Late Night Phone Calls, Albuquerque, NM

Week 5 of transfer 2 has come to a close! only one more - and this is the week in which our fates for the next month and a half will be determined - training calls will come on Wednesday with other calls coming between Wednesday and Sunday. I have no idea what to expect - Sister Smith could easily be training again. Y'all will know next week- don't you just love the suspense? I know I don't.

This has been quite a good week though - we had a some great opportunities to serve- we went and weeded at the home a part member family - or I guess couple is the right way to say it. The y are an older couple- grandama and granpa age- He is a member and comes every week while she is an active member in her church (community of Christ maybe??) They were married later in life after they had both been married previously- and the crazy thing is they knew each other really well when they were married before. It is actually a really cool story - but the point is, when they got married they made an agreement that they cannot try to convert each other - Brother Stoleworthy (the husband) said to us though that just becasue he can't say anything doesn't mean the sisters can't! so that is what we are going to do - work on her slowly - first by serving them so she can see the good in the church! This last week we went and weeded. this coming week we will probably go iron for her. She is a big time quilter and has some incredible ones! I will maybe take some pictures so you can see em mom. But he was so funny when we went to weed - he told us we could only weed for him if he could supply us with gloves and knee pads and screw drivers to dig out the weeds. He even threw in the hat as bonus! I chuckeled at the gloves becasue who weeds with gloves? but I was sure thankful for them becasue the weeds we were pulling had stickers on em! They werent your typical goat-heads - they are what they call here sand burrs. and they are horrid! they just look like crab grass but have about 8 little stickers on the ends. Keni do you know what I talk of? so the gloves were a good thing - except they were huge!

The other exciting news for the week is Brian! He was at church last week - I told y'all about that I hope - if not - he was at church last week - before we even taught him a lesson! We were able though to teach him the restoration this last week though and it went so well! We were ouside on his porch/courtyard thing becasue he is just a single guy - ye know - following those rules to keep us safe and avoid all appearance of evil - but it was a nice day - slightly overcast. We recited to him the first vision and when we finished we asked how he was feeling and he looked up to the sky and said something along the lines of it being so powerful that he was shaking - then he pointed out that as we were sharing it the sun came out. It was real cool. He is really excited to be learning more. We committed him to read the bnook of mormon and to pray about it to know if it is true - and the we commitetd him to baptism. and he said Yes! Yahoo! and he came to church again yesterday! this time only for sacrament though- but he came at 9:00 to the right ward. oh we are excited! Yesterday night (last night maybe..ugh my language skills are dashed) he gave us a call becasue he had been reading and had some questions - mind you this was at 9:40. Sister Smith and I had just finished planning and were ready to get ready for bed. and Brian likes to talk. We discussed his reading in the book of Enos - he did not want to start in the beginnning so he picked Enos. but he loves it so I won't say anything! anyway we just chatted about it and had a good discussion on the phhone. I was slightly bummed at first becasue this call was taking away my time to lay on my bed in my clothes for 10-15 minutes that I do every night just becasue I am too lazy/tired to change yet - but then I was so excited that he was reading and wanted things to be clarified right away that he couldn't wait until we see him on tuesday so I got over myself real quick. We are real excited about Brian needless to say!

Also we are so excited about Bobbie! She has been on date for the 14th of September - but that is gonig to change to probably October which is a bummer but it is not becasue she isn't ready - it is becasue she wants her family to be there. They were just here last week and she is going to see them this weekend so it might not be until October that they can come back - Momma, I told you I would love for her to meet you but sahe won't be getting north to Utah until late Friday and is leaving on Monday - so you probably won't see her this time around, but I still did give her your phjone number- and she said she would give it to her daughter so you will have to meet her too! But the real exciting thing about Bobbie is that she was at church yesterday and stayed for the full three hours! For the first time! And it was a really good meeting. In Sunday School the lesson was on Honesty and a really good discussion ensued- one in which she participated. She had an experience at work this last week where she hadn't been completely honest and it had just been eating at her and eating at her - and she knew that she needed to correct it. and then she made a cmoment along the lines of " This is how In know that this is the truth becasue Heavenly Father knew that this was the lesson I needed to hear today. He knows just what I need." It was so neat!oh I just love her and am so excited for her to be baptized! then her sweet husband will be and then they will all be sealed together in the temple! 

