Lost In Lacy

Week 63  May 18, 2015   2:56 pm EDT         Lost In Lacy

The weekly update:

My last days on the Island were spent at a ward bonfire at Fay Bainbridge Park with some of my favorite families. It was bittersweet, and a the temperature dipped enough to warrant a good FHE with a fire (:

Sister Madsen and I also walked the beach gathering sand dollars and making little friends for our last morning (it counts as exercise, right?)

Now that I'm officially in Lacey 3rd, here are my compadres: Sister Harris and Elders Leber and Sheehan. We're less than a week in, but we are all great friends and are seeing #miracles all over the area and the zone (the hastags just won't die.)

Being doubled in is by and large crazy, since you literally have no idea who people are, where things are located or how to get home to your apartment the first night....

but doubling in after Sister Diener is as much of a cake walk as it could be - she is thorough - I would know, since I've doubled out with her before (Hello Belfair)

Harris and I have found some miracle new investigators, had an awesome church tour with a guy named Christian that us and the Elders found within days of each other and almost started teaching simultaneously, and I can get to the church, the stake center and to our apartment from anywhere in the area without a gps - which is great (just don't ask me to be able to get to anywhere else yet)

Sister Harris is from Albuquerque (and if this computer didn't have spellcheck, I wouldn't have spelled that correctly.) and was roommates with Cathy from Belmont Ridge. What a very, very small world it is.

She's a gem.

Life is hectic and wonderful and short.

So remember Jacob 6:12, and you'll be fine.

From Lacey with love,

Elizabeth

I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go

Week 62 May 11, 2015. 4:47 pm EDT  I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go

Mother's Day is a happy day.

And I'm pretty sure there are no happier moms than missionary moms on Mother's Day.

Don't they look great?

The problem with transfers coming around Mother's Day is that it also makes it a sad day - to say goodbye and leave people you love. Transfers shocked Sister Madsen and I and the dream team is coming to an close

I'm headed down to Lacey to double in with Sister Harris, and Sister Heaton is taking my spot on the blessed Bainbridge Island.

We're a good lookin' bunch.

The other highlight of the week was being able to have a last minute exchange with the one and only Brewst. It was a glorious way to end the transfer (:

I'm trying to remember that I agreed to go where the Lord wants me to go, because He always has something better there prepared for us than we can even comprehend.

Well, I'm off to knock it out in Lacey.

Because we are in the business of changing eternities.

Buh Bye, Seattle. I never could get a quality picture of you.

- Elizabeth

P.S.

 "All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother."

- Abraham Lincoln

Pictures from our phone call on Mother's Day

D&C 58:4...After Much Tribulation

Week 61  May 4, 2015    5:55 EDT    D&C 58:4  After  Much Tribulation

Friends, family, etc.

This week has been slower than most (in a very literal sense) since our beloved car was in the autobody shop for half of it. Lots of biking, walking, and hitching rides. Made us feel on par with this lil' guy

The sisters in our zone, Muti and Taylor, helped us out and met us at the shop post-exchange and dropped us off. Tender mercies come in companionships.

Bainbridge Island is such an anomaly. Sister Madsen and I talk about how this place is such a paradox all the time. It's full of people who are earthy but not down to earth. It's boondocks-y but full of high tech Seattlites. People in the fast lane, but run on "island time". It makes our brains hurt trying to understand it all - but really, the island-time thing here is a struggle - there isn't any sense of urgency with anyone here, especially those we teach.

Exhibit A: active non-members that have been coming to church for 23 years and hold multiple callings and attend seminary...

Exhibit B: our investigator Craig decided that for his baptism date, he would like November 99th...yep.

But in all reality, it is also an amazing place. During Fast Sunday, everyone who bore their testimony was either a convert (the ward has more converts to the church than those raised in the church, Bishop included), a youth or a returned mission president. Talk about a powerhouse ward. And a quote from one of the kids who spoke, named Fox: " Jesus wants us to love every each one another."

Well said.

This week has also been a week of tiny little miracles, because we figure extra park days equal extra miracles -

After a few months of trying to find a potential we met my second week on the Island, named Ben, after a little nudge by the Spirit we were able to talk with him right as he got home from school and then had the best lesson with him a few days after. Ben is 14, comes from an atheist home, recently became a Christian, loves to learn all he can about the Savior and wants to be baptized as soon as possible. 

Three different members of our ward referring us to this woman Clara, who we tried and tried to contact, but couldn't get a hold of. So when Sister Madsen and I walked in to teach our gospel principles class, and Clara happened to be sitting there with a Sister who had brought her, we were stoked.

And other random little lessons that remind us that this is the Lord's work and He is very much aware of it, and us.

Our challenge is to unselfishly sacrifice all that we have been given, including our will. Giving up what we want to be given something greater. 

“The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. The many other things we ‘give’ … are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us.”  - Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Sacrifice is ultimately a matter of the heart. “Behold, the Lord requires a willing mind, a contrite spirit and all our heart (3 Nephi 9:20)

Our sacrifices can and will bring forth the blessings of heaven.

And in the end we realize that it was no sacrifice at all. 

Until next time,

elizabeth

P.S. 

this one's for Gus (:​