Episode 20: HARRAH FOR ISRAEL!

Transfer Week!

Sister Reynolds will be training again and will meet her new companion on Thursday!

Wow, so not much has happened unfortunately haha. This week has been a little slow, we had to drop a couple of people...so that was sad. We have been able to connect to the members out here though! We have been visiting with these 2 wonderful families who have been a little less active and want to get back in the groove of things. When we told this to our Mission President for updates, he said "Hey, there is nothing greater than bringing others closer to Christ, right? Isn't that what you are doing?" It hit me and I was like wow, duh how did I not see it like that before? He has already put people in our path to teach the gospel to, so why are we trying to look elsewhere? Pray to seek those who are already in your lives who might need an extra pick me up or you can send a prayer too...and then tell them! See what happens:) And of course, President finishes every phone call with a "Harrah for Israel!" Ahh, I have much love and respect for our Mission President. His family is going through some of life's curve balls right now, so prayers would definitely be appreciated.

Speaking of curve balls, we were meeting with this sweet old lady, Gertha! She is so funny!! I'll have to see if I could get a picture with her, but we were sharing a message with her and testified of leaning on the Atonement of Christ through those tough moments, and she yells out "I've been in some tight places...really tight places...like held at GUNPOINT tight places!" haha We definitely were not expecting that response from this tiny women haha! But she continued on with this crazy store, and just simply stated that God will always get her out of those "tight spots." I love this woman! But it was a testimony builder to me and I thank her and all those who have shared their testimonies of the power of God. I love this work!!

So Sister Wagner is leaving Appomattox and off to the MTC so yay for that!! She is nervous but so excited to visit the famous Utah haha! She has never been there and is super pumped to now be able to say she has haha. Bless her heart! I have also received a call from our Mission President, that I will be training again! I couldn't be happier!! I love the enthusiasm that these missionaries have and to see this raw love of Christ. I feel so blessed!!

Tender mercies are all around us...we went to visit this cute family that love to eat Mexican foods (this is where I can get my cravings fulfilled) and she says "Oh Sister Reynolds, we have a treat for you!!" She pulls out this jar and its some 505 hot sauce!! I died of laughter and it was so sweet it brought tears to my eyes haha. She says "Oh, I thought of you in the store when we saw it and knew you would love it!!" Oh members are the best!

I am so grateful for the blessings the Lord has been blessing me with...especially some 505 hot sauce haha!! I hope we can all see those tender mercies the Lord places in our lives to let us know He loves us. Pray for the missionaries traveling, and going home and heading to the field. It's a stressful process and huge adjustment for everyone. We so deeply appreciate the prayers and feel them on a day to day basis.
THANK YOU!
I love you all! Have a good week!
Sister Reynolds

Sister Wagner and Sister Reynolds

There was this weird cloud of lighting! It was cool!

We were fed by this recent convert family and they had a blueberry bush!! So we got to pick blueberries...they were SO yummy!!!

Selfies:)

I'm thankful for America:)

Sister Reynolds did service on Saturday August 10, the day her brother Kyle married Jacei in the Payson Utah Temple! They were painting a members house!

I'm so blessed!

We went to the battlefield in Appomattox where the Civil War started and ended.

This white house is where the Confederate Army surrendered.

Sister Wagner will be going to the Provo Utah MTC and then return to the West Virginia Mission.

IHOP...yumm

Got in a little accident...I tried to merge lanes and hit someone in my blindside :(

...everyone was fine though!!

Got stuck in a chair lol...it's Sister Reynolds, what do you expect?!

"By helping others COME UNTO HIM, you will find that you have COME UNTO HIM YOURSELF" 

~Henry B. Eyring

Episode 19: Hello Lighting!!

~The Elders, Sister Wagner and Sister Reynolds~

The Mehalic Family took them to dinner:)

This week has been good, and a lot of little miracles have been happening. We have started teaching 1 new person!! We have yet to go back and see him. His name is Lawrence, an older gentleman who has a really cute pit bull and was very nice and had no history with dealing with the church, so a fresh clean slate. We are so pumped now that we have a vision in mind...things are falling into place and the Lord is blessing us for all of our efforts.

We have been out working this whole week and man have I missed that lol!! Of course it was in small spurts and my companion is struggling with a lot right now but she has even seen the difference and is able to really know and experience missionary work. We had a really awesome heart to heart about who we are and where we come from (earthly parents and such lol of course we know of the  spiritual heavenly side of things). I got to know her and her relationship with our Heavenly Father better as well. I look up to her in so many ways now and I can't wait to see what is in store for her future! She cracks me up, she is so intense haha! I love it!! She comes from a military family and everything she says just has a little bit of command to it haha...I love it! The people out here really take her seriously! I hear its totally a sister missionary thing to take companion inventories seriously but they help so much!! Companion inventory is where you discuss strengths as a companionship, as well as individually, challenges both companion and individuals. It's basically a compliment session for half of it and crying your emotions out and helping uplift one another all in a one hour-ish lol! But I can truly testify the more you and your companion are in tune with one another, the better things will run. That goes for any relationship as well lol!! We also talked about it and dating life...like duh we are sisters, what do you expect!! But man, this gospel is so organized and divinely set up...you can literally apply anything, to everything!! The Lord will provide. That's it. I love that promise. He's got this!

