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!