Pioneers

How are you all doing!? I hope you are all doing great. (: 

So this week we had interviews with the President.  I like President Frandsen a lot.  I especially love sister Frandsen.  She is the bestttt. Seriously, she is so cute.  Mom and dad.. I guess she started a parents facebook page for parents of the missionaries here? you should find it.

We also had Zone Training this week, which was great!  We gave a training.  Fun stuff.  You know, giving trainings has actually kind of grown on me. 

I went on an exchange with Hna McCarthy! I don't know if you remember, but she was in my zone when I was first STL, now she is in my zone again! We were in her area, so it was fun because I got to meet a bunch of her spanish branch. (:

Okay the weekend was definitely the highlight of our week. Saturday we had a stake picnic! For Pioneer day! It was soooo fun. I love Pioneer day. (:  Us missionaries were in charge of some of the booths and stuff. it was really fun.  There were tons of members there, and we had 2 less actives and 4 investigators there! So that was really exciting for us. and all but one of those people were spanish. (:  I will have pictures next week hopefully.

Then Sunday was awesome!! We had 5 less actives at church!! and some of our investigators! Ah it was so exciting. Also, then we had Por Que Yo Creo!!! So fun. I saw a bunch of people from San Mateo. (: it was awesome !(:  

That's pretty much it.  Oh also! So the Medinas are this cute old peruvian couple in our ward. They are AWESOME. seriously, I love them so much. haha(:  Anyway, So Hna Medina has been praying for missionary opportunities for a long time.  She always tells us about how much she wants to share the gospel.  Well she invited her neighbor to come over for us to watch the restoration!!!! So awesome! Her neighbor is now our investigator! Her name is Celina, and she is from Portugal! So she speaks Portuguese but since it's so close to spanish, she knows spanish pretty well too.  So we teach her, since there are no portuguese missionaries.  But we watched the restoration in Portuguese!  It was so awesome! She has a lot of struggles right now , so it will be good to work with her.  Ah I am just so amazed.  See everyone! If you pray for missionary opportunities and really act on your impressions.. it will happen!!! I challenge you all to pray for a way you can share this amazing gospel.  

I love this church so much. Thank you for all you do to support me!

Hermana Stokes

1:we went bowling last week as a district. it was fun. (:

2. me and my comp before the picnic!

3. our recent converts doing the pie eating contest. (: love them.

Por Que Yo Creo.(: Saw Angel. and Sergio.. but hes not in the pic. 

heres my zone after zone training! 

The sisters are back

Okay so Brentwood is HOT.  

But also, it's great! It's honestly weird being in an English ward because it reminds me a lot of home... its weird. but one thing I love about it is getting fed every single day!!! and american food!!!! i missed good homemade american food so much. also, we are having a huge pioneer day picnic this week. so yeah.. english ward has its perks.(:

But I still get to spend a lot of time with spanish people! Our group is small, but it's there. So like we go to classes still in spanish on Sundays. I'm happy about that part.  We have a lot of spanish investigators too! It's about half and half.  So it's good. (:  Ha everyone here is impressed with my spanish.  It's cool because the last two areas at the beginning I was still pretty new.. but now I'm not so new anymore. 

I love being with Hna Hilton again!!! she is so great. And I already love my zone!! yay Antioch zone.  Life is really good.  I love the mission so much.  We teach soooooooo many lessons here. It's a big difference from San Mateo.  I miss San Mateo so much.. But I know that this change was good for me.  Our apartment is amazing!!! We have roommates! The Tongan sisters. (: So that's fun.  But yeah I have like no time today, I'm sorry! Have a good week! I love you all!!!! 

The Church is true. (: 

pic #1: transfer van!! woo fun ride. 

#2&3... so in case you were wondering what brentwood looks like.... hahahahahahaa yeah i lilterallly switched sides of the mission. I went from the city to the country. I love it though!!!!! I love smaller towns sooo much better. Not all of brentwood is like this. there are neighborhoods and stuff. there are 3 wards in brentwood! But it's like lehi... it used to be a teeennnnnyyyy town.. then in 2009 it started growing. (: so yeah, its a nice area. (: i prefer this over the city. 

Hermana Stokes

we went to the farmers market and chalked a little. it was fun. (:

I left my heart in San Francisco......

