February 16, 2018

The Sun Came Out!!! :). February 16, 2018

Hi Everyone! I hope you all have had a good week. This week has been great, We went on exchanges again Tuesday and I went up to Lynden. It was super fun! We got to go to Days For Girls, and for those that don't know what that is, it is a Non profit organization that started up in Lynden and it is now around the world! But it is reusable feminine hygiene that goes to places like Africa and is super cool. But the lady that sew's all of the guards has the missionaries come over once a week and gets to sew and it is so much fun! I want to learn how to sew now haha.

We met with their investigator Shala that night. She is super religious and her husband is a less active member, but we taught her the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was probably the most powerful lesson i've been in. The spirit filled the room right when we started. Shala had the most amazing story and was being prepared for this moment to learn the Gospel. This summer, she developed something worse than MS, I don't remember what it is called, but she suddenly lost all her eye sight one day. They luckily had a family friend they know who is one of the best eye doctors in the country treat her. They had to stick a tub by her heart and separate the plasma from her blood every other day for a long time, but it saved her eye sight. She still has fuzzy vision, but it was a miracle. She is so amazing, she had two boys ages 4 and 2, and this thing she has is something that can't be treated, and at anytime, it can do something to her spine and make her completely paralyzed, but will never know until it happens. Everything made so much sense to her. She was baptized as a baby, but only with water on the forehead. She said the one thing she was struggling with was understanding why she needed to be baptized again, but when we explained why we are baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority and when we are completely emerged in the water, we are "reborn" and it represents our old life being buried, and coming up new, taking upon ourselves Christ and following him in this life she said it hit home. She started crying and said, "Before our lesson, I felt like I wasn't ready to go to your church, but know I know that I am ready and I want to come." The spirit can do amazing things when you allow it to speak through you. 

Investigators:

Coree is doing great, he came to church and is reading a chapter a day.

Jordan agreed to stop smoking Marijuana! He has changed so much in these past couple weeks. He is going to be baptized on the 24th and we are so excited. The only thing in the way of him being baptized is making sure he is totally off smoking. He is working really hard, keep praying for him:)

Ze is doing great, his family came from china for Chinese new year and couldn't come to church this week. 

We picked up two new investigators, Katie, who was a potential and is super nice, and we tracted into Corina. Corina is super cool, she met a Mormon a while back and they talked for a good hour about things. They exchanged numbers, but they lost contact, then we showed up at her door! She has been questioning what she believes in, but knows there is a God. We are excited to see where things go!

A guy named Jacob reached out to us and wanted to interview us for his school project. He said missionaries came to his door a few months ago, and it has been in the back of his mind ever since. He said when this project came up, he was like, well this is a great opportunity to understand more about Mormons. It was super cool, we were able to explain a lot about the restoration and about missions, he said that he would love to keep learning since we couldn't share everything in one lesson haha. But it was awesome!

2 Nephi 4 has been sticking out to me lately, Nephi is pretty much depressed because of the wretched man that he is and his iniquities. But he trusts in the Lord, and looks back at his life and gives gratitude to all the Lord has blessed him with. He is the best example of not blaming God for all the hard times, but giving thanks to all he has been delivered from. He asked God that his soul will no longer droop in sin, he asks the Lord, "Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?" (2 NE. 4:31)  I love this so much, Nephi knows that if he trembles when he gets close to sinning, if he will be able to catch himself before he falls, Christ won't have to feel those sins. As we plead with the Lord to help us strive to avoid sin, we will see our desire to follow Christ grow, and be more aware of the things we keep falling short of. I love you all and hope you have an amazing week!

Love

Sister Stokes

February 5, 2018

 In Mount Vernon

 Sister Daul's last zone conference on the end..

 First time seeing the blue sky in a week!! Such a blessing!

4 Months out!!!! February 5, 2018

Dear Family and Friends

We had Zone Confrence on Tuesday. It was down in Mount Vernon and we learned all about the Ward Mission Process and exact obedience. You learn so much at Zone Confrence and how you can improve as a missionary in so many things. I'm excited for this process to kick in, it has been a thing since 2008, but our mission is focusing on it extra this year. Bringing back all the less actives! The Ward really is the key to missionary work and having success. Also, President wants the mission to improve on our language, so we are trying really hard to not use replacement words...It is so hard! I didn't realize how much I say them until I've focused on it. 

Our car engine light turned on so we had to go back to Mount Vernon to Good Year and they said that it will be an hour and a half because they just went on lunch break, so we did a blitz in another area! (When two sets of missionaries work in one area). It was funny, a man pulls over in traffic and yells at us, "Are you Mormons?" we say, "Yes!" He says, "You worship the devil!" and we say "what?" and he says, "You believe in a false Jesus!" and sister Porter goes, "Ok, have a nice day." and he says, "No really!" I was laughing he took the time to tell us that while he is blocking traffic haha.
 

