Sometimes all you can do is just take a picture and hold your place in time as the days go by

So to start off this weeks email I wrote this down the other day while
we were waiting for someone to pick us up. They took a lot longer than
we expected.. But this is what I was thinking. I was having a rough
day thinking about the past, something that I shouldn't do out here
but this hit me like a ton of bricks. Check it out --

Something that I'm starting and is hitting me really hard is how fast
time truly goes. It's really hard to really grasp, but the thought
that Sis. Naihe taught us in English at BYUH is that no matter what
you do, when you leave somewhere, anywhere, it will never be the same
when you return. This thought is and has been scaring me a lot. That I
didn't "capture" enough moments per say while I was a teenager. I know
I am still a teenager but I turn 20 in 6 months. That is ludicrous. I
can't believe that I'm not a teenager anymore. It's so difficult for
me to think back to a time and realize it will never be the same.
Never.
However, the thought that is saving me and just blew my mind right now
is that I have to stop thinking about the past. Yes, the past has some
great memories but what I mean is that in the grand scheme of things
this life is a test and who actually likes tests? Anyone? Cuz I sure
don't. So, bear with me for a moment while I make an analogy. This
life is a test. It is our final. The final exam that will allow us to
(if we pass) life with God, our father in heaven. In the middle of
tests we may find happiness if we know the answer! You know that
feeling your like "I KNOW THIS! I KNOW I got this right." Think of
those as those memories that you love. You enjoy thinking back on. But
it's still part of the test. You have those moments where you like oh
crap. What am I going to do.
When we finish the test and we pass we are so happy. We find so much
joy. That's how after this life will be. If we pass. If we don't pass
we feel that, not joy. We are angry upset, disappointed. We knew we
could have done better. The beauty behind all of this is that we have
an amazing instructor who allows us, with some struggle, to change our
answers. To erase what we did and make it new; correct.
This has helped me so much. As I think about my life, and how I have
some very happy moments and some oh crap moments I remember that the
joy that I will have in the life after this will be nowhere close to
the happiness I found here. That's now what Go pad wants for us. He
wants us to find joy. To be like him. If he is God, then he is Perfect
in every way. That means he has found perfect joy. Perfect happiness.
I want that. I want to become like him. The happiness that we find in
this life is not even comparable to the happiness that we will find
after this life if we pass the test. Even if we don't, we still have
that opportunity to fix our mistakes.
I have been struggling with these thoughts for the past few days...
weeks. When this thought popped into my head I had to wright it down
so I didn't forget because I wanted to share it with y'all. -August
24th

But ya! Something that I'm coming to find is how well elder Jessop
and I got along. He and I became best friends REAL QUICK. From the get
go we got along. Elder case my new companion is fresh out of high
school. He is a great elder. He wants to work so hard, and is working hard on learning how to do it.
He will get it and he will be a great missionary.

We did terrible on teaching goals. We didn't have a single tracting
approach lesson, we only had a couple Recent convert less active
(RCLA) lessons, and it was just a slow week. But one great thing that
did happen was that the O's want to take elder Case and I down to the
temple next Monday to walk around and ask questions! I asked president
and he said yes! I'm so excited for them!!

This I tried to how you say "Count [my] many blessings" or things I'm
grateful for. Here are a few--
- Waking up semi easily (as soon as the alarm goes off)
- Endurance (biking)
- Showers
- My thought I had that I wrote down
- The O's and their kindness towards us
- Service
- Feeling the spirit so strong
- Repentance

These are just to name a few. I am so grateful for all of my blessings.

So like I said earlier. Not much happened this week... Not many opened
doors. Not many people talk to or taught. But that's okay. Some weeks
are just like that.

Love y'all

Reese

I've gots the best Gamie ever.

This is my project. I am taking post-it notes and am writing quotes memories logos and lyrics of things that I like. From quotes from Coldplay to Nickleback to Cherie Call to a Nixon Logo and HE>I. To a Christian Rap song G showed me which is really really good and this line stood out to me so much. See bottom right notes. 

ABC stores? Hawaii????

Don't let me , don't let me, don't let me down, don't let me down down down **BEAT DROPS**

Well this week was crazy. So crazy. To start off I am training a new
guy. His name is elder case from Pocatello Idaho. He is pretty cool!
He kinda started off his mission the way you would dream of it. Going
from lesson to lesson with people who have a baptismal date. But I
keep telling him, this isn't how the missionary work is here. It's
usually knocking doors. And then going to a new spot to knock doors.
Anyway, it's been an awesome week.

The O's and C were baptized on Saturday. It was such a great
experience. I think almost half the Ward came out for it!! It was so
awesome. We had to move from the relief society room to the chapel to
be able to fit everyone in the room where we had the talks and stuff.
But the chapel was nearly full! Elder Jessop was able to come up to
the baptism with his new comp and president stone and his fam bam. The
baptism was so spiritual. G, who is like 6'5", knelt in the font
so that he wouldn't hit his head on the wall or anything. N is
starting to get really mad that she can't hug us! She keeps telling us
that we just need to "deal with her being motherly" towards us. I love
that family. I can't wait to see them go to the temple and be sealed
for time and all eternity.

