January 18, 2016

Hey family and friends!! 

We had a pretty successful week!! :) It is always good new see investigators and less-active members progressing. I always love having the opportunity to see people come closer to God :)

On Wednesday we had an awesome lesson with our investigator Bill. He has been having a real struggle with quitting smoking so he can be ready for baptism. His heart is in the right place but addictions are really hard to conquer. In our lesson he all the sudden such kinda switched and said that he was quitting right then and there and said he is going to be baptized on February 20. It seemed like there literally was a switched that was turned on telling him to just quit and that he could make it! It was such a spiritual lesson and he asked for a priesthood blessing and there was one person left in the church and it was the first counselor of the bishopric, Brother Pitrowski. So Bill got a blessing and Brother Pitrowski was definitely guided by the spirit because the blessings told Bill almost exactly what we told him about his strengths and how they will help him overcome his addictions. It was such a testimony builder for me about priesthood blessing and how they are truly inspired and given by God through His worthy priesthood holders. It was so amazing!! :) Bill is now on day 6 of no smoking today!!! :):) He is so strong and so ready to be baptized!! We are so proud of him for all the things he has overcome and for how strong of a testimony he has! I love Bill and care about him so much!!!

Our other investigator who is also really progressing is JD. We met with him on Saturday and talked about the plan of salvation with him. He is seriously so sincere about learning and wanting to know more. He has some stumbling blocks to make into stepping stones but he is progressing and becoming better one step at a time. That is the best way for people to be truly converted to the gospel. Sometimes it is so hard to not force or push someone to do something but I can't tell you enough how important it is to not push someone and go at their pace. People have their agency and we can't force them to do anything we can only invite! With JD and Bill we have truly learned that because both of them struggle with some pretty hardcore addictions and it is so easy just to tell them "oh just put your mind to it and do it!" It is a lot easier said than done. We want them to be truly converted to the gospel and pushing them to do something is only going to draw them away. It is so neat to be able to let the spirit guide you and be able to teach to someones needs, which is one of the most important things in missionary work!!  JD is so amazing and wants to be baptized as well. He has a baptism date for May 21!! He has a lot to overcome but we know and he knows that he can overcome his addictions through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which is there for all of God's children :)

On Thursday we had zone training and it was super good!!! We talked about how planning is essential to fulfill our purpose. If we set meaningful goals and make plans to accomplish those goals we will be able to accomplish what the Lord requires of us. If we don't plan, we won't find success. Sister Jex and I have seen success and we haven't been the best at planning and when we came out of that training all we could think of it was "wow that was amazing!" and how we can have so much more success if we plan effectively. It was such a good training!!! :) We have been given so many resources (ie. Preach My Gospel)  to be able to find success and all we have to do is use them and apply them to our missionary work. We sure are excited to see what planning effectively will do for this area.

This week we had some pretty interesting dinners specifically two of them and I am going to tell you about them :) So on Thursday we had a dinner appointment with the Sanders. They have a very, very nice home and we were excited because we had just eaten there on Sunday for the YSA broadcast. So we got there and the first course was this super good tomato and red pepper soup with some Swedish sour cream (Sister Sanders is from Sweden). They were telling us about their China set that we were using. It was so pretty!! They told us that the glasses we were using had REAL gold on them!! They are from Europe and the same glasses are used at the banquet for the Noble Prize! It was pretty sweet :) Haha we were a little scared to use them after they told us that! Haha the next two course's  were very good as well but that is what I wanted to tell you about that dinner :) It was really nice! Ok the second dinner I want to talk about was Friday. We went over to the Adduru's house. We have eaten there before and it was really good. This time Brother Adduru's mom who is from the Philippines cooked for us. She made BBQ pork chops and rice which were really good, she also made this Philipino soup. I was a little weary so I only took a little but Sister Jex loaded her bowl up! It was pretty good, the broth was the best part :) Sister Jex got to the middle of her serving and she pulled this thing out and asked "what is this?" It was a chicken heart! And Sister Adduru and a liver in hers. It was so funny, Sister Adduru was like "what the heck did you cook?" She liked it but didn't like how the ENTIRE chicken was cooked in it :) It was a fun experince for Sister Jex, she didn't eat the heart. Brother Adduru's mom asked her to put it on her plate and she ate it right up! Hahaha it reminded me of the story dad tells about eating the rabbits head :) It was lots of fun!!!!!

