Oh, Shenandoah.

March 7, 2016

Hey family!:) So call-outs were last night & I found out I am getting transferred. I will be doing the 2nd half of Sister Jensen's training in Columbia 2nd ward in Columbia, Maryland! So excited!:) But I will miss this place so dang much. Woodstock is so special. Virginia is so special. We call it Kolob out here haha. It is a great place & this is such a loving ward. I will miss them all so dearly, but I am grateful for the experiences I had here and for all that I learned.  It's crazy because a few hours before the assistants called I actually had a feeling that I was going to go to this new area, so that was pretty cool:) I will finally be by the mission home!:) haha.

Last week we went on exchanges and I was in Winchester. There were protests going on & they bused in about 200 protesters from Baltimore because of something that happened in the city there. I learned a lot from Sister Talbert & it was fun being with her:) I love the sisters here.

We had zone training this week & it was really awesome again. There are so many amazing things going on in our mission. It is so cool to see the Lord truly hastening His work. 

We got to eat with Joyce & Sis one last time before I leave. I will truly miss those lovely ladies. Sis started to cry when I told her I was leaving. I really do love the people here. I didn't think it was possible for my heart to grow so much but it has! Haha. I love being a servant of the Lord. It is a very special thing and an experience I cherish every day. I love you guys so much. Here are some things I love about Shenandoah County:

1. There are cows everywhere.

2. There are about as many confederate flags as cows.

3. Drive miles down a dirt road to find.... another church. 

4. About 5 stop-lights. 

5. 519 square miles of back country roads. 

6. Everyone knows everyone. 

7. Everyone is related. 

8. Everyone is religious. 

9. Churches on every corner. 

10. Mud always on your shoes

Yesterday we had a cool experience teaching a couple nonmember kids at a less-actives house. It was really sweet how enthusiastic they were about prayer & the Book of Mormon:) Woodstock is having a lot of great things happen. 

I have loved serving with Sister Tait! She has taught me so much about Christlike love and diligence. She is an amazing missionary & I sure do love her. I love you all so much! Xoxo. Sister Stolworthy 

PS here is my new address:

6797 old waterloo rd #1517

Elkridge, MD

21075

leaps & bounds

February 29, 2016

Such a fun week!!:) Happy leap year! So first, I found out that due to the native speakers being in the MTC 3 weeks, one transfer will be moved back. That means I will get home on Thanksgiving now! That also means, 19 month mission!! Woot woot! It's like a free extension :) 

This week we went to visit a member who gave us "crackelings." He said they were pork skin fried in pig lard. Well for some reason when I heard lard I thought of manure. So I thought I was eating pork skin fried in pig poop. But I still ate it hahahaha. Sister Tait had to explain to me after what lard actually is. Hahah! We had to go up the scariest road called to get to some homes in a mountain. This road is so steep & windy and there are no rails. It was crazy haha. Also the river here runs south to north- it's one of the few rivers in the world that does that:) 

Monday we had a pretty cool miracle. We were walking around Woodstock and we saw 2 guys playing basketball. It was really late and we were super tired but Sister Tait (who is a great example to me) just walked right in the middle of their game and started talking to them. Turns out the dad used to date a mormon & his 18 year old son knew SO much about mormonism and BYU athletics. It was really neat getting to talk to them. The 18 year old was really interested in learning more and coming to church. The prophets/apostles were right.. it's those millennials:) 

Joyce our investigator is so set on me leaving that she got me an early birthday present haha. I am going to miss her so much. But it was SO COOL. She drove us & a less-active, Sis Clark, to stake conference in Winchester both days in a row!!:) It was so awesome. Because the Winchester Stake called a new Stake President, Elder Randall K. Bennett of the Seventy was there. After the Saturday session we introduced Joyce to him. He shook her hand and looked her right in the eye and said "You are a beautiful daughter of God with a Father in Heaven who wants to hear from you. This message is true." Joyce said "I know it's true." It was so neat!! Afterward she got to meet President & Sister Christiansen again along with Sis :) 

Wednesday Sister Wright was out of town so she asked Sister Tait & I to teach. We analyzed my favorite verses in the whole old testament, Isaiah 53:3-5. 

Thursday was sad. Paula our investigator dropped us. She said she felt such a strong spirit when reading the Book of Mormon. She told us all about 1st Nephi 11 and how much it changed her, but she said she prayed and felt like we shouldn't meet anymore. It was really sad. A lot of people can recognize the hope and truth of the gospel but still turn it away. 

We went over to teach a less-active Thursday and ended up picking up her son as a new investigator. She hasn't been to church in a super long time, but was testifying to him of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. We talked about Joseph Smith & invited him to read Moroni 10 & he said he would!!:)

Then Sunday we got to help Mary do more family history. It was so neat seeing her get into it! She was really excited and couldn't stop doing her family names. I am so excited for her to take those names to the temple!!:) 

& the coolest story of all... Sunday we were eating dinner with the Lydays when Brother Lyday started talking about how his mom grew up in Lincoln County Nevada. I thought no stinkin' way! Haha, no one is from there! So we started talking and his family grew up in Caliente & Panaca!! I told him about Papa & the Wilcox family! Sister Lyday called Brother Lydays uncle who grew up there! Hahaha. He talked to me about Prof Wilcox. When he found out that I was his great-granddaughter he thought that was so cool. He said that Prof was a legend in Lincoln County and that a lot of students loved him:) It was such a special experience I will always keep in my heart. 

