*** IT IS HERE!! SISTER DOHNER WILL BE HOME WEDNESDAY!! HER MISSION HOMECOMING TALK IS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11 AT 1 PM***

Well babes, this is it!

Last email as a full-time missionary.

*golf clap*

These past 18+ months have been quite the gnarly ride. 

Constantly being humbly broken down and mercifully lifted up.

Encountering a plethora of emotions namely disappointment, heartache, confusion, amazement, extreme happiness, incredible joy!

As I reflect upon my mission, I am taken back by indescribable, immense gratitude. Any magnificent word comprised by the most scholarly mortal mind could not accurately describe the feelings of gratitude I have developed for my Heavenly Father and Savior.

Very precious moments have been had, and these people and this place will forever occupy a large piece of my heart.

ALL of the boys came to church yesterday! Ah. We filled up a whole middle bench :,)

And a couple of the boys wanted to go up and bear their testimonies but they were SO nervous so they wrote them out. hahah ah I love them SO much.

Departing Missionary Temple Trip--LA Temple

Sister Dohner and Sister Hoffman

Me with President and Sister Henrie--Man, I am going to miss them!

I had a big awesome thing written out for today, but I just ain't feelin' it and no one likes long emails anyway, so I'll just do the Spark notes version and say:

 

I have been forever changed by this gospel, these people, and by love. I am grateful.

And I'd be nothing without the outpouring of love and constant support of you babes. So THANK YOU! You have rocked my life like Avril. 

 

Cannot wait to hold you tight in a hot minute :)

You are my ROCK.

 

With much gratitude, Farewell--

Sister Dohner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving!! Oh, how I am grateful4u :,)

My thanksgiving...

Best Thanksgiving! Family from Italy

Happy Turkey Day

We literally ate all day long. From 11am-9pm our only appointments were food appointments.

 But the company was stellar so 10/10 would do it again.

This week was the most stressful week of my mission thus far. Haha, mostly in a good way, but I don't even know where to start. You know that feeling you get after you watch an episode of Dance Moms and you just walk away shaking your head with damaged brain cells and exhausted from all the unorganization? I guess that's a bit of how I feel.

But, living the dream because miracles are so abundant!

The MVP's of this week were the Caliz boys. Man, I love those little monsters. 

The 11 year old is mostly the ring leader who keeps his commitments and doesn't miss church. I'm probably not allowed to have favorites but... he's super fired up and teaches all the neighborhood kids about what he's learning from us :,) So our lessons are mostly riling up a band of little boys under the age of 16 to answer their questions and teach them more about God's plan for us. I feel like my heart is going to blow up every time out of immense love.

Taking the boys to LA Temple grounds

I love this band of boys!

We gave the boys a bunch of candy and said, "Having you at church was super dandy, now enjoy this yummy candy!" hahah and they gave this to us.

 

You know, this whole reaching the end of my mission has got me feeling some type of way. 

My emotions are like a 14 year old girls. Yesterday when we were driving in the car, Hoffy asked me, "What's the biggest thing on your mind?" and I thought for a sec, to put it to words, and pretty much...

 

1. How are we going to get everything done in one week?

2. Am I really going home?

3. How am I going to do my hair?

Lul. But for real. Bittersweet is an understatement.

 

A large piece of my heart will always remain here in San Fernando California. 

Here is where I've seen the Savior. 

Where I've seen his gentle touch change many hearts and dramatically change mine.

I just feel extraordinarily blessed and monumentally grateful!

Know I love you even more than apple cinnamon candles.

Xo, Sister Chels D

PS-- #LIGHTtheWORLD       https://www.mormon.org/christmas/light-the-world?play=hero

 Watch this video to catch some of the Light of Christmas!

 

 

 

 

 

 

**16 DAYS TO GO FOLKS**

"And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God..."       --3 Nephi 4:33  

This is how I feel.

There are just some times where you cannot describe things with words. Being here with these people are those times. My heart is seriously swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God.

Living the dream 4 sure.

Love you babes almost more than when people keep their commitments <3

See you in a quick 16!

