April 24, 2017 – BEcome in the Middle!

My favorites, 

We had a stellar week…AGAIN (: Can you imagine that? 

All of the people we are teaching are eating up the gospel…minus brother Rider. He fell off the face of the earth, but no worries. God knows where he is at (: And he will help us relocate him. 

This week we were going to church and a lady in our apartment complex says, "are you going to church? " Me.. YEP (: her "Pray for me" Me.. okay! But next week, you should really come with us. What is your name? her "Violet" me..Nice to meet you Violet, I am Sister Campbell.. She stares at me with this blank look like: who has a first name like that? 

We get home from church, eat lunch, and run back out to the car to grab the GPS for a second and I see her on the step having a cigarette. I said, "Violet! I prayed for you at church today! (I really did)" She got up, came over, and started talking to us. Soon enough she invited us into her apartment and we started teaching her. (: Life is good. 

So, this week brother Cornish was just not answering us back! So, we prayed for the Lord’s help to contact him. By divine intervention, when we got to his apartment he and his friend were walking out the door. It was really funny because his friend was just really creeped out that we were there- he was startled. Well, we talked to Brother Cornish for a moment, set up a time to talk with him, and start walking our separate ways…when all of a sudden, his friend, Tripp, attempts to whisper- but it was actually really loud so we heard- to Brother Cornish, "hey man, why are those people stalking you?" So there you have it. We are now stalkers (: 

So, I don't have much time to send this today, but know that I love you! And that I love my calling! I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to wear myself out in the work of the Lord each day. I am thankful for every single second of my time as a full-time missionary….it is so precious (: 

This week, I learned the importance of always being in the middle of whatever we are doing…to be focused and dedicated. Not too stuck in the past and not too worried about the future- just right in the middle (: - Try it this week…BEcome in the middle! 

Love y'all! 

Keep smiling (: 

-- 

Sister Justina Campbell

West Virginia Charleston Mission

April 17, 2017 – BEcome Expectant of Miracles

My favorites, 

How was your week? I hope it was great (: 

We had lots of meetings and even more adventures this week. Easter was a success! We were able to talk to a lot of great people- interested people- yesterday and the whole week. We were actually fed dinner this year on Easter which was a blessing(: I was really nervous for Easter because I remember it was one of the only days I got super homesick on my mission. The members that invited us over for dinner cancelled and things just didn't go smoothly at first, but we found a guy named John that ended up learning for quite a while! Then Sister Cutler and I made dinner haha, good times (:  This year the members that offered to have us over for dinner didn't end up getting back to us - so we almost had a round two of that, but then a sweet woman in the ward invited us over. It is nice to be with a family even if they aren't the same family I am used to. We had FOUR people come to church this week….and the best part is they are all actively progressing towards a time to be baptized and confirmed. 

We are teaching some stellar humans, who always make me laugh.

Brother Mackey is someone who met with missionaries before, but wasn't very consistent at lessons. Well, not only is he consistent at lessons, but he is reading and coming to church(: We taught him a workshop to help him stop smoking in a week. He is on day 5 right now and he is killing it. His lessons are never ever dull and the nice thing is, we always know when he walks in the doors to church because not many people in our congregation have blue dreads. Last week we taught about how God the Father and Jesus Christ have bodies of flesh and bone like us, but that the Holy Ghost doesn't. And that they all have different ways of helping us know truth. At the end of the lesson, we asked him to teach us what he learned about God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. He thinks in silence for a good amount of time and proceeds to say: "Well. God and Jesus Christ are like the fan and the Holy Ghost is like the wind." PERFECT. Haha, it actually makes a lot of sense if you think about it. Pray that he continues to live the word of wisdom (: 

The next person is Bryan. He is 12 and his father was a long lost member of the church. Sisters knocked into him a while back. His dad is currently trying to get time off to come to church, but he had to work yesterday. We have been trying to help Bryan come since I got here-so yeah, lots of trying-but every time something happened. We had a lesson with Bryan and taught him about boys in the scriptures that had faith and did what God asked. Bryan resolved to be brave and come to church by himself- he did and he loved it. (: Pray his dad gets work off this week! And every other week (: 

Remember how I told you a member gave us a name of someone to go try the Friday I got here? Well, he watched conference on his own accord, came to church last week and loved it, had a lesson with us and set up another one. But when we went out to try him (he lives at the very edge of our area and it takes a gazillion miles to get out there) he WASN'T HOME. We got to teach his friend though (: The worst part: his phone was off so we had no way to contact him. So, this whole week we just prayed for a miracle-that he would come to church with no reminder or invitation. We were sitting in sacrament meeting and Sister Wevers whacks me on the arm and says' "NO WAY. LOOK WHO SHOWED UP"- it was him (: 

The other person that came to church is Brother Cornish- the man that found the Book of Mormon in the trash pile from last week. It has been cool to see his appearance change as we meet with him- he just looks happier. He has some interesting questions- Like: "Can I get the second coming on pay per view?" but they are honest questions and he soaks up what we share. (: 

So, funny story! I have always secretly wanted to be knocked into (so to have someone knock on my door) on my mission. Friday morning we were studying and we heard a knock on the door- It was Jehovah's Witnesses. Needless to say, it was an interesting experience. The oddest part is that in everything they used in their initial approach to us, they somehow forgot to mention the word God or Jesus Christ..?? I learned how important it is to ALWAYS center my message on the THE center of the message- Jesus Christ. 

