Transfers to Lake Stevens!

Well transfers happened!

I am no longer on Whidbey, but in the Lake Stevens area, in the Marysville stake.  Very excited.  Its been a pretty good week, still adjusting to a new area, but that's what missions are about, right? Dad always said, don't get comfortable...right when you start to feel comfortable, a change is about to happen! And he was right.  I was definitely feeling comfortable on Whidbey, and it was time for a change so I could learn and grow.

On Tuesday a family here took us to transfers, so that was nice.  So, we a go to the mission office and all of the missionaries are in the parking lot.  Our zone leaders give us a piece of paper with our new area and companion on it, and tell us to find your companion and get in the car and drive to their area.   My new companion's name is Sister Amanda Adams, from Eager, Arizona.  When we got there, my new companion said I could unpack, but I just wanted to get to work, so we went off and started meeting members.  I unpacked over the next couple of days.

So, when we left - the sweet, sweet Moss' took us to lunch and then drove us to transfers.  Oh how I love them and will miss them dearly.  They are the best, and I'll sure miss having that "go-to" family always looking out for me.  I feel blessed to have gotten to know them and have lifelong friends now!  So at transfers the president pulled me aside and said he wanted to have an interview with me.  #SCARY.  Seriously, I was like 'oh no'.  But he told me that there has been some recent challenges in the past with this area, and that is why he is putting me here - to help build it back up.  He expects me to be continually obedient and to stand up for what is right.  Wow, did I feel honored that he trusts me, but I was also a little scared for what I was about to walk into.

We live in a duplex, its 2 story and 3 bedroom its nicknamed "the mission mansion" because most missionary apartments are one bedroom tiny apartments.  We have a two-story duplex with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.  So in missionary life, it's a mansion.  Ha ha!  It's a nice place, there is a Target and everything - a good sized town.  We surround a lake, Lake Stevens, so I still get to see the water which is nice.  :)

Here is my new house address (yes, packages can be sent straight here):
8714 1st Street SE Unit B
Lake Stevens, WA  98258

This is a good area.  I am definitely helping to build it up, though.  They have no investigators and no one on date for baptism.  So we did lots of tracting this week. We tracted out 2 or 3 apartment complexes and a couple of neighborhoods.  Yes knocking on hundreds of doors is a little tiring, but I know that through diligence, we will find who the Lord has prepared for us.

The ward is great, our ward mission leader is on fire!  He just loves missionary work and he is wanting to get everyone involved.  It's awesome, and I've loved the past few meetings we have had, he has such great plans to help this area explode with finding, teaching and baptizing!  Also, he makes gourmet hot chocolate.  I have been in heaven! The last time my flavor was white chocolate with toasted marshmallow.  SO good!  But the best part is he served his mission in Dallas Texas, particularly the DENTON AREA!  I just about died when he was telling us all about his mission.  So that was pretty awesome.  I love to make connections.

I am no longer at the public library - we will email from the family history center for 2 hours and should be here at 10am on Mondays.

(Side story from mom - my friend, Heidi Worlton, in our ward here, has a sister that lives in Lake Stevens, so we were both pretty excited that their paths might cross.  Heidi said her sister was going to stalk her on Sunday and track her down.  LOL!  And she did!  Here's Carina's story...)  Sister Worlton's sister ran towards me Sunday and I knew she was a Worlton before she even said anything!  I just screamed and hugged her and then she told me who she was, and I'm like, "Uh, duh - I can totally see it!"  Ha ha!  Then we took a pic together and she said 'hi and hugs from Heidi'.  It was SO cool!

A miracle I witnessed today...we were going through the list of people in the ward and decided to visit a less-active lady.  As we approached her door, she immediately lets us in, invites us to sit down, and starts crying!  She kept saying "wow, I can't believe you are here right now, I can't believe you are here.  How did you know?  I can't believe this!"  She then proceeds to tell us how she is struggling, and she had just been praying and telling Heavenly Father how she is tired of going through all of her trials alone, and how she wants someone there to help her and be there, and then "ding dong" we showed up.  What a miracle!  I just couldn't believe it either.  We had a great talk with her, set up to teach her the lessons over again.  And believe it or not, she came to church this Sunday.  I know the Lord has many more miracles in store for us, and I can't wait to see them all.

