Lighting the Way in Washington: Mission Update Week #4

Week #4 Update

This week I hit my 1 month mark! I've been on my mission for 1 whole month and I'm loving it! Everett is seriously so beautiful and the people are great! It's crazy how fast time is flying. I'm one month in, and only have 17 more to go. I'll be home before I know it! It’s so sad though because never again in my life will I be able to devote 100% of my time and energy to spreading the gospel.

So last Monday, our P day, Sis Wikstrom and I were just lounging around the apartment, but we had dinner at 5:30, so we put ourselves back together and went. Well, when we got there, the lady asked what my name is, since I'm still new and hardly anyone knows who I am. So out of habit, I reached for my nametag, and I didn't have it! I forgot my nametag! Sis Wikstrom was telling me how it was okay an happens to everyone, and it's totally fine. Then I realized that she didn't have hers either! We both forgot our nametags!! Oh it was bad. We had to meet with the mission president right after dinner because our investigator, John, needed a baptismal interview with him. So we went and covered our shoulders with our hair and hoped he wouldn’t notice!

He and John went to interview, and while we waited, literally everyone who saw us asked if we were missionaries and where our nametags were. Terrible. If president Bonham did notice, he didn't say anything! Needless to say, we will not be forgetting our nametags again.

So John is being baptized on August 23rd, Patricia is almost there, we're just giving her a little time before we invite her again. Although, she even brought up baptism herself the last time we met with her. I think she just wants to be settled an find a place to live before she commits to anything. and another investigator, Lee, is 14, and accepted baptism yesterday! He'll be baptized Sep 20th and we're super excited for him!

The work is moving forward here and I love that I get to be a part of it. It's truly a blessing in my life to get to have a part in these people's conversion.

Love, Sister Tennant

A little about our investigator John:

We met John one of my first days here. WE got a call from the Elders in Darrington (sp?), saying they had this GOLDEN investigator who was moving to our area and loved the book of Mormon and was set for baptism August 30th. So we were all excited and went and met him the next day. The elders taught him most of the lessons, we really only needed to teach him about the word of wisdom, the law of chastity, tithing, etc. So we've gone to his house the last couple weeks and teach him a little, but mostly answer questions and talk about what he's learned. He read the Book of Mormon in like 2 weeks and totally understands it and takes it all in.

John comes to church every week and really wanted a white shirt since he wants to look like everyone else and cover up the tattoos he has on his arms. The only problem is that he's a 5XL and we couldn't find a shirt at goodwill, so we've asked the ward to help look for one. We finally found him a shirt that he was able to wear yesterday.

We've thought about moving up is baptism since we really don't have anything else to teach him, but we weren’t sure because he smoked and we don't know how long you have to be off it before you can be baptized. So it was just something we were thinking about. But then yesterday at church, our ward mission leader said the same thing to us about moving it up, and since John hasn't smoked in 2 weeks and doesn’t even have the desire to anymore, Bro Kenison, the ward mission leader thinks he's good to go! He's already been interviewed and everything, so the baptism has been moved to this Saturday instead of next. We’re all so excited and we hope the elders will be able to get permission to come to his baptism since they’re the ones that found and taught him most. John is awesome.

I don't know if I ever really talked about my companions.

At the MTC, I was with sister Covington from Missouri, and sis Winterton from Heber, UT.

Sis. Covington is in Everett and Sis. Winterton went to Houston

Here in Everett, I’m in downtown Everett, in the Port Gardner ward. Its right on the coast and the USS Nimitz is right outside our window (almost). My trainer/companion is Sister Wikstrom from Sandy, UT and she’s the youngest of 7 kids. She’s hit her 9 month mark last week and is freaking out about going home already. We get along great and have vey similar personalities and so much in common its crazy. She's a great example to me and a fantastic missionary. I'm so glad we get to be together for 3 months (2 transfers) and I will be sad to see her go. We're not thinking about that yet though. We're focusing on the work here and now