Highlight of my Mission

Wow! Another Amazing week! Hailey got baptized and I promise when I have time I will send pictures of everything.  I just don't have time. In fact President allowed us to have a bit more of prep-day on another day because things have been so busy for us. I volunteered Sis Ledoux and I to sing at Hailey's baptism again. We borrowed a members guitar and we sang "I am a child of God".

Sister Ledoux and I are now in a trio.  We are training Sister Halton who is from Utah.  She was going to Finland but is now coming to this mission. We found out last night and have be working that all out. We are so happy to have her with us!

I feel this week could quite possible be the highlight of my mission. Yesterday we met with Matthew (named changed) who is the boyfriend of one of the Laurels in one of our wards.  We started teaching him about 3 weeks back and things were going well so we put so we had Feb. 2 scheduled for his baptism.  He went out of town with the band to Washington DC for the parade and just got back, and we hadn't heard from him for quite some time, so we thought that maybe he wouldn't be getting baptized this weekend.  Anyway,  he took the initiative and scheduled our meeting last night.  We started to ask about the baptismal date early in the lesson and he said, "Can we talk about that at the end?"  He had lots of good questions. Questions that were evidences that he understood. Then we taught the law of chastity, and Word of Wisdom. Then afterwards he started to tell us how he was talking to his parents about him taking the missionary discussions, and that his mom just wanted wants the best for him. He told us that this is what he wants to do, that he wants to be baptized.....we were all silent......and then he kind of looked at us unsure and he said,  "You were having a baptism this Saturday right?"...and we were like YES! YES!  It's all so exciting!  He's applied for BYU and has mentioned going on a mission! My heart is so happy for him! Honestly what make me most happy is when I see people understand the atonement and doctrine and then in turn they go share and serve others! I honestly feel Matthew will help many come to Christ because of his conversion.

So...YEAH! Life is sooooo awesome!

Nick's baptism was postponed to next week.

Elder Lohan in our zone got hit by a car while walking (the driver was drunk).  He is pretty beat up but he's doing well.

I love hearing from Elder Reynders! My new companion Sister Halton is in the background of one of his pictures that he sent from the MTC. It's just her back and she's wearing a yellow cardigan with a brown satchel bag.

Life is good. Hurrah for Israel

-Sister Reynders

They Make My World Go Round

Well I spent a lot of time reading all the letter from family this last week! Thank You! I love hearing about everyone's activities. I am having my Prep day today so that we could attend the temple this morning. Boy, that place is wonderful. I can't wait to go everyday when I get home.....what you think that's extreme? 

So family and friends listen up! The Gospel is the best blessing that you will have in this earth life. I feel so ecstatic about the work! This last week we had a leadership training, and even though I am not in a leadership position they asked Sister LeDoux and I to do the musical number for it so we got to attend.  We were there for  an hour and a half of it and it has changed my world! It was revolutionary for me and the way I think about missionary work. Now, you all might already know what I am going to say...but it has worked miracles for us in the last week!

So the idea of the training was for us to focus on our purpose which is the Doctrine of Christ. In  "Preach my Gospel" it talks about teaching people not lessons right...?....well........the problem is, is that missionaries aren't sticking to the doctrine. So this is the phrase I made up.........."Teach people not lessons....but TEACH THE LESSONS!" We teach the lessons and we teach them according to the investigators' needs but we don't' make up our own lessons. Sure we can change the order of them, use our own personal experiences, testify, ask questions...but TEACH THE LESSONS.  So many times as missionaries we get in a home and we end up teaching about whatever. So in the training meeting they told us to use the pamphlets while we teach and go through each picture sharing brief statements of truth. President Mullen promised that if we did this the work would increase in leaps and bounds. Now I am not saying we didn't teach lessons before, but this whole pamphlet thing has changed our missionary work this week we have  5 new investigators! We had 21 lessons taught last week with people that are truly interested. We get in and once the goal is reached we get out.. no time wasted! True doctrine understood changes behavior!

This week we have Hailey who is nine getting baptized! We are so happy and excited for her! Teaching a nine year old has been great practice!

The young man that I mentioned  in the last letter went to Temple Square this last week for his sister in laws wedding! I was so excited and I told them all the things they need to check out! He's getting baptized Feb. 2.  I love teaching! I wish I had time to share all our experiences. There just isn't' time but oh...it's so good to witness miracles in people's lives.

There was this dinner appointment where a family had their son's non member girlfriend come and .....long story short...for the spiritual thought this idea came into my head to have the family practice teaching the restoration using the pamphlets. Each were only allowed 1-3 sentences per concept/picture. It went so well! I am grateful the spirit can lead the teaching! This girl is cute and was asking all about missions afterwards and we are going to teach her.

Dad as I was studying the other day this idea came into my head. I think one of the best gifts you could give me is an audio recording of you reading my patriarchal blessing to me. Would you do that for me? I don't even really need it till after my mission.  I read my blessing everyday and it would mean so much to me if you recorded yourself reading it.

