December 27, 2011

Hello Everyone!,
    Sorry this e-mail is a day late. We found out yesterday morning that all of the libraries were closed because of the Christmas holiday (apparently they still wanted their day off because Christmas was on Sunday!) The story will be the same next week too, so don't look for an e-mail from me until Tuesday. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that they were able to spend as much time with family and friends as possible. I know that at this time of year we tend to take account of all the things we have and are grateful for. I have to report that I am the same. I have been given so many blessings in the year 2011 and can't wait to continue my service as a missionary for a good portion of 2012. I know it will be a wonderful year full of adventure. This week, in response to the first presidency article in the December Ensign, I made a list of the things I am thankful for. I was amazed at the blessings I could count, and all those I could still list if I had more room!
   As for this past week, I have to admit I never really felt like it was Christmas, although I was surrounded by Christmas things and had the opportunity to talk to some members of my family. I don't know, either I am too focused on the work, or Christmas just isn't Christmas without your family around you. I can't really decide which one it is for me. Who knows, maybe the lack of snow contributed! I'm grateful it was the way it was though. I have the tendency to put a lot of emotion into the holidays, and since it never really felt like Christmas, I wasn't really sad or homesick and it was nice to talk to my Mom and Dad. I even got to see them as we were allowed to use Skype this year.
   As a missionary, Christmas gifts are somewhat subdued. We really don't need things. I can happily report that the number one gift for a missionary is candy, and I have a big mountain of it sitting on our kitchen counter. I highly doubt I will be able to eat it all. I'm kind of hoping Hermana Duarte will just go nuts on it and take care of it for me!


I did receive one amazing gift I wanted to mention...my last Sunday service in the relief society room with the Largo Spanish Branch. We had 50 people at sacrament, which was amazing because I felt like at least half the branch was gone for the holidays. The service was loud. The children could NOT sit still. It was hot, even a little suffocating...I loved it! Truly the best Christmas present I could have received as I sat there and thought, “We are going to feel this exact same way in the chapel by the end of next year.”
   I am very excited for the prospects of the work here in this area. I can't wait to hear how it continues to grow and progress, even after I move to other areas and when I complete my service as a missionary. I know the Lord has accomplished a lot here the last few months, that miracles are still occurring each day, and I am so grateful to have been a part of it. I am excited for all of the possibilities of a New Year. I hope each of you had a wonderful holiday and that your New Year begins in all the ways you are hoping for.
I love you All,
   Hermana Levanger

December 19, 2011

Hello Everyone!
   What a great week we had! I could almost not believe how busy we were, and how we managed to somehow get everything done! Every single day was driving from appointment to appointment. We were privileged to go to the 'Night in Bethlehem' on both Friday and Sunday nights (at the request of the Mission Assistants). This is a presentation of the birth of the Savior the Tampa Stake puts on each year. I was able to feel the spirit strongly as I watched both members and non-members enter the chapel after experiencing a reenactment of the birth of our Savior. I don't think anyone went home and said they hadn't felt something. As most of my missionary work has been through members and family and friends, I haven’t had a lot of experience talking with people I didn’t already have a connection with. I soon found out we did indeed have a great connection already, the Savior. I also found incredible joy in being able to speak with those who were of the Hispanic population in particular. I felt such joy and gratitude in once again realizing just how lucky I am to work with such a humble and joyful people. I got the contact information for several families and hopefully the missionaries assigned to their areas will be able to see the light that I saw in them and help them to come to the Savior by becoming members of His church in the coming weeks and months.
   This week is going to be great; I am determined to make it so. I know I will be tempted to be sad at times, as this is the first Christmas I will spend away from friends and family. However, I am absolutely committed to making it the best Christmas ever. I know my attitude will affect the joy and experiences of those around me, and what reason do we have to not feel joy? I am a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have the privilege of being so for almost eight more months. I can't wait for each and every day I have here.
   Last Saturday was our Branch Christmas party and the estimated attendance was 100 PEOPLE!!!!! Can you believe that? We had to put up more tables and we ran out of food! It was so amazing to see nearly every single person we know and are working with in the same room at the same time. What an incredible blessing that was. Here I am with Santa and Hermana Duarte at the party.


   I have one story that really meant a lot to me this week. A few weeks ago a less-active member told me that she would be graduating from college on Saturday at one. I asked her if we could go, which surprised her, but she said of course we could. Earlier this week she gave me the address and a map to get there, but I could tell she wasn't really expecting us to come. Well, Saturday we showed up at the auditorium and saw that there were about 1,000 people graduating from this little college! After about an hour of sitting there listening to speeches that had nothing to do with missionary work, and hearing names of people who neither of us knew, I was starting to think I had made a mistake.
   I thought, "Oh no, this is a terrible use of missionary time, and I'm supposed to be setting an example for Hna Duarte and I can't even find Venus' name in the program!"
   Finally, as the last ten people stood up to make their way towards the front of the room to cross the stage and receive their diplomas, I saw Venus. She had a gigantic grin on her face and said, "Missionaries, hi!"
   I waved and said, "Yeah Venus way to go!" and she just grinned again. As she walked across the stage she was beaming. Later that night, at the Christmas party, she came a few minutes late and literally ran into my arms and gave me one of the biggest hugs I have ever received! She said, "I am so happy you came to my graduation, thank you so much."
   It was than that I looked behind her and saw her two daughters, her two sisters, her step-sister, and her step-mother as well as...her HUSBAND!!! In all the time I have served here I have never seen her husband inside a church building. It was truly a miracle. So I again have firmly in place a testimony of the many ways that missionary work can be done!
   I have had so many tender mercies this week. Thank you all for your prayers of support and love. I know that there were a lot of you praying extra hard for me this past week. Thank you. I am praying for each of you too, and I am so grateful to have you in my life. Thank you for all you are to me. Merry Christmas.
I love you All,
Hermana Levanger

December 12, 2011

Hello Everyone!,
   What a week. I am trying to adjust to all the changes and to my new responsibilities. My new companion is Hermana Duarte. Hna Duarte is from Salina, Utah and just got to the mission field from the MTC. She is excited to be a missionary and brings a lot of really good energy with her. That’s good because we have so much to do. We have an extra hour of studies each day (a training hour), and that has proved difficult for me to get used to. I'm sure I will end up learning more from it than she will!



   We had a Relief Society enrichment activity this week that was really fun. We decorated little glass bowls for the holiday season. Mine looks like an ornament, and I have to say that I am quite proud of how it turned out!



   We also have our Branch Christmas party this Saturday night, so there should be some fun stories from that. Church was of course great, 56 people as a few were traveling. It was kind of insanely busy trying to talk to everyone, introduce Hna Duarte to everyone, and also set up appointments in times that we don't have available. I had a little bit of a melt-down with the schedule (It is literally so packed that we just can't see everyone this week.), but I have now made my peace with it and will be happy seeing all the people that we CAN see.
   I am so grateful to be a missionary. I miss family and friends a lot right now, especially with the holiday season upon us. However, I know that if I were anywhere else I would wish that I were here. I'm so glad to be here with my Largo Branch family and to be able to share with everyone just how loved they are by their Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ. I'm praying for each of you, and truly appreciate each of the prayers you offer for me. I'm so grateful for your love and support.
I love you all,
Hermana Levanger

December 5, 2011

Hello Everyone!
   I write this with mixed emotions today. Of course you all know by now that Hermana Dollahite is heading home on Wednesday morning after an incredible mission of dedicated service. I feel peace when I think of her future and know that the Lord always has great blessings awaiting his faithful missionaries when they return home, especially those missionaries who have served the way she has, with her whole heart. This picture shows us with those we've taught together and who have been baptized.