Well I sure hope you are all doing fantastic and keeping warm during the cold times :) It sure has gotten cold here :) ❄⛄ I can't believe that I have now been out a year!!! Time has sure gone by so fast!! I love the opportunity I have to be a full-time missionary, it is the best thing anyone can ever do!!! I love you all to the moon and back!!! Have a fantastic week :)

Love, Sister Wadsworth

January 11, 2016

Hey family and friends!!!

This week was pretty good other than getting food poisoning!! Yes I did get food poisoning probably from some chicken that Ididn't cook all the way... Dang it! Hahaha but I just had to let it run it's course and that is never fun! I am feeling a lot better now :) Besides getting sick we were able to get a lot of work done this week!!!

We had a great lesson with our investigator JD twice this week. He is seriously so prepared and so sincere about learning more about the church. He has had such a rough life and still having a rough time but is wanting to change and he is really putting forth effort to do so. After one of our lessons we had with him this week he told us that he wants to quit smoking, it was so random but was so awesome!! We haven't even taught him the word of wisdom and he wants to quit. He said that all of the sudden whenever he smokes he coughs and has a hard time breathing. We know that it was the hand of the Lord helping him to quit and showing him that he needed to. It was so awesome :) 

We had a lesson with Bobbie on of our less-actives. She is so awesome and she came to church this week!! We had a throw down lesson about obedience and how it brings us blessings. It was an awesome lesson and the spirit was so strong!!! We were bold with her but we did it with love. We have been taught so many times to be bold with love and not overbearing and this lesson was exactly that, bold with love!! It was good and she came to church :) Bobbie is the reason I am here in Butler, Pennsylvania :) (not the only reason but a big part!!). We are both very similar and have a lot in common. It is just so amazing to see what the Lord does and how He truly does know what we need but more importantly what the people around us need. We as missionaries are sent to places for a reason and it is our job to find the reason we are in that specific area and work as hard as you possibly can to accomplish why we are here. Sometimes it takes longer to realize that in some areas but nothing the Lord does is a mistake, it is ALWAYS meant to be :) Ok sorry just had to get that out, never know what the spirit is going to say right? Hopefully someone needed that!! 

Saturday we had a lesson with Bill and we went over the baptismal interview questions with him and he is so ready for baptism but the only thing holding him back is his smoking... He has such a strong desire to be baptized but he won't let smoking go.. We set him with another baptismal date for February 20. He is so awesome and knows the church is true!! We invited him to a dinner appointment we had with a member this past week and it was on the same night as ARP and he chose to got to ARP to help him with his addictions. It was super awesome and so good to see him have that desire to get better!!! 

Last night we went and watched the YSA worldwide devotional with President Nielsen. IT WAS SO GOOD!!! If you didn't watch it you should go and watch it because it is amazing. I learned sooo much and the spirit was so strong! It was just so good. President Nielsen talked about how my generation are truly millennial's and gave us 4 ways we can become true millennial's 1) Learn who you really are, 2) Expect and prepare to accomplish the impossible, 3) Learn how to access the power of heaven, and 4) Follow the prophets. He gave some great tips of what we can do to become better! I have a lot to work on hahaha!! He also basically told us that the second coming close and that we are now really building up the kingdom of God preparing people for the second coming. It was crazy good!!! :) Just go and watch it and you will know what I mean!!!

Well those are just some top highlights of the week :) I am truly so blessed to be able to be a full-time missionary at this time and be able to prepare God's children and share the best message anyone will hear!!! I love you all to the moon and back!! Have a fantastic week and know that I pray for you everyday!!! 

Love, 

Sister Wadsworth 

January 4, 2016

Hey family and friends!!!

What a week we had! It has been soooooo busy. I absolutely love when it is busy but I sure am tired when bedtime comes around, well not just bedtime pretty much all time but hey it's missionary work!! I love it :) It is seriously so worth it!! 

