Friends

Sister Jacobs and Sister Wathen

Farewell to the MTC

It has been a whole month since I entered the MTC. I cannot believe how quickly time has gone by. Tomorrow at 4:00 AM I report to the travel office at the MTC to head off to the airport for Missouri. I am so excited to teach the people in Missouri all about the gospel of Jesus Christ and about his eternal plan for families. I'm excited and feel like I'm on fire. Like the words to one of my favorite songs about missionary work by Britt Nicole, "I'm gonna set the world on fire." (It's the 2nd song on the player) I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK!!!

So this week we did Visitor Center Training. We had the opportunity to collect referrals from other missionaries and call their friends and family to share with them the message of the gospel. So I've been doing "Real" missionary work for a whole week now. I've already begun to see miracles in the lives of those I've spoken with on the phone. I've felt Heavenly Father's love guiding me to parts of my rememberance to teach about subjects I didn't even know that I knew about. I found that I was being led to scriptures that I don't even remember reading. This is what it feels like to be used by His hand. Miracles.

Saturday I had the opportunity to serve as a missionary at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. It felt like a dream come true. I have always admired the sisters at Temple Square, and this week I WAS one of those sister missionaries. I had the opportunity to do contacting with both members and non-members on the square and give tours of various sites and exhibits on the square.

My favorite exhibit is still "God's Plan For Families." It is a walk through exhibit/video that follows the journey of a beautiful family throughout life and the blessings of eternal families. It always makes me cry. It always touches my heart. I HIGHLY encourage EVERYONE TO GO SEE IT! (Mom and Dad, that means you!) I know you will all appreciate it. My favorite room is the baby room where the dad says, "What do you think is the most important thing we can teach her?" The mom replies, "That she is loved. That she is a daughter of God, and that we can be together forever." <<< I KNOW. Sounds cheezy. But trust me on this one. It's the best part. OH! AND the baseball scene. I think Heaven will be a lot like the baseball scene. Please refer to D&C 130:2.

I think the most impressive thing about Temple Square is taking into account how much detail the pioneers put into every detail of every building. They knew the work they were doing was for their Heavenly Father and wanted to give each building the attention it deserved. The benches and the pillars in the Tabernacle are made of white pine, which is a plain wood. Next time you visit you'll notice that benches are HAND PAINTED to look like oak. The pillars are hand painted to look like marble. It's incredible.

The pioneers were so amazing. I have ONLY BEGUN understanding their lives and I am so touched by their examples of faith and perserverance, and their pure love that they had in their families and of their God. I want to share a short story: When the pioneers left Nauvoo, it was in the midst of one of the coldest winters in history. When they reached the Mississippi River there were huge pieces of ice floating in the water and disabled them from crossing the river with their wagons and animals. So they had to camp out and wait out for the ice to melt. They offered up all of their hearts that the ice would melt, but it seemed like their prayers were only being answered with lower temperatures and harsher winter conditions. The pioneers never doubted their faith in God, and continued to pray that they could continue their journey and the ice would melt that they would wade their way through the icy river. There was a night reported to be the coldest night in the history. That night the temperatures were so cold that the entire Mississippi River froze over. This is the ONLY TIME IN HISTORY that the river has frozen over. Their trials of enduring the cold brought about the greatest blessing. The ice was 2.5 feet deep. Just deep enough that all of the saints crossed the river with their wagons and animals safe and dry. What a blessing. It reminds me of a scripture in Ether 12:6 that says, "I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye recieve no witness until the trial of your faith." The saints had such faith, that despite of all of the hardships in their life, they had perfect hope that Heavenly Father would deliver them.

I know we can all have such faith in our lives. Constant and sincere prayer has been the means of many miracles and much healing in my life. I know that Heavenly Father hears our prayers when we offer them sincerely. I know that he answers them. Not always in our timing, but in His great all knowing timing and way. He knows us better than we know ourselves.
I love you all. This church is true. I know it with every piece of my heart. This gospel is the most important thing in the whole world. I love my Savior. I know that he lives. I have felt him in my heart in the time I have been here. I love you all very much. My prayers are with you.

