Week 23: At Least There is the Spirit!

Sister Foster, Elle, Laurie, Michael, Patrick Disnmoor, Tom Glaves

Well first things first, Happy Birthday to Brad! I hope that you had an amazing day! Second good luck to Gabel for his farewell talk this Sunday! Georgia is getting a pretty amazing missionary. Third Bradyn I love you and I have surprise for you that is well needed. Last but not least I am super excited that you will all get to see the new Provo City Center Temple! 

I have been super blessed thus far on my Mission to be super busy. I feel sometimes I am running around with my head falling off, but I think this is a lot better than not having anything to do. Blessings, Blessings, Blessings! 

Elle and Sister Mackelprang

This last week we had to go on three exchanges and also had Mission Leader Council (MLC). So needless to say I was in Lake Stevens twice this week and only one of the days was with Sister Foster. It was super fun. Monday was P-Day and that night we drove up to Mount Vernon for an exchange. I got to spend the day with Sister Mackelprang, I have a picture that I am still trying to figure out how to send. It will get there....eventually. But she is such an amazing missionary and taught me so much. We were able to go and visit one of the members of her ward who has been a member for 10 years? She turned her life all the way around. She used to be a part of Hells Angels and almost got put in jail a few times, and a bunch of other crazy things! It was so much fun to be able to hear how the Gospel of Jesus Christ has changed her life for the better. She has such an amazing story and I wish that everyone could hear it.

Sister West and Elle

That night I traveled back home to Lake Stevens with Sister West (that picture will be coming soon) and was able to spend Wednesday with her! I was her STL her very first transfer! She has become such an amazing missionary! She really is losing herself in the work! She is actually Companions with Sister Krummanacher (Jen's cousin) and so two of my most favorite missionaries are together! WHAT WHAT! Drove back to Mount Vernon to drop her off and pick up Sister Tennant and then I was home for the night.

The next day was MLC so Sister Tennant and I drove to Mill Creek for the day for that and then finished the day in Armar with Sister Tennant. We were able to find a potential Devan and are going back to see him tonight! I am super excited because I will get to go and teach him with her....only because we are driving back to Mount Vernon tonight but that is a story for another time...next week. Friday I was with Sister Foster and we were able to be in Lake Stevens together. Working super hard! That night we had another exchange and this time it was with the Hermanas, so I was able to go Spanish for Saturday and spend the time teaching people in a language that I don't know. At least I could feel the spirit and so that is good! That is one language the "Language of the Spirit" that is universal! It doesn't matter where you have come from or what language you are speaking, EVERYONE is able to feel the SPIRIT! Now not everyone understands what the spirit feels like, but they do feel it. This is why we as members of the church need to help everyone understand they are feeling the Spirit!  I am super grateful for how busy I have been! It truly is such a big blessing!

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

Elle with Laurie and Michael

Sister Foster, Rogelio, heather, and Elle

Sister Foster and Elle trying to capture Tom the Spider

Week 22: All is Well in Zion!

Sister Foster, Elle, and Elder Kappel

Well we had an amazing week! We were able to have four baptisms this last week! That was super exciting and stressful! I thought it was going to be a piece of cake and that everything was going to fall into place! But that was a lie, it is a lot harder than I realized but everything worked out for the better! It all started when Sister Foster and I went to the church to start to fill the baptismal font. That was a lot of fun, we got the water to the right temperature and the right speed, and then I saw it! A spider was right there in the font trying to climb up the wall to get to safety. I was going to try and kill it but that didn't work out, the water already covered the ground and I couldn't reach it from anywhere else. So we watched it try and climb up the side. There are spiders everywhere in Washington! I thought that there were a lot in Utah...no there isn't at all! 

Any-who we started to fill the font, set up all the chairs, and get the Restoration Movie ready; and do all of this by the time Michael and Laurie showed up! We had a couple more things we had to talk to them about and so they came early. They showed up in their jeans and a tee-shirt. It made me remember why I love them so much! But we got everything finished and got them in their baptism clothes, and it was about 15 minutes before the service was to start and Heather and Rogelio still weren't there. So we tried calling them and no one answered. So we sat and waited and waited and waited. Then about 20 minutes after two o'clock they came running through the door. Well right behind them were President and Sister Bonham which made my heart drop right to my stomach. Not because I don't love them and didn't want them there, but because I wasn't expecting them to be there at all. So they went in and sat down. Sister Foster and I went and were helping Heather and all of them get changed and ready. Well even though we had already tried on the jumpers they didn't want the ones we had set aside and so we were running back and forth trying to get the right one for them. So by the time we got all of this figured out we started half an hour late. Which if that is the least of our worries I am okay and I can handle that! 

