9/25/2017

Hey Everyone!!

This week was amazing! We were teaching Troy almost everyday this past
week and it was incredible to watch the change that happened to him
even in that short space of time. He seemed much lighter for lack of a
better word. This gospel does change lives and it does make a
difference. At Troys baptism his Granfather gave the closing prayer in
Navajo which was fun to hear but before he prayed he gave a few
closing remarks about how the Ward family can be just as much Family
as your actually family and how he has so appreciated how this Ward
has reached out to his family in Cedar. Our wards are truly our family
and we are all brothers and sisters in the gospel.

Last night we also ran into a Chinese man who we talked to for quite a
while about the Book of Mormon and Jospeh Smith. He didn't know much
but he did have a Book of Mormon (though he did keep saying that he
thought that the language was weird). He didn't want us to come back
because he only had 9 days left in the states but it was a cool
experience.

Rula left this week to go to New York. We are going to miss her for
these two weeks, she was always a bright spot in our day, but before
she left the bishop in her Ward gave her a priesthood blessing.
Afterwards she told us that she was reminded during her blessing that
God has a plan for her, and that he is in control. She feels the Holy
Ghost so strong it is just a amazing to us. She just has a special
spirit about her.

Thanks for all that you do and I love you all!!
-Sister Waite

9/18/2017

Hey Everyone!!

This week has been a blast. We had to make the trip down to St. George
for a meeting and I got to see lots of people I haven't seen in
forever because I am in the boonies and not a visitor center sister.
It was great!

We also had interviews with President Smith, which is always good. He
pretty much told me that I was going to stay in Cedar West next
transfer which I am perfectly fine with. I am probably getting a new
companion however which I am not so happy about. Sister Taylor is an
amazing missionary and we have had a blast together! I guess we will
just enjoy the next few weeks that we have with each other.

Tuesday was a busy day for us! We taught 6 lessons! It was great. We
taught Dan and Susie Lopez and we asked them if they wanted to be
baptized...but they don't and in fact they don't want to meet with us
again. But that is alright because we planted some good seeds and the
next missionaries who came along will help them further along the path
toward baptism.

Troy is also progressing! He is still set for baptism on the 23rd so
we are super excited about that. He is an amazing young man with a lot
of potential and deep thoughts. We asked him the other day why he
wanted to be baptized his answer was that he didn't want it to change
who he was, but the direction his life would go. I have never really
looked at it that way but it is so true! Baptism, and taking the
sacrament, does not change who we are, but it can change the direction
of our lives as we apply the covenants into our lives by doing small
and simple things.

At the end of this week we will be going to a meeting that will fully
explain the missionaries role in the temple open house and give us
some training. We are so excited for the temple!!! I can't put into
words how excited we are to be able to help out. Still don't fully
know what we will be doing but we got official flyers from the church
this week about times and such so that is a step in the right
direction.

Thanks so much for everything! I love you all!
-Sister Waite

9/11/2017

Hey Everyone! :)

This week we had the chance to teach a man (Dan) and his mother. His
mother has been sick lately and hasn't been able to to do much, but
with this inability to do anything she decided that she wants to go to
church. Haha, she says that she will walk there if need be (once she
is all the way better). We are excited to get to teach them!
We had an amazing lesson with Troy this week. He is still progressing
towards baptism and wow. He just has this really special spirit about
him.

On Friday night we were also able to have an amazing experience withRula. We walked into her home and there was just their happy spirit
about it. Her husband, who is a trucker, was home finally and we
learned that he is working on getting a job down here so he can stay
close to home (which was a huge answer to Rula prayers!) and then Rula
was telling us that she knows. She knows that Christ is her Savior
which is big considering she is Muslim. D&C 46:13 was pretty much
exactly what told us and how she believes. However, with that she is
making the scary step these next few weeks in telling her family. We
will see how it goes but we are sure praying for her!

Sunday was a regional Stake conference and it was so good. We had the
chance to hear broadcasted this conference out to most of southern
Utah (256 stakes). We had the chance to hear from Elder Stevenson fromthe the Quorum of the 12 and he gave some amazing advice. There did
not apparently used to be missionaries in Utah, they very first tried

it out as an experiment with just two elders when Elder Stevenson had
just started his mission. And now look at where it is. 9 missions, 800
missionaries, and even more investigators. Wow, it is amazing to watch
the hastening of the work go forth today.
In this Stake conference we also heard from Elder Uceda who gave an
outstanding talk on doing the small and simple things. He talked about
reading the scriptures and praying and how, when we pray with a
sincere heart, then we have a moment in the heaven. The Lord does hear
and answers our prayers. That is something that I know without a doubt
and He always answers, even if we don't always understand or recognize
right away.

I love you all!!
-Sister Waite

9/4/2017

Hey Everyone!!

This week was pretty good. Pretty slow as well but with it being Labor
Day weekend what does one expect?

Exchanges were this week as well. Sister Taylor when with Sister
Williams in YSA while Sister Zhang (my pal!)  came over to Cedar West
to chill with me. Haha, we had a blast and a lot of doors opened up
for us. None of them were interested but they opened. That is
sometimes an accomplishment in and of itself.

One of the more interesting things that happened this week was that we
almost had dinner in a tattoo parlor. Our Ward mission leader had
assigned us dinner with a less active trying to return couple who run
a tattoo business in their home. When we knocked on their door and
they opened we realized that they must have forgotten (when we called
to confirm we got a voice mail of a tattoo parlor and we were really
confused because but we just thought we had the wrong number) so we
played it off as a door contact and she invited us in. We had an
amazing discussion about the temple though. Their goal is to be able
to be sealed in a temple for time and all eternity and I loved hearing
about how hard they were working toward that. Not always making it,
but they were continuing to get up each time they fell down. And truly
is that not what this is all about? Getting up each time we fall and
realizing that we can do better but being able to relay on the
Atonement of Jesus Christ when we do make mistakes. We didn't get any
dinner that night but we did feel the spirit with them and who knows,
maybe the couple in the back getting tattoos in the back felt it as
well. ;)

We were able to teach Troy twice this week! Man, that boy has some
amazing, unique insights on the gospel. We asked him how the Book of
Mormon was able to change his life and he said that it was teaching
him how to trust. Another time he said that the Book of Mormon helped
him feel potential and I think that is so true. The Book of Mormon is
filled with ways that we learn and grow and have a greater potential
in life. Guys, the Book of Mormon is an awesome thing.

I love you all and thanks for everything!!
Sister Waite