Monday, November 17, 2014

LOTS OF COOL THINGS

Uh so there wasn't that many cool things that happened this week.. but I thought I would make myself feel better by titling my email that..

Okay but in all reality.. There is never a dull moment in the mission field. And certainly never a dull week! but as far as dog bites and such... it was normal! OH WAIT! NO IT WASN'T

We are teaching a family of like 100. There is this couple and they are amazing! They see children who are struggling here in Corbin...and then Just take them into their house.. there is around 13 kids that stay with them from ages 12-22 the kids are making chances in their lives and come from all different walks of like that are just horribly unpleasant. But this couple has just taken them all in and just loved the dickin's out of them. And give them a place to sleep and they feed them...often going hungry themselves because there is no food left over from feeding all the kids. But the Dad ordered a free bible so of course we delivered it to them! and we got talking....and they go to Nauvoo every summer and know mormons! The mom is an atheist and doesn't really have much of a belief but is such a truth seeker it blows my mind. And so we have been teaching them and we go over their all the time and they are HILARIOUS. (mom they remind me of our house when we get everyone going, makes me feel right at home!!) It is too funny to spend an evening with these people. They all decided that they would come to church...well 10 of them were able to come.. and they took up two whole rows haha. They ask us so many questions and are so eager to learn. I am so blessed to have been able to meet this family! they are so sweet and have such big hearts! They just want to know whats right and what God wants..if he does want something...and well...GOD PLACED US RIGHT IN THEIR LAPS! #blessing #theyallneedGod

This week we also went to a "thank you/pre-thanksgiving" Dinner at the H... house! they are an awesome family! They had us over and lots of Ward members and we were able to just talk about life as a missionary with the people their! H..h... is hilarious. She is a return missionary as of like...1 week ago! and she is just the best! . #returnmissionariesrule She really knows what she is doing so it was awesome to talk to her and get some helpful tips on making the mission as productive as possible! Taking her teaching with is us is just...wow. haha I need to step up my game #shownup. We went to a lesson and we took her with us and it was so cool to have a member really be involved in the lesson and excited about testifying and sharing experiences. I really hope that her being home will broaden the missionary vision here in the Corbin ward! Members are VITAL in missionary work...I have really learned that.

Quotes In Corbin

"I wont loose these...I'm going to put these in my trunk"
"here's what I did...I put it somewhere safe so I wouldn't forget..and now I have., WAIT i probably put it in my safe!"
"These seem to like me better!..they don't talk to me....but I can tell"
"what was that? A down syndrome Indian?"
"his lower extremity problem is quote Arthritis unquote"
"Chastity..its like bling-bling"
"Nephi..he's like Mormon Divinchi
"I'm afraid I'll go unjesus on those people and go devil on 'em"

There is so much to learn about the Gospel.. and I am so blessed to be able to serve the Lord on my mission and in return learn about the Gospel more fully and get to change myself. Honestly..how is a mission even a sacrifice when you get so much in return. I love the GKLM. I love change and the atonement. I love the Lord. I love my Father in Heaven. There is so much to be grateful for!

SHOUT OUTS--

THANKS FOR THE THANKSGIVING PACKAGE DAD AND BRENDA!
THANKS LIN FOR THE LETTER!

Remember all..it doesn't need to be thanksgiving to be thankful for our many blessings...and it sure doesn't need to be Christmas to think about Christ and be grateful for him and keep him in our thoughts!

I love you all! You are in my thoughts and prayers!


gospel love,
Sister Wagner

Monday, November 10, 2014

Weird Week!

Well this week has just been weird...as the title suggests. not because we got tires slashed...or dog bitten...

