Merry Christmas

Hello!!

Well, just like that Christmas is over but its okay because it was such a good day! I’m so glad that it was on Sunday and that we were able to take the sacrament to think more about our Savior! How great is that!!??

I think one of the best parts, besides skyping home (i loved talking with you all! I’m so glad that everyone was there and that we were able to talk.... we were disobedient though! Ha ha we went 10 min over but repentance is real J), was being able to teach this woman we found named De'Yanna. (greatest way to spell that ever!) We had to go tracting last night and someone told us to go try her door. When we knocked she was super open with talking and then invited us in so we could share more. We taught her the restoration of the gospel and she LOVED it! She told us that she had the exact same feelings that Joseph Smith had about all the churches and which one was right! We told her that we pray about a date to invite people to be baptized and we invited her to baptism for January 21st.  She sat there thinking for a while and then said yes. Apparently it is the day her great grandma passed away and 2 of her nieces and nephews had been born!  She said it really was inspired from God and she was really excited to learn more. As we were about to leave, she got teary eyed and said that she had been struggling that day to know the meaning of Christmas and was trying hard to find her way back to Christ. We told her that we were lead to her door by the Holy Ghost and then we testified of God’s love for her. She told us how grateful she was for us and then we left. Miracles happen and this was one of them. It testified to me that our Father in Heaven has prepared his children to accept this gospel!

Other than Christmas, this week has been pretty much the same! We had another day of finding, or tracting. It was super cold but at least this time it didn’t snow!

We are finally moving today. Sadly, not to the mission home but to the land of Auburn. one would think that moving from point A to point B would be easy but no. it never is. The story begins this morning. We were told a few days ago that the Office Elders, the ones with the truck, would be coming at 9am to help move us out. all would be well in Zion if that actually happened. It was 10am and still no elders and the people who are remodeling our bathroom needed to get started. So we finally called them and they were moving other people at the time. So then we had to shove as much of our stuff as we could into Betsy, our Little Chevy Cruz. It all just got even more crazy but I won’t go into that. Suffice it to say, we look like we are living in our car, our suitcases are still in our kitchen at the cottage and we don’t have a key to our apartment. But i know that everything will be fine... or so i tell myself! Ha ha i just hope our little house gets fixed ASAP.

I hope that each of you have had an amazing Christmas! i love you all and appreciate you all so much! i pray that each of you will keep the spirit of Christmas with you throughout this next year! have an amazing week and never forget that Our Heavenly Father loves you!

Sister Reynolds

Merry Almost Christmas

Hello everyone!

It's almost Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAYAYAYA!! It is such a good time of the year! I’m so grateful that we get to celebrate Christ and serve as he did even more during this time! I hope that all of you have been having a good week and that you’re excited for this amazing Holiday! I miss not being in good ol' AZ but I will be having a semi white Christmas so it will be way fun to experience something new! 

The work here is going well! Bebeto is progressing and has been coming to church and our lessons with lots of questions but his heart seems to be opening to this gospel! I’m so grateful for him! I truly didn't know how excited you could get to see someone walk through the church doors! I hope that all of you look out for those who may not have been at church in a while and reach out! All they could need is an invite and when they DO come, go say hi! I know that the mission has changed my perspective on the importance of fellow shipping people and church attendance! 

 This week we had a Fabulous Federal Way Festival of Finding! We went out all day on Saturday from 10am-5pm and knocked doors. It took me a while to accept the fact that we would be doing that all day but once sister Taylor and i got into the grove of things all was well! We drove all over the place going into every part of our area, which is bigger than any other area. We drove 93.1 miles... that is not a good amount to drive in one day when you have to keep track of your miles and you are limited to how much you can drive in a month! But it was all worth it because we were able to share the gospel with a lot of people!! The day turned into the Frigid Fabulous Federal Way Festival of Finding though! It wasn't supposed to snow, just be in the 20's all day. We woke up to 19 degree weather and when we finally got out of the house to start the day it was about 25 and it was snowing.... my toes, fingers and nose almost fell off but it was a fun experience that I wouldst trade for anything!

