Taking on Tacoma: 5 Months in Washington!

Hello Everyone!

I hope you have all had a great week!

This week was really great for me! We've been working really hard and I think we are beginning to be able to see the fruits of our labors.

On Monday, we had a zone activity. We went to a waterfall and got some fun pictures together, then we went to the stake center and played chair soccer, and volleyball, and basketball. And the crazy thing is that I actually had fun! I don't think I've ever had fun playing any sports, but I guess it just took me coming on a mission for me to have a fun time playing sports. It's crazy what the mission can do to a person.

On Tuesday, we went and visited someone at the hospital. They weren't from our ward, but their grandson had called us and asked us to find someone to give this man a blessing. (The hospital is in our area) so we decided to go visit to see if there was anything we could do to help the family. We sat and talked to the wife of the man who was ill, and hopefully we were able to lift her spirits a little bit. She shared her conversion story with us and her husbands so that was pretty cool. He decided 2 weeks before he got baptized to give up smoking and drinking and he hasn't touched either one since. That was like 40 years ago. Through Jesus Christ anything is possible!

That night we taught a lesson to a guy named Tom and one thing that he said that was good for me to hear was "I'm not sure if I believe this stuff about Joseph Smith and the Priesthood yet, but I can tell that you two do believe it and that gives me the motivation to look into this." He could tell that I wasn't just teaching as a robot, but that the things I was saying truly are important to me and I'm not just saying it to say it.

On Wednesday, we decided to check on a former investigator who didn't have a reason for why he was dropped in his teaching record. It was a bit of a drive, but we felt impressed to go visit him. So, we did and he said that he had been on date for June 20th, but dropped the missionaries because every time he prayed and every time he read his scriptures he couldn't feel anything. He feels good though when he talks to missionaries and when he goes to church. So he can feel the spirit around other people, but on his own he couldn't. When we showed up to talk to him though we were just trying to get to know him, but he needed us right when we showed up and we're going to start teaching him. We're going to go slowly so he can figure out how to feel the spirit on his own. But as long as he has a desire to feel that and to recognize the Spirit, he will be able to progress.

We also had a fun experience with a tree house in the woods, but I'll tell that story when I get home. :)

Thursday we had Zone Conference, which was really fun, we learned a lot about how to be better missionaries, how to plan better, and how to receive revelation for our areas. We talked about the Book of Mormon and how we can use it to help other people come unto Christ.

OH! Also, Thursday night we got a referral from Salt Lake for a man named John. Most of our referrals are just people who want a free bible, but we went and visited this guy and he wants to get baptized! So cool! He went to temple square and talked to the missionaries there and then put his name and address so we could come teach him! He said "I've tried a lot of other churches, but this one just feels right." Amazing. I was starting to lose hope that anyone would ever actually feel the truthfulness of our message, but this guy does! Meeting him was a tender mercy.

On Friday I went on an exchange with Sister Harris! My trainer! That was so much fun. I've missed her. We just talked and laughed and did missionary work together for a whole day and I don't think I've felt as relaxed for 2 transfers. We taught some really great lessons and got one girl who is so solid on date for a Saturday in August.

The rest of the weekend was good, but nothing too exciting happened.

One thing I studied this morning that I thought was pretty cool, was in Alma 60:20-23 (go read it!). Moroni is asking Pahoran these questions that are meant to make him feel guilty so that he will repent. But I applied them to me, now. And I think it's important for us to recognize that right now we are in a war with Satan and there are thousands spiritually "falling by the sword" at the hands of Satan and sometimes we just sit idly by watching all the destruction, while we are at peace because we have the gospel and we are just fine. But if we don't do what we can to help others come unto Christ, then we won't be held guiltless at the last day, their destruction will fall on our hands if we don't do our part.

So don't be idle! Go! Fight on God's side of the line! Go help those people who need what you have that they don't!

I love you all! I hope you are all having a great summer!

Love, Sister Warburton

Pictures!!