This letter is long enough now I think - I only told you about three people even! shees I can talk! Tonight I am headed to help a single lady in the ward weed in her backyard - another gal in the area is getting married in her backyard this weekend - I know how that goes -so we arehelping her prep - goodness with all this weeding I am dong, I am giong to need to go find me some good gardening gloves! 

Oh one more thing - we had interviews with Presidentand Sister Miller this week - where they came to our apartments to see how we live and such and I tell you what, they loved my u-state blanket! Go Aggies! and they also loved all my pictures of my sweet family. They thank you for your support - as do I.

I love you all!

Sister Stuart

After this manner we keep the records, Albuquerque, NH

Hello Family!

I like to think I lead a pretty stress free life - Steve would disagree because finals last semester almost killed me- but other than that, I feel like stress rarely effects me. Thanks to Kait, our feshman year, we pretty much mastered the art of not being stressed. I thought. This last week has been one of the most stressful weeks ever. I could hardly focus! We had arranged to do a fireside type thing with the youth and their nonmember frineds -called the Sunday Sit Down with the Sisters - and it really stressed me out. The youth are at such an impressionable time in their lives that I felt like we needed to say just the right thing that would impact them and really help them to feel the spirit and the joy from the gospel. If it just would have ben youth from the ward I know I would have been fine. I know what they believe. I know what they know. I can share insights with them- but to have all their friends with them really was something else. I didn't know how or what to teach. and the other thing is- normal lessons with investigators don't stress me out a single bit because I can talk to them and find out what they believe. this was different. and I was stressed, and I think Sister Smith was sick of me for it. but we had it last night and it went really well! that is what I terll myself at least. I think sometimes I am too hard on myself- but I just always see room to improve that is all. Anyway,  a lot of the youth showed up - but only 4 of em brought friends... we shared a spirital message on the atonement and the strength to overcome all things through Christ and then Bishop shared a little bit about how in the gospel we all can find true joy and that that is really what Heavenly Father wants for eachj and every one of us. He really closed it out nicely. It was a neat experience one that I hope we will be able to do again soon and that I can prepare a little bit more for and so maybe I won't be so stressed.. although, someone did say -prepare less and pray more. maybe that is what I need...

We finally saw Brian again! we went over and chatted in front of his garage again night and invited him to church at nine. He said he would be there! We saved him a seat and waited and waited for him to show up. He didn't :( after church we were heading out the doors to go to our car and who walks in but Brian! only 3 hours late but that is okay! Sacrament meeting in the other ward was just finishing up so we decided to stick around and take Brian to gospel esssentials in the other ward with us and the lesson happened to be on the Lords Law of Health - something Brian does not live.. so I was a little bit nervous. But it was so fantastic! There is a LA member in that ward who goes to GE and he has really led a crazy life in the ghetto with drugs and parties and alcohol and has overcome it all. He is usually pretty quiet in class but yesterday it was almost as if he was teaching! it was so fantastic! the spirit was really strong and Brian felt it! He said that when he walked out of that building he was never going to pick up a cigarette again! We have an appointment with him so we will follow up! but exciting things are going to come! the only bad thing about him going to that class was that he loved it so much he doesn't want to go to any other one- which is great but he needs to come to our ward and meet the people there!

Does this email seem drab and emotionless? I feel like it is.. Sorry about that.

Boibbie's daughter came into town this week! It was so great to see them all together! Bobbie talkes about her a lot so it was good to finally put a face to the name. Jessie (the daughter) had a friend get married yesterday and she was in the ceremony and that was the reason she was here but we were talking with them all after all the rehearsal dinner and all that happened and Jessie expressed to us how sad it was for her. She said that she could feel the spirit at the sacredness of the action of being married and she just wanted asll her friends to feel it too becasue it has made such a difference in her life and she was just so sad that they don't have it and that they can't feel it - then Bobbie piped up - "well your mom does!" Oh it melted my heart! I am so excited about the progress she is making! and she is going to Utah for Labor Day weekend! and I want her to meet you mom and dad! she eventually wants to move to utah and I think she would love Uintah! so keep your eyes peeled for a cute little house for sale - maybe this will give you a chance to buy and rebuild the next door house. you would have awesome neighbors! I am bummed you will be in NH though (no offense Kemp and Joseph - I know you need dads expertise I just want them to meet Bobbie) When do you get back? when do you leave? Mom can I give Bobbie your phone number so she can call you if you are in town when she is there?