We had a zone conference on Friday that took us back to the basics of missionary work. And I mean the basics. We talked about dress and grooming, what preach my gospel is and how to study from it. Surprisingly, it was a much needed topic of conversation! Ha ha! We then had Christmas lunch, ham and potatoes and such, and played a few games as a zone! we played one where we broke off into 6 different teams and had 5 min to write as many Christmas songs as we could on a piece of paper. we then went in a circle and had to sing, as a team, the first 2 stanzas of the song. If we repeated a song that someone else had sung or took longer than 10 seconds to start singing we were out of the game! it was way fun! You’ll never believe it but Sister Taylor and I sang a few of those songs by ourselves because no one else knew them. We basically sounded like the dream girls. No Biggy ;) also, our team won but who is to brag... not me :) ha ha! I love the visionaries in this mission! They are all so amazing and they teach me new things each time we have the chance to gather together! It is awesome!

It’s cold, it’s wet and the work is AMAZING!

It’s cold, it’s wet and the work is AMAZING! We have had some struggles with our investigators the last 2 transfers but things are turning around in the James Hill ward! Our investigator Bebeto is doing really good! He came to church this past Sunday and really liked it! Our ward has the best members and they are so good at fellow-shipping! He has asked us to pray for him so he doesn't have a change of heart like last time! I’m so grateful that the spirit is the teacher! Without him there is no way that we would be able to help him progress in the gospel. I feel very blessed to be the one who has the opportunity to help him. It is a testimony to me that hearts can change and that people are drawn to the good in the world, AKA Jesus Christ!

Wisam, our eternal investigator, is still coming to church and taking the lessons! He is doing well we just wish so badly that he can be baptized. One day things will change in his situation in Iraq and he will be able to become a member! Until then we are helping him strengthen his testimony each and every day! Sister Taylor and I don't know what we have done to be so blessed but we know that as we continue to be tuned instruments in Gods hand we will continue to reap the blessings!

I love the people here in Washington, as I have mentioned before, but some of them I have to work harder to love. haha!

We were on exchanges on Friday and I went to another area while sister Taylor stayed in James hill. Sister Gafa, my sister training leader, and I pulled up to a stop light and saw a homeless man who wanted some food so I gave him an apple and a mormon.org card. (Always be 'finding' number one rule) We rolled up the window and waited to go. Before we could drive away we heard a knock at the door and it was the homeless man. He gave us the apple and the card back and said ”I don’t agree with the “Moron” religion and I can’t eat anything from you... I’m not sure why he didn't just take the apple and throw away the card but

he must not of been that hungry. I prayed a lot for him and that I might have charity for him. I hope that one day he will just take the apple. There are many other incidences that I could tell about but it aint worth getting all riled up again! Ha ha! I really do love these people I promise

I am excited about Christmas! Everyone has their lights up and fun things are going on in our area! We have our ward talent show and Christmas dinner this Friday and we also have our Christmas zone conference and devotional! It’s gunna be great! I hope that everything in AZ or wherever you may be is going well! I love you all so much! I hope that you all look up the 'Light the World' initiative from the church and do all you can to serve people as Christ did! I love the opportunity this season brings to help people come unto Christ! Don’t forget that he loves you and wants to help you! He is our Savior and Redeemer. I’m so grateful I’m here on my mission sharing the gospel to his children! There is no other place I’d rather be right now! I love you and hope you have a wonderful service filled week :)

This corner of the house is off limits and it is extremely tempting! 

 

Sister Reynolds

1. We got to set up a nativity from my wonderful mama! Thanks it was super fun :)

2. This corner of the house is off limits and it is extremely tempting! 

It Snowed!

Family. Friends.

Snow outside my house

This is urgent. We have officially hit winter! I arose yesterday and did the usual get ready for the day. Then as I made my escapade to the kitchen I had the urge to open up our blinds so we could look at our beautiful lake and then to my surprise I saw it! SNOW! It was cascading down in little, huge, flurries! I got so excited I think I scared Sister Taylor a bit! I had to go outside, even though it was freezing! (Literally 😂) I went and ran in it, more like frolicked, and I looked like a small child who just received a huge gift or something! It was absolutely beautiful to see and it made me excited to think that we might have a white Christmas! I realize now, though, that tracting in the snow or ice isn’t as fun as one would think! This morning I slipped on the ice. I might break a hip by the time summer arrives! haha! We have to bring a blanket with us these days in the car! We named her Monique, MOMO for short! (Hopefully I can send you a pic of her. ha! 

