Thigh On A Mountain Top

I'm not sure what to write about this week. After a while the days and weeks just seem to kinda blur together. I've noticed that if I miss even one night of writing in my journal (which some nights I'm so tired I just go to bed instead of writing :/) by the next day I have to look in my planner to remember what it is that happened the day before.

Probably my favorite lesson that we taught this week was with Bennett and Verna (Don't tell the other investigators, but those two are always my favorite. :)) Such a big love in my heart for those two wonderful people! We taught lesson 3 about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and afterwards I invited them to be baptized again. They both said that they're not quite ready- Bennett has more questions and Verna wants to hear the rest of the lessons first, but Bennett said that there is a "strong likelihood" that they will decide to be baptized. Bennett told us that he absolutely loved church! He sat next to Brother Penaloza in Prisethood, and brother Penaloza showed Bennett how you could download different LDS materials onto his ipad, and Bennett told us that ever since then he has been "like a kid in a candy store." He's been downloading gospel principles, the other standard works, etc... He even told us that he knows our missionary schedule now, and also that "I found out that I'm an investigator!" We congratulated him and told him that not only that, but because he came to church, he is a progressing investigator! This was after last Sunday, when someone approached us and said, "Oh, is this one of your investigators?" and Bennett said "No, I'm just visiting." We all laughed about that. Bennett and Verna didn't come to church yesterday, even though they said they would be there :/ Sister Turley says that we might have to spank them. That's not against the white handbook, is it? :)

Bennett and Verna are planning on coming to Darlene's baptism this next week though! Darlene is excited as can be, and we are too!

Shannon came to church for the first time yesterday, even though he only stayed for the first hour. I think he started to feel a little bit of anxiety and had to leave. Sandra told us that she was coming but didn't show up. Oh Sandra. I'm not sure what more we need to do to help her. :/

In the middle of ward council I looked down at the agenda and saw that the opening hymn was "Thigh on a Mountain Top" and it took all I had not to bust up laughing, for whatever reason the immature side of me thought that was so funny.

Transfers are next week. Why are transfers so stressful?

I love you all!!!! I'm looking forward to hearing from you! Letters are still much appreciated :)

Love, Sister Slade

Talking in Church

Great things are happening in Oak Harbor! Probably the highlight of my week was yesterday. Sister Turley and I were asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting. After struggling for weeks to get anyone to come to church, last week 3 of our investigators made it, and yesterday 4 of them made it!! I'm thinking that this means that we need to get 5 investigators there next Sunday. :) Our end goal is to have more investigators at church than there are members... :)

Chuck Q. wasn't able to come this week, as he works every other Sunday. Darlene came again, though, and we've also been teaching her twice a week to prepare her for her baptism. She says that she is 10 times more excited for her baptism than anyone could ever be. She has been so prepared. When Darlene was little her family wasn't raised in any religion. She says she remembers going to the store with her sister on Sundays, and when she would see all of the people coming out of church in their nice skirts and ties she would hide behind the cars because she so badly wanted to be one of them but she felt ashamed that she didn't get to be. Darlene really related to Joseph Smith's story because when she was older she still wanted to go to church but she never did because she thought, "Well, which one am I supposed to go to?" We had a lesson with Darlene at the Glade's home earlier this week, and after we taught the Plan of Salvation Darlene asked what the Plan of Salvation meant for her mom, since her mom didn't have any particular faith and was never baptized. We were able to talk to her about the temple and how after she is baptized she can do her family history. The spirit was so strong and it was so overwhelming to realize that when Darlene is baptized it won't just be Darlene, but it will be her mom, and her grandparents, and her great grandparents, etc... such a happy moment for all of us!

We had a lesson with Sandra earlier this week. In last week’s lesson Sandra said that she is "Ready for Round 2." She is fully realizing what Satan has been doing in trying to prevent her from being baptized. Sandra even told us how her triple combination she ordered a while ago came in, but she put it in storage. When we asked her why she said, "That's my gift to myself for when I get baptized." With Sandra it really is "when" rather than "if." She says that when she went to the Baptist church for most of her life it felt "easy," but now that she knows this church is true she knows that she is accountable, and that scares her. The main thing that is holding her back from baptism is that she knows just how hard it will be and what a serious commitment that is. In a sense she is scared she won't be able to be perfect. Oh Sandra, if only you knew how similar we all are. In the lesson last week we discussed baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost again. We told her that not to downplay baptism, but in the end it doesn't really matter if she's baptized this month or next month or the month after, but the gift of the Holy Ghost is something that is worth hurrying for. We invited her to set another baptism date for September 28, and she said she is going to pray about it. She also promised us she would come to church yesterday, which she did! Sandra absolutely knows this gospel is all true, so it felt more like a returning less active rather than in investigator coming to church.

