the word of God .. [05.04.09]

Alma 31:5

"And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God."

i have seen the word of God move Wisconsinites to change and grow in the gospel of Jesus Christ. it is beautiful. this gospel is true. the Book Of Mormom is true scripture that leads us to do that which is good and just. the fulness of the gospel that is contained in that ancient record brings everlasting happiness. i know thses truths for myself and it still continues to amaze me when we share these principles and doctrine and challenge others to KNOW for THEMSELVES and it changes their lives.

our week was full of miracles because of the word of God !

one in particular was ALEX PINGEL ! that guy = amazing all the time ! we taught him on 04.28 about the Word of Wisdom and what it prohibits and he had a question about wine and we told him no to wine and he said "okay ! ill do it !" we taught him again on 04.30 about the Priesthood and the spirit was SO STRONG. we had Becky and Burke Anderson [brother and sister] there and it was just beautiful. Burke was exactly who we needed to teach him about the Priesthood and the sacred responsability it is .. Alex said a couple times during the lesson, "i have goosebumps" the spirit was teaching him within his soul and he felt it and loved it. we also taught him the law of tithing and before we could even finish the lesson he asked if he could pay his tithe .. RIGHT THEN AND THERE ! it was amazing. he came to church on sunday .. he was even FASTING .. which he had told me 2 weeks prior to yesterday that he could never do that ! he paid his tithe and fast offering to President Miller and his eyes were glowing with the light of christ. Alex is amazing ! that is all i can say !

another cool thing that happened it my SISTER V. JOHNSON got her HMONG NAME ! she was named by pang kou yang's mom and it was crazy ! sister v. johnsons hmong name = PAJ DAWB = WHITE FLOWER ! the reason why this is crazy is b.c. that is my 1st daughters hmong name ! sister black has the same hmong name and was named when i was with her ! crazy ! both my daughters are PAJ DAWB ! i love it !

the other big news of the week is we are now part of a family ward ! we are still in the WINNEBAGO YSA BRANCH but we are now also part of the APPLETON 2nd WARD ! we live with the bishop of that ward .. THIELS .. they are amazing ! we will be working a lot with the the YW and RELIEF SOCIETY of the APL 2nd ! we had our 1st sunday there yesterday and they welcomed us with open arms ! thank you President Barrett for being inspired !

i love you all. i am SO excited to talk to my family next week ! sorry this isnt much detailed of the week but we had a late start today ! one other news i heard and want to say CONGRATULATIONS to is HEATHER KATHLEEN WARNER GOT ENGAGED TO BRADEN HATCH ! i love you sister and soon to be brother in law ! congrats !

i love the words to this HYMN #263 GO FORTH WITH FAITH .. this is my motto !

Go forth with faith to tell the world
Of Jesus Christ, the Lord.
Bear witness he is God’s own Son;
Proclaim his wondrous word.
Go forth with hope and courage strong
To spread the word abroad
That people of all nations
Are children of our God.

Go forth with love to tell the world
The joy of families—
That we may be with those we love
Thru all eternity.
Go forth to serve and do your best
With no thought of reward;
Then you shall know the boundless joy
Of serving Christ, the Lord.

Go forth with pow’r to tell the world
The gospel is restored,
That all may gain eternal life
Thru Jesus Christ, the Lord.
Go forth to preach his glorious truths
Of peace, of joy, and love,
That all who heed his holy word
May praise the Lord above.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH.
sister warner

REJOICE ! [04.27.09]

Doctrine & Covenants 50:22
"Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together."

this week has been beautiful ! so many wonderful reasons to REJOICE !

1. spring is DEF here ! it got to 80 degrees this week and it was amazing ! we've been getting LOTS & LOTS of rain though this week .. april showers bring may flowers ! the grass is already neon green .. its wonderful !

2. we started DOUBLE DUTCHING with the YSA's ! i got the idea to start this YSA Double Dutch Nation out here in the WI b.c. of my great friends back in the Provo Nation ! e. heslop is by far the most skilled ! [pictures and video to come soon] we are gonna start doing it at a park and get a crowd of people to come and teach them all .. those are my thoughts !

3. the gospel is true and the work of the Lord is in FULL FORCE here in the Fox Cities .. here we go ..

* ALEX PINGEL = amazing ! we taught him the Plan of Salvation and committed him to baptism [with his sister there who joined the church 7 years ago !] HE WILL ENTER THE WATERS OF BAPTISM ON MAY 16, 2009 ! his change and countenance is wonderful. i love being the Lords instrument in teaching and knowing it is the Holy Spirit that reveals the truth of all things.

* our meetings with President Miller [YSA Branch President] and the Appleton Stake Bishops and Branch Presidents are going wonderful ! we are meeting with all of them to help them encourage their YSA and graduating seniors to attend the Winnebago YSA Branch ! we are getting a lot of support and it feels good !

* PANG KOU YANG taught us this week about the importance of the temple. it was beautiful. we are going to try and plan a YSA temple trip b.c. we have so many recent converts and the goal of all of them is the temple. it doesn't end at baptism .. the goal = the temple, the house of the Lord !

