One of the craziest experiences of my mission

 (Elder Slade)

To the best friends and family a person could hope for!

This week was amazing! We found two new people to teach. One of them named Will, has a lot of potential. He is amazing at drawing, and we were able to go to a swap meet where he was selling some of his drawings, and taught him the plan of salvation. A swap meet is a weird place to have a lesson and feel the spirit, but it was pretty amazing as we taught him and as we answered his questions. We're super excited for him!

A miracle as well happened for our safety this week!! Sunday evening, we were a little late to an appointment as our dinner arrived late. We quickly drove to our appointment after shoveling the food in our mouths, and 100 ft to our destination, a police car zooms past and parks in front of the house we were going to. We pulled over, and 10 other police cars zoomed past, and a fire truck and ambulance blocked the street behind us. We watched in amazement as the police men pulled out their guns, surrounded, and then barged inside of the house, arresting two of the people we were going to visit. It was one of the craziest experiences of my mission!! It's crazy to think that if our dinner wasn't late or if we hadn't taken the time to pray before the leaving the apartment, we'd have been stuck in the middle of that situation. It's a miracle and tender mercy that we were able to stay out of it and safe!

That evening I prayed in gratitude that God kept us safe. He loves us and I am grateful for the many prayers from all of you for my safety and happiness. I know God is answering them.

Love you all! Shout out to my amazing sister Eliza who gave birth this morning to a beautiful little boy named Easton! I'm so excited for her!

Pictures:

1-3. Elder Bowen and I on exchanges. We helped clean out one women's garage.

4. Elder Snow with one of Will's pictures we bought from him at the swap meet. It's a picture of Cthulu

5. All the police cars lined up

S7 E2: Miracle Time at Logan's Roadhouse

 (Elder Cummings)

Hey y'all! This one's gonna be short so I'll go into story time with Elder Cummings:

*disclaimer* this is one of my favorite moments of my mission:

So. Brother Joe Udy. Legend. Super Stud. Simply the Best. He takes Elder Richards and I to Logan's Roadhouse for dinner. We have a grand old time, the rolls are like butter covered balloons, the steak...was like really really good steak.

So we start our little message with him and just chat for a sec about our spiritual habits like regular prayer, scripture study, coming to church etc. And he opens up and talks about how he doesn't really pray. He has a prayer in his heart and prays for his family throughout the day and things like that but he doesn’t have personal prayers. He felt that God has given him so much and he's so happy he doesn't feel like he could ask God for more. We completely scratch our initial message plan and Elder Richards pulls out his favorite scripture D&C 64:33, "Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great."

Elder Richards then says something about praying is a simple thing that brings great things or something like that. I don't know exactly what, but I remember being reminded of the Bible Dictionary definition of prayer that says at one point, "The object of prayer is not to change the will of God but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them". I immediately pull it up and have Brother Udy read it. He reads literally the first four words and starts choking up and crying. He sits there tearing up and trying to collect himself for no joke 5 minutes. He couldn't even read the rest of the definition outloud. I still don't know what he was thinking or feeling exactly but the Spirit was strong and he was experiencing it. In a split second, God reached out to a grown man, with us, and through the Spirit. I have never seen the Spirit work so abruptly and boldly in a person's soul. I wish I can explain what happened better. All I know is that a Loving Father spoke to one of His children and I was able to witness it.

Love y'all, sorry if I never got a chance to respond to your emails today, today was insane. This week was insane. My life is insane. Insanely awesome. Have a blessed week!

Elder Cummings

1. Service at the Food Bank with Aaron and Specialist Hill!

2. Carrillos. Amazing family

3.Sleeping arrangements in Baton Rouge for a meeting next morning

4. Joe Udy himself

5. Sleeping arrangements in Monroe for another meeting

Sleepover???

 (Sister Putnam)

Hey, everyone!

So this week was pretty fun. We had a district council prepared by elder Triplett centered around how God is our Heavenly father Heavenly how much he loves us and is willing to do for us.

On friday we did some service for our nextdoor neighbor, Joel, who has a massive garden.

We had overnight exchanges for the first time in our missions. They were overnight before covid happened but now they're back, and so I went with Sister Anderson to Bellingham and Sister Durham came to our area with Sister Israelsen. In bellingham we did a lot of service and I got to pet a fluffy dog. We helped a lady do some garden work and then we dropped off mail to some other people around the zone. It was actually a lot of fun and Sister Anderson is incredible.

Okay, love you all!

Sister Alyssa Putnam

Elder Jaggi and fun debates

 (Elder Slade)

To the best friends and family a person could hope for!