Tiffany also came to church again, and this time she brought her daughter!

Then the absolute greatest feeling was sitting on the stand and watching our dear friend Bennett H. walk into the chapel. He stuck out like a sore thumb sitting in the middle of that mass of white old people, I almost had to chuckle! I have such a big love in my heart for Bennett H.

I loved looking out at the faces of all these people we've been teaching and all of these members who I have grown to love so much, and having the strongest feeling of "This is where you belong." They all couldn't be more different. Bennett the business owner was looking down right classy with his nice black suit and shiny red tie and ipad that he used to look up scriptures. And Tiffany was as loud and interesting in appearance as she is in talking. Yet they all just seemed to fit anyway.

Love you all bunches!

Love, Sister Slade

Most Devoted Writer Award

I have decided to prepare the "Most Devoted Writer Award." This special surprise will be given to the family member deemed as "Most Devoted Writer" from now until the end of December. I'm not giving any hints as to what it is... just saying that if I were a Putnam I would start writing my favorite Washingtonian pretty quick here! Bi-weekly family updates are preferable, but weekly updates will also be accepted with gratitude... :)

Love ya lots!

Love, Sister Slade

P.S. "If ye have desires to serve God, ye are called to the work!" Bonus points are awarded to the individuals who include stories about their latest and greatest missionary moments in their letters :)

Baptisms!

This has been an absolutely incredible week! Probably one of the best weeks that Sister Turley and I have had thus far, actually! I'm not even sure where to start.

I suppose I'll start with Darlene. I think I mentioned a few weeks ago how we had been having lessons with a man named Everett Seeley (He's the one who joined the church in his early 20's and approached the bishop a few months ago when he decided to come back to church after 40 years of being inactive) Anyway, we finished lessons with him just in time to start to get to know his wife, who is not a member. I guess every time we would teach Everett he would go home and he and Darlene would spend about an hour discussing what he had learned that day. She has come to church a few times and is very interested in learning more now that Everett has made that complete 180 degree change in his life. She is one of the sweetest people I have met here, I just love her! We went over to their home for dinner and a lesson earlier this week. During dinner I asked Everett and Darlene what they had left to do on their bucket lists. Everett said he wanted to go to the temple, and Darlene said that ever since she has been a little girl she has always wanted to be baptized. Can you say golden? We taught the first lesson, and the spirit was so strong the entire time! When we taught about the first vision Darlene said, "You see, it's from hearing that story that I first knew without a doubt that this had to be the only true church. When Everett said those words a few weeks ago, somehow I just knew. And the same thing happened to me just now." What!? You mean you already have a testimony!? Well that makes our job easy! When it was time to invite Darlene to be baptized I could just barely get the words out of my mouth, because I felt so much love for Darlene, and in that moment, knowing that she was going to say yes, I realized the magnitude of that decision and it was so overwhelming. I realized that so many people had said no, even people before my mission, but in that moment it didn't matter, because they may have said no, but Darlene Seeley had said yes! Talk about "How great shall be your joy." I'm so excited for Everett and Darlene! AUGUST 24th can't come fast enough!!!!

