2017

Hello Family,

So recap from Christmas: the Zone Leaders got a call from a Brother Hunt saying that he just moved from Indiana to Sumner and wants to be converted to the church. What a Christmas miracle. 

Then on Monday another MIRACLE happened. The Suttles got us CAFE RIO!!!! That was a blessing from above. I literally shed a few tears of pure JOY! 

We had a lesson with Brother Hunt on Tuesday and taught him the Restoration. One of the best lessons I have ever had on my mission. It was so powerful and he set a date to be baptized on January 28th. Then Sister Fuller who came to the lesson invited him to play church ball that night. Brother Fuller is in charge of the sports in the stake. Brother Hunt went and played that night it was awesome - instant fellowship.

Wednesday President Rasmussen called us saying that him and Sister Rasmussen were going to a wedding reception in Sumner and had something they wanted to talk about with us. So we met them at the church and we found out Sister Pope is going home on January 9th. It was so sad to see how heartbroken she was. I know she has done what the Lord has asked her to do. The rest of the week has been pretty hard because I know she doesn't want to leave, but like Nephi she is faithful in doing what he Lord has commanded. 

We had another lesson with Brother Hunt on Thursday - Book of Mormon + church tour with the Suttles. It went so well. We had him read the introduction before the lesson and he did that so we started reading from the beginning and after he told us he read it already. WHO DOES THAT? He is committed to commit! 

We had a lesson with Riley and Tate and brought another 8 year old Treyson that is in the ward for fellowship. We read 3 Nephi 11 and Treyson told Riley about his baptism. It was such a good lesson, like what 8-10 year olds read the Book of Mormon and talk about baptism. It was the cutest lesson!!! 

Also had a lesson with Wesley and he is slowly progressing. He set his baptism date for March 16th! 

Brother Hunt came to church and sat with the Suttles. After church Sister Pope wanted to tell them she was going home so we went over to their house after church and they invited Brother Hunt to stay for lunch and dinner. So we taught the Plan of Salvation and it was so cool. Before we got there Sister Suttle was telling him about the temple and qualifications for baptism so she prepared him for the lesson we didn't even know we were going to have. We didn't have a dinner appointment so Sister Suttle invited us back over for dinner. We read the Book of Mormon and it was great. Brother Hunt is so prepared and I am so grateful for the Suttles. That was a miracle 2 lessons with a member present and both of those were with the same investigator and members! 

Transfers are next week so P-day will be on Tuesday (Brooke's 2-year baptism anniversary). I think I will be staying in Sumner but not sure...

Have a wonderful week, and Happy New Year! Still praying about my  resolution so that is to come next week. 

Much Love,

Sister Wynder

Pictures/video with Cafe Rio

 

 

 

We had to trade cars with the Graham Zone Leaders so we had to switch our "golden plates."

 Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas!

The first e-mail we got from Bryn today . . .

Sister Suttle texted us this morning and said her and Brother Suttle have the day off and if we needed anything or we wanted to go do something fun today is the day. So we asked her about Cafe Rio and she said she would love to get it for us. So GUESS WHAT??? SISTER SUTTLE IS ON HER WAY TO GET SISTER POPE AND I CAFE RIO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ANOTHER CHRISTMAS MIRACLE. (For anyone who doesn't know, Bryn would eat Cafe Rio at least 2 or 3 times a week before she left so getting Cafe Rio after 7 months of not having it is really exciting for her - in case you couldn't tell!!)

And the second e-mail . . .

Sorry this email will be really short.
 

Hello Family,

It was so great to talk to you last night. I am so grateful I got to talk to the cousins and aunts and uncles. I thought Christmas would never come. We have had such a wonderful week. I love the members of the Sumner ward and being able to serve here.

Earlier this week we went on exchanges, I was with Sister Hammond in South HIll. I love her so much and saw a lot of miracles.

Saturday during the day we had another Festival of Finding! I was a little worried we wouldn't have a lot of success because it was Christmas Eve and a Seahawks game. However with the Lord anything is possible. Sister Petersen and I were white washing South Hill the first hour and a half and we had a "Third floor, first door" experience. The first door we knocked on of an apartment complex was a family - we taught the mom at the door about the Book of Mormon and Restoration. So neat. We also had a "Third floor, Last Door" moment too. The rest of the day was really great. That night we had dinner with the Jacobsens. Both of the parents served in Europe and their son is serving in Italy so we had a European Fondue party! I loved it and it was delicious. After dinner we read the Christmas story in Luke. I told them that is something my family does every Christmas Eve so it was great to keep the tradition going.

( I know from President Uchtdorf's talk it was "Fourth Floor, Last Door" but there were only 3 floors in the apartment complex.) 

Christmas Day -

We went to church and it was lovely, so many great musical numbers and both bishops of the Sumner and Puyallup wards bore their testimonies. We had lunch at the Fellers and then the Zone went to an assisted living center to sing Christmas carols. It was so tender one man cried as we were singing. Then we had dinner with the Suttles (love that family) and we played the jelly bean game. It was the best - gross flavors but we had a blast. Also Wesley one of our investigators came too!

