Monday, June 29, 2015

Officially Monsoon season

The heat is bearable because it's the heat that makes monsoon weather patterns possible. Thunderstorms, warm desert rain, dust storms, it's so much fun! Phoenix has the most fun summer weather, if you can muscle out the heat for it. ANd the clouds and sunsets are so pretty!!

 This week was so much fun!! It's still ridiculously hot, people still dont' ever answer their doors anymore and everyone's out of town (especially with the 4th coming up....HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! I'm so excited! Also, I was in Phoenix for the last 4th of July....full circle. XD), but when you push through, God gives you miracles!! 

 ....Also, when you just choose to have fun with it and keep a good "adventure" attitude about things, it makes God's job just that much easier. And He trusts that you'll see the little miracles and helps He gives. 

 Michelle is still just super sick.....everything in her life is just going wrong. :C We keep praying for her and hope that she'll be okay.

 Fashe's been really sick, too. Another missionary has a friend who served his mission Croatian speaking, so we've been trying to set up a time for him to skype in. But we haven't been able to see her :/ Her whole family is sick.

 Everyone just needs to stop being sick for a second, m'kay. 

 Julio's going to the temple tomorrow!! So excited!! So, I don't remember if I told this story about him, but he was working on building a computer game for years. He was reading a whole bunch of psychology books on how to make an addicting game, and he just felt the Spirit touch him and he asked himself, "What am I doing? I don't want to trap a whole bunch of kids into an addiction just to get money." So he deleted years and years of work and just destroyed the game. Then he used his skills to build a website for his family history. Then, apparently, it evolved into his conversion story and how he found God and why he joined the Church and his thoughts and feelings on his journey. One time he asked us to give the link to our investigators. I'll have to ask his permission to post it here, but our jaws just dropped open when he told us about it. Missionaries only have like three websites we're allowed to go to :p so sadly I probably won't see it until after my mission. I'm so excited to look at it, though. 

 We have a few new investigators! So, we have Dana and Alice. We actually got caught at their house during the dust storm, so we stayed there a couple of hours. It was so what they needed. They had so many questions and we talked all about the Restoration, Joseph Smith's experience, what feeling the Spirit is like, how God communicates with us, how He feels about us, priesthood authority, the Book of Mormon, and everything. We sang "Abide With Me, 'Tis Eventide," because they're another family where just everything is going wrong. They're getting forced out of their home pretty soon, so we don't know if we'll get to meet with them much longer. But singing that song with the storm going on outside and hearing things hit the window, and feeling the Spirit so strong....it was a powerful moment. "The darkness of the world, I fear, would in my home abide. Oh, Savior, stay this night with me; behold, 'tis eventide." 

 They were going to come to church, but they decided to pray about it first. They're used to noisier church environments, where they're singing and praising and shouting. They seemed a little intimidated by the idea of a quiet church meeting. 

 Another person we just started teaching is Alandra. She's in the middle of a very messy divorce, and her cousin, who is serving her mission in Mexico, offered to send us by. It was a very strange experience to knock on a stranger's door and be immediately told, "Hey! Come on in!" as if we'd been visiting them for years. She just wanted us to help her build up a stronger relationship with God so that she could get through this, which is exactly what we're there for. :p She's so excited to learn more.

 She told us she felt bad that this was the moment that she turned to God. "If I was a better person, I would've tried to find him in the good times," she told us. "I almost don't want to look for Him because I feel like I'm being one of those people who just use Him as a 911 emergency line. It makes me want to muscle it through myself without His help and look for Him when things are better again. Maybe this is just a punishment and I need to suffer through it without Him."
 
 .....ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh DON'T SAY THAT!!!! D: It was so sad!! God wants us to turn to Him during the good times, yeah, but failing to turn to Him in the past is not a good reason to fail to turn to Him now! We all have trials in life. We were specially given our own personal weaknesses and challenges for the sole purpose of learning how to rely on him. Ether 12:27, God gives us weaknesses, as a gift. And His Grace is for everyone who turns to HIm, regardless of how late it is or how good we've been before. 

 We're so happy to work with her. It's seriously the BEST THING IN THE WORLD to help people realize just how much God loves them. It's the most important thing people can know. Because then we can trust that He did give us a Savior and a way back home. Then life becomes manageable. It's the best thing to tell people. 

