50 - Will-is-ton's of Fun!

It's been a good week. You know why?

Because this sweet African family was baptized!!! Kossi and Valorie!! YAY!!!

They actually moved to Williston from... Montana I think, and French missionaries taught them everything in Montanta, but they moved here right before they were able to get baptized. And of course, we couldn't just take their word that they'd had all the lessons, so we taught the lessons to them again in English. There is a little bit of a language barrier, but they know it's true and they are faithful in church attendance and in just, living a Christ-like life.

We met with them everyday this week, just to share a short lesson with them and to go over the baptismal interview questions with them. And the one day we didn't meet with them, we saw them at Walmart picking out clothes for their little ones to wear for the Sunday of their confirmation. So heartwarming!

Awesome Fellowshippers!

And these crazy people! How awesome are they!? 

Kossi didn't have a car, and their family didn't go to general conference because they don't have a computer at home and we couldn't find them a ride to they church. A few days after Sunday we get a call from Kossi saying in his thick accent, "Thank you, thank you so much! I'm so blessed! Me and my family! We have car! Thank you! We so happy! My family! We have car!" What!? Their fellowshippers, when they heard they couldn't come to the church just because of lack of transportation, they loaned them a car! Their buying their son a new car or something, so it works out that this car is getting used now where it otherwise would have just sat there, but WHAT!? CRAZY!

And we prayed for blessings for them... and then they got robbed. Not horribly, but, what the heck, guy who robbed them!? This good sister was supposed to go to a lesson with us and then she texted saying 'I have to cancel, we just got robbed.' What!?

See, they run a little one floor hotel and this guy tried to steal the money out of the vending machine in their laundry room, which is always unlocked. Luckily he only got away with like eight bucks. They saw him on the security cameras and walked in on him robbing the machine and he begged for them not press charges because he has kids and his wife has a spending problem. But this sister is a bit of a spitfire and she wasn't going to let him get away with this life of robbery. She tackled him like three times... shouldn't be funny but it is anyway. He did end up getting away unfortunately, but he didn't have a weapon and so no one got hurt at all.

The next day we bought her flowers and pepper spray. Good Stuff.

But aside from that craziness, It was quite something, preparing for their baptism, asking Kossi and Valorie if they had a preference of songs or pictures on the programs, actually making the programs and making sure we had all the people to do everything at the baptism, scrabbling to find a pianist, making sure baptismal records were filled out, finding white jumpsuits that fit them, having to keep in mind that it takes more than an hour to fill the font and you aren't allowed to leave the church while it's filling, all sorts of things that I have ever been involved with before! 

And the picture on the program that they wanted is the most awesome picture ever!

On the day of their baptism it was kind of crazy- the power just went out when we went to go fill the font! But it came back on after an hour or so. And tender mercy, there was a baptism of an eight-year-old in another ward earlier that day and we thought they would have drained the font, but they didn't! Yay! So the water was still there amidst the power outage and was still very warm.

Both Kossi and Valorie gave prayers, and both of them said prayers at the baptism and were so thankful for this new start and for this gospel so it can bless their family! And Valorie is much more comfortable with French and we told her she could totally say it in French, but she was so concerned about the fact that people wouldn't understand her. Both of our jaws dropped as she began her prayer in English. I have never heard her pray in English before. She didn't want people to not know what she was saying. It was really special.


We had another lesson with, I'll call him Pedro, and is still doing awesome. Last week we taught him the plan of salvation. He wants to get better at knowing the 'signals from God.' So we taught about recognizing the spirit. He shared an experience where on his Netflix account a film was on the recently watched (it was his siblings account) and it was something about God, things that matched what we are teaching, and he knows that God guided him to move up here and that God wanted him to meet us to learn about the gospel. Very prepared!

This week we also went to Zone Training Meeting (ZTM). I've never had to travel so far to get to ZTM until I came to Williston. We had to drive two hours to get to Minot. We left at 6:00, just before the sun rose, and the journey there was an experience to me worth having.

We were driving along highway 2, and every two minutes we would see one or more of these things moving up and down and up and down. 

I knew I was going to the oil fields, but I didn't realize how literal that term was. 

