Ups and Downs but mostly ups!

AH! we're running to waterton this week so I don't have much time, but I have so much to say!!! Here it goes...

We survived transfers week with no changes! Hoorah!! :) 

And Tuesday night we had an amazing miracle!
All of our appointments set us up, or cancelled, (classic missionary problem...) and we were trying to decide what the best thing for us to do would be. Thankfully we had lots of options, but we really wanted to follow the spirit and do what was best. 

When everything cancels like that, I always feel like it is because there is somewhere else that the Lord knows we need to be! The trick is just making sure I actually get myself there! 

So after a little bit of frustration because we felt like we weren't getting any direction, we decided to drop by a media referral that we received a few weeks ago. 

[Back story:] okay so a few weeks ago we got a media referral for an investigator and a less active husband moving into our area THAT DAY, and they needed help. So we of course rushed over to help, but found no one at the address we were given. And the phone number we had wasn't working! We tried stopping by several times after that with no luck. 

Okay, so when we pulled up to the house, again it looked like no one was home, but before we could go to the door, we got a phone call from our zone leaders for transfer calls! So we were on the phone for a few minutes, and when we got off, we looked up and there was a moving truck backing into the drive way! So we jumped out of our car and helped them move into their house 2 weeks after we were told they were moving!!! MIRACLE!!! So we helped them move, and set up a time to come back and help some more and start teaching Stephanie, the investigator! So we are super pumped for that! I know that was where the Lord knew we needed to be, and I'm so grateful that He led us there even when we felt like we weren't getting any direction. Sometimes we can't wait to be told what to do. We just have to do what we know is good, and trust that if that's wrong, He'll redirect you. 

So I think I mentioned this before, but our President has asked us to park our cars once a week and walk or ride our bikes. So this week while we were biking we saw an ice cream truck! and just had to embrace our inner child and chase him down... haha we talked to him for a while and told him what we do as missionaries, and he even took a pass along card! It was awesome! Then Sister Melville almost died trying to hold her ice cream and bike at the same time, but saved it at the last minute! 

We had a pass off lesson with our investigator Mikyla and her Less active mom Gwen. It went really well, and I know the elders will see a lot of miracles with them as we already have! It's always sad when you can't keep working with someone, but I know they're going to do great! :) 

In our family Ward Council this week we got the sweetest compliment I have ever received from our primary president. We were about to leave because we had to head to our other ward, and she just told everybody how great she thought we were and said "If you have ever had any friends you thought about inviting to meet with the missionaries, Now is the time to do it while these sisters are her" and just kept saying so many sweet things. We left just so humbled and grateful for her kindness. it was in that moment that I really knew that all of the hard work it's been to turn this area around has been worth it:) 

And then our investigator Mike and his wife Kathy had us over for dinner and told us that if we were ever in any kind of danger or sketch situation, to RUN to his house and BANG on the door and he promised we wouldn't have any problems any more... 

haha so that was super awesome. It sounds kinda scary, but honestly it was one of the most tender moments of my mission. They are so incredible, and I am so grateful we get to teach and work with them so frequently:) 

Anywho! that's all that I have time for today!
I love you all do much and wish you the absolute best this week!
Don't forget to do the little things everyday!
They bring so much happiness I PROMISE!!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU! 

~Sister Dobyns:) 

Re-living our childhoods! 

Saying goodbye to Gwen and her family!

Shout out to Maegan - love her. 

The Love of Our Father

Happy Tuesday everybody:) 

It's been an exciting week as usual:) 

We were able to pick up a new ysa investigator names Austin!
He has been coming to church for the past month or so, but wasn't interested in meeting with us until last sunday he reached out to us and asked if we could meet this week!
And so we met up with him and his best friend who is a returning less active, and taught the first discussion. 

It was so amazing to teach Austin. He is so ready to receive the gospel! 

Just 2 months ago Austin described himself as a "strict atheist." and now, he has been coming to church for weeks, and his friend has told us he's seen Austin reading from the Book of Mormon several times since our last meeting! And at the end of our first lesson, he agreed to be baptized when he comes to know the church is true!!! So he is praying about the Book of Mormon, and thinking of July 22nd for his baptism!!! 

We will be meeting with him again this week, and we're excited to hear what his thoughts are! 

