Week 26 3.21.17 - 3.27.17

Hey Y'all

So as you can tell this Tuesday I hit my 6 month mark and each time I think of it or say it or type it I start to cry. Being a missionary is such a privilege and a blessing!! I am savoring every moment.

This week we strived every second of every day to be obedient. We found mighty and mini miracles from it. Were we perfect at being obedient? No, but we talked it through and fixed where we went wrong and did better the next time or day. I feel like this week was my most rewarding week so far on my mission and I know it is because we strove to be obedient to the Lord's time and his errand for us in Ocala 1st. We saw over 40 miracles this week.

Here are just two....

On Tuesday as we were planning our day, we had realized we had a lesson with our bishop at Wandelyn's (less active) house that evening and we needed to take our car in to get fixed so we didn't have a ride. We had plans of a member (Sister Lewis) to come out with us who is also less active and we prayed and asked her if she could come out with us earlier. When she said yes we both felt the spirit and knew it was going to be a great evening. At the lesson the two less active women talked openly with one another and lifted each other up and we
shared powerful testimonies with her on the atonement and the restored truths of the gospel. The spirit in that lesson was overwhelming and loving. Afterwards the less active we took with us talked with our bishop and as she was driving us home she told us if we ever need a ride or her to come with us, she would be happy to. We had found our 'Amulek'.

On Monday we got a member referral from Brother Sheilds in Williaston and had a lesson with Heather on Thursday with Sister Ziegler. Heather was so prepared to hear our message. We taught her a little bit of the Restoration and she asked us questions that we could easily answer with scriptures. We invited her to the Women's General Conference Broadcast and then the member we took invited her to church and offered them all a ride. She came to the broadcast and said that it was an interesting experience because at times it seemed like they were talking to her directly, we explained how that is the Holy Ghost. She and her kids, Hailey... Damion... Adalina... then came to church with Sister Ziegler on Sunday and she then invited them all over for dinner tonight with us and Sister Crawford invited them all over for Saturday General Conference. I saw her and her kids in white, I will never forget that experience.

Random Fun Facts:

- We helped my favorite recent converts, Tony Smith, rake his leaves... aka pile them along his house? 🤔 then he gave us a referral!!


- We almost didn't have a car for two weeks due to previous nameless sister missionaries who never reported damages done to the car. But we got took it in Tuesday and got it back on Thursday.


- We have new comfort food of Grilled Cheese with Dill pickles in them!! 😋


- I started off the week making enchiladas for the District... then made sunshine grilled cheese (GC with dill pickles) and other delicious foods for my comp... then made a cake for the RS event/Women's Broadcast...

- I am allergic to Florida..... 😷🤒🤕🤧

Love y'all!!!
Sister Foster

Walked 2 hours in the sun home....

Our Elders saved us while biking and brought us water and pumped up our tires... how many elders dose it take to pump up already pumped us tires? Haha

Tan Lines forever!!!

Sister Wolfley is white and burns... this is how she recovers! Don't worry we bought sunscreen today!

Grilled Cheese!!

Celebrated getting our car back!!

Week 25 3.14.17 - 3.20.17

Hey Y'all!!

This week was great, we had a ton of curve balls... everything from a random sports night with a bunch of teenage baseball players....surprise lesson with an AP.... Great interview with President Lee....Random service projects and bonfire with the district....ended up burning my hand.... had a bike injury and cut the front of my leg....being volunteered to make our entire district enchiladas today....I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!

7 fun facts about my week:

1. We had one investigator in church this week.

2. I finally broke through to one of my favorite investigators when talking about the Atonement and sharing Alma 7:11-12 with him. He has a baptism date for May 6th.


3. We had a spontaneous Chastity lesson with our investigators cause we got the couple alone... they have a baptism date set for April 29th.


4. Sister Wolfley tried gritz this week at an Ocala original restaurant called Mojo's. They were super yummy!


5. We visited a less active we are working with and she asked me to be the proxy for her daughter when she gets sealed to her in the temple next year.


6. Sister Wolfley and I danced in a rain storm!!! And we made grilled cheese with dill pickles in them.... Super good!! Highly recommend them!!!


7. We went to IHOP after district morning exercise!!

I love y'all and pray for y'all!!!

Love,
Sister Foster

RAIN STORM!

❤️ Heart Attacking People ❤️

Ocala Sisters going to work out!

Me and my little Wolfling... she calls me her Foster Mama

My Favorite Socks.... and cut....

District Enchiladas!!!

Week 24 3.7.17 - 3.13.17

Hey Y'all!!!

This week has been great, we have worked hard and strived to be exactly obedient. We saw the blessings by doing so. Sister Wolfley is seriously amazing. Training is hard though, but I get on my knees each day and pray for the enabling power of the Atonement to wash over me and be my guide not only as I train her, but as each morning as we step out of our apartment and immediately enter the mission field.

We decided to walk one day instead of bike. By doing so we were immediately able to meet Tim. Tim is our neighbor upstairs and he has always seen the missionaries, just no one has ever stopped to talk to him. We gave him our information and shared a brief message. Last week he came to church without us even teaching him anything. This week we had two lessons with him and he has been reading the Book of Mormon.

