Weekly Letter 11-17-14

Hi everyone!

So this week I got a new companion, Sister Holguin! She's from El Paso, Texas, and I'm excited to get to work with her because we had the same trainer!  We work pretty well together already, so it's going to be a pretty good transfer :)

Everything is going great! It's finally starting to cool down, big time! It's like 50 degrees at night, and our furnace decided to die last night so our apartment temperature is 65 degrees and declining until the people can come fix it on Friday, so that's gonna be interesting...  but we did find a whole bunch of Christmas decorations! We have this crazy huge closet in the apartment that I had never looked in before and we have the most random stuff, but we rearranged the apartment and pulled out a whole bunch of Christmas decorations, so that was fun :)

Anyway, this week we went and saw a less active in the ward who came to church last week for the first time in 20 years. He doesn't know if God is there or not, so we asked him if he wanted to believe and read Alma 32. We talked about God and showed him the 'Hope of God's Light' Mormon message, and as we bore our testimonies about how God is there listening to his prayers, he started crying. The spirit touched his heart so strongly! It was such an amazing experience because we could feel the spirit as well. He came to church on Sunday! His parents (who are also in our ward) were freaking out because they were so excited!!

We also have an investigator named Zach. The sisters have been teaching him for a while, and his biggest hang up was always that his dad really doesn't like Mormons and he was afraid to tell his parents that he was taking the lessons and reading the Book of Mormon. We kept asking to at least meet his mom but he wouldn't hear any of it. So on Friday we said a prayer with him and prayed for him to have the courage to tell his parents that he wants to be baptized, and he did it!! He told his parents and now his mom wants to meet us! His dad was angry, but his mom wants him to make his own decisions and now Zach is really excited about being baptized and wants to set a date this week :)

Yesterday Zach came to a fireside that was going on. It was for a man named AJ Munech who has been quadriplegic for the last 20 years. Yesterday was the anniversary of the accident. It was so great, he talked about how he had seen a lot of hardship from the accident, but how he became so much stronger and closer to God because of it. He talked about how the atonement of Jesus Christ really can help us through all of our trials and because of Him we can be perfect in the next life. His testimony of the atonement was so strong it really touched the hearts of everyone there, and it really inspired me to continue to strengthen my testimony and to be more mindful of gratitude.

Hope you all are having a great week! Love you!

Love, 

Sister Lesser

Mom:

Thanks for sending that package, I'm excited to get it! I'm sorry you got sick! I'm glad that mandee's play is going so well though, it looks like she's having lots of fun.

We haven't sang yet, they moved us back into December so we're going to sing a Christmas song instead. I'll make sure to record it and try and send it to you :) The Elder's name is Elder Stuart, he's from Tremonton. He sang in madrigals there to and he's actually a music major at Utah State, so he's got a really good voice.

We didn't really find any new investigators this week, but we're going to try harder this next week. It's hard with transfers week.

I hope that you start feeling better! Have a great week! Love you lots!

PS. could you check my debit card account? We went shopping a couple weeks ago and I was just wondering how much was left on the card. Thanks, love you! :)

PSS. I would love some lackerlies for Christmas, that would be the best gift ever :) ... and maybe a space heater, haha :)

Dad:
Haha, I love the selfie pictures that you and mandee took :) It sounds like you had quite the eventful week! Tyson says that the dogs aren't feeling too well, poor things! :) Well I hope that everything else is going good for you. Is there still hunting stuff going on? How's everything going? 

Love you!

Mandee:

It sounds like you're just living the dream there! How much longer does the play have? I hope you guys have another really awesome play next week that gets extended as well, because I think I come home 2 days before thanksgiving next year, so lets pray that the play will still be going on :)

You and Dylan make a cute couple, haha :) you look like you have lost quite a bit of weight too! Have you and mom been lifting weights at the gym? haha :)

love you, have fun with the play! 

PS. have you decided whether you're doing madrigals or productions next year?

