And...Training Again!

Well... I got a call on Thursday night, and I'm training again!!!!!  I spent all Friday at leadership training.  There are only 5 sisters coming in this transfers (Sister Chay Johnson from Denton is one of them!) so it was a pretty small group of trainers.  President said that of the 5 coming, 3 are coming in from Texas.  BOOYAHHH!  How cool is that?? So I will go and pick up my newbie on Tuesday night.  :) 

My schedule is going to be a little crazy these next few days.  My sweet companion has actually decided to go home, she's felt prompted that she's not supposed to be here.  So we have to go to the other side tonight and stay with some sisters, then Tuesday I get my new sister, then we stay over night again on Tuesday night (because it's new years and we can't ride the ferry), then district meeting Wednesday.   So I won't actually get back to the island until Wednesday evening.  Crazy!  But I am sure excited for the new adventure... oh yeah, and this is all assuming I'll stay on the island.  We haven't got the transfer text yet, so there is a possibility I could white-wash train (starting in a new area, training a new missionary, when BOTH are new to the area)... SCARY.  But if I do get to stay and train the sweet sister for her whole training, that means I'll be on the island until March 25th, how cool would that be!? Cross our fingers people...

Hmm what else.. Oh!!!  We had a baptism this Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was awesome.  The ward was so supportive and lots of people came to support sweet Carole.  She is just amazing and the most prepared person I have ever met.  She even bore her testimony after the baptism at the end of the program and it was so powerful.  Our mission president and his wife decided to surprise us and show up, that was sure scary.  I saw them walk through the door and I thought I was for sure going to pee my pants, I was so scared.  It went really well though, and everything ran smoothly.  I was able to bear my testimony of Joseph Smith, and bawled of course.  Lol!  But the spirit was strong and it was an amazing day.  What a blessing.  That is really the best part of missionary work, seeing that change in someone else.

Nothing else is really new here.  We had a great week.  :)  I sure do love the island just so much, it's such an amazing place, I would love to get the chance to stay.  Thanks for all the love and support!

Love
Sister Wawro

p.s. JUST GOT THE TRANSFER TEXT, AND I'M STAYING ON WHIDBEY ISLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woot Woot!

*************

Someone paid for all the parking on the ferry so we didn't have to pay on Christmas Day...so nice!  And the ferry was just beautiful.

With Elder Allgood from my district

 All the girls from our district.  Love them!

Christmas Gifts!  Thank you everyone!!

New pj's!  So cute!

On Christmas Day we had to be in a little early, so we just had some fun.

The ferry at night...gorgeous.  I love the beauty of the island.

 This is the sweetest lady that treats me like her grand-daughter.  LOVE her!  She always give us milk and cookies, or rootbeer and cookies when we come over.  :)

Carole's Baptism!

 With Bro. Moss

I clearly have a little obsession with skirts...the thrift stores here are amazing.  I didn't spend more than $5 on a skirt!

Merry Christmas!

From Mom:  I wanted to post a screenshot of our beautiful daughter on Christmas Day.  We were blessed to be able to Skype with her for an hour and 20 minutes and it was just WONDERFUL!!  I also found a free program online that will record Skype calls, so I have our entire conversation saved to watch anytime I want to hear her voice and see her face.  :)  What a blessing technology is! 

Big hugs to all the mission moms reading this who also spent Christmas without their son or daughter.  My heart is full knowing that my daughter loves the Lord enough to put her life on hold for 18 months to serve Him fully!  Serving a mission was her choice.  She received an answer to prayer in her heart and knew 100% that this is what God wanted her to be doing right now.  So proud of her for following inspiration.  And for friends not of my faith, anytime you see a missionary around town, say hello, smile, or something.  They are someone's child, living far away from home, just trying to bring God's love into people's hearts, and we all know that we live in a world that needs more of that.  :)

Christmas and Testimony

Well this was another great week! Lots of Christmas-y stuff, I just love it!

