Thanksgiving Week

Hey Everyone!!

This week was so crazy long but short and slow but fast. The saying that weeks feel like days and days feel like weeks is so true.

This week we got fired from doing service. Literally fired from doing service. It was quite sad. The food bank where we render service each week is sponsored by Bayside Community Church in Kingston. We have been volunteering there for about 2 months before hearing anything about any of this. We were there doing service and it was so crazy busy with donations and food going in and out and flying everywhere. We were working non-stop when the pastor came and he told us that he would feel more comfortable if we didn't do service there because it was a part of their ministry. We don't go there to proselyte or anything. Purely just to do service and because of the light in our eyes he kicked us out and asked us to leave on the spot. It helped me to gain a strong testimony of the light of Christ that each of us carries with us. I know that everywhere I go as long as I live worthy I can and will carry that light with me and it is for all of the world to see. When people see the light that we have within us, it is inspiring to them, they want the same for themselves and that is when we see change happen.

I hope that we can all strive to live more worthily to have the Light shine from within us for the whole world to see. The quote that is on the front of my planner right now says, "Don't shine so that others can see you. Shine, so that through you, others can see HIM. - C.S. Lewis. This quote was sent to me by Momma Reynolds and I put it on my planner to remind me all the time what my purpose is. To allow others to see Jesus Christ through me and we each have this challenge for ourselves. To let others see and feel of the love that Jesus Christ has for them.

The rest of the week was wonderful. We had Thanksgiving and played lots of football, 8 until 11 in the morning with no water. Dumbest idea ever but it was so much fun. Then we had dinner and just spent time with the awesome members here in this ward who are so good to us as missionaries.

On Friday we had exchanges and Elder Stevens our District Leader came here to the Poulsbo 2nd ward and we were companions for the day. We were knocking and had a guy try to tell us that we couldn't be there on his "private road" that he owned all of it. It was depressing. He told us that we don't believe in the same Jesus Christ as him so I asked him if there are two Christ's and basically he didn't have much to say. There are a lot of struggles with people here. They have different beliefs and aren't humble enough to listen or even give it a shot. It is heartbreaking. We had an investigator who is really solid and was on date for December 6th. Nicole is her name. She didn't end up coming to church so she fell off and that made us really sad and it is frustrating when investigators don't keep commitments or anything. I hate it.

This is the last week of the transfer. I have been out for almost 3 months.I love you all and love hearing from you. Emails and letters are so great. I love this gospel and the happiness it brings me so much. I hope you all had the best Thanksgiving ever and will have a great week!!

Until next time,

Elder Trevor Scott Reynolds

Our lessons come from knocking on doors

Hey everyone!!



This week has been kind of a slow one. But I've learned a lot. We are both really young missionaries trying to figure out how to do things here so that we can be most effective in our activities and things that we do during the day. Our lessons come from knocking on doors. We had a really cool experience that testifies how strong the spirit is.

We were knocking on Saturday evening. We were knocking in this pretty spread out housing area and we got there late because we walked and it was just a crazy day. We knocked on this door and introduced ourselves as missionaries from the church and this guy started talking to us. At first he was kind of like eh...I was like wait a second so what are some of your beliefs. Just a conversation starter for us to start talking to him and getting to know him a little better. He told us he was agnostic if I remember right. He told us he just didn't know if he could know that something was actually true without seeing it. We didn't go into the scriptures to explain faith, we just shared our testimonies that if we read and pray to our heavenly father to know if these things are true then he would testify to us through our thoughts and in our hearts. He felt the spirit and told us to come back anytime and talk to him more about it and that he would come to church and things. So he didn't come to church but we are going back this week and will help him progress towards baptism and confirmation. I love how the spirit changes people. When they feel the spirit they open up and are a lot more willing to talk to us and understand and do the things that our Heavenly Father has asked for each of us to do.

The spirit is so strong and can help us each to become better and better each day. I love you all and hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and remember to give thanks for everything. It is this gospel that is amazing. I love it so much and I am so grateful for it.

Love,
Elder Reynolds

The Blessing of Silence

Hey Everyone!!

I hope everything back at home in the snow is going good. Or wherever you are, if there is snow or not, I hope it is going good for everyone. Here in Washington it is rainy and wet and dark every day starting at about 4:30 and until early in the morning too! It sucks but isn't too bad at the same time, because as long as we stay dry, which we do, things are so great. This last week has been good. We had a zone meeting on Wednesday that talked solely on Member Missionary work and the things that we as missionaries can do to help members get more excited and for them to do missionary work so that we can focus on Harvesting and helping people to be baptized and confirmed. Qtip my new comp and I have been doing our best to inspire members and we are going to be working extra hard to find people to be baptized in the next month and a half.

