So, I'll start off by saying that we are not the smartest pair of missionaries in the field, but it makes for great memories! In our YSA Ward in Bellingham, we have the entire zone to work in, which is not normal for most mission areas, you normally only stay in your one area. So we are given 1300 miles a transfer because we go everywhere. Anyway, We went to Blaine, which is the farthest north you can go and then you hit Canada. We were visiting potential investigators and less actives up there, but we wanted to go to the Peace Arch since we didn't know when we would come back up to Blaine. So for our lunch break, we typed in the Peace Arch into our GPS and went for it, hoping for the best. What we didn't know is you're supposed to go to the Peach Arch Park and walk over to it. So the GPS led us onto a freeway that leads straight to the Boarder where they check your passports and there was nowhere to turn around. We didn't know what to do, So we called our Zone leaders and they just laughed at us! The Boarder control guy was real nice though, and let us through and told us a little ways up that we can turn and get in line to go back into the U.S. I almost missed this turn and kept driving on the Canadian freeway! It was definitely something that I won't forget! It took so long though, the line to go into Canada took about 30 minutes, and the line to get into the U.S. took more than an hour! But luckily we had no problem getting back into America:)
This past Monday was way fun! It was a shortened P-day because of Thanksgiving, so after 12:00, we went and served at Days For Girls and Ripped lots of cloth. It was way fun. Our ward is so much fun, that night, for FHE, they were doing a cook Off with random ingredients and they had us be the judges for it! YSA is the best.
We went on a Blitz this week where we switched companions with our STL's for a couple hours and work in the same area. It was the day before Thanksgiving, but we found so many amazing potentials! Two different girls let us inside to share more and we were able to share the first lesson with Kiana. we couldn't make her a new investigator because she didn't make a return appointment, but hopefully we will meet with her soon!
Thanksgiving was so much fun! We met the whole zone at a church and played all different kinds of games and sports, but mostly volleyball, and people could come and go to there dinner appointments. Our dinner we had was with Ariel from our ward and her family, they are so much fun!
Miracles!
We met Ze Friday Night, he is from China and is way interested in learning if God is really there. We left him with Mosiah 16 to read. He told us we could come back Tomorrow night, but we couldn't find a member who could come with us to his lesson so we had a door step lesson with him. We taught a brief 1st lesson, and he prayed for the 1st time for us! He said that we could come back today, so we will teach him again today! He is so nice, he is a solid investigator.
We also met Alexander Saturday night, Sister Porter had a feeling to knock on his door, and he became an investigator right then and there! He is always asking himself the questions of where did I come from, why am I here, and what is after this life? He has been so prepared he is so amazing!
Montana, Our investigator (eternagator) who has been investigating non stop for 8 months, said in our lesson this week she feels like she is floating and said she has been thinking a lot about a baptismal date and wants to be baptized January 13th! I am so excited for her, she is so ready to be baptized, the only thing that has been holding her back is her family.
WE HIT STANDARDS!
Our second time this transfer to hit standards! it is so exciting! so to hit standards, each week you have to have 2 people on date, 2 new investigators, and 1 at church. Our zone did so good this week, we had a total of 24 new investigators, 19 at church, and 19 on date! such a blessing.
This Sunday Sister Porter and I gave talks in church on gratitude, it went really good. I read a talk from this past General Conference prior to this and it came to my mind, it is called "Do We Trust Him? Hard Is Good" by Stanely G. Ellis of the seventy. One thing that stood out to me was this quote, "He really does trust us in so many ways. He has given us the gospel of Jesus Christ and, in this dispensation, its fulness. He entrusts us with His priesthood authority, complete with the keys for its proper use. With that power we can bless, serve, receive ordinances, and make covenants. He trusts us with His restored Church, including the holy temple. He trusts His servants with the sealing power—to bind on earth and have it bound in heaven! He even trusts us to be the earthly parents, teachers, and caregivers of His children."
We can be so grateful for this opportunity we have to live this short life compared to eternity to learn and grow. He trusts us with so much, but the question is, do we trust Him? That is something I want all of you to ponder this week, and gain more trust in our Lord our God. He Knows each of us perfectly, we need to trust in Him and know that this life is a time to preform our labors, and one day, we will rest from all care (Alma 34:32, 40:11-12).
Sunday night, Sister Porter parked really close to a bush and I seriously could not get out of the car, so I shove myself in this bush, and get soaking wet. but an hour and a half later after we had lunch and companionship study, we are like "where is the phone?" And we looked for so long, we went to the car to look for it, and pulled the car into another spot so I could look in my side, but it was not there, so we went back inside and searched everywhere. I remembered the that I was stuck in that bush and was like maybe it fell out of my pocket there! so we try to open the door of our apartment, but the door nob was half broken and we couldn't get out! it was so crazy, after a couple minutes we finally got outside and ran to where the bush was, and on the ground, smushed in the wet dirt, was our phone that we had run over from moving the car! It still works and is totally fine! What a blessing.
I hope you all have an amazing week this week! I love you all and love to here how life is back home!
Love, Sister Stokes
