IOWA CITY - week 7, week 9 mission

HOLY RAINBOWS! This week was awesome!

God is the most merciful being EVER. Thank you for all the prayers in my behalf because SISTER LLOYD AND I STAYED TOGETHER!  She understands me perfectly and never judges me for my imperfection, but instead does everything in her power to instill in my heart a change for the better. She is SUCH a blessing in my life.

I LOVED the work this week. My studies have just been mind-blowing and I am SOAKING up the knowledge that comes directly from the Spirit. I crave it. I seek it. I want it so bad. (some days it doesn’t come and I am still trying to figure out why…but that will come in time, right?) Part of the reason the work is so good this week is because we got another companion!!! Sister Chloe Murphy is the cutest thing ever. She was actually trained by Sister Lloyd too, so us three are like this unstoppable combo and I’m just lovin’ it. It is SO cool to hear her and Lloyd speak of stories and how THE work of salvation continues.

I got the most powerful testimony from her this week that the Lord is a part of this work. She got the impression to share 1 Nephi 17 with some other sisters…little did she know, that chapter was for me. It would take 20 minutes to describe why it hit me so hard, but as I read about the Lord showing Nephi how to build a boat, the Spirit testified to my heart that God wouldn’t leave me if I did the things He asked me to do. He WANTS to bless us. But laws are conditional to US doing OUR part. Wow. Church is true. Who knew? I didn’t. I feel everyday that my testimony yesterday was a joke compared to what it is at the end of each day. I LOVE being here. I LOVE the scriptures for answering my prayers…and my companions for answering my unspoken ones. This week I really craved that confirmation. And when it happened, I was FLOORED by how real the Book of Mormon is. READ IT! Anyone listening, PLEASE READ IT!

Iowa City is a cool city. It’s like country + college town + trailer parks + adorable neighborhoods, all in one city. I love it here. The people are SO nice. I know hard times (and even hard companions) will come…but I LOVE being “in this part of the Lord’s vineyard.” There are like 13 sets of missionaries here, so it always seems to be a party. It snowed for the first time, so it's getting a little chilly, but I still refuse to break out my winter coat: :) so it's not THAT bad yet.

Scott (the truck driver) is doing great. He teaches ME a lesson on humility and positive attitude every time I talk to him.

D_____ is the greatest 12 year old EVER. Her date was supposed to be this coming Saturday…but her mom isn’t exactly on board yet. But I don’t even mind because I am secretly thinking much good will come out of this. I seriously feel like she’s my little sister. She is SO passionate about Jesus Christ: I always forget how young she is. She came up to me after church on Sunday, on the brink of tears because her friend had been really hurt her and another friend. The Lord works in AMAZING ways because we were then able to teach her the most powerful lesson. She will changes LIVES as a member of this church. She is so strong, especially from what she’s been through. Every time I see her, I reflect on what a weakling I am: my life has been so incredibly perfect, and my faith definitely needs a lesson or two from a 12 year old…and a 14 year old prophet in the Sacred Grove. Amazing. So amazing. So much love in one living room!!!!!

Last Wednesday, I'm not going to lie, I was super homesick. I had SUCH good intentions of writing all these people I love...and instead I spent the whole day lying in bed with the flu. Luckily is was P-day so I didn't even have to miss out on missionary work, and I was well enough to do studies in the morning...but you have no idea how much I missed my loved ones back home. Luckily it was a 24 hour bug and the next morning I felt better than EVER. I really feel like Heavenly Father was reminding me how good I have it. I was SO grateful that day. He really takes care of me...I just feel so guilty for not writing everyone! Anyways: LOVE YOU ALL and I am so glad I'm not pregnant. Being nauseous for one day is bad enough. :) Also: I think I got it from the family we live with...but their 4 little girls are the cutest thing EVER that I didn't regret it at all. :) I LOVE MY LIFE SO MUCH. I pray often that my family is doing ok at home.....but God knows that everytime I pray that, my real wish is for my mother to not have to worry about me. My family: I miss you terribly. ONE MONTH TIL SKYPE TIME!?!?!?! Speaking of which: we are well taken care of for Thanksgiving: we are spending most of the evening with a member of the mission presidency and his wife. AH! Love my life.

~Sister Chloé Michelle Sumsion~

IOWA CITY - week 6, week 8 mission

Hola Familia! 

