Sept 23- Blessings Amid the Storms

Hello Family!

This week has been so eventful! Crazy week indeed!

I don't even know where to start. ha

Ok lets see, well first we didn't have a baptism this week Steven is still really figuring out what he is going to do. SO keep him in your prayers. So we'll pause for a moment with his baptism, He is so amazing!

We had two CRAZY exchanges! and when I say crazy I mean crazy. Let's just say.... Sister Missionaries are so silly! haha For some reason the Elders don't have these problems, the ones where they feel like they have to be perfect all the time, and if they aren't then they are failures! Oh WAIT that's girls in general! Why? It's silly! We are just here to do the best we can, and to rely on the Lord for the strength to keep it up. Anyway, It's all good now, but I am so grateful for the blessings of the spirit to know what to say and how to help these amazing Sisters! I love them so much and am learning so much from them and will continue to do so! I am SO grateful for Momma though, I always pull from things she taught me and it keeps me going and it helps them as well. They keep me on muh toes.

We found a new investigator!! His name is Robert and he is super great! It was Sister Billman (on exchange), Sister Hodgkin, and myself and we were out knocking on doors and knocked on his. We taught him the restoration on his door step, invited him to read the book of Mormon to know if it was true for himself, and to pray to Heavenly Father because He was the one who was going to tell him (Robert) if this was HIS church or not. And he accepted, and I invited him to be baptized into this church if he knew and again he accepted. I know some of your jaws might have just dropped!! you did what when?! On the first visit! Invited him to be baptized?! On his doorstep?! ... Yep! :) I LOVE door step lessons! AND I love inviting people to be baptized! It is such an amazing feeling watching the wheels turn in someones brain as they answer this life changing question! (I have the best life ever!) So he's great!

We also put Debbie on date for baptism! For the 26th of October! And she said she would definitely pray about it! We taught her with our member Angie Gretz (who is a convert of about 3 years) and it was amazing they talked most of the time and we listened and taught here and there but it was really good for Debbie to see someone not raised in the church and their story! LOVE HER! She also looked at me with these little squinty eyes and said, "How much longer to I have you here with me? I know you do this weeks then you gone business and you've been around for a while." haha I told her when transfers were and then I had no idea if I was going to stay or go. But I would definitely be at her baptism whenever that would be! :) It has been amazing teaching her!

Oh and then for the Lesson topper! On Saturday it rained.... all day! We had planned on going to see our investigator Tim later that night but felt like we should stop by around 6ish, so we did and he was home and at first he said, "You guys are early!" we asked if there were any females home and he said no and so we had to stay outside, he tried to get us to just come back another time and we just kept talking and ended up teaching him as we stood outside in the pouring rain getting completely drenched, under a tiny umbrella and he stood inside. We taught him the restoration of the gospel and answered all his questions (he asks really great ones) and invited him to read and to pray so he would find out for himself. The spirit was so strong. Then Sister Hodgkin invited him to be baptized on November 2nd. The spirit was even stronger then, and he said if he knew he would be the first in line. We invited him to pray right there and to ask and he tried to push it off on me to pray and I said, "He hears from me all day, he wants to hear from you." and so he did. It was a sweet and simple prayer and it was perfect. After ward we sat there quietly and he said... "woah". :) Don't ya just love the spirit? I do. I smiled from ear to ear as I knew (and he knew) that the Lord had answered his prayer. It was really cool!!

Right before his lesson we got a phone call from President Riggs telling us there was going to be a mix up in our companionship and that Sister Hodgkin was going to be leaving and serving in Kingstowne (where I was!) and that another sister, Sister Christensen would be coming to us (with a switch in the middle). It was sad I love Sister Kodgkin!! But I love change so bring it on! And then he proceeded to tell us that we had to make it all happen haha and before church.... Our church starts at 9. SO Sunday morning we were up at 4:30 and out by 5. In Kingstowne by 6, and Chantilly by 7 and then home again by 7:30-8 just in time to gather things get some breakfast and rush to church! I WAS TIRED! But we had two people come to church! Man this week has just been full of miracle after miracle. When I am in the middle of it, I don't see as many, but when I look back. Man the Lord has most certainly been there! So we have a new companion. She is adorable! We will keep her till transfers next week and then see what happens from there.

Wow that was a long one! Sorry if there were some dry places! haha my brain is still feelin the lack of sleep with all the crazy, but I wouldn't change it for anything! I love everyone so much and hope everyone has an amazing week!!!

