“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves" -James Barrie

Dear family,

We just got the transfer news a few minutes ago, and it looks like I will be saying goodbye to the amazing people in the Halls Lake YSA area and leaving for a new adventure tomorrow afternoon. Lots of mixed emotions. It has felt like it is time for me to experience the next thing that Heavenly Father has in store for me, but it is always very hard to say goodbye. I will miss people like Bry and Carla and Gabriel and Minami. And I can't even start on the ward members! I am so grateful to know that because of Jesus Christ there is no such thing as a permanent goodbye!

So here's a miracle story from this week! Washington people are crazy. A few nights ago Sister Goode and I woke up at 2 in the morning because the neighbors below us were shouting profanities and blasting music and banging on their ceiling (our floor). These neighbors have been pretty rowdy before, but never anything close to this bad, and it was obvious that they were really ridiculously drunk. The walls were shaking and it was actually pretty scary. We started to feel really dark and nervous. We weren't sure what to do, so finally we decided to call our Zone Leaders. We talked about a few different options, including calling the police, but finally we decided to start with just saying a prayer. Sister Goode and I knelt in our living room, and I'm sure the Elders did the same, and Elder Caruso said one of the most inspired prayers I've ever heard. He prayed that our neighbors would be stilled even thought they had "given their agency to a bottle," and he prayed that we would feel the angels that would stay the night with us. Instantly after Elder Caruso finished his prayer the screaming and noise that had been going on for forever stopped, and it was quiet after that for the rest of the night. We ended up getting like 4 hours of sleep that night, so the next day was definitely a long one, but it was a powerful experience to have that prayer answered so quickly!

I have learned lots from my study this last week, but I particularly loved reading in Alma 5: I LOVED verse 38. Rather than share my insights on this verse, this week I want to hear what this verse means to all of you! Remember that letters are a great way to show a missionary love!!!!

Love, Sister Slade

P.S. I don't remember if I told you about our investigator Jesse or not, but a few weeks ago I contacted this Irish guy in a wheelchair at the college. We had a very powerful first lesson with him, where he told us about all of the struggles he has been through in his life and how his faith in Christ has helped him. Unfortunately we weren't able to keep teaching him since we found out that he lived in Silverlake YSA's boundaries. We did a pass-off lesson, and I just found out that he is on date to be baptized!! So exciting! Hearing things like that gives me the hope that the investigators here that I won't be able to see continue to progress will be taken care of. In the Lord's timing I guess!

Apostasy starts in the sink!

Dear family,

Today starts week 6 of this transfer, and I feel like my time in Halls Lake might be dwindling. I will be very sad to leave, especially since there are still investigators like Bry and Gabriel that I would love to be able to help still. At the same time, it feels like it might be time to move forwards toward whatever else the Lord has in store for me. We'll see what happens next week!

I wanted to share an experience with you that I had this last Saturday morning. Sister Goode and I were staring down another very long day of tracting. We decided to kneel down and say a prayer to know which specific members we could go teach that morning. After we prayed and thought of the names, we made some calls and had appointments set up with two of the sisters in our ward. Basically we started by telling the sister that we were there to ask her for referrals so that she wouldn't be surprised. We then taught the restoration pamphlet lesson and afterwards had her say the prayer and sit quietly, the same way we do with investigators. Afterwards, instead of inviting her to be baptized, we asked for referrals. The first lesson went well, but it was when we went to the second members home that we had a truly amazing experience. Shanna had been reading the account of the first vision before we came, and as we talked the spirit was very strong. All three of us were in tears by the end, and after Shanna's prayer she had two names come to mind of people she felt would be good for us to visit. The first lesson went well, but I really believe that what made the second lesson so special was the fact that Shanna had prepared. Preparation is an eternal principle! The Lord knows He can trust us with spiritual experiences when we do the work that is necessary to prepare for them!

Love you all! I'm sending a giant hug your way!

Love, Sister Slade

P.S. In case any of you have trouble with dishes:

We were at volleyball and we asked Elder Rencher and Elder Caruso if elders ever fight over the dishes. Their response was that no, they don't, but they did have some very good advice for how to keep dishes under control. Elder Rencher started to explain how you have to empty the dishwasher right when it's finished so that dishes don't pile up, and Elder Caruso somewhat frantically exclaims, "Apostasy starts in the sink!" We now have an "Apostasy starts in the sink" sign hanging proudly in our kitchen :)

"Who am I to be so blessed and so loved?"

Dear family,

This week I want to tell you just how grateful I am to have a Savior who loves me dearly. I feel like I don't have the words to describe what I have felt this week through my personal studies and as I have pondered on the Saviors atonement. I love those moments in our lives when we experience such overwhelming joy that we can't help but think, "Who am I to be so blessed and so loved? I didn't realize that it was possible for me to feel such an incredible amount of joy." I had several of those moments in sacrament meeting, with investigators, and during my studies this week. Sometimes in these moments there are no words, and you can't help but just weep. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and He is your Savior. I know that it is only through Jesus Christ that we can find lasting peace and hope. I know that He loves us. He loves us when we feel that we don't deserve to be loved. He doesn't need a reason to love us, and we don't need to earn His love, He simply loves. I know that when Mary Magdalene went to visit the tomb, it was empty. I cannot think of a moment in history more beautiful than this. This week I want to invite you to study the Savior's atonement, and think about and my favorite line from Preach My Gospel:  "As your understanding of the atonement of Jesus Christ grows, your desire to share the gospel will increase." (PMG pg 2). I promise that simply setting aside time to study the atonement will be a very special experience and you will feel an overwhelming love from the Savior that will fill your life! I would love to hear some of your thoughts and experiences!

We had lots of fun activities this week that we were able to use to help investigators develop greater friendships in the ward and develop greater trust with the ward members. We had a campfire/BBQ at the beach on Saturday. Going to the beach in Washington is not like going to the beach in California, in case you were wondering. It's freezing. We watched Michael get pooped on by a Seagull, and one of the elders investigators decided to go for a swim. That was entertaining. Shout out to Aunt Jeanna and Aunt Tiffany- they just opened a Cafe Rio in our area! A member took us a few days ago, and it wasn't quite as good as Chipotle (Also in our area :)) but it was definitely a fun time! I'm pretty sure all the Mormons in Washington flocked to Cafe Rio that first week. Sister Goode and I decided to color Easter eggs one night this week and personalize them for each member of our district. For example, we colored Elder Oliphant's egg blue and wrote "We believe in being honest, true, chased by an Oliphant..." We made a sunset egg for SIster Millett since she is always so bright and happy. I colored Elder Rencher's egg yellow then dipped the top in Orange and drew a face with glasses on it and called it the "Ginger Egg." (Shout out to Garett. :)) We also decided to buy cheap plastic eggs and chocolate and hand them out when we contacted at the college. On the eggs we wrote things like "Mormon.org- come on, we gave you chocolate!" and "Mormon.org- make a Mormon smile!" It's amazing how the little things and being sure to have fun can make life so much more enjoyable!

