Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Temple Trip



 HELLO!!                                                                                  1/30/18


 What a great week it has been! To start of the beginning of the email I would like to say that I LOVE the temple! We had the chance to go this morning with half the mission and it was wonderful. I love knowing we have a place where we can go worship and receive the necessary information for our lives. I love the spirit that is felt there. I encourage ALL of you to go to the temple! Even if it is to just walk around the grounds I know that peace will come to you and you will find the direction you need for all things!
Sister Miller, Sister Reynolds, Sister & President Rasmussen






As for last week it was really good! Sister Miller and I have seen A LOT of miracles this past week. We have a ton of new potentials and we have two new investigators! One we found on the day of finding. Her name is Jaime and we taught her the restoration. We asked her what her definition of the word 'Faith' would be and she almost exactly said what Alma said in Alma 32, that it is something that you cannot see yet you believe it to be true. We shared the verse with her along with the invitation to exercise a tiny desire to know more and went into the restoration and Joseph smith’s first vision. She kept saying, “I feel happy" or "That makes sense!" IT WAS AMAZING!! The spirit was so strong! We testified of the Holy Ghost and how it would teach her what was true and what was from God. At that she said again, "that makes sense!!" goodness my heart was so happy! We invited her to baptism for March 3rd and she accepted! This was a testament to me that God truly is preparing

Super blurry but I loved it! This is one
of president Rasmussen councilors!
He wanted a quick picture with us! My companion
is the 3rd one in, sister Miller 
people to learn of his gospel. We have
another lesson set up with her and I am
so excited to help her learn more about
the Gospel of Jesus Christ and about the plan of salvation! I love being a missionary!

 So, the other day we had a lesson with Zach, one of our investigators. It was all going just normal and fine. We said our hello’s, caught up with our weeks and had a few laughs. We sat down to start the lesson. The next thing he said about brought me to tears. He said, "So, I guess I should just get this over with now, I am moving." there was a pause and I’m sure my face showed my horror. He said he got an offer doing the same job but in Texas. If he takes it, he will leave Friday for a month to go check it out and then come back for while and then
move permanently. HE WILL MISS HIS
BAPTISM! Then he said, "I wouldn’t even be
back before  you go home sister Reynolds."
OH MY LANTA THESE PEOPLE! WHY DO I
LET THEM HAVE PEICES OF MY HEART?!?! 
We won’t find out till tomorrow to know what exactly will happen so I’ll keep you in the loop. I feel like I was broken up with haha! It will all work out though and Gods will be done. 

 Anyway, I love you all! I hope you have an amazing week! Keep doing all you can to come closer to Christ! 

 Sister Reynolds

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Last transfer here we come!

HELLO!!                                                                                  1/23/18

 Goodness I can’t believe the last 6 weeks of my mission are here! We got transfer calls and sister Espinoza and i are being transferred from each other but the silver lining is that we will both still be in Auburn!! I will be with Sister Miller and we still are not sure who A Sister Espinoza will be with but it will be good! 
we we left are mark in the apartment 
re in.... its on the back of a 
Jesus picture so we'll see who
 finds that one lol!

 It has been a good week! We have seen a lot of miracles! We found a new investigator in the Mill Pond ward. His name is Reggie and he is super cool! He just moved here and he figured he needs a church. We talked about the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the Gospel. When we gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon he said he would read almost anything people give to him and he said we could come back next week! It was super cool!

 Okay, Yesterday Sister Espinoza and I went to visit an older woman who hasn't been coming to church lately. We went in and we met this sweet frail Asian woman. She was VERY hard of hearing and she had one of those voices that you had to really pay attention to understand what she was saying. She was super cute. It was also sad though, she started telling us how she hadn't seen anyone in a month and how sad she was that the church hadn't been by. She kept talking about a bunch of different things and I was feeling sad for her but then I looked over at my sweet, sweet companion and she had tears PROFUSELY coming down her face. She kept saying under her breath how it was so sad and she couldn't stop crying. Tammie, the less active member stopped in the middle of her story and ask if she had allergies, she said yes, just a little. I started DYING. I promise I wasn't being insensitive but if I didn't start laughing i would start crying too! haha ( I guess I was crying too considering every time i laugh i cry..) anyway, after 5 minutes of this sister Espinoza whispers, " can you really tell I’m crying?" and then she looked at me. Oh. My. Lanta. She was sobbing at this point but also kinda laughing because she couldn't stop. Tammie just kept going but I was about to loose it from laughter. The minute there was a pause i asked if we could come back, jumped up, gave her a hug and bee lined it for the door with my teary eyed companion. I was trying to unlock the deadbolt and i couldn't get it because I was trying to keep in my laughter. I finally got it open, after now snorting because i was laughing so hard, and we booked it out to our car with a last good bye to Tammie. It was one of those moments where i wished i had been able to control my laughter but it happened, Hakuna Matata.
the yummy chocolate cakes from Zach!