So as you can see.. I left.. or I'm leaving.. my heart in San Francisco.  Meaning I am being transferred.  Ahhhh so many feelings.  But I know it is good, I think I am ready to leave. (:  I have been in the El Camino ward for 9 months now.  I think they are sick of me.  But I am so grateful to have spent half my mission on the San Francisco peninsula.  I love it so much here.  I am being transferred to the other side.. like the way other side.. meaning the edge of the mission!!! I am going to brentwood.  And guess who my companion is!?!??!?! HERMANA HILTON!!!!!! We are being put back together!!!!! Oh my goodness I am so excited about that part!!!!!!!! But yeah, I will be in the Brentwood 1st ward.  It is an English ward... with a Spanish group.  I don't know how that will be yet. I will let you know.  I'm honestly really scared to be in an English ward again.  Plus, we are the only missionaries in the ward, and I've never had that.  So that will be weird.  But I am trusting God, I know that this is part of his plan.  I am really excited.  But the thing is... its HOT THERE. LIKE DEATH HOT. it's over 100 all the time.  I may melt.  But it's okay, God knows what I can handle!(:

This week was really great!!! We had MLC with President Frandsen! It was cool.  There are already so many differences.  Not too many, you can just tell that they are different people.  But yeah it's crazy!!! It is a really cool experience that I am so grateful to have.

The only other things I really have to talk about is goodbyes.  So I found out Saturday morning that I was leaving because President called me.  It was really nice to know early so I could have an extra day to say goodbyes.  When I told Sergio, he cried.  Oh man it was so sad! Angel was really upset as well and said he will just move to Brentwood. (:  haha I love them.  Everyone was sad, but people understand.  The ward loves me, but they know I am needed somewhere else now.  They all made me promise to go back and visit though. (:  which I will! ah I love them so much.

Okay the only other thing I have to talk about is JOSE.  Thank you so much for all your prayers for him!!!! they are working!!!! please continue, even though I am leaving the area.

So Saturday we had the most amazing lesson with him!!!!!! oh my goodness.  So we taught about missionary work. it was awesome.  the story about Abinadi blew him away.  He was really impressed and I could tell that he really is converted to the book of Mormon.  So after we finished the lesson he asked us a question. He said "is it really necessary to be baptized in order to be a member?  because I've been baptized before.. but I really want to be a member."  So we spent about 30 minutes teaching about the authority.  finally, I had the impression to show him DyC 22... even though it's really harsh.  So we showed it to him and he read it and it looked like something just clicked.  He looked up and went ooohhhh. Then I just started testifying.  I don't even know what came out of my mouth, the spirit was fully guiding me and my companion.  Then after we both testified I felt really impressed to end the lesson right there.  And what came out of my mouth kind of surprised me.  Because again, it was the spirit talking.  But we asked Jose if we could all kneel and have him pray and ask God if the church is true.  We did.  And it was a long prayer.  He asked with all of his heart what God wants him to do right now.  Jose, Angel, Sergio, and Hna Molina were all crying by the end of the prayer.  We all sat there for a second just feeling the spirit.  The spirit was so strong.  I felt impressed to ask Jose what he felt that God wanted him to do.  Jose said "he wants me to get baptized."  So we asked when and he said his birthday.  So he has a baptismal date for August 31st!!!! And I know it's really going to happen.  He truly is becoming converted.  He knows this church is true.  It was the most amazing lesson I had in my life.  AHH I am soo grateful that I had the opportunity to be a part of Jose's conversion.  Please continue praying for him and his baptismal date. 

Okay that is it! I love you all and I know this church is true. (: 

Hermana Stokes

TONS of pictures today.  this is my district!!! Half of us are getting transferred. 

1. sisters at MLC!

2. I saw sister cefalo!!!

3. Doris and Gilberto. (:

1. You can finally see Jose!! haha he's the one on the right.

2&3. throw back to the last MLC with President Meredith.  This is the whole crew. (:  Almost everyone is changed now though.

so this is sister cammans and sister astilla!

also its my zone from with President Frandsen! so you can see what he looks like. kind of an awkward picture.. oh well. he's 6'5". super awesome. i love his wife. (: they are from highland, so super close. Sister Frandsen calls me her little Lehite(: hahaha i love it.

Also, I forgot to say that with transfers, I am still a Sister Training Leader.  So I am still on mission leadership council, so I still get to see Hna Housley!(: I am just covering the Antioch and Concord zone now. (:  So yes, I am closer to concord. still forever far away though hahaha. and when I was in concord, I was in the Walnut Creek zone. just so there's no confusion. (:

Meet the President (:

So email today is shorter because we are going to san fran(: hahah so sorry if I have shorter replies. 

