Happy Thanksgiving- Nov 24

Note from blog editor: I know this is out of order, I was missing the letter from this week and just got it, so here it is...

Happy Thanksgiving FAM BAM!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful turkey day!! And stuffed your faces full of yummy treats and pies and ice cream and stuffing and potatos and anything else you would like to eat!!! Because we sure did!

We are at 2 different people's home ha! One at the Daines in the afternoon which was delicious! Their family is crazy so I felt right at home Ha pour sister Feng on the other hand couldn't wait to get out of there because she felt so out of place. They were all talking at once and quoting random movies and just literally being crazy! haha Then in the afternoon since we didn't have any appointments and we were asked to not knock on peoples door and pross we then had the brilliant Idea to go ask people if we could rake their lawns haha yeah... not so brilliant people just looked at us weird and told us no. So that was a flop. But we tried. But that night we had ANOTHER thanksgiving dinner at the Adams families house. Which was amazing. They have 2 little girls 4 and 2 and they are so cute!! We ate food and then since we didn't have anything else that we could do that night we "served" them by helping them decorate their house for Christmas since they just moved in and needed help! Oh my goodness it was so much fun!! We listened to Christmas music and decorated the tree and sang and laughed. So needed!! I loved it! Then we ended our night by picking up a turkey and dropping it off to a family in need! They were so thankful for it and I was happy to help!

Ok my favorite miracle from this week Happened yesterday! Her name is Danielle (she doesn't live in our area but it's ok) she was broken down on the side of the road because her car ran out of gas. We drove up behind her and put on our hazards and asked if she needed help, she told us her predicament and we told her to get in our car and we would help fix it. We told her we were missionaries and what we did, and she was so intrigued, she wanted us to come and talk with her daughter because she was having a rough time because her dad was in Jail for life. (WHAT?!) a bunch of her family members were diagnosed with cancer and some of them had passed away recently. I asked Danielle how she was coping with everything happening and she just got quite. So I told her about the book of Mormon and the hope that she could find from reading it and talking to the missionaries, it was really cool to see the glimmer of hope catch in her eyes. Once we finally got the car all figured out we exchanged information and the gave us the BIGGEST hugs ever! I know she was an answer to my prayers that day and God placed her there for us to find and come in contact with!

I know that this church is true! I am thankful for my Savior and for his example to me. That if I stop for a second and slow down and look around there are so many people on the side waiting for someone to help. We could have been like every other car that passed her that night but we stopped. Her prayer was answered as well as mine. God answers our prayers through helping other people and forgetting about ourselves. I am thankful to be serving a mission, it's tough I am not going to lie, but that one miracle made my whole week worth it.

I love you guys so very much! You are all an inspiration to me! Have an amazing week and I will catch ya on the flip side!

Love,

Sister Stones

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas- Dec 17

so... sorry I didn't actually write a letter to everyone last week, my time ran out at the library and so I couldn't write haha. Sad day! But it's ok I am alive and well and it has been a crazy week!

HEYO fam bam!

How is everyone doing this fine Christmas season?! I hope everyone is taking advantage of having the Temple right next to you and going every night! Oh my goodness I didn't realize just HOW much I loved the temple lights until not getting to do all the time. Lucky enough the DC temple does decorate for Christmas with lights but I have to say Mesa beats it :) maybe because it's just "home". We did get to go to the temple lights Tuesday with a Less active and he LOVED it. Hehe his name is Peter. He is a sweet quite older man and we had such a great time!

Christmas coming up can you believe it!? It's amazing! and then New years?! WHAT? seriously it is flying by! We had our half mission devotional last monday and Elder Packer came and spoke with us which was a lot of fun I sang a musical number and it was really cool! Then on friday we had our Full Mission Christmas Party! Which was a blast! We had a talent show and me and some of the other sister sang "Far, Far Away..." and it was awesome!! Sister Berg Beat boxed and we all busted out and sang hahaha it was legit and everyone loved it!

Then we got serious and had a devotional and President Riggs spoke on the savior and the spirit was so strong. I can't even begin to describe and explain my love and appreciation for my savior. My understanding of the atonement has grown exponentially and I have only been out here for a couple months. I have no idea what it will be like in a year! All I know is I am eternally grateful for my savior and his sacrifice, so that I can make mistakes and learn and grow and change. It's amazing to me, and I love him.

We also had a wonderful baptism this Saturday! Andrew Schmidt got baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder-Day Saints!! He was so happy and we were so happy! The service ran so smoothly and we didn't even do anything! It was all the ward! They came together and there was such a great turn out! I loved feeling the support and really feeling like a family!

Then today we went into DC because sister Feng had never been and really wanted to. So we took the metro in, walked around the "Mall", and the natural history museum and then came back. So not as cool as a missionary hahaha. I did though have a lot of fun sharing the gospel while we were there!! Right off the metro a man handed me a free map so I handed him a free mormon.org card and a card for the temple lights in DC. And then going into the Natural History Museum I was talking to the guard checking my bag and he said he wanted to go to the temple lights that he had never been and that 2 guys told him about it. I told him he needed to call those 2 guys back and have them teach him and that he should go to the lights as well. IT was awesome! haha I loved that so much! I LOVE sharing the gospel! I love just talking to people about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and I love that I get to!! :)

It's weird because Sister Rozsa goes home tomorrow... I am going to miss her SO much! She is the most amazing missionary ever and I am so grateful that I was able to be trained by her! She has influenced my life in the best way possible! But the weird part is that she is going home. I feel like this is what I've been doing for forever and don't want to imagine doing anything else. I am just grateful that I am still in the beginning of my mission. I still have a while to work my buns off. To "waste and wear" out my life as a servant of the Lord! Full time! I didn't know I loved it so much until going into DC and feeling "normal" for a moment. I didn't like it. haha.

I love you all! I seriously can't believe I am on a mission haha but I wouldn't want it any other way! You are all amazing and I can't wait to hear what fun shenanigans you do for Christmas and New Years! If I can't write next week than MERRY CHRISTMAS!! :)

LOVE ALWAYS,

Sister Stones

Happy December- Dec 3

Hello everyone!!

Oh my goodness gracious I can't believe it is December already! What?!?! My mind is blown. I am pretty sure I just got off the airplane to the MTC and It is now almost Christmas! seriously mind=blown!

I hope everyone is doing well and have had a wonderful week! Keep up the good work! I am so thankful for this Christmas Season! Today it was 70 degrees out! Talk about the greatest welcoming the Christmas season ever, it's been in the 40's lately so let's just say I have shouted "hello" to the sun quite a few times, and we are driving with our windows down! Love everything about it!

I don't know if I have talked about Andrew before, but he is doing wonderful!! He is getting baptized on December 15th and he is so excited! He has been searching for a church for a while and when we asked him what it meant to him to be baptized he said, I finally have found a place where I can call home. He is so great! Young guy married with a 2 year old. His wife is a member but had gone really inactive because they didn't ever talk about religion, so it has been really fun to see her come our of her shell as well the more we talk with them both! She will pull our her scriptures and read right along with us and will participate in the lessons it's really cool. I've loved getting to know both of them!

We had stake conference which was so amazing!! This stake is amazing!! So this whole hurricane Sandy fiasco that has been going on in New York, this stake had hundreds of people over the Thanksgiving weekend go and help clean up, and they are putting together another crew of people to go this weekend! They are so inspiring! They drop everything to help others and I want to be just like that when I get home. It has been amazing to work really closely with the members I love them a lot!

And then we got to watch the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional last night! I.loved.it. seriously. SO inspiring! Those men are so insightful and speak in such a way that you can't help but want to repent and change and be better! Man. If you didn't get to watch it I would suggest it! Go to LDS.org and click on the Christmas Devotional you wont regret it!

I love this gospel and I am so blessed to have such an amazing support group back home. Thank you for all of your prayers and well wishes thrown this way, they have been felt and appreciated!

Challenge: Pray this week to find someone to share the gospel with, or talk about the Christmas season and how happy you are you can learn in church how to live together as a family for eternity. It isn't hard and really is the BEST gift you could give this season! Reach out and support! The gospel has been restored and everyone needs to know! I love you all so much! and can't wait for another amazing week of sharing and spreading the love!