This past week I had a full day of meetings and can I tell you - President Miller is the greatest man ever! and his wife is just the best too! I love going to meetings becasue I leave feeling so inspired and energized and ready to take on the world. I can truly tell he has been called of God to lead this mission.

In my studies this morning I learned from Chemish in the Book of Omni that there is beauty in few words.. I should take a lesson from out of his book.. maybe next week.

I love you all! 

Sister Stuart

Albuquerque, NH

I never quite know how to start these emails.. I always have the thought that I have nothing to say but then.. I end up rattling on for ages! I don't quite know how.. so excuse me for the rough start.

Speaking of rough starts - last night we taught a lesson that was a real rough start! There is a 14 year old boy who is part of the scout troop in the ward but is not a member. He really enjoys scouts and actually went on Trek this summer and he also went to scout camp at Phillmont and had fantastic experiences there! About a month ago we ate dinner at a members home who is the scout committee chair and she invited Jonathon and his family over. That night we taught the first lesson- the restoration and it went really well. We left them each with their own copy of the Book of Mormon and challenged them to read and pray about it. Unfortunately, we kind of lost contact with them. But we did not forget about them! We talked to another member family who has a son the same age and who is in scouts with him - he told us he would invite Jonathon and his family over to their house to be taught and they accepted! That was last night. We taught the plan of salvation and went right into it- not the best idea. I think both of us were pretty nervous. It was Sister Smith's first time teaching the Plan of Salvation all the way through and only my second or third.. and on top of that - we didn't even know if this was really a teaching appointment! We were told that the family had said they would come over to 'visit' in the evening.. what does that mean?? So we planned the lesson anyway and it is a good thing we did becasuae we got there and everyone just looked at us like "okay take it away!" It was nerve racking.. so we launched into the lesson! and taught - asking a few questions here and there but not really learning of what their understanding is - which is not something I recommend. After we covered the whole plan in 20 minutes (that is fast..) we laid it out with those pictures you gave me kemp and went over it again briefly with the pictures creating that visual and I think that helped. Then the questions were asked.. so okay - here is all this information we just threw on you that probably all went straight over your head and now we will find out what you know.. but it actually worked out really well and really nicely! I actually do not think it could have worked out better.. but that is definitely not something I will risk again.. Teach for understanding starting form the beginning. But the good news! We invited them to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God and they accepted! And we set a return appointment! Yahoo! they are going to be baptized and then they are going to go to the temple and become a family forever!

Update on Brian- we haven't seen him since. We have set two appointments with him and he has no showed to both. but we are still hopeful! We are dropping by tonight. and we won't give up.

We had exchanges again this last week and this time I left the area! I went down to Los Lunes to the Monzano singles branch and worked there. It is a n area with much more humble circumstances and the people are a lot more willing to talk to you - for 45 minutes on their doorstep! We went to find a less active member - who lives in an area called meadow lake that has a lot of single wide trailers - his was completely ababndoned looking and quite terrifying actually - but Sister Morris (who I was on exchanges with and who is actually my grandma in the mission so it was really cool to be able to spend the day with her and get to know her better ) said we still needed to go try. I was scared. And on the side of the trailer closest to the road it had spray painted on "NO TRESPASSING! GUARD DOGS WILL BITE!!" and y'all know how much I don't do dogs - dangit I am deaf! anyway, We walk around to the front of the trailer (which was on the side). there is a big dumpster in the front and what do ya know - a dog is lurking behind. Okay. Time to run. Sister Morris continues on. and we didn't die. but the house was abandoned and trashed and in a really poor condidtion. That is why we went to the neighbor to ask about him and she is the one who talked to us for ages about all these crazy things happening in her family. She really needs the gospel. as does her family.

That is the real exciting thing about exchanges this time around. not so mind blowing as last transfer - but still real good all the same - oh but the bugs! I was really shocked at how few bugs there are her in new mexico - until I went to Los Lunes and came home with 4 mosquito bites on on ankle! It was horrid. I like my dry area away from the river and therefore the bugs!

