The Epic Week of Church :)‏

Such a good week!!!! So many things happened this week. I can't even.. :) So starting with Monday.. We were going to go over to our ward mission leaders house to watch the prophet of the restoration with an investigator that is close with them. So after going all around town to get the movie from people we ended up watching the testament instead. Which seemed great... :) haha most awkward thing Eva!!! It kinda turned into a "Friday night movie" deal even though it was FHE so there were people cuddling and being cute and icky then there was just me and Sis Giles in the corner being the awkward sister missionaries. I have never felt sooooo much awkward in the air. Then when we got home the other sisters car was already there and their dome light was still on but there was no lights on in our apartment. We were like uhhhh what the? And we unlocked the door and no one was there and then BAM they scared the crap out of us. I almost peed myself. It was so scary. We thought they had been taken or something and one of them was like that wouldn't happen and all I said was "Saratov Approach" and she was like ....... Yeah.. Now I'm freaked out! Hahaha it was so funny though :)

The next day we studied and then I went on my first exchange with the sister training leaders! Super fun! The sister I went with was awesome. I spent the night in their apartment and we were in the YSA ward. Super fun! We were on campus so we got to walk around and talk to some cool people that are my age :) we had some super cool lessons too! We taught this girl that was super close to baptism and then she dropped the sisters hardcore because she had doubts from false stuff she has read. Then a friend in the ward resolved her concerns and she started meeting with the sisters again. We were going to teach the restoration but instead she had questions about the plan of salvation and we talked about that. She was soooo cool! She had lots of perfect questions and it was amazing. When we first got there she was like oh I was just listening to conference talks! What? She's an investigator ahh and she was talking about " when" she gets baptized and what "we" believe and she aid she wants to be married in the temple. She was amazing! Then we had dinner with an awesome sister that went to USU and she was the coolest person ever :) and made excellent cookies. Haha :) then we met with a recent convert that told us about a talk she heard at a devotional and it was about what will happen when we get to the other side and people will ask which prophet was on the earth when we were there. Some will say they lived in the time of Abraham and such. Then some will say Brigham Young and everyone will be amazed at the strength of those saints. Then we will say Thomas S. Monson and everyone will go quiet and be astonished because of the strength that we have in the last days. It gave me chills when she was talking about it :) super cool.

Then next morning we studied together then did some service at the YMCA then met back up with our companions and then I went to a lesson with the as me girl that watched the movie with us. She is so great. She is still having a hard time with her family though. But we had set out to do the restoration with her, and I had no idea what our real plan was, but then my companions pulls out the plan of salvation cards and we taught that and it was a powerful lesson. She said she really needed to hear that message of hope because she was having a rough time, and we told her that was not even our plan but the spirit prompted it and she was amazed. She got emotional and told us thank you. It was so cool!!! These miracles just don't quit. :) after that we had a lesson with Donna the one we found my first day. We got to the door and she says "I only have 15 minutes but come in!" She was having a bunko party :) haha then we ended up talking until her friends got there but before we had left her with a plan of salvation pamphlet and she read it and it was sitting on top of her BOM facing us again. And then she asked if that copy was hers and we were like YESSSSS and then she told us how comfortable she feels when she is with us and how she told her friends about us :) like what?! You aren't even embarrassed about us? Haha and her friends asked them why she even let us in and she totally stood up for us and said because she likes us :) haha then she said she would like to learn mor about the 3 kingdoms thing next time :) haha we didn't even have to set up an appointment. She is awesome! :) then we went to mutual. Haha these girls crack me up! They kept asking for our first names and I finally got to use the line "sister" haha just like the elders did to me when I was younger.

