Monday, January 7, 2019
This is the Lord's Work!!!! January 7, 2019. Happy New Year!!!
This was such a busy week! I think it's safe to say we made it out alive with our heads still attached to our bodies, lol. Well, we did have a good time with our zone on Tuesday, we had a full P-day, so we got together and had breakfast and played games at the church pretty much all day, we had to be in by 7, so we went to Cafe Rio and we are only aloud to have 6 missionaries out in public places at a time so we went with 2 other companionships, but then the Hermanas showed up and then later the Elders showed up! haha. The Hermanas took there's to go, we just were finishing when the Elders got there so we left for them.
We had MLC (Missionary Leadership Training) all day Friday, it was really amazing! Sister Allen went on exchange with Sister Price's companion during it. I am so happy Sister Pryshchepchuk is an STL as well. There are so many solo STL's is crazy. We talked all about chapter 8 in Preach My Gospel and the importance of Inspired Goal setting and planning. Our mission has been focusing on this for awhile and Just this week it really has all clicked how important and crucial it is we are doing everything with the direction and guidance of the spirit. We set plans each month to achieve our goals, which are our key indicators for the month and going more into depth of the why and how behind it has opened my eyes and breaking traditions of those that have come before us. We have to work smarter so we can overcome the adversary as he is increasing his attacks. if we don't learn and improve, we aren't just staying stagnant, we are decreasing in effectiveness.
A little background on our friend Barbra, she had a kidney transplant this past summer and has been in a care facility ever since. She hasn't been getting better and has had lots of infections and problems with it. She went to the doctor on Friday and did not receive good news. Her kidney has not been working so they are going to have to do a biopsy on the 11th, well she though it was the 11th, but really it is the 10th. So she told us she wants to be baptized before that. so thinking it's the 11th, we plan for her baptism the 10th and get everything coordinated, and yesterday she had her baptism interview and she wanted us to stay there with her so that was my 1st time apart of one of those haha, but we had everything set, then she realized her biopsy is the 10th! So we have to move everything and it's already tricky because it's in the middle of the week haha. So just a little bit stressful! But the Lord provides away for His will the happen! So if you can pray everything will work out and that Barbra can stay healthy, that would be great! :)
So we had someone the Elders in Seattle were teaching move up into our area. Her name is Yasmin, she is 33 and from India. She was an orphan in India, but was adopted at 17 and came to the U.S. but for some reason that adoption didn't work, so she has always been in the adoption place. She is so sweet. She did graduate from high school at 21 and then took some classes in college. She one day just walked into the church building down there on Sunday and wanted to learn. So they have taught her a couple times, but knew she was moving soon. We were able to get some of our Elders and help her move in. She has gone though a lot in her life, but really wants to be baptized. We are very excited to teach her!
We had Stake Conference this week and guess who came!? Elder Brent Nielson from the Seventy! He does a lot of the missionary stuff and is way amazing. I felt so blessed to be there, it was probably the best Stake Conference i've been too, and i've been to many amazing ones! The spirit was incredibly strong and he is an amazing speaker. The very 1st thing he was saying was about how many of us, if not all of us have moments when we look back and wish we lived in another time. Things like, "If we lived then, life would have been so much easier" and so forth. Then he looked back at all the years we might say we wished we lived in and was like, well that was when WW11 was or that's when so and so happened and life still had it's own challenges then. Then he shared that Nephi in the Book of Helaman had those same thoughts. Helaman 7:7-8. He wanted to live back when Lehi and his family came to the promised land because the people then were slow to do iniquity compared to his time now. But said the same thing, they had a lot of struggles with things as well! How much tribulation did Nephi the son of Lehi have with his brother's Laman and Lemual? A LOT! So to get to the point, he shared how amazing it is to live in this generation and all the prophesies that are being fulfilled in the Lord's work. It is so true! We sometimes are worried about what is happening in our little bubbles and not looking outside of our selves to see the Lord's work is moving forward, and we can be apart of it! He Showed us this amazing video the church has made starting from when the church had just a few thousand members, and then from there the growth of it and how it has covered the Earth, it was powerful. I learned so much from his stories he shared. Something that stood out to me was when he shared the time he was called to be a seventy and had to sell his practice and move to Utah. He said the 1st day in his office, he was between Elder Holland and Elder Scott's offices! He said his 1st day, he literally just sat in his office waiting to here was he was supposed to do. He was very confused. No one came to see him. That happened the next two days as well. Finally, He was called into one of the Apostles office and he said it was the shortest interview he has had. He was asked a couple questions, then was told to go back to his office and become. He went back to his office and just thought, "how do I become? and what does it mean to become?" He opened his scriptures and started just trying to figure out what he meant to become. He shared a lot about what it means to become. but the main thing is to become truly converted. That we are changed like the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's. We bury our weapons of rebellion and don't fight against God anymore. We need to be true disciples of Jesus Christ, not just doing to motions, we have to change. So what he asked us at the end was, "If someone told you to "Go and Become," what would you do?" So I hope you all can ponder that and do something today to start becoming who Heavenly Father needs you to be.
