Week 50 (August 29, 2016)

Week 50:

Being Ina trio for a coupe of days was so much fun because we had two
cars and we were so effective. Sister porter's companion was going
home so she buddied up with us until she got her new companion on
Wednesday. We had a sleepover for a couple days out in our living room 
with all 5 sisters. It was really fun and I enjoyed the laughs and the
fun time we had together. We got to take Krista to the temple Tuesday
night and sister porter took an investigator as well. Jan drove us all
down to the temple visitor center and it was a wonderful experience. I
felt the spirit so strongly when they were showing us a video about
families. It reminded me so much of my family and gratitude filled my
heart. The temples are such wonderful places where gods literal spirit
resides. We have a piece of heaven on earth with us and temples allow
us all to be together with our family forever. Not to jump too much
around but we had a lesson yesterday night with a young couple that is
less active. It is sad to see so many young couples fall out of the
repetition of going to church and doing the small things because life
gets in the way; or so that's what Satan persuades them to believe.
The husband did make a comment that was really sweet as we were
talking about the temple. He said that it's not the same without his
wife there. Although I don't have a family of my own that sparked my
train of thought back to when I went through the temple for the first
time. I had so many family members there supporting me and cheering me
on. It felt so good to be apart of this beautiful plan with my family
and since I have been out and gotten a chance to go to the temple it
has been a wonderful experience but i do miss my family going with me.

So back up now....Wednesday I said bye to sister Wilson and sister
Michaud said goodbye to her companion and they left and that's when we
were official. I was excited and nervous because she had seen the way
act and do things for the past six weeks and I felt that she knew all
my weaknesses and secrets lol. Well my dumb fear was blown into pieces
as we hit the ground running and haven't stopped laughing since. She
is an incredible missionary and we just have had a blast together. We
picked up he new sisters Wednesday afternoon and we gave them as much
information as they needed without over loading them. They had lots to
do so we left them and went to some lessons. After dinner we dropped
by a member referral and had a small lesson with her. My mom shared an
experience this week that she had with giving a member referral. It
didn't go as she had planned and I could tell she was a bit
frustrated. A couple things to keep in mind from a missionary's
perspective and what they have been trained on. 1) we have been
trained to contact that referral within 24 hours.....no less. So when
you give missionaries referrals that need some time let them know so
they can make a note. 2) missionaries need to know some background
information before they go over. If they don't ask it that's on them,
help them out and tell them all they need to know. Let them know what
times they can catch them, their background or history with
missionaries in the past, anything they would need to know. 3) you can
refer less actives, part member families or members who are
struggling. You can also refer people in your area who have just moved
in, just had a baby or who are in a transition in their life. Those
are referrals because less actives and those types of transitions in
life have lots of potential. We have found miracles as members have
suggested we go over to "so and so" in the ward, we met them and a
couple weeks down the road there was a baptism. We have also found
success when we have dropped by people who have just moved in. 4) the
missionaries are trying to gain your trust so you will invite them to
go visit your friends. You can trust them!! Ask them to pray for those
people before they go over or ask them to go with you to your next
visit with them. 5) lastly never give up!!! The lord knows all things.
When you sign up for the missionaries to come over for dinner you
already know they will ask for a referral so start praying for one the
day you sign up so you will be prepared and not just throw out the
first non member that comes to your mind. The lord is preparing hearts
across all areas missionaries are in. They may be non members or they
may be members who will be the gate to finding a baptism for your
missionaries.

We had another temple trip this week with a recent convert sister
Michaud was teaching. His name is bill and we had a great time with
him at the temple. We also saw one of sister Michaud's investigators
named namin. She is on date for baptism but won't come to church. We
had a wonderful lesson with her but she didn't come to church. We are
going to try to take her to the temple with a hole she Weill feel that
spiritual desire to start coming. We visited a lot of less actives and
had some crazy weird conversations with people we ran into on the
street and at their door step. We met with Graci at the park. She is
still having a spiritual battle but she did come to church and her
boys loved it. We are hoping we will be able to start teaching the
boys so they can get baptized. We found a lot of new investigators one
day in an area a felt prompted to go. We had lesson after lesson as we
knocked on door after door. It was a really awesome experience and I
enjoyed being able to teach and testify so much.