Dream Big. Wish Hard, and Love Always-

Sister Jessica Rose Wathen

PS!!! I also wanted to give a special shout out to my friends Casey and Jimmy on their new baby girl, and also Ben's best friend Travis who just had a baby boy. Babies EVERYWHERE. Being a missionary really is making me want to be a MOM! (Weird huh?) Haha. I saw a little boy who was probably about 3 years old in the MTC cafeteria a week ago. He had on his Sunday suit and had one of those little tags on that said "Missionary in Training." It was SOOO cute. Congrats to everyone. Keep having babies. Keep getting married. Keep doing those things that bring eternal happiness, but KEEP ME POSTED!!!! Love ya'll!!!

PRAYING and PRAYING

This week has been another amazing one. The Elders and Sister going to Toronto Canada and India left this morning. Sister Burton, Sister Patterson and myself start Visitor Center training tomorrow. I am SO SO SO SO SO excited! Did I mention that I'm excited? I love church history!

I feel the love of my Heavenly Father so strongly here. I feel like I am learning so much. Everyone says they are so impressed with the fact that I am SO smart for only being a member for three years. I had to inform them that it was all the Lord's doing. I look at it like this: The Lord's atonement makes up for anything we lack if we ask for his help. I have been PRAYING and PRAYING and PRAYING that I would be blessed with understanding and knowledge in the MTC, because... well... it's hard to know as much as people who have 19+ years experience with the church while I have three. But I know the Lord has been with me through it all. I have come to so much understanding about the principles of the doctrine of the gospel. I feel like I'm on fire! He knew that needed 19+ years worth of knowledge to teach the gospel, so he has given me knowledge and understandings that I have been able to keep up with everyone in my class. It's kind of like how missionaries who have only a few weeks to be fluent in a language are given the gift of tounges. This has been my own miracle that I have been blessed with his love and understanding of his gospel. I feel so overwhelmed by love. I'm excited to continue to learn more about the gospel so I can teach effectively and can apply principles and scriptures more clearly.

Yesterday in the referral center I spoke to a man named Rodney. I was calling to confirm if he had recieved his free copy of the Bible. He informed me that he had. I then asked him if he wanted a Book of Mormon and bore my testimony. He said that he had already read it! WHAT? AMAZING! I asked him what he loved about it. He told me that the truths of the atonement changed his life. I bore my testimony about the atonement. I invited him to be baptized... and he said he was already a member! OOPS! The computer messed that one up! Haha! It was really great to talk to Rodney though. He was such a sweet spirit. He gave me a referal for his friend Ross, who is battling cancer. Rodney said that he really felt like Ross could benefit from "learning of the Lord." I thought about the atonement, and how it really is central to our happiness here on Earth. Rodney knew as I knew that the blessing of the Lord can lift life's burdens. Even after this life, even after death, we can experience JOY! I'm so grateful for the atonement. I think I've said that like 100 times in this email already. (Sorry!)

Elder Ballard came this week and spoke at our Tuesday night devotional. He spoke about miracles that happen during missionary work, and the importance of the spirit. He is an amazing man. I will write more on his talk he gave later...

I just wanted to say thank you to all my friends and family at home and elsewhere for sustaining me as a missionary. I cannot tell you how much this opportunity means to me. Teaching people of the happiness in my heart and bringing them unto Christ is truly the greatest thing I can think of doing in my life. I pray that I will be able to serve the Lord throughout my entire life. The selfless acts of charity he has given to the world has really touched my heart. I want to try my best to be like him.

Dream Big. Wish Hard, and Love Always-
Sister Jessica Rose Wathen

1/36th done!

Hello Everyone!

Week two is come and past. That means that I am 1/36th done with my mission . When you put it in that perspective it seems WAY too short!

I have THE most amazing district EVER! They are all so awesome! Two of my favorite Elders are Elder Sathiyanathan and Elder Hicken. Elder Sathiyanathan is the most polite boy I have EVER met. He just turned 19 and graduated from Olympus High School. He is a genius. He is like my little traveling Bible Dictionary.! He is serving his mission in India. Yeah. amazing. Elder Hicken has the most sincere love for the gospel. He is 23 years old, which adds to my testimony as to HOW much he really wants to be on this mission right now. He is going to Toronto Canada. Both the Elders leave the MTC this week. I'm pretty sad about it... WE MET OUR ELDERS THAT ARE GOING TO INDEPENDENCE WITH US! Elder Parente, Elder Hutchins, and Elder Graves.

