ADIOS HERMANAS HOPWOOD

You read it right people, my lovely companion is gone as of tomorrow.
It is sad and very heartbreaking and things just won't ever be the same.
But if she has to leave I only get the most amazing companion as a
replacement. Hermana Magalei will be coming to Jasper! She is from
Hawaii which is why you might have been having trouble pronouncing her
last name! She's also a professional dancer! Has danced all around the
world and I'm going to have her teach me how to hula. Because that's
what she does! She speaks Spanish, and is going to help the
investigators that we have in this area so much!

We have this lovely Hispanic family that we are teaching right now.
They are amazing! They have 3 daughters who are 13, 14, and 15! So
this week they came to mutual at the church! It was so cool! Except
the moment they get out of the car, and there is their guy friend! The
awkward moment when they didn't pick up that it was a young woman's
activity so their guy friend came to the young woman's activity.

This week was a good week! It started off with us just doing our thing
and teaching the gospel! We decided that we want to talk to quite a
bit of people this week, so he hit the pavement. We met some really
cool people! So one miracle we had we were knocking on the store of
somebody who had previously been learning about the gospel. Neither of
us I meant them so we walked up to the door and we're waiting. When
the door opens there was this guy standing there and he just kind of
looked at us and said "oh my gosh it's actually them!" He looked at
his us shocked and we looked at him shocked. Come to find out after a
brief conversation him and his wife had recently joined the church and
they have just moved into the area! They had no idea where the church
was or anything! They just happen to move into the house of somebody
who we had planned to try that day. The Lords hand is in the work!
That is FOR SURE!

SO yesterday being Hermana Hopwood's last Sunday on the mission,
Heavenly Father felt that he should dump some amazing miracle on us!
So we come to church and we are sitting there and none of our
investigators came! But then... as I was conducting the music, in
walks one our our investigators! I have to keep it cool though because I was conducting and all that. And..then...IN WALKS 3 MORE! It is really
hard to not yell at your companion who is just singing away that 4
people just walked into church! Also.. cool tid-bit, a Peruvian family
moved in this week! SO...we had the pleasure of literally not having
enough translation equipment for all of them!

I have mentioned I think that we have a lady that is also living with
the member we live with...well..She is crazy. SO this is my little
"Chronicle of the Crazy Lady" Here is a few things that have happened
this week. 1. "Sisters, my car broke, tomorrow morning are you able to
give me a ride to work" UH..NO. 2. "Sisters, I don't have my phone
charger.. can I use yours?" UH SURE? 3. Our Bathroom. Clogged Toilet.
#notus. (luckily we are real woman and know how to work a plunger) 4.
What we hear as we are planning and she is on the phone "FINE HAVE ME
ARRESTED" 5. Two caramel apples on our shelf....next day...1 caramel
apple.5. Bowl of rice krispies in the sink... she doesn't have
those...but we do..on our shelf. ---SO all of these things are a
little inconvenient. And annoying. But hey we deal and we laugh more
than actually get upset. But now here is the real kicker..that we
aren't sure about 6. Something that people us here is something that is
called a splatter guard. You just put it on top of things that you put
in the microwave. Now the other day, we realized that the top of the
splatter guard had been melted. WHAT? SO we think nothing of it. But
then one morning, Sister Hopwood observes the lady put her ceramic
bowl...ON TOP of the splatter guard.. and then proceed to microwave
it.. And thus we see how it was melted. SO the member we live with
just bought a new one....But then we noticed..IT WAS MELTED...AGAIN!
What in the world! so these are the questions we are asking our
selves. Wouldn't you have learned when it melted the first time not to
do it again? and why wouldn't she just take it out of the microwave?
Some questions will never be answered. Bless her heart.

Quotes:
"I am a sandwich offender"
"I don't mean to offend y'all but y'all are white and white people eat salad"
"It's not flirting it's just like..natural laws"
"Is that a jar of pee?"