I did give a talk this Sunday on journal writing. It was a harder
subject to talk about for so long but no one fell asleep so that was
good. I did love studying up more on why we write and the things we
can learn from those that wrote their own records. I defiantly can do
better at writing but most importantly writing the things that mean
the most. I would have rather sung then spoke but I am grateful for
any testimony builder I can receive. I hope you all have a wonderful
week! Keep up the wonderful work and keep looking for ways to support
your missionaries and your own conversion!

Week 49: Change is in the Air (August 29, 2016)

What a week it has been!! Wow I just wonder where the time has gone.
This transfer feels like it was on a high speed and whizzed right past
me. It really didn't feel like six weeks...we will just start off now
with all the curve balls president macketeer has decided to throw at
us! It's going to be another crazy fun transfer. He has taken so many
companionship missionaries out of their areas and are putting in so
many new ones. It will be a big change but obviously the lord needs
it. Both of my old areas in Hazel Dell and Powell butte are going to
elders which makes me really sad, but I know it's for the best. I knew
sister Wilson and I were having too much fun together so of course the
lord is shipping her off to where she is needed. I will miss her
dearly but I will cherish her wonderful light, testimony and
personality. She has boosted me up at my lowest of my lows this
transfer and was with me in our highest moments and I will be forever
great fun for that. So many will miss her here, but so many need her
in Vancouver! So our other sister companionship that is in our area is
saying goodby to one as well. And her companion and I will be
companions. Such a way weird change but his area needs it and I am so
excited to be working with sister Michaud who is an incredible
missionary. We thought the area was for sure getting condemned but
it's not, not yet. A sister will be coming in and training a new
sister. Sister Michaud and I have worked hard these last few days
making sure our area books are ready for the new transfer. We also
divided and balanced all the area out teaching wise so the sisters and
us can work effectively in every part of the area. Our goal was to not
let the new sisters know this area was ever divided, and I think we
did a good job with the lords help. I am excited for this new transfer
and also am aware of the chaotic-ness that lies ahead. If anyone can
conquer it, it is sister Michaud and I!!

So the next curve ball Heavenly Father throws at me is sister Staker
is coming to my area as my new sister training leader. I am excited to
see her and I am excited for her new calling. She is going to be an
amazing leader and I am so proud of the steps and the growth she has
made to get her to were she is now. I can't wait to learn and grow
from this incredible missionary that Heavenly Father trusts so much
with. She is truly a choice daughter of his, and I am so grateful Igot a small sliver of a chance to serve right along by her. I am no
excited to look up to her like I always have and to watch her grow
even more.

This week was spent in many wonderful places. The first experience
being with our less active Graci. Her heart has been softened and she
is making good strides. Don another less active who we havnt been able
to see all transfer because he has been so busy finally allowed us to
see him...sorta. We were driving to another lesson and he was out on
the street getting out of his car. We booked it over to him and we got
to have a lesson with him. It was so awesome!!! We took Tera to the
temple this week and is was a really cool experience. She felt the
spirit as she watched some videos and walked around the temple
grounds. We have been helping Joann lope and we were able to get her a
really special blessing. She has stopped drinking coffee so she can
get back to the temple. It is so cool to see hearts softening and
people changing to get closer to Christ. We had a wonderful Sunday
saying goodbye to people for sister Wilson and a speaker at CHRUCH
really touched me talking about me beer missionary work. If we want to
do missionary work we have to show Heavenly Father that he can trust
us with his children. I want him to trust me so much so I can help
build his kingdom here on earth! Have such a wonderful week, work on
that trust relationship with God through righteously living his
commandments, being diligent and allowing the love of Christ to flow
through you wherever you are in life! Love you all!

Week 48 (August 15, 2016)

Week 48:

Miracles seen this week.....

Monday---we put Steve pink on date and he came to CHRUCH with his wife
and kids. We are meeting with him tonight. There was a lot of
contention before the lesson but then the spirit just flooded the room
as we invited him to be baptized.

