July 6, 2014

This week was so crazy!!!!
First we met our new mission president. He and his wife are super nice and we are so excited to have them here. They are from Orem, President and Sister Mangum. I am looking forward to getting to know him better. He gave us some council that was really helpful. One thing that he shared with me has really been stuck in my head. He said don't cheat your family or those around you of the blessing of the gospel. So meaning that I need to do all I can everyday to help others to receive the blessings that they deserve. Just something to think about. It made me work super hard and our hard work paid off this week. Normally we teach about on average 15 lessons a week. We taught 23 this week!!! We are so tired but so grateful to be a part of this great work. Hard work really pays off. We have a baptism this week and one coming up on Aug 2. The harder you work out here, the more you will see the Lord doing his work.
We had a giant storm the other night., It started with Rain and then some crazy lighting and thunder and wind came into the mix. We were soaked from head to toe and we were told to go home early from our Zone leader. It was so bad we had a brown out (the power went out). We lit some candles and it was all fun until we had to go to bed. IT WAS SOOOO HOT because we didnt have our electric fans. But the power finally came back at about 12:30. It sure was a fun adventure.
Another funny thing. My watch that we bought before I left totally died on me. SO my companion bought me a new one for my bday and I just threw the old one out. We were at the 7/11 a week or two later taking a water break and I looked out the window and one of the homeless boys had my watch on his wrist! Seriously! It was so funny. That is what the little kids do. They go through the trash to find food and other things of value. It is really sad, but that is life here.
We found a family to teach this last week. The mom is less active and only their oldest son is a member so we are working on the other 3 kids and the dad. The dad has kidney problems and is super week. There family is so great. The thing with the dad is that he says I just need Jesus in my heart...Wrong my friend. We have to do. We invited him to read the Book of Mormon and he said he would try because when he reads he gets a headache. We promised him he wouldn't have a headache if he read. We went back and he read two chapters and didn't have a headache at all when he read. Wow, miracle right there. And their little girl really wants to be baptized. She came to church and asked where the place was that we baptize at the church. It was super cute. All the kids read the Book of Mormon story books we gave them. They really are progressing. Teach them, I realize that I am here to help families so they can be together forever and also my family in the future. I have learned so much that is going to help my marriage and my future family. But also my family now. I look forward to coming closer to Brooke and really just being her friend and being the sister I should have been before the mission.
One last thing. I have come to absolutely love the Book of Mormon! In my patriarchal blessing it tells me that I will be student of the scriptures and I see that coming true from serving a mission. I love the Book of Mormon. I have learned so much and I continue to learn every day even if I have read it a lot. I know this would not have happened without the mission. Our old mission president gave us a Book of Mormon challenge. We first read the Book of Mormon and look for things about repentance, then atonement, and then faith. You should do this mom. Just get a paper back BOM and have one color for repentance and the others. You will learn so much more and see how they all come together. I am almost done with repentance then I will start atonement.
The language is almost there!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe 2 months and I will have it.