Letter #45 08/17/15

Hi, so I watched the age change announcement the other morning and completely lost it. It was the weirdest thing. Like, that was me.. now this is REALLY me. I'm a missionary. I am the me I envisioned when I heard those words leave President Monson's mouth. This is real. It's just those tender mercies when God reminds you that, in spite of all the craziness and sweat and emotional eating and worry and concern, that really, truly, there's nothing better. 

And I'm grateful. 

BUT OKAY. I've just been blown away this week by all the things I've learned. Miracle number one of course has to do with S because she's the number one miracle of my entire existence but ANYWAYS. We had our last lesson with her before she went to DC (only for the weekend that felt like a lifetime!) and it was so wonderful. We talked about family history and the responsibility of first generation members. The spirit was strong. As we left, she invited us back at seven to pick up a pizza, but when we went back she was.. different. Like, she was feeling way sick and she was the July 4th S that we met in our first lesson. It was so weird. She was just super discouraged and down again. We were way worried and Sister McNeely being the queen bee spirit follower that she is asked S if she'd like a priesthood blessing.. she gladly accepted and so we scrambled to find some men from the ward.. Heavenly Father led us to find some willing to come at that exact moment and they gave her the sweetest blessing..

.. She opened her eyes, and she was COMPLETELY changed again. Like 100% her new self again. She was just floored and kept saying, "I feel like I can conquer the world!" .. It was incredible. Priesthood power is REAL. God's power is on the earth and he lets us partake in the beautiful blessings of his perfect love. 

Also oh my heavens

Okay, so on Thursday we received this GOLDEN referral from the Crozet sisters. For this guy named J that they found and put on date for baptism and all this good stuff! And they had a return appointment with him for Saturday at 2:00. So we get this awesome member to come with us, knock on his door and..... not there. Boo. So we're like, what do we do now? Turns out he lives right by this lady named D.. the story of D is that

each week our mission president sends out these miracles that different companionships send him throughout the mission. And one was this former investigator that they found named D that was super prepared.. after reading it I just couldn't really get the name out of my head and I just kept feeling that there was a D in our area book that needed us. So ANYWAYS we'd been trying to contact her for centuries but, no luck. But, our appointment was no good, so we went to her home. We parked, prayed, look up and there's D walking up the street. We immediately recognize her as the human we were looking for.. We start to talk with her and she told us all about her sisters that would come visit but that she was SO tired from work (and she was) and didn't think we should talk today.. as she started to walk inside something just clicked and she was like, "Actually, yes! Come share something with me!" and so we go to her little covered porch, sing, and before we can even pray she starts into this story about how two bretheren from our church came and gave her a blessing when she was learning in 2012 and how literally EVERY single good thing that's come into her life.. being able to keep her house, her husband getting out of jail, has come through the power of that blessing! Then she cried. And told us that she's been praying and knows it's not a coincidence that we're back. And the spirit was incredible. And, needless to say, God knows His children. And also, round two for priesthood power. Grateful again! 

Also, post script note to the whole situation.. we found out that J got home not two minutes after we left! And basically, it was all just perfect. There are no coincidence's in our Heavenly Father's plan. His love is all encompassing and He cares about the little things. He loves us!

Letter #44 08/10/15

In the hands of the healer....also #waitingontheLord

So, this week has been an incredible learning experience. We are left with eyebrows singed by the refiner's fire and a testimony of just how involved The Lord is in His work, bringing to pass OUR immortality and eternal life!

1 Nephi 9:5-6

Words of Mormon 1:7

He knows. 

"Thumbs Up!"  It was Ze's idea--I like it!  Of her baptism, Zr said, "I still feel like me just really happy"
I think that's what living the gospel of Jesus Christ does for us. :)

Just a slight precursor-

S IS THE QUEEN OF THE UNIVERSE. I am always so humbled and amazed to work with her, to serve her, to see her unwavering faith and her unfailing devotion to God and His love and will. 

The week leading up to her scheduled baptismal date was anything but easy. She went through lots of struggles and obstacles, but always ended up on top as she let go and let God. But the biggest obstacle, the greatest manifestation of God's will came on Thursday as we were preparing for her baptismal interview. As she interviewed, some things from the past came up and we found out she might have to wait to be baptized. She was really shaken up by it all, because her desire to be baptized is SO great. 

We talked with her for a while about the Lord preparing a way for us to do whatever He commands or requires, and she found a little bit of solace, saying that she wasn't discouraged, but we knew she was. 

