Really high highs and really low lows

"...This week's been a week of really high highs and really low lows.  I always have a hard time debating on whether to start with the highs or the lows.  I think I'll start with the highs because it's much more exciting!

So we went to our 15 yr. old's home and we had a lesson with her.  We had planned the lesson to go another direction but as we got talking and chitchatting it ended up going into the 'For the Strength of Youth'  pamphlet.  So we pulled it up (thank-you ipads) and began looking through the different sections.  We started talking about repentance and forgiveness.  She expressed to us her desires to be forgiven and to be able to feel peace again in her life.  We were able to testify to her about the atonement of Jesus Christ and how there is no such thing as being 'too far off the path', that the atonement of Jesus Christ covers all.  I've noticed when it comes to really spiritual experiences, you can't quite put it all into words or make it sound like it feels to convey all that happened.  But the spirit flooded the room and she began to cry.  Through her tears she told us 'I have been looking for help.  I've needed help.  No one has been able to help me, not my parents, siblings, friends, cousins, no one, except for you.  You are the only ones who have been able to help me.  You came to my house that first day and you taught me how to pray and talk with my Father in Heaven and that changed everything.  Everything is different now.  Three weeks ago I only believed in a higher power.  Now I realize that I'm loved by a Father in Heaven who cares and loves me and so much more.... you came and knocked on my door and my life has been completely different since.'  It was a very sweet, very tender moment.  The spirit was extremely strong in that room.  Needless to say, we were all in tears.  She's the reason I had to come to Salmon Creek.  God knew where she was and sent us to her.  I really feel she's the whole reason I had to come out here.  We have the time to meet with her every single day.  In most areas, we wouldn't have the time or the attention we could be giving her because of our teaching but because we are so open we can meet whenever, whereever and for however long she needs.  Its been such a blessing.  We basked in the spirit for a while after the lesson, just sitting there enjoying the spirit.  Her mom walked in and we invited her to pray with us.  She sat down and prayed with all of us and she thanked us for coming over and spending so much time with her daughter.  She told us how grateful she was for teaching her and helping her through this time.  She said the she's been happier and there's this light about her now (everyone can see that), even her parents know it.  They don't have any solid beliefs but I really think that we will be able to teach them soon.  Right now though we are focusing on our 15 yr. old.  Her dad even came in the next day and chatted with us for a bit :)  This is so good! I love her with a love that goes beyond the past few weeks.  I've known her for a very very long time.  Oh!  and she is going to be baptized!!!!  April 26th is the date :)  So in about a month!!!!!!!  Needless to say we are STOKED!!!!!!!!!  haha!! Oh, it was so good!  I LOVE her!!!

For exchanges this transfer we decided to do something a little different.  We were getting tired of just exchanging and then exchanging back.  We thought we needed to do something a little different, a little more exciting.  Something to make exchanges fun and something the sisters can look forward to!  SO!  We came up with the exchange game which is pretty much like a scavenger hunt thing.  All through the day you get points for the things you do, like..starting studies at 8:00 or giving out 2 Book of Mormons or teaching a member present lesson or asking for an online referral.  So all these things we get points for and the goal is to get 1000 points before the end of the day!  Seriously, we tried it on Saturday and it was AWESOME!!  It made us really stretch and use the materials we've been given.  It made us think a little more and really try to be the very best we could be and then at the end of the day as we were adding up our points we were able to see how much we really did and suddenly a 'normal' missionary day felt very very full! I loved it!! :D  So we're going to be continuing that this transfer and we are already working on ideas for next transfer's exchange challenge/game!  Inspired by the Holy Ghost?  I say yes!!!

Alright, here's the bummer news.  The 'car wash' guy asked us not to come back </3  When we had our lesson on Friday with [a ward family] he was like 'Alright, next week you and [his friend] and [the family] and I will all come over, we can have a sit down lesson and really talk through these 'discussions of the gospel'.'  He invited us back!  We were so excited!!!!  So on Tuesday of last week we texted him to see when we could come over and the only response we got back was 'Hey, sisters!  So I'm happy with the Crossroads church.  My brother and sister-in-law are doing a bible study class and I'm going to stick with this.  Thanks and good luck with the rest of your mission!' ..WHAT?!?!?!? What happened?!?!? ..we haven't heard back from him since.  Yeah, it hurts.  [The family] is going to try to help us out but we'll see what happens.  It really broke our hearts.  It's like..no!!!!  You need this!  We have the answers to your questions and what you're looking for and just ..ga!! no!! .....so yeah, we haven't heard back from him since.  We haven't stopped praying for him but it's still hard.

