Week 52: One Whole Year

New haircut!

Week 51: Again..who needs a email.

Another week of just responses to my questions.  What's a mom to do?

1.  What was the craziest thing you ate this week?   Sister Chance's spicy potatoes

2.  What time do you go to church?  10

3.  Who do you write?  Who sends you mail? Logan, Alex Depew, Megan LeDoux, Wanda, Latisha Sashia, big Martin

4.  Do you take your vitamins everyday? Vitamin D?  No

5.  Any update on President Taylor?  There hasn't been anything on FB.   He is doing well.

 

 

Missionary Conference
photo credit: Sister Lambert


 

 

 

 

 

Week 50: No Transfer Letter

That is right, I get to stay in the Columbia River Ward for at least
the next 6 weeks! I also do not get to change companions! I am super
glad that I am staying because I dislike packing. From what it sounds
like, there are a lot of areas being doubled out. Meaning both
companions are leaving, and two new missionaries go in. Also big news,
there will no longer be any transfer meetings.

This week we were trying to find some members in this apartment
complex, and this elderly man sees us, and asks who we work for. I
thought after the fact that I should have said God; but I didn't and
explained that we were missionaries. He keeps talking to us about
random stuff that I do not even remember. I couldn't tell if he was
angry at us, or what his deal was. I am in the middle of responding to
him, he looks up, yells in my face at someone to 'get way from that
car', walks in between us, and tells us to follow him. One, it made me
jump because he yelled in my face, two so rude. I am sorry that I can
not convey to you the weird feeling I had when he said follow me. I
straight up lied, and said that we had an appointment. He then told us
to remember his apartment number, leave some material, and a number to
contact... Um no thank you. Maybe missionaries in the future will do
that, but not me.

We had a miracle this week! We needed some gas, and a break. We go to
the gas station, and the lady pumping our gas (It's an Oregon thing)
comes back to our window and says that Sister Chance looks familiar.
Probably we are everywhere! Turns out she had been meeting with
missionaries in the past, but she stopped or a while. She told us she
wanted to 'get back on track'. God does not do random! We are planning
to go see her tomorrow morning.

We saw foxes in a neighborhood in the middle of town! That was pretty
cool, I do not know where they came from though. We also saw a raccoon
cross the street, and went for the big puddle in the church parking
lot.

The best thing that happened this week! There is a sister in the ward
who got her name removed from the church's records when she was in her
20's. She is there every Sunday, and has been on this spiritual
journey for at least 15 years. She decided that she wanted to be
baptized again! She wanted it to be very private. Not even her family
came. Just the witnesses, Bishop, and she also invited us. It was very
spiritual.

Tongans fed us dinner one night! They got us an extra large pizza, and
we each of 2 liters of soda. Oh my goodness! This is probably one of
the reasons why President will not make the Tongan ward a sister area.

Speaking of President.. I know I didn't write an email last week, and
I do not know who knows, or does not know. Anyway, President Taylor
had a minor heart attack about two weeks ago. He had a triple bypass,
and is doing well. We received an email today that there will be a
senior couple coming to fill in the place for President and Sister
Taylor for a month while he rests.

Life is so good! Remember to read your scriptures, and to pray. Also
please remember when missionaries of any faith try to share what they
know to be true, be kind! Also, just be honest, if one does not want
them to come back they won't. Does not mean you have to agree, it just
makes for a better day on the missionaries end. I can not believe how
fast time is going! I am getting more comments of being out a while,
and not having that much time left. What? I feel like I have only been
out for a few months. It also makes me feel really old when I ask
other missionaries if they know another missionary, and then realizing
that they have only been out for 3 months, and the other missionary
has been home for 6 months. Oh! Speaking of being old! In missionary
slang we have what is known as posterity, so the trainer is the
parent, and so it continues.  I am going to be a great grandma! Oh my
goodness.

Well, all thanks for reading. I hope everyone is doing well. Thank you
for all you do!

Sister Slattery

Lobster mailbox...



Soaked through...I am hating the rain now.

Week 49: Email? Who needs to email?

Note from the Mom:  Just this Sunday I was asked by the Bishop to come to the pulpit and share an update about our missionary.  During this update I talked about this very blog, and how some weeks all I have to put up are pictures, because Sister Slattery isn't much of a writer.  Well lo and behold, this week, no big news filled email.  Each week I send an email telling her about things that are happening at home, changes in our ward, stake and community.  I also send a separate email with just 4 or 5 questions, so that the questions don't get lost in the bulk of my long email.  So this week, the only response I received was to my questions email.  I don't normally share these questions and responses in the blog, but this week, it's all I have, so that is what week 49 is going to be.  Can you believe we are at week 49!  February 4th is her year mark. 