   While I will miss her greatly, I am also very excited for the next great adventure in my missionary service! My mission president called me first thing in the morning on Saturday to tell me that the Lord has called me to be a trainer. I'm very excited for the opportunity and the responsibility. I know that whoever she is, she will be exactly who the area needs, not to mention me. It is also exciting, because she is only the second new sister in our mission since me (the other was right after me) so it will be really nice to have that fresh enthusiasm and excitement in the Spanish sisters faction of the mission again! (I feel kind of spoiled to get to work with her!).
   This last week has been amazing. We have seen many miracles and we worked harder than ever. We have a lot of momentum going into this next transfer and I am excited to get my hands dirty (in a good way!). Church yesterday was really depressing, I'm not going to lie. I kind of felt like I was at Hermana Dollahite's funeral all day, which I guess it kind of was! Oh well, it was nice to hear how loved and appreciated we are, not to mention plenty of tears.
   Two incredible miracles happened yesterday. First, the husband of a less-active came to church with his son. This is a man who has staunchly refused any offers of the gospel and invitations to church, who has never set foot in one of our buildings, and who truly had no desire to hear anything we had to say. Yesterday he not only came, but he came in spite of the fact that his wife had to work and he stayed all three hours! He still has a very long road ahead of him, but it would be such an incredible joy to see him baptize his son when he turns eight in a little over a year...I'm counting on it.
   The second miracle was truly a tender mercy from the Lord for me, a symbol of truly how full-circle I have come. The first lesson I ever taught (attended?) in the field as a missionary was a convert who is wonderful, has a very sweet spirit, but also has some learning disabilities. She struggles to read, and can't write. In addition, she is morbidly shy and it is very difficult for her to stand in front of people. I remember in that very first lesson I had the impression to challenge her to bear her testimony in the next fast Sunday we had. She said no. We have continued to invite her to bear her testimony every month since, as well as the weeks between, but always it was no. This month when we asked her, again she said no, but she agreed to pray for the confidence to do it. As she was praying I received the distinct impression that she would be able to do it if she wrote her testimony down in advance and read it. We had been working with her on saying prayers for the classes, reading scriptures and passages aloud in class, and she was now quite comfortable doing all that.
   At first when I presented the idea after she closed her prayer, she said she couldn't because she didn't know how to write. I asked her if she would think about what she wanted to say, and that we could come back the next day and Hermana Dollahite would write it down for her if she told it to us. When we went back she was ready to go, and seemed almost relieved to finally be able to share her testimony with someone, even if it was just the two of us in her little kitchen. She kept the paper we wrote for her and practiced it each day before Sunday.
   Yesterday she would have been the first to the stand if someone hadn't beaten her there (We still have people fighting for the time on testimony Sunday!), so instead she was second. I wish I could describe the feeling of joy that came over me as she read her testimony. All of my fears and sadness about losing Hermana Dollahite and the feelings of inadequacy to be training were swept away, and I remembered what pure joy there is in missionary work! I looked around the room and saw many branch members, President Lopez, Hermana Jensen, and many others simply beaming with pride that Virginia was up there on her own sharing her testimony. It was such a sweet moment for me, seeing how far she and I have come since that first lesson we shared together.
   While I do feel like I am losing a part of my family with Hermana Dollahite's departure, I know that my Largo Branch family is still here, and I need them just as much as they need me. I am so grateful that I will be able to stay here for at least 12 more weeks. (The training program is a minimum of 2 transfers.) I also bore my testimony yesterday, and as I looked at our packed little room (61 again) and saw all those incredible people looking at me with such love, I truly had manifested to me that this is where I am meant to be, and that the Lord really does have His hand in the details of our lives.
   I testify to each of you that The Savior lives, that He gave His life for us, and that He wants nothing more than for us to turn to Him for comfort and peace. I challenge each of you to give your heart to the Savior this Christmas season. You will receive more than you can ever imagine, more than you can ever hope to give.
   I love you all!,
Hermana Levanger

November 29, 2011

Hello Everyone!, 
   Before church on Sunday we were talking to Maria and Jose and Maria said, "Every day I love the Church more." On Thanksgiving, Maria called us and said, "It is a day to be thankful. I am thankful for you, my new daughters, and for my brothers and sisters in the Church, and for my new Church. Every day I feel closer to God. I have such a greater relationship with my Savior now." It was so cool. She also knit wraps for Hermana Dollahite and me for when it is cold in that snowy and freezing place called Utah! (For some reason she thought it was even farther from here than California...which it might as well be!) I love them! Jose had his new convert interview with President Lopez. We didn't get details of course, but it seemed to go very well. I'm so proud!
   For Thanksgiving we had TWO dinners, and I nearly died from food inhalation. Hermana Dollahite rolled/waddled into the apartment afterwards, or at least it wasn't walking! Hermana Garnica also shot a video of Hermana Dollahite and me and e-mailed it to my Dad. It was a day when I felt very thankful to be where I am and for the many blessings that I have been given.


I did make a green bean casserole to take with us. Thanks for the recipe Mom!

   I can't believe this is my last week with my dear companion Hermana Dollahite. No avoiding the transfer this time. She is on her way home to Utah to spend Christmas with her family and then to continue her studies in the BYU nursing program. On Saturday, I should find out who my new companion is. I'm not really too nervous. I know whoever it is that she will be exactly the person this area and I need. It is a little weird to think that I will be spending Christmas and my birthday with someone completely new though!
   I hope everyone takes the opportunity to embrace the spirit of the Holiday this year. Remember the real reason for all we do, the Savior Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for His sacrifice and His infinite atonement. I would truly be lost without it. I hope we will all take the opportunity to remember Him and to thank Him for all He has done for each one of us. I am very excited to spend the next several weeks bearing my testimony of Him as often as possible. What a joy it is to be a missionary during this time of the year! (Not to mention that the temperature is consistently in the 70s or 80s!)
   I love you All!
Hermana Levanger

November 21, 2011

Hello Everyone!
    As this is the week to be thankful I would like to share just a few things I am grateful for. First and foremost, of course, is my Savior. What a blessing it is to find freedom through Him each day through service and the use of His wonderful Atonement.
I know that at this point you are all probably thinking, oh great this is going to be another one of Hermana Levanger's philosophical tyraids...I'll try to restrain myself!
The next thing that I am incredibly and forever grateful for is Hermana Dollahite. What an incredible friend. She is my family, and the one I look to for confirmation and example. She is wise, loving, kind, and unfailingly accepting. She has influenced my life for the good. I will miss her desperately when she leaves and hope that I helped her even half as much as she has helped me.
I am so grateful for my family, for their love and support. They each have different ways of showing it, but I know that they do.
I am so grateful to be a missionary and to have the chance to share the Gospel with God's children. I have met incredible people and will be changed forever because of the calling I received. It seems like so long ago that I sat on my bed locked in my room by myself in Tucson, Arizona and with trembling fingers opened my call. I know without a doubt that I was called here at this time for a divine purpose, and I will be forever grateful for that.
 
Yesterday, Maria and Jose (who were baptized just last week) came to church early. Maria showed Hermana Dollahite a tithing envelope and asked, "Who do I give this to?" I watched with joy and admiration as this 74 year old woman walked over to the second counselor, the only member of the branch presidency in the room at the moment, and handed him the envelope, I was just so happy. I remember when we taught them the Law of the Tithe, and that tithing is paid with faith. They were so happy to pay their tithing! That is something I am grateful for, the example of others, even those who act simply because of their love for the Savior and their desire to do His will.
There were 62 people in Church yesterday! Last week we had 60, and that was the highest we had ever had. I keep thinking that we might hit some limit, wonderful as it might be, but just sort of level out and stay there...nope! When we first got to St. Pete, weekly attendance at church was 18-25 people. Hermana Dollahite and I wanted to take out the back row to make everyone sit closer to the front (the back row always fills up the fastest!). But now, if we took out the back row, people would be standing in the aisles. Our Stake High Councilor attended our branch yesterday, and he suggested to our branch presidency that they consider moving up the date of when we move to the chapel! (I honestly think we might be in violation of some fire codes or something!) The biggest blessing is that, where only one family member used to come to church, now families are sitting together. People have come back to church. People have joined the church. We count the people and get a number, but every single one of those people is known to us by name. We care about them. We know how hard they work, each week, to get to church. We see the blessings they receive in their lives because they have the gospel. What a joy it is to be a part of it, to have it! I am grateful for that.

I love you all, and I am grateful for each and every one of you!!!

