On Feet 👣

I'm an official trainer! Training Sister Runs Through, she is from St George, Utah! (Her name is Native American from a tribe, Assiniboine from Montana) And she came out so prepared to serve! She was ready to get to work and is absolutely excited to be here! 

We found out last Monday evening, president called us and asked if we would share a car between us and the YSA sisters so guess who's basically on foot! We are! It's a lot of stress but tender mercy to have such a big change happen. Walking has actually helped a ton with calming me, it's tiring but the fresh air is rejuvenating plus we've met some cool people! It's been fun showing Sister Runs Through around and sharing the missionary life with someone who's so excited to be here!

Women's conference was awesome! I loved the theme of LOVE. Can you believe general conference is this weekend?! So grateful for the words of the prophets and apostles to inspire and lift us! Watch it! 

I LOVE you all! Have an incredible week! 

~Sister Warburton (:

 

 View from a bridge - its becoming fall!

 Excited for the rain! Bring it on!

FIRST DAY PIC (with Sister Runs Through)



Training!!

We got transfer calls and we're both staying!! BUT Sister Lamb and I are getting new companions! Sister Lamb and her companion will cover the YSA. I'll stay in the Dayton 1st Ward and I'll be TRAINING a new missionary! Ah! 

It's felt so weird with what's happening for transfers but it's been a fun 6 weeks! I'm so grateful I've gotten to serve with Sister Lamb and all the fun adventures we've had! She'll do amazing in YSA!

On Wednesday we had an all sisters meeting in the mission home! All the sisters in the mission in one place, it was so much fun and so good! President and sister Tateoka gave trainings then bore their powerful testimonies of the gospel in their lives. It was a highlight in my week and I've felt so much happier since!

Another HUGE highlight for the week was Rachael, the girl I wrote about last week who wants to be baptized but lots of stuff went down with her family.. she gave a talk in sacrament meeting! She told her story and based her talk on having faith through trials. It was perfect! She shared her amazing testimony about Heavenly Father being there for her in trials and knowing he has a plan for her. Everyone's hearts melted! 

I'm so grateful for the opportunity to share the gospel and my testimony. I'm incredibly grateful for the people I serve! Each week we visit and try to see as many people as we can to bring light into their homes. There's really something that comes with being a missionary and having a special light with us that others recognize and want. I love seeing it be part of their lives too! This mission has changed my life and I'm forever grateful for the support and love I receive from above and here on Earth! Thank you!

Happy Fall! I love you guys! 

~Sister Warburton (:

Christ: "Feed my sheep" (John 21:16)

Pretty close...

 It was a long day and dinner didn't happen so we ended up at Shari's having breakfast at 8!

 Mark had a great time with these kids (;

 Past companions! Sister Hart and Sister Call! I love these two so much!

More companions! Sisters Phelon, Poulter, and Lamb! I'm so blessed to have AMAZING companions!

 



Holy Smokes

Hey! How is everyone? 

We are doing pretty good (: we are surviving the smoke from the fires here (at one point it was sprinkling ash!) and feeling pretty blessed cause it could be worse. We hear bits and pieces about the hurricanes going on and it's crazy all these things going on in the world! As I was reading the Book of Mormon the past week, I read about similar depressing things that were happening back in the time of Moroni and it's depressing! My heart aches for what Moroni had to go through and for those going through tragic life events today. Towards the end of a letter Mormon wrote to his son Moroni after describing these horrible things, he says "My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever." (Moroni 9:25). We don't need to be depressed about what's going on in the world but turn to the light of Christ! I know He lives and as long as He does there will always be hope!

This past week I got to meet Rachael! She's this incredible 17 yr old who, before I came, was taking the lessons and wanted to be baptized. She asked her mom and the very next day her mom bought her a ticket to another state because she was completely against the idea of it. It's just crazy everything that went down and for the past month we've only been able to stay in contact with her through email. Her faith is strong and it's cool to hear how she's been able to apply the teachings of Christ's atonement to her trials. Her mom finally let her come home last week and we're still trying to figure out what will happen. Rachael will turn 18 next month and technically won't need her mom's permission to be baptized.. We still hope her mom will soften her heart!

Remember a few weeks ago when we went to see a return missionary, James and we weren't sure exactly how we were going to be received in the house (we were told not to go there but we did) and when we went it ended up being pretty awesome! Well.. It's been so good since then! Kathy is the mom and Doug is the boyfriend. We love them so much! We are actually working on teaching Kathy and hoping Doug will continue to soften his heart! It's so funny - whenever we go over Kathy expresses how much she loves the missionaries, how much she loves us, and how much she wishes to help and spoils us with whatever she can! From what we've heard, Doug isn't a fan of organized religion but he likes us! Even Kathy told us he seems pretty receptive to us! Also, I have to add this cool story: James' dad, Tommy is a convert in our Dayton ward, he loves to share his conversion and he loves the gospel and the missionaries! They came and knocked on his door sometime almost two years ago after getting a message from his son, who during his mission kept getting promptings to send his dad's information to the missionaries here. It was perfect timing for Tommy and eventually he was baptized and what's cool is he got to go up to his son's mission in Seattle so James could baptize him!

I wish I could write out all the incredible stories and spiritual experiences we have in a week! But I can testify that everything is in the Lord's hand. Things happen for a reason and I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to learn and grow on a mission (: I'm so grateful for the love and support I receive. I love and miss you all! Stay safe!

~Sister Warburton (:

 

Matching bears!

 I'm serious when we say we're spoiled with food (most of it is from Kathy)

If you look at the windows it was raining!! We were so excited about the rain! 



September!..?!

How is it September?! How does time go by like this?

This past week was filled with the spirit! It was incredible (: We had a lesson with Bri - super cool YSA investigator who went to Iceland over the summer with a friend and went to church there, recognized the spirit, and is now taking lessons from us! She's so sweet and we had a lesson on faith from Alma 32 outside of this ice cream place in McMinnville. After the lesson, a lady came up and told us she had been listening in on part of the conversation and that it had made her day! (We were talking about patience and faith) it's really cool to be a missionary and know that this is what I do - we share the gospel, talk about uplifting spiritual things, and help others grow their faith in Christ. 

There are so many depressing things in the world! For example, Saturday night we were talking with a rough crowd of people - it was very depressing their view of life. Sister Lamb and I tried our best to bring some light into their lives and tell them there is a source of hope, there is a God who cares and there is a reason they are alive. They couldn't see the good we were trying to explain and it was hard to leave and not see any changes after trying to share truth with them. Sunday was fast and testimony meeting and it really helped to uplift! The message of the gospel is of light and hope! The Holy Ghost testifies of the truth found here and the doctrines of the church. Also, the spirit really does guide and teach (: we were asked right before sacrament meeting to teach Sunday school class for YSA. Hah. We were reading the lesson as we were teaching cause there was no time to prepare! I was kinda really not ready to do this, to lead a discussion to a pretty good size class filled with people more experienced than me.. but it was amazing! The lesson was really guided and we had a ton of help! I'm so grateful to be serving where I am (: 

I love you all! Hope you have an incredible week! Stay safe!

~Sister Warburton (:

 Meet Mark! (The frog) He started in the MTC over a year ago and has been all over from Idaho, Washington, and Oregon! Passed from one missionary to another and now he's made it to Dayton Oregon! Let's hope he likes it here (:

Zone conference! Love these sisters!