That moment when...
...A Hispanic thinks your really shy compared to your companion..but
in reality your just quiet cause you don't know Spanish
...the people who fix your car wash it for you AND vacuum it out
...your companion goes home </3
...you have a beautiful montage with your companion as the sun is setting
...you can email on your bed because the member you live with has wifi

General Conference is this weekend. What a wonderful experience it
will be to hear from a modern day prophet called of God. I know that
there is a prophet of God on earth and he is sent out of the love that
our Heavenly Father has for us. The words he will speak I know will be
true and inspired! PLEASE WATCH :)

Well I hope that you all are doing well and are happy and well! Thank
you each for your prayers and your patience! and your love! Dont do
anything that I wouldn't do! Have fun and laugh lots. And make every
day count! And most importantly. Trust God! :)

--Sister Wagner

 

Practically fluent in Spanish!  ... #notreally

 Sometimes as missionaries you text the wrong number..... 

 But at least they were friendly!

 

 Not sure what these giant things are...but they are as big as a book
of mormon...

 And our classic district selfie. Every companionship (but one) is
loosing someone so it is going to be all shook up!

WHo is my companion?!

This whole week nearly, Sister Hopwwod and I were hardly together! We had to change around some of our plans so we had the chance to exchange 2 sisters and then Blitz another so I felt like my companion has been gone all week! You dont realize how truly amazing your companion is until you are ripped from them! haha Sister Hopwood is fantastic. But unfortunately this is our last week together because Sister Hopwood completes her mission. :( I will miss her a heck of a lot!

I will start with Tuesday when I had the pleasure of spending time with Hermana Butterfield. She is one of the sweetest people that I know! She is just glowing with the light of the gospel all the time and she really listens to people, even people we meet on the side of the road and tailors the message right to them. She inspires me! :) We just spent most of our day talking with people and telling them the message that we have to share. It was so fabulous to share my testimony of the Savior with those around me while enjoying the company of Hermana Butterfield! While we were together we were able to visit some less active people. Our first stop was Devin and Corey. Two twins about 14 y/o who  joined the church about a year and 1/2 ago. One of the boys had lost all faith in Christ and his brother was trying to help him. He said that there was no proof and that he wanted a sign. Told him that we couldn't give him a sign. But the Spirit of God could. We bore simple testimony to him. At the end we asked them what he felt. He didn't say much he just looked at us and said with a little smile come back on Thursday. It was such a tender experience to know that the spirit helped his faith to grow a little bit more so that he could return back to the truths that he once knew.

Thursday it was time to be with Hermana Bennett! Hermana Bennett is great! She has the most sincere testimony of prayer that I have ever seen. When we were together I learned so much about personal revelation and how I can further my relationship with my father in heaven. We had the chance to go and visit a person that we found here in Jasper named Cynthia. When we stopped by she welcomed us in and allowed us to share the message of the restoration with her. It was short. It was simple. and the spirit was felt. You could see in her eyes that she knew the truth of what we were saying. It is tender moments like that where I remember the divinity of the message we share. That God called a prophet, Joseph Smith and Christ's church is truly again on the earth with a fullness of truth and clarity. We were also able to set a baptismal date with her! It was so precious of an opportunity that I will hold close to me.

Friday night Sister Hopwood treked down/ over to Evansville, IN to spend some time with the sisters there! I was able to spend Saturday with Sister Bunker. She is just so happy and humble, always looking for ways that she can better help people and become better in the process. She is so wonderful! We had a crazy day in the city. I love the things that I am able to say I have experienced now that I have served a mission.. Like this... while in Evansville we parked on the street that someone got shot on not to long ago! But we went during the day so it was safe! We met this man, his name was Jamie. Now we thought FOR SURE Jamie was not in his right mind. But we went to go talk to him because well.. the spirit didn't say stop...and we are told to talk to everyone! So we went over and started talking to Jamie. He expressed to us a lot of things. One of the things that he told us about was that all these churches say that they are right, but he believes that there can only be one. We shared with them that church that he is looking for is here. Poor Jamie was so apparently weighed down with guilt, I just wanted to take it all away. We told him that through Jesus Christ all things are made right and that he can find relief from the things that he was weighed with. We were in the Evansville Elders area, and Jamie said that missionaries could share the message with him, so they are going by this week!

Friday night into Saturday we spent the night at the Evansville Hermana's apartment Because our stake conference in Evansville was this weekend and they didn't want us stuck driving more than we needed. It was a little party woot woot! Gotta love sleeping on air mattresses 2 nights in a row! Never the best thing. But hey, it is better than the floor! It was great and uplifting.