Love, Sister Wawro

PICTURES:

Bags all packed, ready to leave Whidbey!

My new companion, Sister Adams, from Eager, Arizona  

One of the members' houses in Lake Stevens.  Still by the water.  :)

Study area in my new place

New closet

New Bedroom

Meeting Heidi Worlton's (Denton family friend) sister!  Small world!

 

Bittersweet Day - Saying Goodbye...

This week has been one of the best weeks I've had in a while.  Lately I have just been feeling down.  I don't know if it's the weather or what, but I was just feeling kind of sad and uneasy.  We had a look at our investigators and only one is progressing, the others are just "like to meet with missionaries for fun/entertainment" kind of people.  So in my letter last week, when I was talking about that referral that called us back, we were praying so hard for a new investigator and a family to bring into the gospel.  We did the pamphlet and it was a total crash and burn.  She just wanted to Bible Bash, she read the scripture in Revelations when we talked about the Book of Mormon and said 'we would be punished and damned for adding to the Bible' and she told us 'we were deceivers'.  We just tried to bear sincere testimony and leave on a good note, but we were just so disappointed.  I have been praying so hard to find a new investigator, to find someone to share the gospel to.  All of our tracting efforts have led to "no's".  I was just feeling really in despair, almost as if the Lord had forgotten us.  But of course, He NEVER does and we had a miracle. 

We went to visit a less active member "R" - she is elderly and joined another church on the island, but was thinking about coming back to the Mormon church.  So we talked with her, had a lesson, and she invited us to lunch.  When we came for lunch later that week, her caretaker 'B' was there.  Throughout the conversation 'B' mentioned that she was recently divorced, a single mom of 3 kids, and looking for church on the island.  She has been to a few "but hasn't found the right one."  At the end of lunch, we invited her to take the missionary lessons, and she responded with "well, I was actually wondering if I could come to church on Sunday!  I really need it, and my kids need it."  We were floored!  When we shared a scripture of the Book of Mormon and bore testimony, she was teary-eyed.

Then the next day, Sunday, sure enough, there was 'B' and her 3 kids.  The ward just took she and her kids right in.  I was so proud of them.  Even the primary kids, who were the ages of her kids, came and got them after sacrament meeting and held hands with them walking to class.  After church the kids were all so sad to leave, and she was telling them, "don't worry, we will be back next week".  We were also able to set up a lesson with her for Tuesday to teach the Restoration.  What a miracle, the Lord has not forgotten me or any of His children.  Sometimes He just wants us to continue working diligently and working through the hard times, and closed doors, and rejection, to be worthy and thankful for those tender mercies.  So we can more fully recognize them.  As I sat in church yesterday and just looked at 'B' and her family, and "R" and all these miracles I was filled with the utmost joy.  The fullest joy I have ever felt, not joy of myself, but for her and her family, to bring this light to them.  And at that moment, all the challenge was worth it, 100%.  What a testimony builder to me, to work diligently and always trust that the Lord is preparing the hearts of the children of men to hear His word at the time of His coming and His glory.

I love Sister Oswald with all my heart.  She is a joy and a blessing to work with.  She has humbled me and I have grown so much from being her companion. She is a choice and tender spirit, she is so close to our Heavenly Father, and He loves her very much. She is just so sweet and sincere in her testimony and her spirit.  I am truly thankful for these last 12 weeks I've had to spend with her.

On another note, we find out about transfers today, the whole ward just about flipped out when they announced on Sunday that I might be leaving.  It was a tear-filled day, but I was so thankful for all of the people that came up with tears in their eyes and personally thanked me for my service.  It's been hard, and it's pushed me, but it has been so rewarding to serve here.  I am gratefully for all of the members, and if I go, it will be hard to leave.