Monique "Momo"

The work in our area is slow right now but we have been seeing little miracles! We have recommitted our former investigator Bebeto to baptism for December 31st! We are super excited to help him gain his own testimony of the restored gospel! I pray that he will continue to have an open heart and mind! He is super cool though! He moved here from Haiti about 10 years ago. He knew nothing about Christianity but he was introduced to it by someone and he has gained an amazing relationship with God and Jesus Christ! He is so ready, even if he doesn’t know it yet. :) We also got a random call from another former investigator named Chris! He likes to pop up randomly but he seems pretty interested this time so we hope that he will be able to commit to learn more! 

The people here are just as amazing! We have met some cool and interesting people! i have to tell you about this guy who shall remain nameless. We knocked on his door and said that we were representatives of Jesus Christ. The first thing he said was, oh him? let me tell you a little something about Jesus Christ. From that moment I knew we would be in for a treat! He continued, and told us that Jesus was half human half ancient alien. Supposedly there is a picture somewhere that proves that this is true. His mother Mary had a beam of light go into her and that is how he was created. this is also the reason he has such amazing powers and could do so many miracles.... at this point I was doing my best to not laugh in his face but we had to get him to stop for longer than a second to let him know we had an appointment and that he could look up more on the website. I feel like somewhere in his life he was lead in an incredibly wrong direction but I guess one day he will figure it out! 

We also had a man come up to us the other day and this is how he said hi, “greetings earthlings! I was taken up by aliens and put back down. I lived in a time of Bon Jovi the evil and I’ve seen much. Do you have a dollar so I might ride the transportation to a distant land?" what a man he was! Sadly we couldn’t help him much but we told him that God loved him and gave him a card! The people here are the best! haha! 

I’ve been thinking about what my favorite talk is. I don’t think I have one but because I asked you all I might as well give one. I have come to love Elder Bruce R McConkie's last conference talk. I cannot remember the name of it but is truly powerful! I would encourage you all to go read it! Hopefully you’ll be able to find it! I love you all so much and so does the Lord and never forget that! I’m grateful to each and every one of you! Always try to do your best and repent daily! I have found that repentance is one of the most amazing blessings that we have ever been given! Take advantage of it! I pray for you all and I’m grateful for your prayers! i love you! 

Sister Reynolds

Christmas light by our house.

The Massive Donut

Hello all!

I hope everyone has had a great week and that thanksgiving was super good and full of yummy food! We were fed to our brim and then some! haha! I don’t know if I will ever want another piece of pie again! The people in my ward are so kind to us! 

legendary donuts. best. donuts. shop. ever. this was the size of my face!

Good news, we had transfers and drum roll please..... SISTER TAYLOR AND I ARE STAYING TOGETHER!!!! yaaay! we both were super nervous Sunday night while we waited for the call. we had a few close calls but it was all good in the end! Sadly, Sister (Kaylan) Richardson got transferred out of Zone so I won’t see her as often but she is going to do amazing! Sister Taylor and I are super excited to spend Christmas together and to be in the James hill ward still! These people are truly amazing! i love them so much!

This past Sunday we received a text from our 1st councilor in the bishopric. He told us he needed a speaker because someone just called and said he wasn’t coming. I being the newbie had to plan and execute a talk on the Godhead in 30 min. I know that probably doesn’t sound to bad but I was FREAKING out! It is scary to teach something when you haven’t planned it in advance! All went well though. I didn't pass out or anything and i am here to tell the tale so overall I’ll give the experience a 7 out of 10! 

We had an amazing miracle this week! We were weekly planning and we had the thought to text one of our former investigators, the one from a while ago who i cried over 🙄... any who haha, he responded and said he missed talking with us and that we could come over! so yesterday we went and had out first lesson with him! He was so kind and said he has been reading the book of Mormon and that he thinks it might be true! The spirit was so strong! This truly was a tender mercy. we have been struggling with the work and we have tried to be better missionaries and we have reaped the reward you could say :) we are praying that he will continue to pray and ask if this is true, more on that later though.

Life here has been good over all. The days are staying in the 40's lately so that’s crazy and the rain is relentless but everything is good! I’m going to get accustomed to it one day and then when i come home ill shrivel up like a dead fish! It’s just the circle of life i guess! that you all for the conference talks! I am excited to re-read them all! I love you all so much!