Well, Friends I know this Gospel is true! I also know that God will help us see miracles if we ask in faith and if we work and if we are obedient- missionary or not. It works (: I have seen it. I testify that God is real and that this is HIS work and HIS power (: 

I love my calling! 

Much love, y'all

-- 

Sister Justina Campbell

West Virginia Charleston Mission

April 10, 2017 – HAPPY EASTER!

One quick story for my email this week: 

Last week it was pouring rain. We both were not exactly excited to be out in it. I said a prayer and asked God to help us be happy in the rain. We went to try the person we had planned to try - they weren't home. Our next contact wasn't terribly far away. We decided to walk instead of drive. Well, on our walk there was ONE man walking in the rain. WE went up to him and talked with him. Turns out, he saved a Book of Mormon from the trash pile and has been reading it. Essentially, he hasn't found a church with all of the truth so he just tried to find as much as he can. Needless to say, he liked what we taught (: AND HE CAME TO CHURCH. This place is on fire! 

WE HAD A STELLAR WEEK! All because we went the extra mile every time we had the opportunity. The blessings DO COME (: I just know it! 

p.s. mormon.org -still my favorite website (: Check out the video! 

HAPPY EASTER!

Love you all! 

-- 

Sister Justina Campbell

West Virginia Charleston Mission

April 3, 2017 – BEcome Like the Savior and Invite All to Experience the Peace He Brings to Our Lives (:

My favorites!!!! 

We had an eventful week. Many opportunities to be taught by the spirit about how we could become better disciples of Jesus Christ. During our missionary conference our mission president invited us to be ALL in. I knew almost instantly what I could do to be ALL in. Isn't it cool how just a small invitation can inspire us to make the necessary changes? I think it is awesome. I tried to be all in this week by putting the goals we made in my heart, in the very center….and having faith we could reach them. We prayed fervently that God would guide us to those he had in mind when he inspired us to set those goals. On every Wednesday night in this area we have a church tour set up. The ward even made these invitations we can give out to people we meet -so cool- Before the tour on Wednesday, we headed home to eat dinner. I went to say my prayer to ask God to bless my food. It reminded me that we had yet to pray for a miracle with this great finding opportunity. Instead of sitting in my chair and simply saying a blessing on my food, I got down on my knees, prayed over my food, and then I prayed with faith that we would have someone come to this church tour. Sure enough, when we got there……there was someone the sisters had found standing in the doorway. HOW COOL! When we pray with faith, we see miracles!

I figured out that my area actually has like 5 other small little towns in it! Haha, lots of land and country roads too. Isn't that cool? It is the best of both worlds.

I want to share with you what I get to share with others every single day. The message is about Jesus Christ's ability to give us peace. He can do so as we accept him and invite his peace into our lives. Please take some time to be taught what you can do to invite more of his peace in your life on this incredible and inspired website: https://www.mormon.org/ 

https://www.mormon.org/bc/content/assets/media/zvideos/easter-2017-homepage-loop.mp4

then, after you are done, don't stop there! PLEASE BEcome like the savior and invite all to experience the peace he brings to our lives (: SHARE IT! 

I love my calling!! How cool that I get to walk around every day and share with people the greatest feeling in this WHOLE WORLD. HIS PEACE (: I KNOW he lives. I know he will meet us where we are at. –

Alma 5:48 “I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you, concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name.”

---- 

​Love you all! 

​

Sister Justina Campbell

West Virginia Charleston Mission

P.s. I am very excited that we will be getting yet another temple in my stomping grounds! I was sitting in the pews at the church building and just accidentally flew off my seat. I did a little dance and then I realized what I was doing….so I sat back down. hahahah. (: .. It reminded me of the moment I heard about the mission age change! 

