Fall 2018 October in Everett Washington

The Church is True

This week has just flown by right out the window. I have loved everything so let me start you off from the beginning of the week!

Our 1st P-day as our zone, we played soccer in the pouring rain, we were drenched at the end of it, but it was honestly super fun! We are teaching this amazing women with other elders, her name is Jennifer. Her story is just insane and amazing all at the same time. She is insanely smart in the Bible and is an ordained minister, but is in the middle of undoing that, which is a process. She was talking with a friend of hers who lives in California who is a member of the church and they were talking about Moses and he brought up how we have more information about it in another book of scripture, the Pearl of Great Price. She was intrigued and read the whole thing! She wanted to learn more about this, and she saw 2 missionaries walking down the road (which is funny because it was my trainer and MTC companion sister Porter and Murdock) and she tells them she wants to learn more about what our church teaches! And she is so amazing, already knows the gospel is true and is on date for baptism. 

So every Tuesday and Thursday, the ladies in our ward and stake do Refit in the mornings and we have permission to do it with them! It is so fun and there are lots of non members who also go because it is free and they have a child care as well.
Aaron, who was baptized last Saturday is so awesome, we are teaching him the new member lessons and he is so smart in the gospel. he pretty much teaches us. I found out during that lesson that our Ward mission Leader Brother Taylor served his mission in Russia and speaks Russian! It was when they could still wear name tags and things, but I got so excited! There family is the cutest, they are moving back to Utah at the end of the year though, but that's okay! closer to me when I go home haha.

For my Birthday on Wednesday, we went to dinner with the Russian Sisters! Sister Pryshchepchuk and sister Koroleva are the cutest and I love them so much! They made me homemade Piroshki! which is just stuffed potato bread and also some with stuffed cabbage and stuff! They know it's one of my favorites! haha. While we were eating, we saw people signing at a table next to us and our zone leaders and another companionship in our zone are ASL missionaries and so we decided to face time call them and they told us to  do a sign to the people and then show them the phone so they can communicate! Turns out they have met before, but they said they are busy right now, but that they would love for the elders to come in November. It was a cool experience! 

Sister Drais who is a couple missionary working in the Mission Office texted us and said we need to come to the office today and when we did, they got me this yummy pastry and a card! They are so sweet.

Super cool miracle,

We decided to drive to this former investigator and while driving to his place, he calls us! His name is Martin and he is from Bulgaria. We told him we were actually on our way to see him and we were able to meet him outside and teach him and pick him back up! we met with him the next day and taught him the restoration.

We got to see the Russian sisters again because they had their new missionary training on Friday. sister P tells me that Brother Slava, a Russian member was so sad that I left and he thought I was going to come back to see him for my birthday! He got me some Russian treats from the Russian store! He is so sweet.

This amazing man named Todd who is the best missionary pal out there took us out after Confrence on saturday to PF Changs for my birthday! He is so amazing and we love him! 

Hands down the highlight of the week was conference. I just could not believe all the revelatory announcements that happened! It was funny because we had FHE on Monday with the Gabel family and we were talking about it and I guess there was news traveling around that church was going to be changed to 2 hours. I was like that would seriously be so crazy, and then it happened! But some things that really stuck out to me from conference were the patterns in the talks and the main focuses that were emphasized. And if you didn't catch them or weren't able to watch conference, this is what stuck out to me:

• The Importance of having a testimony of the Plan of Salvation (Study it! D&C 138).
• Importance of regular temple attendance, staying on the covenant path
• Ministering, "Gain a Shepard's Heart." This is actually my goal this week, I want to really love others and see them how God see's them. Each soul is precious in the eyes of God!
• Dealing with Hard things. Troubles will come, "don't be alarmed, be ready."
• Gathering scattered Israel 
• And lastly, gaining our own testimony, taking upon us the name of Christ.

I am beyond grateful for the spirit that bore testimony to me in conference. I know what was shared in conference is from our Heavenly Father, and He wants us to hop on this train because it is moving forward, and if you aren't ready to get on it, you will be left behind. A really awesome quote by Gordon B. Hinckley states, "We of this generation are the end harvest of all that has gone before. It is not enough to simply be known as a member of this Church. A solemn obligation rests upon us. Let us face it and work at it." I know that this is the truest of truths! There is nothing more important on Earth as stated in conference than Gathering Scattered Israel. I Hope you all took the commitments left at conference (which were a lot) and will apply them and DO them. I am excited to Read the Book of Mormon all the way through to the end of the year focusing on Jesus Christ. I know these commitments given is to bless us and strengthen us spiritually so we can handle the hardships that lye ahead. I love you all! have an amazing week!

Love,

Sister Stokes

October 1, 2018

With our favorite members the Horrocks!

With our Russian investigator Victoria and her twin babies!

This week: 20th birthday & 1 year out?? WHAT!!

Hello my fellow friends and family! well, as many of you know I have been booted out of the beloved Russian work and am back in English. I think President wants to keep an eye on me so he put me in an area where I will see him all the time, plus I am serving in his ward, haha. But my new companion is Sister Jones! We go wayyyy back, all the way back to last year around December I think? She was my Sister Training leader while I was in Bellingham and we have been around each other a lot throughout our missions. It has been a blast already! She is from Enoch Utah and will be going home in December! 

But lets go back to Tuesday, the day before transfers, That was a crazy day! Sister Pryshchepchuk and I started out the day going to the doctors for both of us haha, all is well. we then had checked out this food bank that we possibly could do service at, but didn't really feel like going our last day together, but I felt like we needed to go! So we did and there are always a lot of Russians who go there, but there was a volunteer named Anna who was from Russia! We get talking with her and she has been looking for a church to attend. She was very much interested in what we had to share and even asked for a Book of Mormon and wants to come to church! we swapped numbers and they will start sharing more with her! Miracles!