Really, other than that this week was really chill. I need to focusing
on what's important. Making sure that I am not "hanging
out" with people but that I'm helping people grow closer to their
Father in Heaven. I need to continue to work on remembering my purpose
which is to "Invite other to come unto Christ by helping them receive
the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement,
repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring
to the end." These words that we recite each morning along with "The
vision of the south" are always in my head.

The thought that keeps me going is that Grant (cousin)
is going home I think this week. It feels like he just left a year or
so ago. I coulda sworn I just liked one of his pictures on insta a few
weeks before I left.


Anyway I'm so happy for the opportunity I had to find the Os and
teach them. They are such an amazing family. C is also just such an
amazing girl who was just beaming when she got baptized. I am so
grateful that I can continue to teach them for at least another 12
weeks.

I got some awesome letters from my awesome cousin Cady and the Rocklin
Maxfield clan. Thanks y'all. It made my week!!

That's pretty much it for the week! So I hope y'all have a good one!

Love 
Reese

So from left to right: Elder Jessop, N, A, C, G, Yours truly--A in front 

Another one with our new comps in

Who needs a filter when you've got Tennessee sunsets like dis one right herrr

Lights will guide you home and ignite you're bones and I will thy to fix you

This week was so fantastic. Oh my goodness. So let's first go over
what will be going on with transfers. So elder Jessop and I are going
to be broken up Tuesday. He will be going down to Franklin
Tennessee where he will be a zone leader and also training a new
missionary! Stoked for him. As for me I will be stayin right here in
the great area of Sango where I will become the new district leader
and I will also be training!! I'm so excited to be able to help a
missionary start his mission just as I started mine a few months ago.
But I say this right now to explain what happened this week and why it
happened.

So we got these calls from Pres. Stone himself on Friday night, which
only happens if you are gon do something important like train or
become a ZL or DL. So when we saw him pop up on our phone... We looked
at each other and said... "NOOOO!!!!" Although I am sad to see elder
Jessop leave, I'm excited to help another elder. So this week we have
been kinda preparing for me to take over the area by going over to the
Os to teach them as many lessons as possible before we get split up.
This was so great. We had a lesson on Monday ? I think it was and we
decided that they needed to hear the Restoration again. So we taught
it Thursday. It was probably the most spiritual lesson I've been in
while I've been here.

We continued to go over to their house every other day or so. A,
the son about 9 years old, always comes up to us and wraps his arms
around our legs. I love that kid. He is crazy but he is a good kid. We
had a lesson with them last night at a new member in the wards home
(The dad reminds me on Uncle Jeff) We taught them about temples and
the promises and stuff associated with it and G (O) basically
taught the lesson. For example we discussed baptism for the dead and
literally just introduced that we do this "in proxy (in behalf) for
those who have passed on." He then went on to ask if he was
understanding it correctly he said "So this is kinda like how Jesus
Christ died on the cross for all of us and I (we) have the choice to
accept that or not right? So, if I'm understanding, the people who we
do these for still have their agency to accept the baptism right?" We
said. "Umm yep. You just quoted Brigham Young." We literally don't
even need to teach this family anymore. The spirit is teaching them
and has prepared them so much. I absolutely love this family.

During church today bishop announced that elder Jessop will be leaving
so before the lesson N(O mom) told us that she had a feeling
on Friday at 9:00 am that elder Jessop was leaving and that she broke
down into tears on her way to work. She said that she had started to
cry again when bishop announced it over the pulpit. During this
lesson, we asked her to say the prayer and she started to pray and
prayed for elder Jessop to continue to bring the spirit and this
gospel to others but had to stop because she started sobbing. The
spirit has changed her. She has had such a hard life.  I know that she had
found and applied the atonement in her life so much better now that
she knows and can associate the gifts of the spirit along with it.

During our lesson Tuesday they asked us the question "Why us? What
would have happened if we didn't answer or weren't home? She said and
told us the story of the day that we found her and we found her in the
30 minute period she was home before she was to leave to go get
groceries.

I know that God has a plan for all of us. He knows when we are ready
for trials, blessings, all things that happen in this life. The things
that happen in this life prepare us for other things/obstacles. If we
put our trust in him we will conquer all.

Just want to say congratulations to Anne Peterson getting her mission
papers in and I'm excited to see what part of the world she will be
serving in!

Love

Reese

Elder Jessop and I are extremely exhausted and think we are cool. Really bad combo. Really bad combo....

Thuggin it with a kid in the Ward.  He is the Ward mission leaders son. Cool kid. 

I can't take the diamonds fallin down

So if y'all are wondering why I have the subject line of my
emails/blog posts as song lyrics, it's because I still love music.
Whenever we go into a store or fast food place they are playing music.
I'm not complaining, at all. I still love music. I miss listening to
my country and all other forms of music. Anyway, when we go to these
places I sometimes/usually hear a song that takes me back to a place
whether it me school, home or songs that remind me of people. This
song reminds me of my sister Kaitlyn. "Diamonds" by Rob Thomas was her
favorite song that she would ALWAYS watch the music video. She had it
memorized by the age of...4? I think? Sure why not. Anyway she loves
it. I was eating my healthy taco from the one and only Taco Bell and
this song came on and a tear ran down my cheek bringing back the sweet
memory of her. I miss you KJ. Love you sweet girl.

