Week 66: Less than 100 daiz

Well here i am trying to write another group email... only like 14 left! We had MLC this past tuesday, then exchanges, then gave 6 hours of trainings wahoo- it felt like groundhog day, and then we had president interviews and ALSO we volunteered at the football this saturday (im one lucky duck that got to do it two years in a row). anywho not that any of you care about my business but oddly if you did here was an explanation! here are some highlights:
MLC: President Bell talked to us how about everything, every principle we teach is related back to the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It all goes back to Christ because that is where our strength comes from. Baptism for the remission of sins is not possible without our Savior. I cannot explain how grateful i am for the testimony i have gained of the Atonement of Christ.
EXCHANGES: Sister Greer and I had an amazing lesson with Tiffany! She is a mom that i have talked about (i think?) She was the first door we knocked on and she is so prepared. We shared the restoration and not going to lie it was a little rough but the moment we recited the first vision the spirit was so strong and tiffany just looked at us and said "wow". i love sharing the first vision because every time my testimony of Joseph Smith is strengthened so much. We are going to go teach her and her kids on thursday! INTERVIEWS: i had a wonderful interview with President Bell and i just love how much he cares and shows it to us. He also needed some lunch-- so i had gotten him Wendy's before so i said "i know your order president dont worry" -- so he went into another interview with the missionary-- but then i said oh no i forgot what sauce he wants so i barged into the interview and said "wait president what kind of sauce do you want with your chicken nuggets?" That was the highlight of my week. If you dont buy wendys for your mission president you are doing it wrong. Here is a good quick laugh: We were walking around at like 8ish one night and we saw this man and he was VERY under the influence and sister west goes "im sister west" and he goes "AND IM DOUG EAST" and throws his fists up in the air rejoicing. Ahh what a good life being a missionary.

Pics: 1. Bobs haircut round 2-- sister west turn now 2. I love missouri!!! 3. Look at the tiger flute player 4. Football gammeeee 5. St louis....... wahooo..... ! 6. Sis hoggan and I love her one day we will be comps even tho she goes home next transfer :( 

Week 65: Please bless the Holy Ghost to be a grateful man & Elaine's BAPTISM :))

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST HAS BEEN RESTORED. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints truly is Christ's Church on the earth today!!! I love having my testimony strengthened day after day! 15 months and im still loving this mission thing ! Crazy! Wow! 15 months! we had a lesson with a Man from Mexico who speaks 0% english. Sis. Heuston found him on exchanges a few weeks back..... so via google translate we finally set up a time to meet over text. We brought a member to translate and once again i felt like a ***useless potato (at least i looked good). i dont know how we keep stumbling upon people who dont speak english but that is why i was called on an english speaking mission because i was confuzzled. 

ELAINES BAPTISM: SPECIALIST MOMENT EVER. such a spiritual day and i am so blessed to be able to see this sweet woman become clean and follow her Savior. She has changed me and strengthened my testimony more than she will ever know. She had the most tender smile after she came out of the water, i dont know how to explain it, it was like pure relief. We got a text from her last night that said" "I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Smithton Ridge Ward." (I'm practicing😁) " if that isnt the most precious thing i dont know what is.
SCOTTIE AND COURTNEY:
Had an amazing lesson with them!! Talk all about the Book of Mormon and that this is the ONLY way they will know if what we teach them is true. They are both accepted a new date to be baptized on October 12th !!!! Scottie is literally the coolest human and i love teaching him. Whelp here is a funny quote from a prayer of a cute 4 year old "Please bless the holy ghost can be a grateful man and that jesus will be in the sky and we can have plants and our own beds". All i know is that this boy had it figured out. We can learn much from the youth of the church ;-))
-I love you all
-missouri still makes me sweaty
-happy labor day
-the mosquitos love me
-send me tips on what to do with DRY SKIN and INGROWN FINGERNAILS
Love  -SIS FOLK

Sorrt pics overload 1. Classic pic with Bob our BFF 2. Bri - our lifesaver this week, well every week 3. Olive garden date after a baptism w my cute comp 4. Elaine <3 5. Dab nation #fontfillers 6. I love sis west 7. The gang lolz