Bienvenida a Iowa! hahah jk. I'm speaking English. :) But sometimes I forget. I saw the pictures you sent me of Ben this week and they were "blazed in my mind' all week. (just like Grandpa always says).

I LOVE THIS WORK. I love it so much. My testimony grows so much everyday that I hardly recognize myself from yesterday. 

Sister Lloyd has changed my entire life. The way I think, the way I feel, the way I love. She is my role model of things she doesn't even know I needed. Her character is more than I could have ever asked for.  I can't even describe how merciful and loving our Father in Heaven is because He blessed me with her. She is an exceptional missionary and one of my favorite human beings on this planet. We get the call TODAY to know if we are staying together for transfers on Thursday. I have SO MUCH I still need to learn from her.

Dominique. Cutest 12 year old of my life. I feel so much love for her and I've talked to her a total of 4 times now. She is having a really hard time in her life due to family stuff and a member referred her to us and she committed to baptism in december the first time we met with her. I wish I could show you the complete and pure joy I feel everytime she talks. Satan is a complete jerk and I have told him several times this week to get lost. He works hard on everyone, but we know there is a STRONGER force at work here, and I can tell that she listens to that one. She's amazing.

Scott T---. The truck driver that Sister Lloyd and Sister Harkness found. He was baptized last week. FREAKING MOST HUMLBE MAN EVER. Teaching him the "recent convert lessons" is the funnest thing ever. He took us out to dinner this week to thank us for changing his life. I feel like I did nothing. He was so humble he let God do all the teaching for him.

Iowa is GORGEOUS. I'm moving here. And it's warm still. So happy.

This work is amazing. All I can say is READ YOUR SCRIPTURES EVERYDAY and you will never, ever doubt the truth of this church

Gosh. Never enough time. LOVE YOU.

~Sister Chloé Michelle Sumsion~

 

Scott T

Thumbs up for Scott T

 

The Sisters over the University ward in Iowa City.

 

IOWA CITY - week 5, week 7 mission

Chloe sent us a personal email this week except we can share this...

Sister Lloyd LOVES pancakes and I told her about Carey's pancake business and this same week Carrie Hopkins sent me a package with some in it. TELL HER SHE WAS THE ANSWER TO SISTER LLOYD'S UNSPOKEN PRAYER!!!!!!!

 
love love love you

http://parkcitypeacecakes.com/index.html

IOWA CITY - week 4, week 6 mission

THANK YOU for all the things you sent me. I REALLY loved getting Ben's full email. I really missed you and him so much this week because I really don't feel like we get enough time to talk. :(  But anyways: Jordan Murray's, Jorgen's, and Ben's email seriously lifted my heart so much.  Thank you for all your care.

Also: I'm so sorry, last week... I realized you had written a big question email and I went to respond and realized that I was 2 minutes over my email time limit. :( Exact obedience is sometimes painful.

To answer a few questions:

--I seriosuly seriously don't need anything. I am so so happy. I never feel a need to have speakers. We have an ipod hook up to the car...but usually we don't even use that because Lloyd and I always have something to talk about. SO FUN! So yes: we have a car almost 24/7. We are sharing it with one other companionship....but they are over the University ward....so they end up just walking a lot. :) So no complaints.

 

I also bought gloves and sweater-tights so I am SUPER warm. :) It's so great not to need anything but sleep, a name tag, and my scriptures. SO GLAD WE BOUGHT ME GOOD SHOES. However: would you send 2 packages of those Moleskin journals in the yellow princess girls' room. :) blue and green. :) please.  Mom, your prayers are absolutely and completely felt. This week has been amazing.

The scripture is 2 Nephi 28:30.....but it's ok if you told them a diferent one. I love ALL the scriptures.

also: I love that you wrote in your note "it will be fun, we'll do it together." I already taught Sister Lloyd that inside joke so I could use it with her. hahahah so funny. I miss our family....but she quotes movies almost more than I do so we are having a blast. It seriously doesn't even feel like work. It's just like best friends going out and talking about what we both LOVE!!!!! I know hard times will come but for now I am just LOVING it. 

love love love love

-sisterchloemichellesumsion

IOWA CITY - week 3, week 5 mission

Dearest Muuffee,  (what she calls Sam)

how are you, little brother? I was thinking about you Friday and Sunday and I so miss you. I loved those few weeks we got together before I left: just roaming around the house, hanging out. You are so cool. I feel like I got to know you a lot better during that time.

