Sister B. Might Have to Go to Jail

Happy Monday! (I've decided, this is my opening statement for every email, this is so much easier.)

I'm happy to report that this week was just amazing, full of miracles, and I secretly wish I didn't have P-Day because I just want to go out and teach! =D

 

This has been an AMAZING week!

Tuesday was a very bittersweet day. Some things took longer than expected- for example we had to walk to the library since we missed the bus. But then something AWESOME happened, and it couldn't have been a coincidence! We saw R. (our homeless investigator who is so humble) get on the exact same bus as we were, and we sat right behind him. We talked to him a little about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we asked him to pray about being baptized on March 8th. He said he would get baptized, but not sure when. I moved to sit by him since it was hard to hear him since he's so soft spoken. I noticed the woman in front of R. was listening to what I was saying. (She was sitting sideways on the bus so I noticed her staring.) I asked her as well if she wanted to learn more about what I was teaching R. She said yes, and so I immediately started to teach her about the Restoration and the First Vision. It was so PERFECT because R. was just mentioning that he's already been baptized, and I talked about the importance of the priesthood. So as I was teaching the spirit was testifying to all three of us that what I was telling them was true, which confirmed to R. that he needs to be baptized by someone holding the proper priesthood authority of God. D. (the woman) told us that she had seen a commercial about Mormons years ago, and it still stuck with her today. I gave her a Book of Mormon and started to read part of the introduction with her. I was about to read the last two paragraphs and invite her to baptism, but she had to get off. We were able to get her contact information, and she said, "I'm really going to read this book!" Unfortunately we haven't been able to get in contact with her yet, but we'll still call her at different times of the day to see if that makes a difference.

The reason why Tuesday was bittersweet is because as I went from sitting behind R. to sitting next to him, my water bottle wasn't shut all the way, and it water damaged my new set of scriptures! It didn't ruin them totally, but the edges have quite a bit of character, and I wish they didn't. I wanted to cry when I saw them. I’ve had to let them air out.

K. (the man who takes care of his bedridden parents, adult daughter with health problems, and four grandchildren)  tried his hardest to come to church last week to hear me speak, but he couldn't. He agreed to be baptized on March 22nd, sorta. It was a very soft commitment. K. said that he'd have to come to church first, and then give us an answer. But he's been on date before, and already has a testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, it's just church that's getting in the way! We've been inviting him to come to church since the very beginning, and he hasn't. So we'll see what happens this week

Sister B. is no longer on date to be baptized, and I know that she could be baptized tomorrow if she had the faith and trust in God. I asked her on Saturday, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I just want to understand. The only reason why you don't want to get baptized is because of your family, correct?" I was correct, she's told us time and time again that her family will practically ignore her if she gets baptized, and she's so torn. She's on the verge of saying yes or no. We taught her our purpose as missionaries, and read my call letter to her. Just as that was happening, a police officer stopped by to talk about Karma, their very naughty and pregnant dog. They went outside to talk but he mentioned that if they get another call about Karma, they're going to take Karma to the pound and put them in jail since they haven't done anything about her. So, we're really hoping that doesn't happen! She and her husband, Brother B. have been sick all week, and so have we. Sister J. was sick with the flu on Wednesday, and I was sick all Sunday.

It felt so weird not to go to church, but I put good use to it! We had apartment clean checks this morning so we cleaned the apartment so it was "Celestial Worthy." Elder and Sister N. (a missionary couple) came over and checked it this morning, and we passed with flying colors. Perfect! On Sunday I read 3 Ensigns front to back, cutting out quotes and pictures that went along with scripture verses or stories. I loved it since now when I go through the scriptures I have a little spiritual thought that goes with a verse. I call it Scrapbooking for Scriptures! I stole the idea from Sister J., I admit it. I do it with my journal as well. Sister J. and I went on exchanges on Sunday, and she taught a referral from Book of Mormon Musical. He speaks even faster than I do (if you can believe it) and he accepted that he would be baptized. Sister J. and Sister W. were so excited, they forgot to talk about a specific date. Oh well, next time! :)

Saturday was full of amazing lessons with members. I can't talk about them all, but we were having a lesson with R. our homeless friend and he literally picked his baptismal date, March 8th. He was a referral from Sister E. in our ward for those who don't remember, and we told her what date he picked and she was absolutely thrilled. March 8th is the day that she too was baptized, and the day that she was married. She told this miracle on Sunday and it ignited a fire in Relief Society and Sunday School. People want to come out with the missionaries now so I really hope that our member’s present at discussions just fly through the roof the next upcoming weeks! Members really do make a difference in missionary work.

