A Sure Foundation

The beginning of the week we were just filled with service to do for people here in the area. We helped paint this huge mural at this homeless shelter for a member who needed help. We helped a less-active member move houses. We helped at Waveny for their Halloween parade and New Canaan had their Halloween trunk or treat and all the people we wanted to come, came! 

I have been doing so well and then one morning this week i just felt all these feelings and emotions about leaving my mission. I couldn't get through reading the short restoration in companionship study without tears. I have come to love these spiritual truths so much!!! 

I won't share them or study them as a missionary forever but I promise to teach them to my kids someday! 

I finished the Book of Mormon the other day. I ended Moroni, prayed about what I read and didn't feel an outpouring of the spirit. The next day I went back and read the introduction page of the Book of Mormon. I was then filled with the spirit and Remembered what love I have for it. It really was written, not translated by Joseph smith. I love it for teaching me true doctrine and giving me feelings of peace, joy, and understanding . I encourage you to go back and read that first page. It is the rock we can build our lives upon, a sure foundation. It is such a model to us for a happy life. It testifies of our Savior, who I know more and love! 

One experience this week specifically I am still thinking of. Seeing people touched by the spirit and come unto Christ every day is what I will miss. Sister Busby and I have received some names of former investigators elders have seen in the past. We don't have many names so we have been doing other ways of finding and strengthening the less-actives and members. A woman by the name of Peggy is who we decided to look up when we did. The homes in New-Canaan will have anyone a little intimidated to go knock, they are just so enormous, so beautiful. I have developed more a spirit of faith lately. Peggy came outside once we met her and she told us she would watch a video about Jesus Christ if it was short. She stopped being religious after her brother passed away. Through the whole video Peggy just cried. It was a changing moment for her and she really felt the love of her Heavenly Father. She told us she didn't know why she was crying, she opened up about struggles in her past, and said, "I think I need to go to your church."

We testified of our Savior and second chances. Before leaving Peggy said, ya I think I really need to be there Sunday. She was so sweet to us and we completely saw her come unto Christ. I will forever be grateful for these times seeing the Lord's hand in others lives completely. I love this work, I change each time I exercise a little more faith. That's the goodness of the gospel, it is all about changing!

I invite you to increase your faith through prayer, reading the scriptures, and following the guidance of the spirit this week! 

Alma 37:6-7 

Thank you for each of your support, love, and sacrifices for me!!! 

I love you, Sister Vassau 

WE DID THIS BRIGHT FALL WINDOW :) 

The Atonement Bears No Scars

HELLO!!

What a week! Have you realized how fast this month has been? It has been so fun. Myyy goodness! I feel that the Plan of Salvation will have deeper meaning to me in my life. I love the vision we can have for our lives when we are in the temple.. that place is somewhere I want to share with my family.  I loved working in the spirit. While in the tents I often had a prayer in my heart I would have the spirit.. what a difference it makes when we rely on the spirit & help others recognized the spirit in their lives. In preach my gospel it says...

 “The light of Christ is just what the words imply: enlightenment, knowledge, and an uplifting, ennobling, persevering influence that comes upon mankind because of Jesus Christ.. every single person I talked to felt that Spirit. Just like the question many would ask us... why is there no crosses in the temple? I know Christ lives! His voice is SO real. That's another thing I've learned so much about and I keep trying to put it in my mind. discouragement and fear is a trick Satan uses. Is that how a Loving Father in Heaven would talk to his daughter or son? He will love and correct but never discourage us. Fearing God is not wanting to miss out living with him in Heaven. (The real party we all want to be) So repentance is so cool. I love it! & prayer does amazing things in my life as I face challenges and when I just need to feel connected with Him. When is the last time you sincerely prayed? Felt the spirit? I really know as we recognize the voice of our Loving Heavenly Father in our lives & keep the commandments we will be happy. 

The total count of souls who came to the temple was: 51,689. (I know I know. So many) Saturday was about 6,000. It was awesome! Leaving Sunday was really sad. The Coleman's are the greatest family. They were so extremely grateful to have us & so good to us. We felt so at home with them. I will miss their cat named Dave. I never knew I could like a cat so much! We sang Sisters in Zion with the Sisters in sacrament meeting. We had the greatest laughs with our roomies. We were feeling bitter sweet about the open house being done, excited to get back to New Canaan & the Pace's, but we loved the missionary work we were doing at the temple. It was perfect because when we got back, we had zone Conference in the morning and the focus was the spirit.. no matter where we serve, what our callings are in the church.. it's the spirit that matters most and when we feel the spirit we are happy. I think as missionaries we don't recognize the spirit with us all the time, but those meetings are just so powerful.  President Smith Is always teaching repentance. I love him for changing my desires. There is a quote I love, Elder Packer shared this, some of his last words in a conference that were changed. 