Love you all,

Sister Stones

 

Sept 16- Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

Hey Family!!

SO we had an amazing week! Full of fun and laughter if I can say the least!

Our mission and the missions around us were invited to the Nationals baseball Game to kick of the National Day of Service!! It was AMAZING!! We had such a fun time! We left here around 4 and didn't get home till about 1!! My body started to shut down around 10 haha It was so funny how loopy all of us got once we were out later than we are normally. Funny thing is that I would normally be starting my night at that time back home! ha Funny how things flip. Didn't think that would happen.... Surprise. It Did. We took lots of pictures, sang, and danced (respectfully as missionaries would), but it was funny, I literally couldn't control it. I had to dance even if it was just the bob of my head, it is embedded inside of me hahaha But it was so much fun!! I ate some dip-in-dots, and basically saw the whole Herndon ward! They were there and I got to say hi! That was cool! Seriously a blast!! It's been a long while since I had that much fun, with THAT many people! So great!

We also had an AMAZING lesson with a woman named Gina! Sister Olson and I had knocked on her door a couple weeks ago and had a return apointment for the next day, and when we went to go to her appointment Sister Olson's tire went flat (we rode bikes that day) and we missed her by 5 minutes. There was a note on the door saying that she had waited but that she had to get back to work and the kids and she wished us a wonderful mission. So we hadn't gone back until sunday afternoon. We knocked on her door and apologized for not making it to the last appointment and asked if she had a few minutes to talk now? And she said yes and let us inside! We sat down at her kitchen table and she talked about how she was born and raised in Arizona and how she had a friend that was Mormon growing up! (go member work!). She told us how she was catholic but was still searching. She told her reason why she believed, and then asked each of us. And each of us bore a similar testimony about the Book of Mormon, and how we read it and prayed and know it to be more scripture from Our Loving Heavenly Father! And then she asked us some more questions, but the most amazing one was she asked where Joseph Smith got his authority or how he could be a prophet. And so I told her about Joseph Smith searching for Gods church when he was 14, we read together the Scripture that touched him so deeply to pray and ask (John 1:5) and then recited to her the first vision. (I have to give a a little side note, there had been some quite country music going on in the background while we were talking that wasn't disruptive or distracting.... but still on. which normally we would ask them to turn it off at the beginning of the lesson, but had neglected to do so.) So as I was telling the first vision, the music, which was quite and unnoticeable until that moment seemed to be almost screaming in my head. I prayed with all my heart as I was focusing and trying to bear my soul to Gina and it was as if Heavenly Father turned it off himself, the spirit pushed through and was FILLING the room that nothing else existed. After Sister Olson asked her how she felt. And she said "amazing, Sister stones you almost brought me to tears. You believe this so much it would make anyone want to believe it." Sister Olson testified that it was the spirit that she was feeling, teaching her of truth. That this was true. And then I shared with her what had happened. I said, "Gina, we as missionaries don't listen to music like this right now." and her mouth dropped and her eyes filled with tears as she said, "Sister Stones, there was no music as you were telling me that story." I started to cry as I testified that God knows her heart that she is searching for truth, that it was no coincidence that we knocked on her door when we had, and that he loves her so much." By that time we were all crying, and I invited her to be baptized. She said that she would read the Book of Mormon and pray about it, but if she knows than yes. aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh IT WAS SO COOL!!!!! The Church is true!!!

And then we ran to the Church and Steven got his baptismal interview and is getting baptized on FRIDAY!!! SO cool!!! Seriously though it was an amazing week! I am so thankful for the spirit and for the peace I feel from it being a missionary! I love this gospel and I love my Heavenly Father!! I love you all and hope you have an amazing week!!

Love ya,

Sister Stones

 

 

"The Nationals Baseball game!!! SO MUCH FUN!! I love these missionaries!! They are so great! The game was so awesome and the Nationals WON!"

Dropbox pictures: https://www.dropbox.com/home/Nationals%20Base%20ball%20game!#!/home/Nationals%20Base%20ball%20game

Sept 9- Teach People Not Lessons

Hello familia!!

This week has been wonderful! We got a new sister to join our party! Her name is Sister Hodgkin she is from the temple square Visitor Cener mission and is here on her out bound (my 3rd trio) I love her!! She is from Germany and such a fun addition to our companionship. We all have so much fun and know how to laugh and have a good time as we go about our work teaching the gospel!