We saw N. (the woman who lives in a car with B.) with Sister E., and Sister E. prayed beforehand that she would teach by the spirit and tell them what they need to hear. N. doesn't want to get baptized in fear that B. will just follow, and not do for it himself. She talked to her about how she should just love B. for who he is, because she tries her hardest to get him to read the scriptures. She told N. that the only person she truly has control over is herself, and she can only save herself. It really gave her something to think about it, and it's EXACTLY what Sister J. and I wanted to tell her, but she told her in the way we never could of.

As we were in the car, Sister J. and I came up with our own car line. We were talking about how Jaguars weren't even that fancy, but people want to buy it just because of the name. We're calling our car line, "Snaz" and the car names will be "A", "E", "I", "T", and "Z". Feel free to take the next few moments saying "Snaz _" with the name of the car. Snaz T would be a sports car, it's our favorite! 

Thursday was a really hard day for me, but I'm completely fine now thanks to the Atonement. The Atonement is real, and it's never been even more real for me until this week. Sister J. talked to me about how Jesus Christ has literally felt everything that we've felt, and we don't have to harbor all of those feelings that we coup up on the inside. We can pray to our Heavenly Father to take those feelings upon Him, so we won't feel them anymore. I know we can give Him the entire burden, and not keep part of it because we don't want to fully and completely trust Him with it. But as I was able to pray to Him about all of my fears, worries, and concerns, the feelings just literally washed away from me, and I no longer have those feelings that were weighing me down. It feels absolutely AMAZING. I challenge any of you, if you have any of those feelings that you want to get rid of. Pray, and be amazed.

I hope you're all doing well, and make sure you're always progressing!

-Sister Sudweeks

We Got Slushed!

Happy Tuesday!

Warning all of you, I'm typing on the most ghetto keyboard on the face of this planet so this email won't be as long as usual because I have to press the space bar super hard multiple times to get it to work. So this week has probably been the hardest week out of the entire mission for multiple reasons, one of them being that Sister J. and I were the most obedient this entire week (factoring in love, of course) and this was the week where appointments fell through.

I failed to mention this in my last email but as Sister J. and I were calling all of our ward members on our first snow day, we asked them if there was anything we could do for them.  Many asked for prayers for their health.  Sister J. and I both prayed for each specific person that night and those prayers were answered!  The following week those members came up to us asking, “You prayed for us, didn’t you?”  They each explained in various ways on how they had faith in our immense faith which allowed them to be healed.  My faith grew so much stronger because of that! At least three of them expressed their gratitude which made me love and respect them even more. 

Last Tuesday the mission wanted to prepare for the ice storm so they had transfers on Tuesday. We got a call early that morning asking 1) if we had bunk beds and 2) if we had a car. (Yes and no.) Sister J. and I managed to borrow the other sister’s car because we now have two new roommates! Sister H. and Sister E. who are fresh from the MTC. It was crazy trying to ration our food since we didn't know we were feeding 4 on Monday! None of us know how long they are going to be staying with us because they are opening up a new area and the apartment coordinators haven't been successful in finding them an apartment yet. Tuesday night we had a mission wide conference call saying that if we needed to go to the store in preparation for the ice storm that we're allowed to do so because our power, heat, and water may stop working. So we filled up so many containers of water it was hilarious! Thankfully, we didn't need to worry because everything was fine.

Our impressive water storage.  Hey it's a start!

