July 30, 2012

Hello, hello! How art all of you doing? I'm doing just fine. So this last week. Our 2 progressing investigators with baptismal dates are doing just wonderfully. Getting ready for their baptisms - on August 11 and well...the October one got push back to November 3...but I'm not worried about her because she practially has planned her whole baptismal service. Now, that is golden. They are both so wonderful. Just great ladies. The one who's getting baptized in November...she's from Pennsylvannia! One of our investigators dropped us. She was the one that was concerned about the plan of salvation...she said she feels more comfortable in the new church she has been going to :( I invited her to try out our church at least once...she rejected it. Sad! But the seed has been planted. One of our guy investigators, we taught him the plan of salvation and he believed it! Yea! And we were able to easily set up a return appointment, which is kind of unusal. But that was cool. But he won't come to church yet...sad. Our other investigator/part member family we are working with...well, the husband has lots of concerns and is sometimes difficult. But the wife will soon be getting Sundays off and will be able to come to church which is way good. Then hopefully all 3 of them will be able to come to church. We tracted into a really awesome potential! A 15 year old girl, who's mom is letting her explore religion and make her own choice. Awesome! We were able to have a real sit down lesson with her last week because she came down with the flu, but she did her assignment and read the restoration pamphlet. I'm excited for her! And this week we'll start teaching another teenage girl. Her grandmother is in our ward and really thinks sister missionaries will be good for her. Plus, the granddaughter has been coming to our ward and really likes the youth there. So that will be awesome! I love this ward. They are great. Been getting to know some more of the younger families which is real good. Yesterday we went out tracting and didn't look to see if any one of our ward lived on that court. I looked at the house and laughed to myself, thinking it would be funny if they were members...well they were, but we got to know them better and they fed us brownies! Actually our dinner yesterday, we had chocolate chip cookies for dessert. They were so good! We don't get chocolate chip cookies very often...or cookies in general (sad), but these were really good ones! And the husband made them himself! So yesterday when we were tracting a man asked if he could pray for us. He prayed that we would find the truth before we took our last breath of life. He believes in the trinity and thinks we are terribly wrong. So it's real transfers again! Crazy. I thought this last one really went by super quick. So...Sister Bowers, my companion of almost 2 weeks...well, that was it. She's leaving. Going up to Gridley. They have a need for spanish speakers up there and so they need her! It'll be good for her. We didn't think it'd really happen. I'm getting Sister Simons. I think I've seen her once...maybe...she's only been out 2 transfers...this will be her 3. So yep. That's all I know about her. But it'll be good. The ward will think the mission is crazy though. They just keep switching the sisters on them. At least I'm still here. So...lets see, I think about 2 weeks ago I got a crazy annoucement in the mail. Okay it wasn't really crazy...but just wait and you might understand why I said crazy. I got Taylor Larsen's wedding annoucement! They look really cute together! I'm happy for him...them... But that's not the crazy part. They got married in sacramento! That's cool! I remember Mom saying Katie's from Roseville. But that's still not the crazy part. Their reception...well, it was just on the otherside of my ward/stake boundaries. I could have gone to it! It was so close! I mean just barely, probably not even a mile away! Anyways...that was the crazy part. I couldn't believe their reception was so close...just a town away, on the way to my church building. (We attend a church building in Rocklin - which was the town the reception was in). Anyway, that was funny. But he's/they are married now! Crazy times! But awesome. It was nice of them to send me an invitation. I'll probably send them a congratulations card of some form.

July 23, 2012

Dearest family, So this last week I did get a new companion. So Wednesday morning...way to bright and early...actually it was still dark...I got up about 3:20, took a shower and drove Sister Spencer-Kealamakia to the Weston's home. There the Weston's took us and their twin daughters (16), and daughter’s friend to the airport. President and Sister Weston and I dropped off the twins, friend, and Sister Kealamakia. We came back home...I was Sister Weston's companion for a few hours. When we came home President told us we could take a nap...and we did...or I tried...I think I fell asleep for a few... and then we had cereal for breakfast (my favorite...they like it too!;) and then we went to the airport. Their youngest daughter Lizzie (10) came with us. Lizzie is so cute. Full of energy. At 9:30 we picked up my new companion, Sister Bowers. She's great. She's from New Jersey. She was born in Texas and has lived in NJ since she was 12. She's been out a year. And she's more quiet and reserved like me. So it's different when meeting people and teaching. (All of my past companions have been really really really talkative...minus my trainer). But when Sister Bowers' get's talking, she can talk. Yep. So that's about my new companion and early morning. So about the investigators. They are doing pretty well...well the progressing ones that is. The ones with baptismal dates, both them have pretty good testimonies and understanding of the gospel. Our other investigators...well, we're struggling to meet with some of them, but that's part of mission life sometime. Our investigator who was under house arrest? Well...our member who lived on his street knocked on our investigator's neighbor's door (who's a cop). He said that our investigator got book...the cops found something and pulled him in...:( Sad...but at least we planted a seed with him. I know that one day he'll have a chance to find the truth. He has so much potential. I know he'll be given the chance again. I am glad I had the chance to meet him. Oh, and his house is about to be sold soon. So yeah...we are probably not going to see him again. But I hope and pray for him. Some of our less actives are doing great though. One - last week we had a lesson about how to recognize the spirit. That was such a good lesson. She really enjoyed it and learned a lot from it. Since then she's really been in good spirits. Another of our less actives...we went over and apologized for being late. She said, "I about gave up on you." (we were only 15 minutes late.) We were talking and asked if she wanted to watch the restoration movie like we had planned. She told us, "No, we will have to keep this to 30 minutes." Oh....so I was scrambling in my mind what to do...so I asked her about her scripture reading and all that and then all of a sudden. "This is awkward. Do you just want to come back another time?" Haha...it wasn't that bad...I felt it a little bit awkward because I was trying to think what to do in place of the movie... and we found out that she thought the lesson started at 2...not 2:30 like we thought...old ladies....no offense to anyone! She's in her high 80's! I think... She's kind of odd...in her own special kind of way... Anyway, that was kind of funny. Funny stuff happened this week...that was the only one I could think of top of my head. Sister Bowers is great. She loves to laugh...so we keep laughing about the funny things that have happened...or have been said...it is great. Um...I love you all bunches and bunches!!! Don't let your pants fall off! Haha...sorry that's from another less active/recent convert...at church on Sunday we heard him talking about how his pants were sliding down falling off...haha...the first time I met him at his house he had put his newspaper in his pants pocket and he was carrying 2 jugs of milk and all of a sudden his pants started falling off! Poor guy. But he has a good sense of humor about it all. He's great. Anyway, I do love you all! Be happy! Remember who you are! A child of God! Remember that I love you! Be safe! Until next time! Love, Sister Walston