Yesterday at church Sister Smith and I went to Young Womens instead of Relief Society and it was so fantastic! I want to go there every week! I remember how I wanted nothing more to be out of young womens and to move on with my life - and now I just want to be back! especially with the new youth curriculum. It is so cool! August is all about marriage and family- and being women, the topic of discussion was on Proverbs 31:10-31 The traits of a virtuous woman. and guess what I learned! She is Gluten Free! in verse 27- She eateth not the bread! Yahoo! It makes me feel so much more empowered to know that being gluten free makes me virtuous! but actually - read that whole section. It is really good. and there are actually real insights to be gleaned from it. That was just my aha moment of the day.

Update on Bobbie - Her daughter who was baptized about a year and a half ago lives with her husband in Layton. Bobbie had expressed to us that she wanted him to baptize her in Utah - we were bummed. But she told us that she is going to be baptized here! and her family will come here! Yahoo!

I am rambling now.. well I have been this whole time actually - but now I think I am out of rambles so I will quit.

I love you all!

Sister Stuart

Lessons I learned from Sonic. Albuquerque, NM

 

Another week has come and flown by! So my first week of training dragged (drug?) on.. I thought it was so incredibly slow. good. but long. but this past week has gone real quick. I swear I was just here at the library emailing y'all! and again I did not make a good list of what I want to share.. so this might be another scatter brained day..

But to begin - the pep talk from Sister Boyle! "When the work is slow and you feel frustrated, just remember that our main goal in this short earth life is to get back to Heavenly Father. But the more celestial goal is to help bring our families, friends, and other home with us too. Keep the faith, work hard, and never lose sight of our earthly goal. It helps to keep everything in perspective. There is no greater work we could be doing! Pearly gates or bust!" Thank you Sister Boyle!

Isn't that the truth though? We truly are in a life saving business! and, as what was re brought to my knowledge this past week in a letter from Amy, we are literally children of the birthright and we have a responsibility to bring the message of the restored gospel to those around us! and you better not be slacking off fam! YOu have missionary work to do too! Remember D&C 4:3 - if you have desires to serve God, ye are called to the work!

And man have I needed that this past week. We have been working on finding new people to teach- We went through the area book and looked up all the past former investigators and potential investigators and have been contacting them and within a week we have been through all but 4 names. and they have not been interested.. bummer. So it gets discoutraging - but then you have these incredible moments that make all the knocking on doors and getting told no thanks or not really or I will never be a mormon or I have already found God worth it!

Last week we had a name on our list, Bryan, to go see. We tried by his house but he had a really stubborn gate that we could not figure out how to open - so we left. His house is right down the street from Bobbie who we are currently teaching. We had about 10 minutes before our appontment with her so we figured hey let us go try to work that gate open and see Bryan! after wiggling and pulling and some pushing we finally got it open! we rang the doorbell and immediatley were welcomed by the blasting of the vocal chords of monster size dogs! I swear they were going to bust the door down and break the windows! I was a bit terrified.. then we here a screen door open behind us and an older, unhappy looking gentleman asks who we are and what do we want. It was strange. and a bit disconcerting. So we try to tell him but then he shuts the door and tries to talk to us through the glass. It was rather uncomfortable. then he disappeared. Then he stuck his face in the window and held up a finger saying one minute. So we waited. and waited. and seriously debated whether we should stay. then behind us, from the garage, comes a younger guy who apologized for the actions of his father and starts chatting with us. This guy is Bryan and we start talking to him anout Christ and Heavenly Father and church and all that good stuff and he explains to us that he takes Christ with him wherever he goes and he hasn't been to church in a long time but really wants to get back so we invited him next week! and he said he would come! and we set up a return appointment for Wednesday! yahoo! there is Bryan for you. after a long weekend of seeing a lot of front doors - his made it all worth it! Only I am a little nervous to go back with those dogs all there....

Our lesson with Bobbie was fantastic too! We have been working her toward baptism although she is feeling some anxiety - we taught on the power of the priesthood last week and invited her to have a priesthood blessing. and she accepted! She had had one in the past before she had a surgery done and she said it was the easiest surgery she had ever had! She said she woke up every morning waiting for the pain that never came! She already has a testimony of the priesthood power! Awesome! Last night she got a bleesing from a brother in the ward and it was so powerful! The spirit was in there so thick you could have cut it with a knife! only you couldn't have cut it because nothing could have broken the spirit that was felt! And her husband was there for it too! He never sits in on the lessons when we come. He always says it is girl time. But he was there last night and I am so happy he was! I really can see them in the temple together and I want it  so badly for them!

