OPEN YOUR MOUTH and MOVE YOUR FEET!

This week has been a whirlwind. Full of ups and downs and all sorts of other things. I will try and answer your questions, but it is hard to remember everything! First off thank you for the package Mama, I loved it and I needed it. It was such a tender mercy! 

So I will give you the update on the work. Right now our area is booming. It is the highest baptizing ward in the mission, which can be super overwhelming. We spend most of our days contacting potential investigators and less actives and we don't really knock doors. Our most effective form of finding people is just talking to everyone everywhere we are all the time, and biking.

Rocking the Bike Helmet

Which is fun, but also very hot and sweaty. There are a ton of refugees here, like I said, so we teach a lot of different people, and often they don't keep appointments, but we keep working. I apologize in advance if any of this is a repeat...I can't remember what I have or have not told you guys! 

Right now we are most excited about teaching this family. I think I told you last week that the Mama's name was Shanice, but we are such doinks and her name is actually Sharyce!

She is the mother of 7 crazy, but beautiful children, and she is so prepared. I guess Sister Smith and her comp taught her a few weeks back and then didn't see her for a while. We went to visit her and she told us she was reading the BOM with her kids every night, which is AMAZING. All 7 of them! We have taught her a few times since then and she has come to church twice. And we have tried our hardest to entertain the kids twice...which is a struggle like you already know. This week they got to go to primary though and they were so excited. They really enjoyed it and everyone seemed so happy! They were very welcomed because our ward is stellar! So all in all that was a good experience. She is set to be baptized July 9th with two of her kids, so we will see! Prayers prayers prayers! They could be the most amazing forever family! 

We are also teaching a man named Steven who is like 60 and hispanic. He is having trouble understanding why we are the only true church, so that is what we are working on, but he has a strong desire to know and I am sure he will get his answer. He has come to church several times and is also set for July 9th. More prayers! His wife drives him to church, but doesn't want to meet with us, so we are trying to find him some friends in the ward for him and his wife to have dinner with. 

Rita is another investigator and I think, if I remember right, she is from Liberia. She has two children and they are darling.

She works so much, so she hasn't come to church, but she wants to be baptized so badly. And she wants her children to be raised in the church. She is currently living with her boyfriend, and feels guilty about it, so we are working on either getting them married or helping her move out and move on. So pray for that! Funny story, we went over there to teach last night and the American Cup final game was on....OH MY GOODNESS TEMPTATIONS. It took everything in me to avert my gaze. I wanted to watch it so badly.....but blessings from obedience right? I sure hope so. Maybe let me know how it ended if you have the chance?  Haha 

We are teaching some other potentials right now, but those are the most solid and the ones we are most excited about. But of course we are excited about everyone we teach because this gospel is stinking true! And they need to come unto Christ. 

Also some other funny thoughts.... everyone here has no teeth and a dog and a church and football. Haha honestly it is the strangest place ever and I could not love it more. The members are incredible and they love us so, so much.

Octavius who calls me "silent GT"

One of our recent converts calls me "silent GT" which is rad. So let's hold on to that! And a lady in our ward looks exactly like Edna Mode. I kid you not. I am waiting for her to start wacking me with a newspaper and scream "Pull yourself together!" 

Also my comp doesn't know how to cut a pineapple, and we almost had bed bugs this week, and she steals all of my clothes. I think we are going to be great friends forever! 

Missions are the most interesting thing... I have never experienced anything quite like it and it is hard to put into words. One moment you are beyond happy and cannot imagine yourself anywhere else, the next you are discouraged and feel like you aren't helping anyone, then you're homesick and would die to have some of your Mama's cooking, then you're on some spiritual high because you got an answer to a prayer that you desperately needed, then you're confused and exhausted and the cycle starts all over again. But what is so incredible about it is that every night you drag yourself up the stairs, into your apartment, your legs sore, your head hurting, and you drop to your knees to pray. And while you pray you have the utmost confidence that you gave it everything you had. Then as you hear the words come out you are quickly reminded that it wasn't you at all, not even 1% of what you did was a result of you or your own abilities. The Lord carried you through, he led you to those you needed to see, he protected you and watched over you, he gave you the words to say, and the conviction to say it with. All you did was move your feet and open your mouth. And life is like that. Ups and downs all the time, some days suck, and some days rock, but when you rely on the Lord and understand that the Atonement is what keeps you going, then you are given the strength and the courage to continue. You just gotta keep moving your feet and opening your mouth. 

3 Nephi 18:25 "I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me that you might feel and see." 

Love you all!