* GARY LEDOUX = our Branch Mission Leader & he is 6'9" .. i need to get a picture next to him ! haha we have been having really good meetings and dinner with his family .. they love sports and i get the sports updates on the brewers and the cubbies [just for you papa !] from him ! also we talk about lots of good missionary work going on ! haha

* DISC GOLF = SO FUN ! we played with alex pingel, shane, and sam ! i can even play in a skirt .. i just need to get better at throwing the disc far ! its also a great place to meet lots of people and have gospel centered discussions !

* lunch @ CULVERS with our Missy Bloom and fresh RM Ben Slade from the Green Bay area ! he served his mission in Long Beach California ! we had a good talk about our love for CALI ! it was also crazy to see him home and you could tell it was awkward .. i might be like that people so have patience with me .. BUT I STILL GOTS A LONG WAY AND I AM GRATEFUL FOR THAT !

* Friday Night Volleyball = so so so fun .. Pang Kou brought Moua and Hmong people are just AMAZING at Vball ! Randell Hess came and hung out b.c. his finger was injured ! it was a fun time .. s. v. johnson is so cute and so little .. her skills are slowly improving ! :) i love her.

THE MAIN REASON TO REJOICE THIS WEEK :

Moroni 8:25-26
"And the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins;
And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God."

* MALISSA AMBER LYNN BLOOM entering the waters of baptism on APRIL 25, 2009 ! her WHOLE family came .. she was so happy and glowing ! the program and baptism was beautiful. there were 6 SISTER MISSIONARIES THERE ! that is more then half the sisters in our mission ! my old s.johnson came up from Madison with her compy s.nichols and my s.black and s.bryner [gb sisters] were there and of course me .. s.warner and my girl s. v.johnson ! Missy asked us sisters if we could sing a special musical number at her baptism and we sang Hymn 116 "Come, Follow Me" ! the spirit was so strong and Missy couldn't stop smiling !

* April 26, 2009 = MISSY"S CONFIRMATION ! her confirmation and blessing was given by Ben Slade and it was amazing and beautiful. the spirit spoke through Ben and it was exactly what Missy needed. i love being present for the gift of the Holy Ghost being given. it is a testimony to me of how important baptism is .. without baptism you cannot recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost is the sanctifier and completes the baptism, it is the way back to our Father in Heaven.

3 Nephi 27:20
"Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day."

* YSA Fireside with the GB Stake President Krehbiel ! we brought up our YSA from the APL and Missy was there ! it was about .. "how to make life's difficult decisions" and it was exactly what they needed for their station in life right now ! JEREMIAH JAMES came and after he talked with President Krehbiel about the gospel and Jeremiah said it was very good .. s.johnson and i were having a discussion with Jeremiah and our sweet Missy came and joined and told him she was just baptized and she had just recieved the gift of the Holy Ghost that day .. i asked her to share with Jeremiah WHY she decided to be baptized and she told him, "when i stood on Temple Square in SLC the Holy Spirit told me it was all true, the spirit was so strong there and i knew that this is what my Heavenly Father wanted me to do so i can return to him." Her testimony was beautiful and Jeremiah could only nod his head. THE POWER OF TESTIMONY IS EVERYTHING.

i have been blessed to see and feel Heavenly Fathers love for His children and i continue to on a daily basis. the miracles are endless but it is according to our FAITH .. the Lord strengthens my faith daily and weekly. i am so grateful for the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. i know he is the Savior and that he is our example in all aspects of our lives.

i LOVE LOVE LOVE you all. thank you for your faith and support in me.
sister warner

[sad part about this week = JENNIFER RIBBENS aka JRIB LEFT ! she went back out west to school at BYUi .. i will miss her but she is still one of my best friends from WISCONSIN !]

small & simple .. [04.20.09]

Alma 37:6-7
"Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise."
"And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls."

this week was amazing ! the Lord really works in small and simple means to bring about great experiences ! i know it requires our faith though b.c FAITH PRECEDES MIRACLES ! my faith has been strengthened in all aspects of the gospel.

THE GREAT EXPERIENCES ON THE WEEK :

* FHE = lesson on faith and trust in the Lord by doing the trust fall and the scriptures ! we then had an INTENSE game of pictionary. i didnt know pictionary could be so competitive [i would think it would be if p. hailey hood was there but she was nowhere to be found in Oshkosh :)] get a couple YSA together and draw Disney topics and it gets crazy !

* teaching ALEX PINGEL with President Barrett ! Alex is brandy [one of our amazing YSA's brother] from Chilton and he is amazing ! President B always knows exactly what to say, he is so in tune with the spirit. i love President B !

* institute in Oshkosh and Culver's Custard after with all our YSA is a weekly treat !

* having a SWEET lesson with our NEW INVESTIGATOR BRITTNIE ! the ZL's talked with her @ The Building For Kids [a children's art museum we do service at] and she said she wanted to learn more ! we taught her about the BofM this week and she loved it ! we are seeing her this week again. she is 20 and is going to school at Fox Valley Tech ! she is great !