Earlier this week we had the relief society party.  It was a cookie exchange and we all got together and sang carols and hymns, socialized and snacked, it was really great.  I love this ward I am in so much. :)

Our investigator on date for baptism is just doing SO well.  The lessons I was in this week were some of the strongest I've ever been in.  My testimony has grown so much on the importance of members attending lessons.  We have really been trying to focus on that this week, and wow what a difference.  We brought a sweet lady from our ward who just bore the most beautiful testimony, the spirit was there, everyone was crying, it was amazing.  I would challenge all of you to go out with the missionaries, you will help change lives!  I'm really looking forward to her baptism this Saturday.

We had exchanges this week so I was on the mainland (for the first time EVER) in an area called Beverly Park.  And... I was on bike.  Wow my respect goes out to those girls who are on bike, in skirts, in the winter!  As hard as it was, it was actually super fun.  You get everywhere really fast, its so easy to stop and talk to anyone on the street, I just really enjoyed it.  Bike in summer would be great, but in the winter it is just so dang cold!  I was freezing.  Thankfully my companion had hand and toe warmers I was able to use and that was pretty great.  Everyone we talked with was really friendly, and I quite enjoyed it.  Definitely not ready to leave my sweet Whidbey Island, but I did enjoy seeing how "the other half" lives.  Lol

I just came back from the mission conference, it was amazing! I sang in the mission choir, our zone sang together, I sang a duet, and gave the opening prayer.  It was crazy, but I reallllly enjoyed it!

So I have been SO blessed.  I got Christmas presents from my family, Emily and Rachel sent a package of presents, the Worltons', the Kieffers', Denton 2nd Ward Relief Society, Grandma Betty, Grandma Palmer says one is in the mail, and Aunt Holly.  So nice!!!!! I am just so lucky!  Plus various people in the ward have given us stuff.  So so so sweet.

Not too much else has happened.  I am overwhelmed with gratitude around this Christmas season.  I love the opportunity I have to serve a mission at this time, to talk and meet so many people, to give devoted service.  Its amazing, and all the letters, support, and packages I have received from home has just been overwhelming.  It brings me to tears.

There are two things I want to share that I have come to know while I have been out.  One is that I KNOW with all of my heart that Joseph Smith really was and is a true prophet of God.  That he DID indeed see God the Father and His son Jesus Christ.  I know this because every time I teach the Restoration and I get the opportunity to share the "First Vision", I always get teary, and as I hold back tears and bear my testimony, the Spirit confirms to my heart the truthfulness of the message that I get to share.

Second is the Savior, and His most perfect life.  I have been studying the 4 gospels especially around this Christmas season to keep my focus on Christ.  I am just amazed that even at a young age He knew He was sent here to do His fathers work.  We know this from him in Jerusalem teaching in the temple.  When His mother asked where he has been (because they were probably worried sick looking for Him) his astonishing reply " How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?  Another thing I found quite interesting is that the Savior has a little bit of humor.  I was reading in Luke and I think one of His disciples (referring to the wrongs of the Pharisees and scribes) asks him basically "aren't you going to do anything about them???"  What I love is the Savior's gentle reply "Can the blind lead the blind?  Shall they not both fall into the ditch?"  Luke 6:39   I don't know why but I just love that.  He always had the perfect answer.  No matter what the situation was, or who was trying to get Him in trouble, or get Him to say the wrong thing, He being perfect, always had the perfect answer.  It made me think of they story of the woman caught in adultery.  That was another life-testing moment, where the people are like what are you gonna do, the law of Moses says stone her!  This was a pivotal moment where His answer would change everything. As He was perfect, he said the perfect answer, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."  John 8:7  I know that the Savior was perfect, and that He truly was without sin.  He spent His life dedicated to His father's work.  What an example to look at, on how to be the best missionary I can be, by dedicating myself to my Father in heaven's work.

Anyways, sorry for that little rant, my testimony of the Savior is just burning with love and thanks especially around this Christmas time.

Love you all!

Sister Wawro

It snowed!!

One of our investigators made us quilts!  It was so sweet of her to do that!

