He loves me enough to give me this experience. And I will never be the same.

Dear Family, Friends, Countrymen, Citizens, Acquaintances, 

I can hardly believe that today is the last day I will email home as a set apart missionary for Jesus Christ's church. The 18 months has gone by both so quickly and so slowly. But fast or slow, here I am, on my last day. It's been an emotional morning, that's for sure. 

I've spent some time reflecting on what my mission has meant to me. And all the depths of my heart and soul could not describe the gratitude I have to the Lord for the last year and a half. When I think of the chances, my mission was truly a one in a million, once in a lifetime opportunity. What are the chances that I would be born in the time period where the Jesus Christ's gospel was in it's complete form upon the earth?  What are the chances that I would be born in the dispensation of the fulness of times? What are the chances that I would live in a decade where sister missionaries were able and encouraged to go forth as emissaries for the Lord? What are the chances that I would be born into a home where the Restored Gospel was taught and practiced as the core of my family's life? What are the chances that I would accept it? What are the chances that I would be called the the West Virginia Charleston Mission? What are the chances I would be assigned to labor in West Side, Cross Lanes, Roanoke, and Fairmont? (Here's where my mind blows.) What are the chances I would be in the perfect place at the perfect time to meet that one soul looking for the truth? What are the chances that they would accept? It's been a while since I did math, but it's absolutely astronomical! And the Lord, with His perfect foresight and knowledge, orchestrated it all so I could help bring souls to Him. He could have done that another way, but He loves me enough to give me this experience. And I will never be the same. 

Several people have asked me what the "biggest thing" I've learned is. And that's a tough question. So here's the top 5.

1. That God loves me. See the massive paragraph above. 

2. That God loves every person on an individual, personal level. I have  felt a small test His love for individuals during moments as I taught and testified. I know that God is truly our Heavenly Father. Literally. He wants the best for us. 

3. That God has reached out in love by restoring the Jesus Christ's Church. He did this through a young boy named Joseph Smith in 1820. He was called as a prophet in response to a humble prayer requesting spiritual guidance. God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him in vision, and the world has never been the same again. A church with all the correct doctrine, all the lost knowledge, and the authority to administer the ordinances of salvation (baptism, communion, etc.) has been reestablished on the earth. I have felt the Holy Spirit of God witness to my heart that this is the truth. 

4. Humility. If you're going to do the work of the Lord, you must do it His way if you want to succeed. 

5. That Prayer really does work. You can pray for help, guidance, healing, comfort, anything really. And no matter how small or insignificant or even huge your need may be, the Lord will answer, and help you through it. Every Singe Time. 

Some people say that a mission is the best two years (18 months) of your life. And it certainly has been the biggest, most soul stretching, happy adventure so far. I have learned so much, met so many people I love, and become a more Christlike person. But I refuse to let today be the end of a golden 18 months that I simply look back wistfully upon for the rest of my life.

So here's to the next 18 months! Life is only going to get better and better from here, and may each of your next 18 months be the best of your lives! I know mine will be. I love you all, and am so so excited to see you, and hug you, and be with you again. 

Godspeed!​

Sister Ward

I testify that the Restored gospel of Jesus Christ truly does change lives!

Dear Family,

This week I hit my 18 month mark. We call them click days here in the WVCM.  And that was a real weird feeling. I can hardly believe it's been that long. And the days keep getting faster. I'm not a particularly sentimental person, but it's been an emotional week. 

DM is continuing to blossom in the gospel- he's the one flying to church next week. I firmly believe that his amazing progress is all due to his amazing, self-assigned fellowshipper. Brother C. is literally his new best friend. He stops by to check on him throughout the week, gives him rides to church and activities, goes around introducing him to everyone at church, and shares his testimony with him frequently. D. was on date for baptism, the 28th, but the zone leaders said he needs to be tobacco free for longer, so it has to be moved back a few weeks. I'm sad that I won't be here to witness his baptism, but I know that's not what's important. When I look back and see how much his life has changed over the last 3 months, my heart soars. He went from being a "backslidin'" alcoholic with little purpose to life to the man on fire he is today. I testify that the Restored gospel of Jesus Christ truly does change lives! 

We went on two exchanges this week. Which was so exhausting and fun all at the same time. Sister K., from Morgantown, came here and spent the day in Fairmont with me. It was a happy reunion, we met for the first time 17 months ago on her first day in the mission. I learned so much from her about following the Spirit, and being constantly in tune with it's promptings. She has done so much good during her mission with that ability. I also was able to go to the Cheat River area with Sister Gale. She was a friend from early on in the mission, too! I have been grateful for the chance to get to know and work with all the sisters here. It truly has been the people that have taught me the most on my mission, and I will be forever changed by my interactions with them.

I ate escargot this week! One of our investigators was talking about how she tried it from a local restaurant, and we couldn't think of a better refreshment to bring to district meeting, so we went and got some to take. We made all the elders try it first before we told them what it was. They didn't buy it when we told them it was squirrel brain (which, believe it or not, is a local delicacy) They all did, to their credit! 

