OCTOBER 02, 2017

FAITH CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS, BUT DON'T BE SURPRISED IF GOD GIVES YOU A SHOVEL!

HELLLOOOOOOO 

Just another crazy week of the mission flew by and I find myself yet again at the computer trying to express it all in an hour and half over email. 

Life is just so good!!! AHH!! I don't know if it’s the Florida sun or just the fact that I'm a missionary or whatever but I am just so happy! 

Sister Diamond and I are just having a party and its for sure only beginning. It’s going to be a blast of a transfer! She is from Cedar Hills Utah and is freakin' hilarious! She left on her mission a transfer before me so it’s so nice to be with someone my "age" in the mission. Sister Isham , my trainee is in my "sisterhood" (the sisters that I go on exchanges with, etc.) and I am so excited to be back on the same side of the state as her! She’s so hilarious and such an awesome missionary! 

We are meeting super cool people lately. Two people just kinda came to church last week and we had the opportunity to teach them this week and they are super cool! We are teaching this guy named Sergio. He was in a car accident a few years ago and is now a quadriplegic. He has been through so much. He just has this excitement about the gospel that is so cool to watch. He just wants to reconnect with God. We taught him the Plan of Salvation and I don't think it’s ever been so "fitting" to anyone in my life. We are also teaching this man named Scott. He is such a "gentle giant". He is recovering from some crazy addictions and feels that God has just led him to us. He is so cool! The both have super solid desires to just "know God" and use Him in their lives.

CAMPING ROUND 2 

I never thought my mission would include sleeping in the chapel for 6 days and camping but now I've done it twice... sooo... 

This weekend was another filled with handwork and sweat. We met such awesome people though! We met a really cool lady from the Ukraine named Luda. She had just moved here less than a year ago when the hurricane hit and she didn’t have anyone to help and needed it badly. When we pulled up she just started crying and saying under her breath that "no one ever help me" and was just in shock that God cared about her enough to send us to her. She was amazing and had such an incredible house. 

As I was pulling some trees to the curb an older man on a bike stopped me and just asked "what is this? who are you guys?" I explained to him who we were and why we were there and he was just as equally "in shock". He went on the say how his wife suffered from spinal cancer and he was 86 years old and his house was just destroyed and he didn't know where to start his clean up and needed a whole lot of help. After we finished with Luda (and she bought us like 8 pizzas and some beer... don’t worry we didn’t drink the beer) , we headed over to this man’s house and we were just shocked to see what we found. The whole place was wrecked. Sea weed was in every nook and cranny of the bottom of their house and so man trees had fallen and there was incredible water damage. We all worked together and cleaned up as much as possible and they were so grateful. He is some famous artist, look him up. His work is incredible. 

I think more than anything that anyone has said to me over these past three weekends down there it’s just the look of amazement and wonder that they have in their eyes to know that people care and that God cares. My favorite quote I heard this past weekend was from Ann, Lawrence's wife, she said "You guys are a walking talking testament of Jesus Christ". I have never felt like such a Christian. 

My scripture this week is in 1 Peter 4:16 and it’s been an overarching lesson I've learned throughout this whole experience. It reads " Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf." Let us all be true Christians. Do not be ashamed but rather glorify God with our actions. 

The church is true. Christ lives and loves us. He is aware of us and our circumstances. 

I LOVE YOU ALL!!! And pray for you more than you know! 

P.s. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM, BRYCE, AND ADDISON! YOU GUYS ROCK. 

P.P.S. Yes, I do want to jump in the water so bad.