The next day we went to do service and the bishops house with his wife. She is awesome. Her garden was just going nuts so she couldn't keep up. So we picked tomatoes and then sliced pears for them to dry. Totally reminded me of when I was a kid helping Mary Ellen with all those kinds of things. So I still got to help in a garden after all! Be sure to tell Rex that. :)  Then we were planning for this week and got interrupted with a call saying we would be moving to another apartment. Haha in the middles of the transfer :) then we taught a sweet lesson on King Benjamin's sermon and committed the sister to come to church :) the next day we had new missionary training and district meeting. It was great! Our mission theme is being fishers of men so we talked about what that means and went fishing! We used a real pole and everything to fish for bags of candy. Haha super fun! Then we went home and packed up our stuff and moved! Haha so we are now living in a little   (so I typed the first part of this on my ipad and then a heck of a time trying to get it from there to the library computer for some weird reason) technology seriously hates me. anyway. we are living in this little apartment above a members home. Still outside our area... but President didn't want all 4 of us together anymore. :(  We were the only missionaries in the whole mission that had 4 in an apartment. haha but it sounds like it's a temporary move so I haven't unpacked like any of my stuff... haha :) tis the life of a missionary I guess. The family we are living with are the Cottles. The mom reminds me sooooooooooooooooo much of Lisa Porter :) it's so cool! I love her already. The apartment is soooo old school. I was going to take a picture of the shower cause it's kinda comical when it's not you showering in it. the shower heads points towards the curtain and it's very small. haha :) Sister Giles started cracking up just telling me about it because I'm practically a giant compared to her. hahaha. anyway, it's really fantastic :) After that we went to dinner and guess flipping what!? I had split pea soup and didn't gag once!! haha So much like baby food... so much. The member goes "A lot of younger people don't like it" Uhh so you make it for the elderly sister missionaries huh? :) Then we had a lesson with the little girls that have some crazy issues. one just literally kicked and screamed and swore at her mother the entire time. super sad. the oldest one is amazing though!! we sang I am a child of God with her and during the screaming she just kept singing it. I love her :) We are going to make her a CD of primary songs today :) then we had a lesson with a woman that I think I have mentioned before, but who knows? :) She is super knowledgeable, but she has been baptized in a couple of other churches and doesn't understand the need to get baptized again. We had a fabulous lesson with her about covenants and I was so impressed to tell her that if she comes to church and gets baptized she will have the strength to overcome her problems with anxiety. It was so cool! I couldn't believe what was coming out of my mouth haha :) She was in tears and she goes "Do I need to get baptized again?" Yes sister :) you do! She said she would think about church and such and call us the next day. So she did :) The next day we helped out at a funeral. Interesting.. but after that she called us!! She said I thought a lot about what you girls have been doing and the only thing you have been doing is inviting me to choose to be a part of something. so I will come to church!! :) That night we had a couple of lessons. One of which the topic of Guy on a Buffalo and Llamas with hats came up bahahahahaha My companion had no idea what we were talking about. It was hilarious :) haha that night we had halibut for dinner..... :/ meh. I had to keep telling myself it was chicken because the texture was icky. and the member would not stop talking.... haha :) she talked for an hour straight about genealogy and we were like well we have to go now..... and she kept talking. We finally had to just be straight up and say we really have to go. and she still followed us out the door talking. ahhhh Oregonians. :) 

Yesterday was fantastic! the 2 older ladies came to church!!!!!!!  We were so excited!! :) The Lady we taught this week stayed all 3 hours despite her anxiety and she was a rockstar. Our Ward Mission Leader teaches Gospel Principles and he is so good. I'll write you a letter about the lesson because it impacted me a ton!! :) It was so fantastic. And after church she said she LOVED it! she said she has always felt like a feather floating around and she felt like she belonged here. and she asked what her next step is :) Is this for real?! Like these things really do happen! We are planning on committing her to be baptized next month. She is seriously the most prepared person ever!! :) We had a few lessons and I got to show some members the Come unto Christ music video. My favorite! :) then we had dinner at the coolest members house :) I love that family. Then we went to finally watch the Prophet of the Restoration and it was a lot less awkward this time. I love that movie!! :) and now you are all up to date on my life I think! :) 

Can you even wait for General Conference?!?! I'm so excited!! :) 

We should still be having a couple of baptisms next week! :) super excited and I'll keep you posted on Marvina! Can you handle the suspense?! I can't!! :) 

I just love this. It's so great to be a missionary. I couldn't imagine not meeting these people. They are truly wonderful :) 

OH! We had a butt ton of member present lessons this week too :) It's a big deal. 

Okay :) well, I think that is it. So have a wonderful week! :) I love you all bunches!! :) 

Love, 

Sister Stucki

Week in the life of a Sister Missionary

Hey hey hey! How are you all?! This week went by so fast! It's great to be on missionary time :) \

so I'm just gonna give you run down of my week.. I brought my journal so I could remember things :)

So Monday night we had a Labor Day BBQ and it was great!!! A lot of people came and had fun and it was a great missionary opportunity. Pretty much people that were in the park just wanted to come join cause we were just having so much fun. We talked to some cool people. and we invited this mom that has 3 daughters and a son that are all little the oldest is like 11 i think? Not sure. But they are some rough people. I love them though. but anyway, Sister Giles has just been kinda like a friend for the last couple of months to them and they came to it and so we sat and talked to them and promised that the Gospel would help with behavioral problems and such and they agreed to actually meet with us :) so we were able to do that and we sang I am a Child of God with the girls and they loved it! We also taught them how to pray and let me tell you, that is my favorite part of being a missionary already. Teaching someone how to talk to their Father in Heaven is so priceless!! 