So, moving on with my week, we had a great week! The Os are moving
and progressing onwards towards baptism! I am so happy for them! G
believes that the church is true as does A. N believes it
is as well but has some concerns about her coffee. She LOVES her
coffee. However she knows it's not good for her specifically. She has
a medical thing where she isn't supposed to drink coffee. So we solved
her problem. Now, elder Jessop and I are hopefully the only elders in
the mission with a bag of Dunkin Doughnuts coffee in our apartment.
(Meaning we took her coffee from her) She was so maddddd! But she was
smiling at the same time😂 it was that "I hate y'all with all my heart
but love y'all at the same time" smile😂😂 it was so funny. I really
wish y'all could meet them. They are the nicest family that have been
so prepared for the gospel.

C, another girl who is getting baptized on the 20th is also
continuing to progress. It's kinda awkward teaching her because she
already knows so much. She is reading the Book of Mormon for the 3rd
time now. It's crazy! I can't wait to see her continue to progress
towards baptism two weeks from now.

I'm sorry I don't have too much to talk about. We really do a lot more
than just talk to these people but it is either an "embarrassing after
mission story" or a "we tracked all day and met no one" story. So...
Yeah.

But one cool thing that happened this week is that president stone
took back all of the previous rules that have been in place from
President Anderson. One being music. So it is awesome to be able to
listen to some good Christian music other than MOTAB or Nashville
tribute over and over again.

The last thing I want to talk about is that this is the last week of
the transfer. We get calls Saturday, and the official transfer is Tuesday of next week. 
On the 16th. Baptisms are on the 20th. If one
of us, elder Jessop or I, get transferred we are going to be so upset!
We love these families so much and both want to watch them make these
promises with our Father in Heaven. Everyone is saying that I'm going
to be taking over the area and getting a new comp and elder Jessop is
gone. I really hope not. Elder Jessop and I get along so well. I'll
miss him a lot of he leaves the area. He has taught me so well even if
he thinks he hasn't. Haha

Well that all I've got for y'all this week. I want to wish Sis. Hannah
Smock safe travels today as she flys from Salt Lake to BRAZIL!
good luck out there girl! Love you!!

I love this church guys. I know it's true. For those of you who aren't
members of it I want to invite y'all to read the Book of Mormon, to
honestly ponder it even if it's just a little bit. If y'all want a
copy let me know. I can get you one. I can promise you that the book
is the way that we can come so much closer to God than we have ever in
the past. I have studied it, had my doubts, big doubts, but the more I
read it, the more I know that it's true.

Love y'all

Reese

Reese

District lunch after meetings.

A picture I've always wanted to take. Can now check it off the bucket list✔️

I will go most anywhere to feel like I belong

SUCH A GREAT WEEK!!!!!!! Oh man! So first off we were able to meet
with the Os again. They were the people I tracted into a few weeks
ago. We had a lesson with them Tuesday and we taught the Plan of
Salvation. They were really intent when they were listening. We are
really working on involving the people we teach but we didn't do as
well of that this lesson. But anyway we were talking about what we
need to do during this life in order to become closer to God and be
able to return to live with him. We talked about baptism by the proper
authority. We then extended an invitation to be baptized. They said
yes. So then we left and then were like... WAIT. WHAT!?!?!? They said
yes! We finally have progress in our are!!!!!! So if everything goes
according to plan we will be having a baptismal service on the 20th
for 3 maybe 4 people depending on if they want A (their 8 year old
son) to get baptized. We had another lesson with them Saturday and
we talked to them about their feelings towards it and G (Husband)
said "Well I will usually get a feeling if something isn't right, and
I haven't got that yet so I'm gonna go with this until I get that
feeling." We were so relieved to hear that. We are so excited for
them. Hopefully the concerns that they have can continue to be
resolved as we keep progressing in lessons and helping them grow their
faith.

Really other than that we had a really hard week... We probably
knocked on 300 doors and maybe 1 person talked to us for longer than
30 seconds. And maybe 75 of those people opened their doors... It was
really weird. Literally no one was talking or opening their doors...

Something cool that is happening in this Ward is it is that time of
year when everyone moves. All the military people are going to their
various places around the world. There is one family who is going to
Hawaii! They told me that they need to find someone to baby sit their
kids. I told them that I have a bunch of friends going to school out
there so if any of y'all want a babysitting job for a little let me
know!

We have had 4 new families move into the Ward within the last 2 weeks.
They are all so great. The Ward is huge now! There were so many people
at church yesterday it was crazy! We are finally getting members to
come out with us. This is helping so much... It means so much more to
the investigator when members come out with the missionaries.
Especially when they come to church. They know someone there.

Oh I almost forgot to explain the subject. Yesterday during church we
watched Hercules. We talked about our divine potential. No complaints
here.

I hope y'all had a great week!

Love
Reese

Don't have any pictures this week... But I found this on LDS.org. I love and miss home.