Oh! So this is crazy! This week we found out that Melissa got married!! The week after her baptism we were a little bit concerned because we couldn't contact her and we weren't sure what happened. Turns out she was on her honeymoon. She and her boyfriend Randy, who we thought weren't getting married for quite a while, decided to get married on April Fools Day- 3 days after Melissa's baptism. That's Melissa for ya! We're really happy for them. They are very firm in their goal to be able to get married in the temple a year from now and they are happy as can be, although sad that they will have to leave the YSA ward. Less than 6 months to go before the sealing of Darlene and Everett, and just over 6 months for Bennett and Verna!!

Well, I love all of you! (Bunches and bunches.)

Love, Sister Slade

Punny Names & Matchmakers

Hey family!

The last two weeks have been weeks of growth and I am learning more and more that my mission is about me. It's about serving others, of course, but it's also about me. The atonement is for my investigators, but it is also for me. The Lord cares for each person that we talk to individually, but He also cares for me.

We were blessed this week with a new investigator named Carla who was passed off to us by some of the other sisters. Carla is 29. She spent 7 years in Afghanistan, and as a result has dealt from severe PTSD the last few years. She thinks that the missionaries coming to help her was a sign from God. She has loved coming to General Conference and church. Every time she comes and feels the spirit she sits there and just cries. She needs this gospel so badly, and we are so excited to teach her!

Our investigators are really struggling, so please keep them in your prayers! It seems that we have been blessed to find so many people since coming to Halls Lake that have felt the spirit and begun to receive witnesses for themselves that this gospel is true, but the adversary works so so hard, and an investigator never gets all the way to baptism without all kinds of of adversity. Almost all of our investigators are dealing with drug addictions, guilt, anti from family, fear of commitment, and just about everything else you can think of. In particular, please pray for Gabriel, Bry, and Anthony.

This week in my study I have become fascinated with looking up scriptures in the Topical Guide that include the word "rejoice" or other similar words and phrases. It is amazing to be able to put things in the perspective of our Heavenly Father and really be able to feel the love that He has for us, even when the natural man in us is having a hard time remembering that love. We truly do have every reason to rejoice!!!!

love ya!

Sister Slade

P.S. Definitely the funniest moment of the week:

1. Elder Caruso and Elder Rencher think it's funny to pun our names. (Sister Knoblaugh accidentally printed my name as Sister "Shade" when I gave one of the talks for Melissa's baptism, so I'm Sister Shade. Or Sister Sledge. :) ) Some of the best have been "I Nephi, being born of Goodely parents..." and "Wow this situation is pretty Shady. It's not very Goode." The following conversation was particularly amusing:

Elder Rencher: Hey, you can't use Michael as your fellowshipper, we already called him, he's ours!

Sister Slade: Sorry, that wasn't very Goode of us, was it?

Elder Rencher: Yeah that's pretty Shady.

Sister Goode: Be careful, we might Rench your investigators out from under you

Elder Caruso: Well we'll just Caruso them right back in...

Also, apparently one of our investigators started dating one of the Elder's investigators this week. Then a few days later the Assistant Ward Mission Leader (Or is it the Assistant TO the Ward Mission Leader? You're welcome, Paul.) wrote a poem and asked one of our other investigators if she would go with him to the regional dance. Basically our calling is to be matchmakers. Gotta love Halls Lake!

Happy Birthday Melissa!

Dear family,

Not much time today so I'm going to quickly give you the highlights from the week! Melissa's baptism was on Saturday and it was wonderful! The spirit is so strong at baptisms when the investigator has become truly converted and they have prepared for the commitment that they are making. Melissa was very emotional. Right before she stepped into the font she just started crying and hugged us and I felt so warm. These relationships are eternal! It's days like Saturday that make it all worth it in the end!

We put Gabriel back on date this week. It's a soft date, he is still scared but he has committed to pray specifically about that day and prepare himself for May 3. We decided to go into the lesson and just ask him the Baptismal Interview Questions without telling him what they were. It was cool to see afterwards how surprised he was to find out what they were and discover that he really does know everything, he just needs to face the obstacles that Satan is placing in his path. Pray for him!

Bry is so solid. He LOVES the gospel and regularly texts us updates on where he is reading in the Book of Mormon. We all proudly refer to him as the "modern-day Nephi." He has made a TON of progress on smoking, but he still has a little bit more to go before he has quit completely and can be baptized. Pray for him!

I got a priesthood blessing from a member of my bishopric this week, and it really helped me with some emotional struggle that I've been having. I definitely have a testimony of the Priesthood power. You Priesthood holders, stay worthy to be able to use that power whenever you are called upon- at a minutes notice. The Lord gives us so many blessings, and one of the greatest is the restoration of the Priesthood. I have been able to see this both from the blessing and from the baptism this weekend.

I love receiving letters from you all! Let me know how you're doing- even if it's just a quick note!

Love you all!

Sister Slade

Ward Game Night

We had a ward game night on Friday and totally rocked it at Disney headbands!!! How is it that the two people who haven't seen a movie in months and months were the ones to win a Disney movie game? (Movies? You mean they still make those? :D)

What is your spiritual DNA?

Dear family,

Transfer calls were officially this morning and... Sister Goode and I are both staying in Halls Lake YSA! I am so excited to be staying! This means that when I reach my year mark, I will have only been in two areas- 4 transfers in Oak Harbor and 4 transfers in Halls Lake. Crazy!

This week was a slow week, as Sister Goode has not been feeling well and we've spent some time in the apartment. A few days ago she was really struggling and President told her that we could go spend a few hours helping Sister Bonham, so we went and helped Sister Bonham make a lemon cake roll for the departing missionaries dinner the next night. It was so much fun to hear Sister Bonham tell stories about when she and President Bonham were dating, and funny stories from raising their family, and when Elder Holland set them apart for their calling, and so much more! Afterwards Sister Bonham showed us old family pictures, and surprisingly the whole thing made me a little bit emotional. I just felt such an enormous amount of love for President and Sister Bonham. It was really wonderful to feel like I was getting to know them on a little bit more of a personal level.

I have been blessed with having so many wonderful surrogate parents since coming on my mission. President and Sister Bonham, Darlene and Everet, Bennett and Verna, and the Hendricks have all been so wonderful to me. This week I was thinking about how blessed I am to have such amazing biological parents. I've seen a lot of the sisters really struggling with adjusting to missionary life and recently I've wondered why it has felt so natural for me to adjust and why it hasn't been as much of an emotional struggle. I've definitely gone through my stages of adjusting and different personal struggles, but it has been so much easier than it could have been, and I attribute that to my wonderful parents. They don't just teach their kids how to be consecrated missionary, they teach how to be a consecrated person. Period. I can't even begin to express how grateful I am for their examples and for early morning family scripture study and chores and saturday service projects and PPI's with dad and the list goes on and on. I wish that everyone could have their own personal Sean and Nancy Slade!!