Back road tracking

Postin' up in the pourin' rain

Hi Utah! :)

I have never been so tired in my entire life.

Ha, this week was great though.

LA TEMPLE Visitor's Center

 

My girl Jackie was in the hospital so we trekked to Woodland Hills to go see her. Man, I love this lady. We sang her a hymn of her choosing, and then talked to her for a bit. She looked so frail and weak lying in that hospital bed. Then she grabbed tight to our hands, thanking us and said very softly, "I know He's with me. I don't know if this is a trial... but I will keep the faith. I will....", her voice broke, "persevere." Then a tear streamed down her face. She melts my heart in a way I cannot describe. She is a treasure.

with Jackie

 Later that night we stopped by the family we saw last week and the boys. Only one of them were home so we talked with him for a bit. Then later we were walking down the street and they were home. So outside of their apartment-- in the very small, dirty, and humble walkway above the stairs-- we talked to them about the power of the Book of Mormon.

AHH LET ME JUST PAUSE AND SAY THEY ARE AMAZING. Just being around them and talking to them melts my heart.

Then the 11 year old said the prayer. Ahh their prayers. I think I die every time. He thanked Heavenly Father for giving Joseph Smith this knowledge so that we could learn of it. And said, "The four of us are super into this so... we hope to keep in touch with you and you keep in touch with us." Haha and prayed about church then I casually melted cuz I LOVE THOSE BOYS SO MUCH!

Man. I honestly feel like so unworthy to feel the feelings I do. Every time I walk away from these people I feel like my heart is going to either blow up or jump to the moon. It is a feeling I've never felt before. 

It's exhausting. 

It is so much love it completely consumes my energy. 

 

I feel like this mission has just twisted and turned my heart in a million different ways. It physically hurts. 

Consistently. 

It either hurts of incredible sorrow or incredible joy. I think I now understand what Alma and the sons of Mosiah meant when they talked about "their sufferings in the land, their sorrows, and their afflictions, and their incomprehensible joy".

It's like nothing else and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

 

See you in 23 DAYS!!

Love, Sister Dohner

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another sublime seven days out here in So Cal :)

Friends Forever

You know, I thought by the end of my mission I would be quick at speech and have prophetic things to say and it would be easy for me in that way.. but I feel like I've gotten more and more speechless. More and more tongue tied. Because these things I've seen and felt just cannot be accurately put into words.

I'll try to explain a piece of one of the most magnificent days of my mission thus far... 

So we were walking through a run down part of town, trying to look for this really less-active member and her family. We didn't have an apartment number for her but we really felt like we needed to find her.

So we walked around and then this little 14 year old walked out and it turned out to be her son! They were on their way out but they told us to come back in a few hours. So we did.

She got baptized in Guatemala when she was a teenager but her husband and her 6 boys aren't baptized. We sat down with her and asked her about her baptism and then she stopped and got all her boys to come in and listen to us.

AH I wish I could have recorded what they said and bottled up these emotions and thoughts!!

The 11 year old boy had the most profound questions, I was blown away. Then he asked us to teach him more about "Joseph Smith and the plates". In the midst of the lesson, we stopped and asked them how they felt. He said, "I feel like Jesus Christ is with us. I don't know if he's here in this room, or up there... but I feel like he is here with us."

Ahhhhhhhh.

 

At the end, he volunteered to say the prayer and said: "We learned today that God is always with us.. we hope that we will be ready for our baptism Dec. 3rd and hope we can come talk to you tomorrow at 9:30am...." 

There was more but that's all I can remember because my brain almost exploded from an overflow of incredible gratitude for God letting me see for a second the things He sees in them. To let me feel for a second a fraction of the love He feels for them.

I feel so blessed I can hardly breathe.

Love, 

Sister Dohner

 

Utah State!!

