Washington DC South Mission

Trust in the Lord

From the Sunbeams

This dog weighed 140 lbs.

Working at Pizza Factory paid off....Thanks Cam!

So we haven't had technology for a while..we had to figure it out.

Our last day together

Hi fam,

So I have a new companion. Her name is Sister Mckee. She is twenty two and from a dairy farm in Cambridge, Idaho. Her graduating class had not one, not two, but FIVE people graduate from it! So she's a pretty small town girl. I've only been with her for four days. 

I have learned a lot my first two transfers out here. I have learned the ropes of the mission.  How to hold my tongue in situations.  How to be serious when I need to be.  How to adjust to missionary life. How to hold back my anger problems:)  I learned a lot of holding back stuff...  as you can tell... ha ha... 
I learned how to be patient, basically. How to love everyone.  How to be humble and not prideful.  How to work under someone. How to take chastisement and constructive criticism. How to be obedient. How to ask for help. I'm still working on these but man, they've improved since I left. That's for sure. I've also learned how and why to not show off my speedy driving.  (Explanation in further reading.) I've learned how to "pretend like" peoples animals.  To adjust to change and cope with smelling like a chain smoker.  To hug everyone and avoid creepers who whistle at you. I haven't yet learned how to use pepper spray but I'm always prepared for it (:

Thus far in transfer numero tres I've learned how to be a leader.  To be independent.  To stand my ground.  To take control of a situation.  To be bold.  Disciplined.  Forget myself.  Work hard.  Make plans.  Clean the house. Do the dishes. Find directions.  Make food.  Do the shopping.  Slave labor. Just kidding:) But really. Most of all I've learned to TRUST in the lord. It is definitely a huge change not being a trainee anymore and leading out the area. Lots of work.

My advice for Future Missionaries is to LOVE EVERYONE. Be selfless. Use sticky notes. SMILE. Talk to everyone you see. Don't be scared.  BE CONFIDENT. Don't be a know it all.  Let your trainer -  actually train you. AND enjoy it while it lasts.  Be open minded and accepting of everyone. MEMORIZE SCRIPTURES BEFORE HAND AND YOUR PRESIDENT WILL <3 YOU. Don't ever, ever, ever give up. Turn to the Lord.  Trust him. Build your testimony.  Don't let anyone tear it down. BE YOURSELF FOR GOODNESS SAKE. Always pray. Tell everyone you love them. Be honest and sincere and you'll be solid.

So here is my week in review real quick...

Monday was a snow day so we went grocery shopping with Sister B. She is a GEM. Also... SHE BOUGHT MY GROCERIES. LIKE WHAT??? I about died. She said she knows that someone will take care of her daughter when shes out on her mission.  I agree! Mom, you must have been taken way good care of those STG missionaries.  Because I'm soooooo spoiled out here.  Blessings. Blessings.  Blessings. #loveher.  

Also I got a package from my Young Women's. THEY ARE AWESOME. Tell all the Laurels and the YW President thank you so much for me! It made my day hearing from them. And tell Autumn Wittwer she is a gem. I hope she marries into the fam or something because she's adorable. Thanks for the letter girl(: 

We visited N. A. & girls They are doing awesome! I love them so much! We also got a text from Sister T. saying that one of our potential investigators was over.  So we ran over and ate dinner and had  A BOSS LESSON with them on the Restoration.  We met K. 'friend boy' and he is a new investigator as well. We also got Transfer calls. Sister Shcramm is going to finish train somebody. SO she is outta here and I'm leading out the area!!  I'm gonna miss her.

Tuesday I lost Spencer's Adidas pants at Sister Conference :( yeah I about died. So we said a prayer.  Went to the church building and I just walked straight into them up on a clothing rack. I almost bawled my eyes out I was so happy I saw them. 

Like:
a)  they are the cutest sport pants ever.  I don't want to wear ugly sweats to the gym everyday.  
b)  they are SPENCER'S.  
c)  I was just ticked. AND THEN I FOUND THEM 
#tendermerciesofthelord. 

We went to District meeting and I went on an all day exchange with Sister Stott..again! Because both of our companions are training.  So they had a meeting. We went back and forth between G. and M. and taught. We met some new potentials and then later that night Schrammchracker came back and we visited N. N. & D. before she left. We talked mostly about self worth and being a Daughter of God.  We told them how much God loves them, that kinda thing. It was awesome. All of them took it in even D. she went out and bought a bible to start studying.  She almost started crying when Sister Schramm left.  She told us we are SUCH good examples for N. & N. and they always ask when we are coming back over.  Kinda broke my heart a little bit. 

