This is it, I guess...

Happy Monday everyone!!                                                                 2/26/18

Me and Sister Miller, I love her

 This past week has been an interesting one but good as always! We got to go to institute with Zach to get him used to it. He is going to start going every week to meet people his age! It was SO fun to go and see people who I served with in the James hill YSA ward! I have missed then and it was good to catch up on their lives. 

 One of our weekly lessons is with a less active member and her boyfriend. We have been going to their home since December and sharing little messages with them. It's amazing to be able to go into their home and help them feel the spirit. This past time we went was truly amazing. They both opened up a lot and shared some personal experiences they helped us greater understand them and their situations. Not to long before the lesson, we felt prompted to change the lesson plan, True inspiration! We ended up reading the Living Christ with them. The moment we started reading that message to the world the entire atmosphere of their home changed. I could feel the spirit coming into their home and doing his best to touch their hearts. It was a powerful moment and I think, and hope, that they will remember that and strive to return to the church. 

We had Zone conference on Thursday. We talked ALL about using smart phones in the missionary work. (p.s. I don't think I have mentioned it but we have smart phones as of last week.) It was kind of weird to just talk about phone safety and how to use it as a missionary, especially because I will only use it for a short time, BUT I did learn a lot about how I want to use my phone in the future. Something that stood out to me was being transparent, if that's the word to use. Basically, I always want my phone and devices to be in a state where I could hand it to ANYONE and I wouldn't be worried about what they might find. I've made it a goal to keep all the things I use in that way. 

After 18 MONTHS OF TRYING TO WIN THIS 

FOR HAVING A CLEAN CAR WE FINALLY 

GOT THE GOLD PLATES!! #TENDERMERCY! lol

 Towards the end of zone conference we talked about the Book of Mormon and its power in people's conversion. The book of Mormon is the tool of the harvest. It is truly through this divinely inspired book that our lost brothers and sisters can gain a testimony of this restored gospel! Other people will recognize it's power if they will just read, and we can have the same experience. The words on every page are so powerful and can change our life! I know that to be true. I love the Book of Mormon!

 I honestly cannot believe that this will be my last email home. It is insane to me to think that 18 months have come and gone. In so many ways this mission experience has been incredibly hard. One of the most heart breaking things I have experienced in my mission is coming to love someone and seeing them start to change their lives, and then they decide to stop learning for whatever reason. I never thought my heart could hurt so bad. I believe it has come to hurt me so much because throughout my time here, I have come to better understand the pure joy that comes from actually living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But the greatest thing I have loved to do on my mission is watch someone I have come to love enter into the waters of baptism. That moment of seeing them go into the water and come out clean and pure is something indescribable. My heart is full just reflecting back on those moments. I love these people. I have loved sharing my testimony with everyone. It has changed me and I know I am coming home better than I was. I know that even though my mission is ending, the real mission is beginning! We are all missionaries even if we don't have a badge. We can all share our testimonies with those around us, family and friends, and help them find the joy that we have just as Lehi wanted to do after he partook of the fruit of the tree of Life! (1 Nephi 8:12)

I love this work. I know it is inspired from God. I love this gospel. I know Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet of God and that he did, in reality, see our Heavenly Father and our savior Jesus Christ. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I have felt its power in life and I have seen its words change people into Disciples of Christ. I know that Jesus is the Christ and that He lives. I am eternally grateful for his Atoning sacrifice. I know it applies to each of us. I have been blessed every day to be here with the people of Washington. I love them.  

I know I was meant to be here 

It SNOWED!!! Forever...but it was fun!!

and I know I was called here by a prophet of God. 

These people have changed my life. I feel like I'm leaving home and family again!!  I will miss them but I am excited to see you all!

 I love you all! I guess I'll see you soon! Have an amazing week! 

Sister Reynolds 

18 months in Washington

Hello All!!

 it has been a great week this past week! I hit my 18 month mark on the mission on the 17th.... it is crazy to think that I have lived in Washington for that long. Time flies! I have loved every minute of it though!

 It took me 18 months to finally realize this. Why it took so long I will never know, but I realized that missionaries are like the grasshoppers from A Bugs Life. Why would I say such a thing? Well, let me explain. I was thinking about dinner appointments as we left a members house last night. We had a wonderful meal of pasta and salad. I have loved going into homes of members and getting to know them and also getting to know their cooking skills. It’s been a fun adventure. But last night as we were leaving, I looked at Sister Miller and I said, “You know, we are just like the bugs in A Bugs Life. We come. We eat. We leave." I wonder if that what they think. “All we have to do is have them for one hour. They will come eat our food and then spread their grasshopper wings and leave and then we are good for at least another month." It may be a weird Epiphany but it sure seems true to me! haha!