* the weather last week warmed up into the 70's ! [ now its rainy and chilly :( ] but the 70's was GLORIOUS ! so we played a little disc golf with GEORGE [our investigator] and SAM BRUMMOND [a YSA who is from WI but moved to SLC and is back visiting .. she is the best little missionary !] disc golf and a lesson with george was so good !

* dinner with MISSY BLOOM ! we prepped her for her baptismal interview that was going to take place the next day and we talked with her about the HOLY GHOST .. what an amazing gift that is. her baptismal interview went amazing and she is GOLDEN ! she is getting BAPTIZED ON APRIL 25, 2009 @ 3pm in GREEN BAY ! i love her. she loves this gospel and the light of Christ radiates from her. sister v.j. and i made her a little scripture a day that she can open to help her during this week before her baptism. i love the scriptures. the principles are eternal and Missy has found that !

* FRIDAY NIGHT VOLLEYBALL = AMAZING !!! we had 3 non members there and the game was SO fun and the BEST EXPERIENCE HAPPENED AFTER ..

ALEX PINGEL. he likes to know EVERYTHING ! he asks tons and tons of questions. President B told him to pray about the BofM with a sincere heart. he told me after volleyball he KNEW the BofM was a TRUE BOOK ! that was amazing. we started talking of FAITH and he is scared of faith. he told me he wanted the LITTLEST SIGN that this was all true. i recounted with him some of the little answers to that prayer that i have been present for. we didnt recognize them fully as signs. we started playing HORSE and talking of faith and signs. i then told him, "i have faith that you will make the next shot." alex starts backing up past half court .. he shoots and it SWISHES in the net. he told me the next day that he aimed way to the left on purpose and it still swished. after the ball swished in the net we both just looked at each other and i told him, "well the Lord just answered your prayer." all he could say was, "that was odd."

the Lord works by small and simple means to bring salvation unto His children ! we are going to extend a baptismal date to him this week .. he is AWESOME. he came to church and loved it. he isnt asking tons and tons of questions anymore. he is feeling the spirit work in him and his faith is growing ! the Lord is blessing him. we also watched THE TESTAMENTS with him the night after the basketball hoop answer and it is all about faith and it was so good.

i love meeting people and knowing the Lord sent me here to the WMM to teach ALEX PINGEL and so many other people i have met. IT IS AMAZING !

* WINNEBAGO YSA BRANCH = GLORIOUS ! we had abuot 40 people @ church. it was a beautiful sea of YSA !

* going to hear BROOKE & BRADY POPPINGA speak about Dating and Relationships ! we were there to support our YSA, we did not come for the advice ! haha

* spending the night with my GREEN BAY SISTERS ! being back at my ye olde pheasant run was odd but SO good. we spent the night b.c. of the Poppinga fireside and today is pday and tonight is COMBINED FHE here in the GB ! i heart gb. i heart ysa. i heart winnebago.

we have been blessed this week and i am so thankful for my Heavenly Father who watches over me and knows me. i love knowing this is His church and this is His work. i love being His instrument and i am so grateful for Him increasing my faith everyday.

one hard part of this week was getting a phone call from President Barrett on 04.16 letting me know my marmie called my mission to inform me my grandpa alley passed aways. when he told me of the news i was just quite. it brought me back to the reality that life is still happening back at home. it also made me realize how very real and important the message of the plan of salvation is that i am teaching to these wisconsinites. i am so grateful for my family and that it can and is eternal. i am grateful my grandpa is learning beyond the veil. i am grateful i can help othere find this plan of happines. my heart and prayers go to my grandma jane and my family. i love you all so dearly.

thank you all for everything you have done and are now doing so i can be here in wisconsin.

I LOVE YOU.

sister warner

defining moments .. [04.013.09]

8 months ago was a HUGE defining moment in my life. 8 months ago i had a lot of "lasts" from the world but A LOT of "firsts" on this incredible journey of being the Lord's full time servant.

i continue to be humbled and stretched on this journey .. i continue to learn more and more each day .. not just for myself but how to help others find this everlasting happiness.

the journey and defining moments is different for each one of us but we are taught :

"For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have." [2 Nephi 28:30]

this journey is line upon line, precept upon precept [i just want you to know i am singing SATURDAYS WARRIOR for my marmie right now ! hehe ] and we will continue to learn dependant on our perspective, humility, obedience and diligence .. i am learning each day how important those attributes are to our happiness and receiving more wisdom that our Heavenly Father wants us to have.

this week has been filled with learning moments !

*UWO Hmong Week ! we got to see XAI LOR .. her sisters are members of the church but she is not BUT she is helping with the LDSSA @ UWO ! she taught people how to make Hmong Spring Rolls .. SO GOOD !

* ZONE CONFERENCE @ wisconsin rapids was amazing ! i heart zc. it is so uplifting and the trainings are always what we need. it was Sister Barrett who talked about defining moments ! i love her SO much ! she is amazing .. her and President Barrett are the best people !