Hermana Levanger

November 14, 2011

Hello Everyone!,
   Wow! What an amazing week! I wish I had a camcorder to show you how incredible this week was! All I can say is that once again I stand as a witness that God works miracles. What a privilege it is to be His representative in this incredible work. It is amazing to see the hearts and most basic desires of people change, including my own. How desperately I want to be found doing the Lord's work and being on His errand for the rest of my life.
   On Wednesday, we had an incredible conference in Tampa. We talked a lot about leaving it all behind and having an eye single to the glory of God. We were privileged to receive words of comfort and love from our leaders. We are more resolved as a mission to be found always doing those things the Savior would be doing were He here with us (which He is). I was also personally privileged to spend some private moments with President Summerhays. What a wonderful man he is. We have such mutual love and respect for each other. He continually laments with me over losing my wonderful companion Hermana Dollahite in a couple of weeks. We are both so sad to be losing her, proud to know her, and excited for the next step of her life. He also confirmed what I already expected, that I will be in St. Pete for at least one more transfer.
   Thursday found us in the home of our investigators Maria and Jose (yes Mary and Joseph in English!). Maria was beyond ready for her baptism and actually passed her baptismal interview over a week before. However, Jose was still staunchly refusing to act on his faith (even though he had a testimony of everything we had taught him, quit drinking coffee the week before after drinking it habitually for over fifty years and had no problem answering the baptismal interview questions!). We had a very powerful lesson on faith and proper priesthood authority. Luckily Hermana Dollahite was there, because she did her really cool, “stare at you without blinking until everyone in the room feels uncomfortable and wants to climb under a rock somewhere just to get away from it” thing. Maria and I were both desperately trying NOT to make eye-contact with anyone, but eventually I got curious as to who was winning the showdown and made eye-contact with Jose. He told me, “She keeps looking at me with those eyes that really see.” I said in response, " Yes, I have been on the receiving end of those eyes before, and I know that whenever she does that I always feel the love God has for me, but also that maybe I should think if there is a way to follow Him more closely. It is a gift that she has, we each have gifts. It is a part of our sacred calling to do that, to invite others to do that." Jose sat there for about twenty seconds and said, “Voy.” (I go). It took us a couple of minutes to realize he had just agreed to be baptized, but how sweet the Spirit was that filled the room with his proclamation.



   We scheduled the baptism for after church and were really starting to panic when Sacrament was half-over and they still weren't there! Luckily they got there not long after with several family members and of course had to sit in three different places because we had...SIXTY PEOPLE IN SACRAMENT!!!!!!! A new record for the Largo Spanish Branch! I honestly don't know how we all squished into that little tiny room, but I'm pretty sure God's angels were working overtime trying to push the walls out a couple more inches! It was amazing.
   I had the idea to take a branch picture for the Christmas newsletter a couple of weeks ago, had it approved through President Lopez and all arranged to take on the stage after sacrament. Let me tell you it was a squeeze to get all sixty of us in that picture! I loved every second of it, despite my outward appearance of panic!



   Finally the time for the baptism came. How incredible it was to see Jose, Maria, and their son Jose Miguel all dressed in white ready to be baptized (and for Jose Miguel to perform them). The service was loud (because over thirty people stayed for the baptism) but no one cared. it was so incredible to see Jose Miguel (a recent convert of only about eight months) help each of his parents into the water and say those sacred baptismal words, and then shortly thereafter confirm them members of the Church with the gift of the Holy Ghost. it was one of the sweetest feelings I have had on my mission. I am so grateful that they were able to do that together and to take this step together. After all, during their 46-year marriage they have had plenty of practice making decisions together. I pray that I have even half the love and happiness they have for each-other, not to mention their complete trust in the Lord.
   We had a little food after the baptism, but quickly left to catch our ride down to Bonita Springs (about two and a half hours away) for the missionary musical devotional. Hermana Dollahite was in most of the small groups and did a beautiful job. The spirit was very powerful, and felt by all, not to mention there were very few dry eyes at the end. We got home at about 10:30 and fell more than got into bed.
   What a wonderful, incredible, amazing life I have. I know that a lot of that comes from being a missionary, but more than anything, it comes from living my life for someone else--My Savior. I invite each of you to look for opportunities in your life to do the Savior's work. You will feel a lightness and happiness come into your lives like nothing else. I wish each of you could have that for yourself. I hope each of you can feel the love I have for you. I want you to know that I love God and Our Savior. I am grateful for each and every day I have been given of them.
I Love you All,
Hermana Levanger

November 7, 2011

Hello Everyone!
   Wow! What an incredible week it has been! I have a really strong testimony of the blessings of the Gospel, the temple and the priesthood, but what I had before this week doesn't compare to what I feel now.
   We have seven more endowed members today than we did even three months ago. Isn't that amazing?! Four of our incredible members, three of which were basically inactive at the beginning of the year, went to the Orlando temple with just about every other endowed member of the branch, and received their endowment! How I wish I could have seen it! One of our most incredible and strongest members called us on the drive home and said that she (a return missionary) had never seen so many miracles in one day, and that it was something she would never in her whole life forget. What a blessing they will bring to our branch! What strength and fire and spirit I felt as they each bore their testimony yesterday in Sacrament meeting. I felt like the room was full of a bright light and a fiery presence. What an incredible wonderful blessing the temple is.
   Two of the men who received their endowments Saturday are married to women who received their endowments at the end of August, which means that in the next couple of weeks we will have two more families in our little branch that are sealed together for time and all eternity.
   One thing that broke my heart a little bit was Jose, Elizabeth's husband. Because Elizabeth was baptized in July, she will not be able to go to the temple until next July. However, Jose, having been a member since childhood but only recently re-activated, and a new Melchizedek priesthood holder, was ready. Our Branch president encouraged Jose to go and that they will be able to go together and be sealed when she can go as well. Jose took this advice, as was right (never put off making sacred covenants with God), and prepared himself to go to the temple. It was beautiful and he was so full of light when he came back, but as he bore his testimony he expressed how sad he was that he was there alone, without his wife and baby daughter or his parents and siblings (who have not lived the correct path). My heart hurt for him. I know how he feels. However, Elizabeth went with him. She waited outside with their daughter and vocally expressed her desire to go as soon as possible. I know they will go together and be sealed as an eternal family the second they can. I will be grateful for the rest of my life for the opportunity I had to know them. I pray that somehow I will be able to go to their sealing next year.
   Elizabeth also bore her testimony on Sunday, something we have been pleading for her to do since July! She always puts it off or says she doesn't want to. It was funny because as missionaries we always get excited for investigators to come to a fast and testimony meeting because the spirit is so strong. However, with Elizabeth, it was always the opposite. She was annoyed by the women who would get up there and cry, and couldn't understand what they could possibly be crying about. She also had a personal issue with people who just got up there and said, "I know the church is true, I know the Book of Mormon is the Word of God, etc..." She always said, HOW do they know? I want them to tell me something of substance not just short little statements that don't really tell you anything. How much she has changed! I couldn't help but shed a tear or two as she stood in front of everyone with tears coursing down her face to simply say, "I know this church is true. it is the only true church. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and it has changed my life." I was happy to see her sharing her spirit with her Branch family. A proud, and well-educated woman, I know she and her family will effect thousands of lives for the better. They have truly humbled themselves, come together, and put their Father in Heaven at the center of all they do. They are changed forever, and yet they are the same wonderful people I met on my third day in the field.
   As for other exciting news...the Branch has a second counselor! That's right, we have grown so much that not only are we moving into the chapel at the beginning of the year, but the Stake President called another counselor to help carry the load. What a great Sunday it was to have the Stake President in our Sacrament meeting (This is only the second time this year.), when several of the recently endowed members bore their testimony, we got a second counselor, and once again we were full to bursting with 56 people crammed into the little tiny relief society room! Not to mention the fact that people were literally elbowing their way to the stand to bear their testimony and we went over about fifteen minutes because President couldn't get up fast enough to cut them off!
I love you All,
Hermana Levanger

October 31, 2011

Hello Everyone!
   Week one of the transfer of the century has come and gone! And we had an awesome week. Not that numbers matter one iota, but we had the best numbers we have ever had while we have been together. By some miracle we found EIGHT new investigators! (That’s about what we usually find in a transfer!) And to be quite honest, most of them have a lot of potential for progression. I am so excited!
   We had some incredibly sweet experiences this week. I remembered how lucky I am to be a Spanish-speaking missionary when we went with an English member to help introduce her to her new Dominican neighbors and how shocked she was when they let us right in and had zero objections to us talking about our beliefs and sharing a prayer with them! The Hispanic people are so loving and welcoming. They are so free from the superficial and introverted ways of society that are so prevalent today. The only problem we have is getting them to change to the Gospel and keep commitments!
   We were talking to our recent convert Elizabeth and asking her if she had had a hard time accepting certain doctrinal differences (mainly the Fall of Adam and Eve) after going to catholic schools and colleges while growing up. Her response was, "No. Not at all. Once I started reading the Book of Mormon, I felt good. I felt peace. I knew it was from God. I knew that it was true. How could I have a problem with the things that are in it, that it teaches?" What a humbling experience for me. Sometimes I feel like she is my missionary (She already reads the Preach My Gospel manual).