What a blessing it is to be on a mission.  I can't imagine my life without it.  I know I wouldn't be where I am now, spiritually and mentally and everything.  It has changed me for the better, and I am ever grateful for this blessed Gospel.

Love
Sister Wawro

p.s.  So, we just got the text...I'm bring TRANSFERRED.  It's really happening.  But I'm okay.  :)   I feel content.  I know our mission president prayed and GOD will put me where he wants me.  I'm ready for a new place with new experiences, and to see MORE of what Washington has to offer.  So it will be okay.  :)

PICTURES

Fort Casey

The island is just so beautiful!!!!!!!!

This couple is the Svenssons - they are in the ward, are Swedish, and I love them!

Recent convert we are working with

The mailman took us to lunch, and gave me all these going home gifts.  Two shirts and a sweatshirt and roses!  So nice!

(Mom note:  Seriously?  This girl is amazing - what mailman gives a parting missionary on their route GIFTS?  LOL!  Love it!!!!!)

Our Bishop - he is the BEST Bishop!

The Dowd family.... Oh how I LOVE them.  I will miss their family dearly

Patchings' - LOVE!  She gave me a South Whidbey mug - it's the best!

Papritz family - they are the BEST, the most fun family.  Oh I will miss them.  We laughed till we cried like...every dinner appointment.  Ah, I love them!

 You can really see how much my hair color has grown out...LOL

(Mom note:  I just told her it looked 'ombre'...all the rage right now.  Ha ha!)

VIDEO

Fort Casey

Braeburn Cafe'

Okay I hit month SEVEN!  Can't even believe it.  Time is so weird on your mission.

We have one of our investigators on date for April 12th.  She has been doing so well.  She is a very simple and visual learner, so its been neat to teach her.  She shows great faith, and its been a blessing to be a part of her lessons.

We had a neat experience this week. We contacted a referral, Emily, and she was highly uninterested.  She was making remarks like "I'm sorry, I go to a church that believes Jesus Christ suffered on the cross, not Joseph Smith".  SO we responded "Great!  We do too", and we were able to clear up that misunderstanding, but needless to say she was not interested.  We asked if we could come by another time when her husband was home and meet with him since he was the actual referral, but she said no.  So we left, kind of disappointed. We went on with our day and after one of our lessons, we checked our voice mail for a missed call. Emily had called us back and in her message said "I'm so sorry, I should have let you in, something told me I should call you back.  I'd love to hear what you believe, and maybe I can tell you about what I believe, anyways call me back and we can set something up."  It was a miracle!  So, we set up an appointment for this Thursday at 2pm!  The Lord is hastening His work, what a testimony building experience.  The Lord is preparing the hearts of His children to hear His words.

We had 19 lessons this week so that was AWESOME.  It was a very busy week. 

I sang in church yesterday "Oh My Soul Hungered" and 3 of our investigators came!  It was awesome, so that was a total surprise.

Not too much else is new around here.  We find out about transfers next Monday, so sad.  I can't believe this could probably be my last week on Whidbey.  The neat thing, is that this ward loves us SO much.  Our March dinner calendar was filled up in February.  So since it's already filled, people are calling us to feed us lunch and breakfast now because they want to eat with us!  We had lunch 3 times this week and have 2 scheduled next week.  And one day we were fed breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I'm telling you this ward takes SUCH good care of us!  It'll be hard to go.

Thanks for all the support.

Sister Wawro

Pictures:

I don't have too many pictures this week.  This morning we went to the Braeburn Cafe'.  One of the members showed it to us - it was in the food network magazine and voted best breakfast place in the state of Washington!  So we had to try it out!