This week was amazing!! We were visited by Elder Jaggi of the seventy, and it was so great! One of the great things I learned from him was the importance of being dependent on God. It's not a weak thing, it's a humble strength that comes from knowing who we are. Elder Jaggi invites us to give our will to God. I love my Savior and will happily give my life, energy, and everything to Him.

Apart from that, we helped at a ward Hawaiian party. We helped serve food, but they gave us some sweet flower necklaces to wear. As a district, we have also been recently been having debate brackets about random things. We did a 32 man bracket for cereal, candy, and scripture prophets. Reese's puffs, Reese's egg, and Adam won. It's been pretty fun as we debate.

I love you all! Make it a great week!

Pictures:

1. A picture we took and sent to someone to hype them up about church

2. Elder Barron and I reuniting at the mission tour

3. A picture from a while ago of our zone.

Radiator Springs

 (Sister Putnam)

Hey, everyone!!

This week my mind was wandering and I made a connection I hadn't thought of before. A couple years ago one of my friends was serving on his mission and he wrote in his weekly email about how charity is a universal solvent.  It protects us from sin and from the hurtful actions of others. Elder Bednar gave a talk in I think 2008 or 2006 about taking offense, and how our reaction to the offensive and hurtful actions of others are a reflection of our own spiritual maturity.  So, putting those two together, I found that as we increase in charity we also increase in spiritual maturity.

On Tuesday we had service at the local salvation army food bank, and then interviews with President Auna, and we were maskless. Washington right now is like Saul: on the road to De-mask-us.

Also, idk if I've mentioned this before but downtown Lynden looks like Radiator Springs.

On Wednesday at district council, Elder Triplett bore his testimony on how we are children of God, and he challenged us to ask Heavenly Father to tell us who we are to him, so I thought I'd also extend that invitation to you. If you do, God will tell you.

On Saturday we helped make a hiking trail more travelable (is that even a word? Probably not. Whatever, you know what I'm trying to say) and that was fun and then we had a couple stake conference meetings!

Okay, love you all!!

Sister Alyssa Putnam

S7 E1: Divine Intervention at Schlotzsky's

 (Elder Cummings)

Good morning y'all!

This week was the first of the transfer, I'm staying put in Alexandria and I'll still have the blessing of working with Elder Richards! So really, nothing changed. But because this is my second transfer with him, that makes him the first companion I've had for more than a transfer since training back in October.

I love miracles, and I love being able to be a part of them. It's something else when you can look back and see that you were an instrument in the Lord's hands. Miracle time:

Thursday morning we drive out to help a member in the ward move a big ol bed and dressers onto his trailer and he tries to hand me $30. I refuse and he gets real real serious with me in his Louisiana accent, "Nah son, you take this here cash n git y'allself summin good to eat tonight er I'm fixin to beat yer companions head in". Needless to say, we accepted his money.

Then lunch time rolls around, our friend John bought us Schlotzsky's but asked us if we could pick it up and meet him at the church cause he was running late. So we head over to Schlotzsky's and the lady at the register says, "Oh hey y'all I was done baptized a Mormon when I was 11" And we were able to talk with her for a while. Turns out she remembers and loved Young Women's, the missionaries, her bishop, etc! She just moved and lost contact with the Church. We were able to get her number and give it to the Marksville Elders! Then we have to pay for the food...and we don't have enough money. But then I reach into my pocket and feel the $30 Brother LaCaze made us take and we have just enough to pay for our food! I truly do believe that we needed to be at that Schlotzsky's so we could talk with Sister Mary at the register and get her back in contact with missionaries. Because of that, God prepared a way. I don't think John being late and asking us to go pick up the food was a coincidence and I sure don't believe that the money Brother LaCaze made us take was a coincidence either.

God is aware of each of us. He is not just aware of our struggles and feelings, but He is simply aware of our lives and who we are as His beloved children. He is aware of and cares about each of our needs and concerns, even if we aren't fully aware of them ourselves. Remember King Benjamin's cousel, "Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend" (Mosiah 4:9).

We can't understand everything God does, but we can still trust Him

-Elder Cummings

1. Weird looking grasshopper

2. Some pretty faces and some pretty flowers

3. Another Tank picture

S6 E6: Bible Booths and Buffalo Wild Wings

 (Elder Cummings)

Good morning y'all!!

