Service at it's Finest!

Hey ya'all!

Spring is doing it's best to get here in iola. We had a big ice/snow storm that cancelled church again last week. But after that, the sun tried to find it's way here and it actually warmed up a little bit. Hopefully it will stay that way!

A few weeks ago I wrote about a lady in the ward that has had cancer for the past few years...we had visited her and had an incredible experience with her. She had received the news that she was cancer free a few days before we went, and was able to share with us that she believed she was able to endure the cancer so that she could continue share her testimony about the plan of Salvation with others.

Last week she was told that the cancer had returned and that there were additional spots on her liver that could potentially be cancerous. After enduring what she thought was her last round of chemo and thinking she was cancer free, her heart was broken to know her battle wasn't over. In addition to her many health problems, she lost her 13 year old  granddaughter last week in a very tragic car accident. The trials seem to keep piling up in her life.

At the end of last week, she called us and asked if we could come help her clean her house before the funeral. While we were there, she said the only thing she really cared about being done was her kitchen floor. Having cleaned houses for so long, I got right to work, down on my hands and knees. She had left the room for a while, and she came back just as I was finishing the floor...still on  my hands and knees. When she walked in the kitchen she was so surprised....she said: "Oh my goodness, you're on your hands and knees. This floor hasn't been cleaned like that since I started Chemo last year!" As she glanced at the freshly mopped floor, she began to sob. She could barely talk as she said: "This floor has never looked so good. You will never know how much this means to me...."  Then between sobs, she said: "Thank you...so much." Then grabbed me and hugged me like I've never been hugged before. Her gratitude was sincere. I was filled with the kind of joy you can only receive by serving others. I never knew that doing something as simple as cleaning a hardwood floor would mean so much to somebody, and would be able to bring me so much joy.

Saturday was her granddaughter's funeral. We were able to attend and I was asked to say the closing prayer. As I sat there during the service, and especially as I said the prayer, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the knowledge I have of this Gospel. How comforting it is to know that our Heavenly Father loves us enough to allow us to return to live with Him and our families for eternity. 

At the end of the funeral, With tears in her eyes, this sweet, incredible strong woman once again hugged me and thanked me for my service...Although I am simply doing my best to fulfill my purpose as a missionary and deserve no special appreciation or attention, it meant the world knowing I had helped someone in need. I'm not sure who was more grateful--her, for having the help she needed...or me, for having the opportunity to serve her. I am so blessed to be able to serve each and every day and am so grateful for the joy I feel as I do so!

I love you all.

Sister Hyer

exchanges with sister Albrecht. We made cupcakes for our friend!

Our cute cupcakes. baking is part of preaching the Gospel when you're a sister missionary! ;)

picture of a picture...but this is too cool not to share! Since our mission is so geographically small, we were able to get together as an entire mission back around Christmas time...that doesn't happen very often! So our mission president had a photographer come and capture the event. What a good lookin mission! ;)

I couldn't resist sending a picture of this. Evidence that I live in a small town...in the middle of nowhere...with a bunch of awesome farmers. This has been in our fridge for the past 6 months. Yes, your read it right, that does say BarBQ Coon...as in Barbeque Racoon...as in Racoon that has been bottled with BBQ sauce. haha. Oh the life of a missionary!

So Happy on a Sunny PDay!

I've had more slumber parties on my mission than I have had my entire life. haha. This is how we fit 4 sister missionaries in one tiny room. We love sleepovers with the Stanley sisters!

This is a very common view I have from the driver's seat. Love the big Kansas Skies!



Mission Experiences

Oh! How the weeks go by!

Cool experience this week.

We have been volunteering at the local senior citizen center. Once or twice a week, we have the opportunity to go play games with the residents... and it's wonderful and hilarious. Their favorite game is dominoes, and though most of them don't know how to play, or are not aware enough to know what they're doing, they somehow still seem to beat us every time! We've had some good laughs and some tender moments.

One time, I was sitting next to this 90-something year old lady in a wheel chair. She was trying to read my nametag, so she got up as close as she could to it and yelled, "Sister??.....Are you a nun?!" I tried not to laugh and explained the best I could that I was a missionary...NOT a nun. ha.

The majority of the residents have lost their memories and deal with all the trials that old age brings. One of them, Jan, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's a few years ago. She tries to communicate with us, and although we rarely understand her, there's always a message that she's trying to tell us, and she knows exactly what it is. She doesn't remember anything, and her sentences hardly make sense. Her husband visits her hours and hours a day. It is so sweet.

Last week, we attended an activity with these sweet residents. There was a man who came, guitar in hand, to play some gospel songs and try to liven things up a bit. I sat their watching these senior citizens...as the music started, their countenances brightened and many started dancing and clapping--moving their canes and wheelchairs to the beat. As I watched closely, I saw many of them singing along...including my friend Jan....I was amazed to see that although the years had taken their memories, one of the few memories that did remain were the lyrics and melodies of their favorite hymns and gospel songs. The music that had once touched them was instilled in their hearts, and they were able to recall the happiness and joy that singing those hymns brings...even though they may not even remember who they are. I was reminded that music makes us feel things that nothing else in the world can.

I thought this again during sacrament meeting yesterday. A family got up to sing the song, "I Know That My Savior Loves Me." The four kids (with the youngest being only 4 years old), accompanied by their mom, stood at the pulpit and sang out with all the energy they could, declaring that they truly did know their Savior loves them. Somewhere between their tender voices and sweet smiles, I was overcome with the spirit...and was once again reminded of how important music is to helping us feel the spirit and how wonderful it can be to help us feel happiness and joy.

How grateful I am to have grown up in a home where music was so abundant and that I was taught that Music is a gift from our Heavenly Father. Although I sometimes complained about all the piano students (haha) I am grateful that there was always music in my home. (Thanks, Mom! :D )

I love you all!

Sister Hyer