I truly love this Gospel, it gives me the direction that I need, it makes me a better person, and it points me to what I desire most, to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ again. I know The Book of Mormon is the most correct book that has been written, I have put it to the test
and the spirit has bore testimony to me of this truth. I am grateful to be living in these remarkable times, where we are seeing prophesies fulfilled. I hope and pray we all can keep our sights on what is important in this life and what leads to everlasting Joy.
Love,
Sister Stokes
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Happy New Years Eve!!! December 31, 2018
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Wow, it's officially the last day of 2018! How is that possible? All I can say is we made it! what a wonderful year it has been, being able to give this whole year to the Lord has been a blessing and I would not take it back for the world. Let's just say this week has been crazy and all over the place!
But Christmas was so fun! We started by going to a members for Breakfast and the husband is from Austria, so we had an Austrain breakfast! The big thing is sausage links haha. Then we went to another members to Video call home! Best part of the day :) and lastly we went to another members house for an amazing dinner! It was a happy day.
Being in Leadership as a solo STL is a roller coaster, It keeps me on my toes 24/7 though! Almost every night we have some sort of call we have to make and just organizing everything for the new year is crazy. But it's a growing experience! We had our MLC call this week which is our Missionary Leadership Call we have and we do it on an app called zoom and its really neat! It's a video call and when a person talks the video will go on that person. But this was my first time using it and I didn't realize I needed to turn off the mic and so a little ways through the call, our Assistant goes, "Sister Stokes, your mic is on, could you turn it off." It was so Awkward! Literally all these missionaries would see us every time we would make a sound. But it's all good, leadership is great!
So crazy story, my last ward mission leader Brother Taylor served in Russia and they just moved down to Utah on the 18th, but one of my new Ward Mission Leaders in one of the Ward's i'm over I met without realizing it! Sister Jones and I were going to the Taylors house and my new ward mission leader answered the door, Brother Bush. He said Sister Taylor and his wife were at the temple and he was there just watching the kids. But Brother Bush is in Utah right now for the holidays so we have been video chatting with him to talk about missionary updates, and he goes, "where have you served Sister Stokes?" and I tell him and he tells me that we've met and It blew me away! Him and his wife are best friends with the Taylors and he also served in Russia! What are the odds this would happen haha, he reminds me so much of Brother Taylor it's great!
We have been teaching such amazing people, our friend Barbra is so solid and is on date for Jan. 12th, she has had some really amazing experiences that have led her to the church.
our other Friend Chee speaks Hmong and only a little English. She came to church yesterday even though she can't understand very much, but still loves to come. We have Hmong elders from California video chat in a teach her, and they put her on date yesterday for Jan 19th!
We picked up a former friend Rashan and had a lesson with him, he has been studying the chruch for a little bit and knows a lot of things. he has visited different temples and thinks they are very amazing and peaceful. Sadly he is going to Hawaii on Vacation with his daughter and won't be back till the 10th, but he has such real intent to know if this is where he needs to be.
The work in Shorline is never ending and there is always something needing to be done, but the exciting thing is there really is never a dull moment. We meet all kinds of people here! One of them is our new friend Jeffery who is homeless. He is trying to get back on his feet and was able to get a car from a friend who said if he could fix it he could have it. But he has had a faith in Christ most his life, but said it has dwindled because he hasn't seen his prayers be answered. We are meeting with him tomorrow and hopefully we will be able to help him.
So funny story, We were going to the dumpster to throw our trash away, and sister Allen opens the lid and I toss it in there, but my phone went with it! Let me add, it is pouring rain and super dark and there was no way I was going to find this thing without getting in there! So sister Allen is holding her phone for light and I am just digging around, it was terrible! Luckily I was able to find it.
I hope you all have an amazing New Years and can make some goals for this new year that will bring you closer to your Savior. I am excited for the amazing things that are coming and know the Lord needs us to hasten His work!
Love,
Sister Stokes
December 24, 2018. Merry Christmas Eve!