We also met with Meagan twice this week!
That was awesome of course:) We love her:)
She is doing well. Not totally sure she's interested in joining the church, but is still willing to meet with us, so we can't complain, and we haven't given up yet:) 

One of our dinner appointments this week invited their non-member co-worker to join us, and then we had the first discussion with her afterwards! she's not in our area, but she wants to keep meeting with missionaries!!! #Tendermerciesallaround

We got to hear from Sister McConkie this week at a youth fireside she came to!! That was really exciting:) We didn't get to meet her afterwards, but we enjoyed her message, and the yw in our ward were really excited about it:) 

Our lesson with Mike was wonderful too!
We met in the home of some different members than we usually meet with, and it was so cool! They have known Mike for 5 years, and are his wife's home teachers. Brother Pierson was the one that gave mike the blessing that changed his life, and then later gave his dad a blessings! We talked a lot about he potential Mike has, and he was in tears most of the evening. He kept asking us, and himself "why me?"

I found that question very interesting, and I think it is one that we have all asked ourselves at one time or another. I know I asked myself that very question when I felt I needed to serve a mission. But I am so incredibly grateful for a Father in Heaven who knows each of our worth, and our potentials. 

It has been so fitting to have this on my mind this week, with Father's day on Sunday. 

Shout out to my dad (a.k.a. best earthy father around!) And an even bigger shout out to my Heavenly Father. I think about all of the amazing things my dad has done for me, and how much love and support I feel from him, and then I try to imagine what my Heavenly Father's love and support much be like! 

In 3 Nephi 14 it says: 

7 Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
8 For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, who, if his son ask bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

And I know that is true. Heavenly Father will answer our prayers. I have no doubt about it. 

But we must be patient in our answers, and humble, and willing to adapt to the plans Heavenly Father has in store for each of us. I can promise they are better for us in the grand scheme of things than anything we could plan or hope for ourselves. 

Here is a super awesome mormon message that sums up everything I've been thinking about better than I can in the last short minutes I have left to e-mail today:) 

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-01-002-earthly-father-heavenly-father?category=mormon-messages/mormon-messages-2013&lang=eng&cid=HP_TU_13-6-2017_dPFD_fMLIB_xLIDyL1-B_ 

Anyway! I have to run!
But I hope you have a wonderful week of miracles!
 Don't forget to pray for missionary opportunities in all that you do!
“After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel.”

-Jospeh Smith

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!
~Sister Dobyns

Our upstairs neighbor brought us down fresh cinnamon buns when we were weekly planning! 

Last zone picture this morning before a few elders get picked up to head for the airport! 

Sister Melville and I with our less active's sweet daughter (she usually looks much happier than this... haha) 

Launch out into the Deep

Would you expect anything less than a busy week jammed full of miracles...?:) 

To no surprise, miraculous things keep on happening! 

It's hard to believe how much this area has turned around since my first week here. 

It is truly incredible. 

So bullet points: 

• Mike(investigator): He is doing great! He has started setting his own commitments at the end of the lesson!!! This week he wants to read a whole chapter in the Book of Mormon before we come! And we just went on and on last lesson about how he knows that he will understand more and more and grow closer to God as he reads and studies the Book of Mormon.
  We are so excited for him!!! 
• Maegan(investigator): Amazing as ever:) We had dinner with her on thursday at the piggy back poutinery, and that was super good!! We also taught her the restoration, and she said she would crack it open this week! so fingers crossed for that! :) Then she came with us on saturday to help with the food drive! We were sorting all the food that was coming in, and it was seriously the biggest mad house ever for like 3 straight hours! We sort 70,000lbs of food! hooray! 
• Gwen & Mikyla(less active mom and investigator daughter): CAME TO CHURCH! wow that was awesome:) We also met with then this week and taught the restoration. It was really neat because Gwen's husband kept coming in and out of the lesson, and one time he asked us a question about "the baptism of the spirit" and when we answered him he got tears in his eyes and just said "well answered." and walked out of the room again!
  So we're hoping to pick him up as an investigator this week too:) 
• Austin(Potential Investigator): He is a friend of a less active we have been working with weekly since I got here. And Austin has been coming to church with him for the last month or so- but wasn't really interested in meeting with us when we asked.
  BUT! this week after church he sent us a text asking to meet up sometime this week and teach him the lessons!!! AAAAHHHH! So we're really pumped for that:) 
• Church was frantic as always, but wonderful:) we've accepted the fact that we will always be teaching like 2 lessons a week at church now. But it's been really awesome:) 
• And the ward is seriously on fire!!! They are giving us referrals left and right! We have had to pass pretty much all of them off to other missionaries so far because they're not in our area, but the members are doing so great!!! We have an dinner appointment with some members this friday who are bringing their friend who wants to learn more about the church, and are planning on having a discussion right afterwards, so that is super awesome too! 

