Week 12: Baptized!

Elle on her first ferry boat..just like Grey's Anatomy

This weekend has been the most spiritually uplifting weekend!! We were able to have both of our baptisms on Saturday and then the conformations on Sunday! Morgan, Avery, and Jaydah are so beautiful and had such amazing experiences! That whole day was so crazy! I had no idea how much work was put into a baptism until this last week, and on top of that we were on exchanges every day until the baptism! I was making phone calls left and right inviting people, setting up the program, and finding members to bring something to eat after the baptism. Thank You Mom and Dad for making it look so easy! I had no idea but it was so rewarding and was such an amazing day! Both of their families are super supportive and have invited me to live with them after my mission. I told them I am only at the beginning and have a while to go (Even though it is going so fast). They told me that it is okay I can just stay in Lake Stevens the rest of my mission and live with them.

Elle, Jayda, Sister Mahoni, Sister Moody

Sister Mahoni,Morgan, Avery, Elle, Sister Moody

Heavenly Father really has blessed me with amazing people and my mission could not have started any better! Our members have been amazing and are so good at supporting the new members and Investigators. It really all starts with the bishop, and our bishop is so amazing! He reminds me a lot of Dad and Jeff...his name is Jeff LaPerle fitting hugh?! Even though we had such an amazing weekend Heavenly Father only let it get better and better! At church Jaydah's family stayed the entire time and in Relief Society. Her mom was participating like she had been there every Sunday. I love Heather Hernandez so stink'n much! After we were talking to her and she said, " OH YA, we are all going to be baptized...we just need to learn a little more. " We didn't bring anything like that up. It was so amazing and then later that night we went and saw them to set up an appointment so that we can start to teach them. She also brought up that they are going to be getting sealed together!! Holy Cow! How is she not baptized already? She has been through a lot the last couple of years and she know that God needs her in Washington. She said everything makes sence and so it would only make sence to get baptized and join the church! After Sister Mahoni told me that if they get baptized before my six month mark and go to the temple a year later I will still be on my mission and I will get to go! I don't want to get to excited to fast because Satan works really hard on people that are so close, but I know that if Heavenly Father is ready for this to happen it will.

The end of the transfer is coming up and Sister Mahoni will be leaving me this Sunday and will be going home to Hawaii. She has been so amazing and I could not have asked for a better Trainer/Companion. She has taught me so much and I know that Heavenly Father put us together for a reason.  She has helped me forget myself, love everyone that I see, and become a P.L.O.W.S. Missionary. P- Preach My Gospel, L- Love Everyone, O- Obedience, W- Work Hard Work Worthily, S- Strive for Excellence. She has started my mission in the best ways possible and I will continue to work hard because that is the only way that Heavenly Father is going to continue to place people in your path. I will miss her greatly but I know that my next companion which I will get next Tuesday will be just as amazing and be ready to continue to work hard. I have loved my mission so much and am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to serve my Father in Heaven and be able to bring others to know of our Savior Jesus Christ. 

I love you all and hope that you have such an amazing week. 

P.S. I hope Bradyn's 16th was everything he could have ever wished!

My Ponderizing Scripture:  Mosiah 3:19 (Click Here)

Morgan and Avery

Sister Mahoni, Jaydais in the pink. Lillyhas her eyes closed and Jasel

First time on a ferry.

Exchanges with Sister Rodda

Exchanges with Sister West

Is a caption really needed?

Morgan, Avery, and their parents.

Week 11: A Week Full of Miracles and Excitement!

Gracie and Kristi

Well this week was full of miracles and excitement! We went on an exchange every day this week and it was exhausting. On Thursday we got a call from one of the Sisters that we get to serve and she said she was going to be going home and that she is done with this (Her Mission). I gave her a call and we talked for about half an hour on the phone, by the end of the conversation she said she would wait until the weekend before she makes any decisions.  We also decided we would go on an emergency exchange and talk things out more. She agreed and that was that. About half way through the day I got a text message that said she had her plane ticket and she would be going home on Saturday. I was so shocked (even though I really shouldn't have been).  I had prayed about her everyday and I knew she was suppose to be out here teaching and serving the Lord. If she wasn't supposed to be here something would have happened that would have made it so that she wouldn't be able to come out. So we ended the exchange we were on early and drove over to these Sisters apartment. When I saw her it was all I could do not to cry. We went in the back room and talked for about an hour. The entire time we were talking she was only coming up with reasons she needed to go home and no reasons for why she was supposed to stay. It took me an hour before I was able to realize she needed to go home and that she was not going to be able to get any work done out here because she didn't want to be out here. At the end of the conversation I told her I would support her all of the way even though I was still heartbroken and sad.