Training is going really well. Sister Smith is really great and really excited about the work! I am learning a lot too - like I don't have enough experience to be training yet.. but I was told by a member the other night that what we lack in experience we make up for in enthusiasm! Yahoo! for enthusiasm! But to reallly see how it is going maybe you need to hear from her - she has a blog as well if you want to check it out - it is asitoncewas.blogspot.com

We had dinner at a members home the other evening and she is very into all things natural like oils and such (you will appreciate this momma!) and I felt a scrape on my knee and wondered what it was from andher little 4 year old daughter says to me "oh you want some lavender on that? I have some in my bathroom I can get for you!" HOw perfect is that! I thought of you momma and smiled!

This week I set a goal to take one picture a day just becasue you remember things so much easier when a picture is involved and I know you would all like to see what I am doing.. and guess what! I took one picture! for the week! It was the end of the month and we walked a lot the last few days to make sure we wouldn't go over on miles..we calculated everything out and had 20 for the final day of the month and we were going to make it! in 17! so on the way home, we decided that a celebratory milkshake from Sonic was necessarry - it would only add 1.2 miles to our trip. And becasue I really wanted to celebrate I got an oreo one.. Then we get back to the apartment in 18.5 miles and I am so excited! yahoo! But then when we subtacted the first of the month odometer reading from the end of the month odometer reading we were one mile OVER!!! AHHH!! It was awful! I learned many lessons that night. First - Don't push your limits. You know where the line is. DOn't flirt with it. If I didn't think that oh this 1.2 miles will not make a difference we would have been under our allotted miles! Just go home! The line has been set for a reason. We need to stay as far from it as possible. If we are on the line - Satan has already won.

Second - DOn't be glutinous. I did not need that milkshake. I especially didn't need the wheat in that milshake. and becasue I wanted it- we went over on our miles.

Third - Don't waste time doing pointless things. We left our area 4 minutes early because we got out of our appointment and had the thought that 4 minutes was not enough time to go contact someone else. It was becasue of that extra 4 minutes, the long way home by way of sonic was justified. In that four minutes, we passed a gentleman walking his dogs who we should have talked to. That would have used those minutes then we would have needed to get home and not gone to sonic and not used those miles. Use your time wisely and ALWAYS be finding people to teach!

So what was supposed to be an overjoyed celabratory picture of meeting our miles for the month with my delicious celebratory shake to accompany it turned into a bummer of a picture with the evil cause behind being over miles by one.

And with that I close.. I love you all. Remember the lessons I learned this week. Learn from my experiences.

Love
Sister Stuart

The Rains Came Down and the Floods Came Up, Albuquerque July 29, 2013

 my baby! Sister Smith from Boise ID

The monsoons are here! and did they hit with a vengeance! The other night Sister Smith and I were out contacting some former investigators and knocking on some doors and all that good stuff when out of nowhere it started to dump rain! We had an appointment in 30 minutes but called her to see if we could come over now to escape the torrential downpour. She said yes! and good thing we did too! The rain was horrid. Usually the bad rain lasts anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes and never more than an hour usually. but not this night. We got out of aour appointment at8:45- just enough time to get home on time for planning at 9. the rain was still coming down. the road we needed to turn down was blocked off by police cars so we were going to take the next one which was also blocked off by cops and then we ended up on the highway that leads over the rio grande river where there are no turn offs until the other side of our area so we crossed the river that night. We needed to turn around so we turned into the parking lot of an apartment complex that was completely flooded! the wateer was up to the floor boards (is that what they are called?) on a jeep cherokee! It was insane. We really thought we were going to flood the engine and be stranded. but we made it out of the parking lot and back over the river.. but the next road we needed to take to get home was yet again blocked. and we have no idea why! maybe they were flooded... but we finally made it home. in 45 minutes. when it should have only taken 10. oh it was an adventure. 

and the other exciting thing that happened this week wa the fire alarm going off in our apartment complex. Sister Smith was in the shower.. so as soon as she got out we went outside to see what was going on.. every alarm in every complex was goin off and no one was outside! theses people were going to burn!! then the fire trucks came and becasue we were the only ones outside they asked us what was going on.. we had no idea! anyway, the alarm finally turned off. there was no fire. and the firemen went to find out wher the alarm had been pulled or something.. and it did it again this morning- but only for 5 seconds. All is well.

