New Transfer and Training

Hello Family,

 

Wow this week has been so many emotions all in one. Last P-day I became a trainer. We were waiting at the stake center for the new missionaries to arrive and I was so nervous. In the trainer packet President hands out there was a talk by Elder Erying titled "Rise to Your Call" as I was reading it I felt comforted and knew that Heavenly Father will qualify me to train. 

 

My new companion is Sister Schiess (rhymes with peace) from American Fork. She went to Utah State this past fall semester. Crazy to think that was me a year ago. She is awesome and we get along really well. The first day together we went out finding and found a new investigator named Ryan! We taught him about the Restoration and the BOM. He didn't really have a deep desire to learn more but we committed him to read 3 Nephi 11. Later that night I was reading a quote from Joseph Smith that said "To magnify a calling is to hold it up in dignity and importance, that the light of Heaven may shine through one's performance." I LOVED THAT! 

 

This week we also had New Missionary Training. I felt like I was just there. This transfer there were 8 sisters that came out and 3 Elders. Sisters for the win!!! I learned from the spirit that the most important thing I can do for her is to help her feel loved and set the example for her. 

 

When we went back to follow up with Ryan he wasn't home so we knocked on the two houses next to his. We talked to a man named David. He was a Christian and goes to a church in Sumner. We made some common ground with him and then talked to him about the Priesthood and the Restoration. He really listened because it was something different that he hadn't heard before. He was hesitant to take a Book of Mormon but he prayed at the end of our lesson on the doorstep and said he would read the pamphlet and continue to pray. Even though Ryan wasn't home we were suppose to meet David. Up the street a little ways we approached a house and the doormat had the Scotland flag on it. I got so pumped! A man answered the door and I complimented the doormat and I could tell from his accent that he was from Scotland. I have really been wanting to teach someone from Scotland. I told him about Mason and he thought that was cool. He is from Edinburgh! We started teaching him and he took a Book of Mormon and said he would pray about our message. He also said that he hasn't been to church for a while and should probably start going to one. Perfect timing!!! At the end of the lesson he told us that he was in sales and that he would hire us to be salesman. So I guess that was kind of neat. But obviously we had the spirit with us when we were talking with him. 

 

This Saturday was my 9 month mark. It was so weird to think that - but we had another festival of finding as a mission. We fasted and prayed as a mission on Friday to find 200 new investigators. We were able to teach about 3 lessons that day but most of them were going out of town and so we weren't able to set up a return appointment. However, I believe in nonlinear blessings and that through our faith and diligence other missionaries were able to find new investigators. We don't know the results yet but I am excited to find out.  

 

We are working with some returning inactives and 2 came to church yesterday. We want to help them to come back to church and with the Bishop help shepherd them to the temple.  

 

Good things are happening here in Buckley! 

 

Love you,

 

Sister Wynder 

D&C 101:35-36

 

Bryn and Sister Schiess

 

 

Fellow Aggies

I got a text last night from a lady in one of the Buckley wards with these two pictures - 

Transfers

Hello,

 

So this week was really good. We helped families in the ward move, paint, and build a goat shed! I really love the Buckley 1st ward - so many great families. It has rained a lot this week! This is what I thought Washington would be like. We try to be locals and not use umbrellas but some days we have to because it just pours and when we are out knocking we figure it is best if we don't look like wet dogs when people open the door! 

 

On Valentine's Day we heart attacked some of the single sisters in the ward.

 

Bishop told us on his mission they taught the Plan of Salvation to families with sugar cookies. So we gave it a try. There is a family in the ward that has us over for "missionary Friday" each week. So we taught them the P of S and then in order for the girls to get a cookie they had to reteach us - it was a really fun lesson. 

 

We had a mission devotional on Sunday that was really great! The spirit was so strong. The Sumner Elders + Brother Suttle brought Brother Bobo who is on date for baptism in March. His wife is a member and I taught him so that was really great to see him there. Brother Hunt won't be getting baptized on Saturday. I know when he is ready though Heavenly Father will provide a way. 

 

During the week I got a feeling that I might be training...but I didn't really say anything. I got it a few times in fact. On Sunday night we got the call that Sister Wilkinson is leaving. Monday I got a call from the APs that the Lord has called me to be a trainer. I thought to myself the spirit was right. I am excited but also nervous. I have been silently freaking out to myself. It is really a humbling experience to be called as a trainer.

 

Sister Wilkinson loves Buckley and it was really hard for her to say goodbye. We stopped by to say goodbye to a few families in the ward. We went to the Jameson's and the Lathrops were there too to have root beer floats. It was so much fun! I remembered when I went to the Jameson's the first time - I walked in and saw the family picture with 2 redheaded girls and thought "is this a look into my future?" Ha ha. We had a really fun time with them. We then went to the Wilson's and they have pet bunnies that just had babies not very long ago. 

Well I am looking forward to getting my new companion later today. 

Until next week! 

Love,

Sister Wynder

Heart attacking on Valentine's Day

Sugar cookie Plan of Salvation

Rain, redheads, and rabbits

Back to Rain

Hello Family,

 

So the snow lasted a solid 2 days. It rained all day and the snow was gone the next. Yesterday and today it has been really sunny though which is really nice.

