Stay True!

Sis Z's latest and greatest weekly happenings:

My Young Peeps:

We have a baptism this Saturday. We are so excited! Her name is E---... she has been friends with a member of our ward for many years. She's 20 years old and she's awesome! She has been prepared by the LORD. WE ARE SOOOO EXCITED!

We have another investigator on date for Oct 30th. Her name is V---... she is also friends with the same family in our ward... the M---. They are the BEST member missionaries I have EVER come across.

My Elderly Peeps:

We've been going to see some less active sisters who live in retirement homes. We freakin love them!!!! H--- is 89 an she is a HOOT!!!!! Yesterday I said "H--- tell us a funny story." She said "Well sometimes late at night someone will try to come into my room..." And I said..." What do you do...!?" She said " I run things around here! I tell them to get the He** out of here!!!!" 

We about died laughing !!!!!!!

D--- is 94 and she is hilarious!!! The other day we were in the middle of a conversation and she looked down at the floor and said ..." Was that you making that noise ?" It took us a minute to realize she was thought my black bag was a small puppy!!!! Not her puppy...our puppy! The entire time we were there, she thought we had a small puppy that was whining and she talked to him more than she talked to us, we HAD to play along...she said "I can't believe they let you take a dog with you, is it a new missionary outreach program?" HA! I'm gong to pitch that idea at our next zone conference!

The rainy seasons here in OR just started... I'm so happy I love the winter weather here. I saw Sis E on Tuesday, she got transferred to Wood Burn and she is serving with Sister Thelin....(Sister Mathenys former companion). I loved seeing her! She has grown up so much! We just cried and cried! We are starting to bike this week (prayers SERIOUSLY)... I'm pumped! I love being a STL it is hard but I love working with other sisters!

The best part of being a missionary is watching that change that takes place in someone's life. That as we give people the tools which they have been searching for in their life and help them apply the basic principles of the gospel into their lives; they finally come to know that they are literally a son or daughter of God the Father. Because of that knowledge, they want to align their lives with his will. Knowing that a loving Father in Heaven, will take the best care of them as they hand their lives and desires over to him. I love this area and these people !!!! Whether I have 100 investigators or 1000 Book of Mormon haters....the church is true !!!!!!!! Stay true and faithful to your testimony's. Don't let anyone or anything keep you from progressing in this great gospel. You will find no greater happiness or joy than being a part of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I love you ALL!

XOXO

Sis Z

Tender Mercies

 This past week has been filled with tender mercies.... Seriously it's been amazing! We taught a family.... They are from Nigeria... V--- is a doctor and M--- is a Pharmacist, they have 3 children. We met them a few weeks ago.... hahahah funny story: We were doing some night tracting and we saw them walking down the road. We waved and exchanged a quick "Hello" and continued walking. Pretty soon we realized that we should have talked to them about the gospel. So picture this 2 sister missionaries on the hunt for a couple, we were literally running up and down streets looking for them. We decided to say a prayer. I offered the prayer...I asked for forgiveness and for another opportunity to talk to this couple, and I told Father that if we saw them again no matter what we would talk to them.... after I finished the prayer we walked out to the busy road and they were walking about a mile away from us. So we ran back to our car ... and starting driving towards their direction. We pull over on a street, because yelling out the window is creepy and tacky :) ..... so we get out of the car and start walking towards them.... by this time we are both completely out of breathe... we meet with them briefly and they are SO nice and agreed to let us come teach them. We taught them yesterday it was an amazing lesson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They also made us a Nigerian meal.... it was so awesome! They asked so many great thought provoking questions! They accepted the Book of Mormon and invited us back to teach them again. We also invited them to church this Sunday. Please keep them in your prayers. We love them! Last week. Sister Matheny and I were doing our morning studies and she was reading a scripture to me and all of a sudden there was a loud bang on our sliding glass door..... we were so scared! We tip toed over to the door and guess what........... there was a bird gasping for air....... then it died.... I literally felt like I was on a Windex commercial.......the bird flew into the glass window it was sad yet......a little funny at the same time.... One thing I absolutely love love love about Oregon... is the berry bushes.... they are EVERYWHERE.... we stop so many times throughout the day to eat berries...Every once in a while I think "what if I eat the wrong kind of berry and turn into Violet from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory!" But....they are SO yummy, I'm willing to risk it! :) 
I have been blessed by the opportunity to serve a mission. I have learned so much about the character of Christ and the nature of God. I am blessed to be able to share my testimony of the tender mercies which I have seen in my life, and to be able to help others recognize the tender mercies which they have received. I love you all! Don't forget about a Sista! Keep that snail mail coming! 

XOXO

Sis Z

NEVER Ask a Woman When She's Due!

Hahahah okay seriously you guys have wayyyyy to much fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hahahah I literally just died laughing! The description of Scouts birthday party and ALL that happened....SO funny, you should quit your job and tell stories for a living!

This past week was really long. It has finally started cooling off... I love it! It has been 75 the past few days... Our area is really slow but we saw a really cool miracle last week. Here's what happened:

Sister Matheny and I were saying a prayer before we left our apartment to go to work... and right after we got done saying the prayer I had the strongest impression to talk to EVERYONE who was pregnant.... So I told Sister Matheny and she said .... hahah okay... we get in the car and start driving... she's driving... about 2 mins later... I yell " STOP THE CAR NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" After slamming on the brakes and both of us coming up close and personal with our seat belts,  she's like what what what's going on.... I say there is a pregnant woman back there and we NEED to talk to her. So we pull the car over.. say a prayer and get out.... we are walking up North Albany road, which is a huge super busy road, and has the biggest hill ever! So we are literally speed walking up this hill trying to catch this couple.... they are way ahead of us so I say a prayer out loud and ask Heavenly Father to slow them down so we can talk to them... and of course he does..... so, picture this.... a man and woman sitting down... 2 sister missionaries hiking up the road toward them...oh yeah and people that are driving down the road yelling " HEY SISTERS".... so the couple sees us coming and gets up and starts walking off and I'm like " HEY! How are you?!" They stop and we start talking to them and I wanted so badly to ask her when she was due but I didn't.... thank goodness! Cause moments later we find out she's NOT PREGNANT she is having stomach problems and had just left the hospital.... so I teach her about the priesthood and ask her if she would like a blessing from the elders and she said sure... (she doesn't live in our area).... so we exchanged info and we decided to say a prayer with her..... we all hold hands and say a prayer... and when we get done praying she said through tear filled eyes,  I know God is aware of me because he just spoke through the two of you. It was the coolest thing ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We spoke yesterday in sacrament meeting. Afterwards so many people told me how amazing my talk was and how much they cried. While getting ready to leave, I saw a couple in the back that I have not seen before so we went to talk to them... It turns out that she's a member of only 2 years and the guy she was with isn't.. He said to me "Sister thank you so much for your talk and testimony ..... I will be attending church every Sunday "... then he said "For some reason I felt like your talk was only for me.. like you were talking directly to me".... it was so cool.. the elders are working with them now...oh yeah I don't think I told you that we share a ward with elders.

Sister Mathenys brother is leaving for his mission next month, her family told her they saw Grandma at the temple.... Sister Mathenys mom told her that she just cried when she saw " Sweet little Sister Hutchens".... so cool! I LOVE Grandma and her sweet spirit!

This week has been filled with blessings and as you can see, a lot of praying! Don't have much time today so I have to cut this letter short.

I love you ALL! Tell Granny I'm glad her party was bomb.com and I can't wait to be there next year! You are SO seriously the most amazing mom ever and I am crazy lucky to have you! Love you more than a fat kid loves cake!

Sis Z