May 7, 2018

 With all of my companions in order from now since MTC!

 Charlotte<3

Grateful For Opposition

Dear Family
This week has been so great! we have seen so many miracles, but I will start off with a funny story. so we went down to the beach for exercise in the morning and there was a group of seagulls standing together. So I thought it was a good Idea to run at them and take pictures of them flying away, which did turn out great, but what came after was terrible. a couple of the alpha seagulls came and started dive bombing us and squawking super loud and mean! I really thought we were going to die. So we started running and they kept following us and diving at us! finally they flew away, but man I will never chase seagulls again!

5 New Investigators this week!

We tracted into Kathy, who is so prepared! Her son converted a couple years back, served a mission and was married in the temple. He has shared a little bit about the Book of Mormon with her. She said what she loved about the Book of Mormon was that he was able to answer all of her questions with it. She is so sweet, she has struggled with addictions for a lot of her life, but has been clean for over 4 years now. 

Germany is an awesome guy who seemed really interested in the Book of Mormon. He believes in God and wants to learn more about what we believe.

Natalia was this sweet woman who said we could come back Saturday, so we did. We taught her part of the Restoration, but her sister lost her dog so we had to cut it short. Her Boyfriend was on the couch listening the whole time and would chime in occasionally. He said he had good friends who were Mormons and he was the one who said that we can come back, so we were able to make him a new investigator!

We picked up Josh when we were going to a Less Actives house to teach her, Josh is her 30 ish years old son who isn't a member and has a lot of health problems. But we picked him up as an investigator and came back the next day and taught them both the restoration. That lesson was so amazing, the spirit was so strong and he has so much intent. He prayed for the first time and it was the most genuine prayer. The Lord is preparing so many hearts and I am so grateful to be one of His mouthpieces in spreading the gospel.

The O'hara Kids are getting baptized this weekend! They had there baptismal interview Friday! There dad, who was baptized a couple months ago is going to baptize them. 

Ze is getting baptized this weekend as well! I am so excited for him, I have loved the 6 months I had to teach him. We might be able to go back up to Bellingham for it, but no guarantee because of the O'hara's baptism. 

Charlotte's Baptism!!

We went up to Bellingham for Charlotte's baptism this weekend! It was an amazing service. Her parents, who are Jewish came, they didn't seem too happy, but it is way awesome they came to support her! Sister Harris, Nordstrom, Murdock and I sang "Peace In Christ." It was a beautiful day!

The Lord has been touching the hearts of so many here in Oak Harbor, I am blessed to be apart of this work. There are always trials and opposition that come, but it's a part of life. We learn to work through them, knowing God has a greater plan in store. I have learned a lot about myself these past couple months, I am grateful for opposition, if there was no opposition in life, we couldn't experience joy. 2 Nephi 2:11,

"For it must needs be, that th ere is an opposition in all th ings. If not so, my firstborn  in the wilderness, righteousne ss could not be brought to pas s, neither wickedness, neither  holiness nor misery, neither  good nor bad. Wherefore, all t hings must needs be a compound  in one; wherefore, if it shou ld be one body it must needs r emain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption  nor incorruption, happiness no r misery, neither sense nor in sensibility."

I know that God has a plan for all of His Children, we are being shaped and molded into who we need to become. I am grateful we have the ability to grow and progress, I know the Lord 

Has overcome every ounce of pain and heartache that we go through, we aren't alone in this race, Christ is right by our side running with us, and helping us up when we fall. I love you all! Have an amazing week!

Love,

Sister Stokes 

Oak Harbor

 Zone Conference with Sister Nordstrom

 Deception pass is beautiful

 Sunset on deception pass

Sunrise on deception pass

At a members house last p-day

Throwing rocks into the ocean

Ocean

Brother Ray cleaning our car for car 

inspections when we didn't have time:)

Another Week in Oak Harbor!

Dear Family

This week we had Zone Conference and it was up in Bellingham! It was so great to go back to my first and only other area. We had more instruction on our smart phones and how we can use them more effectively for missionary work. It was really awesome, there are so many great ways we can use technology for good and I am so excited to start using it!

This area is really awesome, we were able to find 2 investigators this week. Haylee, who is 17 and wants to know more about the gospel and Bryan, who said he is catholic, but after talking with him for awhile, he said he is more of a baptist because Catholics are to intense saying "hail marry" throwing fire and brimstone haha, it was funny. But he is super cool. 

We were asked to give talks on May 13th on Mother's Day, this will be my 3rd talk given on my mission and it's only been 7 months! haha. I guess I'm making up for all the years I never spoke in church! Time is so weird on the mission, I can't believe it's almost time to call home on mother's day, I swear we just called for Christmas!

Charlotte is getting Baptized this Saturday!! I am so excited for her! We have to get a member ride up to Bellingham, and I might be doing a musical number for it, we will see how that goes. She is seriously so amazing, I am so grateful for her and her sweet testimony. 

