11-Dec-2012

Dear Family, 
If there's one thing that I love about being a missionary, I think it would be the constant reminder that he (God)
really does answer prayers. It's an everyday occurrence and every time he reminds me how much he loves me 
and that the more specific our prayers are, the more specific answers we will receive. These past two weeks, 
we had been searching for a ride in the branch to be able to go down the baptism  for Jesse in Silverton. 
Silverton is so far from Portland, and it is the Christmas season so most people are busy or on vacation. We had asked everyone
we could think of, including people that were not in our area. We're the only sisters in the whole zone, and those who
go to the deaf branch are so far apart, it's really hard to get rides. Our zone leaders this time came to the rescue, but 
in a different way we had in mind. They had found a ride literally for us the night before. Sister Furnell and I were just 
opening our daily planning session for the next day, and I had just prayed again that we would find someone that
would be willing to take us to the baptism. I had literally just opened my eyes, and saw the elders walking across the
parking lot to our apartment door with a sticky note in hand. They had found someone who was willing to take us. I've
never been so thankful for that answer. 
The baptism was so beautiful and It was very well attended. It was so nice to see everyone again from my old area, and 
to see Jesse get baptized by his friend that introduced him to the gospel.It was kind of funny, his friend was so excited to 
baptize him he did it very quickly, and as a result didn't fully immerse him the first time, so he had to go down a second 
time. It's interesting when we don't fully do something right the first time, or delay, we end up having to do it again and it takes
even longer at times to repair it. Both of his parents came, and before the baptism even began, I was able to talk with them both
a bit about why we are baptized and what the LDS church believes in baptism. I invited the mother to pay attention to how she 
felt watching her son get baptized. The spirit was there so strongly, and I know that they were both touched by their son's example. I am hoping that one day that they will both join after watching their son's example of what we believe. With this baptism 
I was also very honored to be asked to speak on the holy ghost. It was interesting speaking...I had a talk completely written before 
hand, but ended up giving a different introduction about the restoration of the gospel. I'm grateful for the guidance of the holy ghost.
Sister Furnell and I have been working very hard. We both have been a little under the weather this past couple weeks and have been so very tired. But with all this tiredness, we've had great experiences with finding. Last week, We both felt prompted to go to 
Battleground to search for some deaf names. One was way out in the forest of battle ground. We both felt a little creeped out at first, trying to find  a house in the middle of the seemingly forest at night, but we found it and they were home! The wife that was hearing listened to our message and then told us that most of her family was deaf, along with several deaf uncles. We gave her a copy of the book of Mormon, and she said to come back the next time we were in the area.With the deaf, it's a very slow and long process sometimes of getting them to trust us as missionaries, and then to get them to church, but she listened and I hope that she will take action on the promise we left them with. 
My signing is improving every day. I'm trying to sign as much as I can.
Christmas day is coming up soon and it definitely looks like Christmas around Portland.At the moment, we have plans to call you guys from the Plock's cell phones so we need to arrange a time to make phone calls and maybe conference in Jess or whoever else won't be there. What are your plans for christmas? Are you staying home this year? I love all of you. Sister Embley

4-Dec-2012

Dear Dad (and Family)

Thanks for the input! We are working really hard.....at the moment, we have zero investigatos and only a few less actives that we are working with. The deaf Branch just had a baptism and I came in after it. We are now in the rebuilding stages of the work of what we would like to call the harvesting season. My new companion and I are both unskilled signers. She has had only 2 years of American Sign, and I have had only the MTC experiance and the help I've had here. The Branch members have been so helpful with our language. I haven't signed in six months so it has been hard to get back into "speaking" the language. The Branch President asked me to bear my testimony on sunday, and I've never been more nervous in my life. It wasn't a very well understood testimony, but one of the members told me of the spirit she felt as I was trying so hard to share it. We're working harder than ever to be fluent in sign, but I don't think I will be fluent by the time I come home. It's hard to have been out of the deaf work for so long and things are so diffrent than hearing work. But we are both hard works and understand the importance of working with the spirit. It's been an intresting testimony to me of the gift of tongues. If you desire it, the lord will help you in your calling. I am super thankful to be back in the deaf branch again and to see the miracles happen here in this area. 

We have been tracting so hard. Since we have no investigators, we have many hours of finding. This past week we have witnessed many miracles of showing the lord that we can do this great work. With deaf tracting, we pray and try to go by inspiration to a place that has a deaf name to try and contact, and then to tract around them to find more. Sometimes that place is as far as Washington or Tigard, but we've had great success this week finding hearing names for other missionaries and not so much for the deaf. But I know that we needed to be there at that time to help them. One of those was a man, who answered the door and said that now wasn't a good time for him His wife had just passed away and was struggling to be without her. We testified to him of the plan of salvation and his countance changed. He said we would be willing to read of this plan and was intrested in knowing more. Another was a woman who at first was angry that we were tracting in a no solicting area (we were clueless about this) but then prayed with us at the doorstep after we had taught her a lesson. She actually had some LDS friends and was looking to get back into church.The minute after we prayed, the aparment security came by and kicked us off their property. The hearing woman who had answered that door and listened, was a door that we were planning on knocking on to find the deaf who no longer lived there.Miracles happen when you have courage to take action upon your faith. 

