Paul got dunked ya'lll !!

Wow what a week! I really am loosing motivation to write long emails..... so I'm just going to give you a good list of highlights.... Because it wasn't a very crazy week but the highlight was definitely Paul!!! It was a little stressful but it happened and that's all that matters.

~Ok so this is the jumpsuit fiasco of April 2019.... So Brother Steele is a larger guy... and he was baptizing Paul.. unfortunately our church only has small and medium adult jumpsuits so he had to go search 3 chapels to find one big enough! So we're trying to coordinate with all the missionaries to unlock the chapel and get the jumpsuit. Then Bro Steele couldn't pick up Paul so we had to call Bishop and he was kinda salty... But it happened and the program was great! Paul was so happy! He said he felt like he was getting married! 

~Elder Farley says hi. So ya know.

~I got to be an Hermana for a day! I was with my love Hermana Ogden and she is a babe. Wow we had so much fun! We got to go to United Against Poverty and bag groceries for the low income people. It was a blast. And stressful because there were so many people. But Elder Blomstedt was a homie and held the bags open for me to put the groceries in. And they actually had like super cute dresses which I thought were like $5 but then they were only 25 cents! I lost my mind. 

At the dinner, I prayed in spanish and learned a few spanish questions I could ask. Did I understand anything? No... but it was super fun!!! 

~There's this lady who works at Hope's Chest named Sue. We found out that her dad was baptized into our church. She was going through her records and found a polaroid of his baptism, his ordinations to the priesthood records, and baby blessing! It was crazy!

Yup that's about it... But I've been studying a lot about Joy and it basically all comes down to the fact that Joy is not your circumstances it comes from within yourself. And when I look for the little moments where there is joy and peace then life gets looking a whole lot better! Wow I can't believe we're on the last week of the transfer!! then 6 more weeks Ya'llll sooooo many mixed emotions I don't even know what I'm feeling..... But I'm excited to see what more the Lord has in store for me!! 

Translate this...bleep, blop, blep, *howling*

That is a real quote from our sacrament meeting yesterday. Yep. Brother Grigley everyone. He's a riot. He looked at the translator and asked what he was doing then went "ok translate this"then proceeded to make weird noises over the pulpit. There was other stuff but that's all I'll say. Later we had dinner with the bishop and them and while Bishop was sharpening a knife to cut the ham he was like "Hey Roland I really liked your talk today... come over here and I'll show you how much I liked it" I was dying it was so funny.

This week flew by holy cow. I think they just keep getting faster and faster. Well ok. Tuesday was super long... we had no appointments so we just did some finding... not super successful but hey that's missionary work sometimes... but the rest of the week was awesome!

~We had an amazing member dinner at a non-members house. We met them a little while ago and then they invited us all over for Turkish food because they're from Turkey. During the dinner she started opening up about all these questions of the soul and we had this awesome gospel conversation and gave them a Book of Mormon! it was the best example of member missionary work it was great!

~ We've been doing a lot of service because like everyone in our ward is moving!!! Super sad but I love to help. The Grigleys were super stressed because they were trying to get out in a week and so we went over a couple times during the week because we thought they got it mostly done but then were still swamped and desperate for more help. 

~We also were helping L- our recent convert because she's also trying to prep her house to move and it's kinda filthy.... but I felt very satisfied because it was a ton better afterwards. It's still got a long way but we're going to help her here and there.

~ We found some super cool people going through the contacts in our phone. One lady wanted to make us mac and cheese and homemade blueberry pie. But then she flaked on us so I was bummed.. We also are going to meet with another guy that almost got baptized so that will be cool!

~Paul has been living the Word of Wisdom for a whole week! He's doing so good!! He's staying strong and on track for Saturday! 

~ I went on exchanges with the Lovely Sister Wheeler! We're like the same person and have so much in common and it was a blast! It was a crazy day running all over the place but it was so much fun and she helped me keep my chill. I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing as an STL because every time I have an exchange the day seems like a mess and does not work out how I think it should. But I think that the Lord is trying to just keep shoveling in my face that it's not my work it's His and I need to be better with going along with the flow. 

It's a learning experience for sure!! But I'm loving the person I'm becoming! LIfe is so good and God is even better. This transfer is going by so fast!!!

The prophet of God is cominig to Florida!!

Everyone. I'm stoked out of my mind!!!! We just received news that President Nelson is coming to Orlando on June 9th!!!! President Clark said that something cool would be happening but he didn't tell us what.... so sneaky... but then some elders let it slip and then the coordinating council announced it!! It's like 2 weeks before I leave so I'm super lucky. And it will be such a cool experience for those that we're teaching and recent converts. Ahhhh this is amazing!! I have no idea why he chose Orlando but I'm so glad he did!!