There was an ice storm on Wednesday and Thursday.  All we did those days was study and walk around in the freezing rain or snow, trying to get in contact with less actives that lived in our area. We were five minutes out of our apartment one of those days and this huge truck gets right next to us and sprays us with dirty slush! The truck came around again (they were doing donuts in a parking lot) and this little kid says, "Hahaha, you wet?" and drives off. We were so upset! It doused us from our hats, hair, coats, skirts, and boots. A stranger came up to us, brushing Sister J. off saying how uncool that was and that he was sorry. We continued along our way and dropped off post it notes at less active's doors. It was so cool! Everything was literally frozen! We took some pictures and hopefully if I have enough time I'll be able to send some. Since my boots are torn up from the earlier horrible weather (and I can’t find any more boots in my size) my feet were soaked Wednesday. On Thursday, Sister W. from my district suggested that I should wear plastic bags on my feet. I did so, and boy did it work! I laughed the entire time but my feet were so warm compared to Sister J’s!

A Frozen Wonderland!

We met with K. this week, and we were able to teach him about baptism. We've been teaching him since July, and he already has a testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. The problem with him is that his parents are bed-ridden, his older daughter has seizures (and she has 4 kids), and he has to take care of them all. He's never been to church which is an issue. He wants to get baptized but doesn't know when. But K.  has to come to church at least two times beforehand.

M. dropped us on Saturday, which is another reason why this week was so hard on me. (M. is the one who went back to her abusive boyfriend) I have never really been dropped by someone who I taught from the very beginning. She texted us saying we were the sweetest girls she's ever met, but the King James version and the Book of Mormon contradict too much so she doesn't want to meet with us again. We texted her back thanking her for expressing her concerns, and asking if we could meet with her one last time so we could hopefully clarify some things. She never responded to us and I was so upset, I started to cry as I prayed for her as a companionship. We're just going to wait it out and pray that something comes from it.

We also almost got dropped from another investigator N.. (N. and her boyfriend B. are the couple who lives in their car.)  She believes most of it, but she opened up to us saying that she loves her last church. Due to her boyfriend, B.,  she was shunned from that church because they didn't like him, and those were her friends and family. She switched it from a, "I'm never going to love another church" to a "I don't know when I'll be baptized, but I know as long as I'm going to the activities it'll happen in the future." So that lesson was a miracle in itself!

On Sunday, I had the privilege to speak in Sacrament Meeting on service and missionary work. I really couldn't tell you on what I said, but apparently from the comments people told me, it was- "Perfect, bold, a talk from a real leader, inspiring" and so on. I really wish I had known what I said! I just prayed that the spirit would guide me on what to say, and the spirit delivered! R. (the homeless man that now lives in a shelter) brought a friend to church and stayed the whole three hours. They talked about The Plan of Salvation in Sunday School, and that was the lesson we were going to teach him next, and they loved it. We don't have a follow up appointment yet, but we know it'll happen.

Sister B. was unable to come to church on Sunday since she got sick Friday night or Saturday morning. We were planning on having an amazing lesson with her Saturday afternoon stating our purpose as missionaries, and being bold on addressing her concerns when it comes to her Baptist family believing that Mormons are cults if they tell people to stop drinking coffee. Due to her sickness, we were unable to do so, but thankfully we're going to see her tomorrow to hopefully get her to really take a baptismal date seriously.

Even though this was a hard week, as we were able to email today, Sister J. and I realized that we had received an email from A. –D.R’s sister-in law.  D.R. is the one we had dinner with last week who was asking all those antagonizing questions but we were finally able to bring the Spirit to our discussion as we bore our testimonies about why we decided to serve missions. She included in her email this comment:
  

:"Sometimes I feel like he just wants to argue why he no longer follows the teachings of the gospel but then I see him actually reading the Book of Mormon and reaching out to you as missionaries. I think the best thing to do is follow the spirit. Heavenly Father loves him and M. and their son. He knows what will soften D.'s heart and help him back to activity and help him build an eternal family. Sisters, you are awesome. Thank you for all your service especially with his family"

D.R., is reading the Book of Mormon? I am so excited! Sister J. and I are going to call him this week to see how he survived the ice storm, and if he has any more questions for us since we gave him the Plan of Salvation lesson. I expect great things from this family!"