*GOOD FRIDAY = DEEP CLEAN DAY ! my sister v.j. and i cleaned our little room and bathroom SO good ! i love deep cleaning day .. i love clean ! haha

*meeting with MICHAEL UPCHURCH to give him ALL the UWO LDSSA info .. he is going to turn it in THIS WEEK ! the Lord is blessing us and that campus ! we just got a new stake institute teacher for the Appleton Stake .. Brother Hales and he is SO excited about trying to get institute on UWO Campus !

*friday night VOLLEYBALL with the YSA .. PANG KOU is so good at volleyball .. its def a Hmong fav ! we had such a good turnout of YSA ! i love ysa and volleyball !

*face painting little Easter bunny kids for service ! the elders "let" us give them bunny faces ! haha !

*STAKE CONFERENCE ! saturday eve was SO good .. our SARAH YANEZ who is the best branch missionary came and SAM BRUMMOND .. who use to be in the Winnebago branch is visiting and she just brings an amazing spirit ! love them !

*EASTER ! thank you to my amazing marmie who sent me and my girl sister v.j. Easter baskets ! we LOVE you ! i love Easter not just b.c. of candy but b.c. of THE SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST and his RESURRECTION ! i love in the book of mormon where Christ comes to the americas after He is resurrected .. the ATONEMENT and the RESURRECTION are the 2 most important principles in the gospel and for our lives ..

"Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him."

"And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them."

"And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:"

"Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world."

"And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the dwill of the Father in all things from the beginning."

"And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven."

"And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying:"

"Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world."

"And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come." [3 Nephi 11:7-15]

i am so grateful for the atonement .. i cannot express in words what a wonderful sacrifice it was and that the savior specifically knows me .. the Resurrection is beautiful and i am so grateful that we can overcome death b.c. of the Savior Jesus Christ.

*another EASTER HIGHLIGHT was SUNDAY STAKE CONFERENCE .. it was the MIDWEST REGIONAL STAKE CONFERENCE .. it was broad casted to all the buildings in the Midwest and we had the privilege of hearing from DALLIN H. OAKS and PRESIDENT THOMAS S. MONSON .. we also heard from elder snow and sister lifferth ! it was amazing and beautiful !

i love being a missionary. i love learning each and everyday. i love the people i continue to meet. I LOVE WISCONSIN !

I LOVE YOU !
sister warner

uplifted and edified .. [04.06.09]

i feel renewed .. i feel strengthened .. i feel full of faith and hope .. i feel uplifted and edified !

how amazing was it that we had the opportunity to listen to our beloved prophet, apostles and leaders of this wonderful church ! i cant express my gratitude enough for a living prophet on the earth today, to lead and guide us on our path towards eternal life. i am grateful to know the heavens are still open and that the counsel and guidance we received this weekend was from our loving Heavenly Father. i cant wait to study more fully the words spoken this last weekend. the counsel from all the leaders who spoke was indeed inspired and needed for all of us !

i love going into conference with questions written down .. i had different things on my mind that i needed help and guidance with .. and i received all the answers i needed from my Heavenly Father this weekend .. it was amazing and i pray i can go forth with more strength, faith and boldness in what i know to be true !

not only was GENERAL CONFERENCE a highlight of my week BUT ending a transfer with my Sister Kristin Johnson .. who is now in Madison ! that wasnt so much a highlight leaving each other BUT going to Milwaukee and meeting my new girl DEF was a highlight !

my new girl and comp is :
SISTER JOHNSON ! haha [i know 2 johnsons in a row .. kinda funny :)]

my girl : SISTER VIRGINIA MAY JOHNSON
from : Orem, Utah
age : 21 .. just turned right before the MTC !
school : Utah State .. my 1st aggie companion !
studying : was international business BUT NOW is illustration !

we are both artists and have very similar personalities and style .. its great ! she is so fun and very funny ! she is an amazing missionary and her knowledge of the scriptures is amazing ! her faith and excitement is wonderful. she has jumped straight into missionary work with full heart and force and I LOVE IT !

THE LORD CONTINUES TO BLESS ME WITH AMAZING COMPANIONS !

the last week was so fun !

we had a big goodbye FHE last monday 03.30 for my old sister j and it was so fun ! the Winnebago YSA love her and she has done so much for the branch .. they were sad to see her go but excited for a new missionary !

on 04.01 NO april fools jokes were played BUT it we did get up at 4:45a that morning .. NO JOKE ! we had to be in Milwaukee for trainers training and get my girl ! it was a long but wonderful day ! after a wonderful training with Pres B and the assistants .. my girl johnson and i headed back to the APL and went straight to work .. no time to even unpack !

we met with PANG KOU and watched Legacy and talked about the pioneers faith and look at the church NOW ~ she had tears in her eye when she bore to us her testimony of the gospel.

then we had a branch coordination meeting with GARY LEDOUX and the faith and excitement s. johnson brings is exactly what the Winnebago YSA's need ! it was a LONG but very productive day !

the best part of the week was DEF General Conference and inviting all to hear the prophets voice !