 

 

 

 

 

Hey hey,

Happy Halloween!!! :)

Life is so good over here in Reseda California! This transfer couldn't have started off any better. I am companions with Sister Hoffman... man, I love that girl. We were in the MTC together and we've been dying to be comps since. So we started our missions together and now we get to end together :,) #abundantlyblessed

Reseda is a trip. I spent a little time over here in YSA. The Relief Society President's son's girlfriend (if you can follow along there) was one of my investigators and best friend in YSA so I got to see her at the ward Halloween party-- it was a real treat :)

But ya Reseda... for any of you Karate Kid lovers-- it's kind of a little ghetto... I love it!!

This week we saw so many miracles and met so many amazing people. We're kind of the Dream Team.

But I actually don't have much time or many words to describe my life right now. It's just so indescribably good and I feel so indescribably blessed. 

 So we are teaching this incredibly sweet woman named Jackie. She is in her 70's and she broke her hip not that long ago so she's just super fragile. She has so much faith though ahhhh she makes my heart SWELL. Like just one of those people where you leave and you could pass out you are just filled with so much love for her.

She just started getting taught and hadn't come to church yet because of her hip issues but we were in a lesson with her on Thursday and in her prayer she said, "Snow, rain or fire.. please help me get to church on Sunday Lord!"

She woke up 3 hours before church so she could get ready on time for a member to pick her up and wheeled her into church.

When she got into the chapel, tears were streaming down her face with such gratitude. She said she was in so much pain but she knew Jesus gave her strength to be there.  AH I LOVE HER.

Sister Bosshardt is headed home!

Studio City Fond Farewell

They gave Sister Brown and I a Farewell!

Love these kids!

My First Companion and My Last Companion!

Plus, ITS HALLOWEEN WAHOO! I hope you all eat too much candy and scare lots of little kids cuz you already know that's what I'll be doing :,)

Tonight is the missionary pumpkin carving contest and Halloween party so wahoo swag, watch out cuz we get wild. .....

Love you all more than candy corns :)

Sister Dohner

**SISTER DOHNER'S LAST TRANSFER!!!**

Hey family, friends, and fans :)

So this week was super fantastically amazing! Well, until my heart got ripped out of my chest.

The Dodgers lost and I am being transferred!

What a terrible combination.

Exchange Day

Last time with this view

Famous cupcake shop in Beverly Hills CA

Love all these palm trees

But I'll wind back a little to the good things of the week because... optimism.

So last Sunday was Elder Anderson's last Sunday on the mish.

He was with his investigator and some members came up to tell him goodbye and then his investigator was like... "Wait, you're leaving?? I wanted you to baptize me!" He was to leave Saturday morning,so they scheduled the baptism for Friday night.

We went, and our Iranian investigator came.

Man, the air was THICK in that room-- the Spirit was so strong. After the baptism, a bunch of us missionaries did a cool restoration musical number and one of the elders bore strong testimony of the Book of Mormon at the end. There were no dry eyes. Our investigator felt the Spirit for sure.

Our investigator

The next morning we went to the temple visitor center with him and one of my fav young families in the ward. We focused our tour a lot on celestial marriage and Christ-centered families. Armin wants a Mormon family more than anything else.

He texted us that night and said, (since he committed himself to stop drinking and clubbing) "My weekend style: Bible and Book of Mormon reading"

Hahahah. We Mormons sure are WILD! Our next step is to get him some additional FUN weekend plans :)

I'm going to miss that guy.

Sunday was super bitter sweet. They asked us to give a little farewell testimonies. I cried. These people have become my world.

We're shared successes and failures, joys and tears, hopes and dreams, current struggles,we've prayed together, deep chatted together, ate LOTS of food together, and most importantly, grown closer to God together.

Shaving coconut like a true Native

Authentic Lu pulu

Tongan drink Otai---FAREWELL TO SISTER BROWN

I feel very blessed.

Though it's hard to say goodbye, I'm very excited for my last area, last companion, and last 6 weeks. I feel my work isn't quite finished out here, so I'm excited to hit the ground runnin' and discover God's next new adventure for me.

I feel like the luckiest little girl in the world!

You all are so deeply rooted in my heart. Love you more than words can say :)

Love,

An emotional Sister Dohner