Melissa's baptism was postponed until next weekend due to family being out of town, but she has had her interview and everything and she is as excited as can be!

Just this morning in my study I read the talk "Decisions for Eternity" By Russell M. Nelson from last General Conference. I was struck by this note at the end of the talk: "Each person is born with unique identity, chromosomes, and DNA. DNA is a molecule that encodes genetic instructions used in the development and function of living cells. Each persons DNA is created when the DNA from a father and a mother combine to create the DNA of a new body- a partnership between father, mother, and child." Whoa. If this is the way that DNA works, what is my spiritual DNA? In other words, if I know who my Heavenly parents are, what are the godly attributes encoded within myself? How do I develop and reveal these attributes? What is YOUR spiritual DNA? I came to my own answers, and they were pretty amazing, but I'll let y'all answer these questions for yourselves :)

Love, Sister Slade

P.S. Here are the top 5 funniest moments from this week:

1. Elder Caruso: "Hey sisters, we think that Tasha is having a hard time right now, do you think you could stop by and see how she's doing sometime soon?"

Elder Beatty: "Yeah. Do what you sisters do. Bake her a quilt or something."

2. Driving away after lunch with Lans:

Sister Goode: "I think there's a crumb in my tights."

Sister Slade "What do you mean, there's a pecan in your tights?"

3. We stopped by McDonalds on a night that we didn't have time to take a dinner and I may or may not have tried to pay with my library card... missionary work is exhausting, okay!?

4. Sister Goode and I started making a fort last night but it turned out terrible so instead we just made a cool entrance to the bedroom and called it our lair. Requirements for entering the lair are to stick your hand through the blanket, do the secret handshake, and tell an embarrassing story about yourself.

5. Sister Bonham told us that the very first thing President Bonham said when he came to pick her up for their blind date was "Hi, I'm Kelly, you must be Mark!" Oh President Bonham. So goofy and lovable!

Transfers Next Week

Hello family,

I was so excited to see the pictures of the baptisms that Elder Slade had last weekend! It feels good to hear from other missionaries, because they are the only ones that really 100% understand the ups and downs to the mission. Love ya, Elder Slade! The work really is hastening!

Sister Goode and I are preparing for the baptism of Melissa C. this weekend and we couldn't be more excited for her! It's coincidentally panned out that most of Melissa's lessons have been when Sister Goode stayed in our area and I was on exchange in a different area, so I feel a little bit jipped that I haven't had the chance to create as deep of a bond as I have with other investigators in the past. I sure love her though, she is so prepared and it feels like every time we are at her apartment she is the one teaching us!

Recently I had the chance to go on exchanges with a Sister Bartsch from Germany and Sister Martinez-Velez from Mexico. The church is true wherever ya go! My favorite exchange this week was with Sister Davis. She has been struggling a lot recently with confidence and feeling like she is good enough to be able to be used by the Lord. It was such a great experience to be able to point out to her all of the strengths that I had seen in her and share with her all of the things that I have been learning about the atonement in the last few weeks.

We were able to find a few new investigators at the college this week. One of them is a guy named Jesse who has been in a wheelchair for a long time because of his battle with cancer. When he shared his testimony with us of how Christ had "carried him" throughout his struggles the spirit was so strong! I wish that you could all meet these people and hear them share their stories, Emails don't do people justice! Unfortunately we found out that he lives in the Silverlake boundaries, so we'll have to do a pass-off lesson. :/

Bry is doing really well. We taught him the Word of Wisdom and he has been working really really hard to kick some of his past habits. He went really strong for about a week and a half then unfortunately caved into temptation this week. Thank goodness for the atonement. It looks like his baptism date will be pushed back to next month, but he is working so hard and he wants so bad to turn his life around. Keep him in your prayers!

Anthony, our favorite Christian rapper, also affectionately referred to as G-White, came to vball and the cottage meeting and loved it! He is loving the Book of Mormon too. Unfortunately he flaked on church again this week, and we're not sure why.

Gabriel is doing well. Lans asked him to join us for hobo dinners and s'mores for lunch earlier this week. While Gabriel is still going strong coming to church and reading the Book of Mormon, he reminds me of what happened with Sandra. He realizes just how important baptism is, and because he knows its a commitment and because he knows he has made so many mistakes in the past, he is afraid. We've talked about it a lot, and we're hoping that in the right timing, when he receives his own spiritual witness of repentance and the atonement, he will be strong like Sandra. I have developed a ton of love for Gabriel as we have watched him struggle and progress since we started teaching him. I am learning through investigators experiences and through my own that when it comes to the atonement it is one thing to think it and believe it but its another thing entirely to feel it and apply it.

Transfers are next Tuesday, so we'll find out if anything is changing on Monday! Could I stay a fourth transfer in Halls Lake? I'm really hoping that I get to stay an STL. I have been learning so much and I love getting to know the sisters better so much. I know that whatever happens is according tot he Lord's will though. Any guesses?

Love you all!

Sister Slade

Happy "Unbirthday" Dinner with Mamma Meg

Heavenly Father Loves Us

Dear family,

All is well in the WEM! This last week I had my "hump day" where I officially reached my 9 month mark on the mission! I thought about either taking a picture with a pillow on my back looking like a camel or a picture with a pillow stuffed up my shirt so that I looked like a pregnant woman but…. Sister Goode and I forgot. haha get it?? :) I am loving every minute of my mission! It is so hard and so tiring and it makes you grow in so many ways. In case you were wondering, missions aren't for pansies! It is so wonderful though. I'm scared the end is going to come way too soon and I'm trying so hard to make every moment of every day count so that I can look back and know I gave it my all. I really related to what Elder Slade said in his last email about how all weeks are good as long as you're trying. I had a really overwhelming experience in a special conference this week where I thought about what the Lord would say to me if I had an interview with Him on the last day of my mission, and the words that came very powerfully to me were "I didn't say you had to be perfect on your mission. I only wanted you to try your very best, and I accept what you have done for me. Thank you."

Last night we had a cottage meeting, which is basically where missionaries can take investigators to the mission home and everyone gathers to hear the testimonies of recent converts. It was the first cottage meeting I've been able to attend on my mission, and it was amazing! Anthony and Bry were both able to attend and they loved it.

Sister Goode and I have been struggling to find new investigators these past two weeks. Please pray that we can continue to add people to our teaching pool. One way that we have been very blessed is that we have an unusual amount of "golden" investigators that we are seeing progressing wonderfully! Normally it's exciting to be able to teach one golden, but we have 4 different individuals progressing right now that makes us so happy! Gabriel, Melissa, Anthony, and Bry all have very strong testimonies and are working towards baptism. Unfortunately the adversary knows that the more of an asset to the Lord an individual will be, the harder he will have to work to dissuade them. We have seen crazy and very real opposition come into the lives of these individuals these week, and it has been so amazing to me to see the ways that they are fighting back and continuing to progress despite the obstacles. Please, please, please pray for these individuals by name! It is so obvious to me that the work is hastening, but that means that Satan is working harder too. You may not know these individuals, but they are your brothers and sisters, and these people need your faith and help!

