Welcome, Welcome!

Hey! 

It's Sister Abeling, in the flesh. It's super weird that we can use blogs and facebook now and I'm not totally sure how I feel about it yet, so my plan is just to keep it real like always. My mom has been posting my weekly emails which she can totally keep doing if she wants but I think I'll just keep this blog up to share experiences and crazy stories for those who want to read. I don't want to bombard my Facebook and others with info so I'll try to keep messages short and sweet there but use this if you want the fuller stories. So if you are reading this, hold tight (;

For those of you who have happened to stumble onto this page, welcome! I'm a 20 year old girl who knows not nearly enough about the Gospel but decided to give an LDS mission a go and so ta-da!  

I grew up in the land of corn and beans aka Illinois... it's no Utah that's for sure (so there are few and far between many  LDS there. Even though corn and flat lands aren't my favorite thing... I wouldn't trade where I grew up for anything. The people I met there have helped shape me into who am I now so that's pretty senitmental(; I went to school in DC for two years then decided to serve a mission for 18 months for my church. I'm in the field now (Mission Slang for I'm workin' hard or hardly workin' in Portland Oregon) and it's week 2 or 3.. I can't remember- the days are long and weeks fly by (I'd always heard that's what happens on missions but that never made sense to me until now...) 

Why a blog? 

I have lots of family and friends who may not know the first thing about LDS missions (these are my favorite kind of people!) so I decided to keep up this blog to explain the basics of what I am doing with my life in the land of rainy Portland (I promise I didn't fall off the face of the earth) This blog or really anything I say, isn't to convert you... so you can take a breath (; ... that's not my job as a missionary. I just share with people what I've experienced and come to know for myself and help anyone who wants to know more about Christ. I'm sure I'll post cool stuff that's really stuck out to me and then tell you why... sound like a plan? Well good... cuz  here I go:

but FIRST! this picture of me and my companion and die-hard cute puppies: 

okay..proceed. 

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Disclaimer: Unless it's in some kind of quotation marks with a fancy reference, these are my words and my convictions. I encourage you to go straight to the sources themselves and study it for yourself to find your own convictions(:
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What do you do when you teach?

As an education major and Just as a general life side note, I've learned everyone is different meaning you have to adapt your teaching to each persons needs. Simply handing someone a card with a nice picture of Jesus while walking down the street does not (at least in my book) qualify as teaching. Most importantly is teaching by example. How We walk and talk are living expressions of what we believe. We teach in people's homes- the best place to learn things and where many people feel the most comfortable. But with all this new technology the rules about using social media have expanded to include Facebook, blogs, text and phone calls to reach the people who want to know more and discuss. In fact, I'm teaching right now! Are you scared? Hope not, that's the way it should be! It doesn't have to be formal or threatening (neither of those ways are successful to really teach someone) Teaching does not mean converting... We just talk with people about their standing beliefs with the hopes to add to that knowledge so they may come closer to Christ. We simply provide information and what they do with that information is up to them. The Spirit's job is to convert and our job is live and teach in such a way to bring the Spirit. I know from my own experience that Is the only true converting power for I am such a skeptic and even SEEING doesn't cut it for me. Only when something touches my heart can I really begin to understand with my brain that it must be good. 26 Now, as I said concerning faith--that it was not a perfect knowledge--even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge. 27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.
Alma 32:26-27 My purpose is not to diminish anyone's standing faith but to add to it so they may come closer to Christ.

What do you teach? 

About Christ and His gospel would be the short answer (; Through Faith in the Restoration of His gospel on the earth today which leads to the steps he has set in order to "bring immortality and eternal life"(moses1:39 ) Those steps are: faith in the Atonement, repentance , baptism and enduring to the end. Pretty clear cut. There are no secrets- ask me any question and I'll do my best to answer or find the answer even though I'm still learning myself This blog will talk more about these things so stay tuned!(: 
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Questions? Comments? Concerns? I'd love to hear it all (:

Just keep swimming, 
Sister Abeling 

 Check out the Dictionary on the right side: it explains these crazy terms! 

He's Been There

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The alarm bell rings at 6:30, I stumble to my feet

I grab my companion's bedding and pull off his sheets

A groan fills the room, is it already time to arise?

It seems like just a second ago, I was able to shut my eyes

The morning activities follow- study, prayer and such

When it's time to leave the apartment, you feel you haven't accomplished much

"We have a super day planned,"

My comp. says with a grin

I lowly utter a faithless breath,

"Yeah, if anyone lets us in."