Somedays are definitly harder than others to pull through, when you have less appointments and more hours of tracting in the rain it makes you so tired. But I've never felt so satisfied and so happy to be back and to be able to sign again. I think my feet and hands will be well worn out by the time I'm home. But when I'm home I've decided to take more ASL classes to help me keep up with the language. Tonight we're planning on videophone tracting. We've both never done this before, but we have numbers that need to be called and people that need to be found so that they can experiance the joy of the fulness of the gospel. Our videophone is a bit like skype, except it is a phone for the deaf so that they can use their hands to communicate with others even if they aren't deaf. Technology is just amazing and I'm convinced it's all apart of helping the gospel to reach to all the corners of the earth.

On Saturday, I'm looking forward to having the opportunity of going back to silverton and seeing Jesse get baptised! Jesse is a 30 year old man who was introduced to the gospel by his friend that I actually had the privilidge of teaching him from start to finish. He accepted everything and was so willing and hungry for the gospel. I am so happy that Oregon  lets you come back to see investigators and families get baptised! I always feel so encouarged after seeing so many change their lives as they come closer to the gospel.I have two more opportunites to go back to silverton for investigator baptisms. One is at the end of december and the other at the begining of January. Both will be great experiances. There is just a special spirit when you see those you have taught enter into the waters of baptism and to experiance the change that comes from accepting the gospel. I am so excited to be able to be there for both!!!

Today we're off to go and do service for a deaf member and her husband, then off to washington for the evening with another member in the branch. This week we have so many meetings with Zone Confrence included, I'm excited to be inspired and edified from both. 

Anyway, I love all of you and I'll be seeing you in two months. 

Love, Sister Embley

27-Nov-2012, Back to the Deaf Branch!

Dear Family,

Transfers were this Monday, and I am now offically back in the deaf branch. My new companion's name is Sister Furnell, she is from utah and is awesome.

It's a little weird being back in my greenie apartment and in my greenie area, but I'm super excited to be able to be in deaf work again. It's a one of a kind work.

There are four of us signing sisters now, and the map is split from North to South here in Oregon. We're not really sure how this will be for what work there is,

but I am excited to be signing again. This transfer meeting I think was the most intresting transfer meeting I've been too...There were two sets of sisters that

went back to be companions again for a second time, (one of which was my old trio, except I'm not there this time) and another went back to their greenie

area with an old companion. It's getting to the point on my mission where us older sisters are bound to be companions again, espically with ASL. Another

Sister I served with was in the full time proslyting and now she is serving in the temple vistor's center with no pre-vistor's center training.

It's always intresting to see where the lord/mission president calls and puts us in each area there is. It was harder than I thought to say goodbye to Silverton.

 Our area is and was doing really well. I'll be back there on the 8th for a baptism and some upcoming baptisms with people we have taught from start to finish.

This past week was Thanksgiving, so we spent it with family members of our ward here in Silverton. The deaf branch thanksgiving dinner was the weekend

before, and that was just an adventure. We ended up going with a deaf member to Washington first to help them with the food for the event and they ended

up getting pulled over and let off with a warning on the way. It was fun to be with four of us signing sisters for the weekend.

We had a combined lesson with the spanish elders this week, Elder Ellis and Elder Jones and both are really well at speaking spanish. The mother and daughter

speak more english and live in our area of Silverton. The mother came up to us this past week and asked us to help get her daughter on a mission. We had never

really taught a combined lesson before and was a little nervous about how well it would mesh with four people, but it went well. The spirit was really strong when

we just talked about the experiances we have had as missionaries and the process of being a missionary. This family had just gotten baptised the week before

in the Spanish Branch. Some sisters in this area actually found them because the wrong package was delivered to them. When they knocked on the door, they

were more than ready for their message but just needed the spanish elders because the father spoke little english. At the end of the lesson, the elders had all of

us bear our testimony about how being on a mission has blessed us and I think the spirit was the strongest at this point of the lesson. I know we have language

barriers at times, but the spirit is the ultimate and true teacher. I don't think anyone could deny the feeling that was there.

Friday, I was on another split with the North Marion Sisters and we were able to have another lesson with Jesse on baptism. His friend converted to the gospel

two years ago and has been working with him ever since on coming to this church. He has been pretty accepting with everything, and it's been so neat to watch

him accept the gospel even more with the teachings. We had a member prepare them for baptism by showing them how we are properly baptised. This would be

his friends first time baptising anyone being a convert to the church. I'm excited to be able to go back to my old area, Silverton for Jesse's baptism soon.

Sunday was a really hard day for me to say goodbye to everyone, but it is nice to move on to another area. Hopefully I'll be somewhat fluent in sign when I come

home and you guys can all have language study with me. We're busy working hard at teaching and finding. Sister Furnell is a hard worker and I'm greatful to have

her. I love all of you!

Sister Embley

12-Nov-2012

Dear Family,

We've had so many experiances this week that really testify to me of the power of the holy ghost. We're working really hard at building up

the deaf area in the south side of the mission along with our "hearing" area of Silverton. Saturday, with the proper planning the night before,

my companion and I both felt prompted to go to a town called Newburg, to attempt to contact two deaf less actives and a couple of deaf

potential investigators. All of these people were home, including the less actives that were our top priority. We found that the deaf potentials

had actually moved, but the less actives were home and willing to "listen" to the message that we had. Sometimes when we are out contacting,

we never actually find the person at home after driving all that way because there is really no other way to contact them; so actually finding them

at home is a miracle to us! We were able to make set appointments with this prompting and they both want to come back to church. One of the less

actives has a very anti husband, but she knows of the happiness it will bring her by coming back.

