Surprise referral

A wonderful member

sent me this pic

of Sis. Tyler

doing some service.

I have renewed my testimony this week that our Heavenly Father is still a God of miracles.

While going about our regular Thursday schedule, we were driving home to grab something when we noticed a text from a senior couple that is serving in Northern Maine. They said they have a referral for us and wanted us to call them for further information. Once we connected they informed us that someone they used to teach had moved down to Kennebunk and was wanting to investigate again and be baptized! They told us he wanted to meet us as soon as possible, so we called him and set up a time to see him that night!

We were able to take a member with us because we were with her when we got in touch with the referral, Pat, which was great because it helped us know that we will fellowship him with ward members as much as possible. Then, while meeting with him, we quickly found he had a strong desire to do everything that he could for Jesus Christ. He had a strong testimony of everything we talked about, from the Book of Mormon to missionary work to temple baptisms! We really think he is committed to this and we just have to teach and check for understanding and he will be ready to be baptized! We will have some trouble getting him to church because we need certain transportation and he lives fairly far away from most of the members of the ward. But, I know that the Lord will provide a way.

Former companions reunited!

Sis. Tyler on exchanges with Sis. Olsen

Since he has moved to Kennebunk, we have seen him every day at his request. He keeps telling us that he just wants to learn as much as he can to prepare for this covenant he is making with God and so that he can be prepared to be a member of the church. He understands it all so well and he is so enthusiastic about it all. He strengthens my testimony every time we meet with him.

One other fun thing about this past week, specifically about Pat, is that he wasn't able to attend church in person since we needed time to find him a ride. So, to make up for it, we had him Skype in to the Gospel Principles class and he joined our ward mission leader for High Priests Group (since the Elder's quorum meets in the chapel and we can't have video/recording devices going in the chapel). It was so great to start introducing him to everyone even though he couldn't be there in person.

I hope I can give all of my efforts for the Lord this week so that we may continue to receive these amazing blessings.

Sincerely, Sister Tyler

Autumn sunset in Kennebunk, Maine

Oh, What Songs of the Heart

Sis. Tyler and Monjar spent the morning

on their preparation day at the beach

down the street from her apartment.

This week we had the opportunity to use a lot of music in our day to day lives. We sang more songs to people during lessons than I have in a while. And we even sang, "I Need Thee Every Hour" in Sacrament meeting for the ward on Sunday. Everyone said we sounded like angels, but I think it was probably the angels standing behind Sister Monjar and I at the podium that sounded like angels haha.

She's so blessed to live only

3 miles from the Maine Coast!

We also had a really fun Zone Conference centered on the Book of Mormon and how we can use it in our lives and teaching. It was so great to learn about ways we can use the most correct book on earth to further the work. To help us bring the Book of Mormon to life, we even got to put together short Book of Mormon skits by districts. We decided to use Elder Luu as our Lamanite and he can rap so we had him rap as if he were performing his sermon for the Nephites (you could say its a modernized version).

Then, later in the week, we met with a less active member we haven't met with in a really long time, but the last time she met with missionaries she requested a hymn book. So we took one over and got to know her better, to which we found she loves hearing hymns so we sang for her. The Spirit was so strong as we sang and testified that families can be forever, and now she has a strong desire to go to the temple. We are working with her to come to church and meet the bishop so that we can get that process started!

It has been a good week. Even with tiredness, the work will not cease and I know that our Savior is there to guide this wonderful work.

Sincerely, Sister Tyler

Sister Tyler sharing quiet messages on the beach

Beautiful Maine sunset

Another pic of her district at the Beach

Trying to Obey the Spirit

**Sister Tyler shared some great videos with us this week, but no pictures! —Luckily I found some of her in photos from the Mission's facebook page! Some of these are from the last few months.

It has been interesting to have another week where we have had to really listen to the Spirit as we go out and work.

Her District visited

Cape Neddick Maine last week.

While trying to be obedient to the Spirit this week we were driving to the church on our way to coordination meeting when we noticed a guy walking up the street near our church. I couldn't help but do a double take when I saw him because I could have sworn that I knew him. When we got to the church Sister Monjar suggested we go talk to him. I was nervous but agreed and we walked over to the street where we last saw him. While we were walking I said a prayer in my heart that if we were supposed to talk to him that he would be close enough where we could catch up to him or that God would provide a way. Just as I finished that prayer we turned the corner and there he was, sitting on the stone wall just down the street! It was so cool to have such an immediate answer to prayers. So, we went over to talk to him and while getting to know him we found out he was studying to be a minister and has always been interested in Christ and his teachings. We found he had heard of the Book of Mormon from an old Mormon friend he had and asked if we had a copy of it. We did and we gladly handed it to him with our phone number in it, expressing to him our testimonies of how God loves us and speaks to his children today. We are continuing to pray for him that he may reach out to us or missionaries in the future as he reads from the Book of Mormon.