So we called President Wilson and, guess what? He was already headed up to Charlottesville- now only 12 minutes away, and wanted to talk with Shameka. They had an incredible interview and she was just blown away that he "knew her heart". He told her that she was completely ready, was shocked that we'd only been meeting for 4 weeks, and that there's just some things that have to be done in circumstances like this. She left that interview walking on air, and, over slurpee's, we talked about God's hand. We had no clue that these things had happened in her life, there was no way for us to find out, really, until the interview but Heavenly Father knew. He sent a bolt of lighting prompting telling us that her date needed to be pushed up, only because He knew that it would need to be pushed back. There was no coincidence that President was driving up on the day when it all unfolded. It was incredible to see how his hand has literally guided EVERY single step of her conversion. 

Not to mention that Z, the beautiful nine year old with the wisdom and courage of someone who KNOWS that she's a daughter of God, still wanted to be baptized and set the example for her entire family. Also her favorite song is Called to Serve and she wants to be a missionary. 

It was just so beautiful. After the baptism, Sister C (S) just bore testimony after testimony to everyone there of just how happy the gospel makes us. She just glows!

And now we wait. But when you're waiting on the Lord, it's not so bad. He knows the beginning from the end and I'm just so at peace that it will all work out. It's been amazing to see how this huge obstacle has just refined her even more. Heavenly Father definitely knows what He is doing and He is SO aware. I KNOW IT! He wants to help us and He will. 

I love Him and I love Charlottesville and I LOVE y'all. 

The sweetest/sassiest girls I know.  The newest member of
the church and another girl who can't wait to be eight.

Zr, Me, McNeely, Ze, Sh, Brother Perkins----The baptism crew.

Letter #43 08/03/15

My entire being is saturated with the smell of fried chicken/"letting go and letting God"

First off, it is just really happy to be serving in a southern place
again. Where everyone is Baptist, loves Jesus, but not when we talk
about Him. It's all a good time. We were walking around this semi
ghetto neighborhood late Saturday night swarming with millions of
humans. We approached this lady to talk to her, but had to get through
a large group of her children dancing to music that I loved pre
mission but now hurts my head and heart, haha. I can't handle it
really. And this little 4 year old was just dancing very intensely to
'wobble' and her mom was so proud and it was the most hilarious
experience ever. Like we would talk about the gospel for a second but
then.. Super ghetto 4 year old, ya know?

But, anyways, that actually doesn't matter at all. Not in comparison
to the absolute emotional roller coaster that has been this past week-
wow. I really can't even remember what happened at the beginning
because this weekend was the longest of my entire existence. In all
the goods and bads and opposition that turned joyful.

If we can all turn our attention to the topic of S, remember
her? Okay. We always and forever love her so much! But I guess to
preface the story, we need to talk about earlier week feelings and the
life changing experience that was our Friday zone meeting. SO she has
had an August 22nd baptismal date for quite a while now and we've been
feeling prompted that it needs to be moved up. But, we kind of just
kept marching on, seeing her every single day, mind you, and feeling
the spirit a whole bunch. So with those feelings already in our
hearts, we go to Zone meeting and basically our leaders were just
like, "We know there are people you are teaching, ready to be baptized
on the 8th of August, and so does President Wilson and so does The
Lord. And it was INCREDIBLY powerful and the spirit was so strong and
bore witness to our souls that, yes, S is ready! And so we leave
the meeting with all sorts of spiritually created plans as to how this
was all going to come to pass. And we talked about faith and how we
can't doubt and how trusting completely in the Lord was the only thing
that was going to allow this incredibly fast and beautiful miracle to 
take place.

And then we left and Satan crept in and also fear and anxiety. And
past experiences of setting people on date and seeing them fall of
into oblivion and I was basically just being a baby. Like, I was comfy
with the 22nd too. But throughout our entire lunch Heavenly Father
just kept prompting me to talk to Him and so I did and through an
obscure D&C chapter I just knew that it would be okay, that it was in
fact the Lords's will and that he had already prepared her heart.

And so, directly after lunch, we went. Took a member and went to her
home to teach her about living prophets. We start the lesson with, "We
Thank Thee O God For A Prophet" and as we finish singing she's like,
"wow, sisters. I'm so glad we sang that, that has just been my soul
all day long" .. So I'm thinking what happened, are dark clouds of
trouble hanging over her again? What's going on in her heart? But when
we ask her why, all she says is, "I'm ready". And both mine and Sister
McNeely's jaws drop wide open and the spirit comes in so strong as she
talks about how she HATES spending money but that amidst school
shopping for the girls she found herself buying church clothes and how
she just been feeling for a couple of days that it's time.

