November 2, 2015 -- "I am literally serving amongst the trees"

Haha. So everyone, you almost heard it right. I have been called to the Washington Tacoma mission while I wait for my visa, just speaking English. So great to be back on the west side of the Cascades again, to inhale the moist air and the smell of rotting wood(including trees and houses) and watch as we pass through endless colors of green. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY  I am literally serving amongst the trees how great is that?

 The morning I left everything went smoothly.Woke up about 2am to get everything ready. Got to the buses and then rode the Front Runner to the airport. Everything was great, but I thought I and my companion at the MTC Jenalyn Thiriot (who was called to Bulgaria) would see each other before we got on our flights. But we didn't. So we didn't even really say goodbye. :(  

Besides that, wow, getting out of the MTC was maybe the best experience of my life. Not in a bad way. It was just time to no longer be in spiritual prison. I got to see buildings and people from the outside world, and most of all eat food from the outside world!

So on the plane, we met some awesome people. This one kid/guy, he was going back home to Fairbanks, Alaska coming from training in Park City for skiing. I told him he can probably expect me to be living in a bus nearby his home a couple years from now (for those who get my Into the Wild reference). Also, I sat by two wonderful humans on a plane. One guy I was sitting by was going to Alaska to work and had a daughter attending Dixie State. He had his headphones in a lot and was watching a gruesome zombie movie to avoid my preaching I think. Ha ha. Anyways, I gave him a list of people I knew at Dixie if his daughter need friends. (You got my back bwest). In the end I think he really liked me and just asked me to please be safe. The other lady I sat by was pretty hard core Catholic. I could also tell she wanted to avoid talking about religion, but she was a flight attendant so she is getting me into flight attendant school when I get back maybe? Also, when she and her husband own a bed and breakfast in Paris along the ocean she said I could stay there so I have her number and everything.

The President and his wife picked me and other fellow missionaries up. On the way to the mission office I looked at the other missionaries faces to see what they thought of their mission. They didn't seem to love it, and if I asked if they liked it they seemed so sad. I just prayed they would love the trees and overcast everyday because I love it so much!

I have such cute companions, Hannah Henderson and Raegan Sasseer. They have been out here for quite a while now, and they are the Sister Training Leaders. I am also serving in the Elma 2nd ward, which covers the four towns of Brady, Satsop, Montesan, Elma. They said that this is one of the most booniest places to serve (which just means it has tons of trees and nature and less buildings). Yay! Heavenly Father knows me so well!! They also said it has not rained a ton till I got here. I kind of made a deal with Heavenly Father. If I am doing a good job, you can send the rain for me and if I am not doing good you can make it sunny. I must be doing pretty good because I has been raining so hard here. I LOVE RAIN!

Knocking doors is quite the experience we haven't been let into one house yet. Once upon a door knocking I complimented this lady on her solar panels and her electric car. She asked if our church was doing anything about global warming. My companions asked what global warming was. I wanted to burst. I was so sad that they gave our church a rep about not knowing about what that is. (I have started a recycling program at our apartment, so all is well) Once upon another door knocking, we talked to some atheist. One was an old man. He was very friendly, and I feel like he just wanted to talked to people. He said he believed in nature not God and he said he wasn't interested. But before we left, I had to say "Richard I know God loves you, and if you look for God's hand in your life you will see it" I hope he calls us soon I have a feeling he will. 

Once upon another atheist's door we knocked on a lady's door she said "with all the bad things that happen in the world there can't be a God." I almost cried as I watched the fight within her, I knew she knew there was a God, but she was just so angry with him or herself. I hope she will find light soon.  We are also working on getting more investigators so I'll write you about them next week.

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH

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Save the Trees and Pray Always

Sestra Baxter