So this week has been a blur and each day is blending with the other. We only have one week left of the Transfer. YIKES..But with the "who's your companion theme" comes the news that I will know my companion on Saturday and will let you know next week! Exciting things are happening in the GKLM!

Quotes:
"Oh man that didn't take her long..the hormones must be growling"
"Mormons? Is that the religion that wears cloaks and carries around staffs?"
.....no sir we are mormons.

That moment when...
...the crossing guard for the train tracts comes down on your car.
...people in passing cars turn their heads all the way around just to look at you. (it's probably because we have an awesome Jesus Picture in our window)
...when your laundry gets high jacked because of the crazy lady who lives in your house
...when the sisters tell you AFTER you get there that they MIGHT have bed bugs..
...you keep yourself alert during stake conference by playing a game with m&ms


I hope that you all have an awesome week and do all sorts of fun things! Not too much fun though. I love and miss you all!


--Sister Taylor Wagner

 Sister Bunker!

Hermana Bennett!

Miracles In the Air

 We get DQ too often

 These kittens though!

 MALPAL

 My girls!

 Sister Peterson!

I'm tired. This week though, haha it has given me a run for my money. Many miracles. Lots of drama amongst the people. And just fall weather. Fall is in the air! I love FALL WEATHER! That really just means 70s haha but I will take that ANY DAY compared to the 90s with humidity. It was a nice break from the drowning though. Even though it will still be in the 80s this coming week. I'm done talking about the weather now, sorry. haha It is exciting though!

Okay so our first miracles starts out with our awesome investigator, Pam who should be getting baptized in October if all goes well. So last Sunday I had this little bag of candy and I was like hmm .. I might get hungry in church, I should bring this along. Well I completely forgot about the candy. Then on Monday we were at Pam's! And we were talking to her about the Word of Wisdom and helping her to stop smoking and how we could help her. And she said.."Well candy usually helps me to do better and not have cravings. THEN! I remembered! I had the candy! in my bag! So I took it out and I was like here! And then she pulls out a piece of candy and was like "these are my favorite, how did you know!?" I'll let you all in on a secret. I had NO idea. haha It was completely God working through me to help bless one of his children in their attempt to live the commandments more fully in their life. Pam is doing awesome. She is reading the Book of Mormon and is just thirsting for information. When we come over she is eager for the new knowledge we have for her. and this week..she even came to church!

I have a testimony of fasting and prayer. Last Sunday was fast Sunday. Sister Hopwood took it upon us to fast and pray so that we could find a family that we could share the gospel with. So Tuesday we get this knock at our door... and it's the Elders. They had this story to tell: There is this sweet old couple in our ward that goes to McDonalds nearly every morning to get together with some friends. And they get talking to the workers sometimes. And they got talking to these 2 workers that were a hispanic couple and when the workers found out they were Mormons they were oh! We have talked to missionaries can you send them by, and then the older couple got their information and gave it to the Elders because it was on their side of town. Some where along the way, through the language barrier we were told that they were members who has just lost touch with the missionaries. So we go over that night and they let us right in. Come to find out.. this family is NOT members! but they want to learn and want the gospel in their life! So we are teaching them and they are preparing for baptism in November! It was so cool! I cant speak Spanish. It is a struggle...BUT! That doesn't change the magnitude of that miracle! I know that the power of Prayer and fasting is REAL.

Later this week we went back to see Pam. And she said that he had been praying for strength to live the Word of Wisdom and that the candies were helping and that now whenever she tried to smoke she would just cough a ton. And then whenever she would drink her coffee she just wanted to throw up and it made her really nauseous! I know that whenever we desire to keep the commandments. God will make it possible for us! It was such a cool miracle to see this week!

This week...a sweet woman, Sister Denton, CAME TO CHURCH! She has been less active for awhile and has not come to church in over a year. We have been working hard with her since I got to Jasper, and the ward has been trying so hard to work with her and get her to come...AND SHE DID..FINALLY! What a victory!

