Monday, December 29, 2014

Merry Christmas from Midland!

Sister Chizzy enjoyed a wonderful Christmas in Michigan! She was very very well taken care of and had so much fun at the members houses and at her mission conference. We were so thrilled to talk to her on the phone on Christmas day and loved hearing her cute, sweet laugh. She is loving her mission and the people she is serving in Michigan!


Hey everyone! I hope that you all had a fantastic week, I truly hope that it was full of Christ, family and the pure sense of giving! That is what this season is all about. :) I want to thank everyone that sent me cards and thought about me while I am all the way out here in Michigan! I heard that it was white Christmas for all of you which is super awesome, we had a little tiny bit of snow so that was fun too!
This week I learned a lot about how we can make out weaknesses become strengths. It all comes from the scripture ether 12:27. Through Jesus Christ I know that our weaknesses can become strengths, I have seen it in myself. We were able to teach one of our less active members and she realized how her self pride is what is keeping her from coming to church and reading. The thing is she is not the only one. The whole Book of Mormon is about the people and their pride cycles, as we humble ourselves to the Lord and ask for strength we will receive that guidance and strength to overcome our weaknesses.
This week we had so many wonderful miracles, here are a couple of them, we found 3 new people to teach, Kelly, Maxine and Jack. That was a miracle in of itself, we have been on a little drought of finding people so what an amazing experience to find them this week! :) Definitely a Christmas Miracle!! :D
On Christmas Eve we had a half mission party!! We learned a lot about finding, which was great and we also got to play a bunch of games! it was a blast, it's so nice to sometimes take a minute to step back and just enjoy being a missionary! I loved it, my mission president is amazing. He helps us all feel so important I am so thankful for that. :) We also got to sing at our half mission party, we sang with 4 of us, I think it went pretty well! I love music, it really helps us feel the spirit that is for sure! We were able to have dinner with a family in our ward that night and we got to help them with their nativity they did. I really enjoyed being a part of someone elses Christmas Eve.
Christmas was incredible! Family is amazing. It is central to God's plan I know that is true! :D I LOVE LOVE LOVE my family, they are the best I want you all to know that! haha
I was spoiled out here in Midland, oh man so spoiled we had meals with a member for every meal it was great. Its amazing being a missionary during the Christmas season, it helped me see other peoples traditions and I loved it. Christmas is about Christ, I love the spirit during this time of year. It's that pure love of Christ. Continue to love and serve others throughout this entire year!
One of my favorite miracles was on Saturday. We were out door knocking and on Saturdays our missions can't use cars so we were out walking and we all were a bit uptight because these people had let us into their home but they just wanted to bash us and tell us that we were wrong.. #notcool so anyways we were walking home for dinner and we walked past this lady and she's all wait stop!! And were like what the? So then we walk over there and she's like are you girls caroling? and were all, no but I mean we can if you want us too! So then she let us in her home and had us sing like 5 songs for her kids and family! :) It was SO sweet! we sang them I am a Child of God and it was so cool to bring the spirit into that little home. I loved it! Then she was like I want to feed you something but I don't have anything and then she comes out with exactly three pieces of cheesecake and hands it to us! :D It was so nice! I loved it! That was such a blessing, for us and then she gave us her number and wants us to come back! :) What a great week. I loved it so much! This is Jesus Christ's gospel, he has called each of us to help him in this work I know it is true! Have a great week!
Love Sister Chisholm <3

