Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mother's Day

Hi everyone! It has been a great day today and a great week! Sorry this is going to be a short email home because we went out to the San Juan islands today! 

But this week was awesome because the O'Hara kids were baptized! Oh, and we got to call home for Mother's Day! It was su h a great baptism though. Their dad was able to baptize them and the whole family bore their testimonies afterwards, it was such a sweet experience. 

Ze is getting baptized on Thursday now, and it's also his birthday! So super special day, he is getting spiritually reborn on his birthday haha! He is seriously the sweetest guy ever. 

I hope you all had a great Mother's Day, especially all you moms. I love this quote by elder Holland in his 2015 conference talk  "Behold Thy Mother," "No love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child." I love you mom, i' m grateful for the support you have given me my whole life, you are an amazing example of being Christlike. I hope you all have an amazing week!

Love,

Sister Stokes 

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