So that's pretty much our week!  This next week is going to be a lot the same.  We got 116 OYM's this week.  Still looking for people.  We have one appointment tonight with someone we found.  We are praying that doesn't fall through and will turn into something.  But other than that, it's back on the streets looking.  Sometimes it's hard to not get discouraged or start to wonder if there is really someone out there.  But there has to be, or else we wouldn't be here.

I love you so much!!  I hope this week goes good and happy for you!...
The church is true.  Our Savoir lives, all can be made right through His atonement.
Joseph Smith was a prophet who did see what he said he saw in that grove of trees.
This IS true.  No doubt in my mind.

I love you!
Yours forever,
Sister Maxfield"

excerpts from Erin's email 03/24/2014

Quietest dinner I've ever been to :)

"...This week's been a full one!!  First of all, the 'clean car' gator, haha!  So after that lesson we asked him if we could come back and teach him again and he said, 'Yes, defiantly' and so we did :)  This time we brought some members in our ward we thought would get along with him.  Once again, we talked to him while he washed his car (he's a detailer, the car wash is pretty much a daily occurrence, haha!) and then we got into a little bit of the plan of salvation.  It was in splices and pieces but it turned out really good!!  I think the best part about teaching him is all the questions he asks!  He seriously asks that most amazing questions like, 'So, is it really just heaven and hell?  Because that doesn't seem fair.  Why is it that someone who just *barely* makes it into heaven gets to hang out with the same people that tried *really* hard to get there?  It seems like there should be terraces or something that people get to go to depending on how good they do here.' hah!  Well, car wash guy, let me tell you something called the 'three kingdoms of glory'.  Oh, it's so good!!  Like he said, 'I just feel like I have this thirst for knowledge and I just want to learn everything,'  It feels so good to be able to answer so many people's questions, the ones they've pondered about their whole lives :)  He's doing so good!  Hasn't quiet committed to come to church yet, but he'll get there :)  So this lesson was suppose to only be an hour (he said that's all the time he had, which was perfect) ..three hours later we finally leave.  He let whatever else he was going to do go and the fellowshipper we brought kicked it off like two peas in a pod and we all talked, laughed, joked and taught.. it was awesome.  We're going back again this week.  He's amazing, seriously amazing.

Our other 15 year old girl came to church this week, finally!! and LOVED it!!!  Sacrament meeting was confusing (we talked about temples in sacrament and we haven't even touched on that with her so she was lost but that's okay) but then she really enjoyed Sunday School where we talked about the Book of Mormon and read some from it.  But all in all, she LOVED Young Women's.  I think to be around girls her age, with standards and friendships and that didn't give in to all the junk and nastiness of the world was, well, I think she felt very comfortable and at home.  She was very interested in the Young Women's activities on Wednesday nights.  I went to Young Women's with her and they talked about how to overcome trials through the atonement and it really hit home for her (she's been through a lot).  The spirit really touched her.  I could tell because she had tears in her eyes.  I'm certain she will come back.  She is so elect.  The girl that we have fellowshipping her bought her a Sunday dress so she had something modest to wear to church and she was so touched by it.  She's making her way right into the font.  We're going to try to set a solid date with her :)

Another cool thing from this week, I got to go on exchanges with the ASL sisters!  We spent most of the day in Portland talking to deaf people. (Well, they talked. I pretended to play along, haha!)  I got to talk to a guy who only does tactile signing (meaning he's deaf and blind) so I got to tell him my name and where I was from and stuff, SO COOL!!  Like you know when you take someone else's hands and sign in them? yeah, so cool!!  We talked to this other lady who's been deaf since she was born, but can read lips perfectly and she can talk on the phone.  She can tell what you're saying by feeling the vibrations through the phone.  Amazing.  We went to a deaf dinner with someone.  Quietest dinner I've ever been to, but it all worked out.  Needless to say, as cool as it all was, and a much as I learned, I came home very grateful for my ability to hear and speak :)  So cool though!!