SO this week has been nuts! As sister trainer leaders we go around and do exchanges with each of the different sisters we cover but we also go to each of the zone conferences! This week we had zone conference with the centreville and the ashburn zones. And we rocked it! We were given the topic of teach people not lessons and so we had to teach and present at the conference to help the missionaries better at asking inspired questions. Sister Olson got this Bomb.com "skit" to do. In my pictures last week I sent a picture of my legs all torn up from mosquitos. I had at least 15 on each leg! bleck. anyway. I have tried EVERYTHING on them. every kind of cream you can think of because they were miserable! We happened to have about 5 or so different types of creams or lotions or whatever you can think of to relieve the pain from my bites and so she had this idea...

We wrote down different problems people would have on pieces of paper like: pink eye, a cavity, the flu, ear infection, heart complications, and my bug bites. and then we handed them out and had the missionaries come up to the front and she would ask (as Dr. Sister Olson) what their symtoms were and how she could help. (haha) She asked me and I said, "I have these terrible bites that itch like crazy and I really need help!" She said, "Oh I have the perfect thing for you! Benedryl!" Me: "Perfect that will work just great!" Then she went to the next person, and say "What are your symptoms?!" they'd say, "Oh you know, I think I might have [enter illness here]. And I am not feeling too good." then she would look at them and say "oh I have the perfect thing for you!!!..... Benedryl" (haha) and then after she asked everyone (and gave the same response) she went back down the line to see how the medicine worked. I told her that I was all better and my bites were all gone! but the coments from everyone else were hilarious! On the pink eye, one missionary said.... "uuuhhh... well now I'm blind in that eye, but my pink eye is gone" (haha) it was hilarious. But the point of the whole thing was that it didn't "work" for everyone. Not because they weren't ready but 1. she wasn't knowledgable enough to help 2. She didn't listen 3. Medicine is here to bless and help! But just because it's "medicine" doesn't mean that it is going to work for everyone all the time. In the same way that the gospel IS FOR EVERYONE but you have to get to know the right diagnosis to really know what part of the gospel will REALLY help them. We have to really study every day to know what the Lord would have us teach each person, each and every day, something that worked for someone yesterday or even the lesson before isn't going to help the person I am teaching today. I have to study and gain more knowledge everyday, and then I have to ask questions. It was awesome! (hope that made sense..... if not... sorry haha) I loved it and it was really effective! I have a great companion!

Zahra got confirmed on Sunday!! And recieved the Holy Ghost!! It was a sweet blessing and a wonderful sacrament meeting! She is so wonderful! Steven is still preparing for baptism but probably not this weekend he is still reading and praying to make sure this is exactly what he is wanting to do! He is great! Him and his mom made us dinner the other night! It was delicious! I love this work so very much!! I know that the Jesus Christ is my Savior and I know tha I am learning to pattern my life so that one day I will want to live with God again! I love this work and am so blessed to be a missionary!! Love you all!! have a Glorious week!!

Love Always,

 Sister Stones

 

"These are the great adventures of Sister Olson and SIster Stones and Sister Hodgkin!! Don't mind the video!! hahaah we have an investigators daughter who talks like that ha she is adorable and we love her!! (Samantha Fish) oh and the cat shirt is for tori and darlene! haha I saw this at target and thought of you girls. LOVE YOU ALL!!!"

https://www.dropbox.com/home/I%20am%20a%20child%20of%20God#!/home/I%20am%20a%20child%20of%20God

 

Aug 26- "Wait what?! Did you get bit by a snipe?!"

Hello amazing family!! I love you all and thank you so much for you letters and love and prayers my way! This week has been so much fun! Transfers were this week and my new companions name is Sister Olson she is about 4 feet 10 inches and has the biggest heart! I feel like a GIANT as her companion (being 5'6" and all) but we are having a blast!! There are also elders in Gainesville now too! That is a lot of fun! They are rockin it!

 

SO funny FUNNY story! I have the most amazing companion! seriously besides the fact that she sleep talks which wakes me up for a half a second and then I am back asleep she is amazing! haha but last night at about 2 in the morning I woke up to her throwing back her covers and in one motion up on her feet with her hands clasped together against her chest knees bent STANDING on her bad crouched as if she is talking to someone and she says, "What?! What? You got bit by a snipe?! Was it a snipe?! Wait (as she starts to come to) Wait Sister Stones did you get bit by a a sni... a ssnake?!" BAHAHAHAHA I was laughing so hard I just said, "Nah, you're just sleeping." hahaha and then she slowly got OFF her bed and laid back down and then just started laughing hysterically!!! hahahahaha oh.my.goodness. I love her!!! most.epic.night.ever! haha!!