Hope you have a great week!

Much love,

Sister Wynder

The Sumner ward Christmas party with Santa

Christmas Eve with the Jacobsens

Christmas morning - opening presents

Christmas day lunch

 Caroling on Christmas day

 Christmas dinner with the Suttle family

Skyping on Bryn's end!!!!

Skyping on our end . . .

Merry Christmas!

Sumner is Hallmark

Merry Christmas Week!!!! 

So many miracles this week - let me tell you about them!

But first on Thursday we had a zone conference + Christmas Devotional. We had training and went over the basic fundamentals. President Rasmussen talked about the Green Bay Packers and Vince Lombardi and related it to missionary work. I thought of dad when he said Green Bay Packers. We had lunch and then we played a game that was straight up a Christmas riff-off!!! No joke - we all split off into zones (there were about 5) then Sister Rasmussen would point and a zone had to start singing a Christmas song. We went back and forth until my zone was in the top two zones basically having a sing off. Sadly my zone lost but we went through so many rounds it was crazy! So much fun though.

We went back into the chapel and each zone delivered a Christmas message and musical number. The spirit was so strong. I love that at zone conference we do training first and then we change gears and focus on the Savior and what we are really striving to become. I love that and it really helps me to keep in perspective what my purpose really is as a missionary.

Miracle Time -

So Friday night we stopped by the Fry/Welty home to invite Riley to come to church. Right when we got there he asked "When can I get my head dunked in water?" We told him he needed to come to church and he replied "I know." We had him read Moroni 6:5-6 and we were talking we noticed that he was looking at the pictures at the beginning and so we asked his Grandma if he had his own Book of Mormon? She said no because she has a lot of copies so he has been reading out of that. We asked Riley if he would like to keep that Book of Mormon? He got so excited and he turned to a random page in Jacob and said oh this is a good scripture and started reading. He also wanted scripture markers and sticky notes. Keep in mind this kid just turned 8! We asked him how he could know if the Book of Mormon is true and he replied "At the end of the lesson I want to pray and ask if the Book of Mormon is true!" Seriously so adorable and he did pray! He is the sweetest kid and we also told him that we have a Book of Mormon coloring book if he came to church and he got even more excited. Sadly his dad from Oregon picked him and his brothers up for the weekend last minute and so he wasn't able to come to church. So sad but he should be able to come next week. 

So on Saturday the mission had "Festival of Finding" where we went out tracting and contacting from 10am-5pm. We got together with a couple of sisters and starting out in Surprise Lake where I was companions with Sister Erickson for 2 hours. It was basically like we were white washing - not knowing the area. We picked a street and before we got out I said that I had a Spanish pamphlet just in case. Sister Erickson said I have a Russian one that I have always wanted to give out. We talked and we said we are going to find a Russian family today. I also had a prompting to carry The Family a Proclamation to the World with me. The first house we knocked on was a family that was super nice and said we could come back. The second house we knocked on had a scripture on the door in a different language. We looked at each other and said what if it was Russian?! A 16 year old boy answered so we asked him and he told us RUSSIAN! We taught him the Restoration and he prayed at the end of the lesson. His family is very involved in their church but he said we could come back when his family was home. So cool that we found a Russian family. The third house we knocked on was ANOTHER RUSSIAN FAMILY!!! Holy smokes! We taught the mom and she was looking for a different church. She kept talking about her family and how much she wanted to feel closer to Christ. We started teaching her and I gave her the Family Proclamation and set up a return appointment. I couldn't believe we found 2 Russian families in the first hour of finding. It was such a miracle. 

The next two hours we spent in Sumner. I was with Sister Hammond and we were driving through downtown and it started to snow a little bit. We said we felt like we were in a Hallmark movie. Sister Hammond said "Sumner is Hallmark!" I totally agree, haha. We were able to find a few potential investigators - which was great. Then the last 2 hours we met up with the Hermanas in South Hill. We split up into groups of 4 and went Christmas caroling! It was so much fun. I was with Sisters Hammond, Bowman, and Hermana Reed (who is Kara Reed's cousin - Kara went to Cottonwood). The first house we sang to was a Hispanic family. Hermana Reed started teaching them in Spanish as the rest of us smiled...they told her they could come back and teach them. She told us that that never happens. We caroled to about 10-12 other houses. We also passed out the Living Christ as a Christmas present. A lot of people said we could come back. It was amazing to see how people's hearts were softened by Christmas carols. One man was smoking outside and we asked if we could sing him a song and he said let me go get my daughters. It was so neat and we are planning on going Christmas caroling on Christmas eve and day. 

Those are some of the highlights of the week. I am so grateful to be an instrument in the Lord's hands. It is amazing what the Lord can do. 

Merry Christmas! So excited to talk to you this week. 

Love you,

Sister Wynder

Pictures from the "Festival of Finding"

 

The "snowstorm" in Washington

This is a picture someone posted on the mission Facebook page from the zone conference/Christmas devotional