Royals game pt. 2⚾️🎤

HEY!!

This week was a lot of fun - we sang the national anthem at the Royals baseball game and it was SO MUCH better than last year haha. Elder Gary E. Stevenson threw the first pitch so that was fun meeting him after! Our member bought us a big bowl of popcorn and refillable cups - so tender mercy because we forgot our wallets😅 The game was so much fun though and the party bus back was SO GOOD! 

We had so many sniping miracles this week! Sniping is when we just roll down our car window and talk to people lol. We met this girl who literally just moved from Ogden Utah so that was funny and her cousin was so excited to learn. We also met this guy while he was on a walk because it was the 2 year anniversary of his mom's death so it was perfect timing that we ran into him and the Spirit was so strong when we talked with him!

Also I caught a fish😎 so highlight of my week for sure!

Love and miss you all!!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qSs2wNuWwULfC4fY9

Transfers & being sick🤮

Ok first off I LOVE SISTER WINN🫶 my trainee is the cutest and we have the same humor and it's been so fun the past few days! She just wants to get to work which is so awesome and we've already seen so many cool miracles.

I was pretty sick the day before transfers so I was fighting for my life for real. My fever was not fun but then I got Sister Winn the next day and I was chilling but still kinda sick lol. The first few days were fun but stressful. We're covering two wards now and the ward boundaries just changed so that's been a fun challenge😅 We've had lots of pass off lessons with other missionaries so that's fun! Also transfers was so much fun seeing everyone!!

Sister Winn experienced her first rejection on the mish but it was chill the lady just put her hand up and said "dude don't...I'm literally catholic" and walked off so that was funny. We had a pass off lesson with the Elders and the little girl who opened the door grabs my hand and goes "can we like uh kinda be friends" I was like "why don't we be actual friends" so now we're besties and she put all her stuffed animals on my lap haha also we're singing at the Royals baseball game tomorrow so I'm excited🥳🥳 pray for us so we don't sound as bad as we did last year because it was awful and I was so embarrassed. 

Anyways love and miss you all!!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qSs2wNuWwULfC4fY9

Transfer News🙈

HEY!!

So I'm staying in Lees Summy for another one and training🥳🥳 I'm excited to train again and meet my new comp! Sister Duke is getting transferred which we weren't really shocked about but the next few days will definitely be filled with lots of visits so she can say bye to everyone!

This week was pretty fun. We got a new car and it's boujie😍 our vehicle coordinator called it a sandy color but it basically looks like one of those pink sparkler dolphins in the barbie mermaid movie so I'm in heaven🥰 

Also, our friend Erlin cannot wait to be baptized. He sent us screenshots of some scripture he was reading and was like "I WANT TO BE BAPTIZED NOW" so baptism is sooner than we thought. But then we called him because he didn't show up to our lesson and he's like let me show you where I am. So he sends his location and he's literally in NEW YORK...like bruh how'd u get there? Anyways, he's a funny guy and the missionaries in new York are blessed to have Erlin in their teaching pool but also I'm praying for them haha🙏

We helped our friend Tanya pack and move to Colorado - the missionaries there are actually so blessed to get her because she's the sweetest most, truth seeking woman I've ever met and for sure getting baptized in the future. Good thing Utah isn't too far from Colorado so I told her I'll come to church with her when I get back lol. Our members helped out and an hour service project turned into a whole day thing bc they needed a new moving truck and everything but our member brother Essig (but he goes by poppy) drove 2 HOURS with her to Louisburg to get a trailer. Poppy is a king👑 seeing our members help a complete stranger and expect nothing in return was so amazing to see. Serving others is one of the best ways we can show Christ like love to those around us!! So find someone to serve this week and help uplift🫶

Ok I know this is so long but I just love talking about missionary work!!! I ALWAYS say this but we met some really cool people this week. One afternoon in particular we weren't sure what to do so I was like "Sister duke, let's pray and pick a street to tract" so we did and guess what...we ended up finding this 18 year old girl named Emma who's actually been looking for a church!! STRAIGHT MIRACLES- I love how the Spirit truly guides us in this work! I see the Lord's hand EVERY SINGLE DAY and sometimes it's harder to recognize but he's ALWAYS guiding us and I love being an instrument to help others come unto Christ!!

Oh also our whole stake got reorganized and the meeting was so cool!! Even though it was a lot of sustaining new leaders and figuring out the new ward boundaries the spirit was so strong!! It's so cool to see the church growing!!

Love and miss you all!!

(oh also idk why but I have everyone thinking I'm OBSESSED with Shrek out here - which don't get me wrong I do love it - but one of the Sisters in my last area is writing a book and she drew me as Shrek and I LOVE IT lol)

Bashers & Fake mustaches🥸

HEY!!