Tuesday.. I wish I remembered everything cause I don't even have that much time to write in my journal.. but pretty much we went tracting.. This is where my pride kicks in. I'm not a fan of it still. I'd rather just walk up to people on the street any day than knock on their door and talk to them. Anyway. My companion had me pick the street again and wanted to role play what I would say. I get so frustrated about it.. anyway. whatever. We got chewed out my a Catholic woman that was talking about deep doctrine and not understanding and it was kinda funny then we saw some people on the street and went to talk to them and they were not interested, then we saw another family so we walked a little farther and skipped some houses and they weren't interested then we went to another house and had a fantastic conversation about families and the world. and she asked if she could keep the Family Proc. we were like YESSSS!!! haha :) and then I shared Alma 36:3 and she loved it, so she said that she would read the rest of the chapter and we could come back and talk about it with her. :) It was great. Miracle of the story is that if we had not skipped over those other houses to talk to the people on the street then we would never have gotten that far to talk to her. Coolness! :) 

On Wednesday we started off the day doing service! It was super great! Like really :) I miss being outside and working at home... haha who would have ever thought that? ;) maybe it's just that I get to wear pants... :) haha but like 16 missionaries went to this ladys house and we took all the blackberries out of her yard. Blackberries grow wild here and they are super thorny. so that part was fun. but it went so well. We had fun doing it and we were able to accomplish a lot. She isn't a member, but she was so grateful and she said "you are all truly living your religion" Best compliment ever!! It was so stinking nice. You never know how you can touch someone's heart :) it was so crazy. One elder was using a machete and yeah... it was an interesting day!! :) Then we went to help with some humanitarian quilts for a bit and that was fun :) I love the little old ladies in this ward. They are the cutest.  You know that lady I told you about last week that was watering her flowers right when we were going to our car? Well we had our first appointment with her and for the first 30 minutes we were sure that she was going to drop us. She had the BoM facing us and everything. But then as she told us about herself we were able to get to know her and her issues and then we gave her personal stories and she really opened up to us :) It was so cool. Her concern is really about the evil even in her family and she is just trying to be a good person. So we gave  her a Plan of Salvation pamphlet and the a mormon.org card and she thought it was super cool that there is personal testimonies from around the world. So she is still a miracle :) hopefully she keeps going that way :) Then we got to go to mutual and paint our nails and it was super fun :) 

Thursday was a great day! we did some more service for someone needing help cleaning. haha there is a lot of help needed for cleaning in this area... :) then we had a couple of teaching appointments that went very well. and one of them was a hand off kinda deal. This girl that is best friends with the son of the Ward Mission Leader in our ward was being taught over skype by the son and his companion for a little while so we are now actually teaching her :) She is very intelligent and the only thing that would ever hold her back is her family who do not approve of Mormons very much. Please pray for her:)  

 Friday was even better!!! :) we had training meetings for new missionaries (I'm already sick of being a "new missionary..") haha and then a zone training meeting. They were both really great! then we went out to lunch to this BBQ place. holy cow. it was so good. I can't even describe how great it was. haha :) then!!!! We had an appointment with the mother and son that are golden. :) We talked about the principles of the Gospel and when we got to the part in the scripture that talked about baptism the mom got kinda quiet and thoughtful and the 12 year old son was like are you gonna get baptized mom?! haha :)  we didn't even have to be the ones to ask! We shared another scripture about following the Savior and being baptized so I invited them and they both said yes!!! :) it was fantastic! They are on date for the 27th :) it was way good. 

 Saturday was kinda blah. haha we had a rough day. Sister Giles gets really bad headaches so we had to take it kinda slow. She took a nap and I cleaned the kitchen (the ants here are horrific so I'm OCD) but yeah. just kinda blah. 

Sunday was great!!! during testimony meeting this man (totally looks like a mtn man) got up and said how grateful he is for the Elders who have been working with him to stop smoking and how they never once have judged him. He started out smoking 3 packs a day!!! now he is down to less than 1 :) he got so emotional and was just so happy and he said "This is just the greatest thing ever" about getting to talk about it :) he was awesome!!! I wish I could explain it better. I got to thank him afterward for what he shared and it was just cool :) Our night kinda fell apart on us. People cancelled. blah. But we had dinner at a less actives house and it was really great! :) they used to live in Rigby so that was a good little connection. They were asking me about some Stuckis there.. I'm pretty sure they must be Karl and Renae's. anyway we watched the mormon message dare to stand alone and they loved it. :) Hopefully they come back soon. 