I got to spend sometime in Mt. Vernon Indiana this week. I love that place! I got to spend the day with Sister Peterson! She is such a sweet missionary! I love her! And so it was a great day! I got to see a member that I have known for awhile when I was there! She is such a sweet woman. She complimented on my bag and I told her it was kind of falling apart. SO she said, tomorrow I will drive you to the meeting point (we always meet 1/2 way when we switch sisters) and she said, make time for lunch i want to show you something too! And so we did, and she insisted that part of our lunch was taken to go to this consignment shop that was FULL of bags. And she said, "they are cheap, if you see one you like, I will buy it for you! Uh okay! So I was able to get  new bag that isn't on the verge of breaking! All thanks to Sister Vickers. She is such a sweet heart! :) well I was there we also got to do some service and help a little girl with her math. While we were doing that I had 5 kittens on my lap they were so cute! I love them and I wanted to take them all home, but I couldn't :(

I have a very firm belief that when anyone goes home off their mission they should be handed a certificate and license to practice therapy. Something I have come to learn while serving. If you bring up that you are a missionary, or a representative of Jesus Christ, you become a dumping ground for everyone's life problems. from 14 year olds who get pregnant, to parents beating small children, to people being robbed by their friends and Alien abductions. Yeah it is a interesting job being a missionary. Some of the most important things I have learned on my mission is what NOT to do with my life. It is a sad world. But with that realization..comes the realization that the gospel is the answer to problems both big and small. My heart often aches for the pains of others as they complain but turn down the remedy that is offered by our savior Jesus Christ. I know that through Jesus Christ there is HOPE and LIGHT in a horribly dark and depressing world.

SHOUT OUT TO MY BEST FRIEND AND EX-COMPANION SYDNEY MATTHEWS. WHO IS GETTING MARRIED. YUP. SHE IS ENGAGED. YOU ROCK SIS! I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU! <3 AND BUMMED I'LL MISS IT!

Shout out also to Mallory! Who was in town from college this weekend...And spent most of that time driving us around! THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH MAL PAL. YOU'RE THE BEST!

That moment when..
...you have a 5 minute conversation with an old lady at Walmart discussing the outrageous cost of toilet paper. and single ply aka card board vs. quilted.
...you go to hug someone who is sitting in a chair and spill a glass of water.
... you discover you will miss you best friends wedding
...you have 4 people at church!
...God answers your prayers!

QUOTES
"My morning prayers are an abomination"
"If you took all the money from the porn industry, all the homeless could be fed and have little tiny houses"
"the lady in the office always wants to paint my nails...she also tells me she lives in a castle. I don't know why she tells me that.. I think she thinks I'm stupid"
"How'd he get in here? I only saw the other guy come in...he must have put him in his backpack....he has a contortionist friend! Put him right in his pocket."


I hope that you all have a fantastic week! Look to the Lord in everything that you do and you will see nothing but blessings! :) love and miss you all!

-Sister Wagner

*Names have been changed for the privacy of the investigators*

Exchange the Miracles!

This week... Man where to start. It totally flew by. It was exhausting, spirit filled, miracle filled and just a typical week on the mission! I love serving my Heavenly Father full time. It is so weird that I have been a missionary doing this service 24/7 for a solid 13 months. It has been the best thing I have ever done despite all the ups and downs that it always has! The mission is like a crazy ocean. some times it is smooth sailing. Others there are some white-caps, and sometimes it has massive waves that will take you over. Then..sometimes you can bottle up all those...and put it into a week!

It started out with the opportunity to go to the mission home for a leadership meeting. Sister Hopwood and I made the trek up to Louisville. And entered into a spiritual feast of knowledge. We received a power house training from the assistants to the president. (Two missionaries that work closely with him) This training was the most mind-blowing thing that has ever happened to me. We were trained on what doctrine, principles and applications are. And how to have a true conversion with need to share with people doctrine, so that they will righteously govern themselves. It was intense. After that training our mission president shared with us exerts from a talk given by Elder Ballard in the 2004 October conference called "Pure Testimony" That talk changed my life and the way I testify and share with people that which I know to be true. We talked about how we as missionaries can boldly testify of what we know. and I want all of you to know. That I know that God lives. He is our Father and is aware of us. I know that Jesus is the Christ. He is our savior and Redeemer. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and restored Christ's church. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God and can bless us and guide us.

