Monday, February 23, 2015

Week 16: Guess What Day It is????P-DAY

Sister Stuart working at the Horse Farm



oh my goodness my lovely family and friends! I miss you all so much, each of you have been in my prayers this week, and thank you for all of your prayers! this week has been full of miracles but first an update on the past 3 weeks. well as you may know there has been a couple of snow storms and new England has received a lot of snow! and when that happens the mission gets grounded meaning we aren't allowed to use the cars, and also they have snow days out here so when school is cancelled the library is closed, so there has not been a way to email so I am sorry about all of that but I am enjoying the weather its beautiful. so transfers also happened 5 weeks ago, I stayed here in Maine, and I received 2 companions, so I am in another trio! it is amazing, sister tucker is from snowflake Arizona, and sister spangler Is from cotton wood heights in salt lake city, I love serving with these sisters, they are truly amazing and have such wonderful testimonies! we have had much success here, we just picked up 4 new investigators all through street contacting!! we also knocked doors as well and that's where we found Rick, he lives in Wells, literally right on the beach, we were beach contacting and we knocked on his door and he let us in and we have had 2 lessons with him since, he is currently on vacation in Costa Rica.then we have Donald, who we met on the street on his way to the ice rink in town, he plays on the professional hockey team here in new England! he has already commited to baptism! then we have Debbie and Chris, we met them at the store, Debbie walked up to me and started tapping in my name tag and I was kind of nervous as to why this women was doing this, and then she asked, your a Mormon aren't you? and I said well yes I am, I am a missionary for the church of jesus Christ of latter day saints, and she said I have always wanted to be one of those, how do I become like you? when she said that all 3 of us were so lost and confused and didn't know what to do!!! so we set up an appointment with her and we met with her on Saturday and she and her boyfriend were interested, but then she invited us to her wedding so we went to their wedding on Sunday it was so cool! they go to a non denominational church called river of life, and we stayed for the entire service which was weird but neat to see how others worship, they had bits and pieces of the doctrine of Christ but also some other things that really just didn't make any sense to me what so ever, but I love them so much they were welcoming and so kind, we also were able to teach lori our other investigator, she isn't really ready for baptism yet  but she is willing to continue the lessons until she can know for herself that this is what the lord wants for her! we are still searching for those the lord has prepared for us to meet. we are blessed with the courage to say what the lord would have us say in the 33rd section of the Doctrine and covenants its says" open your mouths and they shall be filled" what that teaches is that if we are willing to trust in the lord whole heartedly and learn to discern the needs of those we are teaching we will be diligent in opening our mouths and he will bless us with the words he would have us say! many miracles take place each and everyday, I am so grateful to be one of those who has the chance to be apart of these miracles. We had a less active this week named Cindy Farrell who didn't want the missionaries to bother her anymore so we stopped contacting her, she sent us a text message saying " how do I get an ensign?" and we said well we can work that out for ya, and asked how she was doing, and then no response, so sundae comes around and there is Cindy Farrell, walking through the chapel doors beautiful as ever, well while all of this is happening, we are at choir and I fall to the chair and place my head in my hands and I am just sobbing, how grateful I am for the atonement of Jesus Christ and the love that he has for each and everyone of us, he has been preparing here to come back to church and she did it on her own she took a cab and came to church! how great is that? man the church is true!! that was for you Uncle Larry ;) we are loving the work out here and the people the lord places in our lives. I have learned so much this week form my savior, that love is all that he is and all that I want to become, I know he has a grater plan for me and my companions, and because he loves us we can share that love that he has for others. so here is the fun stuff that we did!!! well we do volunteer work at a horse farm and sally one of the horses is gonna pop any day now!!! that's right a baby horse!!!!! we are just waiting for the call so we can go help out! I am so stoked! and we had a mini mission with a yw in here in our ward, sarah wright whose sister comes home tomorrow from her mission, and we had sister baskos daughter Rachel come home from her mission last week from Tiawan! and we have been to the ocean like every day this week cause its the first week it hasn't snowed!!! thank goodness, and GUESS WHAT!!! I HAD LOBTER BISQUE!! AND IT WAS FANTASTIC OH AND I ALSO HAD WILD SHRIMP AND SCALOP AND POTATOE CHOWDER AND I LOVED IT!!!! I think my tasted buds are changing out here!! man sea food out here is good!!! we have a huge mission meeting on march 7th with a general authority coming we don't know who yet, and we all think we might be finally getting ipads,so I will update you all on that next time! I am loving it here and I know that you all doing so well back home, congrats to cole and sam! wish you the best, and also happy birthday to madi and to ryan! and happy valentines day and congrats to Dylan and his baptism, and tell tara that I love and wish her and her family the best where ever life takes them! if i missed anyone im sorry but i do love you very much!!!
sorry it was different this week!!