Earlier this week we had another lesson with Chuck Q. We went into the lesson fully prepared to have a drop lesson if we needed to because we weren't sure if Chuck was progressing or not, but he completely surprised us by telling us that he had tried praying a few more times since our last lesson with him! He even agreed to say the closing prayer for our lesson again. He says that he's trying to be genuine, and he really thinks about the words he is saying before he prays, but he doesn't feel like his heart is quite in it yet. But he is trying!!!!! We taught lesson 3, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we invited him to be baptized. After we asked him if he would be baptized it was silent for a few moments. Chuck didn't say yes, but he didn't say no. He just sat there thoughtfully for a few moments thinking. Then as if on cue the baby spit up all over Sam, providing a very inconvenient but much needed distraction. Anyway. We talked to Sam privately this Sunday and she told us that after we left Chuck told her that he was seriously considering saying yes!!! For a long time I've suspected that Chuck believes in God way more than he lets on or will even admit to himself. He's felt the spirit multiple times. He knows that this is good for his family, and he told Sam that he hates barriers and feels that religion is the biggest barrier between them that needs to be taken down. If Chuck decides to be baptized he will live the doctrine so that he can wholeheartedly support his family. I just really hope that Chuck can feel that he has that testimony of his own before he decides to take a step that he knows would be good but is more for Sam than for himself.

After weeks of struggling to get investigators to come to church, yesterday we had 3 of them there! A Christian, an Atheist, and a Wicken. Oh my! We invited Tiffany to come to church earlier this week, and she said she was pretty sure she could make it. We said we would call Sunday morning to remind her, but when we called nobody answered.  We knew Chuck and Darlene would be at church, but our goal for investigators at church this week was 3, not 2! We had been very blessed and just barely met all of our other goals this week- it was a miracle! So we decided that there was no way we weren't going to get Heavenly Father that 3rd person at church. Around 12:30, half an hour before church was going to start, we drove out to see Tiffany. She was still in her nightgown, but when she answered the door she said, "Oh no, I completely forgot, is it too late? Can I still come?" So Tiffany frantically put some clothes on, we met her at the church, and we all made it just in the nick of time. Tiffany absolutely loved it!! She said she hasn't been in a Christian church in 10 years, so she was nervous, but here she didn't feel judged. She told us she had learned a lot and she had quite a bit to think about before our next lesson with her family. She wants to come back next week, and hopefully bring her husband and little girls!

Next week is Bennett and Verna's week, I can feel it! If there is anything that I've learned this week and the week before, it's that this work is going to go forth no matter what. It's happening quickly, and the spirit is strong. Sister Turley and I have had a few creepy experiences where we could tell that there's a ton more out there than a fairly sheltered BYU student sees. I have a testimony that Satan is real and that he is absolutely running rampant, but I also have a strong testimony that the Lord is so much stronger than He is! In the end, good will conquer!!!

Don't forget to do your part in the work, the Lord needs you too!

Love you all bunches!

Love, Sister Slade

Three Lessons

There were some great things that happened this week! I'll tell you about three of the lessons we had this week that were particularly meaningful.

There is a less active family that we saw a few times when we first got here, but they wouldn't keep appointments and when they did they seemed a little bit disinterested, so we hadn't seen them in a few weeks, but the mom called and asked us to come over last week. Sage has a son who has really struggled with making some bad decisions in the past few years, but recently out of nowhere he's been thinking about the possibility of going on a mission, but he's just not sure how to get himself out of the place he's in. I've been studying personal revelation for 10 minutes each morning as part of my personal study (a suggestion from Pres Bonham) since one of the things I'd like to improve on is recognizing promptings from the spirit and acting on them. When we were planning for the lesson I suddenly had the thought that we needed to read Alma 36 with them- the thought was so quiet that at first I wasn't sure, but it came out of nowhere and as I turned to Alma 36 the feeling became more powerful. Throughout the day I was a little bit afraid, worrying if the thought really had been a prompting from the spirit or if it was just my own thoughts, and I didn't want Sister Turley to be upset with me if it didn't end up being what they needed. When we got to the lesson and began talking with them it was absolutely incredible how apparent it was that Alma 36 really was what they needed to hear. We read it and testified about change through Jesus Christ, and Esteban started to cry. I felt really bad for him, because his family started to ridicule him for it, but we told him that it was the spirit he was feeling. We invited him to say a prayer at the end of the lesson, and his prayer was so sincere. Esteban is very humble and I think that he would make a great missionary. We actually just started teaching Sage's brother Jeremy who is not a member, and we have another lesson with him tonight, so hopefully he is interested.