Oh, p.s., Sis. Rix and I survived transfers and we'll be staying together another 6 weeks!!  WOOT!!!! :D  I've never wanted mail so much in my life, haha!

Well, that's about it for this week.  It's been a good one.  We're still searching for new people to teach and working hard to find those who are ready.  My testimony in this gospel is growing deeper and deeper in me.  I feel like when I came out my testimony was like a little weed, now it's turned into, well, at least a bush, haha!  This church is God's church on the earth today, with *His* proper authority.  I know these things are true.

...Your forever,
Sister Maxfield

p.s. I thought I would let you know that I found out for sure that I'll be coming home in June.  I know that's contrary to what I told you before, but after talking to President and praying about it, I'll be home in June :)"

excerpts from Erin's email 03/17/2014

Sister Taylor started jumping up and down for joy!! That's a sight I'll never forget :D

"...I'm doing good today.  I've been a little sick these past few days (sore throat and headache kind of stuff) but it's not enough to keep me down :)  Don't worry though, Sister Rix will shut me down real quick if I get too out of hand, hahaha!  I'm in good hands.  I'll get over it quickly :)  This week's been good.  Speaking of gathering the elect I've got quite a story for you this week!!

So once upon a time while out tracting, Sister Rix and I got the brilliant idea (aka inspiration from the Holy Ghost) to take Sister Taylor (our mission president's wife) out tracting with us!  We figured she has never been before, she's a missionary, and I'm sure wants to know what in the world we do all day, so why not let her be on the battle front! :D  So we gave her a call and invited her to come.  She was ecstatic!!  (Well, very nervous but ecstatic!)  So Tuesday night we go to pick her up, we pray and head out.  We had planned ahead where we wanted to go and what streets we wanted to knock on :)  We go there and said, 'Alright, Sister Taylor, we'll show you how it's done and you just chime in whenever you want!'  So we did.  We knocked several doors and she simply watched but by the 3rd door she was all over it.  Her confidence boosted, she was happy to talk to people, to tell them who we were, to invite them to listen to the missionaries, to give them cards or Book of Mormons, asking if we could come back.  She was a natural!!!  So we're going along right, and we knock on this one door.  A man answers and Sister Taylor starts talking to him.  And I'm watching this guy's face and he's giving us a face of  'I know you guys', so immediately I'm trying to figure out who this guy is..'Is he in our ward?  Have we talked with him before?  Who is this guy?' and his response was ' Did Amanda set you up?  She called you, didn't she?  She sent you here didn't she?!'  And I was like..what? who?? and from around the corner come this super happy girl with a huge smile on her face!  'Missionaries!' she yells and she's super happy.  The man was like, 'See!  Look at you guys, you all have these huge smiles on your face, you're always happy!'  We get talking and come to find out this Amanda girl had just gotten baptized in January in another ward.  They were good friends and had gotten together that night to have dinner.  He was like, 'Alright, give me whatever you've got.  I'll take it.'  Holy smokes!!  So we give him a Book of Mormon, our number, a few other things and a quick low down of what it is that we are teaching and the message we are sharing.  Like I said, they were just about to sit down to dinner, so we asked if we could come back.  We didn't get a set time to come back but his reaction was like a roll of the eye, surrender to the church kind of action, haha!  I knew there was something more to this story!  But there wasn't time to hear it that night.  Anyway, he was SUPER solid and such a great feeling!  GOD DOESN'T DO RANDOM!!  He didn't believe us that we had just been in the neighborhood and he was convinced that Amanda had set it up.  When in reality, we really had just been tracting :)  So we left and Sister Taylor started jumping up and down for joy!!  That's a sight I'll never forget! :D hahaha!  Like I said, you knew good things were on the way there with him!