Forever & Always,
         Sister Stuart (riley)
Sister Stuart, Sister Spangler and Sister Tucker enjoying the weather at the Beach

Monday, February 16, 2015

Week 15: A voice from the snow

We got a very short email from Sister Riley Stuart today:

love you too sorry its been forever the weather has been crazy for a long time, all is well, we are sharing a computer so it wont be too long to email but i love and miss you and got your packages and im in a trio love you so much 

haha yeah i dont know about new england snow though!!! but we are moving out here so i guess i have to get used to it! we had 41 inches in three days!! 

She's ALIVE!!!!


Monday, February 9, 2015

Week 14: Another Storm and No word

We have continued to hear from friends and others in the area that she is doing well.  The snow better stop coming because I need to hear from my missionary.  


Monday, February 2, 2015

Week 13: DO YOU WANT TO BUILD A SNOWMAN

We have not heard from Riley--it just kills us.   SOS were sent out to friends in the area and other facebook missionary mommas and ward members.   We heard she was safe, just not from her.  I'll take what I can get.


One thing I am sure of is Sister Stuart is going around singing this all day:

DO YOU WANT TO BUILD A SNOWMAN????

Monday, January 26, 2015

Week 12: Transfer Calls/Storm Juno!!!

1.  Update on investigators and reactivation efforts:
Lori: we had to drop her this week....sad day! but we will continue to pray for her and for the lord to soften her heart so that she will want us to come teach her agian!
Michelle: She has been vacation in Florida for 3 weeks so we will hopefully see her this week
Dorothy Maguire: A less active who came to church for the first time on sunday in 15 years!!! Sister Blume and I Cried in the lobby at church! we have been working on her and it has been a huge blessing to see her at church.
Valorie Daniels: A less active who came to church again this week, and we are preparing her for the temple! 
Noreen Harlow: We are still trying to get her to church and continue to work with her and the WOW!

2.  Transfers--what is happening with them?  Who? What? When? Where?
new address please..
Sister Blume is going Sister Training Leader so she will be leaving me, I am staying in Sanford President Stoker gave me two options that could possibly happen at transfer Meeting on thursday,I will either stay as junior companion or i will be in another TRIO and i will train a new missionary and be CO-SENIOR companion, so we will find out at transfer meeting! SO NO ADDRESS CHANGES :)
 ( they were supposed to be on Tuesday but we have a HUGE snow storm headed our way tonight, so they have grounded all the missionaries to the appartments, and we are not allowed to be outside until the storm passes which should be on thursday.)

3.  How do you make contacts in your area?
We do something called "power hour" where we go out for an hour and do out ITL's (invitations to learn), so basically street contacting that is manditory for this mission.

4.  Funniest moment of the week?
 The APs(assistant to president) called us the night of transfer calls on saturday and asked sister blume to play the piano at transfer meeting, hahaha the funny part was we didnt know we were going to transfer meeting yet becasue president didnt call us yet for the transfer call...so the APs felt so bad! it was so funny!

5.  Favorite teaching moment?
Sister Blume and I are teaching the temple prep class for our ward and we have three less actives who are coming so we are so excited for that.

6.  What are your thoughts/feelings about your Mission President and his wife?
I LOVE PRESIDENT STOKER AND SISTER STOKER.....enough said...just kidding, they are amazing!!!! they remind me of my aunt and uncle (Joe and Darcy) they are just so cute! like newly weds all the time i love it! they do so much for this mission and for helpling me with my sick stuff and sleep problems. they are so christ like it scares me to be in their presence.//just kidding i love them!

7.  My favorite part of "finding or reactivation is"...

The testimony that it gives sister blume and I! its just amazing to see the atonement of jesus christ work right in front of you.
8.  The "Most Unexpected Moment" I had this week was...
TRANSFER CALLS....I though sister blume and I would have one more transfer together but oh well!
Rapid Fire:

1.  I laughed so hard when...
the APs called us and secretly told us we were headed to transfer meeting

2.  My ward is great because...
they make sure the missionaries are taken care of, and they provide the work for us here in Sanford.

