Super Bowl of Baptisms!!

Sister Sims and I getting ready for Brayden's Baptism!

The Calaways with The Hutchens Family, who introduced them to the Gospel but moved to Utah. 

They flew in to baptize them!

Justin Hutchens, Elder Urban, Dave, Cannon, Cierra, Caylie, Kim, Sister LeStarge, Sister Sims 

WE BAPTIZED 6 PEOPLE THIS WEEK!!!!

    Sister Sims and I had an incredible week filled with baptisms. We baptized our 10 year old investigator Wednesday night and our family on Saturday night! The first baptism was more something we set up for because they family made the program. We were so excited though when his Grandfather baptized him! He will be confirmed this comming Sunday because he was out of town for the Sunday following his baptism. We can't wait for him! 

   Saturday night was probably one of the best days of my life! We got to baptize a family! We were a little more invoved with this one because we made the program! It went like this:

Song

Prayer

Musical Number

Talk on Baptisms 

Baptisms

"Half time show"

Musical number

Talk on Holy Ghost

Musical number

Welcoming

Song 

Prayer

  Now I'm not trying to brag or anything but it was called "The Super Bowl of Baptisms". It deserves that title! Did you see we had three musical numbers?! The talks were incredible too!! Although they had a fantastic turn out of over 100 people the greatest part was when they went in the water. They went in order of Father, Mother, Daughter, Daughter, Son. I think everyone in the room was tearing up, even me! When one of their daughters came up out of the water she asked "What is this feeling?" ITS THE SPIRIT! That's when I lost it! This is how the Gospel is suppose to be! Families getting baptized! Making covenants together! Changing their lives together! Its beautiful! This family has changed my life and the spirit has changed theirs, I am so blessed to have been a part of their baptism. They were also confirmed one after another on Sunday. What an extraordinary time to witness each one receive the Holy Ghost and be blessed. But wait! It didn't stop there! After Sacrement the Mother and Father asked my companion and I "Where are the tithing slips?" I almost started balling again! What an amazing obedient family! The Lord prepared them! I got to hear the Father bear his testimony on tithing that he gained from watching his Grandfather pay tithing for years. He fell in love with the way the church distributes its tithing and knows its a commandment of the Lord. I also got to hear him bear testimony of prophets he said "I know Mr. Monson is a prophet" Mr. Monson! I love that! He went on to explain how he loves that we have prophets in the Latter Days, that the Lord loves us enough to send us a guide. I wish you could all grasp the idea of  how incredible this family is!

   While at their Baptism the bishop warned them not to fall away from the church because of imperfect member's who may offend them. Someone corrected the family on their clothing (which for some members of the family was the best they had). That night the wife went out and bought a dress for herself to wear to church the next day! Took everything I had not to chew out that member for her correction. People learn in time what our standards of dress are, you just need to give them a little time. I love this families desire to be obedient though! On Sunday the Mother realized she forgot to buy a slip for her dress! So with her desire to keep the Sabbath day holy she sent her Son who wasn't baptized to the store! Haha! That's what I call a loop hole...We can't wait to have this family progress toward the temple together! In two weeks we hope for them to get in and do some baptisms for the dead. We heard that if a family makes it to the temple 2 weeks after baptism its a 100% retention rate! We will get them to the temple in the next two weeks! Especially if their already paying tithing! I love being a missionary and I love having the mere privileged of serving the Lord in his vineyard!

Love,

Sister LeStarge

Reaching the Ward's Goal

Hey everyone! 

This week is going to be awesome in Dry Creek! Sister Sims and I will be baptizing 6 people!! Our bishop made a goal at the beginning of the year to baptize 6 people and the stake president told him to re-evaluate and come up with a more realistic goal. Our bishop persisted and now we're reaching that goal! The Lord's work is moving forward! On Wednesday night we'll be baptizing our 10 year old investigator! We're so excited because he's be waiting for so many months! We're even more excited to baptize our family on Saturday! Our ward has been so great to take them in and they've offered all they can to help! Our biggest worry is that our the father of the family won't have a jumpsuit to wear! He's 6'8 and a big guy! We're going to call the temple to see if we can use one of theirs! We're so excited though! 

We got to spend the 4th with our family! They're the greatest. They made us these really yummy tacos with this cut of steak that was so good! And I don't even like tacos! So you know it had to be good! We tracted for a few hours on the forth and it was the most brutal thing ever! SO HOT OUTSIDE! We got into a few peoples homes but we didn't get to teach them. I think they just had mercy on us. We'll go back in a few weeks and say hello again. Its hard for my companion to tract because so many people reject us, so we often stop and take a "crying break". She usually feels a lot better after but it makes me worry I'll be asking for  "crying break" when I hit 11 months in. nah. I'll be okay. 

The work is hard and the days are long but I love the work! I always panic when I think about how much time I have left! In two months I'll only have a year!! I love you all and I miss you! 

Love, 

Sister LeStarge 

Transfers

Hey Everyone!

