tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53513104674634315982024-03-12T21:04:13.736-07:00Elder Stonely Goes to the Bible Belt!"I hope they call me on a mission, when I have grown a foot or two..." oh wait, I did grow a foot or two and was called on a mission...to Florida Tallahassee Spanish Speaking for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Join me as I start the best two years of my life!Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-87600619166431598802017-05-29T12:16:00.000-07:002017-06-01T12:17:17.401-07:00Week 102: Sweet Home Alabama!!!Dear Friends and Family,
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I
got transfer calls and the ZLs told me I was going home!! So I asked
them if I was going to Alabama again because that's what the song says!!!
PSYCH, Utah will have to do :)</div>
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A
lot of mixed emotions leaving the place I've called home for two years.
At the beginning, I thought it would go on for ever and that the mission
was what I would call life! It definitely has treated me well, though I'm not too good at saying goodbyes. And there was definitely a lot of
hard goodbyes this past week with those whom I have come to love
tremendously. I am grateful for the past and optimistic about the
future! I thank everyone for everything they have done for me in
providing support and love in every moment! I truly love you all!</div>
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Welp, mom, I will see you Thursday :) I love you lots!</div>
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Elder Stonely</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, I'm still crazy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMcOpTEO0ysYxp6IXC9wdNZwfXDfTe4mmzvq7C3QxZcFjiiu9QwBLBzST_8ig-5QPP2rwncCyrBpfD3kkooUfoHwFsUX8ISKihXqUmcwz8v7lhkw2OncijcY25MS5xzEwR4YVmssPgLy1/s1600/IMG_3050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMcOpTEO0ysYxp6IXC9wdNZwfXDfTe4mmzvq7C3QxZcFjiiu9QwBLBzST_8ig-5QPP2rwncCyrBpfD3kkooUfoHwFsUX8ISKihXqUmcwz8v7lhkw2OncijcY25MS5xzEwR4YVmssPgLy1/s320/IMG_3050.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and I like to take pictures with watermelons...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But lots of people still love me.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good bye, everyone...I'll miss you all!!!</td></tr>
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Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-53543495250537060322017-05-22T12:38:00.001-07:002017-05-22T12:38:13.971-07:00Week 101: Breaking Down WallsDear friends and family,
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This week I learned this,</div>
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"There is no wall you cant...</div>
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...walk around,</div>
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...jump over,</div>
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...dig under,</div>
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...break through,</div>
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...or push aside."</div>
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As I sat reflecting on many things from the past week, that thought
came to mind. There are many problems, issues, adversities and things
pertaining to this earth life that are in our daily walk of
discipleship. As I thought back on everything that I've gone through,
I've realized that there has been a solution to everything. And If there
hasn't, then it wasn't that important and I was able to push it aside
trusting in the Lord. I have felt at peace knowing that through the
Atonement of the Lord, we receive strength and peace throughout all the
learning opportunities that the Lord blesses us with daily, weekly,
yearly and for the rest of our lives. Some of the WORST, yet BEST advice
that I have received from people this past week is that trials will
only continue to come if not get bigger. HAHA Not sure that is something
anyone wants to hear, though I feel glad that my learning doesn't stop
here. I guess that is what we have life for :) So, I guess the thought
of the week is that if you feel like you are stuck with a wall in front
of you, find out how to jump over, dig under, have the patience to walk
around, the strength to push through, or simply just put it aside and
keep going through :) I love you all so much and am so very grateful for
the many blessings that you all have given to me in my life! I wish you
all the best of luck in all your journeys!</div>
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Elder Stonely</div>
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Here are some cool pictures :) Its been a while...</div>
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Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-19517795496961296552017-05-15T12:56:00.000-07:002017-05-22T12:56:16.686-07:00Week 100: Mothers DayDear Friends and Family,
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BIG NEWS!!! It was mothers day for all y'all who said happy mothers
day to your mom and then have now gone back to normal life since mothers
day is over. Mothers deserve to be told that they are loved every day,
so for those of you who don't, (me), please repent and do it every day! I
love you mom!</div>
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Well we had a week full a crazy adventures! We have done some fun
things, missionary work, mothers day party, talking to lots of people
including someone named "alfredo." He is from Cuba, and has been in the
united states for only a year. He is very friendly and doesn't know
anything about the gospel. Literally knows only that there is a god. BUT
hey! Thats a start! He has one up on King Lamoni. It has been very
exciting to be able to teach him. We taught him about prayer. Literally,
we had a lesson just on prayer. It felt like we were teaching a kid,
though felt amazing cause he understood EVERYTHING!! and said a
wonderful prayer at the end. I felt like a proud spiritual dad of
Alfredo. We are totally friends now!</div>
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Other than this, we are still working hard! WE are eating lots of Hispanic food and learning how to cook it. And its going well :) I hope
you all have a good week this week!</div>
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Elder Stonely</div>
Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-18919184170546311162017-05-08T12:58:00.000-07:002017-05-22T12:59:08.603-07:00Week 99Dear Friends and Family,
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This week flew by really fast. We did lots of great missionary work
as always! I got sick which wasn't the best, but I'm getting back up to
normal energy levels and am ready to fight the world again! We met with
an investigator for a lesson about 45 minutes before a meal appointment
with a member. When we showed up, they had prepared "mole" which is
AMAZING! its like chicken and rice with a chocolate/spicy sauce. It is
pretty darn good if i say so myself. HAHAHAHA so, we ate dinner with an
investigator as well as with the members after. HAHA It was amazing!</div>
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Life is going great! We went to sonic and enjoyed a shake one
night. And we have been doing great! I hope you all have a wonderful
week this next week!</div>
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Elder Stonely</div>
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Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-47082427933191486082017-05-01T12:59:00.000-07:002017-05-22T12:59:57.443-07:00Week 98: YupDear Friends and Family,
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This was an amazing week. To be honest, it flew by way faster than
what I thought it would be. We did a lot of service, worked hard, found
some new investigators, went on a trade off with the DL and was really
fun. </div>
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Super sorry for the short email. Just know I love you all! I'm
thankful for all you do! Remember the Lord loves you forever and always
and that he blesses you as you strive to become like him daily! Happy
Anniversary mom and dad!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Elder Stonely</div>
Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-91674875120933029192017-04-25T08:02:00.000-07:002017-04-27T08:02:23.019-07:00Week 97: :D<div class="_rp_N4 ms-font-weight-regular ms-font-color-neutralDark rpHighlightAllClass rpHighlightBodyClass" id="Item.MessageUniqueBody" tabindex="0">
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Dear Friends and Family,<br />
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I think the subject of this email fits perfectly. We should all have
reasons to put a smile on our face every day. Despite circumstances and
despite how bad you think you have it. The Savior, Jesus Christ made it
possible for every child of God to be happy and feel joy every second of
every day. That I am truly grateful for. <br />
<br /></div>
This week I received my new companion. His name is Elder Cornforth. He
is from Ogden Utah. He likes to Rodeo and from what I've seen in pics,
he is pretty good at it too! He is tall, and very friendly. He is my 8th
companion that I have had on my mission and something that I have
learned is that no words can describe the amazing characteristics that
our companions have. I wish everyone who reads this would have the
opportunity to meet my companions in person because it becomes so real. I
am grateful for the chance that I have to serve for six weeks with
Elder Cornforth! He has a desire to work hard, move forward, and
continue onward with faith and diligence! I am definitely grateful.<br />
<br /></div>
Im going to be honest, this week, from the moment Elder Cornforth has
gotten here, we have been running around like monkeys with our heads cut
off. We had so much to do, many service opportunities, and lots of
missionary work. I don't think I have ever felt so happy being so
stressed in my life! HAHA For those of you who know me, I don't do well
with stress. Ive gotten better at dealing with it over the last two
years, and I think this week was definitely the test. Though the
blessings from working hard truly come in! Here is an experience that we
had this past week.<br />
<br /></div>
We had lost contact with Gloria for about 2 weeks previous. She is the
single mother with 5 kids who recently moved into a new home. We had no
idea where she moved, and she wasn't answering her telephone. On Friday,
we had planned to go visit some potentials, which we did and when we
were about to head to another place, we decided to talk to one more
neighbor. After talking with them, we headed out. As we were driving
home, I noticed a car that looked just like the one Gloria used to
drive. I sat there thinking, "hmmmm..." I then felt like we should
follow the car, so I told Elder Cornforth who was driving, " FOLLOW THAT
CAR!" So he did... I'm not a stalker or anything, but they pulled into a
gas station. I wanted to make sure it was her, so i told elder
Cornforth to pretend like he was buying gas. he pulled up next to her
and I saw a darker man driving the car. I was a little bummed and said, "
its not her..." so he started to drive away, but then I saw a "bun" or
whatever ladies call their hair when it looks like a bun, on the persons
head in the passenger seat. It was her!!! So I told Elder Cornforth to
pull over and talk to her. So we did. She was happy to see us. She hadn't
been able to text us back because it had been a stressful week with
everyone and her new house, and appliances, work and all but said that
she had been reading what we gave her and we set something up for the
next week. <br />
<br /></div>
Now for most people that may not be that TOO big of a miracle. But for
me in that moment, it was something that Lord was showing to us that he
was listening to us and blessing our lives. He is here. He listens. And
He loves every single one of us. I know that as we seek him and his guidance, he will bless our lives. I am so very grateful for all I have
been given! And that you all for the many things that you have given to
me and the much support! I love you all! <br />
<br /></div>
Elder Stonely</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new companion, Elder Cornforth.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgxdZQRKrSCOR_ZUPu0aY7MNlsgV8qCOJLGl60-i6h3ULJJpbwxLGqthQj6YzN_TW3q5H1TFunfgLTpmnFoP2i7fkVMz8qobslu2KPB1_lb9Jy615WIZY0wn8GEG9f19ET2UiCFcIRCCA/s1600/IMG_2986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgxdZQRKrSCOR_ZUPu0aY7MNlsgV8qCOJLGl60-i6h3ULJJpbwxLGqthQj6YzN_TW3q5H1TFunfgLTpmnFoP2i7fkVMz8qobslu2KPB1_lb9Jy615WIZY0wn8GEG9f19ET2UiCFcIRCCA/s320/IMG_2986.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thats right, he's got 8-10 inches on me!</td></tr>