Week 64: eggs and miracle whip

another week of miracle whipping. Sister West and I have seen so many miracles and Heavenly Father has taught us so much!!!! i am on a spiritual high from this week for sure kids. we just learned how much of a plan our Father in heaven has for each one of us. we may not understand why things happen to certain people or even why we have it so easy compared to others trials. but that in fact that does not matter, our trials are uniquely and individually our own. it doesnt matter the size or complexity, we simply have them to become more like our heavenly father needs us too. and in almost every lesson this week with members or non members this topic came up. the holy ghost continued over and over again to testify and to tell us that He has a plan! For everyone of his children and that it is so individual. if you missed my facebook post yesterday.... here it is.
"What could be more joyful than to share the truths of eternity with God's children?" -Dallin H. Oaks. What a true statement! Sister West and I have been so amazed this week of the miracles Heavenly Father has allowed us to see. We know he has a plan for each one of his children. He knows us individually. He puts us in situations that will help us become as he is, learn, and understand His plan for us. Sharing the truths of the Plan of Salvation puts a big smile on our faces! "We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won’t, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of transformation. It takes us as men and women of the earth and refines us into men and women for the eternities." -Joseph B. Wirthlin
updates on some people i love !!!! 

Elaine !!!!! getting baptized THIS saturday. she is so excited and told us nothing is getting in the way of her baptism. 

Scottie..... canceled ;( we have a lesson tomorrow so please keep him in your prayers.
Jayden (the 9 year old we started teaching idk if i ever mentioned him) .... but he is now on date to be baptized October 5th. He was so stinkin cute and was telling his dad who is a member that he is ready. he knows he is ready. it was precious. he reads the childrens book of mormon on the ipad. technology is being used for righteousness and i love it.
Emile and Jen!!!! came to church again and Emile is on date to be baptized October 12th!!!! he said "i wanted to be baptized sometime next year but right now feels right" ahhh we hope to invite Jen to be baptized this week.
FINDING MIRACLES:
we've have been talking a lot at MLC and zone conference about the elect. that Heavenly Father knows where each prepared soul is in each of our areas. and ever since i heard this it just struck something in me and i was determined to find them and follow the spirit ! so, when sister west and i went finding this week we knocked on 2 doors. at the first 2 doors people didnt reject us. they accepted our BOM and told us to come back. now for those of you not familiar this never happens !!!! ever!!!! it was so amazing!!!! as you can see im just ecstatic and Heavenly Father taught me so much this week about listening to his spirit and seeking his direction in his work because sometimes sister folkman will just go out and knock a whole street just to do it and thats not the way to find the souls that are searching for truth. Oh also on this day we ran into a lemonade, fresh fruit (baking in the sun), and pickle stand. We definitely hit them up. Cute kids 4 sure. in our zone chat this week and elder sent in a video and said "be bold, be positive" i couldnt agree more young man. (because i also realized this week that the new missionaries coming out are about 3 years younger than me yikes).i had a really great spiritual thought that i had actually put a lot of work of work into for this email but im so silly and left it at home!!!! ill send it next week i suppose. us and the zone leaders have been trying to pump up the zone to continue to invite people to be baptized, one elder likes protein a lottttt and had shown us a video of him drinking raw eggs so we said what if you drink an egg for every invite. the zone chat was poppin... but then sister west and i got called out... so we did it.. except i threw the egg up but sis west a champ and swallowed it. ill attach pictures. see ya later, sis folk
Ps sorry this is all over the place you know me
Pps dont drink raw eggs its disgusting 

Pics:  1. Gross 2. Zone conf :)) 3. Sis shaff <3  4. Precious children and an awkward adult ?

Week 63: i ate frog legs :o

Hello fans! this week made me feel like i was preparing to be a mom. i learned from the best and i had to-do list all over the apartment and sticky notes stuck to the back of my phone. MIRACLES of the WEEK: SCOTTIE: he finally accepted the date of Sept. 14th and he said it was highly subject to change but i am determined to help him make that date because this man is prepared and i know we played basketball ball with them for a reason :') ELAINE: we had a little celebration for her and some RS sisters came and she made new friends and just is so excited to get baptized and we finished teaching her all the lessons she is on track for the 31st wahoooo!!!!! she also wants to go to the temple to do baptisms!! FUN FACT: I ate frog leg this week, it was decent.... a little chewy but i love serving an exotic mission! My new companion is sister west and we served in the same district in springfield so you could say i was pretty ecstatic to be her companion! we have been partying for 5 days now its been wonderful. she is da bomb. idk what else to say .... idk school is back in business and the college kids are overpopulating the town... sometimes i close my eyes and imagine im in st. george, taking over that city. its great. a quick spiritual thought: "Even in decisions we think very important, we sometimes receive no answer to our prayers. This does not mean that our prayers have not been heard. It means only that we have prayed about a decision that, for one reason or another, we should make without guidance by revelation. Perhaps we have asked for guidance in choosing between alternatives that are equally acceptable or equally unacceptable." well thats all from me. signing off, sis folk

pics !!!!!! 1. sis van amen !!!!! ugly pic tho oh well 2. sis west and some frog legs
3-4. random fotos

