Letter from Dad / Called to be a Sister Trainer Leader in Last Area like her Papa was...

Hello Sister Plumb,

That is so exciting about Richard getting baptized. It's amazing the change of heart he was able to have. So you baptized the Brother of Bobby? What is his name? It must hard to say, kind of like the Brother of Jared if you are referring to him as the Brother of Bobby:)

I know you don't want to hear this, but Mom has a missionary count down for you and instead of cruising for the next 44 days, I'm sure you are prayerfully thinking about what other miracles God has in store for you to experience as a blessed missionary in the Arcadia, CA mission. My second to last month I was a Zone Leader with another missionary, Elder Worthington, who was going home the next transfer and he would talk to his girlfriend in the middle of the night and try to do as little as possible during the days by faking sick or just letting me know he lost all motivation. I lost it with him one day and told him I could not agree with him more about be excited for him to go home so that I can resume and enjoy a productive last month of my mission.  Elder Worthington I think was a good missionary most his mission, but joining him in his area as a Zone leader his last month was not a great experience and I felt like I had failed to motivate a missionary who went home trunky. My last month of my mission turned into a month extension where I got a chance to train a really good missionary for two months and continue as Zone Leader, so basically I felt like that lost month of trying to get my trunky companion out to work never counted against me. Whatever you do, finish strong and don't extend a month like I did.

Calvin will be talking to the Bishop today about getting his papers started for his mission. Calvin is a really good kid and he surprises me with how good he is, but he also struggles a lot with motivation. I know we all have our struggle at times, I'm just hoping and praying his issues don't keep him from going on a mission. Calvin and Jack do not treat each very good, but I was really impressed with Calvin the other day when we were playing football with the Lamberts and a few other kids. Playing with the Lamberts is got competitive and Calvin and I get competitive against each other. Calvin and Jack were playing on the same team and we were killing them and Calvin kept yelling at Jack for making mistakes to the point I decided to trade Tyson Lambert for Jack. Jack got on my team and I don't get mad at anyone for making mistakes like not catching a ball, but I did start yelling at Jack for not hustling and trying hard. At the end of the game, I was a little hard on Jack and while driving to the Shell station to get drinks, I heard Calvin ask Jack if he was all right and apologized for giving him a hard time. I could not believe Calvin: A) Apologized to anyone B) Showed concern for Jack by asking if he was alright C) Recognized someone was feeling bad and felt bad enough for that person to ask if they were OK. One of the proudest moments of the year for me as a dad. I had to apologized to Jack for getting on him, but it took the example of Calvin for me to do it.

We are still praying all the time for you. Thanks for being such a great example to the family.

Love you,

Dad.

Hey Dad!

The brother Bobby ah yes. A very complicated name haha his name is

Brian. So sorry I never added his name in there!

We just had transfer calls on Saturday. And we got a call that I

really wasn't expecting my last transfer.... usually the zone leaders

call us when we are getting transfers but this time we got a call from

the APs and they told sister Zollinger that she was going to

Huntington with Sister Barrus and that I would be going to be staying

in Rowland Heights but that I would be having a new assignment as a

sister training leader and that I would be receiving 2 companions,

Sister Barney who was an STL in Azusa and Sister Briscoe who I trained

in Glendora! They said that Sister Briscoe is going through some hard

things right now and that it will be good for us to be companions so

we will see how that goes and what my role will be.

Sorry I am totally out of time! I wish I could say more and email mom

and Calvin and Jesse back but I can't :( also we have a car! Yay! You

can update everyone for me thanks!

Hope you're well! Love you lots!

Sister Plumb

Look

Hey fam,

It's clear skies and sunshine today, with a high of 67! I can't

believe it's January with weather like this, however I am jealous of

you snowboarders out there.

Richard got baptized this week! I am just so amazed! Hahaha when the

sisters first met him a while back he would always yell at them and

told them that they weren't Christian but just a couple months ago in

November when we talked to him, We got his number, invited him to

church, and he loved it! It was so funny because every lesson we would

start off with him he would be totally against it at first, but as we

explained things to him, and he asked questions he understood why, and

by the end of the lesson he would be 110% cool with it. No joke. It's

amazing what the gospel can do. Now the elders tell us that he is

being an awesome missionary and inviting everyone he sees to church

and to listen to the missionaries.

If you all remember Bobby, he is the guy that we always have to bike

up monstrous hills to see, but then ended up not being interested. His

brother got baptized the same day as Richard! And so now a member who

is friends with his mom said that his mom (her name is Ann) wants us

to teach her! So we gonna take on some monstrous hills this week.

Bring it on.