This week started with an amazing lesson with Jeremy. He reached out to us a couple weeks back but then he switched phones and we could never get a hold of him. But we finally get his number from a sister in the ward that knows him and head over to his place this week. It was one of the best lessons I've ever been a part of. Not because of anything we said or did, we said nothing super special and powerful but we all felt something super special and powerful. It was Jeremy's humility and desire for change that allowed the Spirit to be there so strongly. He held a Book of Mormon in his hands as we testified of eternal families and he whispered through tears, "this is was I need, this is what I need". I love Jeremy!

Then we topped off the whole thing when Elder Richards and I stopped by the only(and brand new) Whataburger in Alexandria and all of Central Louisiana for that matter. That Honey Buttter Chicken Strip Sandwich on Texas Toast hit the spot.

On Saturday we did a booth with the sisters at the mall. We had Bibles, Book of Mormons, Jesus pictures, pamphlets etc. We stood and sat there for 4 hours talking to people about Jesus, we gave away so much stuff(all with our number on it hehe). The best part wasn't even the booth it was the two people we met on the way to the bathroom. I just needed to go and we were stopped by two different guys that want to meet with us! We love Fred and Michael!

Then that night Elder Richards' dad, the wonderful Gary Richards wanted to sponsor us and pay for our meal. So we go to Buffalo Wild Wings. Miracles happen when you carry a Book of Mormon in hand fellas. We walk in there and our waitress was like "I was fixin to grab the drink menu but then I saw y'alls Book of Mormon, right this way boys" then we chat about the gospel for a good but with her. Then later another guy comes up and thanks us, he served a mission long ago and said he has tons of respect for us. He didn't give his name because he didn't want nothing to do with the Church no more, but came and expressed his love and respect for missionaries. We go ask for the check a while later and turns out that this man paid for all our wings! We love that guy! I just pray for him and hope that we and the Spirit reminded him of what his mission was like.

That's all folks! Have a blessed week!

Elder Cummings

Photos:

Whataburger and exchange pics!

Another awesome week!

 (Elder Slade)

To the best friends and family a person could hope for!

Another great week! We found a new family to teach this week,  named the Kirby family! We had a lesson on Friday that was super powerful! They were all so excited to be taught and they committed to come to church. Low and behold, they showed up to church, and had a great time! Rarely does someone you start teaching come to church the first week, so we are super excited!

We are also excited this week for a mission tour from a general seventy, Elder Jaggi will come and visit the mission and give us several trainings. It should be a great experience! Elder Jaggi used to be Elder Snow's bishop, so you could basically call them homies. More updates on that next week!

Today I'm filled with gratitude for the tender mercies and miracles of the Lord. He is active in our lives. It just takes an eye single to His glory to see it. The Lord loves us. He cares about us. I'd advise you to look for examples in your life.

Love you all!

1. Elder Haskett, Elder Snow, and I in a lesson

2. Us driving home from a service. We were just taking a furnace out of a burned down trailer. It was one of the worst services ever. Incredibly hard to breath and gross.

*rips off mask*

 (Sister Putnam)

Hey everyone!!

So this week we had zone conference and we talked about faith and then afterwards we had a doctors appointment.  While we were waiting, Sister Israelsen started making conversation with other people in the waiting room, and I realized that I'd forgotten I could do that. So when she went to her appointment and I stayed in the waiting room, I followed her example and started talking to some of the people near me.  It was cool to see how much we could get to know others. One lady named Atisa shared something very personal with me and she said, "I dont normally share this with people, but I feel like this is different." And I thought that was fascinating to see evidence that others do sense the peaceful safe feeling of the Holy Ghost around us.

On Thursday we had a lesson with an older couple in our ward, the Frumps, and they wanted to introduce us to some friends of theirs, so we walked over to their house and knocked on the door, and Sister Frump said she knew they were home, but they never came to the door.

On Friday they announced on the mission devotional that now, according to Washington state guidelines, if we are fully vaccinated then we dont have to wear masks outside, and we can take them off if we're somewhere like a store that says we dont have to wear them so that's pretty hype!

Okay love you all!!

Sister Alyssa Putnam

S6 E5: 1 Murph, 3 Baptisms, 1 Amazing week from the Lord

 (Elder Cummings)

Quite possibility the best week of my life, let me talk about the cool but not quite as cool stuff first.

We have a couple members in our ward who are big into Crossfit and are unparralleled when it comes to athleticism. They invited Elder Richards and I to join them and their gym(The Iron Boot)in a Murph race to honor those who gave their life for service for our country. As we walk into the workout room we see some of the most built and strong men and women we've ever seen, to say it was intimidating is an understatement. One guy had calves that had to be at least a foot wide. Anyway, so the Murph is a 1 mile run, 100 pullups, 200 pushups and 300 air squats, and then another 1 mile run...it was lethal but worth it. I BARELY beat Sister Stock, but let's not mention the fact that she's in her late 30's and has already birthed 4 children into this world...and was wearing a 15lbs vest. Let's just say I have never been so sore in my life and muscles I didn't even know I could feel are hurting very much. But like I said, it was worth it.

