Our sacrifice is being noted...

This past week has been amazing! We had Zone Conference Wednesday - I left feeling rejuvenated with a sense of satisfaction in our accomplishments, my growth and a renewed drive and desire for the work. Not that I had lost my drive or love of it, but a lot of what was focused on and taught through the day was exactly what I needed to hear to put to ease some of my concerns and thoughts. We have fasted a lot this month - individually on F&T Sunday, as a mission that week, as a companionship before Zone Conference and with two of our investigators this weekend. Our sacrifice is being noted and our prayers are being answered, miracles are happening!!! I don't know if it's the holiday season, the sudden appearance of Christmas decor in the stores and homes of members or the lessons I've learned and growth I've experienced or a combo of all of the above, but I feel as though I have a different spirit about me. And I LOVE it!!!

I love the holiday season and all it entails - yummy food, family time, gift giving, Christmas music and lights, etc., but I'm pretty sure that despite the absence of those I love and miss this is going to be my best holiday season yet. Friday was a Bike/Foot day so we lined up rides to and from all of our appointments and tracting areas with many members offering to attend appointments with us. Members' testimonies are so powerful and make all the difference in teaching! We even had our dinner appointment family allow us to use their bikes as we spent our hour prior to dinner tracting in their neighborhood. Sisters on bikes, in skirts ;p We loved it and have trouble understanding why the elders are so whiny about riding bikes! So many more opportunities to talk to people than riding in a car!

In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday that is upon us I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for all I have been blessed with throughout the years.

I love you all so much and am eternally grateful for the love, support, guidance and example you have given me and been as I have come to know and love you throughout the years. While I love and appreciate my family first and foremost, I know that you have each contributed in your own seemingly small but great way to who I am and who I want to be. I am so blessed to have so many wonderful people surround me and hope that you all know how much I love and miss you! Continue smiling and being the wonderful people you are as no one can do it better than you!!!

I sincerely hope that as the holiday suggests, we can all remember to give thanks to our loving Heavenly Father for all He has blessed us with. Have faith to know that as we continue to obey His commandments, follow His will for us, read and study His word and pray sincerely to Him for the desires of our hearts, He will continue to bless us and provide us with all we need to succeed and be happy. I love Him so much and hope that we will all feel closer to Him as we partake in this holiday season and surround ourselves with family and all that is good :)

Love always and forever,
Sister Beth Green

P.S. Transer call just came through and I am staying in Little Miami at least until the next transfer :) I am very happy and feel blessed to be able to stay with the wonderful members I have come to know and love over such a short period of time; it will make the holidays feel more like home in some ways.

Finally in Ohio!

Update from Beth --- 

So arrived in Ohio this past Wednesday, spent the evening at the Mission Home with President Nilsen and family, ate dinner, did interviews and had a testimony meeting. Thursday was new missionary orientation and transfer meeting. 



I am currently assigned to the Little Miami Ward of the Cincinnati East Stake/Zone. Technically we are located in Loveland, Ohio. They told us to send all mail to the mission home and it will be forwarded to our apartments so that everyone doesn't have to keep up with transfers.

The APs are Elder McClellan and Elder Steglich, Zone Leaders - Elder Blackburn and Elder Smuin and District leader is Elder Gardner. 

I am in a trio with Sister Finefeuiaki (fi-na-fey-we-ah-key) from Oakland, CA (she's Tongan) out one year next month and Sister Tilby from Idaho (finishes mission at next transfer). 

We are getting along really well and are open/honest with feelings and ways to improve. I appreciate their guidance and example and we all have a good sense of humor while also focusing on the work. They emphasize me figuring out what kind of missionary I want to be and sticking to it which I love. We have spent most of our 1st few days together getting settled and teaching me the routine and how things work. I'm the driver, scary I know. 

Saturday we got to do some tracting and met 4 new people. 2 we gave Books of Mormon and our contact info, 1 use to date a member and is interested in learning more since we may have a mormon president soon and the other was a really nice army guy that is wanting to move to San Antonio, TX but we gave him our number. 

The members are awesome and very missionary minded. They are currently doing a 21 day prayers program to pray for missionary opportunities. We got 2-3 referrals at church yesterday and have more coming. Lots of part member families and less actives to meet and work with too. 

I am so excited about the work and can't wait to get into a normal routine of finding and teaching this week! 

Sister Beth Green 

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P.S. She really appreciates the support and love from all of the letters she has received thus far.

The MTC is amazing!

Update from Beth ---

The MTC is amazing! 

I've had some rough days but mostly because I've been hard on myself. I love all the learning and the sisters in my district are awesome!

My companion, Sister Anderson, is from Springville and is also going to Columbus. The other two are going to New Jersey. Sister Anderson is really shy but starting to open up. I’ve just been struggling with talking too much in lessons, but its getting better.