Sorry this email is so long, but I love love love love you guys! Xoxo Sister Stolworthy 

sunday morning rain is falling

February 22, 2016

Hey family! What a crazy exciting week:) The weather was crazy, but also so fun:) Ally, you looked so beautiful at Sadies!! 

Wednesday we went back to Joyce at the llama farm and taught her the Book of Mormon. It was really cool how excited she was. She understood and took in everything. She thinks it is neat that there are witnesses in the Book of Mormon. We invited her to pray about the Book of Mormon and right then she grabbed our hands and prayed! Haha it was awesome:) She is a really sweet lady. 

We taught Mary her new member lesson about the Word of Wisdom and she bore an awesome testimony on how she follows it now. She has such great and simple faith and every time I am around her she inspires me to be better. 

Joyce D. came to church again this week! :) She spoke in Sunday school. We had a lesson with her on Friday and we brought Sister Heishman from the ward. Joyce started to cry and said that she has felt so much contentment in her life since she started going to church and meeting with the missionaries. She said that Sister Heishman brought her a new point of view and helped her a lot. Members are so important and so awesome!! :) 

Saturday was Social Media Split Day! :) We helped a less-active member move, helped shovel hay in a sheep farm, helped Sister Henry garden, and helped the Hamp's clean up their yard. Service is the best because...PANTS. Also because service:) Haha. The Hamp's have a new pet pig named Peyton! Hahaha. Also some little animal ran across our car when we were lost in the boonies the other night...haha.  Hope you guys are having an awesome week.I love you all so much. I am so so so grateful for the Atonement and that I can change each and every day. I know that we can't go through anything in this life alone, I know He is always there. I hope you guys start to get my emails now and the server works! Haha. Love you. Xo Sister Stolworthy  

Llama Mama

February 8, 2016

Hi Family!:) This week was really cool. Tuesday we had Zone Training. Sister Tait and I instructed on using the Book of Mormon as our main source in teaching the restored gospel. We used a talk by Jack Christensen on missionary work. It was a really powerful zone training for me, and I really felt the spirit. 

Wednesday was so great because our mission president's wife, Sister Christiansen, and their daughter Camille spent most of the day with us!!:) She had never been out to Woodstock before (since we are out in the boonies haha) and so she got to come with us as we taught our recent convert Mary, a less-active named Sis, and Joyce our investigator. She bore such powerful testimony of the gospel. She is a huge example to me of someone who is Christlike and lives their life as the Savior would. It was a great day:) 

Thursday was also really special because we got to go on our semi-annual temple trip. Every 6 months we get to go. I felt such peace as I was there. I felt Gods love for me, I know He loves all of us, and I know He is proud of the work we are doing. As a missionary, I am grateful for the Spirit more than ever, and that we always carry it with us:) 

Sister Tait and I picked up 2 new investigators this week thanks to the Lord's tender mercies. So we have 6 investigators right now, which is definitely a miracle, especially out here. As we've taught more with the Book of Mormon, I have seen the spirit start to be more present during lessons:) It is a really cool thing. We were able to teach Jenna from the military academy, at the Wright's home this week. 

Sunday we went over to teach a potential and she took us on a tour of her llama farm! Hahahaha 31 llams she has! It was so cool. I lurve Virginia.

Also sad day because everyone said they didn't get my snowmageddon email! Haha. Well 2 weeks ago, the east coast had a record breaking storm called Storm Jonas. We got 30 inches of snow. For 3 days Sister Olsen and I shoveled snow and talked with our neighbors:) I had never seen that much snow in my life. It was great. 

I love you guys so much. I love this gospel and my Savior. The Book of Mormon is what's going to help us make it back home. Love you all, have a great week:) Xo Sister Stolworthy
​

Snowmageddon

January 25, 2016

Happy BLIZZARD. We got 3 feet of snow hahaha holy toledo. We've been stuck for 3 days while we have been shoveling out all of our neighbors driveways. They called this storm "Jonas" haha. Sister Olsen and I have been shoveling so much snow and it has been so much fun. We woke up and we were so sore, but it has been a blast:)) I was so mindblown at the amount of snow we got here. Everyone says they haven't had this much snow here in years. It was awesome getting to experience my first blizzard. I kept saying "this is insane" and Sister Olsen kept laughing at me since she's from Idaho! Haha.

Transfers are this Wednesday and Sister Olsen is leaving. Sister Tait will be coming here! She just finished training. I am finally in an area more than 2 transfers! Haha. 

Wednesday was really cool because we got to watch the global missionary conference. It was really cool hearing the words of general authorities. We are excited to see the work continue on here in Woodstock:) I am grateful for my opportunity to serve here. Something I learned was to always, always, bear testimony of the Savior. I am grateful to wear his name each and every day. I love you all! Have a great week:) 

Pictures Pictures

February 16, 2016

Pictures!

February 8, 2016

snows!

January 25, 2016


We helped shovel a couple of Italian men out of the snow and they brought us some subs from where they work! haha​