So here's the thing: YOU HAVE TO GO ON A MISSION. It is literally the best thing you could do with your life. Family will come. Hobbies will fade. But the things you experience on a mission are the BEST. This is the work of God. I know it. I know that when I say that I have been called to be a representative of Jesus Christ through the power of God, that I AM RIGHT! I got a blessing last week and it was just INCREDIBLE to feel how much God loves me. I know that it may seem far away, and a huge responsibility, but please please please do everything you can to be ready to serve God when the time comes for Him to call you. READ YOUR BOOK OF MORMON EVERY DAY. Satan works hard on trying to get people not to do that and it is SO essential. (Come on! It will be fun! We can do it together! (: ) Ok but seriously. The best way to be closer to your Father in Heaven is by studying that book. DO IT!!!!!!!!

Speaking of which, we live with a member family who has 4 adorable little girls. The two year old always comes up to me and says, "Wanna build a tower together?" and I think of our family phrase all the time. It's hilarious. Also, the most random things remind me of you: zombies???? wimp.com???? slang words that are used by some people from Chicago????our GPS's British voice??? marcel the shell???? yeah. random, I told you. anyway. totally miss you.

Guess what? This week we are going to have a baptism!!!! Sister Lloyd and her companion before me came in contact with this man named Scott. He's a 65 year old trucker driver and he is SSSOOOOOO cool. I seriously love him so much and I've met him once! We have our lessons over the phone and he goes to church wherever he is in the U.S. at that time on Sunday mornings. He is literally HUNGRY for more information. On his rest stops, he reads every manual the church has put out. He's SSSSOOOOOO amazing. I feel like he teaches ME every time we talk. I wish everyone had the hunger for the Gospel that he has, myself included. So yeah: he took the weekend off just for his baptism on Saturday and confirmation on Sunday. LOVE HIM! I'm so happy to witness this.

Other than that we are just tryin' our best at the work. We hardly do any finding, we teach a few investigators, but mostly we are doing a TON of contacting people that we know of: ESPECIALLY in the ward. There are a few members we teach that haven't come to church in forever and those are my FAVORITE! They are the coolest people ever and I want SSSOOOO badly for them to remember the Atonement and how it once changed their life. They know the church is true, they all just have their own struggles. I love helping to create an environment in their home where the Spirit can be felt. THAT is what people need. That feeling that the Spirit brings is what people crave. Because it feels SO amazing to be at peace and know that God is real. 

Hey. I love you a lot, little brother. I'm so proud of all you do and the example you are to your friends. I know it's a crazy world out there, and I am so proud to watch you, only 15 years old, be man enough to go to church. I loved watching you pass the sacrament this summer. You are an amazing kid and I hope you know I have your best interest at heart. I want to do feel he Spirit in your life more because it is so personal and SSOOOO wonderful. Thanks for the email this week. You are so nice--thanks for taking the time.

 LOVE YOU, SAMBO!

~Sister Chloé Michelle Sumsion~

Iowa Des Moines Mission
8515 Douglas Ave Ste 19
Urbandale, IA 50322

SHOUTOUTS:

PEERS: You are the best! Your support means so much to me. Your chips saved my study times this week. Hungry missionary = can't focus! :)

INNISI: Love your family so much. Seriously, I wish I could have shown you the joy on my face when I opened your package. I was like HECK YES I FEEL SO LOVED!!!! I wish I could pop across town and tell you hello.

MURRAYS: Wow. For reals: the missionary love in your family is ridiculous. I so owe you guys. Give Sister Jordan my love: she's been my inspiration for a long time.

LECHE JENKINS: Gosh. Stop it. I love you so much.

AUSTIN BRUNSON: Thought of you SO many times this week. Thanks for changing my LIFE!!

 

First Day in Iowa - 10-10-13

A good day contacting

 

Mom - Your candle lit our heart-to-heart ice cream party!

 

Matching Hawkeye pride. And p.s. we are gangster.

LOVE THIS GIRL TO DEATH.

 

IOWA CITY - week 2, week 4 mission

Mom, I love this work so much!

 

Sister Lloyd and I had a few SUPER amazing talks this week and I had some really cool learning experiences directly from the Spirit and I just feel incredible. I know that my Savior is my rock. I know that sometimes in life, we have to hit "rock bottom" to figure out that He IS the rock at the bottom. I have clung to my testimony of Him this week because I keep learning about Him and loving how much this Gospel blesses people's lives.

