enter the room, She wrote: "What a spectacle for a mother's eye! The wound torn open, the blood still gushing from it, and the bed literally covered with blood. Jospeh was pale as a corpse". I'm grateful for the trust that Lucy put in God. Through everything. And the faith that she taught her son Jospeh Smith to put in the Savior.

Then there's the warrior of today. Mama Harmer. She's incredible isn't she? I talked about a time on my mission when she really helped me put things in perspective. I once received a letter from my mom, (I'm sure after I had complained about feeling too tired or sore...). She wrote, "Dearest Sister Harmer....I want you to know I am with you always. Holding you and helping you endure, no matter what the task. Exercising, studying, giving tours, learning the programs. You are so special to so many, but most importantly your Heavenly Father. He can give you strength to move mountains, touch hearts and teach souls. I'm sure there are days you are exhausted both spiritually and physically. Just say your prayers to endure and have the strength to conquer all. Remember to always trust Him, no matter how small or big the task is....Enjoy the journey!" I am SO grateful for my mother. She has taught me where to turn. I know that her example of Christ-like charity has been my standard. I love her so much.

Thanks for a wonderful week!!

Sister Amy

A symbol of 18 months of hard work

Where do I start?

NEW TRANSFER!! Hooray! Here are the details:
Companion: Sister Moisio from Finland!! YAY!! She's Scandinavian!! She was baptized a few years ago. She's incredible. ALWAYS happy. Hard worker. I AM SO excited to serve with her!
Same: Assignment, Apartment.
Fresh: perspective.

SF Game---CAR??
MOM + DAD. What is going on with all the vehicular issues?!? If need be, I can handle business. Sorry to hear that your primary modes of transportation are being used for target practice, or anger management objects.

BOX!!!
LOVED it. I couldn't decide what was my favorite part. Nicole's annotations, the HILARIOUS card, the bongo south African class from Farmer's market, the Campbell Express, or just knowing that you all teamed up and made it together. Thank you so much. It really meant a lot to me. :)

LAMMERS!!!
WHAT IS GOING ON?? I am writing you a letter soon. My friend said you are living in NEW JERSEY?? I am such a terrible friend. I need to check in with you! It sounds like you're doing SO great. Hello to the fam bam + Callie from me!

Gray hair
Probably my favorite story of the whole week. Sister Yao is hilarious. Sister Yao (my current companion, who is flying home to Taiwan tomorrow) has faithfully served 18 months here. Subsequently, she found a gray hair amongst her very black Taiwanese hair. Well, what do you do? Well, I'll tell you what she did. She treasured it. Put it in her pocket as a symbol of 18 months of hard work. Probably not the same symbol I would choose, but hey. And then, she gave it as a gift to our mission president. President Holmes had a pretty good laugh. :) So did I.

Tiffany Call!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! I LOVED the chocolates, the Van Gogh paper and ESPECIALLY the check in. I'm a fan of the boy! I 110% support that choice. Glad you lived the dream! You are hilarious. I will be responding sooon..... ;)

Kelsey

We taught Kelsey this week. 19 years old. Incredible. She told us that she's having a hard time in her new place, but trying to get a ride to church. She's living in Vallejo, California (30 minutes from my home). When we called to teach her again, she had good news and bad news. We braced ourselves. Good news: She went to church! The bishop called back and was able to help her find a ride. What's more, she told us, "Sisters! I got the hook up at church! I got a Book of Mormon, a Preach My Gospel AND a Gospel Principles book!" Well...what was the bad news? She couldn't talk--she was spending time with some members who had invited her over for dinner. And tomorrow wouldn't work either, because she had basketball practice and was meeting with the missionaries. Doesn't sound like bad news to me. I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK. The best part is this: before we hung up, we said, "Well, we'll talk to you later Kelsey! Bye!" Kelsey: "Uh...Sisters, are we going to close with a prayer?" Oops. My mistake. Accordingly, we sent her this song: Did You Think to Pray? Because we didn't. Prayer is important! Thanks for the reminder Kelsey!
NEW Mormon.org videos!!!

KEVIN!!
Great new mormon.org video.
FAVORITES!!!
People who speak CHINESE!!!!!!! HERE and HERE and HERE!!!!
Thanks everyone for another FABULOUS week! Cheers to a fresh transfer! Only 3 more left! I come home in DECEMBER!!!

35 Acre Pop-up Book

BIRTHDAYS!!!

• HAPPY BIRTHDAY Grandpa Harmer!!! Hope you got to celebrate with homemade ice cream!! Or at least celebrated with a pioneer parade or two.


• HAPPY BIRTHDAY Lisa Elizondo!!!!!! LIIIiiiiiSSsssSSSSaaaAAAAaAAaA!!!! Preciosa. Nieta. Amiga. Amor. Numbero uno. I love you so much!! Whenever I meet people from anywhere near Southern California, I mention you. "Oh yeah! Heard of Escondido? My friend Lisa's from there!!" I can't wait to have lunch with you to sit and talk about our year and a half's worth of adventures. When do you finish with the credential program? Have you already? You'll be getting some love to your Escondido address soon!!!