Tyson:

You're just as crazy as ever :) That's cool that you're almost as tall as mandee now, do you think you're done growing? haha :) I'm excited to see you guys on Christmas too, It's weird to think that it's only 5 weeks away, it seems like it came so quickly!
So how is school and everything going? Are you having fun with the snow? Do you want to build a snowman? haha :)
Have a great week, love you!

Grandma Nanna:
Have fun with Libby and her family and with the new puppies! Are you going to do anything fun on your visit? They live in Florida, right? Thanks for the pictures! 

have a safe flight! Love you!

Grandma Bowcutt:

Aw, it sounds like you guys had so much fun! I'm glad that Bridger's operation went well, what did he need surgery for? 

Wow, I didn't know that re carpeting and stuff took so long! I'm sure it will look great after you guys are done though :) That's fun that you got snow! How was St. George?

Love you both! Have a great week! have fun at Mandee's play!

Pictures 11-10-14

Zone Conference

Carving Pumpkins

Zone Conference

Eating bread bowls at Boudins

My District

Weekly Letter 11-10-14

Hi everyone!

I can't believe transfers are here again already! It really feels like I just got to Vacaville. My companion, Sister Clawson, is getting transferred to a tiny little place called 'Middletown', It's about 6 streets long and 6 streets wide and happens to be one of California's capitals of crystal meth and toothless hippies :) I'm sad that she's leaving, but I'm getting a pretty cool companion, Sister Holguin! She was trained by Sister Hamilton right before I was! ...I kicked her out of Dixon :) She's awesome and has a fun personality, so I'm sure this will be a fun transfer.

So highlights of this week:

-We had dinner with one of the families that we picked up last week! They are so sweet and have so much potential! They fed us really yummy thai food and we had a good gospel discussion. They both know a lot of Mormons and David loves all that the church is about and how close our families are, but he can't get over our 'founder' Joseph Smith. Liz doesn't really see the need for a church but loves having us come over and talk to them. They didn't come to church, but we're working on it!

-A less active member who we've been working with came to church for the first time in like 20 years! He said it was just like he remembered it being, not very interesting...but he said he's coming again! :)

-We had a lesson with another less-active member, Anthony, who has been struggling with believing in God. He told us that he's been praying and that he's been seeing how much happier it makes him! He said he's going to buy some church clothes and bring his whole family to church next week!

-I was adopted into a barbershop quartet and learned how to sing tenor and learned a cute barbershop quartet song :)

-We went to the grand opening of chick-fil-a in Vacaville and got gift certificates and cute little stuffed cows for attending! haha

So overall a pretty awesome week :)

Hope you all are having a great week! Love you all!

Sister Lesser

Mom:

Thanks for the Videos, they were great! It sounds like Box Elder has just as much musical talent as ever! They'll do awesome! 

I'm glad that you got Sister Monson's e-mail! We were actually just talking with her late last night when she asked for our parents e-mails, so I can't believe she sent one already! 

At the moment we have 2 baptismal dates, Jennifer Medil and Zach Wilde, but they're both pretty iffy right now, so they'll probably get pushed back a while.

Anything that I need for Christmas...whatever you decide to send me will be great :) I can't really think of anything in particular right now, so I'll get back to you on that :)

Thanks for all that you do for me! I love you :)

Dad:

Love you too! I'm glad that everything is going well! I'm not sure how 'in-shape' I'm going to get here in Vacaville, I can run all I want but I'm pretty sure I've already gained 10 lbs here! I guess I shouldn't complain that the member's love us though :) Have you heard of Fenton's before? It's a really yummy Ice cream place :) 1 order of ice cream is enough to feed a family of 5 and the members love to get each missionary their own! I also found out that Fenton's is in the Disney movie "up" pretty cool, huh? :) Anyway, love you, have a great week!

Mandee:

You make me laugh :) It's way weird to think that I'm already 1/3 the way through my mission, it's gone by so fast! You guys sound awesome in les mis, I'm sad that I'm going to be missing it! You'll have to sing me all your parts when I get back :)

That's good that you still have a 4.0, don't lose that, work hard! Learn spanish! :) Love you!