One thing that has really stood out to me is the blessing of silence. Elder Quinton and I watched a video about being patient and allowing people the opportunity to let the spirit teach them,. I thought for the last 2 months that I needed to teach people and testify so strongly so that they would be convinced by the spirit. Then I realized, "Where do each of our inspired thoughts come from?" They come from the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost allows people to do that same thing. They have the opportunity to feel and learn from the spirit and I don't even have to say a word. People know that this is true. They know it, they just sometimes don't want to accept it, and that is okay, but my job is just to allow the spirit to be there.

We have an investigator named Nicole. She grew up baptist but is looking for a church. We have met with her twice and are meeting with her again on Wednesday at 3. She is also meeting with the JW's and says she gets this good feeling from both of us. I was talking to our district leader about it last week before we taught her and he said, tell her we celebrate Christmas and she'll be baptized next week! He said it as a joke, but then when we taught her the plan of salvation lesson, she asked us if she can celebrate Christmas and we were like YES!!!! She is on date to be baptized on December 6th! She drinks coffee but she is really interested and so awesome to talk to and to teach. She is the first person that I have taught where I feel like I am teaching her and not a lesson because she wants to know if this is true. My friends and family. If we want to know if something is true all we have to do is ask. If we seek wisdom, ask of God because he will give it to each and every one of us as he has given the answer to me to know that this is the only true Church of Jesus Christ here in the latter days. I love this gospel and the church is true.

Everyone have a great week and starve yourself so Thanksgiving can be full of fatty foods and football! Love you all so much!!

Elder Trev Reynolds

Winter Season

Hey Everyone!!

Things here in Washington are alright. These last two weeks have been awesome but always pretty rough at the same time. The week of Halloween was great and we carved pumpkins at the Bishops house and if you have seen the picture I tried to carve a Book of Mormon pumpkin...but It ended up Book of Momon and I got made fun of. Then Elder Piel left. On Halloween we were at the stake center and we played games as a zone and watched 17 miracles. The spirit was so strong when it comes to the pioneers and the things that they went through so that we can all have what we do have and be happy. It was an awesome day. Then this last week. My first full week with Elder Quinton...it was a pretty rough one. Our numbers have been super duper slim and it wasn't that great because we aren't teaching anyone right now. We have a few people that are potentially investigators and are actually somewhat solid but we are definitely still working on making things better and working harder. We have set goals this week to invite people to be baptized and do better.

We have had some funny experiences too! I have had some struggles. But one thing that I realized big time this last week: If I am happy and go lucky then the people that I am talking to see that. They realize how happy I am and then they have the desire to have that happiness for themselves. It works for everyone too. I recognize that the personality that you carry really does have an effect on people. (I hope I used the right form of effect/affect idk!? Oh well) So anyway. If I am happy then people want to have that happiness too and that is why people are curious about the church and have desires to learn and grow in the church more.

Elder Quinton is a lot more quiet than Elder Piel and taking over the area has definitely been an adjustment but not too bad. This first week together was really rough and definitely a rebuild week but we are looking for great things to come.

The rainy season is here. It sucks but I love it at the same time. Most of the time the rain isn't too heavy so we can walk around in a light jacket and not get too wet but I have had my jacket soak through once after walking around in the rain for a few hours. SO that is fun. I'm getting used to being wet all the time and it isn't that bad anymore. I have heard about some snow in the Utah area and the mountains here are beautifully snow capped and it is absolutely gorgeous. I wish I could capture a picture of it but it wouldn't even do a justice. Things are settling in and becoming more real but I don't feel like a missionary yet. I'm just out here doing what I know my heavenly father wants me to do and I know as we do so we will be blessed.

I love hearing from each of you and feel your prayers. We are way behind on our baptismal goals as a mission but I know we can reach them with faith. So pray for us here. We can do hard things and make accomplishments. Nothing is insurmountable when the Lord is on your side. Love you all!!

Love,
Elder Reynolds

Halloween and Baptisms

Hey everyone!!


Things here in Washington are so amazing. This last week was awesome. Ave MacDonald was baptized and it was so spiritual and amazing. My fist Baptism. Then Halloween. Our Zone all got together from 3-8 and watched 17 miracles and played games and just enjoyed it. Other than that everything is good. I love the mission and the mission life. Oh my new companion is Elder Quinton if you haven't heard. I'm still in the same apartment and everything is the same. Just a new companion and teaching and a few things are a little bit different. I really love it here. I'm out of time for this week. But things are so good and everything here is awesome. I get along with my new comp well and I am even driving already. Hopefully that lasts?!? maybe (: Other than that things are going great. Thanks for all your support.

Love you guys!!!!

Elder Reynolds