19-Mar-2012

Dear Family,
I've been transfered! Saturday I recieved a phone call from my
district leader saying that I would be transfered. They don't tell you
until the transfer meeting on Monday where you are going, so I was
able to get everything packed and ready to go by Monday morning. We
then drove to the chapel near the temple where all the missionaries
meet. That afternoon, all of the missionaries; new and departing and
the ones that are being transferred go to the meeting with the
President. There, they call everyone's name to meet their new
companion. It's a bit of a test of patience, sitting there waiting to
see where you are going to get called and then my name was called last
along with two others! I am now in a trio, no longer in the American
Sign program for the time being. The new ASL sister is going to have
the opportunity to do deaf work, and I am going just to be teaching
English for a while. But it was so funny, they called the three of us
Sisters the very last and we were all sitting on the same row. One by
one, all the sisters left to go and join the middle of the chapel, and
it was just us three left when they called our names to be companions.
We were definitely not expecting a trio, but it's going to be such a
great experience and I know all transfers are inspired. My new
companion's names are Sister Horne and Sister Anderson. One of them is
actually from Virginia. My new area is just Forest Grove, so it's nice
not to have such a big area as all of Oregon and Washington was for
the deaf work. I'm so excited for this change- tonight we are going to
be meeting the Bishop and Ward Mission Leader so that they can adjust
to this adjustment and talk of missionary work! I'll still be having
language study every day with this change, so my companions are going
to know some sign by the time this transfer is over or however long i
am going to be here. I love it already and can hardly wait to go out
and teach!
Last week, we also took an Investigator with us to an Ensign "Mormon"
choir concert. This concert is composed of a full orchestra of singers
and musicians all singing about the Savior, in a collection of music
called "The Redeemer". (They are all members and have to audition to
sing in this) It reminded me a bit of pagent in Kentucky, where the
spirit was so powerful just from the music. The investigator loved it
and we were able to have him get to know the members a bit more
through that experience. My old district leader is an accomplished
celloist, so he was also apart of this audition ensemble.
Wednesday, we headed up to Washington like usual. We're teaching
someone who can't read and knows "old" American sign, so most of the
teaching is acting. The first vision is just so powerful acted out as
opposed to just being recited. You have to have the facial expressions
just right when Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ come down and speak
with Joseph Smith. This has really helped me see more from his
perspective- having to "act" my testimony of this work to others, and
the sacrifices they went through for us. I think of so many times we
take reading the Book of Mormon for granted and don't take advantage
of the words he has given us. Reading just for a half hour each day
has truly made my testimony stronger of him. It's how he speaks to us
and answers our prayers- if we don't read from them, then we will
never know. I love the scriptures and what blessings they have in
store for us. Ask, and ye shall receive from them!
Sister Embley
This week is going to be amazing and I'm loving Forest Grove already.
I love you family! Sister Embley

Pictures! 14-March-2012

Daryl sent me some pictures in the mail this past week:

Doesn't she look great? She was in Seaside, Oregon. This last picture is of her and her companion at the Lois and Clark statue. She told me that she ate octopus last week!

5-March-2012

Dear Family,

This week was a tad more discouraging then most, but also with some miracles.All of our appointments cancelled except for a few in hand, so we were able to tract more than usual this week.But along with the discouragment of this week, we had such a great miracle happen. We have been teaching an investigator who in the begining, would not pray. It was a struggle with him at first where you would think would be the most easiest step. This week, he finally prayed. He didn't know what it was, but something finally hit him that he should pray one night as he couldn't sleep. There was such a great spirit there as he testified to us how he knew the Church was true! It's just so humbling and a testimony to me of that example, when people really do start to live their commitments and to take action on faith. Faith always leads to some form of action, whether it be through prayer or reading the scriptures. Today, we're taking him with a member to the newly opened Lake Oswego Vistor Center. He had been to the temple once before on his own, just walked around the temple grounds and noticed the feeling that he felt there was diffrent. This time, it will be diffrent because of the visitor's center that will help him understand more of the purpose of temples. There are great things happening in Portland, regardless of it being Sin City here.

We tracted so many hours this week, trying to find those who want to recieve this message. It's hard at times, because here everything is just so diffrent and liberal. My compaion and I were out tracting one such day, it was pouring down rain (as usual) and we tracted into a man who had some mormon friends and some understanding of the church. He unfortunetly, was not very polite about it. At the end of our discussion, he then looked at us and said, "Don't you have any doubts? I find it hard to believe you don't have any" We then testified to him of faith. Faith how we know and have prayed to know for ourselves that the Book of Mormon was indeed the word of God and we didn't need to doubt- There is no doubt about this gospel IS true. "Bible bashes" are more common to me know then when we lived in the Bible belt itself. But this is only making me grow stronger of the gospel each day. I love all of you. Sister Embley