It was a good week!

Monday we had a lesson with our investigator Steven. He was the one we met at the bus stop. And he accepted a baptism date! We were so excited! He has such a sweet spirit so we are so happy he's making the decision to be baptized.

Our President's wife, Sister Bonham is making an exercise video for the missionaries, and we're all in it, so Tuesday was our turn to be filmed. They weren't even hard exercises, but Sis Johnson and I were sore on Wednesday. I'm definitely not as in shape as I thought I was! hahah But after that Sister Bonham took us to lunch and it was so sweet! We love seeing the Bonhams!

We're tight for miles on our car, so we decided to do a car fast and not use it at all on Thursday. We walked a ton of miles and my shoes were not great so now I have blisters all over, which isn't fun, BUT our future selves will be grateful we saved on miles!

Yesterday's church was so good! All the talks were so powerful and we had a musical number, "A Long Time Ago" a beautiful song everyone should look up! And the lessons were great too! We had an investigator who wanted to come, but our 9 am church was too early for her (she has some health problems) so we decided to go to a later ward's meetings with her. So she was going to meet us there at the church, but she never showed up. We waited till after sacrament, and when we got home, she texted us explaining what happened. Turns out there was a miscommunication and she went to the wrong building. She ended up going to the Armar YSA sacrament meeting! She seemed to enjoy it though and said a lot of young people talked about how much they loved their fathers and it was very touching. Hahah next week we'll sort out all the details so we get her to the right building!

I hope everyone has a great week!

Sister Tennant

 

 

Brother Schilaty

We were walking and started talking to this lady who gave us a part of her plant. It was really nice but we looked goofy walking home with a plant in our hands

Sister Rushton

Some of our favorites in Arlington!

 

It's been a slow week. We don't have many investigators, so we've been doing a lot of finding. President issued a new challenge last week for the whole month of June. As a mission, we want to contact 25,000 people, which mean each companionship must contact 16 people every day to reach that goal. It's been interesting and certainly helps us quieter folk talk to more people! It's helping us all go way out of our comfort zone to talk to as many people as we can and invite more people to learn about the gospel. And we've certainly already seen the blessings from doing this!

We were listening to the talk "Believing Christ" by Steven Robinson and he quoted Doctrine and Covenants 76:69 "These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus". I love this. He pointed out how a lot of us know the facts about Christ and the Atonement, but have a hard time applying it to ourselves, which is why not only must we believe IN Christ, but we must BELIEVE CHRIST. That He is our personal Savior. I have such a huge testimony of Jesus Christ and am so thankful for all that He did for me, and for all of us. I invite you to listen to the talk!

Love, Sister Tennant

It was a bit of a rough week this week. 

 

 

We had an investigator named Pearl. Pearl's husband died 4 years ago and she's been super depressed ever since. Her daughter, Heather, cleans houses for people, and one of her clients is LDS. She was talking to her client about her mom, and the LDS lady told her about Mormon missionaries who talk to people, so the non-member daughter referred her mom, Pearl, to us. When we first tried to teach her, she wasn't interested in the gospel, she just wanted someone to talk to her. So we went slow and just snuck in the gospel and helped Pearl be happy again. We explained Priesthood blessings and invited her to get one, and the elders came a few days later to do it. The spirit was so strong and powerful and was a really neat experience! And from then on, she wanted to learn, and was soaking up the gospel!

A few weeks later, we had dinner with Pearl and her main fellow shipper, and we were explaining the Plan of Salvation again and we stopped and asked if she had any questions, and she said, "Well, I was wondering, who is it that does the baptisms?" We about died. She told us she wanted to be baptized, so we started preparing her over the next several days. She was on date for June 7th and was so excited.

Then Tuesday happened. We went over to see her, and from the very beginning we could tell something was off. She started with, "I have something to say." Very bold and straightforward, especially for Pearl. She went on about how she wouldn't be able to pay tithing, and then how she thought we were counselors. It didn't make any sense at all. From the very beginning we explained that we were missionaries. And she has been completely different from the first time we met her. She is happy and laughs now and finds joy in life again! And she told us she is not getting baptized anymore and she didn't wan to meet with us. It was so strange and broke our hearts. It really didn't make sense.

We went to our Bishop's house to tell him but he wasn't home so we talked to his wife. She gave us a mom hug! The ward has really rallied around us and is supporting us, even though it's so sad. WE all continue to pray for Pearl and hopefully one day she will be baptized!

Other than that, it's been a good week. We had interviews with President again. Any day we get to see the Bonhams is a good day!

I love being a missionary, I love this gospel, and I am so thankful for Christ in my life!

Sister Tennant

 

 

Playing Frisbee golf last Monday for P day! "5 minutes throwing the Frisbee, and hour and a half trying to find it in all the bushes!"

 

This transfer is seriously flying by it's crazy!

On Tuesday, we had dinner with a family in the ward, and Pearl our investigator. After dinner, we were reviewing the Plan of Salvation with Pearl, and part way through, we stopped and asked if she had any questions so far. She said, "Well, who is it that does the baptisms?" We explained how anyone who holds the priesthood can do it and she said it was something she would like to do. We were so excited!! We felt impressed to let her pick her date, and she chose June 6th. She has to come to church 3 times before she can be baptized, so we had to move it to the 7th so she can come one more time and be baptized that night. We still have a lot to teach her this week, but it will happen and Pearl will be baptized! We are so happy for her

Then we taught a man being re-baptized, and because of the situation, we had to teach all the lessons in 2 days, so we did the first 4 in one night, and all the rest of them Thursday. It was crazy but we are thankful we got it all in and that he was able to be baptized on Saturday!