So this week was great!! We met President Frandsen!! He is so tall! ha and so nice.  He gave an awesome training on Work, doctrine, and faith. It was really good.  He is going to do great things for the mission. (:

We had one exchange this week!(:  it was fun! I was with Sister Cammans in our area.  She is so awesome and taught me a lot.(:

Jose met with Bishop yesterday.  Bishop said it went really well! We were really excited about that... definitely means Bishop probably changed his life.  Ha we talked to him, and he really enjoyed it. He really is coming closer to truly understanding that this is the only church.  He came to the elders baptism this past Saturday, and loved it.  Then Sunday, church was all about how this is the only true church.  He will get baptized soon. (:

Happy 4th of July!!!!!!!!!!! yay I love it.  We went to a pancake breakfast for the ward. It was fun.  Then Angel and Sergio and Marcia took us to a taqueria.  That was fun as well. (:  But then.. we couldn't see any fireworks from our window because we live at the bottom of a hill:( I was so disappointed. dang.  But yeah! It was still a good day!(:

I think that's all I have to say... Oh also.. if you are gonna write me, you should just write the mission home because transfers are next week and I think I might leave:(

Okay love you all! have a great week.  Remember the church is true.  I have it confirmed to me every day out here on the mission.  I mean but really, how could the church not be true? it just doesn't make sense that way.  I love this gospel. (:

Hermana Stokes

PS also.. I hit my year in the field this week.. that's weird. 

  pic 1: we went to a potential right by the bay.. so of course we took a picture(:

2 and 3: Thank you Ginger and Sam for the fourth of july toys.. we fully enjoyed them.

Reunions (:

So this week was great!!!! Nothing really special happened until Sunday.

except we did go on exchanges.  I had exchanges with sister heufner from logan Utah first! That was fun. I like her.(: then I went with sister Wang to Chinese land!! so fun. I love the Chinese people.  we taught English class!! that was cool.  they have English class in china town. so I went to china town for my first time! It was fun! hahaha. people in san fran are crazy. which reminds me.. I forgot to tell you all!  you should've been here when the warriors won last week. ahaha everyone was going crazy! there were fireworks. it was fun.(:

But Sunday was so great!!! because..

1. we had 3 investigators at church!!!!!!! Jose, Julio, and ROBERT!!! yeah it was a good day.(:

2. HERMANA ORANTES AND HER FAMILY ARE HERE VISITING. so I sat by her all of church and it was so great because it was like we were compis again.(:  I love her and I love her family!!! It has been fun to talk to them a little.  I actually have seen her a lot since she's been here. And I'll see her again at FHE tonight. I love it.(:

3. we have porque yo creo!!!!! which you all know.. is my favorite.  Antonia, our returning less active spoke! So that was great!! Also, I got to see a lot of people from concord!! President Cortez and his family, the sanchez family, carlos and carlitos... it was so great! They all told me how much they love me and that they want me to come back. I promised them I will visit after my mission(: ah I love reunions!!!

So yeah.. wow it's short this week sorry. Also.. President Meredith is now gone. that's weird. we get to meet our new president on Wednesday!!!

love you all!!! the mission is the best. you should try it. have a great week(:

pictures: 1. Okay this is for my grandma and grandpa stokes, and also my old roommate Abby Brinton.  SMALL WORLD.  So this is elder and sister jones.  They are a senior couple serving in my zones right now!! And turns out that Elder Jones served with Grandpa Stokes in New York.  And then... a few years after grandma and grandpa stokes were mission presidents in Wisconsin.. Elder and Sister Jones got sent there! Where.. they were mission presidents to my old roommate Abby!!! SO CRAZY. so yeah this picture is for all of you to see that I know them.(:

2. I ATE PAELLA. for the first time in forever!!! Dad remember? you always used to make this for us? idk if that's how you spell it. but yeah! Angel and Sergio took us to a Peruvian restaurant. and they had paella there! Good job dad because this paella tasted exactly like yours. that means you make it as good as the restaurants. (: it was the best, I loved it.

3. selfie after dinner with our favorite people.(: angel and Sergio.

1. me and my compi Giselle! haha weird calling her that...

2. Me and Carlos and Carlos!! I love them.

3. Me and Joselyn and Carmen Cortez! They are from concord and I missed them(:

more pictures will come next week.. I have to get pictures from orantes.. (: 

Jose and Julio and farewell to President

Okay so yeah I just have to update you a lot on Jose and Julio today. But I will do the other things first. 

We had zone conference this past week!! President's last:(((  Oh my goodness I love President and Sister Meredith so much.  At the end of the conference, we took pictures with him and all got to personally say goodbye.  It was depressing. I cried.  But it's okay, because I know everything is inspired and I know that I will love our new mission president, President Frandsen.