But the story doesn't end here.  See, yesterday, Sister Rix and I had some time before dinner.  So we decided to go back and to contact some of the potentials we had knocked into that night.  We tried a few and they were warm, but still need some time.  We were walking down the street and who should be outside, in the middle of washing his car, but this same guy :)  Oh, this is too good!!!  So we walk up and begin talking to him and he let us in on what's been going on.  He said that he's felt like his life was imbalanced.  That he's spent too much of his time focused on work and finances that he's missed the boat in other things in life.  That there had to be more to life than just those things.  He said that he decided that he needs to build his relationship with God.  He didn't want to just to go church to go to church, but rather have a relationship with God.  He recently got back in contact with Amanda (they were old friends) and she's been sharing little things here and there with him.  He has another friend who's been talking to him about religion.  And he mentioned other ways he feels that God is trying to reach him.  He's like, 'and then YOU come to my door that night and I was like..wow, okay, I get it.'  He went to church that day with his brother (not LDS) that morning for the first time in a LONG time, he said.  He than started asking us all sort of questions like,  'How do I build my relationship with God?  What makes your church so different?  Why do we need prophets?  Why are there so many churches?  Why do some bibles say one thing and some bibles say another?  All I know about the Mormons is Mr. Smith and something about gold plates.  I have like this yearning to learn and for knowledge and I just don't feel like I can or that it has been filled.  I just feel empty.'  These are all questions missionaries LOVE to hear!  So we began teaching him the Restoration right then and there in his driveway as he cleaned his car.  When we got to the part about Joseph Smith, he stopped cleaning, sat there and simply listened.  It was amazing.  We were able to answer his questions right then and there.  Seriously, it was unbelievable.  We were both late to our dinner appointments and he was like, 'You guys teach like discussions or something, don't you?' and we're like 'Yup!' and he's like, 'Okay, well let's get together this week.  I want to hear what you have to say and I have more questions for you guys.'  WOW.  It really doesn't get better than this!!! :D :D :D :D :D  So we'll be meeting with him later on this week.  Needless to say, huge miracle.  We feel so blessed! :D :D

So there you have it.  Tracting works.  Don't let anyone tell you different!  haha!!

...We saw our 18-20 year olds this week.  They are still doing awesome and ask a lot of questions.  It's been interesting to teach someone with a very limited knowledge on God.  It's been interesting to have to start from the very very very beginning and to build that faith in God, but it's been so good!  They were going to go to the singles ward yesterday, but one of them got really sick right before so they ended up not going.  But they said they would go next week.  Our other 15 year old girl is still doing amazing.  We saw her twice last week and I'm sure we'll see her many times again this week.  We love her and are looking forward to her coming to church.  That'll be the turning point for her, we are sure about it.  Course we'll have to get the family's okay about it but they are supportive so I'm not worried about that! :D

We didn't quite reach 100 OTYM's this week but that's okay.  We are re-contacting our potentials now so they don't get lost.  Once they get all re-checked on it's back to knocking ;)  Oh the life of a missionary!! ...and Sister Rix is awesome!!  I stinken love her!!! :D :D :D :D


Thank-you for the emails...
Oh hey, the church is true!! :D :D :D

Yours forever,
Sister Maxfield"

excerpts from Erin's email 03/10/2014

The work is hastening forward!!!

"It's been quite a week.  This week we got 109 OYM's (we talked to 109 people), the most I've ever talked to in one week on my mission!!! and we found a new investigator!!  K, so here's the story...