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</span>Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-20968819914262589202017-04-17T07:55:00.000-07:002017-04-27T07:56:48.384-07:00Week 96: Hey!Dear Friends and Family,
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This email will be a short one, I do apologize. This week is
transfer weeks! Elder Leandro and I will be leaving each other. It was
three of the fastest transfers ever if i\I might say so myself. Elder
Leandro will be leaving Tallahassee and heading out to Defuniak,
wherever that is, HAHA. And I will be here in Tallahassee with my new
companion, Elder Cornforth. I have no information on him other than his
current companion is elder Orndorff. So together they are "Elder
Cornforth and Orndorff" HAHA. That's pretty cool. I'm excited to spend
the next six weeks here in Tallahassee and enjoy the Hispanic Culture! I
am also grateful for the countless opportunities that I have to serve
those around me!</div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span class="contextualExtensionHighlight ms-font-color-themePrimary ms-border-color-themePrimary ident_735_908" role="button" tabindex="0">"I
love it when I go to Easter Sunday and everyone is soooo happy and
smiley and its like everyone is hyped on jelly beans and chocolate eggs
but I wish everyday was Easter!</span>"</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;">-Credit to Elder Carpenter</span></div>
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Well, He read my mind on Easter Sunday! I really do enjoy Easter Sunday and Hope you all did too! There is nothing better than Constantly
thinking about the Amazing gift our Heavenly Father gave us. His son,
who was born, lived, taught us, carried out the Atonement, died and was resurrected so that we could have Eternal Life and Joy. I love you all
and cant wait to talk to you next week! Much love,</div>
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Elder Stonely</div>
Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-39381241969664727712017-04-10T08:14:00.000-07:002017-04-12T08:14:47.428-07:00Week 95Hello Dear Friends and Family,
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I love you all so dearly! Thank you for all of your support and
love. Missionaries tremendously feel it that is for sure. Missionary
work is going great! We are knocking doors, teaching investigators and
sharing our testimonies! There truly is no greater work than this. </div>
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This week I would like to share with you all my thoughts from this
week. Elder Rasband in General Conference talked about following
spiritual promptings and this week we saw one of those spiritual
promptings.</div>
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This week we had an experience where we had a lot of people and
places to go. It was Sunday after church and as the events of the day rolled out, we noticed that a lot of them were falling through. I
remember in our planning session during the morning, the last person we
had put on our list was a potential to try to visit. We had attempted
to go by a couple times before with no success, and this was going to be
our last time trying her for a while. We knocked and Deisy, the
potential, answered the door. I was pretty excited and glad that she
answered! First cause she has my moms name, she just spells it differently, and secondly, she was home! We were able to talk to her
and then set up a return appointment. Where she lives, is a neighborhood
where the majority of the people are African American. So we didn't think
that we were going to find many people there. Though, we thought we
should ask Deisy if she knew if any of her neighbors spoke Spanish. At
first she said no, but then remembered that there were two across the
street in a little hidden neighborhood. We were pretty excited so we
went to go try them! Long story short, we talked with a lady named Marta
who is from Honduras, which by the way is my favorite country behind
the united states. HAHA And we talked with her for about 30 minutes and
set up a return apt. That may be pretty normal for most missionaries,
and it should be. Thought for us, on this Sunday, Marta was the end of
many spiritual promptings starting during planning, talking with Deisy,
asking for referrals and doing what missionaries should do. I wouldn't say
I receive many HUGE spiritual promptings, though I know that the spirit
guides us with thoughts and feelings throughout the day and if they are
uplifting and good, they are of the spirit and we should follow them
"for we know not what lies in our path." </div>
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I am grateful for the constant blessings that I receive daily as
well as the opportunity I have to share my testimony with everyone!
Again, thank you so much for all of your prayers and thoughts! Happy Easter to all of you! And ill send you all my love from the great city
of Tallahassee :)</div>
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<br /></div>
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Elder Stonely</div>
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Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-55310555385482333442017-04-03T05:25:00.000-07:002017-04-06T05:28:40.669-07:00Week 94<div class="_rp_N4 ms-font-weight-regular ms-font-color-neutralDark rpHighlightAllClass rpHighlightBodyClass" id="Item.MessageUniqueBody" tabindex="0">
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Dear Friends and Family,
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Conference was great! I felt inspired to work on Family History and
improve my personal testimony on the Plan of Salvation. I learned a lot
from conference but I don't want to type it out cause this week is going
to be a long email. HAHA</div>
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This weeks email comes from a dear experience we had on Monday night.</div>
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We were headed home from an appointment and there is a Hispanic
Store that sells a specific type of cookie that is used to make what we
call a "Carlota." Two of the missionaries in our district were
celebrating their Birthdays this week so we decided to prepare and buy
the cookies. These cookies are normally sold in a package of a 4 pack
which is sold for 3 dollars. We pulled into the store, walked in and
went to where the cookies were located. They didn't have the normal box
of 4, but they did have individually sold packs. Each pack was 1 dollar.
So i had for, thus the cost was 4 dollars. It was towards the end of
the month, so I had only 2 dollars on my card. When I went into the
story I brought in 3 dollars and 25 cents of coins in order to buy what
we needed. In total, I had about $5. My plan was to use the cash, then
pay the extra dollar with the card. Though as many of you have
experienced before, in smaller stores, there is a "card limit" where in
order to pay with a card, you have to spend a maximum of $3-5. This is
exactly what happened to me. I went to the desk to checkout, gave her
the $3 in Coins that I had and told her I was going to pay the rest with
my card. The total came out to be $4.26. I as really nervous because I
did not have that amount on the card, and the card limit was $3. I could
not pay with cash or card alone and was stuck. I was about to tell the
cashier I would have to come back when a lady behind us jumped in
putting $1 on the table. Rushing through her purse, she asked the
cashier how much more I needed. The Cashier replied, "26 cents." The
Lady behind us did not have a smaller bill then ten, so she pulled out a
ten, handed it to the cashier and said, "break it." I stood in
Amazement with my jaw wide open feeling quite indebted to her. I had a
strong desire to pay her back every penny of the $1.26 cents that I
lacked. I had only said hello to this lady as she walked in, and she
knew not one thing of me. Yet, she willingly went out of her way to make
up for my missing $1.26. In fact, she went the extra mile even when she
had to pay 10 in order to make up for the last 26 cents. In shock, we
thanked her tremendously, and headed out the door. We got int the car
and headed home.</div>
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The whole car ride home I could not get rid of the feeling that I
had to pay back the $1.26 she had freely given to me. I had the desire
to go back to the store and wait for her the next day with the money so I
could pay her back. She had said she goes every day after work. </div>
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In that very moment, my thoughts turned to my savior. Shouldn't I
have this same desire to pay my Savior back every day for his
charitable, priceless act of Love, sacrifice and redemption? I realized
that just like that woman who i knew nothing about had freely payed my
lacking $1.26 for me, the savior had done likewise. A man I know not
face to face, had paid the eternal debt brought on from personal sin and
affliction. He has suffered for my pains and sorrows. He stands behind
me in this eternal line waiting to succor my individual needs. When we
slip up and make a mistake, or when we feel sorrow or sadness, our
Savior and redeemer stands in line behind us with our lacking $1.26
spiritual dollars that we need to be freed from our guilt and spiritual
captivity. In reality, the saviour is not just paying for what we lack,
he has paid for everything and is our support and rock every minute of
every day. Without him we are as King Benjamin states, "...ye are even
as much as the dust of the earth." Mosiah 2:25 All he asks of us as a
payment for what he has so freely given to us is that we have faith in
him, repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, endure to the end and
keep his commandments. He wants us to use his atoning power so he can
bless us.</div>
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Pondering that thought, I realized the great importance it is for
us to be grateful for what He has done and then to go out and serve,
keeping his laws and blessing the lives of others so that one day, we
will be able to pay him back a portion of what he has given to us. There
should not be a day that goes by where we forget our Savior, redeemer
and Kind. I am eternally indebted to Him for what he has done for me. </div>
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I know Jesus Christ lives. I know He loves us. I know we can be
happy and feel of His joy as we repent daily. I know that Joseph Smith
was a prophet of god and I know because of what he did we have a living
prophet, prophet Thomas S. Monson. I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ has
been restored and that we can receive complete joy in every
circumstance as we strive to live by it. </div>
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I am grateful for all you do constantly for us missionaries. I wish you all an amazing week!</div>
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Elder Stonely</div>
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P.S. Happy Easter to all out there!!! I love you all!</div>
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</span>Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-18621324529790454202017-03-27T05:28:00.000-07:002017-04-06T05:29:00.527-07:00Week 93Dear Friends and Family,
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If you didn't notice i didn't send this email last week, I forgive
you for not thinking of me. HAHA I am totally kidding. I couldn't help
but put that line in there. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Last week we were unable to finish writing our emails due to
certain circumstances, so I decided to write this weeks email on a paper
and then type it today! So this week there will be two weekly emails
from your favorite elder in Tallahassee Florida!</div>
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<div>
I know I've never been very good at giving details of my day to day
routine as a missionary, though it could be because my memory is not
the best. THough my simple spiritual thought for today comes from our
investigator Gloria. Gloria is a single mom with % kids. SHe lives with
her sister, who is also a single mom with five kids, who both live
together in a small double wide trailer. Whenever one sister is working,
the other is at home with the 10 kids. I dont think I have to say much
for all of you to know that her life is rough, hard, stressful, busy and
frightening. Despite her circumstances, Gloria shows an extreme amount
of faith, hope and Charity. SHe constantly expresses her great faith in
the Lord and her hope for a better future for her kids. As we visited
with her I noticed one thing in particular about the way she secretly
shows her charity. That is through her faithful and meaningful prayers.