These things are literally scattered across the grassy plains surrounding Williston. 

We saw 48 of these things by the time we got to Ray, 40 miles away, and then we saw 34 more until we were 80 miles out of Williston, then we didn't see any more. 

It was truly a sight though, these things, so strange and almost beautifully ominous. 

I think of the Dr. Suess book, "Are you my Mother?" and instead of the little bird going up the the crane thing he goes up to one of these pump jacks. 

Crazy.

And then, because it was morning, we got to see some awesome fog! 



So beautiful!

And when we got to Minot for ZTM, two awesome Elders were there! 

Elder Davis, on the right, was one of my first zone leaders. 

The other one was Elder Schneringer, who I actually saw on the transfer train here, and I asked him:

"Where are you going?"

"I'm goin' home."

He finished his mission, and now Elder Davis is training someone from Chandler Arizona, Elder Pettingill on the left, and next transfer is his last transfer. So I got to hear his final testimony, as is customary in ZTMs. I feel so privileged. It was really neat.

And then last but not least...

Hamlet and Will...Best Buds!

At ZTM they gave me a package that Alyssa sent to me as a late birthday present! 

HOW CUTE IS IT! 

It's Will! 

From the same video game that Hamlet is from, and the character that I would be when Alyssa and I would work on writing our crazy story together! SO AWESOME AND CUTE! Best late birthday package ever!! And how fitting that Will is in Williston. lol

They are inseparable.

Also, being as we cover two wards, 6 hours of church is a lot of church.. BUT! The work is great. Till next week!

49 - Changes of Scenery - Transferred to Williston

So I said goodbye to a couple more people in Sioux Falls before I left the area.

This is one of the called ASL interpreters for the ward. I love her so much! Funny thing is she actually teaches blind kids and the bishop called her in knowing this and asked her to be an interpreter, not putting two and two together that blind is associated with braille, not sign language! But she was called anyway, had to learn ASL, and has been interpreting for church for a few years now. She is an inspiration to me. Oh, she was also the one who was with us way back when when Henry had a fall on the stairs and she's the one who helped him walk down the stairs a little bit before we called the ambulance. That was a crazy day.

And these are another of Henry and Elizabeth's fellowshippers. 

They are awesome! 

And they came out teaching with us as a couple all the time, and he is in the bishopric, and he is actually the one to gave us the council a while ago at the beginning of the transfer to call all the members on Sunday and set appointments accordingly! 

Super inspired!

Windy Day!

Also, we were outside a lot having someone take our pictures on Monday and it was very windy.

Ok, now to finish up Sioux Falls lesson stories or I will never talk about them ever!

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 
(2 Timothy 3:2).

So remember that girl I talked about awhile ago who fed us dinner on our first lesson with her? I am calling her Brittney. So, We've been teaching Brittney weekly, but she hasn't committed to be baptized yet. She wants to get an answer that it's true before she commits to baptism, which is totally understandable and encouraged.

We've been trying to think of people who would be good to bring to lessons. She's a young single adult and we have only like, two or three other single adults in our ward, and we had already brought one of them who was a girl. So we thought that bringing someone (who I will call Jon) would be really good, but he doesn't have a car, and we can't pick him up, so we had to meet him somewhere for the lesson. He suggested the McDonald's right across from his work. Sure. I guess. Why not have the lesson there?

...Never have a lesson at McDonald's. It's the devils restaurant. 

Brittney was a totally different person. First of all, she looked completely different because she was coming from work at Cole's and all done up, and nothing about her makeup was natural. She was so rude, she was being soooo disrespectful and inconsiderate to Jon, laughing at him, being a stubborn brat, bragging about past transgressions, saying she had no desire at all to live the gospel, putting herself above everyone else, weirdly hitting on poor Jon who has cleaned up his life so much and she was just throwing his words and suggestions down in the gutter and just... it was the worst lesson in the world.

We got in the car after the lesson, ranted to each other, called Jon and apologized to him, and we drowned our sorrows in popcorn. (Cherry candy coated. Courtesy of Jon.) I mean, what the heck Brittney!? Why were you being crazy!?