 Zach is still doing good and he is getting ready for his baptism!!! We are excited for him and it has been really cool to see his testimony grow and see the light come into his life! He gave us these molten lava cakes from a bakery in Seattle. We have yet to try them, that will happen at lunch, but he said they are the best things he has had! He is very kind :)

 I really am so grateful to be on this mission! I have learned so many things that I know I wouldn't have been able to learn as quickly as I have! I am grateful for my savior and Redeemer! He is my friend and my constant companion! I know the book of Mormon is the word of God and I know that we are led today by a prophet and by apostles of the Lord! I love you all so much! Have a good week!
I TRIED A CHOCO TACO FOR THE
FIRST TIME! IT WAS QUITE GOOD 


 Sister Reynolds






Monday, January 8, 2018

Many Miracles

Hello!!                                                                       1/8/18

 It has been a SUPER good week!! We saw many miracles! I’ll just get right to it then;

Wednesday we had a few super good lessons! One was with the Ford Family. They haven’t been to church in a while and we have been meeting with them trying to help them strengthen their testimony and understanding of the gospel essentials. We went over and read the first couple chapters of the Book of Mormon with them and it was so cool to have them asking questions and really wanting to understand what they are reading, we have been trying to have that happen for a while now!  Later, that evening we met some members who we had just got the records for and went to see how we could help them. We were able to get them in contact with some people and get them support. 

I can’t claim this picture but this is what the temple looked like the night when we went with Zach!


Friday we went to the temple and family discovery center in Bellevue with the Poulsen family and Zach, our investigator! It went really well!! The Poulsens bought us chick-fil-a for dinner and we ate that in the church building before going into the discovery center. Zach brought up the fact that president Monson had passed away and what would happen next. (We hadn't even mentioned it to him yet and he already knew!) So, we went into the center and it was fun to look at our families and where we came from. We then walked around the temple grounds and went inside the temple to the waiting room. The spirit was super 
strong. We showed him pictures of 
the different rooms and he seemed
excited to go inside for himself! Zach 
treated us to some Baskin Robbins after and when we were headed out he surprised us by saying he got Sundays off work so he could come to church!!!!! We were SO pumped!! :) He came on Sunday and stayed the whole time. He is amazing and I am grateful to be working with him and seeing the Gospel change his life.

 I am sad that our Prophet Thomas Monson has passed on, but I am so grateful for all the things he has taught us. I know he was a prophet of God and I know that we will continue to be led by divine inspiration. God is good. He loves us and will not leave us in the dark. If we ever feel like we are in the shadows, we must find a way to listen and look for the light. I know the prophets words are an amazing way for us to do so!

Over all it has been a good week. Sorry this week’s email is short but my fingers aren’t good with typing anymore... :) I love you all. I love this Gospel and I know that it is true. It is perfect and beautiful. I am grateful for my parents and their sacrifice to raise us in the Gospel. I hope you all have an amazing week full of your own miracles!!! 

Love,
Sister Reynolds

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Sister Reynolds, Sister Espinoza It snowed for  Christmas 
 I hope you all had Amazing holidays!! i just love you all so much!! Everything here was great and it was so good talking with the family and spending time with the ward members here!! 

Christmas eve it started SNOWING!!!! We went to the smiths House in Mill Pond ward and we had some super yummy stir fry and then we made ginger bread houses!! We also had a chocolate fondue party thing! They are so kind! They really made sister Espinoza and I feel loved. Christmas day we went to breakfast at a white river ward member’s home. It was STILL snowing and the roads were super slick. It took us a while to get out of our apartment because we are down  a hill so getting up was brutal but the company and food was worth it :) haha! Later that day we went to the Paulsen’s to skype and have dinner!! We had smoked ribs and they were SO GOOD! They also made super good salad and homemade pies! Overall it was a good day!

The Poulsens girls wanted to give us a
Christmas gift so they did pedicures for us!
 it was super cute
 New Years Eve was fun as well! We were at church for meetings at 8:30 and we didn’t get out till 4pm. it’s always a good day when you’re at church all day! haha two wards is a bit crazy but i love the people and working in the areas! We went to the Kendall family's house for New Years Eve! They have little kiddos and another family came over! The kids wanted us to play hide and seek with them so of course we played! Sister Espinoza and I were hiding in the closet right by the kitchen, the parents saw us go in there. We waited for quite some time and the kids never came to us. So we kept trying to hold back laughs as we were whispering about what would happen if we scared someone. All of a sudden the doors fly open and Brother Kendall yells and jumps backwards! He had forgotten we were there and goodness we scared him real bad!! We were laughing so hard we were all crying! It was so funny and it took us all a while to come down from that one! haha! It was a fun night though!
Sister Kendall, Sister Reynolds, Sister Espinoza and Sister Ricks
(with Sparkling Cider)

 Anyway, it has all been good here. We are preparing for our investigator Zach's baptism on February 10th. We are going to the temple and the family history discovery center on Friday with him so that will be fun!! He is learning a lot and i am so thankful that I have been able to be apart of his life!!

Sister Reynolds, Sister Espinoza beginning of the snow
 I encourage you all to think about where you are in the gospel. I have been thinking about my testimony a lot and where i am and where I want to be with it. I invite you all to do the same! A new year is a great way to start fresh, wherever we are or where we have been. The Atonement is our and we should use it to become our best selves possible! i love you all so much! Have a good week!

 Sister Reynolds