3.  One way that Sister Blume and I are strengthening our companionship is...
We make sure that we know how much we love each other all the time, you have to have to have to love your companion, and serve her all the time, it helps with any contention that you have within the companionship

4.  The Spirit was so strong as....
when we pray for the inspiration needed for sanford and kennebunk!

5. One way I feel blessed as a missionary is..
We are set apart to do the lords work and to have the spirit with you all the time is just amazing!

6.  A goal I have for this upcoming week is..
to align my will with gods will, to become the missionary the lord has prepared me to be!

7.  I love learning new things everyday.  Today's "new thing" was...
The lord really does love me, and care for me, we are not alone, 88 thousand missionaries are serving all over the world to proclaim the good news, and he is proud of each and every one of us individually! i have felt the lords hand in my life as a missionary this week through my amazing companion sister Blume! she is just amazing! 

8.  3 things I am grateful for this week and why?
President Stoker: because he receives the revelation that is needed for this mission.
Sister Blume: for all that she did to train me as a misionary!
Priesthood: well we all know why ;)
Forever & Always,
         Sister Stuart (riley)

Monday, January 19, 2015

Week 11: I love the BEACH

Gouaches Beach

All the libraries are closed but the bishop owns a hardware store on main street so he let us and the elders email here so we had to coordinate with elders and they just got done we went shopping for groceries, and then laundry, and then we were able to get to the hardware store and do emails, but the computers are really old and there is no way to hook the camera up to it, so next week i will have ALOT of pictures to send, and videos of us at the ocean!!



2. Are you driving? 
not yet i am still junior companion, transfer calls are saturaday, we think that i am staying and sister blume will go, she has been in this area for 4 months so 3 transfers  

3. What was the best (and what was the worst) part of your week?
the best part of my week was zone conference, so much to learn form president stoker, and the worst was when our investigator cancelled all our lessons with her this week.

4. Funniest story (these are my favorite, so spare no details?)
funniest story hmmmm....i started talkin like a mainer!!! and we do sercvice at a thrift shop and the peole who are just histarical!!!

5. Most spiritual moment of the week?
zone conference was amazing i love president stoker! and i did pretty well on the talk and i did not even cry!! i know its hard to believe!

6. How was your zone conference? What was your talk on? What did you Mission president share that you liked the most?
like i have said previously before, zone conference was fantastic!! my talk was on the devine qualities of a sister missionary, president stoker shared mulitiple messages, but one that stuck out the most was that we as missionaries are the best teacher the church will ever have!! how neat is that??? pretty neat!

7. What have you learned the most from Sister Blume?
man!!! sister blume is just amazing! she has such a big heart, but i learned that every door that is slammed in our face is one more door that was opened in heaven, meaning that there is a place for them in the after life to be taught, pretty weird to think about but true!!

8. What is your favorite thing about Sanford?
THE PEOPLE!!!!! and the tourist sites and museums! it reminds me of Depot Bay in oregon!  i went to the atalantic ocean today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it was BEAUTIFUL!!! this week has just been amazing mom.....i love this missionary life style!!! i am so blessed and so gratful for you and for the example that you set for toni and i, this was all possible because you are an amazing person!!!


Gouaches Beach

Rapid fire:

1. Biggest "Made me smile" moment?
a less active came to church on sunday for the first time in 4.5 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. My favorite study session this week centered on...
my 14 day walk with christ, a story about the atonement!!! blew my mind!

3. If I could talk face to face with the Savior, I would ask Him...
if i can stay a full time missonary until i die!! and to never leave maine!!! hehe selfish iknow but totally worth it

4. My companion and I bonded over...
our families are like exactly the same!!! its crazy!!!!

5. I was so excited when...
Sister Blume and i went to the Atlantic ocean today!!! i have pictures but i am using a dinosaur computer ;)

6. The Spirit was so strong as....
I went to the Boston temple this week.....AMAZING!!!!!!!!

7. Something I have discovered about missionary work....
is it isnt easy but worth every challenge and trial adn sickness ans struggle 

8. Since I have to teach on the plan of Salvation this week-- Bear
your testimony on the plan of salvation....
I know that i can return to my father in heaven, and it was all made possible through the atonement of jesus christ, we will see our loved ones again, we will not feel pain or sorrow, we will litterally be in paradise, but only if we do the things our lord and savior has asked us to do!!!
love you all so much!!!!


love you too!!! i went to the atalantic ocean today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it was BEAUTIFUL!!! this week has just been amazing mom.....i love this missionary life style!!! i am so blessed and so gratful for you and for the example that you set for toni and i, this was all possible because you are an amazing person!!!


