I Wanted to Come on a Mission to Share This Happiness - 10/6/14

Good morning!! Mom and Dad, all the pictures look so pretty, sounds like you are having so much fun!! I love y'all!!

So this week was transfers, we only have one new Elder in our district, he is our new district leader Elder J he seems nice and went to Olympus! So not too many changes here in cove, we have been having some crazy weather though, it will be 100 one day and humid and then the next it will be like 75 and not humid, my allergies are going crazy haha!!

One of our investigators came to the stake center on sunday and watched both sessions of general conference with us, that was great! He has a baptism date coming up here soon! On Saturday our stake had a 5k run in the morning before conference, so we went to that but Sister T does NOT like to run haha so we just walked the whole thing, but it was pretty fun! And then we watched the sessions in Killeen at the stake center and in between this sweet old lady took all the missionaries, like 27 of us to eat at Golden Coral and then we watched the afternoon session! I loved how Pres. Packer talked about prayer for a little and how powerful it really is, I mean Joseph Smiths prayer made a HUGE difference, I guess I never looked at it that way and wow just one prayer can make a big difference so never forget to pray!!! I also loved the talks about the sacrament and how we can make it more meaningful by remembering the Savior always not just during sacrament meeting. I especially loved how Sis Esplin said that as the deacons extend their arm to us to partake of the sacrament it is is literally Jesus Christ extending His arm of mercy to us!! I looooooved that!!

When they talked about parents and how important their role is, I was just thinking how great you mama and papa are!! I remember always walking into your room and dad would be kneeling and praying and how in church I would always look over at mom and could see the tears in her eyes as she felt the spirit. I'm so grateful for your example for having family prayers and scripture study and fhe even though I wasn't always the most willing. I love how it talked about how amazing it is that we have a living prophet today, it is so so awesome!!! I loved his talk so much, that is my fave right now:) Decisions determine destiny. I love that. Now I just can't wait to reread them all!!! I hope you all enjoyed the talks!!! It was cool how Elder Bednar talked to the non members and Fred was so listening and that's why he decided on a date to be baptized!!!

This week we have a lot of meetings and will be super busy but it is going to be so awesome I'm excited, I love being here. I love how Elder Bednar said the reason we are so eager to share is because we know the truths of this gospel, that is the reason I wanted to come on a mission because I wanted to share this happiness, and now my desire has grown even more as I have learned more about the gospel and have shared it with others. I love you all so much and always think of you in my prayers.

Sista Wells

We Can't Procrastinate

Hiiiiiii!!

I love you! Thanks for the emails! I love hearing about everything that is going on! You are fantastic!! This last week went well, and yes transfers are on Wednesday, goodness they always make me so sad!!! Our district leader who has been here the whole time I've been here is leaving :( But I always end up loving all the new missionaries that I meet! I just don't like saying bye hahah!! All of them always teach me so much!

So yesterday we had a few investigators at church which is always exciting and they said they loved it!! We are really trying to get members at all of our lessons with investigators and the other day I called/texted 13 different members to come to a lesson before finally one would come! Crazy, but it really is so much better when a non missionary is there, its like we aren't as good or something haha!

I absolutely LOVED the womens broadcast wow! They talked about temples so much which was so cool I just wanna go to the temple again! It's so cool that just like all the temples are different on the outside, on the inside they all contain the same eternal truths and we are temples, all different on the outside but we all hold the fulness of the gospel inside!! And how every time a temple is built we bring more light into the world and take away the darkness and every time we go to the temple the same thing!! And I just loved how Pres. Uchtdorf was talking about how God is raining down blessings but our umbrellas of doubt are what are keeping us from receiving them!! And I love how he said to live the gospel JOYFUL!!  It just got me so excited for this weekend!