Although I know that this week was a hard week, I know that it's over and done with. A new week has arrived, and Sister J. and I will just brush it off, and move forward. I was reading the November Ensign (I think) and I saw a quote from President Monson that said, "Will I falter, or will I finish?" I don't want to falter today, I want to finish this mission strong. I don't want to falter this week, I want to finish it proudly. Take it hour by hour, day by day, and anyone can make it through a hard week. I hope everyone had an amazing Valentine's Day, and a lovely President's Day!

I love you, have a great week!

-Sister Sudweeks

We Got Jumped Just as the Police Drove By!

Happy Transfer Day!

Thankfully, Sister J. and I aren't going anywhere! It was such an anxious morning, considering Sister B. and Sister W. slept over with us to see if we'd get a call between 7-10am. It was hilarious because Sister W. talked about how we should call a bunch of companionship's to freak them out about transfers. Just as she said that, I called their number and they screamed and ran to their phone, then realized it was me calling them. They were so mad at me but I was almost rolling on the floor laughing. Every text we got we gasped, and it was the longest morning in my life! So, Sister J. and I are staying, but now Sister J. is even more worried for next transfers considering she's been out for 8 months and has been in one area. 

We were able to go out and walk in front of the Book of Mormon Musical twice this week. Once when it was during intermission (apparently it was common for people to storm out because they were insulted) in the freezing cold until 9:40pm. No one came out mad and we passed out a few cards because most of them only came out to smoke and weren't interested. But then we went on Saturday after the matinee ended, and when people were lining up for the night showing. I am so glad that I was able to learn to be bold, and not fear rejection. I was hesitant to ask each person walking by if they wanted a card, but I was able to switch my thought process from "I can't do it," to "I can do it with God." By the end, Sister J. was talking to a guy named Derrick who isn't in our area, and I was yanking out her cards in her hands while I was giving them out. I was thinking about how much fun it was! I knew that everyone needs a chance to be invited to learn more, and it's all on me if I don't give them that opportunity. I'd much rather have them be held accountable than I! 

There were some pretty interesting people as we were passing out cards. One guy came up to me as we were talking to the elders (There were 2-3 companionship's at a time). He looked at me, gasped, and said, "You are so... beautiful", while staring at me. It was a BIT awkward. We moved around some more, and sometimes he would just stand by us and stare at me. There was a man from Costa Rica on a trip with two of his friends and was so excited to see the musical. One of his friends accepted a Book of Mormon, and the Costa Rican really wanted a picture with Sister J. and me. We're really not entirely sure if that was allowed, but he grabbed us and took a picture before we could deny it. So, I wonder if I'm on Facebook somewhere! A few people asked us if we were real Mormons, and then two guys walked on by and said, "Hey elders!" while waving. We're not entirely sure if they were joking or not, since I'm pretty sure two people in skirts aren't guys... There was another guy in his car blasting "Staying Alive" and staring at me seductively (an awful job by the way). I totally shut him down and gave him a card and mentioned about how I'm a missionary for my church for 18 months and walked away from his window. Defeated! All in all, it was a pretty amazing experience. We got two referrals from headquarters due to the musical so we're excited to be teaching them! Hopefully they don't want to just Bible bash us or something.

Downtown Atlanta:  This is where Sister J. and I spend a lot of time teaching.

Another great experience this week was when we went to go to dinner again at a less active's house, D. R. (His wife is Bulgarian and they had us for dinner in December.) They were so excited to have us again and remembered all that we were talking about, and asked how my solo went because I was so nervous about it.  Sister J and I were able to answer some of his 'antagonizing' questions. He wanted to know if we could sin in the pre-mortal life, and why did the offspring of the Lamanites have to be cursed if we aren't punished for others transgressions. We were able to teach him more about the Plan of Salvation, and he was surprised with what we taught because he's never heard about it before. He even took the pamphlet and the articles we printed out and said that he wants us to come over and discuss more. He even jokingly asked if we were forced to go on a mission, but we ended up telling our story why we decided to go on a mission and bore our testimony. It was awesome; he asked us a question that brought in the spirit! I feel so privileged because he's had other missionaries before for dinner, but we're the only ones who he's brought into his home (that's because he was single then) and brought back for a second time. The testing question was, "If the prophet told you to strap on a bomb and go to a mosque and kill people, would you do it?" The answer the missionaries gave him was the deciding factor if he'd invite them over again, and we were the only ones to answer it correctly. So I can very much see Sister J. and I explaining the misconceptions of the church, because the more I'm out here, the more people I see teaching their own doctrine, and not doctrine out of the scriptures. 