It sounds like Elder Reynders is doing well. I about died laughing in this library as I read his letters.

To answer your questions about church mother. Yes we attend 3 wards and 2 are in same building, but sadly the one that's not n that building is in between the other two so we usually just try to attend as much as we can and then correlation meeting and ward counsels in between.

YEAH! Janna is going on a mission! Life is sooooo good! I love life and people and friends and the Gospel and most of all the divine godhead - My Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit! They make my world go round.

Hurrah for Israel!

-Sister Reynders

Elder and Sister Reynders Serving Together

Hello! Time is flying and it's scary!

First off, everyone sounds super depressed Scott has left home! Lighten up! Instead of making his small family happy by his mere presence he gets to share his uniqueness with thousands of people! I have felt a special spirit this week as I have thought of Buggsy Boy being a missionary at the same time as me. He is going to be so great! He is a good boy.

I have been thinking how important knowledge is. I remember things used to be a lot simpler in my head when I was in high school, and it was because I didn't know anything! I have gained so much knowledge in the past year and I have had converting experiences that have given me a surety of that knowledge.  Granted I am still about 5 years behind everyone else because I am finally figuring out that I need to actually know some stuff instead of faking people out.

We have seen so many miracles lately. There has been this boy that has been coming to church with one of the Laurels in our ward and he finally wanted to take the lessons! He is such a sweet kid.  He's 18 years old and looks just like Scott.... I started tearing up as I pictured this young man in a suit with a missionary tag on. He needs to join the ranks so he can bless others. New converts always relate to investigators so well. Anyways, yesterday he said he would pray about getting baptized on February 2nd - pray for him!

It is so important to say and do what the Lord would say and do if he were personally ministering among the very people I have been called to minister to. Any other way is just no good.

Yes mother, the weather is a fearsome thing to behold. My body aches sometimes...but like everyone does....you think of the pioneers and you push on:) I am happy. Life is good and if I don't get into BYU mother, I will be perfectly ok with that. Then I can cut hair like I've known I  should do. haha.

 Well, see ya! Hurrah for Israel!

-Sister Reynders

Staying Put

Thank the heavens I am staying here! We are keeping the 3 wards and I am staying with Sister LeDoux! Yeah! The Lord is really blessing me! Things have been going so well this last week, there was no way I could bare to leave!

A few weeks ago we had an appointment scheduled with one of our investigators but as missionary work goes sometimes...she wasn't there.  We knew there must be someone in that area that we needed to see because we traveled so far.  We decided to tract into our investigators neighbors. The first door knocked on we met John Bloomington (name change).  He consented to learning more, and we since have taught him 3 lessons and took him on a church tour and he accepted to be baptized on Feb 16! He is so sincere and really wants to make a change in his life. It feels great to be a part of this work.

So we had a fun experience the other day. We went with some Elders in our district area  to go blitz it.  We started tracting and we had tracted 1 house when we went and talked to this guy walking his dog....well...we ended up walking his dogs for him while he walked besides us. For the next 20 minutes we taught him the restoration while walking the dogs in the snow:) That reminds me of a few weeks ago we were riding our bikes on the bike trail and made contact with this guy going on a jog. Well we ended up biking on either side of him for like his whole jog, just preaching the gospel....

Well Buggsy boy I am excited for you! Do some good. Be the best you can be...and the Lord will make you a great ambassador!

  

Hurrah for Israel!

Love, Sister Reynders

Snow Biking

Hello my favorite family! It is wonderful to have a good family! It was great to see all of your faces and visit on Christmas. I am excited that Dave and Yvonne are expecting another baby! Seems like the family is doing well. Don't worry mother, last night I thought of Buggsy boy as I was trying to fall asleep. I relived all the feelings I had right before I went into the MTC. But don't fret....Bugs will do great. He needs a little kick in the pants:)

I felt kind of bad about Christmas because I am not sure we really helped anyone come closer to Christ. We tried..but I just felt like a bad missionary, so the 26th we hit the ground running....or more like biking. No,  I haven't truly biff it yet, although I do scare Sister Ledoux  because I ride behind her and I am always screaming...but they are always false alarms.

We have been trying to get a hold of this one family since we got here...and then on the 26th we got this voice mail from them saying that they wanted to take the lessons! We went and met with them. They were so receptive to the message and they are on date for February 2nd! YEAH!!! (Miracles from biking in the snow!)  But really it was a sweet experience.

Transfers are this week and I hope to stay on this area with Sister Ledoux but we shall see. All will be for the best....but mom....the prayers of a mother seem to work better...sooo.......hrrmmph....

Anyway, all is well. I am sad that I have to think about applying for school.....yucky in my tummy...but it's all part of life so one must grin and bear it!

Life is so good! I feel so blessed! My whole mission has just been a huge blessing!

Keep doing well!

-Love

Sister Reynders

Hurrah for Israel!