Everyone got changed, the program started, and when it got quiet for the prayer there it was everyone could hear it. The water was draining! WHAT! REALLY! Oh well as long as there is enough water for them to lay down in it and be covered then all is well. Luckily that is normal and so no one was worried yet they didn't inform us of the water draining issue until the end. We sat down and started to enjoy the program when it hit me! It hit me like a wall of bricks...I forgot to get the spider out of the water. So when we are in heaven and there is a spider walking around DO NOT KILL IT! He was baptized and has every right to be there, even though I hate spiders so much. We decided to name it Tom and well he was baptized and so he is now a part of our ward family. I think he is already in heaven cause after it was all over I looked in the water and is seemed as though he wasn't able to make it, RIP Tom we will be sure to keep his family in your prayers.

It was a beautiful baptism. We had a lot of support from the ward, other missionaries, and President and Sister Bonham! 

On Sunday we luckily were able to move to 11 o'clock church! It is so nice! I won't have to hurry in the mornings, well until we have to start to teach Mission Prep Classes. They will be starting on the 17^th and I am super excited. When we got to church on Sunday there was Heather and Rogelio! They were early and waiting for us! Not the ideal situation but that made me so happy because they were not late! We had a spirit filled sacrament meeting and everyone in the ward was so excited to have four new members in the ward. 

Oh and little miracle! Summer our New Investigator who we are going to put on date this week showed up to church! She was supposed to be out of town with her mom and so she said she wouldn't be able to make it to church. Low and behold she showed but with her kids and her boyfriend who is a Less Active, along with his kids! It was a great day to be a missionary.

One note about Tom (The Spider), he wasn't confirmed and I am not even sure he was of age and so he won't be in heaven until his work is done for him. I will pray he was at least nine so I don't get in trouble in heaven.

I love you all and hope you have an amazing week. I will also try and figure out how to get the photos off my camera so that I will be able to send them to you! In all seriousness I probably won't be able to figure it out sorry. Oh and by the way there are some pretty good looking people in the photos! 

Elle and Sister Foster with their new Christmas Socks

Older picture of Elle and Sister Mahone cooking lunch for the Elders

Week 21: Satan!!!

Satan can be pretty impressive sometimes and only sometimes! I think he has a full time job in Lake Stevens. He should just be banished forever and all would be well. I have been informed by several Missionaries that can't be the case because of the Millennium. In the last week we've had:

Baptisms postponed

A car wreck

The Sisters in Armar (our roommates), their car broke down

Exchanges

Out of Miles

Had to take 3 Trips to Everett (Couple more coming)

Sister Foster almost killed herself and three other Missionaries; they almost died on I-5 (Which would have been bad because I would have to call President)

Baptism chaos

P-day was moved to Friday (Which wouldn't be an issue but we hadn't been shopping in two weeks) 

5 pm Curfew on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day

With every challenge come many blessings!!! Although I was in way over my head with a lot of these things not knowing what to do or where to start everything worked out. We are told in Mosiah 4:27 (Click Here) "...all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. ....it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; all things must be done in order." However it doesn't matter how much borrowed energy I am running on because, "...I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak;I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, For in his strength I can do all things;... many mighty miracles....for which we will praise his name forever." Alma 26:12 (Click Here) 

Elle on Christmas Eve

Although that baptism was postponed, and we got in a car wreck we had a lady walk into church on Sunday and asked if she would be able to learn from the Missionaries, .that's US! Her name is Summer and she is one of the most amazing people I have ever met! She is going through a divorce right now and one thing she knew for sure is she didn't agree with her husband’s religion. That is not the reason for the divorce but now she is "free" to be able to follow Him the way that she wants to and knows is right. We have already started teaching her and she loves it! 

Then we had the opportunity to be able to work with our new Ward Mission Leader and he has been such a blessing! We have been able to turn to him and get help every single time we need it! I have been blessed to be able to work with Sister Foster who is such an amazing missionary and has taught me so much even though the work can be hard at times she always perseveres and does what needs to be done! Harder worker! I love it! 