As we were recording ourselves in the car singing Christmas carols off tune, we got a text from M. saying that she's back with N. in her apartment. (This is the couple where he was arrested for domestic violence and we might have to testify in court.) She declared that N. is a changed man because he was in jail for 3 weeks, and we were so upset. She ended up coming to church, and we're going to be teaching her (and most likely scolding her) on Tuesday. We don't trust N. at all, but they're going to be going to a church Valentine’s Day activity on Saturday so we'll see him then.

We had L., our recent convert, come out teaching with us, but no one was home or our plans fell through. We ended up reading out of the Book of Mormon a chapter that she didn't understand. We were in the car with the AC on because it was pretty hot for twenty minutes or so. She left and as I was backing the car to leave, the car battery died. Sister J. and I prayed with as much faith as we could that it would start again, but it didn't happen. We had to go ask someone if they had jumper cables to jump the car. The police drove on by (probably wondering what two white girls were doing in a sketch part of town) asking if we needed help. We said no because a guy was getting his car to park next to ours. As he was parking he literally got 2 inches away from our headlight and I almost had a heart attack! The police officers ended up watching us as they jumped our car. All of the guys helping us told us to get out of there quickly because it was no place for us to be. So it was a pretty amusing situation, but thankfully we got to our next appointment on time!

Sister B. (the one that had gall bladder surgery) went to church this week! We were overjoyed and I was so happy to see her! She told us that she was feeling so sick at 6am that morning, but she kept telling herself, "I have to get to church; I have to get to church". She took some medicine but still feeling awful as she was driving to church, but once as she got there, she immediately felt better. Miracles! But one of the downsides of their family is that Karma their very naughty dog is pregnant. Noo! I can barely handle one Karma, how are we going to deal with puppies?!

Sister B. presented us with gifts--the purple coat for Sister J. and this grey shirt for me--which is so long that it could practically be a short dress!

One last little fun story is that we saw a trailer of 20 mattresses or so. We were driving behind it and got on video 10 or so mattresses falling off the trailer onto the road. We stopped and helped them pick up their mattresses (no bed bugs thankfully), and I taught them about the Restoration and got their contact information. Wouldn't it be the funniest thing if Minister F. got baptized just because we helped them pick up their mattresses off the road and onto their trailer?

R. once again cancelled on us, but he's wanted to see us so bad recently. (He’s the homeless man who taught us that since God is patient with us we need to be patient with Him.) We're contemplating just teaching him over the phone because he's at a shelter now with strict rules. He has to be out by 6am and in by 6pm.  

Another great quote I want to end with is once again by Gordon B. Hinckley, "Those who move forward with a happy spirit will find that things will always work out."

Following President Hinckley's counsel to have a happy spirit.   

I hope that all of you are always progressing, and Happy Belated Birthday Dustin! I hope you all have a great week, and Happy Early Single Awareness Day!

-Sister Sudweeks

I Survived the Apocalypse!!

Happy Monday!

According to Atlanta on Tuesday, literally the world was ending just because of 3 inches of snow. I don't know how aware each of you were about the national news coverage about Atlanta, but lets just say it was one of the most interesting experiences I've had on my mission!

Tuesday we were told that it was going to snow at 12pm, and we had District Meeting at the church at 10. We were making copies afterward, and we saw that it was snowing constantly and we had a day full of appointments with less actives and investigators. We hurriedly went to the MARTA Station and the snow was attacking our faces and we couldn't really see where we were going. It was so cold our faces were going numb just because how frigid it was.