 Missions are awesome. :)

 I love you all!! Thanks for the prayers and support. I miss you!! YOu're awesome :D

 -Sister Stratford

pictures!!


The Ellie Badge!!! 


That awkward moment when you and your companion accidentally match


btw, you know how in all the cartoons the Saguaro cacti are just perfect and neat and symmetrical, with their two or three arms all straight and pretty

 They actually look like this, usually. All twisted and yeah. 



Also, for those who aren't aware, we've been having a bid of a pest problem of bedbugs and got fumigated this week, so we had a graveyard of stuff in our backyard. :p The heat in the black bags kill bedbugs. A good way to make it an adventure instead of an inconvenience is to take good pictures




btw, did I mention it's hot?
The steering wheel is also very hot when it's been in the sun for a while



We tried to pop popcorn



 It didn't work, though. :c It was also cooler that day, though. When we got into the car, the thermostat said 109 instead of 118 like normal. We'll try it another day we're in the parking lot for a few hours. Also, we're planning on using tin foil to turn it into an even more effective solar oven. We will have to try baking cookies one of these days. Maybe transfer meeting. 

 

Monday, June 22, 2015

110+ again. Actually, 115 two days in a row.

It's so hot, hahaha! There's been a little bit of wind, but it doesn't
help at all. It just feels like your getting blasted in the face by a
blow dryer. It's actually been a little rough, because suddenly we've
been having appointments fall through and no ones answering their door
anymore. More so than usual. Like, stuff always falls through, that's
mission, but I was looking at our schedules, how many lessons we
taught a few weeks ago vs. this week and last week, and there's a
definite difference. So, it's hot, and we spend a lot of time out in
it trying to find someone who will open their door. People are
crankier when it's hot. XD

I don't think I've ever drank so much water.

Missions are still the best and dont let anyone tell you different! :p

The mission has totally changed my view on people. I'm driving down
the road, or walking down a stree, and I look at the cars and the
houses and I wonder, "I wonder what's happening in the car or in that
house? There are people in there with a face and a name and a whole
history that spans way before they were even born, when we used to
live with God as spirits. They have a personality, likes and dislikes.
They are feeling emotions right now. They're going somewhere and
coming from somewhere. " it blows my mind sometimes.

Does it ever just really hit you that a divine Being died for each
one of those people? Someone who was completely and totally perfect,
and didn't really need to? I always want to treat people in a way that
shows God I respect that sacrifice. If they were worth all that,
they're worth our kindness and patience.

I don't remember if I've talked about her...I might have. Michelle?
She was involved in a really messy court case. The victim and his
family had all been Mormon, and she was so impressed by how they were
handling everything, she wanted to know more about the beliefs behind
it. She's been going through so much, though. Most of her house
doesn't even have power. :( we were able to bring someone who could
give her a blessing, and it was a really, really powerful experience.
She felt the Spirit so strong. She especially loves, loves hymns. We
try to sing at least one whenever we go. She loves hearing the
harmonies. She plays them on her phone when we're gone using the
LDSmusic app, but she likes hearing is sing.

Julio continues to do really well. He wants a calling in th church
so, so badly. We could see him being an amazing primary teacher or
something like that. He's been praying, asking God to call him as a
ward missionary.

I'm out of time, but I think that's it for me. Everything cancelled,
but we got to see Michelle several times this week and we had some
amazing, powerful experiences with her. We hope she makes it through.

Thanks for your support and your love!! I miss you all so much! :)
HAPPY FATHERS DAY to my amazing Daddy!

I love you all!

Sister Stratford

Monday, June 15, 2015

Keeping notes next week

Seriously, my mind is so mushy busy Monday and the week is just a
blur, I forget what I'm writing home about!

It's pretty darn hot....yeah....monsoon season officially starts
pretty soon, so I'm hoping for rain and haboobs again.

We're actually kinda struggling with our teaching pool. But, that
comes and goes with waves.

Julio got the priesthood yesterday! Yeah! His wife came to sacrament
meeting (which, funny enough, was ALL about the priesthood) but didn't
stay to see the ordination. :c we just try to give him as much support
as possible. It's a hard enough transition, and he's doing it alone,
without any family support.