We've already begun teaching lessons 1 and 2 out of preach my gospel. Sister Burton and I are working on being bold. We did our first lesson involving baptism last night and committed both of our investigators. I know it was just practice, but it still felt really great. I'm so excited to get into the field and begin teaching people who are sincerely in need of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the blessings it can bring to them and their families.

I know that the truths of the gospel have blessed me SO much this last week. My grandfather, Victor Wathen, passed away on Sunday afternoon. It broke my heart when I found out the news. But I know that he was a man of great faith and that he is with my grandma and our Heavenly Father. What a blessing it is to know Jesus Christ; To know that he overcame physical death for us so that we might be able to be resurrected like him and live with our families forever if we are obedient to his commandments. Also that he overcame spiritual death for us so that we would not have to die in our sins but through his atonement that we can be cleansed from all of our sins so that we may be able to live in the presence of Him and our Father in Heaven.

"Celestial Kingdom or bust." I know that if I am expedient and diligent in the works of God, that the Savior will be my advocate at the day of judgment that I will be able to be with MY family forever. ~sigh.~ What a great day that will be.

I love this gospel so much and I'm so grateful for the scriptures. I know that Heavenly Father loves me and that he truly answers prayers.

Dream Big, Wish Hard, Love Always-

Sister Jessica Rose Wathen

Picture is of grandparents at Carthage Jail 1947

First Week

Hello Everyone!

I am well. This week has been really great. My companions name is Sister Burton. She is from Virginia Beach, Virginia and is going to the Independence Missouri mission with me. She is a BEAUTIFUL girl with a sweet personality. We were instantly friends. I'm so grateful for her. She has such a deep understanding of the gospel. She has a glow about her that reminds me so much of many of my friends at home. She is more important to me than anything else at the MTC right now. We are growing closer everyday, and through our relationship I really feel like we are growing closer to our Heavenly Father.

This week I have learned several misconceptions about the MTC.

1. Whoever said that time goes by slowly at the MTC needs to help me out! My companion and I are feeling like we hardly have time for anything. Sunday we studied the atonement for four hours, and at the end of the day we still felt like we hadn't gotten anything done. It's amazing how the spiritual knowledge just keeps pouring it. It is such a blessing to have time to study.

2. Sister missionaries are AWESOME! I thought most of them would be frumpy, ackward, and completely OCD, but the fact is that most of them are beautiful, intelligent, spirtual daughters of God. For all of you single boys back at home: When you're dating if you ever feel like you will NEVER find your future wife, HAVE NO FEAR. I'm telling you there are at least a hundred super hot wives for you at the MTC. You just have to wait 18 months. This is a test of patience.

3. The MTC is ANYTHING but the EMPTY-C. I have felt the spirit here stronger than I have felt it in a very long time. I am so grateful to be here. The answers that I ask for when I pray are being answered. I am finding new meanings in the scriptures that I don't anticipate. There are people here who are converts, who have stories like mine. Elders and Sisters who didn't think they had it in them to teach find out that their testimonies are strong enough to change hearts. Miracles happen here every day.

All is well

I really am doing REALLY well. I've been way too busy to get homesick. So DON'T WORRY. You would be surprised to know that I am sleeping on the top bunk in my dorm. CRAZY huh? I'm scared that every night I'm going to fall off and die... It's true. I'm bunking with a sister who is serving in a S. American country (Sorry dad, don't remember which one!)... but anyway, she went to school with Ben and they were on Seminary Council together. I thought that was pretty cool.


My companion really is the best. She reminds me of Stacie Hansen, so that will give you an idea of what kind of girl she is.

Elder (Brother) Laubaugh is a teacher at the MTC. He was one of my missionaries. When I saw him, we both got so excited. He pulled me into one of his classes and told them that he had been to sealings, and endowments, and that there was nothing greater to him than seeing one of his converts on a mission. I am so grateful for him and the example that he is.

Dream Big. Wish Hard, and Love Always.
-Jessica Rose Wathen