This week we were able to teach two families, less-actives, lost sheep, and referrals. One of the families we are teaching, we have been teaching for a while now. We just set a baptism date with them for April 29th. The only thing they need is to come to church and truly feel the converting power of the Holy Ghost. We are excited! 

We also were able to continue to teach and help some less-actives and work with them to come to church. We were able to have one there this Sunday and she is coming back slowly, but knows it is where she needs to be each Sunday. She even told us afterwards how when she was there she was able to realize that she really needed to quite smoking. 

The Holy Ghost really burns through us as we come to church. This week we were able to visit Sister Warr and I found last transfer. She invited us and our member into her home and we meet her daughter who has some handicaps, but is the sweetest. 

Wandelyn is struggling to accept that her son is gay and feels she can not come to church because of it. Both Sister Wolfley and I were prompted to share a conference talk with her called, The Master Healer, and she cried. She was so touched and wants us to bring our Bishop by this week so she can talk with him more.

One more quick miracle about a referral we contacted this week. We got a referral last week when I was sick and Sister Wolfley contacted her and set up a time to meet. Her name is Aretha and she had requested a Book of Mormon. We went by this week and gave her one and shared with her our testimonies and message we share with others. We asked her why she wanted a Book of Mormon. She went on to tell us how her mother had one that she would always read from and when Aretha saw that she could get one for free she was excited. We found out that her mother was never a member, but knew the Book of Mormon was the word of God and an other testament of Jesus Christ. Aretha wants us to come back and share more with her.

Oh yeah also this week we had Zone Meeting and we were asked to sing... the day before.... we sang How Great Thou Art and Sister Pennock, a sister in our zone, sung too.

This week has been great and very tiring, but every second it is worth it. I love tough things, I am the first to do tough things, I do tough things first, I LOVE being a Missionary. The Florida Jacksonville Mission is were I am needed to be at this time, and in this place.

Love,
Sister Foster

Sister Wolfley and I with our investigator Modesto!!

Me and My Wolfling

Us being weird

TRADEOFFS ft. Sister Olsen

TRADEOFFS ft. Sister Olsen

Sister Wolfley and Me

The Dream Team Trio Life! (Me, Sister Wolfley, &a Sister Pennock)

Week 23 2.28.17 - 3.6.17

Hey Y'all!!!

This week was great!! My studies were focused on the Book of Mormon and PMG, I know that this gospel is true and brings happiness in to my life. I know that by reading the scriptures, praying, and going to church we are blessed in our life's and that God truly loves us. My favorite thing that I said this week was, "If you want to talk to God, get on your knees. If you want God to answer you, open your scriptures. If you want to feel Gods love for you, go to church."

7 Fun facts from this week:

1. We lost our phone..... while biking.... fun....


2. got asked if we were Jehovah Witnesses a lot haha... and hit on by several drunk men.... ugh...

3. We got offered weed.... the someone told us that they were high (right after we met them) and not ready to learn about the gospel because they were not ready to quit. We still give her a card.


4. We had 2 investigators come to church with us this week, and one of them was our next door neighbor.


5. We had many tender mercies this week: taught 6 new people, got fed spontaneously by members, got haircuts, and my favorite was getting the opportunity to say a prayer with a man we just walked by whose daughter is having brain surgery and he just opened up to us. It was crazy awesome cause we had a lesson and then realized we didn't remember where are bikes were... so we walked around the whole apartment complex again and walked by and said hi to him. He then asked us after the prayer and exchanging of our info why we were there walking around, when we told him we couldn't find out bikes, he laughed and said well they are around the corner... it's crazy how God works and how his timing works!!


6. Sister Wolfley and I do a video journal every night but your going to have to wait 12 months to watch them because we cannot send videos.... oh and when Sister Wolfley told me I only have 12 months left I broke down crying... 😞 Needless to say, I LOVE my mission and this time I have to serve the Lord. These last, almost, 6 months have been the best ever!! ❤️

7. Chocolate ice cream got us through this week. We will eat any kind of ice cream because we do not discriminate!!!!

I am honestly loving Sister Wolfley and all of her crazy goodness and excitement for the work!! I Love missionary life! I hope y'all have a great week and continue to enjoy life and all the curveballs it throws at you!!

Love,
Sister Foster

Got the Package

Emoji Masks!!! 😂😂

Study Time with my favorite trainee.

Ocala Zone!!

Got caught in a rain storm... it called for a picture!

Got a tract from a random lady!! 👍🏼

Me and my bud Eli Thompson! I asked him to do a crazy face and he knew exactly what to do.

Week 19 1.31.17 - 2.6.17

Hello!!!

This week we had interviews with President Lee, it was awesome and him and Sister Lee truly are inspired!! I honestly LOVE being a missionary!! This week I gave my first training... I thought it wasn't very good, but everyone else said it was. I gave it on How to be a successful missionary. I got overly excited during different parts and told several stories that have happened thus far on my 4 month missionary experiences. 