Hey everyone!! :) Merry Christmas, I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas! It is truly the time that we are able to remember our savior and to focus on family and serving others!
This week has been great! Our trio is diving and conquering and we are dominating life! :D We are working hard and having a great time as well. We got to play the chimes in our ward Christmas party talk about awesomeness, who would've guessed that on my mission I would learn to play the chimes, it's definitely a cool instrument to play! :D
So I must tell you all that if you are ever having a hard day go check out Angels we have heard on high or angels on the realms of glory by david archuleta and like piano guys because in reality it is fantastic! We had dinner at a members, the Duncans on Tuesday and they showed us that video, it was amazing! Seriously I loved it, so if you get the chance check it out!
So onto the miracles for a minute...
1. This week we were able to have interviews with President Jacobsen and we were able to have a great district meeting on how important it is that the people we meet know our purpose. When they know our purpose as missionaries we will be able to see the elect and help them come unto Christ. It was great! :)
2. We had a wonderful trade off with our Sister Training Leaders, Sister Guest came out here to Midland and she is just the sweetest sister in the world. She helped me a lot, and was able to tell us how to find and work even harder!
3. So this coming week is Christmas and as for all of us missionaries out here in Michigan we are having a half mission Christmas party/training/talent show, and as a district well the sisters in my district we are singing the song He was Here from the Forgotten Carols and so part of my email I want to talk about the lost or forgotten songs from that play. The song we are singing is about the shepherds and about this one Shepard that actually falls asleep and misses the whole thing. It makes me think of President Uchdorfs talk to the priesthood in the last conference in April called are we sleeping through the restoration? It's so important that at this Christmas season although there is so much hustle and bustle we always remember the reason for the season which is Christ. I have started reading Matthew along with the bible each morning and I have started to really realize how many miracles Jesus Christ performed along with all the service he gave. When we strive to be representatives of him at all times others are able to come to know for themselves that Jesus Christ lives.
I know that he lives. I know that he was born in a stable in the most humble circumstances. He is my savior as he is all of yours. I hope you all have a very merry Christmas!
Love Sister Chisholm! <3
ps this pic is totally at the worlds largest Christmas store!! It was INCREDIBLE!!! :D






 Christmas hat from her siblings!
 Hooray for calls home!!!
Merry Christmas missionary style!
 Silly gift exchange with her mission. She got this Elder some Elf jammies!!
 Fishing, our Christmas Eve tradition...delivered by Grandma Bennett! Thanks Grandma!!!!


 Elders, Sisters and President and Sister Jacobsen!

 The wonderful families who took good care of our girl on Christmas!!!!
 A little white Christmas!!!!

Monday, December 15, 2014

TRAINING, CHRISTMAS FUN, READ THE BOOK OF MORMON and #ShareTheGIft


TRAINING, CHRISTMAS FUN, READ THE BOOK OF MORMON and #ShareTheGIft

 Sister Chizzy and her new "trainee", Sister Lau. Her, Sister Smith and Sister Lau are in a trio until Sister Smith goes home in a few weeks.
 The Midland wards do a huge community nativity display. It looks beautiful!
 Sister Chizzy with her garland all her friends and family contributed to. She loves it!
 Their cute little trees all decked out for Christmas! Jen's is the pink one!
Midland 2 district!


December 15

Hey everyone!! To start off, don't forget to watch the video He is the Gift and share it! :) It is such an amazing video and it really helps bring that Christmas spirit! :D So take on that challenge and discover it, embrace it and share it! :D 
ALSO I want to thank every single one of you that helped my mom make that adorable garland with all your pictures on it!!!! :D Oh my goodness it made my entire week to see all of your beautiful faces and to know that you all are alive, sometimes as a missionary I forget that I lived in Utah, where there is like 5 lds churchs on every corner instead of 30 different kinds of churchs on one road! haha :) So again thank you ALL so much! It was amazing and meant so much to me! :) 
So here's a little update on my week, we are still working hard out here in Midland! Weird thing is it's totally not snowing yet, it's been quite a few years since I had not a white Christmas and then I thought coming to Michigan for sure it would be white but maybe not! Its been a blessing for us sisters though because we were walking all week! :D blessings all around, they happen more than we think! 
This week we were able find quite a few potential investigators! It was amazing to find and hear about so many great testimonies that people have and how the Book of Mormon can help them increase that knowledge. I know that to be true. I actually was able to finish the Book of Mormon this week and I want you all to know that it is true. I know that it was translated but a prophet of God named Joseph Smith, I know that is answers all the questions of our souls and can help us in every aspect of our lives. It is the word of God. I would challenge you all at the beginning of this upcoming year of 2015.. crazy!! To reread the Book of Mormon and read it with the intent to know of the truthfulness of it. You will receive your answer for yourself. I know you will! :) 
This week we were able to teach our investigator Jason about the Word of Wisdom and it went really well. He is progressing so much in the gospel and he knows it is true. He also wants the promise from the word of wisdom to walk and not be weary and run and not be faint. I know that those promises are true as well! 
things are going great out here in Midland, I love being a missionary especially at this beautiful Christmas time. I hope you all are able to come closer to our savior Jesus Christ at this time. Don't forget that he really and truly is the reason for the season! 
Love Sister Chisholm! <3