So with that being said, something I was so worried about was
completely taken care of by The Lord! He knows her better, and He
certainly knew that she was ready. We moved her date to the 8th of
August and the peace we all felt was magical. But as we leave, our
beautiful convert member present gives her warning that the moment we
step out of the door the adversary steps in.. And she was right.

Always the opposition! We didn't get to see her on Saturday because
she was spending the day with her sisters.. And then, Sunday morning
we wake up to the text of all texts. That she had been staying up late
talking to an old friend and thinking a lot about how the 8th is too
rushed and how she just doesn't feel ready because you can't possibly
change in four weeks and that you can't change something you've known
all your life in such a short amount of time. Also that because she'd
been up all night she wouldn't be coming to church and.. Eek!

But, what was so beautiful is that, in S's own words I had
already 'let go and let God' do the rest, and he had already spoke to our hearts that all would be well.

So we ran over there before church and talked with her about Peter
walking on water and how we have to push and fight towards the light.
And trust. And she is nodding off because she took sleeping medication
but promises she'll be awake when we come back after church. So we
darted to church and I felt like a disciple of Christ healing on the
sabbath, sitting in the foyer for sacrament as a missionary. But we
felt like we had done the Lord's will, and that He would continue to
help us to do it. And so we visited her after church and.. Needless to
say she's back on date. We talked about how, really, she is living
breathing proof that someone can change in four weeks. And she is. So,
say a little prayer in your heart for S and Z and we're so
excited to see them make baptismal covenants this weekend!

Let go and let God. I promise life's just better that way.

 Hermana Yost

Letter #42 07/27/15

Bears, getting 'beat up' and I just couldn't be happier.....

... we got in a car crash is all. In case you were thinking I actually got beat up in the streets of downtown Richmond or something. Haha.   (I really wish she would have given me more info about the car crash!)

On Mon, Jul 27, 2015 at 11:26 AM, Rebecca Yost <rebecca.yost@myldsmail.net> wrote:

I've FINALLY made it. I am a true missionary.

I have seen the Atonement/Gospel of Jesus Christ change someone's life. 

I feel like for a good portion of my mission I saw miracles, met neat people, helped people make covenants with their Heavenly Father, but when others would talk about this night and day difference they were able to witness with their investigators my experience in that area came up short. I yearned to see this evidence of something I knew to be true and real. 

And then we met S. 

As we sat with her in her cute little living room, talking about the spirit and her new found ability to tap into it's power and receive more light, we all kind of stopped. It hit me that this spirit has helped her to find this 180 turn around in her life. It has only been THREE weeks and the old S has slowly been molded into this peaceful, beautiful, trusting human and I cannot handle. 

It hasn't been without struggles, of course. Like Friday night when she called us as we drove home and raised some concerns. We were able to pull over and, although I was having a hard day and feeling a little bit distant from the spirit, the atonement of Jesus Christ came to light in my own life as I was able to teach and testify over the phone and we all cried. I don't know if I've ever felt a stronger spirit than that spirit in the car that day.

 She came to church again yesterday and just GLOWED. She practically led gospel principles class with her new found testimony. She decided to sit away from us in Relief Society and 'still enjoyed it'. The spirit was the same. This was huge for her as she's doing all that she can to make sure that this is something that she is doing for her and her relationship with God. She attended a baptism afterward, even though everything was telling her not to. We had a beautiful font-side lesson where the spirit came again and testified to her that this was right. Her daughter, Z looked at her mom and said, "I think you're ready" and then thanked Heavenly Father in her closing prayer that they have been led to this path of happiness. 

I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS WHOLE THING. 

Grateful doesn't even begin to describe it, but it's so good to be here. 

Meeting people I never would have as an Hermana pura.

Heavenly Father knows exactly what we need. 

Letter #41 07/20/15

Save the drama for your momma......or the missionaries.  AKA sassy black twins and property managers. :)

My poor companion. Haha, the week she was born was quite easily the most miraculous week of my entire mission, so naturally.. these last two weeks of the normal missionary life have been really hard on her. There's something awful in the air here in Virginia, like we have knocked probably 3000 doors with like 5 people that will actually allow us to talk and 2/5 are actually interested. Haha, what? But it's also kind of neat because I think sometimes God talks to us with things like that. Like, every time another door closed on us a little voice within was just like, "Hermana Yost.. is this what I want for you and Sister McNeely and this area? You've gotta go a different route.." so I've been mulling that one over in my head/heart and then the prayers were answered with our AWESOME assistant ward mission leader Brother Perkins inviting us over to his house to work on this HUGE map of our area/part member families/I'm SO excited about it. We can just feel the peace that comes from knowing that your starting on the road that the Lord wants you on. 