we had a little YSA get together with with GB YSA and JEREMIAH JAMES came ! D. Todd Christoferson spoke specifically to Jeremiah ! it was wonderful ! it was also fun b.c. my s.black and s.johnson got to meet ! s.black now has a sister in the mission and they LOVE eachother !

sunday sessions were also TOPS ! after the sessions we went to POOH SAANS .. a hmong resturant that PANG KUO's brother SEETHONG owns ! we attended SEETHONG and MAI CHOU's baby shower ! it was wonderful .. they joined the church a little over 1 year ago and they are amazing ! we had the best hmong food .. i on accident [i thought it was the sweet and sour sauce !] ate the WORLDS HOTTEST PEPPER SAUCE ! the hmong elders said i took it like a man .. after my face went SUPER RED ! it was funny .. but good times .. i bet my papa would be proud ! haha

life is amazing ! i love being a missionary .. i am realizing how much the Lord helps us grow in ways we didnt even think we could !

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY ONE AND ONLY DEAREST WARNER COUSIN .. HANNAH ! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ! I LOVE YOU !

oh and transfers brought a lot of changes but good ones .. our new APL Zone Leaders are e. pulley [he has always been ! but new new is e. heslop ! its great !

i love you all and am truly grateful for this opportunity and all your support !
sister warner

THE LORD BLESSES US ! [03.30.09]

so much to say and so little time today !

some of the big news in the WMM this week is :

my sweet sister johnson is LEAVING ! we have spent only ONE transfer together. we have had lots of fun getting UWO started and being with the YSA ! she has given this branch her all and they love her for it .. she has been a great example to me !

the other BIG NEWS is :

I AM GOING TO BE A MAMA AGAIN !

President Barrett called this weekend and asked me for a "favor" ! we have 2 sisters coming from the MTC and i will get to meet MY GIRL this wednesday 04.01 in MILWAUKEE and then we will both go full force in the FOX CITIES for the WINNEBAGO YSA BRANCH ! its gonna be amazing ! i still don't feel qualified for such a responsibility .. I LOVE PRESIDENT BARRETT and am grateful for his trust and his inspiration. he helps my faith and confidence grow each week !

so keep the letters and love coming my way here in the APL b.c. i am staying !

5014 North Meade St.
Appleton, WI 54391

this week has been amazing !

its so wonderful when you see this happen in people :

"Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe." [ALMA 32:16]

we have been able to see this change as we have talked with YSA and as some of them have come back to church .. it makes my heart so happy !

some quick highlights :

combined FHE with the green bayites .. always a fun fun time .. my sweet corry came with them too !

the oshkosh elders finding more people for the UWO LDSSA !

teaching PANG KOU YANG .. she is amazing .. her testimony is SO strong !

rearranging our bedroom !!! reminded me of my papa ! that was just fun and new !

teaching MISSY about the TEMPLE and her wanting that as her ultimate goal .. MISSY going to institute .. seeing the LIGHT OF CHRIST GLOW FROM MISSY's EYES !

HUMAN CHESS IN GREEN BAY .. the APL YSA had and AMAZING turnout and the game night was SO fun for all ! i just loved that it was HARRY POTTER STYLE .. we dressed up and were all the chess peices .. i was a pawn .. i got killed fast BUT it was all good !

being in CHILTON all day with our YSA BRANDY .. who is amazing ! we got to serve BRATS and BURGERS ! also talking to Brandys brother ALEX about the gospel ALL DAY amazing ! [he is not a member but he def will be :) he EVEN came to church !]

listening to such STRONG TESTIMONIES from our ALMOST OUR WHOLE BRANCH on this fast sunday .. they are amazing .. especially ANDY THOMPSON .. who came to the big human chess game night .. he hasnt been to an activity or church in over 7 years and he came to both .. THANK YOU CHRISTINA SIMPSON for inviting and being an amazing member missionary .. he bore a strong testimony .. it was amazing ! him and christina have the charge of planning the next BIG GAME NIGHT !

i love my life. i know i say that a lot but truly it is amazing. i am so grateful i have the support of so many and the love of you all. i couldn't do it without you. thank you for your prayers and love.

this is gonna be a good week .. i am not sure who my NEW GIRL will be but i KNOW she will be amazing !

I LOVE YOU.
sister warner

faith = EVERYTHING ! [03.23.09]

each week i realize more and more how ..

FAITH = EVERYTHING !

just as Jesus Christ instructed his disciples ..

"...If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." [Matthew 17:20]

nothing will be impossible if i have faith in my calling as the Lords Representative. if i do everything in my power to magnify my calling then He will use me as His instrument. if i am prepared to be His servant He will send His prepared children to our paths. i have FAITH in this promise. i will go forward with FAITH and do all i can to be PREPARED !

