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

Hey Sunshineee!

Happy Monday people.

This week was a blur-- for two reasons. It went by incredibly quick but also because I can't really remember much of what happened. Ha. I'm in a time warp, I'm convinced.

Sister Brown and Sister Dohner--last week together

But the highlight was definitely meeting with our Iranian investigator. He's a neat one.

His soul is so eager to remember these things-- we meet with him every other day.

And on Saturday he sent us texts like this:

A: I would say I've got really closer to your ideas.

Us: What do you mean?

A: I feel I am going to be closer to Mormon, I think you say the truth.

Us: Wow, that's awesome! So what made you think that we say the truth?

A: I prayed and read Joseph Smith's testimony

... :,) There ya have it boys and girls. The primary answers-- READ AND PRAY, and your fears will fade.

It is so true it almost hurts.

This part of a hymn really hit me yesterday...

"Eyes that are wet now, ere long will be tear less, Blessings await you in doing what's right"

As I look at my life in retrospect, there's been some tears and sorrow and pain but a good majority of that has been a result of me thinking I can do this whole mortal thing on my own.

It makes life so much harder. It brings more tears. It really is in the gospel that we find the peace and purpose and joy we are all searching for. 

I think we all, from time to time, go searching elsewhere for contentment but in reality, lasting happiness does not exist outside of our covenants.

And when we mess up, the great thing is, God's hands are ALWAYS stretched out and blessings await us when we do what is right.

This stuff right here is genuine and authentic, so don't brush it off :,)

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2015-03-009-a-shower-of-heavenly-blessings?lan

I love you all so dearly. Stay siiiick.

Love, Sister Dohner

Hello hooligans!

This past week was a TRIP.

Unbelievable.

First of all, GREG BROWN WENT THROUGH THE TEMPLE!!!!

Flash back to almost precisely a year ago... me, Sister Beddes, and a couple elders were up in Stevenson Ranch teaching Greg.
After the first couple lessons, he knew. I still remember what he said as if it were yesterday:

"I want to be baptized as soon as I can. I've spent 50 years of my life without this knowledge and I don't want to go another day.."

So we would teach him 4 lessons in one sitting, haha. Since then, he had a year countdown for the day he could enter the temple... and it happened!!! :)

Now he has the Melchizedek priesthood, married a member, and teaches the CTR 4 year olds!

Miracle round two...

We got a member referral through the system, and it included the # for the member so we called her. She told us this referral was praying for spiritual guidance, and he was on Facebook and felt impressed to add her. He told her there was something different in her countenance and asked what it was. She continued to tell him it's her religion... "I'm Mormon". And so they chatted back and forth talking all about what we believe even down to Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity. But she lives in Utah, so she asked if she could send the missionaries and he said yes.

So we went over that day.

He told us all about life in Iran and his journey to America and journey in finding Jesus (only 9 months ago). He said, "In Iran I had everything. Beautiful penthouse in the nicest part of the city. All the cars. Parties every night. I had everything... but inside, I felt like I had nothing."

He searched for happiness and couldn't find it.... until he prayed and had a dream. A special dream with Jesus Christ. And then he knew Jesus Christ was more than just a man.

The next day he got a call for his green card.

At the end of that lesson, he asked us how often we could meet with him, so we've met every day since.

This man is a seeker. In nine months he's read the Bible in Parsee 5+ times.

He literally wants NOTHING MORE than to follow Jesus Christ and "receive salvation". He's told us over and over again-- "This is the most important thing for me right now".

And I've been thinking about that.. Is coming nearer to Jesus Christ and working towards my exaltation the most important thing for me?

When does that priority get foggy?

When do we lose that awe?

It's a funny thing because I came out here thinking I'd be teaching people... but they teach me a whole lot more. I want to wind back and really remember and relive the times I first received parts of my testimony. See things in a different way. Always be in awe for the little gospel treasures.

Uchtdorf's recent talk "O How Great the Plan of Our God" and Gerald Causse's old talk "Is it Still Wonderful to You?" have really hit me to the core.

"Amazement causes spiritual strength"

Is this gospel still wonderful to you?

I just feel overwhelmingly blessed. I've spent a lot of time reflecting and I HONESTLY feel like I am the luckiest person in the whole world. Beyond blessed.

And most of those feelings come from how lucky I got to have the best friends and family.. So thanks for being fresh and fly and incredible :,)

Stay Wonderful.

Love,  sis d

Prep Day at City Walk

Doing work for the dead

The Zone

Hello beauts via Utah! :)

This weekend was incomprehensibly perfect. I don't know about all of you, but as a missionary General Conference is almost as magical as Christmas morning!

Me and Sister B

Bill's baptism

HOLA! Welcome to English Class!

Another Amazing restaurant

 

 I'm just feeling cathartic and incredibly grateful :,) Hearing the MoTab, seeing Temple Square, listening to the familiar voices of the Prophet and Apostles and General Authorities and just seeing all those people in the Conference Center brought tears to my eyes every session because.. well, I miss the Utah bubble haha! (count your blessings) But also because I don't know what I did to deserve this great knowledge of Jesus Christ's restored gospel. I don't know how I got so lucky to be a part of something with such great love and clarity and purpose. I just feel so much love and gratitude. Not many words to describe.

But here's a miracle for your taking:

A member in the NoHo Ward brought one of her friends (that lives in our ward boundaries) to watch conference at the Stake Center! In between sessions the member pulled us aside and asked if we could teach her friend the lesson on The Restoration.

Man, her friend is INCREDIBLY prepared.

The spirit was so strong the whole time and by the end we were all crying. She told us that she feels like God has been preparing her little by little throughout her life to receive this message but that now He sees that she's ready. We then invited her to be baptized and she accepted :)

Gosh, I've taught people about God's love and Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon and Jesus Christ's Restored Gospel so many times but IT GETS ME EVERY TIME.

We were also able to go to Bill's baptism between Conference session!! So much JOY!

I feel like I need to go hibernate for a season to rejuvenate from all this spiritual stretching!

My heart is so swollen. And I am grateful beyond expression.

I sure do love you little angels more than life itself. Keep being outrageously wonderful.

All the loves,

A very exhausted and joyful Sister Dohner :)