March 27, 2017 – BEcome Focused on What is Ahead (:

My favorites(: 

The last four days have been an adventure for sure. So, Wednesday night the Zone Leaders call and tell me that I am actually NOT leaving Roanoke Thursday morning, I am leaving Thursday night and that my new companion (because of logistics and to save miles on the cars) would be coming to spend the day in Roanoke with Sister Zaugg and I. So, it was quite the adventure. I had never tried to do missionary work in a trio before…interesting dynamic, but we laughed a lot and it was fun showing Sister Wevers around. We saw a cool miracle. We had a few minutes that Thursday night before we had to go back to the stake center and head to Lexington. We stopped in an apartment complex to try a few contacts we had made but hadn't started teaching. Well, there is this one man that Sister Cutler and I met A LONG time ago while she was on exchanges with me. He accepted what we taught him and told us we had met him for a reason. Well, we went back often for two months to try him and nothing. HE WAS NEVER HOME. But I always knocked on his door when we were there because I wanted so badly to teach him more. Well, as soon as we got out of the car my last day- my last spot- in the area…his car turns the corner and he starts driving up the hill! I got so excited I just started trucking it up the hill- like full speed sprint people. We didn't catch him in time, so just as he closed the door I yelled his name- but he didn't hear. So, we swiftly made our way to his door all out of breath and as I went to knock he opened up the door. He was surprised to see us…two of us he had never met before, but he remembered me! He said he had been gone a lot because of two deaths that had happened very recently, but he was still open to learning. It seems small, I know, but it reminded me that the Lord is aware of the work we put into building his kingdom and he loves follow up!

So, the truth…I have been sick to my stomach because leaving Cotton Hill was not easy. Friday, we had miracle after miracle after miracle. The sisters hadn't gotten a contact to go see from a member  in 6 weeks or more and we GOT TWO the first day I was in the area. At one point I just remember laying on the floor laughing because I couldn't understand all of the miracles- it was insane!  Every person we talked to was incredibly interested and we were on FIRE.  At night, we were walking through town (YES. WE WALK ALL OVER AND WE HAVE SIDEWALKS (: ) I remember just asking the Lord what all of these miracles were for? What was he trying to tell me? All of a sudden I felt so much love and I had a thought come into my head, "PLEASE, DON'T LOOK BACK SISTER CAMPBELL. I HAVE SO MUCH FOR YOU TO DO HERE- focus on what is ahead " Wow! It hit me like a ton of bricks. The Lord was showing me…without delay…that he needed me here and he had suffered me to come here. I felt very excited for the tool I would be in his hands here- LET IT BEGIN (: 

 I love my new companion, Sister Wevers, and we have had a good time doing the Lord’s work, the Lord’s way! So, the ward didn't give the friendliest welcome ever, but they are stellar people with great desire. Pray that we will find opportunities to serve them, gain their trust and love, and see miracles! IT WILL COME with hard work and lots of outreach (: 

We met with one of my favorite people I have ever taught this week- I had no idea what to expect in the lesson, but we just asked questions and went by the spirit. We four sixed it. (1 Nephi 4:6 -it's a verb to me now) All to find out God had prepared him just yesterday. When we invited him to be baptized and receive the gift of the holy ghost his reply was, "I am ready this time". NICE. The spirit was present, very present. We asked him why he wanted to and he said, "because I feel like I will be getting a part of me back" COOL comment. I have thought a lot about that comment lately. We really do get a part of us back as we receive more of God's precious gift- the spirit- in our lives. 

Well my time is up! Back to the good life. I LOVE MY CALLING. (: 

Love y'all long time!

-- 

Sister Justina Campbell

West Virginia Charleston Mission

March 22, 2017 – Goodbye, Mini Utah!

My favorites: 

So, apologies for the VERY short email home this week. Long story short, my wart came back and Sister Zaugg and I spent 1 hr and 30 min in the doctor’s office waiting to be seen for a 3 minute visit….then we hit every light in town (: But life is good and we are happy! 

TRANSFER NEWS: Shocker….I am moving (; I am home sick already and this isn't even my home, haha. At the beginning, I struggled but it has been a good ride and I think I have grown the most here. I LOVE these people and I am sad to see them off, but good news is - I am just moving a Zone away. (This means I am close-relatively because our mission is huge-) I am going to Lexington, VA!!! I hear it is awesome. Funny story there is a sister-Sister Keller- who I got close to. She has served in 3 out of the 4 areas I have served in. She just went home. I am in the area she came to first and I am going to the area she went to next! I am exited! I feel very at ease and I am ready to meet everyone! I also think they have sidewalks…maybe…so I'll update you on that soonsies (: 

This week was a miracle week! I will share one of my favorite things that happened and then I have to go:( 

Remember the Hindu man, Brother Silwhal? Well, this week we had the coolest lesson with him. We were able to contact a Hindu convert (those don't just grow like dandelions) in Charleston and he Skyped in on the lesson! It was perfect and we couldn't have done it without him. I am so grateful for technology!!! It was a great way to end serving in this area. My heart is a bit broken, but I know I will get to come back....AND I will love Lexington! Here is to new adventures(: 

I love my calling! and I love all of you!!! 