Investigator Update:

Ze: We taught Ze this week and showed him the bible video of Christ being baptized, he was able to watch it in Chinese and it was super cool. He said he felt really peaceful while watching it and asked if he could be baptized in nature! haha, we told him it would be real cold, but he can! His baptism date is for the 24th of February. We love Ze!

Jordan is doing amazing, We were able to start our fast together over the phone and fast that he can stop smoking and be able to receive an answer if he should stop smoking marijuana. He says he will quick right when he gets an answer. So pray he will so he can get baptized!

Coree wants to be baptized! He told us that he feels a difference when we come over and when he comes to church. He wants to wait until his fiance comes up to visit so she can be there, so we aren't worried about him if he has to wait a couple months,  he is so solid.

I hope you all have a great week and look for ways you can serve each day. As we look for ways to better somebody else's life, we will have more joy throughout our day. Even if it's a text message to someone you think needs a friend. I know it's through the simple things that we can make a difference. I love you all! Have a great week.  Love Sister Stokes

January 29, 2018

 Missionary Badge Photo

 Favorite Freshman!! Next to me is Olivia, then Alex who is a recent convert we teach and then Tawny who is a recent convert we teach. They took us to the Dining Hall on campus for dinner! it was so fun.​

 Had a Relief Society brunch on Saturday!

Were Getting Smart Phones :). January 29, 2018

Dear Family and Friends,

President had a mission wide phone call Saturday Morning, we were scared that our mission was dissolving because so many have been lately! Lindsey from our ward told us her mission, The Cleveland Ohio mission is being dissolved! She is so sad. But we were told that we are getting smart phones and all missionaries in our mission will have one my April! It is going to be so weird, Apparently every mission in the US will have a smart phone by August, so that's crazy. 

The second announcement he made was that the Washington Federal Way mission is being Dissolved and in July, we will be adding three Stakes from the Seattle Mission! The three stakes are the Bothel Stake, Shorline Stake, and  North Seattle Stake. We will have University of Washington in our mission now!! I am so excited. 50 missionaries from the Seattle mission will join the Everett Mission and so many other missions are being affected by this.

We had 5 investigators at church this week! Coree, Jordan, Ze, Cecilia, and Ashton. Cecilia was being taught by other sisters, but she is YSA they passed her off to us. Ashton was a former from a year ago who the Elders were teaching and gave to us because he is YSA, but he is moving on Thursday.

We went on exchanges this week with our Sister Training Leader. We only have one STL so we have to go on two exchanges this transfer. But guess who it is! Sister Stokes! HA. We spent the day together Friday and it was so much fun. This is her last transfer on the mission.. She doesn't know her Stokes side of the family very well, but she said they are from Idaho! So we are probably related some how! She is from West Jordan Utah. 

Our investigator Jordan is doing amazing! He wasn't able to cut off smoking cold turkey, but he went from smoking a pack a day, to only 5 a day. He know's the Gospel is 100% true and is so excited to be baptized on the 24th. He is working so hard to be ready for Baptism and has been telling his friends and family all about it! Keep praying for him!

Coree is so solid, he is in for the long run and not going anywhere anytime soon. He has grown so much and hasn't missed one Sunday since we've been teaching him. Sister Stokes and I taught him on Friday and we had an amazing lesson with him. This week, we are going to be bold, but loving about setting a baptism date. He isn't one to move fast in these things, which I don't blame him, if I was investigating, I would take forever probably, but we are cracking down and going to tell him that we know he is ready and cannot procrastinate this covenant.

Our Zone confrence is tomorrow and I am way excited! I feel like it has been so long since we have had one. The last one we had was the 1st week I got to the mission! I am so excited for these upcoming changes to the mission, the lord's work is hastening and I am so excited to be apart of it. 

This week I was reading in Matthew chapter 4 when Christ fasted 40 days and 40 nights and how he was tempted by the devil. I was thinking how easily we are tempted because of our natural state, but knowing that Christ was tempted, but did not fall into temptation stuck out to me. I was pondering why is it so hard sometimes to be obedient to the smallest things and to the commandments of God? We know we are happier when we abide by his precepts, but because of our fallen state, we always fall short.  I love that Christ was able to overcome every temptation. Because who better to learn obedience, than he who has never fallen into temptation? We are able to gain strength as we look to Christ, and use his atoning power he so willingly gave to us. I hope you all look to Christ this week, even though we are weak, Through Christ, we are made strong. Ether 12:27

Love,

Sister Stokes

January 22, 2018

 Ariel and Arroch's Wedding

 Teresa's Baptism program from last week