Washington Everett Mission: 2017

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Our YSA ward is the greatest, On Monday for FHE, they were going caroling and our lesson just canceled, so we decided we would go. One of them brought their guitar and is was an amazing experience and was so much fun. We ended up caroling to two random people that came out and wondering what we were doing, we gave them a light the world card and it was so great.

We took out Investigator Montana to the Family History Center this week and started her tree, it was really fun when we started to find names and her great grandparents, it is a lot of work though! She has no family history work done, so she is starting from scratch.

We Taught Shane, who is a recent convert his last lesson this week, I always forget that teaching comes to an end, I just want to teach everyone forever!

Miracles:

We had dinner with two girls in our ward and they gave us referrals to see and we went to this house/apartment type of thing and Josh answered, Sister Porter didn't realize till he told us his name, but her and her old companion met him awhile back at the bus stop, but the bus came and they didn't have time to set up a time to meet again or get his number, but he is way awesome and we are going to meet with him after break!
Sister Porter and I both felt like we should text our old investigator Ryan who dropped us, he was a refferal from his friend in utah. So we decided to txt him a scripture and hope everything is going OK. And he texted back saying that he was having dinner with his friend from utah at that moment and it was so cool!

Our adventures:

We were in downtown Bellingham and it is like the city part of of Bellingham and we were looking for a former investigator. We found the building but it was a locked complex but someone came out so we just walked in, it was such an old building, I felt like we were in an orphanage home like from Annie lol. We looked everywhere for his door number but couldn't find it, so we asked a guy inside and he said it's probably one of the doors in the back outside. So we go back there and it is sketch, it was like an alleyway and to get to the doors, you had to climb up these metal stairs that look like a fire escape and climbed really high, it was super weird. But the former doesn't live there anymore, a guy named Lucien answered and he was nice, but not interested.

Another house we went to to meet a referral was very interesting. it was a very old house that turned into an apartment, which is very normal here, but we just walked in the front door and there are doors that are the apartment doors, but no one was home.

Another refferal we got we could not find their house number, but we thought we found it but this house was way vacant. the porch was falling apart and there were a couple old smashed cars in the yard, we walked around because we couldn't find the front door, and then we read a note that said "It is illegal to occupy this structure" so we felt very weird and scared so we just left. Bellingham is an interesting place, people have the weirdest bright colored homes.

I started talking to this man walking by and asked if we could give him the light the world card and he asked what is it and I told him it's a service initiative to be more like our savior Jesus Christ and he said " Nope that's gunna go in the garbage" and walked away, it was so funny, some people.

we went on exchange Friday with our Sister Training Leaders, I got to go to Lynden! It was so much fun, we met the funniest people. We were going to see a Potential Danny, but his roomate who is staying with him for a couple days answered and we was just telling us about his life in St. Luis and how Jesus has always been apart of his life. So we started to share the restoration with him and he cut us of and goes I love what you two are doing whats your names?? and then he put his hands our for us to grab and said a prayer with us. He was so funny, and I think a little high, and then he goes thanks so much for all you do and went in for a hug and Sister Kinaphus freaked! He goes, "There's nothin wrong with a hug" and then gave me a hug, lol.

We also met a really cool YSA named Josh and we were able to share with him the restoration and gave him a Book of Mormon, We got his number and will probably go back and follow up. I love exchanges, miracles are a real thing.

Our investigator Natalie came to church for the first time! She loved it, she is amazing. Her life is really confusing right now with her Fiance and everything, but hopefully she will stay strong.

I love being out here on my mission, I have met so many amazing people and have made so many friendships. This gospel is truly amazing and changes people's lives. I know that This gospel is true and through it we can find true happiness that lasts. I love you all, I hope you have a great Christmas, Do something nice for someone this week, and keep following the calendar for Light the World!

