Life as I know it right now...

I have done a horrible job at keeping up with this blog. If it weren't for Elder Page, nothing would get put up.
I really do have a life that is very full, just not filled with people at the time (at least not children close by)
I have to admit I have had a bit of an adjustment since Christmas. The house feels so quiet and empty.
I miss the sound of laughter and little babies making their demands on their young parents.
I miss the yelling of boys, now men, while watching their favorite soccer team win or getting upset at watching their college team once again fall from the lead only to loose.
I miss the girls talking, about getting little sleep or what we are going to go do to pamper ourselves for the day. Or best yet talking about boys with Abigail.
I miss spiritual discussions about the gospel, about Jesus Christ and how He is apart of my children's lives daily.
I miss them bearing testimony of the things that have come to know are true and deeply mean more to themthan every.
I miss watching the love between couples, holding hands, and stealing kisses.
I miss watching them play the roles of mom & dad as they care for their own little ones, as they talk in the cutest little voices to them, and how hard it is to put little Scarlett in time out!
I just miss watching the love between them all, sharing love between each other in their own unique ways.
I miss their voices, their smiles, hugs, laughter and "I love you's"
I just miss them....
I also love the alone time with my sweet heart Steve.
I love the sound of his laughter when he cracks up at his on jokes.
I love watching a basketball game with him and getting upset watch LeBron James win again, but loving it when Stef Curry's team wins...I love watching him play.
I love our long talks about still getting no sleep (because we stay up too late) and planning get away's that usually get canceled because we are needed somewhere else (sometimes they happen)
I love talking about our children and grand children about how proud we are of them and how they are growing, and about the boys (Abigail) they are dating :)
I love our daily spiritual discussions about the Gospel, the Book of Mormon and other spiritual experiences we are having and how much the Lord has blessed our family.
I love watching the love between us grow even after so many years together, holding hands, and stealing kisses.
I love watching Steve light up as he plays the role of Paw Paw, he is so loved by his Grandchildren (especially Scarlett with her being the oldest right now)
I love it when we get to catch up with our children on Skype and when Steve says "well they have to go" just to get me to hang up when I am not ready to.
I love hearing Steve tell me he loves me, especially at those times I need to hear him say it even though I already know he does.
I love his smile and cheerful way.
I guess I just love my family...
So even though it is hard not having my children and their sweet little families close by, I can always call or write and sometimes even visit them and in those moments I can't, I just close my
eyes in my quiet little house and I think back on memories and yes sometimes I cry, but they are happy tears.
I think that MY, Our Heavenly Father knows exactly how I feel.
This is just life as I know it right now...

She did it!!!!...

Hey Everyone,

So I'm not going to waste anytime, so to start off... Daleen Was baptized yesterday @ 5pm!!! I thought a lot about what I wanted to say to try and sum up my excitement and satisfaction and happiness and and joy for Daleen. But now that I'm sitting here, I can't do it. Her baptismal service was sooo amazing. There was a spirit of Love, of Fulfillment, of Joy and Peace, and the spirit testified the entire time of the Savior and His Love and grace and mercy and power to do All things. Daleen has made numerous changes as y'all know and she couldn't have made any of them without Christ. Being So close to Daleen has helped me see just how much the Atonement can play a role in our lives. The strength and help and patience the Lord has given me as I've worked with Daleen combined with the help that he has given her to overcome her struggles is A Testimony that There is A God. I know that this is the Lord's Work and his Desire for all of us. To Be Happy, to change, and become someone better. That's what the Gospel is meant to do. I hope I am getting even half of my point and feelings across. All I can say is that Daleen is A Friend and someone that I will never forget and always be close to. The Gospel has allowed us to know each other and come closer to Heavenly father. She is such an example to all her friends and family. Already doin' Work, Missionary work that is :)

(Elder Hart and I, Larry, Daleen, Brother Davies (Member of ward that daleens come really close to) and daleens mom and dad :)
(This is Daleen and Beverly. Beverly used to be Daleens Rehab adviser haha. Yeah, so she is the first exposure daleen had to the church or anyone. Beverly referred missionaries to daleen two years ago, and they actually hadnt spoken for the last year and daleen called her the day of her baptism and told her. Beverly couldnt believe it and drove an hour to make it to the baptism. Those seeds planted a while back now bearing fruit! :) It was awesome to see them together.)