Ze is most likely getting baptized May 12th! We have the O'Hara kids baptism that day, but we will see what will happen. So many great things are happening!

This work is real and changes lives. I have seen it in action, it changes hearts and brings hope to so many when there is no where else to look. It is such a blessing to be part of this great work, I know the Lord is anxious to spread His gospel through us, we need to have willing hearts and minds to accomplish all that He is asking of us. I know that we are the Lord's instruments in bringing salvation to His children, so wherever you are, be a light to those around you in this darkening world. 

Sister Stokes

April 23, 2018

 Oak Harbor

 This is our day today, at a members house playing 

nurf gun capture the flag, lunch and this view.2

 1 pound Meatball from Olive Garden

Smart Phones April 23, 2018

Dear Family

The Lord has provided so many Miracles this week! I don't know how He does it, but He does.

We had a lesson with a Potential Molly on Tuesday, she is seriously the coolest women ever. She is around 30 and has two sons, one is 7 and the other is 10. They were both with their dad on Tuesday, but she said that her older son loves to learn about religion. We taught her the 1st lesson and she loved it! She invited us back on Sunday and her 10 year old son Archer was there. We were able teach them both The Plan of Salvation and we were able to put her on date for June 23rd! She is amazing. 

This day will be marked in WEM history! (4/18/18)

We got our smartphones! it is so exciting! It is going to make the work we do so much easier. It is a little sad we won't have planners anymore to decorate and then have the memory of that area, but the planner app is super convenient. We have Zone Conference Tomorrow and will be instructed on how to better use our smartphones and Facebook to do missionary work! I know that the use of technology is going to hasten the Lord's work and help us reach people we never could before.

Exchanges:

We went on exchanges with our Sister Training Leaders Sister Shill and Sister Savoy from Friday at 4:00 to Saturday around 7:00. they are supposed to be only 24 hour exchanges, but Sister Harris and Savoy lost the phone in a field and searched for it for 2 hours haha. It was such a great exchange! since I've only been in the area for over a week, I was a little nervous, but God helped us be in the right place at the right time.

We went to a referral's house from 3 years ago and there was a guy walking his dog right when we got out of the car. I wasn't going to say anything to him since he was already passing our car and I didn't have a Book of Mormon or anything in my hands, But Before I even knew it I said HEY! Can we share a card with you? so I frantically find a card and give it to him, we were able to talk with him for a little. He is 16 years old and said that he doesn't really have a faith in Christ, but has gone to our church before with one of his friends! So we talk to him about the Book of Mormon and he said  he is interested in learning more! I wasn't expecting this at all, so i'm just scatter brained having to go into the car and find a pen. But we were able to schedule a time to come over and we got his number and Facebook and were able to make him a new investigator! It was awesome, because it was the very first place sister Shill and I went together and right away we found a solid investigator. (The referral wasn't interested). 

The next place we went we saw potentials, and one of them was Rochelle. She is a very busy single mom with 5 young kids. We talked with her for a while and she actually was a former, but was dropped because they could never catch her home, so it was a miracle she was home, and she even said that. But we were able to make her a new investigator also! 

The Next day on exchanges, we went to a LA's house who we came across in the parking lot just a few days before with his girlfriend. He is 27 and is in the Navy hasn't been active for a long time, who knows where his records are. But his girlfriend told us that she has been wanting to learn about the gospel and so we were able to make her a new investigator and help him to remember the fruits of the gospel. The Lord really works miracles when you're ready to work hard and talk with everyone you see.

The Lord is willing to put us in the Paths of those who are looking for the gospel, we have to be willing to seek out those opportunities through sincere prayer and to put forth effort and act in faith by following the promptings we receive. If you ask God to help you see/have missionary opportunities everyday, I know that He will provide, as we show our eagerness to serve and even step out of our comfort zones, we will see many more miracles in our lives.

Sister Stokes

April 16, 2018. Transfers from Bellingham to Oak Harbor, Widbey Island

 Transfers with sister Lund, Murdock, Porter, Me. Sister Lund and Porter were mtc companions and sister Murdock and I were mtc companions and they were both our trainers! 

 Coming into the Town of Oak Harbor 

 Sister Nordstrom and I

 This was a very expensive painting that I just took a picture of haha. That is mount Baker in the back

 Ze in his new Mercedes Benz!

 Our ward mission leader Aaron on top, Aaron Johanason in the middle, he just got back from his mission in Colorado springs about a months ago and Jacob Meaker, Aaron's older brother.

 Went to schuh Farms today after seeing the tulips again in the rain and they sell fresh baked pie's and Brother Ray bought us a Marion Berry pie! it was so good. I bought this Tayberry Jam, it is somewhere between a blackberry and raspberry!

 Went to the Tulips this Morning, was real wet.

 Sister Harris and I

Coree, and Ze with one of his Cats named Greg haha