Love

Sister Stokes

Monday, December 11, 2017

1) our last p-day with our district who didn't go home

4) picture of the foodbank where we sort donations of food and toss out any bad food, it's fun

Our Christmas dinner we had after church yesterday since finals are this week and they need to study

Sister Porter Email ( Megan's Companion) December 11, 2017

I think this week may have been my best one so far!

This week was pretty chill. After the whole Canada fiasco we have not had anything crazy happen lol. So that's a blessing.

Basically our week in a nutshell. Every time we street contact or tract these are basically how the conversations go.... Us: "Is there a time we could come back and share more with you?" Them: "Well I'm going home next week for Christmas break so maybe in January" Or "Sorry I am just too busy with finals" Its really sad, but whats even sadder is that I totally get where they are coming from. Finals are the worst. So we cant even be upset lolol. I love being a missionary.

A week of Miracles:

Our investigator Ze came to church for the first time this week. He is the sweetest. He really has a desire to feel the spirit and wants to be baptized if he does.
Teresa is the most amazing person ever. She is leaving for 3 weeks for break, but will be baptized the week she gets back.
We found the most amazing investigator named Chris. He is so excited to learn about this gospel. He was like jumping up and down after we finished the first lesson on his doorstep lol.

The happs:

Transfer #4 has officially begun. We basically have a completely new district. Kinda sad but also super exciting to get to know new missionaries.
4 of the freshman girls in our ward (3 of which are recent converts) opened their mission papers yesterday. They are INCREDIBLE. It feels like yesterday that that was me.
THIS IS THE GREATEST THING EVER! We have had............... 8 DAYS WITH NO RAIN! The sun has been shining. Greatest miracle of all time. Its freezing but I can deal with that. Literally every morning I pull the blinds all the way open so the sun can shine into our apartment. It gets dark at 4 pm which is pretty depressing but at least we get to see it for a few hours.
I love Bellingham!

Pictures:

District #4. Also I got to hold the go pro so that was pretty cool. Jk. Kindof
Just me soaking in the sun rays
I accidentally knocked the Christmas tree over and S. Stokes waited to take a picture before helping me. LOLOLOL
District #3's last lunch together. Missing all the sisters who went home. Love them all<3

December 11, 2017

Dear Family

It has been sunny the past week and it has been such a blessing! it's been cold, but sunny!

This week was a pretty calm week, we our officially with our new district, only four of us stayed from last transfer, which is sad, and there is only one other sister companion. But change is good, keeps you going and makes you have to make new friends haha.

Miracles:

We had an amazing lesson with our investigator Ze Yu who is from China and we brought two
members with us. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ and loves everything about this gospel. He agreed to come to church and we had Nate from our ward pick him up. He loved church, he loved how friendly everyone was and the environment. He was just asking me a lot about missionaries and what we do and he thinks it is so cool that we go around sharing this gospel with others. He is from Beijing and he asked why he hasn't seen our church or missionaries around. So I just told him that we only can send missionaries to Hong Kong and we are working on being able to share the Gospel everywhere. He is so cute, he is like, "Oh, that's good. one day there will be some." He asked if he could attend a baptism first so he can see how it is done. He is so amazing and is progressing so well. Sadly he is leaving for break for a little so we don't know when we will meet with him, but hopefully he will figure out what his plans.

We were able to meet Chris who was a referral from other sisters and he is awesome. We were able to teach the 1st lesson and when we read Joseph Smith's 1st vision to him he was like, "Woah, a wave of emotion just came over me, that was good, that was real good!" And the spirit was so strong. We told him that he was feeling the spirit testify of the truthfulness of this message. He is so awesome. He told us that he has a baby on the way and is trying to quit smoking, and he lite a cigarette, but he didn't smoke it once while we were talking with him, he just let it burn out. He said he is going to quit for sure when the baby comes in February.

Our Investigator Teresa is so amazing and is committed to being baptized on January 13th! She is leaving for break this week, but she is coming back early so she can go to church before she is baptized. Her parents are not supportive at all, and tell her she is stabbing their hearts and it is just so sad. She is so strong though, I love her so much!

