double rainbows over St. Cloud

HIghlights from the week!

~ We had President interviews and President Clark is a homie as always. He always makes me feel good about myself and gives me a good pep talk.

~ We had a blast at service. Heather the coordinator loves us and lets us have whatever we want so I've gotten lots of good supplies and decorations. She also played some really good nostalgic music from the civilian days and that was a tender mercy.

~ We had exchanges on Thursday and I got to experience trio life! It's super fun! 3 times the ideas, energy and testimonies. I loved being with Sister Andrus and Skrilloff. We just knocked doors all day but it was a party and a half. It really tested my contacting skills because it's been a second since I've talked to older people...

~We taught M- this week and addressed some concerns she had about what her friends and family thought about the church. We asked her that if no one had any opinions if she'd join the church and she said yes so we got her on date! It was a really nice blessing after a longish week.

~ To top it off, we went outside and it was raining and sunny and there was the most vibrant double rainbow we'd ever seen. We felt the Lord was confirming our efforts so we stopped to dance in it for a bit.

~We had a pizza party at our clubhouse and we wanted to see if we could find some cool people. Like everyone that lives in our complex is Hispanic and were speaking spanish... But there was this one couple standing by the wall so we struck up a conversation and ended up talking to them for an hour! It was so natural and conversational it was a party. They invited us over to meet their puppy and we invited them to church! We taught them points from like all of the lessons and they were really digging it. They were a little hesitant on being taught but we hope that they think about it.

~S- almost broke up with us because she thought we were going to fast... But we told her we would go at her pace and she was ok with that. She's really so solid. She does everything we ask and has such a sincere desire to know God. We know she'll come around. 

~F- got BAPTIZED!!! It was such a good day! He was beaming. The spirit was so strong. He just expressed so much gratitude for the gospel in his life. It's so incredible to see people change. And to know that this is just the beginning. I'm so excited for him to get the priesthood and go to the temple and eventually have an eternal family. This gospel is so true.

I've also had some killer personal studies on God's love. Holy cow he loves us so much and if you don't know that, Ask him!! So much of Conference is focused on love and if you look for it, you can figure out exactly how God loves you. I challenge you all to look through all the talks and take notes on the power of God's love.

Get your own gift of the Holy Ghost!

I've never pinkwashed before but Sister Casey said that it's the best pinkwash she's had. (for those that don't know.. pinkwash is when you're both new in an area that previously had Elders) The ward is super psyched about it. Our meal calendar filled right up hahaha... so it's been good so far. We have a lot of work to do... because they were only teaching like 2 people... so we're kinda working from the bottom up. But we're hopeful!

Hilights of the week!

~We went mini golfing with the college park homies as our last hurrah and I held an alligator!! It was a party and a half!! 

~ Our apartment is the best apartment I've ever had. 2 bathrooms. Natural lighting. 2 couches. it's lacking dishes and pans but hey it looks cute.

~ The Lord has actually filled our schedule. Because the Elders neglected to weekly plan before we came so we had zero plans in our schedule... Thankfully our Ward mission leader is the best ever and gave us lots of awesome names and everyone that we've contacted has been home. Miracles. 

~ The Cute Japanese lady S-i that we're teaching prayed for the first time! We taught her twice last week. She has a less-active husband and he doesn't really speak Japanese and she doesn't really speak English. And Her in-laws are Hispanic. The member we bring speaks all 3 so I hardly know what's going on the whole time.. but She's super awesome and keeping commitments. She's gonna get baptized sometime.

~The other girl we're teaching M- is also pretty solid. She has a learning disability so she kinda struggles with comprehension of the gospel but she's super consistent and has come to church for like 3 months. She really wants to know if it's true and if it is she wants to be baptized in December. So we'll see what happens.

~We saw a chincilla and it was adorable.

~ I turned 21!!! Woooo.... So now I get to drink... Raspberry Lemonade... And sparkling cider... yeah. Gotta love me some non-alcoholic beverages.. But it was good. I made crepes for me and Sister Casey and then we weekly planned. Yay. And the cute Hermanas brought me a candy bar and a card. And I got nice emails from people. Then Chris, Warren and Blake from my last area came down and took us to dinner! It was the best. Such a good day. We came home and watched church videos and Sister Casey painted my nails. 

~ J- got baptized!! It was the best day. I got to see my people, J- was hilarious oh my goodness. She was so self conscious about how she looked in all the pictures and she's just posing the whole time. She's the most valley-girl Floridian I know... She kills me... So all of our pictures are her Tyra Banksing it. Too good. She had a really powerful experience after she was baptized she just looked different. I've never seen anyone literally glow. But her demeanor was different. She was less stressed and more joyful. She said that it was way better than she'd anticipated.. And afterwards during the Holy Ghost talk the person that was speaking gave her little gifts that represent the Holy Ghost and one was a blanket. And I got to hold it for a little bit and I was joking that I didn't want to give it back and Jessica is like "get your own gift of the holy ghost." She's a riot. She's gonna make a good member. 