Later that evening, in another area we had planned out to visit we were attempting our secound time to contact another person. The contact had told us

the number of his house which we tried looking for and couldn't find. We looked twice, and as we were walking by, the spirit had so slightly whispered to

me to look at the doorbell on the apartment we were passing. While it hadn't been the right number, on the door there was a deaf doorbell indicating to us

that someone deaf was living there. The man himself wasn't home, so his neighboor confirmed that he was indeed deaf. We plan on going back at later time.

Right now in our "hearing" area, we have 4 investigators with a baptismal date, one of which is a 30 year old man. He has completly accepted everything from

start to finish, all because of a life long friend he had growing up that has been introducing him to the gospel for years now. We taught him the word of wisdom

a week ago, had a habit of drinking coffee every day and gave it up in one week. This week he was having some reactions to not having caffine, but is still going

strong with not drinking it.

We had another intresting lesson with a ten year old boy who wants to find a church for himself. Lately,he had been struggling with understanding of the book of mormon. In this lesson we had actually planned out to show him a video that talks a bit about the plan of salvation but for some reason, the DVD player wasn't exactly working, or something had happened to where we couldn't play it. When this happened, we had an awkward pause because you don't typically have a back up plan for a back up lesson. We both felt prompted to ask him how his book of mormon reading was going, and decided to read with him to help him understand. I don't exactly know where the thought came from to have him act out as we were telling the story, but he acted out a story as we read for his family.

I think that was one of the best lessons ever. The spirit was there and I think the acting helped him understand the importance. I'm grateful for unplanned lessons!

We are doing really well with this area and i'm happy with the work that has picked up dramactically over these past few weeks. We have at least 4 investigators with a baptismal date and the baptisms are upcoming fast.

This saturday I'm also getting the great opportunity of going to the deaf Branch's thanksgiving lunch. This event is going to be big, they are planning on doing church tours, games and a lunch all in one afternoon. President approved us of staying the night with the other ASL sisters and we're going to the deaf branch the next day for church. I'm so excited but a little nervous....I just hope they don't call on us to speak:)

Everything is well, and I'm happy with how things are going. Thanksgiving is coming up rapidly, and we're excited to be spending the day with families here.

I love all of you. Sister Embley

Mission Sisters

29-Oct-2012

Hey!

I actually haven't heard anything about any hurricanes expect for one that apparently hit Florida a couple days ago.

I'm glad you guys are safe and sound, and that you got my departure date! It's crazy to think that I only have two

transfers left. I'm hoping maybe JT could teach me guitar when I get home if he gets to be good enough. Maybe

we will do a duet in church for my homecoming (not on guitar, but with his cello). It's so weird to think how fast

this mission has gone by and how much this experiance has changed my testimony of the gospel.

 This past sunday I (we didn't relize it was fast and testimony meeting with stake confrence

being next week!) had the opportunity to bear my testimony about the missionary work. There are a couple youth

in our ward that have changed their plans and have already started to work on their papers, and I had

felt strongly that I needed to share my testimony on missionary work and how much it had blessed me.

From the very first day I stepped off the plane to be here in Oregon until now, I can see so many changes and

blessings that have only been brought to me from serving a full time mission.

My testimony is solid and I now have a further understanding of God's plan for all of his children. I can know

communicate somewhat in American Sign, and want to further that knowledge when I get home. I have met

so many people, life long mission commareds that I want to keep in contact with and that will become life long friends.

 A mission truely gives you the best and the hardest experiances that will help personally you grow and stretch.

There are many other blessings I'm sure that have and will come from it, but the most is seeing other families come

into the gospel and to be sealed in the temple! This week, we were able to commit another investigator who's mother

is coming back active. After we had watched the restoration movie with her, we asked her if she knew Joseph Smith

to be a true prophet of God. It was quiet for a minute, and then the spirit was strong. She said yes, she did believe

and we commited her to a baptism date of December 15th.

We also have another baptism with a 30 year old who is getting baptised December 8th. We are excited for both. With the

30 year old, we extended the baptism date the very first lesson and he completly accepted it. He has had a life long friend who

had been a member all of his life, and this influence has helped him with the knowledge of the gospel.

The part time deaf work is moving forward slowly. It looks like we will probably both be transfered out of this area into another

one next transfer, to be closer to the branch, but we will see. We're picking up the deaf area book today, so we're excited to start

with that and the referels we keep recieving. I haven't signed in such a long time. It's been a bit hard to pick it back up again, but

I know that the spirit will help as I study.

Halloween is this week. We're not allowed out expect to be with members, so we're going to the ward's trunk or treat and then to

decorate cookies with the Rea's. What are your plans for halloween? Everyone needs to send me pictures.....(a package would be nice)

Today we're headed to play games with our district here. I really like where I am right now and that I stayed for another transfer.

I love you!