I have been tremendously blessed this week! So sadly for about the last 3 and a half months I have not had a voice. It is all rapsy and it isn't really there most days. It is hard to talk and singing in nearly impossible. Which has been a really big struggle because I love singing so much! Well we had a Musical Fireside last night and I was asked to sing "Savior, Redeemer of my Soul." Which is really amazing! I love it so much and it brings the spirit so strongly! However yesterday my voice was worse than it normally is. I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I fasted and prayed, and was ready to let someone one else sing it because at 6:30 I ran through it and hardly anything came out. Everyone said I should still do it and so I asked for a blessing. I received a sweet blessing from one of the Elders and went out in confidence from the blessings I was promised. And then most amazing thing happened. I had a voice. Not full voice, not amazing, but it was there and I could sing. So I sang all the numbers with the choir, and then it was my turn to sing. I got up and started to sing,

"Savior, Redeemer of my Soul

Who's mighty hand hath made me whole

Who's wondrous power hath raised me up,

and filled with sweet my bitter cup!

What tongue my gratitude can tell,

O Gracious God of Isreal."

It was a little weak and hoarse, but it came out. That I sang,

"Never can I repay thee Lord,

But I can Love thee. Thy Pure Word.

Hath it not been my one delight

My Joy by day, my dream by night.

Then let my lips proclaim it still

And all my life reflect thy will."

Then the piano and violin continued to grow and I just allowed the spirit to take it and I gave it my whole heart and soul and sang

 

"O'errule mine acts to serve thine ends.

Change frowning foes to smiling friends.

Chasten my soul till I shall be

In perfect harmony with thee...."

I began to cry and with tears running down my cheek barely audible sang

"Make me more worthy of thy love

and fit me for the life.

above."

I shouldn't have been able to sing, I shouldn't have been able to. I physically could just minutes before, But I know that my savior loves me and he knows my heart! He knew how badly I wanted to praise him and sing in the fireside that he allowed angles to be my voice! I will be forever grateful! There wasn't a dry eye in the chapel. One of the elders came up after. Brand new only been out for a few days and he said, "Sister stones (as he shook my hand) Thank you for singing. I have been feeling really homesick ever since I left home and when you sang the spirit washed it away and I just want to go out and serve my Savior. Thank you." I love this work! I know that Heavenly Father knows each one of you. He knows your hearts, your desires and your dreams, and I know that if you give them all to Him He WILL make miracles out of your offering. I know that my Savior lives. I know that he loves me and knows how to use me as an instrument to bring people closer to him and I am so humbled. I love you all and hope you have an amazing week. Remember as we are obedient God will bless us.

Love,

Sister Stones

 

 

"Zahra's baptism, Sister Olson, and my bug bites! oh and one of the elders that went home. haha we were friends! " Dropbox pictures: https://www.dropbox.com/home/Gainesville%20Part%203#!/home/Gainesville%20Part%203

Aug 23-New Mail Policy

Hey hey hey everyone! Just reminding everyone about our new mail policy! Please don't send mail to the lyngate address any longer send it to the address that I am living! :) which is

Sister Stones

13550 Heathcote Blvd #321

Gainesville, VA 20155

And then I'll let you know on the address change when I get transferred to new areas. But I will be here for the next 6 weeks :) Oh and My new companion is SISTER OLSON! She's awesome! Pictures to come! :)

LOVE YOU ALL!!

Sister Stones

Aug 19- Hello From the East Coast

This week has been so much fun! And it has been beautiful. It's been in the 60s-80s with light humitity and light breezes. It's like I am in california... except without the beautiful beaches. But it's ok. Last summer I was MELTING and on bike so I will take this anyday! I even busten out my cute half boots and scarfs today! LOVE IT!

Ok first I have to comment on how hilarious it is that jonathan can't stay on his bike! I think he is going to far surpass me in the tally for "Bike: enter number here, Elder Stones:0" So all I have to say is I am going to make a score board if no one else does hahaha I love you bubba and I feel your pain! haha You will get a point some day! OH I know. You can gain a point every week you don't fall off!! That's a good one! You're welcome!