We went knocking this week and a random cat started to follow us. Then we knocked on this door and a guy named Caleb answered. We talked to him and taught him to pray and set up a time we could come back and teach him more. He then asked if the cat was ours and when we said no he picked it up and said goodbye to us and went inside his house with the random cat... haha... this week we also saw a cool cat mail box. (Picture  below) 

We also had a lesson with a guy who is in a Rehab facility for drugs... it was really good, he was really nice and said he really needs God in his life. 

We then biked forever away from our house, 5 miles, and gave a family a Bible they ordered... they werent interested in the Book of Mormon, but his neighbor was. All in all it was a very successful and good week!

Sister Warr and I took a ton of random pictures this week... we also had a member in the Ocala 2nd invite to go Zip-lining... it was a ton of fun this morning! He was so nice and paid for us all!

I love y'all and pray all is well!!

Love,
Sister Foster

Cat Mailbox!!

We love to bike, Sister Warr is crazy... but I am too...

Bored waiting for the sisters to be done shopping!

Zip-lining!!!

Week 18 1.24.17 - 1.30.17

Hey Y'all!!!!

This week has been great, sorry this email is coming late... This morning we sacrificed our time for Pday and helped a family move out of their house. They had a ton of stuff that we needed to load onto their trucks. They were surprised that Sisters could lift heavy boxes and furniture without the Elders... haha... little do they know.

This week we had some pretty great things happen. We had great lessons teaching people about the gospel. We got to take a member out with us, she is 18 and a Senior in high school. We went to a couple of different places with her to contact referrals and others in the area. We went to go turn the corner and then this guy starts to yell at us from the corner as we are waiting at the stoplight and then a guy riding his bike saw that our windows were rolled down and he poked his head into my window and said "Hey y'all can y'all spare a guy a buck or two just for being honest? I need some drugs..." We told him no, but we could give him a picture of Jesus... he was not to happy. Haha...

We had an amazing time at Zone Meeting (when multiple missionaries in an area meet together) and afterwards we had the Missionary World Wide Broadcast (where missionaries across the world are taught by the leaders of the church) it was on Teaching Repentance and Baptize Converts. It truly was amazing and inspiring. We have been able to implement what we learned and teach people to come closer to Christ. We then had trade-offs and I went with Sister Smith to Gainesville YSA!!! Oh man it was much needed!!! I got to see Sister Eberting and then we had a crazy night of biking campus and it was freezing cold. We had baths and I got to use my Lush bath mob and drank hot coco! I was asked to give a training in this upcoming District Meeting and President and Sister Lee will be there as well as the APs.... ugh.... we will see how this goes....

Anyways it was a great week of success and cold biking weather and biking in freezing rain!

Love y'all!!!
Sister Foster

EASTER IS HERE!!!

My Zone!!!

Sister Smith and I had a Whale of a trade off!

Bathtub and Hot CoCo after biking in the freezing rain!!

Week 17 1.17.17 - 1.23.17

Hey Y'all!!

Funny story about how I got here to Ocala from Mandarin... Picture this... me, Sister Warr, an older couple in the Ocala Ward.... my three suitcases, my small crate, and my bike (taken apart)..... all in a Prius for three and a half hours..... yup! It was not the most comfortable ride...

Anyway, this week was awesome I am loving Ocala and Sister Warr is amazing! We had everything from dinner at one of my favorite families here house... we got threatened by a drunk man and then went back and taught him about the gospel... we got 6 new investigators and had several lessons this week... we were in the middle of a tornado warning zone... we may or may not have tormented ducks...

The Thompson Family fed us this week and they are a crazy family, but oh so much fun! It was like being home for an hour. They also have an amazing swing in their backyard... I will send a picture of it next week. We got a referral from our Elders and we went by one day and he was drunk and approached our car and said that we need to be careful in that neighborhood cause he almost shot us.... we texted the Elders and he said that there are typically a ton of drunk people over there and we should try again... we went back on our bikes and it was the same guy... but he ended up not being drunk and was super nice and he was interested and accepted the invitation to be baptized!! We also went finding other referrals (people who ask for a free copy of the scriptures or who have an interest and texts the missionaries to learn more) and several of them we taught and had great powerful lessons!!


On Sunday there were tornado warnings all day and the winds were up to 35 mph while we were biking that afternoon. Then after dinner our members were driving us home and the winds were blowing and it was
POURING rain!!!! We ran into our house and then waited for the storm to die down and then went out on our bikes and almost got blown over twice, but it was worth it. There are a ton of ponds in our area and ducks so we pretend to throw bread and they come towards us and then Sister Warr has a red laser pointer that scares them away...

Oh I also gave a talk in church this week.... everyone said it was good... I definitely don't feel that way, but hey at least people understood my logic. It was on the power of music!

I hope y'all had a great week!!

Love y'all! Miss y'all!
Sister Foster

Bringing Sunshine into people's life's one day at a time!

Sister Warr, me, and the Thompson family!

Sister Warr and I!!