On Saturday we had another lesson with Bennett and Verna. Throughout my mission so far I've had moments where I felt guided by the spirit, but never an entire lesson, and this was the first time that I can really say that the entire lesson was guided by the spirit! I'm not sure what came over me, but somehow I was able to not worry about what I was going to say or whether or not what I was saying was coming out right, but when it was my turn to speak I just talked, and as I did scriptures and thoughts just popped into my head instantly. It was amazing! We finally finished the Plan of Salvation lesson, and we also talked a lot more about baptism in this lesson. At the end I invited them to be baptized, and they both said that that's something they would like, but they need to study and pray more. It just felt natural to ask them to be baptized, and I think it's because I just have such a big love in my heart for those two wonderful people. Bennett surprised us by telling us that he finished 1 Nephi this week and he has also been praying (last week he told us that he was hesitant to actually read the Book of Mormon because he was afraid that reading it would "convince him" and he wants to know its true before he reads so he knows he's not being persuaded... haha) Bennett also told us that since we have been coming, people from his past dreams have been appearing in dreams again and "telling me interesting things and answering questions" He told us he doesn't want to tell us about it quite yet, but soon... I am so curious! I think that his brother Bobby is working pretty hard from the other side. Way to go, Bobby! Verna also said something interesting. She said: "I think the Lord knows that he's already got me, he just hasn't told me yet..." Hmm. I hope that that means what I think it means. :) Sadly, yet again Bennett and Verna didn't come to church yesterday even though it sounded like they were going to. Next week I'm kidnapping them and dragging them to church in their pajamas if I have to. :)

We also finally had a second lesson with Shannon this week. The spirit was very strong there as well, and after telling him about the restoration, we invited him to be baptized, and he said that it's something he definitely wants to think about. Shannon has been making a lot of amazing changes in his life, and you can tell that he has been prepared recently to hear the gospel. Since half of our investigators seem to be African American, we've decided that we look forward to having a "blacktism" in the coming weeks. (Don't worry, there was a black elder serving here a few transfers ago who coined the term, so therefore I'm not being racist... :) haha)

I feel like I'm working as hard as I can right now, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed by just how much more improvement I have to go to be a good missionary. One of the biggest fears I have is that by the time my mission is over I will just barely have learned how to be a good missionary, and by that time I'll be going home.

We had a lesson with River this week that will go down in the history books as the worst member present lesson imaginable. Oops. We won't go into that haha. All can be made right through the atonement of Jesus Christ, right? We invited 11 people to be baptized this week! So that was cool. We decorated a cake for the ward linger longer. We're teaching a wicken woman. We always seem to have investigators, but none of them actually want to progress. In the words of our wise district leader, "Plead, Promise, Persist, then after that accept that people have their agency." Also, I have to remind myself frequently that you succeed when you invite.

This week is the week we are going to have someone on date for baptism, I can feel it!!!

I think about you guys all the time, and keep you in my prayers.

I love you!

Love, Sister Slade

First 6 Weeks...In the bag!

We have had such a blessed week!!! We taught double the number of member-present lessons we have in the past, and we have five new investigators this week! Hooray!!! Of course there's still the issue about getting any of them to progress... but that's a struggle anywhere. This is the week that the chapel is going to be filled, though, I can feel it.

Oh, and I've determined that basically this mission can be summed up by Nacho Libre:

"Why have you not yet been baptized!?"

"I only believe in science..."

(sorry dad, I know that you think those movies are dumb and cheesy... probably because they are. :))

But there are still people out there! In fact, I think I'll tell you a little bit about these investigators we found this week. Are you ready for this? Number 1 is.... SANDRA!!!

Remember her? We've been trying to get back in with Sandra for a month now, and this week we finally caught her at home! We set up a time to meet with her, and when we got there the first thing she said to us was that she had officially decided that she wanted to discontinue the missionary lessons. We sat down to talk with her though, and both Sister Turley and I felt very strongly not to let this one go. Sandra absolutely knows that it's all true, she's just getting in her own way of being baptized and I think she knows that too. Our discussion with Sandra was absolutely without a doubt directed by the spirit. We talked a lot about Joseph Smith, and how if we know that he is a prophet of God then by extension everything else is true too. We discussed faith a lot, and how there are always going to be questions, but everyone is eventually backed up to the wall of faith and there they must make their stand. We told Sandra that we loved her too much and Heavenly Father loved her too much to let her fall through the cracks. Finally, Sandra said, "Alright. Tell you what. Why don't you come back next Thursday ad teach me the next lesson." We accepted that invitation... :)

