Pioneer Day on Temple Square!

Tuesday was Pioneer Day! I’ve always heard about the pioneers, but honestly, I don’t think I even knew what Pioneer Day was all about before I came on my mission! But it’s a really big deal here in Utah. And we get to explain it to a lot of people who visit Temple Square. So the first company arrived in the Salt Lake valley on the 21st of July, 1847. Brigham Young, who was leading that company, was sick with mountain fever so HE arrived 3 days later on the 24th of July. It was THAT day when he said "This is enough. This is the right place." haha So there you have it. And that is a direct quote. There have been rumors that he wanted to keep going and instead said "If there ever was a hell on earth, this is the place!" hahaha but that is not true!!! Brigham Young saw the Salt Lake basin in a vision before they even got there and knew that it was going to be the place where they could build the kingdom of God again on the earth. It is so incredible, the history of this Church. Honestly, study it if you haven't.

Summer is so different! We are having a hard time finding new investigators on the phones because we rarely have time to call anyone. We are spending all our time, and doing everything we can to teach and testify on Temple Square. Which we do a lot since we have 9 hours of Square everyday haha. I am looking forward to walking around all day but also being able to sit down every once and a while for a lesson at someone’s house when I go outbound haha, because right now we walk and talk all day long! So busy! Luckily we meet really great members here. One in particular, his name is Brennan and he served in the Baltimore Mission and got home recently but he is giving me people to call that he used to teach during his mission! Those are my favorite people to call. People who used to be learning and progressing and then lost interest and have became former investigators. I think because usually they have a big underlying concern. And I LOVE talking to those people and working through the concerns they have. Anyways we are so grateful for those members who lead us to those investigators. Even Rique Carroll, who served in Italy, gives my companion people to call!

A lot of people need evidence of things. I just read Hebrews 11:1 the other day and am looking forward to sharing it with those people.

Tomorrow will be fun! We are having a Temple Square Mission GIRLS CAMP! More news on that next week.

LOVE YOU!

xoxoox

Sister Jarvie

The Temple and Tabernacle around 1870

Can't Believe I Serve My Mission Here!

Together with Sister Au-Yeung Again!!!

My awesome sisters!

Well we had transfers this week and I am still with Sister Di Liberto, as I'll still be training her until next transfer. And my pday is Friday instead of Saturday, as you can see! We will not be in Extended Zone anymore :(...Extended is the Zone that has the AP's, OA's, Guest Services, West Gate, Humanitarian Center and Welfare Square!! So sad! I will really miss spending time on Welfare Square this transfer! Now we are in South 1 zone. Sister Au-Yeung is my Zone leader!! Yayay! (She was my trainer when I first got to Temple Square!  She just returned from her outbound). This will be so different than all of my transfers because there are days that we have what I call "Eternal Square". We will literally be on the square from 1-9pm most days of the week.... Wow. One more transfer of summer schedule!! I can’t believe that next transfer will be General Conference transfer already! That is so exciting!!  If I don’t go outbound on my next transfer day, August 29^th, I will be on the square when Lauren Call comes from the MTC to train!!  Then I could go outbound for the two transfers after that, and come back for two transfers and the mission is over!!!  So crazy---it’s flying!!

We had a miracle yesterday. We were at the desk and a bunch of really awesome hippies walked in. One of them was talking to me for a while and he wants to learn more!! Anyways, he was just a happy person. Optimistic and bright! I guess I would identify it with the Light of Christ. This person can feel the Spirit and it increases their faith, which leads them to act nice and be happy. We saw them again later and they had more questions for us. It is neat to meet people who are simple. That is what the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about. It’s simple. It’s natural. It makes sense. Anyways, I am excited to talk to him again.  I love the people who come to Temple Square with sincere hearts—the Lord can work miracles with them!!

Anyways, great week, I love being a missionary!

LOVE

xoxoxo
sister jarv

Sister Au-Yeung--My Trainer when I started-
Now my Zone Leader!

Another Transfer Already!!

Birthday Dinner with the candles Mom sent

This is the last week of the transfer! I have no idea how that happened but now I will be in my 7th transfer here at Temple Square. President Gillette told me that I'm not going outbound this coming transfer. So maybe in my 8th or 9th transfer I will go!! I can't wait to go. I am getting really excited.

We have been continuing to teach one of our investigators! This week it has been all about the Plan of Salvation. This one is fun because we don't get the chance to teach it much, and it’s so fun to teach. The elders in the investigator’s area usually take over teaching before we get to it. It is great to teach about it. I love it.

I hope I can serve at Welfare Square again next transfer! I love that place!