"The Atonement, which can reclaim each one of us, bears no scars. That means that no matter what we have done or where we have been or how something happened, if we truly repent, He has promised that He would atone. And when He atoned, that settled that. There are so many of us who are thrashing around, as it were, with feelings of guilt, not knowing quite how to escape. You escape by accepting the Atonement of Christ, and all that was heartache can turn to beauty and love and eternity."

I love that and I wanted to share it. Monday night we also were invited over to Sister Ohrn's home to have dinner with Sheryl. The same Sheryl who came to the temple. We talked about the temple a little and she talked a lot. We tried I think 4 times to teach the restoration..the first vision! we taught it earlier that day to the AP's and the spirit was strong.. and sometimes teaching moments just are difficult. Haha That's okay. She is so cute. We are really grateful she is open. She is angry at God right now. She's very confused so we definitely want her to be happy and feel his love. Tuesday we went to Waveny to serve. I guess Waveny is number one senior care center in the nation. It is such a fun place to serve. Sister Busby played the piano and we sang primary songs with them! It was so cute. Ah Jean and Francis and Gracie. So many funny woman. They crack me up! 

I look forward to being in New Canaan and I hope to not take a day for granted as I put on my name tag each morning. I know my authority is real and it's the only way to help others through priesthood keys to get rid of feelings of guilt. And in turn feel peace. I'm grateful to be a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!! 

I wouldn't be a missionary without the fourteen year old Joseph Smith who went to a grove of trees to pray!! 

I love you all. I hope you have a happy week. 

Xoxoxo, Sister Vassau 

Fall in Connecticut

Hi from New England!

I am completely in love with the fall here. It's unbelievable. If you want to come to Connecticut, now is about the prime time!! I feel that it's such a special place. Sister busby, Sister Holt, and Sister Morley and I walked this trail this morning and it was so fun to be with them in this beautiful place we are called to serve!!



I will make this brief. I am loving my time here at the temple. I am amazed each day at the beauty of it and the excitement each person has to come and see it.



 I saw some of my favorite members this week. It was so great! I sat with the Lanier's in their tent. They look so happy and it is so neat to see their love grow of the temple. I also saw Jessica Vega who got her endowments. It's so cool to see people becoming and making important steps in their lives. We also sat down with Sheryl, Sister Orhn's friends she brought with her who we tracted into and she's ready to meet with us once we get back to New Canaan. She feels distant from God but said some prayers in the Celestial room she shared with us. She asked us, what more could I be doing? Great question Sheryl!! Looks like we'll have some work! Every night I am so exhausted and then we clean the temple and it's so peaceful.



I can't believe there are only 3 more days, it's gone by so quickly!



Can't wait to share my experiences with you.

Have an awesome week!

Sister Vassau

I LOVE to See the Temple!

Good morning! 

I'm having such incredible experiences here! Open houses & open hearts, most definitely  

The temple this week was wonderful. It was busy. There were about 5,000 people that came Saturday. I saw so many sweet members in the different wards I've served in. It's pretty fun to recognize so many people from all over New York and Connecticut, even Utah! Monday was a Jewish holiday so of course on the east coast school is out and so many families came! I am loving it and I have moments where I'm so grateful.  I love watching the families that are in our tents. I've felt that he does care for our individual families. He does want want us to be together forever, that is how he intended them to be.  

The questions people ask, have deepened my knowledge of the temple, Heavenly Father's plan and my feelings in the temple have increased my testimony and desire to be close to my Heavenly Father. 

He really has shown us HOW WE CAN. 

There is power to that primary song! 

Monday the Smith family came up to Hartford and took us all out to dinner. They were so happy!  We can tell they miss us and they expressed what a treat it was to be with us! Distance makes the heart grow founder! Ha! 

The experiences are priceless. There was a huge flow of older men and woman that come through yesterday. Their questions are so broad and it is hard to remember the conversations afterwards because I feel the spirit helps so much, it takes over at times! I feel it. I feel joy and love for these people. I had two women in particular, Paulette & Irlene, ask me all sorts of things. They absolutely loved the temple. They understood more and more and I was able to say the first vision.  They took 5 Book of Mormons! As I went to get them I felt to share testimony of the truth of that book. I invited them to do one thing! Be prayerful as they read the Book of Mormon to feel of the truth that is in it. I knew it would help them to feel the spirit in their lives. Irlene told me to come over once more as she was filling out her comment card and she put my name on it. Haha it was a wonderful experience! 

