Everybody!
FINALLY!! P-DAY HAS ARRIVED!!! (we have them on Mondays, and it was killing me to not be able to email at all in such a long time! Or even check my mail for that matter) :)
How is everyone?!?! Gosh, I LOOOOOOVE it here!!! The other day we reached a high of 115*! Luckily it cools down at night to an average of 103*... I'm really grateful for that. And as bad as I normally handle heat, the Lord has blessed me immensely in helping my body acclimate. I feel great, and riding my bike in 110* weather doesn't feel too bad! It's crazy!
And yes, send me packages to my apartment. They can't forward packages from the mission home... I'd have to wait 6 weeks to get it if you sent it there. If no one is home in our apartment when they come to drop it off they take it to the front desk. They're super nice up there :) (Thank you!)
Hats ARE allowed, and President said that the one we found at the mall would be great. I want to be stylish and protected from the sun! Oh and please send me more of our family's addresses! Especially Dad's side. I don't have them!
Okay: Story time.....
The morning we flew into A we were picked up by Pres. and Sister H. They are awesome! We had brunch, training, dinner at a member's house (REAL FOOD!), and then we split up and stayed at other members' houses. Sister P. and I stayed with a cute old lady. She made us breakfast... gosh, she was sweet :)
So Wednesday morning we went back to the mission home, had more training, and then us greenies went and met our new companions! I've been assigned to the T area, and my companion's name is Sister M.. She's so super cute and nice! She's so awesome! She's from Canada and has been here for a year! She says that our area is the best! And I believe it! We packed up my stuff into our car (WE GOT A CAR!), loaded up my bike and went to our place.
It's just Sister M and I at our apartment; it's a 1-room, super cute place. Really nice apartment complex. So I unpacked a little and then we went off on our bikes to stree-contact and meet people and share our message! I was nervous to go up to random strangers and talk, but it got easy!
............I've also mastered riding a bike in a skirt.............
Already we have TONS of investigators! I can't even BEGIN to tell you about them all! And we keep finding new ones! I'll just tell you about a miracle we had last night....
So we've picked up four new investigators this week and already have two baptisms planned since I arrived! GAAA!!!! It's AMAZING!!!! Yesterday at church was crazy. We hit four wards, and EVERYONE wanted to stop and talk to us. It was wonderful to get to know so many great members. They love us and feed us a ton! WOOF! But as crazy as yesterday was in trying to get our investigators to church, I wanted to find one more person we could start teaching..." just one more investigator, Heavenly Father, please..."
So after dinner at a member's house, we went to a park to street-contact. We felt inspired to try a referral's house again and see if he was home (we'd been referred to go teach someone but no one was ever able to get a hold of him). As we drove up to his house the lights were off. It was getting late, and I didn't think anyone was home. As we walked up to the door we heard a woman in the drive-port. It was too dark to see her; only her cigarette was visible. She told us to come over. She's a woman with a funny, sassy attitude. She was really nice, and we asked her about Anthony, our referral, and told her who we were and who we represented. She got quiet and I felt prompted to ask if she had any interest in what we had to teach her.
She puffed her cigarette, stood up, and looked me in the face and said... "Girl, I've been waiting my whole life for someone to tell me God and I can have a personal relationship.... how does Tuesday sound...?"
My prayers had been answered!!! We went with her to the front of the house where there was light, and she told us that if she hadn't been told to go outside by the Lord to have a break and smoke (well...I don't know if He told her THAT...lol), that she would have never let us in or let us talk to her. We have scheduled to meet on Tuesday and she is SOOO excited to hear about the Gospel!
I've had so many experiences like this since Wednesday.... I wish I had more time to tell you about EVERY blessing I've seen out in this field. I know that Heavenly Father hears and ANSWERS our prayers. He doesn't always answer right away, and most of the time it's not in the way we expect it to be. But if you just pray for miracles, they do happen.
The love I have for these people is astounding... I pass someone on the street and all I see is who they truly are: A son or daughter of our Heavenly Father. And I can't help but open my mouth and tell them I'm a representative of Jesus Christ; a missionary, and to give them a pass-along card. It's not awkward, and the majority of the time people really are nice (granted there ARE those that mock and scorn, and TRY to intimidate, but I have the Lord on my side; why should they bother me?)
I know the Lord loves His children so much. When we do what we're supposed to He will surely send us blessings. I feel so blessed to be out here. I just want to thank everyone who made it possible for me to come on my mission. The other day I was eating my miracle-whip, turkey, cheddar sandwich I made for lunch, and I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude that I was able to buy my groceries, live in a cute apartment, have a bike, and be out here in the middle of the desert to serve the Lord because of all of YOU.
I love you all so much. Every day I see so many wonderful things, and I know they're all from the Lord. I love my Savior, and I love my Heavenly Father, and I love that He sent you all to me in my life.
I just love my mission. Thank you for making it possible.
HURRAH! HURRAH! HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!! :D
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