Hello family!

Hello my dear family!

Well, another week has come and gone! It's hard to believe that I've already been in College Park for 3 weeks! I can't imagine going back to a family ward now! YSA is great, but something that's hard is remembering that I'm a missionary and that although all of these people are my age, I can't be casual around them. It's so easy to slip back in to being a college student--because I remember what that was like all too well! That's something that I realized this past week is that temptation is easy, and choosing the right is really, really tough sometimes.

 I was reading about the Atonement this morning in Mark 14-16 and there was a verse that talks about Judas, when he decides to betray him:

10 ¶And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.

 11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.

 It's amazing to me that someone who knew of the Savior's divinity, and he knew of his sacred calling as an apostle of the Lord had the nerve to even think about betraying Him. How could that happen? The part that stood out to me was that Judas looked for a way to "conveniently" betray Him. It was all according to his timetable, or so he thought, and he took no thoughts except for himself. We had zone conference this week, as I'm sure y'all know, and President Heap instructed on the sacrament. What he shared, and what I read this morning made me think. And also, it brought a question to my mind:
 Who am I to deserve such a gift?

It reminded me of the words to the hymn "I Stand All Amazed".

 I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.
Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

I have a feeling that in this life, we will never be able to comprehend His great sacrifice for us, but I know that at the very least, I can be grateful and live as He would.

We have been so blessed with people to teach. Recently, we contacted and taught two people who just blew our minds at how prepared they were! I am seeing the gospel change lives every day--sometimes big ways, sometimes small--but the biggest change I am seeing is in myself.

I love you all so much! I hope you have a fantastic week!

Love, Sister Tycksen

Kristina by the TLM sign

Zone conference

Kristina with Fermin, Amy, and little Fermin ( my first baptism )

Zone conference

Just Keep Swimming

Hola mi familia!!

     Well, to start off, I just want to make sure that y'all realize that in one year, y'all will be picking me up at the airport....I'll just let that sink in ;) Time is going too fast! Part of me hopes that the year goes by really fast, but the other part hopes this wonderful experience I'm having never ends!

      This week was AMAZING! I have seen so many miracles happen, and I definitely know that the Lord looks out for His missionaries, especially the sisters ;) My companion and I started reading the Book of Mormon every day together with a specific question in mind. We have seen so many blessing from that!! We found 3 new investigators this week :O and we know that it was all because of us putting forth an effort and being willing to be guided by the Lord. 

       A couple of times, we were just walking on campus, saying hi to people, and then my companion starts "how to begin teaching"! It throws me off for a second, but then we're both on the same page, and we actually taught a lesson on the spot! I am learning, more and more, how to have faith and trust in the Lord that if I open my mouth, it will be filled.

       We got an "emergency call" to clean the temple on Friday. Apparently missionaries were supposed to come, but the people who signed up the missionaries didn't tell them... SO, we went and I got to go in parts of the temple that I've never been in before! I went down where the oxen are in the baptistry!! I was so excited! It was like when a new Harry Potter book was coming out, or when my macarons turned out like they were supposed to :D 

       Fun thing, I am singing in a musical number for zone conference this week! Last week, one of the elders in our district called and asked if my companion or I would want to do a duet with him--half in spanish and half in english. I said "Sure! I'll do it!" THEN, on Wednesday, he told me that we were singing in church on Sunday too! X0 I was so upset!! (I'm kind of joking, but not really) We sang "I Need Thee Every Hour" and the first verse was him, in english, then the second verse I sang in Spanish, and then the third verse we both sang, but I was in english and he was in spanish, and then the last verse was spanish, and I harmonized on the chorus. It went really well! We sang it acapella and I was really nervous that my voice wouldn't be loud enough, but it worked! Before Sacrament meeting, we met to practice it one more time, and I was so nervous and I was shaking so bad that I was like "I need to sit down" so, out of the corner of my eye I saw two chairs on either side of me, so I reasoned that there was a chair directly behind me....I was wrong. XD I fell flat on my behind, and was kind of stunned for a second. My companion and then the elders were laughing sooooo hard. Sister Harvey was crying! I have had so many experiences like this on my mission, it's not even funny, but at the same time, it's hilarious. I'm learning that laughing at myself is a good thing!

