Week 29

8/22/2016

HI EVERYONE! Just keepin it super real in Boise y'all! haha sos... I really am struggling to come up with funny opening lines. BUT I hope your week has been good because mine has! We've been really busy but we've been seeing a lot of miracles from keeping busy. Looks like you all had a party at the beach house. SO jealous! I really hope I get to go next year. haha PRAY transfers add up right so I can go!

So we had Zone Conference this week. LOVED IT! Some Sisters and I sang an arrangement of "Where can I turn for peace?" & it turned out pretty good. The whole conference was on repentance and how we need to repent daily and what a blessing it is to have that in our lives. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father knew us so well he KNEW we would need to be able to become clean every week and everyday because we are constantly making mistakes. President and Sister Bartlett are amazing. I really love them and I'm so excited to get to know them better and better as time goes on.

We had exchanges this week and I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE! UGH! haha But I was with Sister Bell in my area and we were able to see so many miracles. We met with Shigue, the 90 yr old lady from Japan. Our lesson went really well but we both had this thought that we need to just start fresh and new with all the lessons even though she's been taught by the missionaries so many times. So we are. We started a new teaching record and are starting fresh. She really wants to be baptized this time through though. PLUS she came to church yesterday and we are super excited for her. Her neighbors and fellow shippers told us that there's something different this time around. She's ready to progress and continue on. We are really excited to continue to teach her and help her on this journey coming back to her Savior and following his example. 

We had a fantastic lesson with our less active Blaine this week too. We taught him about enduring to the end and shared the Mormon message called "The Hope of Gods Light" and that really touched him. He told us when the lesson was over that the sisters had taught him about enduring to the end a lot but this time it really made sense. He also said, "thanks for being so patient with me sisters. You better not stop coming!!" haha I told him we wouldn't. He came to church this week again. He really is changing and coming back. We are really really excited for him!

Well fam, I think that's about it for this week. I hit my 7 month mark this week... WOAHHH! haha but yeah, love you all! Keep the faith!

Sister Summer Stone

Week 28

8/15/2016

Hi everyone!!!

Woah! So much to say but so little time!! 

We had a ward party this past week and it was AWESOME! Such an awesome turn out and we had a lot of less actives come and reunite with old friends. And then a lot of them came to church yesterday too! There was a live band and tons of good food and LOTS of fun dancing for me! Probably lost 5 pounds from sweating so much. Oh yeah, for those of you who were wondering if Boise is hot in the summer... yes. Yes it is. It's also really smokey from all the fires around here haha sorry weather break. BACK to missionary work! 

I got a call the other day and Sister Christensen from the office called to tell me that Tim Worley got baptized this last Saturday! Tim and Kristen Worley were the part member family I worked with in Meridian. I am so so happy for them. I know this decision is going to bless him and his family.

Sister Nelson and I were able to meet with a new investigator Shigue. Shes a 90 year old Japanese lady who reads her BofM every night before she goes to bed in English and Japanese. She knows the BofM is true and she wants to be baptized she just feels like she has to be perfect before she's able to be baptized so we'll have to explain to her that's what our Savior, the atonement and baptism is for. 

I was also able to see Sister Rabello this weekend. She came in town for the weekend. Love her so much! 

Well that's about it for my week. haha sorry Its so short but I love you all and we're working REALLY hard and loving the members. 

Keep the faith and send some love

Sister Summer Stone

1111 So. Cole Rd

Boise, Idaho 83709

Week 27

8/8/2016

HI FAMMM! 

This week has been crazy busy. I've had 4 different companions within the last week haha these new transfer days are throwing me off big time. We used to have transfers on Monday but now they're on Wednesday. So I was with Sister Hallums for 5 days waiting for transfer day. Then I was with Sister Borja on Wednesday morning while we waited for our new companions to drive from Twin Falls.

So my new companion is Sister Nelson. She's from Tucson, Arizona and she's been out for 14 months. She only has 3 transfers left so I'm hoping I can "kill her" and stay in the area for 7 1/2 months. I love this area there is seriously so much work to do! 