Week 62: new transfer new me

Hello wonderful human beings in UT and other lesser states! Its me, Mario! Jk i mean sister folkman. (Sorry bad joke) Its been an amazing week here in COMO, the work is literally on fire. Here are some updates: ELAINE: still as amazing as ever, came to church again and PAID her tithing. She is a woman of so much faith and is patiently awaiting her baptism on the 31st. SCOTTIE: had a couple of lessons with him this week and he is so cool! He is praying about being baptized on sept. 14. Please keep him in your prayers. We have a lesson tonight im so excited!! My favorite moment of the week !! (hang on its a long one). A couple weeks ago we got a bible request from a 16 year old boy who moved here from africa in November. I dont remember if I had talked about him before but his mom and older sister dont speak english they speak kinyarwanda. And you guys wont believe this, a member of our ward speaks kinyarwanda!!!! Out of the many many african dialects she speaks the same one!!!! God's hand is in the little amazing things! So we brought her to a lesson with the whole family and they are amazing! The spirit was so strong and sister Ruminyika (the member) and although i didnt understand anything at all the spirit was so strong and i knew she was speaking truth! It was such an amazing experience and i cant explain how cool it was over text! So ya im teaching the sweetest african family who say they are blessed to just have our feet stand in their home. I dont know how its going to work out but they sure are prepared for the gospel!!! Oh also sister heuston is getting transferred and im getting another new comp per usual. MORONI 7:33 --- my new life motto. With Christ anything is possible. Well peace out GTG. Love you all. Sis folk

Pics: 1.exchanges w sis johnson 2. Food bank fun

Week 61: Fabulous!

hello fabulous fans!! ive had one fabulous week and i cant believe its actually pday day again! (especially because i had to wait an extra day for it). i started the week of by going on exchanges with Sister Bahr. pretty much the highlight of my week because i love that girl. she is such a huge blessing in my life. we taught Elaine about temples and family history and it was so fun to teach along side her! sis heuston and i have also just been crazy busy going from apt. to apt. and its really draining but also so amazing because its been some of the most spiritual testimony building days of my entire mission! updates: scottie & courtney: we have a lesson with them tonight finally yayayayay. elaine: came to church again! is speedily preparing for her baptism at the end of this month !!! me: tried the avocado BLT from wendy's would recommend to a friend. miracle whip episode 2: we were so busy and on the phone a lot this past week and traveling to st. louis that we had not that much time to find new people to teach so at 8:45 sunday night we were running from house to house knocking on every door that had a light on. it was so exhilarating and normally knocking on doors isn't my favorite activity but it was so much fun and i was so happy just to be sharing the Lord's gospel! we met a cute mom named Tara we will start teaching this week !!! what a weird way to have fun but somehow we did! we also had MLC this past friday with President and Sister Bell!!! They are simply amazing. We talked about making decisions on our own and living by doctrine and principles (because new mission president and he has been getting lots of questions). in Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-29 it says "26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. 27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; 28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. 29 But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned." I mean its pretty intense but i love it!!! I love that we get the choice to act and not wait for something to happen to us or to just float by. We can be anxiously engaged in good even great things!!!! Like living the gospel etc. Obviously missionaries live different life that everyone else but you can still choose to act instead of be acted upon! Idk ive become pretty wise the past 14 months and i like talking about the gospel but when it comes to emailing things ive learned im a lost cause, come have a companion study with me the you will know what i mean ;)) im better at talking in person we all know that cuz i always have something to say. Anywhooooo i love you all. Love, sis folk 

Pics: Hahah half of my photos are with sis bahr oh well !!! Old comps = besties4ever. Sis Heuston found a book at the antique mall... apparently we can pray without talking to God??? Weird! In Missouri on Pday we go to the antique mall! Fun! (It actually was really fun)