Sister Lloyd showed me a talk this week that is called "His Atonement and The Journey through Mortality" by Elder Bednar. Changed everything. This week I have been SSOOOOOO happy. Happier than I thought I would be. Sometimes I feel like I'm doing something wrong because this is so great for me that I totally forget about everything else in the world.

Except you guys. And my friends. I love my family so much. I know that you guys are the second rock on my "cairn" tower of rocks. :) I hope you built some of those in Moab. READ THE TALK. It's amazing.

Anyways, yeah: I am so happy and most of that is from specific moments that just make it so hard to doubt that this is the only true work of God.

My favorite scripture right now (tell Bishop sorry it's taken so long) is one I can't think of the reference to write now because I am so frazzled that I get to talk to you right now. But it's the  "line upon line, precept upon precept" scripture and I have been pondering on it this whole week. God really works with us according to WHERE WE ARE AT.

Hhmmm. Where AM I at right now? I'm not really even sure, but I know I love it. This week I tried to learn as much as I could about EXPERIENCING what I gained from the MTC. I feel like I heard so many inspirational things there and now I'm trying to take things slow and apply them. I've noticed myself trying to take small theories and test them out. I had a few times this week where I thought for sure I had just received revelation so I tried my best to follow it and remember what it felt like. My goal this next week is to identify those moments more clearly. Sister Lloyd and I had a really good talk about it during our weekly planning/goal setting and I am so excited to see what comes of it this week. 

**I feel like my testimony is growing so much more because of this effort. My memory is HORRIBLE, but I love tryign to remember these specific moments where I am confident of the Spirit and what it's testifying to me. For example, yesterday we were teaching a member family after our dinner appointment. We were talking about the Brother of Jared and I was praying for Heavenly Father to let me know what this family needed and what I could tell them that would be important to them. The only thing I thought of was "Eternal Families"...which felt unclear and off topic. I had no idea what to say but I bore a 30 second testimony that this Gospel blesses families and we can live together forever. The father of the home ended with a "thank you for that" and we said a prayer and left. I'm not sure if he was referring to what I said or just that we had come, but I felt so happy knowing that I at least had tried to bless their home in the way they needed it. I hope as I continue to look for those things, I will be more confident of the Spirit's testimony to me.

There were also a few moments where I felt COMPLETE love for people I didn't even know it was so cool. I am slowly learning what it means to be a part of this wonderful work. THE wonderful work of the Savior's ministry to bring others unto Him. I hope with the authority I've been given, the power I can gain from obedience and study, and the knowledge I have of my relationship with my Savior, I can be a better servant of Him. 

I also thought a lot this week about how much preperation I had to be here. I love (mentions specific boys), my seminary teachers, Nancy Jones, Judy Call, Buffy, my mommy, my older sister, my daddy, and the love from my family. I love them for what they taught me BECAUSE they loved me. I love them for their foundation in Jesus Christ and for who I am because I met them. I can now add Sister Lloyd to that list. She is building me up higher than I ever thought I could be.

Words this week are failing me. I love my trainer more than I can express in any other way besides tears. I love my family more than I can say and I know this Gospel is true. Period. No battle. You better believe it and know that I mean it.

LOVE LOVE LOVE you

There is no comfort in the growth zone and no growth in the comfort zone. --Elder Benny Sumsion, via, dad, via mom's print out, POSTED UP ON MY WALL!!!!!!!!!! love it!

~Sister Chloé Michelle Sumsion~

Iowa Des Moines Mission

8515 Douglas Ave Ste 19

Urbandale, IA 50322

SHOUTOUTS:

MOM (Verhaarens): I totally know Sister Matley: she was in my MTC district and I love her SO MUCH. Also (Grandma and Grandpa Mongtomery), Sister Lloyd know the Lowes! They are in a different ward, but how cool!

DADDY AND KELSEE and Aunt Alisa and Uncle Ken: HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I miss you all so much. It was hard to write down the date and be like FLIP ELDER (from Best Two Years movie) I WANT TO SEE THEM ON THEIR BIRTHDAY!

ELDER REX SUMSION WELCOME TO THE RANKS, my cousin!!!!! So proud of you. And Alisa and Brittney thank you so much for your

letters. They are seriously so powerful and wonderful to me!

