Sister Catherine Aldous, July and August 2013

Hello, Everyone!

Catherine has just been transferred to Philomath, OR which is a 15-minute drive west from Corvallis, at the north end of the mission boundaries. Philomath means "lover of learning," and got this name because a small college was here in the 1800s. Its population is 4,000-something. 

The Aldouses will appreciate that yesterday I received an email from a member in Philomath who is a first cousin of Catherine's grandfather. Her mother was June's sister Beth. It was a large family with a big age span, so we never knew about this lady, but she recognized Catherine's last name and asked her about it. I have included her picture, which also has Catherine's new companion, Sister Levy from Tahiti.

Here are some updates from Catherine. News from transfers this week:

"I will be serving in PHILOMATH!!! (pronounced fill-low'-muth) The Coquille Ward YW leader said, 'Where in the Philomath is Philomath?' It's by Corvalis, at the northern end of the mission. Still pretty rural. No Walmart. But it does have a McDonald's, which Coquille did not.

"President Young said that I will be Sister Levy's (pronounced Livy) companion for six weeks, and then I will stay in Philomath and train next transfer. So I need to get to know the ward and the area. Sister Levy is from Tahiti! She's on her last transfer. I will meet her later today. One of the Roseburg sisters just came from Philomath. She said the bishop is a Navy Seal. He can't tell people where he goes on business trips, and sometimes he comes back with random bandages. President Young said the Philomath ward has the most youth of any ward in the mission. The district leader and his companion share the ward with us. I know that President Young has the spirit of revelation when he assigns missionaries to areas and companionships. I trust that, and I am excited to see what happens this transfer."

In July/Aug in Coquille:

"I love, love, love the OEM. I love the Youngs, I love the other missionaries. I love the people. I love my companion. I love the ward."

"I am getting certified to drive mission vehicles this week. Sister Adair says that might mean I will train or be the senior companion soon. Or at any rate, the mission wants me to be available to be useful to them. I have a driver education computer course to go through today. Haha. Maybe my days hopping in and out of the car to help with backing will be over soon. (It is a rule for the junior companion to get out and make sure their companion does not back into anyone or anything.) Missionaries drive and park funny to avoid needing to back. It might have a permanent effect on my driving.

"By the way, some people around here say "Warshington." (Mostly the older generation who is actually from there. I would never do it.) Everyone local says 'Cooz Bay.' I feel smug when I sound local. I'm not quite sure the context of this comment, but I just heard an old timer in the library declare: 'Coquille, Oregon. They do things the Coos County way.' Whatever that is.

"We have some great new investigators this week: a mom and two children who were introduced to us by a member! And the member is very involved with our contact with them. It's straight from the Work of Salvation broadcast. How amazing. Also, we started teaching the woman who pumps our gas. We had our initial contact with her over a month ago, but it is finally starting to get going. She had a tender connection with the picture of Christ's suffering in Gethsemane during the church tour we gave her.

"This has been a special week for me to come to know Jesus Christ. Sister Adair and I helped an investigator through a difficult week as she is trying to quit smoking so she can be baptized next month.  On one particular day, she was really discouraged, and we weren't able to meet with her in person because she lives an hour away from us. But we shared a lesson with her over the phone. We read Alma 7:11-13. As I testified that Jesus Christ has felt temptations of every kind, the Holy Spirit filled my heart with the assurance that what I was teaching her is true. I tasted of the pure love and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that He is mighty to save. I know that He is in control of what happens. I love Him. I am honored to pray in His powerful name and to serve Him as a disciple."

Catherine's experience with summer in Oregon:

"Berry season is in full swing, and Queen Anne's Lace is everywhere. It is the most charming thing ever that Sister Adair and I can pause in our tracting to eat blackberries that grow wild on the side of the road. They taste just as good as cultivated ones, and they're everywhere. A member made us blackberry cobbler from berries that had grown wild a few hours before.

"We went to Gold Beach to help with the Curry County fair table for our church. The drive between Bandon and Gold Beach is stunning. The view over the cliffs to the ocean made us keep exclaiming. It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. The water sparkles. The stacks are intriguing. The hills above the waves are thick with textured trees. The birds swoop to the surface of the water. I could gaze over the ocean for hours."

The mission had a "trek" in which they worked extra hard the week of Pioneer Day in July. These are the mission results:

Total Hours Tracting - 789

New Investigators - 287
Copies of the Book of Mormon passed out - 859
Restoration Pamphlets passed out - 1024
Mormon .org cards passed out - 3199

                      

Part of letter to Pres. Young:

The Lord is blessing this area. I see so much growth, so many softened hearts, and so many miracles. It is a privilege to witness it. The trek will have an impact on the rest of my mission. It helped me to be much more open with sharing the Book of Mormon with people on the spot. It helped me to talk with everyone. It helped Sister Adair and me to make better goals.
I caught the vision of what the people I teach can do with this gospel. We were talking to an investigator who will be baptized within a few weeks. She has become a very dear friend as we have taught her these past months. I told her that I would be coming back to see her with my parents after my mission. She said that she might need to get out to Utah one of these days. When she said that, I suddenly realized that we would be able to go to the temples in Utah together to do baptisms for our ancestors. I got so excited. She will be my sister in the gospel forever, able to participate in all the blessings that I have. And her decision to be baptized will eventually allow her ancestors access to the ordinances of the temple. This work is amazing.