Sister Embley

16-Oct-2012

Dear Family,

Transfers were this past monday, and I now have a new companion! Sister Monson is now home, the last week was such a struggle for her to

 get through with being in so much pain. It will be good for her to be home. My new companion is actually Sister Gentry again, the ASL sister I

 trained in Portland with the ASL branch. This will be our secound time being companions together, but this time on the same level of things.

 We're doing some part time ASL work here in the south of Oregon. President has split the map to where if we do geta referel, we will go and teach.

 I am hoping to get things up and running with the ASL down here before I get transferred back to being full time in the deaf branch. It's so nice to be

able to sign again! While I've been here in Silverton, some of the members actually know ASL or are studying, so we have been able to converse in

sign more than I have in the past 6 months. Language Study I know will defintily be more affective.

Monday Night we had a lesson here in Silverton with a family we are working with and the Morby's were able to come down for it. I've never actually

taught a lesson with the there mission president before besides in a practice teaching for zone confrence. The spirit was powerful as we used examples

from the book of mormon about the gospel of jesus christ.

You know the cool thing about the Book of Mormon? One of the center messages of this book is that we know through the restoration more of the

Atonement of Jesus Christ. There is only one refrence in the Bible (Romans 5:11) That actually calls the atonement by name. But this is why the book

of mormon is so powerful. It teaches us more of how the atonement can be used to overcome all of our struggles and Why this act was so essential.

Being on a mission has helped me see the atonement take action with people as they use their agency to come closer to christ. It's a powerful witness

to me of the truthfulness of this gospel to see it help change them and their circumstances. If you want to overcome anything, read the book of mormon!!

Last Friday I was able to go on splits again with the North Marion Sisters. They are in our district and It's been so nice having sisters here close by. We

have just had a number of things happen were it's been as a safety thing for us to have them here. But with the sisters (Sister Robbins and Sister Palmer)

I was able to go out country tracting in the pouring rain. It was Sister Palmer's first rain. I'm not sure if she liked it that much after it started to pour.

espically out country tracting when we had walked miles away from the car...

But as we were tracting, we had actually found a less active who had been a member of the church, but had fallen away for various reasons.

He didn't believe anymore that their was a God, and that because he didn't believe in a God, there was no consaquence for his actions; and how

people should live in the moment- if we worry to much about tomorrow or the decesions that we face then we won't enjoy the life here. He had preached

to us this long sermon, of consaquences. We tied his concerns back to the gospel- and how important our actions or agency truely are. If we didn't have

any consaquences to our actions, then we would have no need to repent. Then what would the purpose of life be? There is a purpose and we do have a

God who loves us so much. Sister Palmer, Robbins and I were able to bear a powerful witness of this gospel. I think that door was meant to be knocked on

by the three of us that day, everything we said had diffrent points that were able to help answer his questions from our own individual testimonies.

Anyway, today we are taking our P-Day because of transfer meeting and tonight we have several lessons to get too. I'm excited to have a working companion

again and for the ASL work to get accomplished!

Love you! Sister Embley

9-Oct-2012

Dear Family,

This past friday, as we were about to head out the door for lessons that day, we heard yelling outside. At first, we had just thought it was our

neighboors in an argument but it turned out to be so much more than that. There was running on the stairs and pounding at our door to open up.

The cop had banged on our door to get us all out of the apartment. The apartment two doors down from us was burning up from a fire we hadn't

even noticed that was happening. They had evacuated all of us onto the lawn, the poor families that were affected had to just stand back to watch

it burn. It was thankful though, that none of them (or us!) had been hurt by the fire. It was very lucky that day that the wind was blowing in the opposite

direction then our apartment. If it had been blowing in our direction, we would've been affected and probably would've had to move.

We ended up having to cancel all apointments and just wait for the fireman's go-ahead to get back into the apartment. Our apartment was not affected by this, and the smoke has since been cleaned out. They think the cause of this fire was, of all things a ciggerate butt. Somone had carelessly flicked one into the bush next to the apartment and because of this small act, two families are now affected by the fire. This made me really re-think a lot of things this week, in particuar of Satan's plan for us. One small act of disobediance can not only affect ourselves, but of our whole entire family. What are we doing on a daily basis that draws us away from our heavenly father? It can be the smallest things. You don't want his eternal plan to be destroyed for you by being addicted to one thing, or one choice. On my mission, I have had the great opporutunity to teach individuals and families about the savior's plan for us. It is so sad to see how addicted they are to a certain substance and won't give it up. That substance can be as little as a cup of coffee to keep them from achieving their full blessings of salvation. I am thankful for the infinite power of the atonement and how the savior's love and sacrifice can help us overcome all things, only if we come unto him. My challange to you this week is to re-evaluate what you are doing and find the small things that are keeping the spirit from being present or from your personal relationship with him. You don't want to give up your salvation for nothing. This i know to be true.

The next day for us was General Confrence. What a great announcment! I wouldn't be surprised to see so many more missionaries in the field after this. I'm excited for JT to go on a mission too. There were so many great uplifiting messages from confrence. I think one was Elder Holland's that really struck me the most. My companion and I watched it with some Investigators and a member made us some yummy cinnamon rolls. I don't know if I have told you this yet, but my companion has made the decesion to go home early because of her back. This has been a huge struggle for her, but the only thing they can do for her is surgery, and this will have to wait until she gets home. She's been a good sport about all of this, but prayers right now I think would help her get through until she gets to next Monday.

