I am grateful for biking

Hey everyone,                                                    11/21/16

Wow I am beat. It has been a super productive week. We got 11 new investigators this week, but I'm not counting ;) I can not believe how ready so many people are to hear the gospel. It just astounds me every time, and even more is that I have the amazing opportunity to teach them. Its a great responsibility.

This week Sister Zollinger and I biked and biked and biked and biked, and hiked! lol we have an investigator who lives at the top of a hill, but its a good time because its a good view, and because Bobby and Vinny are really interested in the gospel! Some of their family members got baptized a while a go and Bobby has come to church a couple times now which was good, but he said it was mainly for the organ. We will see where it goes though! 

Chris and Jake, the two brothers we have been teaching are doing splendid! They also live up a hill. Jake is 8 and Chris is 10 and they want to be baptized on the same day. Even though it can be a challenge to teach them, they want to learn and that is the first step in receiving Gods blessings.

We found a ton more people this week, so now we hope we can get them all to progress and come to church. Sister Zollinger and I gave talks last week along with the Elders, so it was a great missionary meeting. I'm trying to learn more and more that missionary work is not just for missionaries but for members also. Just because we leave our missions doesnt mean the work ends. Some things might be different but the work, and the reward is the same.

I'm grateful to be a missionary at this time and I am grateful for so many of the Lords blessings that literally carried Sister Zollinger and I through this week. I know that without Him we wouldnt be able to have a full knowledge or understanding of why things are the way they are and that, for me, makes all the difference.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Rowland Heights Area

                                       Sister Zollinger and I eating crab!

Sister Briscoe, Glendora companion, and David who joined the church after quitting smoking for 50 years!  David is truly an amazing individual!

I finally got your package Mom! And the cookies were still amazing and delicious!

Hope

Hello and Good Afternoon,

Well y'all it's another week. Whether good or bad things happened to

you this week. It's another week and the world keeps spinning.

We've been meeting a lot of people this week, and I love them all so

much. Even that guy who decided to fight with us because I wouldn't

give him my first name, I love him too. You know I figure that people

are a little on edge now a days and are feeling a bit hopeless. Yet I

don't feel the same. Ether 12:4 "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God

might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the

right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the

souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always

abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."

I love this scripture from the Book of Mormon because it lays out

perfectly all we have to do to be hopeful and how that can help us.

All it takes is a belief in God. When we believe in God we trust that

someone is there; that He is looking out for us and that He knows what

will happen and why. When all other judgements are unjust His are

just. When no one can show mercy or empathy He gave His son for us to

understand us. That is perfect love. This belief can grow in all of

us, which than can lead us to put a smile on our face with no fear in

our hearts because we know and are sure that in the end we will be

alright, and that everything will be ok.

We are finding people daily who are taking our message and using it in

their lives. We met a wonderful girl named Andrea who we gave a church

tour to, and we are excited for jake and his brother Chris to be

baptized on the same date together in December. We were talking with

one of our investigators Sarah, who is from sierre leone and she was

going to be baptized at the end of December but as we talked about it

we felt impressed to give her a date closer to Christmas. She said

that she never thought about it till then but it felt right because

her birthday is on the 23 and she would be re born again :) I love

her.

Also! Funny story. We moved apartments this week, and our first day

there, sister z and I were planning, and we heard someone outside our

door so we open it and a random Chinese lady was walking in our

bedroom! She looked as startled as we were to see her! We asked her if

she needed some help, but she quickly ran down the stairs and out the

door!! It was the funniest thing haha so now we know that just because

we live in a nicer area than before we still have to lock our door,

because you never know when a Chinese lady could walk into your house.

Thank you all for your prayers and support.

Love,

Sister Plumb

I am you father

Oh. my. miracles. I know I say this like every email, but this week was a miraculous week! 