We got 4 new investigators on Saturday, which never happens here. Like it's super rare. So a few weeks ago we parked outside this ladies house because the road was having construction work done on it and when we got out of the car to go the people down the street she came out and said, "Do I know you?" kind of in a rude voice and we get that a lot. People will be like "well, i don't know you so get off my property" kind of thing but we just told her we were the missionaries in the area and we were going to see her neighbor on the road they were working on and she goes, "I don't know you, but I feel like I should" So we got to talking to her and her ex-husband used to be a member and come to find out, her 9 yr old son had just passed away a few months earlier. So we visited her a few other times and they were kind of weird situations but this last time we saw her she let us into her home and told us all about her sons and her sister and her mom and dad. She lives with them because shes just been through a lot the past few months and has been struggling. We shared Helaman 5:12 (kind of the go-to scripture as a missionary) and she was really touched by it. She asked her 3 boys standing there and her mom what it meant to them and then she shared what it meant to her and asked us to share our thoughts too. Then we all stood around the kitchen holding hands and said a prayer. It was awesome. We invited them to come to church and told them they could sit with us and we would love to see them there. She said, "ah man guys. You're making me feel so welcome" haha PRAYING for their progress. I know there is amazing potential there. They didn't come yesterdat BUT I still have faith. haha

I am so grateful for my mission and the amazing lessons I learn while I'm here. I know this gospel is true and I know that the atonement is real. I love being a missionary and being to see 1st hand how it can work in people's lives.

I love you all so much! Keep the faith and know that God loves each and every one of us and this is Christ's restored gospel the earth today.

Sister Summer Stone

PS, We did service at someone's house this week with our district and thats where most of these pics are from (we got free lunch after). Or transfer day haha. Love them all. 

Week 26

8/1/2016

GOOD MORNING FAM! 

This week has been crazy busy. Sister Rabello went home, I have been companions with Sister Hallums the past few days, and I get a new comp on Wednesday. Busy busy haha. 

So this is gonna be short but I'll try to write fast. 

We were able to teach 2 of our investigators for the first time in like 6 weeks and it was awesome. They both said they would read the Book of Mormon this week and pray about it. I'm so excited to see them progress. 

Sister Hallums sang at church and I played the piano at church and the song was beautiful. The spirit was so strong. We all were crying by the end of it. 

Also, Sister Rabello and I were able to see a first edition of the Book of Mormon. So incredible to hear the story about how they got it and hold it in my hands. They talked about how that book was probably handled by Joseph Smith. I know this Gospel is true and I know Joseph Smith is a true prophet and I know the Book of Mormon is true. 

I love you guys! sorry this email is so short. 

Keep the faith!

Sister Summer Stone

Week 25

7/25/2016

WOAH! Super great week here in Boise. Ah I love the members here and the missionaries and just everything about this place. Sister Rabello spoke yesterday and I played the piano at church. There was a mission farewell so there were well over 300 people there. There were people sitting out in the hall way!! SO MANY PEOPLE haha. We had 1 investigator come and 3 less actives come as well. 1 of them hadn't been for years, like 20 years. And then Blaine came again. WOOP WOOP! and then another less active, Brother Cary, the one who's preparing to go to the temple. SUCH A GREAT DAY YESTERDAY!! I loved it. Those are the days I look at and remember, this is why I'm on a mission.

On Saturday our stake had a big Pioneer Day celebration. They had breakfast and snowcones and sack races (i won) and giant jenga. TONS of stuff to do. There weren't too many people there because a lot of people have been out of town haha but it was fun to see some members there and we had a less active come. He enjoyed it. 

We had an awesome lesson with Blaine this week about the Atonement and he told us he hadn't had a beer in 3 weeks. He said he's thought about it a lot but whenever he feels like he wants one he prays and reads the BofM and the desire goes away. YES! I just love the power the Book of Mormon has. Anytime I am ever struggling with anything I pick the BofM up and I instantly can feel Heavenly Father's love for me. I can promise you all that if you are ever struggling with anything that if you read the BofM Heavenly Father will help you and bless you. 

Well, nothing else has happened this week. It was a really good weekend tho. We had a great district meeting and we went and had pizza after so that made it good! haha well, I love you all so much! CONGRATS to KK and Marcus for having little Remington born this morning. Can't wait to see more pictures of him. I hope all is well for y'all. 

Keep the faith and send some love ;)

Sister Summer Stone

1111 So. Cole Rd

Boise, Idaho 83709

Pic 1 District Mtg 

Pic 2 Pizza w/ the district

Pic 3 me winning at the sack races

Pic 4 Snow cones w/ Sister Rabello

Pic 5 Ray (our investigator) and Sister Lucier (a less active who hasn't been to church in 20 yrs) at church!!