We got on the train to go up north, and about one station up we hear that there is a Medical Emergency at Five Points, repeated over and over again. The train wasn't moving, and later on we hear, "We are turning off the power on the train, the train will go dark. The doors are going to close! I repeat, the train will go dark!" over, and over, again. Hah. So we were stuck at West End, two stops away from Five Points, and five stops away from home. The doors were closed, and it was dark, and people were mumbling on how they need to get home. People started spreading all of these rumors that someone fell on the tracks at Five Points and died. Others kept on saying that someone fell on the tracks and a bus caught on fire. Another said that SWAT came in for some strange reason. MARTA kept on changing their story since they also said that there were technical difficulties because of the snow. But locals told us that people fall on the train all the time because they're intoxicated so they have to shut down the power, but it was never off for this long. So I'm guessing more towards someone fell and got injured, I guess I'll never know!

Everyone ended up having to get off the train, and MARTA said that there would be buses to take us up to Civic Center, which is one stop north of Five Points so we could be on our way. All of the trains stopped entirely going in and out of Five Points, which is the main station to go North, East, South, or West. People were getting so mad about how they needed to get home, and fights were happening as everyone was trying to find those buses. In the end, none of the buses were going to Civic Center, and we were just waiting around trying to figure out what to do. We made friends with some people who had smart phones, although they weren't interested in the Church. But it's okay! After a while, MARTA started to single track trains, and everyone ran to go up North. I have never been so packed into a train before, and I really hope that I'll never have to go through that again. This one guy was trying to get on, and the doors were trying to close but couldn't because he was in the way. People were yelling and shoving at him to get out of the way so the doors could close, but in a more colorful language so to speak.

We walked home, and cars were packed bumper to bumper, with swearing and honking every two seconds. I was so glad that I wasn't driving! I'm going to admit, I was jumping in the fresh snow because I haven't seen it in over a year! Sister J. kinda laughed at me since she's from Utah and is totally used to the snow. As we were walking home, a man was on the phone and his side of the conversation went something like this, "This is like the show The Day After Tomorrow! The city is shutting down, people are trapped on the roads, cars in the intersection. It's the end of the world my friend! I hope you've stocked up on food because this is the end!" We laughed since honestly everyone thought the world was ended in Georgia.

Yes, I did survive the Apocalypse of January 2014!

It ended up taking us 2 1/2 hours to get home, when it would have taken us about 35. Great fun! Later that night we went outside to see if we could help people up the hill that we live by. We pushed cars up the road. We ended up seeing a MARTA bus that got hit by not one, but three cars! Elder B. and Elder M. are the only MARTA riders in our district beside us, and they told us another bus tipped over. I'm so glad they weren't on that bus and they got home safe!

Traffic was a mess--especially for this MARTA bus.

Sister B. also had her surgery on Tuesday, and it went great. Her oxygen levels were down and the doctors said that she should stay overnight to monitor her. Brother B. didn't want her to stay overnight, because he knew that the snow would be so bad, and he wouldn't be able to come in and see or, or take her home. They even ordered her a bed, and that really meant she was staying for the night. Brother B. told us that he went to the bathroom, and knelt down and prayed his heart out that if it was God's will, that he would be able to take his wife home. He went back into her room, and apparently the doctors left the building after they ordered her a bed, and then came back to check on her once more. They let her go home that very day! Miracles, and the faith of that couple! I honestly think those two could move mountains. We saw Sister B. on Saturday, and she's recovering quickly, but not as quick as we wished she would. She had a lot of gallstones the size of a silver dollar which is why she was in so much pain. We don't know when she'll be baptized, but tonight we're showing her the Restoration DVD with Elder and Sister N., the senior couple in our district.

Wednesday we had to stay in the entire time. We had a mission wide conference call to let us know to stay home with instructions to call every single member on our ward list. Uh huh.  Nine hundred people, five companionship's, one snow day. Sister J and I split it all up by zip code, and we made 103 calls! New record, woo! We gave many spiritual thoughts to less actives and active members. Many people called us that morning to make sure that we were okay, and if they needed to buy anything for us and I felt so loved by the ward members! This truly is an amazing ward that I'm in.