4 amazing freshman girls in our ward, three of them being recent converts and two of them were baptized this summer, have been telling us they really want to serve missions, but all three of their parents are anti Mormons. But yesterday, they all talked with bishop and started their papers! They are all so cute and amazing, we are teaching two of them and their names are Tawny and Alex. The other two are Olivia and Serena. This ward is so amazing and they are all such amazing ward missionaries and sharing the gospel with their friends and bringing them to church. I wish I was more like that before my mission!

I love and miss you all! I'm so grateful to be out here on my mission meeting such amazing people! The Lord really puts you where you need to go and the people you need to meet, they have had such a strong impact on me and I am grateful for all the amazing people I get to meet everyday.

Love Sister Stokes

Monday, December 4, 2017

December 4, 2017

Dinner with Alex and Eroch Ray who feed us like every other week! Eroch is engaged to Ariel who is amazing and are getting married in January and they gave Sister Porter and I a wedding invitation!

December 4, 2017 #LIGHT THE WORLD

Dear Family,
This week is transfers and I am so sad! Three of the most amazing sisters are going home today from our district. Today is going to be so different because we had both those companions get white washed out so now there is only four of us. We just got called to find out who is getting transfers!! Our district leader Elder Peary is getting transferred after being here for 9 months! This is going to be an interesting week. Transfers aren't till Wednesday, they changed it for the people coming in so they don't have to get up at 2 AM and go to the airport, I barely missed that change. But I am way excited to see who our new district will be.

Mission life is going great, Sister Porter and I are a little insane, but it is all good. We had Two lessons with our investigator Ze who is from China, He is amazing. He has loved everything we have shared with him and is trying so hard to understand what the spirit feels like, which we have pointed it out to him a couple of times. He didn't come to church this week because he said he is really shy, and has finals this week, but he promised us he will come this week!

Our investigator Natalie is doing so great! she came to a baptism on Thursday for an elderly lady and it was so cute. She said that she could feel the spirit and ever since then she has had the thought of baptism on her mind. When she left the baptism, she was in a rush to go pick up her Fiance' and was driving kinda fast, and she said she had this overwhelming feeling come on her and had a really strong impression to slow down, and 20 seconds later, this girl darts out into the road and she barley slowed down in time to not hit her. It was such a cool experience for her to feel that prompting from the spirit and she was able to recognize that. But we taught her yesterday about the 10 commandment and the Word of Wisdom and she is so willing to give up her Tea. She has been reading the Book of Mormon so much it is amazing. Her fiance' is moving in with her in January and we are teaching her the Law of Chastity this week, so we will see how it goes.

We have 12 investigators that we are currently teaching, and Montana, Teresa, and Ze are on date. Montana bore her testimony in church yesterday and it was great! There were so many people at church yesterday and many of the girls in our ward brought there non member friends. We were able to teach two of them and make them investigators. Our ward is so amazing with sharing the gospel with their friends and following up with them and seeing if they are interested and want to learn more. We hit standards for the 2nd time in a row! and 3 times this transfer, we had 4 new investigators, 3 on date, and 4 at church! Our teaching pool is so big right now its amazing, We have seen miracle after miracle these past couple weeks. We have so many amazing lessons with potentials this week that will hopefully become new investigators.

I love you all, I am so grateful for all the love that I have received from a lot of you. I love being out here, I know that God has prepared so many hearts and we just have to be willing to work hard find those people and take rejection as a good thing. I love this gospel, I know it changes lives, and that it is through this gospel we know how to return to our Heavenly Father again. I encourage all of you to participate in the Light the World campaign! It is amazing! There is a short video that goes along with what you can do each day to serve others. I know that as you do your best to serve each day, this Christmas will be more meaningful and can remember Jesus Christ more throughout this holiday season. I hope you all have a great week!

Love Sister Stokes