Wow this week has been soooooo busy!! We hardly had time to do anything.... (I think we only were able to do companionship study twice, don't judge me.... And weekly planning is a joke) but it was a good week overall!

~We found 3 new people to teach which was exciting because we've been too busy to do any finding lately... But on Wednesday we had ALL day. So we talked to this guy walking his dog who was cool that said we can come back and this former family who we're going to meet with tomorrow. And a potential we've been trying to set an appointment with but has been super busy but does have time for phone lessons. So we're going to shoot for that.

~We went on exchanges with the Semoran Hermanas! I was Hermana Quigley's first exchange ever and I feel so bad she had to bike in the rain TWICE. Out of the frying pan into the fire. Literally 2 minutes before we had a lesson with Paul the skies just opened up. Our member had already picked him up and because he's a guy we couldn't catch a ride so we just decided to brave it. We were just a little soaked... but the lesson went well. Hermana Quigley wears glasses so I'm not quite sure she could see while we biked but we survived!

~Paul is doing amazing! We taught him the Word of Wisdom last Saturday and he was a little nervous because he's been smoking since he was 14. and now he's 65. He has so much faith though and made little progress everyday. He was able to give coffee up right away and this past Saturday and Sunday he hadn't smoked at all! Some members gave him a priesthood blessing and he said he feels he has enough spiritual strength and doesn't want to slow down and is planning on being baptized Easter Day. So the pressure is on for sure. But we know he can do it! The ward is really pulling around him.

~We had Zone Conference on Thursday which was incredible as always! Sister Clark gave a training on "becoming instruments in the Lord's hands" and it just reconfirmed to my spirit that I am setting goals for the things that the Lord wants me to and that I'm moving in the right direction. I still have far to go but I know i can do it.

~I also got to say good bye to my dear friend, Sister Russell who goes home TODAY.. sooooooo sad.... I love her... but she needs to get feeling better..

~Saturday we got to do a lot of service for some members. We helped lay mulch and the member was able to introduce us to her neighbors who also needed help laying mulch. It was kinda a bummer because we already had plans for that evening but we were happy they introduced us. The members are starting to catch the vision a little bit. We also helped Lynn, a recent convert clean out her garage because she's attempting to get out of her house. She needs A LOT of help.... so I'm glad we can assist her in that way.

~So this week our mission had 12 emergency transfers happen.... It was insanity.... Our trio in Lake Mary got dissolved, our zone leader went to be an assistant to the President and we got a new zone leader and a new elder to make a trio. It was craziness....... 

~Ok funny story about yesterday.... So we're sitting in the foyer of the church weekly planning and this member from the other ward comes out of the classroom and asked if we had 10 minutes to come roleplay and they were talking about how to tell girls that were dressed immodestly to dress better.... ahhhh so awkward... so we nicely redirected them to things they could say instead... it was quite the day.

Anyways I love ya'll. Can't believe on Wednesday I'll only have 2 months left. ahhhhhh I'm freaking out.....

Where's my big announcement?

Ok so let's just say that we were all super hyped up for General Conference.... and all the rumors were not true. So kinda bummed... President Nelson is a sneaky one... But we did get 8 more temples and that's amazing!! Plus the speakers were PHENOMENAL. So it was well worth it. I'm just waiting for that Priesthood session though I've heard it was amazing.

So with all the meetings and exchanges we had zero time to proselyte in our own area.. what else is new.. but it was a great week. I love feeling this involved in the mission. So what did we do instead of proselyte?

~Exchanges!! Ok so I guess I did proselyte... in Oviedo though. Which was a party with Sister Young and Williamson! I love the trio life. It's so much fun! I just get to feel like the little angel that watches over them, seeing all the cool stuff they do. It really puts missionary work in perspective. They worked super well together and I was really impressed!

~We gave trainings at both ZTMs again and that was awesome. Both were so different but amazing! In Orlando Zone we gave a training about sacrifice and consecration and literally buried things we needed to sacrifice in the field behind the church. (props to the zone leaders for digging a hole). In the other one we did a training on effective member meals and that went really well! I felt very edified by all of the Elders and Sisters.

~We did a mini exchange with Winter Park because Sister Russell is still sick and Sister Boyd needed to get out of the apartment. So I chilled with my homegirl while she napped and Sister Richards went out.

~Saturday was GENERAL CONFERENCE AHHHHHHHHHHHH. I loved it so much. My soul needed it!! Paul came to all 3 sessions on Saturday. He was a trooper but he loved it. We had a lesson in between the sessions and I was like "you survived round 1" and he was like "naw I don't want to call it rounds because that sounds negative. I loved it and I'm just absorbing all of it and my understanding is getting better" And he sincerely thanks us for being patient with him and teaching him after every session. He's literally the cutest. He's got a few word of wisdom problems so send some extra prayers his way but he's determined to overcome them so he can be baptized.