Forever & Always,
         Sister Stuart (riley)

Monday, January 12, 2015

Week 10--WELCOME TO NEW ENGLAND MY LOVELY FRIENDS AND FAMILY!!

1.  Update on investigators and reactivation efforts?
Lori- we couldn't see her this week, she canceled on us but we are hoping to see her this Friday, 
Rhea- we have a dinner appointment with her tomorrow, so we will get to teach her the Plan Of Salvation!! super pumped for that! 
Less- Actives- we had 5 less actives in sacrament meeting on sunday, that was wicked good!


2.  Best companionship teaching experience this week was?
we had exchanges this week with the sister training leaders, sister blume went to exeter with sister smith and i stayed in sanford and sister pankratz came to me, we were able to pick up a new investigator on saturday, it was an amazing experience, her name is Anne Doiran we prayed for an hour in the car to find her cause on her teaching record it didnt have any contact information and she had not  been taught since july, so i prayed to know if the lord needs us to find her and at that moment i told sister pankratz that we need to drive into Rochester NH, which isnt our area but i called president stoker to get permission and it was so cool and GUESS WHAT  we found her!!!!!!!!! so neat

3.  How are the wards involved in the missionary efforts?
Well during ward council yesterday we introduced the oval chart again and gave specific assignments to each auxiliary and they committed to making a list of 15 names for us to go out and find and reactivate and teach.

4.  When was the last time you saw an answer to a prayer.
On wednesday at scripture study class, i was struggling with not being able to see success in the area i was serving and sister blume and i pray for opportunities to see that success and we were able to when we had 5 of our less actives come to our scripture study class, i cried the whole time, and bishop shaw sat and talked with me and sister blume just to let us know that our efforts dont go unnoticed.

5.  Favorite scripture study moment this week included the scripture...?
Mosiah chapter 7 talks all about the Atonement,

6.  The goals we have as a mission this week or month are?  And we are
doing ....on the goals?  get all of our investigators as well as the elders investigators to church this week

7.  Something I learned about myself this week?   Something I learned
about my sister companion this week was?
that i am an amazing missionary and i have talents and ablilities that sanford needs, oh and i am giving a 3 minute talk at zone conference on thurday!!! so scared

8.  I felt The Lord guiding me the most this week when..
i was without my trainer this week, on exchanges!

Rapid Fire

1. My companion and I couldn't stop laughing over.....
when we were doing service on a horse farm and elder McCain dared us to eat molassis horse feed and we did and it was surprisingly good!

2.  What do you see everyday when you walk out of your apartment door?
the giant mansion across the street and the road!

3.  What should we do to be better missionaries at home while you are gone?
ALWAYS ALWAYS PRAY AND COUNCIL WITH YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER CONFIRM YOUR PLANS WITH HIM, JUST SO HE CAN LET YOU KNOW THAT THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT HE WOULD HAVE YOU DO.

4.  What is your apartment like? Is it is a building?  Do you have a
lot of neighbors?
our apartment used to be a house but was turned into three apartments, we have a bacholor pad underneath us, they party every night and it always smells like pot when we come home, how nice is that. those are our neighbors

5.  It is so cold we could......
sniff our bugers and they would freeze!!! no joke
its 4 degrees right now!!



6.  Favorite thing to eat when it is cold outside?
ben and jerrys ice cream it originated in vermont, my fav is chunky monkey

7.  Favorite thing that happened at church yesterday...
Relief Society, we had a recent convert sister grady, she bore her testimony and her husband hates that shes mormon and so he constantly puts her down but to hear her testimony was absolutely amazing sister blume and i cried

8.  I couldn't believe it when...
we got permission from president stoker to go ice skating!!! on a lake that is frozen out here!!! cant wiat
Forever & Always,
         Sister Stuart (riley)