A view from my balcony.

I learned a very valuable lesson this week, and I've learned it before, but it really just hit me this week. I know the plan that Heavenly Father has for me is to have a life full of service. I'm the type of person who likes it when people show their appreciation. This week I realized that I should give 110% to everyone and anyone, but not expect anything back. Never do anything just to get praise. Which is somewhat a hard thing for me since a mission is just all service. But now I've learned not to get upset when I see others get praise for something I did as well, or anything like that. Now that I can keep that in mind, I'll be able to have more of a positive attitude as a missionary when my hard work goes unnoticed.

R. (the homeless man) was supposed to met with us on Wednesday, but couldn't because of the snow. He couldn't come to church either since I believe he was going to go to his own since he has a calling there as well, but we are going to meet with him this Wednesday.

Thursday we walked to the library (and it ended up being closed) and we met a lot of amazing homeless people. We literally talked to everyone that we passed by, and everyone was so engrossed with what Sister J. and I were teaching them about the Restoration. There was a motorcycle store across the street, and right when I was telling them about Joseph Smith, a guy would revv his motorcycle loudly. S. one of the men we were teaching commented, "Every time you get to the good part, that guy revvs his motorcycle!" Haha, but we were able to give our contact information to everyone, and it was great. I especially admire a guy named R. who wants to be an architect, and said that he'll draw the Salt Lake Temple for us, and he said it was so beautiful. We taught him as well, and we're hoping to see him whenever we're in the area. We were waiting for the bus, and he was worried the bus would drive on by. He stood out in the street waving his arms saying, 'STOP! THE MORMON CHICKS NEED TO GET ON THE BUS!" He was so proud of himself and told us we were his art angels--how precious.

L. (the woman who was baptized a couple of weeks ago) came out to teach with us and she absolutely loved it. She told us that she wants to come out and teach with us whenever she can, and never be afraid to ask. She helped us teach N. and B., the couple who live in their car. It was an intense discussion. They have some pretty interesting beliefs, such as B. believes that the ancient scrolls will tell us the way we need to go, and he only trusts Heavenly Father. They ask us so many questions that aren't important for our eternal salvation. Such as, "Who did Cain marry, and what was her name?" and so on and so on. They keep on asking us questions, and our answer was the same every time practically, "Read the scriptures, and pray." 

Missionaries were finally allowed to use cars again on Friday, and so we were driving home to get our area book to go see less actives because our appointments cancelled. We saw the entire crowd of the audience that went to go see the Book of Mormon Musical. I was just dying to go talk to them about our church because if they were willing to see the musical, why not hear the actual facts from a reputable source? We parked and we walked to Fox Theater since it was so close to where we were at, and we prayed and got the answer that we needed to walk around although it wasn't our day to do so. (Technically we haven't been told when we're going, so who knows when that will happen.) But I felt so empowered walking around. I also learned the lesson on how the Spirit communicates with me on where I should go. I was able to clearly tell whether we were supposed to go left or right on the streets. I wasn't afraid that these people just saw a show that made fun of us. It was interesting considering I would smile and say hello to people, and they wouldn't look us in the eye. Sister J and I feel like that in a way, they were ashamed that they went to go see that play. Earlier that week, we were on the bus and we went by the Fox Theater and it had the advertisement for the musical. This woman mouthed to us, "Are you Mormon?" We said yes and started to talk to her. She later on said, "Now that I've seen you, I no longer want to see that show." So although I wasn't prompted to talk to anyone as we were walking around since the crowd died down a lot, I feel like since they've seen actual missionaries we've influenced some people just by seeing Sister J and I laugh and smile as we waved to the other missionaries.

Sorry for the long e-mail, but I just want to end it with a quote that I love by President Gordon B. Hinckley, "The secret of change is to focus all of your energy. Not on fighting the old, but on building the new."

If you want change, focus on the positive, not the negative. Your desire to change must be stronger than staying as you are. Always move forward!

-Sister Sudweeks

No, this isn't my car or my sign--but don't you love it?