Week 67: Tallahassee Florida is HUGE!!!!

Dear Friends and Family,

Not ganna lie, after being in Foley Alabama and Cairo Georgia, Tallahassee Florida is HUGEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!! And there looks to be a lot to do. My first day here we were driving to an appointment and I was just in shock at how many things there were... Cairo had like 3 streets and now im in a city with 300000000000000 streets... quite a change it feels like.

The life in the city! Elder Moore has been showing me around the city and showing me his fun personality! He is AWESOME! he trained Elder Lambson, and they are really similar, so being his companion is just a little different than being Elder Lambsons companion. We were talking one day and he told me the name of his first girl is going to be "Mia" and for anyone who could figure it out, when you say the full name, his daughters name will be :

"Mia Moore"

When said in spanish, it sounds exactly the same as "Mi amor" which translates to "my love." HAHA so thats just a little of his funny jokes :) He is awesome! He has so much energy though... Its great cause now ill have a lot more energy! Every morning we wake up early to go to the Gym. after going once, He worked out so hard and i followed his footsteps. The next day one of my arms was shredded... Not the good shredded./ Like my muscles were about to fall apart. HAHA I guess ill be getting huge this transfer though!

Ive met so many of the members in the Branch. I am serving in a Spanish branch down here. It is the only spanish branch in the mission and i am quite excited! Only problem is there is a member from Argentina here and they have CRAZY accents!!! I had to translate for him and it was almost impossible. I guess here i get to experience all the cultures in one! HAHA I love the members already and i have hardly met them :)

Also, this past thursday we had the opportunity to go to a FSU soccer game. There are three colleges here in Tallahassee and so we got to go to a soccer game. Supposedly they are like 2nd in the nation or something. It was quite fun to be there:) It was a bit of my soccer life that i miss now :) Though there was many people sitting behind us using their "vaper" things... so it was nice to leave and get back to the sheltered missionary life :) HAHA

Well, Tallahasse is rocking! And i am super excited to continue to work with the people here! I have great feelings about the next couple weeks :0

Elder Stonely

 

Transfer day.

A good old soccer game.

Our apartment.

 

Week 66: Goodbye Cairo!

Dear Friends and Family,

I guess you can guess the subject of this email! If you're all familiar with the phrase "fake it till you make it" you'll love this one:

"Faith it till you make it."

-Elder Lambson

I am unsure if someone else in the world has said this, I don't doubt it, but Elder Lambson and I were talking and upon quoting this, I about died from how amazing I thought it is. :) As trials come, as they always will, or while you find yourself in a ditch, just have a little more faith and hope.  :) Then you'll be ok! :)

This week is transfer week! I will be going down to the big city of Tallahassee, FL. My new companion will be Elder Moore, Elder Lambsons trainer. From what I have heard about him he sounds like he will be a blast! Elder Lambson will be training here in Cairo. :)

We received a call from mission president on Saturday asking Elder Lambson if he would accept the assignment to train. He also told me I was leaving and my heart just about dropped. The past few weeks I have grown such a love for the people in Cairo even though its pretty small. All weekend I found myself thinking back on all the memories that I had had with those whom I'm serving with and I read this scripture:

And now I, Moroni, bid farewell unto the Gentiles, yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ, where all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your blood.  -Ether 12:38

Though the application of this scripture could be taken otherwise, I couldn't help but think of Moroni's charitable words as he bid farewell. Though I am grateful that one day I will be able to see all of these people again. :) 

Well, That was is for this wee.k :) I'm excited to continue to hear what great stuff Elder Lambson does with his new Elder. He has been one of my favorite companions thus far, so I'm gonna miss him! :) 

I love you all so much and cant wait to see you next week!

Elder Stonely

The biggest heart in cairo :)

 

Chillin.

P-day fishing.

Waiting for the train.

Tradoff day treats. Yes, I'm fat.

 

Week 65: Gratitude in All Things

Dear Friends and Family,

This week has been full of tender mercies! I have been learning a lot as well. First off, long time best friend since I was in elementary school, Elder Isobe, has a companion who is friends with my companion. Small world... Even smaller, My trainer met with my family, and my x-mission president went through the temple with my cousin and family. Man the world gets smaller every day!!!!

