Thank you everyone!

Elder Rigby's Sunday School teacher was headed to Tacoma Washington when he received my weekly "mama missionary update" asking him to drop Elder Rigby a Happy Birthday note.  God's Hand was ever evident as Brother Wilcox was at  Elder Rigby's very exit when he stopped to check his email.  Brother Wilcox knocked on the door and said, "Is Elder Rigby here?"  What a way to deliver a birthday wish!

Hola,

I've been overjoyed this morning with all the Happy B-day wishes! Every single one of you that sent me a happy b-day! I loved being able to visit with Brother Wilcox- what a great surprise! I love you all!

Team I have not been able to pick up the package you sent me. It will be at the UPS pick up site by noon. Thank you so much for sending me it I'm so excited to open it up today!

Gpa Rigby- I'm sorry you're still in pain good friend! I pray you get feeling better. I have not yet seen that card! I'll have to check at the mission office!

Gma and Gpa weaver thank you for sending me the lovely card and the check. I love you both! I hope your service in the temple is going grand!

Englestead family-Thank you for all your great emails, the REALLY FUN package, and the great card! I love you all and miss you! That means the world to me that you all wrote me! Boston it is so great to hear you are getting your papers ready I have never felt so much joy and peace in my life. Every thing your doing is making you Father in Heaven tremendously happy! Adelaide, Dallas, and Camden I miss you a ton!! thank you!

Maleck-You're doing so great at Baseball! way to be! What makes me more happy than anything is how you're helping with the kitchen! I'm so proud of you!

Emma, Madsen, and Stockton With my experience that I had earlier this week with visiting the family who's oldest son(my age) who ran away made me think more about you and how much I appreciate you for always supporting me!

Madsen I'm so sorry you crashed the burb. don't worry stockton did it too:)

Stockton please no water balloon fights I'm actually pretty concerned about turning back to my old ways:) please help the family prayer for our people. Your faith will help us and we must have more help if we are able to help them come to church.

Emma I'm so glad you conquered your fear! best of luck with the recital

Mom and Dad I'm sorry out of time! Thank you for your emails! Please pray for our people.

Thank you so much for the phone! It has been an incredible tool to further the work!

(excerpt from his letter to the president detailing the mission work)

Dear President! What an amazing week! I love being a missionary and I love my phone!

Elder Lowry

Last P-day before returning to work, Elder Lowry broke down a little bit and described how he has been feeling. He has never worked so hard in his life and this transfer has been a very large jump for him. He had been struggling with the principle of exact obedience and the the obedience I demonstrated reminded him of all the things he wasn't doing. HOWEVER, after describing to me how hard he has been trying to do better this transfer we have been able to connect better and he has made BIG strides and obedience and love in action for God and our brothers and sisters here in Selah-Naches. He is proned to compare his weaknesses with my strengths. With the help of God, I've been able to help him understand his great worth and talents. He does an AMAZING job and connecting with people. He's helped me improve tremendously at being able to help people know we are normal people and we just want them to feel more joy. Of course, this joy comes from Jesus Christ.

Area

Sumano Family

Hma Sumano's father died of diabetes this last week. She has stayed strong to the faith and it ws a special moment to be able to sit next to her during Church. We are finally going to meet with her this afternoon. I have felt that God sent me to help her. It's been amazing to understand that God has prepared me to help them.

Juan Gonsalez

We were unable to have a lesson with our great friend Juan. This week. I've felt have been greatly prepared to help Juan more

Rosa and Juvanal

It has been great this week to see how God has put people in my path to loosen me up. Juvanal is a very funny older hispanic man who loves joking me as we attempt to help him understand the truthfullness of the Restoration. We are inviting him to come to a family home evening in the home of my hero and friend Hmo. Soto. Juvanal has great desires to come closer to God he feels worried that the clothes he has are not appropiate for church. We'll help him out!

Llesenia Cardenas

We met Llesenia one morning a while ago. She had recently had a painful surgery and therefore we woke her up-she wasn't too happy:) However, we had a conversation that consisted of getting to know about her life, struggles, and we helped her understand that she is a daughter of God and that family is important. 

After we met her, she began thinking about her relationship with God and she even reached out to some of her family members that were being unkind. We later came by, and unlike the last half-asleep visit,  she was happy to see us. We became great friends and shared some laughs which led us to a great conversation about her desire to find God's path for HER. We invited her to pray but she didn't feel comfortable yet so we said a prayer thanking God that we met her and asked for his help for her kids. We also exchanged facebooks:) She later that night posted on facebook, tagged us, and described how we had visited her, messengers from God, to help her find her path home. It was amazing to see how God had lead us to her. He truly knows his children. I am SO excited to continue to teach her

Jazel Delgado

We found Jazel while we were tracting this past week, shared a little bit about our message, and exchanged facebooks. We've been teaching her a little bit over facebook while trying to figure this whole process out. I can't say we've gotten it down yet but we're getting there! I have to be honest President I'm ok over Facebook teaching girls my age but even with quite a bit of time out here I still get nervous teaching the daughters of God that our my own age. Elder Lowry teases me about it.

Victor Rauda

We found Victor the other day while we were going to visit a LA. We got to learn his story and we found out that he lost his 5 month old son a little over 2 years ago. I had recently felt the impression to study Moroni Chapter 8 so I was able to share it with him. He seems very excited to learn more. We get along really well because he's a cowboy(vacero) and I've always wanted to be one.

Alma, Reuben, and Fam

Yesterday Elder Lowry was having a rough day. He made the comment that we were going to find someone very cool. We truly did. My heart is saddened to tell the story of this family. Alma was orphaned when she was 11. She met Reuben and had 2 sons in Mexico. They came to mexico and began to create a life for their family. She and her husband were blessed with 2 daughters and another son. As the story continues Reuben and Alma, much like many other Parents that come from Mexico, worked very hard to support their kids. Alma, much like my mom, is has been the kind of Mom that did everything for her kids. She worked so hard to help her 2 oldest sons get an education and have great families. Nevertheless, her oldes hung himself 6 years ago and now her 2nd son has run away to live a life in in the world. These 2 losses have torn the family apart. We came to their home and the father let it all out. We began to do a "how to begin teaching" at the beginning first introducing ourselves and then describing our expectations. This was cut short as he described how he wished that his son could be what we were doing. The whole family is hurt but they are very ready to learn. We're going back on tuesday

This expeience made me think about how blessed I am to be given this opportunity to be out here. All my weaknesses and strengths have taught me the importance of the individual instead of the big projects. I thought it was such a special moment for us that as Elder Lowry got to meet the kids more I was able to put my arm around Reuben, listen to him, and promise him that God loves his son who's lost just like he loves his son. I feel so blessed president

Me

I turned 20. I love using the gospel library app to did deep into the scriptures and make lists of scriptures that I may share with people on the street. God has given me strength to focus more on Elder Lowry. He's expressed how his loved ones don't believe he can do this. If there is anyone I care about it is Elder Lowry. I'm going to help him find the joy of giving our all to love God in his sacred work.