Happy one month to the cute little babe!  I mean she bought her own sandwiches with her own gift card to celebrate the occasion, but I took the selfie so I think I'm still a good mom. :)

BUT on to more important/dramatic events. I don't know what's happened with my life. It's like i've been completely removed from any and all Hispanic culture and have been dropped in the middle of the world of "oh no she didn't!" and "y'all best be careful, ya hear?" .. I don't know. Like, I said, "y'all" to president over the phone yesterday and he was not well pleased.. hahah. I can mostly help it when I'm emerged in Spanish world, but it's become a prominent part of my vocabulary once again. I'm trying. 

Drama/Miracle #1: K. Oh, K. She is so awesome! She is such a beautiful seeker of truth also has met with missionaries for a while ALSO came to church for the first time yesterday YAY! :) But, her personal life has become this crazy mess since we came back into the picture. Basically, there's just this ongoing feud with the property manager, G. And a few other crazy neighbors. And she spares NO details so.. we have to plan like 20 minutes into our lessons to get it all out. It's a straight up soap opera. BUT miracle part. So, Sister McNeely has this feeling we should go over and visit K one evening before a lesson.. we go and there has been LOTS of drama the entire day and then we were there to console her and keep her from getting deeper into the drama of Treesdale Park. I wish I could describe it all for you BUT keep it in your little brains for post mish story time. Also when Sis McNeely and I get super famous from the telenovela we're going to create out of it all you'll know.

Drama/Miracle #2: S, dear S. So beautiful. Don't know how much I've talked about her but she is AWESOME. We went to visit Saturday night cause our appointment on Thursday cancelled. We had just gotten settled in when we get word that her twin sister T is coming over! T has met with missionaries previously, been close to baptism twice, and is an incredibly interesting human! We got to have a lesson with them both and hear Sbear testimony after testimony of things we've taught her to help her sister with her doubts and things. It was magical! Then we left and S committed to coming to church but also said that they were going to quote unquote 'sip on the yak' also known as drink that night.. uh, okay.. babysteps? But then when we went to make sure they were up for church, S told us that last night she poured a glass, looked down at it and said, "I'm going to CHURCH!" and poured it out. Needless to say, we're in love.

J's once again MIA. We're sad. But he'll show up soon.. Heavenly Father loves Him so much!

This week was crazy but ended on such a beautiful note. Even a high counsel sacrament meeting full of testimonies from trek youth couldn't dampen the spirit of church for our ladies. We love them!

Missions are neat! 

Letter #40 07/13/15

Moral of the week, 

 sometimes God sends manna, other times he sends carne asada but he ALWAYS sends something. 

After this crazy incredible first week of absolute MIRACLES and beauty and happiness and joy and also lots of learning, it's only natural that Satan would creep in and make me feel anything but a desire to do the things that lead to us being successful, feeling peace in our hearts and loving people. 

I feel like my entire mission, (aside from being lots of really beautiful blessings and miracles without number, really) has been this giant battle between me and the adversary, between my hearts desire and my super weak flesh made weaker by his fiery darts.  That I don't want to, but I'm forced in some way to give him a place to grow in my heart and even when I repent and try to be better, the weeds just enter right back in. And that's not a very fun way to live, and also not a very accountable way to live, and oftentimes not a very effective way to do missionary work because when we feel down, the work is not going to magically go up. 

In other words, until this weekend, even this morning, I didn't really learn what The Lord actually meant when He told us that we were "free to choose". 

We can choose to be happy! We can choose to tell Satan to get behind us. We can decide to decide today that no matter what happens we will go to The Lord in prayer and be filled with peace. He's so incredible! And helps us to choose the better part when we let Him.

We saw lots of people this week choose lots of different things.

C, an investigator that has been coming to church, attending soccer every week, and reading in The Book of Mormon decided that he didn't really have a desire to know if this was true and that he was basically just done. And my heart was broken and I blamed myself, like if I had been a better missionary or something than he would continue to progress and I was sooooo bummed. We had fasted and prayed and role played and worked to receive revelation to help him, but in the end it was his choice and it obviously isn't his time, even though I wish with all my heart and soul that it was.

Also, we were so beautifully led to find this AWESOMELY prepared lady and her husband. We gave her a card, set up a return appt. with them and when we went back, she had searchedmormon.org late into the night, had all sorts of questions, and opened up to us that she had been feeling like something was missing. They grew up together in a church that has changed it's doctrine with a new pastor and they are really family oriented and everything was perfect. But when we went back for our return appointement, A met us at the door and told us that they were not interested and that we shouldn't come back. And.. okay, #ouch. Choices, ya know?