Well, stay tuned one more week, folks. It's the last home stretch, and will fly right by. Next Pday is Wed :) 

Love, 

Sister Ward

I know that the Lord loves every lost sheep, and that he sends us out as true under shepherds to help bring them back.

Hey Family! 

How are ya'll doing??  This week has been amazing here. A little frigid, but it's warmed up some, thankfully. 

Last night we had a Christmas missionary devotional at the good ol' Fairmont ward. It was based off of #LIGHTtheWORLD. It turned out awesome. We also had our December Zone Conference. I feel like all we've been doing lately in meetings. Unfortunately, I was dealing with a small bout of food poisoning again that day, so it was not as enjoyable as usual. I'm so excited to only eat Dad's sanitary food again!

Brother Morgan is officially one of my favorites! After our lesson with him this week, he asked us if we had a while to help him with something. And then we helped him wrap all the Christmas gifts for his grandkids! It was so fun! He is also progressing amazing! He says that the "scales of darkness have fallen from [his] eyes" and he is anxiously preparing for baptism on Dec 28th. Pray for him, that he will be able to overcome his smoking addiction this week! 

I was able to witness a sacred experience at church yesterday. Our investigator, Bobbie, has a mother, Sharon, who is a less active member, who is not on our church's records. We assumed the people at church knew nothing about her. So when she and Bobbi came to church this week, we were surprised when she recognized a sweet, old wheelchair bound lady in the congregation. It was a member that had been part of the ward she was baptized into decades ago. This woman is also her current visiting teacher! Visiting teachers are women assigned to befriend and teach and love other women in our church. We didn't even know she had a visiting teacher! And so this wonderful member has been sending her cards every month for who knows how long. And so Sharon went up to her and asked, "Do you know who I am?" and Sister Fetty responded, "No, who are you?" "You send me cards every month!!" And Sister Fetty gasped and threw up her hands and started crying, "You're one of my people!! Which one?!" These two women were so excited to see each other, and the spirit and the love in the room was palpable, even to an onlooker. I know that the Lord loves every lost sheep like Sharon, and that he sends us out as true under shepherds to help bring them back. To Sister Fetty, sending each card all those months with no response, no sign of progress, probably seemed like a fruitless task. But over time, and with the help of the Spirit of the Lord, those cards had a huge impact on Sharon. And the work is well underway to bringing her back. 

I love ya'll! Have a good one!

Sister Ward

If we choose to follow Christ, to live as he does, and always remain worthy of the Holy Ghost, people are able to see the difference it make in our lives!

Dear Family,

It has been a completely fabulous week! I have loved pretty much every single second of it.

Brother S. got baptized this week! It was an amazing service, the spirit was so strong, and basically every missionaries' dream come true! 

We also started teaching an amazing family yesterday! We had met the wife, Jordan, while we were tracting a few weeks ago, and we were finally able to catch her home and teach her family yesterday. When we first walked in the door, her husband, Parker, gave us one look, and got super excited to see us. He grew up in Ghana, and knew lots of Mormons there. He told us the people he knew who had joined the church had changed lives afterwards, how they were better, more successful people. And then he started telling us how he lived with a Mormon family in Elkins 5 years ago, and how they had influenced him tremendously. It was such a testimony to me that people truly are always watching us, and that the light of our example shines so much farther than we realize. If we choose to follow Christ, to live as he does, and always remain worthy of the Holy Ghost, people are able to see the difference it make in our lives!  Parker was even able to visit the temple in Accra, and said it was the most beautiful building in all of Ghana.  We are so excited to keep teaching them! 

I love you all! Have a great week! 

Sister Ward​

We RISE IN MIGHT when we w a t c h a n d p r a y!

Dear Family,

This week has been absolutely fabulous!! 

We had an amazing mission tour with Elder Peter Meurs of the Quorum of the Seventy before Thanksgiving, and had a special leadership conference with him the next day. Which meant that we spent Monday night to Wed night in Charleston.There were many things I learned, and I won't even try to tell you all of them. But one thing I am so grateful for is the service and sacrifice of the ordinary saints who accept extraordinary calls to serve in church leadership positions. They truly give up so much, and dedicate their lives to our good. I learned so much from our conference. One of the main highlights for me was when we sang "Hope of Israel" and discussed the lyrics. The chorus goes,

 "Hope of Israel, RISE IN MIGHT!! 

 With the sword of truth and right. 

Sound the war cry, w a t c h  a n d  p r a y  

Vanquish every foe today." 

I loved how Elder Meurs pointed out how w. We gain the most strength and power when we seek the power of the Almighty through prayer. And the more we seek, the more we gain. Shouldn't we, then, spend significant time in prayer each week? And watching for the reply?

After the mission tour ended on Tuesday, we were like, "Well, what are we gonna do until tomorrow morning?" And so I suggested to the APs that Sister Ivory and I go do some good ole fashioned missionary work in Cross Lanes with the sisters there. And they said yes!!! The Lord answers prayers, because I prayed that I'd be able to go back before I come home! Sister Skanchy, my companion from Roanoke, also came and visited Fairmont with her parents, and we were able to see her, so that was nice. Basically, it's been a trip down memory lane this week! 

