Leaving Lake Stevens!

I am being transferred!  So tomorrow at 3pm I'll find out where my new home is!

We had exhanges this week in which I was able to go to Quil Ceda with Sister Barnes, that was way fun.  I truly love to be on a bike, so it was such a fun day.  We found a few new investigators and taught some great lessons together, so it was a great day.

Sad news, our investigator that was on date for this weekend fell off date.  He feels "coaxed" into his decision and doesn't even know if he ever wants to be baptized.  It just broke my heart because I know he felt the spirit and he knows the church is true, he just won't act on it. He is unhappy and I KNOW the gospel will fill those cracks.  I think Satan is really working hard on him.

We found a few new investigators in our own area too this week, so that was exciting.  One is a 15 year old girl we found in our area book as a potential.  She is super sweet and willing to learn.  Then we had a miracle and met "M" tracting.  We taught him the first lesson right there, he prayed and asked to know if it was true, if the Book of Mormon was true, if Joseph Smith was a prophet, and if this was the path he should take.  We invited him to church AND HE ACTUALLY CAME.  He stayed all 3 hours and it was wonderful, he took notes the whole time, it was awesome.  He talked to everyone and after said he was so excited - he has been looking for friends and for fellowship and a church that "challenged him" that he could go to, to grow and to learn not just to "go to church".  It was a serious miracle. 

Then another lady, "M" literally just randomly walked into our church building because "she felt impressed" and wanted to find new friends.  SO then she stayed all 3 hours and said missionaries could come over.  We thought for sure that she wouldn't be in our area since we attend church in the South Lake area, like 20 minutes away, but then some how she ended up in our church, on a different side of town, at our time! What a blessing.

I would encourage everyone to read 3 Nephi chapter 17 from the Book of Mormon this week.  I read over it during my personal study and it just stuck out to me like never before, the true compassion that Christ has for us, which we can see in the compassion he shows to those people.  He tells them his time has come to an end, and the people have tears because they have just heard from their Savior, they've walked with him, talked with him, learned from him, felt the wounds in his hands and side, and then that time has come to a close.  As he tells them he must go, he sees their tears, and then as he says he's filled with compassion for them, and then proceeds to invite anyone who is sick or needs healing to come forth and be healed.  Then he blesses their children, one by one.  I just love this chapter.  Throughout the entire chapter we read how he weeps, because of his love, or how he is filled with mercy or compassion.  I just love this pure example of Christ's love.

So that was pretty much our week.  I am sad to leave Lake Stevens because I truly love it here, but I know that I will love the next area and the people there too.

Love you all!
Sister Wawro

PICTURES:

We went to 'Five Guys' a few weeks ago.
SO YUMMY!

Sister Barnes, who I also love and had exchanges with!

The Zone

"T" (who was baptized in March before I got to Lake Stevens)

Cool cheetah-print slugs.  LOL!  I love slugs

I've got the missionary sock tan!  LOL

KITTENS!

Exchanges with Sister Tuttle.. love her!

Sister "S" husband is from Pakistan and they are currently celebrating Ramadan, so we had a traditional Pakistan meal.  It was delicious - very spicy and no utensils allowed - but so good!  And I ate goat meat.  Lol!  And the goat was yummy!

Sister "F" whom I love!!!!!!!!

Blackberries are coming out!!!!!
And they are delicious!

With Sis. Holt

The town had a fair called "Aqua Fest" and we ate dinner there one night.  Very fun!

Momma "S", <3 'Nufff said

"W.R." who is such a great lady!

The "N" family, who I LOVE!  

Totally cried saying bye to them, and didn't even expect to.

Thoughts on the Atonement...

Well, I have had a tough couple of weeks and just various trials, but I am finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  And once again, I have come to see these trials as a blessing.  A big change I have come to realize is that this mission really is just so, so short.  I mean, I have always known the mission was fast, and the time has really flown by.  But even more-so now than ever, I have just loved every second, not taking a second for granted.  I used to mark the days off on my calendar, not in a "counting down till home kind of way" but just in a keeping track of what day it is.  But now, I can't even bear to cross off one more day.  My calendar is still crossed off only up until the beginning of July.  It pings my heart every time I even think about crossing off a day.  One more day gone, one more day away from my mission.  Which truly saddens my heart, I have LOVED to be here.  I have grown so so so much.  I have never felt more converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ, or understood its significant and eternal importance as I have now.  I am just so eternally grateful for this opportunity that I have to serve, and I am so excited to love every single day until the end (which hopefully will never come....LOL)

But lately I have been studying the Atonement and specifically its "limitations."  And the conclusion that I have come to, is really that the only limitations it has, is on us.  We control our access to it.  These are some of the main points I concluded:

#1 We have to accept the Atonement and choose to access it.
The Atonement is always there and it has already been paid for - Christ already took on all of our sins.  He has already done the suffering for us, but WE have to choose to come to it. This is one principle where we differ from other churches.  Others believe that yes, Christ died for us on the cross so that's it...its there, it covers us, and we are good-to-go making whatever choices we want because "he's already taken care of it." And yes, It is always there, the door is always there and open and unlocked, but we have to make the effort and turn the door knob and walk in... and with walking in that door, then we have some things WE need to take care of, which leads to point number 2:

#2 We must keep His terms to receive the full blessings of the Atonement.
Christ has required of us that to use the Atonement fully and have that access and receive those blessings we have to repent and keep the commandments.  'Articles of Faith' number 3 states "We believe that through The Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of The Gospel."  We have to be obedient and follow ALL the commandments, which includes repenting continually for the rest of our lives and enduring to the end.

#3 We cannot fully access The Atonement without the ordinances of the Gospel.
Now this point I recently found, and I am still trying to wrap my brain around the concept. When Brother Donaldson came, he said "A person cannot feel the redeeming, enabling, and exalting powers of The Atonement without the ordinances of The Gospel."  Through baptism we have the ultimate repentance manifesting our "rebirth" or new life following Christ.  Then through the sacrament we renew every week, we remember the Atonement every week and give thanks and strive the next week to be even more obedient.

My mission president suggested that I read "Believing Christ" by Stephen E. Robinson.  I received the book from home on Friday and finished it on Sunday.  That book totally changed my perspective on everything.  One point that I really came to understand was this point right here...that when we are baptized, we come into this covenant with Jesus Christ, where, to put it frankly, he basically promises that when we do our part, He WILL fill in the rest.  As Robinson puts it, he compares it to a corporate merge.  When two parties combine, even if the one is lesser, and has debt, when they merge - the greater party takes up the slack and fills in the debt and brings them higher and out of the hole.  The same is with Christ.  We are in debt, we are in the hole with our sins, but in the partnership with Christ, in our covenant to HIM, when we do allllll we can do, when we try our hardest and our best, He will fill in our weakness.  As an individual, I may have no hope, but as a junior partner in a joint venture with Christ, I have every assurance of success.  That is probably my favorite of the 3 limitations, that Christ will help me fill in my weakness and shortcomings, as I have promised and covenanted my faithfulness to Him.

But, to quickly review the rest of the week, we had an awesome lesson with Robert who is still on date for baptism August 2nd.   I sang at the cottage meeting at the mission president's home with Sister Cromar and all her other "trainees" since this is her last week in the mission field.  And we gave some sneaky service to a member, Sister S., who does EVERYTHING for us, feeds us, drives us, takes us to lunch...everything.  She's great!  So we were in her neighborhood and she was outside and we asked to use the bathroom and then cleaned her kitchen really quick.  It was super fun and felt good to give back to her.  She was very grateful when she found it later. 

Overall it was a pretty great week. Feeling blessed.

Well, when our ride gets here, Sister S. is taking us to Panera!  I'M SO EXCITED!!

Love,

Sister Wawro

PICTURES:

Sister Boaz, who used to be in our apt. back in March

(Mom sidenote...LOVE her braided hair here!) 

 All of us who sang at the cottage meeting

Funky tree we found while tracting...

And the spiders are back out and ready for action.  GROSS!!!

With Sister Holt

Saw this weird yard art...

Making "Smash Books" - casual scrapbooks.  Excited to make really NICE scrapbooks with mom when I get home!

(More from last week's email, July 14th)

4th of July Rooftop Pics

Very patriotic house we saw!

4th of July

Just got this letter from the president.. pretty cool!

"I thought some of you would find this interesting. They also announced that about 86,000 missionaries are currently serving and that they expect the numbers to peak this fall at about 88,000, then gradually decline to around 77,000, which is still a noticeable increase from before the age change.

President Bonham

From the Church's mormonnewsroom website:

NEWS STORY — 2 JULY 2014
Church Expands Use of Digital Devices
for Missionary Work
 
VIDEO: Elder David F. Evans discusses recent updates in the Church's missionary efforts
 
SALT LAKE CITY —  More missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be using digital devices as they preach the gospel in North America, Japan and western Europe. The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are expanding the use of mobile devices following a successful pilot program that has been in place since last fall involving 6,500 missionaries in 30 missions in the United States and Japan. Missionaries are equipped with specially configured iPad minis for studying and teaching the gospel.

Church leaders will also implement online proselyting in the United States, Canada, Japan and western Europe following a test in those areas for more than a year. Sister missionaries in some of the Church’s visitors’ centers are also using digital devices and online proselytizing as part of their daily activities.Thousands of missionaries in 35 missions used either a mobile device or existing computers in Church buildings, public libraries or other approved locations to use social media such as Facebook. An emphasis will still be placed on their assigned areas.

