Week 5

 I've been out for a little over a month now and it's been a blast. The mission is the best and I'm learning a ton, and hopefully getting better at teaching too. To all of my family and friends, which is all of you, I want you to know that I love you, even if you don't read the whole email. I understand, I've been in your shoes before, and more importantly so has Jesus. He has felt all of your trials and I know that if you turn towards Him, He can help you in your everyday life and in reading this email too. Enjoy 

Locked Door, again - I don't know if you guys remember this, but my first week in the MTC my room locked ourselves out by accident. Well... Elder Herbst forgot the car keys which also had the apartment key and I had just locked the door. After a small panic, we remembered that the window by my bed is cracked open and so we broke into our own house. Hopefully it was for the last time.

Exchanges - As the companion to the district leader this will happen a bit more than usual, but they are pretty fun. I went into the bike area and found out how out of shape I am. The old bike didn't make it easy either. But one of the members we visited had two dogs, one super old and the other young. And she did not pick up after their droppings, it smelled terrible 

Adam - We met with him, probably for the last time since he is moving, and talked about the baptismal questions and how he really did have a testimony and that the Holy Ghost testifies by making things make sense, and not just from a "burning bosom." It went really well and he is going to his family once they are done moving. Please pray for him to have the courage.

Collin - We met him through service and every time we come over he has a new question to ask us. He even told us before we left that he wanted to talk about tattoos so that we could study it and then come back to him. He's kinda blunt like that, but I think it is only with us, so that is kinda funny. The other day he called me out on being the less experienced and less confident one and said I needed to watch Elder Herbst and learn from him , I said I would.

Tammy - She dropped us with a four screen long text, she basically just doesn't have time right now and isn't making it a priority. But we are still keeping in touch so maybe once her life calms down she will start meeting with us again.

Secret Mission - The Hermanas gave us a secret mission, so you can't tell anybody else about this. But there is this guy in our area who ghosted them, so our job was to "tract randomly" into his house. Sadly the address is off or something because we couldn't find it. So instead we called him and it was a bit awkward explaining how and why we got his number from the Hermanas, but hopefully it worked out because I had no clue what he was saying in Spanish.

Baking Blunders - Some of you might know of this already from my story, but we wanted to make some pumpkin banana bread with chocolate chips. It actually tastes really good. So we made it, and then forgot about it. We pulled the first two loafs out and they were burnt, so we put the rest of the batter into a pie tin and also burnt that one. It was a pretty sad night, until we realized that only the outside was burnt and the inside was still good. So it still worked out. 

Elder Herbst - my companion gave a talk yesterday and one of the things he said was the Parable of the Trumpet: He was playing the trumpet when the mouthpiece fell out and got dented. He tried putting it back in but it could no longer play sound. So he had to get another one for his trumpet to work again. The mouthpiece of God is the Prophet, because of him we are able to receive guidance from God for the Church. But when we had misguided people in the apostasy they were the dented mouthpiece and they weren't able to play the song of the true church. That is why the Restoration was necessary and why heeding the true Prophet is so important. Doctrine and Covenants 24:12 says, "And at all times, and in all places, he shall open his mouth and declare my gospel as with the voice of a trump, both day and night. And I will give unto him strength such as is not known among men."

So in other words, listen to the prophets. They are awesome, and the things they tell us are for our benefit. 2 Nephi 26:24, "He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world." Jesus loves each one of you so much, He suffered and died for each of us. I love all of you, but I don't have the capacity to love you as much as He does, yet. I hope the best for all of you this next week and that you will be able to see God's love in your life. Bye for now!

Pictures - not much today. My companion cutting my hair, a videoof the burnt bread, the philly cheesesteaks I made-and with fries, and my phone who can't tell my twin apart from me, granted my mom struggles too sometimes so...

4th Week in the Field

Ok, I have been a little busy so sorry for sending this later and for not responding to all of your emails. I really do appreciate all of them! This week has been crazy amazing, meaning crazy and amazing so here were the highlights:

Suits - someone told me before my mission to only bring one suit because: "You won't use it that much." On average, I wear my suit 4 times a week: Sunday, Institute, District Council, and a devotional. So yeah that's that.