This week in my study I loved reading Jacob 5. This story is not just about trees, it's about how much our Heavenly Father loves us. And it's not just about the House of Israel- it's about how much He loves me individually, as one of the trees in His vineyard. Sometimes when we're being pruned and dunged and our branches are being taken and new ones are being put in, it can be a very painful process. Sometimes we may feel like because Heavenly Father is giving us so much change and working so hard to perfect us, it means that we are inherently bad, or without worth. Actually, the Lord wouldn't bother to prune and dung and dig if He didn't see that our worth is limitless and we just need a little help sometimes in order to tap into that potential. I think that this is why I have been able to serve as an STL this transfer. (And I hope next transfer too) I have learned so much more from the sisters that I have been exchanging with then I'm sure they've been learning from me. It's hard to focus on yourself when you are focusing on others. President knew i needed a few extra souls to serve in order to completely learn that lesson.

Love ya!

Sister Slade

"We are not earning heaven, we are learning heaven, preparing for it, practicing for it."

Dear family,

Last week Brother Donaldson from the Mission Department came to tour our mission and give special training to the mission leaders on a new inspired method of teaching that they want us to implement. We attended a special all-day conference and it was a huge spiritual high for me! Basically we will be teaching 7 minute lessons using the pictures in the pamphlets. The investigator does most of the talking. Our role is to ask them questions about the pictures and their understanding of the gospel such as "How does this make you feel?" or "What do you see here?" I wish you could all see it in action! It's simple, but it's not easy. The new method is all about the missionaries getting out of the way so that the spirit can testify, and already we have seen so many miracles come from it!

A few days ago we taught a Gospel of Jesus Christ pamphlet lesson to Anthony and the first few minutes seemed a little bit rocky because he had some questions that were a little bit off topic and he didn't completely understand the importance of baptism yet. But we continued to ask him what he felt when he saw the pictures, and once we were done we told him that we were all going to be silent after he finished and pay attention to our thoughts, feelings, and impressions, and that when he felt ready he could speak again. After Anthony prayed it was silent for a good minute before he spoke. Finally he told us with tears in his eyes, "I feel good. I feel really good" We invited him right then to be baptized, and he immediately accepted a baptism date of March 29th.

Bry and Melissa are both so solid and are still progressing towards baptism wonderfully! They are both so prepared! Bry surprised everyone when he got up to share his testimony of the Book of Mormon in church on Sunday- proud mama moment!!!

Gabriel also loved church on Sunday, as always, and he is still loving reading the Book of Mormon. Bishop invited him and us over for dinner yesterday and the spirit was strong as Bishop and Gabriel both shared their personal conversion stories. Gabriel is every bit as converted as Bennett and Verna and Darlene were. He makes me cry when he shares his testimony. He is going through some really hard times right now. He has received some anti from his family and they are telling him that he isn't prepared for baptism yet. While Gabriel still wants to be baptized, some personal and family struggles have postponed his baptism for now. Please keep him in your prayers!

I am LOVING being an STL! These sisters are so amazing! I love seeing each of the sisters different strengths and seeing how Heavenly Father has given each of us something different to offer. This last week one of my exchanges was with Sister Sinclair, who I was good friends with in the MTC. We had a great time together- probably my favorite exchange I have gone on so far! Sister Sinclair is kinda like a YSA prodigy because she has been in YSA her entire mission- crazy! I went to Silverlake YSA, and we had a day filled with miracles! We both agreed on numerous occasions that I was meant to be in that area with her on that day. There were way too many amazing "coincidences" to not know that it was meant to be.

One of the biggest miracles of that exchange was that I needed Sister Sinclair that day. This has been the best worst week. Earlier this week I was really struggling with a lot of feelings of depression and worthlessness. It's been a while since I've felt that low. There are a couple of reasons I can think of for what happened, but for the most part there didn't seem to be any obvious reason for why I was feeling the way I was. Satan was working very very hard on me. I think he knew that Sister Goode and I have the potential to accomplish so much good in this area, especially with the new teaching method that is going to bring so many people to Christ. I was praying all week that I would simply be able to feel loved, and there have been so many simple tender mercies that have come. Sacrament Meeting yesterday was overwhelming. It was one of the most powerful testimony meetings I have ever been in, and I doubt there was one person in the congregation who didn't feel the overwhelming amount of love from the spirit in that chapel. On top of that, the elders investigators plus our investigators plus a friend that a member brought to church all totaled 8 nonmembers in our congregation!! I remember the first Sunday that I was in this ward it caught me off guard how small the congregation was since I was used to being in a family ward. During the sacrament I closed my eyes and pictured what it would be like to walk into that chapel packed with people, and I prayed that Sister Glancy and I would be able to help the ward to grow. Well on Sunday we saved the third and fourth row before the meeting as the "investigator rows." During the sacrament yesterday they were completely filled up with investigators and their fellowshippers, plus an overflow into the fifth row in the chapel. What an amazing feeling!

This week Heavenly Father wanted me to understand that the things that I teach investigators and less actives apply to me too. He loves me. I know it. The atonement is for ME, and the atonement is for YOU. I hope that the Lord blesses you with that knowledge this week too, and that you experience his love just as overwhelmingly as I have!

Love Sister Slade

 Sister Goode is on the left, and Sister Kennedy is one of the sisters that three-packed it with us this week while her companion was home for some medical tests. So much fun!

 Lans surprised us by taking Sister Glancy and I out to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch the day of transfers. He didn't end up making us try the flaming hot challenge... he said we could just try one, and boy was it hot! He was a good sport and even wore the T-shirt we made for him! :)

Alexandra invited us over for a smokin hot date (aka dinner) on Valentines day

Its Rainin' Investigators

Hello family!

My new companion is Sister Goode from Disney Land, oops, I mean, Anaheim, California. She is funny, genuine, and filled with the spirit! We are looking forward to tearin it up this next transfer in Halls Lake YSA! We cover 9 companionships of sisters together, so we will have 2-3 exchanges per week,  our first one being this Thursday. I'm very excited!

This week, despite all the crazy change and schedules, has been one of the most fulfilling, miracle-filled weeks of my mission! We're short on time to email today, but even if I had the full amount of time I couldn't tell you about all of the amazing miracles we have seen! We'll save that for after the mission :)

So here goes! We put our investigators John and Bry on date for baptism this week. Both are earnestly seeking, and we are so excited for them! John is a guy who Sister Glancy and I contacted at the college last week. He says that he knows that God exists because of feelings he used to have when he would go hiking with his family in Colorado (Hmm. That sounds familiar!) John came to FHE and loved it! Unfortunately he had to work so he wasn't able to come to church, but he is reading the Book of Mormon, asking limitless questions about how Jesus Christ can help him in his life, and progressing wonderfully! Bry was our member referral! His brother and sister-in-law were recently baptized into the Beverly Park ward recently. Bry s a pretty quirky guy. He happens to be pro bowler so that's pretty cool! His prayers are some of the most genuine I have ever heard out here, perhaps only second to Verna's prayers. March is looking to be a great month for us!