I love you all! I ate 4 turkey dinners. I paced a little better this year, so that was good. But I still don't want to see turkey again until next November.

Love,

Sister Ward

I know that the message I share everyday with people is true, and I know that once a person hears it, they will never be the same again.

Dear family and friends,

Can you believe it's Thanksgiving???? Isn't that just the craziest thing ever? I can't believe it. 

And on top of that it snowed this week for the first time!! It was like 70 degrees on Friday, then miserable and rainy on Saturday, and then there was snow when we woke up on Sunday morning. Time to break out the fleece lined tights. And the Christmas CDs. (Actually, we already did that. A month ago :)) 

We've had a great short week-it's been full of miracles. Brother Sollars went to the stake priesthood meeting last Sunday, and during our lesson Thursday, he kept telling us how much he liked it, and how he felt he fit right in, and how excited he is for his upcoming baptism. I am so excited for him, too! 

Last Tuesday was one of those days when I'm like, "Why can't every day be like today?" We started teaching 2 new people and were pretty much running from appointment to appointment all day. It was great! 

One of the ladies we met and started teaching, Ella, is amazing! She has a son who is a Mormon, now, and so she loves the missionaries. But she is really worried about what her family is going to think about her learning from us. We had a really neat conversation with her about putting God first, even above family. 

One of our investigators, Clint, is a lovely Jamaican fellow. And he cooks! Jamaican food, too. So we had Jamaican barbecue on Saturday! It was amazing. It's one of the many reasons we love him! 

So tonight we're going down to Charleston to stay there for the next few days. Elder Meurs (he spoke at the last general conference) is coming for a mission tour, and I am so excited! I always feel refocused and lifted spiritually after meetings like these. It'll be a great was to start the week. Then on Wednesday, we're having an special MLC with him, so we're staying down there for that. Then, it's Thanksgiving on Thursday! Basically, we're not going to get squat done this week in our area, but I'm sure it will work out! 

So this week I spent some good quality time reading in the Gospels in the New Testament. I came across this little parable that I really, really liked. It's the parable of the seed growing secretly. In it, a man sows a seed, and then goes about working on other things and sleeping, and all the while, the seed grows, but he knows not how. And one day he comes back and the full corn is ready to harvest, so he grabs his sickle. When I go out and teach the gospel, it plants seeds, but that's about all I can do. No matter how good a teacher I may be, I can't build faith in a person or give them a testimony. Only they and the Lord himself have the power to make it grow. So we get to plant, and then come back for the harvest. The real heavy lifting happens between them and the Lord. It takes a lot of faith, sometimes, to walk away and work on other projects, but the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is a living, vibrant seed. Under the right conditions, it absolutely, without fail, will grow and develop. This week we got a phone call from Jon, who we had stopped teaching a few weeks ago. He previously wasn't willing to make commitments, so we had to walk away for a while. But this week, he called us, wanting to start lessons again. All the while, the seed has been growing inside him. I know that the message I share everyday with people is true, and I know that once a person hears it, they will never be the same again. There is something new in there, trying to grow. 

I love you all! And I'm so excited to see ya'll again someday!

Love you to the moon!

Sister Ward

Hey, God loves you!

Dear Family,

This week has been a blessed one. I am so lucky to be a missionary, and have this amazing opportunity. Since this week marks the beginning of my last transfer as a called and set apart servant of the Lord, I've been slightly more sentimental than usual. I'm so grateful for all of the experiences I've had-both joyful and disappointing, soul stretching and easy as breathing, hard and fun. It has been the best 17 months!!

David came to church for the first time, and had a wonderful experience. It was the Primary program, where the kids give the service, and it is always super cute, sweet, and spiritual. (And slightly nuts. David contributed to the chaos with a few unexpected "AMEN!!"s. It was oh so West Virginian) Church was especially special for him because he loves his grandkids, and won't be able to see them again in the foreseeable future. 

We went on exchanges! Sister Sackett came down here, and we had an awesome time!! We did a fair amount of tracting that day, and it was surprisingly effective. Usually it's... eh. Afterwards she said it made her want to go and tract out her area! Which is good, because the goal was to help them tune their finding skills. 

We also had an awesome lesson with Amber! She hadn't gotten too far in her Book of Mormon reading, because she was having a hard time understanding the ye's and yea's and thee's. So we read the Book of Mormon with her. And a miracle happened. She got hooked! We had only planned on reading 1 Nephi 3 with her, but right after we finished she plowed right on ahead in to chapter 4, and then said we couldn't leave until we read at least 5 with her. The scriptures really are a page turner.  And the converting power of the Book of Mormon is real. We're up to Helaman 9 now, and the time I spend reading is my favorite part of our study time every morning. It's also super cool how it can always apply to our life, in one way or another. 

Well I love ya'll! Talk to you in a few! 

Sister Ward