Wednesday I decided missionary work is nuts. ha ha. That I have no energy left in my body. It was the day before transfers so we were all over the place like crazy people. 

Also... I got pulled over. SHH. I know. I know. So it was a pleasant little chastisement day from Sister Schramm and I get the point. LUCKILY I didn't get a ticket. When the police was leaving I was like 

WAIT. 

I have a card for you.

and pulled out a mormon.org card with our number.

Like no ticket for me...salvation for you homie.

But he gave me this look like if I said another word he would change his mind. So I was just like "I know the gospel has blessed my life and I want you to have this.  Your awesome.  Have a great night bye." 

Boom outta there. Crazy. 

We visited H. & M. and they both cried. It was awful. I even started crying and I'm not even going anywhere?? It was just so sad seeing his eyes well up and M. was going on and on about all that we do for her.  We were like M. YOU HAVE THE WARD AND THERE WILL BE NEW MISSIONARIES GIRL!! Goodbyes are no bueno. 

Then we had the most absurd Law of Chastity lesson with someone else and committed them to not have sex until married.  To stand up for uh..that....it was just really awkward. We got really deep into things you're not supposed to do regarding..sex...and stuff...

me and Sister Schramm were just like oh. my. gosh. so awkward. BUT at the end we gave him dating ideas on how to avoid those situations! Basically I played "Darren and Amy Stucki" rebuking their daughter from being alone with her boyfriend in high school" IT WAS AWESOME.  I GET WHY YOU GUYS HAD SO MUCH FUN WITH THAT. Literally I was like oh oh oh I'm good at this!!!!!

make a list of fun dates

don't go into dark areas

don't be alone at home

don't make out too much

set guidelines

be respectful
We brought up many points and finally a LIGHT BULB went on and he was like wow.. you are right.  Yeah...the things we teach about on missions man. ;) gotta love that topic.

Thursday was transfers. We ate at some awesome little cupcake shop that N. works at before Sister Schramm left. I was really nervous.  And that is when I got my new companion. So that was basically the rundown of transfers. 

Oh wait! When we first got there President Riggs came up to me and was like, "so uhhh, I've heard you have this blog" and I was like oh great here we go..... but he said that we had five new sisters this transfer and they were all talking about it and told him about it and he was like COME ON you need to meet them!! I was like great. great. great. They are gonna be disappointed. This ain't a good idea.....!!! PRESIDENT. Then I walked in and boom. There they were. Greenies. JK. I'm practically a Greenie myself. But it was awesome!! I met some of my blogger friends (: and they are in MY mission! So we talked about where they were going and who was training them and all that fun stuff. Then Sister Schramm walked in and they were like "WE'VE SEEN PICTURES OF YOU!!!!! Sister Schramm was just like what the...

it was great ;)

Friday was the first real day of being with my new companion. SO we really had to make the best out of every situation. I decided I need to simply not look back and work on living in the present, working hard, being brave and just loving everyone. Momma Schramm is all gone now. So its just me and Sister Mckee. It's different!! 

We taught F. and I introduced her to a lot of members and investigators and stuff like that. We found out E. is just waiting for his granddaughter to get here because he wants to get baptized with her... so that was cool. Who knows how long that will be though.

Saturday we ran into J. I'm telling you...we are always in the right place at the right time. Or well we've had some pretty sick experiences with such lately! I'm so excited to tell Sister Schramm about it because we started talking to him and turns out he knows B. So B. offered to give him rides to church. What the? Investigators taking other investigators to church? What is this? So we are hoping that starts working out. B. really likes me. and schramm. Because of the whole miracle thing. So that's awesome. He is so dedicated and just solid. It just goes to show the littlest things you say to people can make the biggest difference. It did to him! 

I've noticed it when I get those little encouraging and inspiring emails and letters from friends family and bloggers?? Holy! It is awesome. You are all massive examples to me.  It is the best thing to hear from people who are inspired by me, or my mission stories or other missionaries as well! I love it. It gives me the inspiration and strength to keep on going. and the moral support... reinforces to me that as missionaries we are inspiring more people than we know about. If you are thinking about serving a mission I have two things to say...

one....it will be the hardest thing you've ever done

two.....do it anyway!!

I've realized I'm not just serving the people in VA but I'm serving generations of family before and after them. I'm serving my own family and I'm serving my friends. I'm serving people on both sides of the veil.  Most importantly...  I'M SERVING THE LORD. What an honor and a privilege. When I look at it that way it's not even hard.

Later L. told us about her son who is fifty and doing ultimately nothing with his life. He basically doesn't like anything or anyone and is depressed and drinks his problems away hoping one day he won't wake up.

what???

Friends. please. 

ONE...never drink alcohol.