So the moral of the story is God is amazing, and the work is great right now:) 

But today I mostly wanted to follow up with everyone about the challenge that I mentioned last week:) About reading Elder Oaks talk and praying to know what your role is, in Heavenly Father's plan to carry the gospel to all of the world. And to do so with a commitment to act on the impressions you receive. 

I hope it has gone well so far. I know that we don't always see those miracles happen over night though, so don't give up too easily. 

I was reading in Luke 5 this week, and it reminded me of what we sometimes do as member missionaries. 

Sometimes, we try really hard to be a good member missionary- and we just aren't getting the results we desire, or have been told will come. But I promise there is more for you to do. 

1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon [Jesus] to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing. 

And that's how it ends right? 

Simon Peter says, well, you know, we already tried Jesus.
And nothing came of it. 

We did our part. 

We're done.

OF COURSE NOT! 

He continues: 

5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
6 And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

Can you see the connection? 

We do not get to decide when it's time to call quits. 

When we think we've done enough. 

We must give all of our efforts, and when Christ asks us to try again. WE DO IT. 

And that is when the miracles take place. 

That is when we metaphorically catch so many fish that we cannot even fit them all in our boat and the next. 

Please please please Brothers and Sisters. 

Cast your nets in again. and again. and again.  

You will be blessed for every effort you exert. 

You are in the middle of a miracle. 

Don't close the book before you see the happy blessings that come in the end. 

I love you all! 

And pray for you every day!
Stay strong. 

God Bless. 

And don't forget to launch out into the deep this week and let your nets down. 

Love, 

Sister Dobyns:) 

Awkward selfies as we always forget to take normal people pictures... 

That moments when your favorite dress shinks in the wash, and you panic and create this contraption to stretch it back out! (there is 6lbs in hanging in the slip we tied in a knot to add some pressure) haha

Grabbing Poutine with Maegan:)

Miracles have not ceased!

Wow, I might have to start writing in bullet point form more regularly.... We are just seeing SOO many miracles that I am anxious to tell you all about!! What an awesome problem to have... so many miracles I don't have time to write about then all! :D 

Last Monday we went to a park with our zone and made campfire dinners, and it was awesome!:D
On Tuesday we had our big move!! And holy cow that was so exhausting!!! But our new place is suuuper nice! And we are (Very slowly) getting all unpacked and settled in:) 

Okay, So just some quick miracles: 

• One of my members (Actually my last Calgary ysa bishop's mom!) called us over to give her a Book of Mormon, and help her highlight some parts she felt would help her friend so she could give it to her! 
• We had a hiding less-active contact us and ask to meet, and now we are teaching her 2 unbaptized children as well as her! 
• Our investigator Mike, actually read from the Book of Mormon! And his home teachers gave his dad a blessing! 
• We were running to a dinner appointment, and their next door neighbor (a member also) was sitting outside and called us over to give us a referral! 
• We started meeting with a new investigator who is married to a less active. It started out as him rattling off all his problems with the church, but his heart quickly softened as we were able to resolve all his concerns simply and quickly! 
• A former Investigator we had no idea existed called us out of the blue and asked to start meeting with us again! 
• Our new ysa investigator came out to fhe and met a bunch of new people:) 

We also finally arranged a way to go on splits on sunday so we can attend ALL of our meetings! And it worked out really well! On Saturday we had a "family fun run" that we had several less actives, and non-members out to, and had a great time, and got my first sunburn for the year! 

We went on exchanges.

Starting riding our bikes once a week. 

Almost got blown away while riding them... 

and started volunteering at the local food bank!

Okay! *deep breath* 

So I just wanted to invite you guys to follow the example of my amazing wards here, and pray to know what it is that Heavenly Father would have you do in your life to share this amazing gospel! 

If you aren't sure where to start, Click Here: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/10/sharing-the-restored-gospel?lang=eng 

In that talk by Elder Oaks he mentions 3 things ALL members can, and should be doing! I have witnessed miracles as members have taken this challenge seriously. 

The 3 and final point he makes is this:

This is not a passive or idol work.
And we each have a vital role to play. 