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE MY BIRTHDAY AMAZING !

i got home from emailing last Monday and i had packages galore ! my MARMIE even sent me a BIRTHDAY CAKE ! it was a little beat up when it arrived but it was so FUN ! i felt SO loved by my family and friends ! i've also been getting little packages and cards through out this week and it made me smile ! I LOVE YOU ALL !

that night we had FHE and the Winnebago YSA's threw me a little BIRTHDAY BASH ! we also had an Oreo and chocolate milk eating contest ! [thank you to Shane McDonald for remembering how i love eating contests !] i love all those YSA's .. they are so strong and love the gospel !

on ST. PATRICKS DAY .. i made sure i wore green ! ask anyone .. i HATE being pinched ! haha there was no institute that night so we had a little GREEN O' MANIA party ... we played some volleyball and had GREEN KOOL AIDE and we made "LUCKY CHARMS" for some of our branch members and investigators and put them on their doors and ran away ! it was lots of fun !

we have some SOLID recent converts in our branch ..

some of them i have been able to learn from and be with a lot are ..

SHANE MCDONALD .. SARAH YANEZ .. PANG KU YANG !

SHANE .. taught us about the atonement this week .. i learned new ways for ME to teach that principle and it was really good .. he is an amazing teacher and LOVES the gospel.

SARAH .. has been a member for almost a year and her testimony of the fullness of the gospel is beautiful .. she comes to a lot of teaching appointments with us and her simple statements have profound effects.

PANG KU YANG .. is a Hmong ysa who joined the church in august of last year .. last week she taught us the principle of the gospel blessing families .. most of her family joined the church and she has been able to see their unity build as they build their family on the gospel of Jesus Christ .. she is so strong and her faith in the truthfulness of this gospel increases weekly .. she is an amazing example to me of putting the Lord first !

the APPLETON STAKE BASKETBALL TOURNY was this saturday .. s. johnson and i were able to be the cheerleaders for the WINNEBAGO YSA BRANCH .. who ended up winning the whole tourny .. GO WINNEBAGO ! gotta love those YSA's ! saturday was also a good day b.c. s. johnson and i got our HAIR CUT by the BEST .. GRETA KREHBIEL ! she is who chopped my hair off about 6 months ago and i just got it trimmed so it will grow out better :) but she truly is the BEST .. plus i got to see LILY .. her 3 year old daughter who is my best friend !

BUT ..

saturday was the best because ..

WE SET A BAPTISMAL DATE WITH MISSY BLOOM ..

her baptism will take place April 25 .. she has been investigating for over a year and the Lord has helped her get her life in order so she can take upon her the baptismal covenant .. she went out to Utah last week and had an AMAZING time .. she told us she wanted to go to TEMPLE SQUARE every night and that when she was there she said, "i felt the spirit so strong and i just knew everything had to be true!" when we met with her on saturday s. johnson and i were going to commit her to baptism and before we could she told US that she wanted to be baptized ! it was amazing ! she is amazing ! being a missionary is amazing !

then there is our friend GEORGE .. he has been coming to church for quite a while now .. his sister is a member in the GREEN BAY SPANISH BRANCH .. george comes to the ysa branch every so oft but he prefers spanish .. so we are working with GB Spanish and he is progressing better then ever ! it is so cool to hear about and see !

this last week was a good one and this coming week is gonna be a great one !

we have COMBINED FHE tonight with the GREEN BAY YSA .. they are coming down to the APL to have some fun !

this is our last WHOLE week before transfers .. we find out this weekend what happens .. always a fun and stressful time :)

THANK YOU to everyone who takes care of me, supports me, loves me and prays for me. i couldnt do this without any of you !

REMEMBER :

"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God." [Ether 12:4]

i LOVE that scripture ! i LOVE you all !
sister warner

OH HAPPY DAY ! [03.16.09]

i am officially 24 !

now that is crazy ! i remember when i just graduated high school and soon after i got on a plane to Utah ! i was so young yet ! when i graduated college last year i still felt a little young .. soon after that i became a FULL TIME REPRESENTATIVE OF JESUS CHRIST ! this responsibility has DEF made me feel more mature .. so i guess turning 24 feels okok !

THANK YOU ALL for the birthday wishes and love. i am so grateful for all of your support and love. it means so much to me !

birthday pday = lots of fun day ! not only do i get to check my email ON my birthday .. i get to have a fun day with my companion and the elders i serve around in this Appleton area ! we are gonna have OLIVE GARDEN for lunch [who can pass up soup, salad and bread sticks :) right lisa jane jastal !] and then an intense game of volleyball with the elders and to end the night with FHE WITH MY WINNEBAGO YSA BRANCH ! life is good .. i'm just sayin baby, i'm just sayin ! i love being a missionary !

last night BISHOP AND SISTER THIEL and LANAE .. who we live with .. cooked me a birthday dinner of STIR FRY ! [my bday dinner for the past 12 or something years ! my marmies specialty !] and then a death by chocolate birthday cake with relightable candles ! always a fun time ! they are so fun to live with and i love them !

so onto the REAL missionary work ..

the scriptures are full of amazing examples of missionaries. i am impressed by so many and want the qualities that they hold.

this week i have been inspired by NEPHI, THE SON OF HELAMAN ..

nephi takes time to PONDER and LISTEN to the spirit of the Lord. he DECLARES the gospel with UNWEARYINGNESS, he follows the Lords WILL and COMMANDMENTS. the Lord blesses him with STRENGTH, FAITH, and BOLDNESS. i want to be like nephi. i want the Lord to say to me ..