   We had a really fun Fall Festival at the church on Friday. (See the photo for an example!) We had eight official investigators there, as well as two unofficial. It was awesome! Also, our Branch activity on Tuesday was a crowning success. Yet again we had over fifty people! I think the food committee is finally convinced they need to re-evaluate the amount of food they are bringing! (There hasn't been enough the last three or four times!)
   Sunday was beautiful yesterday. I don't know how many were there from our branch because we were all spread out in the chapel to watch the English ward Primary Program, but Hermana Dollahite thinks it was around 53. They just keep coming, and it felt so good to be in the chapel. I can't wait for the first of the year when that becomes our new home. We ended services with a short 'missionary mind-melding meeting' with President Lopez and Brother Jenson. President then gave us blessings that we may be the instruments of the Lord and find those that need to be lifted up. It was wonderful.
   Another incredible week in the vineyard! I love it. I love being a missionary and serving the Lord. I love hearing about family and friends who are being more conscious about missionary work in their homes. I pray for each of you to look for those opportunities in your lives. Not only will you be happy and never forget it, but you will also be blessed beyond what you can possibly believe.
I Love you All!
Hermana Levanger
 
Oh, and if any of you are wondering what a missionary does on Halloween the answer is.....be inside by eight.

October 24, 2011

Hello Everyone!
   Wow! What a week! It was truly crazy. Decorating for a wedding, the wedding, transfers and baptism all in the space of three days! Hermana Dollahite and I were both sick with a cold or something Tuesday through Thursday. It was such a bummer because all we wanted to do our last week together was work as hard as possible, and we were stuck at home for pretty much three days straight. Hermana Dollahite was a lot worse than I, at least with outward symptoms, and we really didn't want to infect anyone else.
   We weren't much better Friday, but we went to the church from two to seven to decorate for Saturday’s wedding. When we got to the church, our mission president and his wife were there interviewing our then Zone Leader to be an Assistant to the President for this transfer. It was really funny because Hermana Dollahite and I were both looking sad and pathetic and telling him how bummed we were that we had to spend our last week together sick at home. He just laughed at us and said that he would talk to us tomorrow. Immediately my spirits plummeted because the only reason for us to talk to President the next day was if he was calling us to tell us we were being transferred, not that we weren't expecting that anyway, but still, one can hope. My first thought was, well as much as I love you president I really don't want to talk to you tomorrow! I didn't say that though!
We got back on the horse though and started decorating for the wedding of the century...or at least the wedding of the year for the Largo Spanish Branch! Several hundred fake rose petals and thirty or so rolls of pink and white streamers later the church was looking pretty good. I was glad I didn't draw tablecloth ironing! (My Mom would have been all over that job!) I also got to see our Relief Society President make a bouquet out of white roses. She is talented! She organized the whole thing with Judy, the bride, since Judy's mother lives in the Dominican Republic. It was so cool to see her adopt Judy and blossom under the joy of being needed. Everyone needs to feel needed.
   Saturday, the English Elders had a baptism in their ward. After the baptism we had lunch and then made a couple visits but returned to the church fairly quickly to prepare for the wedding. The wedding was scheduled to start at seven, but in typical Hispanic fashion the guests, family of the wedding party and the bride and groom all showed up around 7:45! I was freaking out a little bit, but I think I was the only one. The church was beautiful and the ceremony was very sweet. President Lopez called on me to say the opening prayer after Judy walked down the aisle...not something I was expecting! Hermana Dollahite said my prayer was basically the Plan of Salvation, but I just said the words that came! It was funny though. President Lopez gave some beautiful advice and counsel for marriage in general and how important it was to remember that this was a step they were taking together to be a bit closer to the eternal marriage they will have in one year. It was incredibly powerful, and I hope all the people there (not just the non-members) felt the power of the Holy Spirit testifying of the sanctity of marriage and eternal families. After the ceremony, the party started. We ate delicious Dominican food, danced in the traditional Latin fashion (Hermana Dollahite was my partner, which cracked up our members!), and did a lot of cleaning. President Summerhays gave us permission to be out an extra hour, but we only missed curfew by a couple of minutes, which was good since we had been so sick.


   Sunday found us at the church again...at about 7:20 AM. We were laughing because when we left the church the night before it was dark, and we were back again before the sun came up! We definitely put in a lot of time at the church this weekend! We had to get there that early to fill the baptismal font, which is ancient with a teeny tiny faucet pipe, and requires an hour and a half to fill. Judy, trooper that she is, came in at 8:30 so we could take pictures before her baptism. She and Aneudy were at the church until around 11 the night before and then were up at five to take pictures at the beach because the baptism was going to mess up her hair and everything! Hermana Dollahite and I were questioning our judgment in having a wedding/baptism only twelve hours apart, but if you could have seen the pure joy on Judy's face, you would know as we do that when it comes to making covenants with God and choosing to put Him above all else, there is no time too soon.
The baptism was beautiful. Elizabeth, our recent convert gave a beautiful talk on the Holy Ghost, and her husband Jose, newly ordained Melchizedek Priesthood holder, was able to be a witness. Judy had tears of joy through the whole service, and I know that everyone present felt a strong confirmation of the Spirit. What joy there is in missionary work! The church services were wonderful, Judy's confirmation was beautiful, and the classes were just what everyone needed. After church we had a nice lunch all together with the leftover food from the night before. It was a great day!
   I'm sure by now you are all thinking, 'Wait, what about transfers?' Well I feel a little like a broken record when I say this, but...Hermana Dollahite and I are staying together yet again! Transfer number six, eight and a half months, exactly half of my time in the field and more than half of hers. Every single Spanish Sister companionship changed except ours...for the second time. All records are now obsolete. I don't know if any two companions in the history of the Florida Tampa Mission have ever stayed together for six transfers! I saved this news for last because the story deserves it's own spot!
On Saturday morning we woke up at 6:30 as always and had companionship prayer. President begins his phone calls at 7 AM. I always shower first and take the phone with me so that Hermana Dollahite can do her relaxation ritual for the day. So, while getting ready I picked the loudest most annoying ringer I could and set it on the loudest setting before I got in the shower so I wouldn't miss any calls. About a minute after I got in the phone rang. I jumped out of the shower, grabbed my towel, looked at the phone and was surprised when I saw 'Sister Summerhays' as the caller ID (at this point it is 7:08). I answered and Sister Summerhays started by asking how we were feeling. I told her we were on the mend, still a little sick, but definitely better. She then said, "Well President asked me to call you personally and tell you where you were going so you wouldn't have to wait any longer than necessary." (at this point my stomach is in my toes and my body is frozen) Next she said, "Well you are going to stay...(insert five second pause that feels like eternity here)... and so is Hermana Dollahite!" I started crying right there. I told her how grateful we were for her call and that it was the best news we could have gotten and that we would work harder than ever and still had so much left to do. She said, "Oh I know you will work hard, I don't have any doubts about you two. This is the best response to transfers that I have ever heard, I like it!" I said goodbye, and Hermana Dollahite and I celebrated for a few minutes, and then finally I got my shower!
Not too much longer, about an hour later, we did get a call from President, just like he promised! He called to gloat over making us sweat the day before and to tell us how much he loved the two of us. He said, "It was a real battle for me, but when I asked the Lord if I should split you two up for Hermana Dollahite's last transfer, He said, "Absolutely NOT! Leave them be." So that is what I did, I don't really like to mess with what the Lord wants!" It was incredibly sweet, and certainly a beautiful demonstration of his love for us. He talked to Hermana Dollahite too and we both felt his and the Lord's love not only for us, but for this area as well.
   So here I am, in St. Pete, with Hermana Dollahite one last time. I will be able to spend Halloween and Thanksgiving with her as well as be the one who gets to send her back to her family after an incredible mission of service and love. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be here and to be with her.
Our members are overjoyed, and a couple nearly shed tears of joy! Elizabeth is beside herself since she now thinks that she gets to have Hermana Dollahite for the most amount of time possible and me for not only this one but maybe one or two more! (Which is a definite reality since I think President really wants me here for the first of the year move to the chapel and doesn't want to white-wash the area).
One small miracle I saw this week was at the wedding when everyone was dancing. Everyone is so HAPPY! It is amazing to see the difference from six months ago. Our members are thrilled to be alive. They are purely happy not only individually but as families and as a branch. It really hit me as I watched them celebrating the joy of others and joining in themselves. This is one happy place to be right now! My life is truly perfection. I couldn't ask for more, I am receiving the greatest blessings that a person could possibly receive. I LOVE being a missionary. I love it. I wish I could do it forever. There is nothing that I have experienced in my life that has brought me more joy. I wish for each of you to know of my love for you, and to know that I know this gospel is true, and the purest joy you can find is in it.
I Love you All!,
Hermana Levanger