I love all of you and pray for you.

Love, Sister Embley

4-Sept-2012

Also, people keep asking me what I'm going to do when I get home. I have NO clue what yet (that's still 5 months away!) and I don't know where. I really like Southern Utah, with their schools and small campus....but I don't know if I should apply while I'm on the mission for a returned missioanry scholarship? I think I am going to go crazy just sitting at home. Life back is going to happen fast and it's not going to be a fun adjustment. I was thinking (I get back in Febuary) It wouldn't hurt for me to get back and work (even if it is Coldstone) and apply for a summer semester somewhere and start to get back on track again. Or maybe there's another job I could take during the summer, or something. I have no clue. Maybe if you guys could keep ears open for that, that would be great. Thanks! Sister Embley

6-August-2012

Dear Family,

I've offically been on my misson for a year now! It's a little crazy to think about.

We've had so many intresting things happen to us this week. This saturday here in Silverton the weather hit 109+ degrees the hottest i've seen Oregon so far. Sister Monson and I were out contacting people who had been contacted before by the missionaries. One of them wasn't home when we tried them, and we decided to just walk back to the car when something directed us elsewhere. There was a creek and a big area of tall grass next to the house with someone in the creek. We decided to hike up our skirts to find this person and talk to them, regardless of the obstacle.

 As we started to talk, we found out that this woman was the wife to the person that we had been looking for and she invited us in for some water out of the heat. She turned out to be a Seventh day adventist, but was willing to listen to the message that we had. The plan of salvation just kept coming up in the conversation before, so we both felt inspired to teach her about our purpose and just how much our heavenly father loves us. Times like these, I am so thankful for the spirit and for the truths that are in the bible that have been restored! She just wouldn't believe anything unless we had backed it with the bible refrences, but the spirit testified to her as we were teaching.

As we were talking,  I'm not sure how it was brought up in the conversation, but she told us that her husband was deaf, and he had become deaf from a disease he had recieved later on in his life. Her husband knows no sign language but just communicates with lip reading, which is more common amoung the deaf than actually knowing sign language. They are both intrested in going to the deaf brach. I don't think they knew that there are deaf churches all over oregon. We have one of the biggest population of the deaf community here. But the neatest thing is that they agreed to have us come and teach again! I think there are so many diffrent reasons as to why I'm in Silverton. We didn't set out to find a deaf person, but prayer led us to one.

Saturday, we were also giving service to someone that we had been teaching. Her roomate are both not members, one of them is always drunk. One of them named Lu asked us to cut her hair. Sister Monson came up with the greatest thing ever. If Lu agreed to come to church, we would cut her hair for her. She agreed and actually came to church but was defintily not sober when she came to church. It's sad, but she's always drinking and hasn't ever stopped. She only promised to stay the first hour, but her friend convinced her to stay for all three. She turned out to like it and we invited her to come back. The atonement of Jesus Christ works with everyone. I would love to see her life change if she just stops drinking!

I love you!

Sister Embley

Baptism Pictures, 28-August-2012

More Pictures, 28-August-2012

Eating Dandelions and Mushrooms! 28-August-2012

P-Day Pictures, 28-August-2012

21-August-2012

Dear Family,

Well, this week and for the next two weeks we're going to be on bike. Last Friday was the second time I've spent the whole day on bike and I'm pretty sure it was one of the hottest days of the summer. We're getting a couple hot spurts here and I swear it never rains down in southern oregon. We biked about 4 miles and beasted up some very large hills. the first day just contacting and for appointments. We felt inspired to go tracting on one of the streets we had picked out the night before in planning and no one was home but one person on the street. At first she told us she wasn't intrested, but noticing our sweat and tiredness invited us in for some water. We just started talking with her about what she was intrested and we tied it back to the gospel. I love experiances like this because all conversations you have will lead to a gospel principal. Everything we do as members of the church can be tied back to it.

The rest of the night was spent contacting. We contacted a part member family, who wasn't even home but the roomate of the father was. (his girls live with their mother) He sadly, was pretty intoxicated when we knocked on the door, but was coherent enough to understand what we were saying about the church. It is just so sad to see how people think that worldly things will make them happy. Everything we have (except for our families and this gospel) is so temporary! It's when we are obediant to him and his teachings is when we will be truely happy.

We've been busy this week with mission tours! On Saturday, Elder Nelson came and spoke to the whole mission. He talked about his experiance a bit about how he was called into his calling of being an apostle, and blessed us with our work as missionaries and our families.He told us that this is the most important thing that we will ever do besides being a mother or a father in rearing a family. He then blessed our families that as we serve here in the mission field and that if we serve faithfully here the Lord will take care of our families and loved ones at home. He was very specific in what we needed to do as missionaries because we are the arms and legs of the great work in building up the Lord's kingdom.