So this week I had to say goodbye to one of my favorite companion's, Sister Bills. That was pretty hard and yes we did cry but we will see each other again :) I can't believe she is home!! I got a little homesick just thinking that about what she was doing because I knew what she was doing the past couple of days. But that is over now :) Hopefully!! haha Got stay focused on doing the Lord's work, can't waste any time!! 

My new companion is Sister Cassidy Jex. She is awesome!!! She is from Highland Utah, same place as Sister Bills, she has 3 younger brothers. She has been out for 14 months so Butler is probably her last area. She is amazing and such a good missionary :) We have so many things in common!! It is going to be so much fun serving with her. We already are having a blast!!! :) 

For New Years Eve we had to be in the apartment by 5:30 and the mission office and our mission president wanted us to DEEP clean but it was super easy for us because we just moved into a brand new apartment and it was super clean to begin with :) It was pretty easy!!! I finally took pictures to send home so you all can see it :) The senior couple who is over housing says that we live in a castle :) hahaha It is one of the nicest apartments in the mission.. :) We are very blessed! They are actually upgrading apartments that need to be, they are really helpful :):) 

On Friday we went and had a lesson with out new investigator JD. It was an amazing lesson, the spirit was sooooooo strong and JD is so prepared for the gospel!!! He is so sincere about learning and ready to make some drastic changes in his life. We invited him to be baptized and he said yes and so we set him with a baptismal date of May 21. He is so prepared you guys, he is awesome!!! We said a kneeling prayer with him at the end and he said one of the best investigator prayers I have ever heard in my entire life!! He was sooo sincere! He sure has had a really rough life. We are so blessed as missionaries to be able to see the Atonement working not only in our lives but in the lives of those we teach. We literally have a front row seat of the changes people make. I am so grateful for Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. He has so much love towards us!! My eyes have really been opened up since I have been on my mission, I have seen so many miracles and blessings and been humbled! I LOVE IT! :):) I know Jesus Christ loves us and He is there for us, no matter what the circumstance may be. He loves EVERYONE and need to as well!! :) 

Friday night we went and saw one of our less-actives and her boyfriend. It was kinda weird/scary and funny at the same time. They were really high on prescription drugs and while we were there the boyfriend asked us to pass him the pill that was on the table in front of us and he tried to tell us what it was for but we knew that he was lying..  He did ask us some questions that were sincere about the gospel but pretty sure he doesn't remember what we even said. We showed them a short video about Joseph Smith because his questions were concerns about Joseph Smith, when he was holding my ipad he was shaking a little bit and his eyes were going crazy! It was weird.. It did help my testimony grow about the importance of staying strong and living the gospel. There have been times in my life where I wasn't making the best choices but I am so glad for the people around me who helped me change and to become a better person and to go down a different than the path that I was leading. I am just so grateful for the changes we can make in life and I know that these people will one day come back and also want to learn more. It just takes time and a lot of faith, believing in them, helping them, and praying for them. Christ set the perfect example of being there and helping other people and not giving up and hopefully we can all be like Him, we work on it every day :) 

On Saturday we were able to contact some less-actives that we have never met with before. It was awesome!! One was a single lady, she is funny and defiantly has the PA ramble :) She wants to come back to church but probably wont until after the winter, she has some health problems that hold her back. The other people we found was a little family of 4, they are super sweet and actually have been thinking about coming back to church and so it was inspired that we went and visited them. They have two bearded dragons and I got to hold both of them, my comp and the member that was with us wouldn't hold it but it was super cool to hold them :) Yesterday we had two meal appointments and I was pretty excited but we got to the first one and I was so full and I was like "how am I going to be able to eat again?" Luckily our next meal appointment was a couple hours later but I kinda felt bad because I wasn't really hungry and so I didn't eat a lot but it was really good!!! :) 

JD came to church yesterday and really enjoyed it!! It is so solid and we are so excited to be able to have the chance to work with him. I love missionary work and can't believe it has almost been a year already since I have been out!! Time sure does fly by but it has been such an amazing experience and the best thing anyone could do!! I love you all to the moon and back :) Have an AMAZING week!!!! 

