I sent then MOTAB Lyrics 

 The Badge :)

 Zone Training this transfer. 

 So this is still from Hna Rosario's 1 Year Mark, I made cookies(and ate most of them ;) ) 

and even though they didn't look too cute, 

they tasted amazing!

 Coconut!

Transfer Calls!

Drinkin' that Fresh Coconut Water!

Members love us!

February 28, 2017

Hola Familia!

So....

I am being transferred! I am going Portuguese Speaking!!! I am totally kidding, that would be insane, ha. Sister Rosario is learning Portuguese now, though. It's fun to guess at the pronunciation with her, though she knows a little how it should sound. It was so funny, with one of the letters, the pronunciation said there is no equivalent sound in the English language and to ask the teacher. A little tough when you are your own teacher! Ha. But anyways, I am going to white wash (my companion and I will both be new to the area and know nothing! So exciting! Ha, I'm a dork)

in to the Fort Lauderdale Zone! Yeah!!! I am going to be in the Hollywood Hills area, and my new companion will be Sister Osborn, but neither Sis. Rosario nor I know who that is. We think it is a Spanish area, plus it wouldn't make much sense to put me in an English area when I am still learning Spanish (though the weaker me would love to go English, ha.) Hermana Rosario is going to the Del Rey Beach Ward, soI guess the Palm Beach area? Not sure, haha. Which is so surprising, because everyone thought for sure she'd be going STL or training again. There are 22 new sisters coming to the mission in the next two transfers! We've heard that they're aren't enough Spanish sister areas for all the Spanish sisters coming, ha. The AP's will have fun with that one.

Random Things I am Going to Miss:

BREADMAN'S MIAMI!!!! (Tequenos con Queso are my fav! Someone send me a bomb recipe, plz!)

Our super sweet old Cuban neighbor Jose, we gave him Christmas cookies in December for always bringing our trashcan back to the house after trash day and for just being so friendly. I love him! The owner of the house a few weeks ago had a tree service guy come and completely destroy the tree out front(it was mainly cut down, it had no branches and no leaves) which made a huge mess of sawdust and what not, and Jose came over and started sweeping it up! It was so funny, but he is such a cute old guy, always staying busy with all his plants and pots outside. Ha. We love him!

The Ward! We have worked so hard with the ward, and of course right as we leave, we get an awesome new Ward Missionary! Finally! The one we had before had some problems come up and went less active. We have all tried (literally us, the elders, the bishop, most of the ward..) to bring him back, but the door leading up the stars to his front door is always locked, he doesn't answer his phone, etc. It is super sad.. But that's okay! The work goes on!

Fun Fact: just this morning a sister in the ward, Hermana Smith, waxed mine and Hna Rosario's eyebrows! Ha, I love our members.

So yeah, I am super excited to see new things and help people in a new area, but Doral South will always be my "home" because this is where I was "born!" Haha. It has been so hard to say goodbye to Marcial, our rescue. I think he got a little too attached to us, but he seems to be doing better now. We will see him for the last time tonight. Pedro is doing great! We had another FHE in a members house, the Madriz (that's 3!) and have a temple tour set up this saturday for the next missionaries. He is so solid and preparing for his date on the 18th of March!

We also were knocking the other day and someone was trimming their coconut tree, and gave us 4 coconuts! We gave two to the elders and tried to open one last night (it was an experience!) I'll send the photos.

But I love being a missionary! The work is progressing everywhere! I know this Gospel is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that it is so true! I love you all, have an amazing week!

Hermana Stokes

 One Year for my Companion!! :)

 BYU Shirt and shoes I sent To Cassidys Companion

 Habichuelas con Dulce, a Dominican drink for Holy Week, 

a member made it for us.