The mission car after the wreck, Elle and Sister Foster are alright

No one was injured in the car wreck and everyone was able to walk away with no problems...well physical ones that is. The car is still working as well as it is able! 

We have an amazing District Leader, Zone Leader, Assistants, and Mission President who always have our best interest at heart but are able to stay focused with what needs to be done.

Now we will be baptizing city's just like Ammon and Aaron! 

Although a love of hard things tend to happen the blessings are always so much bigger and I have been able to see that so much this week! We had blessings and miracles that we didn't even get to see! But I am grateful for them no matter what they were. I feel so much love for this work and this Gospel, Ammon explains it the best he says, "...I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel." Alma 26:16 (Click Here) He is right I have no words to describe how much happiness I feel every day! 

I love you all and hope that you have such an amazing couple of days...Monday! 

Elle and Sister Foster at Lake Stevens, Wshington

Christmas

Well we are going to have a baptism this coming Saturday! Heather and Regelio are going to be getting baptized! I am super excited and love that I get to make this journey with them!

I got a phone call this week from a man in Tennessee and his name is John. Apparently John is the one that introduced the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Michael and Laurie who are going to be getting baptized January 2nd! We had an amazing conversation about how you may not get to see the ending result of some missionary work but that "planting seeds" is just as important as anything else. A few months back John would invite Michael and Laurie over for Book of Mormon study. Nothing happened with it, until we were able to find them and start teaching them and yes there were challenges and Satan can be very deceiving, but the Book of Mormon has such an amazing power that cannot be changed or messed with. It is because of the Book for Mormon that the two of them are going to be getting baptized...and want to be baptized. It is nothing that I and Sister Foster had to say, but what the spirit taught them when they would read from the Book of Mormon. 

Elle and her roomates on Christmas Eve.
Sisters Deaver, Tennant, Elle, and Foster.

Elle's Christmas gifts from everyone

Ginger Bread house made by Elle

Taking the mission car to Everett to get fixed

New Years Eve Party, missionary style

Sisters Tennant, Deaver, Elle, and Foster at
Lake Stevens, Washington

Week 20: Christmas

This was sent to us by Jennifer Morton. She says, "Sis. Jackson and sis. Thompson
(from Arlington) on splits today! Beautiful young ladies and awesome missionaries! 

(Because we will get to talk with Elle this week for Christmas, this weeks email was short. We are looking forward to seeing her beautiful face and hearing her voice. Christmas 2015 can not come quick enough.- Todd and Liana)

We are going to have a baptism this coming Saturday! Heather and Regelio are going to be getting baptized! I am super excited and love that I get to make this journey with them!

 I got a phone call this week from a man in Tennessee, his name is John. Apparently John is the one that introduced the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Michael and Laurie who are going to be getting baptized January 2nd! We had an amazing conversation about how you may not get to see the end result of some missionary work but "planting seeds" is just as important as anything else. A few months back John would invite Michael and Laurie over for Book of Mormon study. Nothing happened with it, until we were able to find them and start teaching them and yes there were challenges and Satan can be very deceiving. The Book of Mormon has such an amazing power that can not be changed or messed with. It is because of the Book for Mormon the two of them are going to be getting baptized, and want to be baptized. It is nothing Sister Foster or I had to say, but what the spirit taught them when they would read from the Book of Mormon. 

Week 19: Rain Rain Rain

There is a Christmas Tree down stairs but Elle likes
to have Christmas lights around her door so she can see them.

So it has been raining almost every other day. Which from what I understand it has been snowing a lot there in Utah. So I think we are pretty similar in the weather! We were able to help out at the Christmas Choir Concert that was yesterday, i​t was so beautiful! We had the Marysville Stake and the Snohomish Stake get together to put on the production. 

As we were ushering we had the opportunity to see Sister Daniels,​ she is 90 years old, an​

Austrian Schizophrenic who studies the Book of Mormon at the local 76 station. No that is not the story, but this week whilst studying with Sister Daniels she decided to tell Sister Foster about her friend who is struggling to "get a baby" (infertility not abduction). S​he told her about this woman's struggle and then promptly left, i​n her usual awkward way. 

This Sunday we got to help out at the Stake Christmas Concert,​ as I had said,​ and she showed up and began to tell Sister Foster even​ more about this lady. She said that she decided that it was her mount Moriah;​ Sister Foster said she liked the reasoning and her determination. She then told her that if she liked it so much she will never have babies. In fact she told her that now she is quite sure that she is going to live childless. 