Ok so onto my amazing week! First we were supposed to have a baptism this week but it got pushed back a little. Zahra's mom is really wanting to make sure that she is knowing what she is doing, so she has asked her to visit a couple other churches and then when she does and still feels like this is right for her she can go ahead. haha that's a weird commitment to give someone, "Go to some other churches please so you can get baptized!" haha she knows it's true and I am not worried at all, I am grateful she loves her mom enough to do what she asks. SO I don't know when but Zahra's getting baptized one of these weekends! haha :)

We went on two exchanges this week with some amazing Sisters! I love having this calling! I get to learn so much as I teach these sisters but also as they teach me! I have the amazing opportunity to meet so many different people from all over and in differen phases of their conversion so I am learning a lot!

But besides our amazing investigations we got to go to the temple this week!!! It has been REALLY needed, and I was so grateful for the spirit there. I am so thankful for the blessings of the temple in my life!

Lets see... what else is happening! Oh yeah! Man how can I forget! Transfers are this week. Thursday. We find out tomorrow for sure, but we are pretty sure that Sister Borland will be transfered and I will get another companion. I am so excited/sad. I love change, but I love sister Borland! It will be good though! We are also getting elders in our area as well! AND our Bishop is moving to Utah in about a week!! SO there is a lot of change that's going on and I am thankful for the strength I will recieve to just keep swimming and loving the sun! :)

ALSO, there is a new mail policy. It is getting to be too much for the office to forward our mail. and the post office is going to start charging them. so with each new transfer you will have to send you letters to my specific address. my gainesville is:

Sister Michelle Stones

13550 Heathcote Blvd #321

Gainesville, VA 20155

Let the writting commence!

I love you all and I hope you have an amazing week!! You are all wonderful and I will talk to you next week! With more exciting updated news!! The life of a missionary is exciting!

Love,

Sister Stones

 

This link is to a dropbox photo album that Michelle created I am not sure if it will work or not. :)

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gr8gyignnwbm1n6/EpDmAQjbKF?n=140072712

Aug 12- Mailin' Monday!!

Hello Familia!!

How has everyone been?! I love getting everyone's email's they make me so happy! I am so blessed to have such amazing family members who keep me updated in their lives so I don't feel forgotten hahaha :) I love you all!

This week has been wonderful! I love gainesville and am so blessed to be a sister trainer leader! We are coming up to the rap up of this transfer and my heart is just jumping for joy at the miracles and people we have met over these last couple tranfers together! We have had many miracle lessons and this weekend we have a baptism planned and in a couple weeks we will be having another one! I am in awe of the blessings God grants us as we have faith, are diligent, and humble.

I went on two exchanges this week and one with Centreville and one with Herndon! I got to see and have a lesson with Oscar and Sister Dean!! My heart was so happy! I am so lucky and blessed to have this calling! Oscar is preparing for baptism! I can't believe it! He has been coming to church and he loves the Book of Mormon! I just remember the first time I knocked on his door! And our first lesson! Man oh man I love this work!

We also have had wonderful lessons with Zahra (who is preparing for baptism this weekend!), Steven and Debbie! They are all doing so wonderfully! Just learning more and more and drawing more and more to our Savior! It's really amazing to be apart of!

This week I am focusing in on different topics as I study and I am so amazed at the beautiful information the gospel brings us! I have been studying forgiveness and change or repentance. And how important it is to forgive ourselves in the process of change. We are changing everyday. It really is our only constant in life. The thing we can look forward to that will stay constant: change. That is what the gospel of Jesus Christ brings us though. As we are building our faith and gaining knowledge and a love for our savior we no longer want to do bad things, or even little annoying things that just ping our spirit, for instance: losing your temper on the road. When we focus on the life of our Savior you automatically will want to change. That doesn't always mean that the change will take place though. We have to be wiling to let go of whatever it is that keeps us from him. And with that come our willing heart. Man oh man is that hard! I have A lot of things that keep me from being prefect now. But it's ok. Because Jesus Christ wants to forgive us. He came to earth, suffered, and died for each of us so he could forgive us. Why then, is it so hard to forgive ourselves? If we ask, and really change, we then have to let it go. Don't live in the regret, and don't live in the sadness, or in the what if, or woulda coulda shoulda. Once you are forgiven by God, OR once others have been... let it go. move on and forgive! I love this concept and I am so thankful Heavenly Father has been inspiring me to study it! The only way we accept the inevitable is once we realize that change is good, forgiveness is possible, and We are here to have JOY! So go and love today with a free heart!

I love this work, I love my savior, and I am so thankful for the knowledge I have of the plan Heavenly Father has for each of us! I love you all and I hope you have a glorious week!!

Love,

Sister Stones

PS and go study forgiveness!! :) It's great!

READ ME!! :)