Love you all

Sister Stones

Thanksgiving Season- Nov 19

My heart is so full right now from all the love I have felt this season. It is hard being away from home, and I will be honest I am a little homesick, but really I am so blessed to be able to have such an amazing support group. I have been born into the best family and I don't know why I got so lucky. You are all such amazing examples to me and I can't wait to be able to be like each one of you someday. You just ooze the gospel and I just soke it up. Getting your letters, however boring you think your lives are just brings the biggest smile to my face, the people in the library probably think I am crazy!!

I can't believe it is almost Thanksgiving!! We taught a lesson last monday night at our investigator Andrews House (he's getting baptized December 8th!!) and he made a HUGE thanksgiving dinner! It was delicious, and on thrusday we will be going to a members house to celebrate! The area is a lot different from my other area but honestly the ward and the people are just as great! We are looking high and low for new peole to teach so that has been challenging, but it has been good. I have definitely seen the Lords hand in our lives. Sister Feng is so great! She is a convert to the church of 4 years and is from China. She has had a hard life and is such an example to me. She is on a mission in a foreign land speaking a foreign language and she is stuck with me. haha ;) We are definitly learning patience. Which is so great because it's a christlike quality I have been wanting to develop for a while now, what better time to develop it than early on in the mission.

We are teaching such wonderful people and I am so blessed to be in an area that will cause me to stretch and grow.

I love my Savior so very much! I am grateful for this thanksgiving season.

I am thankful to me a missionary in the greatest place.

I am thankful for a patient companion

I am thankful for my strong family, that I get to be attatched to for eternity

I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is has brought me so much strength and hope and excitement!

I am eternally grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and his Sacrafice for me. So that I can change and grow and be a different person each day!

I love you all so much and I hope you have an AMAZINGA THANKSGIVING!!! And I can't wait to hear more fun stories next monday!

Love you love you love you!

Sister Stones

Holidays Stink as a Missionary Nov. 13

Seriously I have like point 2 seconds to write this letter before the computer at the library kicks me off!!

Ok fun news!!

I GOT TRANSFERRED! I am now in Herndon ward in Oakton Stake with Sister Feng [she's from China!] (address still the s We have had so much fun these last couple of days and have been working hard! I am SO excited for this transfer we are striving to be exactly obedient so we are hoping to see many miracles! I don't have too much to say today one because I am going to get booted and two because we are just getting started! But we are working hard and having fun. haha she is teaching me Chinese but I can't ever remember anything. haha she taught me how to say Heavenly Father, and I was saying it all the way to an appointment and then we got their knocked on the door and I looked at her and smiled, and said "say it again?" hahaha Heavenly Father knew I wouldn't be very good anywhere besides speaking English! haha

We have some wonderful people that we are teaching! One ladies name is Christy. She has a baptism date set and we are just finishing teaching her the Commandments. She is so sweet and so great! She made us dinner the other night and yeah... she is just wonderful! Oh the ward is wonderful too! It is a big family ward with lots of youth and it is just really great fun!! I do however feel that my mind might explode with all the new information being shoved into it! ha So many new names and information, but Heavenly Father helps a lot and keeps everyone all organized! I've caught on quicker than I thought I would. And we are in a car. SO I get to ask questions about everyone and about Sister Feng. She keeps me on my toes and always on track and it is awesome! We will be talking and then she will stop and say "this has nothing to do with the gospel. New topic." hahahaha I love it! Seriously, it keeps me remembering why I am here and what I am doing. She is an amazing missionary and I can't wait to learn so much from her!

Ok well I love you all!! Keep up the great work! I know that their are people in your lives that are looking for the gospel but don't know where to look! :) Give 'em help by opening up your mouths :) I love you all so very much!!!

Love

Sister Stones!

Allo! Nov 5

HELLO!!!

You are all so wonderful!! I LOVE hearing about your weeks they excite me! haha It boggles my mind that people do anything other than missionary work! hahaha I forget what it is like and I haven't even been out that long! I had a reminder when we were doing exchanges and we asked one of our ward missionaries (who are bomb.com might I add) if she could come to a lesson at 6. But then is fell through and we asked if she would be able to do a different lesson at 8 and she said, "It's super short notice but I will see if I can". What do you mean it's short notice, you were free earlier! Oh yeah I forgot. You aren't just sitting in your house staring at the wall waiting for us to call so you can tag along and teach lessons all day. hahahahaha the life of a missionary is odd. haha Sister Rozsa and I were laughing at how odd we must look to the people in our complex because we always leave and then come back together, besically attached at the hip every day. haha and random people always comment that they see us riding around on our bikes, her always so much farther ahead than me. haha (because I am oober slow) and then I laughed because we got supplies from out Zone leaders and I got a packaged from Deanna they had to bring me and as they drove away they rolled down their window and shouted in a motherly tone, "Talk to strangers!" hahahaha [the same tone mothers say "Don't talk to strangers" in] haha All the things you learn as a child not to do like talk to strangers, go into strangers homes, eat strangers food, hahahahaha I love it!

Anyway, onto missionary stuff! We have had great lessons this week, eerr the rest of the week since the storm. And it didn't even hit very badly here luckly. It was terrible everywhere but here really. It circled around but didn't hit directly so everything is all good! We didn't even lose power. We are very lucky! (can anyone tell me how Scott Whipple is doing? I thought about him during the storm and stuff) um... I am trying to think of something really miraculous that happend, but they were all really great. We did meet a new family to teach! They are great! They are from Peru (thought of you Darlene) and they are Catholic. Very religous but so polite and let us come in and teach them! Emmanuel (20s) Angel (12) and Sergio (50s). I am excited to teach them again this week. My favorite part of teaching the first lesson is getting to quote Joseph Smiths first vision. The spirit is always so strong and yeah I just love it! They are great!

And then we were knocking on doors and ran into Mary. She is about 50 and she lives on her own. She broke both bones in her lower leg 6 months ago and still isn't walking and is bed ridden... we knocked and she said come in and so we did. We taught her a little right there and then went back on sunday and brought her a large print book of Mormon for her to have and taught her the plan of happiness. Which she loved and had so many questions she is having a really hard time right now understanding life and why it is so hard and we were able to bear testimony of so many truths it was really cool. And she is now preparing for baptism in January! We are so excited! she is wonderful!

This week is transfer week so who know's what is going to happen! I could be transfered or stay who knows?! You'll just have to wait till next monday and I don't find out till tomorrow!! I am anxiously waiting! ha I am grateful for change though... it is the only constant haha :)

I love you all and I know that this is Jesus Christs Gospel! He loves us all and just wants us to do all we can to prepare to come home. This life is only but a moment and I am grateful to know my Father in Heaven loves me personally and know exactly what I need when I need it!

This life is just a test, just a moment. How much are you reading and praying and preparing for when Christ comes again? Wont that day be glorious!?! I know I want to be as prepared as possible and God has given us so many cheat sheets!! How often are we using them? I challenge everyone to read from their scritpures a little longer everyday this week, and to stay on their knees a little longer. Really seek for the guidance from Heavenly Father and you will feel him right by your side. I love you all so very much and I can't wait to hear back from you all!! LOVE YOU!!

Love,

Sister Stones

Holy Storm Batman!! Oct 31

Hello Familia!!

Oh my goodness I LOVED everyones emails and updates and I am so happy for everyone! It was such an amazing uplifting time to get to read everyone's emails even if you feel like nothing significant is happening in your life I still love hearing about it! I love thinking that we are actually staying in better touch with eachother with me being miles and miles and miles away than when I was at home hahahaha. I love it!

This work is amazing! I love hearing the mission updates that the church headquarters are getting flooded with new applications for people wanting to serve missions!!! I just sat and cried and cheered and danced with sister rozsa this morning because of it! Everyone will have the opportunity to hear the gospel and be blessed by this wonderful gospel! Jesus Christ is most definitely the cornerstone and leader of this church and I am so grateful for the Prophet to lead and guide our generation!! I know this is true and I know that by living it we are blessed abundantly!!! Aahh it's amazing!!

