HELLO MY FAVORITE HUMANS!

 How are you all? This week has been amazing! The sicknesses of the past week are gone, which is a true blessing and we are back on our normal routine! Last Monday evening we had to get our phone fixed... well by fixed I mean we got a new one, and it isn’t much better. We actually downgraded to a flip phone with good o’l T9 texting. The first day using it took me FIVE MINUTES to send a two lined text. After about a week I have cut my time and improved a lot but this is going to be a rough time getting used to the old stuff again! :) We had to meet at the Kent stake center to get it fixed and when we were there lo and behold the YSA ward I served in was there! It was FHE night so we went in and said hi! Susan, one of the people I served with, RAN up to me and threw herself on me! it was super funny and I think it scared my companion ha ha! I love these people!

 We had a super good chance to do some service for a potential investigator. She needed yard work done so we recruited the YM and their leaders to come and help! They did an amazing job and she was so grateful. She said we could meet with her and her family so that’s awesome! That night we went to the Ramsey’s to change back into our skirts. We were sitting on the ground of their garage and talking with them for a min before we changed and all of a sudden Sister Morris screams and jumps up. She was basically jumping around and flailing her hands around. She had dog poop ALL over her shoes AND her pant legs!! The yard we had just cleaned up had a ton of poop in it and she went around picking it up. The poor girl was mortified! We ended up staying around the Ramsey’s a bit longer then scheduled so we could wash her pants! lol! I shouldn't laugh but goodness I got a kick out of it!

  Conference this past weekend was truly amazing. I loved every minute of it! If you ask what my favorite part was ill probably say the opening prayer of the Saturday morning session! Ha ha! I loved that he prayed that everyone hearing for the first time would have their hearts open and that the Holy Ghost would help them to know that the doctrines taught were true! How cool!! I also loved Elder Neil L Anderson's talk at the end. I loved the quote he read from Elder Hales. I felt the spirit very strong in this conference. I could feel it in my whole body. I know that the words are inspired from the Lord. It is amazing that we have Prophets, Seers, and Revelators here on earth today. It is an amazing gift! I cannot wait to read and study these talks! I hope that we can all try to apply the things taught into our life! Especially all the talks about the Book of Mormon and reading it! Nelsons talk was powerful. I have been asking myself what I would choose if rubies diamonds and the Book of Mormon was placed before me. I hope we would all choose the Book of Mormon. It makes us richer in so many ways then things of the world. I love this Gospel. I know Christ Lives. I love him. I know our Father in Heaven loves us and wants us to return home! 

 I love you all and I hope you have an amazing week!

Sister Reynolds

What a week!

HEYO!

Hospital memories

 Okay, the plague didn't REALLY come, that would be brutal, but there was a lot of sickness in the mission and within our companionship this past week. Starting last Monday sister Morris and I both had a little bit of the sniffles, nothing too much to worry about.

Monday night a woman from Nigeria in our ward made us Samosas and some other traditional Nigerian food. it was SOOO good! I’m going to learn how to make it and ill share with y’all when I’m home. By Tuesday I was feeling a bit better but my poor companion was basically immobilized. I don’t think the cold weather and rain match well with someone from warm and sunny Georgia. Wednesday we were inside all day long. Our amazing and incredibly smart mission nurse gave us some crazy things to try and she slept a lot of the day. I was bored spit-less but that’s all right. I just became her nurse and made sure she didn’t die on my watch. :)

 Things got a little better Thursday. We went out and worked. We met with a few members and tried to stop by some inactive people in the ward. We had a really cool lesson with a member in the ward in the evening. They are a younger couple with 2 kids and they are waiting for a third! They are adopting a little girl so they just have to wait for the phone call that says they can go get her! We talked about that for a while and reasons for adoption. It seems like it would be hard but I’m grateful for those families who open their arms to those little kids who need a good home. 

Uncle Dale and Aunt Robin

 Friday was a normal Friday. we did service at Salvation Army and watched/listened as two old single people flirted with each other... I can honestly say that it wasn’t my favorite thing to witness... maybe it’s just me and my own awkwardness that made it so bad. Who knows but we bailed out and went home after a few minutes of it! (Our work was all don’t though so we had a good excuse :)) We had dinner with a recent convert, Rhonda! I sure do love her! It was her birthday and she was kind enough to have the missionaries over! It was a good experience especially because her two boys and her husband were there and they are not very interested in the gospel right now. Her husband told us all about his time in the military. It was quite funny and I think we have become friends because I laughed at all his jokes!

i might have helped clean up road kill.. hahaah! That thing was huge!

  Saturday was brutal. My companion woke up in incredible pain and couldn’t do more than lay down. We called the mission nurse and she said she probably overdosed on Tylenol while trying to fight the cold. (Note to self: NEVER take extra strength and day quill/NyQuil at the same time. they have the same things in them.) So we started pumping her with fluid and then the 4elders came over and gave her a blessing. Afterwards she didn’t get any better so we went down to sister Ford-Trudo's house, the mission nurse. Sister Morris was having pain in her right lower part of her stomach. Sister Trudo sent us to urgent care immediately because she thought it might be appendicitis. So off we went. After 40 min sister Morris was taken to the ER and then I had to drive the car, BY MYSELF, to that part of the hospital. It was freaky. I finally met up with her and then it was a waiting game. She got pumped with pain stuff and then she was in and out of sleep. The nurse came to stay with us during it. She had an ultrasound and found that she had 2 cysts on her ovaries and one of them ruptured. Basically she just has to ride out the pain. So then I take her home, we were there from 12-6pm. she almost passes out getting out of the car and as we are walking to our apartment she lays down on the ground and says she is going to be sick. it took me 5 minutes to finally convince her to get up. It was more of me saying," you will walk with me or I will carry you up the stairs" our neighbors were a bit concerned but it is all good! People already think Mormons are loco :) so she finally went upstairs and then for the rest of the evening she was out. It was crazy.

 Sunday, was crazy as well. She still wasn’t feeling good so by the time church came around I was on my way with a member of the ward and Sister Morris was with our WML (ward mission leader) wife at home. When I walked in I saw my aunt and uncle! It was amazing! It was a tender mercy of the lord for sure! Not sure if it was allowed but I don’t care! They were on their way home that night and they came to our ward! i am so grateful for them and the fact they stopped to say hello to me! Truly a blessing!! 

 So you see, it has been a crazy week. Sister Morris is finally feeling a bit better which is good. I am grateful for the priesthood and I am grateful for the Lord. He truly caries us whenever we are hurting or do not know if we can carry the burden any longer. I love you all! I love this Gospel! Have an amazing week!!

Sister Reynolds

Week of Baptisms

Hello!!

Sister Morris, ...., ....., Sister Reynolds, Sister Tayco & Sister Jay.
Madison has been companions with.

 This week has been super good! We are trying to get the whole stake change under control and trying to make our wards mesh. I feel like, as a missionary, I am a professional friend finder. Our infomercial would go something like this, "in need of a friend? Call the sisters! They can help you match with those around you! Just call their toll free number etc..."  Ha-ha! But really, it is hard when a ward changes and you have to find new fellowships for your investigators and recent converts but all things can happen when you are in the service of the Lord!

 I am so grateful for our leaders in the ward. Our Bishop, Bishop Oliver is amazing. He is a funny man and we have some good laughs but I love seeing how much love he has for these people he is serving. He is a convert to the church and I think that gives him a lot of perspective. I am also grateful for our Ward mission leader and His family!  The Ramsey’s are amazing and they are so willing to help in any way they can. Whether that is with helping the work progress or getting us cold medicine because of the rain. Just good people in general. I am thankful to be in a church that is run by our Savior Jesus Christ. It helps us to know how we need to serve and treat those around us! We are so blessed!!

Bro. Ramsey & Bishop Oliver

 Transfers were this week and good news, I AM STAYING! Sister Morris is stuck with me for another week! Ha-ha! We have been stressing about it for a while now but it is good to know that we can keep learning from each other! We have had some fun times lately... some of those consist of music videos to our "sing me a scripture" CD. I don’t think we will be sharing that one anytime soon so just imagine what a music video to Helaman 5:12 would be like.... :)

Alex baptism! (i promise he likes us but
making a 10 yr old boy stay still is harder then you'd think..)

Alex Rexius got baptized on Saturday! i am so grateful that we were still able to go and participate in that even though we handed him off to the Zone leaders Ward. The elders did a great job with it. He is the cutest kid. His mom, who isn’t a member, came up to sister Morris and I and told us she thinks he will serve a mission and stay active his whole life! How cool!!!! 