December 8

Hey everyone! :) 
I hope you have all had a wonderful week! It sounds like things are going great out there in Utah! :) I hope you all are enjoying the season and having fun. Something cool that we are doing out here is He is the Gift, I really hope you all have had the chance to check out that video and that you were all able to share it. It really helps us remember the true meaning of Christmas. It's a time to remember Christ. 
So a couple cool stories for you all... 
1. My trainee is named Sister Lau she is from England but most recently from Arizona! She is also Chinese, yes awesome right?! She is the cutest thing ever, I really love her and she is already adjusting so well. I can't even believe that I am training still.. I feel like I don't really know what I am doing but Heavenly Father knows what he is doing so trusting in him is all we can do. I am so blessed to be a trio right now it's helping me learn and grow so much. 
2. We were able to go contacting on campus this week, which was incredible!! I loved it so much! People my age that are actually willing to change are the best! We met so many great people, they all actually had a desire to learn. haha but here's a pretty funny story we met this guy named franko and he totally didn't think we were listening after we left his door and then we heard this.. "Sisters.. That's why they are religious, because they can't find a man!!!" He must've been telling one of his roommates but that was pretty funny. Apparently we are all on missions because we can't get married... haha :) 
3. Our wards out here in Midland did this amazing Nativity exhibit this week and we were able to walk threw it with a couple of our investigators. It was amazing to see so many different scenes portrayed in different ways but it's all the same. Christmas is about Christ and because I am a missionary I am able to focus even more fulling on Letting him in. It's such an incredible experience. He is the reason for the season. I know that to be true. 
I hope you all are taking the time to let him in this Christmas season. Jesus Christ is our savior. He is our Redeemer and he is there. We are instruments in his hands and he wants us to become the best we can be. 
I am so thankful for the gospel in my life, I hope you all are able to share your testimonies this Christmas season. Keep loving life, I know I do! :) 
Love you all! 
Love Sister Chisholm <3 


December 1

Snow, wind, hats, boots, layers, tights, snowman, snowball fights, and best of all... Come back after the holidays!!! Tis the season of being a missionary in the Michigan Lansing Mission! :) 
Don't you all fret though, we are working hard and having a blast while doing so! This week has been awesome, in all honesty though being a missionary is just awesome. If any of you ever get the chance to go on a mission... DO IT and to all my missionary friends, keep working hard and bringing those people to Christ! :) You are all my inspiration! So here's some awesome updates from this week! 

We had a 1/3 mission conference this week and it was fantastic! Our mission leaders are called of God that is for sure. Sister Smith and I and some of the other elders and sisters in our zone had the chance to sing because I have been given much in the middle of the meeting, it was really great. We even added my favorite vs to the end, "because of thy lives mission Lord, I too will serve, I'll leave the comfort of my home to teach thy word. I'll seek thy sheep who've gone astray and those who've never known the way, I will make thy work my work today." It brought the spirit into that meeting and helped us all I think realize again why we are here and why we are missionaries. The gospel is true! 

That night we taught our investigator Hunter! He is awesome, he loves the whole Light of Christ idea and wants to have the Light of Christ more fully in his life. We have seen a change in his countenance already from him reading the Book of Mormon, that book is true, and it will change your life. If you don't believe me.. Well just do it! I promise it will change your life. It has changed mine. We also had dinner that night with the Bowmans, Brother Bowman has been a MTC president and also the president of the Peru mission! He is great, I love hearing his stories. 