Sisters Johnson, Packer,Moody,Mahoni, Elders Dowd and Howlet

 After all of that we got home at 11:00 pm and we were exhausted. I kept wondering why Heavenly Father would let something like this happen. Let such a powerhouse missionary go home and not be able to help all of those who are ready to hear this message. I pondered this for a while and then I was able to come to the realization that she had done all that she was suppose to, and maybe she was only suppose to be out here for three weeks and she was going to be able to learn what lesson she was suppose to. I know Heavenly Father has a reason for everything and even though I may not be able to understand all of it right now this is okay. He can see the big picture and he will put me where I need to be and with those I need to be around, even though it may be heartbreaking at the time. 

Sister Moody, Sister Krumonacher, and Elle

On a happier note we are going to be having two baptisms this weekend!! I am so excited! The first baptism is going to be with Morgan and her sister Avery. We have been working with these two sisters almost the whole time that I have been out here. They were ready to be baptised the first time we met them. They were a referral from our bishop and a member in our ward. I have truly been able understand the importance of working with our members and the role they play in missionary work. Hard work is paying off because of these two baptisms. These two girls are so excited and I am so excited for them! Because of their decision to be baptised they will be able to come closer to our Father in Heaven and be able to have the Holy Ghost as a constant companion! This gospel is so amazing and brings so much happiness into your life whether you want to admit it or not. Their mom is a super less active and doesn't go to church at all, their dad is not a member. But they drop them off at church and the mom will sit in on the lessons and will read the scriptures and pray at night with the two girls! Heavenly Father has softened their hearts a ton and continues to do it every time we go over! One day this family will be sealed in the temple for time and all eternity and that will be the happiest day of their lives!

Heather in the Green and Sara. Sister Mahonie and Elle

Our other baptism is with Jaydah, she is 14 years old. Her family are not members but they live with her uncle and his family who are. So the first time we met Jaydah she came up to us and took us to her mom and told her, "Mom these Sisters are going to baptism me and they are going to baptize you and the rest of the family!" When she said this we all were thinking well this is great. But the mom looked at us, smiled, and said that is great come on in. This is the second week we have been teaching her and she will be getting baptized on SATURDAY!! We have been working hard to teach her all of the lessons and she has been doing her part in keeping all of the commitments. She even takes the Book of Mormon to school and reads it! Future Missionary!!!! The Young Women in our ward have been so amazing at fellow shipping her and making her feel as though she is a part of everything! They even take the initiative to teaching her some of the lessons so that when we go and actually teach it she already knows a bit about it! We have a pretty amazing ward and our Bishop is all for missionary work and helping the work continue on strong. I love my area! There is so much work to be done we just have to be willing to ask for the help and Heavenly Father is going to be help us. I love you all and hope you have an amazing week! Happy Birthday Bradyn!!! 

Elle Fell asleep while studying.

Sister Stanley

Add caption

Week 10: Hello from Washington!

Elle at Lake Stevens

Sister Krummenacher , Sister Mahoni, Sister Moody, Sister Jackson

This week has been so crazy I don't even remember half of the things that have happened.  Actually I can remember everything but we have been so busy it is amazing! This week Heavenly Father has blessed us so much! He knows exactly what we need and he gives it to us at the appropriate time. There is a Sister that is a member of our ward, Sister Daniels from Austria. I think I told you about her last week. So if I did sorry because here it goes again. Sister Daniels come to find out has Schizophrenia, which we didn't know, until this last Sunday. We saw her on Tuesday and we have to be very careful not to counsel and give advice or really talk at all. You can't shake her hand, open the door for her, or really so any type of manners. You just sit there and listen. So that is what we do. Now we got to meet her in the park, normally we go to her house. So we get to the park walking on egg shells we say Hi and when she turned around she had the biggest smile on her face! She was so excited to see us and talk to us. We got to walk around the park and she told us about her week and how not talking to people is the best.  She proceeded to tell us that it was her birthday! We were so sad we didn't know before we got there because we would have loved to have done something for her. We were just happy that she was having such a good day and that she had a smile on her face. At the very end she got up and told us that she was leaving now and if we could drop something off to one of the members in the ward. Then she said tell Sister Schrivens not to call me.  Then she walked off. We are a little intimidated by her and so right after we went straight to drop the stuff off to Sister Schrivens.