Week 60: miracle wHiP

now don't be fooled, the title of this email is not referring to the disgusting white spread people decide to put on sandwiches for some reason. it simply is referring to the fact that this week was full of MIRACLES and i am definitely whipping about it on the daily. (for the older more wise folks: whipping- a dance move). so it all began Monday night, we teach member families the 5 missionary lessons to strengthen their testimonies of the gospel and so they can share it with others! and this monday at one of my favorite members homes they brought their friend and their grandson who is not baptized but is turning 9 ! so we are now teaching both of them and invited them both to be baptized and they both said yes !!!!! then: i got to go on exchanges with sister frehner! and she went to dixie!!!! finally someone on my mission who doesnt give me grief about where i went to college. the miracle of this exchange was simply the fact we talked about college all day and we found out we were in the same math class. small world. she is the coolest and smartest bc shes a dixie chick. next: there was a baptism this Saturday we wanted Elaine to come to. sooo we showed up an hour before and invited her and she said she would come. a lot of prayer went into this and it was a pretty big deal so me and sis heuston were happy as could be! she LOVED the baptism and told everyone that "she was doing this on August 31st". she is so converted to this gospel and to Jesus Christ. it is amazing. I am humbled every time I get to be with her and teach her. then: Elaine came to church!!!!!! and i know that the power of prayer is REAL. sis heuston and i have been working for 5 weeks and praying and planning and doing literally everything in our power and ELAINE CAME AND SHE LOVED IT. God is good my friends!!!!
a spiritual thought from my study this week: 3 Nephi 13:34 "Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof." Trust Heavenly Father. Trust that he has a precise plan just for you, that will help you grow in the ways necessarily to return to Him. This is simply what the Spirit taught me as I read this verse reflecting the past transfer, to trust that my Heavenly Father has my best interest at heart and everything that happens is for my good. and I know this is true for each of you, oddly no Heavenly Father wont decide who you spend 6-12 weeks with 24/7 but he will decide what trials you need and what you will learn from them, so trust him and ask him what he wants you to learn from learn. i love you all so much! xoxo sis folkman 

Pics: 1. The gang at church! 2. Took away some cigs👌👌👌 3. Dixie gurlz 💙❤

Week 59: im 20 1/2! wahoo!

Dont worry everyone the heat wave only turned me into a sweaty rat again! No sunburns here---- just a sweaty gal knocking on your door! Although this week was 110 w/ humidity it was fantastic! I took a special challenge from my mother and sister to look at the positive in everyday and wow my life has been changed! Being grateful for even the small things changes it all! LIFE SKILL LEARNED THIS WEEK: ---packing--- All the video game tetris finally payed off. We went over to help my fave member from my first area who lives in columbia pack up her kitchen to move across town. Not to bragggg butttttt i packed all the boxes like a bo$$ and they just handed me everything and i tetrised it into the boxes.  
---sunscreen is my new scent--- I found out that if i use sunscreen as perfume it is the illusion that im going to the pool/beach when in reality im going tracting and it put one big smile on my face! MIRACLES! ELAINE- she is just as amazing!!! We were on the phone with her this week and she just says "your job is so important" then she continues and talks about how we are the best people (all the people from church and missionaries) she has met in her entire life. She said "it just shines in your faces." I LOVED that. Our faith really is so evident, we have a light and sharing it with others and being that example is so important. Especially because our light comes from Christ's light and his can never ever be darkened! Mosiah 16:9 "He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death". SCOTTIE- Is literally my favorite person to teach. He is a tough cookie to crack but i can totally see that he is truly just seeking truth and has a sincere desire to change his life. We had an amazing lesson with him this week and we asked him if he had prayed about the things we were teaching and he said "personally im praying about a baptism date" WOW FOLKS it doesnt get better than this ! I also got to go on exchanges with sis hassan this week and she is a STELLAR missionary! We worked so hard all day in the heat and found 2 new people to teach! Twas a good week folks! Thanks for tuning in, shine your light this week!!!!! (TB to the shine the light celebration) it has new meaning now 😁😁😁😁😁😁 All my love plus some more, sis folk <3

Pics: 1. Sister Hassan and I !!! 2. tryin smile through the heat wave =) 3. lol bacon fest
4. eatin those leafy greens so i be healthy mmmm delicious 5. bailey hoskins -- the best human/member