Thank you for keeping me updated about your life! Have an amazing week!
Love sister Reynolds

                

                                       Sister Taylor and i have no idea
                                        how to drive in Seattle... it was a struggle in a half... 

Happy Thanksgiving

Hello everyone!

I hope that every one of you is excited for thanksgiving! I know I am! It’s going to be fun to spend it out here with my ward members! I may gain 100 pounds in one day but I guess that’s mission life right? I miss everyone around this time but I’m grateful for my call to serve here!

I'm not sure what I want to write about this week but maybe I’ll start with talking about Shane. We met Shane while contacting a few days back. He is in his 30's and right from the get go I knew Shane was going to be a funny man. He opened the door and he was brushing his teeth. We introduced ourselves and he started to talk with us and create a conversation, all while brushing his teeth. We told him we wanted to share a message and he said he would listen, still brushing his teeth. We told him we would wait while he finished his dental hygiene regime but he declined and said he was okay so we just started to teach him! We taught, he went and spit. He would talk about Kent and how he just moved here and then we would tie it into the lesson, then he would go spit. Then we would talk about his old job in the army, he would spit and then we would try to teach him some more. (I will have you know that a normal contact is not so jumbled nor does it last 'that' long). This process went on for 30 minutes. Each time he left to go spit, Sister Taylor and I would die laughing and try to compose ourselves! Overall he committed to meet with the elders and we made our dash out to the parking lot all while he still stood there brushing his teeth. I truly hope and pray that he never has any teeth decay for he takes such good care of them....

We had another meeting with an area of the seventy this week! His name is Elder Gay. He and his wife came and talked to us about missionary work and working with the members. From 10:30am to 5 pm we sat and listened. We learned a lot of super good things and revelation was definitely received! The only problem was that I could barely sit still. Any of you who have sat with me in any meeting should know that I struggle not to move and to focus. Thankfully no one told me to leave so that’s good :) He told us to be bold with the members and to those that we are teaching. He gave us some things that we could say and all; I will tell you is that I have yet to become as bold as he is wanting us to be! Hopefully I can learn to do it throughout my mission! 

 I am sorry that this is such a short letter! I wish I could write more but time is almost out!

Thank you so much for your emails! Next week, if you’re willing, would you all send me one of your favorite scriptures of conference talks? I would love that so much! Have a great week!

Love, Sister Reynolds

Crazy Traffic and...MOLD

Hello,

It has been a super-fast week! I don’t know if that was just here in Washington or if it happened all over the world.... who knows. Anyway, mission life is good! We have been able to teach a lot of people through finding and we committed 10 people to baptism. Not all of them are for us in the YSA but we still get to plant the seed of faith in people and give them the opportunity to learn more and become converted, which is AWESOME! This gospel is so amazing! I find new things every day and they are always a testimony builder! I find that every time I read the scriptures I am filled with the desire to share what I’ve learned and guess what!? I’ve been blessed to be able to do that! 

Sister Taylor and I right before we came home!

I would like to take a brief moment to discuss Washington traffic, or at least Kent/Renton traffic. The roads here are sort of weird and crazy and the people driving are sort of weird and crazy as well.  Sister Taylor and I, almost daily, will end up sitting in a line of cars for at least 20 min. I’m sure if our area was smaller we wouldn’t care so much because we could just walk but that is sadly not a possibility. The other day we were on our way to a lesson with an investigator and we had given ourselves 10 min to spare so we thought we would be okay. FALSE ADVERTISING! We were stuck, without moving, for 30 min because the railroad had a train stuck in the middle of the tracks. At first we were kinds frustrated but then we could only laugh about it. There were people honking and yelling and hitting their heads on the head rests of their cars. You would have thought we were in New York! haha! All I know is that big city life is definitely not for me haha! 

Sunset the other day! not the best picture but it was super cool!