BUT! We did get a flat tire...We were going down this road over this creepy one way...12 ton limit bridge that was made of wood and then we heard something that sounded like a stick under our car...so we kept driving for a second then decided we should get it out...we got out and looked...and nope flat tire... we ended up having to drive about 1/2 a mile on a flat tire I KNOW THAT IS BAD but it was a really narrow road with no pull over room...so we got out and were able to jack up the car.. and then someone helped us change it! haha but I am thankful because I know how to jack up a car and change a tire now. And so I wont ever need help doing that. #lifeexperience #sistermissionarypower

This week a sad thing happened the Wagers dropped us. They were a couple that was ready to be baptized and loved Church and the gospel and were trying to quite smoking. But we came to their house to a note and a bag of copies of the Book of Mormon.. and it said that they don't believe how we believe and not to come back. We got home heart broken that these people just rejected the true message...and why? as we unloaded the returned books we were taking out papers stuck in the pages...just to find "21 things Mormonism Teaches" Just to clarify...the thing that were on that list...WE NOT TRUE and were totally crazy. but because they didn't ask us or pray about it... they lost the gospel in their lives. It is heart breaking...but people gave us agency. Hopefully one day they will come to see what they are missing.

I just love this Gospel. The more I study from the Book of Mormon and the Bible the more light is shed on my life and my purpose and what I need to do and where to go. I just have such a great sense of peace. that can't come from anything else in the world. I just am so blessed to be a missionary and have this amazing time to serve others and learn so much about the gospel and about life that I wouldn't be able to do any other way.

Sorry for that side track! I just had the thought and thought I'd express it to y'all!

We also lead cows this week! we helped this guy named B... to get them from one pasture...to the other! And helped them to cross the street! Now this isnt just some random thing we did...well it kinda was. But! It had a point! Because we were able to help and and show interest in his life (which is super awesome by the way) He softened his heart to the message that we share. AND! we get to help him to paint! and help around his farm! SO! Talk to everyone and you will meet some awesome people. That is what I have learned on my mission :)

ALSO! So thanks to my NANA I was able to do some more family history work! and! On my moms side I am related to WILLIAM THE "CONQUEROR" KING OF ENGLAND. Sooo that is pretty cool..and come to find out Sister Bailey is too...and so that makes us like Great x's like 50 cousins! haha And! on family history we were able to take William the Conqueror all the way back to ADAM AND EVE. Sooo Do your family history..it is awesome.

quotes in corbin:

"I used to rap like that...I had a CD it was called straight from the hollar"
"It is a really up scale shack"
"all I know is that I got a booster shot from Jesus"
"some of my closest lady friends in this town are prostitutes,and i'm okay with that"
"listen here bluebird...I know where your nest is"
"I had nothing on but tennis shoe and an indian headress, and some war paint...my loin cloth fell off"


THAT ISNT ALL OF THEM! I am just out of time! haha I will write more next week!

LOVE YOU ALL!

SHout out to my Papa for a letter!

--Sister Wagner!

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Short and Sweet!

I AM SORRY THAT THIS IS SO SHORT! I HAD LOTS to do while email today!!

First things first...the new companion!!! SHE IS AWESOME! Sister Bailey is from New Mexico and has been on her mission for.......17 months! YUP she goes home in 5 weeks. It is crazy. That means I get to love her...and then she leaves the state. BUT! On the bright side... I will be in Corbin FOR SURE till Christmas! I love the people here and I love the area! there is never a dull Moment here! So I am blessed to be able to spend the holidays with the people I have come to love so dearly here. But that also means....new companion in 5 weeks

This week! We were able to set a baptismal date with this guy named Adam! he has been learning about the gospel since MAY. YUP. A long time. But there has always things getting stuck in his way. He was a smoker but he quite awhile ago. He doesn't drink or anything. He has had a really rough life but he is awesome. He is an artist..he actually worked on the Saw movie posters...Steven King book covers...and he "beat up" Christ for the movie passion of the Christ. He is SO talented! He was also a previous Lucifarian....he kinda worshiped Satan...but NO WORRIES! He knows that Jesus is the Christ and that God is our LOVING heavenly father. He wants to make a change and he is doing it! Is is SOOO sarcastic so we get along really well.. he says some borderline not allowed things haha but it makes you laugh. you cant help it!