We had another lesson the week after with Brittney, just ourselves at her apartment. It was worlds different. This was the Brittney we knew, not that psycho at McDonald's. It was probably just because she hates McDonald's and because a guy was there, and when you are in the world and the world is all you know, you are going to be super jerky thinking it will impress people.

So moral of the story, be in the world, but not of the world!

I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. 

And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted,
(2 Nephi 4:18-19).

Sister Sparhawk

This story is about Sister Sparhawk. She is the one who we found Josh at her house and taught him his first lesson and the Elders continued teaching him and he's now baptized and super active. She's also the one who I called to repentance about how we don't drink any tea besides herbal tea when she took us out to eat one time. Sister Christiansen actually baptized Sister Sparhawk and her husband when she was serving here, but Brother Sparhawk passed away while Sister Christiansen and I were both serving in Bismarck. Sister Sparhawk is sooooo sweet and calm and just, we love her. 

We have been reading through the Book of Mormon with her. She this particular day though had something bothering her. She didn't want to talk about it. But she eventually told us what was eating at her. She was concerned about how she was doing at keeping all the commandments. Her husband had passed away, and there was someone showing interest in courting her, but he already had a wife, but she was terminally ill, plus this guy is not a member. She's flattered that someone is attracted to her, but she just wants to do all the right things. Such righteous concerns! 

We told her to pray about it and she would get an answer. She is awesome!

And they began to question him, that they might cross him, that thereby they might have wherewith to accuse him; but he answered them boldly, and withstood all their questions, yea, to their astonishment; for he did withstand them in all their questions, and did confound them in all their words,
(Mosiah 12:19).

This story is actually about Jon's cousin. He wanted us to teach her. He wants her so badly to have the gospel in her life.

We went into the lesson and his cousin, who I will call Debbie, was super nice. Just cool, laid back, very chill. We talked to her about her beliefs and she said to us, "I like to classify myself as a debater of religion." We were a little worried about that comment and were expecting some hard core bible bashing to come from her. However, the lesson never got fiery, never got contentious. Though she was not receptive at all. Jon bore pretty much the most powerful testimony in the world and she didn't bat an eye. She didn't say the closing prayer when asked because she says she's never felt anything when she prays and stopped praying years ago. She has a lot of big ideas, very logical, but her spiritual eyes were closed.

We didn't have any plans of us going back to teach her. She wasn't ready yet.

That Sunday we heard from Jon that 'we won.' Huh? We won? Apparently when we left, Debbie got super mad, yelling "how were they able to prove everything wrong!? Why couldn't I win!?" "Because they came prepared. Are you going to read that chapter they gave you?" "Yeah! But!!!....AH!!" And she slammed her door and he didn't see her for a few days really.

The lesson wasn't contentious at all, but her intentions were only to shake our faith. So crazy!

SO! Williston! 

I left on Tuesday afternoon for my new area. 


All the Sisters waved goodbye to me as the transfer train was driving away.

Sister Springer trained Sister Park

Sister Knot

There were only Elders in the van, darn it, lol. 

I put my Travel buddy (hamlet) in the food, like all pigs should be,

The Elder's wanted me to know that I was never alone in those selfies.... an overexcited Jesus piggy bank that they called "buddy" was right behind me...lol

Elder Juggler was cool though, entertaining us with some spanish singing and ukulele.

On the next stop, I got to say goodbye to Sister Christansen when we were picking up her companion to come on the transfer train! 

She's home now, finished her mission, crazy! I miss you Sister Christiansen!

Yay Sisters! 


I wasn't the lone sister on the train anymore!

Sister Finlinson! 

We are transfer train buddies. 

I met her when she was very first on the transfer train (when I was going to Sioux Falls), and now we were meeting again! 

Sister Stephens, Jammin'

And she's actually going to be Sister Dennison's companion!

And it was a long way to Williston, so guess where I stayed the night...

IN MY OLD APARTMENT IN BISMARCK!!!!!

And guess who was still there...

SISTER GRAY!!!    AHHHHH! 

And we took awesome pictures:

G: Ok, let's take a nice one.

