January 2011

Beautiful winter snowscapes surround the Salt Lake Valley and bring visitors from all over to experience world class skiing and resorts.


As the 2010 holiday season fades away, Alexandra and her missionary companions settle back into daily routines of missionary life on Temple Square.  The site of which so much national and church history is occurred continues to draw visitors from all parts of the world.

Ali is having the time of her life engaged in a work that she whole heartedly loves and is anxiously engaged in.

Things are a little different with the slower schedule, but it is the best! Again this past week there were so many that came that were so interested and so prepared to hear the message.  Heavenly Father really does have a part in so many people lives, and there are reasons why they come here in the middle of winter.  Sister Hernandez and I love seeing that this season is the best here, whereas most people would think that its not.  Winter is usually a time when people are grumpy and upset and just not happy because it isn't the great summer, but we really do get the best out of people as missionaries here! I wonder if the ways that I am able to ask questions and talk to people in a way for them to open up so much is something that will continue on after the mission.  So many people tell me things and then after say, well I don't know why I told you that, but I did! Haha. Having the spirit so strong as a missionary is the best! I do not want the day to come when I won't have it the way I do now, it is the best ever and I know that the promptings of the spirit are so strong with everything that we do as missionaries.

With the many people that I talk to and meet, I am just so grateful for the understanding of the fulness of the restored gospel.  So many people are still so confused and curious about their beliefs and the world around them, but I know I've got it all right! Over and over again I recognize what a blessing it is to be serving a mission and learning more, but also to be sharing this with others.  The hardest thing about being a missionary is knowing that there are still so many people in the world looking for this, but they don't know where to find it! I wish there was a little radar or something that would help us find those people and let us share with them the things they are continually looking for.  Never forget that there may be people that you associate with everyday or every once in a while that are those people.  Always be a witness of Jesus Christ and share what a blessing the gospel has been in your life ,and what it can do for everone else!

Thanks for all your love and prayers, and everything that you do! :)

Love you,

Sister Alexandra Teerlink

Well, she's obviously having a great time and is caught in the moment as she shares this glad message of hope to the world.

December 2010

Beautiful Temple Square at Christmastime!

Enjoying the beauty of the snow drifted landscape at Temple Square, Alexandra and her companions share the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the Christmas season.  Her excitement for her missionary service is contagious and is loving every minute of it.

With all the Christmas lights that are on and so many members coming with family and friends we meet some great people and hear some great stories too! Sister Hernandez and I try to meet as many return missionaries as we can see.  We do this because we love having them go through their planners from their missions, and then let us call all those that they had to drop or lost contact with.  It's AWESOME!!!  I have been able to get in touch with a return missionaries contacts in New Zealand.  With the large time difference it is difficult, but we make the best of it.  Also, Sister Hernandez has a friend that is serving in Texas, so whomever she drops, she gives us their information so that we can call them, find out what happened, and try to get them to meet with the missionaries again.  We are so busy calling and teaching people that it's hard to get time in to find more people to teach.  Sometimes there are days that fly by and we talk to so many amazing people and wish we had more time, but there there are still other days that make it a little more difficult and we wish time would go by faster.  No matter what, we all know that the work that we are doing is going to help them progress.  We have since met return missionaries from Zimbabwe, and Johannesburg (where the elders from my MTC district are now serving) and we will be calling them back to find more people that we can call.

Just a few days ago I also ran into some old friends from my ward back in Idaho, Taylor and Kelli-with Taylor's family (they're from Woodland, CA).  Taylor has a brother that just recently got back from his mission and he is still in missionary mode and wants to reach out to everyone and help us call as many people as he knows.  He gave us just about everyone's number in his phone that isn't a member, and he said that he is even going to go through his planners and will have more when I follow up with him to let him know how it went with everyone else.  Return missionaries are great...and that means you too dad!


Well I better get going! And can I say that I am so excited to talk to you all on Saturday! WAHOO!!!!

 

Love you and Merry Christmas!

Sister Alexandra Teerlink

Our phone conversation was  a brief 45 minutes, but we loved hearing her voice and feeling the joy jumping off the phone line.  It served as a great reminder of Mosiah's words that, "when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God."  No greater call, really.

November 2010

Come on Dad!  Get the post updated!!!

Time to play some catch up here.  Alexandra is doing fantastic things while serving her mission.  Here are some highlights from her letters:


There were some wonderful experiences that we had as we were on Temple Square.  As Sister Kinikini and I were waiting to meet with our District Leader, Sister Ah-Sha, I got a page (yes on one of those old pagers that no one has anymore) but I was going to call for this and then found out that there was someone waiting to meet me, that was on his way through from Raymond, Alberta.  I don't remember his last name, but his first name was Bruce.  He had a package of goodies from Grandpa Brownie for me and it was just the sweetest thing I could have asked for.  He was very kind and had many stories for me and just expressed what a wonderful man Grandpa Brownie is...and I couldn't agree more.  Grandpa Brownie stocked me up with all sorts of goodies from Canada like chips, popcorn, wagonwheels, cookies, and of course his pickles!  It was such a fun surprise and I could just feel the love that Grandpa sent with that package.  Quite a few of the other sisters are enjoying all of the goodies too, especially some of the sisters from Canada.  I just love Canadians, and I am meeting them so much...who would've known so many would come to temple square. 

Winter Wonderland

Fun on Prep-day

Also on Monday, Sister Kinikini and I had some incredible experiences as we shared the gospel with Lana, from Stanford, and John, from Oregon.  They were both so kind and accepting of the gospel.  Lana is very open minded and was interested to learn more about our beliefs, and had previously been referred when she called in once.  John, we met by the New Testament paintings and was with a big family, but he seemed to continually drift behind to look at more.  We passed him a few times and then after we had passed him once more, we felt that we needed to go back and share the Book of Mormon.  As we did so, he was very interested and wanted to learn more for himself.  It was in just a matter of a few minutes that he had felt the spirit and was ready to have his own Book of Mormon.  Miracles like this happen all the time and it is just amazing to see that when we have so much faith in this work, we can truly find so many people that are prepared.