Pickles - probably the best Philly cheesesteak I have ever had (sorry mom)

Spiders - there have been a few that have scared me and I have killed at the other end of a broomstick. Attached below is an audio file of me finding one on the wall as I was typing this and my companion was recording a message to send

axes - Can't use axes to chop wood, but using a hammer and wedge is actually pretty fun

Biker Bob - An Interesting member who actively tells people to call him Biker Bob, I also happen to be related to him through Judson Tolman

Tammy - She might be harder than we originally thought, just because she doesn't know the importance of baptism with the Authority. She is willing to learn, but isn't in a rush, so it might take a bit. Our latest lesson with her: every time we shared our testimony or talked about studying the Book of Mormon together, her phone would ring. It was very distracting and she got super anxious because it was her mother who doesn't like that she is exploring our church. It wasn't until later when my Comp. pointed out that I realized it was Satan trying to stop us because he is scared of what we can do. Kinda cool, but kinda annoying too. Satan is a jerk.

Adam - I had my first lesson with him this week and we were able to figure out that he wants to "have" a testimony before he tells his wife. The truth is: he already has a testimony but doesn't know it yet. We will get him there, before he moves tho.

Scriptures - I have finally decided how to mark my scriptures. For those who know me well you know how indecisive I can be, so this was a big moment for me.

Pitta Pit - not that good of a gyro place wouldn't recommend. But when we were ordering, a woman came over and paid for us. She was super nice and loves the missionaries and thinks the Church of Jesus Christ is awesome (she even got front row tickets to a General Conference from the Prophet) and somehow still isn't a member. Sadly, she was only visiting (so we definitely got led by the Spirit to meet her), but she asked us to pray for her family so that was amazing. We got a picture with her. 

My Talk - I saved the best for last, so I hope all of you dedicated fans/subscribers/friends/awesome people enjoy it, and thanks for putting up with my stories. So, on the first Sunday here, it was fast and testimony and I was going to share mine about putting in effort. I wasn't able to go up, but I felt the Spirit and the thought "don't worry you can give a talk on it" came to my mind. Before we left Brother Jaeger asked us if we could give a talk on the 24th and so I was like no way. Then after General Conference I started to write some thoughts down and quotes to go back later and rearrange, then on Saturday (the 14th) we got a call from Bro. Jaeger asking if one of us could give a talk on the 15th instead of the 24th, and so I said yes. I was kinda freakin out. I knew I was supposed to, but I like to have my thoughts written up so I don't mess up, that night and Sunday morning I tried to put my thoughts together that would make sense and last 15 minutes. Then I gave my talk. It was 17 minutes and although some thoughts didn't flow as smooth, I had help from the Spirit and my talk went really well. I'm sorry, but I thought about recording my talk as I was walking up to do it so all I have or some short hand notes, that probably won't make any sense to you guys. But it was very good, you are just going to have to take my word for it. ;)

I know that Jesus is there for each one of us, and that He cares about what we care about. I know that the promises given in the Scriptures are true and that we truly can have the Spirit help us in our times of need. The Gospel is awesome, this is the Restored Church and it brings us the best quality and the most quantity of blessings if we follow Christ's teachings. I just want to end with inviting everyone to read this talk I found, it is super good; and telling all of you that Jesus loves you thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis much! Talk to you next week!!

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1989/04/have-i-received-an-answer-from-the-spirit?lang=eng

Cathy Tolman · Final Spider Freeking Out

 I'll have to find a better way to remember, because as I have just found out the MTC counts as part of your mission, which is kinda dumb. But because I know you all like reading long emails I will explain to you what happened this week minute by minute, jk. I have lots of work and I know you guys do too, so like Nephi I will make this my small plates, and just doing the highlights:

- Musubi: It's called "Tongan sushi" and it's spam, egg, and rice, in seaweed. It's actually really good.

- Zone Conference: first one, it was a long drive, but super good. We had a quick lesson at a member's house afterwards and she gave us a frozen lasagna for dinner and a gift card for lunch. She is so nice. And I ate 2/3s of a Family size lasagna so the food has been great on the mission

- Seth: We met with him and he is so cool. He is redoing his whole yard and it's going to look so good. He likes the stories in the bible and so we can share some in the Book of Mormon that he'll like. We talked a bit about our beliefs and we found out he already believes in the Godhead and he kept talking about how much he liked Conference and he kept quoting some talks so it's going to be super amazing working with him.

- Tammy: We had a lesson with her and she has been taught a lot. She likes to talk, but luckily we had the ward missionaries with us and they really helped steer the conversation and so she is really close to baptism and just has a few concerns that we can help straighten out. So that will be so cool.

