Sister Alie Falkner's Washington Tacoma Mission: The work goes forth in Olympia 4th :]

Hello everyone!!! So I am now in Olympia 4th ward and I LOVE it here!!! It is VERY different being put here because this is the first time I have come into an area and there was actually already work going on. It’s strange to me! But it’s kind of nice! We already have like 10 progressing investigators and we had a baptism Saturday. It’s crazy! I am so used to being put in slow areas and having to make the best of it, so this is all so strange to me! But no complaints!! I like it and the ward seems so sweet! This week we had some serious rain! I think it rains more in the southern part of the mission because I never had this much rain in the North (this is my first time serving on the southern side of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.) we were tracting this week and we were DRENCHED!!!!!!! I hung my coat in the closet to dry and it took two days!! Every single layer of my clothes was soaked and it was so cold! It is around the 40's here but with all the rain and wind chill I feel like I am back in Rexburg in January. Haha it’s chilly. This ward is really great and because there is so much work going on here, the ward has 2 sets of missionaries now. We have Sister Palmer and I and a set of Elders. Elder Bing and Elder Johnson. Elder Johnson is from Herriman and lives around the corner from Joe (from teraflex) he loves jeeps so we have some good conversations. It’s fun to have someone that actually understands!! :] anyways, it’s very interesting sharing a ward but I like it, we work really well together and we have been giving the Elders some of our investigators and things are starting to play out the way they should be! It’s really great!! So, Sister Palmer is my new companion. She is the sweetest thing!!! Here’s the funny thing... She is from Sandy Utah.... weird huh??? hahaha she graduated from Brighton in 2011 (the same year as me) and she knows some of the kids I went to middle school with! It’s fun! She is so sweet and has been out for a little over a month! She is doing great though and the ward loves her, as do I!!! I want you all to know how much the Lord knows what He is doing! I have already found my reason for being here in this ward at this time. His name is Dwayne. Dwayne is the Husband to Suzi and she has been meeting with the sisters for a little over a month now. She is incredible and is going to be baptized January 1st. Dwayne has never sat in on the lessons with suzi but he believes in God and wants to do things his way and in his time. The first time we went over there I asked him if he would ever have the desire to be baptized by proper authority and he said "one day" then we chatted for a bit, but when we wanted to start the lesson he stood up to leave. I asked him to stay just for the prayer and he did, his wife Suzi said that was a huge step for him, so that was cool. I didn't think much of it but the next time we went over there we brought the elders because Dwayne said he might like to meet with the Elders. all four of us went in and started visiting with them and Dwayne was about to leave, I told him that he wanted elders and I brought him elders and that it would be rude of him to leave, so he agreed to sit in for the lesson. (HUGE MIRACLE) I asked if we could begin with me offering an opening prayer and he sarcastically said NO so I told him if I couldn't then he would have to, and he didn't like the idea of that so he let me say the prayer. The cool part about Dwayne is that I catch on to his little tricks and sarcasm really well and I challenge it, he has gone through some passive missionaries before and never been challenged so this is good for him. Anyways! We had a great lesson and the spirit was so strong, he began to tear up and said he had to go so we wrapped up and said a kneeling prayer before he left. He promised to be at church the next day, which made me so happy!! Dwayne didn't come to church Sunday but he had a good enough reason, Suzi worked him too hard the day before with moving around furniture and he hurt his back, but she came up to me and told me that later that night he told her that he has needed someone to challenge him and that he wants to get back into church!! Yay!!! I love him, I don't even know if this story made any sense because when I get excited I tend to ramble, but Dwayne has a spot in my heart and I am so excited for the little steps he is taking!!! :] I love you all! Oh and Allison, from Silverdale got baptized this Friday!!! I didn't get to go, but I know it was great! I love her so much! That's all.
Love, Sister Falkner

Me and Sister Palmer