     In the Joseph Smith movie, one of my favorite parts is when Emma and her mother are talking, and her mother tells her that "there are plenty of fish in the sea" and then Emma replies with "yes, but why would I want to fish in shallow waters?" (and then Joseph walks by :D ) Later in the film, after the prophet is tarred and feathered, Emma asks why bad things keep happening, and Joseph says "Perhaps I am meant to swim in deep water--better deep than shallow." I love that line. We can learn to swim in shallow water, the basics like the doggy paddle, or strokes and proper breathing, but it is only by moving to deeper water that we can acquire the strength and skill that we need in order to become proficient. This principle is the same in the gospel: it is only by moving away from our "comfort zone" and from that which we know that we can learn and grown and become the strong and valiant sons and daughters of God that we are meant to become. I know this is true, I have seen it in others, and I am living it right now. The whole point behind this is that I found the scripture where it talks about deep water. It's Doctrine & Covenants 127:2. 

And as for the perils which I am called to pass through, they seem but a small thing to me, as the envy and wrath of man have been my common lot all the days of my life; and for what cause it seems mysterious, unless I was ordained from before the foundation of the world for some good end, or bad, as you may choose to call it. Judge ye for yourselves. God knoweth all these things, whether it be good or bad. But nevertheless, deep water is what I am wont to swim in. It all has become a second nature to me; and I feel, like Paul, to glory in tribulation; for to this day has the God of my fathers delivered me out of them all, and will deliver me from henceforth; for behold, and lo, I shall triumph over all my enemies, for the Lord God hath spoken it.

It's really long, but my favorite part is that it says: "deep water is what I am wont to swim in." and that it has "become a second nature to me". When we are constantly swimming against the current, we grow stronger and then we don't even realize that our path is hard. I know that as we do this, it is only because of Jesus Christ and His Atonement, and the strength found therein that makes it all possible. 

      I love you all so much, and I am so looking forward to when I can see you all again and give you the biggest hug ever! But I want you all to know that this work is amazing, and it truly is His.

Until next week!

Love,

Sister Tycksen

Hermana Harvey and Hermana Tycksen

Cleaning the Texas Lubbock Temple with Sister Harvey

New in College Park :)

My dear family,

     Hello hello! Well, another week has come and gone, and it seems like they're going both slow and fast at the same time...I'm not quite sure how that works... I'm in Lubbock! I absolutely LOVE my new area and my companion. It took some getting used to, but I am really enjoying teaching YSA. SO, transfers were hard because I had to say goodbye to my companions :( I cried a lot those last two days. It was really hard to say goodbye to the people in Roswell. I came to love them so much and it makes me really sad to know that I may not see them for a really long time. There are highs and lows to every part of missionary work, that's for sure.

     Sister Harvey is AWESOME!! I just adore her! She and I had the same MTC teacher but she came out a transfer after me. So, she's spanish speaking (yay!)  and fresh out of training and completely fantastic :D We are really similar, which is kind of scary sometimes because we are thinking the exact same thing ;) We speak spanish a LOT, which is awesome. It reminds me of my days at the MTC :) We are both not the most healthy eaters, but we're trying to change that! She is from Pleasant Grove, UT and she has two brothers and two sisters. Fun facts for the world :) 

     The ward here is so amazing! I was a little apprehensive about coming to YSA, but everyone told me how awesome it was, and I am happy to say that it's true! Obviously, every area in a mission has something wonderful about it, but there is something just different about serving on a college campus. Finding and contacting are really intimidating because everyone is going somewhere fast, but we are learning the tricks of the trade ;) Together, as a companionship, we have a goal of significantly improving our finding abilities this transfer. So, we're starting by just saying hi to EVERYONE we see :D It's working pretty well so far. 

From day one, there have been so many miracles here. I'm learning a new depth to the power of prayer and faith. For example, not even an hour after I met Sister Harvey, she gave me her planner to look at an address and I lost it... oops. But, we decided to say a prayer, and IMMEDIATELY we found it!! We have started a "miracle wall" where every night we write down the miracles that happened that day. 