Week 58: troubled child

wow what a WEEK. we went to st. louis twice this week, once to meet President Bell and his family and once to have MLC with him. President Bell is flippin cool and i am SO excited to have him as my mission president for the remainder of my mission. a story about bacon:
one of our first meals together, we had steak wrapped in bacon (mmm delicious you know me and how i love me a good steak). so we get in the car and i say "i hate steak" and sis heuston goes "i hate bacon".  it has been so funny because literally every meal since then has included bacon. bacon wrapped chicken, BLT's, potato soup w/ you guessed it bacon. pancakes with bacon in them, pasta w/ bacon, and breakfast for dinner w/ bacon, and so on. the best thing was last night when we had bacon the family was like "we dont even like bacon this is the 2nd time we have cooked it in a year" ahhh dont ever say you dont like something cause you will then have it for the remainder of the transfer. #missionarylife. i told sis heuston i dont like pizza...... so lets hope we have pizza for the next 3 weeks ;)) #tricky. Sister Folkman aka troubled: so the stories begins like this, we are teaching a part member family but i hadnt met them yet because they love to work. so we finally have an appointment this weekend and we start to talk with her and after about 45 minutes of her telling us about how she sees and speaks to demons and angels all the time, she randomly turns to me and puts her hand on my arm and goes "whats wrong with you?" and i go "what?" and she goes "i can see your color its green, boiling, and swirling..." and i said "no im fine" and she said "no you are troubled". in my head i said "well ya im troubled your dogs wont stop licking my arms and legs and you just told me about your demon conversations! " but i politely accepted her advice as she told me it was okay Christ was by my side. ahhh love when i became the student instead of the teacher. scottie-- had to postpone until tonight so stay tuned. elaine !!!!! she is literally amazing !!!! i have never seen someone change so much because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. she knows exactly what she wants and is willing to do whatever she takes. she is a different human being from when i first met her, she has so much light!!!!! she asked for a priesthood blessing and we went over yesterday with some brothers of the ward and watching them bless her was simply amazing. the spirit filled the room and it was another testimony to me that the church has been restored and that the priesthood they hold truly is directly from God. It is so amazing to watch people be willing to change their lives for Christ and only be able to make these huge changes because of Him, truly humbling. on another note, a member is flipping a house and asked for our help.... my new way to relieve stress is to swing a sledgehammer into a ceiling and completely destroy it. it was very satisfying. i wish i had a good spiritual thought but i dont have my notebooks nearby but all i know is that the gospel is true and has changed my life. ill have a better thought next week but until then "whether its the best of times or the worst of times, he is with us. He has promised that this will never change." -President Monson. i just loved this quote and have been thriving off of it. He is with us always!!!!

pics: 1. president and sister bell! 2-3. aftermath of house flipping :))))))) 4. sis bahr and shaffer !!!!! 5. food bank fun! 

Week 57: Chuggin along

Im running out of ways to start these emails and so I guess I'll just dive right in!!!! MIRACLES: saturday we had absolutely nothing planned and appointments canceled so we went finding all day long! And it was hot! And tiring! And i got blisters! But we saw miracles! Here is the story- so we were in a certain neighborhood and we felt directionless and so we prayed. And for some reason 420 hackberry came to mind. But no streets in the neighborhood were named hackberry... so later in the day after lunch we went to a new neighborhood and low and behold there was a street there named HACKBERRY. So we tracked the whole street !!!!!! I looked like a wet rat but we found a girl named summer on the street and she said she said she is looking for a church and wants to come closer to Christ. All i know is that she accepted Christ not the wet rat that i was. God loves us. It took the whole day to find her but we did! Then we found 2 others the last 30 minutes of the night! God is so aware of us!! 4th of July we volunteered at the yearly Parley P. Pratt run and we passed out water cuz #haterunning. other than 6 sister missionaries from UT trying to find the trail.. we missed all the fast runners but thats what they get for being over achievers. =))) I love you all, im learning im growing and im surviving the heat kinda!! Love Sis folk <3

Week 56: Its July??? JULYING

HELLO !!! To all my fans: I'm melting its way to hot here, plz send otter pops. Walking outside aka i might as well just dump a cup of water on my head bc thats what i look like when im done. Well I have a new companion, drumroll please....... Sister Heuston from Draper, UT. Another classic sister missionary from utah. We love it. Honestly this week has all been a blur, the beginning of transfers is always a little rough adjusting to another human being but Sister Heuston and I are having a grand time! But man I kinda actually miss the TRI life. We had an amazing lesson with Elaine this week though! She has grown so much this past month and loves the gospel!! It has truly changed her into a new brighter person! I love that we always have the ability to be better through Christ. We have a lesson with Scottie tonight so ill have an update about him next week. Happy 4th of July! I have no idea how its July but i guess it is! Over and out, Sis Folk :))

Pics:
1. Elaine gave us flowers 2. Me cutting Bob's hair. I guess im a cosmetologist now (it did not turn out that bad honestly) 3. Concentrated =)