Letter #47: 4.10.14

Aloha,

We went to the Mission Creek Prison tonight with bro and sis Stone.  It was a way cool opportunity.  This was their FHE night.  Nine of them came and it was an awesome turn out.  We talked about service, sang hymns, had prayer and played bingo.  We talked about why we came out on a mission.  The spirit was so strong.  Then we watched two Mormon messages about special missionaries.  It really touched the girls.  The girls know that they did wrong.  This is not like the prisons on TV.  There are no bars, but there are a lot of doors we go in and all the girls respect us as we walk in.  They all know who we are by the way we dress.  I really got to know the girls.  It was wonderful that I got to share my scriptures and about how Heavenly Father knows us. (3 Nephi 18:31, Mtt 10:30, D&C 6:36, John 17:3).  I got to share this with them and helped them feel that they are daughters of God.  They all thanked me so much.  And at the end I told them a history on the hula and taught them some hula.  It is very hard cause one of the rules is that you can’t have any physical contact with them.  So no hugs, or even hand shakes.  I love these girls.  One of them, Rebecca, is a RC I know her elders (Steed and Butterfield).  She is getting out on Monday.  She is getting out early for good behavior.  (Camp Cupcake)

Letter to President Weaver: 4.1.14

Aloha President Weaver,

Okay so you are going to get two letters from me this week.  I wanted to share my 7:55 Monday Night Miracles.  I do know that the Lord, “He will lead you to them or He will lead them to you” is so true.  This past transfer and this transfer I’ve been very focused on that one liner from PMG#155.  Belfair is a very hard place.  It is very slow and yet so big.  I’ve been trying my very best in being diligent in the work.  I do strongly believe Heavenly Father was testing my faith in Him here in Belfair.  My comp always ask me how am I not frustrated here?  I know this is His work, not my work.  He knows who and He will lead.  I have studied D&C 101:7 I need to come unto Him fast.

So Monday we did not know where to do 6-7’s.  Well I told her turn here and lets find parking.  So we parked right in front of this guy’s house.  We get out and I got the BOM from the back and the guy was just looking at us creepy.  I just say to sister Boone get in and let’s just park down the hill.  Now we are knocking on the doors and we have no luck.  We are coming up to 7 soon and we saw some people outside.  They saw us coming so they walked inside.  So I got this feeling to look back and there is this Spanish mom, daughter and son who just got home.  They were walking down when I do the whole who we are and why we are here intro.  She tells us to follow her to the back of their trailer.  The daughter is speaking to us of what the mom wants to say.  Their story is sad.  Their father, a few weeks ago, just went to prison.  They are by themselves and trying to come closer to God now.  The spirit was so strong and He put words in my mouth of what to say.  The mom was so happy to see us.  So I tell her about the Spanish elders and if they would like them to come back.  She remembered them knocking on their door but the dad was home then and he did not want anything to do with them.  From the time the father has been in prison she has been praying for God’s help.  We talked about prayer and I bore my testimony about how Heavenly Father knows us and loves us.  We set up a time to come back to do some service and got their info for the Spanish elders.  We asked the mom to say a prayer from her heart.  I could not understand it at all but it was so powerful it made me cry a little.  She kept on  saying how greatful she was for us to stop by.  I know they were not ready before but now they are.  I hope all goes well for the Spanish Elders.  So yeah, we called the elders that night to give them that referral and they planned to be in Belfair the next day already.  That was a testimony to me that the Lord has it all planned and to not lose faith.  It was a wonderful opportunity to have.  It’s days like this that keeps me going.  We needed to be there at that time.  I just love missionary work.  I am so happy for the Spanish Elders and I hope they can get a family to baptize.

This is so sweet!  Got to love the WA-TAC.  I just wanted to share my 7:55 Monday Miracle.  Thank you for everything!