We were following up with her to see if she read the Book of Mormon and
prayed about it. She had read, and had prayed, but felt a little guilty
because she had not thought very directly about the BOM in her prayers.
She said she had fallen asleep praying and that it often happens as she
prays for other people. She shared with us how in her prayers, she prays
for her kids, then for everyone else who she meets throughout her day. I
thought to myself, if my personal prayers were the same and if I was
truly praying for others. LEts just say I made the commitment to do
better. That day I learned from Gloria not only should we pray for
people, but we should have more charity towards everyone and do as many
wise friends have told me, "look at them through Christs eyes."</div>
<div>
As I focus on looking at those around me through my Saviors eyes, I
stop criticising them and start seeing their true identity of a child
of god, a brother, and a human with unique characteristics that god had
given them. I hope to never forget to have charity towards others and
look at them through Christs eyes~!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I thank you all for being tremendous support and examples for me! And I wish you all a wonderful week!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Elder Stonely</div>
Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-64612133430837012882017-03-20T08:37:00.000-07:002017-03-24T08:46:42.281-07:00Week 92: YUP!<div class="_rp_N4 ms-font-weight-regular ms-font-color-neutralDark rpHighlightAllClass rpHighlightBodyClass" id="Item.MessageUniqueBody" tabindex="0">
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My fellow friends and family, </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
My heart is full of love towards all of you and hope you all had a
good week as such did i. We had lots of missionary work and zone
conference to lighten our spirits! If any of you want to know specifics
of my weeks feel free to throw in a request! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I recently picked up the habbit of writing poems in my free time
so here is this weeks poem. Dont judge for bad grammar, spelling,
rhyming, or bad poetry in general. I obviously didnt pay too much
attention to my school teachers. HAHA Though I hope you enjoy it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>My Shadows Path:</b></span>
<br />
<div>
By Elder Riley Paul Stonely<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I once walked through</div>
<div>
A dreary way.</div>
<div>
There was no sun</div>
<div>
There was no ray.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I could not see</div>
<div>
Nor cared to know</div>
<div>
My every step</div>
<div>
Or way to go.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I told myself</div>
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There was no end,</div>
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Nor happiness,</div>
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Nor any friend.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Though said to me </div>
<div>
Along my way</div>
<div>
A secret phrase</div>
<div>
As not to stray.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There was a friend</div>
<div>
Who cared to be</div>
<div>
A loving heart</div>
<div>
That shared with me.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You will perceive </div>
<div>
What cant be seen</div>
<div>
Through Christ the Lord</div>
<div>
He'll be your beam.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I now walk not</div>
<div>
By fear alone</div>
<div>
For I have one</div>
<div>
Whom I can phone.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
His name be Savior, </div>
<div>
Reedemor, King.</div>
<div>
To Him I'll praise </div>
<div>
With joy and sing.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
He is my rock</div>
<div>
With Him concrete,</div>
<div>
I will not fall</div>
<div>
Or be defeat.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I follow Him</div>
<div>
For hopes to see</div>
<div>
His grace applied</div>
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To all of me.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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I said at first </div>
<div>
I once walked through,</div>
<div>
A dreary way</div>
<div>
I now outgrew.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Behind me now</div>
<div>
Is all the wrath,</div>
<div>
I like to call</div>
<div>
My shadows path.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I don't know why i felt inspired to share that with you all, though
I hope you all know just how much your heavenly father loves each and
everyone of you. He knows you, he knows your paths, he knows your
sorrows, your pains, your joys, and success. He jumps up and down with
you as you score an A on final exams and he weeps with you through your
darkest of moments. He has provided a way to comfort you with peace and
love through His son, our savior and redeemer, Jesus Christ. We have the
Atonement within hands reach. All he asks is that we fold our arms, bow
our heads, kneel to him and offer our souls in prayer to make the
commitment to follow his sons example and strive every day to repent and
serve others so we can "always have the spirit to be with us." -D&C
20:77,79. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My fellow Brothers and Sister, do we remember to pray to him? Do we
remember to study his Holy word to receive inspiration and feel of his
love? I have a testimony of daily prayer and scripture study. That is
the way we talk and listen to him.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I love you all so very much. My heart aches knowing we are so far, yet I like Moroni have great hopes in our reunion!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"And now I, <i>Elder Stonely</i>, bid farewell unto <i>my family and friends</i>, yea and also unto my brethren whom I love, Until we shall meet <i>again</i>." -Ether 12:38</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I love you all so much! Hope you have an amazing week!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Elder Stonely</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-4687307450702376152017-03-13T07:43:00.000-07:002017-03-24T08:41:41.452-07:00Week 91: HEY :)<div class="_rp_N4 ms-font-weight-regular ms-font-color-neutralDark rpHighlightAllClass rpHighlightBodyClass" id="Item.MessageUniqueBody" tabindex="0">
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.79px;">Dear Friends and Family,</span></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.79px;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.79px;">This past week has been one to remember. Though... isn't every week one to remember? I think yes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.79px;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.79px;">We had an
opportunity to meet with an investigator about 2 months ago. She was
just a potential and we were planning on working with her though we
weren't able to see her for a couple of weeks. We didn't think
much of it because all of our visits and appointments with her were being
cancelled and all. It was pretty sad. Though we finally got into the
house to teach her. First off, she is recently divorced, with 5 kids,
lives in a small trailer with her sister who
also has 5 kids. So yes, its quite the house and she has her work cut
out for her. Though we taught the restoration and the plan of salvation
and it went pretty well! She asked us lots of questions and she pretty
much knows the answers to them, she just wants
clarification. So we are expecting great things with her and her family.
We both are excited to continue teaching them :)</span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.79px;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.79px;">Well, Other than
that, lots of finding and missionary work! If anyone has any questions
they want me to answer send me an email, other than that, my ideas of
what to share from missionary life are turning
into few... HAHA</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.79px;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.79px;">Spiritual thought
of the week comes from yesterday. The first Sunday of the month was
stake conference so our stake did fast Sunday yesterday. We decided to
fast for this investigator who I mentioned above.
We were fasting for her specifically to have the desire to read the book
of Mormon and start to keep commitments so that she could be ready to
accept the commitment to be baptized. And As we were waiting for a
meeting to get started, we got a text from her
saying that she read and had a question about being Born again! How
ironic... HAHA So we haven't seen her yet, though we are going to visit
with her today! Though in that moment one of the first things that I
thought about was how the Lord answered our prayers
and helped our investigator have the desire to read the book of Mormon.