Once upon a time we were out on exchanges tracting.  We knocked on this door and a 15 year old girl answered.  We introduced ourselves and told her who we were and wondered if we could share a message with her.  She was like, 'Ya, I would love that.'  Needless to say, we were pretty shocked.  That doesn't happen very often!!!  And so we jumped on it, made an appointment and went on our way.  (I wanted Sister Rix to be there, haha!)  The next day we went back to her place to teach her.  She was really excited to see us and let us right in.  We sat down and got to know each other a little bit and started teaching her about the Book of Mormon and the Restoration.  We answered several of her questions like, 'What does Adam and Eve have to do with all of this?' and  'Why were we put in families?' and 'Why did Christ have to die for us?'  Such good questions!!  So we answered them and continued to teach.  By the time we got through with the lesson she was like, 'Wow, I was not expecting this!  This make so much sense.  I've been going to all sorts of different churches trying to find one and find one I like.  I've learned more here than I have going to any of the others and it all makes sense, this whole thing makes sense!'  (I love hearing that!! :D :D :D)  We asked when we could come back and she told us to come back the next day!  So the next day we go back and teach her about the plan of salvation (K, this girl is amazing!!!)  Once again, she soaked it up like a sponge!!  At the end of the lesson she was like, 'Wow, I can't believe that I've turned the missionaries away for years.  They've been knocking on my door for so long and I've never let them in.  If I had any idea that this is what they were wanting to share with me I would have let them in sooner.  I wish I had learned this earlier in my life.'  Wow. She is 15.  Amazing!!!  She was going to come to church with us but she promised her cousin that she would go with them.  So she'll come with us next week.  We are meeting with her again tomorrow and hopefully going to put her on date!!!  They don't come this amazing!!  The spirit was so strong!!!  If she's the only one for the 109 people we talked to last week, than I'm happy.  I'll talk to another 100 this week for more experiences like that.  It was amazing. 
We weren't able to meet with our other crew of gators, they were out of town this weekend but we have a chance to meet with them again this week, which we are planning on.  So looking forward to that!  As far as the work goes though, it's a lot of tracting and a lot of talking.  Sister Rix and I both feel that's why were are here in Salmon Creek and that's what we are meant to do here.  Simply tract and find.  So that's what we are doing!

...The work is hastening forward!!!  We got our ipads this week!!  It's surely been an adjustment though.  It's not exactly easy going from 'no electronics or Facebook or anything' to 'Oh, here you go.  Here's you device, this is how it all works. Have fun and bring forth Zion.'  It's been a learning curve needless to say.  But it SO COOL.  All our paperwork is online now which makes life a whole lot easier.  We have the whole gospel library which is AMAZING and everything we need for missionary work right at our fingertips.  We are plugged into the ward, Facebook, Skype, Facetime, anything and all things we need to bring forth Zion.  IT'S SO COOL to be a part of the hastening of the work.  All the things that the prophets have foretold are now coming to pass right before our eyes.  I feel so special to be a part of bringing forth Zion and gathering the elect for the last time.  IT'S SO COOL!!!!!  :D :D :D

STL'ing is still fun!  We still go on exchanges a lot, about 2x a week.  It's really cool to be right here next to the mission home.  It's fun because it's like..your work here in the mission is more than just strangers but also to those friends that I've grown to love and serve with.  I get the challenge to help them grow their testimonies and to strengthen their faith.  And being around them is a privilege.  There are some truly elect sisters out here in the mission.  I feel so blessed to get to know them and be with them.  Plus we get to do training during meetings and share our testimony and what not.  It keeps us busy.  You may not get to spend as much time in your area as other....but I've gotten used to it now so I don't remember what life was like before it.  hahaha!

[Sister Parrish severed in Erin's mission.  Her family in Idaho tragically passed away last week of CO2 poisoning.  She lost both parents and two brothers.  She has another brother who was also serving a mission at the time.]  ...I knew Sister Parrish.  She was in my district in Mount Scott, so I served around her for awhile.  She's amazing.  Needless to say, when we found out all of our hearts sank and broke for her.  Of all people for something this tragic to happen to, she was the last I would expect.  But she is so incredibly strong.  Seriously though.  She always said that her dream was to change the world.  With what has happened, she has now been given that opportunity as her story has gone all over the world.  She's amazing.  Sister Taylor said the when they brought her into the mission home, the whole house was filled.  She said you could just feel the heavenly hosts with her.  When she left the mission home, they all went with her and the house felt empty again.  She said it was amazing.  Her family is closer than ever.  It'll be a hard road ahead.  But the mission is praying for her.  She's our Captain Moroni, our Title of Liberty.  It's given us a renewal of what we are doing out here.  The importance of the work that we have all embarked on.  It's the message that we are sharing, first hand.  She was the valiant one to remind us of our purpose.  It's a purpose we will surely never forget.

...well, that's about all I have for this week.  This next one coming up is another full of tracting, finding and teaching.  Tracting to the end!! :D :D

The church is true!  I know our Savior lives and loves us!!

Yours forever,
I love you!
Sister Maxfield"

excerpts from Erin's email 03/03/2014