Always with love and Aloha,  Sister Casey

Journal Excerpt: 3.31.14

Aloha journal,

So today is p-day.  It ended up being a very beautiful day.  The sun was out.  We finished our shopping by 11:00 then went down to Key Center to go email.  Winter Creek Elders...Sparks and Peck.  We did not really to talk to them today.  We did not get to meet with the other sisters today.  So we came back to Belfair and stopped by the wood carving place in Allen but they all were too big to get so then we just came back home to the North Shore.  I put on the Legacy and wrote a lot of letters the rest of p-day.  We had dinner at the Landakers and sis Alop was there too.  So we tracted right by there.  We did a few houses and no luck.  Then we went to Skipper Ct.  We see these people and they see us and then walk away.  I get a feeling to turn around and there is this Spanish mom, daughter and son.  I just start to talk to them.  The daughter has to translate for us.  They take us to the back of their trailer to talk.  They start telling us how much they need God.  Then she tells us their story.  Their father just went to prison a few weeks ago.  They are by themselves.  They’ve been trying to get closer to God for help and here we walk in right at 7:55.  The spirit was so strong the whole time.  Just telling us what to say to this family.  We end up giving our number to them and I got their info.  Juana Castaneda.  I seen them all in white as a family.  Crazy thing they remember the Spanish elders when they knocked last trasfer but their dad was home and did not want anything to do with religion.  Now the mom is sending her kids to any church to get them closer to God.  Now they are prepared and want to listen.  We talked for a long time.  The mom said a beautiful prayer just pouring out her heart.  The spirit was so strong I started to cry anyway I did not understand it all.  She kept on saying how greatful she is for us to come by.  I just love the way the spirit works cause we had no idea where to tract.  I just said turn here.  Park here.  But funny cause we parked further up the hill, but a guy was looking at us a creepy way and I said lets drive.  Then we parked closer to Skipper Ctr.  In the middle of the prayer I got the feeling to give the daughter a Book of Mormon to read and promised her the book will help her come closer to God.  I told her to read it it will make everything better.  This is my 7:55 Monday miracle.  So right away we got in contact with the Spanish Elders.  Elder Clifford.  I told them everyting.  I hope it all works out for them so they can baptise this family.  ANd it turned out that the Spanish Elders planned to be in Belfair tomorrow.  And we needed them to come as soon as they could.  Cause they are planning to move by Friday.  The Lord knows.  This is his work.  And I am so greatful to be a part of it.  That was just a small experience.  The spirit guides you.

Then we were going to try to see Krysta Porter again.  She is a true LARC.  She is les-active and a recent convert too.  We are trying over and over to meet her.  I left notes.  This was going to be our last try.  We knocked and knocked...no one came.  Then we started to walk away and then her husband came out and told us she is coming down.  We had an awesome talk with Krysta and we are going back next week.  She is way funny.  I know we are going to get along so well.

This has been so great for a p-day.  This past transer and few weeks I feel that the Lord was testing me out here to see how I will work.  My comp asked me yesterday how do I not get frustrated here.  The work is so slow and the area is just so big.  I told her this is the Lord’s work he knows and I need faith that he will lead me to them or them to me.  I just got to keep on working hard and to be happy with what I get.  Now all the hard work I did last transfer is being payed off just from this wonderful day.  I have grown here so much from Belfair.  I love it so much.  I am so happy I can help my fellow missionaries (Spanish).  This is the time and work.  It is coming.  What a day.  I love being a missionary.