Our wonderful cottage on the lake is having some issues at the moment. We have been exposed to what the world would call black mold. It has invaded our personal space and is slowly but surely eating away our bathroom. Have no fear though, our wonderful house people, those in charge of our living situations are on it! We have to have our bathroom remodeled and basically gutted! But that means that we have to vacate the premises as soon as the contractor comes through the door. Where will we go you might ask? Let me answer that for ya. We will be living with the mission president and his wife for a couple days or weeks however long it takes. I have yet to decide if this will be fun or not.  Their house is in maple valley so we will have to drive quite a ways but the thought of sitting on the couch at night while mingling with those who are in charge of us is kind of a funny thought! More news on that lovely experience to come! 

Cloudy Weather

The weather here has been super weird lately! We have a few days or downpour and then that thing called the sun comes out for a day or two! It is a strange place, Washington but I have fallen in love with it! I have become grateful for coats, scarfs, and gloves! Also weather proofing spray might be the greatest invention ever made. :) 

Thank you all for your emails this week! They have made my day! I hope that you all continue to have amazing days! I love you all so much! Don’t forget to read your scriptures and pray daily! 

Sister Reynolds

this is Gerard the spider! he is our watch spider for our little Betsy( our car)

1st Daylight Savings Time

Hello,                                                                                      November 7, 2016

This week has been a whole lot better, excuse my improper English. Still had its challenges as every day does but I have seen a lot of little miracles and have recognized Gods hand in my life.

 On Monday we had a zone party for Halloween! It was weird to have all of us missionaries in our regular clothes hanging out and playing games, somehow I felt lazy.... but nevertheless we all had a blast! I’ll try to send a picture of all of us! We got to carve pumpkins that night so Sister Taylor and I went to the farmers market called Carpenitos and bought a pumpkin that was about the size of one of those beach balls, MASSIVE!, but way worth it! Our Zone has some amazing missionaries, most of which are from Utah. I think almost every missionary here is from Utah! But that’s okay because they are all amazing!

 On Tuesday, I’m going day by day this time; we had the chance to serve in the Bishops store house. It was a good experience but not a lot of people that day so we mostly talked with those who were also there. Two people were from our ward and it was good to get to know them more. One of them was our 2nd counselor in the bishopric! His name is Brother Richards, Peter I think, and he is a convert to the church. He is a spiritual giant and has the coolest family. They always try to send us home with frozen meals or things like that so we don’t wither away and die but I don’t think that will happen anytime soon!

 Wednesday we got to go to Seattle again, this time I didn’t have to drive🙌, and had our hand off lesson! The girls, Jazmine and Justine, are so cool! They have such strong testimonies and we are excited to get to know them better.

Thursday was boring so well move on. (We just had a bunch of meetings)

On Friday we volunteer at North West Harvest, a provider for food banks. It is always a good way to start our morning! the people are so kind and loving AND we get a chance to wear jeans so there is a perk, but if I’m being honest I might wear dresses for the rest of forever. They are so free... haha! 

 Skipping Saturday, a normal day, and going to Sunday. It was Fast Sunday AND the first day of daylight savings. I’m not sure how I like this whole changing the time to accommodate people. I guess I just don’t understand it but it is weird. It gets dark at 4:30ish. Night is so dark here because there is no moon or stars so you just guess where you are going most of the time! Besides that Sunday was really good! I never appreciated fasting till my mission. I have realized that we are literally submitting our physical bodies to our spirit so we can better learn from the Holy Ghost. I know that there is power in fasting and having a specific thing that you are wanting an answer to. It’s amazing how much the Lord wants to reveal to us if we are willing to listen!

 I am loving the mission life. I could pass on some of the rainy days but even then I am so grateful to be a servant of the lord!

Thank you all for your prayers and emails! You are amazing! I love you all so much! 

Sister Reynolds

Happy Halloween

Friends and family!

 This week has been different from the rest. It’s been exciting, fun, emotional and exhausting. What a roller coaster but also, what a learning experience!

Well the first of this week we had exchanges! It was cool because I got to exchange with Sister Richardson! My fellow Mesa Arizona pal and I had an entire day of serving the lord and reminiscing! What fun times! We stayed in my area, Kent and Renton, so it was fun to introduce her to people and then talk about us growing up together! What a joy! :) Because of this exchange though, I had to drive for the first time since being out here. Now, some may oppose this statement but I really am not that bad of a driver but something about Washington brings out the worse in me when it comes to navigation and driving, Must be the rain. haha! We ended up going outside our mission for point two seconds...shhhh that goes nowhere..... We took all the wrong turns, my bad, and then when we got to our destination in Skyway, that’s the tiny bit of Seattle that is in our mission, our appointment cancelled. We couldn’t catch a break. The rain was pouring more than it had since I have arrived in Washington, what a day! I felt bad that Sister Richardson had to endure this probably traumatizing event. We ended up surviving though and making it back home so really there is no room for complaints. haah!