Elle and Sister Foster

But on the bright side we were able to have a pretty good week! Laurie and Michael came to Church again and had an amazing time. They were able to meet a lot more people because they were able to stay the entire

time. But not just meet people but become a member of the ward family! I love it! I love watching it in action and being able to be a part of it all​ in such a great way! I think that we have been super blessed when it comes to our ward and I am super glad that I have had the opportunity to be able to be a part of their lives. 

But back to my story, at church Sister Van Leuvan came up to Laurie and asked her if she would like ​to go to the Arlington Nativity. T​he Arlington Nativity is one of the most beautiful things that I have ever seen. The Stake comes together and decks out the Church with everything about Christmas. They had over 300 Nativity's set up in the gym and other rooms had paintings and then a room for the kids to dress up and take pictures and then a refreshment room. They only hold Sacrament while this is all set up because rooms are not available. Laurie was very excited to be invited. It was nice to be able to spend time with her by herself and not with Michael,​"girl time"! 

Sister Stillwell got an early Christmas present   

We also ​had the Ward Christmas Party, it was so fun​! It was really nice to be able to talk to everyone and just spend that time with our members and a few of our investigators. It is fun to be able to sit down with our ward family and get to know each other better and to be able to talk about the work that is going on in the area. It blows by mind all if the time when they are contently asking about what is going on and if there is anything that they can help with....even if they don't say that I know that is what they are trying to say! But I have to always remember that Missionaries make bad friends! 

I am super excited that Gable got his mission call!!!! You are going to do so amazing! This work is the hardest most rewarding work that you will ever get to be apart of! I love you all and hope that you have an amazing week!

Sister Foster, Santa, and Elle at the Ward Christmas Party!

Helping out with the local food drive for the Food Bank.

top row left to right. Sister foster, me, Elder Gibbs, Elder Gonzalez,

 Elder Goodman, Elder Dowd

Bottom left to right. Elder Johnson, Elder Stoddard 

Ward Christmas Party.

Week 18: I Guess I Can Get Into Places!

Elle and Sister Foster Making Christmas Wreaths. 

So, on Wednesday this last week we were asked by the YM and the YW to come and be judges at their activity, we were going to judge their food. So I guess you could say that we couldn't pass up such an opportunity! They also asked us to talk about finances after the judging of the food, and how it applies to a mission.  They wanted it taken from Preach My Gospel. Well....there is not a section in PMG that talks about finances; we told him we would do our best and figure something out. So when we got there I was super blessed because in one of the meals they used Teriyaki sauce and the other one they used flour as a thickener! So Sister Jackson didn't have to try the food, which made me so happy since we had just eaten dinner. But then came the hard part! I have no idea how to talk about anything other than the Gospel. It is a blessing and also a curse...more of a blessing though. So we were talking after and I am not sure what happened, but after the presentation they asked why we didn't use PMG and we had to explain it to them. But I don't know if they got it. So we left the house and we were just laughing walking to the car, only because we don't know how to talk about normal things.

The next day we were talking to this 18 year old boy and I don't know how it came up but we told him that we were 19 and he was shocked and said that we looked like we were 21. Well I took that as a compliment and I started to nod my head, squint my eyes and said, "That means we can get into places!" He laughed we talked and went on our ways. Sister Foster after told me that it was maybe not the most appropriate thing to say....but some times things come out of your mouth and you don't know why. Maybe he just needed to know that Mormons or Missionaries were normal people to...I am not sure. 

Elle and Sister Foster

This whole week was crazy and it ended with a bang! We had FIVE investigators at church!! I can honestly say that it was all Heavenly Father. We had only a little to do with it. We are just two individuals who are asking these people to change their entire life style and to make some major changes in their lives. The only logical reason that they do it is because they feel the spirit and the spirit feels so good, awesome, even amazing. And through the spirit we are able to feel your Heavenly Fathers love and know that we are cared about.

But Nicole and her son are one of the investigators that we have been trying to get to church for over a month now. We were finally able to get her there and even though we were 30 minutes late, she stayed for the whole time and was able to make some new friends, but best of all she LOVED IT! Said that it was everything she could have hoped for!

Then Laurie and Michael we able to make it! Only for the first hour...but our members are so amazing at fellow shipping and radiating Heavenly Fathers love for each of us and helping you feel as though you have been a part of the ward family forever. They had a wonderful time and look forward to see us and coming back to church.