 Later Saturday evening we went to another Baptism for a man that I taught when I was in the YSA ward and when I was in Graham (he had moved while we were teaching him and i got sent to the area he was in!!) His name is Montrae. I am so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He has struggled with a lot of things but through relying on our savior Montrae was able to enter into the waters of baptism. he has wanted this for almost a year now. I know that sometimes we have to wait for the things we desire but everything is in the Lords timing! 

Montrae's baptism!

 I know this church is true! I don’t know everything but I believe it with all my heart. I can feel it in every fiber of my being when I testify to people. I can feel the book of Mormon is true as well. My heart has peace when I read the pages and pray about the things I read. Sister Morris and I have a goal of handing out 30 copies of the book of the Book of Mormon. I invite each of you to try to share a copy to someone around you. I know it changes lives and helps us to strengthen out testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ! I love you all and hope you have an amazing week!

Sister Reynolds

Bishop Oliver dog Blitz... it is a mini horse.

Changes in Renton

Hello family!!

 It has been a really good week, Kinda crazy but way good! We got news about a week or two ago that our stake was going to rearrange the ward boundaries. We had to keep it a secret from the members and it was killing us!! So last night they announced it and so we are free from our silence! One of our wards got dissolved and so now we are only in one ward. We still are not sure what our boundaries are but hopefully by the end of today we will be more informed. We are now just waiting for this Sunday to know what the transfer news is. There are 24 new missionaries coming in so we are expecting some big changes to happen! Crazy stuff going down!

 This week we were checking on former investigators and we found this woman named Kristin. She is way cool. She is super open to other religions and as she was talking to us about her beliefs she was talking about every gospel doctrine that we teach. I’m still not sure why she isn't a member yet. She asked us why we think there are so many denominations and why there isn't just one. (Perfect questions my friend) we definitely had an answer for her. We started teaching her about the Apostasy and as we were teaching her face sorta brightened up. She really liked it and said we could go back to teach her more! :D We are excited to work with her but we don’t know if she will even be in our area anymore because of the changes!

 We have a baptism this week; well as of yesterday another ward has a baptism for this week. Alex, a 10 year old boy who has been learning for 2 years, is entering into the waters of Baptism! We are SO excited for him. Sadly he will be in another ward now but I know that he will love it there too and the missionaries taking over are good elders so it'll all be okay. This kid is so sharp. I love him and am so impressed with his desire to learn and share the gospel! We hope his family will have a desire to learn more from seeing his determination to follow Christ!

 We had Zone Conference on Friday. It was so good! We talked about teaching Faith and helping others come unto Christ through Baptism. Sister Rasmussen showed a video of the widow of Zarephath. I have watched this video many times but this time it hit me differently. 

( https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2016-12-016-widow-of-zarephath?category=personal-finances&lang=eng)

I have come to realize the importance of having the faith to do anything the Lord asks of us. I Desire to have the faith that this women did. It would be so hard to give the last bit of food to a random man on a promise that God would give her all she needed but she did it. I look up to her and i am working on increasing my faith to this level. I believe the Lord can do all things and i hope to help others gain this same belief. 

 We got the chance to watch the YSA broadcast yesterday. First off I got to see a lot of the members from the YSA ward that I first served in and it was awesome! I love these people so much! Second the broadcast was amazing! I would encourage you all to watch it. President Bednar spoke about being a welding link in our generations and making sure we aren’t the weak link. I know it can be hard to be in the world and not follow the temptations of those around us but I know that when we try our best to endure through our trials awe can become a strong link and our generations will be continually strengthened! 

 I am grateful for this gospel and the blessing it is in my life! Thank you for all your emails! They mean a lot to me and I can feel of your love. I hope each of you have an amazing week!

Love,

Sister Reynolds

1. a member fed us dinner and we had  behemoth burger! It was so good. It was a grilled cheese sandwich, hamburger bun, 4 pieces of bacon, grilled onions, pickles, BBQ sauce and another grilled cheese sandwich for the top bun. I felt my arteries closing but I think it was worth it!

2. my companion loves me :)

What a crazy week!