Tuesday---zone meeting was incredible. We learned a lot about family
history and the rest of this week people kept bringing up family
history and their interest in knowing more about their family. David's
hand off lesson with the YSA elders was incredible. We put him on date
and the elders said he came to CHRUCH on Sunday. We got a blessing for
krista for comfort because her boyfriend was having surgery. And we
met a new less active named Joan lope who just needed alittle love and
an invitation to come to chruch and come out with us as well. She took
us to dinner and has some appointments with us this week.

Wednesday---we met with the Jimenaz family with sister latu in the
young women's. We committed them all to meet with us as a family and
bishop challenged us to challenge brother Jimenaz to baptize his
children. We went and cleaned out investigators home named Kayle. She
is doing well and hopefully will be feeling well enough for us to come
over and meet with her soon. We met a part memeber family and Trisha
Nolen the non memeber wife has gotten a stronger interest in our
message. There is a potential there of her and her family getting
baptized and sealed.

Saturday---Jan took us to lunch and she came and did service with us
at a less actives home named Gracie. It was horrible but afterwards we
set up a time to give her a blessing and when we went over Sunday with
sow, priesthood holders and the blessing was incredible. The spirit
was so strong and we sat and talked with her for awhile about what she
can do to get her life back in order. She is making some serious
progress and it is really awesome to see this change of heart from
her. The spirit and he priesthood combined is a miracle.


I love you all! Thank you for your support and your love. I hope you
all have a wonderful week full of miracles and joy! He truly loves us
and knows what's best for us. (Alma 38:2)

Week 47: Rainy Days (August 8, 2016)

This week has just flown by so so fast. And his transfer is just
flying. In 2 weeks I'll get my letter telling me if I am staying or
going. It is so crazy to think that time has just flown. I have had so
much fun this transfer! A quick recap of the week because we have been
so busy:

We had an awesome lesson with a mane named Steve. It is a part member
family and he is investigating. He is on the fence though so we
challenged him to fast and he really liked the idea! We didn't hear
from him this whole week and sister Wilson and I were really bummed.
But low and behold he texted us early this morning asking if we could
have a lesson. It was a miracle. We are planning on putting him on
date.

We had an awesome lesson itch his lady named Lynn that we met on the
street as she was fixing her truck. She said we could come back and we
did and we met her 13 year old daughter who then asked us to sit down
and we gave her the whole restoration. She wants to come and be
involved in our young women's and just soaked in Joseph smith's story
because she felt the same way! It was way cool to talk to her and we
are so excited to come back.

Sorry this is so lame but I got to get this out so I can finish the
rest of my Monday!! I love you all and I know this CHRUCH is true. I
know that Christ lives and loves us and as we commit to him he will
forever change us through his commitment to us. Have a wonderful
week!!(:

Week 46: Pardee street🎏 (August 1, 2016)

My joy was full this week as I......

Got to have Interviews with President Macketeer. I really didn't know
what to expect really. He was running short on time due to his
schedule so my interview seemed really short but that's okay because I
am so happy here. Not much to complain about....just kidding. He asked
the usual get to know you questions and then he asked me to near my
testimony. I was thrown off by that so I probably sounded so dumb as I
stumbled to know how to start and finish. We had a good conversation
and I was really glad I got to meet him a little bit more.

I and sister Wilson got in with Gracie. She had already cancelled on
us but because we were out tracting I didn't feel the text come in so
we went to her house and because we were there she let us stay. My
talent of not looking at our phone is working out to be a blessing. We
had a great lesson with Gracie as we were able to get to know her more
and help her see where she is at. She really has been through so much
but has a desire to get her whole family back to church. Her husband
is very inactive and her two young boys are not baptized yet. We
talked about goals and what baby steps she needed to take to reach her
goal. We all have goals we want to reach but if we take them head on
it is more likely that we won't finish or accomplish them because we
will get too stressed or burnt out. I have seen this apply to my life
in missionary work. Thinking about being the "perfect" missionary
seems nearly impossible...but if I focus on those little baby steps
like being obedient, saying my prayers, being patient with myself and
others ,ect I can become perfect in gods eyes and reach my goal. I
love goals because they push us to greater heights and help us
progress in this life.