Gabriel is still loving church and reading the Book of Mormon. He made me feel like a proud mama this week when he invited his stepbrother Alex to come to FHE and volleyball! Man oh man, this kid is an outstanding member missionary and he's not even a member yet! Gabriel was going to be moving to Texas but he told us this last Sunday that they decided to not move after all due to some things that happened in the family. God works in mysterious ways... perhaps Gabriel is meant to continue his progression including making the covenant of baptism, in this ward that he has grown to love so much? :)

This week we got a text message from a girl named Melissa basically saying "Hi, you knocked on my door last week, I want you to teach me the lessons." I didn't even remember who this girl Melissa was until we met her again. She was one of those "One last door" contacts, and Sister Glancy and I couldn't have talked to her for more than a minute last week before we had to run to our next appointment. Turns out Melissa has been dating a member and going to church with him in one of the family wards. When we came to visit her she told us that she has been reading the Book of Mormon the last few months, she knows it's true, and she wants to be baptized, she just needs to take the discussions. (Which she has already taught herself through reading the pamphlets that she found online, by the way.) Heavenly Father, did you seriously just drop an already-progressing investigator right into our laps? Well thank you!

As if all that wasn't enough, on Sunday Sister Goode and I realized that we were one new investigator away from meeting the Standards of Excellence this week- something that everyone says is unheard of in the YSA ward. I say, "All things are possible through Christ who strengthens me!" President has told us that he expects all STL's and Zone Leaders to meet Standards of Excellence weekly, so Sister Goode and I said a prayer after church and went to work. The girl we had an appointment with cancelled, so we went to see a potential/referral that we had received the night before in hopes that they would be our new investigator instead. Well we got there and had a good conversation but it didn't quite pan out. Right afterwards I remembered a former that lived nearby that Sister Glancy and I had gone to see 2 months ago, but I had totally forgotten about since then. (One of those ever so subtle "whisperings" that it's so easy to not recognize). Well we knocked at the door of this guy Anthony, and it looked like the house was dark and empty. Right as we were about to walk away the hall light came on, and Anthony answered the door. He pretty much stared at us then asked who had sent us. Apparently another missionary on the street had invited him to come to church the day before, and he was going to, but he accidentally slept in. He had been thinking about the Mormons a lot recently, and he had just been praying for direction when we knocked. Anthony came out and the three of us stood out in the rain talking about Jesus Christ and his role in the repentance process. One prayer and a return appointment later, we met standards at 8:00 Sunday night. Sister Goode and I jumped into a HUGE puddle to celebrate our "Victory week for the Lord" and since we had been soaking wet all evening anyway.

The miracles have simply continued this week, because Heavenly Father likes to make good on all of His promises. The missionary department is touring our mission this week, so Sister Bonham joined us for our lessons last night. With Sister Bonham we found a new investigator, and taught Anthony the first official lesson. The spirit in that lesson was so strong. He had already started reading the Book of Mormon the night before after we left, and he also bought us this huge pink and orange umbrella. Haha. So thoughtful! Partway through the lesson he said, "I feel like these things are true, everything makes sense. I think I need to pray to know if these things are true and if I need to be baptized." Sister Goode and I were both thinking "Uhhh... yeah, yeah it would be ok for you to do that! Good game plan!" :)

Through my personal study and the miracles that we saw this week, I have determined that there is no "secret" to missionary work. If we are simply striving to do what Heavenly Father wants us to do- working hard, loving everyone, being strictly obedient, and developing Christlike attributes, etc... Heavenly Father will literally "laden you with many sheaves." I feel overwhelmed with gratitude for everything that He has given me. Please pray that these miracles will continue. Thank you for your love and support!

Love, Sister Slade

Transfers?

Dear family,

This week has been quite the roller coaster! Transfers are tomorrow, and it's going to be a big one! President Bonham is really shaking things up in the mission this time around, and there are very few companionships that won't be changed, including our own. Thursday was leadership calls and Sister Glancy and I thought that we were off the hook until the zone leaders called at 11:00, right as we were almost asleep. I'm going to be a Sister Training Leader this next transfer! I have lots of mixed emotions. I'm very nervous but I'm also very excited. I think that this is going to be an amazing learning experience, and I'm so excited to get to know so many sisters in the mission! I already feel so much love for all of them. Depending on what zones my new companion and I will cover, we will probably end up going on about 2 or 3 exchanges a week. Sister Glancy and I are waiting impatiently for the text that should come any time now to find out which of us will be transferred. Gah the suspense is killing me!

We have found quite a few new investigators this week, some of which show a lot of promise! One was found at the college, two were referrals from other missionaries, and one of them was even our first member referral so we were so excited about that! I hope that I get to stay here so that I can teach some of these people, but even if I get transferred, please pray specifically for Anas, John, Bry, and Nate.

Also continue to pray for Gabriel, who will be moving to Texas next week. We want this to be a smooth transition and for him to bond with the ward and missionaries there as much as he has here.

Sister Glancy and I sang in Sacrament Meeting yesterday and I was terrified but Sister Glancy made me.  People said we did good afterwards, but that doesn't mean I'll ever do it again :) Or maybe I will. I've surprised myself a lot so far on my mission, almost as much as the Lord has surprised me.

This week in my study I have really enjoyed reading through the Book of Mormon and New Testament at the same time. It's amazing to see all of the parallels no matter where you're reading. They truly do support each other in witnessing to to the world that Jesus is the Savior for each and every one of us! A few verses that specifically stood out to me in the Book of Mormon this week were 2 Nephi 16:5-8. When President Monson first announced the age change, (Whew that feels like forever ago!) I was sitting in the tabernacle in Salt Lake for the afternoon session afterwards, thinking and praying, and the very distinct, very sudden words that came to my mind were "Here am I, send me." I knew that I was supposed to go on a mission, it was simply a matter of praying about when.

I feel overwhelmed, thinking about the amazing blessings, growth, and love that I have felt in my own life and in the lives of others since coming. I know that this is where I am supposed to be! This truly is the Lord's work. He is deeply involved in each of our lives. He has a plan and will do everything he can to help us if we will rely on Him. Thank you all for your support and for your love. Go out there and fearlessly share the gospel with everyone that you meet, then write me letters telling me all about how YOU are seeing an increase of the Lord's love in YOUR lives!

Love, Sister Slade

P.S. Congratulations Kayla on your call to Canada!!!  Feel free to teach and baptize a smokin hot frenchman for me to marry.... just kidding....but really. :)

P.P.S. We just barely got the much dreaded text... Sister Glancy is getting transferred, I am staying in Halls Lake YSA! :)

What is this green stuff all over the place?

 The church is true, the book is blue!

 Us with Gabriel

On date

Hey family!