1.  What are you studying right now? 
                               I am in the Isaiah chapters.

              

2.  Have you been careful driving on snowy, icy roads?  I honestly try not to think about this. :)
                                Yes, I have.  It was pretty much gone by Wednesday.

3.  Have you been able to write thank you cards for any Christmas gifts you got from friends and family?                     I wrote thank you cards to members.

4.  Tell me something that strengthened your testimony this week.
                                 I had to give a training in district meeting about finding joy in living the gospel/ missionary work. I got to use the Infinite Atonement! 

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Love,

Mom

I love you very much Mom! Thank you for the weekly updates! I should be sending out two boxes today.


Red=Mom
Black=Sister Slattery

Washing dishes with a little helper.

Week 48: Happy New Year!

Well first off let me start with yesterday. It was snowing! They even
cancelled church because of it. We then get a message from our zone
leaders saying that we need to stay in as much as possible, but we
should use our time wisely. The worst part about it was that it was
fast Sunday. We were stuck at home. With food. Luckily we didn't have
any appointments until the evening, but we had to reschedule those.
Plus the Jensen's (we live with them) were kind, and let us come over
for dinner, so we didn't have to drive anywhere. It was nice talking
to other people besides my companion. She is great, and all,  do not get
me wrong. It was just a long day being cooped up. I had cabin fever,
and it was only 10 o'clock in the morning! We cleaned the cottage, and
created an environment where the Holy Ghost could preside, then we
planned lessons, and finished plans for the week. We of course had to
take brain breaks now, and then.

It is very icy! We looked out the window this morning, and decided we
are not going anywhere today. maybe if it warms up a bit, and melts
the ice a little we might venture out to Winco. We did not even do
studies this morning. We had this system of boiling hot water on the
stove to melt a path from our door to the laundry room door. Then we
tackled the car. It was between a quarter to half of an inch thick on
some places. I couldn't open the driver's door! At that point if we
wanted to go anywhere we wouldn't have been able to. After about an
hour and forty five minutes I was satisfied, and done with our work.

New Year's was good! The Jensen's gave us this little goodie box with
our own little individual sparkling cider bottles. We weekly planned,
and we went to bed. Yep, that was about it. I had no desire to stay
up/wake up at midnight to celebrate. It has been super windy, and
chilly all this week! Right about now I am missing the Vegas whether.
I am such a wimp! I have to keep reminding myself that I know colder
weather.

Miracle of the week! We went by this less active member whom I will
call Sister M. We knock on her door, and the lady we talk to says they
just moved in not to long ago. Okay, so we tell her who we are, and
that we were looking for our member, asked her if she had met
missionaries before. Of course she wasn't interested, which is okay,
it is just not her timing yet. We are walking back to our car when
this lady and her dog are walking toward us. She is finishing her
phone call, and her puppy is wanted our attention. I help her by
taking the phone from between her check, and her shoulder because she
doesn't have a free hand. We tell her who we are. She said that she
knows, and that she is a member, and she just moved out of that house
from over there. (She points to the house we just came from). She
introduces herself, and says that she and her husband want to come
back to church! This was the lady we were looking for! Have miracles
ceased? Nay, I tell you!

I hope everyone had a great week! Stay warm out there!
Sister Slattery

I'm telling you, it's freezing here!

My current zone.

I love hot cocoa.

Winter Wonderland out my window.

Week 47: Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I know I did!

Christmas Eve we spent with one of our investigators, and helped make
pies. That was super fun! We got to talk to her more about the gospel,
and her verses having the lessons focused on the kids. We went over to
a recent convert's house, and of course she had food for us. She
always has food! It was so good. It was this this fancy Mexican soup
that they make for parties. I sure do love me some homemade Mexican
food! She was also very kind, and got each of us sweaters, blankets,
and some candy. We then go to our actual dinner appointment with the
Mueller's. (Brother Mueller is the ward mission leader). They had
their children, and grandkids over. Good food, good company, and a
good spirit. The kids even preformed the nativity for us. I was even
recruited as a last minute wise man. Then we got to open presents! I
really enjoyed seeing the kids, and how excited they were. They even
had presents for us! We got some body stuff, and an electric handheld
massager, and some more candy. It was super sweet! Then after that we
went caroling with the sisters in our zone. It was so wonderful! This
one lady saw us from the window, and she clapped, and jumped for joy
she was so happy to see us. That is how we ended our night. Then we
went home, and opened Christmas Eve pajamas!