I love hearing the way everyone feels right after coming to us from the sealing room. This boy we asked said he felt all negativity left behind and felt so positive it inspired him to do art! That's so cool! The Spirit can inspire us to do good continually. Mosiah 5:2. I have to trust that Heavenly Father cares about all his children and will bring this experience back into their lives at some future time. I love the temple, it is such a Holy place. It is our Lord and our Saviors house. The nights we get to clean inside are special nights. 

I hope that I can always live in a way to invite that spirit of joy, love, peace, meekness into my life! 

Xoxoxo. I LOVE YOU GUYS. 

I hope and pray each of you are doing so well. 

Fall in Connecticut

Well Hello! 

It is fall in Connecticut! This makes me happy. This temple just makes me smile. It is across from this huge corn field and it is special to look up at angel Moroni each day. The tours going on here have been amazing. Each person and family that goes through is touched by the spirit and beauty inside. The 1st day tours were open to the public they were expecting 2,400 and I think they went well over. Having people come all day is excited. There are 6 tent and we just rotate through out the day so days are long and repetitive, however, I have seen more people not of our faith been completely effected than I have my entire time in New York and Connecticut. So many grateful hearts! 

One woman who I asked how her experience was in the temple said, "amazing! That is a Holy place." I felt to talk to this younger man who was in a wheel chair. His caregiver was feeding him. I asked him about himself and I was able to get to know him. There was another younger woman in a wheeler chair who was crying next to the Christos in the reception area. I didn't feel the need to talk with her. The Christos that stands in the center of the images and quotes about truths of the restored gospel reminds me who has died so they we can have peace and joy and live with our Heavenly Father once more someday. There is a feeling that carries with people once they walk out of the temple. Their hearts are softened. They understand more that this life is eternal.  I hope when they see the crystals in the Celestial room they feel they can become clean and repent too. 

From General Conference I loved a lot of talks. I love the one on how joy has everything to do with our focus. I also loved Elder Rasband's and had a neat experience relating to his experience. I cannot forget the spirit I have felt everyday as a missionary. I won't do it!!! 

I love this scripture this week & I have felt a lot of joy, peace, and love from Jesus Christ's Atonement. 

D & C 6: 36. Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not. 37. Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen.

LOVE YOU FAMILIA, 

Sister McKell Vassau 

Service at the Hartford Temple

What an awesome week!  Well I'm here!! I'm in Hartford, Connecticut I think. I will share what my days are consisting of at the temple!  This week so far up until the 30th are kind of prep days and VIP tours. We do the introduction to the video and give some brief points before everyone watches a wonderful 10 minute video of "what temples are and why they are so special." We also are in the receptions tents after people come out to answer questions and be warm and sincere to all who come!!!!  ( I'm loving this reception tent ) It is so fun being with 25 of the sweetest sisters. It's also super different being with 25sisters all day long. We live at members homes and we are living with the Coleman's. Sister Holt & Sister Morley are also with us here. The Coleman's are just getting home today from a trip so 4 Sister missionaries in a big home with no one else home for the weekend... what a strange situation!

The very first thing we were able to do after arriving at the temple was go through. We were the very first tour of this temple. Wow. This is an absolutely beautiful temple in every way. Every detail of this temple inside and out is New England, Gregorian. I've realized living upstate how in love I am of this style. I was blown away at the style of it, my favorite I've been through. It is so special! It is so white and bright. This is the Lord's house!  Brother Star told us one thing that has stayed in my mind this week. "The Lord only micromanages 2 things.. Bishops & temples. There is a reason you're here." I have seen that here as I have seen so many participate to make this open house a wonderful experience for everyone. Everything is done to the best because it is the most sacred place on earth and our Heavenly Father wants all to come and see.

The artwork is absolutely stunning and breathtaking. As we were walking down one hallway to the next, our tour guide stopped us and told us to just admire this painting. It was a painting of a fall scenery in Connecticut. He then told us, "it's amazing isn't it? Want to know something-the man who painted this is colorblind. " we all were so amazed at his painting and just paused. It's amazing how we can use our talents to help other come closer to Christ. That painting now will always have more meaning behind it because I know the story. I know that every picture in the temple is there for a reason. There is a story to all paintings and they are each in the right place in the temple. Next time you notice a painting inside the temple or even a church building think of maybe why they chose that one to be put up in that particular room.