It was something so very simple, though it was so powerful and it made
my Sunday one to remember. Brothers and Sisters wherever you are around
the world, I know that through fasting we
can bring to pass many mighty miracles and receive much strength and
guidance. I know that through sincere prayer we can always talk with our
celestial friend above who loves us, cares for us and wants to bless
us. He is waiting for us to check in and out every
day so he can pour out the blessings of heaven. I love you all so very
much and am grateful for everyone of you I have been able to meet in
this life and learn from. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.79px;"><br />
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.79px;">Have a wonderful week full of tender mercies and miracles!</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.79px;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.79px;">Your favorite elder, </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.79px;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.79px;">Elder Stonely</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.79px;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.79px;">we played some cricket ball today! It was pretty fun :)</span></span><br />
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Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-76416500849013331972017-03-06T07:39:00.000-08:002017-03-24T07:40:01.308-07:00Week 90: Elder Stonely :)Well my amazing friends and Family, I again set apart a couple minutes
of my time to write you my feelings through an email on this marvelous
Monday. I'm gonna be honest, I don't really know what to write so if
this is choppy, don't read it and wait till next week :)
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
How grateful I am for the Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit that
our Heavenly Father gives us daily. I feel as if we may take for granted
the biggest blessing of the companionship of the Holy Ghost almost
weekly. Or at least I feel that I do at times. I do not believe that
there is any other moment in my life where I am more happy then when I
am feeling the spirit. Whether it be in the House of the Lord or walking
down a street of a trailer park here in Tallahassee. The spirit will be
with us as we ask, knock and seek for his companionship. My wise
grandfather who i cherish dearly once told me around the new year
season, "make every day a new year." I found that applicable in today's
email. <span class="contextualExtensionHighlight ms-font-color-themePrimary ms-border-color-themePrimary ident_975_1077" role="button" tabindex="0">In the World Wide missionary broadcast they mentioned how every day starts off spiritually at 6:30 am.</span>
How the morning sets a tone for our spiritual days. And no matter how
the day goes, the next morning will always come and we will always have a
new 6:30. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Every day we have the opportunity to make our days more spiritually
filled and to make every day a new year :) I ask myself these questions
frequently:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
What do I choose to say? study? listen to? focus on?</div>
<div>
Am I choosing to be obedient?</div>
</div>
<div>
Is what I'm doing enticing the spirit?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If the answers to those questions are not the best, I ask myself:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What can I choose instead? or</div>
<div>
What would the Savior have me do?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now I am no perfect person. I don't believe we can find any perfect
person alive, though I have a testimony of striving to invite the
spirit into our every day lives so we can be guided in what we say, do,
where we go, and what the will of the Lord is. The spirit also is a sign
that what we are doing is pleasing in the eyes of the Lord and that he
loves us and is happy with us. I know that the spirit is what leads us
and guides us and that if we do all we can to invite his presence into
our every day lives we will get closer with our Savior and our Father in
Heaven. I love you all so very much and am grateful for your prayers
and support. No missionary can say that they cant feel answers to
prayers from those they love at home. I am eternally grateful!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Until we meet again,</div>
<div>
Your favorite elder in Florida,</div>
<div>
Elder Stonely</div>
Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-40766914598431010882017-02-20T06:46:00.000-08:002017-02-21T06:46:41.629-08:00Week 88: Meeting an ApostleDear Amazing Friends and Family,
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Well, this past week I got to shake the hand of an Apostle for the
first time in my life, "according to my memory." Elder Gary E. Stevenson
took two hours out of his busy schedule to come talk with all of us in
our mission. Wow, I don't think anyone really know what to expect when
they meet an apostle for the first time, but for anyone that doesn't
know, They are a normal person! The only difference is you can feel of
their divine calling and the spirit that they have with them. The
conference with him was from 10-12 on Saturday though we were all in our
seats by 9:00 listening to the prelude music and I had some time to
think about what was going to happen with this great opportunity! When
He entered the room I could just tell he was someone special. Throughout
the meeting it felt so normal as he talked with us, it was as if we
were talking with someone on the street, though he was obviously talking
about gospel stuff and it was more inspired than a street contact.
Though he has a sense of humor and is an amazing person. We got to shake
his hand and the line felt like forever, then the next thing I knew i
was sitting down. HAHA He has a wonderful handshake. Firm, yet gentle,
and he has such a wonderful smile. He greeted us all by name and then we
shook the hands of the other General Authorities :) It was great!!! So,
Now I can say that I shook the hand of an apostle. If you haven't done
it, I hope you all get the chance to do it some day!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Alright, so this past week we had a really enjoyable time with
finding, tracting, teaching, eating and sleeping :) And today we will be
making baleadas as a district as well as a Mexican dessert
called,"Carlota" we are all pretty stoked, and so that is what we will
be off and doing today! HAHA Just know that I love you all and we are
doing fabulous! I thank you all for your amazing support and love in all
that missionaries do around the world. Best of luck in all of your
adventures, </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Much love,</div>
<div>
your favorite missionary in Tallahassee Florida,</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Elder Stonely</div>
<div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkinrKvMZ5ZywyZP5XbOkfYcgWjkR9Qu_47A8lzhYS5hz-ZhcLDe5cxAWOTMT39rFwLo0VMdRfJFDXTjqNxtZX6x754CE8meCPM6pTTdb83ftW-y3bvDd1fISYJYlOG2v0x_FKfhWISDr/s1600/IMG_2837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkinrKvMZ5ZywyZP5XbOkfYcgWjkR9Qu_47A8lzhYS5hz-ZhcLDe5cxAWOTMT39rFwLo0VMdRfJFDXTjqNxtZX6x754CE8meCPM6pTTdb83ftW-y3bvDd1fISYJYlOG2v0x_FKfhWISDr/s320/IMG_2837.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredients for baleadas.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-75850199041792735322017-02-13T07:03:00.000-08:002017-02-21T07:29:56.909-08:00Week 87: My week in an Email :)Mis Queridos Amigos y Familia,
<div>
<br />
</div>
<div>
¡Los Amo! I love you all so much! I am so grateful for all the
prayers and support that we have felt from you all this past week! Keep
being amazing!</div>
<div>
<br />
</div>
<div>
Three experiences:</div>
<div>
<br />
</div>
<div>
Funny: we had a Valentine party this past Saturday for the
branch and we went to go set up all the table, chairs and decorations,
well, when we were all done, Elder Leandro and I were on one end of the
gym with a couple members and our branch president
was siting on the other end by himself. We see this man walk in and
start talking to the branch president. They were talking for about five
minutes. Then this guy come over to us and mumbles something under his
breath, and I asked him, "¿Como le puedo ayudar?"
which means, "how can I help you?" This guy, had this specific look on
his face of such great confusion.... and I was waiting for a response,
but got none, so for a period of about 10 seconds we stared into
each others eyes in complete confusion. Then the bell
rang in my head, (the guy didn't speak Spanish... ) HAHAHAHA I had forgotten that our branch president spoke enough English so I thought
that this guy spoke Spanish when he came in. He was a little darker, and I didn't understand his mumbling voice. HAHA So anyway,
funny moment of the week is that I spoke Spanish to a white guy and then
we stared into each others eyes until I figured out I messed up. HAHA
then we helped the man out. HAHA So now you all know that Elder Stonely isn't perfect :)</div>
<div>
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<div>
Stressed: Ok, so this past Sunday we had branch counsel and all
of the stake leaders came to our sacrament meeting. Now for those of you
who don't know, since we have a Spanish branch, we translate from Spanish to English. You would think its easy, I'm
here to assure you that it is, when people don't read stories or general
conference talks. HAHA The only talk I had to translate was mostly a
story that they read and if any of you realize how different stories are
when you read them in your talk compared to just
talking, it is like someone is talking a thousand miles an hour. So all
these pour English speakers that were listening to me were listing to a
made up story of mine about the topic of gratitude instead of what the
speaker was saying because I couldn't keep
up. HAHAHAHA it wasn't the best, and brought lots of stress! HAHAHA
though I lived, and am still here :) Though the spirit was in the
meeting and everyone was able to be spiritually uplifted :)</div>
<div>
<br />
</div>
<div>
Spiritual: So we found this really sick family this past week
from El Salvador. Her name is Abigail and there are a lot of people in
the family. We taught them the plan of salvation, then the restoration
in two different visits, and she read the Book
of Mormon and prayed to know its true! we are still working with both of
them on helping them receive their own testimonies of the Book of Mormon and the restoration. That may not be too big of a spiritual
experience, though I don't think words can describe
the spirit that we felt in the lesson. It was amazing!!!</div>
<div>
<br />
</div>
<div>
It was a great week and i am happy to be serving here in
Tallahassee! The weather is slowly getting warmer which means spring is
coming!!!!!!! wahooo!!!!!!! I love you all so much! </div>
<div>
<br />
</div>
<div>
Your Elder,</div>
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Elder Stonely</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WxKdgmI3Xy_AFhR7VXc-TE0sQraAwZH-YUyPF77XNfgok30sgZ6QfAKY2qcNJ-jyhNMXR5dQVWewBH6i5cQh1IszhaAcqtIKmqtnQBdv_46gc9wT0ClfWslhZfHIKAzskwr060pNWmeZ/s1600/IMG_6151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WxKdgmI3Xy_AFhR7VXc-TE0sQraAwZH-YUyPF77XNfgok30sgZ6QfAKY2qcNJ-jyhNMXR5dQVWewBH6i5cQh1IszhaAcqtIKmqtnQBdv_46gc9wT0ClfWslhZfHIKAzskwr060pNWmeZ/s320/IMG_6151.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blowing you my love and kisses!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sick jeep with a wench in the church parking lot.</td></tr>
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<br />Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-14496492095500206092017-02-06T07:44:00.000-08:002017-02-12T07:44:58.247-08:00Week 86: Heavenly Father Loves You<div class="_rp_M4 ms-font-weight-regular ms-font-color-neutralDark rpHighlightAllClass rpHighlightBodyClass" id="Item.MessageUniqueBody" tabindex="0">
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Dear Friends and Family,
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<div>
This week was amazing :) Truly one to remember :) So we went to a
baptism of a 8 year old girl, did a lot of finding, and had a wonderful Sunday.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Baptism: </div>