I love you! Sister Embley

31-July-2012

Dear Family,

I am so thankful for prayer. Really and truely, it's been the most powerful tool for any missionary. My companion and I last week had a bit of an experiance trying to find a lost key. We were headed out the door just like any other day to go tracting and relized that our key was missing. We had obviously come in with it the night before, but somehow miss-placed it. We searched and searched, tore down the apartment completly and had even tipped over the couches and the key sijmply wasn't there. We decided to pray, and then searched around the apartment again. We had kind of given up at this point and called the mission office searching for a copy when our ward mission leader showed up. He was dropping off an alarm clock for an investigator so that she could wake up for church and noticed that we were a bit stressed out. After explaining our plight, he looked at us and told us that the key was in the living room and that we would find it in the next 5 minutes. He said it a bit teasingly, but after he left we decided to search the living room again.

Geuss where the key was? The key had fallen inbetween the fabric in the couches, after we had turned them down looking for it. There were a few other blessings that came to us from searching for the key. We ended up talking with our  apartment manager and it turned out that the people who had lived there before hadn't let them know that the occupents had changed and that there were now sisters staying there. This was a job that the housing department was in charge of and hadn't yet done. If we hadn't of gone down to the office for a lost key, they never would've known we were there. In short, I am so thankful for the power of prayer and the answers we recieve. Sometimes they are in ways we don't expect, but I know that he will always bless us in our needs individually. The housing situation was taken care of, and we got our key back We were able to move on with work as a usual day.

There are so many great families here in silverton. The grandparents of the first bishop of my greenie area are in my ward here in Silverton. It's a small world! We're teaching a member who recently came back from being less active and we have a reading competition of the book of mormon with her. So far, she's almost done with Alma and was able to get the audio to help her with the reading part. Ever since we've challanged her to read, she's just been so much more happier. Her husband is in prison and he just told her this past week that he wants to be baptised and sealed to her once he is out and his record is cleared. So many more things have happend to her this week and I know its from her reading of the book of mormon that is working the family.

This week for P-Day, I finally got the opportunity to go to downtown portland and to see what they call Pioneer Square and to venture out a place called Voodo Doughnuts. Can you believe that I lived 3 minutes away from downtown and never had the opportunity yet of going? Down-town portland is it's own kind of place. I don't think there is any other place like it. I love to people watch there. We just had fun with the ASL sisters and my new companion and some members from Silverton that were so willing to take us and tour it. It made me miss living in portland a bit, but I'm loving Silverton already.

Can you believe I've almost been out on my mission for a year know? A lot has changed since then and I love being a missionary. It's a hard task at times. Sometimes the door slammed constantly, and have long days without any success. But it's all been so worth it. Last week, we had an investigator drop us. I had never met them personally, but as a companionship as we were praying, I just felt an overwhelming feeling of love for them. They are children of our loving heavenly father and we want so much for the blessing of the gospel in their life, it's hard to see them not accept it.

Today we're going on splits with the N.Marion Sisters- We have Sisters in our district and I actually quiet like that change. It's diffrent, but a really nice break. I love the district that I'm serving with. They're hard workers and there's another Elder that I served with in my last area, so another familar face.

I love you! Don't forget to bring me something from Kentucky when you go!

Love, Sister Embley

23-July-2012

Dear Family,

Happy July 24th!

Such a crazy week it's been!

The past week has been so spiritually filled. We had Zone Confrence with all the missionaries in the area.his wednesday was zone confrence. There is such an incredible spirit when there is a group of Missionaries together and even more when they sing! They've had me play the piano at every event. In some cases, it's very last minute. This one, we sang the primary song Armies of Helaman, not the EFY arrangment. The sound was so powerful. Our focus this time for training was on baptism.they taught us that our focus should be on baptism, and how we can help his children get to that point. So motivating and powerful. They played a clip from Elder Bednar's talk at the MTC, how we as missionaries should never seek credit for ourselves and the work that we have done. We should be about the Lord's buisness.

This is about him and his work, not about us. We have a baptism date with Gwen. She's in her 80's and has made so many changes in her life. One morning, she just woke up and decided not to drink alchohal any more. That had been a constant struggle for her and the Book of Mormon. Now she is so excited for her new life. On the same day of her baptism, we have an apostle coming to the mission. It will be intresting to see which one they send here from Salt Lake- they say he's here on other buisness, but most missions don't even get a visit from them. We've gotten two in the past year. We are so excited to have them here.The week after, we have a mission tour from Elder Coolidge of the 70's. A double dosage all in one week!

Last Monday, we got the great opportunity to go and see Multunumah Falls with the Dunlop Family. There are many diffrent falls you can go and see and hike. It's gorgous there. One of the falls, is the one of the largest falls in the US. There's a standpoint where you can hike up to at the half way point and see both end and begining of the fall. It's just so pretty. Oregon is such a beutiful place. I love the scenery here and the people. It kind of reminds me of an American Amazon sometimes with all of the forest you have here. Someone this past week gave us fried dandelions to try. I think that's been one of the most intresting things that I've eaten so far in oregon. I'm starting to just really love Oregon. I could be happy being a missionary here for the rest of my life.

I geuss the only real new thing to email about is my new companion! Her name is Sister Monson and she's also from Utah:).Transfer Meeting, the spirit was so strong. I had several friends leave this transfer and it has just been the greatest experiance watching them change and grow as they fulfill the priesthood duty by serving. I will miss serving with them. I'm now serving in the Silverton area. I love it so far, I've just never been in an area only for six weeks like my last area. This will be an intresting adjustment, but It will be nice not having to be attatched to my old area. It's in the southern part of oregon, a part I haven't really ventured out to quiet yet. Hopefully we'll be able to go up to see the Silver Falls soon in this area!