Tyson:

It's good to hear that you're liking school? Have you started doing any sports? Football? Wrestling? Golf? Golf is fun :) That's so cool that you got to go on a field trip to hardware ranch!! Is it snowing up there yet? I feel like it should be cold right now, as it is almost the middle of November, but it's still about 80 degrees here. In California the weather stays really hot for a while and then plummets over night. I thought we were done with the heat but apparently mother nature thinks otherwise. 

It sounds like you've been doing awesome! What's the weirdest thing YOU'VE eaten this week? Have a good time at Mandee's play! Tell me how it goes! Love you!

Grandpa Bick:

It sounds like you guys have been keeping busy! I'll have to go hunting/camping with you when I get back. And golfing, I'll be a pro by then :)

That's cool that you've got a big presentation coming up! You're really good at stuff like that :) what is the presentation for? is it for a specific company? I forgot that you wrote a book! How is that going? 

I'm glad that Grandma is doing so much better this year! Tell her and Lacey that they should sign up for a yoga class, yoga is fun :) Or water aerobics! That's pretty fun too :) 

Thanks for writing me! Love you, have a great week!

Letter from Sister Monson 11/9/14

Hi.  We just had a nice visit from your daughter.   I wanted to let you know that she is well, and loved here in Vacaville.  Her comp. is leaving after having been here for 6 months and they came by for pictures and hugs.  Thank you for raising and sending out such a special girl.

Her quiet and sincere testimony is making a wonderful impact on our ward.  I hope she can stay in our ward through Christmas.  We love her.

We have good friends from my husband’s mission in Brigham City.  Mark and Linda Peterson have been friends for over 40 years.  Maybe you know them.

Have a wonderful Sunday and  Sister Lesser sends her love.

Sincerely,

Joanne Monson

Vacaville 5^th ward

Letter from Sister Strickland 11/6/14

- TEACHING BUBBLES THE TORTOISE - 

These lovely girls came for dinner with our family tonight and had to get a picture of themselves with Bubbles the Sulcata tortoise.  We all had a delightful time with these sweet sisters. They are lovely young women and have such a sweet spirit about them. They wanted you to see this.
-- Sister Kristin Strickland

Weekly Letter 11-3-14

Hi Everyone!

This has been an amazing week, we worked our behinds off and our numbers skyrocketed! We picked up 8 amazing new investigators this week, and we're going to try hard to continue the good work! It's really a testimony to me that God blesses us when we do what he has asked and try our hardest to be completely obedient to all of his commandments.

Our week has been exciting in different ways than the car chase :) About a week ago we gave a Book of Mormon to some lady that we met on the street. We had read Moroni 10:3-5 with her and she told us that she got chills when we read it to her. When we went back to see her this last week her Mom, who was visiting, told us that she had been reading from the Book of Mormon every time she felt sad and that it made her feel so much better! The Lord really has been preparing these people and softening their hearts. A few transfers ago Vacaville was known as the area that never baptizes. "the wards are good, but the people are mean and you're not going to see much success there". But we came in at the right time, because "the field is white, already to harvest!"

We met a "prophet" this week, that was pretty cool :) haha. She may have been a little bit crazy, but it's cool to see the different spiritual gifts that everyone has. One thing that I really loved that she said though was that she had a vision where satan was trying to drag her down and the Savior rescued her and told her, "If you would have been the only sinner on earth I still would have come down and died just for you." It's so amazing to see the faith that some people have in the Lord. 
I've been trying to work hard this week at strengthening my faith in the Savior and my confidence as a missionary. I was reading in Alma chapter 26 and I love how the sons of Mosiah are perfect examples of good missionary work, and how to be a good member of the church in general. They gave themselves to much study, fasting, and prayer. They trusted in God. They had confidence that they were where they were for a reason, and they bore with patience all of their afflictions. There are definitely many ups and downs on a mission, but I have learned so much more out here than I ever would have other wise. I don't know where I'd be right now if I hadn't come out.