 Hello,

 Our week has been insane but it has been some really good moments! Sister Morris and I went to help with our ward assignment at the Salvation Army church in Seattle. It was a really cool experience. In the beginning someone gave a little sermon thing and a prayer over the food. I handed out coffee to people, the irony, and Sister Morris was in charge of desserts. I met some interesting people. Lots of people asked me to have coffee with them... I had to decline which they weren’t too fond of but they kept coming back. I’m grateful for opportunities like this to serve. I want to find ways to do this more when I’m home! (not that I’m thinking of that at all...)

 Sunday was amazing... but also an emotional roller coaster! We had a woman named Mellissa walk into the church and want to know more. Our bishop asked her to come back at one and we would show her around and sit with her during church service. So, at 1pm she came back. She is amazing. She has had a hard life though. She has been on the street alone since she was 13 and is currently living in her van. From the moment she walked into the building till we left she had a stream of tears on her cheeks. My heart melted with love for her. I have never felt so much Charity for a person I had just met. The ward truly welcomed her in and showed her that she had a family here. a recent convert bore her testimony to her in Gospel Principles and it was powerful. The spirit was thick in that room.  she asked a lot of questions and we tried to answer them but we told her we would answer more if she was available to meet with us on Monday.. And she said okay!! So yesterday we taught her about the restoration of the gospel with he Ramsey’s help. We didn't get through it all but we think she is getting a better understanding of the Gospel and of who Christ is. Brother Ramsey told her this was her family now and she said, "I know and I’m STOKED!" ahhh I love it!! This Church is TRUE!! ❤

 We had the chance to go to the Temple this morning! Oh my lanta I’ve been waiting for so long to go! I am incredibly grateful for the chance I have to live so close to a house of the Lord. I felt so much peace as I thought about those on the other side waiting for us to finish their temple work. What an amazing gift we can all give to them! Whether we do baptisms, endowment or sealing it is an amazing opportunity to give these gifts to people. I love this gospel with all my heart!

 With everything that goes on in the mission, the good and the bad, I see the Lords hand trying to help me through. I am so grateful to know that all things are for my good and everything is just a small moment in the grand scheme of things! Sorry this is short but know I love y’all!

 

Sister Reynolds

Grateful for another week

Hello Friends!!

Temple trip North area

 It has been a good week! I am grateful we got to start it off with the temple last Tuesday and I was able to be spiritually uplifted throughout the week! What a blessing.

 We had new missionary follow up training for Sister Morris this week. It went really well! We talked a lot about struggles we have in our specific areas and we also talked about the Doctrine of Christ. I love that throughout every Gospel related thing we learn about Christs Doctrine. faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the end are scattered throughout the scriptures, words of the prophets and every-other thing you can think of!! It’s amazing!

We went to a 5 dollar car wash just so we could give
 these people an 'I'm a Mormon' card.. so worth it

 Sister Morris and I are trying to be more creative while tracting. We have spent a lot of time thinking about different things and we have decided to work with boards. We made one board that has different questions like, "what gives you motivation" or "how do you strengthen your family". On the back we have printed out different options that they can choose to put as answers to the questions. Kinda silly but it has been working! Especially with families who have little kids. We also printed off a world map, thanks to the amazing Ramsey family! We take the map around and ask people about their Ancestors and where they came from. We lead it into Gods love for families and doing family history work. So many people are willing to talk about their family history and I t is a lot easier of a way to have a conversation with random people. Hopefully that all makes sense! Ha ha! I know that when missionary work is new and different things are tried miracles happen so that’s what we are going for. 

 So this morning we were cleaning our house, because cleanliness is next to godliness apparently, and sister Morris came to me with the most horrified look on her face, all she said was I need your help. In our lovely ghetto apartment there is the water tank thing in our closet and that thing is nasty crusty dirty... she pointed to the base of it and said, "What. Is. THAT." I got down and looked at what seemed to be the largest dried up rat I’ve ever laid eyes on. So, I searched the house for a flashlight so I could see it better and after a few minutes of pep talking myself to look at it I got down on the ground and inspected it closer. My heart was beating and my mouth ran dry. I feared that today would be the day that an R.A.T. would leap onto my face and that would be the end of Sister Reynolds. BUT my fear was in vain. All it was a weird old piece of carpet covered in a mountain of dust bunnies. I was equally relieved and disappointed for the lack of an exciting ending. But I guess it is truly a blessing.

