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