Ok so this week has been crazy!! OH HAPPY HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!! Ok back to the week, as you can see I am writing and it is a wednesday! What I am breaking rules?! Nah I kid I kid, our Pday got moved to today because of the huge storm SANDY. (Mom it was great seein' ya!) I don't actually know the details of the storm because we don't have TV or the internet to watch, but our ward is so amazing and kept us updated! BUT before I get to that (don't mind my ADD I've had it all my life it just comes out more in these emails because I have so much to say!) I will tell you about our amazing Miracles!! WE FOUND A FAMILY TO TEACH!! Oh my goodness they are so amazing! We have been praying for a family to teach that would all be ready together and we met a lady named Janine! She is wonderful, so we've been teaching her the last couple weeks and on Saturday we met her son Jerry (12) and her Daughter Allison (10) and we taught all of them the first lesson at the park. It was such a perfect lesson for them! The spirit was so strong and we asked them [when we finished the lesson] if they would be baptized and they all said yes!! SO we are working toward December 15th and we love them so much!! I LOVE teaching kids! They are so trusting and they can feel the spirit so freely because they allow God to teach them!! It's a breath of fresh air!

Man oh man Heavenly Father has been good to us! We are teaching so many wonderful people!! To name a few David, Luis, Pascal, Joyce, Janine (and her kiddos), Darlene, Ben, Bill, and we meet so many more daily! They are all at different stages in life and all need the gospel in a different way and that's why I love this gospel so much! Because Jesus Christ came every person [no matter who you are, what you've done, what you are going through, or what is goin to come] can overcome anything and everything. Reading the book of mormon, and praying is the greatest medicine for all!! mmmm so good!

Ok ok and then the storm! my oh my was that pretty! Monday is when it hit! It hit at about 5:30 and we were determined to do as much missionary work as we could on monday (because P-day got switched to today... which is great in and of it's self because it's Halloween so we have to go in at 6 so now we just have a FULL P-DAY! I will be able to get so much letter writing in!!! I am stoked!! back to story) So we had a great lesson with Darlene and then we went to see our wonderful women Joyce but she had company so we didn't knock we felt prompted to go and see Bill!!! [hehe Bill is this great older black guy who talks to himself and is super sarcastic and him and Sister Rozsa have the funniest conversations!] So we went to his place (mind you it was raining pretty good and a little windy) and right when we walked in so did he, back from the store! He was buying paint! SO then for the next couple hours we helped him paint his hallway! hahahaha It was the greatest service ever! I wish I brought my camera with me to the library so I could show you how cool he is! We took great pictures and, yeah. It was just hilarious! We actually aren't the first set of missionaries that has come and taught him haha he basically taught us the whole first lesson which was really entertaining. So we are supper stoked to teach him more! But then it was time to go in because of the storm. Funny Story: We were walking back to the car and it was raining and stuff and kind of windy and sister Rozsa looked at me and said, "It's not that bad don't you think we could still work?" then the HUGEST gust of wind came at us and about knocked us both over, her umbrella turned inside out and I just started laughing. "I hear ya!" hahaha is what she yelled and then we booked it to the car. We got hot chocolate from 7-11 and went in for the night. haha We only had our lights flicker once and other than that we were totally fine. Besides sister Rozsa having a heart attack about being in the appt too long. hahaha I love it. I was fine. :)

Last night was our ward halloween party, we dressed up like Missionary ninja turtles hehehe you will just have to wait to see the pictures we were pretty legit. and tonight we get to watch a couple movies because it's halloween and we aren't allowed to be out because it's dangerous and people would be confused if we were knocking on their doors hahaha :)

Ok I love you all so much!! I am grateful to be a missionary and I am so excited to see all the pictures from halloween!! Everyone will probably look amazing!! I am so blessed everyday and love that I get to repent and grow and be a new person every single day! I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU!!!

Love,

Sister Stones!

Crazy Time Oct 15

Dear Family!

Hello hello, I have no time at all today as in it's 5 and p-day ends at 6 and I still have lots I have to do! So sadly this will be another short email from me but keep yours all coming and I will try to find some time next week to really sit down and write everyone.

Today has been crazy! We had to go get the packages that mom sent me which was AWESOME! It was like Christmas! I ripped them open right when I get them and I've already given the scarfs away to Sister Ferrin she LOVES them and needed new scarves so, mom good job! :) We went to get our cars emissions checks, went grocery shopping and went to Zone sports in timbucktoo. It rained the whole time we were playing frisbee haha the elders in my zone are crazy!! Jumping and diving and sliding all over the place to get that stinking thing and I got in on the game too and was tearing it up! We went produce shopping at trader joes and at lunch/dinner at Olive Garden!! [greatest choice ever!] And now I am at the library because the computers in our complex don't work. ha So it's been a busy day! [sadly I didn't get to write ANY letters so sorry to those who wrote last week!]

This week has been amazing! We taught 18 lessons?! And found 5 new people to teach! We are so very blessed to be in our area! Everyone is so kind and generous and willing to at least hear the message, a lot of people have a hard time with Joseph Smith they don't know anything about him when we ask they just are bothered by the thought of him I guess? hahah I am not really sure. It makes me giggle. But seriously I love everything about it!

This week we taught a man named Patrick! OH my goodness he is so great!! He has been taking the lessons for a while and knows that it's all true but he has a problem with the word of wisdom and don't want to give it up yet. We had the most powerful lesson with him and it was so cool to be able to talk and have the spirit direct my words! I love it!

We also taught a man from Camaroon. His name is Pascal and he is 26, he's homeless and trying to work his way into an appt and he might be one of the most spiritually in tune people I've ever met. We only had about 20 min with him so we went to a members house and watched the Restoration DVD and at the end of it he just bore the sweetest testimony that he knew it was true. And he is so excited to learn more and be baptized! He had the biggest smile on his face and then he said the prayer and you could swim in the spirit it was so amazing!!! Ah! I love it!!

Oh and side note: I flew off my bike again!!!! I'm pretty done with Virginia drivers! That's all I really have to say about it, hahaha Heavenly Father is DEFINITELY watching out because I wasn't hurt. Just a little tweeked.

The weather is starting to get colder... which is TERRIBLE!! Who in there right mind would live somewhere this cold?! Who in their right mind would bike around when it's this cold?!?! Oh right... the missionaries! hahahaha. The leaves changing colors is really fun to watch though! I will send pictures next week when I have more time! But this week you just get a bunch of different random stories. haha.

I love you all so much!! Keep up the good work!!! You are all in my prayers!! Come what may and love it!!

Love,

Sister Stones

Conference What?! Oct 8

Hello Family!!

Holy Cow conference was amazing!! Those men and women are no doubt in my mind men and women called of God. I watched each session at a different place and each one had a different meaning and feel because of it but so needed and my questions were all answered! My oh my if you were busy or didn't get a chance to see them go to lds.org and watch it! Your conversion to Jesus Christ will increase 10 fold if you listen and apply the teachings that were taught! And holy cow 18 and 19!! SO GREAT! I cried I was so excited! There are going to be so many more amazing missionaries out because of it! So many amazing changes! Love it!

This week has been amazing!! But sadly I lost my planner and my memory is... all over the place so... I would have a lot to say but I don't remember all I know is that it was so busy we taught lesson after lesson everyday! We are so blessed to be in this area! We meet so many amazing people whether prepared or not for the gospel they are still wonderful! It makes me laugh because even if there is someone not so nice to us, God needed us to be there for them to get mad at someone so we are the perfect people, and it happens so rarly I couldn't even give you an example. ha Sister Rozsa is hilarious, [side note: I am sitting here typing and all the sudden I hear a little tearing and then in her most pleasant voice she says, "MMM Splenda is delicious!"..... hahahahahahaha I LOVE HER SO MUCH!] she makes me laugh all the time and she is such a great teacher! I am very blessed to be here with her training me!

I am so sorry this letter is so short. I made a new planner and maybe next week i wont be so scatter brained haha but I seriously can't think of anything else to type besides that I love you all and you are always in my prayers! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!! I am excited to see where the Lord will place me these next months and who I will get to meet and invite to come closer to christ! It is so worth everything! You are all amazing and keep up the hard work!

Love you,

Sister Stones

Howdy Yall Oct 1

HELLO!!!!

I loved eveyones emails they were fun and I loved all the pictures as well!

This week was amazing! We had another wonderful man get baptized, had SO many wonderful lessons with a million people, helped someone pack, did service, went GLEANING!! and had the Relief Society Broadcast [which may or may not have blone my mind and I might have sobbed a couple times. because I LOVE this gospel and I am so blessed to be a missionary!]

