Florida Ft Lauderdale Spanish Mission

Monday, March 27, 2017

Women's Conference was so great! I felt so much peace while watching it, I know every single one of you can feel it to as you truly listen to the inspired talks given by our leaders! I encourage all of you to watch the General Conference sessions this weekend where we will be privileged to hear from the living Prophet Thomas S. Monson. I know he is the chosen Prophet of God, called to lead and guide His church on the earth at this time!

So, not too much happened this week, we had full day exchanges with the STL's but couldn't stay over night as usual because we have a problem with bed bugs going around, haha (luckily we don't have them, but we see nasty cockroaches and spiders on occasion) Also, a baby lizard got in the house and Sis. Osborn tried to vacuum it while we both screamed our heads off, ha, but it escaped under the couch and is probably enjoying his new abode in the couch.

We are teaching a less active/part member family referral and have our second appointment with them this week, so hopefully that goes well. We are really working hard to find more latins to teach, but they hide from us i feel like! We will get there eventually, though, haha.

I love you all, and I know this Gospel is the Living Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that He is at the Head of this church! I will talk to you all next week as I am out of time, yet again, ha.

Les Quiero,

Hermana Stokes

Scooby Doo, I found you!

Monday, March 20, 2017

MARCH 20, 2017 Hollywood Beach

HOLLYWOOD BEACH

March 20, 2017

Hola Familia!

This week has been a little longer, but that's okay! We had Zone Conference this past week, and that makes everything better! Haha. It was super good. A pair of dying sisters sang an arrangement of "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" which I absolutely love, and it always reminds me of Joseph Smith because that was one of his favorite hymns. The AP's have got the whole mission super pumped for baptizing 100 in April!!! It was so fun! They had a Florida flag that we all signed showing our commitment to be exactly obedient and go super hard at finding, teaching, and getting people prepared for the step of baptism to reach our goal. We haven't found anyone too promising yet, but we know it will come as we work towards our goal and pray for it daily.

We also had interviews this past Friday, which I always love! I love President Richardson, he is very focused on exact obedience, but so full of love for everyone! And it's good for me, ha. Sister Richardson is so cute, too. She checks our area books at interviews, and when she found our we were teaching a homeless man who is addicted to smoking and alcohol, she told us it was fine if we passed off any investigators we weren't comfortable teaching to the elders, haha. So they called him and committed him to church, but I don't know if they have seen him since because he didn't come, he was visiting someone in Miami(not sure how he got there, ha, his car doesn't work and he does't actually have a set job. We offered to try to find one for him, but he only wants a construction job...) So yeah, ha. We also met Alex this past week knocking doors, and shared the Restoration with him right on his doorstep! I love it when that happens! We set a return appointment, but it fell through, so hopefully we can continue teaching him this upcoming week.

We have been working on something called the Blackbird, which is where were break up our area into zones and map out all the members and less actives so we don't drive all over our area visiting people (our area is huge). it's almost finished, and its already helped A TON! We met a less active Saturday night, and got her to church yesterday! She hadn't been for a really long time, and she stayed all three hours and loved it!

Well, I am out of time, but I love you all, and I know this church is true!!!

Love,

Hermana Stokes

March 13, 2017

So we helped move in our neighbor, and that is taken in front of our house and the other the backyard.

Monday, March 13, 2017

March 13, 2017

Hola Familia!

So this past week we have been able to do a lot more work! We have been finding while knocking, and teaching when we find! It is a lot of fun, ha. We found 3 New Investigators this week! Ivan is the most promising, but he just got a new job and so he could't come to church yesterday because he was in training.. But that's okay, because we will commit him for next week! The same goes with an investigator the elders found two weeks prior to transfers, Francisco. Things with him are a bit interesting. He is a older Cuban man, and lives in a grey car that is parked in a somewhat sketchy area, ha. I don't think the car is his, either, but whoever's it is is letting him live there, poor guy. So he has a really strong testimony that God is real, and he has the strongest desire to stop drinking alcohol and smoking. However, it is a huge struggle for him. But we made progress yesterday as we began to teach him part of the gospel of Jesus Christ (we taught him the WoW Saturday) He let me take half of his cigarettes and smash them on the ground! Yay!!! I have never done that before, but it was so fun! And they are super nasty, so if any of you want to stop smoking, I definitely encourage you to do so! He is a little tough though, so we are taking it one day at a time.

I love the ward here, they are so cool! And I love how missionary minded the Bishop is, and he is the cutest thing! I will have to remember to get a picture with him, but during ward council and correlation meeting, his feet are always turned in under the table, and he puts his hands in his lap and moves around, it is the cutest thing, ha. I love working with the Ward, and seeing how the Doral ward progressed, and I so pumped to be able to do the same thing here! And find, of course, thats super important too. Finding through members! Haha.

There are so many things that I have already learned on my mission, it truly is such an amazing experience. The bad days come with the good, but what really defines your character is how you go through the bad days just as happy, if not more so, than the good days. Every day on the mission is a blessing, and I love being able to be a tool in the hands of the Lord to bless his people. I know this Gospel is true, and that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, and that through Him, ALL things are possible. Keep the faith! love you all, have a fantastic week!

Love, Hermana Stokes