- Exchanges: went to another area for exchanges and it was pretty uneventful in a YSA ward with very few members but I learned how to Facebook find. I also missed a lesson with Adam who is basically an unbaptized member who knows everything and people mistake him as a member. Sadly he is moving, but we will find out where and tell those missionaries.

- New Missionary Training: We are on the island and so we were going to take the ferry which would have been cool, but with Covid they had one down and so if we waited we would have missed the whole thing. So instead we drove up and around it took 3 hours, and we were an hour late for a 3 hour meeting and then we drove back the same way.

- Gyro: they are so good!! I can't believe I have never had one before. I told myself I would never work in the food industry again, but if I get free gryos I would definitely do it.

- Public Transport: so the funny thing with those long drives means we don't have any miles. We have already used 3/5s of our miles and its the 11th so we tried the bus. It worked great there but on the way home it stopped 30 minutes from our town, or a 6 hour walk. Luckily, it was the adult session of stake conference so a member was able to pick us up on his way. Super great blessing and the Lord really helped us then.

That's it for the week, sorry it got so long, but I don't have Mormon helping me edit :) 

But just to leave you with a spiritual thought, this talk was in stake conference and it was super cool: chocolate cake and carrot cake are both cakes with flour, sugar, salt, eggs, ect. but they are called chocolate/carrot cake because that ingredient is what makes it different. We take upon ourselves Christ name when we are baptized, we are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We are different because of Christ and we should be different because we are examples of Christ. One of the things I like about the Chosen is its intro. One blue fish swimming different from the rest and by the end more join him. People notice and it might change them. The easiest way to share the gospel is by living it. 

I love all of you and I know that swimming against the current can be hard but God blesses us for doing hard things. Talk to y'all next week, and for those sending emails, thank you so much, I really appreciate and love reading each one. Bye, have a great week!

2 Weeks in Field and Conference!

 It's kinda crazy how fast the days go by, and everyone has been telling me that the 2 years will be over quick. Now the two things I hear the most are: Enjoy it while you can; and Where's West Haven? 

This week was pretty awesome with a lot of highlights so I'll jump right in. 

- Phil: This guy is around 60 and is 6'11", so I am not the tallest dude in South Whidbey. He is pretty awesome and is building a hobbit home in his backyard that is going to be fully functioning. Super cool member.

- Dan: My first weird experience, he is listed as a member, but has some different beliefs that have come from "visions" while he has been dead. It was super weird and we tried teaching him a bit, but he wasn't really open hearted at the moment. It was funny because he said the Book of Mormon was true as we left, but from what he said, I don't think he remembers what it says. 

- Dulinda: She is a less active/non-member but doesn't have any weird beliefs like Dan, she lost her significant other and Elder Herbst shared Alma 40:11-12. It was so good, and he is so awesome. That meant a lot to her and she said she would love to have us over again!

- Aurora: We met her last week and talked to her again this last Friday. She is a super sweet old lady and loves the bible. She told us she had a member friend a while ago that shared a little bit of the Gospel with her so we gave her a BOM and she said she would read it!! We have a return appointment with her and it's going to be so awesome.

- Seth: He said he wasn't looking to join but would love to talk about the bible. But then he said how he goes to church twice a week and is trying to follow Christ. I hope in our lesson we can show him the one and only true way. But we did invite him to watch Conference and he said yes!! He watched Sunday afternoon and I hope he really liked it. 

- Conference: Last but definitely the most spiritually high moment was Conference. It was the most I have ever paid attention to and I took notes and it made the biggest difference. I am so happy to be on a mission and for the little and big changes that have happened to make me who I am today and help me improve little by little each day. Repentance is a process, a process to change for the better. Some think it is just for sin, but it is for anything. I am so grateful for General Conference in showing us how we can improve to become like Christ, by keeping the commandments and covenants we have made. 

I love you all! I love hearing from you all, sorry if I don't respond, but I want you to know your emails mean the world to me. If you got this far in the email it means you're committed :) ,so I would like to encourage each of you to reread/relisten to a talk and try applying it into your life this month. A good scripture is John 8:29. It is Jesus talking but if we read it as if we are saying it, it is a super cool promise. Anywho, I love y'all, God loves y'all, Jesus Christ loves y'all, the Holy Ghost loves y'all, and so many more love you all. With that kind of support you can never fail to keep progressing forward. Until next week, here are some pictures.