Monkey backpacks

• One of the most popular things from our 5 million Temple Square visitors is the Monkey Backpack. My children will not wear monkey backpacks. If you haven't heard of them, let me explain. You put this monkey-looking-like backpack on your 2-6 year old. You make them think they're a big kid wearing a back back. But, here's the kicker, you attach a coard to it that keeps your kid within a short radius or you. No loosing children with this trap. Here's my favorite comment about the monkey backpacks:
  Me:Why hello there you! Looks like you've got a monkey on your back.
  The "cool young uncle" trailing behind his brother and sister-in-law: "It's a tail!.... it's really a leash....".

Sister Yao

• She was a Taiwanese cheerleader in high school. Favorite cheer: "Go, Fight, Win!"


• We left the house one day. She looks at me and with a sincere twinkle in her eye says, "Wow Sister Harmer. You look so cute today. Like a high school student". :) Oh multicultural living....gotta love it.

Boundaries, but no limits

• Met a really sweet Mom and daughter duo yesterday. Sally and Jennifer From Nebraska. The daughter is about to serve a mission in Chicago, Illinois. The mom is Catholic. Single mom. Just the two of them their whole lives. They've sacrificed so much for each other, so the next 18 months are going to be a little hard for them. When I asked the mom how she felt when her daughter joined the LDS church, she said, "well, I've always given my daughter healthy boundaries, but never limits. I support and love her more than anything. Perhaps she just found something I couldn't offer her". I respect that woman so much. I corrected her last comment though. I am a firm believer that BECAUSE of the things that Sally has taught Jennifer, Jennifer is that much more motivated to continue that relationship for eternity. That's what's fueling these 18 months for her. Ditto.

Ringback

• At Temple Square, we get to call friends or families of guests that visit and invite them to learn more about the history or basic beliefs of our faith--upon request of course. Because we call all over the world, we hear all sorts of things when we call. One of my favorite new trends is this "ringback" thing. So when you call, you hear a song. My favorite new ringback: "Makes Me Wanna Take the Back Roads". Love that!

The Garden & dessert

• Earlier this week, I went to the roof of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. It was so nice to be there with Sister Yao and 2 other sister missionaries, Sister Wilde from Canada and Sister Tizhanina from Russia. They reflected on how their testimonies have grown as they've served another full time. We got to look down at Temple Square (you remember that view Steph...). I couldn't help but feel so overwhelmingly grateful for the past year. I've learned so much. I have grown so much. I thought about all the different people and experienced that have happened on that sacred ground. I am grateful for how much more I appreciate the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and what that really means to me. It's taken a year and a giant 35-acre pop-up book for me to get to where I am. And I am looking forward to continuing the journey.

Next week....Wednesday is the start of Transfer #10 (of 12). I'll let you all know details when I e-mail next Tuesday.
LOVE YOU ALL!!!
Have a wonderful week!!
Sister Amy

Jeans from Japan

Way too much to get too. So bullet points it shall be.

• Grandma's Birthday!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAMS!!! I LOVE YOU!! Maybe have Grandpa bake YOU a cake. :) He's really good at making chocolate covered raisins too. :) Love you both! Thanks for everything.
• Vans!
• Thanks for the card and the darling picture!!! I love you so much!! Will write back soooon!!!
• Apple T-shirt
• A Chinese college student from Boston is showing his parents around the US. (Good son, methinks). AND he had the funniest T-shirt on! It was a black shirt. White writing: "I visited the Apple campus. But that's all I am allowed to say".
• Munkyoung's baptism
• I'm grateful for perspective. We went to a baptism this week of someone Sister Yao had taught. Munkyoung is Korean and lives here in Salt Lake. After she was baptized, she was SO happy. So sincere. So pure. I was reminded there why I am HERE. Happy message!! I'm grateful for the opportunity we get to invite others--including myself, sister missionaries and families, to choose to come closer to Jesus Christ.
• Danish friends!
• Saw some of my Danish friends this week!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!! DET VAR SAAAAA HYGGELIT!!! TUSIND TAK!
• Amy Winehouse died.
• I just found this out this week!! Rocked my world.
• Baptist couple
• Met a couple Mike and Sara who wanted a tour. Come to find out, they were from South Carolina on their way to visit Mike's brother in Canada. Go figure, Mike's brother is a Baptist pastor there. Oh wait, and Mike's dad was a retired dean at a private Baptist university. They were SO nice. So respectful. So sincere. Definitely disagreed with our doctrine, but the most respectful couple I've met. We believe that we can be together forever with our families after this life. Even though they don't believe that too, they treated us with so much respect. I left feeling so grateful for them and their sincerity and character.
• Running to the canyon
• I ran a few miles in a canyon for exercise this week and my legs felt like jell-o.
• Jeans from Japan
• THANK YOU so much Sister Hirata for the jeans and suit jacket!! YOU ARE SO HILARIOUS!! I was laughing so hard. Love you so much. I appreciated the note: "remember me through clothing". I love you so much and miss the tender moments we got to enjoy together. :)
• Seagull fountain
• You can barely see it, but in the link above, on the left hand side is the Seagull Fountain in front of the Assembly Hall here @ Temple Square. Well, this week, my former companion, Sister Chen from Taiwan, fell into said fountain. By immersion. Made my week!!!

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! Take it easy!! :) I'm off to the Asian Market for more Wong Lo Kat. So delicious. :) Bye!!!

{Sister Amy}