Last Pday was so fun!!!! We wanted to do something different so we went bowling! I am still so horrible at bowling, I guess some things just don't change… But it was still so fun.

Well, off for another P-Day adventure!!!

Until next week...

CTR

xoxoxoxo
Sister Jarvie

Check out our bowling shoes!

God Bless America!!!

A visit from President Nelson of my home stake!

The fourth of July was so fun! We finished on the Square at 8pm to start off our party! First we ate dinner, and then we all went up to the 26th floor of the Church Office Building to watch fireworks!! But first they put on a kind of musical program. President Gillette tried to teach us how to lead music (not gonna happen...), it was so cute! And then after some singing and July birthday recognition, we turned off the lights and found a place to look through the windows. Sister Di Liberto and I have become best friends with Sister Kemp and Sister K. Kim this transfer so we went into the less crowded and more peaceful room. It was so amazing!! We could probably see about 20 different fireworks shows going around all of Salt Lake City!! I have never seen so many fireworks in my whole life! I was thinking about how I didn't see any fireworks last year because I was a counselor at EFY. It was so worth it though. Oh, and President Gillette said I can start my application for EFY while still on my mission. I can't wait to work there again!

Thank you so much for all of the birthday love! SISTER KEMP AND SISTER KIM totally decorated my room on Tuesday night!! We walked into our apt after the day and I totally screamed! I was so surprised! Sister Wong gave me a 12-pack of Diet Coke. My zone leaders bought me a Diet Coke and Raspberry muffin top from Nauvoo Cafe. There were sooooo many nice things all the sisters did.

I love this mission.

 

It is really wonderful, the opportunity I have had on my mission to meet LDS girls that are so awesome! Everyone I have met here is so humble and they try so hard to live by the example of Jesus Christ. The sisters at Temple Square are from all over the world, but whether they come from an affluent part of the world or an island in the middle of the sea, they love the Lord and are completely dedicated to serving Him. They have such loving hearts and they use that love to lift the people they are serving and teaching. They are ever devoted to serving the Lord, building up His kingdom, and they are full of charity, the pure love of Christ. I think it is being a part of this mission and seeing this charity in action 24/7 that I will miss most when I go back to life in the real world. Anyways, I am so grateful for this precious time. I have learned so much already and I still have half way to go! I am so grateful for the amazing opportunity and the wonderful blessings I have received serving in this mission!!! I am an eternal member of a celestial sorority of Temple Square sister missionaries, and I am so very humbled and grateful…

Peace and Blessings

xoxoxo

Sister Jarvie

Please CTR

I'm in the Middle, Now and Forever!

Just starting out last October!

Not much else to say but things are going great here in the Temple Square Mission! It has really been heating up here, and it is so busy with everyone on vacation and out of school!! I’m looking forward to my birthday next week. This will be the second year in a row to not really celebrate my birthday since last year I was working as a counselor at EFY! So it probably won't be too weird, it will just be another busy day.

We are having so much FUN at Welfare Square! We serve there on Tuesdays and Thursdays all day long. The best part of the day is at the end when we get to help host. That is when we take around a person who has a bishop’s order for food and other needs. So we get to push the cart and tell them what to get! It’s so fun!! Anyways we got to do this a lot this week. Christlike service in action; it’s so fun!

Oh here's one...I’m already half way done with my mission? What happened? All I know is that when we are in the service of our fellow beings we are only in the service of our God. I have loved my mission. And I will never be the same! But I will ALWAYS be in the middle! (Read President Uchtdorf's talk from the July Ensign) He says, "with the proper outlook, considering ourselves as in the middle of things can help us not only to understand life a little better but also to live it a little more meaningfully.  When I speak to our young missionaries, I often tell them they are in the middle of their missions. Whether they just arrived the day before or are to depart for home the day after, I ask them to think of themselves as always being in the middle...Thinking of themselves as always being in the middle of their missions will embolden and energize these faithful representatives of the Lord. As it is with full-time missionaries, so it is with all of us….Yes, there will be moments of beginnings and moments of endings throughout our lives, but these are only markers along the way of the great middle of our eternal lives. Whether we are at the beginning or the end, whether we are young or old, the Lord can use us for His purposes if we simply set aside whatever thoughts limit our ability to serve and allow His will to shape our lives……Being always in the middle means that the game is never over, hope is never lost, defeat is never final. For no matter where we are or what our circumstances, an eternity of beginnings and an eternity of endings stretch out before us….We are always in the middle.”

Thank you for all the love and support!

I love you all!

xoxooxox

Sister Jarvie
CTR

Mom's Countdown Calendar

Lots of Success, Lots of Anti-Mormons!