Now for the best part, I already mentioned "Jerry's" baptism, we were also blessed with being with Jesus and Carolina at their baptism! They are two kids that we have been working with for a couple months now. They are also some of the smartest kids I've ever met. Both of them were very nervous for the baptism but knew that it was something that they needed to do. I was so impressed with the resilience and courage they both had to go do it anyway. Jesus isn't much of a talker and I will always remember afterwards how I asked him how he was feeling now and with the biggest most genuine smile he just said "good". They are lights and examples to their family and to me. I think of what President Monson taught us, "May we ever choose the harder right, rather than the easier wrong". When we know the Lord's way we know His will. We can follow His will with confidence knowing that everything will be for our benefit. I love this work and I love the Lord!

Some honorable mentions for this week:

-We helped a member wrap some brisket and we had some brisket sandwiches ourselves, we both ate about 1 lbs of brisket

-The same member, took us out to eat and we both ate another 1lbs of shrimp, which we ended up talking with the owner and we are now studying with her!

-we just have a lot of really progressing friends right now! We're busy and we love them and we love teaching them!

Have a blessed one!

Elder Cummings

Playing fetch with a rock

 (Elder Slade)

To the best friends and family a person could hope for!

This was my first week in my new area, and it's been pretty great! We are teaching a man named Gabe who is super chill, and wants to find out what is true. He has a sincere desire to pray and read the scriptures. We are super excited about him! We are also teaching a woman named Debra who has a really strong testimony about how the Holy Ghost can guide us.

We've also had two exchanges this week. I went with Elder Van Wagenen who is the AP, and an exchange with Elder Miller and Elder Vorwaller. They are all such great missionaries! I learned the importance of being urgent in the first one, as we ran from contact to contact. I learned the importance of having fun from the other. On one of the door contacts, two huge dogs came out of the door, one with a huge rock in its mouth. We got the rock out of its mouth, and tossed it. The two dogs chased after it and started fighting over this rock. It was a pretty funny game of fetch.

Lastly, we spoke in two different wards on Sunday. I used to suck at speaking in front of a lot of people. They turned out way better than I expected! I've found, that God has helped me obtain confidence in doing things I used to be bad at. I'm definitely not good at it, but I know he's been able to help me as I try to look outwards and serve Him the best I can. The beauty of life on earth is that we can learn and grow and become better then we were yesterday.

Love yall! (Hit my 16 month mark about a week ago. 2/3 done baby!)

1-5. Pictures from Natalie's baptism

6. Elder Haskett, Elder Snow, and I

The AP's Declared War??

 (Sister Putnam)

Hey everyone!! This week was incredible!

We met a lady on facebook in Africa named Ritah and she seems very interested in learning more about the gospel, so that's really exciting! And the more we learn about Ritah the more I am impressed by her faith! She is awesome!!

We had another lesson with Shae this week and we asked her how she felt about what we taught about the Restoration last week and if she felt like it was true when she prayed about it and she said she felt peaceful and happy and like it was true! And that was incredible because I remember feeling joy and peace when I read Joseph Smith's account on my own, so I shared that with Shae. We taught her about baptism and the gift of the holy ghost and asked her to pray to know that baptism is the right thing to do, so we'll follow up Next week And tell you all how that went!! Please pray for Shae that she'll know it's the right thing to do!

We also had the opportunity to teach the youth about this Sunday and so sister Israelsen and I, our Ward Mission Leader who is 20 and preparing to go on a mission, and a girl Hailey who just got back from her mission last week all taught about missionary work. But before we started, Bishop shared some insights with the youth about how Satan tries to lure us off our high ground. And he kept using the term high ground a lot and I'm not sure if he knew he was quoting the Star Wars prequel memes.

Also, this week Maas, the church protections program on missionaries' phones decided to freak out and delete apps randomly on everyone's phones. Well that meant I had to reinstall a few apps and now Facebook won't work. So we called up to the APs who know more about the issues to see if they knew any solutions. Well, I'm known to make a few dad jokes, and so they were like "okay if these solutions we give you don't work in the next few days, contact us. And we'll have dad jokes prepared." Sooooo I think the APs have declared a Dad Joke War. So that's fun!

Okay love you all!!!

Sister Alyssa Putnam