So on top of Daleens Baptism, there is more good news! I believe it or not will be staying here in the Woodruff ward for another 6 weeks! Sadly Elder Hart is getting transferred out. I am going to miss him a lot. Elder Hart and I have come really close over the past 12 weeks and the people that we've worked with together and the experiences we've had I wouldn't trade for anything. we are like brothers and He is definitely someone I will spend time with after the mission and be life log friends with. I just feel so grateful right now. For everything Thats happened in this area and for the relationships I've built and the experiences I've been able to have.

My New companions name is Elder 'PundSahng' I think I got the spelling right. He is from Thailand and speaks very little english but is a great person and missionary from what I've heard. I'm really excited to be able to work and serve with him for the next 6 weeks! I am doing well, I really couldn't ask for a better week. The Lord is watching out for me, I know it! I just want to Thank AlL of You for Praying and Fasting for Daleen. I truly have been a first hand witness to a miracle. And it has all been brought about by faith and God's will. It's been quite the journey, but it's just beginning. I Love Y'all! Be safe, Keep it All real, and don't ever let life get too crazy.




Love, Tory

This week though...

So there's a lot that I could say about the week, but to keep y'all interested I'll just cover the major points and highlights. So We went to the LA Visitors center last night with Daleen and Larry. We had a couple of member families join us as well, so it went really well. The sisters there know what they're doing. The spirit was just Thick. That's the best word I have to describe the feeling there. And the best part was that Daleen and Larry both felt it and had a great time. We didn't find out till the ride home, but after going through the tour of the visitors center Daleen snuck outside to go pray by the temple. She said she got down on her knees and just poured her heart out to god, and she picked a white rose from the grounds. I was so proud of her! She had made that spiritual choice by herself, and we told her to remember that moment, because its something special. Daleen is still good to go for this Sunday. she just has to be interviewed by President Tew and then the rest is just setting up for the baptism. Just keep praying that things will work out. Daleen's facing a lot of opposition right now and she knows that its because she's about to do something really good.

Again I can just testify of the gospel, of the Savior and his reality. I have been able to see a literal change in Daleen as we've met with her and helped her and taught her about Christ. And looking back I have seen a change within myself as well. As Daleens made changes and become better I think I have too. I have felt the saviors love, his mercy, his patience, and his power. What a feeling it is. My mission really has meant a lot to me, and I am just excited to continue helping people just like Daleen and as I do that becoming a better person in the process. I feel like as of late my testimony of the Book of Mormon, of Joseph Smith, of the plan of salvation, of the temple have just been refreshed and reconfirmed to me. Its felt really good! We all need that spiritual recharge every once in a while, and its better to get them sooner rather than later!
Well, that's what I have to say about this week. I hope to have pictures of daleen in white next week. Fingers crossed! And I will share more experiences we're having with investigators.

Love Y'all!

- Elder Page
One of the members was selling his banjo, a really nice on, so we told Tory to g ahead a buy it. He would think of his mission every time he played it.

P.S. I forgot just how FUN playing the banjo was. Don't worry, I'm only playing it at night before I go to bed

Hastening His Work...

This week has definitely been one to remember. It's been full of teaching, exchanges, rain (el nino) and banjo playin!