I love you!

Sister Embley

Also, I forgot. In my new district, I'm what's called the "pep squad" (cheeleader) which basically, i get to call anyone in the district and motivate them to do missionary work. I may just call and sing to them in the morning for their wake up call every morning. Haha. So, any new ideas you want to send is great! Love, Sister Embley

Happy in the Field!

4th of July

9-July-2012

Dear Family,

Happy late 4th of July! I hope all of you had a great experiance this year. 4th of July as a missionary is just a diffrent experiance.

It really made me more appriciative of the religous freedoms that we have here! Truely, this nation was the only one that was

truely prepared for the restoration and for that I am thankful for! I loved celebrating the 4th here in Oregon! We were invited to

go to a small town of Vernonia, Oregon with a family I hadn't really known previously. They were so excited to have us with,

it was such an adventure! Verniona is a little town of about 2,000 people; maybe even less than that give or take. Their family

reminded me so much of ours. We barbaqued, watched a parade, played games,sang songs, jumped on their trampoline and lit of fireworks.

 They showed us a swimming pool that the town makes in to a swimming hole in the middle of the river. Swimming never looked so

inviting,but we decided to be obediant missionaries and not to hop in. We were allowed to stay out till 10:30 for fireworks this year

(the missionaries last year were allowed to stay out until midnight, and i'm really glad we weren't this year! The next day we

were just so tired just from staying out until 10:30!)

 We had enough time to see some other investigators and families before we

left for vernionia. One of them was an older lady named Gwen. I just love her and her family. She is going to be getting baptised

August 18th, the same day we have a mission tour. She's come such a long way! We're going to go to the Visitor's Center sometime

with her this week. Last lesson, she was telling us about how her family would go and do temple work in Seattle, and they would come

back so tired from all of their sealing work. She was so confused as to why, and thought that they had been working on the "ceilings" in the temple.

Her reaction to that is that the temple must have alot of ceilings!

This week we've been doing alot of tracting and finding and it's been in the 90's. No humidity though, and certainly not as hot as Virginia. They

keep letting us know about the heat waves everyone else is getting. Oregon certainly has intresting weather- one week it's super hot and the

next it's so nice. But back to the work, this last week, we were able to make succesfull contact with someone that the previous missionaries

had tracted into but had never gotten a return appointment with. He's an older african american gentlemen who grew up in the south and

loves to study with diffrent religons. This lesson really strengthened my testimony of tracting! He was impressed that we had just showed up

on his door step, testifying to him and his family of what he keeps calling "the word". He was intrigued and wanted to know more. We taught

him Saturday night and said that he would read. The apostasy made so much sense to him and he accepted the message that we had.

 I love experiances like this as a missionary. So often we just get turned away from going door to door. I hope that him and his family will keep learning.

Sister Peart and I have just had the funniest experiances while tracting this week.A lady turned us down but offered us cookies if we would leave.

We opened one double door to knock on the real door and ended up opening the door to the house. We both started laughing hard and walked as

quietly as we could away. We had a very anti less active man yell at us for coming to his door, asking us why in the world the mormons keep

coming to his door step. Tracting is great fun at times. You never know what kind of reaction you're going to get.

I hope all of you had a fantastic 4th! I love you, Sister Embley

19-June-2012

Dear Family,

This week has been one crazy week. Monday being transfers, it always takes a bit for a new missionary to get settled into their new area and to get to know the

members here. We've been so busy with everything. Saturday, we had two baptisms. One was Xander's, and I was asked to speak on Baptism for his. The spirit

was so sweet there. His older Brother was just ordained to the aaronic priesthood last week and was able to baptise him. His Dad will be confirming him on Sunday.

The next Baptism was Patty and Emily's. They're a mother and daughter and they have such a great testimony and have changed so much. She had been out by her

 mailbox one morning (patty) and had recieved an answer to her prayer in the mail. Right after, she had said some sort of prayer and the missionaries had showed up.

 She let them in knowing that they were representives of Jesus Christ and could not turn them away after that.  When we choose to act upon the teachings of christ,

is when the atonement takes affect in our lives and begins to soften our hearts. The spirit was so strong at that baptism. I love their family. It's been so rewarding as

a missionary to see those around you change into an entirely diffrent person. Henry was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood last week. I'm excited to see how he

countinues to grow in the gospel.

I love this area! It has so much Potential and both Sister Peart and I are hard workers. It's great when you have a companion who knows their purpose as a missionary

and you have the same desire to serve and love the people. We're working on a lot of finding this week, so I'm hoping the work will pick up dramatically. Tracting has been

a great experiance. I used to really hate it in Portland City, we would get bible bashed every single day. But it's grown on me and helped me learn how important and true

the Book of Mormon is. Last week, we were out tracting and had a great conversation with someone about the plan of salvation. This man was unloading firewood and we were

able to help serve him. He asked us if we were fallen angels. haha! He then completly surprised us and said that he had been to the Polynesian Center at BYU-Hawaii

when he was there on vacation and was open to learning. I hope that he will choose to act upon the message that we have.