Ok first I have to say mom you would be SO proud of me for eating new things. I am not even picky here it's amazing. I meet a LOT of people from Ethiopia [they are beautiful and stunning] and on monday I ate Enjara [don't actually know how to spell that] but it is this elephent skin looking tortilla thing you dip in sauce and eat with your hands. Delish! Then I had samon [also delish] and hummas, and who knows what else but it is fun! And I am really trying to eat what ever I am given. Shrug my shoulders and say sure I'll try it :)

We had a baptism for Pat :) or Pattycake! Ha he is hilarious and I love him. I spoke on baptism at the meeting and he loved it and was talking to me the whole time I was talking. He is so sweet and wonderful we love him!

So we found this man Frank. I don't remember if I have already talked about him yet or not but he. is. golden! We met him as we were going down one of the many hills in the area and just stopped and talked to him. He loves Romney and loves mormons because we are the nicest people and he wanted to "know our secret" we laughed and told him there was no secret but we would love to come and teach him more. So he got our number and said he would call us. AND HE DID!! That doesn't happen very often ha. So we set up an appointment and fell in love with him instantly! We taught him twice a week for the last two weeks set him on date and then helped him move and pack up his stuff because sadly he moved to Daytona Beach Fl Sunday!! So the rest will have to get taught by them, but he is so amazing and is going to be baptized and this is going to bless him so much!! We will miss him but we know God has a specific plan for Frank! :)

Here is Virginia they have a day of service to feed the hungry and this year it was on Saturday and so we got permission to go out of our mission and drove with some members to Winchester [B-E-A-UTIFUL might I add] to GLEAN! haha We went to an apple orchard and sorted through the apples that were under the trees that were still good, and put them in bags to go to a shelter to feed the hungry! It was SO much fun! Then we went to the little farmers market and bought apples and ate apple cider dognuts [yummmmmmm I may or may not have had 3] and just had a jolly good time! It was wonderful, came back taught a lesson and then went to the Relief Society Broadcast!!!!! Oh my goodness, if you didn't get a chance to see it or hear it I advise to go onto the Website www.lds.org and watch it because it is life altering. It was focused on the atonement (the suffering of christ for each of us) and how amazing of an event it is, and how we can really utilize it in our lives! I was so deeply touched by all the comments I want to watch them all again and again!

Then we had church which is always amazing and we learned about forgiveness. Elder Uchtdorf from the first presidency of the church says it perfectly in his two word sermon, about always feeling the need to justify our grudges we hold, or the things we gossip about, or the feeling to not forgive someone is.... to "Stop it" . Simple as that. If someone does something or says something or anything really let it go. You not forgiving them is only hurting you. They are not recieving anything out of it, you are alone in your wollowing... It may be easier said than done, but this week I want everyone to take a second and think of the people you aren't talking to because of something that was said, or a grudge you hold against someone, or that one time a long time ago they said something that offended you... "Stop it" Let it go, forgive and forget and you will be free! The Savior has already taken that on you don't both have to feel it, let him and let it go. LOVE IT!! Then I sang at a fireside at the Mission Home and we brought Darlene!! LOVE HER!!!! She bought us earings and tic tacs, [hehehe] because she was thinking about us when she got her hair done.

I am so lucky and so blessed to be in the area that I am, and so blessed to be with my companion another 6 weeks (we stayed together at transfers), I am blessed to be a missionary and to have a front row seat at watching my Heavenly Father welcome His children back into the fold of His arms. I am blessed to be in the ward that I am in and to have a ward and family back home sending love and prayers my way. I feel the love all around me and it lifts and carries me through. This week we have the most incredible opportunity ever to hear from a Prophet of God President Thomas S. Monson. Him and the apostles and other leaders of the Church will address the world on matters that our loving Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ want us specifically to know. How lucky are we to hear from them? I hope and pray that everyone takes the time to pause their busy life for even 5 minutes a day to set aside time to prepare spiritually for this wonderful event! Write out specific questions you need answered, whether temporal or spiritual and God will answer them. Have faith and hope, Heavenly Father wants to help us in this crazy world we live in. He is pleading with us to get down on our knees, repent, and humble ourselves so we can feel his guidance and hear his answers.

I love this gospel! I know that Jesus is the Christ and that he suffered and died for my sins that I may be able to have a way to live like him. That I can repent, and change everyday to be more loving, charitable, patient, humble, and kind. I know that as I do my best with everything that I have He will carry my through any hard ship that I have. They will still come, they always do, but I know that I can rely on him and I will get through them. I love the book of Mormon and the simple truths it has inside it's pages, it truly is the word of God. I know that Joseph Smith was called of God to Restore Christ's Church on the earth, I know that we have a Prophet on the earth today and as I listen to his guidance and teachings I will draw closer to my Heavenly Father and Savior. I love you all so very much and I hope you have the most amazing week ever!

Love you!!!

Sister Stones

Ps Invite your friends to listen to and watch conference! :)

Sorry So Short Sept 24

Hello Family and friends!!

I am so grateful to hear from everyone I love you all so much!!

Sorry this week my letter is going to be short, this has been a crazy week, but more for my learning than for my sharing. We had two exchanges back to back (which means that on wednesday Sister Feng from China came to Shirlington where I am for a day, and sister Rozsa left to where Sister Berg was.) So wednesday I was in charge of the map and the phone and everything else because I know [funny] the area and could get us from place to place. OR get us lost everywhere we went so we had to ask everyone.... ha and then talk to them about the gospel so it worked out! It was really great because I couldn't do anything but rely on the Lord to guide me where I needed to go so it was really amazing how many new people we met that we scheduled to go back and teach another day! Then on thursday we changed again and I went to Mt Vernon with Sister Evans and Sister Anderson came here to be with Sister Rozsa! Again so much learned because I didn't know the area AT ALL so I could only rely on the Lord to know where to go or who to talk to! It was exhausting but so amazing!!! I learned so much about me and so much about how the holy ghost touches my life! Then I got to come back on Friday to be with Sister Rozsa!! I missed her! haha having exchanges like that two in a row doesn't happen very often, but it was great!

But my favorite part this week was having the opportunity to take Taneala to the Temple Visitor Center in Maryland!! It.was.beautiful! We watched the testiments, and walked around the temple and just talked about how amazing it is to be able to make covenants (or promises) with God! He will always hold up his end of the promise, but we have to do our part and we will recieve so many blessings! I LOVED IT!!

I love being a missionary! I love being broken so that God can fix me with his loving, caring arms. I know that my Heavenly Father loves and protects all his children! I know that I am given challenges or mountains to climb to make me stronger! To build my foundation on christ and to be stronger and more faithful!! I know that as I rely on the Lord I can do anything I put my mind to! I love this work and I love ALL of you with ALL my heart! Put your trust in the arms of the Lord and you will be carried through life! You will be happy, blessed, and filled with the Love of God!

I love you all and I know the Lord knows you personally and wants to help with everything!! Let him :)

Love you love you love you!!

Sister Stones

pictas!

We played Zone sports this morning and at the end of it I realized I had been to that park before!! Crazy feeling!! We went right before brady was born! I have a picture with tre next to the anchor! I was so amazed!! It was so cool!! I have that happen a lot haha it's fun!

Temple!!!!

 (sorry this is sideways, blogger is not my friend right now) -deanna

Me and Sister Mannchen (from Germany) at zone sports!! Love her!

Crazy Week!! Sept 17

Hello Family!!

I loved hearing from everyone and I am so grateful that everyone is
having such a great week! I miss you all like crazy but am LOVING the
work! The people here are amazing and I am learning so much about
myself as well as my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ as I am
here. It is one of the hardest things I have ever done to be honest.
However it is so rewarding at the same time even if the whole day no
one answered their door or didn't want to talk to you, there is always
that ONE person that does and it just makes the entire day! That's
what happened last night. ha Sister Rozsa and I prayed to know where
to go because we had some appointments fall through so we started
knocking on doors. It makes me laugh thinking about it because every
door we knocked on people were home, would look through their peephole
and then walk away EVERYTIME! We were so confused so at 9 we went and
walked back to our car [I will tell you why we were driving in a
second] and walked by the nicest looking guy. So we stopped him and
started talking. Found out he is Athiest, but seriously the happiest
athiest I've ever met. He asked us questions. We answered asked him
some questions, gave him a book of mormon and are hopefully seeing him
later this week to explain more. But serisouly that one quick visit
with him made my whole night. And that happens all the time. It's
wonderful!