Anyway, like I was saying, lots of tender mercies. Though I wanted to say that nothing brings more sadness than having an investigator send us a text saying that she did some research and found from previous Mormons that the spirit revealed to them that the Book of Mormon was from the devil. Yeah, that happened to us and it was pretty sad. I don't like those experiences at all! HAHA Though nonetheless, we can learn from them. :)

This past Sunday, well I guess yesterday, there was a family who had been on assignment to the branch for three years who got released from that assignment and gave their farewell talks. Sister Jowers, shared with us a talk based off the topic of "Gratefulness in all things." Previously this week I was pondering on what I could do to come closer to Christ and be a better disciple. Sunday morning came around and I prayed for something that I could work on this week. I asked myself, "What lack I yet?" Well let me tell you, I've never received a more powerful, faster answer to any other question. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

As I listened to the talk, thought about what was said, and studied a little more and thought a little harder, I came to the conclusion that I really needed to be more grateful and less prideful. I tend to reflect back on previous weeks when studying a specific topic and this week I found a lot of unnecessary negativity and a lack of thankfulness. It hurt to know that I was choosing to be less happier than I could be just because I wasn't expressing my thanks for EVERYTHING I have been given. 

A great example of this comes from one of my favorite people ever. Ana, our investigator who will be getting baptized in November. I am forgetful of what exactly I have shared about her situation, but just to help you all remember, she comes from a hard background. She has been completely shut out and robbed from family, hated by friends and put down in any way possible. She has gone through depression and a part of her life has been full of hurt. Some of you may be able to relate to her situation, though what I find interesting about her is her attitude about her life. The first thing she says when she is blessed with a blessing or confronted with greif is, "Thank you Lord." 

I also turned to the Prophet Joseph Smith, probably one of the most thankful people I can think of:

"And ye must give thanks unto god in the spirit for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with" (Doctrine and Covenants 46:32).

"Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things" (Doctrine and Covenants 59:7).

"Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks;" (Doctrine and Covenants 98:1).

"Thanks be to thy name, O Lord God of Israel, who keepest covenant and showest mercy unto thy servants who walk uprightly before thee, with all their hearts-" (Doctrine and Covenants 109:1)

I couldn't help but ask myself if I was expressing my thanks to the Savior for all my blessings, trials, hardships and joys. After all, He did provide me a way to return to live with the Father and with my family. But it all starts with the little growths here. Our trials, tribulations, hardships, joys, excitements make us who we are. And I would rather look at myself going through life happy about them and grateful for them all instead of miserable. I am so grateful for the blessings that I have. Especially for the Atonement that I can give thanks for the most every day as I strive to become like my Savior. I love Him very much.

I love you all more than you probably know. :) I am grateful for those around me whom support and uplift each other. And I hope that this week, this year, and forevermore we express our thanks to those around us and even deeper, for the blessing and trials we receive from our Father in Heaven. Thank you so much for all your love!

Elder Stonely, 

and the lovely heart of Sister Bouton :)

P.S. Sometimes you just have to take a funny face picture. Which I just do ALL the time!

Week 64: Hurricane and Sacrament

Well, Dear Friends and Family,

This week we are happy to say that we survived a Hurricane!!!! Everyone Everywhere was making it out to be a big deal. I'm sure it was down south and up the east coast, but we survived with very little damage of leaves in the yard. HAHA it stuck at night, so when we woke up it looked like nobody had raked the yard in years... HAHA It was pretty interesting :) We were stuck inside for quite sometime, so I recently took up the art of Crocheting, which is surprisingly super easy, fun and stress relieving :) I know i am like a grandmother :) HAHA but its fun :)

Missionary work was a bit slow this week due to the weather. HAHA I think everyone was either out of town or hunkered down inside their houses. We had all day full of appointments the day of the storm, but all of them fell through. I keep telling myself that blessings will come later:) HAHA

Well I love you all so dearly and hope that you are all doing well :) I found comfort and help through the Sacrament prayer this week as we had the opportunity to take the sacrament to some members who cant make it out to church. It reminded me of back at home, except it takes 3 hours here because of how far people live from each other. I have a testimony of the sacrament and the special ordinance that it is :) And I hope you all have the same :) I love you all so much!

Elder Stonely :)

Week 63: Insanely Busy

Dear Friends and Family,

This week has been one full of just about any surprise EVER! We have been so busy its insane... First off, every day was pretty much booked with appointments that we had set up. Though many of them continued to fall through. But all we can do it keep going!!!!!!! Elder Lambson keeps me on my feet and he is a BOSS missionary. His phrase is "chump" so whenever we are slacking we call each other "chumps" HAHA not really. Its just a joke.

Well Exciting news from this week was that we had Ana and her husband, Beto come to stake conference. It was an amazing stake conference which talked about the temples and getting married in the temples and since that has been a topic for them both recently we both think good things are going to come out of that! Ana has been a huge example of faith to me as I have been able to get to know her and see how she goes through her trials and man... if any of you think your life is hard, first i would consider your savior Jesus Christ who had it worst, then think of Ana. Then think of how pretty much the only friends/family you have are your husband and the missionaries. I mean "we" are great! but us being the only friends she has is pretty sad. She has felt so welcome at church and she loves it here! So Be happy you all for how lucky your life is in the church, or with your family or how blessed you are! Lots of people don't have  it that way :)

Well before I turn this email into an epistle, just know that I love you all and am excited to continue to serve the lord :) He does miracles and they are blessing my life! I love you more than food!!!