Love, Sister Wadsworth 

Her companion is 6'1"

December 29, 2015

Hey family and friends!!

It was a great week!! I was able to talk to my family on Christmas. That was so great I was able to do that. I loved it!!! :) We had a great time at the Eberle's where we spent Christmas. They are such a fun family!!!

We had a great week full of missionary work, service, and lots of candy!! :) On Monday we had dinner with our non-member friend Larry from Katie's. It was lots of fun!!! They are great people and would make great members but they aren't really interested.

Tuesday we helped at Soup Kitchen for Christmas. It was so fun :) There was a lot of people there that we see at Katies. I just love being able to serve people and see how grateful they are to receive food. It really helps me stay humble because I never have really had a problem with being able to have food and some people this is all they get and when I see them it makes me so grateful for the things I have :) We went caroling again on Tuesday in Freeport at a home with people who suffer from Cerebral Palsy. There were about 5-6 guys there that have severe handicaps. It was so fun, they were really getting into it and making requests :) It was so much fun!!! :) We went to ARP with Bill too, that is always good :)

On Christmas Eve we went to the Salvation Army and sang Christmas songs with some other members of the ward and helped serve and clean up :) We were there for about 3 hours, it was awesome and a great way to spend Christmas Eve, doing service :) Bobbie, one of the less-active members, was there and she went and sat next to a lady named Laura and started talking to her and we went and sat down with them too. She and her family is really struggling and Bobbie offered to help them. It was super sweet!! :) Afterwards we went to Bobbies and watched her granddaughter open her Christmas presents. It was fun!! For Christmas Eve dinner we went to the Adduru's house, the dad is Philippino and he made us Philippino food :) It was super good!!! :) I forgot what it was called.. It was chicken with some kind of sauce and potatoes :) Then played some pictionary with them :) It was lots of fun!! We went home and opened our presents :) Thanks to all of you who sent me stuff, it really meant a lot!! :)

On Christmas day we went to the Eberle's around 10 and helped them make breakfast pizza!! It was great :) Then I talked to my Family and we opened presents with the Eberle's. They got both of us some fuzzy socks, a scarf, PA postcards, and a Pittsburgh Christmas Ornament that is made in Butler!! :) They are so sweet!! We played some games with them and ate :) It was so fun to talk to my family even though it is hard to say goodbye to them. I sure do love you guys and am so grateful for all you guys do!! I truly love being a missionary and it was a Christmas that I will NEVER forget :) It was amazing!!

Saturday we had a great day!! We went and had lunch with Becky and Bill, Bill made us lunch :) It was good!! Then we went to the Hartman's and talked with them. We had a great lesson with Jeanette, she is trying make it to the temple to be sealed with her husband but she doesn't come to church so we told her that if she wants to make it to the temple she needs to start coming to church. It was really good :) Then we crocheted with them! I am crocheting an afghan :) It is super cute!!! We went and saw the Beers, Brother Beers is less-active and his wife is a non-member. Brother Beers is not interested in coming back to church RIGHT NOW but we are still going go over and "practice" the lessons with them ;) They are super sweet!! :) We saw the Hoys that night. They are so fun! They are all recent converts and teenagers who are struggling. There are 4 of them and only 1 of them is active. Shana is the active one and she just got her patriarchal blessings and she told us she wants to serve a mission :):):) That was exciting!!! :)

Yesterday after church there was a primary kid getting baptized and there were about 75 people there and almost all of them were family! It was great :) They fed us lunch afterwards and we sat and talked with the grandparents :) They are from Bountiful Utah, they are super sweet and funny :) After we went and saw Norah, our Chinese investigator :) We had dinner at our Ward Mission Leaders house. Their family is so fun and they are SUPER funny!!! :) We had a prompting to go see one of the less-actives we work with, Amy, and it was a great time to go and visit her because she is really struggling right now and we were able to be bold with love and told her that she needs to come back to church because that will help her not be as sad and her and her friend JD, our new investigator, promised to come to church this Sunday!!! :) It was so good!! Last night Sister Bills was packing and getting ready to go home. I am so sad to see her leave, she has been one of my favorite companions I have had. I am going to miss her sooooooo much!!! 

Well I want you all to know that I know the Savior lives and that He loves each one of us individually. I know that He has suffered for each one of us so that we can all return to our Father in Heaven someday. I am so very grateful for the testimony I have and how it grows stronger and stronger everyday!! I am truly blessed :):)

I love you all sooooooo much!!! Have a great week :)

Love Sister Wadsworth

December 21, 2015

Hey family and friends!!!

First of all I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas!!!! I hope you all have a great Christmas and don't forget what Christmas is really about, the Savior. I am so very grateful for my Savior and His birth, death, and Resurrection. I would not be where I am at today if it weren't for Jesus Christ. He has brought me through a lot in my life and has lifted me up when I have fallen. I am so very grateful for His Atonement, I can't tell you enough of how much I know that the atonement is real for everyone who allows it to work in their life. Everyday I use the atonement! I know that our Savior lives and He loves us unconditionally. I know that if we follow Him and do what He asks of us that we will be able to one day return with Him and our Father in Heaven with our family! That is our goal, to return with Them!! :)

So this week was pretty slow.. Both Sister Bills and I got food poisoning. It wasn't super bad, no throwing up but did have the fire hose affects... If you know what I mean!  hahaha :) That wasn't fun! It made it's way through and we are feeling better now :) Still just a little nauseous but not bad!!

On Wednesday after district meeting we went caroling for Christmas. We went 3 different nursing homes and sang :) It was so much fun!! I love being a missionary during this time of the year because we get to serve soooooooooooo much! This week we spent 3 days of doing service!!! On Tuesday we did whats called "Produce to People." We give produce to those in need. We were in charge of signing people in and giving them a ticket to get the food. It was so awesome because we were able to interact with the people and share the new Christmas initiative!! It was so awesome :) I loved it!! Then Wednesday we went caroling all day with our district!! That was fun seeing the old people with HUGE smiles on their faces :) Then on Thursday we served at Katies. It is a soup kitchen that we go and do service at every week. It is held at the Lutheran church and we go and help cook then serve :) The lady in charge, Loretta, gave Sister Bills and I Butler T-shirts and a little bear that says Butler on it :) It was so sweet!! I love all the opportunities we have to serve. It helps us stay focused on others, forgetting ourselves and going to work!!! I love it! 

​After Katies on Thursday ​we went to the Addiction Recovery Program class becasue one of our investigators is going. That program is truly inspired, we don't have to have an addiction to be part of the program. It can help with anything!! It helps me with my anxiety problems and anything else really!! It just helps us come closer to our Savior and Heavenly Father. I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to be introduced to this program!! It can also help with those who have loved ones struggling with addictions. It is just an amazing program!!! I am so very grateful for it :)

Yesterday we went and visited one of our less-actives and we had a great lesson with her!! The spirit was so strong. Her name is Bobbie and Bobbie has been through a lot in her life and she was telling us what she has been through. I was able to relate with her a little bit and it was a very touching lesson. We talked about most of the principles we believe in and it was a testimony builder to me, that's for sure!! I mean the spirit was so strong that I there is no way I could ever doubt what we talked about was true. It was so aweomse :)

 I love being able to see the atonement working in someones life. As a missionary we have a front row seat to peoples life and seeing the gospel touch their lives and the atonement truly changing them into amazing people. I look back on my mission and think about the people I have seen be baptized and it gets to me every time. I just remember the changes some people had to make and the testimonies they grew and it makes me so happy and know that what I am doing is so worth it. I wouldn't be out here if I wouldn't know what is true and felt the joy of the Atonement. I am very blessed to be able to wear Christ's name on my chest and represent Him in all that I do. I am not perfect but that is why I use the atonement daily. All of us have that privilege, I know that! That is the message we share every day, if we accept Him and follow Him we can be forgiven and feel true joy and happiness!! 

​Well I hope you all have a great week and be safe out there!!! Love you to the moon and back :)

Love,

Sister Wadsworth ​

Merry Christmas!!! 🎄

Feliz Naviad!! 🎉