Fashe.....the language barrier is so steep. No one speaks Croatian.
And she learned English fro. Watching tv, she can't read it. But, God
speaks to her. It's the weirdest thing, because she knows things when
God tells her, and when she asks us about it, we can't explain it. So
we just hope God keeps teaching her. The other day she was telling us,
"I want to be baptized into your church. I want to be a part of it.
God is telling me to be there. But I don't understand why I need to be
baptized again. Why would God be telling me to be baptized in your
church when I've already been baptized?" And then she doesn't
understand our answer.....just keep talking to God, Fashe, you know
what the Spirit feels like. Just keep praying. :)

Her faith is so strong, because God is the only person she can fully
communicate with. He's the only one who speaks her language. I wonder
if that's why she's gotten so fluent at the language of the Spirit,
feeling God guiding her and answering her. She doesn't have anyone
else really to talk to.

We had some amazing miracles last night. It'd been a reaaaaally rough
day for us, and there's a fireside at Tempe that President Toone holds
that we can only go to if we bring someone there. The people we had
invited fell through, and we were praying for the miracle, because we
just really wanted the spiritual uplift we get from those things.
There was a slim, slim chance one guy we invited would make it, but
really, we didn't have anyone. It was a choice between using that slim
chance as an excuse to go for our own spiritual wants, or staying out
to work. We chose to stay.

Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven. I have such a
testimony of that. One guy had ordered a free Bible, but had put down
the wrong address. So when we went to the house, and he wasn't there,
we offered the Bible to the strangers that lived there. The woman
there said, "I've actually been wanting to get a Bible for my
daughter, but I don't have a way to get to a bookstore, and we don't
have the money anyway." And then we called the other guy and got his
actual address. :D everyone gets a Bible! We also got to talk to some
really cool people on the street. One couple from California, heck
yes. And one investigator who we haven't seen in a long time who
reeeaaaallly needed us that night. It was just full of miracles.

Endurance miracles are real! And not just for missionaries, either. ^^

That's it for me. Thanks for the prayers and the emails and letters!
You are the best <3 with Fod in His heaven, what's there to fear?

Sister Stratford

Monday, June 8, 2015

real quick

So I just realilzed I had a LOT less time than I thought and I'm not getting to anyone's email today because my mass email was so long. But, I've saved drafts and y'all are getting them next week.

 I love you all! <3

Moar pictures

Pictures!!

doing it separately now, in case they delete my whole email again >.>



PHOENIX PHOREVER
lol


turn the camera the other way
 Me killing the biggest spider in the world. The bugs in Arizona are so big. It's kinda gross. :p But I feel like a dragon slayer every time I kill something, so that's cool.


Me and Sister Fairburn. We were MTC companions. We've both grown and changed so much. It was fun to see each other at transfer meeting.

Oh, speaking of transfer meeting!! Some mission news. Remember Sister Nelson, my companion in Laveen? She's a district leader now. :p She's one of two sister DL's in the mission.

Guess Where I Am??!?!?!?!

No seriously

 Guess

 GUESS
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NO PEEKING
I WANT YOU TO GUESS
AND MOM AND DAD YOU GOT A HINT ON SUNDAY (thanks to the Amary family :p) SO DON'T GIVE IT AWAY
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Wait but first

while you're guessing

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!!!!!!!!!

 I've said it before and I'll say it again. I have the best Mom in the world and everyone should be jealous. Thanks for being patient with me and for loving me and taking care of me. Thanks for being involved and unbelievably invested in my life and education and for writing me on my mission, even with a painful arm and frustrating voice-to-text technology. I love you so much, and I'm excited to see you again in October and help out more and play violin with you.
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alright, are you ready? Got your guesses?? I haven't served very many places in the mission yet, so it could be anywhere.

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ready?
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Phoenix.

South Phoenix.

YMA O HYD 

Still in the same zone I've been in since July

 Still in the same ward I've been in since November

 Still with Sister Williams (WOOOOOOOO HOOO)
 
 And I'm actually at the same library with the same computers that I used last year to write home and say, "I'm in Laveen and I love it!" So that's crazy.

 This transfer I will celebrate a year in South Phoenix. July 2nd. I'm actually really excited, I don't think I've ever met a missionary who could celebrate a year mark in one place. To answer your question, Dad, I don't know the record for staying in one area or one zone. I'll have to ask. But I do remember being pretty smug when I passed up this one elder. He'd been in the zone for 7 1/2 months. I do know that there was one sister in Laveen that served in that ward for a full 9 months. I definitely hold the record for this zone.

