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