October 17, 2011

Hello Everyone!,
   Another joyful week in the mission field. How I loved Stake conference this past week. We were truly uplifted and edified by our leaders and fellow servants of the Lord. I so appreciated each and every word and feeling that was shared over those two wonderful days. I loved the feeling of the spirit as it enveloped each and every person who had a heart willing to be taught.
   How I love seeing that experience in others. That joy that comes into their eyes when they see a glimpse of what it is they are fighting for, and resolve to take the steps necessary to accomplish them. I saw the fruit of one such decision yesterday, as I shook the hand of one of our newly ordained Melchizedek priesthood holders, Jose. Jose is the husband of our recent convert Elizabeth, and I was there the day they saw the glimpse of their future in the gospel way back in April. (They are shown in the picture with Sister Dollahite and me.) What an honor it has been to see them valiantly take those necessary steps together as a family, to be where they were yesterday. What a joy it was to see the first bit of the harvest of all those efforts! They look forward to moving forward together continually, to holding weekly family home evening, and daily family prayer and scripture study. Their two year-old daughter will be blessed by her worthy priesthood-holding father and given a name in the next couple of weeks. She will be raised in the gospel, sealed to her parents in the temple, baptized by her father, attend seminary, and maybe even serve a mission one day. Her whole life changed because her parents saw what they could become, what Our Heavenly Father had planned for them. How grateful I am for that light of inspiration!
   My Mission President had these beautiful words to say today in his President's letter, "I also feel to bless you to fully understand who you are and who you represent and serve, the Lord Jesus Christ. I bless you that your mission can be filled with happiness, peace, love and productivity." What more could I ask for? As a servant of the Lord, what more could I ask than to be always anxiously engaged in productivity? Being busy, productively busy, is something that I pray for, and something that I have certainly received here in Largo! We are so busy! Even with the help of the Elders, the work is growing so fast that we can barely keep up. Hermana Dollahite and I have developed a handy little mind-reading talent so as to not waste time verbally communicating when we can barely catch our breath as it is! How we love these people! How we love Our Lord and His vineyard and each other! I will never be the same, nor do I wish to be, after what has happened to me here.
   I don't know how it happened, but somehow we are at the end of another transfer. I haven't got a clue what is going to happen, but I know the Hand of the Lord will be in it. I will be indebted to this area, to these people, and my companion for the rest of my life. I have become much closer to the person Heavenly father wants me to be because of them. I will love them for the rest of my existence. How lucky I have been to have had the experiences and friendships that I have had here.
I Love you All!
Hermana Levanger

October 10, 2011

Hello Everyone!
   Great week this week! We had another packed house in church, with three investigators there as well. We were supposed to have five, but the other two were taking care of their grandsons until two in the morning. We are making some real progress with Alan and had a really great lesson on the commandments with him and the other Young Men of the branch after church. Since we are teaching a youth, and had youth members to help us, we decided to teach Chastity, the Word of Wisdom and Tithing from the "For the Strength of Youth" booklet. It was AWESOME!
   We are expecting some very exciting events the next couple of weeks after this one. That being said, this week is critical, and we really have to be on our game and listening to the Spirit direct us. Hermana Dollahite and I are up to the challenge though. I am receiving a lot of strength from reading the April General Conference addresses, as well as the special edition Ensign on the Book of Mormon. If you haven't read those yet, I highly recommend them, two thumbs way way up!
   We picked up another part-member family investigator. Yeah! I really love those. I think I could work exclusively with putting families together in the Gospel and be completely happy. The love and happiness that comes into a family when the parents turn away from the World and toward each other and the Savior is indescribable. I wish every family in the world could have that experience. The world would certainly be a better place.
   Please continue to pray for us, as well as all of the missionaries in the world and the people they are working with, we feel and need each one of your prayers. I am so grateful for the love and support I feel from all of you. Please know how very much I love you all. Not a one of us is perfect, but with the Savior and repentance we can all be perfected in Him. I have a true testimony of the Atonement. It heals us and takes our pain away. Please use it everyday. I love you all so much, and I pray for your happiness and safety each and every day.
I love you all!
Hermana Levanger

October 3, 2011

Hello Everyone,
   What a fantastic General Conference! I am feeling so edified and uplifted. I loved every second of conference. I remember the April Conference was my very first weekend in the field, and I only understood a few words here and there. This time, six months later, I was able to understand most everything. I felt so much love, not only for those speaking, but for those I have been called to serve. What a great blessing Conference is and the opportunity I had to be watching it here in Largo with my dear companion Hermana Dollahite once again. I hope you all had the opportunity to participate in this great blessing. If you didn't, it’s easy to do. All you have to do is go to gc.lds.org .
   While many of the talks spoke to me personally, some of them were also special because they answered a question those I am working with have posed. It was a unique experience, to feel and think of so many others during a time that has previously been more personal (or at times boring if I am being completely honest). I pray they were watching. I pray they heard and understood the power and love that was shared.
   While I did think more of others than I ever have before during Conference, I still received invaluable personal revelation. The two themes that struck me most deeply are intimately connected. The first was during President Monson's talk on his lost five dollars in the Sunday morning session. While the story was cute and a good lesson, what struck me more was the faith a young boy had in his prayers and his Heavenly Father. As I began to think on this concept, this deep and abiding faith in personal communication with the Father, no matter the size of the dilemma, the first Sunday session closed and I had some time to reflect on the lesson I had been taught.
I began to think of another lesson from the day before in the Saturday afternoon session, the story by Elder Carl B Cook of the Seventy and how those two were connected. He told about when he felt overwhelming feelings of inadequacy. I have felt inadequate many times as a missionary and could empathize with his urge to keep his head down, maybe shake it a bit, and wonder how he could possibly live up to the circumstances and responsibility that had been given to him. However, when President Monson entered the elevator, he gave him the infinitely wise council to 'look up.'
It is always better to look up, for it is there that we find the answers that help us to grow and progress and come closer to our Heavenly Father. When we look down, all we find is the world's answer to problems, "It's too hard, it isn't that important, just give up." I have a firm testimony in 'looking up,' in calling upon Our Heavenly Father to take away those burdens that we cannot manage on our own, to find the solution and power to persevere through Him and none else.
I believe that Our Heavenly Father DOES hear each prayer, no matter how small or insignificant the problem or concern seems to be. Faith is the key ingredient, and when we couple that with the requisite action, miracles will and do follow.
As far as the work goes, we are working our tails off to complete some extra tasks the Lord has assigned us this month. I'm actually not sure how we are going to do it, but I know we will somehow! One of the most exciting things for me was a crazy mad and successful dash to get one of our most promising investigators to mutual on Wednesday. It was awesome! We drove about ninety miles to make it happen, but happen it did! (The activity was scraping paint off of some science work stations downtown, I bet he LOVED that!)
Two of our other promising investigators came to one of the Saturday sessions of conference. When it ended, before we could even ask, one of them said, I LOVED that, it was all from the Book of Mormon (She has read all but the last thirty pages or so and over half of the Gospel Principles book.). It was a great week, and I can't wait for all of the miracles that I am going to see this week.
      I am so grateful to be here and to be a part of this great work. I hope I live up to the responsibilities the Lord has given me. I do know that I will never be able to if I don't keep my hope and faith in Him. I am determined and committed to keeping my eyes focused in the right direction...up.
I love you all,
Hermana Levanger