 

 Zone Conference was wonderful. I learned a lot. Elder Holliday that is over all the housing for the mission spoke, I think he will be a GA one day. He talked about the more you put into your mission the more you will get out of it. It reminded me of you mom when you would tell us a "little bit of effort goes a long way." Here are some other things I learned:

 

- Sometimes change or repentance can be awkward because it is out of our comfort zone.

 

- When we are baptized we giving ourselves to the Savior and putting our trust in him. We literally do this when the person who is baptizing the convert represents Jesus Christ and how we bend backwards relying on him.

 

- Think of my name tag during the sacrament and how I have "taken his name upon me."

 

- To know Heavenly Father and Jesus is the most important thing John 17:3

 

I learned so much more but those are the main points. 

 

President talked about the new schedule. The missionary broadcast is on lds.org and the last 15 minutes is where they talk about the schedule. But we have an extra 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes at lunch, and we can choose how we plan our day. For example we have the option to do companionship study at 8pm. We love it because in Washington it is dark early and there are only 2 lighted streets in Buckley... We also do planning in the morning and not at night. I love it because that means we can go to bed anywhere from 9:30-10:30. We can get a whole extra hour of sleep!!! That was a dream come true. I love the new schedule and it helps us be more accountable and I know will help the transition of coming home. That was something they focused on is how RMs are use to a routine and strict schedule and when they go home they don't know what to do with themselves. Not sure if Mason was like that because he went from mission to school in a week.

 

I also liked how President told us to think of our weekly emails we send to our families and friends as gratitude journals. I loved that! After my mission I only want to think about the good things that happened. 

 

Oh we also got the Golden Plates (for the cleanest car) at Zone Conference!!! 

 

But I also wanted to share some funny/interesting things that happened.

 

So after Zone Conference we were tracting and we knocked on a door a man answered, he saw our name tags and told us he was Jesus. I had no idea what to say and was trying so hard not to laugh... It was an interesting conversation and let's just say we won't be going back. 

 

Also we were walking down the street and saw a man riding his bike with a gallon of gasoline in one hand, a chainsaw in the other, and a cigarette in his mouth. I thought "that can't be safe." 

 

We were able to have a lesson with Lisa this week. She is recovering so hopefully we can help her come to church this week. 

 

Bro Hunt, Tate and Riley (in Sumner) are all getting baptized Feb. 25. I talked to the Sumner Elders about it and things are going really well in Sumner. They also brought me a jar of Gramma Conine's salsa and jam! I was so pumped.

 

Last night we heart attacked some single sisters in the ward for Valentine's day. I felt like Brooke! 

 

Bishop gave us a CD a while ago called "Raising the Bar" by ED J. Pinegar (I think Emma P. is related to him) It is the best! All about missionary work. Sister Wilkinson and I quote it almost everyday. 

 

Love you all, hope you have a wonderful week. 

 

Sister Wynder

2 Nephi 33:6

 

P.S. next week is transfers so p-day will be on Tuesday

Shovel Squad

I honestly don't even know what happened this past week.... I am using a member's iPad due to the libraries been closed from the snow. I have never felt so challenged with technology. SOS! My fingers are starting to hurt from typing so bear with me and excuse any typos!

So our investigator Lisa got ankle replacement surgery (yes that is a thing) so we haven't been able to really have a lesson we saw her last night but she is in pretty bad shape.

We were driving and Sister Wilkinson asked me if I saw what bird just flew over a tree and I said no. We pulled over and about 30 yards away from us was a bald eagle eating a mole. I got out and was taking pictures. Grateful for the fence - I was kind of scared the eagle was going to fly at me and take the camera.... 

Saturday it was raining soooo much. The minute we walked outside we were soaking. It was kind of fun though. 

Sunday morning I looked outside and it was snowing and it didn't stop snowing for over 24 hours. I was a little nervous because it was also the super bowl and I was not super looking forward to knocking on doors. However, we finished before the game started so that was a blessing. At the end of the night it was snowing like crazy and we drove down this road and we saw a man driving his convertible with the top down...

Yesterday was so random. Everything was closed pretty much. So we played in the snow. We made the cutest snow sisters! We also had a snowball fight and it was a blast. One of my favorite p-days. Later that day we came back and one of my zone leaders that lives in the apartment across from us knocked down snow Sister Wynder...I was so sad. But it is okay! Sister Wilkinson and I started a shovel squad. During studies we saw our neighbor was stuck in the snow and so we went out to help. Later we shoveled a few driveways for members and non-members. We also got 2 more cars out of the snow. We made a little theme song...

 

"When your stuck in the snow and you can't get out, who's gonna come - shovel squad."

 

Today we were studying and our same neighbor that was stuck yesterday was stuck again but with a different car. She has a really long driveway and so we got her all the way to the end of the driveway. She parked there and said she should be able to get out and was going to get her kids ready to leave. About 20 minutes later she was stuck again and her kids were in the car. We rushed back over there and she was really stuck. We asked the Elders to come help and we were able to get her out of the driveway. She was so grateful and it felt so good to help her. We left her a pass-along card and she said she was going to watch "Light the World." 

Service is a huge way for non-members to feel of the Savior's love. Needless to say after shoveling and pushing cars out of the snow my body is so sore. 

Have a wonderful week! 

Love,

Sister Wynder 

Acts 10:38

 

The "snow sisters"

 

 Someone from Bryn's ward sent this picture to us on Sunday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The eagle