I am learning to like onions. I know. weird. It is like I am growing up or something.. but we were at a less actives home and he is from equador and he had made this equadorian dish called selvichae (yeah don't quote me on spellling.. I am just sounding it out) and all it is is huge chunks of onions and tomatoes and shrimp in some dressing or broth thing and it was DELICIOUS! the onions even! 

This is a rally random email I am sorry.. my thoughts are all kinds of scattered today. I usually make a list of things I want to write home about during the week and I didn't do that this last week.. 

Kemp.. An elder who I was with in the MTC is from Battlesborough VT and is in your stake I think. He said his Stake center is in nashua... His neame is elder mark smith. Do you know his family?

Amy, did you know Jesse Kellogg is in a mormon message? She is in the one about temples.

Keni and Amy- I have to tell you about the water here. Everyone thinks that tap water is simply foul.. I don't get it. I think it tastes fine. I feel like you Amy. for this reason, everyone has bottled water but the crummy thing is, it is all purified! what the? they don't like tap water but like purified? strange. no bottled spring water here.. so Keni and Amy - when you come to New Mexico, bring your own water :)

And now a teaser for next week.. Sister Boyle, who I briefly mentioned last week gave Sister Brown and I a great pep talk about life and this work.. that is summed up in the line PEARLY GATES OR BUST! I will give you the rest next week..

Sister Stuart

Again sorry for how scattered it is. but it about sums up how I feel..

In the Lord's Vineyard. First Transfers. Volcano Ward, July 22, 2013

me in the west desert

I had a thought a little while ago about the phrase laboring in His vineyard. I thought about myself and my personality to work and get things done. I thought of a literal vineyard and if I were called for 18 months to go outside and labor in that vineyard, that is what I would do. I wouldn't be standing around wasting time twiddling my thumbs thinking about what to do next. I would find something to do and do it. (Thank you dad for teaching me this) Why is the Lord's vineyard any different? I don't think I have been applying those principles of work that I have learned and grown up with to my mission. but that will change..

What a week this one has been! Last week I realized I have not really told you about any of the people we are teaching.. and I am sure you would like to know that.. so maybe that is what this letter will be about - things that matter a little more than what I am eating. and if I have already told you about them.. I am sorry. I am doing it again. you can get over it. I am.

I am just going to walk through my week - because I think we saw most everyone.. and that puts it in a nice order so I don't forget anyone..

We went to dinner at a members home and we asked her about a less active family in the ward - who she happens to visit tech - coincidence? I think not! Anyway, she told us that Stephanie (the less active) would most likely be willing to have us over and to go try. So we decided we would see her on tuesday - and she was home - the one day of the week she doesn't have work! another coincidence? I think not! so we chatted with her for a bit and talked about families and learned of her three boys - ages 14, 12, and 9. and the 9 year old has not been baptized. and Stephanie told us that she knows they need to be coming back to church and she knows her son needs to be baptized so she practically invited us over to teach her son and her family. Real cool! We will be teaching the restoration tomorrow!

There is a recent convert of almost a year who we visit - Jessica. She is so wonderful! She has three little girls who are the cutest little pills you have ever seen :) The middle one- Olivia- has some digestive issues so she is hooked up to a tube that goes in her nose and into her colon to administer medication to prevent her from gettting all backed up. The doctors don't know what is wrong with her so it has been really hard on the fam but they are so strong and fighting through it all. Jessica spoke in church with us the other week and shared a bit of her conversion story. She investigated the church for 5 years! That makes me feel better about these investigators who I feel as if we aren't covering any ground with - everyone has their own time table. 

~disclaimer~ I do not refer to people by their first names. I do use the appropriate titles of brother and sister but we are not supposed to email using first and last names so if I refer to the parents as brother and sister so and so and then the kids by their first names then that information is out there that I am not supposed to share.. This is all just very awkward. I am just trying to follow the rules!

We also began teaching this other part member family. Dallin and Naomi. Dallin is a member but Naomi is not. They have a 2 year old daughter together and she is so fun! She loves us sisters! Anyway, Dallin served a mission in California and has a real strong testimony but is not attending church. He is an artist- he paints and makes costumes and performs native dances and is really awesome! His work is incredible! His wife Naomi is a lawyer and she is brilliant. She has taken the lessons from missionaries multiple times on multiple occasions but just has not found that faith in Christ. She knows it comes down to reading the scriptures and praying - but just hasn't done that so instead of stepping through the lessons with her, we are reading straight out of the Book of Mormon and addressing her concerns through the words of the ancient prophets. It has been going really well. And, Kemp, I took your advise and asked if they would be willing to teach us how to make moccasins so they can teach us something while we teach them! And they were so excited. and so were we. too bad I am leaving that ward.