So this may be a quick update. Most of our P-Day was taken up this morning by doing the most intense workout of my life. The zone leaders organized for this ex-special forces guy named Rick from Everett YSA ward to come and take us through an hour and a half workout. My entire body is so sore right now I can hardly believe it. We have exchanges tonight until tomorrow and I'm a little bit concerned that I may not be able to get out of bed tomorrow morning, let alone do a full day of missionary work! Oops. Haha I may be running on a lot of prayer tomorrow! Pretty much all the elders in our zone came but unfortunately it was only us and one other set of sisters from the zone that wanted to go. But it was still a lot of fun and I must say, the Elders didn't show us up too bad!

This week was quite a bit slower than last, but if there's one thing you definitely learn in YSA, it's that when you are staring down a full day of tracting, the phrase "make your own sunshine" takes on a whole new meaning! Also, I sure do appreciate the tender mercies! Heavenly Father blesses each of us with so many small miracles and blessings in our lives every day- seen and unseen!

Gabriel fell off date. He is still really excited for baptism and progressing amazingly! But he talked to his family and they decided it would be best for him to wait until he goes to Texas, even though Lans won't be able to baptize him there, so that the rest of Gabriel's family can come to the baptism. This is actually truly amazing, because none of Gabriel's family is mormon, and we are so happy that they have decided to support him in this decision! The selfish side of me does still wish that I could see him baptized though. Oh well. We made him promise he would write us and tell us about it. :)

Broncos lost. My pride is a little bit wounded and I'm not sure what to expect from FHE tonight :) Lans told us that if the Broncos lost we had to go with him and Reese and Callie to Buffs and try the flamin hot challenge. We shook on it so it looks like that will be an adventure this week...

 We had stake conference this weekend, and it was amazing! For the Saturday evening session a member of the 70 that came to speak called on some Elders from the audience to come up with no heads up and teach a 7 minute restoration lesson to the stake president and his wife. Afterwards he continued his talk and said "I almost chose you, Sister Slade and Sister Glancy, I guess a missionary can never get too comfortable...." The next day when we saw President Bonham he told us that he had given the guy from the 70 four companionships that he felt comfortable with teaching in front of everyone at stake conference. As huge of a compliment as that was for us, I was so relieved he didn't call on us!!!!!!!

The other amazing thing from conference was that our reactivated member, Alexandra, was asked to speak! She hadn't opened up to us previously about how big of an impact we had on her coming back to church. She gave us letters that almost made me cry. It was one of those moments when I could really feel the fruits of my labors and I thought to myself how much I KNOW that God is intimately aware of each of us!

Something amazing that Alexandra told us about her story of coming back is how the previous week when she was asked to speak she was really nervous and one night she was just praying, pleading to be able to feel comfort and confidence about the whole thing. While she was praying we called her. We had no idea about this, but that night Sister Glancy and I decided out of the blue that we should call Alexandra and tell her that we wanted to "sing her a lullaby." It was really silly, but we had had a long day so we were like why not, she'll get a laugh and we will too. So we did, and it wasn't until this weekend that Alexandra told us in her letter that she was crying the whole time we sang her favorite hymn to her over the phone because she knew in that moment that God loved her because He had answered her prayer in such an unexpected way- a way that we had no idea about.

When I first came into the field I decided that one thing I really wanted to learn from the Lord was how the spirit speaks to me. I felt that I had a hard time recognizing when I receive a prompting from the spirit. This has probably been the focus of most of my studies- somehow my study always comes back to this. Since then I have learned that promptings from the spirit oftentimes don't even feel like promptings. More often then not, they seem like a "passing thought" or "little idea" that is so small that if you're not paying attention it is so easy to miss it. So my advice to you is that if you think of something that will bless you, your family, or those around you, DO IT! Don't think. Just do it. I still have a long way to go, but the Lord has blessed me with so many special experiences that build my faith of the Holy Ghost!

SANDRA FROM OAK HARBOR IS ON DATE TO BE BAPTIZED FEBRUARY 15TH!!!!!! It's amazing to see the way that Heavenly Father works in each of our lives!

Well, love you all! More next week

Sister Slade

Photos from Washington!

Dear family,

WHAT A WEEK! Sister Glancy and I taught more lessons than we ever have before, found new investigators, and were one investigator at church away from beating the Standards of Excellence, something we have been really striving for for a few weeks now. We feel so blessed that the Lord has been showering us with so many miracles!

First things first, Gabriel is on date for February 8th, right before the transfer ends!! It's been an interesting experience teaching him, because we have known that he is golden, but we also have known that he will be moving to Texas soon. Originally we put him on date so that he can have that goal to work towards when he gets to Texas and continues lessons with the missionaries there. Well, the date he leaves keeps being pushed further and further back and we're almost done with the lessons. When we taught him this week Gabriel started to explain how he already loves the people here so much that he wants to buy a plane ticket and fly back so that he can be baptized here in his first ward. We told him that as long as he continues to make it to church and progress in the gospel, he is more than allowed to be baptized here before he leaves, and he is so excited!! The most amazing part of the whole thing, is that the week that we found Gabriel is the week that Sister Glancy and I started praying that we would be able to have a baptism together. We feel overwhelmed with gratitude this week at how the Lord has somehow worked everything out in such an unexpected way so that He could grant us our simple request. Gabriel is solid and we can't wait for his baptism on the 8th!

We were finally able to meet with our favorite southern friend James again this week, and we put him on date for baptism on the 22nd! He says he's tired of living the "wild life" and he is really excited for baptism! The only thing that we are worried about is being able to continue meeting with him. He works so much that its hard to find a free time in his schedule, although lessons are really solid when we can make them happen. I've seen a few times that once you put someone on date they really start to appreciate the magnitude of it and they do what they need to do to change their lives. Prayers for James please!

Also pray for our new investigators Wei Die, Michelle, and Matt. Also if you have time this week, include the last conference Ensign in your personal study! I have seen that as I have done this in my study this week I have gained a deeper appreciation for the fact that we truly do have a prophet and apostles that are called of God. They know whats up! In the words of Elder Hales, "The greatest blessings of General Conference come to us after the conference is over. Remember the pattern recorded frequently in scripture: we gather to hear the words of the Lord, and we return to our homes to live them."

I would love to hear about the things that you are all learning in your personal study, and all of your personal missionary moments as well!

I love all y'all!

Sister Slade

The District

 Tasha and Winnie- SOLID recent converts! Love them so much!!!

 Two monthiversary matching scarves!

 This is what Sister Slade looks like at age 19... stay tuned next week for a picture of the big 20 so that you can see the incredible transformation!!!

 Don't mess with WML Lans Drake. Lans is "angry" we made him a Broncos T-Shirt... :)

 Sister's picture

We're Multiplying!

Hey family!