 Anyway, life is good! I’m so grateful that I am still alive and I have another day to live! Miracles are happening in the work here in the Washington Federal Way mission! I’m grateful every day to be here (even when the Canada fires make everything hazy) I love this Gospel and I love my Savior! I invite each of you to share your testimony with someone this week so they can experience the joy that comes from knowing about Christ! I love you all!!!

Sister Reynolds

Day of the Eclipse

Friends!

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY President Monson!! Isn’t it amazing that we have a prophet of God leading and guiding our church today!? What a  blessing it is. I know he is a prophet of God. We are a part of the restoration of the church. It’s amazing that we have been blessed to be here and see the miracles of each day. I am so grateful for the priesthood power of God!!

On another note,  TODAY IS THE DAY THAT EVERYONE HAS BEEN SAYING IS THE END OF THE WORLD. So far I have yet to die. The only thing is that my eyes can’t see much because the sun has decided to be as bright as… well, the sun I guess. This solar eclipse has been all the rage here in Washington! Everyone we meet has been talking about it and how they are planning on going to Oregon or Idaho to see the full thing. We were able to get special glasses thanks to our STL's and watched it today. It was 93% covered by 10:20. It truly was an amazing thing to see and it was a blessing that we had a clear blue sky day here in Washington. I won’t lie though, even with looking through the glasses my eyes and head hurt... hopefully all will be well ;) 

 We had a crazy week. Some weird things went down but I guess those make for good memories. Sister Morris and I were knocking doors and we went down to talk to these guys who lived on this random farm in the middle of a normal neighborhood. They were outside roping. We said hi and apparently one of them had spoken to missionaries previously and so we talked briefly but they said they weren’t interested. I was going to try to salvage the conversation by asking to rope with them but then one of them had this sly look in his eyes and said, " we don’t need anything but would you ladies like to have a beer with us?" oh my lanta. My friend the only beer that is good for the soul is root beer. I don’t think that was what he was offering so I declined and quickly made Sister Morris walk away with me haha! Good times, Still sad that I didn’t rope but of well. 

 Members in the Garrison Creek ward found out it was my Birthday a few weeks ago so they took us out to lunch on Saturday! We went to this restaurant called Amantes and it had some amazing Italian food! I got a Calzone that was the size of my face. I’m STILL trying to finish it! They also brought me flowers which was very kind of them. Renton is a great place :)

 I don’t know if I talked about this last week but we got a new car! It is a 2017 Toyota corolla. I don’t understand how they trust teenagers to drive these cars but I’m grateful. As I’ve been driving I’ve found out it has some fun features, for instance, when I go out of the lines at all, it beeps at me and then takes over the wheel and puts me back in the lane. Whenever I put it on cruise control I can set how many cars apart I would like to be. I feel like I’m invincible... but also like I’m driving something that may be smarter than me so that’s freaky. We are trying to think of a name for it so if you have any ideas let us know :)

 We were contacting the other day and we talked to this man who at first said his name was Mula. (like money) turns out it was Ed.  Ed was nice, his mom is a member and his sister just got baptized not too long ago. He wasn’t interested but he talked to us for a while. He said we should add him on snapchat and I told him we couldn’t have snapchat till we got home. He said he knew that and he had a past missionary who took his snapchat name and added him later. So I now have a snapchat name from Ed. I told him I would send him scriptures and he just laughed. I can honestly say this is a first for me! He was super cool though and I pray that his heart will be softened towards the gospel.

 I am so grateful for this call to serve. I’ve realized that this isn’t an easy thing to do but so far I haven’t done anything that was this rewarding. I was reading in Jacob 2 and I loved verse 8, 

 "...come up hither to hear the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul."

I know this is true. I have seen so many times in my own life and in the lives of others how the word of God has healed them. We met with this woman who was finally coming back into activity after many years of not coming to church. She said it wasn’t until she truly read the Book of Mormon for herself that she realized her potential and the blessings that God is waiting to pour out to us. I love that. I know that it is true. We go through these times in our life s that are so hard and for us we may not see the hand of God helping us but if we will read from the scriptures and study the words of the prophets all things will be made known unto us and we will be healed! What an amazing thing! I have said it a million times before but I would invite you to read the Book of Mormon either for the 1st time or the 100th time! You will always learn. I know it is true. I feel it in my heart. I have found healing in the things it testifies of. I love you all and I love this gospel!!

Have an AMAZING week!!!

Sister Reynolds