S7 E3: Families ARE Forever

 (Elder Cummings)

I'm gonna spend my entire email talking about one day, but it was by far the best day:

So Saturday morning Elder Richards and I are doubling up and doing exchanges with the Elders in Natchitoches(Nack-uh-dish). Elder Richards is with Elder Jeppesen(Son of Jep) and I'm with Elder Hutchings(Ol' Hutch). The reason we both came up to be with them in the same area is because that afternoon they were having 3 of their friends being baptized. All 3 of which Elder Richards and I had met and taught a little on previous exchanges. So anyway, I'm kind of rambling, but we knew these people that were being baptized on Saturday. We get it all set up and we learn that there is an Area Seventy coming and he will join the service...wow. That got the bishop real real nervous lol.

So there were so many different things that made the service so amazing. First of which were the 3 people being baptized. Brother and Sister Covher are a young couple with 2 kids. They were introduced to the gospel by a friend in the ward. I had the pleasure of interviewing Brother Covher and turns out that he has had dreams of this day and has no doubt of the choice he has now made. Also turns out he grew up in Mohamet, IL where I lived for a couple years. Kind of in the middle of nowhere. Anyway. Brother and Sister Covher, now baptized are actively preparing to enter the temple and be sealed as an eternal family with their two(and possibly more!) kids next year.

Casey was the other legend that got baptized. He was a marine, and is just this massive man, but so soft spoken. I didn't get to know him as well but his whole family were members except for him. His son was able to baptize him a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They two are now actively preparing to be sealed as a family for all time and eternity.

There was not a dry eye in the room. So many people came we had to do it in the chapel too. In the words of Brother Westergard, "the Spirit was so strong you could cut it with a knife". At the end of the service we sang "Families Can Be Together Forever" and we all cried tears of joy. It was 100%, without a doubt, the best and most powerful baptismal service I've ever got to attend. And don't just take my word for it. Take the word of Area Seventy Elder Millington who said the same exact thing ;)

I now know and trust that families are eternal. There is no joyful answer to life than to know that we can live with our loved ones, as our loved ones, after we die. God desires our happiness, and families are how He gets it done.

Elder Cummings

Pics:

1. The Elderen selfie

2. I sweat like 5 seperate times through my shirt the other day and it like just degraded my belt and it stained my white shirt. Very nice.

3. Selfie with Elder King on another exchange. We got to support someone we are teaching as he performed in Aristocats Kids! It was no joke insanely impressive

Training

 (Sister Putnam)

Hello, everyone!!!

So, it's been a crazy week!

We finally managed to get a lesson with Ruby.  We have gotten to know her and her family better, so hopefully we'll be able to help her progress!

We received the news that Sister Israelsen is being transferred, and that I'll be training a new missionary who comes in tomorrow. That's a little nerve wracking, but it will all be okay.

Also, we are moving apartments. The elders in Everson are moving into our apartment, meaning we get yeeted to actually live in Lynden, instead of having to drive 12 miles every day just to arrive in our area.  Meaning we'll actually not have to be so stingy with how often we drive!

So, yeah this week will consist of packing up and moving out and preparing for changes!

Also, the pictures! There's a sunset, and a message I've left for the elders to find when they move in lol.

Sister Alyssa Putnam

One of the craziest experiences of my mission

 (Elder Slade)

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

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

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

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

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

Pictures:

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

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

5. All the police cars lined up

S7 E2: Miracle Time at Logan's Roadhouse

 (Elder Cummings)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elder Cummings

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

2. Carrillos. Amazing family

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

4. Joe Udy himself

5. Sleeping arrangements in Monroe for another meeting

Sleepover???

 (Sister Putnam)

Hey, everyone!

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

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

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

Okay, love you all!

Sister Alyssa Putnam

Elder Jaggi and fun debates

 (Elder Slade)

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

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

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

I love you all! Make it a great week!

Pictures:

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

2. Elder Barron and I reuniting at the mission tour

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

Radiator Springs

 (Sister Putnam)

Hey, everyone!!

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

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

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

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

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

Okay, love you all!!

Sister Alyssa Putnam