By early 2015, the Church expects that more than 32,000 missionaries in more than 162 missions will be using mobile devices. The expansion will begin later this year. The missionaries will be asked to buy their pre-configured iPad minis, which they can keep after their missions, much like they purchase and use their own bicycles. Those who can’t afford the $400 devices will be offered assistance."

So, today we actually had to come a couple towns over to come to the Marysville library and use the computers here.  It's pretty cool though, the library is huge, so there are about 20 missionaries here, all on the computers.  So that's neat!

Sister Carina Wawro

PICTURES:

It's legal to set off fireworks in Washington, so we watched all of our neighbors set them off from our rooftop, then had a living room 'sleepover' that night.  So fun!

We were out tracting, and I asked the lady at this house if I could take a picture of her mailbox (hometown Denton!) and she's like "Haha, yeah!  I need to watch this happen!  LOL!"

Good News/Bad News?

Well this was another really great week, I must say.

We had interviews this week and as I walk into the President's office he is like, "Well Sister Wawro, tell me how you're doing!"  So I begin to ramble off about everything, basically... I'm great, I love the area, I love my companion, we are working well, we are finding all these investigators, blah blah and happiness!  He smiles and says, "I have good news and bad news".  I'm like...great.  He then says. "Good news: I hope you enjoy your transfer with Sister Holt because (bad news) this will be your only transfer with her.  At the end of this transfer I need you ready to work, you are too valuable." I'm like 'what the heck does that mean?!'  And he just smiles and said to ask her lots of questions about leadership and how to be a leader, and learn from her as much as a I can... So yeah, it's exciting that he foresees something in mind for me with the next transfer and that he trusts me to do that, but scary that I need to be ready to WORK.  I thought I was working hard this whole time?  LOL!  But yeah, so I don't know if that is white-wash training in a new area, just training someone who is struggling, or becoming a sister trainer leader.  So I have really been trying to learn from her.  When I talked to her about my interview, he said basically the same thing to her and told her to keep "training me" to be a leader.  So we'll see! Scary, but I guess exciting too.   :)

I am learning so much from Sister Holt about leadership, not just leadership but Christ-like leadership, and those special characteristics to help you be the best sister training leader you can, to be there for those sisters as a steward.  Also, to rely on the spirit on what to say and how to help those who are struggling, to turn to the scriptures and Preach My Gospel.  I am grateful to be her companion.

We had a lesson with our investigator, Robert, who has been taking the lessons since September, but this Tuesday we had one of the best lessons I've ever had on my mission.  The spirit was so strong, the strongest it has ever been with Robert.  We went through the baptismal questions to see where he is at in his testimony, and what things did he already believe.  For the most part, he believes it all, not has a TESTIMONY of it all, but he has at-least that belief or desire of belief, as spoken of in Alma 32:27.  During the lesson, while he presented some concerns, I just began to bear my testimony, and follow the spirit of what to say...what did Robert need at that moment?  I spoke of my own personal conversion to the gospel.  Growing up in the church, but never really fully involving myself, diving in for that solid testimony.  I told of my experience of leaving home and having hard trials come that I was not expecting, and turning to the world for comfort but not finding it.  Then, when I was in despair and that "gulf of misery and endless woe," complete and utter darkness...for the first time, I turned to scripture and prayer.  The basics that I had been taught all my life!  I read with a fervent desire for comfort, and found it.  I prayed with all my heart to find peace, and I received it.  That is where my testimony began, even if it took to the age of 18 to get it, I got it!  Then I bore testimony as boldly as I could with tears in my ears, the spirit just burning inside me, I told Robert, "I know you have felt that same despair.  I know you have felt something missing in your life, and I know that you have turned to the world for comfort.  But I testify to you today that this gospel, the gospel of Jesus Christ, will fill that hole in your life.  Through baptism, you can have that fullness of joy that you have been looking for."  Robert, with tears in his eyes, just nodded his head.  I am happy to say that he is now on date for baptism August 2nd.  That was truly the most powerful lesson I have had on my mission.  What a blessing, I am so thankful for experiences like that on my mission.

We have continued to find new people to teach, and they are doing well.  Our numbers are constantly improving and for that I am thankful, the Lord is truly blessing our area!

I just finished the Book of Mormon again to continue my goal of reading it every 2 months (even though I didn't start until November instead of the beginning of my mission) But yeah I am now on the 5th read and this time I am studying prayer and loving it!

I am doing well, feeling great, and loving Sister Holt!

Love you all!

Sister Carina Wawro