Today we have a Sister's Activity at the mission home. Did I mention that we live about 10 minutes away from it? It's so nice being so close by. I'll also get the chance to

go on exchanges again with the ASL sisters here sometime this week, so i'm excited to be able to sign with someone again!

I hope all of you had a wonderful fathers day! I love you. Sister Embley

12-June-2012

Dear Family,

It's transfer time again and I've been transfered! I'm now in the hillsborro area. We cover two wards so we're all the time busy. I already love the area and my new companion! Her name is Sister Peart and she's from Utah. She's very passionate about missionary work and such a hard worker. We're also both obbsessed with Harry Potter. I think we're going to get along great:) Both of us have a great desire to serve others. Yesturday, at the transfer meeting, we both had impressions that we were going to be companions together before it was announced on the screen. I am so thankful to be back to having one companion again. A bit sad not to be back in the deaf work yet, but I know the Lord definitly has other plans. Sister Peart has a friend who is coming out in August for ASL. She enters the MTC tomorrow, so we will have four ASL sisters in the mission! I am so excited for that. We're full time deaf now in the work, so the more the sisters the better!

My new area is great. Last night we went out and were able to meet at least one of the new Ward Mission Leaders and the Bishop. The first week you're always meeting so many people. We have great expectations already for this area. It's just on fire with missionary work. I love it already. It was at first, really hard to say goodbye to Forest Grove. There was so much happening when we left, and so many families. But a transfer is a transfer, and I'm excited to start in another new area. We were able to get my last area to bike before we left and we were never on bike before then. They'll be sharing the car part time with the district leader and on bike the rest of the time. Before I left from Forest Grove, there was a family that we were teaching that we both thought that the husband was really opposed to us being there. He was Catholic and had been raised Catholic, but had actually started to slowly read from the Book of Mormon with his wife. It really shocked us when he didn't want us to leave and said that he was reading! But that's the miracle of the Book of Mormon. When you do read it, you can't ignore the sweet peace that comes from it.

We have a baptism this Saturday, with a 9 year old named Xander. His Dad just recieved the Melchedidic Preisthood and his brother. I just think what a wonderful thing it is to have the restored gospel, the Priesthood in your family and what power that brings to each. His brother will be baptising him. He has such a sweet testimony. I think most children are so sweet and humble when it comes to learning of Christ.

I'm excited to get to know this area better. It's going to be such a fun adventure.

I love you! Sister Embley

29-May-2012

Dear Family,
This past weekend was Henry's baptism. It was just so precious.All of
his family was there to support him, and his Dad was there to baptize
him.It was just a powerful testimony to me to see him enter into the
waters of baptism. His countenance has just changed with the teachings
he has accepted to live over the past several weeks. When you truly
live the teachings of Christ, you can see it in the faces of others.
We gave a special musical number for the baptism. To the tune of come
thou fount, another sister sang oh how lovely was the morning while my
other old companion signed the song, and then they had us bear our
testimonies of the restoration. I wanted to share my testimony with
you of that.
Over the past couple months, I have really just gained a testimony of
what the restoration truly is when we live it and are constantly
studying you grow. I know with all of my heart that Joseph Smith was a
prophet and that was given the power from God to restore the gospel on
the earth again today.Once you gain that powerful witness of the book
of Mormon, your desire changes and your relationship with his son,
Jesus Christ grows. You will desire to come unto him, by striving to
make and keep covenants, or our promises with God. As we start down
this path, the power of the atonement will increase. We will start to
understand that the atonement is not just for repentance of our sins.
It is a way of life,the only for us to return to live with our loving
heavenly father again.
I am thankful for the restoration. And for families! We were teaching
a less active family who still has yet to make church a priority in
their lives, but are slowly starting to read from the book of Mormon.
This family has 8 children, all under the age of 9. Sometimes, lessons
are a little crazy with so many kids, but I've just grown to love them
so much. We had a lesson on the ten commandments the last time we were
there. My companion was trying to show them one of the commandments,
the worshiping other gods before me by holding up a truck and asking
them if they would worship it. The mother thought it was funny. After
she made a funny comment about how much her kids break alot of the
commandments by just being kids:) I love teaching children. They are
so honest and have so many questions.
We are teaching another woman, from holland. She has an amazing
testimony already of tithing, and of the book of mormon. We took her
to the temple vistor's center last week, which was a perfect timing
because there were multiple weddings going on. She loved the temple.
We were in a lesson with her other friend who was also investigating
and she basically commited her to be baptized. This investigator, all
of her family were members but she was not. The investigator from
holland told her that she was going to be baptized after she died
anyway, so she might as well be baptized now. The logic of friends:)
Memorial day was pretty uneventful. We tried to go fishing, but the
line got tangled on one, and the other line broke and was lost in the
water. So, we ended up catching salamanders in a pond in the backyard
of an investigator's house. I think that was a way better idea than
fishing.
And for my last, my companions and I were out driving to go to street
tracting. As we pulled up to pray, a very big sandlot looking dog,
came out of nowhere to our window. My companion Sister Horne and I in
the front seat just started laughing. Needless to say, we didn't get
out there with that big of a dog. We were lucky we saw it before we
got out.
I love all of you, and please give my congrats to Cole on getting his
mission call!
Love,
Sister Embley