Former Temple Square Missionaries Danielle Bryers and Blythe Beecroft
visit Sister Jarvie's house in California

Going to the Temple with Sister Call
Awesome Sister Missionaries and Mom

Sister Di Liberto and Sister Jarvie

Things are starting to move along again now that Sister Di Liberto has gotten the hang of Temple Square. We had a lot of success in the last week. Also we had a lot of anti experiences. On Wednesday morning we were called for a tour and it was a group in the South. They didn't really say much, so 5 minutes into the whole thing we find out they are actually two different groups in one 'tour'. So there was this really cute lady and her two kids. She had just bought her son a car to use for college. Really nice little Catholic family, so Sister Di Liberto was mostly talking to them. So I was focusing on the group of about 5 or 6 youth and one adult. They were all wearing crosses and looked less than excited to be here...anti alert. Anyways, we had an appointment at 11:30am so we took them to the Christus to cut it short. While Sister Di Liberto was talking to the Catholic family, the anti group started asking me about what the statue represents. (Keep in mind that all their questions were asked in a, ‘trying to look innocent/ speculative way).’ I said “That's Jesus Christ....” Then they were like “well what does that mean? What is this room supposed to represent? Do the planets mean something? What are the orbs all about?” I just started laughing, I’m like “Ha well, if you want to look at it that way or read into it for deeper meaning, go ahead. But as far as I know it’s just a pretty room. You can think what you want.” Haha They knew I thought these questions were ridiculous. So they kept asking weird/controversial questions yada yada. Then I gave them the guest card and said “well we need to take off.” The leader said “Can we pray with you?” I said “No...”  “You don't pray?” “Oh, yes we pray. But not here with you. Not like this. If you want to pray to yourselves that’s fine but we won’t join you." Then that was that.

Anyways, the moral is that the Lord always blesses me with super great normal people in a tour when we also get anti's. And Sister Di Liberto was totally protected with her group on the other side of the room. After that tour we were walking to our appointment and saw another anti group. LATER at the Beehive House the SAME group we had just seen showed up. They were obviously so anti. Haha its funny thinking about it!! I was at the desk by myself and then Sister Kemp walks out. It was honestly DEAD SILENT in that room. So weird! That never happens... Anyways, so I wrote down "ANTIS!!" on the paper so Sister Kemp could see. We decided that we should go on an exchange for the tour. I have taken a lot of Anti Beehive tours before so I know we need to talk fast...really fast. So Sister Kemp and I took the tour. I walked with them out of the house, waved, ran back inside and closed the door! Phew...

Monday was AWESOME! We had mission FHE! So we went to President Seppi's mansion in Sandy. It was so fun. We wore our jeans and played volleyball and ate food and looked around his house. It was so so so relaxing. I haven't just laid on the grass watching the clouds roll by since Hawaii.

Well I think that’s about it for this week.

Love Sister Jarvs

Xooxoxoxoxox
CTR

I'm Learning How to Be a Better Missionary!!

Blythe Beecroft visits Sister Jarvie

Training training training! There has been a lot of adjusting going on this week. Sister Di Liberto is still feeling really self conscious about her English but I think it’s great! We were able to get a language blessing from President Harmon on Tuesday. He said a lot of great things to her and it is so nice that we can go get that blessing from him. I hope it has been helping her confidence!

Wednesday was better. We were in the Beehive House!! I have missed it so much. Summer is so much busier there then when I served there during the winter. It was great though and Sister Di Liberto learned about it really quickly!

 
All the zone leaders, district leaders and trainers had to go to a leadership training meeting this week. It was at a really cool house up in the avenues! This place was honestly a mansion! It was up on the hill too so it had a great view of SLC. The meeting was great. I learned so much about being a better missionary. Of course that's what these meetings are always about but we learn more every time.

The amazing mansion where we had leadership training!

Yesterday was a very long day. First thing we had training. Then we rushed off to Welfare Square only to find out that it was closed for the day! But it kept going back and forth between yes, there would be tours and no, there would not be tours that day. So we ended up kind of just sitting there for an hour trying to figure it out haha. Eventually we got picked up and taken back to Temple Square. My companion was having a really hard day. She was really struggling with homesickness. So I talked to her and then we tried to get a hold of President Gillette for a priesthood blessing but he wasn't at the Square. So we went over to Sister Gillette’s office and she talked to Sister Di Liberto for a while. It made her feel better. I think she was just putting too much pressure on herself to know English right away. She will be fine. I’m not worried.

Well I am so happy that today is p-day! The time is still going by pretty fast around here!!

I hope everyone had a good week!

xoxoox

Sister Jarvie

Sister Jarvie and Sister Wong