The Sundays here are amazing!!! Last Sunday we got to watch the Brigham City Temple dedication. I met four elders that are serving in the Virginia Richmond Mission and leave this Wednesday. This Sunday was Fast and Testimony and Mission Conference! Next weekend is General Conference and all classes and teaching experiences were cancelled. We get to watch conference, write letters, and study! Plus every Sunday we get to do a temple walk for an hour. It’s awesome. 

My Zone Leaders, Elders Bateman and Gibbons are hilarious. I get to attend a lot of meetings with them as Coordinating Sister. We got two new districts last Wednesday with four sisters and fourteen elders! It’s weird but they already look up to us and we’re only a week ahead of them.

The Elders are amazing and I love the chivalry they carry towards the sisters. Of course, they are all much younger than me, but my cover is working well thus far. The Sisters know my age but are sworn to secrecy… haha…

I am learning so much and can’t wait to get to Ohio and serve all the people the Lord is preparing for me. I found this scripture while sitting in the Provo Temple which just confirms to me that I am doing the right thing. 

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Doctrine & Covenants, Section 100:2-8

       2 Therefore, follow me, and listen to the counsel which I shall give unto       you.

       3 Behold, and lo, I have much people in this place, in the regions round   about; and an effectual door shall be opened in the regions round about in this eastern land.

       4 Therefore, I, the Lord, have suffered you to come unto this place; for thus it was expedient in me for the salvation of souls.

       5 Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be confounded before men;

       6 For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.

       7 But a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall declare whatsoever thing ye declare in my name, in solemnity of heart, in the spirit of meekness, in all things.

       8 And I give unto you this promise, that inasmuch as ye do this the Holy Ghost shall be shed forth in bearing record unto all things whatsoever ye shall say.

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I love this Gospel!

I love and miss everyone!

Sister Beth Green

She will do great things!

Having said their goodbye's in Virginia, 

Mom, Dad, and Mollie 

left the responsibility with Emily and I of making sure 

Sister Mary Elizabeth Green 

arrived safely at the 

Missionary Training Center

in Provo, Utah on Wednesday, September 19, 2012.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excited and ready to serve, Sister Green 

waited patiently for the two young elders who were assigned to escort her in to the MTC.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She will do great things!

Ohio? What?!?

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Beth (now Sister Green), after much prayer and consideration felt...

“Perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring 

some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.” 

(Book of Mormon, Alma 29:9)

Why does she feel this way?

Imagine you found a cure for cancer. How urgently would you spread the news of your discovery? Who would you tell? The gospel of Jesus Christ is the cure for so many of life's ills that Mormons want to share the good news of eternal life with the same urgency.

The Lord said, 

"...proclaim my gospel from land to land, and from city to city… 

bear testimony in every place, unto every people..." 

(Doctrine and Covenants 66:5,7)

Sister Green, has taken that commandment to heart and has committed the next eighteen months of her life to share the blessings she has personally received from living the gospel with those whom the Lord has called her to, in the Columbus Ohio Mission.

What exactly is she doing?

"We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, 

and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."

(Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 25:26)

Missionaries share one thing and one thing only - the gospel of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Sister Green has joyfully joined the 52,000 missionaries who are currently serving in 350 missions around the world. These missionaries are walking, driving or riding their bikes around the world, handing out copies of the Book of Mormon and sharing the gospel with the people they meet.

Most of the Church's missionaries are around twenty years old, though many members also volunteer to serve after they've retired. All prospective missionaries turn in applications to Church headquarters and they receive a call to a specific mission around the world. They spend a few weeks in a training center where some of them learn a new language and all of them rigorously study and practice teaching the gospel. Then they set off to their assigned locations and begin their service. Missionaries' lives are completely dedicated to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. They pay their own way and put off school, dating and work for eighteen months to two years in order to focus entirely on doing the Lord's work.

A common morning for a missionary might consist of waking up at 6:30 a.m., studying the scriptures, and meeting new people to share the gospel with. The afternoon might include discussing gospel lessons with people they meet and volunteering for service in the community. A good night has them teaching the gospel to interested individuals and helping them learn and keep God's commandments or attending a baptismal service for someone who's decided to join the Church. They return home around 9:30 p.m. and fall into bed, usually exhausted and happy.

What's the point?

It may seem strange to focus so much of our lives on Jesus Christ, but the wisdom of the gospel applies to everything from the purpose of life to how we approach our work, how we relate to others, even how we take care of our bodies. The teachings of Jesus Christ have more power to bring lasting happiness than all the success and pleasure the world can offer.

Every message Mormon missionaries share revolves around Him and how His Atonement and ordinances allow us to return to live with our Father in Heaven and our families in heaven.

Again... Imagine you found a cure for cancer. How urgently would you spread the news of your discovery? Who would you tell? The gospel of Jesus Christ is the cure for so many of life's ills that Mormons want to share the good news of eternal life with the same urgency.

For more information on the Church of Jesus Christ and the values and beliefs that Sister Green is sharing please visit... http://mormon.org

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http://mormon.org/missionary-work