 We also had as lesson with someone named Bebeto. Bebeto is from Haiti and when we first met him, as a hand off lesson with other missionaries, he was super solid and ready to learn the truth. He was sadly exposed to some things that really made him question everything. He had been avoiding us but we finally got in with him, as we taught him the plan of salvation we could tell he was not interested in finding truth for himself. He just wanted to have it proven to him and he didn’t want to take the time to ask God. This truly broke my heart. All we wanted was for him to come and gain a testimony and he wasn’t willing to even try. I find that a hard thing to understand. There is no harm that will happen by reading a book and praying to ask if it is real. All we ask people is to try and we testify that if they try it with the intent to know they WILL know that it is true. It just baffles me that so many people won’t try something so simple. Bebeto wouldn’t do just that. He seems to be mad at God for not just telling him without his effort. At this point all we could do was bare to him our testimonies and leave. It took me a while to stop the silent tears to stop coming. I don’t know why but this mission has taught me how to love people, even those I know so little about, and it breaks my heart to see them turn away from some of the greatest knowledge they will ever receive. I pray that he will have his heart softened and reach out to us because this Gospel will truly bless his life. 

On a happier note, we have been working with a lot of less active members and helping them to come back to church! They have all been pretty receptive to the message and have been feeling the old testimony that they once had. I love seeing people remember how good God is and to see them have the desire to return! I feel like a proud mama! haha! These people in Washington are just so amazing! I love seeing them and hearing about their lives. I know I have mentioned it before but there are so many different nationalities here it is so cool! We met two men from Kenya today and they are so amazing! They both had the sweetest accents and just wanted to chitchat and laugh! These are my kind of people! :) 

The weather is getting wetter and colder every day. I have noticed that my hair is darker and my skin is whiter, if that is even possible! I’ve noticed that certain parts of Kent like to flood and create illusions of puddles when in all reality they are huge ponds that have formed in the space of an hour! AVOID THESE AT ALL COSTS! I have had to learn the hard way but that’s life I guess!  I have been picking up on some Spanish, Arabic and Napoli words and I get to use them daily and it’s so fun! Except once you say a word they think you speak fluently and they look quite disappointed when you only know English... 

These apartments in Kent are creepy...

Halloween, being tonight, means that we have to stay in but somehow our zone leaders have gotten permission for us to have a party! So tonight we will be dressing down for once, jeans allowed, and going to hang out with the missionaries in our zone! Weird! But I am also excited to meet everyone, officially, and get to know who they were back in the days of old! Everyone be safe out tonight... these clowns are real... real scary... ha... I’m bad at these joke things now... anyway thanks for all the prayers, emails and pictures! i love you all so much and I am so grateful for all of you! Hope your week goes well!

Love 

Sister Reynolds

First week on 2nd transfer

 Family and friends!!

 I guess I must start off by saying that I appreciate the sun more than ever. The other day the sun came out for point 2 min and it was such a great gift! But in all reality I don enjoy the rain and sometimes it is cool to open the window and see a foggy lake so I better not complain too much! Thank you for all the emails this week and the pictures too! i love seeing everyone! 

Update on Devin! He is so amazing! he has committed to baptism for December 3rd! We are just so excited each time we teach him! He came to our stake conference with Elder Rasband, more about that later, and said he really liked it besides the crazy loud kids sitting behind him. Welcome to the Mormon culture my friend :) He is keeping his commitments and asking questions that keep us on our toes and make us rely on the spirit to lead and guide us and that is exactly what sister Taylor and I need! He doesn't exactly trust 'feelings of the heart' so we are going to try to find out how it is he feels the spirit and receives personal revelation and hopefully that will help us know how to help him! I realized last night that if I get transferred out of our area next transfer I won’t be here for his baptism but I hope that whatever happens, I will be able to go! I’m praying that both me and Sister Taylor can stay together and both teach him until that day but I will go where the Lord needs me!

