HEllo :)
This was a great week. Let me tell you why.
Firsttttt of all KADE AND TAYLOR ARE ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!! THAT'S SO CRAZY!!!!!!! Oh my gosh that is so awesome, I just about fell off my chair when I read it! Haha, it's always the biggest shock in the world when you hear about your friends getting married. I need an announcement for sure! Is there any way you could ask Taylor her address for me? I've actually been thinking about her a ton on my mission and have really wanted to write her for a really long time now. AHHhhh tell Steve and Lisa I say congrats!!!!
Conference. I really liked Neil L. Anderson's talk about not only "What think ye of Christ?" but, "What thinks Christ of me?" I need to reflect more on my love for the Savior, how I show it, and how I can grow it.
Yesterday at conference we saw a man who my companion just happened to contact at a gas station and invited to attend conference. He came, and he LOVED it! We introduced him to the elders who would teach him and got him a Book of Mormon. It was such an awesome moment for us missionaries to all be standing there talking to him after the last session and bearing our testimonies that he was feeling the Spirit enlighten him and watch him grab his own Book of Mormon from our hands. It's always a funny, awkward situation when a bunch of missionaries are standing around an investigator and he is talking about being interested in coming back and learning more. Everyone wants to jump in and explain everything and bear testimony but at the same time we're all just awestruck at that awesome moment when someone is realizing the gospel is what they want. It was a sweet experience. I probably looked dumb haha, I couldn't wipe this huge smile off my face the whole time he was talking about how he loved conference and wanted to learn more. I was just so happy, it was such a sweet moment.
Soooo, things are going great. This area is really hard, apparently. There hasn't been any baptisms here in over a year. We REALLY want to change that and have been fasting and praying for inspiration and miracles. We've been doing a lot of finding like my last area but Sister Roberts has shown me how to take a lot of the unnecessary stress and bother out of it to make it much more productive. She is the BEST companion. She is sooooo sweet and just cracks me up. She really is the most harmless and pure spirit ever. We've already really bonded and had great memories and an enjoyable time. Hahahha she has a paralyzing fear of dogs, even little tiny chihuahuas. She's had panic attacks before on the mission from being scared by dogs, and has warned me that sometimes if there's a dog she just really can't knock the door or go in or get close enough or contact someone with a barking dog. She always grabs my arm really tight when she hears one and we have to stop. Yesterday as we were walking she spotted a big stray dog walking around and just stopped in her tracks. As she was standing behind me, she was whispering a little prayer to herself to calm down. "Querido Padre Celestial, por favor bendice que el perro es simpatico y bendicelo el perro a salir. En el nombre de JesuCristo, Amen." Dear Heavenly Father, please bless the dog to be a nice dog and please bless that it will leave." I just started laughing because it was just so funny and so cute that I really couldn't help myself. She just laughed and said "sush up." That was so journal worthy.
Saturday, as we were leaving the stake center between conference sessions to eat lunch, an old man grabbed our attention and said that we should stay, that there was a baptism going on right now. All of the missionaries there together had no idea and we all ended up staying. I was so thankful for the invitation for such a sweet experience. I'm glad he invited us, because if we hadn't filled half the room there would have been hardly anyone there. It was the baptism for a 18-year old Ryan. He was so sweet. He bore his testimony at the end about how high school was a really rough time for him, but now he knows how to find happiness and feels Heavenly Father's love for him. Baptisms are the best, watching one of Heavenly Father's children change out of His love for them and feel how proud He must be of the newest member of His Kingdom. I was so glad we got to be there.
We are fed by members EVERY NIGHT except Monday. And every day we are all fed together as a district, with all of our elders. It's really fun and I love being able to have awesome district unity and strong relationships with our partners in crime, but it's technically not really ancouraged/allowed. We're gonna talk to President and see what he says. Dinners are supposed to be the time for the two missionaries to get to know the members and help them with sharing the gospel with specific friends.
I wanted to tell you all how much I love and appreciate you for loving and supporting me enough to do things like go off on my own and serve a mission, or what have you. So many of my companion's families have emailed them soooo many times about how they miss them so much that they want them to come home. It puts so much stress on these sisters who want with all their heart to extend their mission a transfer but feel obligated to return early to make their family happy. How lame! I can't imagine how hard it must be to send away your baby that you love so much, but I can't thank you enough for having enough selfless love to encourage me in having these life-changing experiences. You are all the BEST. Thank you for the encouragement, the love, care packages, emails, letters, and support. I love you.
PS: Anyone in the family who has served a mission (you know who you are hahha), I'd LOVE to get stories!!! Now that I'm going through the same thing, your experiences mean so much more to me adn help me to know you so much better. I'd love to hear about people's stories who you baptized, funny experiences, what it was like working with other missionaries, what studies were like, schedule, all sorts.
Well I just rezlized I'm out of time but I love you all so much!!!!!
LOVE,
Kelsie :)