This week we got a request from someone wanting a bible. The had requested it on mormon.org or lds.org and then we get the request and bring it to them. SO we wen to go find this guy, and when we did....after going down this weird road...we discovered that he had a house full of 13 teenagers that he has willingly taken into his house. And so we got talking about the gospel and we are going back and will hopefully have the chance to teach them more and strengthen their faith in the savior! As we were walking away from the house we saw this boy go up to the door! We hollered over to him and asked him if he was one of the 13! Come to find out he "Kinda" was...not sure what that means! but he has talked to Sister Short and Sister Goodrich before and had been reading the book of mormon! we were pumped! and we felt prompted to tell him that if he read the book of Mormon...even if just a verse a day and prayed about it...in one week he would know. He said he would do that and then give us a text! So we will see what happens there! but that was such a tender mercy of the Lord right there to see that the Lord truly does place people in your path.

We have been talking to M... P... about the gospel and how he has seen a change in his life and he really has! He says that people have been noticing a difference in him including his wife! they have been separated for awhile but now they are are coming together a little more and she is curious about the gospel because of the change that she has seen in him. The gospel changes people. It makes bad men good....and good men better. And our examples of righteousness and strength makes a difference.

quotes in Corbin:

"rigged, power of the devil...power of my mind..that is what's happening here"
"somebody shut these kids up before I do...with the power of my mind"
"and one say they decided to get hip and let us wear different colored pollos"
"when you are 15 you are man enough to read the Bible"
"These are two mormon right here...they are an endangered species"
"and then we commenced to beating him"
"NO I ain't shootin him...we'll be down here forever!"
"Or I could stay right here in my comfort zone..."
"you'll be cryin' I guarantee it"
"You need to come to church..here take a card"
"he hates Mexicans, he hates black people, he hates everyone, he hate himself!"
"I got two bullet proof vests from Zach, the one who hates God"
"I think I got one of my fat pictures"
we asked what's your weight loss secret.. "Heroin"
"I miss being fat"
"i'm going to start something called the man club..the Mormon Association of Nuns"

SHOUT OUTS!

THANKS MUM FOR MY Halloween Card!
AND LIN! for the letter! (I might have gotten it last week haha i cant remember!)

Sorry for the shortness! y'all are awesome and I pray for you always! Keep being awesome...and enjoy the snow....60 and sunny here in Kentucky!

Love, Sister Wagner

Adios Sister Goodrich!

10/27/14
And she is off to greener pastures. Early Tuesday morning sister goodrich will officially be off to her new area and will be serving with a new companion. #crywithme Which means... I am no longer a trainee... That is really scary..not for me! but for everyone around me! #watchoutcorbin I will be staying here in Corbin with Sister....Who knows! not me...I will on tuesday though! which is craziness. It is weird to think that I wont be looking for sister Goodrich every time I turn around!

SO a lot of things happened this week...but I dont remember all of them! Last Monday we went to cumberland falls which is awesome! so gorgeous! i sent a couple pictures! but man...God has such power...and can create such beautiful and magnificent things that we cant comprehend.. I just am blown away by things just the little things that are an added testament of the power of God. Take the time and just look around and you will be astonished at the things that work so perfectly with the world...so perfectly to make all things fall into place and that every little thing has a purpose. AH. Fall is by far my favorite season. However.... fall is more like summer here in Corbin..it is like.. 70 degrees today... with orange leaves. haha it throws me off a little bit because I'm just not use to it!! But it was so much fun being able to crawl in and around rocks and just enjoy the peace of nature! And to have an investigator with us! C..! who is awesome! And just soaks up the gospel. Him and his wife are so interested in the message of the Gospel and just light up when they learn about it!

Yesterday at church was the primary program! boy do I miss my primary class back home! They are all so cute and they bring such a special spirit to the room when they sing and share there little testimonies. I just love hearing what people have to say...especially their simple testimonies of the gospel. The spirit in the room was awesome like I said..but more so than that..it was like a wall..of tingles in your heart. Not only is it cute to hear all the little voices but to hear the message that they were sharing with everyone through song..families can be together forever. :) I just love it!

