Who is ready for CONFERENCE?

Hi family!!

How is everyone?

Happy October tomorrow!

A BIG & special happy Birthday to Ethan, E-dawg. Eth- thanks for making all of our lives better and happier & for your loving and fun spirit. You are going to kill it in football this year!

Also, to my sweet Grandpa who has the biggest heart and amazing wisdom. Thanks for showing our family how to love unconditionally & for raising kids who love the Gospel. 

We had a miracle happen. We hope it becomes an even bigger miracle! We have been cleaning out the area book, which has been awesome because we found a girl named Shawzia and looked her up! We have met with her twice and she is so great because she has so many good questions about life and the Book of Mormon vs the Bible. When people have questions it's so good, because they have a desire to know. 

We are still seeing Cotton often and he loves loves church!! It has become the highlight of his week, because he is by himself most the time. He especially loves the members that come up to him at church. He told us that he has seen a big difference in the Lanier Family since they have met with missionaries and been baptized. He says, "They just can't get enough of me!" haha!

These younger girls here in White Plains & their families neeeeed the Gospel. Just tryin' to show them the way. Learning to love to listen to people. Learning that listening is loving and loving is listening. Sometimes it's hard when you are distracted or when thoughts of your own slip in, but these people are so precious in God's eyes and why would I not completely listen to what they are saying because it is so important. They are so important!!  One of our AP's said to listen to those you teach like you are teaching your family.  Obviously my thoughts and love for my family might be a lot different, but to treat them this way.  It goes back to something said in Womens Conference... to love someone before you even know them. I felt this as we went and taught Hillary this week. Hillary is the younger girl who lives in the projects. I know and wish she could see now how much her life can change through the Atonement and how the Gospel will bring her life lasting happiness. Hillary tells us often about everything she goes through and the bad addictions she has developed. We had a powerful lesson on the Restoration with her and she started talking without us getting in a word to sitting back and listening to us as the Spirit helped us know exactly what Hillary needs. What is amazing about the Spirit is we can talk all we want and not get down to the point, however, when we LISTEN to them and try to discern their needs, the Spirit will tell us the very doctrine that they need to hear.  Hillary is so smart, I know she felt something and will continue to feel more of God in her life as she prays and reads. The hard thing is keeping these sweet girls to keep their commitments, because we can't make anyone do anything unless they have that desire in the first place. Hillary said the closing prayer and it was awesome! 

Saturday was Women's Conference, which was awesome because we went to the Smith's with all the girls!! It was their daughters and a couple of their friends, Sister Dunford & Taylor came, and then we invited two younger girls in our ward to come. We had dinner and then we went over to the church to watch it. A few of my favorite things said were:

-Always stay close to Heavenly Father. Study your scriptures. Keep your covenants and you will always be able to get through challenges. 

-God didn't design us to be sad. He created us to be happy! To have JOY! So if we trust him he will lead us along. 

-Fill your life with MEANINGFUL things 

-You not only need Him, he needs YOU!!

"The one thing that matters most is the heart of his Gospel. It is love, the pure love of Christ"

Give love freely!!

Most our dinner appointments this week we have asked people "If you could go back to your 20 year old self, what would you tell yourself?? Hahaha It's so interesting and I love all the good wisdom. So.. Here are some of them. I thought I'd share. Live in the moment. Push your body harder than you think you can (motivation for our morning runs). Do & study what you love. Surround yourself with sincere & good people. Go to the temple.

There's some Westchester 1st wisdom for ya 

The wonderful Bonnie Lassen and her husband, Gary were able to come stop by in Scarsdale and see me!!! 

Gary and Bonnie took us to a cute diner in the village right by the metro.

Our APF at WestChester Community College was so successful!! 

The awesome elder in our District, Elder Kuo actually was found on a college campus so it was all his idea. 

We were able to talk to so many people and got so many numbers of people for our whole Zone. It's different for me having so many people to talk to and trying to strike up a fast conversation... Sister Eastman is very good at that, but it's really fun because people don't care and if they do care then that will be the best thing ever! Something I think I will work on my whole mission. There were a few who seemed super interested.  One that stuck out to me was these two cute girls that we gave pamplets to. They were sitting down for a while, read them, watched us and then came and asked if they could have the Book of Mormon. They said the girl by them was talking badly about it, which really sparked their interest.  The one really wanted to read it. It's the small things that are the big things. That is something I try to remember in missionary work.  I thought it was such a good way to plant seeds and invite people to watch general conference. 

WHO'S EXCITED!!?? 

Here is a quote I like

President James E. Faust- “Does God love us less than those led by the ancient prophets? Do we need his guidance and instruction less? Reason suggests that this cannot be. Does he not care? Has he lost his voice? Has he gone on a permanent vacation? Does he sleep? The unreasonableness of each of these proposals is self-evident”

I know that there is a living prophet on this earth today, sweet Thomas S. Monson:) I know he is the mouth piece for God. We can all receive our own answers as we listen to him and the apostles. I invite you all to think about questions you may be wondering about or certain challenges you have and write them down. I haven't always been the best at listening and finding answers to my specific questions so I look forward to testing it out. I am so grateful that we are in good hands, the Lords hands, and He is the one who always answers our prayers.

SO MUCH LOVE, Sister Vassau