First off, BRONCOS VS. SEAHAWKS IN THE SUPERBOWL!!!! Did I call it, or did I call it!? People here are calling it the "pot bowl" since Washington and Colorado are the only states that have legalized marijuana... :/ Our Ward Mission Leader Lans has been great about texting us and the zone leaders updates whenever there is a game... haha. I keep telling people in the ward that I hope they don't hate me after the Broncos beat the Seahawks :)

Gabriel is on date for baptism! Sister Glancy and I talked about it, and we decided that even though he is moving, helping him have a specific date would show just what an important decision it is and also help him continue to develop his faith. Gabriel is so solid. We're sad to lose him to Texas next week, but happy that the new ward there will have such a great new asset.

Our new investigator this week is Tre', and we are very grateful for him! We haven't been able to meet with Kazim again yet and our lesson with James fell through as well. One thing I have realized this week is that one of the adversaries greatest tools is to make people busy. He fills our schedules with so many "important" things that we don't end up having time for the things that are most important. This isn't just something that happens in the lives of individuals who are investigating, but it happens in members lives too. I can think of specific times when it happened in my life. Be wary of that!

On Saturday we had our ward Mini-MTC that we have been organizing to help the ward members get excited about missionary work. It was a great success! Already we are seeing the effects of it, as one of the guys in our ward invited his friend to FHE last night and our WML is having his friend come join us for dinner on Saturday!

I had kinda a cool experience right before we left for the Mini-MTC that really proved to me that the work is hastening! We got a very angry phone call from a guy who kept demanding to talk to our "manager." Apparently three different sets of missionaries have all knocked on his door in the past month, and he's so angry about it that he says if missionaries knock on his door again he's going to get the law involved. It was a very nasty phone call, but the greatest part was when he said, "I swear you guys are multiplying. I don't know where you all are coming from, but I've had enough of you." Logically I should have felt discouraged or upset over this crazy guy yelling at us, but after the call I couldn't believe how HAPPY I felt!!! You betcha, we're multiplying! I felt so overwhelmed with gratitude for how much the Lord truly does care about His children. This man may have had enough of us, but obviously the Lord hasn't had enough of him since he has given him three opportunities to accept His gospel just in the last month! This gospel truly will go forth until it has covered the whole Earth and there is nothing that can be done to stop it!

I have begun reading the New Testament as part of my daily study. This week my paralleled reading in the NT and BOM seemed to have a theme of how the Lord uses opposition to strengthen us in our lives. I thought about how much Joseph Smith went through so that we could have the restored gospel in our lives. The Lord could have easily sheltered him and made it so that Joseph didn't have to experience as much as he did, but he didn't. Joseph gave his very blood to seal the truthfulness of his testimony. Not only that, but every time Joseph experienced persecution it cemented the truthfulness of this gospel that much more. Has there ever been a time in history where something good did not experience opposition? Furthermore, has there ever been a time in history when the good did not overcome and prevail against the bad that tried so hard to drag it down? How does this pattern apply in our own lives? We already know who will win!

Love you all!

Sister Slade

P.S. Do you remember Sandra who was on date in Oak Harbor but then fell off date when some things came up that challenged her testimony? She was one of the first investigators Sister Turley and I had who we worked so so hard with. Lots of prayers and tears went into teaching her. Sister Anderson said that she surprised everyone by starting the year off showing up at church. She has been meeting with missionaries, is working very hard on resolving her concerns, and feels she is ready to be baptized again! Sandra absolutely knows the church is true. she always has. We are so excited for her!!!

Miracles

Hey family!

We have definitely had some miracles this week!

The most exciting one is a person- Gabriel! It has been such a HUGE blessing to be teaching Gabriel! Gabriel was a former in our area book that we contacted last week and began teaching. He is changing SO quickly and each of our lessons have been so filled with the spirit! He has had a really troubled past and now he can't get enough of the gospel! He came to church and absolutely LOVED it! He said he has never felt so much at home, and the ward can't get enough of him either! When he said the prayer at our last lesson he said "I have never felt this happy before." He came to volleyball on Thursday and our ward mission leader Lans said that on the way back when he was taking him home Gabriel really opened up and told him that he had been thinking about baptism, (we only met him a week ago!) and he had talked to his mom about what she would think if he became a Mormon, and she said she would be fine with it. We went into our lesson on Thursday fully intending to put Gabriel on date, only to find out that he isn't leaving for Texas in February after all- he actually has to leave in about a week and a half. Bummer. Some missionaries in Texas will be getting a golden soon! Hopefully the Lord will reciprocate and send us one too... :)

Juan and Alexandra both came to church again! They are building a lot of bonds with the ward members and I think they are here for good! They are both so wonderful, definitely part of the reason Sister Glancy and I are here. I have really developed a love for less active individuals recently.

Our new investigator this week is Kazim! Kazim is this big black guy from Grenada (close to Jamaica.) He is a little bit sassy. He is a professional swimmer, but doesn't want to come to volleyball because he says that volleyball is for girls...haha

We were unable to have another lesson with James this week because he had a family emergency and had to fly to Florida (Elder Slade probably contacted him while he was there...:) We called James last night and had a good conversation with him. He apologized for being so busy working two jobs and wanted to make sure we knew that he really isn't trying to avoid us, his schedule has just been crazy. He's been reading "that book" and we have a lesson with him on Tuesday so we're hoping he will be progressing even more soon!

We were extremely blessed to find lots of potential investigators this week, so we're hoping and praying that the Lord will continue to bless us and we will have more investigators than ever before next week! We're working so hard! Nothing feels better than reaching the end of a day filled with nothing but tracting and realizing that you gave it your all. Then doing the same thing the next day, and the same thing the next day. This area is making me work harder and become more deeply converted than ever before.

I love this work!!!!!!!! For my study one day this week I read 2 Nephi 4 and compared it to Alma 26. I can't express how grateful I am to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. It fills me with joy absolutely 100% of the time. I have been praying so hard to have my heart completely turned to the Lord, and recently I feel like nothing bothers me at all. Even the days this week that it was pouring rain and we had hours of tracting ahead of us, I couldn't wait to get out there. I just don't get it. How can I suddenly look forward to something so miserable with so much excitement? I know it is because of Jesus Christ, who has overcome the world and gives us every reason to be happy! (John 16:33)

Love, Sister Slade

P.S. Seahawks and Broncos both won!! They're playing each other in the superbowl, I just know it! Don't worry, Sister Glancy and I have become pros and getting door-to-door updates :)

P.P.S. Jesus is a less active individual in our ward who we tried to find last week but had the wrong address and phone number for. We were tracting a complex this week and Sister Glancy saw someone out of the corner of her eye and stopped to talk to them. (Proud mama moment!) Out of the thousands and thousands of people in our area, this individual turned out to be Jesus, getting ready to move to Snohomish 2 days later. He gave us his phone number and new address so that the ward there can contact him. A few days later in ward council one of the ward missionaries, Esther, asked, "Does anybody happen to know someone named Jesus _____? I had a really weird dream last night where someone called me and asked 'Do you know where I can find Jesus _____' I woke up instantly, but I have no idea who Jesus is." In case any of you were wondering if Heavenly Father cares about us on an individual basis...

