This week was the Best

Hello All

Well this week has been awesome we had something really cool happen to us. So with Tara she said that she would be baptized after her husband went to a ward activity and he works in the evenings and was supposed to change schedule right after October, of course after Trunk or Treat. But then this last Tuesday we get a text from Tara, and she wants to have her baptism on Nov. 12. It is so great because that is the day of transfer calls. She is going to be baptized because her husbands schedule changed a week early so her husband was able to come to the Trunk or Treat. So that was an awesome miracle.

We also were able to find another 2 investigators this week and both of them are under 15 years old. One is 10 and the son of a less active who is coming back and another is about 10 - 14 ish we didn't get his age. and also we got Rain! I love Rain!! it was so Awesome!!!! Well that was my week and I got to tract in the Rain!

Elder Stokes

Letter to Rachelle that was real good also:

Hey mom,

I think that this week has been good. We had some really good things happen and It is super awesome. I think it is funny that you talked about Ether 12:6 because just this last week, I took the time and followed every single one of the footnotes for that verse and i thought it was really interesting. When I looked into how Heavenly father tries our faith it took me to a verse where it says that Mormon didn't put some of the things that Nephi wrote in the Book of Mormon because God wanted to try our faith, I wonder what things were left out that would make it so we wouldn't have a trial of faith.

I have been having a great time here and I thank you for all the support that you have given me throughout my life so I can be strong and keep working. The real reason for optimism isn't to always act happy. It is so you can be even happier when good things happen and the bad things just roll off your shoulders.

I am almost done with Jesus the Christ and I don't know what to do after that. I hope I don't get bored to much or else I will not be able to relax much.

I love you!

Elder Stokes

This is the ward activity.  We were given 30 pumpkins so we donated them to the ward.

Service Project

The week of Referrals

Hello All,

So this has been a kink of interesting week with its ups and its downs. One thing is we got 10 referrals this week. and another is we had to drop some investigators, that is what I mean by interesting.

Monday is easy to explain, We got all of our appt. cancelled but we contacted a referral of people that were taught before and was able to set a appt. for the next week. 

Tuesday was interviews with president and that was awesome he gave some great advice, we had district mtg then we taught a lesson to Trina later that day and was able to find one of her concerns.

On Wednesday we got the chance to meet with someone that the other elders taught before and we hope we will be able to teach her again as we are hoping that that will open up doors.

Thursday we were able to meet with a bunch of people and have some less active lessons.

On Friday It was Weekly planning. and the start of exchanges

On Saturday we had an awesome day of exchanges. We went to Hillcrest and we were able to find them 4 new investigators. We had a awesome day while tracting and It was cool to learn stuff from Elder Habel

On Sunday we got 6 referrals and were able to just barely meet some of our goals that we had placed for ourselves

Elder Stokes

Lots of teaching this week

Hello All,

So this week has been awesome. but I will tell you more about that throughout the week.

On Monday nothing really happened and we tried to go see some people so that was it.

On Tuesday we had a better day, we went to go see some former investigators named Bill and Mary, and I turns out that Bill had actually died. And that wasn't in the area book. So we set an appointment for a later time with Mary.

On Wednesday was exchanges and I went with Elder Cox again, and Pretty much all of our appointments fell through but we were able to get another investigator while tracting, his name is Manuel and he is about 16 and we did splits which is awesome. And on the other end, Elder McDonald got us another investigator with Elder McDaniel. Her name is Leslie, and we have been trying to teach her a lesson for like 2 weeks now and they were able to.

On Thursday we had our crazy day. We had the privilege of going to a service to the Homeless in Antioch and that was really cool. I got to work by passing out food to people who wanted it during breakfast and Lunch, and that service was really cool because not only was it 9 hrs. long. we got to help a ton of people who didn't have homes. The entire zone was there so there were a lot of missionaries at this service. I remember that one of the elders got interviewed by a news program of some kind and then that night we were pretty much packed. We had a lesson with the Crookstons and then a dinner, then a lesson with Tara(she has been thinking more about baptism), and then coordination with Brentwood 2nd ward.

On Friday we got do a ton of weekly planning, but we also had a great lesson with Trina, our investigator in Marsh Creek who has been really hard to get a hold of. And that was good so our lesson goal was really good.