February 21, 2017

Hola Familia!
This has been a fun week! We had interviews last week, and it was so good! President says my Spanish is really improving! I have one week left to make my goal of fully understanding fluent conversations and being able to communicate clearly (which I can do at a very basic level, so I am counting it!) I just need a bigger vocabulary, and know just about five other conjugation tenses, but good things come to those who [are anxiously engaged!] 
We had an FHE Monday night at our Bishop's house with our investigator Pedro, and it went so well! It was on the Plan of Salvation, which we had taught a part of the night before in a Sunday post round-up lesson(where he also accepted a date for the 18th!). He told us that after we left, he thought a lot about it, and finished watching the biography of President Thomas S. Monson (which he just started watching on his own once we started teaching him). He said he felt so much peace and was really inspired to serve after learning about President Monson and his life-long service. He also said it was one of the best nights of sleep he has ever had! (Blessings of the Spirit!) The next morning, his mom and sister left, and when he went into the kitchen, everything was super dirty. At first, he didn't want to clean. But then he remembered the blessings that are promised to those who serve, and so he cleaned up the whole kitchen and cleaned up after their two dogs! He said he felt a feeling that he had never before felt! I know that was the Holy Ghost reaffirming to his heart that he was doing something really good! I just love seeing him grow and change for the better. 

Marcial, who used to be a less active( but didn't know anything about the church, so we are teaching him everything practically for the first time like an investigator), is doing so good! We will meet with him again tonight, but he is so excited to live the law of tithing and everything else we have taught him. He has truly changed so much since we met him, and the light in his eyes and countenance is unmistakable evidence of that change! It just makes me so happy to be helping the people here, and even if the people we meet only accept a prayer, we are still bringing the Spirit more into their life and being of service, blessing Heavenly Father's children here on the Earth. 

I love my mission, and am so grateful to be serving. I know this Gospel is true. There is no truer happiness that comes than through living this Gospel and sharing it with others. I know Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer, and that through Repentance, we can truly be clean and freed from the guilt and shame of sin and regret. Turn to Him! He is there!

I love you all, so very much! Have a great week!

Les Quiero Mucho,

Hermana Stokes <3​

 Valentines Cake from the Members <3

 Sister Rosario's grandma sent her hair nets to sleep in! She has this thing called a 

Tubee that keeps her hair straight at night.

Hola Familia!

How is everyone? This past week has been great! Thanks mom for making Hna Rosario's year mark so awesome! 

So, we had two Rescues this week! We have been working with our less actives (there are so many) and even though we are not reporting them to Salt Lake anymore, they are still super important! Heavenly Father loves all of His children, and wants them all to return to live in His Presence. So we got Hna Boyer, a less active only because she had a major surgery last summer, to talk with the bishop and transfer her records from Venezuela, and Marcial!!! Yeah!! He is doing so good, really trying to live the Law of Chastity and everything. I have loved being able to see him change these past weeks. After his interview with the Bishop, he just looked so happy! I hope he will soon feel worthy to partake of the Sacrament. The Sacrament is truly such a blessing, and I have appreciated it more and more since coming to realize so many people do not have the opportunity to receive a full and perfect remission of their sins every week. It is an amazing blessing to have all that doubt, guilt, and shame lifted from off our shoulders through the infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know He is our Savior, that He lives, and that through Him, we can be cleansed and be worthy to return to live in the Kingdom of our Father in Heaven, for all Eternity with our loved ones!

We are working hard, making the most of these last two weeks we have together, transfers are on either the 1st or 2nd of March, and we are pretty sure Hna Rosario will be transferring😭 but its totally fine, because she will go where the Lord needs her. I just love her so much! I love my mission! I love all of you as well, keep pressing forward with a steadfastness in Christ! His yoke is easy, and His burden is Light!

Les Quiero,

Hermana Stokes

Valentine's Day Cake from our members!

I blew out her hair! It was fun! (and a first)

Monday February 6, 2017

 So we went to the public library in Hialeah, not the one we email at, and took pictures with the crazy awesome wall murals! A security guard was walking around and it made me nervous, so I asked if the library was open (there was caution tape along the sides bc of fesh concrete) and he said yeah, and then asked why we wanted to take pictures with the murals! Ha, I guess they are pretty ordinary to him, but not to us!