Hey Everyone!

Hello Friends and Family! 

How are things going?

I only have like 15 minutes for sure to email... maybe I'll get 30 extra minutes.... but I am just going to type as fast as my little fingers can go to get all the information to you as I can! 

Ready? 

So, Monday was great! It was my last day in Winlock (sad day) but we made it a great day! We got to have a zone activity... which, since the elders were in charge, was super creative.... We played Board games at the church... and then we played pictionary for a bit. Then we all went caroling instead of knocking which was pretty fun. To end the night I had to say my goodbyes to a few people and then we went to the Giffords and FINALLY burned the beehive couch! :D It was great! Best ending in an area ever! Then we roasted marshmallows over the couch fumes. (Just kidding, we made a separate fire.) 

Tuesday I got to say a few more goodbyes and then we drove to transfer meeting. It was a good meeting. Lot's of good testimonies from the missionaries going home, and some fun skits to welcome the new missionaries. It was dark outside when the meeting ended so finding everyone and getting the luggage switched from car to car was kind of fun... but we figured it out. 

My new companion is Sister Megan Taylor and she is great. She's from Elkridge, Utah. She's super relaxed so my stress levels have gone down considerably. Also, I don't have to drive this transfer! For the first time in 7 months! I think that probably contributed considerably. 8000 miles later and I can finally take a break! What a relief! 

Also, the bed in this apartment is the comfiest bed I have ever slept in. I slept 2 nights in a row without waking up at all and without having any crazy weird dreams. For some reason though, this week I've been super tired.  It could have to do with the rain that doesn't seem to want to go away. 

The Silverdale 6th area is nice. There isn't very much poverty here so some of the people are kind of hoity toity... but they need the gospel too. Half of our area is a Navy Base, which makes missionary work there a bit difficult too. But it's kind of cool. We get to go on the base occasionally. 

(I just got 60  more minutes! Yay!) 

Ummm, what else do you need to know? 

We don't really have any investigators right now. and we're having trouble finding new investigators. I get the feeling that this area has been knocked to death by missionaries. Because NO ONE will talk to us when we go knocking at night. In most of my areas people at least will listen to our door approach and will sometimes have short conversations with us. But here no one wants to talk to us at all. We can go an entire 2 hours of knocking without anyone letting us share more than a "Hi! We're the local missionaries and....*door shut* okay... Merry Christmas to you too...." 

It's real fun. 

BUT I still have faith that we can find people to teach! Hopefully their hearts will be softened as Christmas gets closer! :) 

So, the area is a bit rough for missionary work, but the ward is really great. There are lots of families with lot's of kids. A lot of the moms are return missionaries which is pretty cool. Our ward mission leader considers himself the "Best WML Ever" He even has a t shirt that says that. He LOVES his missionaries and so, even if the area doesn't love us, our mission leader loves us enough for allllllll the people. Brother and Sister Barney consider themselves our parents while we're here, and they say that once we serve here we are always considered their children. Also, fun fact, Brother Barney's birthday is on the same day as mine. Pretty cool. 

Serving a mission is so much fun because I have made so many friends that I will hopefully stay in touch with. If not in this life, at least I plan on having a pretty big party in heaven with everyone I meet on my mission. I have loved all of my bishops, all of my ward mission leaders, all of the young women that have gone knocking with us, and everyone else that I've met. I get a taste of what the Savior feels for ALL of us, because my heart keeps expanding to make room for the new people I meet each day. 

So, that was my week. I'm just getting to know the area and we're working to get the work moving forward here. There's a lot of work to do but we've brainstormed some ideas. 

For my spiritual thought, I just want to talk about the Savior again. Because I'm still studying that topic. 

Luke 2:10-11 "Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." 

I like this scripture because it reminds us that we don't need to fear! There's no reason to, because we have a Savior, Jesus Christ. He's come and all we need to do is have faith in Him and follow Him. Don't worry, don't be afraid. 

"Faith in the Savior taught me that no matter what happened in the past, my story could have a happy ending." (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, A Summer With Great Aunt Rose)

I read this talk this week and this quote just really stuck out to me. Having a Savior doesn't just mean that we will be saved from our sins, but it also means that everything is going to work out. We can become clean, we can find peace, we can be happy, goodbyes aren't goodbye, and ultimately we can return to our Father in heaven which is MY ultimate goal. We are all destined to have an ETERNAL Happy Ending. And that brings me peace. 

I love you all and I miss you and I hope that as you prepare for Christmas you can focus on the Savior and remember why we celebrate Christmas. It's a great time to think about where we are at and what we are doing and where we are headed. 

Have a great week! 

Lot's of Love,

Sister Warburton

This is Sister Taylor.

The Winlock District. Best District ever! (Our name was the Guerreros de Verdad!) 

Couch burning.

More couch burning.

The Giffords, our adopted grandparents.

The hole in our apartment.

I asked her about the hole...."I am not exactly sure why there was a hole in the house... but I guess once one of the past elders was really messy and put ALLL of his dirty clothes and stuff that was on the floor and hid it in the hole for an apartment inspection. I was hoping there would be some hidden treasure in it... but there wasn't. Maybe it's for like storage? instead of an attic?"