With the word of God and my faithful Schwinn, we ride off in the street prepared to

Face another day of humidity and heat

It's 9:30 in the evening, the day is almost through

My companion and I are riding home not accomplishing what we thought to do

We ride up to the mailbox, hoping to receive a lot

Only to look inside and hear my echo reverberate "air Box"

We go up to our apartment, the day is now complete

The only thing to show for our work is a case of blistery feet

It's past 10:30 p.m. My companion is fast asleep,

Silence engulfs me all about and I begin to weep

In the midst of sadness, I kneel down to pray

I need to talk to father, but I'm not sure what to say

"Oh, Father" I begin, "What happened to us today?

I thought we'd teach somebody, but everyone was away

My hands, my aching hands- worn, hurt and beat;

If our area was any smaller, we'd have knocked every street"

"Why on missions are the days so much alike?

The only difference about today was the flat tire on my bike

Will you send some cooler weather? The heat is killing me

I sweat so bad, it gets in my eyes, it's very hard to see"

"Why do I have to wear a helmet, isn't your protection enough?

People always laugh at me, and call me stupid stuff

Please send us investigators so I may give them what they lack

I want to give them Books of Mormon, the weight of them hurts my back"

"And what about my family: They don't have much to say

I'm sick of not hearing from home day after day after day

Oh Father, Why am I here am I just wasting time?

Sometimes I just want to go home, I'm sorry but that's on my mind"

"My companion, Heavenly Father, what are you giving me?"

The way he rides his bicycle, I don't think he can see

Now you have it, I can't go on, I don't know what to do

That, my Father in Heaven, is the prayer I have for you"

My prayer now finished, I stand up, then jump right into bed

I need my rest for tomorrow, we have another long day ahead

Sleep start to overtake me, I seem to drift away

Then it seems a vision takes me to another time in another day

I'm standing alone on the hill. The view is very nice

A man walks to wards me and says, "My name is Jesus Christ"

Tears of joy well up inside, I fall down to His feet

"Arise," He states, "Follow me to the shade. You and I need to speak"

My attention's towards my Savior, total and complete

He says, "Your mission is similar of what happened to me

I understand how you feel, I know what you're going through

In fact, it would be fair to say I've felt the same as you"

"I even know how you felt when no one listened to you

At times I felt not quite sure what else I could do

I know you don't like to ride a bicycle, for you a car would be sweet

Just remember the donkey I rode wasn't equipped with 21 speeds"

"I understand you don't like sweating, in fact it's something you hate

I remember when I sweat blood from ev’ry pore, oh the agony was great!

I see you don't like your companion- you'd rather have someone else-

I once had a companion named Judas who sold my life for wealth"

"It's hard to wear a helmet and have people make fun of you

I remember when they put thorns on my head and called me King of the Jews

So you feel burdened down by the weight of your pack

I recall how heavy the cross was when they slammed it on my back"

"Your hands hurt from tracting and knocking on doors all day

I guess when they pounded nails into mine, I ached in a similar way

It's hard not to hear from home when your family's not there to see

I lost communication on the cross and cried, "Father, why hast Thou forsaken me?"

"We have a lot in common, but there's a difference between us you see

I endured to the end and finished my mission, so follow and do like me"

He embraced me with His arms and His light filled me with His love

With tears in my eyes I watched as He went back to the Father above

I stood with awe and wonder when a beep rang in my head

I listened and heard the alarm, then realized I was in my bed

My companion let out a groan, "6:30 already, no way!"

I sat up and said, "Come on, I'll even carry your scriptures today!"

No matter what we go through,

When we feel we can't take more

Just stop and think about Jesus Christ,

He's been there before!

By Elder Troy Whittle

Texas Houston Mission

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The Gift of Tongues

I can't believe it! My time here at the MTC is almost done! Only a couple more days left until I fly out to Portland on Tuesday! I report at 4:30 am at the travel center here and then my flight is at 8:30!! 

Sister Abeling (far right) and her companion, Sister Brown
(far left) say farewell to sisters heading to Australia.

So my teacher Sister Querry (who small world: her fiance is an Elder from my ASL Missionaries at Gally) she served in My mission so she showed me on Google maps where my branch will be (if i'm in the Deaf Branch I have a good feeling I'll be trained with English missionaries because there aren't too many ASL out there now; only one ASL sister and they had to recruit another sister) but all is well!!  The Lord will handle everything and I just need to have patience. I already know one of the men in the Deaf branch because we taught "him" (it was just practicing and my teacher covered as him) but he is so sweet from everything I've heard and seen, he doesn't know English, Spanish or Sign so we gesture everything with him, It's like a big game of charades. He's an older man that reminds me of the man I met in Costa Rica that painted that ring wood I gave to dad, I'm already thrilled to meet him. 

