Sister Josie Dalley: Leaving My Ocean

Hello my people,

How are you doing today? It is so good to hear from you and to be talking with you.

M - District movie morning. We watched The Best Two Years together. Don’t worry, it is all approved, promise. We then went to a park and climbed trees and played 9 square and kickball together. Super fun! Super party! We did all our washing and shopping and then had FHE which was volleyball.

T - My sixth month mark as a missionary! What the heck? Can you believe it? Six super short months! Craziness! It has been the shortest six months of my life, but the most meaningful. I have grown so much. I absolutely all I have learned and everything I get to be a part of. I feel like someone is fast forwarding my time out here. During studies, I studied the hymn God is Love.

The scripture it referenced is 1 John 4:7-8

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

I love it because it is literally missionary work. You can do all this stuff as a missionary but if you don’t love the people you work with or your companion it is not worth anything. Literally we teach about Jesus Christ and He taught love.

Another one it referenced is

Moses 6:63

63 And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me.

I loved that. You all know how much I absolutely love this earth and all the wonderful creations. I know all things bear record of him.

District Council - We learned about personal revelation and how to use it in our planning because he knows all his children and when they are going to be home and what they need to hear to accept the gospel. It will help us have more effective days. We are having all these amazing meetings and doing all these amazing things. What other group of people our age do that kind of thing? I am impressed with missionaries. Missionaries are amazing. We all went to Cessy’s for lunch.

We went to the church with Shayna, one of our members. We picked up Tiffany and brought her to the church and talked to her more about the priesthood. We asked her how she felt and she said, “I can’t describe it but that is what I have been praying for the last sixth months.” She said she doesn't feel like she has truly repented but we were able to comfort her with scriptures and love.

Tiffany

W - What a day! We went and then went tracting. We hardly ever tract because our area is everyone else’s area. It was super good, we were able to see some success from it. We went to dinner with Ethan. He is so cool. He is a less active member who is working on coming back. He asked us to help him with that. We went to a lesson with Taylor and Ashley. They are everywhere. They asked us so many questions about polygamy, about gays in the church, the temple, the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, apostles, prophets and disciples. We read the intro of the Book of Mormon with them and they felt like they learned a lot from it.

Th - I studied a hymn that has the lines, “God is our sun he makes our day. God is our shield he guards our way.” I absolutely love how that is worded. Thursday was fun. We went in the mission van with all the trainees and trainers. We got in the mission van and went to the mormon battalion. When we got to San Diego we went to the tequila factory where we had lunch. It is still funny to me that president takes the missionaries to the tequila factory. We went to the Mormon Battalion where I got to see sister Emma Austin. She is doing amazing. She is just glowing. I love the Mormon Battalion. The history and spiritual aspect of it.

President pulled aside sister Miles and she will be training here in a trio. The trainee is going to the Philippines, she is waiting for her visa. I am so excited for her but that means we are no longer together as companions.

F - I love this verse in 1 Nephi 11:17 it says,

I know God loves us and has a plan for all of us. We are supposed to live by his commandments and we will be blessed. I know these things, but I don’t know everything but that is ok.

We went to Shayna’s house and made boutonnieres and corsages for her wedding. We had a lesson with Tiffany to find out where she is in believing, if she has asked and if she has received an answer. She said she started at 30% and now is at like 80% believing. Yay for Tiffany. She is doing so good.

S - We had transfer calls. I am going somewhere else. Yep that is right, sister Dalley is leaving her home of her whole mission. I am going up to Temecula. I will be on a bike full time in a family ward. I am so sad to be leaving but I am super excited to see how everything goes. There is no ocean up there. This (Oceanside and Carlsbad) is my home but I am excited to meet them and work with them and have the same love for them as I have had here.

We went to work the rest of the day. I love working.

Su - I studied the hymn The Lord is My Light. I love this hymn. The scripture reference is Psalms 27:1 which says, “27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” I love that I was reading a talk. One of the points is I Fear No Man - Whom shall I fear? As a disciple of Christ I am here on his errand and I fear no man, what they say or their criticism against me means nothing.

It was so great! I loved that day! We went to the church and met Tiffany and the Gundersons and we drove down to the regional YSA conference in San Diego. You heard me right Tiffany came to church. Every talk was just for Tiffany. We stayed after for the Munch and Mingle and she met and talked with a bunch of our members. We showed Tiffany the temple on our way home and she loved it. I had to tell her I was leaving when we dropped her off. Tiffany is not a touchy person but she gave me a hug. It made me so happy. I am so sad to leave but I am so happy that I was part of her journey.

I packed while sister Miles sang with her beautiful voice, “God Be With You ‘Til We Meet Again.” We went to the church and said goodbye some elders that were going home and to Will who just kept saying “I want to hug you.” I love all these people, they are my best friends and I am going to miss them so much.