We were not able to find her house. It must have moved because it was nowhere to be found. The house numbers went from 2230 to 2231 then 2235, there were just a couple houses missing. But low and behold we weren't able to find her house.  We found one of our referrals that we have been looking for for a month now! When thinking all was lost and that we weren't going to find this referral and that finding Sister Schrivens house was a fail.  HEAVENLY FATHER SHOWED US WHERE THE REFERRAL WAS!!! It is crazy to think that with patience and time he will show you what you need to know when the time is right. BTW were still haven't found Sister Schrivens house.

Elle, Sister Mahoni, Sister Moody, Morgan and Avery. 

It only got better! We were going to have to drop one of our investigators and then ended up putting Hannah on date! (Well she has to ask her parents first but it is going to happen!) Then right after her lesson we went and were teaching a new family and we were able to put their oldest daughter Jaydah on date!! After we put her on date she turned to her family and said to them, "So I am going to be baptized so are all of you. So you better listen to these Sisters because you all will be baptized." She came to church on Sunday got right up to the front of the congregation and bore her testimony! She is going to be a GREAT missionary one day! Heavenly Father really has blessed us with people who are ready to receive this Gospel. The field really is white and ready to harvest. Not brown ready to water but WHITE! This week has been amazing and we have seen so many miracles not only in our area but in the other areas that we got to go and help in!

Thank you for the packages and the letters!! I love you all and hope that you have an amazing week!!

Weekly Planning Meeting.

On Exchanges.

Elle's new boots.

Elle and Sister Moody.

The Three Pack out playing Frisbee Golf.

Frisbee Golf.

Week 9: General Conference!

Teaching appointment right after service, Levi's under the skirt.

I am so grateful we were able to listen to General Conference! It was so amazing and I was able to have so many questions answered. How cool is it that we are able to listen to a living prophet and apostles today! I love that you can go with questions, they can be religious, financial, or even about school and they will be answered! The fact we were able to sustain THREE new apostles is pretty awesome!

My favorite talk had to be from the Women's broadcast. Presidents Uchtdorfs talk on A Summer with Great Aunt Rose and Eva. Great Aunt Rose lead and taught by example and by love. She had a hard time doing everyday things that we take advantage of and she did not complain once. She loved everyone she would met and never made them earn her love and respect. She had so many Christ like Attributes and did just as Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ would want her to do. I think that is the best way to teach someone, it is through love and action that we are able to make the biggest impact. Eva was able to learn the greatest lesson ever in the short time she was able to live with her Great Aunt Rose. She learned to love all that she met and to see them as our Savior does. If we were able to see everyone as our savior does think about how amazing this world would be.

I love being in a three pack! It is a little more difficult trying to teach and get all of us participating butand at the same time keep the spirit. I love the challenge and love the work! So what more could I ask for?

The weather is getting colder and so soon I will be wearing all of my winter gear!! How exciting! :/ I live in a beautiful place and couldn't ask for anything better! 

Heavenly Father sure does love and watch over us! I have seen miracle after miracle just in the short time I have been out! We have had members step in and help with investigators outside of the church setting, and truly try and become friends with them. We actually went out to do our weekly planning this week and decided to do it at Buzz In and get dinner with it. We ran into a member from the Lundeen Park ward and we sat and talked to him for a bit. After talking he left and then about 20 minutes later we were leaving.  We were getting ready to pay when the waitress said the man who we had been talking to paid for our dinner, bought us a dessert and then she handed us a $20 gift card to come back and eat again. This was maybe something small and simple to him but it meant a lot to us. He like Great Aunt Rose showed love through helping others even when they don't need it. 

I am so grateful to be out serving and be able watch Heavenly Father work in so many different ways! I love you all and hope that you have an amazing week! Watch General Conference if you haven't because it was amazing!!!