This week was actually so much fun and we met some funny people. First off, multiple middle age women wanted to bash us this week🥳 I just couldn't help but laugh everytime we drove away. One lady came up to our car and told us we're wrong basically then proceeded to quote Bible verses at us but we weren't gonna fight so we said Jesus loves you and drove off😎 

Also our friend Josh finally admitted that he was only meeting with us to convince us that we're wrong💀apparently he wants to become a pastor and start his own church and had some "preset questions" he's supposed to ask missionaries so he can say he's learned about our religion. I was like "uhh yeah ur not gonna come to know the Book of Mormon is true if you're doing it that way" low-key was kinda salty about it because he lied to us but oh well I hope he has fun making a new church😃

Our friend Cortnie's daughter Freya is so cute!! She looks just like Molly when she was a baby and at the end of our lesson she split her popsicle and gave half to me. It was presh- highlight of my week for sure. Oh also we played jeopardy in district council and all put on fake mustaches- which always makes things funnier.

Ok little spiritual thought from a couple weeks ago:

I felt so much peace while reading in Alma 17 and seeing how even these great missionaries experienced so many trials and set backs. But they relied on the Lord and were patient in their afflictions. 

Alma 17:10

"And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted."

I've found so much joy while serving the Lord but there's definitely trials and hardships that come along the way. But I think the biggest thing I've learned on my mission is to rely on my Savior when times get hard. Even when I feel so exhausted I can feel the Lord strengthen me and just like the sons of Mosiah, I feel comforted when I turn to Him. It's hard to explain those feelings but those moments strengthen my testimony and help me keep going!! I love being a missionary and being an instrument in this great work!

Love and miss you all!!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qSs2wNuWwULfC4fY9 

Mallory's baptism🌊🤗

We went to the temple today which is always so good😊 So that's why the p-day changed. 

Our friend Mallory got baptized on Saturday!!! Her story is pretty cool. We only started teaching her two weeks ago because she was being taught by missionaries in a different ward but she lives in our area so they passed her to us. Her twin boys were baptized a couple months ago and there's a lot more to the story lol but I'm so excited to continue to get to know her during her new member lessons! She asked me to braid her hair for the baptism so that was a tender moment before everyone came. She had so many people come to support her and it was so sweet!! We had to move the service to the Chapel because there were so many people (+the ac in the relief society room broke lol)

Sadly our friend Erlin who was supposed to be baptized this Saturday won't be anymore. Long story but it's honestly for the best. He really does have a testimony and hopefully he can keep working towards baptism but just not this weekend. 

I'm definitely learning and growing a lot this transfer😅 Things have definitely not been the easiest but I've truly learned to rely on my Savior. Even when I just try to give what I have, I can always see the Lord magnify my efforts. We've been able to meet some really cool people recently and I'm excited to keep teaching them. We tracted into this couple from Micronesia and they used to meet with missionaries there too so that was a cool miracle we found them! 

Anyways love and miss you all!!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qSs2wNuWwULfC4fY

4th of July in Missouri🥳🇺🇲

So many tender mercies this week but it also felt so long ngl. Lee's Summit has been super fun but I miss Far West and my friends there. We have some awesome friends we're teaching here though too!! We had 5 people at church which was so chaotic because two of them had their baptismal interviews after but it was so good. Mallory is getting baptized this Saturday and her story is so sweet. Her twin boys were baptized a couple months ago and through listening in on the lessons she came to know it was true for herself! I'm so excited for her🥰

Our friend Erlin is from Nicaragua and he's getting baptized next Saturday and he's so excited!! His lessons are always so funny and he goes on so many tangents lol. Whenever we do a fist bump he always does a high five to make a turkey against it which makes me laugh🫸🤛

4th of July was chill. We watched the fireworks form our balcony. we had dinner at the Essigs and they told us how their neighbor comes out and lights one HUGE firework every year then just walks back and is done for the holiday. Then right during our spiritual thought we see him walk out and shoot it over the lake then just shrug and walk back in. idk why but the timing just made us laugh so hard and it was funny🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️

Missionary work is definitely hard sometimes but it's so rewarding. Even when people slam the door or are not so nice I feel so much comfort knowing that we're doing the Lord's work. It's amazing to see friends accept the gospel and feel that joy!! 

Anyways I love and miss you all!!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qSs2wNuWwULfC4fY9

knocking lots of doors

This week was so long but so good. we've been tracting quite a bit lately which is fun in the humid Missouri heat😃 not really but that's okay because it's so worth it and I can't complain because we have cars with ac. It's pretty funny when we tell people what church we're from and they automatically shut the door after they just said we could share a message about Christ lol. 

We had a cool Facebook miracle this week!! I called this guy Chris on FB and shared the Book of Mormon with him and when we said the first vision he said he felt warm and good- the spirit was so strong!! He also wanted to come to church so he came on Sunday and brought his 8 year old daughter Kay- she was so cute!! They LOVED church and he said it felt so good to be welcomed and feel seen. I'm so excited to keep teaching them and it's so cool to see how we can find people that are ready for the gospel in so many different ways!!

We also had exchanges this week which was fun because I got to be reunited with Sister Lindsay!! It felt like Liberty 2.0 and it was nostalgic. Our friend Sabash is working towards baptism as well which is so exciting!! Also I only have 5 months left which is sad but it's amazing to see how much I've learned and grown in my testimony! I love this work and I'm grateful for how close I feel to my Savior💗

Love and miss you all!!