Mission Update from Plano, Texas!

I sent most of my pics in my last email but here are the rest! Sister Cavalcante (from Brazil) is an amazing photographer and insisted to do a photo shoot. I will always love Sister Reboquio! Each companion has taught me so much!

I just love my companion! 

On Saturday we had a real Texas "Hoedown". It was way fun! Sister Greenall could not stop laughing when everyone in the room sang "Deep in the Heart of Texas" together. Oh man! Texas is THE best. Did you know it is the only state that is allowed to raise it's state flag at level with our country flag? And students say their allegiance to the Texas flag each morning in school? And we have the tallest state capital in all the country? Yep! Texas is something else.

Love these people! Seriously some of the best friends to be around. 

We went to the Perot Museum- which was cool. But it would've been fun enough to just walk around Dallas. Let me tell you though- I am so excited to go to Portland. I feel like Portland is a lot more fun than Dallas.. no offense to my Texans ;)

My first time doing a true face mask haha don't make fun, it was a blast.

I got to see TJ and Kaycee at the baptism!

Isn't that the cutest note?? Tyler is so amazing! 

The Lewis boys' baptism! It was sooo amazing! 

Tyler's baptism!! 

He gave us each this cute book as well with a sweet note inside thanking us for being his missionaries. It has been such an awesome experience to watch him and his dad as they progress in the gospel together. His dad has become very active in church and has become a worthy priesthood holder. Tyler looks up to his dad so much and it is awesome to see how strong their relationship is. Tyler's dad choked up with tears as he baptized son. It was a really powerful experience.

This picture was just too funny of E.Evans. It will be so weird to be separated eventually. Seems like we are just always performing something. He's a musical genius for sure.

And I just love Sarah and Shomari Lewis. Shomari is one heck of a father. I am so grateful he allowed that day to happen. They are both such an inspiration raising 5 boys.

9/29

Surprise I'm staying! Haha jk I wasn't even scared. I'm excited to have another 6 weeks with Sister Greenall! This is my 2nd to last transfer! Wow! 

Everything is just going right here in Plano. Things are just starting to happen. We had an amazing week. Of course there are always ups and downs but the ups definitely out weighed the downs. 

First off- HAPPY BIRTHDAY QUINTEN. Who would have ever thought I'd be saying that? Wow! We are so lucky to have you in our family. I remember getting a call a few days before I came home from college. Mom said "So when you get home, we're going to have a baby here...". And it has just gone from there. I loved taking care of you before I left and singing you to sleep. You were the tender mercy our family didn't even know we were going to  have. But you complete our family! Mom and Dad always said they wanted 6 kids. Through children- that's how we really learn of God's love. I never thought I could love and worry and stress and cry from joy and sympathy for a little boy I hardly know. You won't understand this now, but when you're older you'll read back on this and know someone in Texas loved you on your third birthday! 

The spirit was insanely strong in my life this week. 

We had specialized training- probably my last one! I got a little teary thinking about how far I've come on my mission. How much this mission and gospel have saved my life. We also got these amazing mission rings that  President Taylor designed. they say 'PRO'- which stands for Pray, Read, and Obey. These three things I will cherish and do for the rest of my life. 

Women's Conference was INCREDIBLE. I loved knowing that my mom and sisters-including Em- were watching it with me just a few miles northwest ;) I can't believe Emily is 8 now. And I LOVE PRESIDENT UCHTDORF. My face just lit up as soon as they announced he was speaking. He is like my Morgan Freeman.

This next highlight I can not even put into words and give it justice. It is an experience I will forever cherish. We got a referral from some other missionaries for this lady named Paola. They just talked to her on the street, she had been having a really hard day and when they talked to her and asked if she needed help carrying in groceries, she just cried. She didn't know what it was at the time, but the spirit prompted her to accept their invitation for her to meet with us. She told us this story when we met Friday night. She brought her kids with her and there was this crazy, instant connection between us. We told her about the Book of Mormon and she was listening so intently. The Spirit was just telling us exactly what to say. In fact we told her the Spirit would give her a witness and she asked what the Spirit was. We told her and then she made the connection that she felt the Spirit when the other missionaries talked to her. I also felt prompted to say some special things the Spirit told me to tell her son, Christopher who is 11. After ward Sister Greenall asked me how I knew to say that because Christopher got teary and obviously really needed to hear what I said. I couldn't explain it! Then early, early the next morning I got this crazy overpowering prompting from the Spirit that this was the family I've been searching for. Earlier this summer, I got a blessing because my back/neck pain was starting up again. In that blessing, it said that a family I knew in the Pre-existence would be led to me, that I would find them and recognize them. That they would change my life and I would change theirs. I couldn't hold back the tears! All throughout companion study I was just super emotional. I couldn't read a sentence from PMG without crying- I felt ridiculous! We'll see where this goes, but I know I was meant to meet them. I love them so much!!

Sunday we sang at sacrament and Elder Claudio Zivic was there! He spoke for a few minutes at the end of sacrament and it was so amazing! We  got to talk to him afterward, it was so great to have him there. It's sad that even when General Authorities are visiting their families' wards, they still have to sit on the stand. Great day at church though! All the speakers and lessons were just amazing. 

As you can tell, I  had an awesome week! 

