Twenty.

Quite a bit happened this week!

 

For full details you will have to read my journal one day when I write a book about being a missionary. Just kidding, I probably won't do that. But this is going to just be my abridged version of my journal. Kind of like the Book of Mormon. All the best stuff is in here. :)

 

On Wednesday we had Zone Conference with a 3rd of the mission. That was really fun. We spent a long time talking about safety and health. Sister Blatter (The mission president's wife) got up and gave a little spiel about psyllium (I don't know how to spell it) and flossing. haha. She is a mother by nature and has gotten over all the awkward parenting conversations with her 6 children so she has no problem doing it for all 200 of us missionaries as well.

 

We also had some trainings on planning and getting members more excited about missionary work. Then we had lunch all together and finished off with President Blatter talking about Grace, and a testimony meeting. Whenever the mission gets together we sing"Amazing Grace, my chains are gone." It sounds amazing and it's really cool hearing all the missionaries singing together with so much energy. It sounds beautiful.

 

On Thursday I was sick. It was rough. I felt pretty nauseous all day and had a pretty awful headache. I'm pretty sure it's because on Monday we were given a pizza, on Tuesday our dinner was Dairy Queen with some members, and then Wednesday we ate at the "Airport Diner" with a different member, where we ate deep fried "fish and chips" With chocolate pie to top it off.  I don't like fast food. I didn't before, and I don't like it even more. 

 

All day on Thursday I wanted to just ask the members to feed us healthy food because as missionaries, we teach the word of wisdom, and we should live it so we can have the energy we need to share the gospel... So, if you are feeding the missionaries, don't feel too stressed about giving them a five course meal with the fanciest dessert you can find. Because a 5 course meal every night leads to really sick missionaries. And fast food is the worst. Pizza is even worse than that....

 

Friday was my BIRTHDAY! :D I'm twenty! It was a great day! The weather was beautiful! The sunrise was so pretty and it made me feel like it was a little birthday present from God.

In the morning, most of the elders from my zone called to sing me happy birthday, which was pretty funny. They sounded awful. Sister Blatter called me to wish me happy birthday also.

Then we had a lesson with Ashley Leinnaweber. We bought ice cream and sat outside in the sun and taught her the restoration. She's stubborn, but she actually knows that she needs the gospel. She loves the idea of her family being together forever. She just needs to make some changes in her life to be ready for it. I love her and I hope she keeps trying.

 

We then did some service and visited a few more people before dinner at the Waites house. (Ward mission leader) They made me my favorite food and also made fruit salad for dessert because I asked for that instead of something sweet and unhealthy. They gave me a present with chocolate, cotton candy, and nail polish in it, which was really nice. I was able to eat the cotton candy by Saturday and I had forgotten how much I loved cotton candy! :)

 

After dinner we went knocking by their house, and didn't have much success, but we were in a really beautiful area and the sun was shining and we found a cute little frog to hold. (don't worry, I have a picture) We also found a house that is deep in the forest that has chickens, turkeys, and peacocks! Another guy had pet geese, which gave us a heart attack, because just before that house we had been chased by a dog that gave us a bigger heart attack. (I think I will have PTSD with dogs.) 

 

On Saturday we helped out at Zions Camp, they were having a giant stake clean up, so Sister harris and I prepared lunch for everyone. We flipped burgers for 2 hours. Since we were there for lunch, we ate really fast and then explored for the rest of the hour. We played in the tree house, sat on a see saw, and played on the swings, because that is what mature, 20 year old people do. Obviously.

 

Later that afternoon we were street contacting when we found a lady rearranging her readerboard, she looked like she was struggling, so we offered to help. She had the word Methodist on the board and needed to change it to woodshed, and on accident, for at least 2 minutes it said METHWOODSHED. Which, maybe isn't the best thing in Belfair, Washington. Hahaha, it was actually really funny, but we got it down pretty fast.

 

The rest of the week was good too. The weather here is absolutely beautiful. The sun is shining, it's light outside from the time we wake up all the way up until 8:30, which is so great for us. We found 9 new investigators this week which was really exciting, and now we have 18 people that we are teaching! It's crazy the amount of work that Belfair has for us to do! I love it here!

 

For my spiritual thought, I'm going to talk about one of my new favorite stories. It's in Ether 12:23-29. (The whole chapter is really good, but this is my favorite part I think.)

 

So, Moroni, is a really cool guy, and he's an amazing missionary. He has so much faith and everything that he says is said with power. He uses the spirit to speak with power and people feel that spirit, and are converted. So, his talent is speaking. (lucky him) but then the Lord asks him to write about his spiritual experiences. For us. Now. He is told to write down his experiences so people of this day and age can read the Book of Mormon and also be converted unto the Lord. Writing is not Moroni's talent. He worries that the gentiles (us) will mock him and his words because he isn't talented in writing. He worries about the "awkwardness of his hands" he also compares himself to the Brother of Jared who is so much better at writing than he is. But then the Lord says: "Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness; and if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give until men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

 

"My grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me."

 

I think this story is amazing. Moroni is awesome. and he became, through his weakness, a really awesome writer. Because God's Grace, is what will give us the power to do things we never thought we could do! Through that Grace I am here and I am sharing the gospel with strangers deep in the forests of Washington, and through that grace we can all overcome our weaknesses! IF we humble ourselves before God and turn it over to Him. Because I'm only a good missionary if I let God turn me into one.

 

I love you all and I encourage you to go and read this chapter on your own, because it's really good. I love it. :)

 

Have a wonderful week!

 

Love, 

 

Sister Warburton

 

 

Sister Harris drew this picture of me. It's pretty accurate.
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It's Elder Nelson!