We have been getting in contact with a lot of members lately trying to get them excited about missionary work. With a bunch of YSA members it is easier said than done. Who knew young people wanted to have a social life and didn’t want to meet with the missionaries at 8:15 on a Friday night. Baffles me really ;) they really are amazing though. These people try their best to help us in every way possible and it is such a blessing! Along with members we have been contacting a lot of Less Active members in the past few weeks. It is our goal to find as many people as we can and bring them back to the fold! I get so excited when one of them comes to church I’m sure they think I’m some crazy person but I just love them all so much!

This week I have been studying Charity and Love and ponderizing Moroni 7:47-48. I love these verses! I love in verse 47 that it says 'pure love' of Christ.' that word pure is super powerful to me! It makes me realize that Christ loves me with no strings attached! I think we can all gain more charity and love. I would encourage you all to study it! It is a never ending topic and it is something that is to be worked on constantly. it is hard to have charity for some people who we are surrounded by but it you think of them as children of God it becomes easier, I promise :)

So we had a mission devotional this last Saturday with Elder Rasband, but not just with him. We also had the privilege to hear from Elder Call of the 70’s, Bishop Wadell, the presiding bishop, and Elder Wadell, the senior president of the 70’s! it was so amazing! They kept talking about the keys and all the keys that were held in the room. Elder Rasband made it clear to us that we were privileged to be in a meeting where so many priesthood keys were held! It was powerful to think about and to realize that all of these men were called of God. We were ALL called of God! Elder Rasband brought words of love and thanks from our prophet and told us some more about his love for the missionaries, which is in such a great magnitude I cannot put it into words. He invited us to be more obedient missionaries and work hard to be the best servants of the lord that we can be! He gave us a formula to do this, know the Savior, love Him and go out and serve. By doing that we can be worthy missionaries and servants of God! 

On Sunday we in the Kent stake got to hear from him again! he really focused on the family. Everything he spoke about was on the family and the importance of lifting each other up! He told us about the 4 prophets who he had known in his life, or knew of. He gave examples of how each of these great men focused and knew of the importance of families and strengthening the home! He told us to never give up on those who may be struggling in their faith in the gospel. He invited us to keep working with them and to keep loving them! We can and will one day bring them back to Christ and their father in heaven! We truly need to give heed to these words! I feel so blessed to have heard a prophet seer and revelator tell me in person the things that God would have me know. I know that this isn’t just for me or there people in Washington either! This is for all of us! We all can learn from these men and what they have to say because it is coming from God! I invite you all to listen and give heed to the prophet’s voice! Follow the commandments and be obedient! Will you do that? (That’s right there was a commitment, I have learned so much being a missionary😂 haha)

 I love you all so much! Thank you for everything that you do! Keep working hard to serve the Lord in every aspect of life! I KNOW that this gospel is true and that the Lord is always there to help you in your time of need! Thanks again for all the emails! ya'll are Amazing!

Love,

Sister Reynolds

(p.s. ill have some fun stories next week i promise :) )

Crazy fog that we drove into on our way to the Devotional in Federal Way

we made pumpkins for bishops game night. ... fun times :)

Me and Sister Taylor

 You can take the girl out of the hood but you can’t take the hood out of the girl! haha! just gooffin off after nightly planning!

we stopped by a ward Halloween party. This is Lexi! i love her!

All of Federal Way Missionaries with Elder Rasband

All of the Missionaries in Washington Federal Way Mission with Bishop Wadell, 
Elder Clayton & Elder Rasband

Hello!

It is P-day on a Tuesday again and it keeps throwing me off but this time it was because of transfers! We had 13 people leave the mission and we got 13! Luckily I am staying with my comp for at least another 6 weeks! I’m so glad because I’d be so sad if I had to leave this area so soon! The people here have their quirks but I love them so much! I wanted to talk a little about the ward and the people I am surrounded by!