Right now I am reading 3 Nephi in the Book of Mormon and one cool thing I found while I was studying is that disciple in latin is "a learner" I really like that, as we are all disciples of Jesus Christ, we are all learners learning about him :) Also I learned like how a lighthouse is so important for ships and boats to know where to go in the darkness, and we are to be like a lighthouse and to let our light so shine, so that we can help others who are in the darkness to find their way through! (I see why you like them so much momma)  And in ch. 22 it talks about the gathering of Israel which is so real right now! I was so excited Syd said she told the new girl who moved about the church!! That is so awesome! I hope y'all are sharing the gospel too :)

Ok and then we studied Alma 34 with one of our investigators and I love that chapter of course but I was thinking about how near the end it is talking about how we need to work out our own salvation, we need to repent now, we need to change now, we can't procrastinate! I hope our investigator gets the point :) Anywho I am just loving the Book of Mormon it is so so great! I wish I would've searched and studied and pondered it before, I feel like I just used to read which is good, but this is WAY better!!

So for your entertainment I have a few stories about Sister T, we were in a lesson with two recent converts and we are talking about Jesus Christ's earthly ministry and atonement and she is talking about why Christ came into the world and she says, "He came to condemn the world," I'm like uhhhhhh and then she catches it and says I mean to save the world ahahahhaha!! And then one day we were getting our bikes getting ready to walk out the door I say, "Sister where are your shoes? we are not in Samoa!" she totally forgot to put on shoes! I was dying!! Oh and the Fanos  they made us pani popo! That stuff is so good, it's like these rolls with coconut cream stuff on them wow so yum!!

I love you so much!!!!

Sister Wells

I Am Trying To Be Exact In Obedience -- Letter

Well family, thank you so much for the birthday packages.  I enjoyed them very much! I've been sharing my treats with Sister T and I love my new shirt and sweater! I've worn the shirt 2x already haha!  Also, I LOLed at Zach's Frootie of the day!  Man those were some good times!  I also love the new bag it is so big and stiff so super nice!  I loved the sticky notes and just everything I can't say it all but I really appreciated all of it, really!  It was so weird not being home for my bday. ha  It just didn't feel like it really was it haha.  I'm so old!  Everyone here seriously spoiled me they are so sweet!  I love reading your emails and seeing  the pictures!

So A who is awesome is leaving for deployment the 3rd which is quite heart breaking because he is soooo ready to be baptized and now he's leaving for so long :(  We were teaching the word of wisdom last week and I say so Adam will you live the W.O.W.?   He says, "yeah, I'll try, it will be hard."  I ask, what would be holding you back?  We are all cringing waiting to hear . . . . "Well, I need to start eating healthier and not have so many energy drinks." ahhh sigh of relief, haha.  We all thought it was gonna be something bad, haha.  He is so smart and comes up with these amazing analogies we are so bummed he's leaving, he's like perfect!  But in President's email last week he said that as we strive to be exactly obedient we will obtain the miracles we are seeking for.  I believe that is so true so I am trying to be EXACT in obedience.  I love being here, I love hearing from y'all and I love being a missionary!  Everyone should go on a mission for reals!  This is where us and others can find real and lasting happiness!  Thanks again.

Love,
Sister Wells

I Feel So Loved!

Sounds like everyone had stress this week I hope its all good now! Zach looks so old in those pics! And his hair is so long! She is so beautiful though and Skylar looks adorable too:) Dad, that is cool you've been reading about family history stuff a lot and I love what Elder Bednar says about it too how we will be protected from things of the world, it's so awesome! We always share that with people when we talk about fam history! Also I'm so glad you did one of the names I sent home mom!! That is so awesome! I can't wait until I can go to the temple again!!

So this week was great! Thanks for all the birthday wishes and packages! I seriously feel so loved:) Monday was fun, our whole zone had a lunch potluck thing at the church and Sister Nielson made this HUGE cake for my birthday and everyone sang and then I made Sis T and Elder K have a cake eating contest haha it was so fun, and then we played like a million games of speed or lightning (whatever you call that game) and I won like 4x booya!! All the Elders think I'm like dumb and can't do stuff or something because my hair is blond and I get really excited about stuff (but why wouldn't I? the gospel is so awesome!!) anywho they were so surprised that I won hahah!! I was lucky!

Sister Nielson made the yummiest cake!