Love sis Casey

Letter #47: 3.31.14

Dear Mommy & Papa,

Thank you so much for the box.  Good thing about my mail here in Belfair.  It comes right to the door.  I love you and miss you lots.  The Belfair ward is wonderful.  There is a spirit that is so different in Sacrament.  The Bishop worked on the ward to have the right mind set when you enter the chaple doors.  As soon as you walk in you can feel the spirit.  Its way cool to serve here in this ward.  Well I am almost done reading D&C and New Testament.  I am still working on the Old Testament.  My goal is to finish all the books before I get home.  I have grown to love all the books so much.  My study scriptures are just filled with notes and quotes.  They are way bigger now.  I have no idea how I did not enjoy them when I was back at home.  They are all so good.  I’m trying to think of what else to talk about...it is a beautiful day here in Belfair.  So for the month of March our mission had a goal of 100 baptisms.... well we got 85 the month of March.  It is way cool.  So yes I am very excited to be going to the temple soon.  The temple is an awesome place.  Okay so from knocking 5-7s this week we knocked into an old 80 yr old lady who told us to call her grandma cause we are far from our families serving the Lord.  Her name is Eileen.  Grandma Eileen is a sweet old Christian lady.  The first word she said to us when we knocked on her door was, “what do you put first your church or Jesus Christ?”  We right away told her with power, “Jesus Christ”. Then she said, “okay then, now you can come in.”  We did service there 2 times.  Thats one of my fun stories that happened this week.  The missionaries in my distric are putting on a Book of Mormon study class every Thursday at 7:30.  Its going to be great to get them to just start reading.  Jeffrey Bishop is on date for May 3rd.  Angel and Lily we had an amazing lesson with the.  Angel is 8, Lily is 11 so it is hard to do lessons with them.  They always just wants to play with us.  But after fasting, this lesson they wanted to learn and listen.  Lily finished reading the Book of Mormon Stories book.  So I guess Belfair is a place were Im teaching kids.... haha.

I came to love every area I serve in and every comp I serve with.  Every area and comp I had are all different.  I love them all in different ways.  I know this is a once in a life time for me,,, to be here.  I have come to know the fullness of the gospel in my life.  I kn ow I toldthe Lord, “Lord here am I send me@!”  I know I am nothing witht Him, my Savior to help and toi be my light to shine the way in whatever darkness comes my way.  I am so greatful to all the fellow prophets who took their lives for the Book of Mormon so I can have it now.  It is so true the church is.  Many blessings comes thany you for all you do for me.  Love yeah lots.

Love your sister missionary.

Letter #46: 3.24.14

Aloha mommy and papa.

So today has been a week of me training... man it’s been a long time.  I do feel so bad for my trainee... everytime I train I think that but this one is a little harder then all the others.  First off she is 19, who graduated at 16.  She only has one semester left of school and she is going into law.  Oh did I mention she is an only child!  She is getting too trunky, but she is green!  I’m training her very good and she is loving it out here.  I do get very irritated with her... I guess it is the haole in her... ha ha.  Well she never knows when I am irritated.  

Okay, cool story.  So we only tracted for one hour on Monday cause of P-day.  so on our last door...well when it turned 7:00 there were 2 more doors.  I had a feeling to finish them, so we did.  The last door this old old man came out and talked to us.  He started to bash with us.  My baby girl started to bash back.  I prayed very hard cause I wanted to show her that we don’t bash.  So I said something and the tone was with the spirit.  We stayed out of deep doctrine as much as possible with his questions.  He asked us about everyone being Gods and etc.  By the time we finished talking to him I testified and invited him to pray about what we talked about.  He said yes he would and he would talk to his wife.  He told us many missionaries come by and they never could answer the questions like we did.  The spirit was so there and it was him we needed to talk to that night.  That’s why we had to keep knocking on doors.  I’ve been reading the talk by Elder Alvin R. Dyer “The Challenging and testifying Missionary”  This talk is amazing!  I know from me just ending our talk with this guy in my testimony was amazing.  And wonderful things happen when we testify.  This past transfer I been reading and listening to many talks.  The Church is so true!  Just love it!  Being a missionary is the best.  I know that was a seed that we just planted with this guy.  Then after I talked to my baby girl about bashing.  And how the spirit is never there when you bash.  And it is the spirit that touches them not us.  If Heavenly Father really wanted to he could do this all by himself.  It is not us....

Well I love you all.  I can’t think of that much more that happened.  Oh transfers were so much fun.  Well that’s a whole nother time.  Well just keep on praying for me and my comps driving.

Love Sis Casey