THIS WEEK WAS CRAZY!

Ok so it's my 4th week out in the field so we had return and report on
thursday. Which is when all the other sister and elders that came out
with me all come back together and bear testimony about how it's been
going as well as we get pumped up and motivated to continue the hard
work. Oh my goodness it was the greatest pick me up ever! I loved
seeing everyone and getting to eat yummy food and just be uplifted!
Then we went and saw Darlene afterward (who I love) she wasn't going
to let us in because she was mad at us for being late, but loves us
far too much to not let us in so she caved haha. But she was angry.
Not just with us but she has a friend that has been telling her not so
nice things about the church and so she was trying to argue with us
about random little facts and the spirit just filled the room when I
looked at her after we had been sitting their letting her talk at us
and I asked her how she felt. She went silent and looked at me and
said, "frustrated!" and I said quietly "with us" and she blinked and
thought and said "no with him. I don't like what he has to say". So
then we continued to just open our mouths and trust that the spirit
would tell her what she needed to hear. It was amazing. We were able
to help her see the distinct difference between having the spirit and
not and even writing about it now reminds me how amazing it was! I
love Darlene and her Heavenly Father loves her so much more and she is
a special daughter!

Then the crazy happened on friday. I got in a bike accident!! Like it
should have been really bad but Heavenly Father and everyone's prayers
kept me safe and fine. Sister Rozsa and I were headed to a a dinner
appointment on one of the bike trails and we rode by a member. We both
turned around to say hello and when I turned back sister Rozsa had
slowed down because she wasn't watching where she was going [ps my
brakes didn't work] so I turned around and she was there. So our tires
collided and I flew off my bike and landed face first onto the
biketrail, slid into the grass on my hands and face and flipped onto
my back and rolled a couple times. I instantly curled into a ball
because my neck hurt so back [all my force gracefully caught on my
face so my neck got a lot of the impact] luckly there were other
people around and they were on it, and since my neck was hurting so
bad they wouldn't let me go anywhere. I had to lay on my back all the
appropriate phonecalls were made and then next thing I knew an
ambulance had arrived. They asked a million questions like always, put
a neck brace on me, and put me on a stretcher, in the ambulance I went
and off to the hospital. [I have the greatest luck out of anyone I
know] The took a CT of my face to make sure nothing was broken or
internally bleeding because my eye was swollen and black and blue and
then an x-ray of my neck to make sure nothing was wrong. And while we
waited for the results Sister Rozsa then proceeded to make the time go
by faster and occupied herself like a 12 year old hahaha [she is my
favorite human being]! She closed the curtain so no one could catch
her and then proceeded to touch everything and anything she could get
her hands on. She made balloons out of the rubber gloves [and caressed
my face], looked me up and down [like a search light] with the
overhead lamp. And really anything else she could. I was laughing so
hard and awkwardly [might I add] strapped in my neck brace that I was
crying! I am pretty sure I pulled an ab muscles because of it. Then
the nurse came in and said that my face and neck looked fine. I would
be sore in the moring [which I was already expecting that] and that I
was free to go!

Seriously a miracle! There could have been so many things that should
have been wrong but I was fine. And I recieved a priesthood blessing
from some of the elders and the next morning I was sore but really
fine! My eye is a little black but I am so good with the make-up that
you can't even tell! It was amazing!

But most important of all was RAYS BAPTISM!!! Ahhh!! It was so amazing
and he was beeeming [in his own Ray way] oh my goodness it was such a
beautiful service, [my first one!] and I was so happy for him! I sang
a musical number and it was so exciting to watch ray make covanents
with his Father in Heaven! I loved being a small part of it!

OK so this week in my studies I have been think a lot about what I
want everyone to do this week and I have been thinking that everyone
needs to be like little children... hahaha what?! As in ask questions!
Why am I here?! Where am I going?! Where did I come from!? and then
look for the answers!!! And then [whether of the faith or not] borrow,
beg, steal [not reccomended bc they are free] a book of mormon and
read it. Even just a little bit! OH MY GOODNESS IT WILL CHANGE YOUR
LIFE!! It's just a book what could it hurt?! If it's not from God than
nothing. It could just be another collection in your bookcase. But if
you read it and pray and ask God if it is from Him?!?! OH my Goodness
wouldn't that just be amazing?! More from God?! You could know all the
answers you have ever wanted to know from within that amazing book.
And the only reason that's possible is if it is from God. This week I
read 2 Nephi chapter 7-9page 69-77 and my world was blown! Seriously!
I love it, because Heavenly Father can speak directly too you when you
read his words! And I was reading the New Testaments and was so
unbelievably touched by the Love and determination our loving Savior
Had to share his Gospel with the world that I am so grateful and feel
so priveleged to be out doing the same thing! I love this work and I
love love love!! all of you!! Keep up the good work! You are always in
my prayers!! Love you love you love you!!

Love always,

Sister Stones

PS. Also go to mormon.org It's a cool website!

 

 

 

Loving the Work Sept. 10

I LOVE EVERYONE!!!

I am sitting her in the library just finished reading emails and I am smiling from ear to ear! I love hearing everyone's news and I love knowing what is going on in all of your lives! You are amazing and I love you all!! I have to look in my planner to remember what happend this week because I feel like it was month long with all the amazing miracles that happend! God is so great!! I see miracles daily and I can't believe he trusts me so much! First off I am terrible at writting in my Journal! I try so hard to make time but I feel like I need an entire day to write all the details I want to write haha!! ANYWAY! back to miracles! I love Darlene! That is all I have to say, she is my favorite person and I know she is beginning to feel the Saviors love for her more and more each week. She refuses to go to church with us till God gives her a sign that she needs to go, but she is warming up to the idea and yesterday she called and left a message that said, "Hey ya'll I'm just callin to call, hope church went good. K bye." hahahaha I love her!!

(ps I am at the library and my time is running short so I am just going to write about Saturday because it was CRAZY amazing full of miracles and yeah!!) Ok saturday we had a FULL day. To the Max!! From 10 am - 9:15 we had our day scheduled! It started out with a new friend we met his name is Frank, (old man lives alone, LOVES Mitt Romney and mormons haha) We met him street contacting and he said he would call us and figure out a time which normally means we wont ever talk to them again but HE CALLED so we set a time and went and taught him! He was SO great! He has so many questions was completely straight forward, wanted the facts, and was amazing! I LOVE teaching people that are blunt and straight forward because then we can do the same, and they are fine with it. So that was miracle one. Our next appointment was with Patrick. Young guy, knows the church is true and everything with it but doesn't have time to go to church and a couple other things because his work schedule is SO crazy (kind of reminded me of me before my mission) so we had a quick lesson to help him and answered questions and that was miracle 2 (because he had been so busy we hadn't seen him in 2 and a half weeks). We went and saw our beautiful Taneala (I know you have no idea who any of these people are but it's ok just know that they are amazing!) She is 26 and homeless and trying to get her life back in order so she can have her 3 kids back and her life is crazy, I am so grateful that God is trusting me in her life to help her find God. She is AMAZING!! She is having a hard time giving up smoking and after our lesson I asked her to give me her cigaretts and she HANDED THEM TO ME! We've been asking her for weeks and that was the first time. So we had her jump on them and then throw them away! (Miracle 3) We street contacted to our next area and met some amazing people we are going to teach and then [I feel like this story is one long run on sentence haha] We were on our way to check on someone else when someone ran out and flagged us down yelling THERE IS A TORNADO ALERT... SAY WHAT?!?! Yeup so we had to go home! Miracle 4! We would have never known because we don't have a TV we would have just kept working and yeah so we went home and then the heavens opened right when we got into our place and it started to dump! It was crazy! [Don't worry mom were safe!] Haha the funny thing is that both of us were super antsy the whole time we were inside! We had NO idea what to do! We wanted to be out working but we were told by EVERYONE that we had to stay in. So we did... hahaha.... but right when we had the go to get out of the house, we did and were right back to work! We went and saw Darlene and shared a thought with her [she was not happy that we were biking around in the rain haha] and then we saw Pat! I LOVE PAT! His sense of humor kind of reminds me of dad and I laugh all the time when we are there! He is getting baptized in a couple weeks and we are SO stoked!! He is hilarious everytime we go and teach him he decides he is a different religion (ps he is old and has no teeth, which makes me love him even more) this last time he answered the door and told us, "Hey I'm athiest now!! hehehe.. I'm just kidding." hahahahaha He's amazing!! After we went and dropped our bikes off back at the house and walked to our last appointment, and as we did ALL the power on the streets were out and traffic was psyco! I am suprised no one got in an accident it was crazy, but yeah that lesson was great as well.... So that was saturday!! Miracle after miracle after miracle!! God is so great! and that was the bear minimum of one day hahaI love this work! It truly is the work of Heavenly Father and I am just a broken instrument. But because I am willing and able he can do so much good just because I open my mouth and talk to people. I know that the atonement is real and I use it everyday! I love that I get to repent ALL the time! It keeps me wanting to do better and when I do God blesses me! Yesterday was amazing just for that reason, I was missing everyone back home and also loving the work here so I was in this weird one foot in one foot out kind of mood during chruch, and when we got home I just broke down and told sister rozsa what was happening, we talked it out, read some scriptures together prayed and went to work! And because I was willing to we met at least 10 people that we can teach this next coming week. My mind was blown with the amount of love and blessings we recieved because we were holding our end of the deal to our Heavenly Father! And when we do our end he promises blessings! And I know that this is true and I am so grateful for the knowledge and understanding that I have! I love this work and I love my Father in Heaven! When we do what we are supposed to do everything else will work out! I love it!! Ok well my time is up on the computer at the library so I need to go!