"Blessed art thou, [Nephi] SISTER WARNER, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments." [Helaman 10:4]

i hope that i can become a missionary like NEPHI so i can have the blessings the spoken of in Helaman 10:5 ..

"And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will."

i LOVE being a missionary !

the Lord is blessing our area !

UWO .. UWO .. UWO .. UWO .. UWO
this week we met with a couple UWO students and faculty .. PROFESSOR BALL and BROTHER TADLOCK ! they are ALL on board for LDSSA ! ITS GONNA HAPPEN @ UWO ! we are missing 2 students for the club to start but its okok .. THE LORD PROVIDES A WAY and HE HAS ..
MICHAEL UPCHURCH ! our new president of LDSSA - UWO said he has friends that will help him start this club and he has ideas for on campus activities and he will be @ UWO for 3 years and he told us that if anyone messes with us on campus .. TELL HIM ! haha
ALL THINGS ARE DONE THROUGH THE LORD AND IN FAITH .. HIS MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING HERE !

being on campus will open the doors to growing our YSA branch ! this is the key ..

Doctrine and Covenants 123:12-13,17
"For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it—"
"Therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven—"
"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."

let us go forth with faith and all our might ! the gospel is amazing ! THE LORD BLESSES US !

so much to say and not enough time BUT another HIGHLIGHT of the week was

AMY BROWN BEING BAPTIZED GREEN BAY on 03.13.09 .. i met her my last sunday in GB .. i did not get to teach her really but i was able to get to know her and see/hear about her growing testimony .. she and more GB YSA came to the WINNEBAGO YSA BRANCH 2 weeks ago and it was lovely.

she is amazing and we brought 4 YSA that are all recent converts from the last year to her baptism for support and it was everything they needed to hear to be motivated about the gospel !

it is an amazing experience to see children of God come up out of the waters of baptism ! it strengthens my testimony so much !

[i was also able to be reunited with a lot of GB 1st Ward members and it was AMAZING !]

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. it is such an amazing opprotunity to see miracles daily. i KNOW this is the Lords work and i LOVE being an instrument in His hands.

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING ! [especially birthday love !]

I LOVE YOU ALL !
sister warner

the Lord's work ! [03.09.09]

we had a miracle this week ! this truly is the Lord's work. His hand is in all things and it amazes me everyday.

ETHER 12:16
"Yea, and even all they who wrought miracles wrought them by faith, even those who were before Christ and also those who were after."

the miracle we were able to be a part of was THE DOORS TO UWO OPENING ! last week we felt so defeated .. we had no one .. nothing to go off of and now we have the faculty/staff and the students to set up and LDSSA and get on campus ! we will find new investigators to come to the knowledge of the fullness of the truth ! THE LORD BLESSES US !

it was a good week here in the FOX CITIES ! [appleton, neenah & oshkosh]

we had FHE at becky andersons home and we made missionary preparedness kits ! miss katie klemp [a recent convert] brought katie hiles and she asked us that night if we could come and teach her more .. she is finally ready ! she had been challenged by a couple sisters before i came and now she is willing !

we had the opportunity to go to UWGB Soup for the Soul and GB Institute on tuesday ! i ran in and gave so many hugs to all my UWGB friends ! especially Jan Scoville .. she is the EC Director and she actually has connections to UWO .. i knew she would ! institute was so good .. i am glad to see my sister black and sister bryner keeping UWGB strong !

we had a lesson with KATIE HILES about pre earth life .. we based our lesson off of the primary song .. "i lived in heaven" it went really well .. SARAH YANEZ came with .. she is the best branch missionary ! she bore her beautiful testimony oh how knowing pre earth life helps her make decisions now ! she is great ! katie hiles enjoyed it and did the questions on the Restoration Pamphlet without us even saying anything !

PANG KU YANG ! she is a recent convert as well and she is amazing ! we teach her and she teaches us. she put off school for a little bit so she could read the scriptures more and develop her faith stronger ! she is amazing !

THURSDAY WAS OUR BIG UWO DAY ! I LOVE UWO ! we were on a panel for a religious class .. they were studying mormonism and went straight to the source ! we were only supposed to have about 1.5hours BUT we took 2.5hours ! it was amazing ! the questions that were asked were SO good and the spirit was def helping us answer ! in the class was this guy .. he kept bringing up questions to help us bear our testimony .. i knew there was something diff about him .. AFTER the panel was over he told us that he joined the church 3 years ago and that he is willing to help us ON CAMPUS ! this truly is the Lord's work !

we had INTERVIEWS this week ! oh how i love my papa barr ! he gave me great advice for this area and renewed strength and faith. i am so grateful he leads and guides this mission by direction from the Lord.

AMANDA CHRISTENSEN is amazing ! she invited 8 of the ysa over for DINNER/DESSERT and KARAOKE ! it was so much fun ! the dinner and dessert were amazing and i am all about karaoke ! we had a great evening and we ended with teaching about FAITH .. having faith is EVERYTHING .. amanda agreed and was receptive to the message !