We had an incredible devotional (it was previously recorded) of Elder Bednar about the Character of Christ. Long story short our ASL Zone had been waiting for weeks to get an interpreter or get the rights to close caption it for Elder Jackson [an elder in the MTC), but finally we decided to watch it as we thought the interpreter would show up.  Well, they didn’t come, which was sad (there must have been confusion). 

I said a million prayers that I would be able to interpret for the whole thing –  it was I about an hour and 15 minutes, but I really wanted to watch it and wanted Elder Jackson to have that same opportunity because we had been hearing that it was going to be AMAZING.

Kids, let me tell you, the gifts of tongues and interpretation is SO REAL. Elder Jackson didn't want me to try to interpret because carpel tunnel is a thing that can happen when interpreting too long, which is why there are usually team interpreters.  But I asked the Lord to help me and that we could all enjoy the talk. Usually when I interpret I don't retain any of the information – it just goes in my ears and out my hands. But then something amazing happened!! An hour and 15 minutes later I heard and retained EVERYTHING and Elder Jackson understood the message too, he was in tears.

I know that that wasn't of my own strength for in NO way would I have been able to do that had I not asked for the Lord’s help and blessing. I've seen the gift of tongues become real for the people in my group, but that night I got to experience it for myself and I know now that when we have righteous desires to do the LORD'S will that we can do anything. 

So that was my cool experience this week. It's Sister Brown’s birthday today!! We are throwing her a surprise party!! I can't wait :D she's awesome. All these people are and I'm sad to leave them and the teachers and the Spirit that’s here at the MTC, but I'm thrilled to head out and learn more. J

I love you soo much and I'm so grateful for your letters and support while I've been here, and I would love to hear from you in the field!  

Please tell my friends at Gally to send me an email or letter because I miss them and want to hear from them.

I'm so excited to go out to the field and get to work!!

2 NEPHI 2:25 BE HAPPY :D 

Sister Abeling 

Listen with Love ...

Sisters Abeling and Brown
with missionaries in their district

Alecia is doing very well in the MTC and says the time has flown by. In less than three weeks, she'll be on her way to Vancouver, Washington!  Here are some excerpts from her email on Friday:
 

Awesome thing I learned this week: 



We practiced listening yesterday... it was a much needed lesson. While we are talking with our investigators it's so important that we listen and it’s a lesson that can be applied to everyone for life. The Preach My Gospel manual talks about the importance of truly listening, being genuine and sincerely reaching out.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “If we listen with love, we won't need to wonder what to say. It will be given to us -- by the Spirit and by our friends. (Witnesses unto Me," Ensign, May 2001). " 

This made so much sense to me and I can always tell when someone is REALLY listening to me. I know that I fall short most of the time when it comes to my turn to listen. I want people to know that I am sincerely listening to what they have to say, and that I truly care instead of planning my response and worrying about me losing that thought. What I learned is that if it’s really inspired by the spirit, the thought will come back to you after they are finished talking. Don't jump in and start talking right away and to pause. ---Yup. I needed this one – it reminded me of that Dale Carnegie Class and book Mom and Dad talk about. True stuff. 

I love you all so much! I hope you have a wonderful week and I can't wait to hear from you!

2 Nephi 2:25 BE HAPPY (: 

Sister Abeling 

What did the volcano say?

July 27, 2014

Sister Brown and Sister Abeling

"I Lava You!!  hahahahhah there's your corny joke for the week!"

Alecia is doing fabulous in the MTC. She and her companion, Sister Brown, have been called as Sister Training Leaders (STL)! She shared a funny story about how that came about:

“Sister Brown and I were both talking on Sunday with some of the elders and they said, "Ya know, the other sisters are leaving the MTC, which means there’s a good chance you'll get called as STLs."

“I said, ‘Don't you dare Elder’ (as if he had the power to call me for that). Well, the Lord is a funny man – guess who tapped me on the shoulder THAT very second, yep, the Branch President. Never say never, kids. Never. So, he took us aside and asked if we would be willing to be STLs.” [STLs are responsible for all the sisters in the zone, “Right now it’s just the ASL sisters and three other English speaking sisters.” They make sure the sisters are doing well and know they can always go to the STLs if they need anything. The STLs report back to the branch presidency; all to ensure the missionaries are well taken care of!] 

