I will begin with my final day in Hudson. The last Sunday we had 7 beautiful investigators at church and 10 less active members who hadn’t been in months and for many- years. The branch usually has about 25 active members in attendance, but that day there were 57! It more than doubled in number. The branch said it was the most people they had ever seen! There were many tears of joy during that sacrament meeting. I felt more loved that day than I have my entire mission. It was a genuine miracle. Although I only got 5 weeks there, I will always have a very special place in my heart for the Hudson branch.

The next day I woke up at the mission home in Utica and spent the day touring Palmyra, the Joseph Smith home, sacred grove, printing press, Alvin’s grave, the Hill Cumorah, David Witnmer farm, and more! Throughout the day, there were tears shed, testimonies shared and hearts touched. It was a surreal experience and the Spirit was almost tangible! Peace, peace, so much PEACE! What made the day better was being with the Rogers and two of my best friends, Sister DeGolyer and sister Holmberg! They will forever be like sisters to me! The theme of the day that the missionaries pointed out to us was God’s hand in our lives and how he orchestrates events in our lives. Throughout the day the spirit kept whispering this scripture to me, “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.” It is one my mom sent me out here and it has assisted me in overcoming doubt and discouragement!

The NEXT day I got to embrace my dear sweet parents! WOW. What a joy that was, as you can imagine! We spent the next week touring the mission going from Carthage to Manchester to Albany to Hudson and finally to Fayetteville! Just about 1200 miles! We had the joyous privlage of seeing Jim, Phillip, sister Ray, Amanda and Nelson with baby Bella, Noah, her parents George and Mema, the Martian family, Finnegans, Shirley and Katie, Laurie, the Svlyester family, Jamary, Ralph, sister Graham, Jack, Steele, Valerie, Alex, Bill, Lee, brother Phillips, Cathy, sister Thomas and sister Gunther, Steve, NEIL, Jim, Paul, Nojaim, the Bird family, Dusty and Adam- just to name a few! It was a very happy time. I would like to share one pretty remarkable realization I had yesterday and the story behind it! This is about to get long and detailed, but I promise IT IS WORTH THE READ 🙂

THE FINAL STORY OF ALL STORIES: started the 1st day and fulfilled the last!

May 5th, 2016: Fayetteville, NY. First day as a missionary. Sister Saunders and I began knocking doors and and approached one house with a cute wooden porch filled with wind chimes, cool rocks, stones and plants. This woman in her early 40s answered looking quite confused and a bit afraid. From behind the screen door she asked, “What do you want?” We introduced ourselves and shared about how Christ still spoke through a modern-day prophet. She knodded her head and said, “I believe that could be possible, I believe in God and Christ. But I do have my own beliefs and practices.” As we asked her about it and were interested in her, she really opened up her heart! As she explained about her love of yoga and animals and her energy work and stones, I knew in my heart that this was a genuine woman who sought for all truth! We expressed our admiration towards her and a humble smile appeared on her face! I then showed her my stone necklace and she opened up the door to examine it! (It was one my mother had given me and I suppose it was a tiny prompting that told me to put it on that morning!) She showed me the stone necklace she was wearing also! I saw the excitement in her eyes to have that common interest through our love of stones! What made me feel even cooler was her approval when I told her I just happened to start the day with sunrise salutation! It was a tender connection! I was then able to testify of something I loved even more- my Savior! And the reality of His restored gospel and the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I testified to her that the Book of Mormon would bring her nearer to God than any other book. She seemed really interested and I was praying in my heart that she would accept a copy of the Book of Mormon. To my surprise she said, “That’s alright, I will take your card though and might checkout your church sometime!” I asked a second time if we could drop off the book next time we were in the area. Again, she kindly declined. I walked away feeling a bit like a failure.

February 2017: In Utica New York, standing in the gym “… and sister Folkman will be training… SISTER THOMAS!” A big hug and immediate friendship. We spent the car ride to Carthage talking about yoga, stones, energy work, mediation, the importance of the one, hard work, and the Book of Mormon… among other things! Kindred spirits!

May 2017: Purchasing matching ‘self-discovery’ stone friendship bracelets for sister Thomas and I before we go our separate ways.

July 2017: I get the call that sister Thomas’s next area is my first area where I served for 1/3rd of my mission…. FAYETTEVILLE! In sacrament meeting that next Sunday, I received a strong, clear impression from the Holy Spirit that said, “Sister Thomas is going to finish something you started.” The spirit engulfs me and I cry tears of joy and gratitude. That night, I write sister Thomas a letter and tell her about this experience from the Spirit and give her a list of about 20 people in Fayetteville (potentials and formers) I want her to try and visit. She tries all of them-nothing. She probably felt a bit like a failure. But as she and sister Christensen go tracting, they approach a cute wooden porch, filled with wind Chimes and cool rocks, stones and plants. This woman in her early 40s answered, and with a smile, sister Thomas shows Sonja the self-discovery stone bracelet she has on. They form a connection. With a smile, Sonja reaches out her hands and accepts the Book of Mormon into her home and into her heart.