Wednesday all 3 of our appointments canceled on us but we did get to have one appointment with Bonnie it was all on prayer, I love the scripture Alma 37:37 one of my favorites. Prayer is the way we come closer to our Heavenly Father. So then we went door knocking in the snow for like 3 hours!! It was a blast! Sister Smith and I make everything fun, I am so grateful for her as my companion. She teaches me so much! I can't believe she goes home at the end of December! Crazy stuff! We had dinner with our recent converts the Cormiers that night, they are also feeding us thanksgiving! happy day!! :) It was super delicious and Kurt he has actually met Chuck Norris! Cool stuff right? Oh the people you meet on missions. It's great! :) 

Thursday at dinner one of the members told me this quote, I love it. "You can be motivated by love or you can be motivated by fear, you choose." That is something to really live by. It's amazing how much love our Heavenly Father has for us. Look for the small and simple tender mercies he gives each day. That was mine for that day! We also got to help one of our investigators set up for Christmas!! What in the world?!? is it really Christmas time already?!?! WOW! 

On Saturday we got to walk in a parade!!!! That was an adventure! :) It was super douper fun! We are having this super cool nativity exhibit in a couple weeks so we got to pass our invitations and tootsie rolls for that! :) People were super nice and it was fun to be able to walk and invite people to come to the Nativity, everyone is getting super excited about it! It's going to be great! :) 

Sunday was amazing as always. I learned a lot about reverence and also about how we must always stand in holy places. As we do the small and simple things we will be closer to our Savior Jesus Christ. I love this gospel. I know it's true. Life is good! :) I hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving and that you always remember to be grateful! :) 

Love Sister Jenica Chisholm! <3 

Monday, December 1, 2014

TRAINING and a small flood!



Sister Chizzy had another great week! She has been called to be a trainer! She will get her "brand spankin' new baby" as she calls her on Thursday. She says she feel a little overwhelmed but excited to be a trainer and is happy her mission president feels that she is ready! She had a great Thanksgiving with some new members and said she even made the green bean casserole! She is doing great!

Hey everyone! :) What a week!! So yes from my title, I am training a brand new missionary straight from the MTC! #what?!??!! I am the new missionary aren't I? It's going to be quite the adventure that is for sure. I am so very thankful that I am not alone on this because there is no possible way I could do this without my Savior Jesus Christ. Oh and cool thing as well, my second trainer Sister Smith, she is actually going home on the 31 and she totally gets to stay here in Midland with us!! :) We are actually going to be training this new Sister together until she leaves then I will finish off her training, that will be so great! We have so much fun and work hard. Sister Smith is incredible. 
On Monday we got to teach a less active that just moved back from college about scripture study and it went really well. She also gave us hot chocolate which was super nice because that night there were 40 mile per hour winds. Oh Michigan and it's crazy weather. Her lesson went really well and she taught me a lot about having my own testimony. It's so important to have our own testimonies because if we don't then we don't be able to help others understand the gospel. In preach my gospel it even says you can't convert anyone past your own conversion. I have seen that happen here as a missionary for sure. 
Wednesday we had a great lesson with our investigator Jason, oh my goodness he is amazing. I mean like gold. He has read all of the book of Mormon and is already reading D&C, he retains everything and it's amazing to see his progression. He walked into the chapel and sat down and I asked him how he felt and he looked at sis smith and I and said, it feels right. The feeling is different in here than any other church. this is right. It was an incredible experience the spirit was so strong. 
Thursday was well great! I mean it was thanksgiving and we were able to have it at our recent converts house! :) It was super delicous we were able to help make some of dinner as well! We also went door knocking even on thanksgiving and the best part, out of the two doors that answered, neither of them slammed the door in our face!! Janice the first lady talked to us for like 15 minutes, she wasn't too interested but she did ask some questions and was really nice to us and then the next guy he answered he said he might come to the nativity exhibit that our ward is putting on this weekend so that was good! After dinner and everything we came home to our apartment... Which was soaking wet!! Definitely what we wanted but the greatest part is that we just laughed. It was super funny, we couldn't even believe it! So yes we had a flood, it was from like a broken pipe or something. They finally fixed it today. But the moral of this story is that We can be grateful in any circumstance, even when we have floods, always look at your situations and be grateful. They may not be exactly what you want but they will always work out. In President Uchdorfs talks grateful in any circumstances he says, "life is not about endings its about spiritual beginnings" I want to add my testimony to his, life is meant to be enjoyed. We are here to learn and to grow and sometimes we have to go through hard times to test our patience and reliance on the Lord. I know that as we trust in our Heavenly Father things always work out. 
I hope you all have a wonderful week! Keep praying and doing the small and simple things! 
Love Sister Chisholm! <3