After that meeting in Louisville on Tuesday, the Zone Leaders asked us to give a training on the assistants training on THURSDAY. We pretty much had a panic attack...because it was complex topic and we were going to attempt to give it to 20+ missionaries in the same grace they delivered it to us.. So Wednesday evening we were busy preparing this training.. when we realized. HA. We don't understand it well enough to explain it! So there we are reading and re-reading our notes and we are not getting the answer to what we need to know. We of course pray and ponder A LOT on the little information we have. And then we were reading in our notes and something stuck out to us, and we were able to take it and from that understand everything well enough to explain it to the missionaries. And with just our luck the Assistants show up at our training of their training. And that wasn't sarcasm because they really helped out! And the missionaries were taught and understood! It was such an amazing blessing! I know that the Lord will help us to understand concepts that we need to.

This week I had the pleasure to go on exchange with Hermana Bown in Evansville! We had some awesome miracles happen! And it was just my luck that they happened to be english miracles!

SO we were out doing some work! The Elders had passed off to them a referral because they just figured that someone with the name Jose would be spanish speaking. So we go over. And we knock on the door. Some lady tells us to go around. And then come in, and then she told us to sit down. And then she sits, and two teenagers are in the room and looks at us and goes "who are you?" UH? What? She just let us into her house before she even knew who we were.  So we tell her and she just starts to cry, and her daughter had ordered her a bible because she had just gotten out of jail. She opened up to us about feeling lost and alone and hopeless. She expressed that she previously had a drug problem that she is over coming. And that she questioned if God was even there. We were able to testify to her that God was aware of her. And that through Jesus Christ she can find relief. The english evansville elders will be going to see her and teach her more about the restored gospel!

While we were there we also saw another miracle! We were out and about trying to find this guy. But around his apartment was a bunch of people so we started talking to them one at a time and sharing the message of the restoration with them. After we saw this one woman come out of her apartment and we went over to talk to her and as we get talking she says that she doesnt agree with the things that we teach, but then she invites us inside because she wants to show us the book of Mormon she had. And come to find out..SHE HAD BEEN READING IT! And was at the end! She said she had met with missionaries before and that we always happen to show up when she starts thinking about going to church again. It was amazing to see her heart soften from the beginning to the end and see her willingness to learn more. We shared with her the promise in Moroni 10. And she said "I don't think it is by chance it is on the EXACT page that I was reading." It was such a miracle that we had the chance to be there right at the right time.

SPANISH MIRACLE! Okay! So this week we were just doing our thing trying to find out where some hispanic members live, so we tried to find this address with these people in it. BACK UP ABOUT A WEEK! We got this weirdo knock on our house door and the member we lived with was asleep and it was these hispanics that were looking for the member's we live with daughter in law. and Sister Hopwood stayed and translated for a bit to help the member we live with. and so FLASH FORWARD. We knock on this trailer door looking for this member. And it were these two people that had come to our house! We were able to share the gospel with them. and they were interested! They know some members and they were thinking about going to a church because they don't go to one right now. They are so sweet and so prepared!! It was so cool to see that the Lord really does place us where we need to be at the right time!

We have had iPads now since May. And ever since we have gotten them we have had to put 100+ paper records into the iPad by typing them all out. It was the craziest thing I think I have ever done and it took forever. But after about an hour every night. we FINALLY this week...as of last night... HAVE PUT IN ALL THE RECORD!!!! #success. It has been a struggle. But it is now a victory.

OH. This week. I was driving down this highway type road. and I see this little thing walking across the road. As we got closer I saw a little head and a shell! A cute little turtle! So precious! So I dodge it of course! But I want unable to move over as much as I wanted to because of another car. So.. I dodged the turtle...just to hit it. We felt the bump, and the shell crush under the tires. I teared up. It was heart breaking. I'm a murderer. 🐢🚙

QUOTES:
"I thought they looked like elf shoes but I didn't say anything"
"I put my girlfriends extensions in my beard"
"Her moms name is Tuesday Divine"

That moment when...
...someone you cant see cusses you out and you weren't even talking to them!
...you don't want to move because it is so hot out
...when you leave your favorite water bottle at a building over an hour away

I hope you all have a fantastic week! I love you all! thank you for your support and prayers! I feel 'em! Don't do anything stupid and read your scriptures and pray EVERY. DAY.

--Sister Wagner

HERMANA BOWN

Sometimes too much sun makes you and your companion #CRAZY