G: hahahahaaha, ok, this one will be a nice one.

G: hahahahhaha

S: I wondered why I heard saliva!

G: Hahahaha ok, seriously, a nice one

G: Of course! ahhahahahah

And so it was, dying of laughter once again. It was so good to stay there.

Are we in Arizona?

There's actually scenery on the way to Williston!






A "bird's eye view?"








The next day, I was united with my companion!

This is Sister Edwards, and actually we came out at the same time, but there were two districts in the MTC that came to this mission and she was in the other district, so I didn't actually get to know her, but now I do! YAY!

So, here it is, Williston, full of flat ground, strange buildings in the city area, the sketchiest Walmart ever, seagulls, and oil fields, and people popping out of the woodwork to learn the gospel! 

Seriously, all our investigators are member referrals. We have five solid people on date for baptism! We are over two wards actually, 2nd and 3rd ward. 

They just split the wards at the beginning of the year. 

Here's the apartment!

Inside: Humble Kitchen.                                       2 Toilets!                                                     My Bed.

And us eating breakfast before conference!

We also watched some of conference with a super cute recent convert and her super cute daughter who is four and has cystic fibrosis.

So in short, things here are awesome!

P.S. I mustache you a question...

Did you just love conference?

48 - Goodbye Sioux Falls. Next up, Williston

Sioux Falls District Missionaries

The news that you've all been waiting for!

Sioux Falls 2nd Ward Missionaries

I'm being transferred to Williston, North Dakota!!!

I'm so excited! And Heavenly Father is so merciful, having me fly South for the winter and then flying North again for the summer.

So awesome! And, this means I will be serving in the original mission, but the boundaries are just being rearranged and then the name of the mission is going to be changed to the Bismarck North Dakota Mission.

The only way I wouldn't be serving the rest of my mission in this boundary is if some weird emergency transfer happened before the boundaries officially change, but the odds of that happening are slim.

Man, waiting for transfer calls this time round was awful! I just wanted to know! The hype was extra high and extra long just because of things being up in the air because of the mission boundaries changing soon. So it was super stressful! But I'm soooo relieved and at peace now that I know what's going on.

Me, Sis Stephen, Manning and Dennison

Just about every companionship in Sioux Falls is changing. It's crazy. What's happening with the sisters you ask? Well, what used to be two sets of sisters is now shrinking down to just one. Sister Dennison is getting transferred and Sister Manning is actually going to become Sister Stephen's companion and they will serve in Sioux Falls 2nd ward, the same area I was serving in with Sister Stephens.

We sisters had a lot of fun together, going out to eat at Habachi grill and whatnot.

Sister Manning and Sister Stephens will do great with taking care of this area!

Brother and Sister Huseboe

The Cruze Family

I said goodbye to a lot of people at Church, including two of the couples/families that know Henry and Elizabeth very well.

I love the people here very much and I can always call this place a home of mine.

A shout out to Brother Terry, the ward mission leader here, and his family.

They have done so much for us, and their family is crazy and cute and I will miss having dinner at their house.

Young Women performing
for "My Favorite Things" party.

Also the Relief Society birthday dinner was this week, and it was super fun.

The theme was "my favorite things." It was awesome: on the favorite things table, we put on there sticky notes and the missionary handbook. haha.

  

As far as missionary work goes, NOW I'm going to catch up on past lessons. So this is an accumulation of experiences from three or four weeks ago to now.

But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind ; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong.
(D&C 9:8-9)

It was a Monday and Sister Stephens and I had just gotten done of eating dinner at the apartment. We were trying to set a transfer vision, a goal for where we wanted to see this area progress to and how we would achieve this. We were just not able to concentrate on it. Then Sister Stephens had a "feeling."

"I don't know what it is, but I feel like we should be out doing something."

"..."

"Maybe we need to tract... I don't know."

"... When you said you felt like we just need to do something, Brother Evert's name popped into my head."

"Maybe that's an answer of what we are supposed to do."

"Maybe, but we just tried him two days ago, and his wife was super not interested."

"Yeah..."

"But we can totally try. Let's do it and pray and if we have no bad feelings, then we'll knock."