Last week on P day we played sand volleyball.. it was the first time I had played since I broke my thumb.. which was a year ago. No worries, I didn't break anything. Ha it was so fun.(:

We had two exchanges this week! The first I was with Sister Rounds from Logan, Utah.  She is in the Samoan program and this is her second transfer.  It was fun to see her progression. (:  I love samoan's.  Then sister Blood came to be with me in my area. We had fun together too. (: 

Okay.. now Jose.  So, we dropped his baptism date.  But no worries!  I have so much faith, I know he will get baptized. He just isn't ready yet.. he is really frusterated because he is praying tons but hasn't received an answer.  We all fasted together Saturday, ever since then he's doing a lot better.  So we still have a lot to work on, but I know he will get his answer soon.  He is still so awesome!!!! He is going to be the strongest member ever.  But really.

Julio.. we also had to drop his date.  He is still so awesome and loves the church.. but his parents said no:(  I have another Carlitos situation.  we haven't seen Julio since this happened, but hes pretty down about this all.  We plan on giving him a boost.  (:  I know everything will be okay. He's 17, so if all else fails it's not that long to have to wait till 18.  But it's so sad.  He texted us and was like "hermanas, I really do believe in the Mormon church." :((( ahh I'm so sad! I wish his parents would just give it a chance.  We plan on praying lots though.  I think they will change their mind. (:

Yep so that's it! We found a new investigator this week! Excited about that.  A lot is happening.. it's already the end of June and July is going to FLY. ah life is crazy.  I hope you all have a great week!! Love you all!!

Hermana Stokes

Pics: me and President and Sister Meredith. I already miss them!

2. selfie with Sergio. haha hes our best friend. we love him.

3. we also love angel. these two really are the best. (:

Sun Burn. (:

Thank you so much for all your responses!! I haven't read them all yet but I will update you on Jose.  He is doing so great.  Actually, he really is progressing.  We taught him a lesson this week and during it I realized that there isn't much we can do to tell him to choose one church.  What I realized is that we just need to work on helping him convert to this church, and once he does that, the Lord will take care of the rest.  Actually, he will take care of the conversion too so as you can see it's really all in the Lord's hands.  So we have plans to keep doing all that we can do, and to trust Heavenly Father's plan for him.  If he is supposed to get baptized June 27th, he will.  If not, I know he will get baptized one day.  Not one doubt in my mind. But right now I still have faith for the 27th. (:  He really does love this gospel.  He LOVES reading the scriptures.  he reads all his assignments 2+times.  it's amazing. Then he calls us and asks for another chapter.  This week we taught him about fasting and he is going to fast this week to see if this is the true church.  We are praying a lot and we really have faith in this fast, we know it will help him if he goes in with true desires.

also... JULIO HAS A BAPTISM DATE!!!! Oh my gosh we had the most amazing lesson with him.  It was actually during an exchange, I was with Hermana Abernethy, (hna vargas trainee) and we taught lesson 2.  We were talking about life on earth when Julio asks "what do I have to do to get baptized, just repent? how do I do that?"  we answered his question and then we asked if he wants to be baptized.  He smiled and said yes and we asked why and he answered. "When I go to my other church I don't feel the spirit. And I don't even know why I am there.  But in this church I feel the spirit. And I know why I go.  I feel like I have a purpose there. "  !!!! sooo amazing.  oh my goodness.  He really is excited and even though he has a lot more to learn, he asked to get baptized on june 28th!!!! so we have plans to teach him a lot these next two weeks.  He is very excited for his best friend to baptize him.  MIRACLES.  Julio is so prepared.

Yeah so we had 2 exchanges with week! the first with hna abernethy.. she is so awesome. Actually, we have so much in common.  It was really funny.  It starts out that she is from Alpine.. and it keeps going as far as our favorite foods. I love her and really enjoyed Thursday with her. (: The other exchange I went to tongan area with sister Lile from tonga.  It was really fun!! It was also really hot.. and they don't have a car.  Yeah actually San Mateo turned out to be a lot hotter in the summer than I expected... 90's every day.  so still not as bad as the other side.. but hot. sooo in result.. after walking all day with sister lile in the sun.. my neck is sooo sun burnt.  (: haha its funny, I never thought I would get sunburnt on my mission since there is no swimming. (: But it did. it's all good though. I was really excited.  Although, we don't have A/C.  IT IS SO HOT ALL THE TIME.  which isn't too bad because at least it cools down at night so we can open the window.. and we aren't home much during the day.  But for weekly planning, when we are home all day planning.. it turned out to be the worst ever. so hot. thank goodness for our fan. yep. I already am excited for winter. (:

Love you all!! have a great week!! the church is true.

Hermana Stokes

pics:1. Hna Hilton is now STL in brentwood!!! so I saw her at MLC.  I love her so much!!

2. Me and my comp at MLC. (:

3. I got a Lei while I was in the tongan program on Saturday. I was excited. (:  

Selfie time (:

Exchanges with Hermana Abernathy