CHURCH ! it was so good ! [BESIDE THE HUGE SNOW STORM !] all the GB YSA came down .. they brought AMY BROWN .. she showed up to church my last sunday in GB and is getting baptized on MARCH 13, 2009 ! she is amazing .. such a strong testimony of the restored gospel. she asked s.johnson and i if we would come to her baptism ! we are gonna bring some YSA support her way !

President Miller asked me to speak in the branch yesterday with about 2hours notice .. i feel like i am getting better at this talking in church thing and not being nervous ! its great ! i talked on my decision to come on a mission and how to be a missionary ! i talked about my bffl JOSE ROMO JR and how teaching him with the MONROVIA SISTERS helped me decided i wanted to serve the Lord fulltime !

i am looking forward this week to UWO and seeing the work go forward !

also i am looking forward to BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS ! i turn 24 [i know i am so old !] in 1 WEEK ! it will be so fun !

the other good news from this week is that my baby girl black got to talk to my MARMIE ! i love you marmie !

i got a wedding announcement from my former roommate GENNA ! i am so excited for you and andrew .. CONGRATULATIONS !

also by far the best thing this week from home was my sister HEATHER sending me a teddy bear ! it is a build a bear dressed like a little missionary .. i LOVE IT SO MUCH ! thank you !

this week is gonna be good. wisconsin will warm up soon ? i am not sure .. people say you know it wont snow anymore come JULY !

i love my life. i love you all. i love being a representative of jesus christ. i love seeing miracles.

I LOVE YOU.
sister warner

lose myself .. [03.02.09]

i am losing myself in this new area and falling in love with the people i am serving ..

the Savior tells us in ..
Matthew 10:39-40
"He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me."

coming to a whole new area feels almost like a refresher course in the basics of missionary work. i love Wisconsin and i lost myself completely in green bay and now i am losing myself COMPLETELY in the WINNEBAGO YSA BRANCH !

its been a hard and interesting transition BUT i KNOW i am supposed to be here and that the Lord will use me as His instrument if i am obedient, humble and willing to lose myself for His sake. i KNOW that there are people here who will receive me b.c. i KNOW the Lord has prepared them and their hearts for the message of the restoration. what a beautiful thing it has been and is to see when people receive us as representatives of Jesus Christ b.c. that means they are receiving the Savior and their Heavenly Father who wants so desperately for ALL OF US to come back to him.

i love being a missionary and testifying of the saving power of Jesus Christ and His atonement. it is still the GREATEST OPPORTUNITY i have been given.

SO ..

monday we had a BIG COMBINED FHE with the GREEN BAY YSA's ! we had about 20 YSA .. it was so good .. 3 were investigators and life couldnt of been more fun !

ZONE CONFERENCE was on TUESDAY and it was SO GOOD .. the theme for this transfer is REPENTANCE .. i am learning more and more everyday on repentance and change and growth .. it is a beautiful thing. i LOVE zone conference and getting to learn and grow from all the missionaries. i was asked to bear my testimony and i was able to share how my BFFL JOSE ROMO JR has blessed my life and me becoming a missionary ! i love sharing my testimony .. it strengthens my knowledge of the things i know to be true.

this is the BIGGEST NEWS OF THE WEEK !

UW OSHKOSH .. UW OSHKOSH .. UW OSHKOSH

so we want to be missionaries on campus .. we want and NEED an LDSSA .. i was feeling a bit defeated b.c. we didnt know anyone on campus .. BUT after spending the day there on thursday [IN A HUGE SNOW STORM] THE LORD BLESSED US and we found a LDS PROFESSOR and we are looking for more students ! as we were walking around campus a student looked at us and asked us why we were there .. we just smiled and said we were missionaries and she said I KNOW .. i go to church in SHAWNO ! it was amazing ! i KNOW faith precedes miracles and we are having FAITH the UWO will open the gates to many YSA in the area !

we had a really good lesson with MISSY this week .. she wants to start coming back to church and we can see her getting baptized in the soon furture !

AMANDA is a YSA and her mom joined the church about 1 year ago and we are working with her to teach the lessons too and she is an amazing young women !

another amazing HIGHLIGHT of the week was watching the CES BROADCAST last night with ELDER HALES .. his talk was AMAZING and so STRENGTHING ! the best part was PRESIDENT CHILD CONDUCTED THE MEETING .. that was my stake pres who i left my mission from and the Relief Society Pres from my BYU 10th ward gave the closing prayer ! oh how i LOVE provo nation !

I LOVE YOU ALL AND THE WORK IS GOING FORWARD IF WE HAVE FAITH AND LOVE AND OBEDIENCE. i know this ..

President Barrett gave me this recipe for the Winnebago Branch just this morning .. s.johnson and i are DEF going to put it into action :
Add 10 new investigators to the mix.
Add faith.
Stir in repentance.
Fold in love.
Lay over the fire.
Top with perfect obedience.
Harvest baptisms.

DONE and DONE papa barr !

I LOVE YOU ALL !
sister warner