TWO...know your self worth!! please! If you feel you have no one in the world left to talk to. That no one cares or understands pleeeeaaasseee talk to me. Even if you feel I do knot know you. Every soul is so important in the eyes of God. You mean something.! That's a Prophetic Promise. We all have work to do here. It breaks my heart to hear of such situations. I had a pen pal write me this week.  He explained the trials he was going through and how he is overcoming them.  He mentioned how sometimes the simplest acts of kindness or words of encouragement can turn his day completely around. I look up to him for being such an example of faith and strength. He inspired me to re-share the story of the Currant bush...

President Hugh B. Brown, formerly a member of the Twelve and a
counselor in the First Presidency, provided a personal experience. He
told of purchasing a rundown farm in Canada many years ago. As he went
about cleaning up and repairing his property, he came across a currant
bush that had grown over six feet high and was yielding no berries, so he pruned it back drastically, leaving only small stumps.

Then he saw a drop like a tear on the top of each of these little
stumps, as if the currant bush were crying, and thought he heard it
say: "How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth.
... And now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look
down on me. ... How could you do this to me? I thought you were the
gardener here." 

President Brown replied, "Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn't intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, 'Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.'" 

Years later, President Brown was a field officer in the Canadian Army serving in England. When a superior officer became a battle casualty, President Brown was in line to be promoted to general, and he was summoned to London. But even though he was fully qualified for the promotion, it was denied him because he was a Mormon. The commanding general said in essence, "You deserve the appointment, but I cannot give it to you." 

What President Brown had spent 10 years hoping, praying, and preparing for slipped through his fingers in that moment because of blatant discrimination. Continuing his story, President Brown remembered: "I got on the train and started back ... with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. ... When I got
to my tent, ... I threw my cap on the cot. I clenched my fists, and I shook them at heaven. I said, 'How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done--that I should have done--that I haven't done. How could you do this to me?' I was as bitter as gall. 

"And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, 'I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to  do.' The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fell on my knees by the cot to ask forgiveness for my ungratefulness. ... "... And now, almost 50 years later, I look up to [God] and say, 'Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me. "God knew what Hugh B. Brown was to become and what was needed for that to happen, and He redirected his course to prepare him for the holy apostleship. 

If we sincerely desire and strive to measure up to the high expectations of our Heavenly Father, He will ensure that we receive all the help we need, whether it be comforting, strengthening, or chastening. If we are open to it, needed correction will come in many forms and from many sources.

Sometimes we have to recognize God is our gardener and he has a greater plan. We can and should thank him (as well for other individuals such as parents, family, friends, companions, leaders etc!) for cutting us down and molding us into something better.

Sunday..everyone bailed on us! it was lame. no people at church. we did teach an awesome lesson to J. though. So that was awesome. I had two thoughts though.  Kinda random but they help.  One is that everyone has their own conversion story. I would really appreciate it if Mom & Dad sent me the story of how our ancestors came in contact with the church.  I've been roughing it and I know I could tell it better if I had all the facts. I use it a lot. I would also appreciate it if people.  Anyone / Everyone would send me their own personal conversion stories (madison.stucki@myldsmail.net) even if you are not a convert. EVERYONE has to have their own conversion. It is so powerful and I love hearing them. 

My other thought is for Future Missionaries to use their time wisely. There is so much to learn and so little time.  Especially with five million bible videos, mormon messages, general conference clips, articles, talks, inspirational stories and messages on these new ipads! I'm supposed to implement them in my teaching.  How do I do that if I don't know them? Same goes for the scriptures. You can't expect the Spirit to put words into your mouth that you have never learned before. So study them.  God puts prepared people in the way of his prepared servants. I can definitely attest to that. Some of the most amazing MIRACLES I've had is when I am best prepared for the day.

Y'all are awesome. Use your time wisely. As for missions remember that you have 18 months (or two years) to do it and the rest of eternity to think about it. So don't waste it.

I love you all.  I know this is a long letter so I'll end.  email me back and send me lots of love this week yeah?

NOT including Oreos. I'm done with those. I've been too spoiled aka I've gained more weight. Need to work it off this week. 

YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST EVER.

Seriously. I've got some rockin' supporters out there. My family is awesome.

and Spencer. Spencer is awesome too. May I share one quick story? He has this Elder named Elder Stucki in his District. So he decided to switch his name tag with my name tag.  The Elder ended up wearing a name tag that said 'Sister Stucki' all day. Rude prank huh? I'll send the picture. He is a nut. 
Gotta love those Elders.

Elder Rhoton & (Sister) Elder Stucki 

bye fam! talk to you next week!

Sister Stucki
(via email March 24, 2014)