Had the opportunity to teach our Book of Mormon class we have every
Tuesday night. We taught on the chapter in 1 nephi 18. I never
realized how much depth this chapter had as I dived into the reading
and the principles taught in this short chapter. It covers so much
time and different events in the journey to the promise land. One of
my favorite parts of this chapter is when lamen and Lemuel won't let
go of nephi therefore his whole family and everyone on the ship suffer
for their pride and stubborn choices. It is a strong testimony to me
that when we choose the wrong it not only effect us but those around
us. I have seen much of this sadness out on my mission. And it is hard
to see this pattern fall into place in many families I have taught out
here. I am also so grateful for the power of mercy through the
atonement allowing those wounds  and bad mistakes to heal so when we
do go through what nephi and his family had to go through we can make
it out in the end with the lords help.

Had many opportunities to go Blackberry picking with sister Wilson in
our area. I cannot even begin to describe the joy on sister Wilson's
face when we find a hidden jackpot of blackberries. She is so funny as
she tries to stuff all of the blackberries either into her mouth or in
her bag. This week we made a blackberry caubler with the fresh
blackberries we picked. It was really good! Who knew! Sister Wilson
said if she was homeless she would just pick blackberries and eat them
all the time. It's fun to have an element such as this that does not
exist in Utah.

When we had our first and ever Genealogy class. Bishop and our ward
mission leader set this up to help get investigators and less active
more involved in genealogy work. We had one investigator who said he
was going to come but didn't. We had a less active come named Jean who
just loved that class. Our relief society president helped her find
her dad's side that she has been struggling with. She just lit up with
joy and hopefully this will help push her to get active again so she
can go to the temple again. She shared the sweetest story of when she
was sealed to her deceased husband in the temple. She said she could
feel his presence and the man that was standing in for him squeezed
her had. Later she asked why he had squeezed her had and he told he
hadn't. She knew then he was there accepting everything she was doing
for him.

Hassan to chance to go on Exchanges this week. I was with sister
Neilson in her area which is in my 1st area in Gresham stake. The
STL's out here are over Portland zone and Gresham zone. We had to
drive through Powell butte to get to her area and it was so much fun
to see my area again! Sister Neilson was my STL in Hazel Dell so I was
excited to be with her again. When we were there she was just hitting
her year mark and now she goes home this transfer and I am so happy
for her. It is crazy to think that the time has gone by so fast for
her!! She is an incredible missionary and I was so grateful and filled
with joy to have been able to learn more from her and have a blast
with her as well. We had a miracle story when we were out tracking.
Sister Neilson parked by a mail box and as we were walking back to the
car a lady came out of her garage and nicely asked us to not park
there anymore. Then before we could respond she asked us what we were
all about and we spent the next 20 minutes talking about the gospel
and how she is looking for a church for her and her family to go to.
It was really awesome talking to her and seeing the lord out some
thing that could have been negative into something positive and
spiritual.

When we made contact with an investigator named gary. He has a heart
condition and wants to get baptized. We were able to have a long talk
with him and we are praying for success there. He is very scattered
and has a lot on his plate. Then we saw a less active and her non
member family that we tried by last week. Amy has been a member her
whole life but drifted away and met her husband and lives a happy life
not living the gospel. She did however help her hair and stop all
those bad habits that would kill him so he is now living the word of
wisdom haha. They have three little dogs that both sister Wilson and I
were ready to punch by the end of the evening. We all enjoyed the time
we spent there but it is so sad just to see a lack of desire. It's
hard to teach these situations because when they don't have the string
desire the respect goes out the window. These experiences however
build my testimony in future cases so I don't drift away and get
causal in my conversion or complacent in my eternal progression.

CHRUCH attendance went through the roof. Tera came, the Jimenez family
came, and the olsens came. We had quite a few investigators and lots
of less actives that just showed up. It was a big blessing and a
joyous miracle. The gospel is true and I am so grateful for the
relationship I have with my family, savior and father in heaven.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!! Keep being awesome!!