Christmas Eve gift

Christmas Eve gift

PJ'S!

For Sister Slattery too!

 That night I had a dream that we were opening presents, and I kept
waking up every hour to see if it was time to get up. Finally my
companion got up at 6 to use the bathroom. When she came in I asked
her if she wanted to open Christmas presents now. She said yes, so we
did! It was so much fun! Thank you to all who sent me presents, and
were thinking of me this Christmas season. It really means a lot. Then
began the house hopping. I can not tell you how much food I ate. I
paced myself very well I thought. There was no way to prepare for how
much food.

The Mueller's

Stockings and treats

Santa brought me an ipad case with keyboard

A new scripture case.

The Infinite Atonement.  Read it!

Favorite lotion

 Then finally, I got to Skype home! Great Grandma Frances was even
there! It was so good to see my family. They still really do exist!
That is how I spent my Christmas. I am grateful for the opportunity to
serve my God at this Christmas season. Christ, He's the reason for the
season! I have loved reading in this month's ensign the article Be At
Peace by Elder D. Todd Christofferson. It has a really good analogy of
being warmed by the fire. Of just being with the Savior, and let His
love warm you. Y'all should read it!
It snowed last night!!

Thank you all for everything! I love, and miss you all. I especially
loved reading all the notes, and cards from everyone.

Much love,
Sister Slattery

Week 46: 2 Decades Later

I never would have thought I would have a birthday on a mission! It
was a good one! My family is the best! They sent me a cute birthday
package with all kinds of goodies. Plus a new dress and an awesome
necklace to go with it.  I am super happy that my old area is in my zone,
 and not to far away. I got to have
lunch with some members in the Columbia ward. We had pizza and
brownies. 😀 it was so good to see them again! Favorite people ever!
Plus Sisters Mandin and Arbon were there also.. They're cool too I
guess. 😉 (wink, wink)  It was kinda awkward trying to tell people it was my
birthday because I didn't want to be that person that expected people
to do something for me. Our dinner appointment made a comment about
looking very nice, and I told her it was my birthday dress. She then
found the candles, and made her husband be the camera man. Haha she
even bought at the store birthday cake ice cream sandwiches.

Birthday cake ice cream sandwiches!

Happy 20th Birthday!

A favorite, chocolate orange as a birthday treat.

 We had zone conference this week! I got my birthday goodie bag, and we
even got a clean car award. That is a shocker! First time for
everything right? I got packages galore at zone conference! I love
mail! Thank you to all who sent me stuff. It really means a lot. We
also went caroling with the sister training leaders. It was super fun,
and people were actually kind to us at 8:30 at night. We should make
this a year round thing.

One night this week we went out to eat with a brother in the ward, and
we had to bring another sister, so we brought elderly Sister Campbell
with us. He took us out to a buffet. It was really good, and I was
full. Fast forward to our appointment after dinner with this recent
convert. She is hispanic, and always has a treat for us. Well that
night she had dinner for us! Oh my goodness, I was so grateful I wore
my stretchy skirt that day. I couldn't not eat it, and be rude. I kept
making faces at Sister Chance when the member wasn't looking, as I was
lifting the fork to my mouth for another bite. It was good, don't get
me wrong. It was just a lot of dinner.

Oh! Also this is probably the biggest highlight of the week. We has a
service referral pop up on our area book. This lady's back yard had
flooded, and there was this pile of mud. Long story short, I was
stressing out because no one was getting back to us about who was
planning on coming. The zone came through, and even some members from
the ward showed up. The lady is super sweet! She said that her door is
always open to us, and she was just so thankful for the service. The
member that referred her got into contact with us, and told us thank
you as well. We will let this new relationship grow, and see where it
goes. So grateful for the opportunity to serve! It really got me into
the Christmas spirit.

Outside our cottage.

Yesterday after ward council, Bishop drafted us for the ward choir. I
have been here two weeks, and both weeks I have been on the stand.
Then we had to come practice for the ward Christmas fireside last
night. It was an adventure, but a fun memory to look back on.

I have been in the northwest for far to long. Last night I had a dream
about Sasquatch. I will leave it at that.

Today for p day we are doing a white elephant gift exchange with
things from our apartments. Haha I am super excited about that! I
still need to find something to bring.

Our baby Christmas tree.

Stockings! 

Thank you for everything that y'all do! Christ is the reason for the
season. This is His gospel, and I am grateful I have the opportunity
to serve Him this Christmas season. Merry Christmas to everyone!
Sister Slattery