PEACHES

Hi everyone! We are going to the temple tomorrow!!!!!!! So no worries when I don't email you back... I will email you tomorrow. (:  

Life is good here in the mission.  I love it so much! Peaches are in season and we have a member who lets us come and pick them from her tree.  I have eaten so many peaches and cream. I love it.

Went on 2 exchanges this week! I stayed for both.  The first was with Sister Brown from all over.. her dad is in the air force.  It was awesome!  The second was with Sister Su, a new missionary from taiwan.  It was good. (: I love exchanges.  I only have to do 6 over here. It's nice. (:

Okay so let me tell you about our investigators, the Montiels.  They are so awesome.  But do any of you remember the garcia's from concord? they remind me of them.  Ha They have been learning forever about the church.  And Hermano Montiel still doesn't believe in the book of mormon.  He straight up told us that the other day.  So we are working with that.  But they are so awesome! We had an awesome lesson where we invited them to be baptized.. and they denied.  But  I see them progressing! THEY CAME TO CHURCH!!!!! that was a huge step. We were so excited.  They are really the best. It makes me so frustrated sometimes though because I feel like they know it's true, they just won't admit it.  But we will continue working with them.

Okay the last thing I want to talk about is Church.  Oh my goodness yesterday was amazing.  we had 7 less actives, and 4 investigators at church!!!!!! It was so amazing.  I was getting all emotional during sacrament meeting.  Because I was looking around at all the less actives coming.  It was amazing.  I think that has been one of the greatest blessings on my mission, seeing less actives being reminded of the happiness this gospel brings.  One family, the Alves, came.  And she was so happy.  I can't even explain the joy she brought.  You could just tell that she felt like she had returned home, and she had never even been to this ward before.  But as we ran around grabbing her visiting teachers and stuff, they immediately came and hugged her and welcomed her.  It was so amazing to see. I love this church.  Then I was sitting during the Sacrament watching them all take the sacrament.  Just pure joy, as they had the opportunity to remember the sacred covenants they had made with their Heavenly Father. It is so amazing.  It just reminded me how pure the love of Christ is.  Some of these people have been gone for 10+ years.  Yet when they come back, the atonement is still available for them.  Christ is still there for them.  No matter what we do, no matter how lost we are.. We can ALWAYS come back.  Always.  And the cool thing, is we don't need to wait for the missionaries to help us. Or we can be like Jacquie, and call the missionaries and ask them to come over and convince her to come to church.  Ha I love Jacquie so much.  But yeah, I dont know guys. I am just loving this gospel, and I feel like I can't explain it into words for you all.  But I love this gospel so much.  I am so grateful for the Atonement.  I am so grateful for grace. I am so grateful that we have the source of true happiness! Can you believe that?!?! We have the source.  You know I think if more people realized that, they would accept the invitation to come.  Because this is the source of true happiness.  And if you want to be even happier, go share the gospel.  I promise you, as a representative of Jesus Christ, that you will be happier when you share the gospel.  Whether it is with a nonmember, or a less active.. lo que sea! Serving others is when that happiness comes. I was thinking about that yesterday during fast and testimony meeting.  Everyone was bearing testimonies about missionaries and missionary work.  I was thinking about how badly I don't want my time to end as a missionary ever.  I don't want my time to end as being someone who helps less actives come back.  But then it hit me that that never has to end! Hello people, that's why we have visiting teaching! And home teaching for men!  So I made a mental goal to always do my visiting teaching.  Because that is one of the best ways to fulfill our baptismal covenant, and mourn with those that mourn.  We can love the ones we serve and help them feel the love of God.  We can remember where they can find the source of true happiness.

Okay that is all, sorry, just a lot of emotions in me right now. (: I love you all! Have a great week. (:  Go to the temple, like I am going to!(:

Hermana Stokes

No pictures this week.. ha so we took a selfie. (:

yay for temple trip!! i looooved it.

also.... we made pie at a members house for service yesterday. mom i made pie crust! so great haha. (: 

love you all have a great week!