Happy Forever Family Day Tomorrow

Hello Everyone!
I cannot believe tomorrow will be 2 years since our family was sealed for eternity! What an amazing blessing :) I carry the picture of us 4 in my scriptures and show it as much as I possibly can. I explain my brother doesn't really look that weird ;)
The door on the blazer came off??!!! What in the world?!! I am so sorry we sold Motel 6 :( I feel really bad.... And I love the blazer! I guess it looks like someone has to work on a Jeep eh? ;) Hunter you look great in your homecoming pictures!! I love the new hair. Is it a comb over eh?? 

This week was great! We taught 23 lessons and talked to 94 non members. At first we thought not having a car would be a huge burden but it is actually a major blessing. We talk to SO many more people than if we were driving. We also meet a lot of people for the other missionaries to teach because they are not in our area. It started to rain here this week. I love the rain! :) It smells so good and the rain here isn't the same as Utah rain, it just sprinkles a lot. The only bad part about the rain is slugs!!! There are slugs everywhere!! and they are huge, like Shrek worthy. Yucky.
Anywho, I will tell you about some of the people we are teaching :) Sister J is still on date for baptism for October 12th. We took her to the church this week with the Young Womens president and showed her the baptisimal font. She is really excited to be baptized. It is really cool because Sis. Furnell and I have been asked to speak in sacrament on the 13th about missionary work. How perfect! :) She will be an amazing member of the church! We also have a man named Jeff (I can't remember if I talked about Brother J in my last email but just in case I will talk about him). Brother J's daughter was baptized earlier this year and he wasn't investigating the church. 3 Sundays ago he came on his own to our ward to all 3 hours. During priesthood he introduced himself and said this is where he wants to come to church. He is reading from the B.O.M, D&C, Gospel Principles, and the teachings of the prophets. He is being his own missionary essentially, but we are giving him the lessons too :) 

We are teaching a lot of less active people. Our stake is really into getting less active members re-activated in the church. I love those lessons because they already have a knowledge of the gospel; but most of them have been offended or something along those lines. The reason I love those lessons is because we can help them by fellow shipping them and finding them members of the ward that will befriend them as well and they have that desire to become active again. It's awesome :)

I love love love this gospel!! I firmly believe, more than I ever have before, that this church is true. I will very carefully explain this that we are the "only true church." That statement does not mean that every other church is wrong. In fact, many other churches out there have a huge amount of truth! And the members of those churches are amazing because they are striving to be better and to follow Christ's teachings. We always say to people investigating the church that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are not here to change what you already believe, but bring everything you believed before and we can help strengthen it and and answer any questions. That is the purpose of the fullness of the gospel. I spent a day with another sister missionary and she was talking to a very nice Catholic man who was listening to her message. Rather than helping him become closer to Christ, she told him because they don't have the B.O.M Catholics are not correct, they do not believe in Christ correctly, and the only way they can know any truth is becoming Mormon. That is absolutely false. It blew my mind. I have never thought that way in my life, but I now make it a point to share with those not of this faith to know that, that is not part of our religion at all. I love every single person I talk to because they are my brother and sister. They are striving to become better and I want to help them do that. I know from personal experience that, for me, this church has helped me become strong and stay strong and I want to invite others to do the same. The purpose behind me sharing this is that if any one is ever needing help or advise, bear your testimony of the gospel. Through Jesus Christ we can have our burdens lifted, our questions answered, be forgiven of our sins, and so very much more. I know that is true with all of my heart. 

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

Love, Sister Birch :)

I think she meant doppelganger......but danglehopper will do.

Hi Everyone :) 

This week has been splendid! I apologize last P-day we didn't end up having as much time as I thought I would have so I didn't get to write too many letters :( But, I will try again today!! This week didn't have anything too exciting I guess? We taught 24 lessons (which I guess is really good?) and we talked with 95 non members. It's pretty sweet :) I really am enjoying the work a lot!! :)

I have kind of a funny story :) Once upon a time Sister Furnell and I were walking down the street after dark when we saw 2 ladies with candles standing in front of a stop sign. We went up and asked them how they were and they explained they are born again Christians. We got excited and we were all talking about Christ and how much we love him. One of them started yelling at us and the other got in the car to leave. We smiled and shook her hand and kept walking. The next night we were walking down another street and something similar happened but this time when the one lady was yelling at us the other was telling us that it is their responsibility to save us because we are going to burn in Hell. The end :)

Hahaha!! I am sorry I probably shouldn't think this is that funny, but you just gotta laugh at situations like that :) And how blessed are we to know that if we strive to live a good life we will be happy and go to a kingdom of glory? I wish more people that haven't learned about the gospel knew that. I think it's a great comfort. We talk to so many people who are scared everyday that if they die they just might go to Hell. Luckily we know with the fullness of the gospel unless you are a truly awful person, like really really bad, then you are golden! You will be happy happy happy after this life is over :) Oh, I just think that is wonderful! :) 

We also went to the Fish Hatchery right along the Columbia River. It was pretty cool!! We went as a district. Our district is tiny and as you can see in the pictures even numbers sisters and Elders. Since the age change they have made Sister-Elder relationships super limited because there is a lot more flirting. Nonetheless our Elders are awesome!! :) Super nice guys. The one I think looks a ton like Griff and I just laugh whenever we have meetings or something because he talks and acts like him too. There is a Sister in my ward that looks just like Grandma Elaine too. I am meeting everyones danglehoppers (<--- is that what it's called....?). Cool right? So if anyone is looking for their carbon copy, look no further because there is bound to be one in Oregon! :) 

We don't have many progressing investigators right now because we are both brand new to the area but hopefully we will have many soon! We have one amazing investigator. Sister Nordstrom (a ward missionary who also served a mission with her husband in Bulgaria) came and taught the first lesson with me to a man named "Mr B". I think I got punked because " Mr. B" is such a golden investigator! I asked him what he is looking for in a religion and he has 2 questions. 1) Where did I come from? Why am I here? And where do I go after I die?   2) If there were prophets in biblical times, why aren't there prophets now? And if there is a prophet who is he and I want to follow his council. I was so happy!! Sister Nordy and I were smiling so big and we were both SO excited to teach him! I really hope things progress with him :)

K, that huge massive fish in the picture is truly HUGE and MASSIVE!! It is absolutely gigantic! It is a stergeon I think? I don't know why they are there. But at the hatchery they have thousands of Salmon that come in through the Columbia and they grow them there and such. It was pretty sweet :) Oh, and the weather is now changing to Oregon weather. My huur looks pretty Hagrid-ish ;) haha! I hope I can wear my cute zebra boots soon ;) Whoot!

I hope everyone is doing lovely and know that I LOVE YA'ALL alot!!!! :)

Love Always,

Sister Birch

Exploding Cherries

Hey! :)

So sorry I haven't sent pictures for a while! But I bought a new camera
last week at Target. It's nothing fancy at all but the guy said it was the
best quality there and it was luckily on sale so it gets the job done :)
Remember all the cash I had to bring to the MTC for who knows what reason?
$20 of it I have on me, $60 for Luggage and I used $110 on the camera. I
think I got a good deal the pictures turn out pretty well.
Anywho, the mission is going great! In my district it's Sister Furnell and
I, 2 other sisters, the district leader and his companion and our zone
leaders. Its a pretty small district but it is so much fun! Remember the
competition I talked about last week with "Griff" and our DL? Well guess
who won? :) haha! they are buying us dove chocolate and hopefully they have
it when we go play basketball later. But they did talk to 116 people this
week on the street and tracting. That is amazing! And this is weird and I
promise I am not making this up. There are cherry trees everywhere and the
cherries randomly explode. For example: we were walking the other day and I
heard a loud squishy noise and I looked down and my shoe was covered in
dark red juice goop. I thought I might have stepped on a cherry weird or
something? Luckily at the next house we went to they had a pet cat and I
let it lick all the juice off ;) haha! Then the next day the same thing
happened but it landed on my hand. We went to a members house and I felt
stupid because I asked them "umm... do cherry trees in Oregon have
exploding cherries...?" and it really is a real thing :) Kinda funny right?
I guess when it gets really hot they do that and make a mess on peoples
driveways and such.
The work is going great! We have quite a few people that we have met or
been referred to in the past 3 days or so, so we have a pretty busy
schedule whoo hoo! :)
With the pictures 4 of them are obviously from the MTC. I LOVE LOVE Sister
Wells! I know she is working miracles in Japan. And Sister Walker and I
totally look like a couple.... ooops... ha! Elder Cooper is awesome!! He is
going to influence so many people, he helped me so, so much in the MTC. The
last one is a little girl in our ward that got baptized on Saturday. I was
shocked they have only known us for 2 weeks but they asked Sister Furnell
and I to speak at her baptism. We showed the video "Earthly Father-Heavenly
Father." Please, anyone who hasn't seen that PLEASE watch it. It is really
good... and see that mess of hair? The humitity here is not liking me very
much haha That is the straightest that my hair can go and my hair is very
greasy. I sometimes put things on my forehead to see if it will stick. I
haven't found something that doesn't stick yet ;) haha! Disgusting!
I love all ya'all and you know how I have been saying I am writing letters?
I have an hour or 2 later to day I will be writing as many as I can so plan
on hearing from me hopefully soon! :)
Love, Seester Sierra Birch

P.S. If anybody is having a hard time or needs a "pick-me-up" read Ether
12:27. It has helped me this week a few times :)

Labor Day

Hello everyone!

I am so sorry the library was closed on Monday for Labor Day and yesterday we had a missionary meeting that was from 9-4 and we had appointments the rest of the night. We have a small window right now to do our emailing :)

I love all the emails I get!!! I treasure pictures more than I could express! I have a nice collage starting on my wall right now it's great! Anytime anyone feels the need to email/mail me pictures feel free ;) haha

This past week was pretty good. My trainer and I are trying to figure out how to teach together. She goes home in December and I think she is kinda ready to leave... haha! It's all good she is very experienced and I am learning how to be very patient :) We have had so many lessons. Mostly with inactive people but a few with investigators. 2 elders in our district (k, one of the elders is a carbon copy of Taylor Griffith. It makes me so happy! haha I laugh every time our district meets be cause he talks, acts, looks, everything like Griff and this Elder thinks I am so weird! I love it :) challenged us that if we teach 20 lessons they will buy us chocolate I think? Something yummy. And, if they quadruple their lessons then we will hand make a pie. I will not be surprised if they only taught 1 lesson last week haha :) 

I think I am getting used to missionary life at this point? I still have some awkward things that I need to work out over time but for the post part the schedule isn't hard and the members and investigators have been awesome! We get fed every night SO much food! I am in one of those "nearly-wed or nearly-dead" wards so we either have a huge dinner with juice and kid friendly foods (by the way, every single young family home we have been into has the exact same cups I bought at Ikea for school ;) or a huge 4 course full out dinner. It's really good I am walking lol

Something I forgot to add is that blackberry vines are considered a weed up here. I kid you not, we will be walking a long a busy road and there will be vines covering the concrete walls. Pretty much all the blackberries are gone at this point but Sis. Furnell said at the beginning of the summer people will walk down the sidewalk and eat blackberries along the way. Cool huh? :) 

As you saw from Sis. Judd we went to Multnomah Falls on Monday. The Judds are an AMAZING family! They have 4 daughters. The first 2 went to school and everything. Their third has severe autism and the fourth also is disabled and is not able to leave the house. Even with that they will call us everyday to check up on us. They have fed us multiple times already and she gives us rides whenever she sees us walking in town. I can't wait for you 3 to meet them :) She was freaking out haha when she found out we couldn't email on Monday she said "Sister Birch your poor family is going to be panicking because they haven't heard from you! I need your parents emails right now!" haha she is really funny :)

Other than that things are going great. It is surprisingly hot up here, I actually have a really nice tan right now :) there is a really white band where my watch is lol

Anyways enough about me! I'll say it again I love getting emails!! I printed them all off because I have so little time and I will hand write everyone back. I have a little more time at home to write and everyone gets a cool sticker with my letters ;) haha!

I hope everyone is doing wonderful!!! Be safe and the gospel is true!! :)

Love forever,

Sister Birch :)