~The Sunday sessions were stressful. We had another guy we're teaching, Bernard, say he wanted to come to General Conference and he also needed a ride. So we asked the member who was going to pick up Paul if he could pick up Bernard too. But I guess he did not get the memo he was picking up Paul.... sooo we had to scramble to find someone and eventually our Elder's Quorum president vounteers and goes and Bernard doesnt answer and Paul isn't ready.... so no one came to the Sunday morning session.. luckily we got Bernard to the Afternoon session and he enjoyed it so that was good. He's pretty solid!

~We've actually got some solid people we're teaching now!! The majority of them are Older African American dudes.... which is interesting because the dynamics of those I've taught are usually different.. but it's cool and they're prepared!

I did learn a lot about Pride a lot this week. And it's super hard. Yikes. And God is just wonderful enough to make sure I get lots of opportunities to practice. It's been interesting because sometimes it's times when I am humbled and have to accept it and other times it's when I'm given a chance to be prideful and I've had to choose humility. Again everything comes back to whether or not you're going to accept God's will. Pride is the single pebble that is placed between us and God. Sometimes it's a boulder but most of the time is super small that no one wants to admit they're holding back. At least I didn't. But accepting that we all have some pride and how to give that away and truly surrender is what opens us up to greater spiritual capacity. I read a talk that really resonated with me. Everything it said was everything I felt. It was by my favorite Elder Neal A Maxwell.

"In striving for ultimate submission, our wills constitute all we really have to give God anyway. The usual gifts and their derivatives we give to Him could be stamped justifiably “Return to Sender,” with a capital S. Even when God receives this one gift in return, the fully faithful will receive “all that [He] hath” (D&C 84:38). What an exchange rate!

Meanwhile, certain realities remain: God has given us our lives, our agency, our talents, and our opportunities; He has given us our possessions; He has given us our appointed mortal spans complete with the needed breaths"

Anyways that's what I learned this week. Also shoutout to Sharon Eubank, I definitely sobbed during her talk. It was everything I needed to hear.

Living the Dream!

Ok so on to the week. Besides the soul searching it was a good week! Super SUPER busy.... so we didn't get to do a lot of actual proselyting but all is well because it doesn't matter how you serve God as long as you serve. So some highlights of the week!

~We visited this less active lady who still has a strong testimony but just can't come because of situational things was really appreciative we stopped by! Her daughter is kind of anti about the church but it happened to be the one night that she was away and so she felt that us coming by was a Godsend for her. It was really touching. I know we needed to be there.

~Sister Richards needed to go to the bathroom really bad so we stopped by a Dunkin Doughnuts right as they were closing so we felt obligated to buy something hahaha... so we get to the counter and the lady asks if we wanted doughnuts and we just wanted one and she decided to give us 6 for free!!

~We got to visit some sweet ladies at the hospital this week with our Relief society President and her husband. I felt prompted to sing for one of them and she really liked it and was really glad we stopped by. I'm always grateful for an opportunity to use my voice.. (cuz I've kinda slacked on my mission)

~We put Paul on date for baptism!!! That was the biggest highlight and really big for this area! It has never been high baptizing... and we're hoping to have 2 in the next couple months. Paul has such genuine desires to learn and improve. He said that he's trying to sin less so that Jesus doesn't have to worry about him as much so he can focus on other people. He is just so humble and accepting of everything that we teach him. He chose to be baptized on Easter which is perfect because it symbolizes new birth.

~We helped Brother and Sister LIttle mulch their yard and it was the most perfect weather ever. It rained that morning so we were worried but then it was like in the mid 60s-70s. I have really come to appreciate doing yard work outside. It's really fulfilling to be outside and to serve others. So it was

much needed and they appreciated it a lot too.

~We found 2 new people! One was found through phone contacting. He was out of the area for the while and we just called him out of the blue and he had happened to move back recently so he felt that it was time to get God back in his life. The other was a referral from the Occoee Elders. He is a salesman and was trying to sell stuff to their investigator and then they just ended up teaching all of them. He's pretty solid too and wants to come to General Conference. 

~Lots and lots and lots of meetings....... I love meetings...... and I feel really productive and like I get to affect the mission internally... but I was exhausted. But our Zone training meetings are going to be AMAZING.

~We got to hep the sisters a lot this week and I felt needed haha. Everything from Bed bugs to bike problems to emotional meltdowns we were there for it. I mean.. I don't want them to have problems but I'm glad I get to give back because I've definitely had all those struggles in the past.

~We got to hold baby kittens which was sooooooo cute!!!

That's mostly it. I'm super stoked for General Conference. Like I NEED it right now. so that will be just the spiritual overload I need. Plus 2 ZTM's this week. So I'm just trying to absorb everything I can. This gospel is seriously incredible. My life would be a mess with out it. Well... my life is still a mess.... but at least this way God gets to clean it up. ;)