<div>
There is a wonderful young girl in the branch named Ali who got
baptized this past Saturday. It was a very special experience for her,
though for all who attended. I sat listening to the prelude music. The
pianist was playing hymns in a soothing sort of way that invited the
spirit into the service. I looked at all the children and started
reflecting on my own baptism. Honestly, I do not remember much of how
the service went, who spoke, or who was there, though Alis baptism was
similar to mine in the way i felt. As I listened to countless people
tell Ali to remember what she is feeling I wish that I would have
written my feelings when i got baptized. Of course an 8 year old isn't
normally the BEST at expressing their feelings, though it would be cool
to reflect back on what my 8 year old mind thought. I may not be able to
account the story of my baptism, though I could tell you what i felt
because i felt the same that i feel at every baptism i attend. There is a
feeling of peace, comfort, endless love, joy, happiness and everlasting
hope. The room was filled with smiles. The children seemed to be more
in tune with those special spirits that were in the room as well. Oh how
i wish to be a child again. I want to know what is going on in their
minds. What would they think? What would they tell us about what they
feel. I am grateful for the joy that the gospel brings to every single
on of us. I know it to be true!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Finding:</div>
<div>
I have a testimony of prayer. I know that our heavenly father
listens to us and is always willing to bless our lives. We had a special
experience this week with finding many potential people to teach and to
share our testimonies with others. Though, as many missionaries
experience, we meet many people, though not all of them let you come
back again. So we were feeling a little bit of discouragement. (just
random thought, there is a difference from feeling discouragement and
being discouraged.) And In these moments of discouragement is when our
Heavenly Father wants us exercise our faith a little more in him and
increase our dependence on him. So, we prayed together as a
companionship that we would find success in our finding. Though we didn't
find success in "finding" we did find it in something great!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
We have a LA whom i will call, Susy. Susy has a rough life, she isn't a resident here in the states, she has two kids ages 5 and 3 who
are constantly needing help though are a joy of her life. She has a
rough working situation which makes it hard for her to work, which means
a rough life financially. She comes to church on and off, though has a
strong testimony. She has suffered a lot from depression which we didn't
know before. Anyhow, we decided to go over on Sunday since she didn't
come to church. We went over and started talking to her. Her appearance wasn't usual and she looked worn out and exhausted both spiritually,
emotionally and physically. We asked her how she was doing and told her
we missed her at church and that led us into a conversation about what
was going on in her life. It was very cool to see her open up, though I
felt really sad for her situation. We felt inspired to talk about Joseph
Smith and prayer. She really enjoyed it and went on to tell us that
there have been two really bad moments in her life where in the deepest
darkest parts she has received a knock on the door and who have they
been? The missionaries... HAHA She told us that when we came by this day
that it was one of those moments where god was telling her that he was
still there and he was listening. We felt special knowing that we were
instruments in heavenly fathers hands. It was definitely a testimony
builder for us.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As well as being a moment in her life where she knew that her
Father in Heaven was with her and heard her, it was a testimony builder
for us that our Heavenly Father hears our prayers, he knows our desires,
and he has a will for each and every one of us. Let us put our faith in
our Heavenly Father and in his son, Jesus Christ. I love you all so
much and enjoy feeling the love from your prayers and your support. Have
a wonderful week!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Much love,</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Elder Stonely</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Used wine bottle corks put to a useful purpose.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUj5gL1adaN7Hgn-mldAscGCHUQqBPavYTikMZwoXMNEP0skCKZfYYhU7gWJNQLsz2GGwJEwYjdAomC6z4boJbwhFQuc3Trh6ob2A3uLrzdbBlZ-4hP8TO1MZ5UH3LT69UlYMvrxMAhkus/s1600/IMG_2802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUj5gL1adaN7Hgn-mldAscGCHUQqBPavYTikMZwoXMNEP0skCKZfYYhU7gWJNQLsz2GGwJEwYjdAomC6z4boJbwhFQuc3Trh6ob2A3uLrzdbBlZ-4hP8TO1MZ5UH3LT69UlYMvrxMAhkus/s320/IMG_2802.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good doggy, it is okay to eat that mail.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tallahassee water tower.</td></tr>
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</span>Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-74429139067392135372017-01-30T09:14:00.000-08:002017-01-31T09:14:44.800-08:00Week 85: Tiernas MisericordiasDear Friends and Family,
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"Tiernas Misericordias" means "Tender Mercies" in English. I know
that I have mentioned a lot of tender mercies before, though this past
week as I focused on my journal a little more, I tried to write all of
the Tiernas Misericordias that I could remember throughout the week. It
truly was an amazing way to reflect back on the amazing blessings that
the Lord gives to us daily. In fact, every hour. I always tell myself if i
cant find a tender mercy every hour of my day, i need to look harder
because there is always something if we go out and work for them, have
faith to receive them, and ponder on them. I want to share with all of
you one that I had this past week.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Sunday. Alarm goes off, i say my prayer and continue through my
morning. Our schedule hasn't changed yet like all the missionaries
around the world, so we still have the normal routine. If I told you all
my week was full of flowers, smiles, laughing, tacos, and perfectness I
would be telling you the story of a fantasy world. We did eat Honduran
tacos which were AMAZING, though to sum of the overall week, it was
enjoyable, but rough. I woke up feeling sad, feeling a little tired,
down and not as motivated as always. After a couple minutes of starting
to exercise i told myself that if i went throughout my day feeling the
way i was feeling that nothing would be productive. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now, doing what most of you would probably do, I decided to focus
my studies on the Atonement. I took some time to sing some sacrament
hymns and reflect on the words. Given that it was Sunday, I thought that
I would try to focus on the Sacrament and what it represents. Those
hymns invited a wonderful spirit into my studies and I felt uplifted to
focus on helping our investigators use the power of the atonement in
their own life. I truly was spiritually uplifted.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
However, daily struggles aren't always taken away as we may want.
Sunday I learned that we must all be like Nephi and ask for the strength
to endure through tough moments:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<div>
"But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord,
according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the
hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these
bands with which I am bound." -1 Nephi 7:17</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What comfort, peace and strength both physically, emotionally and
spiritually I have felt as Nephi felt. I know that the Savior is always
here with us and is willing to lift us up and carry us on our way to
reach our goals and to accomplish what needs to get done. And not just
to accomplish, but to do it happily and joyfully. I know my savior lives
and that he is with me. What a tender mercy we all have in every
moment. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I love you all so dearly and wish the best luck in all of your journeys! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
All my love from the small city of Tallahassee :)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Your very own, and only,</div>
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<div>
Elder Stonely</div>
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Some pictures from a District activity that we had...</div>
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Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-34672027670110275252017-01-23T09:55:00.000-08:002017-01-24T09:55:42.653-08:00Week 84: Memories :D<div class="_rp_M4 ms-font-weight-regular ms-font-color-neutralDark rpHighlightAllClass rpHighlightBodyClass" id="Item.MessageUniqueBody" tabindex="0">
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Dear friends and family,
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
This week was good, transfers happened, Elder Leandro and I are
both staying in the amazing city of Tallahassee, church got canceled and
we stayed inside because of the "tornado" storm, no one hurt, all is
well, time goes fast, taught some people, shared the gospel, ate some
good Hispanic food, did some exercise, drove, walked, talked to people
and slept. There you go! That pretty much sums up the week!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Our Zone and District, groups of missionaries, have a couple mottoes that we are currently using in our areas which are, </div>
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"Enjoy the Journey."</div>
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"TAMMI" the camel. </div>
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Through work</div>
<div>
Achieve</div>
<div>
Mighty</div>
<div>
Miracles</div>
<div>
In our lives</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
They have been a really good focus for us to enjoy our mission
experience by working hard to achieve the miracles that we want in our
everyday mission lives as well as personal lives. This week I had the
chance to think of a quote by Thomas S. Monson:</div>
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<div>
"God gave us memories so we can have June roses in the December of our lives."</div>
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As I reflected on this quote as well as our zone and district
focus, I began to look back at my "June rose memories." I asked myself, </div>
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<div>
"What spiritual moments have I had this past week? month? year?"</div>
<div>
"How has my testimony strengthened over these past weeks? months? years?"</div>
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"What topics of the gospel have brought me comfort and peace?"</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
The real question was, "what are my June roses?" I went back
through my journal and started to read. I was surprised to see the many
experiences I have had, people that we have met, and things that I have
learned. As well as be remembered of the uplifting memories as i read my
journal. For me, I have a really bad memory, many people tell me, and
as i thought of my mission, i am glad that I have been writing those
spiritual experiences, mighty miracles, and enjoyments that I have
experiences so that during my hard times or sad moments, I can look back
at my June roses. It brought me lots of smiles looking back :)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I ask you all today, "What are your June Roses?" and "what are you
doing to remember them?" We have been blessed with memories, or ways to
remember things so that even during the rough, bumpy and cold roads, we
can remember the times we spent in our flower full, sun-lighten fields
:) </div>
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<div>
I love you all so much and am so grateful for your all of your
support! May your week be full of the spirit as we all strive to share