“So, as he asks us, I'm still laughing at God and I respond wittily, "Yes, I'm ready, willing and Abe— (I pull my hair from covering my badge and I'm sure he’ll get my witty joke and guess what’s NOT there! This kid forgot her badge!!!! and IN FRONT OF THE BRANCH PRESIDENT)!  Talk about the Lord's sense of humor and humbling moments. I just kept laughing, I don't think he noticed since the millisecond I realized my badge wasn't there, I pulled my hair back over to cover where my badge SHOULD have been. Hahaha!  I haven't forgotten it since!” J

This week, Alecia said she bought a separate Book of Mormon just so she could mark it up. She said, “If I have to share my Book of Mormon and Bible combo set with people they won’t have a seizure from all the colors, underlines, sticky notes and stick figures I draw in the margins as visual aids…haha! (Love the Book of Mormon!)” 

 

Sister Abeling
and Sister Cummings

Alecia saw Sister Kayla Cummings at the MTC!  Was great for them both to see someone from home, even though the Cummings no longer live here!

 

She didn't get to do an ASL session in the temple yet but she says, “I LOVE the temple it was my favortie part of the week last week (after emailing you all of course) J -- we go in the afternoon on P-days!”

 "Because of Him" video is a MUST watch!!” We will try to share it on Facebook so you all can watch!

I love you all and I think about you daily!! I hope to keep hearing from you all! Have the best week and stay happy!

Love,   

Sister Abeling 

A Week of Firsts!

July 9-18, 2014

The first week in the MTC was filled with introductions, learning and awakenings for Alecia! The day she arrived in the MTC (July 9), she was one of 600 new missionaries that day! Yes, 600 NEW missionaries in one day, 22 of whom are ASL missionaries. Her “district” includes eight missionaries, six of whom are sisters. Her companion is Sister Brown and Alecia says she is very sweet.

 
This blog post is rather long because it includes some excerpts from her first day in the MTC and the following week, so bear with me. Please be sure to read though because as her thoughts progress, you will see tremendous growth JUST IN ONE WEEK; I’m so amazed and feel so blessed by Sister Abeling.

Day 1

“As soon as we dropped off our bags to our room we went to class and the learning began. The teacher didn't speak a word although she is hearing, the others teachers are Deaf. I am so thankful I am serving ASL because I felt right at home right away. We were in the classroom a couple hours and then I think we ate food – I forgot already, it's crazy I feel like I have been here for weeks. Holy No Naps Batman!

“It's different but I think I am adjusting well. During lunch on Wednesday, it hit me hard that this isn't for a day and that I wasn't going home that night or the next, I wasn't going home at all for the next year and half so it felt like a ton of bricks. I almost wanted to cry but I ‘pulled myself together woman’ (Edna from the Incredibles – oh that's another thing all the sisters in the ASL family here we are constantly quoting movies and I break out in song anytime someone says any word to a song, I should have weaned myself off the music it's starting to show J).
 
“So after lunch we went to this huge group thing called People and Your Purpose where there are real investigators to talk with and it's really cool. The first guy we met was George, who is a quiet, humble man of few words and with a soft spirit. What I took away from meeting our first investigators was to LISTEN, like really listen and hear what they are saying.

“The second and most important thing that hit me, just like at lunch, is that THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME. This whole thing – it’s not about me. It removed that weight and I felt less burdened and more motivated to work harder for people like George who are searching for answers and for people to just listen to him. My obedience to all the rules (even the silly ones) will help bring the spirit, which is mandatory for teaching and bringing people unto Christ – and ultimately happiness. So that was a great lesson for me.” 

Week 1

“I think the district is getting more and more comfortable – we are like a family, there are a few nuts but we all need each other ;). Elder Jackson is Deaf and I was blessed to interpret for him, which has been nice – I feel right at home signing again J! I hope he understands everything. 

“I wanted to share a journal entry from this week:

"Man of man. This is a trip. Full of ups and downs and lots of highs and lows but man the highs are sweet and the lows don't last long, I think because I'm learning this is the Lord's work. Some things that have really hit me this week are:

·         The Lord doesn't need me in His work.

It is not as if He couldn't do this without me. For Heaven sakes, He is a Perfect Man, He is the Lord and surely He would make a way for His work to be done. Talk about humbling. At first, it's like, "Okay, so you don't need me? SO I can go back home to my Netflix binges and you'll be good with everything?" At least, for a millisecond that thought may have ran through my head, but it didn't stay long and it was replaced with the word "privilege." It is a privilege to be helping in His work. I thought back to the first time we met some investigators and just being able to listen to their stories knowing you got to share a part of the missing piece in their puzzle, and listening to their own testimonies of how they knew the gospel is true. What a sweet work it is, being in the business of making people happy. It goes beyond any corny joke I could tell to get them to crack a smile for a minute. It's a message that should they decide to accept, gives them the opportunity to experience everlasting joy and even strength on their worst days. 