IOWA CITY - Week 1, Week 3 mission

BEST. DAY. EVER

I prayed so hard Thursday night that you would sleep well that night and be comforted because I almost cried myself to sleep the first night because I was so happy. My companion is literally the greatest thing that ever happened on this whole adventure so far. Her name is Sister Keisha Lloyd and as soon as I realized what an amazing trainer I got, I don't think I've said a prayer since that hasn't thanked Heavenly Father for giving me the best start to my mission EVER! It hasn't even been four days and I feel like we are already friends. She's so real about how she approaches the Gospel because she knows it well and LOVES it with all of her heart. She has used the Atonement and the Book of Mormon to bless her life and the life of her investigators in ways I didn't think possible. She is the "Sister Training Leader" for our zone and the neighboring one which basically means she provides for the emotional well being of all the sisters in two zones. The girl is frickin' SOLID. Like, I feel like she takes all these burdens on her shoulders and turns them into something beautiful. She has a way with people I've never really seen before. The way she takes to them is like watching love just pour out. I think I learn something from her everytime she talks. Her testimony and love just make me want to be the best missionary I can be. Plus, she's been through hell and back in this area, so she knows it like the back of her hand.

I feel like I am RUNNING to catch up with her because everything is so foriegn to me. In the MTC they really tried to stress exact obedience and I feel like I am still trying to stand on my own two feet to be precise in anything yet. I feel like I can do both at the same time...but I have yet to wrap my head around everything and prove that. I'm trying my best with repentence and working as hard as I can...but I haven't quite figured out how to do this whole "mission" thing. :) Have I really only been here four days? From the amount I am learning, I would have guessed I had been here for months.

I think I would have literally had a heart attack if I had culture shock and a language on top of this. Looks like Heavenly Father knows me PERFECTLY. I can't decide if it's a good thing that I haven't been overwhlemed in the slightest since I was set apart. On one hand, I know that THERE WILL BE HARD TIMES so I should just try to soak it up......but on the other hand, the quote Dad told be via Elder Ben via his MTC teacher has been RINGING in my head every 5 inutes: "There is no growth in the comfort zone, and there is no comfort in the growth zone." I don't want to get comfortable, because when I get comfortable I get prideful, and when I get prideful I get unteachable. And that is no way to be a servant of an all-knowing God.

I absolutely LOVE member dinners. I feel like I can feel a change in the way wards work with missionaries ever since "The Work of Salvation" fireside. I love seeing members who are scared to do missionary work because they remind me of who I was before the MTC changed my way of thinking. Don't get me wrong, I still get TERRIFIED to approach random people and bring up the Gospel...but I have so much more conviction to do so. I am so excited to see the 4th ward here in Iowa City grows to be a teaching-loving ward so they will bring us more investigators!!!! Well...that's our hope at least.

Oh yeah! So my area is the family ward in Iowa City. The University of Iowa is here so we have single's ward missionaries, married ward missionaries, spanish speaking missionaries, and portugese speaking missionaries in this town. It's a bit crazy, but way fun.

I am so thrilled to finally be here. It's been years of preparation and months of waiting, and I am so calm about finally BEING ABLE TO DO THE GREATEST WORK THERE IS.

~Sister Chloé Michelle Sumsion~

Iowa Des Moines Mission

8515 Douglas Ave Ste 19

Urbandale, IA 50322

SHOUTOUTS:

KATIE BERNS: THANK YOU FOR THE PACKAGE. That was the cutest thing letter ever!

BARBERS and momma: Thank you for the treats. We were literally starving because on the day before Fast Sunday the cafeteria closed early and then I got your packages and we ate 3/4 of it instantly. :) The other sisters in my room LOVE you guys.

Familia: THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR LETTERS. Legit emotional happiness everytime.

Joshua Paul: iPod made it to me my last day in the MTC and my trainer doesn't have one so you ROCK!!!!!!!!! for bringing music to my life.

Alicia Jenkins: If I write you a letter right now, I would bawl my eyes out. You are my inspiration. THANK YOU for the "Light in Darkness" analogy. I thought about it for days afterwards....and stillpsychoanalyzing it. You know me SO well.

My closest RM friends: I haven't made it through a day without thinking of you and all the things I learned from your love and your stories. THANK YOU FOR BEING THE BEST MISSION PREP TEACHERS EVER. Couldn't have done this without you.

Ashley Rodriguiez: Thanks for being my TRUE trainer. Miss you already.