the gospel with our beloved friends. </div>
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<br /></div>
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From the biggest heart in Florida,</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Elder Stonely</div>
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</span>Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-50420622136418258772017-01-16T08:45:00.000-08:002017-02-21T06:58:48.019-08:00Week 83: YUMMY!<div class="_rp_M4 ms-font-weight-regular ms-font-color-neutralDark rpHighlightAllClass rpHighlightBodyClass" id="Item.MessageUniqueBody" tabindex="0">
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Dear my favorite, mother, father, family and friends,
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This week...</div>
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Yeah that was about it. HAHA I'm totally kidding. We
had a lot of fun this week. For starters, this past Saturday we were out
tracting, we decided to go through a couple trailer parks that we hadn't
been to in a good minute, and we started knocking doors! We went to one
trailer that was a referral from a different investigator. We had
attempted to stop by before though with no success. BUT, that never
stopped a missionary. So we went by, they were busy, so they kinda
wanted us to get out of their night, but we decided to ask them some
"get to know you questions." With Hispanics, if you literally only know
one thing about their country and culture, they open up to you big time and become a whole new
person! SO, being that this family was from El Salvador, I asked them if
they knew how to make a "pupusa." For all you gringos who don't know
what I'm talking about, the picture attached is a pupusa I had. It is
pretty much a thick tortilla with a mixture of Hispanic cheese, beans,
and chorizo inside of it. Then they put pickled cabbage and carrots on
top with varieties of salsas. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<span class="contextualExtensionHighlight ms-font-color-themePrimary ms-border-color-themePrimary ident_1140_1289" role="button" tabindex="0">So
back to the story, we got talking about the pupusas and we set up an
appointment to come by and teach a lesson with them at 9:00 the next
morning.</span> So, at 9 on sunday morning, we went over, started
teaching and while we were teaching, the mom was making pupusas for us
to eat after the lesson. SOOO it was amazing... Pupusas are darn good,
and we had an amazing lesson with them. They all accepted to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. WHAT OTHER AMAZING THINGS CAN YOU ASK
FOR AS A MISSIONARY?!?!?!?! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1. Amazing lesson!</div>
<div>
2. Amazing people!!</div>
<div>
3. Amazing food!!!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Alrighty, so that was our week in a jiff! We have a lot of miracles
headed our way we can feel it :) I thank you all who are back at home
supporting the missionary force around the world! I love you all dearly!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
Elder Stonely</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsSuGQ4RFUEqZhK5GZmUuUCpsWMbdGCf72GZdcYkgaFKtqMxNPsbIDxIv1LfydNw6cp08MibFlwfee0mzKLVtFtBjz7KDnWJM48lakk32r1bF0meZpCU03qbdqt2_4pJpsZHtTS5amsY2/s1600/IMG_2728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsSuGQ4RFUEqZhK5GZmUuUCpsWMbdGCf72GZdcYkgaFKtqMxNPsbIDxIv1LfydNw6cp08MibFlwfee0mzKLVtFtBjz7KDnWJM48lakk32r1bF0meZpCU03qbdqt2_4pJpsZHtTS5amsY2/s320/IMG_2728.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few pictures of our District from last week.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXP5ogjA0-hJTHMX6tOwtd095NKfs3u_7VlJewoHrNAHQz2E0TlcezvBPomDUx_KtHuyEy5x-iAxAjANrGYXT0ZXfmawAtT_PmUjmBzypoedd7VE1fU8oD9J5UcR_5aa4_P9JtWw5Zi4Q5/s1600/IMG_2492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXP5ogjA0-hJTHMX6tOwtd095NKfs3u_7VlJewoHrNAHQz2E0TlcezvBPomDUx_KtHuyEy5x-iAxAjANrGYXT0ZXfmawAtT_PmUjmBzypoedd7VE1fU8oD9J5UcR_5aa4_P9JtWw5Zi4Q5/s320/IMG_2492.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are some pupusas I had back in November.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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</span>Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-23244603809851527392017-01-09T08:33:00.000-08:002017-01-20T08:34:05.105-08:00Week 82: :D SMILE BIG!Dear my amazing friend and beloved family,
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I love you all so much! I think if the world had a little more love
than maybe there would be unicorns and rainbows everywhere :) random
thought, well this week was a great one! Honestly it flew by really
fast, and now as I look back on it, i almost feel
as if yesterday was Monday. HAHA </div>
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<br /></div>
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Welp, we had a wonderful experience this morning that made me
reflect on our behavior and attitude throughout each day. Elder Leandro
and I went to Walmart, there was hardly anyone there which meant less
time in the line!!! so we got all our groceries
gathered together and went to the shortest line which only had one
person about done. We put our groceries on the checkout table as the
lady in front of us swiped her card. Now, bless her little heart, this
lady was an older woman and i think her memory was
gone or something. She swiped her card multiple times, was frustrated
that the machine wasn't working when in reality she was reading what it
was telling her to do like type in her pin and information and all. She
attempted many times to pay with the card without
success. The cashier was getting frustrated at the lady because she didn't know what she was doing. So we tried to help the lady the best we
could and she was grateful once it was done. While we were checking out,
the cashier was still a little frustrated and
then started having problems with the water we were buying. I felt
really bad, so I tried to keep a positive outlook and smile. As she
checked out all the other items, we asked her questions about her life
and her work and her normal days and tried to cheer
her up. After a couple minutes of talking with her, her composer
changed, she herself had a smile on and the world felt a little happier
:) </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
By the time we got done checking out, there were three people
behind us and everyone else in the other lines had already left. What we
thought would be a short trip turned out to be a little bit longer,
though a little more rewarding. It was surprising
to me just how much a smile and a positive attitude can mean in life. I
thought back at times I've been in a line, or a grocery store, or in any
public place and have seen people getting frustrated and angry only to
see myself feeling a little impatient and
angry with them or my situation. Maybe you've all had similar situations,
but if not, I'm glad you've learned your lesson faster than me! When we
are put into these situations or when we have an opportunity to shed
some happiness, just do it! People have bad days,
people have hardships, people get impatient and angry, and maybe they
only need your wonderful smile :) Everyone around us is a child of god,
they feel sad just like we do, they are happy when we are, they feel the
light of Christ just like we do :) And we
have the responsibility to share that with others :) People see a difference in who we are. They observe us. And through simple acts of
smiling and being a little happier in your daily lives, people will
begin to pay more attention to you and will wonder, "how
come they are so happy?" leading to the perfect opportunity to share
something about the gospel and why you are truly happy! :) May you all
have a wonderful week and enjoy the amazing year of 2017! I love you
all!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Elder Stonely</div>
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<div>
Here are some pictures. Most are of the people in the branch and some fun ones! I made the yummy veggies and all :) </div>
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Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-84152419444376166772017-01-02T12:24:00.002-08:002017-01-02T12:24:55.006-08:00Week 81: New Years!Dear Friends and Family,
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Being the new year, I think we all start to think back of what we
want to set for new goals. I too did this, but then remembered that I
couldn't even remember my other years goals. How often does each one of
you reflect on what you did this past year as well as look to the next?
As I pondered that subject I realized one this that I am truly grateful
that I have learned. 2016 was the only year of my entire life that I
have spent as a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter day Saints, and I have grown my testimony in probably the most
important thing ever, The Gospel of Jesus Christ. </div>
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For sacrament meeting here in the Spanish branch, we show up early
to set everything up. We put chairs up, set up the translation gear for
those who only speak English, make sure the microphones work and then
set up the sacrament. We normally finish getting ready 30 minutes before
the meeting starts, which was the case for the New Year Sunday. When
the meeting started, I was asked to pass the sacrament. Due to the New
Year weekend, our church attendance was a little low. As The opening
hymn was being played, I looked at the sacrament table and realized that
the bread wasn't on the table. And then the scary thought that most
bishops or people have,,, "we don't have bread..." So, long story short,
Elder Leandro and I drove home to grab bread since our apartment was
the closest. And on the car ride home was when i had the most
enlightening experience ever.</div>
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I have always thought of the importance of the sacrament. Why we go
to church? what the sacrament symbolizes? and what our purpose for
taking it is? Though I had such a great feeling as we drove back to
church with the bread that this is truly our purpose of life. Now don't
get me wrong, there is a lot more we have to do than just take the
sacrament, but I started to think of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.</div>
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1. Faith</div>
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2. Repentance</div>
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3. Baptism</div>
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4. Gift of the Holy Ghost</div>
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5. Endure to the End</div>
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That is truly what we teach as missionaries. Is the restored gospel
of Jesus Christ. and that through that all men might find joy and
eternal life. Life is simple! <span class="contextualExtensionHighlight ms-font-color-themePrimary ms-border-color-themePrimary ident_2170_2447" role="button" tabindex="0">We
come here, we exercise our faith in Christ, we repent of our mistakes
and follies, we get baptized and then go to church every Sunday to
remember our baptism and the covenants we made, we follow the spirit
after we receive it, and we do what we need to to endure to the end!</span> That's all we have to do! Isn't it quite easy??</div>
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This past year, THE GOSPEL is something that I have come to
understand. I am grateful for every day i get to wake up and walk by
faith, I am grateful for every chance I get to change my thoughts,
actions and inner desires through the process of repentance, I am
grateful to have been baptized and to have the sacred ordinance of the
sacrament to remember what I have promised, I am grateful for the spirit
that guides us, teaches us, testifies to us and comforts us in our
deepest and darkest moments, I am grateful for the temple which offers
saving ordinances and for the church organization that helps me lead
myself to become who I need to be for the Savior and for our heavenly
father. I am truly grateful for this testimony that we as missionaries
get to share every day, 24/7 with people who don't have these blessings.