Hope that everyone had an amazing Halloween! Have a great week! I love you all lots!

Love,

Sister Lesser

Mom:

Thanks for the coats and the jerky! (and for not rubbing the coats all over titan!) It has been freezing here lately! It literally went from high 90's down to 60's within a day! 

Next time you get a chance to send a package, could you please send my copy of "Jesus the Christ"? Also (you might have to look in Mandee's room for these) but could you send me my winter scarves? There should be a cream on and a gray one that look alike, and a green one (maybe in the right hand top drawer of my vanity) and a green and purple one, and a silvery blue one (In the top of my closet?). And then my black boots :) 

haha, thank you! You do so much for me, I really appreciate it :) 

I love you guys lots! have a good week! Have fun at Mandee's play! Oh! That reminds me, I'm going to be singing in sacrament sometime with one of the elders in our ward. I'll try and record and send you a video some time :) Love you!

Dad:

I'm glad you guys had such a fun time hunting! I'll have to go with you next time, it sounds like fun :) I've definitely been running in the morning, I would weigh 300 lbs by now if I wasn't! The members love us a little too much here in Vacaville :) 

I love the Jerky! You guys did a good job :) Guess what! Brother Maseda took us golfing last monday :) I have pictures I'll have to send to you. It was fun, but I was so sore for the next couple of days! I didn't realize that golfing was such a work out! I'm pretty good at it though if I do say so myself :) must be in my genes!! haha!

Love you! Have an awesome week!

Mandee:

It sounds like you've had an exciting week! I loved the all day practice days, those were so fun :) Savor the High School years, you're going to miss them!! 

You look like you've lost a lot of weight! Congrats! What's your secret? Haha :) I love the members here, but they feed us so much (and like 3 desserts a day!!), I'm barely fitting in my clothes anymore!!! Oh well, I guess enjoy it while it lasts :)

you've never told me about Harrison before, what's he in the play? Are you other friends in the pictures in the play as well?

Yeah, I think you would love productions. That's sad that they won't let you do both!! You should try out for both mads and productions and see what happens. :)

Love you, have a great week! Have fun with your last week of play practice!

Tyson:

Good job on getting a deer dude! The jerky is really good, I love it! Are you going to hang the deer head in your room?

The most unusual food that I ate this week...well there is a cute thai lady in our ward who made us some authentic thai food. That was pretty good, the only problem was that it was made with shrimp, so the rest of that night wasn't too fun. I think the allergy is getting worse. Also, I think I'm allergic to bell peppers, is that possible?

Anyway, my favorite person that I met this week was probably this atheist guy that we met yesterday. When he first opened up his door he was ready to run us off his property, but we got to talking to him a little and read a scripture out of the Book of Mormon about faith, and his heart completely softened. We ended up giving him the Book of Mormon and he said he would read it and think about being baptized, so that was a really cool miracle :)

I'm glad that everything is going good for you and that you're liking school! What is your favorite subject? What field trips have you taken lately? How is scouts going? what is the most fun thing coming up? What were you for halloween? 

Love you, dude! Have an awesome week!

Grandpa Bowcutt:

Aw, that picture is so cute!!! I can't believe that Harper is turning 3 already! I'm glad that everything is going well! Except for your knee, get better!! :) I hope that you start feeling better soon, maybe you should consider a priesthood blessing, those work miracles!

Thanksgiving in St. George sounds fun! Hopefully most everyone will be able to go. I'll be thinking about you guys! 

Have a great week! Love you and Grandma!

Lacey:

It's so good to hear from you! It sounds like you guys are really keeping busy, that's awesome! It's so great to hear that everyone is still loving soccer and that Skylee is doing so well in it! If she keeps up her track record she'll have scholarships galore soon! :) haha.  

Haha, Stryker :) he sounds like bunches of fun! It's good to hear that everyone is doing well! What was everyone for halloween? Do you guys have any fun plans coming up for the Holidays?

Love you all!