Email from July 3, 2013

Sorry about the email last week, my companions didn't tell me we wouldn't be going back til the library so I had to just get permission to send what I had written from a members computer. I didn't even get to talk about the broadcast, but it was so good! I was sort of expecting some kind of big announcement but pretty much it was just putting emphasis on what we already know. Dad emailed me and said members are for finding and missionaries are for teaching, and I was like YES! THANK YOU! I hope that's what everyone got from it. We have a 7 hr a week tracting minimum rule and after the broadcast the President got a bunch of emails like does this mean we don't need to tract all 7 hrs? But his reply was when you get 20 member present lessons a week we will think about lowering the tracting time, HA! But anyways!

It was a craaazy week. We had to say goodbye to our trainer, we were so sad and the branch was so sad, they reeaaally didn't want her to leave. Then yesterday was transfer day and we met our new companion/greeenie! She is so cool! She's actually from San Diego and her name is Sister StevenSON, so that will be fun. She went to BYU also and was in the dorms and so we have some mutual friends but never met. It's crazy though she has only been a missionary for like 14 days, I can't even imagine what it would be like to be in the field that quick. The library internet was down so that is why we are emailing today for a bit. 

I was able to say the prayer for the Saviors Peace and Blessing for the first time and it was so good! The spirit helped me remember all her needs and she was so calm after. It was for a woman named Christine, we ran into her husband who gave us there address and wanted us to meet with her and she just immediately started crying and talking about everything going on and I am the WORST at comforting people, but I am getting so much better, I forced myself to put my arm around her and everything! 

There was a fish fry at the church and the old man in the picture I'm sending, Frank, did all the cooking. He did some White Perch especially for the missionaries. There was also volleyball and water balloons for the kids and it was way fun. There was a really good less active turn out too! The branch did really good with fellow-shipping them.

We had some crazy finding scenarios this week, I LOVE those! It is the best when you just know you were guided to a certain place for a certain reason. The funny thing is I always thought you would know during and the spirit would really tell you but it's more of we're just like "how do you feel about this street?" "I don't know how do you feel?" but it isn't until after we realize how much the Lord had a hand in it. We've been praying really specifically, and it is helping so much. I came to realize that our entire purpose only works with people wanting or willing to change, and so we focused our prayers there and that is exactly where we were led. 

We were walking down Brisco St. on a side of town we have never really been and this guy gets out of a car down the street (mid thirties, black, in pajamas haha) goes, "y'all the normans?" and we were like, "uhhhhh close enough how did you know!?" and ran over. Turns out he's related to a semi-recent convert. He didn't really wanna talk to us at first but he ended up walking us over to his trailer right then and we taught the first lesson and committed him to baptism. He admitted at the end of the lesson that he lied to us about his name, and was actually on his way to buy a blunt, but saw us and decided to act on this feeling of wanting to change he's had lately. 

Ok something weird about Louisiana, no one has heard of our church, they don't know that it's a worldwide organization, they just think we're another church on the corner, with another preacher, out trying to recruit more people for the congregation. I didn't think anywhere in the United States was like that. 

Another awesome thing- Sister Johnson got up and it was her last Sunday and just told everyone in the Branch how it is. Since getting offended is the reason for so many less actives she just talked about how we can't let anyone stand in the way of our salvation, it was so good, everyone needed that. Speaking of church our Gospel Principles class is so funny. It's 5 missionaries, like 2 investigators, and maybe 2 members, and one of the investigators likes to ask "deep" question to try to make everyone question their actions, and beliefs. So yeah, it's fun, the men who come, and the Elders get so worked up and defensive. It's basically up to the Sisters to keep it calm and on topic, and try to answer his questions with understanding. 

One last funny thing, Sister Johnson took our car :( I'm going to miss it, it was a 2013 ford focus. So since we have so limited cars and they aren't making us visa waiters buy bikes the Elders in our district became a biking area and we stole their car. It smells like boys but better than nothing!

LOVE YOU! HAVE FUN GETTING MARRIED MICHELLE AND TJ!!!!!!!!!!!