 We survived transfers!! Sister Sims and I have another 6 weeks together! Best.News.Ever. We're really blessed and fortunate! Of all the missionaries in our zone (10 companionships total with 2 trios) the Zone leader (my favorite Elders) along with Sister Sims and I were the only ones who stayed together! All other companionships got split up! Our zone was slaughtered. We're so blessed though because we get to baptize the whole Calaway family!!!! July 13th is their date! Their friend who introduced them to the gospel (who has recently moved to Utah) will be flying in to baptize them! I love their family! For the 4th we'll be teaching them a lesson, going bowling with them (we have permission to do so) then painting their daughters bedroom! A whole day with the Calaways! Its a miracle! Yesterday we ate our second dinner of the evening with them. Right before we went into their house I made a comment and Sister Sims laughed so hard she threw up our first dinner! No better way to make room for the second dinner than by loosing the first right? Gross. We'll also be baptizing our 11 year old investigator  on July 11th! The following Sunday we'll have 7 confirmations!! The Lord is blowing this area out of the water! We're so blessed! We're also incedibly blessed to have listened to the broadcast last week from the General Authority! Our members are really responding to their call! I love this area and I'm so grateful to stay here. However we know next transfer one of us will have to move. 

 I've decided I could never live in California because its a blazing furnace...This week its suppose to be over 105 everyday...our leaders won't let us ride our bikes. This past week we went out tracting (we've tracted about 70% of our area now) and I swear I was sweating buckets. California is too hot. On Sunday we went tracting and a man denied us water then shut the door! rude. Good thing we have members all over that take good care of us. I like to think that we have the most member trust in our whole mission! 

Ah! I'm so excited to see Ben and Jen got a puppy! Its so little! I hope they name him Gus, that's a cute name for the little guy! We'll I guess he won't get that big so I'll see him when he's still small! I love this work and I love the Gospel! I am so blessed to have people to share the gospel with! One of our mission mottos is "Never Quit, Never Surrender"! 

Love Sister LeStarge

Flesh Eating Skin Disease

Hey Family!

I'm so glad to hear of the great miracles the Lord has blessed our family with! What a great blessing Jenna and the kids are alright! That's a bummer that old goat ran into her...but its a blessing to see the Lords had in all things. I'm so grateful little Jonah is okay! He's a little stud watching his cartoons and getting all his snacks while he can, not too sure many 3 year old's know how to do that. 

Thanks for sending me a package mom, I'm sure i'll get it soon, thanks for putting a few dollars into my account too! We went out to eat as a zone this week and one elder forgot his wallet! I was the only one willing to cover him so I got a little behind on money this month...

That so exciting Joey goes into the MTC this week! Welcome to chaos Joe...I didn't know Ethan got his call to Brazil! Crazy, we just lost one of my favorite elders to Brazil, his visa finally came, but the Lord needs his missionaries all over the world! Well we all better pray he doesn't have Lyme's disease, that would be super inconvenient...speaking of diseases I'm breaking out all over my body in little bumps! They itch like crazy!  I don't think its a disease but its some kind of allergic reaction. I already had the mission nurse look at it and she thinks its a reaction too, we just have to figure out to what?

I'm so excited you were able to start renovations on the kitchen! I'll come home and I won't recognize it! You should build in a dog door for bandit too! I'm excited to have more counter space to cook! I really miss cooking...we still get fed here everyday, now they're starting to sign us up for lunch appointments. The Elders are really impressed Sister Sims and I ride our bikes as much as we do, the members too. They say its good for the community to see us and recognize us. I haven't fallen off my bike yet Dad, don't worry you taught me well. The other day i was leading and I swore Sister Sims was right behind me but when I pulled into our driveway there was no sign of her! Shoot, not everyone is as blessed as I am to have such powerful legs, I left her in the dust and had to go back. I guess I'll just have to look back more often...

In 3 days I'll hit my 3 month mark and I'll only have 15 months left! Whoa that's crazy! It feels like I just got here...We have transfers next Wednesday and calls come Saturday so i could be getting a new area. This area's awesome but it's really difficult to find people! and my zone leaders are awesome!!! (typed by elder oldham) We taught the Calaways today! I LOVE their family. I told them to hang a picture of me on their wall next to their kids and Kim said "Okay bring the picture next week!" I'm so blessed to be able to teach them. Earlier in the week we taught them about the priesthood and I was worried they didn't understand it exactly...kaylee got home from camp and had the stomach flu ( apparently they had a break out of it at camp and had to send 30 girls home) We asked her if she would like a priesthood blessing and she accepted. We asked the elders to give the blessing and they did a great job explaining the process using james 5:14-15. Each of the daughters got a blessing (the other had an asthma  attack the night before) by the end of the blessings the whole family was in tears! They all got to see the priesthood in action! yes! I love the priesthood! This morning however, we taught them the lesson on chastity. Their oldest son is gay and has a boyfriend so we're a little concerned about him...so pray for Conner! 

I'm out of time but I'm going to spend a little time writing letters this week! so look for those! 

