May 23, 2017

Hola Familia!

 

So, transfers.... I am going to Cape Coral, white washing and TRAINING!!!!I am super excited for this next challenge and phase of my mission, and I hope to be able to help whoever the Lord has seen fit to be my companion, and to learn from her as well! I am so grateful for this past transfer with Sister Thurman, I have learned so much from her, I love her so much!!! She is staying here and Sister Quimbau is coming of from Doral South! She was just training there. We will still be in the same zone, Ft Myers, so we will see each other at Zone activities (but no more zone trainings.. :'( but thats okay I guess, its inspired, too. 

So funny nickname a member gave me a few weeks ago--Hermana Alimentacion! Which basically means Sister Food/nutrients o algo asi, because apparently my last name Stokes has something to do with food when you google it, ha. I love members, and he is a recent convert and his wife is having a baby, and the are the cutest little thing ever! I am sad to be leaving them, they have a baby shower this June as well as another sister in the ward. But I am super excited to go to Cape Coral!!! They had 3 BAPTISMS THIS WEEKEND!!! So awesome! One actually got baptized yesterday, because on of the Sisters is going home to Brazil this week! she doesn't want to go, poor girl. That will probably be me, ha. 

We have had so man adventures this transfers, and I have had a blast! I love the mission, and anyone wanting to go---DO IT! You bless the lives of others and in return, the Lord blesses you AND your family ten fold! I know that that is true, I have seen it as I have served. I know this Gospel is true, and that it brings the truest happiness one could ever find! I love you all, have an awesome week!!!!

Love,

Hermana Alimentacion (Stokes) 😂​

May 15, 2017

Mother's Day 2017

Hola Familia!

Happy Mothers Day!!!

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! I sure did! We celebrated Mothers Day as a ward Saturday Night, which was super fun! We left a little after 8 when they were doing games, and after we left is when people started dancing, and the elders stayed longer because they live close to the chapel and saw our ward mission leader and his wife dance! They are such a cute old couple, I love them!

I loved getting to Skype home and see everyone! I love you all so much! Thanks for coming over or facetiming! 

So we have been working with a young mom, Yesenia, who we knocked into. She is 24 and has two kids. She is so awesome! We gave her the Book of Mormon the first lesson and to read 3 Nephi 11, and she has been reading a ton! Usually Investigators don't read or only read a chapter, but by the second lesson she had already read to 3 Nephi 13! We shared the plan of Salvation with her last Friday, and she loved and accpeted everything! It was so cool to see her face light up as we taught her that everyone will have the chance to learn about and accept our Savior and His Gospel, if not in this life, then in the next! She took a picture of my little Plan of Salvation puzzle piece thing and is going to show her friends and family! We love her, ha, and she was so excited to keep reading and praying!

So, our other Investigators, Jorge and Jose who we dated for the 27th of May just Friday night at an awesome chapel tour, apparently are now in Northern Florida working for the next year, so sad, but all in the Lord's timing, I guess. They will accept the Gospel one day!

So those are our adventures! Love you all so much! The Gospel changes lives everyday, go out and be a part of it!!!

Love,

Hermana Stokes

PS. We are "The Machetes" District, hence the machetes! The elders in Immokalee got them for us because we are making all of their planners!​

May 8, 2017

May 8, 2017

Hola Familia!

Hey everyone! I hope you are all doing Great, because I sure am! We had so much fun this past week! I don't have a lot of time (disculpa!) but we had some super awesome things go down! 

We had 2 investigatord at Sacrament! Two brothers, Jorge and Jose came to Sacrament and it was awesome! Jorge said he felt peaceful and calm, and we are going to continue teaching them!

A member in our ward had her Farewell saturday night, which was so awesome and the food was amazing! We had Honduran Baliadas and a soup that means Meat in its juice! (carne en su Jugo!) Ha, it was great. 

We had a boss MPL last night at an Investigators house. Maria and Lelis are not married, but Maria has a huge testimony of God's hand in her life. She has gone through really hard times, and came out super strong! We are hoping Lelis jumps on board, but so far, its been tough. We only met him for the first time last night. 

So the "Funnies" for the week:

-The elders we share the ward with teach an English class wednesday nights, and two weeks ago they taught an Egyptian Family. The wife's name was super cool, and Elder Alaniz told us to guess what the Dads name was bc it was super Egyptian. I don't kjnow any Egyptian names, so I guessed PHAROAH, and we all busted up laughing! It was great! Turns out his name was Muhammad, ha. 

Sister Thurman spilt melted butter down her shirt without even realizing it!

We had a huge thunderstorm come through in the middle of the night a few days ago, with lightening lighting up our room, and sister Thurman dubbed it "Dinosaurs in the Sky"

We also keep seeing HUGE grasshoppers, and one was on our car after helping a member clean a home they are putting up for rent (we tried to scratch off purple paint off a door with our fingernails.. I have pictures..) and she caught it, froze it, and is going to send it to her younger brothers back in Oregon, ha. She sent a frog corpse we found outside on our patio thingy to them, and they named it Frank! :)

Love all of you!

Hermana Stokes​

May 1, 2017 Ft Meyers

May 1, 2017 6 Months

Hola Familia!

Hey everyone! This week has gone by so fast, and I hit my 6 month mark! So crazy! It doesnt quite make sense, ha. Things are going great over here, I love Ft Myers and Sister Thurman!

We knocked into a Christian Lady who focused a lot of being "saved" by Jesus Christ, and I could tell she was looking for something to argue over, so I just testified strongly of Jesus Christ as our Savior, and we ended by her forgetting whatever question she wanted to ask and we gave her a card. Ha! The spirit is the best!

We have an investigator Ninosca who is a member referral and super ready for baptism! 

Sister Thurman and I have reached a new level of comp unity: she fed me gold fish while I waited for my fingernails to dry! Ha, so great, though!

Sorry this is short and super random, I have no time!

Love you all so much!

Love,

Hermana Stokes​