Now I have to tell you about a family in the ward who are the best! Brother and Sister Begay and their 5 kids! We have asked Brother Begay to come with us to our lessons with Naomi becasue he was a convert also with native background so he will have input that us white girls born and raised in the gospel don't quite have.. anyway, we went and had dinner at their home this week and were talking about teaching and his mission stories and missionary work in general and Brother Begay gave us the pep talk of the century! actually, Lehi already has that title- it was the pep talk of the transfer! But it was so inspiring to just get out there and OYM OYM OYM! (open your mouth) and to reallly just hit the ground running to accelerate this work. That family is just so wonderful! and I am bummed to be leaving them. 

Another family that is so fantastic is the Boyles! Sister Brown and I had an appointment in the morning so we left our apartment, which is 15-20 minutes from our area, and forgot our lunch.. so we were just going to go back home (miles wasted!) but before we realized that the Boyles were heading out of town and would not be home before transfers so we stopped by there to say goodbye just in case (good thing we did!) and she told us to stay for lunch! How perfect was that! and so she pulled out all the sandwich fixings but then looked at me and said - do you like quinoa? Let me make you a quinoa salad. And it was so delicious! the people here are so fantastic and so willing to take care of us at a moments notice! It is so incredible. and she has chickens! I loved them! It was a nice little taste of home! and a wonderful taste of the wonderful people that can be found anywhere in this church!

Now to Bobbie! Bobbie is one of our investigators who is 53 and is so fantastic! When the missionaries first started meeting with her 4 months ago, she told them she would not be getting baptized because she would not do it with her husband and he didn't have any interest, and still doesn't :(, about learning. But she loves learning the gospel! and she is truly one of those people who already knows this is true - we just help her to remember everything. that is all. But she is so great! As a new missionary, the training happens from the 12 week packet. It gives you things to do every week to prepare you to be a fantastic missionary. IN the first week, the new missionary is to take the lead in inviting investigators to be baptized. This lesson with Bobbie was in week 6 and I still had not committed anyone to baptism - and I knew I needed to do this before I trained a new missionary to do it. and we did! We committed Bobbie to be baptized! And she said she wanted to! this week, we will be setting a date with her! We are praying about the 14 of September (any marathoners running that day? TOU?) The spirit was so strong! It was so fantastic! Now I am ready to commit everyone I see to baptism! It is not a hard scary thing when it is led by the spirit. and when we got home after this lesson, President Miller called and asked me to be a trainer. I accepted of course.

Speaking of baptism, another investigator we have is Christi. She is 17 and has an incredible testimony! She has been meeting with missionaries for almost a year now and is ready to be baptized. Her mom, however, is not ready for that. But, we met with her mom this week and answered questions and it went so well! You would not believe the progress that has been made there! 4 months ago, Christi could not even tell her mom she was meeting with missionaries- she was doing it at a friends house. If ever she had her scriptures out reading them, they would be taken away. but now we are meeting with Christi, in her home, with her mom! and her mom wants us to come back! Oh things are looking good! and if Christi doesn't get permission and has to wait until she is 18 at the end of September, it will be for a reason. Who knows, maybe we are waiting becasue her whole family will be joining her. How wonderful would that be? To open the door for that family to be eternal! 

Another great thing that is happening is the reactivation of Louise! I don't nkow how long she has been inactive but she won't be for long! She is somewhere in her 50's and is such a fun woman! She lives alone, divorced once and widowed once,but that hasn't slowed her down! The sisters before me would go and keep her company at least once a week and listen and just talk with her but a few weeks ago we really dug into her testimony and really looked to she where she was spiritually and she has a testimony and it is strong just kind of hiding. We are now really working with her to find Christ in her life. and to let him into her life to heal her pain. We invited her to church a couple weeks ago and she came and then when we met with her this last week she was so excited to tell us that she bought new dresses for church! It was so perfect! and now we are working with the relief society to get her visiting teachers and the high priest group to get her home teachers. Things are so wonderful with Louise! I am so excited talking about her!