     I have learned a LOT about trusting in the Lord this week. It's funny, because it's like General Conference was a 'heads up' of what was coming for me! The conference talk from Sister Marriott has really spoken to me this week, and also a couple of quotes from other people:

"If you are on the right path, it will always be uphill." -President Eyring

"Hold on tight and enjoy the ride!"

 "He is our comforter during the uncomfortable moments in our lives." 

     Those last two were said by people here in the mission :) One last thing that I have really loved this week is the last verse of "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go" (hymn #270):

 There's surely somewhere a lowly place
In earth's harvest fields so wide
Where I may labor through life's short day
For Jesus, the Crucified.
So trusting my all to thy tender care,
And knowing thou lovest me,
I'll do thy will with a heart sincere:
I'll be what you want me to be.

         I am learning to be what HE wants me to be, and to set aside my own desires--however righteous I think they are. I know that as we learn to trust God, and strive to be worthy to have His Spirit with us always, we will become the incredible son or daughter that our Heavenly Father knows we can be.

      One last thing, my scripture that I am ponderizing this week is Jacob 4:6

6 Wherefore, we search the prophets, 

and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; 

and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken,

 insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, 

or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.

           I know that as we study the words from the prophets, both modern and ancient, our faith will increase, our testimonies will be strengthened, and we will obtain the hope that will help us not only endure to the end, but to endure it well.

                 I love you all so much!!! I miss you more than I can say, but just know that all of you are always in my heart and in my prayers.

Love,

Sister Tycksen

Top one is the Hansen family--oh how I love them!

The other with the older couple is Paula and Larry :)

 

It's Autumntime! It's Autumntime!

My dear family,

     Hello to my favorite people in the world!! I hope that y'all are doing just fantastic!!  Wasn't Conference amazing? My companions and I were talking in between sessions and we noticed that all of them were pretty bold and straightforward with their addresses. The Lord is hastening His work!

     I absolutely loved every session, but one of my favorite talks was Sister Neill F. Marriott's. It spoke to me like nothing else. A theme for me this conference seemed to be "Trust in God" and "He will take you as you are". Apparently, those are two things I need to focus and work on at this time :)

I loved the idea of ponderizing a scripture! I have chosen 2 Nephi 4:28 Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul. This is from the chapter that is called the "psalm of Nephi" and it's one of my favorites.

      Okay, I know you're all on the edge of your seat....I'm staying again! XD JUST KIDDING!! I'm going to College Park YSA. That's Texas Tech campus! Yikes! I'm still not sure how I feel about that! My companion's name is Sister Harvey, and fun fact, she and I had the same MTC teacher! I actually wrote to her earlier this transfer to see how she was doing (because my teacher asked me to look out for her) and NOW WE'RE COMPANIONS!!! She's a transfer younger than me in the mission, so this will be interesting. I don't really know what to expect.

     Fun stuff, Yesenia came to a session of conference at the church! AND her husband went to the priesthood session!! We are so excited because they are progressing so well, but I'm sad because now I'm leaving. :( Also, we went to the UFO museum last Monday, and it was awesome! It was totally cheesy, but they had this cool display with a UFO and alien statues that would light up every so often and blow smoke and stuff. It was pretty cool.

      I survived bike week! I'm thinking that we biked about 100 miles this week--it was crazy! I have never been so grateful for the opportunity to ride in a car! But, also, I've been really antsy the past couple of days because I haven't been exercising as much as this last week. What gives? Sister Affleck is staying in Roswell and is getting a new companion, and Sister Turner is headed to Midland, Texas. Oh, by the way, did I mention that my new area is in Lubbock? Sorry! I don't think I did! oops :3 

     One thing that I have been learning lately is that it usually takes more than one time to learn something new, so that applies to literally EVERYTHING. With teaching, finding, studying, you name it--it usually takes a while to get it down. I've been studying the same principles for a while, and I am just  now getting to the good stuff! Keep on keeping on! It gets better! There is help and happiness ahead! :D

I love y'all so much!! To the stars and beyond!

Love, Sister Tycksen

p.s. pictures are at the ufo museum and at the end of bike week!