Unpredictable I tell ya!

Good Morning family!

I hope you are all doing wonderful! This past week was kind of an up and down, unpredictable week, but that is alright because sometimes missionary work is like that!

I am going to do my emails a little bit differently. I’ll still tell you what happened in the week but I want to focus more on the spiritual things than just the ordinary things that happened. I feel and hope that as I focus more on the spiritual things and the little miracles each day, I will come to appreciate the hard days.

Monday- Pday was really fun and we hung out with our zone and watched everyone play soccer...I think the world cup is giving everyone soccer fever...haha. But it is still fun to watch all the Elders tackle each other as they play soccer. That night we didn’t have a dinner appointment so Hermana Musig and I made Empanadas and they were DELICIOUS! I love having those days where we can make our own dinner because it gives Hermana Musig and I time to talk and get to know each other more, and honestly I couldn’t ask for anything better. That night we also went over to the Solan's and we made some cookies and read a few scriptures to help them get through a tough trial right now. Something that I am constantly learning is how much the scriptures help us when we are going through a hard time. They fit exactly what you are struggling with and rebuild your faith.

Tuesday- We did some service over at a members house and afterwards she fed us waffle iron hash browns, which were amazing, and crepes with nutella and strawberries. We then went to Applebee's for a quick birthday celebration with Hermana. Usher and I's 5 months in the mission. After that we headed to a lesson with a new investigator named Mimi, she is about 58 and just spunky and fun. We love her! The spirit was strong in that lesson as we talked about miracles and how God really does love us. She then asked us a question about what happens to those who don’t get to hear about the gospel (note this was all in Spanish, and I actually understood - tender mercy of the day:)), and she asked us if we knew the answer and we shook our heads yes, and gave her the Plan of Salvation pamphlet and she was surprised that we knew that.  So we are hoping that we will get to go back to teach her about the plan of salvation. We knocked later that day until dinner and then had another lesson with Solano's reading about Abinadi.

Wednesday- We had an appointment set with some former investigators. We knocked on the door, no one answered, we knocked again, no one answered again, but then we heard music coming from the house, so we knocked a third time, and this little kid comes out and we ask him if his dad is home (the one we are supposed to have a lesson with) and the kid says no…(the dad’s truck is in the driveway...) So we smiled and said to tell his dad the missionaries stopped by. As we are walking away, half of me felt mad because I wish some people would just tell us they aren’t interested, but then the other half of me feels peaceful because I know missionaries will find him again, right now is not his time and the Lord will make it known to him and the missionaries in the future when it is time. We then planned for a little bit and headed over to dinner and then to a lesson Laura and Railey. The daughter that hasn’t been home for our lessons, and so we were so excited when she stayed!. But we watched the Testaments and they enjoyed that, and we all cried at the end, which was great too!

(This is the family we ate at where we were entertained by dancing and singing. This littler girl is named Valoria and she is the cutest thing in the world! haha)

Thursday- Nothing too exciting happened this day, we just planned for week 6! Freaking week 6, how is it already week 6! We had dinner with one of our favorite families and were entertained by some singing and dancing haha. After dinner we headed over to the Solano's and read some more with them about Abinadi. I love being over there and reading with them because they understand the gospel and they remind me of the little things that matter, like the will of God during trials, and how we need to let our life be in the hands of God and let him take care of us when we are struggling. 

Friday- Was a very unpredictable day. So early that day we dropped Hermana Musig off and she headed to the temple for her departing temple trip with President and Sister Wilson, and I stayed with Hermana Christensen because her companion is going home too. I learned something really cool during personal study. I am reading in Alma right now and I was in Alma 25 where the Lamanites come into the land of the Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s and began killing them, but because of the great faith and knowledge that the Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s had they still praised God as they were being killed. Now these are the 2 things I learned- 1) Because of the great examples the Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s, the Lamanites that were killing them were converted unto the Lord and laid aside their weapons and covenanted with the Lord that they would not kill again. 2) The Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s were so calm as they were being killed because they knew were they stood with God, and they knew that they would be dwelling with God in Heaven. I want to have this faith! Super cool right? Well onto the rest of the day, we had an appointment set but the lady was sleeping so we headed over to a district meeting and then ate lunch afterwards and got a call from the other sisters...long story short, Hermana Usher thought she had an appendicitis, so we went to the Urgent care and drove them around almost all day getting tests and things done for Hermana Usher (side note, she didn’t have an appendicitis, but something else). The Hermanas’ came home and we headed to dinner and then over to a members house to help her with something. 

Saturday- We headed to correlation, which didn’t end up happening but while we were there we got stopped by a huge family reunion and they invited us to eat breakfast and some of the family talked to us, which was really nice of them!!!! We then headed over to the sisters to see how Hermana Usher was and got some things for her at Walmart and then headed home and ate lunch and did personal study. I studied hope, and that was very helpful in this time of need. I learned that "hope is trust in God's promises, and faith that if we act now the desired blessings will come in the future" (Elder James E Faust). The part that sticks out to me is ACT NOW. We must act now in our faith, then we will see the blessings come. Nothing happens when we just sit and wait, we must work too! Good reminder of what hope is :) That night we had dinner and we ate so...many...pupusas. I felt like I was going to die. haha. And after that we headed to the Solano's to help Katherine with her talk for sacrament. 

Sunday- Was kind of a slow day, but church was good! Continuing to understand more and more which is good! We headed to dinner right after church and then came home because neither Hermana. Musig or I were feeling very good. So we stayed in for the rest of the night and I did some language study and we headed to bed.

This next week is the last week of the Transfer...CRAZY!! So Saturday we will get calls about where we are going if we are leaving and what not, so I will let you know next Monday the news on that!

All else is going well, trying to do my best and work hard!

This next week is supposed to be the 100's...pray that I don’t shrivel up in the heat!!

I love and miss you all!
Thanks for your prayers :)

Prayer list- La Familia Solano, Dara, Guadalupe, Mimi, Laura, Railey, Rachel

Talk to you next week!

Love, Hermana Aase