 Light house by the ferry at like 6am... early meetings.  Lol!

This is just the beginning of all the Christmas packages that were at our mission meeting this morning...crazy!  We unloaded an entire trailer of packages sent to the mission office.

Mailing our letters! There are always so many! I love it though :)

This is another shot of the blanket that our sweet investigator made us! I love them!!!!!!

We volunteer once a week at the local good cheer food bank, it is such a great service opportunity.  I really enjoy getting time to serve there.

Nothing Like a Holiday Ticket...

Well this week was pretty crazy.

We got a new car.  We used to drive a 2013 Toyota Corolla, now we have a 2013 Subaru Legacy.  I like the Subaru, but honest opinion the Corolla was a better car!  Much smoother, and had a great turn radius.  But Subaru has 4 wheel drive so that's good. :)

Sister Tate got really sick, so we had to go to the doctor.  Turns out the doctor for the mission is in Seattle, so we got special permission to cross mission boundaries to go to Seattle.  That was crazy! And it was pretty much an all-day event, we were there from 9am to 5pm including travel time, ferry time, and doctor waiting and visits.  So that was a pretty crazy day.  But I can officially say I've been to Seattle.  :)  The doctor is Doctor Adrian and he is the doc for 3 missions in Washington, because he's Mormon.   He has 10 kids and they all went on foreign missions, so that was pretty crazy!

I got my first ticket EVER in my whole life. It was a speed trap. State Patrol, in an area that switches from 40 to 30 and he clocked me at 35, I was suppose to be at 35 by the time I "see" the 30 sign, not by the time I pass it.  I was just in shock, I tried to tell him I was new to WA, my dad was a cop, I was a missionary, nothing worked.  The officer must have been a newbie too, because he looked no older than me!  So that was quite the experience.  But turns out that same day, 5 missionaries got in wrecks and damaged mission vehicles, so the President said "Sister Wawro, I am not worried about you at all, you are the least of my worries today." So I felt kinda bad for him.  No missionaries were hurt, but he was not a happy camper.

There was the ward Christmas party this weekend and it was SOOOO fun.  Definitely made me miss home and think of how much I loved going to those ward parties as a family.  We helped with all the set up, decorations, game planning, and food.  So I have grown such an appreciation for what goes into putting those parties together.  It was SUCH a great turn out, with quite a few non-members, and less actives that showed up.

Haha this is a funny...we just learned that "Sasquatch" and "Big Foot" are a big deal in Washington.  There are post cards everywhere and they just posted this thing in the newspaper that caught our eye while waiting in line at the Ferry.  There's this group on the island that is going Big Foot hunting, and they started this group "BFOA", I can't remember what it stands for, but oh my goodness, I just about died of laughter.  Welcome to the island ya'll....

Love
Sister Wawro

 Uncle Aaron and Aunt Agi's family sent me a 1 lb. Reese's cup!  Isn't that crazy?? Haha

 First ticket, 5 miles over...ridiculous.  #almostcried

Here is the tree!  So many people have given us stockings... its pretty hilarious.  The crochet ones are from this sweet sweet 90 yr old lady in our ward.  Her calling is to pass around the missionary meal calendar...so she LOVES us.  The top ones are cat stockings, and that is from one of our investigators, so sweet.

This is a cute girl at church, who I LOVE!  She says "sissa waawwwwooo" and runs and screams and jumps to hug me every time she sees me.  I love her!!!!!

 With SANTA at the ward Christmas party!

The Moss family.  WHO I LOVE.  Seriously.

Boom!  Christmas!!!!!!! Gotta love it :)

Drove by this house last night.. we had to get out and take a picture with it!  Lol!  So fun.  Reminds me of when we would drive around as a family and stop to look at lights, I love it!  Good times.. :)

Parade, Freezing Car Wash, & Homemade Wreaths!

From Janene - sorry about some of the formatting and crazy-big spacing between pictures.  Technology isn't working with me today.  LOL!

So this was a pretty exciting and crazy good week!

