I got all those different pictures you sent me
of Matthew's graduation! They were awesome! Matthew I am so happy for
you and so proud of you! You have been so diligent and focused on your
school work. Now you are getting ready to go off to dental school. I
remember growing up how you always wanted to be a dentist and it is
amazing that you are achieving your dream. You are making it happen!
Congrats! You have been one amazing example for me. I love you so much!
This week has been so so so busy, we literally have been
running around every where. I felt like we got a lot done, but then We
were calling in our numbers and it did not look like a lot at all.
Honestly I think Billings is one of the hardest areas I have served in. I
love it here, but just the whole situation I am in I feel like is not
helping my missionary work. But I am really working on it. I am working
hard on pushing my self. This coming Wednesday
we will go on exchanges and I am really excited cause I am so ready to
learn! Haha. This week really has been freaking amazing though! Not even
kidding it was an amazing week :)
This week we did a "diabetes walk for the cure" That was
super fun, we did it in our proselyting clothes, and well my feet hurt
after. A girl in our ward has diabetes so we went to support her. We
got a free shirt and water bottle and pen. The water bottle is a Wendy's
water bottle, so Josh can be jealous hahaha.
This week 2 people I just adore left! They went home for the
summer, so that was a bummer. Adriana, the girl we went to the temple
with, she went home, but before she went home we had frozen yogurt with
her and her non-member friend and it was so cool cause we talked about
the importance of the scriptures, specifically the Book of Mormon. We
gave her a copy and invited her to read it! That was one of the best
experiences of giving a Book of Mormon away! Mandy, her friend is so
adorable. They went to institute on Thursday
night also :) We took pictures..but sadly this week I left my camera at
home, so all the pics are on hers...but she said she will send me some
:) So random side note we totally have had frozen yogurt like 3 times
this week, cause that is what everyone wanted to do with us...crazy
stuff. I am so over frozen yogurt haha.
This week Blanca left also. She is going home to California
for the summer. That was such a great experience. We went over to say
goodbye and have one last lesson with her. (she is a recent convert)
Anyways when we got there we went into her room cause it was loud
everywhere else cause her friends and roommates were goofing off. Her
room was all bare, cause she was all packed up. Blanca was telling us
that Emilio (Just some background on Emilio, he tends to be at every
lesson we have, he is one amazing kid, and just good) She told us that
Emilio said that he was going to miss our visits, and that we should
visit him even if all we talk about is Jesus, yay!! I am so excited
about that. We ended up singing hymns with her, we sang all the ones
that were sung at her baptism, it was really cool. Then right after,
Emilio and Brandon (her friends) came in, Brandon was goofing off,
however Emilio on the other had just sat down with us. We were about to
share a message so we invited Brandon and Emilio to stay, Brandon got up
and left but Emilio on the other hand stayed. Emilio told us that he
loves to listen to our messages, he really enjoys talking about religion
with us. We shared 3 Nephi 31:19-20 which as about baptism and enduring
to the end. That was our plan before we got there. We made the lesson
pertain to him, and he really enjoyed it. Afterwards, I asked if he
believes in a higher power, he told me no. But I know he does, I just
don't think he recognizes it. We asked if we could come see him over the
summer and he said yes. We got his number and I am so happy. It was
really neat to talk with Emilio. Earlier that day I was really down,
which is not like me, and I did not know why. But when we were at
Blanca's I figured it out. It was because of Satan. He knew what would
happen at Blanca's. He knew that we would have an opportunity to help
Emilio and hopefully start teaching him. Tonight was so spiritual. The
day before a less active asked us if we have met anyone ever waiting
specifically for us. I thought about that and I know that I was called
to help specific people, I have found several of them, but I didn't know
if anyone was waiting for me...It makes sense in my head haha, anyways
That night at Blanca's it hit me; I think that Emilio is that person.
He grew up Catholic, but he doesn't practice and doesn't believe. He
has been waiting for direction. I pray that he will come to know that
this gospel is true. So everyone please pray for Emilio to know that
Heavenly Father lives, and to pray that Emilio will accept the gospel.
Ok now to the funny story of the week. This week we had to
go on splits cause we had two very important appointments at the exact
same time. One was with Korrin at a family of members home, and she was
going to get a blessing, so we needed to be at that. The next one was
with Jonathan and his aunt and the family. We canceled once and they
live out on Shepherd so it is hard to get out there a lot, and Jonathan
is on date to be baptized in like 5 days, so we needed to change that,
cause we have taught him like 3 times. Well we prayed to know who should
go to what appointment and I felt like I needed to go to Jonathan's,
and Sister Spencer felt like she needed to go to Korrin's. So I took
Sister Lasson with me and Sister Spencer took a member with her.