First things first Daleen is doing Great! She is preparing for baptism on the 24th and it looks like she will actually make it! fingers crossed, haha. The time that's been put in to helping Daleen has all been worth it. teaching her, answering her phone calls when she has questions or has the urge to smoke. The many weeks of having her come to church, the spiritual experiences shes had and shared with us and that we've had with her. The many reading sessions we've enjoyed, and everything in between have been some of the best times of my mission and I cant wait to see Daleen take those first steps into the waters of baptism to make promises with her heavenly father that will only bring more blessings into her life. I cant wait for y'all to meet her one day, she really has become more than an investigator, she is my sister, shes family! Her single experience of coming to know that the atonement is real and that the Book of Mormon is true has changed the way I look at people around me. It helps me see that we all have divine potential and that these things are in fact true, because of the things that Ive seen and more so felt. Anyways, I could go on and on about Daleen, all in all, shes doing great and she has continued to help Larry learn the gospel and everything we've shared as well. We are Officially going to the temple with them on the 17th. So I cant wait! We are all so excited about it, its gonna be a sweet experience.
I had two exchanges this week, one with an elder in my district and another with Elder Rhodes our zone leader. Both exchanges were great and as always led to some sweet growth and change. Exchanges really are good times on a mission, its just a time to forget everything, and work with someone looking to learn from them and improve and you get out of them what you put in.

We had a few lessons where members were able to come out with us which is something we've been focusing on. There's always a special spirit to the lessons when members can share there testimonies of what we're teaching at that time. One lesson in particular was with our investigator Norma. She is the woman from Syria that we've met with a few times. So Norma is very smart and is all about logic and facts and experimentation. So we read Alma 32 with her. Her English is still a work in progress but it was amazing that as we read to her she managed to understand the points being made by Alma. She loved the idea of experimenting on his words and she said that she would try. As we said the prayer and were leaving, she said to us, "I feel something good when you pray for me." And at that moment my faith in the spirit grew, I knew that she had felt it and we then explained that to her. I know that this gospel can change people, and that this church is the vehicle that we're able to get to where we want to be as far as our relationship with Christ.

Love You All and am really truly grateful to have y'all in my life. I'm pretty Lucky. Until next week.

Love, Elder Page

Week of Miracles...

I really don't know where to start with this week. There have been blessing falling outa the sky for us. To start off, Daleen is actually doing really well. We are going to try and set a baptismal date for the 23rd. She has made it clear she wants to be baptized and she hasn't smoked in3 days! The Lord through her reading and praying and efforts in coming to church is giving her the spiritual and physical power and strength to overcome her chanllenges. It has made me so happy to see here progress and just live the gospel. She has even invited her friend Larry to start listening to us and we've taught him twice, he came to church with Daleen yesterday and its amazing how prepared he is! The best way to describe Larry is that he's Hungry to learn and absorb the gospel. Come to find out hes been looking for a church to go to but he said he just doesn't feel the spirit anywhere. and He has made it clear that when he reads the Book of Mormon alongside the Bible he can feel God. The two of them right now are kind of a package deal, the are really helping each other progress and the gospel is blessing both of their lives right now. Daleen even had the idea to take Larry to the visitors center so we'll let you know how that goes.

Crazy thing happened this week o top of all this, Elder Blasko came to surprise me! He came found us where we were at a service project and just spent some time talking. It was so cool to see him as Ben, he was such a good trainor and an even better friend to me at the start of my mission. Its nice to have a bond with an old companion like the one we have. He didn't have a whole lot of time to spend with us but the time we did have with him was awesome and it was spirit filled. It just let me see just how fast these two years are going by and it makes me appreciate every minute of it all.

There are a few people that kinda popped out of no where this week and were pretty interested in what we had to share so I'll make sure to keep y'all updated as people progress, but as for now, thank you all for the prayers, just keep praying for Daleen and now Larry. They are definitely The Lords Elect! Gotta Go, but just know that I am doing darn good and that I am happy to be here sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and The Message of the Restoration with my brothers and Sisters.

I Love You guys! Thanks for the emails too, until next week, Godspeed!

Love, Elder Page