Wow, what a week, I don't even know where to start! It has been so crazy! Sister Jones is officially home as of last Monday! So sad, but happy! I was with Sister Petersen until transfers on Wednesday! We went to the Ensign Choir Christmas performance with our friend Laurie and another friend Kyle. It was amazing! We sat right by President and Sister Wilding haha. So getting to the concert was crazy, the traffic was terrible and right when we only had two cars in front of us to get inside a parking . garage, they said it was full! So the Drais' who were driving tell us to get out with Laurie and just walk and they will meet us there and it was in the middle of the road we did this so Laurie's bag kinda tipped before getting out. So after the concert Laurie looks for her wallet while we are driving back and it's not there. She thinks she left it and we tried calling the place, but there calling hours were closed till tomorrow. It was so sad! I checked the floor of the car where laurie was sitting and nothing. Sister Drais was like did you check everywhere on the floor? And sister Petersen puts her hand on the ground by her and goes, "is this it?" And is holding her wallet! Turns out when laurie was scrambling to get out when her purse fell, it fell lucky in the car by the door! It was a miracle! We were just in awe.
Tuesday was a crazy day, we had 8 lessons and just saw lots of members to say bye. We had our last lesson with Laurie before the elders will teach her, it was so sad. But she is so prepared. White washing an area is too much work. The new sisters came in tonight and it's funny because sister Petersen is training and she got to meet them all before she new who her companion was!
Transfers! Well, we get there and I find out I'm going to Shorline with Sister Allen! so I'm pretty much in the same smzone because shorline and Lynnwood are combined Haha. I also am a Solo Sister Training Leader which is crazy, I'm over the 6 sisters in my last district Haha so it'll be fun! I've never done this whole STL thing so hopefully all will go well! This possibly could be my last area which is hard to believe.
I have loved working in this area the past couple days! There is so much work to do! We have picked up 3 new friends just in these past couple days and also got sent a referral named Daniel from online missionaries and he is so solid! We are going to meet with him on Thursday. He texted us and asked us what we think the purpose of the word of wisdom is and tells us he lives a very clean life and doesnt drink or smoke. So we explained it a little more in detail and he goes, "I'm very curious of these promised blessings aspect you mentioned." Haha he already seems so solid. So things are already starting off great here.
Half Mission Confrence!
Wow this was such an amazing confrence. The spirit was insanely strong and I could not stop the flow of tears rolling down my cheeks. Sister Wilding and President both were just emotional wrecks, I love them! The program was we would watch a short Christmas clip and them there would be a testimony shared and then a musical number and so forth, and then there was 10 minutes given for anyone who wanted to bare there testimony could and I knew I was going to go up. But before I could stand up sister Pryshchepchuk goes up. So after her I go up and my emotions were all over the place, but it was such a powerful moment. We got to watch a movie afterwards and the options were, "It's A Wonderful Life," "Ephraim Rescue," "The Best Two Years," and "Hercules!" We ended up watching Hercules, it was so fun. President Wilding also said that we can sleep in till 7:30 tomorrow on Christmas! Such a blessing!
Special Sacrament Meeting!
Hopefully lots of people came to everyone's Christmas service yesterday. Bithcour wards combined into one so there were lots of people, is was chaos!
So we have Taught our friend Barbra 3 times this week and she is scheduled for baptism for Jan. 12th! She is so cute and we are so excited for her.
I love you all and hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!
Love,
Sister Stokes
1) my new companion Sister Allen from Logan Utah
2)Laurie <3
3)sister Porter
4)the trio in Oak Harbor now! Jellous!
5)our Friend Chee who speaks Hmong so we Skype Hmong elders in California
6) Sister Moffett <3
Dec 17th 2018 "people here worship their Dogs more than God, they have it backwards, LITERALLY!"
Let me start off by saying, I saw a Killer Whale, sea lion, and seal all in one day! So ya, that's what we did on Monday, we went to Mukilteo beach with some awesome sisters! We will skip what happened Tuesday because I think it was mine and Sister Jones worst day ever.. all 5 of our lessons canceled and that pretty much sums it up :)
So crazy story, transfers are this week and so leadership calls came out Thursday, so those who are called to be district leaders, zone leaders, and sister training leaders find out and then go to the leadership training on Friday. So it was 10:27 pm and we get a call from our zone leaders and they tell me i'm going to be an STL. It was crazy. I was so happy though because my favorite human Sister Pryshchepchuk was there and is going to be an STL as well! so Friday rolls around and we are out carolling with some members to lots of people and our assistants call us. and Friday night is when people get whitewash calls... and so now we are also getting whitewashed out by our one and only assistants to the President! it just keeps getting better haha. But life is great, we're going to the Christmas Ensign choir with our friend Laurie down in Seattle Tonight and I am so excited! Excited to see where I will be spending Christmas and who i'll be with though.
That's pretty much my week, other than lots of tears because 18 sisters went home today and we had some of them stay with us last night. Missions are the best. :)
Hope you all have a fantastic Christmas with your friends and families! It's going to be awesome!
love you all,
Sister Stokes
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