I would encourage each of you to take the time to pray to ask God what your role is. I know that as you do so with this commitment to act, you WILL receive guidance, and opportunities. But we do not get to choose what they look like. So please. Act on the inspiration you receive. Whatever it may be. I know you will be happier as you, and God will be pleased with your efforts. 

I love you all infinitely! And hope you have another awesome week of summer! 

I know that this work is true, and God wants the whole earth to have that blessing. So let's get to work. 

Love, 

Sister Dobyns:) 

My Yummy Campfire Dinner! 

Our PACKED car moving to our new place! :D 

Family Fun Run! 

Our new bestie Maegan! 

Never Be Weary of Good Works

Wow there are so so SO many things that happened this week that I could honestly take hours to write about! BUT unfortunately I do not have time for that! So here is my BRIEF sum up! (Keep in mind this is the brief version) 

Monday:

• Love of my life Kaylan Bae McKelvie came to visit from Calgary!! Oh man, words literally cannot describe how happy I was to see her<3 We grabbed lunch with her and Stuart and then when our dinner cancelled, we grabbed dinner with them! :D And as if the gift of seeing my best friend wasn't enough, she invited her non-member friend from lethbridge to dinner with us too! Who we are now planning on teaching!!:D plentiful miracles! 
• We did service for our Investigator Mike and his wife Kathy! We helped them with some yard work and plant their garden- And when Mike went inside for a minute to make some lemonade, Kathy told us that Mike is making so much progress, and explained to his dad was a priesthood blessing was this week, and shared his amazing story, and asked if he would want one!!! WHAT?? so awesome!!! 

Tuesday: 

• We had Zone Conference and it was soo incredible! I felt the spirit so strongly the whole way through, and it just excited me even more to be a good missionary! I loved it so much! And while we were there they made a few announcements:
  1- P-day will now be held on TUESDAY starting next week! That will be a little weird of an adjustment, but not too big of a deal- so just a heads up when I don't e-mail next monday, I'm not dead. Just wait til tueday haha:)
  2- Our mission will finally be getting the infamous Teewee boxes in July! (So grateful I'll only be around for a month of those!)
  3- Once a week we will be required to park our cars and walk or bike for the day! We are super pumped about that one!:D We've been looking for an excuse to ride our bikes more so it should be good! 
• We had a dinner appointment that was super awesome! The couple was so excited about missionary work, and coming out with us and things! And we have seen so many other members start to feel the same way! :D Hooray! 

Wednesday:

• We went to the yw activity and got to meet lots of the girls that don't come out to church. And once they had talked with us for a little they realized how normal we are, and agreed to see us again!:D 

Thursday:

• We had a lesson with a recent convert out on the grass in front of the church, and right as we were saying the closing prayer it started to trickle a little bit. But as soon as we started walking towards our cars it just started down pouring!!! #perfecttimiming! Mini miracles all around! 
• We met with our new ward mission leader, and assistant ward mission leader, and they are SO amazing! They have already helped us out sooo much! i know there are going to be so many miracles in this ward because of them! 
• We had an amazing lesson with Mike again! And talked about all the miracles that he has seen in his lifetime, and how that has been God working with him. He agreed to give God at least 1 minute of every day- and then to build on that once he begins to recognize God answering him. And believe it or not that was such a miraculous commitment for him to make! 

Friday: 

• We went to the food bank to fill out a volunteer form and the lady that was helping us with it starting asking us questions about what we do as missionaries, and what Mormons can and can't do- It was so amazing! We didn't even have to keep the conversation going because she was just so excited to ask us more questions! Then she had to run because someone called for her, but we are going to see her again next week when we start volunteering there weekly! 
• We went to a ysa variety show and Maegan came and met a bunch of members of our ward, and made a lot of friends!! So that is SUPER exciting because now she wants to come out to more activities! Huzzah! 

Saturday:

• We helped with a move for a few hours- and it was suuuper hot! But it went pretty quick so that was good:) 
• We packed up our entire lives! because we are moving tomorrow!!! YAY! But wow... who knew it takes so much STUFF just to survive... 
• We went to the mall for dinner and ran into sooo many members! i love it when they come up to us and visit for a while. Instead of having dinner by ourselves we were able to meet 3 different couples that were just visiting lethbridge for the day- So cool!
• We also wrote our talks for sunday! 

Sunday: Man oh man alive, what a day! 