 

·         I have learned this is not my message.

It is the Lord's message and everything I teach, say, do or think should reflect back to His message. With a shiny conspicuous name tag on my chest every day, I am representing two names. My family's and My Lord's. People are always watching, some are just waiting for me to mess up or whatnot. But it is always going to be there on my chest for the next 18 months. I should wear it with humility always remembering who and what I stand for. 

 

·         Faith without works is dead.

Holy lightbulb man. If nothing else, THIS is what I have learned. We spend hours upon hours a day in a classroom doing personal study, companionship study, language practice, etc. all to prepare to teach about Faith in Jesus Christ and how to return to live again with Heavenly Father in happiness. Repentance, baptism and enduring to the end – a message founded on faith; that is our purpose, is to "invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through Faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." There it is. The purpose we recite in sign every day. MY purpose for leaving behind school, my family and friends. And let me tell you, for having my nose in the scriptures more than I ever have in my life, I could not feel more insufficient. There is no way I have all the answers to life and God's mysteries or even just my own basic questions. How in the world can I teach someone and expect their hearts to be converted if I don't have all the answers? Well, the answer is: I have no idea. 

 

But I can tell you the church today is millions strong and it was not because of missionaries who had all the answers. That's why we are here, to walk by faith not by sight. James 2 :17, says "Even so Faith if hath not works is dead, being alone." What this means to me: Press on. Carry on as Elder Cheney would say. It means do what is right even when you don't understand.

Another great scripture, this one's from the Book of Mormon, "An now, I, Moroni would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen: wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." Ether 12:6. Just because we can't see doesn't mean things aren't true – check out Alma 32:21, "And now as I said concerning faith – faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things (CHECK.. that's me); therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." So if you don't want to take my word for it...

“I was talking to my companion, Sister Brown tonight about some of the things I was struggling with. I told her that sometimes I just don't feel qualified for this work, but that I have faith that if I seek out answers they will come – perhaps over time, maybe not until that Great Day but I am sure they will come. So we were talking about baptism and recieving the gift of the Holy Ghost for our investigator Jamie and I brought up something I had read in the My Preach MY Gospel manual.

 "[Baptism] is a sign or ordinance." Referring to baptism as not just an ordinance (or covenant to God) but is a sign that reminded me of an analogy. Someone who says, I love God, I have a relationship that is personal therefore I don't need to go to church reminds me of telling a family member you love them. After a while, "I love you" becomes words in thin air. My mom and dad for example, I grew up leaving off to school every day with an "I love you have a great day!" but it was the times I left my flute or homework or take-home quiz at home on the counter and I called them at work and they drove from in town to pick it up and brought it to me at school, not once but several times. It was all the times I called my dad for a minuscule question but he answered my call in the middle of his corporate meeting. My parents showed me through these "signs" that they loved me. It is a sign to my Lord that I continue to stay focused and try to work hard to show Him I love Him. Christ himself was baptized not because He needed to be – I assure you a Perfect man like the Son of God didn't have a need to be baptized – but because, "He witnessed unto the Father that He would be obedient unto Him in keeping His commandments." 2 Nephi 31:7. 

“That is why I am here, not that going on a mission is a commandment, like I said the Lord doesn't need me. I am here to teach others, the importance of following His commandments. I promise it brings blessings. Above all, it brings happiness. Oh and in those moments when I question what I'm doing here or what I would be doing if I weren't, I think about how Christ did what he did because He loved his Father. I want to be like Him. And I’m learning I must be the first person to convert. In the name of Jesus Christ,

Amen. 
Sister Abeling" 

 

 

 

The Journey Begins

Today was bittersweet as we watched Sister Abeling leave Bloomington for the MTC. As hard as it was to say farewell, we are so thrilled with her decision to serve The Lord. We know the journey will be filled with joy, struggles and everything in between, but we know Alecia is up to the task and will touch many lives.

Although we will miss her terribly, we know she is where she needs to be and are very thankful for her desire to help others seek and find the gospel.


 
We are anxious to get her first email, hopefully on Monday, to hear how her trip and first week have gone. When she does write, I will update this blog and share her experiences with ya'll!  Stay tuned...