September 26, 2011

Hello Everyone!,
   I am so excited for General Conference this weekend! My very first weekend in the field was April General Conference. I have been in this blessed place as a missionary for My Father in Heaven for six months, and a missionary for eight! The time is going by too fast! I am so grateful for each day that I have to be serving in the vineyard of Tampa, Florida, especially here in Largo.
   Church yesterday was amazing! We had 53 people for the second week in a row; we are bursting at the seams in that little relief society room! We also had a new family move in, two young boys, parents both speak Spanish, are sealed in the temple, and he holds the Melchizedek Priesthood. Our prayers have been answered again! They came last week just to visit, but this week we made it official by moving their records, yay!
   Testimony meeting on Sunday was absolutely incredible. My favorite testimony was the husband of one of our recent converts. He talked about the differences he has seen in his life the last six months, going from completely inactive to taking temple preparation classes and receiving the Melchizedek priesthood at stake conference in just a couple of weeks. He said that when we allow the Father to have a part in our lives, and when we choose to follow his commandments, we discover a freedom unlike anything ever felt before. He said that he has never felt happier in his life. He knows the journey is not easy, but with his wife and baby daughter, the counsel of branch and church leaders, and a commitment to doing the little things like reading the scriptures and obeying the commandments with exactness, that it is not only possible, but worth it. He said we will then receive the greatest treasure of all...eternal life. He expressed the deepest gratitude for President Lopez, the examples of some of our strong families, and Hermana Dollahite and me. I feel so blessed to have been just a small part of this family's transformation. It was and is a miraculous thing to see.
   We had an incredible lesson with a couple we are teaching. We talked about the Law of Chastity and the Plan of Salvation. It was so funny when we got to the discussion of the kingdoms of glory she kept saying, "I want to go there, I want to go to the Celestial Kingdom. We need to do everything we can to live there ok?" It was awesome. They are now reading every single day and also ask us every time we see them to double check and make sure she can get baptized the day after her wedding, first thing in the morning! (She was worried the water might have to be cold, but we assured her it would be warm!)
   The son of our recent convert also came to church yesterday...in black pants, a white shirt, and a tie! He looked so happy to be there, and he looked like he truly belonged there. He is still very shy and will need some careful guidance and discernment to keep him on the path to baptism. However, I believe this young man has a vital role to play in this church. His spirit is one of the sweetest and most willing I have ever seen. The adversary is working very hard on him, and I am so grateful that when we asked if he had someone to turn to and confide in his answer was that he always talks to His Heavenly Father. He has a testimony that Heavenly Father hears and answers his prayers. What a wonderful reminder that was for me.
   I am so grateful to be a missionary. I see the worst and the best of people every day, but my gift is to see what people CAN be. To be able to glimpse the person that Heavenly Father sees. How easy it is to love the people we serve. What greater gift could I ask for?
I love you all,
Hermana Levanger

September 19, 2011

Hello Everyone!,
   We are so looking forward to this new transfer and continuing the work that we have only just begun! The work is unfolding and spreading in ways that we never dreamed it could. We are discovering the true power of prayer and how important it is to be specific in our prayers. I am so blessed to be in St. Petersburg, to be working with the Largo Branch, to be serving with Hermana Dollahite, and to be a missionary!
The picture is of Lazaro, Elizabeth and Helen, taken the Saturday before Helen left to go back to Peru. While we’ve had hundreds of choice and spiritual experiences here in the Largo Branch, the baptisms of these three over the past few months will always be among the most spiritual blessings I’ve experienced.
   We had our monthly branch family home evening this week. We had a 'Talent Night,’ and is there ever a lot of talent in this branch! The only low point of the night was probably the very sad attempt of the missionaries to sing one verse of 'Teach Me to Walk in the Light.' Luckily, there were many incredible acts that preceded us and everyone was so hungry I'm not sure they even heard us!
   My favorite experience of the week was the reaction of our Branch members to transfers. Who knew how much they cared? By the time we went to our branch activity on Tuesday night, almost every member of the branch already knew that we were all staying...because they had ALL called us in varying degrees of panic the day before! A couple of the women who called us actually screamed on the phone when we told them we were staying! And putting aside some minor hearing loss on our part, I think everyone here in the Largo area is happy with the results of transfers!
   We saw so many miracles this week! My favorite was with Yudi (pronounced Judy) and Aneudy. We have been working with Yudi since I got here; she is the girlfriend/fiancée of a less active member, Aneudy. They had a really hard time understanding the logistics of getting married and that they COULD actually do it without too many problems. They finally decided to get married back in August and set the date for...October 29th. I was so bummed! That isn't even this transfer and we have been working with them FOREVER! So I started praying and praying, and lo and behold we get a frantic call from Yudi that the building isn't available on the 29th and she doesn't know what to do! So we go talk to them and after exploring many options I suggest they just move it to the week before so all they have to do is change the 9 to a 2 on the invitations...and they agreed! So not only are they getting married a week sooner and in this transfer, but did I also mention that we were able to move her baptismal date to October 23rd in the process? Yay! God works in mysterious ways, even if it requires scheduling a regional youth dance in the building to do it!
   Looking forward to this next week, as I look forward to every week I have in this richest of all fields. Who am I kidding? I look forward to every second, let alone every week! I hope you all have a great week as well. I hope you know how much I love and pray for each and every one of you. Thank you for all of the love and prayers you share with me.
I love you all,
Hermana Levanger

September 12, 2011

Hello Everyone!
I can't believe I am actually writing this...Hermana Dollahite and I are staying in St. Pete for a fifth transfer! Not only have we been together longer than any other sister missionaries in one area with one companion, we have now passed all missionaries! I guess the Lord just isn't done with us here! The thoughts and feelings of my heart right now are amazing. While I was okay with a transfer, and I knew I would miss Hermana Dollahite and St. Pete desperately, I also knew that whatever happened would be the will of the Lord. I am so grateful that the will of the Lord is to keep us here! Hermana Dollahite and I will serve together for seven months, nearly half a mission! When this transfer ends, I will be three days away from my nine-month mark.....NUTS!!!!! I remember Hermana Dollahite celebrated her nine-month mark on my third day in the field...I thought she was such an old missionary! How did that happen!
We had the blessing of having Elder Nelson in our mission this past week. I learned so much in that conference, not only about being a missionary but about myself as well. I learned more about my role as a missionary, and had my power and authority as a servant of God emphasized and reaffirmed by a prophet of the Lord. What a blessing it is to be a missionary! We have been given so much, and I know that much is expected. How I look forward to every second I have, proving my commitment and love to the Savior and His work.  It was truly an experience I will never forget as long as I live, sitting at the feet of an apostle (the assigned seating had Sister Dollahite and me in the front row, right under the pulpit), being taught and having a blessing pronounced upon us and our work. I continue to be grateful for the opportunity to be one of the Lord's chosen servants at this time.
Two of our investigators right now are the parents of a recent convert in the Palm Harbor area. They were originally from Portugal and most recently from Venezuela. They have a REALLY heavy Portuguese accent. Anyway, we have been working with them, and at first no one thought they were going to be interested because they told others they were Catholic (like EVERY Hispanic convert!). When we began teaching them, we realized they aren't really THAT Catholic! The Mother is especially proactive about learning about the church and had already read to 2 Nephi before we even had the first lesson with them! Last Wednesday, we had an incredible lesson on the restoration with them. It was so powerful. We committed her to a baptismal date and the spirit in the room was amazing! Even the flat tire we got on the way home didn’t bring us down! Once again, Hermana Dollahite and her trusty AAA card/membership saved the day! (Funny story: she got her renewed card only a couple of hours earlier in the mail!) Amazing how Heavenly father looks after his missionaries!
In a previous e-mail I mentioned that I hoped the Largo Branch would be meeting in the chapel by the end of the year. I know that was well beyond my authority to foresee, but I really did feel a confirmation that this was the future of the branch, that the people here were simply too incredible and precious in the sight of God to have them not grow and continue to progress. Well, on Sunday we received the news that the Largo Spanish Branch will be meeting in the chapel for a three month trial period beginning January 1st, 2012. For example, the picture with this post is of the two sisters baptized since our arrival, with their babies who were born after they arrived in the branch. See how the branch is growing! Only by seeing into my head and heart could you comprehend the joy I feel! I know I am unable to express it in words; I am so thrilled and honored to be a small part of the miracles that are happening in Saint Petersburg.
We already have plans to have that first meeting packed, and all those that follow. By the end of this year, the Largo Spanish Branch will be changed forever, and will still only be beginning to reach its potential. If nothing else comes of my mission (and I know there are many more blessings to follow), I will know with a full surety that I have been a part of something truly remarkable. These are the kind of experiences that change you, and I can assure you all I am changed forever because of the blessings I have received to be here in this area with Hermana Dollahite.
Love you All,
Hermana Levanger