Beach and Sand Dollars

Only two more weeks of this transfer and then it's over! I'm so sad, I'm pretty sure I'll leave the island, but I would LOVE to stay.  I can't even imagine being anywhere else, but I know the Lord has more in store for me.  I just can't believe South Whidbey is coming to an end.  Yeah - it's crazy nuts...this Friday I'll already be at 7 months on my mission!  :)

Well, the only big thing that happened this week was that I got invited to another special conference.  This time it was even smaller, it was all the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders, and then a few others.  I felt so privileged to be on of those "few others."  Sister Bonham's brother, Shawn Moon, came to speak to us.  He works for Franklin Covey, so he gave us all this great training about paradigms and how you see your mission, and that HOW you see your mission, affects your mission.  It was a really neat thing to be a part of.  The spirit was very strong there, and the best part is when he said, "who has a scripture that can BEST describe missionary work?  Where in the scriptures does the Lord say how he wants his missionaries to work, and to do and to be?"  He is this really fun and energetic guy, and is walking around - right down on our level and talking to us.  I immediately thought of Alma 17:2-3 which reads:

2 "...they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.
3 But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God."

So I raised my hand and stood and read it, the room went quiet, and he spoke very softly and smiled and sister, "Sister Wawro, in my personal study I picked that exact scripture, Alma 17:2-3.  Wonderful job." And then he continued on to the next portion of the meeting, but it was just a really cool experience to feel the spirit of the room reading about missionaries in the scriptures, and being valiant soldiers in God's army to spread the gospel.

We pushed our investigator's baptism date back a month to April 26th, so we can continue to work with her, and make sure she understands all the commitments she is making.  I am confident she will stay on date though.

Oh, and this next Sunday I'm singing a solo in church, "Oh My Soul Hungered". 

Well, not much is new around here.  Sister Oswald is the greatest!  I just love her a lot, it's been SO much fun to be companions.  BTW mom, Sister Oswald says 'happy birthday today' - she says her mom told her it was your birthday.  Lol!  Love it!  :)

Love you all!

Sister Wawro

PICTURES:

REAL sand dollars I got to pick up!

More shells... :)

The member that took us to the beach, Sister Winder!

 Our ward mission leader's son, who we LOVE!

Finally got front row ferry!!  It was so beautiful!

Currently the breakfast I am obsessed with...oatmeal, bananas, walnuts, almonds, and a "green drink" - all fruits and veggies, delicious!  Who would have thought I'd ever like oatmeal??  I also have come to love tomatoes!  Who would've guessed??? Crazy!  :)

Video at the beach!

Last Fast Sunday Here?

Not too much has happened this week, we taught a TON of people so that was really nice, I like to be busy. :)

We got one of our investigators on date after implementing the pamphlet 7 minute restoration lesson.  We invited her to pray out loud and ask Heavenly Father, and she did.  Then we invited her to be baptized and she said yes!  That was a miracle, the methods Salt Lake came and taught really are bringing miracles.

We had a zone conference this week to teach the rest of the mission what we were taught a few weeks ago from Salt Lake.  That was another wonderful meeting, where we got to hear many miracles that have come from this new implementation.  Its such a blessing to be on a mission at this time. I feel so, so blessed.

We had a baptism for a less active family we have been working with.  Since both parents are members the child didn't count as a convert baptism, but it was definitely a blessing to be a part of the baptism and watch the family's conversion over the past 6 months, so that was definitely that highlight of my week.

Well transfers are the 25th and I'm pretty sure I'm going.  If I were to stay I would be here till May which would be half my mission in one area, which seems highly unlikely, but we will see.  It was sad to think that yesterday was the last testimony meeting I will be in on Whidbey.  But I do get to sing "Oh My Soul Hungered" on March 16th before I go, so I am looking forward to that.

I love the videos on www.mormon.org - they are the best.  We get time twice a month to go to the library, and the president lets us watch these videos for an hour.  It's the BEST!

I love the island so much, this is the best ward I've ever been in!  Everyone is so kind and nice and caring and they all just take care of each other, and ESPECIALLY the missionaries.  It will be a tearful day when I go for sure, its been a blessing to serve here.

I love missionary work!  It's hard but its worth it!

Love
Sister Wawro

Pictures:

The bishop in our ward made this for me! I hope dad likes the one I had made for his birthday!  :)

Here is my study area and all of our resources

Sweet girl!  She runs up to me EVERY Sunday yelling down the hall, gives me a big hug, and helps me pass out programs by the front door.  She is the sweetest girl ever!

Beautiful ferry and view!

Baptism