Monday: met my zoey, optimistic, loving, laughing, intellectual, nice, gorgeous, eats everything, righteous companion, Sister Zollinger, my new companion! And it was Halloween and we had to stay inside :( but it was good because we got to clean :)

Tuesday: met the amazing and soon to be famous David Apodaca, who is ready to be baptized on the 17 of December! Also I did something scary, I road on my bike through what is called the cat walk... at night which probably should not be attempted with out lights, but look at me. I'm alive! 

Wednesday: biked up a mountain, yes mountain, to a potential who told us he is potentially atheist, his name is bobby. He's going to be baptized. 

Thursday: met Neil and Shiro! Ok they are adorable. Neil just got recently baptized and his friend Shiro wants to listen to our lessons. Their English is, shall we say, progressing, and their spirituality is booming :) 

Friday: You know how like when someone is drowning and your like "hey I have a life preserver let me throw it to you to save you!" And they say, "nah man, I'm good with drowning. But sit there and talk with me as I drown." THAT is what it's like as a missionary. Some people are stubborn, and yet we don't give up hope. 

Saturday: Service for Sister Reeves who is just one of the sweetest ladies I have met in my life. 

Sunday: .... wow can't even remember yesterday.... well fast and testimony meeting you know? It's amazing. I really felt apart of the people there. Daniel and Shiro came. The lessons on commitment made me tear up a bit because I know that no matter how hard the difficulties we have or the afflictions that are faced before us or in our past. If our foundation is sure, if our testimony and commitment to the gospel is strong, than no force on earth can tear us down. 

I know I normally don't do those week format things but it just felt right to do this time around. I hope you all are happy. I hope you all are healthy. I hope my grandma and grandpa had a splendid birthday in Washington! I hope you all hold on to what is true and genuine. 

Love,

Sister Plumb

My new companion, Sister Zollinger. She is from Minnesota and her sister served her mission with my cousin, Arien, in Fresno, CA, Spanish speaking!  Small world - I love that!

Rollin' in Rowland

Happy Halloween!

Everyone got their costumes ready? Got that over priced candy in a

bowl ready to give out? Wow. What a great time of year. Halloween just

gets me excited for Christmas. Did you know that there are 55 days

until Christmas? I just can't wait.

Alrighty this week- here's a funny story/miracle this week:

One day Sister Briscoe and Sister Plumb were knocking on people's

doors, sharing with them a message that can bring a smile to anyone's

face, and hope into their lives. As they made their way cheerfully to

a door, a friendly, toothless Chinese lady opened the door. They told

her how happy they were to see her, and how much they wanted to share

their message with her, but of course- she did not speak English. So

in Sister Plumb's very pathetic and broken Chinese she said- women shi

chuanjaoshi- we are missionaries. She gave them a very toothless smile

and welcomed us in 😳. NORMALLY THAT APPROACH DOESNT EVEN WORK IN ENGLISH. They were speechless. She told them to sit on the  coach as she went to the other room. After about 15 min of the shocked little sister missionaries sitting on the coach trying to figure out how to

give the first lesson to this lady in Chinese, a young Chinese man

came through the door and yelled back to his mom (in English) "the

missionaries are here!" Turns out....... our friendly Asian lady was a

member and that her and her family were feeding the missionaries

tonight, but they are in a different Ward, so they were feeding

different missionaries! The awkward part is that they are really in

our Ward so that was good laugh for us all, as we all ate pie. The

boy’s mom’s name is Irene and she is going to be helping us with Esther

and her family, with translating gospel terms and fellowshipping. We

were so relieved to find her so that she can help us!

Also I'm saying goodbye to good ol’ Glendora!... hence the title of

this email. I have been transferred to Rowland Heights! Yikes! Getting

that call near close to Halloween. Probably the scariest thing that

has happened this season – haha.

My new companion’s name is Sister Zollinger and she is spectacular!

Can't wait to get Rowland Heights rollin’ along! lol I gotta come up

with a different phrase.

Talk to you next week!

Sister Plumb