September 7, 2011

Hello Everyone!
   Another week (plus a little bit)! I can't believe how much happens in just seven short days! The miracles just keep coming. I'm sorry my letter is a day later than I said it would be. We were technically supposed to do e-mails yesterday (because the libraries were closed on Monday for Labor Day), but we had back-to-back appointments all day that couldn't be re-scheduled, so...e-mails today!
  We had a great week. In testimony meeting Helen bore her testimony and said she had tons of questions but that they were all answered through the scriptures! She used one example that I loved. She said, "I could never figure out why the Church magazine was called the "Liahona. Where in the world did they get that word?" Then she was reading the Book of Mormon and came across the story of Lehi finding the Liahona. She said, "I finally knew what it meant! The Liahona is like a guide for all of us to know where we should go and what we should do, just like Lehi! I know that is true, and that the scriptures really do show us the way!" What a great blessing that was to hear! I was so proud of her and so grateful to have been a part of her discovery of the gospel.
Another awesome experience was yesterday with Elizabeth. We can already see the difference the gospel is making in her life. It is just incredible, amazing really. She was making transfer predictions, as all the members seem to be doing this week. (In case you were wondering she thinks I am going to stay, but Hermana Garnica thinks that Hermana Dollahite is going to stay. After several minutes of this, her husband Jose said, "I don't like this!" It was pretty funny!
Of course, because the subject of transfers came up, Elizabeth was talking about other sisters they had seen those few times they went to church before we started working with them. She kept talking about the sisters like, “you know the one who didn't talk very much and had brown long hair" or "the one who laughed a lot and led the music" or "the tall one with long blond hair, the one who was companions with the short one who had curly hair."
It totally cracks me up trying to figure out who they are talking about when they are talking about the other sisters, especially since I don't really know them. All the members do that!
Of course I wanted to know how she would describe us to the next missionaries and what she said is something I will never forget. She said, "Oh, I don't need to describe you. I know your names. You are the ones who introduced me to the gospel, who made it a part of our lives—I will never forget you." Wow, what a gift that was.
My other favorite moment of that visit was when Elizabeth told us a story about Adrianna. Since we are now adopted members of their family, they have pictures of us on their computer wallpaper (which cycles through the random pictures they have on their computer). Elizabeth was reading and Adrianna was playing on the floor when all of a sudden Elizabeth hears, "Hola Hermanas....Bye Hermanas!" As our picture came on and then left. It was so cute! Every time we come now she calls us by name! I love this family so much!
   I love you all more than I can say. I really love being a missionary. I will tell you all next week what happens with transfers but I'm not worried about it. What happens will happen and it will be right. I will never forget my time here though, it has changed me, and I will be thankful for it for the rest of my life!
Love you all,
Hermana Levanger

August 30, 2011

Hello Everyone!,
  Another great week to be a missionary! Elder Zwick of the Seventy met with us yesterday for a special Mission Conference. It was awesome and really powerful. We received a lot of good advice, but more than anything, he expressed love and gratitude for all that we are doing, not only from him, but from the first presidency. I felt truly honored to be a missionary. Of course, I feel that every day.
  We had four women from our branch go to the temple to receive their endowments on Saturday. The light they brought back with them was blinding. I was a little jealous. More than anything though, I was so grateful to see the change that came over them and to be a part of it. I hope I can see that change when many of their husbands go in November as well. What joy there is in the Gospel and in seeing families joined together for eternity.
  I know I talk about the gospel in just about every letter. It’s just that as a missionary I see the difference between those who live the precepts of the gospel and those who don't. I used to feel the commandments were restrictive. Now, as I’m involved in this work, I see it is the World that is binding and that there is freedom and safety in the commandments. I wish there was some way to show each one of you the difference. I do know that when we live the commandments and follow the teachings God has given us to help us, we have so much more happiness in our lives. I am so grateful for their safety and protection for me, not only as a missionary, but as a daughter of God.
  Still two weeks until the end of the transfer. I have NO IDEA what is going to happen, but I think this may be the end of my companionship with Hermana Dollahite. As my Dad told me earlier this week it is absolutely useless to speculate and frankly is a waste of the Lord's time to do so. I will be grateful for every second I have with her. She is the greatest person I have ever met. I am so lucky to have her as my friend, companion, and sister.
 
I love you All,
Hermana Levanger

August 22, 2011

Hello Everyone!
In my mission President’s letter today, "I feel such strong desires for your present and lifelong happiness. That strong feeling for your happiness has been present as a constant companion ever since my call. I feel certain your happiness will be my desire for the rest of my life. I know that one key to your happiness is to stay in the right spirit."
What a wonderful man. I am so blessed to have as my mission president. He really loves us and worries for our safety and happiness more than anything. I found it so interesting though, as I read his words, that I have the same feelings...for our investigators, members, and converts. What I wouldn't give to secure the happiness of those we have the opportunity to serve. It helps me to see just a fraction of what Jesus must feel for each of us, those He is called to serve.
There is such a special bond of love and hope formed you and those you serve. I know the feelings I have will be with me as long as I live. What a blessing it is to work with such wonderful people. I assume, although I don't have the personal experience yet, that it is something like the love a parent has for his children. I was told the other day that it doesn't matter how much a child loves their parent, they can never love their parents as much as the parent loves them. I wanted to disagree, but I thought of the love my Heavenly Father has for me, and knew that I could never measure that love. The wonderful gift we as missionaries have been given, is the opportunity to feel a small part of that, which small tiny part nearly fills me to bursting.
As for the work here in Largo, things are really flying! We have three baptismal dates set with another possible three this week. The dates are for September and October and may not happen this transfer, but they will happen, and they will be strong when they do. My favorite thing is that all six of them are members of part-member families! We love adding to and completing familes! One of the most pure and wonderful joys of missionary work is seeing a family come together in the Gospel.
There are four sisters from the branch going to the temple this Saturday to receive their endowments! Amazing! We have been talking about getting patriarchal blessings for our members and having a group of men go to the temple in October. When that happens, the number of endowed members and the number of Melchizedek priesthood holders will have doubled since we got here. This Branch is going to be meeting in the chapel by the end of the year, and be a ward by the end of next. I love being a part of it.
We also had our third 'Branch Family Home Evening,' which has now become a regular monthly event. Only this time there was a roaring crowd of 50 people! The whole branch turned out for it! It was packed, we ran out of food, and there simply were not enough chairs and places for everyone...but nobody cared! It was an evening spent together as a family, and everyone left feeling closer to their home-the Largo Branch. I got the ones I could to gather for the above picture after the event. I’m not in it because I took it!
Words simply cannot express the joy I find in this work. I get to spend every day with the greatest companion in the world, Hermana Dollahite, I get to serve the greatest people in the world, the Largo Spanish Branch, and I get to be a missionary in the greatest mission in the world, the Tampa Florida Mission. I wish it could last forever; I really feel like I could do this the rest of my life.
I have never been more happy or tired or fulfilled. At times I feel as President Eyring did when he said, "when his body begs for rest, he gives himself this rallying cry, ‘Remember Him!’  Whenever we remember Him, it becomes easier to resist the temptation to want to rest from our labors and to endure to the end of our tasks." I often want to rest, and my body sometimes begs for mercy, but I simply say, 'Press on,' and somewhere somehow the strength comes.
I am so grateful to be a missionary and to be serving Our Lord and Our God. I am so grateful for the love and support and prayers that I feel from each and every one of you. Thank you for remembering me, writing to me, thinking about me, and praying for me. I need your love, it keeps me going. I hope you all know how much I love each of you, and how often I pray for your health, safety and happiness. Thank you for being my family and my loved ones, and for giving me up for this year and a half to be a part of a different family. I love you all more than I could ever say. 
Love you All,
Hermana Levanger