I love you all so much and I hope you all continue to do amazing!!

LOVE, Sister Stones

Pictures:I have no idea what order they are in or what I just attached, some are after biking up a stupid steep hill and it has hot and humid and we were sweaty nasty! haall of the fruit I bought! One is all the food I ate or brought over to eat for studies haha ps I EAT ALL THE TIME! Sister Rozsa and me when we first met!Our bikes "cow and rhino"us wet after one of the MANY rainstorms we have biked in! yeah! I love it!! Miss you all!! next time I will send some from the MTC :) or here is one of sister Arbon so you can see what she looked like! I love her too!! love you all!!! Have a great week!

September 3-Miracles

Hello everyone!!!

Ok so I am so grateful to have the time to read and respond to lettersand emails today!! Oh my goodness I love hearing how everyone is doingand now it is my turn!! Today I am going to send a couple pictures aswell. I don't have that much time to write and things just because oftime and stuff but I am going to keep writing until sister rozsa kicks me off!

I love her! That is all I have to say, I laugh all day everydaybecause she is so amazing! She is going home soon which is so sadbecause I never want her to leave me and she never wants to go home,she says she is going to extend till she dies. haha and then she isjust going to marry a strippling warrior! She's amazing! I don'tremember what I already said about her but she loves the whole familyand know's everything about everyone because we are talking all thetime (during lunch and dinner because we are riding our bikes theother hours of the day or talking to fantastic people!) She is from California 2nd out of 6 both her parents went on missions she has thegreatest personality ever and I love that she is teaching and trainingme! It's amazing! Love her!!

Ok so I want to tell you about a couple miracles we have had andbecause there are so many because God is a God of miracles I can onlychose a couple great ones which is hard because they are truly allgreat in their own way!!Darlene (49 year old black lady who is hilarious and out spoken, tellsit like it is and is my favorite). I have only met with her a couple times because I am new and she is so quick to pick up on Sister Rozsa's subtle but blunt silent moments in lessons when it is my turnto talk and pick up where she left off. Ha ha she called me out on itand we laughed for a good while, but she told me I was getting better and she loved having us come[so that's good]. This last week we cameto teach her about the plan of salvation and she loved it! She is sick and living alone so she is really struggling with life really and loves talking to us. We discussed the atonement and how important it is for her and her situation right now, and how much our Savior loves her. The spirit was so strong and I was able to share about dad and how the atonement has helped our family and the spirit was so strong. I love her so much and I know that because our Savior came andsuffered and died for her specifically that she can be blessed by thisgospel. It will give her the strength when she reads and it will blessher when she needs that little extra momentum to get through the day.I love her! She is so special! She is on date for baptism andhopefully she will come to church this next sunday, she keeps sayingshe isn't ready, I think she is silly! ha

Ok I was going to give a couple more but I don't have time so I will tell you the most amazing tender mercy ever! The Lord definitly looks after his children and loves us when we are where we are supposed to be. We were supposed to have 5 people with us at church yesterday and one after another they all dropped like flies and the last second. It was so sad to call each of them and each give their reason. But oddly Sister Rozsa and I felt ok we went to sacrament and the rest of the classes with our amazing 2 that came and then the miracle! One of the memebers of the ward came down to our class with this sweet lady looking for the "full time missionaries" we went up and met her. Her name is Nora and she was just driving by and felt that today she needed to turn around and come inside. She had been driving by the church for months and wanting to come in and today she had the courage. She is searching for the church that she can really develop that personal relationship with Jesus Christ and her Heavenly Fatherand where she can feel at home. She was explaining to us how much peace she felt just by being in the building and talking with us, like she had known us for forever. [I love her] We talked to her for a little and gave her a book of mormon. We have another appointment with her and I cannot wait to get to know her more. I want to be more like her! To listen to a prompting from God [she didn't know what it was she just knew she had some come today] and then act! She turned her car around, parked the car, opened the door, got out of her car,walked to the building, opened the church door, found someone to talk to, and then found us. Those are SO many steps to do to that she could have turned around and said never mind but she continued to act. She let the Lord guide her and she followed. I LOVE HER! She is so sweet and I am so humbled and thankful to be able to be apart of her beautiful life.

I am continually in awe of the miracles that my Father in Heaven allows me to be apart of. That he trust me enough [a broken instrument] to send me to His children to help lead them back to Him. Some people say no and it's ok it isn't their time yet, but when people like Darlene and Nora are searching and wanting that peace and understanding it's amazing to even be apart of. Heavenly Father loves all of his children so much and I get the smallest sample size of how he feels when I get to be a part of these wonderful miracles! I am sothankful. I have also noticed that when you truly and 100% put God first in your life he will micromanage the rest so you don't have to be so crazy.It's the moment you try to do it yourself that the world seems to big for you to handle. Let Him handle it. His son has already come and paid it all they ask is that we follow and obey and live the way Christ would. Be kind, love one another, and serve. Heavenly Father wants to be apart of your lives and he wants to help. So let him! :)

I love you all so much! You are all in my prayers and I love hearing from you! So keep me updated and I will do the same!Come what may and love it! Love Sister Stones!!!

Sorry I don't know what picture this is ha() so have fun with which everone the computer gave you!