 I also think, if we are going off the same movie, that we are like Flick who tries to use a rock to resemble a seed and the little ant girl wouldn't believe him/ she kept saying, " but its a rock." no matter how many times he tried to help her use her imagination for that moment it wouldn't work. I feel like Flick sometimes. We try to explain things to people we meet on the road, things like the book of Mormon and we might say things like, “Imagine that God had given the Book of Mormon at the same time as the bible. How would that change your thoughts on it?" They then continue to say, "But it wasn’t." sometimes they just don’t get it,but that’s okay. Moral of this weird tangent is that A Bugs Life is very comparable to real life! haha!

 It has been a good week though! We have had the chance to do a lot of service for a family in the ward. They are having to move and another family in the ward has undertaken the task of helping them prep their house for pictures. We cleaned on Saturday and we painted last night! It has been fun to help them and get to know everyone better. Painting was fun last night. Zach, the man who just got baptized, came to help. It was super cool to have him there as an official member :) there is a light in him. I could actually see it in his eyes. The gospel changes lives. I know it does.

 We have been doing a 31 day Atonement study as a mission. It has been amazing to read about my Savior and learn of him. It has helped me to know that He truly suffered for me. It has become more personal and intimate. I am thankful for Heavenly father and the willingness he had to send his Beloved Son to earth to die for us all. I know my Savior lives. He loves us all and understands everything. I know that to be true. I love you all and I hope you have an amazing week!!

 Sister Reynolds

Moses 6:60

Zach’s baptism, (he is the one on the end BTW)

Zach’s baptism, (he is the one on the end BTW)

      Zach’s baptism, (he is the one on the end BTW)

Zach is now a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!! It was a super special day, crazy and a bit stressful but it was a good one! We had the child of record baptisms that day as well and I got roped into leading the music for it. It was fun though because I got to see one of the White river girls I taught get baptized at that time too! Zach's baptismal program went well!

I hope you all had a good week!

 It has been a great week here in the Washington Federal way mission!!! We have seen miracles and Zach was able to be baptized on Saturday!!

 Sister Espinoza, my past companion and I sang How Great Thou Art. 

At least you know we have fun. J

 

At least you know we have fun. J 

and a lot of ward participated. I think it is one of the coolest experiences to be able to meet with someone and testify to them of the truthfulness of this gospel and watch them find it out for themselves and then see them choose to be baptized. It is a feeling that I will never forget and I don’t know how to describe. It is Joy. Pure Joy! :) "For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified;"- Moses 6:60 I know that Baptism is the first step back to our father in heaven! He is waiting for all of us to come unto him and keep coming to him each week we partake of the sacrament! It’s amazing :)

 On Sunday we got an assignment from the ward counsel. 4th floor, last door. They got a new move in and have the apartment address but not the apartment number. They have sent us on the mission to go find this man and knock ALL OF THE DOORS! haha! This is the epitome of what missionaries do. We hunt people down! haha! We went after church and started knocking. 13 doors didn’t answer and the other however many it was answered and were VERY confused why we were there. BUT we found some new potential investigators from it. Hopefully we are able to find this man. If not it was still a fun thing to do :)

I went on exchanges in Federal Way  and saw a rat the size of TEXAS!

I went on exchanges in Federal Way 

and saw a rat the size of TEXAS!

Sorry this is a short email this week! I hope you all are doing well! I love you and I want you to know I know that our Savior lives. He loves us so much an out father in Heaven does too! If we will turn to him he will show us what to do in every situation in life. I love this Gospel and I love

being a missionary!

Sister Reynolds

A Week of Walking

                                                                                              2/5/18

What a week!

After walking in the rain all day! 

 I know I have no where to really complain about this or really talk about it at all... BUT my companion and I were on foot for most of the past week. We both decided we need to be walking more hahah! One of the days we walked several miles and it started POURING!! When we went home for dinner I had to through everything into the dyer because I was DRIPPING wet! Good O’l Washington. You’ve gotta love it :)

Bailey, one of the Paulsen’s kids had her birthday this week! Her request for her dinner was to have Dutch oven potatoes and to have the missionaries over!! Of course we had to comply! It was so cute! She was beaming from ear to ear and was so excited to have everyone over. When she was opening gifts Sister Poulsen was recording it and scanned the room to show who was there. One day this girl is going to watch that video and wonder why she wanted the missionaries at her birthday! Ha ha! We loved it though! Definitely a highlight of the week!

We were walking around, heard a huge noise 

and lo and behold a fire came out of nowhere! 

we still dont know where it is from but it was crazy! 

 Sunday was good... kind of slow because of the super bowl but overall it was a good day! Zach came to church, he is getting baptized this Saturday by the way, and we also had two random people walk into the church building and they joined us for gospel principles! We are hopefully meeting with them on Wednesday. We will see how that goes! We also got a new bishopric! It is crazy but it is exciting! I know that people really are called by revelation and every calling given in the church is by direction from God, I know this to be true!! 

 I am so excited for Zach’s baptism. It is going to be amazing! I have loved working with people here in Washington! I have come to gain a second family here and I feel so blessed! It has been a good week and I hope that we can all have an even better one!!!! I love you all!

 Sister Reynolds