Something also that was interesting when given a more detailed tour by Elder Wilson Monday with all the Boston sisters was this.. The church has done a survey and asked people this after visiting temple sq.. "What struck you the most from what you saw in your visit?" Number one is the Sister Missionaries!! It may be their pretty faces, but I think it's their warmth and the genuine feelings they leave with people.  People feel and see something special in those who serve their Heavenly Father. I have recognized the powerful influence we and many others will have and have had on people who visit the temple. The first day was all the men who worked construction on this temple. Hard work I tell ya! one of the wives of the men said, " my husband never complained after he came home from working on the temple like he normally would. " He knew this building was different. She  didn't want to leave that celestial room. There was also tours for residents living in the neighborhoods around the temple who've seen the temple being worked on for 3 years. So many of them were so grateful they had the opportunity to come and see. It's been so fun to see how amazed people are. There were also some tours given to stake leadership and other religious leaders. Last night I was talking to a Jewish and a Hindu man and they both were very kind and friendly. I'm amazed how I still am able to speak with and be with so many of other cultures from all over the world. The Lord is reaching all people everywhere so His gospel can have the opportunity to touch  all peoples hearts! This is definitely a softer approach and I'm happy that it is!

I love the Hartford, Connecticut temple and I'm so grateful to be here! We've done a lot of standing around this week and figuring things out, but I feel that we are absolutely helping others come closer to Christ.
I'm grateful for the Atonement that allows us to step inside His Holy house.

I hope each of you enjoys General Conference, it's soooo exciting.

The woman's Conference was so good for me to listen to. Did anyone else just relate to Elder Uchtdorf's talk on Faith? I just was all over that one. Go read!! I love you each so much and I miss you all daily.


Love you,

WE are Blessed

Hey, Many many many good things to share ;) So funny story first, we
went to a beach today for pday and took KFC, random right? As we were
eating chicken about 25 seagulls surrounded us so we thought it was a
good idea to throw some chicken to them to get them away, but after
that they about attacked us. It was like way scarier than anything
that happened in Harlem!! Hahaha we were laughing so hard.
This week has been incredible. I'm so happy & i'm so grateful for
lessons and places we've been. We feel like we're the luckies Sisters
and I am counting my blessings!! I love New Canaan and I absolutely
love the members in New Canaan. It is the coolest and strongest ward
I've seen. I've been thinking about how amazing it's only been 1.5
weeks and I feel like I have a pretty good idea about most the ward.
We've had some amazing experiences of sharing the vision of the temple
with the families here. I could go on and on about each member and
family, but I'll just share some of my favorites.

Because we only have the time we've had to be in New Canaan. We have
just stopped by members homes and tried our best to set some things
up, most mostly just dropping by on the fly. We have focused on the
blessings, sacrifices, and promises of the temple. It's been neat to
hear experiences and the ways the temple is special to each individual
person.  I have felt a few people we've stopped by have REALLY
appreciated it.  Ah they've been so great. They miss sisters and some
are even working towards going through the temple.

Sister Busby

We had a Facebook messenger miracle lesson through FaceTime with a guy
from Lithuania Sunday who messaged us about what we feel about eternal
marriage. The Elders joined us Sunday morning and we were able to
teach him in Lithuania. It is so cool to be a missionary right now
with the tools we have to share the gospel.

Sunday Suster Busby & I spoke in Sacrament on our assignment in
Hartford, Connecticut. We each shared our experiences of why the
temple is important to us. I talked about my vision early on of the
temple when we were sealed in the temple and the temple walk Cass and
I did that reminds me of always keeping the temple as a desire and an
end goal. We are beacons when we serve in the temple & invite others
to come and see. What a special time it will be to be on temple
grounds for 5 weeks and feel the spirit of the temple that will effect
my life and each and every person who comes to see. I don't even have
to do all the talking, that's the best part..THE TEMPLE WILL SPEAK FOR
ITSELF!!  I shared a part of a talk by Sister Elaine S. Dalton on
choosing things you will Always do. my greatest desire is to always
attend the temple and make it an important part of my life.
What are your list of Always??

We've been trying to serve and think of things we can do for the Pace
family because they are very kind so we did an family night with them
Monday. We did service at Waveny Care Center Yesterday. Waveny is this
incredible place for older people with Dementia. I thought about
grandma kimball as I was there. We were dancing with them, helping
them with flower arranging, going along with what they would say and
felt and I loved it so much! I do get a slight confused when I'm
there. Haha They have me all concerned about their problems!!

What else! Sister Busy is the best. She is so kind. I don't know what
it would have been like if I hadn't come here. I'm grateful for my
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and I love them.

Oh! One more miracle that was the craziest thing. There's this lady
named sister Ohrn who's like a vogue model, fabulous, shic woman who
is a ward missionary. We were having lunch with her and Sister Webb,
another wanna be like kind of 82 year old. They invited their friend
to lunch but she didn't show up. After her house we felt like tracting
this apartment complex we'd been to the other week. While tracting we
got let into the same Sheryl who was suppose to have lunch with us and
who's had lessons before. Hahahah it was the craziest thing. The
spirit helped us out with that one. She's coming up to the open house
with sister Ohrn so we're excited to see them both.

Don't forget to email me what you all are up to! I love hearing from
you. I love you all.

Sister Vassau