Aug 27th

....alo!!!! Ok first before I go into my letter I have a couple things of business to attend to. Numero uno: I need to know how much is in my account... I am flying blind and need to buy some stuff haha like winter gear because it's going to start getting cold and I am going to freeze muh bunz off (could I get an update weekly or something?)Numero Dos: Use one of the nice pictures from the photo shoot and scripture 2 Nephi 22:2 for my plaquethressss: When sending packages or letters send them to the mission office and they will get forwarded to mwah. And when sending packages Use the United States Postal Service not UPS or FEDEX because they dont forward and then it takes a really long time to get to me. Like the next time I or someone goes to the mission office which who knows when that would actally be :)and lastly for this awesome list before my week update which feels like a day/month is: any super sinple easy recepies I can make that are fast and yummy :) spanks! OK ONTO THE LETTER! Oh my goodness this week has been amazing! I didn't even know so many amazing miracles could fit into one week! God is so great! Oh and my bike has decided to OWN me! Straight up own me. On monday after my letter and getting back into the day, it was raining and we were wet and biking in the rain and going to a members house to get some keys for a meeting for the next day when my bike decided it didn't want me riding it anymore. I was going through a tight fit and my handle bar caught the brick wall next to me [I was going down hill and quick might I add] when all the sudden I was flying over my handle bars and face down in the street! I somehow caught myself from smashing my face and I didn't get any dirt on my white shirt [miracle!] got up brushed myself off [was a little shaken] fixed my glasses, got back on my bike and kept riding. haha Sister Rozsa felt so bad and kind of laughed but was concerned at the same time, and hahaha it was just funny bike: 2 Sister Stones: 0 (I should probably stop while I'm ahead... nah) But honestly Heavenly Father blessed us with the most amazing experience that night when we were doing a pass lesson (handing off one of Sister Rozsa's old investigators to the Elders). We taught Almaz the plan of happiness and she was so touched, recieved a blessing [because work and health and things were difficult] and wants to get baptized. She is wonderful! This week has been full of miracles like that! We are doing something new as missionaries in the ward with the members where rather than going to them and asking if they have any referals, we go to their houses and ask if they have recieved any revelation for us as the sister missionaries in the ward to help them or their families or their friends and neighbors with anything they might need. And if not, we ask if they would pray about it to recieve that revelation and we will check back the same time the next week. It's really great because it kind of takes all of us out of our comfort zones and we know how it feels to be an investigator. We ask people all day to read and pray to know if the book of mormon is true, and if Jesus Christ has restored his gospel on the earth. So why shouldn't we as members of this church be doing the same thing and recieving that revelation to help anyone we might know! I love it! It's so inspired! And I feel that everyone should be doing that! Praying to recieve revelation!! I was studying this morning and I realized that the greatest thing that anyone can recieve in this life is an answer from our Father in Heaven! Each of our relationships with Him are so different and so unique that we need to know specifically how He speaks to us whether it be throught the scriputers through other people through the feelings or thoughts that we get, but that we need to be urgently figuring it out! I know I want to! He wants to hear from us [so we pray] and we deperately want to know what to do in life or where to go and he is anxiously waiting to tell us! We just have to ask and know how he answers. It's so amazing, and so simple, we just have to have faith to act! I love how amazingly different each day is! We talk with different people in different stages of life, And we are lead by Heavenly Father to do just that. One day this week every single appointment that we had happend! No one canceled no one wasn't home and we had such an amazing day, the weather was beautiful and everything was spiritually amazing! The next day every single appointment fell through, it was pouring we were riding up hills in the rain and I was still singing there is sunshine in my soul today! We talked to everything that breathed even if we were all caught in the rain, I looked at sister Rozsa and I said, "Sometimes I feel a little bad stopping them in the rain." and she said "Don't! in the next life they will be confused why we didn't stop them because of a little rain." That hit me, and it's so true. The message that we are out here sharing is all about helping people come unto Christ completely, and if we don't tell them then they don't know where to look! SO a little rain for their Salvation is worth it!! :) And we were blessed with an amazing miracle that night! We were not having any success finding anyone or knowing where to go, we had prayed a million times and just felt like we were biking to no where when we went down this random street and this man was listening to the GREATEST oldschool music and we rode by and then both looked at each other and felt that we needed to stop and talk to him so as we were locking up our bikes a lady came out of her house to get her pizza. Her name is Beverly! Ah I love her! We got talking to her and fell in love instantly we asked her what she thought about God and how He had changed her life and she tried to shoo us away haha but she needed help caring her pizza and things into her house so she invited us in gave us water and asked us to share this "wonderful" message we were talking about. haha so we did and the spirit was so amazingly strong we could have swam in it! She is so amazing and I can't wait to go back next week to continue to teach and talk to her! It's been like that all week! I thank Heavenly Father for the miracles he lets me see and be apart of everyday! He really is a God of miracles and I am so privlaged to be here! Ok well I need to go finish laundry and writing letters to friends since I am terrible at writting!! I love you all so much and I hope to hear from you all when I check my email next monday because I lOVE knowing what is happening in everyone's lives! Send pictures as well!!! I love you I love you I love you!!!!! Sister Stones PS. Sister Rozsa say hello!!! and she loves you all!! I show her pictures and tell family stories all the time so she knows everyone haha! I love it!!

Aug 20th

HELLO FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!!!Oh my goodness I have had so many firsts this week!!! I got here last wednesday and oh my goodness it is breath taking! Right now I don't think I could ever come home! I love my mission president his wife and all of their kids they are great! We (as in me and the other missionaries) stayed at their house on that night ate dinner talked about the different area's and just yeah it was great (we had lasagna and salad and garlic bread and I just felt like I was home). Then Thursday came and I met my first companion!!! DRummmrollll please!!!!!!!! klsadjf;oasiefas;kjfa;sdlfkj.... Her name is Sister Rozsa and she is AMAZING!! oh my goodness I love her. She is the hardest working person I have met and I am so beyond greatful for it. I am the 4th person she has trained I believe (because she is so amazing) and I can't wait to continue to learn and grow and be bold like she is! Love it! We are serving in Sherlington (which is literally right around the area where deanna and rickey lived... kinda.) We go to the same ward building I do know that (which was cool). And we are in a car area, but since it is the city and there are so many people walking and biking and just outside... we bike.... EVERYWHERE. I straight up am going to be in the geatest shape of my life after these next 12 weeks (so no I will not get fat!)! I have never seen so many hills in my life! I am going to be able to come home and bike the superstition mountains (is that possible?! because I feel like it will be when I am done). And yeah don't worry the bike already has showed me who is boss as well, I have a great battle wound bruise to show for it on my right thigh, I will try to take a picture (while still being modest) so you can all laugh at me (since I know you all are anyway). That is one: Why you don't get off a bike while it's still moving (bc I don't know what I am doing) and two because then your skirt gets caught in it and that bike is heavier so it will pull you down and shows you who's boss! Bike 1/Sister Stones 0.But honestly I am loving my mission. The first few days I just smiled and talked to whoever Sister Rozsa would look at me with the "talk to them" eyes and I would blindly follow. And because I didn't know anyone we were teaching I just knew names in my planner and was praying for people I didn't know I have grown to love them and can't WAIT to meet them all! I have meet some and they might be my favorite people in the whole world! I have met so many people from different countries in the last 5 days it is amazing!! I love it so much! We talk to everyone! I just get to talk about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and hear peoples testimonies about them all day and then I get to ask if they want to learn more. Sometimes people run away from us like some lady told me "You're a mormon and you are just trying to sell me something!" and then I laughed told her God bless her and went the other way smiling! Who says that to someone?! hhaha It was amazing! And some people are ok with the knowledge that they have and don't want anymore, which is fine I will find someone that does :) But I've come to the realization that I honestly don't care what people say to me I know why I am here, I know that the message I have been sent here to share is perfect and that everyone needs this message no matter who they are, how happy they are, or how "comfortable" they are in the ways they have now. With out this wonderful restored gospel of Jesus Christ that He himself restored there is no way to return to live with our loving Father in Heaven. So I am going to try my best to share that with everyone I meet. I love everyone and I can't wait to continue to meet more people (because I most certainly will!!) Sunday was amazing!! We had 3 investigators with us and one's name is Azadah. She. is. amazing. We have taught her one time but it was like 2 hours long and she has been so open to everything we have been teaching her and she just keeps saying "oh my goodness that makes so much sense!" haha I love her! We helped her clean her house because she is having company come and then we share and teach with her. She came to church and loved EVERY hour. She just soaked it up like a spounge and I can not wait to go and see her in tuesday and see how she is feeling and everything. I love this work, I see blessings everyday and I am pretty sure that as I pray God helps push me up those hills. Ok well I have to get going. I wish I could talk longer, but I need to get some other things done today since we have a couple more appointments tonight, and we need to go pick up sister Rozsa's bike from the shop (her brakes stopped working.... we might have almost died a couple times because the hills are so big and we couldn't stop. Heavenly Father was definitely looking out!) I got my glasses today and went grocery shopping and have just been learning and growning so much!! Family This week I challenge you to invite some nonmember or inactive friend to church or to something. I never realized how important it is for everyone to share this message. It isn't for people to become "mormon" it is so they have a way to have eternal life, to live with their families forever, and to truly be converted to Jesus Christ. ANd one other challenge. To repent and improve everyday! Truly try to become like Jesus Christ if he was here how would you act what would you do differently and then make the change and stick to it and I promise you so many blessings!!! Ah I love you all so very much and I wish I could just write all day long!!!! LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU!!! Sister Stones Come what may, and love it!