And now I am down to minutes so quickly the news of this week.. Tomorrow is transfers. I am training. My area is being split. I am staying in the Volcano Ward and the Ventana ward is being washed with two new missionaries. Sister Brown has been called as a Sister Training Leader and  we will find out where tomorrow. I feel so honored to have been her companion for the last six weeks. She will make a fantastic STL and will inspire her new companion. She will work miracles wherever the Lord sees fit to place her - throughout her mission and her life.

I love you all! God speed!

Get ten a day and everything will go your way! Albuquerque, NM July 15, 2013

District in ABQW zone

the one of me and my district in ABQ I am wearing my new glasses..

What a week this has been! It has been so wonderful and so full of work! So I mentioned that transfers were last week and they went so well! I learned so much and so did Sister Brown (Hello Brown family in Georgia! I hope all is well with you! You have a wonderful daughter who I look up to!). I stayed here in Vlcano and Ventana and Sister McFarland came to me. We taught some lessons and contacted a lot of people. She truly has no fear and no self doubts. It was so cool to see and so great to work with her becasue she would say "we are going to talk to that person" so we would. I would be terrified inside but then we would talk to them and it was easy! so then when Sister Brown and I were back together we went out and rocked this area talking to everyone we saw and got peoples information and found a bunch of potential investigators who we are making more formal contact with this week! Hopefully we will get some new investigators out of it! But unfortunately, that confidence lasted only .. we are both being chicken again. But we have figured out a new way to encourage us to talk to more people. We each will take five pass along cards each day and we each have to give them all away - that will give us 10 a day right now. Speaking of ten a day.. we also had a training meeting morning at the mission home for all the new missionaries (I will only fit in that category for one more week!!) and their trainers. We were taught by the assistants and also President Miller and it was so fantastic! But back to the ten a day thing.. With the old president he had set a goal for us to find 4 new investigators a week. New president upped that to 5 and he said that will be accomplished if each missionary (not companionship) contacts 10 people per day! Sister brown are working up to that- starting with 10 per day together. Next week we will be to the 10 per day per missionary. because after all - "Get ten a day and everything will go your way!" you are inspired Aaron! (I am really sorry for the inconsistency with my numbers) BUt we can really tell it will make a difference in this area. I tell you what, being on a mission sure introduces you to your weaknesses.. I have learned that I have a tremendous amount of social anxiety. I think I knew that before.. but it sure is there inside of me. Sister Brown says she hasn't noticed it but my insides are sometimes in knots. Actually, she is noticing how I cope with it though.. so y'all know how I am just weird sometimes, well that hasn't gone away so Sister Brown and I laugh a lot at nights - mostly she is laughing at me but that is perfectly okay- anyway, after we finished our weekly planning we were doing our companionship inventory (page 150 of Preach My Gospel. Step 13. Great thing - It would work really well in strengthening marriages..) and I asked her what I can improve on and she told me to not lose myself when we teach lessons. I get into a teaching mode as she calls it. And I do. That is how I have been coping with meeting new people! But I am working on opening up and letting some (not all - I would scare people that way) of my personality out when in lessons..

So all that rambling basically boils down to that I have found a new excitement for this work! Our new take on planning makes sense to my analytical head, the talking to people is exhilarating (translation:terrifying), and the work is progressing! It has reaffirmed to me that this is the place for me to be and this the work I am to be doing!
I love it!

and now a quick thing that happened this week before I sign off.. I am just amazed at the quickness of the human mind and the stream of consciousness - the other day, Sister Brown tripped the breaker in the bathroom and it made me think of when we were in Washington DC at that cute little bed and breakfast and there were four blow dryers going all at once and we blew the breaker in the whole room (Ken are you impressed I remembered that?? I am!) and then I thought of that fantastic trip we went on and how the one rule dad gave us was that we were not allowed to wear t-shirts on that whole trip and how devastated Keni and I were - Well Dad, you will be pleased to know, I only wear a t- shirt for 30 minutes each day, 5 days a week. Every other waking minute my hair is done, my makeup is on, and I am looking professional as a representative of my family and Jesus Christ.

Have a wonderful week! I love you all! 

It was pouring rain in the second picture but the sun was shining. I don't think you can see the rain.. but it was a strange morning. We played in the rain instead of exercising.. shh. don't tell.

Sister Stuart