On Saturday we had a lesson with Mary, but it turned out to be a talk with her sharing some stories of hers. She feels like God has done so much good to her where she is at that she wants to stay there so we may visit her every once in a while but she won't really be an investigator. She is really nice though. Super Christlike

On Sunday we had a cool day, after church we went to go see a less active named Katherine Grey and she wants to come to church again, she is old but she is well enough to come to church. Her daughter also wants to come again and she has a son named Julian that is 10 and not baptized yet. then we had another lesson with Tara and talked to her. She said that when her husband comes to a ward activity or to church then she will be baptized. So that is exciting. And then we had a lesson with somebody named Patrick and added him as an investigator.

So this week we taught a ton of lessons, had a huge service, and got 3 new investigators. So this week was super awesome.

Elder Stokes

Pics from last week that I forgot to post:


Chris with Dragon


Ridenours



Zone Leader Conference

Short Main Letter

Hello All,

This letter is going to be short because not much happened this week. My new companion Elder McDonald is great. but he came at the time of fall break where Brentwood is a ghost town so that is helpful for us to get to know each other. We were only able to have 1 investigator lesson this week with the Crookstons(Jacob is doing well) but, 3 investigators came to church. So that was nice. My other Highlight is we have 2 really solid potentials that we are going to stop by this week and We got Garland to Church(the first time in 6 weeks). I think this next week is going to be much better. and I know this work is important so why shouldn't it.and Yes Elder McDonald has worked at Mcdonalds

Elder Stokes

Here are some pics from Joshua this week:

Elder Tolman and Elder Stokes

Apartment is much cleaner

Elder Stokes and Elder McDonald

Questions from Rachelle to Joshua and his answers:

1. How did it go when you and Elder Tolman sang a few weeks ago?

When me and Elder Tolman sang it went well. We did Lead Kindly Light with an ascending key so it was higher every verse and Actually climaxed(most hymns don't). 

2. Are you enjoying Elder McDonald?

Elder McDonald is great and there are some differences. 

3. What are some differences, good or bad between Elder Macdonald and Elder Tolman?

McDonald is more prepared for a normal ward, but he isn't great at directions(even with a GPS) and needs to work on his singing(He knows this). I feel like Elder Tolman and my personalities were more similar, but sometimes it is better to have difference. 

4. I have been praying for you goals, how are they going?

My goals are going good and I have started some new ones like better morning schedules with E. McDonald(E. Tolman was really good at getting out on time... E. McDonald. not so much) So that is something we are working on.

5. What kind of food do you usually get fed?

And the food I have been fed the most is... American Tacos. yep that is the one. I have had authentic italian food yesterday. that was cool. 

So...Crazy Training

Hello All,

Well this is my letter for the week. I feel like I have had a pretty normal week with a ton of meetings and learning about transfers. And Guess What!!! Im not getting transferred.... but... Elder Tolman is! He is going to be a Zone Leader in San Mateo, So I will be getting a new companion and his name is... Bum bum duum... Elder McDonald. Yeah so that is going to be cool. So this last week hmm

Well monday was pretty simple We had P-day and Went and contacted or tried to contact some referrals

Tuesday was really cool. I got to confirm somebody being baptized in Brentwood 1st and I met someone from the Bishopric that knew Sadie. I took picture with him.  Then We had district meeting. and we had meeting some people.

Wednesday We had Exchanges and I was with E. Campos. and we had a great time tracting and being companions again

On Thursday we had follow up training and that was really long. then we had a Lesson with Tara and that was really cool. She is really progressing then we went to Coordination.

Friday was weekly Planning and a lot of weekly planning.

Saturday General Conference  and it was really cool. We got to go to ZLC and then we watched some conference at a Cambodian members house. And we got to eat Pho., I loved it, it was delicious and then we had dinner with a member then watched more conference.

Sunday General Conference and then some packing for Elder Tolman that was basically the whole day.

My favorite talk was either Elder Christensen or Elder Uchtdorf. Elder Hollands was powerful and I think it is really important to listen to what President Monson said with what little time he had.

Thank you for the support,

Elder Stokes