So like...I'm sorry I'm not going to be at my brother's wedding (Kyle) but like...not sorry :( He gets married this weekend in the Payson Utah Temple. I'm upset I won't be able to be there to support and feel the love lol BUT I am here and testifying of the importance of this gospel and testifying to other families that they can have what my family has. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else at this time and I am so deeply grateful. Words cannot express how much this gospel means to me...I'm getting all teary eyed thinking and typing about it!! But it's true. I felt prompted to share my testimony yesterday in sacrament meeting. It felt a little weird because I didn't want to take up the ward's time to share with one another, but the spirit told me there was someone in the congregation that needed what I had to say. So I shared my testimony of the importance of short powerful statements. Two little girls went up and bore their testimonies that went something like this "I'd like to bear my testimony, I know the church is true, I love my family, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." You heard the chuckles that came from the congregation, but instantly the spirit was 10 times stronger because of the simplicity of that testimony. In Preach My Gospel, it says somewhere that short powerful statements will pierce the soul or something of that sort, and it was true. So I testified of that and how easy it is to share the gospel, and Alma 26:36-37...I read that during my studies that morning and tears came to my eyes as Ammon bore his testimony and in church I shared that and piggy-backed off of it. It is my life and my salvation, I am enterally grateful for that. Do not ever back down from an opportunity to share the gospel! Just like Paul, as we read in Come Follow Me, he was a savage!! He was not afraid of anyone or anything! He would bear his testimony and people couldn't help but listen to it!! I hope to become bold like him and not be afraid to ever share my testimony. Ever wonder why missionaries always seem happy? It's because we are sharing the gospel, which God has promised that if we do so, it will bring us joy!! Let's be joyful together!
I love you all! Have a joyful week!!
Sister Reynolds

3 Nephi 11:11

"And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning."

Itty Bitty Farm

We made some cookie dough to watch the thunderstorms that have been happening! Midnight snack you say lol??

Before and After haircuts!

Video chat

August 5, 2019

Episode 18: Serve Him with all your Heart, Might, MIND and Strength!

Sister Reynolds found Farmington Street!

Lynchburg, Virginia

This week has been successful for us!! We took the scripture in D&C 4:2 "serve with all your heart, might MIND and strength" very seriously. It was a very mentally exhausting week, let me tell ya! As a companionship goal for this area, we wanted to focus on the members, ahh these sweet wonderful members!! They are so SO important in missionary work! I kick myself all the time because I had so many opportunities to either have a missionary moment or to go out with the missionaries or to minister to one of my fellow sisters in the ward. There are so many things that ONLY the members can do when it comes to missionary work and of course there are only things that the missionaries can do in the work as well, but members are a huge part of everything!! That is what we want to see happening in this blessed place. So we have been going through our ward directory and putting all the names of our ward members on a white board and figuring out who lives where and part member families and just over all categorizing them so we know who to focus on each week. It is really allowing us to feel organized about how to approach this work. It was difficult because I...note the word I, would want to go out and tract or this or that, but Heavenly Father kept telling me that this needed to be done first. It was a very humbling and spiritual experience. The spirit would guide me on how to organize them and now yesterday with it being finished, we used it and knew exactly where we needed to be and it made our day a very successful day!! I love being this close to the spirit all the time, and I have come to realize it is because I am actually allowing him to dwell with me more. Yes I am engaged in a holier work but with all that I do, I am very cautious. I never knew how easy it was to allow the spirit to be with me. Man I was sure missing out on so many blessings!

With the people we have been teaching, it has been a huge focus on what we want our life to become. We have to be the ones to have that leap of faith and take charge. We also need to know that we cannot do it alone. There are definitely some things that we should do on our own, but allowing Heavenly Father into our lives and asking for His counsel and wise words of wisdom, through either personal revelation or scripture study, can help us achieve higher goals. Allow the spirit to speak to you everyday. After you pray, take 5 seconds to let the spirit guide you on what you need to do that day or this or that. Let him talk to you and allow Heavenly Father to be in your life. I promise that as you do this, your days will run smoother and more joyful.

Just a quote for the week that I love sharing with families as we commit them to giving a helping hand in the work "The Lord's work will not be frustrated. Missionary work should not be frustrating, if it is you're doing it wrong! It should be a joy! It does bring so much joy!"~Elder Renlund

I know that being a part of this glorious work can bring forth so many blessings we will not even be able to comprehend it! D&C 18:15 "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" I hope you all are able to feel the urgency in this work and preparing the way for the second coming of our Savior. It's something you will not regret doing! I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week!

Sister Reynolds

Caught a beautiful butterfly:)

Doing service...cleaning out a shed...

found this GINORMOUS

S P I D E R . . .

It is probably poisonous!

Our BEAUTIFUL MISSIONARY :)

Video chat

July 29, 2019