Aug 9th

HELLO!!!!! Second Pday and going on 3 weeks, my next one will be in DC!! So crazy! I feel like I have learned SOOO much yet nothing at the same time. It's a weird feeling haha. I've been in class and learning something new and then teaching all day for the past two weeks and then eating in between, ha. I am starting to feel comfortable teaching and sister Arbon and I are beginning to get into a groove. So sad we are going on opposite sides of the country so we wont get to teach together after this week. Sad day! Ok I want to tell you about one of our investigators. Her name is Barbara she is from New Jersey and she is an adorable older lady. She is hilarious and can't really keep a consistant conversation for longer than 6 minutes so we have to be clever when we are teaching her so she is at least learning something haha. The first three times were a little difficult because we had prepared just like for everyone else and then ended up not teaching anything planned (which I hear happens a lot) anyway, by our last time which was last night we figured out how to talk to her and how to keep her attention and how to help her understand the inportance of the message we were sharing. By the end of last night she knows: that there is a god and he is a somebody with a body (she likes that and says it all the time) because she had never heard that. That he loved her and wanted to help her in her life. She knew who the holy ghost was and how to recognize when she felt it, that the book of mormon was true and that she could find answers and how Christ expected us to live our lives and then she prayed to know if she should be baptized. She gave the sweetest prayer I have ever head and I just hugged her when we left. The spirit was so strong and it really testified to me the reason I am out here. Even if it was only for Barbara to realize her potential and that she had a Father in Heaven who loved her me being out here on my mission would be worth it. Even if every other day is so hard that I want to cry [which I do], those moments make it so worth it! Ok what else can I write about? EVERYTHING?! oh wait I don't have enough time. OH that's right I caught a virus and I've been sick for the last week with this nasty terrible caugh so now I sound like a man when I sing and talk. All the elders take turns picking on me. It's great fun. haha Hopefully it goes away soon! Lets see... I got my package yesterday which was HUGE and everyone was super jealous. I just reminded them that they got letters everyday so we were even and then Elder Day says "It's ok Sister Stones You're 23 you dont have any friends and more... we understand. :)" hahaha terd. Anyway we were late to class because sister arbon and I had to rip it open to see what was inside! THANK YOU MOM for the delicious chips and salsa! Not having it for 2 and a half weeks is crazy! I didn't even know I could miss it that much! But after class me, sister arbon, sister mansfield, and sister pyle may or may not have inhaled it in a matter of minutes [the entire bag of chips and jar of salsa]. It was so delishious! Most everyone else that gets salsa gets it confiscated but because momma wrapped it so sneakaly they didn't get it! SO GLAD!! It was so needed! :) We took pictures and laughed because we are really cool like that and then we played our new invented game "taste the rainbow!!" Where we sat in a circle grabbed a handful of skittles, and then took turns closing our eyes, showing everyone the color, eating it, and guessing the color. hahahahaha we were laughing so hard I have no idea why. Thinking about it now seems silly, but when you sit in a class room for 10 hours of the day you find anything to find excitement and that was ours. We also might have been a little tired. :) I love those sisters! Like I was saying in my last letter I LOVE MY ELDERS!!! I love my district I love my zone! We are the best! All the elders wait for us to finish our food and then they will get our trays, or they will hold the door open, or if you need a good laugh they are right there making you laugh so hard you can't breath! Ok I wanted to write down the funny things they do or Say! Elder Waldron: [Said in King Julian's Voice] "Which one of you is attracted to me?!" hahahahaha don't worry he said that the first time we met him and he's said it everyday since. Elder Nelson: [We aren't aloud to eat in the classroom and he was eating a snickers Brother Picket walked in and pointed at him and yelled "FOOD!!!"] He then shoved THE ENTIRE snickers in his mouth. and smiled. hahaha Elder Swensen [everything he says is funny because he is quiet and so when he does speak it makes you roll]: While the elders were talking about Bible bashing out of no where he just says. "Bible bashing?! NO why don't we just share a popsicle?!" Elder Brown: May or may not be Syndromes (from incredibles) identical twin!!Elder Day: (for the time being has replaced jonathan, mostly because they are the same person! hahaha) I was singing a song in the classroom and with his back to me says, "Who is that MAN singing? (turns around) oh... It's just Sister Stones." ahh hahahaha I love him~! Ok I know these may not be funny to anyone else but these elders are my new favorite people! I am sad we are all splitting up but can't wait to hear how they all do!!! Ok question... are my glasses in yet?! Welp I am like 10 minutes over so I've gotta go! I love everyone I hope you all know how much I love you and miss you all! Love Sister Stones

Aug 2nd

Hey everyone! I have been here for 8 days!! Crazy! I can't even believe it! I have grown so much in these last couple days! The spirit is so strong everywhere and I love being able to look around and see swarms of missionaries headed everywhere in the world. Since we got here on a wednesday and our Pday is on thursdays here at the MTC we had to wait until the NEXT thursday till ours. So lets just say I am so greatful for the break! I only have a few minutes to type and I have SO much to talk about. I didn't even know so much could happen in 8 days I am completely overloaded. hahaha. When people said that you would have some of your best days and worst days in the MTC they weren't kidding. There are times when I am teaching and learning when I feel so great and I feel like I can do this, and then somedays I feel like I have absolutely no idea what I am doing and ha ya. Lets just say I am greatful to know this is just practice so when I do screw up I can fix it. Or ask as many questions as I want, which I do. Oh but seriously even with some moments making me want to pull my hair out! I wouldn't trade it for the world. I know this is where I am supposed to be and I am willing to go through the hard times for the great ones. I love my companion! Her name is Sister Arbon and I am pretty sure we new each other before this life and were meant to be together! We are the same person, movies, music, disneyland, laughing, joking, I am having such a great time, And she knows exactly what to do when I am struggling and having a hard time. She is so great! Sadly she is headed to Vancouver so I only get to be graced by her presence while here, but I am so blessed and I love every moment! My district is amazing! There are 10 of us four girls and 6 boys and they have become my best friends/family. Those elders make me laugh so hard and they keep me smiling all day long. Two of them (Elder Brown and Elder Day) are headed with me to DC South August 15 and the rest are headed to Canada and Minnesota. I can't believe we aren't going to the same places, I am going to miss them so much! Ha ah I love them! We are in classes most of the day and learning SO much my brain can't even handle it. We learn something and then go right ahead and practice it. There is no time to think.... at all. You just learn and do. I wish I just had one entire day to study and learn and put into my brain all of the information I want to have!! It is frustrating at times because I am not the greatest with words. I am if I am able to write them down first but just pulling them out of thin air might be one of the hardest things I have to do. Along with that being stressful yesterday I taught 4 investigators in one day! And I have only been here for a week. There have been a lot of prayers to help me not lose my mind and to help me be able to not be afraid and just do the work, but it is hard! I have always known that the church was true, and everything that goes along with it, but it has been a challenge since everyone I am teaching wants to know why?! Why for EVERYTHING which I totally understand! I would want to know why too if someone was telling me about something foreign to me. So That is something I am stuggling with as well, I have always just had faith, but it's good now I am finding all the answers for the people I am teaching. It is making me learn so much more, and I am able to fully KNOW the church is true from my own studying and prayer! Oh I just love it!! I just got back from the temple and now only have 9 min on the computer to finish this letter I seriously have SO much to say! I have run into so many people while being here. Justin Curtis is a teacher upstairs, and Sam Boyle is teaching as well and saw me in the Cafeteria and came over and said hi! That was fun! ha! The food isn't too bad I think mom you would be proud of me for trying new things! Sundays here are my favorite! Just so much studying and then we have a fireside and get to just sit and soak up all the wonderful wisdom of the speaker! Same with tuesday we have a devotional that night so I look forward to those days because my brain gets to rest! hahaha. I love hearing from everyone! It is seriously the highlight of my day when I get a letter or package!!! Oh it's great! Ok I love you all. I have been trying to think of what to say but my brain is overloaded with so much I seriously have no idea what to write! It's harder than anyting I have ever done in my life but SO REWARDING!!! I cry I laugh I read I memorize! I am tired ALL day long, but still so wonderful! I'm pretty sure I am bipolar now hahahahaha! My time is about up! I love you all I miss you all send me pictures, letters, or praryers my way!! Love you all!!! Sister Stones

A blog for Sister Stones

We are so excited for Michelle and we want to be able to keep everyone posted on how great she is doing, so we have decided to make a blog for her. We will be posting her weekly letters, updates, and pictures on here.