But, on a happy note! J, right? Hispanic hercules? We had a lesson with him at the church building and he dressed up because he read in the pamphlet that that's how we show respect when we go to church and he started crying during the OPENING SONG and told us about how he chose to not be mean to us like he does to everyone else that knocks on his door because he felt the same feeling that makes him cry during lessons when he saw us for the first time. He is completely choosing to let the spirit fill his life! It's incredible. 

But not ten minutes after the lesson with C a member called us to tell us that she was headed to our house with freshly baked bread. And also, our neighbor Al asked us to come over and read the scriptures with him and then ended our week with preparing little carne asada plates for us and it's the little things like that. I don't know lots of things, but I KNOW he loves us. And sometimes His tender mercies come in the form of food and beautiful angel people that are just so GOOD. I don't know if this email made any sense at all, but idk.Life's alright. And when we choose to let Him in, it's wonderful! :)

Love you all so mucho!

Hermana Yost

Letter #39 07/06/15

Becca and her new companion Sister McNeely

Let's just start of by saying that this week has
been the most changing week of my entire mission. First things first,
I received a package from the missionary stork- training will forever
be top 10 in my gratitude journal. The beauty is real! The baby's name
is Sister McNeely and she is a TROOPER. (From Layton, UT + cute as a
button + never stops smiling + such a good sport about not
understanding Spanish + will be translated soon enough..) Holy smokes.
She went (almost) the entire week without crying and I cry every
second so obviously Heavenly Father knows what He's doing by putting
us together.

Opposition was so apparent in all things this week. It was so
incredibly beautiful to witness the signs that Heavenly Father knows
us, loves us, and is waiting ever so anxiously to bless us. And He
DID. We were led and guided by His spirit to find and teach so many
incredibly prepared people! The Lord is hastening His work, in the
mission field and within each one of us. As we allow Him to take the
initiative, trusting more in him.

✨ 'Teaching the Hispanic Hercules the gospel truth' .. Close your eyes
and picture for just a split second the cartoon version of Hercules.
Now give him long dark locks, Hispanic skin tone, tribal tattoos and
tears streaming down His face as He feels the spirit for the first
time and you have our new investigator Jo. He has been searching
for the gospel of Jesus Christ for a really time and Satan has done
everything in His power to keep us from teaching him. Like, really,
we've had like 5 lessons fall through. But, finally, we got to teach
Him. I had felt really impressed the whole day that we should show him
the Mormon message 'The Hope of God's Light' and as we did, the spirit
enveloped all of us and I have never had a more powerful witness than
seeing a big strong man break down as He feels the love of His Father
in Heaven. That peace that comes from knowing your true worth, surpasses

all understanding.

     After 2 long hours of soapboxing in the public square, fairly

distraught, Sister McNeely and I go to search out some english humans who

want the gospel. It's pretty late, so not many apartments are lit but we just start

knocking. A lady names S opens the door. We obviously awoke her, so

she told us to come back the next day. We do, watch the Because of Him video

and no sooner had it ended then she tells us that she knows it is no coincidence.

That she has been searching for God's path and strength as she's been going 

through an incredibly hard time. As we read from Alma 7 together, seeking to

understand the Savior's atonement, made just for her, she felt that peace. The 

only thing that can truly be understood, amidst a life that doesn't really make sense.

     Not to mention Ch who had prayed for a sign from God if his family needed

to go back to church and 'the mormons' knock on His door. Reading 2 Nephi 26:33 

with an african american young man who didn't understand Christ's love, being 

interrupted by his minister neighbor who only wanted to fight, but feeling the spirit 

immediately enter in again as she left and we began again to speak of restored truth. 

     The peace that surpasseth all understanding.

     

     And then, yesterday, as we are tracting and run into a former member, disillusioned

by things he has read on the internet, and stand there. As he rails on Joseph Smith, on

the brainwashing that we are a part of, yelling at us to "study the bible" as we bear 

testimony and walk away. We sat down in the grass, Sister McNeely cried and I cried with 

her. But I wasn't discouraged. I was hopeful. I had been buoyed up all week by this peace 

that surpasseth all understanding. I have felt the power of His spirit. I have been 

privileged to be an instrument in His hand, and the things I don't understand, don't matter.

     His peace, His love. The hope of His atonement, grace and mercy surpass all knowledge and all understanding. I'm grateful.