Then on Tuesday for my birthday Sister T made me breakfast and then the Nielson's surprised me and took us to this way yummy place for lunch and they brought flowers and a poster and a new blanket, such sweetie pies!! And then we went to D and B's for dinner and they had decorations up and everything they are THE sweetest! I'll have to send you all the pictures!! Everyone was so amazing, but it didn't really feel like it was my birthday because I wasn't home haha

This week we had the follow-up training meeting in Colleyville, we left at 6:30am and got home at like 7pm haha its a long day but the meeting was fabulous of course and I just love seeing President and Sister Ames they so rock!!! Also Bb is going to get the Aaronic priesthood which is super exciting he is on fire! It was kinda a bummer not many of our investigators came this Sunday but Fd did, and he was asking really great questions and this was his third Sunday of coming so we are looking forward to meeting with him this week! ohh and I have been playing the piano a lot too! I can play more hymns now, yayyy! Oh by the way there is a couple that moved into the ward with the last name Wells! And his first name is L! Crazy huh?! They are awesome they feel like our grandparents she makes yummy food too:)

We went to three sacrament meetings yesterday, wow what a long day, but it is great to have all that time to really think about how blessed I am. I know I make so many mistakes everyday and it is so amazing to know that I can overcome my weaknesses and just continue to progress each day. That is pretty great. I am so glad that I'm here, thank you for helping me get to this point!! I love this gospel, I know that it is true!!

Sista Wells

We Have To Be Christlike Ourselves

hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!

Thanks for the emails!! Man I just love y'all and Zachs pictures seriously killed me, Sister T and I were loling in the library!! I love hearing about all the soccer and fun stuff that you're up to, it sounds great!!! Happy Anniversary Mama and Papa!! 28 years?? I can't remember! But you must be old :) I'm so glad you guy got married so that we can have the best family in the world! So THANK YOU!!!

So this week was okey dokey!! I am reading Alma right now and I love it.  President challenged us to read the Book of Mormon by our Zone Conference which is in October! I am learning so much!! We are so lucky that we have the Book of Mormon, not many people do! At our zone council this week we were talking about what really is our objective for being on a mission and our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ of course, but how do we do that, we have to be Christlike ourselves so I decided to study the Christlike attributes in Preach My Gospel and this week I studied Humility and I loved it, if we just think everything that we have comes from God, so every talent we have was given to us from God, just EVERYTHING! I'm really trying to remember that all the time!

So on Saturday it was Bbs baptism!! It was so funny I'm talking to his wife and she is like Bb goes to sleep at three in the morning because he's always reading, he won't stop!! He's now reading the Doctrine and Covenants haha! I love that guy! I was asked to give the talk on baptism and I was thinking about when Christ was baptized and it says in Matthew that he walked to the river Jordan from Galilee to be baptized by John the baptist because he had the proper authority. That is about 60 miles that he walked! And we have that proper priesthood authority today how lucky?! I feel so blessed to have had that all my life!

Bb and the Fam Bam!

We found some new investigators and some new potentials that seem so solid this week! We had 2 investigators at YSA yesterday and one for CC2 family ward, but that is so good for YSA.  They also attended the CES devotional last night which is so awesome and should be at FHE tonight!! I'm way excited!! Bbs confirmation was so amazing too, and their whole family was in tears, I LOVE seeing the change in people from when I first met them and then to see them when they start living the gospel:)

I can't believe I'm not going to be a teenager anymore, I'm seriously soooooo old!!! Oh well! Love you!!

Sista Wells

Sunday Was Quite Fabulous

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA SMURF! Hope its the best day ever! Love you!!!

Hope y'all had a great week!! This week we had interviews with president!! It was like an all day thing, because we have studies there and then trainings from the zone leaders and the interviews take a long time because he talks to each of us for awhile, but I love it I just wish I could meet with him for an hour haha! He is so in tune with the spirit he knows exactly what to say! I am trying to be better at that so that I can be led to say what I need to for those we teach.

Oh and exciting news, Sister T got a bike at the end of last week! Yay I'm so excited to ride again:) We did for a little on Saturday to our appointments for just a few hours and haha on Sunday in YSA gospel principles the lesson was on missionary work and so Laura had us share some thoughts and stuff and Sis T killed me haha she was like, "sometimes it's hard and hot and we are out on our bikes waving to everyone who drives by, but its totally worth it." I started laughing because we have only done that one time!! Then everyone was laughing she is a blast though! She is teaching me some Samoan haha and there is a hawaiian grill in Cove so we have been there twice! Its gooooooooooood!! Then we went to this family in the 1st ward for dinner yesterday that are from Samoa and they made so much amazing food! They said the L&L in Provo is good! Y'all should go there! I think I really need to be polynesian so thats probably why Sister T is my companion:) Oh my, and the family made me eat so much haha!