Love Sister LeStarge

Greg McKewon

Hey Everyone!

This week was pretty great! We had a special training on Friday given from Greg McKewon! He's a Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author and he's incredible! President Gelwix has great connections and asked him to meet with us for a day! He gave us an all day training on Existentialism and basically its changed the goals of my mission! We learned to go back to the basics and meet the essential goals the Lord wants us to accomplish. We often as missionaries progress a millimeter in a million different directions but if we channel all our energy to the one goal the Lord has for us we'll progress at a rapid pace. I think my favorite part of the training was the way he talks! Hes originally from England so he's got an accent, I could just listen to him all day...good thing I did! 

At the end of the day President got up and spoke about the goals the Lord has for this mission and how great they are, one elder stood up and said "President I support you in your goals but even more I support the Lord". Another Elder stood up and said the same thing, then two more! Eventually all of us were standing re-committing ourselves to the work and to the Lord, I think just about everyone was crying in the end, the spirit moved us all! I love the Lord and I love President Gelwix and I'm here to serve them both! (but mainly the Lord). 

Sister Sims and I also got to teach our family of 6! We love their family so much and we are so grateful for the opportunity to teach with the spirit! this week they committed to keep the Word of Wisdom and to keep the Sabbath Day Holy. I wish everyone got to teach this family because they're just so great! One of their daughters is even going to Girls Camp this week! We've still kept their baptism date for the 13th of July so they can be baptized as a whole family! 

Sister Sims and I rode our bikes a ton this week, we feel that it's the best way to talk to everyone. One particular day Sister Sims was struggling with keeping balance on her bike, she ended up falling three times in a row! I had to get off my bike because I laughed so hard! 

I love you all so much! I've got to go because my companion and I are in charge of the Zone activity today! 

-Love Sister LeStarge

.

Hey Everyone! 

Things are still moving along in Fresno! Sister Sims and I have so much fun with one another! We push one another to reach our greatest potentials! She's told me a few times that she'll often forget shes training me! We're like co-companions? We had a Zone Conference this past week and we begged President to keep us together! I don't think he believed us until we told his wife too! Sister Sims and I are doing great though. 

This week was a little more rough, our investigators cancelled on us and were unable to attend sacrament! NO! That's the worst! For this week we're hoping to schedule multiple appointments to teach because it's summer for the kids out here. 

Speaking of summer! Sister Sims and I rode our bikes again! It was 109! Blazing Inferno! A member said when she saw us riding down the road she almost pulled over and called President to complain! While we were riding I was in the lead and I saw this pretty stick! As I got closer I thought "that's not a stick! that's a snake! Ah!" I was too close to stop so I ran over it with my bike screaming! As soon as Sister Sims saw what I was screaming about she screamed bloody murder! We both took a minute to come back from that one!  This morning while taking out our laundry we both froze when we saw this enormous wolf spider! It was the size of a sticky note! That giant! gross...what was the Lord thinking making all these creepy crawlies? 

Well our little pranks with the Elders ended...they surrendered! After we put tuna in their car they knew they couldn't beat us but it was a good time! One of the Zone leaders told me we were his favorite pair of sisters and thats a genuine complement because his biggest pet peeve is sister missionaries! We love the Elders in our zone, this week we played dodge ball and set up barricades with tables! no mercy is shown there...

I've got to get back to playing in there but thanks mom for the CD's! I've been playing them for everyone and they all want a copy! They're such great  CDs! I love you all!

Sister LeStarge

Miracle Week

Hey Everyone! 

Wow missions are amazing! Did you know that!? So amazing. I'm learning more here than I ever have in all my life! I am constantly striving to change into the woman the Lord wants me to be! 

This week we saw an incredible miracle that makes me want to cry just thinking about it! Our family of 6 accepted our baptismal invitation! They'll be baptized on July 13th! What a miracle! The only bad news is that transfers are on July 3rd! If one of us are transferred we wont get to see the baptisms! The family is so incredible and I love them all so much! They really are coming to understand that the gospel is true! What an amazing blessing it is to baptize a whole family! The Lord has prepared children and Sister Sims and I will find them! On the flip side we had to drop an investigator! How sad! He told us he wouldn't ever read the Book of Mormon the way he reads the bible. We'll still have his fellowship stop by and we'll do the same, just not as regularly. 

Speaking of fellowship I love the members here! Such giving people! Always doing their best! Always willing to help! I know I will keep in contact with some of these families after my mission. We had our dinner appointment cancel yesterday and instead of going hungry we had two dinner appointments! (don't be worried I'm still under 120 lbs!) We still have about 10 appointments a week with members (not including dinner appointments) and we know they are really trying to find us referrals to teach! They really are the key to missionary work! We're still tracting about 2 hours a day with no luck, but we've been biking a lot! We biked 19 miles this week! We stop and talk to everyone! Biking is the best way to go when you want to do some street contacting! 

I've got to run! Sorry this email is so short but our zone wants to play some dodgeball! 

LOVE YOU ALL! 

Sister LeStarge