I'm so very, very bummed that my email home last week got nuked for some stinky reason. So stink. But honestly, I was so certain I was leaving because I'd been there so long, there was just no way I was staying. So it was kinda a "I'm going to miss Phoenix so much" "I love this place" "I never want to leave" (I'm never EVER going to leave!!!! >:D), so maybe it was God's way of telling me I was not going to leave until I finish....whatever I'm still here to do. XD or learn whatever I haven't learned yet. Probably both. 

 I did want to rewrite one thing I wrote, though. Last week was our stake conference. It was so fun to be there, because I've served in 3 wards in the whole stake, and served long enough to get close with a lot of the people there. Near the end, the speaker had all the missionaries in the stake (all like 36 of us) line up in front of everyone. He did a fun little thing, asked some of us questions and commented on our answers. It was whatever. But we stayed up there to sing hte closing hymn with the whole congregation. The closing hymn was "Called to Serve." I know both verses to that hymn (and the first verse in Spanish) by heart. It is near and dear to every missionary. And while we were up there singing that song, I was looking out at all the people I've served for the past year. Some of them I had helped baptize. Some I had helped come back to church and find their faith again. Some were active members who had come out on visits with us, and we had had some amazing spiritual miracles experiences together. I'd helped quite a few of them. All of them had touched my life so deeply, my life will never be the same ever again because I had met them and loved them. I remembered how I had felt God's love for all of them too, and had seen them have such profound experiences with their Savior and his Atoning sacrifice. I was also certain I was leaving them and wouldn't be coming back to Phoenix for a while. So I tried to stand up there and sing "Called to Serve" with them, but I was mostly just crying. It was a very special experience, and definitely one I will never forget. 

 Another really fun experience, so the church building in Laveen had some mechanical issues, and they couldn't have church there. Sooooo they came to have church with our ward!!! :D :D :D It was SO SO FUN To have both both wards there!! I loved everyone so much, and it was fun for them because they used to be the same ward like 5 years ago, so it was like a really fun reunion. The testimonies were really fun, too, seeing members from both wards getting up to bear testimony.

 Alright, running out of time, because I've gone on too much about how excited I am to still be here and how much I love this place. But, one miracle I want to share!!

 So, remember Stacy? I think that's what I called her. Anyway, the family that we were tyring to deliver the Bible to, and the young mom said, "I think I want to join your church." We've been trying to contact her for forever, but she totally disappeared. Every now and again we'll see her, and she'll say "yeah, still reading the Book of Mormon, and I really like it," but doesn't have time to sit down and talk more about it and all of our set appointments with her fall through. A while back she said she wasn't sure if she wanted to join anymore and just had to think about it more, which we were totally fine with. We're here for her, not to get another baptism under our belt. Well, we were able to see her again and we asked her how praying was going and her relationship with God, and she said, "I'm so grateful you guys keep trying. Whenever I get nervous about talking with you guys, I feel God tell me that He loves me. He tells me that I don't have to be Mormon to have His love, but He wants me to listen. Can we start meeting again?" 

 The best part about being a missionary is seeing people build their relationship with God. It's what we're here for, it's our whole purpose. So when they feel God starting to speak to them and that bond between them starts to form, that the best part. 

 I have way more to share, but I love you guys so much!! Thanks for the prayers and support! I miss you all!!

 -Sister Stratford

 (p.s. after this email, you're only going to get 17 more emails before I come home. Is that crazy or what? I only have 17 p-days left. Mm, not thinking about it. ^^ haha)

Monday, June 1, 2015

Ps

I can't tell if that actually sent my whole email, or if it sent a
couple of words and three pictures.....sorry if it didn't send. It was
mostly just gushing about the people in Phoenix and how much I love
being a missionary. The usual.....

Man, I'm so bummed if it didn't send. But I'm alive and well and
happy and I love and miss you all.

Sister Stratford

Rip Elder Perry :(

Sad news that Elder Perry, one of the 12 Apostles, passed away. :( he
was so sweet....he reminded me a lot of President Toone. Not just the
tallness, but the spiritual giant kind of thing. He will definitely be
missed, and I keep his family in my prayers. <3

Sister Stratford

It's the most wonderful time of the year

It's too soon to be June.