Temple Square!!!!!!

Ahhhhh!!! I'M BACK :)  And I don't think I have ever been so happy in my life!!  Sister Bondare and I were coming down the escalator and I saw Sister Tiritilli (and her companion) and I pretty much ran to her and started crying!  She is one of my best friends in the mission and I haven't seen her in 6 months since she went Outbound before I did!  Then we all started walking to the van and Sister Tiritilli told me that I was going to cry when I found out who my companion was and what I was doing.  What!  We arrived at the van and we go towards the trunk and S. Tiritilli says, "Open the trunk".  I skeptically inquired "why?" and knew my companion had to be in there.  She said, "Just do it :)".  I opened the trunk and I saw Sister Hansen sitting there!!!!!  She was my MTC companion!!!! I screamed, haha, and then started hugging her before she could even get out of the trunk!  Sister Tiritilli was right....I was definitely crying, I just couldn't believe it! 

 

With my new companion, Sister Hansen!

Then, I found out that I am Temple Square Coordinator with Sister Hansen!!  I know most of you don't know what that is, but how I've heard it be explained is that the AP's are the assistants to the president over missionary work and TSC's are pretty much assistants to the presidents over Temple Square.  Some things we do are make schedules, do trainings, do tour reports, etc.  It has only been 5 days in this assignment, but it is SO much work. It's nuts!  But it's great too and definitely a way for me to serve the sisters and this mission.  Anyway, I am seriously SO happy!! It was such a wonderful reunion seeing all of the sisters, especially the ones who I am close friends with! And Sister Ferguson, one of my other besties, is my roomie!!! I couldn't have asked for a better/ happier past few days!   

I can't believe that the beginning of last week I was in Montana and at the end of the week I was in Salt Lake.  It was tough leaving Montana and I really don't enjoy goodbyes, but it was such a blessings to spend my last night with the Rogers family and also with the Crafts and Kyle.  I met so many good people Outbound and it's an experience I will never forget!  It was pretty hectic the day we left.  On Tuesday morning, Brother and Sister Harris picked Sister Bonn and I up from District Meeting around 11 am. Our meeting was moved to earlier so that I could be able to go before I left and also say goodbye to my District. Then, we dropped Sister Bonn off in Stevensville so she could be on exchanges with another set of sisters in the zone until her new companion arrives, and it was really hard to say bye to her.  It was bittersweet and then off I went with the Harris family!  It turns out that the mission wanted me to ride the Greyhound bus by myself to Billings, but the Harris' wouldn't have it, so they drove me the 7 hours it took to get to Billings!  How sweet are they!!!!  I was so appreciative!! And it was a pretty nice car ride with them :) We had great talks about life, the Gospel, and goals, etc.  It's funny too because when we got to the mission home in Billings, the door was locked...so we weren't quite sure what to do. However, the Harris' planned to go to the temple that night so we decided we would go over there and check the temple schedule. Meanwhile, I was trying to get a hold of people and I got in touch with the AP's.  I asked if I could go to the temple with the members and they gave me permission. So that night, I was able to go to the temple!!! I was super happy and it was seriously the best way I could have ended my time in Montana!!  The next morning President Mecham had a departing interview with me and it was such a good conversation with him. He is a wonderful mission president and was complimentary and just so kind!  He gave me a blessing before we finished and some things he said in that blessings were answers to my prayers. I was so grateful for that blessing!  It just brought peace to my heart :)

The Rogers Family!

The Crafts!

Our District...haha!

I think one of the most important things I learned Outbound was to develop Christ-like love.  To love someone as the Savior would and to overlook the surface and just love people for who they are.  I had felt that I already had a love for people, but I know now that developing that pure love of Christ comes when it isn't the easiest...when it takes effort.  I know that as we truly try to see what our Heavenly Father sees in others that we are given strength and a higher capacity to care about people, our hearts grow and we become less selfish.  I feel so grateful for all of the wonderful sisters I serve with at Temple Square and I have truly seen their light,  I am grateful for the people that I have been able to teach and the love I have had for them, and I am so grateful to be a missionary.  We had our Returning Outbound meeting today and all of the sisters have grown even more and we realize that there is only a short amount of time left on our missions. I want to work to my fullest these last 4 months and I want to make every minute count!

I love you all!!! I know this is Christ's full and restored church and I know that Heavenly Father and our Savior love us more than we could ever know!!

Sister Asay