But this Sunday was quite fabulous! At first we were kind of bummed because lots of our investigators didn't come to church, but our testimony meeting in the family ward was soooooooo good! Four recent converts bore there testimony, B, her sis D, Iz and C, the spirit was so strong, then a lady that we visit and this was her 2nd time coming to church in 10 years bore her testimony too!!!!!!!!!! Wow, so good. And Iz's dad had his baptismal interview and is so so so excited for his baptism! He is 72 its so cute!

This morning I was reading in Alma 31 and it is talking about the Zoramites who once a week would go up and give the same prayer thanking God that they were better than everyone else and I was reading and thinking how sometimes do we just say our prayers and read the scriptures and go to church for the three hours and not really think about it? Maybe just going with the flow, but we can't!! Then we will turn into the Zoramites!! So I hope all y'alls praying and reading as a family is going well too:)

I love you!! Thanks for all you do!!

Sista Wells

Added a few minutes later after asking her if Iz's dad was really 72: "Yep, well I guess it's her grandpa but they adopted her when she was 6 so yeah!!  I loved reading the whole letter! the Nielsons and the ysa branch went to the BYU game! they said it was fun and Pres told the Nielsons if it would have been in our mission he would let all the missionaries go!!  I got an all time low today -- only 12 emails. usually I'm always over 20, very sad. I think this means schools started and people are too busy haha

Most Exciting This Week -- Billie's Baptism!

Heyyyyyyyo! Man, I was so bummed we couldn't email yesterday! I was dying because the library was closed!! But anywho this week was so great! And sounds like y'all are doing great too! Thanks for always emailing:) To answer your questions mother, no sister t doesn't like to work out :( I make her run 2 laps every morning though, and she doesn't have her bike :( so that makes me super sad because we drive lots now, but we try to walk sometimes too. She's super funny and cute!

So this week we met with B who is Iz's dad and he said he wants to be baptized on the 13th and that we need to make sure to teach him everything he needs to know by then!!!! Yayyyyyyyyyy:) p.s. thats your anniversary and gpa's birthday I totally remember, what a great day it will be! And remember M? The one we met on our bikes and then he came to church and he was crying and like loving it? Then he disappeared??? On our way to district meeting I saw him alongside the road! I pulled over sooooo fast and got his new address and number and yayy!!! So that was awesome!

Yesterday I practiced playing the piano for like 2 hrs so that I can play more than five hymns because our district and the YSA branch needs some help so I'm trying to be helpful haha! And also for FHE they had sport night, little did we know, so I was wearing a pencil skirt, but I won a game of speed so booya!! And A came! He is a new investigator that David brought to FHE a couple weeks ago, he just got to Fort Hood from basic training and we have met with him twice! He is sooooooo solid, I love him and he has started reading from the Book of Mormon and said when he is at church he feels whole and happy!!! Oh my! The Nielsons let us meet with him at their place since he lives on post and for both lessons we've had like three members there haha talk about having member present lessons! He's like best friends with everyone now so it is just awesome!! We are so lucky to be able to teach all these amazing people:)

But most exciting this week was Billie's baptism!!! It was so amazing! After the baptism she bore her testimony and it was the sweetest thing in the world! And it was so cute on sunday when we were doing introductions in sunday school she so proudly introduced herself as Sister S instead of B:) And when she was confirmed she was crying and said she had an overwhelming feeling of goodness:) But even better, her husband wrote her a note saying that he was following right behind her and can't wait until he can get baptized so they can be sealed and have an eternal marriage!!!!!!!!! That made my day:) Their whole family came to the baptism and to church and I can't wait to see them all this week!!

My best selfie with B!

Sorry I'm all over, I'm just typing as fast as I can! I can't believe its september and that I'm going to be 20! Wow I'm so old! I love you all soooooooo much :)

Sista Wells