P.S. just for my grandfather who is deaf, I will refrain from typing "GA" in place of Georgia because when they text through some machine, "GA" means "go ahead" HAHA I love my grandpa :) Hes the best! just like sister Bouton :)

Love you all!

Elder Stonely

More selfies!!!

Chillin with Elder Lambson.

Week 62: Tender-loins, Psych! Tender-mercies :)

Dear Friends and Family,

I have had such a wonderful experience this week! We have received SOOOOO many tender mercies in every way (side note, also received a couple tenderloins as well). I would definitely say that Elder Lambson is a strong pushing force to make sure that we are always busy and out teaching the gospel. And that in and of itself has brought many miracles. We have had the opportunity this week to see many peoples hearts softened. We met a family one day who seemed pretty interested in what we teach, but when we went by a second time, the father told us he was not interested and that "Mormons" was not for him or for his family. We, politely ignored him and went back on another occasion. When we did go back, he was out there with his wife. We talked with him and got to know him a little more and he got to see just how "human" us Mormons are. We shared the plan of salvation which cleared up a lot of his questions and doubts. It was awesome to see him have that change of heart, and at the end of the lesson, he committed to read the Book of Mormon and to pray about it. WHAT???? That was a sick experience. But that was only one of the experiences that we had. We picked up a couple of families that we are now teaching which is going to be AWESOME!!!! I love teaching families. For some reason it feels like I'm with my own family when I teach families. :)

Well I know that this email was super small. Its weird cause this week went by so fast. And mother, I am sorry for the lack of pictures. I have completely forgotten to take any this week! I like to say that it was because we were super busy. :) HAHAHAHA But I promise to do better this week. :)

I love you all and appreciate the support from back home! I wish you all blessings and love from the greatest heart in Cairo!

Elder Stonely,

(biggest heart is still Sister Bouton) one day ill catch up to her...

Week 61: My new companion Elder Lambson is BOSS!!!

Dear Friends and Family,

I guess I lost track of weeks again because my dad told me I messed up on which week it was. HAHA Luckily, the brains of the operation (my dad) runs the show and not me :) HAHA I love you papa!

Ok, so yes, transfers were this past week, I'm blessed to stay in Cairo! My new companion is Elder Lambson who is the BOSS!!!!!! He is from Colorado, which I can continue to say that I have never been with a companion from Utah... That's been pretty weird. Elder Lambson is a genius who is very intelligent and amazing :) He is also like a Lamb, well a son of the lamb. HA. Yeah... dumb pun. 

Well this week, It sure has been a busy week! And I am positive that we haven't received so many tender mercies and blessings as we have this week. It all started Wed.

We got into Tallahassee at 7:30 am. so that Elder Valenzuela could catch the transfer buss across the mission, and my companion wasn't coming in till about 7:00 pm. Long story short, I had to go with some other elders for the day. They were White washing an area and had never stepped foot on any door we went to. So that was interesting. I felt a little out of place knocking on all the "rich" white people houses. Well by "rich" I mean normal houses in Utah, though I have been so accustomed to trailers that a house seems quite different. HAHA It has truly been an experience. HAHA Well my companion got in at 7 and we drove back up to Cairo and decided we were going to just go out and find someone to teach! (due to having a low teaching pool) we knocked on a couple peoples doors without success. And then we saw this lady smoking out on the front porch, so we decided to go talk to her. We immediately began to introduce a video about the resurrection of Jesus Christ and talked about how she could find a "new" life through him. She seemed really interested in the message and longer story short, she agreed to be baptized on September 10th. That was VERY cool to see. She also gave us referrals to her family whom we are just barely going over to help. Its been interesting to see how when we stop by, people don't want anything to do with us, but as we are just persistent enough, we become the best buds and they are so grateful for us coming over and talking with them! Sometimes, people just need a little bit of love :) even if they don't seem like the type of person you would be talking to. 

So I just want you to take that situation, and add about 20 more of those. That sums up our week. Though the biggest thing I have noticed this week Has definitely been the Spirit. I am 100 % sure that if the spirit was not with us, that none of the people with whom we came in contact, we would still be teaching. And I am grateful for my new companion who works hard, is diligent, and is a great example of the type of missionary that we all can become! 

I love you all so much! And I know that all of you are missionaries like us and can experience these experiences on your own like those of missionaries! Hope you all have a great week this week and know that I love you! 

Elder Stonely,

The biggest heart in Cairo :) (Thats still sister Bouton)

Yeah, we are a litttle crazy. HAHA

Pictures with Ana before Elder V left :)