Ok let's see what else's happened..... hopefully you all are

interested in hearing about these people. They all are so amazing and

they teach me things everyday. Speaking of that! We saw Jason again

this week! Twice! And he came to church! I don't think he realizes how

interested in the gospel he is. When we were teaching him the

restoration this week, and we told him about Joseph smiths first

vision. He said, "wait a second, so Joseph Smith wasn't looking to

start a church, he just wanted to know which one was true." The spirit

hit me like a ton of bricks. Even though I have taught the

restoration, and have said the same thing that Jason has said to so

many people, and I knew it was true before. I could feel that he knew

it was true, and he was able to reconfirm to me that this is Christ's

true church on the earth today, because it was formed by man. It was

restored through a humble prophet of God.

I just think its miraculous the way we find people here in Rowland

Heights. Every area is different. That's for sure. But in Rowland

Heights we talk with EVERYONE. Even if they don't speak English. We

try to speak Spanish or Chinese or Korean as best we can to them. I

know the Lord sees our efforts and the true intents of our hearts in

everything that we do. All we have to do is look for those moments he

gives us to lift someone up and to share with them that which they

stand in need of.

We will be going to the temple this Saturday with Joseph! Also it's

transfer calls this week. Sister Zollinger really want to stay

together just one more!!

Hope you all have good week! Be warm. Remember who you are.

Sister Plumb

Stronger

Well well well my friends and family, it's been another wonderful week living the life of a typical sister missionary. Call me basic. 

This week....... man. Always a week to remember. I think every week should be a week to remember. Maybe some weeks don't have to be, well at least for our learning we can remember them. 

So a little random something that I promise will relate to this email is something that I learned in biology class years ago. We were learning about muscles and how in order to strengthen our muscles they must be broken down and then brought back together as we continue exercising. It's the same with us. A little something I like to call humility.  As we go along in life we recognize our weaknesses, we find faults in ourselves, in others, and yadayadayada.  But as I am learning, we can keep going and strive to overcome the weaknesses as we apply the atonement in our lives and through Christ and his strength, we are brought back into something stronger than before. There's a really cool song that has been playing over and over again in my head, "I can be stronger now, because He should me how". I know that Christ overcame all sin, and conquered death. He has set the example for us all and has literally cleared the way and made it bright for us to follow Him. You can't miss it. It is all around us and it's our choice to follow it. 

Alright so learning about strength from the atonement was good for this week. Physically, mentally, emotionally, it's the best medicine. This week we biked another mountain, and I mean literally not figuratively for all you people who like to read between the lines ;) 

It was a good time. Saw a sunset, and gained muscles of course. 

As far as the peeps we are teaching goes. Everyone except for Joseph and Brandy showed up to church yesterday so that was a win :). Joseph has said that he wants to come to our church first before the singles so, pray for him and his testimony that it will be focused. Richard (Richard Lakers remember him;) ) is still set to be baptized this weekend, and we are disappointed we won't be able to see it. I don't think I've told y'all about Edward.... he saw us on the street on our bikes and thought it was the most important thing in the world for us to meet with him (and for most people that could be true).  He was a little hung up on Buddah being the anti christ but now we think we got him focused on why it's more important to know which church is true instead of which churches aren't. Michelle came with her daughter Heidi! We met them on the street Christmas Eve :) they will be going to the Chinese Ward next week though. And then Jason, Jason is great! He has got a lot of questions, but we had a very spiritual lesson with him at the church and we committed him to come to church, and he showed up! Which doesn't always happen so we will see where it goes :) pray for him that he won't be so stressed out as he keeps the commandments. 

I know I say this a lot but thank you all so much for the love and support you’re giving me while I'm out here. I know your prayers really do help. It's so nice to go through out the day and know that someone is out there praying for me. I pray for you all too. Not individually unfortunately.... I'm not that skilled yet, but I definitely think about ya. If there's anything you need from me please let me know. I'm only an email away :) 

Have a good week. 

Sister Plumb

Happy 2017!

Wow I haven't emailed y'all in like a year! ;) 

........ sorry couldn't help it. 

2016 was a great year. One I hope I never forget. It was that year that I can honestly say I spent all of my time serving my Father in Heaven. I learned a lot. My journals that I've written can not even fill the amount I have learned. I just hope it will all be put to use. So 2017 will be a good year for that :) I'm looking forward to it. 

I'm not sure what I updated y'all on last year.... time.... so if it's repeat, I'm sorry! Joseph has a date for February! Which we are so pumped for. He also found out this week that he was named after Joseph Smith, so that threw him through a loop because he had only found out his dad was a member a month ago and now he's finding all these family members that are also members of the church. He is excited about his date :) and he is doing really well with all his commitments. 

We referred Richard to the YSA (Youth Single Adult) Ward and hopefully that continues to go strong. He's still ready to be baptized on the 14th of this year. 

And Shiro, one of Neil's friends, went with Richard to the singles ward and he liked it too so maybe we will be passing him off as well :)

Now I shall leave y'all with some cheesy new year advice....

New year, new you

Everyday is literally the first day of the rest of your life. 

Live for the future. 

Move on

Forgive and forget 

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift to day is the present. 

.....did I miss any? Probably. 

Till next time,

Sister Plumb.