So my ward I am now over is the Mays Pond Ward, and It has been on fire! They have been teaching someone named Aaron, who is actually from Hong Kong, but he is super cool! Long story short, He met a member on a plane and it started with a "fart joke" lol. It's easy as that Folks! Just opening your mouth and talking with people. Everything relates to the gospel haha! But we taught him his last lesson this week, lesson 5 and He was baptized this Saturday! It was an amazing service, He even gave a testimony/speech and it was awesome. 

Really cool miracle,

We were teaching our Friend Laurie and she is on date for December 1st. she is an older women and has been through a lot in her life. Her husband passed unexpectedly in the night about 5 years ago and it has been really hard on her. But we were talking out front at a table about the Book of Mormon and how it connects to the bible and everything, and while we are just having this lesson, a guy who was painting her neighbors house comes up to us and says, "I just wanted to say thank you, I've been over here listening and just wanted to say thank you, I am a believer, God bless." Laurie goes, "Come and Join Us!" but he was on the job painting haha. we sadly couldn't find him after her lesson, but one day we will!

This Sunday was 5th Sunday and we were asked to give the lesson to all the adults about how they can share the gospel through technology. It went surprisingly well for not preparing for it at all haha. We helped out a lot of members who aren't the best at using their technology to know how simple it really is to use technology to share the gospel to our friends. We later had a lesson with some members in our ward and went through the restoration with them. It was super cool though, the wife's dad goes to the ward that President Nelson went to when he was here and so they went, her dad also gave the opening prayer to the meeting.They were all able to meet him, but the 9 year old son was grabbed by President Nelson and he gave him a big hug! they said he bent down to his height and told him he loves him. I couldn't even imagen. The wife was saying how sweet President Nelson's eyes are, like you could tell from pictures and things, but being that close to him was unreal the spirit that he carries.

We had the Come See For Yourself Fireside That happens every 3 months put on by President Wilding and The O'Hara's were two out of the 4 Recent converts who spoke! I love them so much, they are up in Oak Harbor, but the spirit was so strong that entire meeting. I Love this Gospel and the impact it makes on our lives as we live it. I am way excited for General Conference this upcoming weekend and hope you all can do something to prepare for it! Have an amazing week!

Love,

Sister Stokes

September 24, 2018

Russian work coming to an end September 24, 2018

This has been a fast last full week of this transfer. Sad to say I will be leaving and going back to English work, but I am excited at the same time. It has been one for the books, and I can say that I love Russian culture, they are so nice and love to feed you everything they have! But a little bit about this week:

We have been trying to find new people to teach, but it's hard when our Russian potentials live all over the place and driving takes up most the time. The last potential we tried one day was named Rustik, we first off couldn't find where he lived, and we're about to leave, but right before we left the complex, I saw his apt. number! So we go but he wasn't home, but while were at his door, someone comes up behind us and it was Rustik! He just got home from work haha. He was super cool and said that he could probably meet another day. So that was a blessing.

Another miracle was at church yesterday, we are setting up translation and one minute before sacrament starts this man grabs my attention and asks for translation and so I give him one, but don't have time to talk. So afterwards, he says that he actually is just trying to learn Russian because his parents are from Russia, and that he is interested in learning more about this church! We asked him lots of questions and he has a long time ago gone to a church service before and talked with missionaries, but has had a feeling he needs to make this apart of his life. He thought he was taking too much of our time and said "Sorry, I just have one more question, during this meeting I was having this feeling over me, it was a very good feeling, may I ask you what it was?" and so we explained to him it was the Holy Ghost and how it speaks to us. But it was way cool! He also said his parents are wanting to learn more too, so the Lord is blessing this work!

We provided service to our investigator Victoria with the twin babies, she needed to go to Costco, but it is way to difficult with her babies, so we came with her and helped her in Costco! It was great.

We met with our other investigator Sophia and she fed us these homemade turkey/chicken meatballs, soup, and lots of other Russian styled antres. She is doing good, her husband has not been health wise. So crazy, Sophia's Husband Leonid was born in Belarus the time when the Nazis were taking over and his parents were in those camps. His mom gave birth to him while they were in hiding and they put a stock of corn in her mouth while giving birth to him so the Nazis wouldn't find them. So he has gone through a lot in his lifetime. Leonid's friend when he was a baby as well while hiding was crying and to make him stop crying his parents choked him so he wouldn't give up their hiding place, and he has grown up the rest of his life with a messed up neck and vocal cords. It is so sad. I think they said he passed away a couple years ago due to the damage from that day as a baby. They showed us the article Leonid wrote about it I'll put it in my pictures. 

We had English Practice with Shahita and her husband from Pakistan, They are the sweetest couple ever. Not interested in the church, but the nicest people you would ever meet. I am so sad to be leaving them and so many others. Her husband, who doesn't speak English very well tells me "give me your hand" and starts reading my palm! he tells me so many things about myself that were actually accurate haha. He told me that the first man that proposes to me or that I love "won't be good" and I was like well that's concerning lol. He also said my 3rd child will be a boy😂 so we will see if this is accurate haha.

We got to help out at our Stake day of service and labeled lots of food which was fun.

So we were in Everett on Saturday and it is pouring rain, we lost where our car was and were running in the rain! by the time we found our car, it looked like we had just gotten out of the shower. We were freezing and had to got to a lesson right after in our wet clothes haha. we're not smart.

It has been such a blessing being in this Russian work, I will remember the people I have been able to meet forever and the impact they have had on my life. I hope you all have an amazing week!

Love,

Sister Stokes