July 16, 2012

How are all of you doing this fine day?! I'm doing just fine. ...So...I spoke yesterday in sacrament meeting. I spoke about the "Past way of facing the future" by Elder Perry and about missionary experiences. It weird being a missionary and giving talks. You can't prepare the normal way. I wrote down lots of stuff to say, but I just kind of followed it like it was a list of bullet points and just spoke...not very typically of me. But I think I did alright. So the investigator on house arrest...he kind of disappeared this week. We went by for our lesson he wasn't there. We've been calling him every day and it has gone straight to voice mail. On Sunday our member tried calling him and to pick him up, but he was nowhere to be found. We're afraid he might have made it back to jail. So...we'll see if we ever see him again. I hope we do. He has a lot of potential. We were able to pick up 2 new investigators! One is the 13 year old step-son of one of our investigators and son of a less active lady. He is willing to be baptized. His less active mother says she'll support him. I just hope we can get her coming. The second new investigator is a lady that has been investigating our church on her own for the last 2 years. She saw BYU TV and has been coming to church since the beginning of the year. And she has a calling as a substitute primary teacher. She's awesome! She's from Pennsylvania! And she has committed to be baptized October 20. Yea! We taught one of our other investigators the Plan of Salvation. She wasn’t really sure about it... some of it was really new to her. But we told her to pray and she would receive an answer. We've started teaching quite a few less actives. One is an excommunicated member. I love being able to help all of them. The excommunicated member, he has such a desire to be rebaptized. He has such a desire to have the Holy Ghost as his constant companion. He dearly misses that. And looking at him, I feel as though I can sense the change of his excommunication. I can see the loss of it. It is so sad when the Holy Ghost withdraws, but our actions truly do make a difference. It is so important to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost. He will always lead us to do good. And like Ryan told me in an email today, we will have a light shine through us. It will radiate the peace of the Holy Ghost that shines within us that comes from the Savior. I am so grateful for the gospel. I am so grateful for the Savior. I am so grateful for the Holy Ghost. I am so grateful for the chance I have to share the joy, peace, and comfort it gives to me. It's such a happy occasion. Well, I love you all so much!!!! Have an awesome wonderful day!

July 9, 2012 Dearest family, How are all of you doing? I'm doing just fine. So update on my investigators: Our one investigator is still planning on getting baptized on August 11! That is good. This week we taught her about the priesthood. I think her husband starting going a bit over her head with information. But I told her 4 main points that essentially described the priesthood and she said that part made a lot more sense. She was able to attend a convert baptism this weekend! Seeing it help calmed her nerves a tad. The investigator we picked up when we got here...I'm not sure what to think about him...I think he might have problems due to drugs...smoking...something of the sort...oh wells...such is life now a days sadly. Our investigator who is under house arrest, he is doing great! I'm excited for him. But he might not be able to be baptized for a long time...he's on parole...for like 4 years... but I'm so excited to be able to help him find hope and joy. We met with him twice as well. He said he had done a little reading, but it was hard with not having the right perscription for his glasses, but he's getting his new ones this Saturday. He committed to be baptized again if he found out if the church was true. We talked about how we feel the Holy Ghost. And we also taught the plan of salvation. He agreed to come to church on Sunday! And our member, who is his neighbor, is going to pick him up. We were unable to meet with 3 of our investigators...yeah...I actually not really surprised. Oh wells, once again that's part of missionary life. But hopefully this week will pick up 2 new amazing people! One I might have mentioned before. She's been going to church a long time now and she has a calling - primary substitute. We have a lesson schedule with her for this week. She is so sweet. I'm excited to start teaching her! The other hopefully new, amazing person is a 16, almost 17 year old girl. For the last year and a half her family has been in Germany. She was dating a member - a boy from Boise, ID. Because of him, she started going to seminary...and maybe church...I don't really remember that part. But she's been going to seminary for the last year and a half and she wants to continue going. She really likes the values of the church, but she saw a lot of members judging each other harshly, parents being super strict with their children, and has heard a lot of random things. She really just wants to know the plain truth. We weren't able to set a time to come back - they have a foreign exchange student from Denmark living with them for the next month - and the program she is with has something going on almost every day. But she said she would call and let us know when she was available. I'm excited for her too! She is very open and honest with us. Besides that, life is just keep going on. I am still trying to get to know the ward members. They are all very wonderful still...but there's so many of them...but they are all so wonderful and nice. My companion has a week and a couple days left here, so I don't know what will happen next week. Temple squares transfers are different than ours...so we'll see if I'll get another one next week or not. Well, love you all bunches and bunches and bunches! Sister Kristi Walston