Hello fam, friends, and fans :,)

So this week was a little bit of a trying one, but a testimony builder for sure.

Massive Fire in Santa Clarita area

No couch, but we are good

 

I was sitting in sacrament meeting yesterday reflecting upon my week, and about some things I knew to be true but had been second guessing.

As I was sitting there with an internal conflict, I started to think about TRUST.

D&C 6: 22 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know‍ concerning the truth of these things.

 23 Did I not speak peace‍ to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness‍ can you have than from God?

Throughout life, God gives us little answers, glimpses of guidance, and quiet assurance and comfort. We feel that it is from Him, we follow it, and then sometimes that feeling doesn't come back. But I think faith is remembering that feeling and trusting that He wasn't lying to us.
I'd be lying if I said I haven't had hard days where everything feels like too much. I have had more days than one where I really felt like I couldn't get out of bed and face the day. There have been times where my heart just feels so heavy and I wonder if the hardship and heaviness will ever end.
I don't know exactly why, but I just felt like my letter today needed to reassure myself and whomever is reading this that HARDSHIPS DO END.
I am just a 20 year old white Mormon girl from Utah, and I don't know everything, but something I do know for sure is God is real and His love is unfailing. I know every single thing that happens in our lives is something that can refine us and help us be better fit for the kingdom of God. I know the Lord is always, always there beside us to help us along if we let him.
I found that scripture in D&C at a time in my life of immense sorrow. It has crept into my mind a few times since when I needed it most. It means a lot to me and I hope it will mean something to someone else too.
Let us cast our minds upon that night we cried unto God in our hearts. Let us not forget the peace we felt concerning the matter. What greater witness could we have received than one from God?

His love is unfailing.
Man, I love you all so dearly!!! Keep being stellar humans and freaky fresh :))
Xo, Sister D-Eazy

Life never ceases to be a roller coaster, but this week ended up sublime.

Just Looking--Universal Main Street Harry Potter

Sweet Treats!

Universal Main Street Shops

Something that I absolutely love about being a full-time missionary is that it allows intimate conversations with complete strangers, that probably wouldn't happen otherwise. We get a little glimpse into these people's hearts. We get to see the uniqueness in their soul. We get to feel a particle of the love God has for who they truly are (the way they think, perspective, what pains them, how they've struggled and how they conquered that struggle, their talents, their current state of character as well as who they can become, their passions, what hurts them, what God means to them and what experiences they went through to be at that state, when things get tough what they turn to for solace, their dreams and what's holding them back from achieving those, what barrier they think they have to burst through to be truly happy).

People are fascinating. And California is filled with some of the most diverse.

We meet all these people in passing from day to day. We connect with the commonalities of life's hardships. We try to go where they are and draw them nearer to the original message in heaven they jumped for joy to follow.

Life takes us places and we geographically separate but I just pray with my whole heart that these soul driven conversations make a difference.

There's a talk called "What if love were our only motive?" by Russell T. Osguthorpe that's real good but I like this particular quote:

"We are either giving life or taking life from each other as we move forward on our way. Harsh words take life away from the one who receives them and even from the one who utters them. But words spoken in love GIVE LIFE."

I also love the members of this ward SO much. I've never connected with the souls of so many so quickly. These people's characters are phenomenal. They bring out the good in me. My heart is just so grateful.

I love you all so dearly and I hope you know you always have a friend in me.

Have the sickest week and..

DO

SOMETHING

CRAZY FUN

xoxoxox, sista dohner 

Hey hey!

It's 11:29am here in SoCal and life is good :)

It's getting pretty steamy out here. It's that uncomfortable season where you'll be talking to someone in the heat of the day and you just feel sweat dripping down your back. Hahaha, like sweating my water weight in gallons. It's superb.

Sis Dohner at the Brady Bunch house

Two cool things in particular happened this week:

So we were knocking this neighborhood. A lot of people have big gates, including this particular house, so we buzzed the intercom. Someone actually answered. She said they're Catholic and not interested in converting but they'll let us in. So we're like okay, sick. We walk in and it's this GORGEOUS multimillion dollar home and parked on the side was my dream: a white G-wagon.

We get talking to the fam and WOW I LOVE THEM SO MUCH! The mom told us she grew up with a bunch of Mormon friends and she was close to converting once. She loves them and the faith and still keeps in touch. We talked to them for like 30 mins and they invited us to come back any time (especially the beginning of the week to give us groceries... #blessed). I seriously felt like I was walking into a reality tv show. Picture perfect everything and hilarious humans. Oh and he has 3 Emmys, so that is life here in Studio City.  But wow good people. Stay tuned.

The other miracle was at church yesterday. We were just keepin in low key in relief society and then this member pulls us out and tells us to follow her. She took us to this dude and said he just walked in and wanted to learn about the church. Suuuper chill. He grew up Catholic but went to college in AZ with a Mormon and felt good about it so he wanted to learn more. He said he wanted to learn from the source so he went to mormon.org on the chatroom and asked where the closest church was. It's .5 miles from his house so he picked himself up and drove over. We gave him a mini church tour and he's going to start meeting with us and said he's looking forward to coming to all 3 hrs of church.

Whhhhhaaattt issss liffffeeeee.

This is how I feel.
3 Nephi 17:16-20

 16 And after this manner do they bear record: The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father;

 17 And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.

 18 And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father, he arose; but so great was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome.

 19 And it came to pass that Jesus spake unto them, and bade them arise.

 20 And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.

Something that I've really come to know is that there is no way we can create the joy that comes when feeling the love of Christ. We are incredibly happy when we're living the gospel and coming closer to Christ because it is Godly joy. It cannot be imitated or created by any mortal emotion or earthly material or distraction. Lasting happiness is only brought to us by the powers of heaven.

So find joy in a grateful heart and keep rockin' like Avril.

Love you babes xo :)

PS. We see so many people walking the streets playing the new Pokemon game and it's so funny hahahhaha I hope you all are getting good exercise "tryna catch em all" 

Hello lovelies!

Things are freaky fresh here in the CA.

I don't have much time but quick shoutout to America. I hope you all had an enjoyable time at BBQ's and fireworks and walking around looking like an American flag.

Sister Dohner and Sister Ipson

Happy 4th of July

A Celeb House!

The work here is pretty slow pace right now but we're building it up and seeing God's hand every day. Our one investigator (super sick dude) wanted us to give him a S/O in our emails hahah--so this one is for you Derek.

This week I learned a lot about how important it is to have a grateful heart. And instead of being grateful for things, being grateful in no matter what circumstances we may be in. I think WHERE you are doesn't matter nearly as much as WHO you are, so keep being the cute people you are and let the atonement sanctify your minds and hearts.

I love you all almost as much as cookie butter ice cream!! :)

xo, sista c-drizzy