P.P.S. Do you remember Yassine, the Muslim who we started teaching? Well Esther, like the solid member fellowshipper that she is, introduced him to her best friend in the Silver Lake YSA ward, they hit it off instantly, and they've been dating the last few weeks. The Lord works in mysterious ways I suppose... :)

Pedicures on New Years

 The sun came out, its a miracle!

 New year new fresh cut.

 Lots and lots of wind and rain here lately, guess I need a new umbrella.

So blessed!

Hey family!

We have had a very blessed week this week! I couldn't decide what to fast for yesterday since we had already had so many tender mercies this week, so Sister Glancy and I settled for a "gratitude fast." :)

We found 3 new investigators this week!!! One of them is James, the guy who showed up to church out of nowhere two weeks ago. We had our first lesson with him, and it went really well. He said the closing prayers and if you can picture his way southern accent said "Thank ya for sendin me the good book of the mormons. And thank ya for the missionaries knockin on ma door. I took it as ma callin to come back. " Unfortunately James didn't come to church yesterday even though he said that he was going to, and he hasn't replied to our text, so we're hoping everything is alright there. Keep him in your prayers!

Another new investigator is Cornell. Cornell is a way chill African American guy who just got back from deployment. We all sat in a circle on his living room floor since he doesn't have any furniture yet, and it was a powerful restoration lesson! He seems very agreeable and open to everything so now we just have to see if he is willing to keep commitments!

We also contacted a former from our area book named Gabriel. Gabe is a little bit of a punk. At least he acts that way, but he definitely doesn't fool me, he's got a soft interior  Gabe just passed his GED and is joining the Navy, so he is moving to Texas in a few weeks. We're hoping that our lessons before then will be filled with the spirit so that he will want to continue his investigation when he moves there.

Miracle time! On Saturday we had planned to spent most of the afternoon and evening in Everett, which is where Ram lives. I'm not sure if you remember Ram, but he's an Indian investigator that the elders passed off to us when we first got here. We've struggled to keep frequent contact with Ram in recent weeks, and we've struggled to feel like we're really reaching him, especially since we're not sure just how much of a language barrier is there. Last week we were going to stop by one more time and Sister Glancy and I were debating about weather or not we should move him to formers if he wasn't there. Ram's parents answered the door and invited us in immediately.The mom, Avathar, told us over and over again that she needed us to help Ram, as he has had some Word of Wisdom issues that have been causing grief for their family. We took that as our answer that we shouldn't give up hope on Ram just yet. Well anyways, on Saturday we got a call out of the blue from Ram saying "My mom wants me to tell you that I am home for you to come see me." We really believe that Avathar was moved by the spirit to contact us, because we went to talk to Ram and for the first time Ram really opened up to us. Avathar sat us down and said in her thick Indian accent, "He is your younger brother. You are his elder sisters. Please, help him." We were so stunned (and the Elders too when they found out) to learn that Ram actually is not YSA. He left a wife and 8 month old baby in India when he and his family came here, and he's not sure when he will see them again. He's suffered a lot of depression recently, which is why he has felt lonely and turned to smoking and marijuana to try to find happiness. He showed us pictures of his family, and the minute i saw the picture of his beautiful wife and little girl, the spirit filled me instantly. it was like Heavenly Father was allowing me to be in Ram's shoes, and I could feel just how much love ram has for his family. We shared our love and our testimonies of our Heavenly Father's love with Ram and Avathar, and it was one of the most powerful moments I have experienced since coming to this area.

For my study the last few weeks I have started the Book of Mormon over, but I have started with a blank copy of the Book of Mormon and I have been marking all of the promises find. I just finished 1 Nephi today. Some of these promises are conditional. For example, 1 Nephi 16:28- through faith and diligence (and also action- Nephi is a great example of ACTING, rather than being acted upon) we will receive personal revelation and guidance. Other promises I have found are not conditional, they are simply given to us because we have a Heavenly Father and Savior who love us. (1 Nephi 21:16- I think about how often we use our hands. Jesus Christ has a constant reminder of His love for us on his hands. How often does He look at His hands, and think about you and about me?)

Love ya!

Sister Slade

P.S. Sister Anderson just sent me an email- apparently Sandra showed up to church yesterday in Oak Harbor!!!! They have an appointment with her on Thursday. I sent her a long letter about 2 weeks ago. Please keep her in your prayers!!!

Miracle of the Week!

It was so nice to talk to you guys on Christmas! I feel like it was just a teaser- there is so much more we could have talked about and the time went so fast! Oh well. Next time we talk it will be mothers day, then after that we'll be talking in person after I finish my mission!

I've been sick the last few days so that has been absolutely horrible. We've still been able to go out and work, but we haven't slept well and both Sister Glancy and I feel totally wiped out. Hopefully we can get some good sleep later today if we have time. Dave and Marg sent me some money and a Christmas card, and I think we're going to use it to go get pedicures later today!

A less active named Alexandra came to church on Sunday! We've decided to have our less actives begin fellowshipping our less actives, so we took her to our lesson with Juan and had sort of a joint teaching appointment, and what do you know, she was at church! So that was exciting.

Unfortunately we weren't able to meet with James, but hopefully this coming Tuesday. Our return appointment with Keith fell through as well, so hopefully we will be able to contact him again. Member missionary work really is the way to go. We found out about transfer calls today and both Elder Combe and Elder Caruso are staying, so we are really excited about some training we are going to be doing with the ward in the next few weeks! The format that Elder Caruso came up with is a "Mini MTC" with break-out sessions and a ward pizza party at the end. I will be teaching the break-out session on "setting goals and making plans" and we are using the rest of our ward activities budget to buy copies of "The Power of Everyday Missionaries" to give to each person in the ward. (If you have not read that book then you need to get a copy!!!!) The stake president and President Bonham will be attending, so we're hoping to make this a successful event!

Miracle of the week! We were in the apartment complex that Alvaro lives in (One of the less actives/ recent converts we've been working with) and we decided to stop by even though we were pretty sure he would be working, in hopes that one of his older brothers would answer the door (Missionaries are sneaky that way :)) Well Alvaro's brother Chudokan answered! We had sort of a mini restoration lesson there on the doorstep, but Chudokan was hesitant to set up a time to meet and talk some more, even to join one of our lessons with Alvaro, so we weren't sure how interested he was. The next day we met Alvaro for a lesson at McD's and apparently Chudokan told Alvaro we had stopped by and was asking him questions, including if he could read "that book that you have." We role played with Alvaro and he is going to invite his brother to meet with us!!!

Fun fact for ya- we learned from a high councilman that we ran into this week that apparently 90% of the people baptized in many of the Seattle Mission YSA wards are from China. There are a few in our ward that were recently baptized, so the Elders have organized a mandarin sunday school class with one of the RM's that served his mission in Taiwan, while Sister Glancy and I attend the Gospel Principles class.

Love y'all! Don't forget to keep me updated on all of your amazing missionary experiences are going!

Sister Slade