September 2017: My last transfer in Hudson with sister Allred. I pray that I can see one more soul brought to the waters of baptism before I go home. I write my family and tell them about this goal and to join me in prayer for that one soul. My mom sent us matching starfish friendship bracelets to remember that ‘it matters for the one’. We work, laugh, cry, sweat and see many miracles and a whole lot of love. But no baptism. I felt a bit like a failure, but say, “Thy will be done Lord!” Meanwhile, sister Thomas and sister Gunther are preparing Sonjia for baptism.

November 4th, 2017: INCREDIBLE baptism. I got to be reunited with sister Thomas, NEIL, Steve, Jim and others! I got to give Sonja a big hug and introduce myself, discovering that she also had an obsession with the moon!!! Cool connections! She is married with 2 kids, a son that’s about 20 and a 17 year old daughter. Her daughter and mother came to the baptism to support her! It was a sacred service and the spirit was STRONG! She was just GLOWING! It was a beautiful sight! Afterwards, I told sister Thomas, “I asked Heavenly Father to see one more soul baptized and you helped that be fulfilled!” We just hugged and hugged!

November 5th, 2017: Fast and testimony meeting. I bear my testimony about receiving Christ into our countenance and thank the ward for being true examples of that and helping me have a mighty change of heart my fist few months as a misisonary. I also express my joy for the decision Sonjia made to join the fold! Sister Thomas and sister Gunther also bear tender testimonies and then SONJIA gets up and bears her powerful testimony. I was blown away at her courage and her strong faith in the Savior! She is such a kingdom builder! So elect and strong spirited! It literally took my breathe away. I was throughly impressed by her and the strong spirit in the room. She continued to make meaningful contributions during the next two meetings. I was beginning to wonder if she was secretly a life-long member! Haha! Seriously.

At the very end of church, it HIT ME ALL OF THE SUDDEN. The spirit just knocked me over the head. My heart started beating and I went up to sister Thomas and said, “hold up girl, where does Sonja live? Does she live near the library???” She said, “She lives on Spring street.” “Wai…” I said, “are you for real?” I google mapped it and sure enough it was the house with the wooden porch full of wind chimes and cool rocks, stones and plants. I looked over at Sonjia across the room and there stood a woman in her early 40s with that same humble, now very joyful smile. I said, “wait here!” And I ran to the parking lot and dug through my suite case and pulled out my first journal, which I just so happened to have. Most journal entries I sent home, but the first week of my mission was still contained in this giant emerald journal. I ran back in and I thumbed thorough the pages to May 5th, 2016. Tears filled our eyes as I read the full page entry to them out loud all about Sonjia. I looked at Sonjia and said, “I knocked on your door exactly 18 months ago today.” We connected all the dots and had a massive group hug just beaming with smiles and full hearts!

That evening, my parents and I walked up those same steps and this time, she opened the door completely and let me into her home and heart! This time, she was no longer a stranger, but a radiant sister in Christ! As we sat on her couch and shared experiences, testimonies and prayers, I felt God’s love SO POWERFULLY! I gained a deep love for this woman and for her sweet daughter Aubrey who just happened to be a talented painter. More connections. I have a feeling these woman will be a much bigger part of my life than I see now! I walked away from that house thanking God for answering my prayers! My prayer that Sonjia would accept the Book of Mormon, the prayer that I could help sister Thomas feel loved from the day I met her, the prayer that sister Thomas could have success in Fayetteville as she trianed, the prayer that I would see one more soul make a sacred covenant with God before I went home, the prayer that I could be a successful misisonary and an instrument in his hands.

I bear my solem testimony as a servant of the Most High that GOD LIVES. He is our Father in Heaven. He hears and answers every prayer in Christs name. I bear my witness that Jesus is the Christ. I have had the privilege of wearing His name over my heart the past year and a half of my life and representing Him and His church. He is real. He lived, died and was resurrected. He has the power to cleanse, heal, strengthen and enable us. He is our Rock and our Salvation. He is my best friend. He is my goal. I know that God sends His Holy Spirit to guide, strengthen, comfort, direct, warn, inspire, enable, teach and enlighten us. It is by the power of the Holy Ghost that I have been called to preach the gospel. I know that the gospel of Christ has been restored and is only found in its fullness and purity in the Book of Mormon and in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! The gospel is the means whereby we can acces the saving atonement of Jesus. It is God’s plan of Happiness for us! I bear witness that God DOES have a perfect plan of happiness for each and every one of us. He lives and directs this work today!

I invite you to heed the promptings of the Holy Spirit in doing the little things. This is how God works through us. I know as we put our trust in Him and follow His Spirit, we will have the answers to our prayers revealed to us. We may feel that we are failures. We may feel that yet another prayer has seemingly gone unanswered, but my prayer is that each of us will look up to the heavens and see the grand picture! I pray that we will see how putting each little piece of the puzzle down has created a masterpiece! That we will see how the little things we’re doing ARE indeed laying the foundation for something great. That we will allow God to show us HIS plan, which is far greater than our own. My prayer is that one day, whether in this life or the next, we will look back at the small and simple things we did in obedience to our Father and see what they amounted to! That we will realize we are insturements in God’s hands to assist Him in bringing about the eternal life of mankind! I love my Savior and say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen!