I Got "Pushed" Off the Porch into Bushes!

Happy Tuesday!

Wow, I don't think I've ever been so excited for a P-day, probably because I'm so used to them on Mondays and I desperately needed a break to rest and not be go, go, go for one day out of the week.

Earlier this week we were running out of the door and I got the prompting to go grab my lotion off my desk to lotion my legs in the car. I ignored it, but then it came back again so I did what I was told. In the car, I found out that I had a tick on my leg! GAH. I was grossed out, and I had get help from Sister Brooks and her tweezers to pull it out. I had to report it to Sister Lake who is the nurse for all missionaries, and she said she's glad I noticed it early so I wouldn't get Lyme Disease. Oh fun!

We were trying to teach W. about the Word of Wisdom this week, and he lied to us saying he read the pamphlet about it and he compared it to Matthew 4. He ended up dodging us at least two times while rescheduling and leaving notes saying that he was out to dinner with his family even though we double checked to see if he would be there. We popped in on him Sunday before church and we were finally able to figure out what's been happening with him. We're guessing that the family he's been seeing last week (his niece graduated) has been telling him lies about the church such as LDS are rich white folk in the West and mostly in Utah, and it goes on. Sister Warner and I were able to clear a LOT of things up, and it really surprises me that people believe everything that they're told and they don't go straight to the source. He doesn't want to be baptized anymore, but we're going to go over the Restoration with him again because he asked us why there are so many churches on Earth, which the Restoration answers. He's going to physical therapy a lot for his arm so we don't get to see him as often as we like.

I also forgot to mention that I don't have celiac disease, woo hoo!

We're getting a lot of investigators (and former investigators) that are interested in learning more about our beliefs, but they are almost always too busy to meet with us once a week, and a lot of them say that we can come back 3 or 4 weeks later. We're praying intently to find solid investigators that we can meet with constantly, but many people are going out of town since it's the summertime. I don't feel inclined to talk about any of them until they're progressing.

C. is one of our former investigators, and we met his father W. who is an 86 year old man who is just a sweetheart! The Okonkwo's invited him over for dinner since he was a band director and can play many instruments. Their son Jacob has a gift for playing the piano, and they were hoping that W. could help inspire him to practice more since he doesn't realize how well he plays. We only stayed for dinner (teaching a few gospel principles here and there) since we had to leave for another appointment. W. ended up staying for four hours total, and had a blast! W. has many talents- one of them cooking Sunday dinner for his entire family, so having church from 1-4pm makes it hard for him to come. Yet he did say that he'll try to work out his schedule so he can come this week.

Sister Warner and I were jealous about how people were talking about going camping, so we decided to make a blanket fort in our living room, and put our mattresses underneath it. We slept out there for over 3 nights but put everything back into our rooms because at times the blanket would fall on us in the middle of the night and wake us up. 

The remnants of our tent

We're going to roast marshmallows over the stove today to pretend we're camping. Fun fun! Sister Warner had leftover sparklers from 4th of July so we lit them last night in celebration to Memorial Day.

Happy Memorial Day!

I've loved having inspired training from President Harding about how members and missionaries are really uniting as one to help others received the restored gospel. I'm in awe on how members really open to us missionaries about their lives, and how we continue to learn from one another about the Plan of Salvation, faith, and how to apply the Atonement into our lives. I know that as we continue to bind together, missionary work is going to blossom! A quote I heard this week was, "If you were being arrested for being a disciple of Christ, would there be enough evidence?"

We met with Co. who is a less active in church, and he taught me more about faith. He told us a funny story about how he really wanted a brother because he already had two younger sisters. Throughout the nine months everyone was telling him that it was a girl, and the doctor was never wrong looking at the ultrasound. He was persistent and kept on saying, 'Nope, I'm having a brother." When his Mom had her baby, everyone was shocked when they found out Co. indeed got a brother! With faith, anything is possible haha!

Sister Warner and I were at another families house and one of their daughters J. was talking about how she wanted to go on a mission, but felt inadequate. I felt prompted to talk to her how I too felt inadequate, but I had to want to study, pay more attention during church, and to really want to gain as much knowledge as possible to not feel so inadequate. I told her a big portion of how I was able to become the missionary who I am today, and I feel like it helped her a lot. Sister Warner told her about how Satan uses 'comparing' to make us feel bad about ourselves, and how we should try our best to avoid it.

We saw H. on Saturday (she's the daughter in the family who attends the Community in Christ church)- she was studying for finals and she was sick but she still let us in! It was so great because she had so many questions about the Plan of Salvation and she said she was going to start reading the Book of Mormon. We set up a time to come on Sunday, and we got her texting number so she could tell us if she needed a ride or not. She didn't show up for church since her Mom took her to Atlanta, but we went to her house that evening and she wasn't there. Her Dad answered the door and told us that he appreciates our efforts, but H. told him that "I told them I'd go to church, but I don't want to and I don't want to hurt their feelings." Sister Warner and I have been getting the weirdest vibes from him ever since we've met him (which is about the 3rd or 4th time) and I feel like he was lying to us. We mentioned that she was asking a lot of questions, but he was just saying she's inquisitive and ended the conversation. We're pretty sad so we texted her asking if it was true, and if so that she'd have a good summer and so on. She's never replied.

We taught Brother G. about prayer this week, (he's the man that came to church on Easter and one other Sunday after many years of inactivity) and he promised that he would go to all three hours of church. It was so exciting, since he also made a goal to finish reading the Book of Mormon by November 11th, my 21st birthday. He reads the chapter twice to make sure that he completely comprehends it. For some reason he wasn't there, and right when we went to visit him yesterday, he left in his truck as we were praying in the car. He hasn't returned our phone calls so we're a bit worried about what happened.

Sister Warner and I enjoy leaning on each other as we're tracting because it takes less effort than just walking upright in the hot weather. So we try to make fun of it and push each other in bushes every now and then, or into the curb, or anything like that. (Yes, we're so mature, but it's what we do). We were talking to M. (a potential) at the door and she was going to ask her Mom something, Sister Warner leaned on me to the left and I didn't expect that to occur. I had my left leg crossed over my right, so when I moved my left leg to stabilize myself, I had nothing to stand on! I screamed and there was SO many bushes and potted plants that I knew I could crush with my body weight since the porch was raised. Thankfully I only scraped up my shin, a bit of my hand, and I didn't crush any of their plants. I would have hated to experience M. racing to the door and seeing me fall off her porch and  breaking her potted plants. Thank goodness for small miracles! Sister Warner was laughing and I was freaking out and we had to try our best to regain our composure as she came back to the door. Phew!

I haven't mentioned this, but I had been getting headaches every day since the weather has gotten really bad in Fayetteville. I've been, and am continuing in drinking a LOT of water. I'm even getting Crystal Light so I drink a lot more, but they haven't been going away. I got a priesthood blessing from the Elders at a members home. Long story short, Sister Lester's son was there because the Elders couldn't have gone into a members house without a male present. She found out I was getting headaches so she went out and bought us powerade because apparently EVERYONE knows that you're supposed to drink a powerade every day plus water to prevent headaches. I've heard that you needed to drink powerade, but no one told me it was because you lose a lot of electrolytes when you sweat. This is why I did theater and choir, not sports haha! But now the headaches have been a lot better, and I'm getting them under control.

We had a bee that came into our apartment because we enjoy having our sliding door open to let in the breeze. Sister Warner was making fun of me for watching the bee walk onto the piece of paper so I could put it outside.  :P  

Hey Little Bee--I have a plan.  You don't hurt us and we won't hurt you.

We also found a dead wasp in our car the other day, we keep the windows partially rolled down to let the breeze in. This is just a bug infested week!

I hope everyone has had a great week, and to "always remember to rise up and become the person you were meant to be!" "As you lose your life in the service of Father in Heaven's children, Satan's temptations lose power in your life.

-Sister Sudweeks