-- 

Sister Justina Campbell

West Virginia Charleston Mission

March 13, 2017 – BEcome Happy in Your Circumstances From Day One (:

My favorites! 

I love teaching the Lord's gospel, the Lord's way! Sister Zaugg and I have been working our little tails off to find people to teach(: And we see miracle after miracle while doing it. 

-The other day we were trying some people on a very long country road. No one was home. We felt that we needed to go to the end of the street and know the last door. When we got to the very end of the street, there was a house, but we couldn't get to it. We decided to knock the first house we could get to. When we did, the cutest 90-year-old man answered the door. He has read the book of Mormon and understands so much of the gospel! He was receptive(:

We are teaching a Hindu man! AHHH. Can I tell you how much I have enjoyed this? He is one of my favorite people to teach. Sarad has prayed four times….and I swear his smile gets bigger EVERY time he prays. He says that Jesus Christ helps him see the purpose with a being who has power. God gave us Christ. Christ is here for us. He suffered for us, because he loves us.  The ultimate motive is love and that just makes sense. 

WE are teaching a Filipino family and it is a fight, but it is worth it. Satan knows how open this family is and he is not going down without a fight, but the Lord gives us so much strength and guidance to have just the right amount of persistence. PLEASE pray they can make it to church this week. We need a miracle. (: I wanted to find a family in this area. I strongly believe this is the family I had a desire to find. I LOVE THEM. 

I was thinking about this area a lot this week. I needed to be sent HERE at THIS TIME with THESE PEOPLE for so many reasons. I have no idea where I would be without my service here in the Cotton Hill ward. I have learned to not waste one second in fearing what is ahead, or what we have been given. God knows us, he knows why we are where we are. If we have a good attitude and seek to know why too, he will be happy to show us (: 

This is something one of my favorite members shared in a talk on Sunday from Al Fox Carraway so I asked her to forward it to me: enjoy (: 

"I know I don’t want something if God doesn’t want it for me—yet, how many prayers I’ve spent asking Heavenly Father to just tell me what He wants me to do so I can do it and still feel like I’m going in circles. Do you know how much time I’ve spent wasting and waiting and worrying, feeling stuck because I felt like I

couldn’t understand a clear answer with what to do? And the more time I spent thinking about one decision over the other— battling with thoughts and fears and blessings on each choice—the more confused I became and the harder it got. 

God doesn’t always tell us what is right.

But it is a promise to us from Him that He will always tell us what is not right. (If we follow and listen is a different story)
 

This is my secret weapon to decision making:

Instead of going in circles of what to decide and causing stress and anxiety and passing time, I just pick. I just pick something and move forward with it. Then, pray and tell Him what you decided. Tell Him if it’s wrong to stop you. That’s it. 

Too simple? Maybe. But it works.every.time." 

​I love my calling!!! BEST TIME EVER (: ​

-- 

Sister Justina Campbell

West Virginia Charleston Mission

It is getting greener every day (:

We live next to Salisbury drive! (that is my mission president and wife's last name)

My little spud(: I love her. 

Sister Zaugg laughs at me because every time we pass Campbell street I always give it a shout out.

February 27, 2017 – BEcome Willing to Help One More

MY FAVORITES:  

So, this week we had nice weather, lots of fun, and miracles (: 

ONE DOOR: We went by to see a woman who the sisters gave us to teach (she was out of their area). She wasn't home and we had 100 things we had to do that day, but as we left her porch the spirit said "STAY HERE"

So, we picked a door and knocked. Behind it was a Brazilian family with the most amazing and prepared 19-year-old girl I have ever met! We have had a few lessons for her and Satan is working on her! Please pray for her and her family. We taught her the restoration and SHE CRIED as she said, "this is me right now". When we left after another lesson she stood at the door and said, "DON"T LOSE ME". WOW. This HIT hard. God's children need love and they want help. She has been wanting some good friends to help her in her faith for a long time. The Lord knows us (: 

If we had left that neighborhood without knocking that one door, we would not have met them! 

Who do we need to reach out to? Is there ONE MORE person in our lives that could use a prayer, or a text, or a call? Do we seek to know who they are? And do we reach out to them? 

This week I have been focused on coming to know the Savior, and blessing lives. That's it. The simpler I let this work be, the more the Lord can direct it and help me find PURE JOY(: 

I love what I do!! 

-- 

Sister Justina Campbell

West Virginia Charleston Mission

We got to see Sister Dudley again. 

This is Lauren Christley, a recent convert and a saving grace. She was catholic and joined the church at 19. She just got called as a ward missionary and she comes out with us a lot! ​

Sister Compton and Dale.

Kate Kasmer got baptized! We invited her to give invitations to her friends. THREE friends and their families showed up. None of them were members and the spirit was so strong. She is a good missionary (: