Another Great Week in Libby 3/26/2012

   We have had another great week over here in Libby.  All of the recent converts are doing very well and are so excited about the gospel.  They come to church every week and faithfully read The Book of Mormon.  Their doing everything that they need to be doing to increase their faith in Christ and gain a lasting testimony.  This last week we had lessons with the Hollingsworths and Baileys on temples and eternal families more in depth and they are all excited to be able to go to the temple with their family in a year.  Actually now that I think about it, this whole week has been sort of jam-packed with instances where we've been able to explain the blessings that come from having temples.  We had a lesson on the Plan of Salvation with Sharon and she soaked it all in.  The high point of the lesson, however, was when we talked about how we do ordinance work for the dead in temples and that she can be sealed together and be with her family forever.  The spirit was so strong then and you could tell that the spirit had witnessed to her everything that we were saying was true.  She told us that she wanted to be baptized on May 20th.  She picked that day because she said it would give her time to finish The Book of Mormon, which is a worthy goal, but the way she is progressing, I know that she can have it finished and have a testimony of the restoration of the gospel before then.  Sierra is still doing great despite many trials that she has to go through.  She was supposed to get baptized on Saturday (kind of a last minute thing), but she was sick and was unable to get baptized then.  Despite all the trials she has, she always has a smile on her face every time we see her and has always had a really positive attitude about things.  A woman who we've been trying to meet with and the ward has attempted to fellowship into the ward for quite some time now came to church for the first time ever yesterday.  Her grandchildren are members of the church and she has always wondered what it was that they believed in, but I guess has always been afraid to come to church.  She told us that she had made up her mind that she would attend sometime within the near future, but not this week.  However, the spirit kept working with her until she decided to go with her grandchildren to church yesterday.  She had a great experience for her first time and wants to learn more about what we believe.  So we will be meeting with her sometime this week hopefully.  I am very much looking forward to general conference and being able to watch it at the church with the Hollingsworths, Baileys, and all of our investigators.  General Conference is something that I have come to appreciate so much more since I began serving a mission.  I love to listen to the prophets and apostle of the Lord speak to us.  It's a miracle of the restoration that for some reason I think a lot of us don't fully appreciate, that we do have a prophet who speaks to us today.  The things that he says are inspired of the Lord and are as important for us today as the words of the prophets in the scriptures.  I know that Thomas S. Monson is  the living prophet of the Lord today.  I know that the apostles and other leadership of this church are called of God.  I am so thankful to be a member of not just a church, but Christ’s church.  The only church that has the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I honestly don't know where I would be without my testimony of the Savior.  I love you all and hope you have a great week and a great time listening to general conference this week.

p.s.  I forgot to answer Michelle's question. We had transfers last week, so I still have at least five weeks in Libby.  Next transfer call is April 29

News From Libby Montana 3/19/2012

Hi Everyone,
We had a spectacular week in Libby this week.  First of all, it has warmed up enough here so that we have been able to bike around a little, which has been very nice.  Driving in a car every time you need to go somewhere gets old, so I'm glad the weather is getting better.  But mostly it was because of the baptisms that occurred on Saturday.  There were seven people who ended up getting baptized on Saturday and it was an incredibly spiritual event.  It was pretty big news around the mission as well.  We had some office missionaries and one of the counselors in the mission presidency drive all the way from Spokane so they would be able to watch the baptism as well.  In all, a little over 100 people attended the baptism.  The spouses of Matthew Hollingsworth and Kelly Bailey, who are Siblings, were both baptized, as well as the Hollingsworths oldest two children and the Baileys oldest.  Two employees of Matt were baptized as well, Delbert and Darby, who are native Alaskan (Kelly's husband is Alaskan as well).  Matt baptized all seven of them.  It's so neat to see that they just get it.  They already have the beginnings of strong testimonies rooted in the gospel.  All of these people have been some of the easiest people to teach since I've started serving.  Everything about the gospel just made sense to them and they were all so willing to accept it and keep the commandments.  Also some of the comments that they have made make me know that they are in it for the right reason and they are serious about the commitments they've made.  Like I said, Satan tried quite a few times to make this baptism not happen.  And in some cases it happened in the way of members offending them for one reason or another.  After one such experience, Matthew said that he wasn't really angry about what had happened after he'd had time to think about it.  He realizes that the gospel is perfect, but the people in the church are not perfect.  If everyone was able to learn that lesson, then so many less people would get offended over something somebody said and leave the church.  To forsake your own testimony over something so insignificant is something I've seen all too much in visiting with less active members of these wards.  The following Sunday during the confirmations I have to say was one of, if not the most spiritual Sundays I have ever had.  All of the confirmation blessings were so heartfelt and personal to these people (also performed by Matt).  It wasn't even just the confirmations, it was the whole meeting.  One of the speakers was a man who is very timid and has not been willing to give a talk in church for over 20 years.  He gave such a sincere testimony and the high council speaker for the day, I'm sure scrapped his original talk and just went with the spirit that was so present.  I left church that day exhausted, and I didn't even do anything.  Unfortunately the girl, Sierra, who was also supposed to get baptized wasn't able to because her step mom has not left jail.  I feel it kind of worked out though because we gave her grandmother a church tour last week and it turned out to be one of the most spiritual tours I have experienced.  Her grandmother, Sharon, definitely felt the spirit and even recognized that she was feeling the spirit.  Later in the week we were finally able to teach her dad and they are both interested in learning more.  I really feel that family will be able to get baptized together as well.  So great things are happening here.  The Lord is really pouring out his spirit and I am really excited to continue to find people to share this wonderful message to. Love you all and have a great week.
Elder Stacey

Seven Baptisms 3/12/2012

Dear Everyone,
We had a spectacular week in Libby this week.  First of all, it has warmed up enough here so that we have been able to bike around a little, which has been very nice.  Driving in a car every time you need to go somewhere gets old, so I'm glad the weather is getting better.  But mostly it was because of the baptisms that occurred on Saturday.  There were seven people who ended up getting baptized on Saturday and it was an incredibly spiritual event.  It was pretty big news around the mission as well.  We had some office missionaries and one of the counselors in the mission presidency drive all the way from Spokane so they would be able to watch the baptism as well.  In all, a little over 100 people attended the baptism.  The spouses of Matthew Hollingsworth and Kelly Bailey, who are Siblings, were both baptized, as well as the Hollingsworths oldest two children and the Baileys oldest.  Two employees of Matt were baptized as well, Delbert and Darby, who are native Alaskan (Kelly's husband is Alaskan as well).  Matt baptized all seven of them.  It's so neat to see that they just get it.  They already have the beginnings of strong testimonies rooted in the gospel.  All of these people have been some of the easiest people to teach since I've started serving.  Everything about the gospel just made sense to them and they were all so willing to accept it and keep the commandments.  Also some of the comments that they have made make me know that they are in it for the right reason and they are serious about the commitments they've made.  Like I said, Satan tried quite a few times to make this baptism not happen.  And in some cases it happened in the way of members offending them for one reason or another.  After one such experience, Matthew said that he wasn't really angry about what had happened after he'd had time to think about it.  He realizes that the gospel is perfect, but the people in the church are not perfect.  If everyone was able to learn that lesson, then so many less people would get offended over something somebody said and leave the church.  To forsake your own testimony over something so insignificant is something I've seen all too much in visiting with less active members of these wards.  The following Sunday during the confirmations I have to say was one of, if not the most spiritual Sundays I have ever had.  All of the confirmation blessings were so heartfelt and personal to these people (also performed by Matt).  It wasn't even just the confirmations, it was the whole meeting.  One of the speakers was a man who is very timid and has not been willing to give a talk in church for over 20 years.  He gave such a sincere testimony and the high council speaker for the day, I'm sure scrapped his original talk and just went with the spirit that was so present.  I left church that day exhausted, and I didn't even do anything.  Unfortunately the girl, Sierra, who was also supposed to get baptized wasn't able to because her step mom has not left jail.  I feel it kind of worked out though because we gave her grandmother a church tour last week and it turned out to be one of the most spiritual tours I have experienced.  Her grandmother, Sharon, definitely felt the spirit and even recognized that she was feeling the spirit.  Later in the week we were finally able to teach her dad and they are both interested in learning more.  I really feel that family will be able to get baptized together as well.  So great things are happening here.  The Lord is really pouring out his spirit and I am really excited to continue to find people to share this wonderful message to. Love you all and have a great week.
Elder Stacey

From Elder Stacey 3/05/2012

This last week, I've decided, was the warm before the storm.  It began much like the week previous with not a whole lot new going on.  We have been making frequent visits to everyone preparing for baptism, and we had been doing a ton of service, so there hasn't been a whole lot of time for finding new people this week.  We did find one guy who was a referral from some members of the ward, and I don't think I've talked about this guy yet.  Anyway, he is a 19 yr old who got kicked out of his home and is living with his 18 year old friend who, himself left home because of an abusive father.  He bought a double-wide trailer for 100 dollars (so I guess you can imagine what shape it's in) and put it on a small, rocky lot.  They can't afford to hook up the house with electricity, and I don't even know if they have running water in their house.  They have no stove, so they just open up cans of food and eat cold food out of the cans.  As one of the members put it, "They are camping in a double-wide trailer."  Despite their very humble circumstances, they were pretty optimistic about their situation and were doing what they could to fix the place up by themselves.  It has been good for the members who referred him to us as well because it has given them the chance to do missionary work.  The members are and older couple who are recently returned from about 15 years of inactivity and they are just on fire.  They were so happy to help these guys out with anything they could as far as getting dishes and helping pay for gas and what not.  But they were even more excited to have us come over to meet them and share the gospel.  Our first lesson with them went pretty well and because of communication errors, we have not been able to meet with them since for an actual lesson.  Like I said, though, it was the warm before the storm.  First of all, the Stevens (who are the members) have been going very much out of their way to help these two guys out, even to the extent of giving what little extra money they have left over from their needs to help pay for gas for these guys and other needs.  In return they tell the Stevens that they will do certain things like go on a tour of the church and go to church (how cool is it that all the Stevens want in return for their service is for them to find the gospel.)  which they have flaked out on every single time.  This has really upset the Stevens because of their lack of commitment.  At this time might I just say that this happens quite a bit I'm sure all over the world, but is very prominent here in Libby, that people in situations like that will use the church and good people like the Stevens and when they are done with what they need, immediately turn their backs from them.  It's a really tragic cycle and in order for either of these guys to help themselves in the long run, they need to break that cycle and culture that is so prominent around here of using the generosity of people.  I don't mean to sound negative or rude or anything.  It's been on my mind a lot lately and I don't really know how else to write it. It's just the way it has been and unfortunately the last baptisms in Libby within the last year were all welfare cases who have all become less active before I even came here, and in some cases within a week of their baptism.  I have also seen that mindset be the one hangup from people becoming strong and active members of the church.  I have faith that the gospel can break that cycle and can change the nature of everyone.  So I really do still have hope for these two teenagers, and for the gospel of Jesus Christ to be able to change them.  Also, Satan started working double-time on the families preparing for baptism on Saturday which kind of erupted toward the end of the week including yesterday.  The step-mom of one of our on-dates went to jail for some unknown parole violation that they won't tell to anyone, and she might not get out until after the baptism, in which case, the baptism of this girl would have to be postponed.  Also, the mother of the Bailey family, (who is doing fine now) had kind of an emotional breakdown yesterday about the baptism of her oldest son.  It was apparently a hard week for her for multiple reasons, and her emotions were just piling up.  Finally, something happened on Sunday that just pushed her over and she just erupted into tears and expressed some doubts she had about her son getting baptized.  We were able to talk to her about her concerns and told her that having it so close to the baptism, that Satan was going to do everything in his power to prevent her family from joining the church.  All these things combined have made for a pretty hectic week, and as I look at what I've written, kind of took it's toll on me as well.  The end of yesterday ended well for a good outlook for this week.  Like I said we were able to talk with Sis Bailey and she is doing fine now and is excited about Saturday.  We taught the other family getting baptized, they are doing great and are ready for this Saturday as well, and these baptisms are so great to look forward too.  Pretty much the whole ward is planning on attending, as well as some of the stake leadership and mission president.  So I'm so excited for this week and for these baptisms.  I love you all,  I love this gospel, and I love being a missionary.  Have a good week everyone.

No Subject 2/27/2012

  Well this week was kind of a slow week for us.  Because Monday was a holiday, we took our p-day on Tuesday.  They say that holidays are good days to go out proselyting because people are home, but that was not the case for us.  Hardly anyone was home and we weren't able to teach many lessons.  Tuesday, like I said, was p-day, and Wednesday was our zone conference, all the way down in Hayden Idaho.  This was a very spiritual zone conference on the Book of Mormon, and how we need to use it.  President Palmer gave the whole mission a challenge at zone conference, which we have now extended to a couple of our investigators and that I will extent to you=).  He told us to get a clean copy of The Book of Mormon and in it mark three different parts in it.  In one color, we are to highlight any reference made to the Savior Jesus Christ.  In another, highlight any attributes given about Christ.  In the third, mark any place where Jesus Christ is talking himself, or where it says "Thus sayeth the Lord" etc.  He also challenged us to have it done by mothers day.  Doing it myself has been really great.  I know that The Book of Mormon teaches and testifies about the Savior, but to be able to visualize all those instances where it talks about him has made me view it in a different light and I can't explain why.  It has really been strengthening my own testimony of The Book of Mormon.  We also found out in zone conference who our new mission president will be.  His name is president Mullen, and he is from Orem.  It's going to be yet another one of those bittersweet moments when president Palmer leaves and president Mullen comes.  You really do come to love your mission president I've found out.  We didn't actually get back from zone conference until about 8:40 so we didn't teach anyone that day either=(.  Friday we spent a bit of the day traveling down to Sandpoint Idaho, to go on exchanges with the elders there, and I spent Friday in Sandpoint.  We taught a couple of 7th Day Adventist missionaries and decided that was a case in point about the power of using The Book of Mormon.  Mostly it was a case against us.  My companion spent the whole time Bible bashing them with scriptures about the usual with them; 7th day worship and the spirit world.  It really didn't get anywhere and the spirit was definitely not present.  You can Bible bash with people all day long and get absolutely nowhere with it, because everyone can interpret the Bible differently when it sits by itself.  The Book of Mormon is that essential companion that not only testifies of the Bible, but clarifies it as well.  I love The Book of Mormon.  All of our investigators were either out of town, or we were too busy to teach them, or I was on exchanges when they were taught, so I don't really have anything to update about them, except that they are all doing great and were all at church, and that I am quite excited for March 10th.  Other than that, I hope everyone has had a good week.  Love you all and hope you have another good week.

Happy Birthday MOM 2/21/2012

 I just wanted to write a quick email to wish you a happy birthday and to let you know how much I love you.  One thing that I've been trying to work on is doing non-mission things such as writing and sending letters or birthday cards or whatever in a timely manner.  I have not yet mastered that unfortunately and I didn't have a card sent off by the time of your birthday, but one is coming I promise.  I love you and hope you have a great birthday.


(Another email)
Well it sounds like last week was an incredibly eventful and busy week for the family.  I did get the pictures of the wedding and I loved them.  It looks like it was a very exciting time for everyone.  I have to admit that I was a little sad that I missed out on it, but there is nothing that I'd rather be doing right now than what I am right now.  We had a pretty eventful week here in Libby.  Because of scheduling difficulties and people being out of town, all of the people who were going to be baptized in the next couple weeks here will now all be baptized on March 10, assuming everything goes right.  Everyone getting baptized are either related or are friends so it all worked out anyway.  It's going to be a big day though, There will be 8 baptisms total on that day; 6 convert and 2 eight year old baptisms.  All these people are great and I love the chance that I've had to be able to teach them.  One person in particular, Henry Bailey sticks out to me to talk about.  Henry is the husband of a returning less-active member and when sister Bailey began to take her whole family back to church a couple months ago, the missionaries began teaching Henry.  He is one of the most prepared people I have met.  I won't go into details, but suffice it to say that he has had a lot of various problems even just two months ago when the missionaries began teaching him.  The gospel truly brought about a mighty change of heart in him.  We had a lesson with him last week in which we reviewed the baptismal interview questions.  He bore a powerful testimony (I unfortunately did not get to here it because I was on exchanges with another elder, but I heard about it) about how he has come to believe Joseph Smith to be a prophet and The Book of Mormon to be the word of God.  He has been willing to open up in church as well and bear his testimony in elders quorum.  His story is another great one that has been able to build my own testimony on the power that the Atonement of Jesus Christ can have on everyone's life.  It is for everyone and truly there is nothing in this world that is outside the reaches of the Atonement, if we can just demonstrate the faith to use it.  I just want you all to know that I do have a testimony of Jesus Christ, and that I do know that he is the Savior of all mankind.  I know that he suffered what he did willingly because he loves each one of us so much and wants us to be happy.  Words really can't describe what I know and feel for my Savior; what he did for me, and this opportunity I have to share my testimony with those I come into contact with.  I love you all and hope you have a great week.  Stay good.
   Love,
     Elder Stacey

Hello From Montana 2/13/2012 (2 emails)

1)  So my first week in Montana has been awesome.  I am thoroughly convinced that I am in one of the most beautiful places in the United States.  There was a mix-up in names and I am actually in a town called Libby, which is 20 miles east of Troy and has about 4000 people in it.  It's nestled in a small valley surrounded by the Cabinet mountain range, and there are trees everywhere.  Libby is called the city of eagles and that's because there are eagles everywhere.  Especially at the Libby dump.  It's kind of funny that one of the most scenic places here is the dump because of the view and because of all the bald eagles that hang out there.  We are living in a members home, the Brauns, and they are way nice people.  Sis Braun actually graduated from Orem High School I believe one year after dad.  The first thing she asked when I met her is whether or not I was related to a Darrell Stacey.  I don't know if you'd remember dad, but her maiden name is Lorraine Holtkamp, and she said you'd probably know her older brother too, but I don't remember his name.  Talk about a small world.  Anyway that being said, I am loving it here.  The Lord has really poured out his Spirit to many of the people in this town.  Right now there are 3 part-member families who, within the last month or so decided it was time to go back to church.  Two of the families are a brother and sister and their spouses and children.  We'll see if I can write this out and have it make sense.  The Hollingsworths and Baileys are both part-member families.  Bro Hollingsworth and sis Bailey are both siblings and members.  They were baptized when they were in their teens but went inactive shortly after that.  One day out of the blue, bro Hollingsworth's wife, who is not a member, called up sis Bailey and said she felt they needed to go to church.  To make a long story that I still don't know quite completely about short, they started attending church together.  Eventually they started bringing their whole families and the missionaries began teaching them in January.  Now sis Hollingsworth and bro Bailey and each of the families oldest children are preparing for baptism late Feb, early Mar, and bro Hollingsworth was ordained a priest, so he'll be able to baptize them himself.  I have only met them a couple times, but already I love them and the great decisions they are making.  The other part-member family we are teaching is the Goodenough family.  It's kind of the same story with sis Goodenough.  She was having some struggles with various things and decided to come back to church to seek some help.  She has had a really hard life and coming back to church has been such a blessing for her.  We are teaching her 11 year old step-daughter who has a disability where she is paralyzed on the left half of her body and has some learning disabilities.  She is the sweetest girl and she is preparing to be baptized within the next two weeks as well.  Alisha Goodenoughs husband has been a little harder to reach.  He has some pretty serious addictions that have been very hard for him to quit, and he won't go to any sort of addiction recovery.  But he did go to church for his first time ever last week.  The other two people who are preparing to be baptized are two friends, Delbert Thomas, and Darby Moses.  they are co-workers of bro Bailey and they are legit.  They always have great questions, always read and pray about what we ask them to do and are honest.  It has been a breath of fresh air to teach all these people who are so willing to change, keep their commitments, and see the Saviors Atonement working through their lives.  They are preparing to be baptized in March as well.  So everything going as it is right now, there will be 6 convert baptisms and one 8 yr old baptism within the next 2 months in the Libby ward.  Apart from converts, there has been a lot of work going on in the reactivation of inactive members.  Our gospel doctrine teacher was an inactive member for over 20 years and came to church on Christmas Sunday.  When he came, the bishop pulled him aside and gave him the calling of gospel doctrine teacher.  He accepted and has been to church every week to teach since then.  I tell you what he has had a very interesting life.  Not many people can say that they rode for Hells Angels, and then became an ordinance worker in the temple.  That's just a few stories of inactive members coming back into the church, and the great blessings that have come from that, and I'm pretty sure there is even more.  So I think that is about all I have to report on this week, I probably forgot something.  But hope everyone has a great week.  Have a great wedding Matt and Felicia, and have a great baby shower Michelle.  It is indeed a big week.  Talk to you all next week love you

2)  Haha I totally forgot to report on my birthday.  It was a great birthday.  We were at the church supporting the Blue and Gold banquet, but mostly just wanted free food and an excuse to teach the Baileys at the church.  Anyway,  Elder Hatch told one of the leaders it was my birthday, so everyone in the room sang happy birthday and gave me  a cake.  Then on Friday, sis Braun made some cupcakes for us and after we were done planning for the night played Scrabble.  So my birthday was really good.  Also I don't think I talked about Elder Hatch at all.  He is an awesome missionary.  He has been out a little over a year and a half, and is from New Mexico.  He's got a great attitude and a love of everyone that we are teaching.  I have loved my first week with him and I am looking forward to this transfer.  Ok I think that's it.

News From Elder Stacey 2/06 2012

     Well today I have good news and bad news, well, for me at least.  Because the missionaries who went home in December were going to get home the day after Christmas, our transfer ended a week early so they could spend Christmas with their families, and we went into a 7-week transfer.  Just the one extra week made it seem like it would go on forever, not in a bad way though.  Last week was the last week of this transfer and we got our calls and I am leaving Chewelah.  Actually I'm leaving Washington all-together.  I I'm going to be serving in Troy Montana which is the most North-East area of the mission.  So I will be spending my birthday in a new area with a new companion with all people who I don't know.  Troy Montana is about as far away from Spokane as St. George is from Orem.  I am a little sad to be leaving Chewelah for sure.  The members here are great, and we have found some great people in the past couple weeks who I was looking forward to continue to meet with.  There was a family that we were able to meet with FINALLY on Saturday that was a referral from the Chewelah wards High-Council representative, all the way back in October.  They live about 40 min away from us so we weren't able to just knock on their door when we wanted to, and they were incredibly hard to get a hold of through the phone.  When we finally did get a hold of them in December, we found out the wife was going to be going into surgury to get some tumors removed and we would have to wait about a month.  Well at last we met them and were able to give them the Restoration and bits of the Plan of Salvation.  They are a great and spiritual family and I have incredibly high hopes for them, but I will obviously not be the one teaching them anymore so I don't know whats going to end up happening with them.  Also Leslie has not been able to quit smoking still.  It really makes me sad.  She wants to quit so badly so she can be baptized, but I just feel the statement that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak is very fitting in this instance.  I'll keep praying for her and hope the best for her.  I am very excited to go to my new area however.  I don't have much else to say about that though until I actually go there.  Thats about it from my end.  I did get two packages last week, one from Michelle and one from mom.  Thanks so much, I really appreciated them.  Love you all and hope you have a great week.

 

p.s.  I don't have the new address for where I'm going to be staying, so send everything to the mission office until I find out.  Also, not that it really matters, but I will be in the Mountain time zone instead of Pacific time zone.

Email from Elder Stacey 1/30/2012

Well I heard an interesting statement made by someone, and I don't remember who said it, but it was this, "For every righteous action made, there is an equal and opposite reaction from the adversary."  I think I can find some real truth in that this week for the reason that for all of the great lessons we had with our investigators and their wanting to learn more, including attend church,  not one of them(for various reason) ended up coming to church on Sunday.  Satan doesn't want anyone to come to the knowledge of the gospel and the moment we leave someones house, he will do anything possible to make sure that those people stumble.  I have to admit that I had gotten a little frustrated-and for a small moment, very frustrated- to come to church and find that nobody came.  I'm sure that part of it is that Satan will tell people that church, or prayer, or any good thing is not necessary to have a relationship with Christ, and therefore, why do it.  I just hope that when we do see them again, we can help them understand the blessings that come from going to church.  On a good topic however, Leslie has set a date for herself to be baptized and one in which she will have quit smoking for two weeks.  She has been almost seventy two hours without a cigarrette and so I have faith that she will be able to quit and make her date of February 11th.  She has a lot of support from the ward, and I can see a difference in her attitude.  She is a lot happier and gets very excited to see and do things with the ward.  We gave a guy named David and his girlfriend Angie a church tour.  David seemed to learn quite a bit from the tour and said himself that he was interested in learning what WE believe and not what other people say we believe.  We gave him a Book of Mormon and he really wants to read it.  I have high hopes for him, and we are going to see him later this week.  We went down to Ford and Wellpinit on Saturday, which is the southern most part of our area, and had some things happen there.  We picked out a name of a former investigator down there to see if she was interested in meeting with us again.  As we went to her house, she was outside and we were able to talk with her.  We found out that she had actually moved to Spokane in November, and that she was just at this place for the day to see her kids.  She wants to go back to church, and meet with missionaries again.  It was incredibly fortunate that we were able to see her.  We only have the miles to go down south in our area once in a transfer without member help(it's about a 160 mile round trip to spend the day there) and the fact that the one day we went down was the one day that she was there was not a coincidence.  We gave her information to some Spokane Elders and we pray for the best with her.  We also got the car stuck at the bottom of a hill.  We were driving to find a less active member and drove down a hill only to find that it was a ravine and that we had to drive back up another hill.  After a few attempts at driving up the ice hill, we decided to turn around and try the other way, only to find out that road was only slightly less elevated and icy.  Needless to say we go out of the ravine, but only after about 30 min of trying.  Also needless to say, I don't like ice.  Thats about it from me this week.  I love to hear from everyone and thank you for all your support.  Have a great week