Jonathan's was an experience. His aunt Randeen was not in a
very good mood, especially since the elders were super late. We started
dinner without them. We ate what they called "trashalatas/
ghetto enchiladas" they were frozen burritos in a pan covered in cheese
and enchilada sauce. Funny story, there is a mouse that lives in their oven that they
feed so that it doesn't go around the house trying to find food, they
keep it contained in the oven by feeding it in the stove. While eating
the elders finally showed up, half an hour late. Oh at the beginning
when we got there Jonathan walked in with a black eye, I asked what
happened and everyone got silent. Immediately Randeen, in her stern and
scary voice said, "Don't ask!" Then after dinner when the elders were
there I started to pull my scriptures out and Randeen says "We do not do
lessons during dinner appointments. I asked, "Well can we at least
share a message?" and she said ok. So I shared a quick message. I
literally had no time to talked to Jonathan about reseting his date.
This dinner was definitely an interesting one. They all were talking
about a show about gangs and stuff, and how Randeen could name off her
old friends she saw on the show and the cops, cause she knew them so
well. I definitely have a great mission memory right there, hahaha.
After Jonathan's we went to the institute to meet up with Sister Spencer
and it was just funny cause we talked about our appointments and her
experience was so spiritual haha. Korrin's mom came to the lesson and
Korrin got a blessing and her mom started crying. Apparently it was
awesome! which makes me so happy cause Korrin is just great!
OK! I have got to tell you about yesterday! Sunday
was seriously just awesome! So at church yesterday it was the
"Welcoming the seniors to the singles ward day," The chapel was so full
that people were sitting out in the foyer. That is super crazy for our
ward cause it is so small normally haha. All of our investigators were
able to come! Jonathan came! He finally told us what happened to his
eye. his cousin's boyfriend hit him! So stupid! Anyways church was so
great! We had a huge munch and mingle after, but we did not eat cause we
ate dinner the night before and were still fasting (we had sushi the
night before! it was so good! and we could not say no to dinner cause it
was with a less active we have been trying to contact haha" Anyways we
still were fasting. Everyone had a great time though. We of course made
some plates to go for us cause it was good food haha. Eliza a less
active we are working with, the one that actually I wrote Sister Nuttle
about, who is a model and gorgeous. She told us that she has officially
been smoke free for 5 days! Which is a huge accomplishment, and she is
down to like only half a cup of coffee a day, and she lowers it
everyday! I am so proud of her. It was awesome to sit and catch up with
her. Then we had a lesson with Jonathan and moved his date to May 31st, I seriously have not heard him talk as much as he did on Sunday haha.
Last night we also had a lesson with that less
active that I told you about last week, with the evil feeling in his
house. Well we had the meeting at a church and it went so much better!
Josh, the elders quorum president came and helped so much! We really
could not relate to this guy and so Josh just helped us so much, after
that we went to the Bishop's house to watch the CES fireside, which
normally we don't do, but bishop told us he felt like we really needed
to watch it, so we did :) and afterwards we had dinner with the bishop
and sister Williams and the elders quorum presidency. Yesterday was
seriously just super legit!
One more thing. So we helped Sister Williams make center pieces on Saturday
for the munch and mingle and well we got carried away with the little
plastic net bags that those stones come in for fish bowls. Anyways we
made bird cages (those little hat things with a veil) for our hair out
of them and put ribbon and pearls on them. They seriously looked legit
haha, I will send pictures once I get them, cause again I forgot my
camera so I have to wait for sister Spencer to send them to me...haha
Alright so one last event that happened! I finished the Book
of Mormon for the 2nd time on my mission. Yes I know I am a very slow
reader, but I honestly learned so much this time around! Each time I
learn different things in different parts of the Book of Mormon really
stand out. Like last time I learned so much in Alma. This time I learned
so much from 3 Nephi - Ether! I always pray for a confirmation of the
truth of the Book of Mormon after I finish reading it. This time I
decided, well every time I do that, I just get this thought "Well duh"
so I wanted to change it up. I prayed to know how the Book of Mormon has
blessed my life, and to recognize how it has blessed my life. I invite
all of you to do that where ever you are in the Book of Mormon, to pray
to recognize the blessings you have from the book of Mormon. I know that
I have recognized so much. I have seen how much I have learned! I
really was not as familiar with the Book of Mormon before my mission as I
should have been, but now I have become so much more familiar with it.
That is a huge blessing. People will talk about stories and I know
exactly what story they are talking about and I could guess a general
area it would be in in the Book of Mormon. I have found many scriptures
that have brought me comfort. Heavenly Father has answered many of my
prayers through the Book of Mormon. Another blessing of the Book of
Mormon is being able to teach so much better. I am not perfect and I
have a ton of room to improve but because I know the scriptures better
it is easier to be directed by the spirit as to what needs to be shared.
With in the last couple months I have prayed to used what I am learning
in the scriptures to help the people I am teaching and I have seen that
several times now. The better studies I have in the morning, and the
more focused I am, the better my day goes. There have been so many
blessing given to me through the Book of Mormon. I love that book. I am
so thankful that I can focus on it so much. I have thought about how
when I go home It won't be the same, so I really want to do my best to
keep it the same. I also want to have a short companionship study with
you mom everyday. I love companionship study I love sharing what I have
learned and learning more together! It is awesome! So mom we are gonna
do that ok :) haha! Anyways, I love you all so much. Be happy and safe
and I will be skyping home on Sunday!!!! Only 6 days! wahooo :) haha
-Love Andrea! :)
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