Working with one of the mission's

Family History Specialists

at that summer festival.

A little later in the week, I was reading in PMG [Preach My Gospel] chapter 9 where it talks about Finding People to Teach and focusing on the section that talks about family history work in my personal study because I hadn't studied it in a while. Later that day we were tracting and we invited someone to learn about their family history. She was a bit confused and asked us why we were talking about genealogy when we were clearly there to talk about religion. Because I had studied that section earlier, in addition to studying the Restoration lesson in PMG (which talks about how the Gospel blesses families), I was able to explain to her why we talk about family history work and how we believe that the family and Jesus Christ is central to everything we teach. Although she wasn't interested at that time, I feel we were able to still leave a lasting impression with her.

I am so grateful to the little experiences we have to strengthen our testimonies that the Holy Spirit speaks to all of us in different ways. I know that God prepares each of us to accomplish all the things He may need us for. I hope that everyone has an opportunity to either continue to feel the Spirit uplift them in their lives, or that they may begin to recognize the role that the Spirit can play in their lives.

Sincerely, Sister Tyler

l-r: Sister Upton (3^rd companion),

Sister Tyler, Sister Boyce (MTC district)

and Sister Olsen (11^th companion)

l-r: Sisters Danner, Harman, Tyler, Olsen, Halling

l-r: President and Sister Stoker,

Sisters Blume, Kimball, Olsen and Tyler

Listening to the Spirit

After they finally completed

Sis. Monjar's iPad training!

This week we had an extremely normal week. Nothing out of the ordinary. However, we had some great experiences from simply listening to the Spirit and doing what we felt we should at that moment we were in.

My favorite experience of this week happened when we felt like we should go to homes near the beach and contact. After trying to tract a street near the beach we found most people weren't home, so before we went home we felt we should actually go to the beach and contact a bit. So we parked our car and started walking. We originally wanted to go straight onto the sand part of the beach, but while we were walking we felt we should talk to a lady on a bench nearby. We went over and asked her how her day has been and she said "it's been great" to which Sister Monjar asked why it was great. Then she told us she just found out a couple of days ago that she was in remission from cancer! It was just an amazing experience to be able to talk to someone that was on vacation celebrating her remission.

Planting Gospel Seeds

at the Beach

We also got to see someone we are working with who we love dearly. Sadly, her dog passed away recently. It was really hard to hear that because even though I'm not usually a big fan of dogs, I really loved that little guy. We were able to talk with her and cheer up her spirit a bit. We didn't do anything major, but it was really nice to be with her and comfort one another in knowing the Plan of Salvation can comfort us in knowing we will see all those we love again some day.

I'm so grateful for the simple, special experiences we have with the Spirit each week in helping us know where to go and what to say during each moment of the day.

Sincerely, Sister Tyler

The Slurpee Pics continue...

Sis.Tyler took this pic

of Sis. Monjar at the Beach

The Beach is the Best!

Sister Monjar and Sister Tyler

It's a new week in a new transfer with a new companion who is a new missionary! It's a lot to take in at once, but hey, at least I'm not in a new area.

I am now with my awesome new companion, Sister Monjar. She is from Kaysville, UT and she understands so much about the gospel already! She has taught me a lot this past week by showing me it isn't too scary to talk to and invite everyone we see (especially at the beach). Which is where we met someone who is really prepared to learn about the gospel. While beach contacting on Wednesday, we were about to go home to continue loading our area book onto our iPads when Sister Monjar stopped and started talking to a man sitting on a bench nearby. We ended up talking for a while and sat down next to him and discussed a lot about the gospel. He was interested in discussing more with us so we set up a time to meet him again at the beach in a couple of days! We left him with a Book of Mormon and we did see him again a few days later. We shared a lot with him and tried teaching about the Plan of Salvation specifically, but he asked a lot of questions that made it so we mostly taught about the Restoration AND the Plan of Salvation. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but he kept telling us things that he believes that go exactly with the doctrine that we teach. He truly has been prepared to meet with missionaries and before we left again he said he would read from the Book of Mormon and let us know what he thought through email. It was such an amazing experience to find and teach someone who has been so prepared spiritually to receive the gospel into his life. We will continue to pray that he may reach out to us when he reads a bit from the Book of Mormon.

Kennebunk, Maine Beach

We also had the opportunity to go to the beach again and draw the Plan of Salvation in the sand. It was an idea another missionary gave to us to help us talk to and teach everyone we meet. While we were drawing it, Sister Monjar asked a couple walking nearby if she could show them what we were drawing in the sand, they were kind of curious and it gave us a chance to explain the Plan of Salvation to them! It was a really great and fun opportunity.

I'm so grateful to be serving here in Kennebunk a bit longer, this is such a great area and I know the Lord needs me here for a reason.

Sincerely, Sister Tyler

Sharing the Gospel

by teaching our Heavenly Father's

Plan of Happiness

--in the sand!

(I LOVE their creative efforts!)