August 15, 2011

Hello Everyone!,
   Another joyful week full of highlights to talk about! We found a wonderful new family. We have incredible members who are reaching out to help in any way they can. We’re excited to be working for the Lord and stand as witnesses to the miracles that He can do.
   One of the biggest highlights of this week was the baptism of Emily. (See the photo.) She is the first child in the history of the Largo Spanish Branch to be baptized as a previous child of record. What an exciting and wonderful thing it was! To see a child baptized into the church is such a blessing to be a part of. To see her go into the waters of baptism with her father and to have the support of the branch was one of those moments of pure joy. We are here so those who are coming into the church for the first time can see and feel that sense of family and belonging. We are here so they can watch their loved ones follow in their footsteps by taking that first step to follow Christ. I pray for that experience for our converts and for the people we work with. All three of those who’ve joined the church on our watch have children who are not baptized. I pray they will have this experience just as I look forward to having it in my own family with my own children.
   Speaking of joy and the children of recent converts, another of those joyful moments came this week while we were teaching Lazaro’s teen-age son. We’ve run into some rough patches with him, but really felt like we should try to teach him again this week. We found a boy who was not only ready to listen, but who had been trying to read the Book of Mormon and had not been able to sleep the night before because of all the questions and feelings it brought to him. He learned that night what the Holy Ghost is, and how it answers questions and testifies of truth. I know that we still have a REALLY long way to go with him, but I also know that Heavenly Father is working over-time to let him know that he needs the gospel in his life.
I think back to what I was like when I was 15. I know what I would have become if I hadn't had the church and it makes me cringe to think about it. I know that there are people in this world who do a lot better with a whole lot less, but for me, I would have been lost without it. I hope that somehow, through me, God can testify to him just how important the gospel is. The fact that a 15-year-old not only feels this way, but recognizes and points it outto us is incredible to me. I really shouldn't be that surprised; I have a younger brother just like him. He is a young man with a heart of pure gold, who loves his family and his friends and his God and wants to do the right thing at all times. He is a young man who is often misunderstood or under appreciated (a fact which breaks my heart by the way). He is a young man who would go to the ends of the earth to help someone else; young man who will do real miracles when he joins me in the mission field in a few months. How grateful I am today for the example, love and guidance that my younger brother Erik has given me.
   How I love this gospel. How lucky we are to bask in the rays of hope and love that it offers. I have so much gratitude in my heart not only to be a member of this great church, but to have the opportunity to be in the front row as others turn on that light in their own lives. Is there anything more powerful and worthy of our love and gratitude? If there is, I haven't yet experienced it. My mission is the greatest blessing and experience of my life. Sure we have difficulties. We have bad moments or hours or even days. But the truth we occasionally forget is that the worst moment as a missionary is better than the best moment of someone without the light and truth of the gospel. We have the honor and the privilege to help others see that light that already exists inside all of us.
    I am happy. I am so happy to be here, to share these moments with my sweet and wonderful companion Hermana Dollahite, and to build these life-long relationships with the members and investigators we have been given the opportunity to work with. I know that this work is a privilege. I know that there is such a big difference between thinking that we have to be here and knowing that we GET to be here. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity I have to be here.
Love you All,
Hermana Levanger

August 8, 2011

Hello Everyone!
  The work here is moving forward! We are really on a speeding train that is shooting through the mists of opportunity. I know without a doubt that this branch has a destiny, and that destiny is to be a strong, thriving ward. I believe that reality is in the near future, not a glimmering light in the distance as some still seem to think. I have never been more grateful to be a missionary.
Speaking of being a missionary, last Saturday night was Mormon night at The Trop so we got to go. They may as well have called it Mormon Missionary Night as there were so many missionaries there. The picture was taken there.
   We started an English class on Tuesday nights. It has been tried in the past and failed because of lack of participation from investigators. We were worried about this at first, but instead of starting one and hoping for the best, we brought the issue before the Branch Council. In our combined meeting last week President Lopez went around the room and asked every single member which day they could commit to coming on...with Tuesday being the over-whelming majority. So, with faith and lots of prayers, we arrived Tuesday evening to plan and prepare. One by one they came, three recent converts and one long-time member to learn, grow, and support our efforts. It was a crowning success and all had a great time learning together.
   That may be the biggest difference I have seen, the change in attitude in our Branch. Members of our branch are excited to come to church each week. They fight for the chance to bear their testimonies. They sign up to feed us and have us in their homes. (That’s nice!) They support our monthly activity, other activities and special events. It is such an honor to be a part of this work.
   This week we have five new investigators, none of which came through the tired old way of missionary work...knocking on doors. Four are members of families who have a church member in the home. One moved here a few months ago and decided that she wanted a fresh start, including a return to the Church. Her mother and husband want that light too. Two are the parents of a recent convert. When first questioned three weeks ago, they were not at all receptive. They were Catholic, proud of it, and just wanted to visit and support their son. We still gave them copies of the Book of Mormon, which they have started to read. They came to church on Sunday and we have a lesson with them on Wednesday. It is amazing what that little blue book can do!
   We are so grateful for Elder Davis and Elder Taveras. Hermana Dollahite and I were just talking about how we never got the work done with just the two of us. There are too many people, too many miles, and not enough hours to do it all. That is the thing that occasionally keeps me up at night...there isn't enough time. How do we do it all? The only answer I have found is to give it to the Lord. Give him all of your burdens, your worries, your dreams, your hopes, your desires, your struggles. He knows what to do with them. He knows what to do with His work and His faithful servants. I am blessed with His love and guidance in my life. I am grateful for His son Jesus Christ. I am so honored to be His missionary.
With Honor,
Hermana Levanger

August 1, 2011

Hello Everyone!
    Another transfer has come and gone and Hermana Dollahite and I are both still here, as are Elders Taveras and Davis! President said he absolutely did NOT want to mess with a good thing!
   Things in the Branch have totally turned around. President Lopez asked if the missionaries could speak in Sacrament meeting before James (our branch mission leader) presented the new branch mission plan. We now have a branch goal for each member to Invite one person to church, to a branch activity, or to a family home evening each week. We also have a stake goal of reading the scriptures daily, sharing our testimony weekly, and being invited into the home of another member to share our love and testimony with them monthly. We have been promised by the Lord that if we will do these things our branch will grow dramatically and exponentially! It is awesome! And the branch is so energized.
Sister Dollahite and Elder Taveras spoke, followed by an AMAZING special musical number by Elder Sims (He is English-speaking elder in our zone who wrote and learned the song in Spanish just for us. He is also our new district leader). After the musical number, James presented the plan. It was a great Sunday.
  The Elders also had their first baptism, and it was wonderful to see how excited they were. I thought Elder Davis' eyes might pop out of his head when Diego asked him to do the confirmation (He has only been learning Spanish for five months!). And I don't think I have seen a bigger grin of pure boyish delight than the one I saw on Elder Taveras' face after Diego came up out of the water. What a wonderful week the four of us had working in the field together. It is still hard for me to remember that the way we are doing missionary work is unique.
   One of my favorite experiences of the week was at a stake missionary training meeting. The meeting consisted of every branch and ward council in the stake, every missionary, the stake presidency, and President Summerhays. It was a LOT of people. During the meeting the branches and wards discussed their goals and how the work was going. President Summerhays was then asked to provide feedback or counsel.
President Lopez (our Branch President) told everyone that our Branch was holding a monthly family home evening activity, that it would continue to schedule regular temple visits and that we would get all of our members to the temple by the end of the year. He also said we would have a complete home teaching program with integrated accountability. He finished by saying the Branch has the best missionaries he has ever seen and to please never transfer any of us. I'm pretty sure I was beet red. A little complement once-in-awhile is probably okay but this is the Lord’s work.
Then President Summerhays chimed in and said, "Did you all know they had 58 people in sacrament last week? There are beautiful things happening in the Largo Branch, and I am so excited to see it!" It was really cool.
   I'm excited to be here and doing the work of the Lord. He really is the orchestrator here, and I am so grateful to be one of the 'instruments' that He uses. What an honor and a blessing it is to be a missionary. This transfer will be the greatest one ever. We are setting high goals and we are determined to reach them. We already have the activity for the month planned and are starting English classes tomorrow. We visited the homes of our members 77 times this last transfer and we are determined to visit even more during this one.
I love you all!
Hermana Levanger