• Long story short... we were RUNNING! a million miles an hour from 8:00-5:00! 
• We had our coordination meeting in our family ward, and ran straight to our ysa ward council. we left that early to make it to our family ward council, which we left early to make it to our ysa sacrament meeting. we left early from ysa sunday school to make it to family ward sacrament, where we both spoke on member missionary work (sister melville did AMAZING) and then we had several members come up to us afterwards and give us referrals!!! They also asked us to sing in sacrament meeting soon, and kept telling us over and over how much they loved us and were excited to work with us!!!! SO WONDERFUL! Wow! While we were in sunday school we got a text from the ym pres asking if we could teach the lesson today so we did that, and it went great! and then we couldn't get out of the church building for an hour after church got out because so many members wanted to talk to us about things they need help with or would like! Seriously guys it was the most jammed packed 8 hours of my life!!! My brain never stopped running the entire time! So we came home and took a 20 minute breather instead of having our lunch earlier in the day, and then went back out for the rest of the night- 
• Then when we looked back over our dinner calendar we realized we had 3 different less actives we have been trying to meet with sign up to feed us!!! 

....Phew! okay, I think that's just about everything! So as you can see, the miracles literally never end when you are working hard and doing what you should! 

I am so so grateful to be here at this time and to be here with Sister Melville! It has felt so good to be able to just work really really hard again after struggling for a few weeks. 

I love being a missionary more than anything else I have ever done! 

I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity that I have, and the time that I have left to keep working hard! 

I love you all! i hope you are doing well! 

please let me know if there's ever anything I can do for you! 

have a great week!!! :D 

Love, 

Sister Dobyns

Our whole lives are packed up sitting in our family room right now CANT WAIT TO MOVE! 

Us when we remembered that we never take any pictures! 

Shout out to my Bae! Kaylan Mckelvie! Love of my life! best day of my life! 

So soary (sorry)

Sorry lamest weekyl ever because we have TONS of things to do today and I got a little distracted with school stuff with my time! 

But! it's been an amazing week! We found A new investigator family though tracting this week! so that was literally miraculous! 

i lOVE sister melville with all my heart! 

and things just keep getting better here! 

Love you all so much! 

*ps Shout out to my mom for her birthday this week! LOVE YOU*

saying goodbye to sister hansen! I will miss reading Isaiah with her every week! she's moved to cardston!

Sunshine and Lollipops!

What a great week! 

Last pday we got to hang out at the park again, but this time our whole zone came:) that was tons of fun as we all played sports, and just played in the sun! It felt so good to just enjoy being outside again! It had been SO long since I actually ENJOYED being outside! haha:) 

Then on Tuesday we got transfer calls and found out that Sister Barlow was getting transferred to Calgary! we were both a little sad, but I know she is going to have a blast there:) 

So my new companion is Sister Melville! Fun fact: she was trained by my MTC companion! So that's pretty fun!!! We served around each other for 3 months back when I was in the SE of Calgary training Sister Ence! So it was awesome to already know each other a little bit! 

Fun Fact #2: I totally called that Sister Melville was going to be my companion when I was looking at this picture from last August and realized that I had been companions with everyone in the picture except for her! next day... bam! I was right. Haha so that's pretty cool!! 

(Sister Ence, Atkinson, Frandsen, and Melville!)

So Thursday was transfers, and I had to say goodbye to Sister Frandsen again:( she got transferred to Brooks! (middle of no where) So I won't be able to see her again until we go home most likely! 

Friday and Saturday were great, we just planned our guts out, and I told her everything about the area, and she got to meet a lot of people, and it was awesome:)
And then Sunday! Happy Mothers Day:) 

What an awesome day of the year! 

After our 7 1/2 hours of church meetings we got to Skype our families!!! And that was obviously the highlight:) 

it's really impossible to put into words how much that call meant to me, and how much I love my family, so just trust me. It was amazing, and I love them:) 

And the rest of the night went well too! 

But I am loving everything so much right now! Sister Melville is just the happiest little spirit you will ever meet! If can think of any bad situation or circumstance, don't worry, Sister Melville can see the good in it! And that is so good for me! I I'm hoping that a little bit of that sunshine rubs off over the next several weeks:D 

But that's pretty much it!
I love you all so so dearly!
I miss you, and pray for you, and think of you often. 

I hope your weeks are wonderful and inspired:)
I have felt such a refreshing sense of the world lately and I'm not ready to give it up!
Miracles are coming so I'll let you know how they go! :) 

So much love!
Sister Dobyns:D 

One last pday together<3

Skype with the Fam:) 

Mother's day gift from my Baby Sister Ence<3