It drives me crazy how faith always seems to be such a huge issue with people. I think there are times in life that all of us struggle with faith, though. Some struggle more than others, and that's why sometimes just acting and doing those hard things is so important. Bennett and Verna had quite a few questions in our lesson this week, and it looks like faith is definitely going to be an obstacle we will have to get past. Oh, and also the fact that Bennett talks a million miles a minute and it's hard to get a fluid lesson in... Bennett's questions are amazing though! He told us that the things we are telling him are new to him, and he feels that they are much better explanations than anyone else can offer though. He says he agrees with many of them, he's just trying to figure out how they fit into his life and the big picture (Next week is Plan of Salvation lesson time... looking forward to that :)). Bennett and Verna are reading the Book of Mormon though!

We had a lesson in spanish this week, that was really cool. Karina is a former in our area book who took the discussions very extensively and was even on date at one point. She speaks English, but she feels a little bit like a fish out of water with it though, and is much more comfortable understanding things in spanish, so she requested spanish missionaries. The spanish missionaries in our mission don't come as far as Whidbey Island, so we got permission to take spanish speakers from our ward to teach her. I didn't understand half of what Sister Cruz and Brother Penaloza were saying, but the spirit was so strong when Brother Penaloza began teaching her about the restoration! She says she wants to try attending the spanish branch that is about an hour away, and continue learning more!

Oh and then there's River! A few days ago we were tracting, and there were three people sitting outside their apartment building together. We went to go talk to them. We talked for a while, and they told us partway through the conversation that they had actually been planning to be rude to us. When they saw us they started talking about mean things they could say if we went to go talk to them, but when we actually came they saw that we were really open and friendly and honest. One of the women got emotional when we shared some scriptures from the Book of Mormon with her and she said she just couldn't do it- she couldn't say anything rude to us. River was one of the people there. He's 24, so he should technically be turned over to the YSA elders, but he's living with a girl who he's been dating for 5 years, so we talked to the elders and they said that we should teach him. River is one of the most outgoing, positive people I have ever met! We went back to teach him a lesson a few days ago, and I can't count how many times he said, "Is it a beautiful day, or what!?" He has mild cerebral palsy so he walks a little bit differently, and he has really long hair that he wears back in a pony tail. He's one of those people that you just have to meet to understand what a great person he is! River asked all the right questions during our lesson, and at one point he started explaining how "sometimes when I'm in church singing and stuff I suddenly get this happy energy inside of me and it's like I just want to shout for joy or something." After we shared the restoration with River, he got a little bit emotional and told us how, "I've actually been praying recently to know if there's a specific church I should be going to, and just for more understanding, and I think you guys might be the answer to my prayers." Golden.

I'm running out of time and I know this is super long, but I do want to really quickly tell you about one last person- Everett S. We've actually been teaching Everett ever since I came here, but we had our last lesson with him this week and I can't believe I haven't told you about him! Everett was baptized when he was about 19, and he was super strong in the church for a few years, but then he began drinking and he has been inactive for the last 40 years. It took him up until 12 years ago to give up alcohol, but then after that he still didn't come back because he felt so much shame and guilt. He has read his scriptures every single day for the past 40 years, without fail. He says he never once doubted the church was true in that whole time- the church didn't turn away from him, but he turned away from church. 2 months ago he finally got the courage to come to church. He talked to the bishop, and requested to be taught the lessons again. We've been teaching, him, and let me tell you, I have such a big love in my heart for Everett S! He is such a tender-hearted man. For our last lesson we talked about enduring to the end, and Sister Turley had the idea of having a mini testimony meeting afterwards. It was probably one of the most special experiences I've had on my mission so far.

As always, I feel like I have about a million more things to tell you. There are so many people that you still don't even know about! And a million funny moments too. Sister Turley decided that rather than a "People of Wal Mart" website, we should make a "People of Oak Harbor" website. Some people just crack me up. People are the best. I love it.

But anyways. Those will have to wait until some other time.

Love you lots!

Love, Sister Slade

4th of July

 4th of July companionship party - complete with red, white and blue pancakes!

 Sister Turley, Sister Slade and Kelly H.

 Sister Turley with the Elders on P-Day by our driftwood fort.

District P-Day and our driftwood fort.