October 19, 2017

​When Ethan just got to the MTC

Fall is so beautiful!

 Elder Williams on left, Elder Bailey on right. our Zone leaders who just left to their mission yesterday to Pocatello Idaho! They were awesome! 

Hey family! This past week has been amazing, I have learned so much! The days blur together so much It's hard to remember what happened each day. But Sunday was great, we had sacrament and relief society and then two classes, and then we went to devotional and the speakers were Brother and Sister Dalton. Elaine Dalton used to be the Young Women President. Stephan Dalton has ran 33 Marathons and Elaine Dalton has ran 17 Marathons! Both including Boston a couple times. Tyson and Brittany, this will be you guys one day! haha congrats on running your first Full marathon! But there talks really amazing. Brother Dalton talked about some of his really cool conversion stories when he was on his mission. one couple he baptized were sealed by Gordon B. Hinckley when he was a Junior Apostle! But after the devotional, we went a watched a devotional by Holland called "Open Your Mouth" and it was amazing obviously! I love Sundays, we sang in the Choir again and we were able to sing during the Tuesday night devotional because we remembered to show up! My companion and I got asked to teach relief society, so Hopefully that will go ok haha. We're only aloud to use Preach My Gospel and the Book Of Mormon and were teaching the Creation, The fall, and Agency. 

We got new investigators this week, Raquel and Chelle. They are super nice. the lessons have been going really well. Tuesday Nights devotional was probably one of the best. It was by Bent H. Nielson of the Seventy and Sister Nielson. Sister Nielson related her talk to her running a 10k and I felt like I could relate a lot to what she was saying. She used this analogy saying I knew very little about running, but enough to run that race, and the more I ran, the more determined I was to NOT walk. You don't need to know everything to finish this race. The more determined you are, the more you will want to succeed. Very few people do what you're doing, God see's your sacrifice. Even though we don't always feel adequate, you know your purpose here, you know why your doing what your doing. others deserve to here our message and choose for themselves if they have a desire to Follow Jesus Christ. D&C 123:17, Get up everyday with a smile on your face and do all the things you can do in your power, God will fill in the gaps. Heavenly Father will make you equal in anything He asks of you. Brother Nielson talked about each Apostle and the amazing qualities each of them have. One thing Elder Bednar said was he prayed he could deal with his circumstances, not for his circumstances to be changed. use the enabling power of Jesus Christ's atonement to strengthen you and be equal with your circumstances. Don't be like Lot's Wife, she was told not to look back, and she did and was turned into a pillar of salt. Don't dwell in the past, look forward, the gospel of Jesus Christ is a Gospel of change, Allow the Saviors atonement to cleanse you. I have learned so much being here. I can only share so much. I promise, as you desire to come closer to your Heavenly Father, you will be able to overcome the challenges in your life. My Branch President President Christofferson said when we were sharing things we learned in each of the talks given, "My mom looked back and turned into a telephone pole." it took me a little to get! haha just like Lot's wife. 

I am so sad to be leaving the MTC this Tuesday, it has been life changing. I wouldn't change my experiences here for the world. It's not easy, but nothing in life is easy, so you get over it!

Yesterday, I was studying with my companion, and I here someone yell Sister Stokes! and I look and it was Ethan Hunt! I go Ethan! it was so fun! we got a picture together. He was still emotional since he just got there, but I just told him it gets easier and he is going to love it. It's fun when you know someone here! Nicole York works in the MTC cafeteria, We walked past each other and she goes "Megan?" I didn't recognize her at first but then I was like "Nicole!?" it was so funny, she didn't know I was going on a mission haha. Idk if Lexie gets my emails, but I've seen your boyfriend Kort around! haha, I haven't said hi because he doesn't know who I am.

Well, I hope everything is going great back home! I love you all and I love receiving emails from people! The next time you here from me I'll be in Everett Washington!! 

Sister Stokes