Bishop is first I guess! I love this man! The first time I met him I knew I would like him! He is so funny and loves to joke around! He tells stories at any time he can! it will usually take us 10 minutes to start any meeting because we have to have the latest news in bishop jones day but I wouldn’t have it any other way! He recently got back from a week and half long trip to Montana for an elk hunt. He and I talked about it for some time and man did he have some stories to tell! He told us about this huge bear that was about 60 yards away from them. He said it was the most beautiful thing he had seen and yet he almost peed himself because he was freaking out so much. What a guy he is :) 

 I don’t know if I have talked about our ward mission leader but i will do it again anyway. His name is James Perkes. James is probably 6 foot 4 and is as skinny as a tooth pick. He served in Boston and just got home about 3 months ago. He has all these words and saying that he does all the time like saying 'solid' or 'sweet' or 'let’s goooo sisters!' (I like that last one because we only hear it when we get someone to be baptized...) He is way sarcastic but he also is one of the best helpers we could have! He is so willing to work with us and he helps us become the best we could be! It is awesome!

Kent Washington is one of the most diverse places I have ever been. There are a lot of Middle Eastern people here as well as Hispanic and Europeans! I always find a new language or hear of a new place every day I go contacting. That’s every day. It is so cool to learn simple phrases and say it to them! We always say Shukran, or thank you in Arabic, to those we find who speak Arabic and they then go into a rant thinking we know their language... we definitely don’t but I wish I did! It is beautiful! It will be weird if I get somewhere where we don’t see people in their cultural outfits every day! I think I’ll miss it! 

The weather here is weird and I’m not sure how I feel about it yet. I feel like a drowned rat and look like a wet dog everyday but I guess that’s fine because who am I trying to impress? No one so I guess that is fine :) we had a typhoon warning this past weekend. we were supposed to have winds up to 60 mph and trees were supposed to be falling and rain was supposed to fall all the days and all the nights... I use the word supposed to because i saw 1 tree fall maybe 10 mph wind and it rained constantly but that is the usual so no surprise there. i had been freaking out about this massive storm that had everyone locking themselves inside for nothing. My eye had been twitching for days, stress I think, and there was no need. At least I now know that we cannot trust the weather men here in Washington :)

Driving in the storm, wetness not fully grasped by picture

I live in a hallmark movie though, despite the rain and fog that will usually surround us we are living in such a beautiful place. I find myself staring and zoning out as I look at the trees and rivers! I didn’t know that the color green was really THAT green! People of Arizona, colors other than red brown and darker brown truly exist! It’s amazing! 

HUGE STALKS OF BRUSSELS SPROUTS! WOW :D

Super pretty trees! I didn't know fall existed! I’m in love!

Our investigators Jamiel and Trevor have been MIA since we met them so they had to be let go. It was so sad because they had so much potential! it broke my heart but then we had a tender mercy from he Lord! This past Sunday bishop came and got us during a 2nd hour teacher training. He told us that a man named Devin came to church by himself and said he felt like it was time to learn about the Mormons! He has a few friends who are LDS and he decided to research us on mormon.org! This man is GOLDEN! We taught him yesterday in Bishops home and he told us his entire life story. He came from an abusive mother and left home the night of graduation. Since then he has lived in Texas, Denver, Idaho and now Washington. He has always had a belief in God and Christ but just wants to know which church is true. He doesn't want to just go to go but he wants to have an answer from God that one church is true. He had met with the missionaries before and he told us the first time he shut the door on them, the second time he let them in but only so he could disprove them, and now he is searching us out and willingly coming to our homes to learn! He is so awesome and I am so pumped to teach him more! He told us he has 'real intent' this time and asked how he can pray with that real intent and what to do. That. Never. Happens. I swear everyone we have taught we have had to bend our backs to try to figure out how we can get them to want to pray with that real intent and now here is someone who is asking US how to do it! I am so excited to see where this all goes. I hope that he can gain a testimony quickly and keep working hard to understand all that he needs to in order for him to choose to be baptized!

This Saturday we get to have Elder Rasband from the quorum of the 12 come and speak to us missionaries and then he is going to speak to the Kent stake! I am so excited and can hardly wait that long!  More on that experience next week! 

STALKS OF BRUSSELS SPROUTS! WOW

I am so glad that I am here in Washington! There is a reason I am here and I am so excited to find out what that is! Thank you all for the emails and words of encouragement! Also, thank you for your testimonies! I know that when you share them they are strengthened and I feel mine strengthened by yours! Keep reading and studying the Book of Mormon! Your life will be blessed! Love you all so much!

Sister Reynolds