First, our investigator that is on date for baptism is doing SO WELL.  I seriously just love her.  She asks all the right questions, truly applies all that we teach into her life, and it's amazing to see that kind of transformation in someone.  I just love being an instrument in the Lord's hands and watching the beautiful work that He does, helping other people come into His fold.  What a blessing to be a missionary at this time and in the area.  She came to church and it was one of the best meetings I have ever attended.  The speakers were SO in tune with the spirit, and addressed a lot of what SHE needed to hear.  I know that was not coincidence, but by the influence of the the Spirit.

We had zone conference this week with President, and our cars had to be cleaned for inspections.  So the only problem is, there isn't a car wash on the island, like no joke.  So we stayed up washing our car, in the freezing cold with a bucket of water, a rag, and Windex.  It was pretty hilarious.  The liquid was literally freezing to the car before our eyes, and freezing to the rag, which I found pretty hilarious.  So that was quite an adventure. 

Our car doesn't even fit in the garage, it was pretty funny! This is the beginning of our washing experience.  Lol!  Haha!  We actually didn't pass inspection... but by that point I was like ahhhh whatever!  Lol!  If president ever asks about it, I have pictures for proof! LOL!

 

 

 

We had a really cool opportunity to volunteer at the local Food Bank this week and I really just loved it.  We got to work with so many different people, and I just love talking and working with other people.  We did a variety of tasks, but you know me, my favorite was organizing the shelves and products so they looked best.  :)

There was a relief society activity this week where we got to make wreaths.  I had never even heard of this!  People hand-make these wreaths for Christmas from sticks and branches of trees!  Being a Texas girl, this was way out of what I was used to.  Haha!  I thought it was kinda silly, at first but I LOVED it and I am so proud of my wreath!  It was so fun and I want to make a homemade wreath every year!  I ended up giving my wreath away to our investigator on date for baptism, but I enjoyed it hanging up for the short time I had it :)

 

 

This weekend in downtown Langely, we were walking to go check our mail at the post office and there was the town's Christmas Parade going on!  It was so fun to watch!  But also pretty hilarious... the island is such a silly place.  There were cross dressing Santa Clause's at the front, well...maybe they were trying to be Mrs. Clause?  Haha!  It was pretty funny to see.  Then there was a Scottish bag pipe band playing in their kilts, so that was pretty cool to see, then there were other various booths, but finally the back was Santa Clause in a slay being pulled by...the rehab center bus!  Hilarious!  It was really silly, but totally made my whole day to watch.  Lol!!

I've had many cool experiences this week with the spirit influencing me.  I can't tell you how many lessons I was in and someone asked a questions that I had no idea how to answer, or what would be the right thing to say.  But then a scripture or a verse would pop into my head.  It is such a wonderful opportunity to truly be an instrument in the Lord's hands and receive revelation for the investigator or person we are meeting with.  I know those thoughts were not my thoughts, but the Lord giving me the tools I needed to help those in need.

Grandma Betty made my whole day and sent me presents (now waiting under the Christmas tree for Christmas) and apple sauce!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT MADE MY WHOLE DAY I probably ate half the jar with a spoon from the package itself!  Woohoo!

Since the high is 28 degrees, I've become a master at hot cocoa making!  :)

 This is our little Christmas Tree we made in our apt. with lights

 Princess stockings from the dollar store!  LOL

Presents from Grandma

We ate with a Swedish couple last night and they had this cool tradition where you drink this Glogg stuff in a little glass, and you are suppose to eat it with a mini spoon with almonds and raisins in it.  It was pretty tasty, and I thought it was pretty cool!

We had to be up at 5:30am to catch the ferry to be at the mission office by 7:45am.  That was an early morning... but the ferry was BEAUTIFUL

 I've really come to LOVE lighthouses, I'm a little obsessed with them, I already have little light house trinkets I've started collecting...Lol!  (From mom, she got that from her dad.  Bill has always loved lighthouses!  Fun to pass that along to her!)

I'm feeling happier than ever, and loving the island!

Sister Carina Wawro