July 21, 2014 -- Having the Same Birthday As Your Companion Is Fun!

​Fun Birthday party with the Stricklands!  Specially homeade Andes mint and "heavenly hash".  Cake is great.

Hola Familia!

This week was greeeeaatt! 

 Last p-day we had a day in Maryville again so we didnt have time to eat so we went straight to work that night and were blessed for that, the Lord helped us find several new investigators! 

On P-day when we went to a Christmas-themed Denny's...
Only in Pigeon Forge!

Wednesday Sister Crapo, (Olympus Alumni!) came here to Seymour with me.  We didn't really know each other back in our days at OHS (she's a year older), but we couldn't stop talking about people we both knew.  It was great fun.  While we were eating lunch, the House's (who we live with) dog started acting really strangely, so we called Sister House, and she said it'd be ok.  So we went out to work.  We were able to have a lesson with Averie and Joel and we teamed up with Sister Law from the ward, we taught them the Restoration again.  It was SO good!  Their three kids sat quietly and listened which was unusual, and Joel and Averie had really good questions, it was fabulous.  At the end, Sister Law bore her testimony of Joseph Smith, and she said she loves the story because it's proof that we can personally and directly ask our Heavenly Father things, and He can answer through revalation.  The Spirit was very strong in the room.  I just love them!

So I've been telling you that Raisa's been struggling.  But we've been fasting and praying for
her, not knowing how to handle the situation.  While on exchanges, Sister Strickland called us and told us she wanted us to go with her to teach Raisa.  At first I was a little hesitant, but the Spirit said GO! So we adjusted our plans and went.  It was a good lesson, and we finally committed her to come to church and talk with the bishop.  Thank goodness that the Lord knows and prompts and inspires members of the ward to do things!

We ended the exchange teaching a lady named Rose who loves bluegrass music (yes we hit it off!) and eating at buffalo Wild Wings with some members.  It was just great.  That night, Sister Malloy and I found the House's dog having seizures and we watched him die a very sad death.  :(  He's in a happier place though!  

​Here she is, the famous Nikki!  She is so excited to get baptized it's great!

On Friday we had District Meeting, Hermana Malloy and I trained on Finding with the Spirit, which was fun to really learn and work on Spanish. That day we also got to teach a great lesson with Nikki and to teach Tiffany (a young woman who's the only member in her family and asked for us to teach her the lessons, she's so cute!) and then had dinner with the Figueroas, our favorite Honduran members.  After dinner we talked about Eternal families and the how relationships we have with our Heavenly Father are like those we have her on earth, and after we sang "Eternas Pueden ser las familias", one of my favorites.  I can just feel how dedicated they are and there is a beautiful spirit about their attitude towards the church.

Saturday was a busy day, we ran around teaching lessons with Scarleth, a young women who teams up with us, and had dinner with Lisbeth who gave us both scarfs as a birthday present.  Last night ever of being a teenager.

​We love these members the Trapps! They're leaving us to Florida too.

OUR BIRTHDAY was fabulous!  We woke up and had a mini celebration, I opened my Nauvoo package that I just loved! I have enough Nauvoo memorabilia to last me a lifetime!  Particularly, the Vocal Point CD was exactly the one I was fixin to buy, and the cards made me cry, they were all so great. thanks family.  We went to church with the Glatz who gave Margaret a ride, and had a wonderful time at church, although a bit stressed feeling like we had three children there with Nikki, Margaret, then Raisa too. The only hard thing was finding out that the White's, a young couple who moved in just a few months ago, and who are AWESOME, got a job in Salt Lake and are moving! That was heartbreaking, but now I guess I know what its like for members when missionaries change.

Decorating the cake.
It tasted as good as it looks.

But after church we went to Sister Strickland's house for dinner for our birthdays.  She made us an amazing dinner and two cakes, which were delicious.  Her grandkids are some of the smartest, cutest kids so it was the perfect combination of great times and company!  I love feeling Spirit-filled homes on my mission.  We went back to our house to plan when all of a sudden Sister Saas, another member called and told us she'd made us a cake and she needed us to come celebrate, and so we consented and went and had more cake.

​On Monday we went to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg
with Sister Glatz.  She's super sweet.

Also, earlier today, Sister Glatz took Sister Malloy up to Gatlinburg to treat us to a birthday gift,and she bought us both Vera Bradley purses. It was too sweet, we were definetely spoiled!

Been learning a lot recently out of True to the Faith: I just LOVE that book! Y'all should read it.  

I am wayyy excited though to get back to work!  It will be a busy week with preparing for the baptism on Saturday, teaching everyone, masterfully spreading out our miles to be effective for the rest of the month, and on Saturday we'll find out what Sister we're getting in a week and a half when this companionship will be a treee-o.

OK I felt very undeserving of all that love through video from Nauvoo, thank you so much!  Even the people who didnt even know who I was, it meant a lot to me.

Miss you and love y'all. UGGGGH my cameras out of battery so I'll send pictures next week.

Love, 

Mads