Now we're to today. :) I love it here. It's really great!!! The people are so cool and inspiring. A lot of people here are converts and it amazes me the things they have had to go through and the ways that the Gospel touched them. It's so cool :) I love you all. I pray for you a lot :) Keep being awesome. :)

Love, 

Sister Stucki  

FINALLY IN OREGON!!!! :)

Ah life is so crazy! So starting off from talking to you at the
airport I'll just give you a run down of life now.
Got on the plane. Only freaked out a little bit.. It was a super small
plane. So we were shoved in. Haha I was sitting by a huge Elder that
fell asleep before we even took off. So that was fun. But the ride was
good. My ears didn't hurt too much, and they actually popped pretty
fast. So that was really good. The Eugene airport was tiny! Haha and
everyone just stared at us while we walked in this army of 16 Mormon
missionaries. It was great :) President and Sister Russell were
planning on picking us up but they had some other things to do, so
that was different. But a senior couple did and they are the sweetest
people you'll ever meet! Then we went to the mission home and got
settled in kinda and we had a group meeting just to go over some
things and how the schedule would go, and then we had lunch. It was
the best meal! Haha it was a sandwich. The MTC food was good and all,
but..... It was so processed and yeah... Then we had a group thing for
a while. The same guy that picked us up at the airport stood in for
President and did interviews with each of us and we got the low down
on Oregon and we went over driving rules and who to contact in certain
situations and all that jazz. Then we had dinner and it was soooooo
good! Those senior couples are the bomb. They were working so hard and
it was great! President and Sister Russell got there in time for
dinner and talked to us and they are AMAZING!!!!!!!! They are my kind
of people and super inspiring it 's such a blessing. :) then each of
us went to a lesson or something of that sort with a companionship in
the area and it was so cool. I went to a recent convert lesson and it
was so great! I really don't know how to describe these things, but
they are super amazing. After that we went back to the mission home, I
was the first one back so I got to talk to Sister Russell and she is
the best story teller I have ever met. We got to know each other and
she totally reminds me of you mom which is a good thing :) and then
the other missionaries came and we had a little devotional type thing
and we all talked about the things that happened. Some had to knock
doors, some had a mock lesson, some went got baptismal dates set. It
was a good night! We went to bed. And then we got up and had breakfast
and waited to meet our new companions. We went to the church and a
bunch of the missionaries that are in this area sang and such and then
we got assigned. My trainers name is Sister Giles. She is great! 

but we went to our area which is the Springfield 2nd ward. It's just

outside of Eugene and it's an interesting place..... :) but the people

are also really amazing. The first day we went tracting which I'm still

trying not to have a problem with :) but I prayed and decided on a place

on a map and we went to the area and my companion was thinking oh no....
That's not going to be a good place. So we knocked on the door I was
thinking about and no one was there which was discouraging. And then
we saw some people walking to their car and we invited them to the
Labor Day BBQ and later we found out that they were a no contact. But
they were super nice and hopefully they will come tonight. Then we
knocked two more doors.. Haha the first was a lady that was a Jehovah
Witness. She politelyish declined us. The next was a lady that was
some sort of minister.. It was so funny to me. W asked her her name
and she said it and then swiftly volunteered the information of her
being a minister. Hahaha then we asked her if she knew anyone that
could use an uplifting message and she got irritated and said yeah!
There is a whole hospital full of people down the road! Hahahaha it
was funny. But whatever. Then we were going back to our car and found
this amazing woman! :) ah I'm just smiling thinking about it :) we
started talking to her and she talked about how she prays every day
and how there is so much evil in the world and she started to get
emotional and the Spirit was so strong. We shared ether 12 with her
and she said she would read it and we could come back and talk to her
about it. She was like oh can I just photocopy it before you leave,
and we're like oh no :) this is yours. It was great. All of that was
in a matter of 15 minutes. What? Miracle!!!!!! Then we did ward splits
and that was great.  We talked to a lot of people that aren't active
and I think it would be fun to do in the ward at home. It was super
chill and it was a good way to invite people to the BBQ. Then we have
just been studying and training and talking to a lot of people. It's awesome.
We live with two other sisters which is fun! and it's just all great!
Idk what else to tell you :) but that's pretty much the gist of things
:)
 

 
Okay I love you all a lot. Mail wanted. :)
Have a good week!
Love,
Sister Stucki