Life is good. God is better. Keep me posted on all your lives because I'm just going to assume most of you are dead hahaha. Love you all!!

We proselyted a sorority...

I'm the saddest ever... I'm leaving College Park the promised land.... *Crying* I love this place with my whole heart. And the work was popping. Like crazy. I can't talk about it a lot or I get salty but I'm trying to trust the Lord and his servants and move forward to faith. I guess it's kind of a good thing that he thinks that I'm ready for another challenge? That hopefully I've accomplished my work here? I know that my life was touched forever by these people and I hope in a small way I did the same. But at least I'll be back! J-a is getting baptized on Saturday right in time for my birthday! Best present ever!! So I'll be back and we'll get to go to the temple with her.

This week was definitely very bomb. The schedule was filled and we just really enjoyed our last week together. General Conference was incredible. I loved the focus on overcoming trials and the Plan of Salvation. So many phrases were targeted just for me and gave me the courage to move on to this next portion of my mission. We have to keep an eternal perspective in all things but sometimes I just get caught up in the moment. But Conference was definitely refreshing. On a mission, it is one of the few events that we live for. You get to crave the gospel after awhile. Conference was amazing. 

Highlights of the week!

~J-a, F-, and T- all came to Conference and chilled with the homies. We had snacks and pillows and blankets. It was a party. College Park ward represented! 

~J-a had her baptismal interview and she passed!! So now I have a wonderful reason to come back on Saturday! 

~Sister Russell and I had some extra time so we decided to pray and see what we felt like and we felt impressed to get out and walk. Down Greek Park.... haha.. so we saw these sorority girls outside painting this poster and we stopped to talk to them. They were super sweet and we had a good discussion about religion! They said they were still trying to figure themselves out... But we gave them candy and a passalong card. They had a good contact with the church. Success!

~F- shared his testimony with us of how the gospel has made him a better person haha! It was adorable. He's made so much progress and is so welcomed by the ward. When Elder Uctdorf was talking about how we need investigators in the church he was just beeming. 

~ J-a is so proud to be getting baptized. She's been telling all of her 50 year old friends to come. Hahaha she's friends with all of these moms. It's hilarious. 

~KT fell in love with Elder McDonald and that was hilarious. She asked if it was her new missionary in her cute Asian accent. She said she'd dump her boyfriend if it was LOL.

~We taught an incredible Plan of Salvation lesson to J- and G-. They're dating and god's plan just resonated with them. It is my favorite thing ever to see it just click in someones mind. It is a testimony builder to me that the premortal existence is so real. 

~ We had a pancake party for M&M's and we had this random guy from our phone contacts show up. We just invited a bunch of random people and he came and loved it! They will be teaching him next week. 

~B- and T- are loving the Book of Mormon. Tyra told us she wants to visit the temple as soon as she can... We are so sad we won't be able to go with her.... one day.. 

Oh man I don't want to go.... but God has a plan and I'm trying to trust him in the best way I can. I love you all!! Tell me what your favorite talk from conference was and why!

An interesting week

This week has been an interesting one for sure! I remember very little about it but it was an emotional rollercoaster as usual. We did not have tables this week which was an adjustment. I can't decide if I missed it or not. I did not miss being in the heat but I missed talking to hundreds of chill people. We had lots of teaching to replace it though which was a blessing. We were a little worried starting the week off but the Lord filled our time like he always does. 

Some cool highlights for the week! 

~ We met some real life nuns! They were from New York and we had a joyous sister reunion.

~We had an awesome time at service this week. I love all of the old ladies at Hope Chest they are the sweetest ever. And I found a lit leather jacket that I would wear at another stage of my life.

~ Friday we had a very full packed day and it was a blessing. We hit our record with 7 appointments in one day. It was kinda nice we were so busy that we couldn't be stressed lol. But it was a really good day we ended it exhausted but satisfied.

~Saturday was a trip... Oh boy it was like the opposite of Friday. But I probably learned the most that day out of all the days that week. I learned how real the Atonement is for me. I learned what it feels like to be forgiven. I learned that there is more than one way to do missionary work. I learned that I need to accept myself where I am and look forward with faith to the things I'm not yet but that I'm becoming. Wow Heavenly Father is so kind a loving. I've never felt more pain or more joy. I know I wouldn't have that experience anywhere else so I'm very grateful to be where I am right now. I won't go into details but just know that God is so good and so merciful.

~Sunday was a regional YSA sacrament meeting and it was a blast! There were so many YSA and it was so spiritual. We had Elder Patrick from the seventy and he is one of the most charitable men I've ever heard. I learned so much from him and how he interacted with the YSA. And we had a bomb meal afterwards and just had the best time. Ugh I love this area with all my soul. It definitely made up for Friday. That just shows how much God loves his children and if we're willing to trust all things will work together for our good. We also were introduced to the coolest person by the Wetherbee Elders who wants to be a part of our ward and get baptized. So blessings!