So we go out and knock and Sister Evert's answers and says: "I tried to be nice the first time! Stop knocking on our door! You've come back every single week! So stop coming by- we have a church!"

Well. lol She officially hates us. We left a Book of Mormon outside. We did knock on two other doors and found one potential that we haven't followed up with yet, but ultimately I think Heavenly Father was just testing our obedience. It was an interesting experience.

...In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established,
(2 Corinthians 13:1).

It's always super fun when you get to be in a trio for a little bit while the Sister Training Leader goes off to have trainings from the mission president and his wife for a day.

Sister Manning is awesome and we had tons of fun and did missionary work too. It was sweet! Also, Sister Manning knows Henry and Elizabeth! She was with me on that key day when Henry prayed for the first time. So she already is connected with the investigators we are working with most! Heavenly Father has left this area in great hands.

He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces.
(Isaiah 25:8)

Speaking of Henry and Elizabeth, here's the current story about them. We tried to see them earlier this week and it didn't work out. We essentially told Henry to contact us when things get better for them health wise. The awesome thing is, they still trust the members and are comfortable going straight to them any time they are in need. One of their fellowshippers, Sister Cruze, called us Sunday morning saying that Henry and Elizabeth contacted her because they were both in the hospital. Elizabeth was scared of possibly having a miscarriage, and Henry has also apparently been passing out frequently. And someone in our ward was Elizabeth's doctor. Elizabeth told Sister Cruze that she feels she should go to church, but has been fighting against it.

You have no idea how nice it was to get that call. Henry and Elizabeth have not been responding well to us. Its nice being able to leave with this being the last real thing I hear about them. God is so mindful of them. I didn't get to say goodbye, but that's alright. Things are going to be ok with them. I just know it.

Behold, verily I say unto you, for this cause I have sent you, that you might be obedient, and that your hearts might be prepared to bear testimony.
(D&C 58:6)

Sister Schultz

We totally tracted into a deaf women the other day!! WHAT!? SO awesome, but she had to go to work so we didn't have time with her hardly at all. But she told us a time to come back and we just hoped and prayed she would be there and we took the deaf member of our ward with us, Sister Schultz. This deaf member is a convert and she served a mission, taught a lot of people in Chicago. How cool is that!

When we got there this guy answered the door and was deaf too and he said 'we aren't with you people, we are Lutheran.' Well this Sister Schultz to be Lutheran, and she bore her testimony to them like nothing we ever could. He didn't except, but, she bore her testimony, and it was so cool! I will miss this deaf sister.

Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of his ways save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not the revelations of God.
(Jacob 4:8)

One of the less actives that we got in with has been studying Mormon history (in the form of Anti-Mormon Literature) for eight years. When we found this out, we knew he wouldn't be receptive. We shared this scripture with him and that should have been the end of it, but we had a member that wanted to continue conversing a bit. This guy was super nice, but just, wasn't going to change at all. The last thing he said was: "It shouldn't be called anti-mormon literature, it should just be called non-faith promoting."

We might try to see his wife if anything, but he's not receptive at this time.

...Ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light.
(Mosiah 18:8)

First I would like to mention that this scripture was quoted in the women's conference by President Eyring which was super good.

Molly is awesome and she really reminds me of my cousin, Melissa. She is super sweet and innocent and unsure of herself but is super profound and she just needs to have confidence in her answers!

She was talking about her friend at school and how she's worried about him and doesn't know really why and how she is basically his only friend and she's trying the help him. We told her that that is so great because she is fulfilling her baptismal covenants!

We gave her a Plan of Salvation pamphlet to give to him to hopefully help him out a bit. We also helped her feel good and confident about giving it to him before we left. We found later that she tried to give it to him, but he didn't accept it because he's atheist. Sad, but man, Molly, you are so awesome and so sweet and cute and I'll miss you!

I have run out of time, but I will write the three remaining experiences I need to share next week. Or I'll try to. haha.

P.S. Josh Taylor won't be reporting to the MTC 'til mid August. Forgot to mention that. But keep an eye out for Elder Taylor in the Tempe, Arizona mission when it gets to that point!