I am grateful for 2016 and for all it has given me and can only wait
for what the Lord has in store for me this upcoming year. </div>
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I thank every single one of you who reads this email for all your
support, your love, your joy, your prayers, your thought, your smiles
and your love for Christ, our savior. I hope that all of you have had
the chance to reflect on this past year and count the mighty miracles
that you have received by the loving hands of God. I pray that all of
you may have the best year of your life by following the counsel of my
wise grandfather by "Making every day, your new year!" </div>
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Much love and appreciation,</div>
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Elder Stonely</div>
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P.S. I learned how to make tamales from one of our investigators
and this is it!!! Holy cow its amazing... MOM!! Can we make tamales???</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANUthZa7Pr_Sm4jQhF3gmSMzNokrUN4xkuSMNikq1EBYQDTOH8dqNZ1Yosv5DjV5oM5ywKPnB0Jewl_beNNLdwnOpazEZYISW2sc0xvieHQO6IZTSJu8-e8w_zYtKVx0NJofyuzQ6LgS5/s1600/IMG_2710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANUthZa7Pr_Sm4jQhF3gmSMzNokrUN4xkuSMNikq1EBYQDTOH8dqNZ1Yosv5DjV5oM5ywKPnB0Jewl_beNNLdwnOpazEZYISW2sc0xvieHQO6IZTSJu8-e8w_zYtKVx0NJofyuzQ6LgS5/s320/IMG_2710.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I learned how to make tamales!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, I made this!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I went on another selfie craze...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We ate some of these HUGE grapefuit.</td></tr>
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Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-87246045441056069972016-12-26T08:17:00.000-08:002017-01-02T08:18:19.221-08:00Week 80: Merry Christmas<div class="_rp_M4 ms-font-weight-regular ms-font-color-neutralDark rpHighlightAllClass rpHighlightBodyClass" id="Item.MessageUniqueBody" tabindex="0">
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Dear Friends and Family,</div>
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This week has been
quite the week for sure :) Christmas was awesome! Being able to talk
with family reminds me of the happiness that they always have brought
me. Lets just say I'm glad they are my family and
that I will have them forever and all eternity :) I also love my grandpa
more than the world! For those of you whom are unaware, my grandfather
is deaf. I have never been able to communicate directly with him the way
others communicate with their grandparents,
but one thing is for sure, and that is we have a strong connection. My
grandfather is very talented. He can read lips, and has such a great
spirit. Sister Smith, President Smiths wife, shared during our last
zone conference how she came to find out one of
her spiritual gifts that she had been given was her smile. All I could
think of while she was talking about that was my grandfathers wonderful
smile :) I have never seen him ever not happy! And Its amazing. So that
whole story just shows how much I love my
grandpa and was able to talk with him on Christmas :)</div>
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The rest of the week
was a bit hard for missionary work due to everyone being busy with
Christmas and the holidays, though one thing is for sure that we have
had a lot of experiences to share the video the church
put out for the Christmas season. It was amazing to be able to see how
many people are willing to remember Christ and do their best to serve
others and share the light of Christ. All of the missionaries in our
zone decided that they would all go Christmas caroling
at the Hospital. We showed up in the morning, but since we weren't
allowed to go into anyone’s room and sing, we decided to walk through
the halls and go through the hymn book singing. At first it felt a bit
awkward because we are a bunch of missionaries who
don't know how to sing, though as we went through the halls singing, our
talents somehow got way better!!! And there was someone in their room
who heard us and stopped us. She invited all of us in and then we sang
her favorite hymn. But what made that memory
so special was that when we were about to leave, one of the missionaries
asked her if there was anything we could do to help her, and she
started to cry, and told us, “no. you've already done it.” I started to
think of how it was such a joy that we were able
to bring Christmas into her trip to the hospital. And how she felt the
love that the Lord has for her. It was an amazing experience that's for
sure!!!!</div>
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Elder Leandro and I are
doing great! He is adjusting to missionary life pretty well and I am
enjoying having the opportunity to show him around and teach him the
ways of missionary life. He has only lived in
the United states for about a year and so it almost feels like I'm with a
foreigner who doesn't know the United States very well. HAHA Lets just
say that it has been enjoyable :) Well to all my BOSS family and friends
out there, the church is true! The gospel
is real! Keep on in the path of righteousness and you'll be blessed :) I
love you all so much and wish you a happy New Year!</div>
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Much Love,</div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
Elder Stonely</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztKwFDGfwxwmPtMZvcEQwvbta6JGvB9uyMflIn-RDGkC_ONov3uHZqDcbX8KsWmd78guts_G-bgJ5WhedNKt3Qm90f-N0QDNMxwUwBU06TTCNgz7ezBHYUkj7Do0oHuUNtcnRaif-YOgU/s1600/IMG_2666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztKwFDGfwxwmPtMZvcEQwvbta6JGvB9uyMflIn-RDGkC_ONov3uHZqDcbX8KsWmd78guts_G-bgJ5WhedNKt3Qm90f-N0QDNMxwUwBU06TTCNgz7ezBHYUkj7Do0oHuUNtcnRaif-YOgU/s320/IMG_2666.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new companion, Elder Leandro.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PJEs6m0VlisJgmIwhazmwt-MqZZqZZGyq5MQtRkjggueTPGQEUut_k8E5Js4IXKpksmp-OCNJuYCsRWBk3H6AyedgSyXumKg8v_ApenDxXBPmPhu3lFABYhr1FFbND3ycvGfguVQcDci/s1600/IMG_2669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PJEs6m0VlisJgmIwhazmwt-MqZZqZZGyq5MQtRkjggueTPGQEUut_k8E5Js4IXKpksmp-OCNJuYCsRWBk3H6AyedgSyXumKg8v_ApenDxXBPmPhu3lFABYhr1FFbND3ycvGfguVQcDci/s320/IMG_2669.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Senior missionaries in our area.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and former companion, Elder Sturdevant.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas package from my awesome family.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIM4_zMmnt_Rixg91Jq194-pdJYKt0hMLqJzY9acP1-RMvS0eSGEFE_1tTFzqNSnLnslTWmvm2UqySyRpekzHyMZsI93wOXaPYSbiwFronVb2EonAwADoPczIxLYDWX8B1LLJld5fL-6L/s1600/IMG_2692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIM4_zMmnt_Rixg91Jq194-pdJYKt0hMLqJzY9acP1-RMvS0eSGEFE_1tTFzqNSnLnslTWmvm2UqySyRpekzHyMZsI93wOXaPYSbiwFronVb2EonAwADoPczIxLYDWX8B1LLJld5fL-6L/s320/IMG_2692.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gift from Santa!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA47yeUaCB2JkR1fhyQ_CpOywFXDVBUjrHwOnU5m6J7n4ZW6a7vTqAs5s9A03md4i6Sulea1GNAqP0941COUaWOCQjGV0vJA2SYoW36u9ImqbZJOf2qjxs9uZt_AdJSllKCrgTyBD4_v-q/s1600/IMG_2700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA47yeUaCB2JkR1fhyQ_CpOywFXDVBUjrHwOnU5m6J7n4ZW6a7vTqAs5s9A03md4i6Sulea1GNAqP0941COUaWOCQjGV0vJA2SYoW36u9ImqbZJOf2qjxs9uZt_AdJSllKCrgTyBD4_v-q/s320/IMG_2700.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, a Tallahassee Florida Mission t-shirt! I've been jealous of all the other Elders who have been wearing them.</td></tr>
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Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-83933016159622459822016-12-19T06:28:00.000-08:002016-12-22T06:29:34.764-08:00Week 79: Elder LeandroDear Friends and Family,
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<div>
I must say, this week was quite the week! For starters, I got my new
companion on Wed. His name Is Elder Leandro, He is, like i said last
week, from Brazil, he speaks Portuguese, his Spanish is pretty great,
and his English in entertaining. He speaks really well, and he is a joy!