Saturday our Sister Training Leaders came to study with us! We love them so much and I am so grateful for all the incredible missionaries we get to serve with here! It's true what they say about everyone thinks they have the best mission. But seriously, Washington Everett is the very best!

Sunday was the Come See For Yourself fireside! We had a reactivated woman and Steven, our investigator with us! It was so good, and the spirit was so strong. I am so thankful for the gift of the Holy Ghost that can testify of truth to us and those around us.

It has been a week of miracles for sure!

Love, Sister Tennant

 

 

Trying to get organized after moving...what a mess!

Baptism Day!

Cleaning Dog Hair and lint out of Dryer so we can use it

House Warming Flowers after the move....yes those are paper rolls

Goodbye cute apartment!

Baptism Day

 

 

What a week!

We had two great lessons with two of our investigators, who should both be on date by the end of the week! We are so excited for them!!

We have another investigator, Angie, who has been super sick the last few months. She actually speaks Spanish, so we're trying to pass her off to the Spanish missionaries, so they came with us to our lesson, and the elder was able to give her a priesthood blessing in Spanish. Even though I don't know a word of what was said, the spirit was so strong! Good things are in store for Angie.

Thursday was May 21st, 2015. It was my 1 year anniversary of going through the temple. I love the temple so much and I am so very thankful for the blessing that temples are. In the temple, our families can be sealed together forever, and so many more wonderful blessings are available! Even though I can't go while I'm out here, I can't wait to go again when I get back!

Friday morning we got a text saying we were moving! We got home from volunteering at the food bank at 1 and started packing everything up. We had to be out by that night, so we spent the whole day/night packing. They're getting rid of the apartment we lived in so every single thing had to be out and cleaned. It was so stressful. Our sister training leaders came and helped. We've pretty much just dumped everything into the new apartment till we can get it all organized. What a mess.

It has been a great week though. A wise sister once said to me "I believe in being happy." I believe in being happy! No matter what!

 

 Also, Abbi, a cute 8 year old we've been teaching got baptized on Saturday! Her dad isn't a member and her mom is reactivating so it was great to have the whole family there to support her!

Love, Sister Tennant

We had an incredible experience last Monday. One of our investigators, Pearl, has been severely depressed for a few years after losing her husband, and she liked us to come over just to talk, but she wasn't too interested in the gospel. We felt impressed to offer her a priesthood blessing, so on Monday, our zone leaders came with us and gave her a blessing and the spirit was so strong! She said she felt at peace and could feel herself getting happy again. And she practically asked if she could come to church with us. She came yesterday and loved it, and now she's really excited about learning more! She says she knows it is the gospel that will help her see her husband again and find joy in this life. We love Pearl so much!

On Thursday, we felt like we needed to stop by a family in our ward's house just to say hi and see how they're doing, even though they're fully active. So we did, and let me tell you, that was where we needed to be. She's been stressed for a long time, and we were able to help clean and de-clutter and organize some of her house with her so the spirit could be in their home more fully. We were there for 2 and a half hours and she was so thankful afterwards. It was such a great service opportunity!

Church was great on Sunday! The talks and lessons were great, and perfect for Pearl! She really seemed to enjoy it! After church, we had a meeting with our bishop, so we had to wait for a while. It was the time one of the wards after us started coming in, and I got to see the Duces!! One of our favorite families from Marysville :)

 I heard news that on Saturday, Will from Port Gardner got baptized!!! When I was there, he wanted it so bad, but they had to wait for Anjie's divorce to go through so they could be married so he could be baptized. And now they are married and he is baptized! Makes me so happy and I can't wait to see them again someday!

And as of today, Sister Wikstrom is officially on the plane, heading back home to Utah. We really did need some Sister Training Leader help Saturday night, so we called them asked our questions, and got to say goodbye. She will do great things and I'm so excited for all that life has in store for her!

It is a good life being a missionary!

Sister Tennant

Dustin our investigator

This is my joy cover for my Preach My Gospel

Beautiful rhododendrons everywhere!

Look at all those stairs we climbed yesterday! Washington is so pretty everywhere

Monday we had two great lessons with members present! Productive Monday nights are the best!

Then we met our sister training leaders for exchanges! Tuesday Sister Johnson went to Thomas Lake with Sister Conner and I stayed in Arlington with Sister Wikstrom! She was here a year ago before the wards split, so part of my ward now was her old ward so it was super cool for her to be back and see some of the people again. And of course us getting to be together again was so great!

We have decided that we were friends in the premortal life which is why we get along so well! I love that we get to meet some of our best friends out here while serving the Lord!  We had a couple of incredible lessons, and we even got to share John 11:35, our favorite scripture that we shared with pretty much everyone in Everett together!

Then the exchange came to an end and we had a very tearful goodbye. It was really really sad but thank goodness we will see each other again someday! We have so many plans for post missions :)

Wednesday we worked on our new apartment again. You won't even recognize it when we're done with that thing!

 

Sunday was Mother's Day! I am so grateful for my mom, and not only her, but all the Mothers who have had such a great impact on my life! And I love that we get a whole day to celebrate mothers. Every day should be Mother's Day!

Skyping was perfect. It's such a blessing that we can see our families and talk to them! I am so thankful for eternal families and that we can be together forever! I hope all those missionaries out there and all the missionary families had a great day yesterday talking to loved ones!

Sister Tennant

 

Our last goodbye. Right before we both broke down and cried for a while