I love you all! Here we go for another week in Plano :)

Love,

Sister Dalling

9/22
Ok! Here we go! 

I'll try to update as much as I can..

I hit my 15 month mark which is crazy! 

We served at a cemetery and I mowed a lawn for the first time in my whole life! I have been so sheltered- haha. 

On the 13th that was Emily ( my sister), Shomari, Ethan, and Jayvin's baptism! What an amazing day that was. Of course I cried thinking about what a tender mercy that even was. I thought those boys would have to wait until they were 18. Sarah has held on for so long- she is so strong! Wow I love that family. It felt so good to have a baptism again. And I sang with some other sisters at their baptism. We sang "A Child's Prayer". 

Also that night I sang at Stake Conference (click here to listen)which was definitely a good experience. I am just so grateful I get to sing ALL the time. It keeps my spirit happy! One time after practicing with Elder Lee and Evans, Elder Evans and I just played through all of our all time favorite songs..from Phantom of the Opera and Wicked. Oh man! You should have seen how happy I was! We probably played through them for almost an hour! Reminded me of the best times with my daddy. 

We have just seen so many miracles the past 2 weeks. We have found so many investigators and almost all of them are formers that we just happened to run into! Strengthened my testimony so much of being in the right place at the right time. We even set another baptismal date. It's not super solid but it's something! The wards are definitely building in excitement. This week we spoke in 8th ward. Next week we're singing in 6th ward. Almost every week we're doing something. 

Tyler's baptism was Sunday. Such a good way to end the week! It was such an honor to be a part of it. His whole family from around the country came. And they planned it to be on his grandpa's birthday. His grandpa passed away just a few months ago, so that was SUCH a special experience. 

I love you all so much! I'm working hard, trying my best. Time is literally flying by, so fast I just can't grasp it. Soon I'll be home for Christmas ;) That is my new favorite song by the way! 

Miss you!

Love,

Sister Dalling

And I just love Sarah and Shomari Lewis. Shomari is one heck of a father. I am so grateful he allowed that day to happen. They are both such an inspiration raising 5 boys.

Isn't that the cutest note?? Tyler is so amazing!

Tyler's baptism!!
He gave us each this cute book as well with a sweet note inside thanking us for being his missionaries. It has been such an awesome experience to watch him and his dad as they progress in the gospel together. His dad has become very active in church and has become a worthy priesthood holder. Tyler looks up to his dad so much and it is awesome to see how strong their relationship is. Tyler's dad choked up with tears as he baptized son. It was a really powerful experience.

2.The Lewis boys' baptism! It was sooo amazing!

This is from the catholic festival we went to that Brother Restrepo's band played at!

Sept 15

So sorry I really don't have time this week! I'll send a letter home that will be a better update. 

Went to Dallas today with some missionary friends, it was fun :) But traffic was awful. We just went to a museum. 

We had a great week! the weather has been incredible! Thanks for your love and prayers.

Sorry this is so short.

Love,

Sister Dalling

Sept 8

I can't believe how fast time is flying by!

Let me tell you about my week. Kind of boring, not much to report! So I got super sick.... I'm pretty sure it was the stomach flu and it hit wednesday night. I was completely out Thursday- slept 24 hours! Got super dehydrated the next day and slowly got nursed back to health haha. I'll spare you allll the details, but it was not fun. I finally started feeling normal again yesterday :) It was so hard being sick! Just miserable. All I wanted was sleep, 7-up, and ice cream which is just what I got! I am one spoiled girl! Mom, how did you learn all your tricks?;) 

Other than that, really there is not much to report! The weather is finally getting better! Everything is cooling down. Oh I have to tell you about our brilliant inspiration! We are going to start doing 'mini musical devotionals'. We'll go over to members houses and they'll invite friends and neighbors to listen to Christian music! It's so great! And it's already working. We announced it yesterday and someone already wants us to come over and do it tonight. Members are telling us about their friends left and right and the best part is we'll get to meet them! And they'll feel the spirit and BAM conversions will happen. I can't wait. It will be such a great use of our time. 

Oh also we had a fun Saturday! Brother Restrepo- our investigator- plays in a Catholic band so we went to a huge carnival at that church and listened to them play. It was really fun! And a good experience to feel what nonmembers feel like even at our activities. I totally felt like an outsider. I love that family though! They took us out to Cracker Barrel after and it reminded me of NC! I could hardly eat anything at all until Sunday though. 

We also met with the a new family. They are part member and have a tonnn of potential! She's the nonmember and has been going to church with him for 4 years. They're both 20 and have been married for a year. She actually grew up Muslim in Bosnia but really loves our church, she just says she's waiting for the right time. Which is NOW so that's good! She and I click really well, love her already. Stay tuned!

Spiritual thought: 

So Elder Zivic's (Seventy) son is in our ward. He's a ward missionary. Elder Zivic is visiting our ward in a few weeks, so I decided to read his talk from Conference! So good! He mentioned a few things we should always remember.

1.The works and purposes of God cannot be frustrated

2.We must not fear man more than God

3.There is a need of constant repentance

I love those reminders! 

Well! It's about to be a great week ahead! Going to see a few baptisms this week and sing at stake conference! 

Thanks for your prayers! I know they are the reason I was able to recover as soon as I did.

Love,

Sister Dalling