He is a very funny guy and we are going to get along together great :) </div>
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The first day he got here, we had such a great experience. Here is an excerpt from the email I sent the Mission President:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Elder Leandro and I have definitely seen the blessings that come from inviting people to be baptized just in the first week of being together. His first day here, we got home and did a little bit of studies. We Role played the restoration and how to begin teaching to prepare for a couple lessons we had with our investigators. When the time came for the first lesson, we went to go visit Angela. We went with a member, and the lesson went really well. We did exactly what we did in the Role play and at the end, invited her to be baptized. Well, first we asked her if she believed the story of Joseph Smith and she said yes, then we extended the baptismal invitation. She accepted!!! She said she wanted to wait a little bit and talk to her husband, but she accepted. And now we are working with her! It was the first lesson we had with her and Elder Leandros first ever lesson in the field. He was pretty tired when he got home probably due to the long trip here, and then going out and teaching a lot of people. It was a great first day!</i></blockquote>
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The other spiritual thought that comes from this week comes from
our visits to the Hispanic stores that we call "tienditas." We decided
to go to visit and spend the last 30 minutes of the day contacting Hispanics at the store. We went, contacted some people and then were
talking to the store owner. The first thing he said to us was, "oh no, I don't trust you both!" We asked him why, and he went on to tell us how
he saw two missionaries in the store looking at girls for a while and
since then he doesn't trust any of us. It caught me off guard and I began
to think at just how important our calling as missionaries is. People
are constantly observing us and watching us, as missionaries and as
members of the church. after we left the store I asked myself, "What
image do I give others?" As I reflect every day at the type of person I
want to become, I see many opportunities to change and to become more
like Christ. I know that by doing so, those around us will start to see
the light of Christ in us more and will start to see the blessings of
the gospel that come into our lives. I love you all so much from back
home! Have the Merriest of the Christmas season! Much love and joy, </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Elder Stonely</div>
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Here are some pictures of me using an inversion table :)</div>
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Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-2451272708388170252016-12-12T06:24:00.000-08:002016-12-22T06:24:10.962-08:00Week 78: Transfers!!!My amazing Friends and Family,
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<div>
This week is transfer week! Which means a lot of fun news :) We
didn't know if Elder Moore would be leaving or not because he is right
on the fine time line of going and staying. Though, calls came in, and
Elder Moore went out the another zone as a zone leader, and I will be
training an elder from Brazil here in Tallahassee!! I still don't know
what his name is, but he is 6 foot 6 inches and plays volleyball! I'm
not sure if he speaks Spanish, but he should be able to understand it
cause the languages are pretty similar. Though he has lived in the
states for about a year so he may know English. Either way, I'M GONNA
LEARN PORTUGUESE! I'm excited! HAHAHAHAHA I was a little scared to
train, but then I realized that I have already done it so its not that
hard. And if he picks up Spanish fast then it will be easy! I'm still so
excited to be here and to keep pressing forward!!!</div>
<div>
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<div>
This week was quite the shortest, it seemed to fly by, but the
spiritual highlight of the week comes from a trade off we did with our
zone leaders. Elder Birch, is one of the sickest missionaries ever! He
comes from a family where his dad left his family at age 16 and he was
put into the father role. With 8 other siblings, he provided for the
family, they moved around almost yearly, and he never was able to serve a
mission till now since his mom re-married. Despite these difficulties,
he decided to serve a mission at age 25 and dedicate two years. I talked
to him and got to know him and one of the greatest things that I
learned was the lesson of "Magnifying your calling." All of Elder
Birches family is less active and he mentioned it was hard for him to
always go to church. Though after every move, he would go directly to
the bishop and asked for home teaching assignments and a calling. I saw
in his example of how that prepared him to be an amazing missionary. As I
thought about him I began to ponder of how I am doing at "magnifying my
calling?" I know there are always things that seem to get in the way of
fulfilling our duties, though I realized that as we do our very best to
serve the Lord and those around us in our callings, we will be blessed
:) I am very grateful for all the examples around me :) </div>
<div>
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<div>
Thank you all for your amazing love and support in all you do for missionaries around the world! Much love and appreciation,</div>
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<div>
Elder Stonely</div>
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Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5351310467463431598.post-2743253521343376962016-12-05T07:15:00.000-08:002016-12-12T07:15:51.796-08:00Week 77: Birthday BlessingsDear Friends and Family,
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So... Yum yum sauce is pretty tasty from Japan. I don't know whats in it, but its pretty good.</div>
<div>
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<div>
This week Elder Moore and I went out to a Hibochi Grill to
celebrate. And we were the only ones in the restaurant which was funny
because while he was cooking, for any of you who have never been to a
Hibochi grill, the table literally lights on fire. HAHA
so it was an experience. And I have never had Yum yum sauce so it was a
joy :)</div>
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<div>
Also on my birthday, the whole zone got together in the morning and
we played Futsal inside the church gym. It has been a while since I
have played soccer and it brought me back to memory of the many times
the Maeser soccer team would play inside. It was
a good birthday gift!</div>
<div>
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<div>
For the spiritual side of this email, I thought I would share part
of an experience we had. On Sunday we had the opportunity to go visit
the Local Catholic Church service because someone invited us to attend
and she said she would come to ours. So, being
the kind missionaries that we are, we decided to go at 8:45 in the
morning for the Spanish service. Now I really do respect and love the
religion and people of others, though on Sunday my testimony of the
restored Gospel was strengthened by a million. All the
people at the church were friendly and nice, though the manner of
worship was different. I have never been to another church before in my
life, though this catholic church was way different than what people
told me it was like. The whole time we were there
the story from the Book of Mormon when Alma goes to the Zoramites to
preach the gospel (Alma 31) was being brought to memory. We were handed
this piece of paper with 12 hymns on it. All the hymns were part of what
we thought to be "mini ordinances" because
everything was recited and everyone knew what to say except us. HAHA in
order to go to the catholic church you must have to memorize a lot.
Despite the many differences in the way of worship, the leaders, the
sacrament or anything else, there was one that stuck
out to me the most. Which was the spirit. I know for a fact that many
times in my life I have taken for granted what we truly feel at church.
While we were visiting the church there was a song they sang where the lyrics were:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
"Ten piedad, ten piedad."</div>
<div>
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<div>
It was that phrase over and over which means "have pitty on us" and
I thought of the Atonement. We are truly blessed to have the restored
gospel and the correct knowledge of the gospel. Though like I was saying,
there is something special about the spirit
and how it can testify to us of what is right and brings us true Joy. I
am grateful for what we have!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Though the catholic church experience was one that I am grateful
for :) Maybe it will help our investigator come to ours. What we thought
was funny was that we knew half the congregation just from all the Hispanics we meet on the streets. HAHA </div>
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Well, much love for all of you! I send my love and joy! Have a great week!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Elder Stonely</div>
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Here are some great pictures!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE02j1b_um6dFCl75bgKVULulCzFXgParCc9x_R6a8NxnQpcUbS22OP3CsEjfOG1nxPx3n0yrDyiPj4boGbnDaj1offW0mAMqhSsdYJmRo3EVl0kRwn1vNSjINva9F99yppvc4peTrxK2R/s1600/IMG_2562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE02j1b_um6dFCl75bgKVULulCzFXgParCc9x_R6a8NxnQpcUbS22OP3CsEjfOG1nxPx3n0yrDyiPj4boGbnDaj1offW0mAMqhSsdYJmRo3EVl0kRwn1vNSjINva9F99yppvc4peTrxK2R/s320/IMG_2562.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday meal with Yum Yum sauce at a Hibochi grill.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-NmEz3_mYPbDQZpjBPYkOVt12tlsUpJv-QL0d8rhAW6sDNFjYm6GW_casbI6H5UNWZ4_yYgEyy0rwOnSIA95jszWjrI8-cd3Lr3whRxeRqrlZxGcuoYJwSsVhItgSUjhzhpvAmE1vFo7/s1600/IMG_2565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-NmEz3_mYPbDQZpjBPYkOVt12tlsUpJv-QL0d8rhAW6sDNFjYm6GW_casbI6H5UNWZ4_yYgEyy0rwOnSIA95jszWjrI8-cd3Lr3whRxeRqrlZxGcuoYJwSsVhItgSUjhzhpvAmE1vFo7/s320/IMG_2565.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tMhnfDcgrDCH01kbA86gUErNPhg2usbfBXEG-ST7hZmaPuDRKL0KMHjNsz_UwYlyZgWy-MDhpBMoHUHDAMuTcoV1D0N8zB2o5etO47pFMs3aRz7jfJTkQIw4CA3iQHWdka49RRlNnLwZ/s1600/IMG_2568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tMhnfDcgrDCH01kbA86gUErNPhg2usbfBXEG-ST7hZmaPuDRKL0KMHjNsz_UwYlyZgWy-MDhpBMoHUHDAMuTcoV1D0N8zB2o5etO47pFMs3aRz7jfJTkQIw4CA3iQHWdka49RRlNnLwZ/s320/IMG_2568.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday cake with 20 candles! I'm no longer a teenager!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HJmToxP8wZ1qU2b47iVW1AvhdyzOyxk6d6J46wmCOpyPulUImnedgpxukyG5HRtPLXPDzZMaEFWAGmZG41Ty6XAe6KtUX4Q7qoOIBpYHvh3jf15uWhw5tawkaWS3pktY6rQZVateFaNR/s1600/IMG_2569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HJmToxP8wZ1qU2b47iVW1AvhdyzOyxk6d6J46wmCOpyPulUImnedgpxukyG5HRtPLXPDzZMaEFWAGmZG41Ty6XAe6KtUX4Q7qoOIBpYHvh3jf15uWhw5tawkaWS3pktY6rQZVateFaNR/s320/IMG_2569.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Riley's Parentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04384140045157617570noreply@blogger.com0