On Saturday we had a church tour with them. Laurie came in and said that she didn't want to be baptized and that it just wasn't for her. This made me sick to my stomach and I asked her if we could do the Church tour and I would address all of her questions and concerns at the very end. So we went through the church tour and you could tell that she didn't really want to be there or want to be baptized. When we finished I asked them if they had time and we could have a spiritual thought. They said yes, and so we talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we started to talk about baptism and the importance of it Laurie went quiet. Michael is all on board but Laurie has been a little difficult. I was running out of things to say so I went quiet for a second and look at them both and said, "You know Laurie that if Michael gets baptized before you, he can receive the priesthood and baptize you right after."  That was it! That is what she needed to hear! They looked at each other held hands and you knew that the spirit touched their hearts! The spirit works wonders and I am so thankful to have it as a constant companion!

Heather Hernandez is a blessing sent from Heaven above, she said that she knows this is what she is supposed to be doing because everything in her life has always brought her back to the LDS Church. We talked a little about the Word of Wisdom with her on Saturday and gave her a pamphlet. Then church on Sunday, she said she read the pamphlet and that she dumped out all of her wine and that she is going to be fully committed! What!! Heavenly Father THANK YOU so much! She is super excited to be baptized and do something "right" for once! Those were her exact words! 

All of our investigators have had a problem with the W.O.W. and when we teach the lesson they are all willing to commit to changing their life style. But honestly I am so thankful for Perot, that it is a substitute for coffee. Well that's about the only substitute but I’ll take it!  Honestly little blessings are amazing! 

A house with Christmas Lights.

Week 17: Christmas!

Elle and The Book of Mormon

This last week I have been super grateful for my companion! Heavenly Father knew he couldn't give me anyone with gluten problems, because we wouldn't do to well together.  For example this last week was Thanksgiving and I couldn't eat the stuffing and a couple of other things. Most of the time when I would get something I couldn’t eat I would just put it on Sister Fosters plate! So she got to eat even more than I did. Heavenly Father really is blessing me! 

Our former Investigator Morgan who just got baptized is continuing to make amazing progress! We have been going over and teaching her the New Member lessons (Which are just all of the missionary lessons being taught all over again.  This time a member teaches these lessons.). Really Morgan has been all in! She is always asking questions, wanting to learn more and has been working on her parents. Her goal/dream is to get both of her parents coming to church and eventually her dad getting baptized. It is such a testimony builder to see this 13 year old girl and her little sister coming to church every week without their parents and staying so strong. I know Heavenly Father is softening their parent’s hearts and one day it is going to happen! I may not be around in Lake Stevens to see it, but that doesn't matter. All that matters to me is that they join the church someday. The only reason I know they will join the church one day is because of how much faith and love Morgan has. She is going to move mountains! 

Judy, Elle, and Sister Foster. Judy is a non-member who
Elle and Sister Foster visit and help.

We have started to teach the Hernandez family and they are super excited! They want to get sealed in the temple; well we can help you with that! So we are now teaching them the lessons and working towards baptism. It is so cool to talk to them and hear their story! Their dad (Mr. Hernandez) grew up Catholic and their mom (Mrs. Hernandez) has been baptized into (What seems like) every church that is available.  Super long story; Sister Hernandez grandma who she never knew was "Mormon" and so she wanted to learn more about the church.  This is when she learned about being sealed as a family for time and all eternity! This is what Brother and Sister Hernandez want! Heavenly Father really has been preparing them for a long time and the best part is they can see it! They look back at things that have happened in their life and they say, "It all makes sense! That is why it all happened. We were supposed to get here to Washington!” When they said this I just wanted to cry, because they are right. Everything happens for a reason and whether we are able to understand it at the time or not we will one day get to see the bigger picture.

It has blown my mind how much I have grown to love my ward and the people of Washington. I mean I hear things from people, sometimes good and sometimes bad.  I am either super excited by the news or I am saddened because of what someone has had to go through. Missionaries are truly blessed with the ability to be able to love everyone as our father in heaven does. To see others as he does no matter what they have done in their life or the decisions they are currently making. I am super grateful for this and that he would allow me to be able to recognize it! 

I love you all and hope that you had an amazing Thanksgiving! Happy (late) Birthday to Grandma Val! Have an amazing week! Don't forget to recognize the little blessings each week! 

Sister Foster and Elle on Thanksgiving Day.