D...H..... What happened to him you ask? He was supposed to be baptized this past saturday. Well sadly enough he wont be getting baptized even at a later date. He came to church last Sunday but just for sacrament meeting. And That was an interesting time because a member of the Bishopric gave this really powerful talk about the world of wisdom..it was just a little... umm... I dont know how to describe it. But it was interesting. ANYWAY! D... left church. and we were supposed to have a lesson with him later that night around 5 and so we called him when we got home later that evening to cancel because sister Goodrich wasnt feeling well. (she is better now by the way :)) and so we call and no answer...so the whole week we are trying to get a hold of this guy. And we couldnt! and it was weird...we honestly thought something terrible might have happened to him because he was always the one to make contact with us first! everyday! Then on Friday we got a call! and we saw it was him! and Sister Goodrich answers and he says who is this? and she said...sister Goodrich, how have you been?! And he was like...oops...wrong number. then hung up! We were so confused and didnt know if we should call back or not. We said a prayer and thought that we should just wait. but we were really curious to know what happened...why he went off the deep end. Later that night we got a call from him and he intended to call us this time! he said that he had been avoiding us the past week. We were thinking...NO DUH. But anyway he continues in to tell us that he doesnt feel the spirit in our church but he still knows the book of Mormon is true and that their were prophets today and everything...but he said that a sermon shouldnt mention pornography and he just didnt care for it. --- It is truly heart breaking to see someone walk away from what they know to be true. And maybe one day he will come to know the truth..

This week Sister Goodrich and I did a lot of walking around....and we picked up probably around 100 leaves...we thought they were pretty! and the definitely were! making memories by having those...just to throw them in the trash after awhile haha but they were nice! Anyway while we were leaf picking we notice something laying on the sidewalk...come to find out... it's a dead bird laying dead on the ground...with a rose in it's mouth...and berries around it. We thought it was hilarious..And what is even more funny is what happened next...we go to see a recent convert named Kenny.. Who is an indian Native American man here in Corbin who walks around with a gun (legally! dont worry) and some knifes with feathers attached to his hat and his jacket! We went to see him and have a little lesson and he comes walking up with a dead bird...the same dead bird that we had seen..and then he gives this long explanation of what he plans to do to it to make it last forever. All I know is that you are supposed to do something with kitty litter...#whatdawhat

quotes in Corbin:

"that looks like a garage over there...but NO...its a liquor bar!"
"he's a genius..dont be fooled by the snaggle tooth!"
"I swear..if you poke me with that pencil one more time I am going to shove it up your butt"
"hey little doggy. (dog barks) yeah you need to be put down."
"you all out poaching Baptists?"
"wash your hands and says your prayers because Jesus and Germs are everywhere"
"My mailman won the lottery..so he quit! and he was HOT!
"just for the record..40 is younger this is diplomacy 101...we should also teach stalking 101."
"Im like an older older OLDER kid on Chirstmas"
"you be careful...I got a switch blade I'll lend ya"

SHOUT OUTS:

JESSICA AND DWIGHT..if you ever see this! THANK YOU FOR SENDING ME YOUR CHILDREN'S CARDS! I love them! please tell 'em I love 'em!

MUMMA! Thanks for the package!

RANDS! I just finally got your package! i love your family so much and miss you tons!!! SO uplifting!! The fluff was used for delicious fudge :D

HAYLEY Thank you for the Maine goodies...holy moly yummmmmmmm

LIN! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LETTER! It was such an interesting read!!! So much info!


I love and miss each and everyone of you! thank you for all the support and prayers I know you are sending in my behalf. I feel them everyday!

Until next time...

Sister Wagner



(SORRY EVERYBODY THAT THIS ONE IS LATE. FROM LAST WEEK!)