Hey family!!! 

 

This week was amazing! It was long but good! This week seemed to be the week of service projects. The first one was helping a family move. Boy that was a doozy. I won’t go into detail on that one because mom would be mad at me hahah. But the other service project was we got to paint!! We painted some rooms in a member’s house and that was super fun! We did it with the Elders and it was a blast. It’s fun to have a change of pace sometimes! :) This Saturday our stake is having a service project in the Florida Keys and we were bummed because sisters aren’t allowed to go there. But President sent out a text saying that we were allowed to go!! So i get to go to the Keys! I am so excited. It will lots of fun and a good opportunity to work alongside with members of our stake.

Elder caught an Iguana!

This week we went to go see Sister Boga, my best friend. She is so sweet! She said before I leave she has to have me experience all these things so she took us out to try a bunch of Colombian food and then she made homemade arrepas which were the bomb!! She is awesome. She is already making plans for stuff for us to do when I come back and visit! She is so amazing!!

Last Monday we were able to teach Reniel, whose wife is a member and really wants to go to the temple. The lesson went great. He understands and loves the gospel. Basically he is a dry Mormon but he just hasn’t gotten that confirmation yet, so we are working on that with him. Brother Riggin came with us and they became really good friends so that was a big help! We are going to go and see Reniel today and teach him more. He wasn’t able to come to church yesterday which was a bummer but hopefully after the lesson with him today he will have a better understanding of the importance of church.  

Sick pic of the Iguana with my camera!

This week we got a referral from the sisters in our district for a guy named Melvin. Melvin is a 50 year old man from Georgia. He has been taught by the missionaries before and has been to church several times. He is super amazing and down to earth and really wants to learn about the gospel. On Sunday he was there at church bright and early and he loved it! He loved fast and testimony meeting and said he has never seen anyone get so choked up over the gospel and he was really touched. He said he loved how it all came from the heart. He said he wants his wife to start learning and coming to church with him. He said next testimony meeting he was going to bear his testimony because he could feel one growing with in him. He is amazing. He is planning on getting baptized on the 18th! Super excited for him.

Another amazing thing that happened was that Damien was able to get work off to come to church and guess what? He bore his testimony!!!! I so wish you guys were able to hear his testimony because it was so powerful!! It was one of the testimonies that really touched Melvin and many others. He got up and said "I would like to bear my testimony that this church is true, but I don’t need to be here at this pulpit to tell you that, because this is the true church of God and if you trust in Him you can know for yourself." Then he went on and talked about his conversion story and how amazing missionary work was and how if it wasn’t for me and Sister King he wouldn’t be here. He wouldn’t be so happy. I bawled. It was so amazing. The stake president was there and was so impressed with him. I really wish you guys could have been there. After testimony meeting Damien received the priesthood!! He was ordained to the office of a Priest and next week will be blessing the sacrament! I am so happy and proud of him. Damien has gone through so much in his life and is still going through a lot but he is so strong and faithful. He is a huge example to me on what it means to be truly converted! Today we are going to buy him a new tie to wear when he passes the sacrament next week :) Then after church he paid his tithing. He is the best. I can’t wait for you all to meet him someday!!!!!!! 

Another miracle that happened this week was we found our family we have been praying for all week. Each week we set a vision on who we want to find. This week we wanted to find a family of five with two boys and girl who are the ages of 12, 14, and 16 who are from Jamaica. Every prayer we said we included them. On Friday as we were knocking doors we found them!! Exactly what we had prayed. For a Jamaica family with two boys and a girl one of the boys and girl are little older but the other son is 16 and they are interested in learning about the gospel!! We are going to see them tomorrow! Super excited. Heavenly Father is so good!! :) He is just blessing us so much!

Want to hear a funny elder story? So we had a meal appointment on Friday at a member’s home who lives in an apartment complex. After the meal, the elders take the elevator so we sisters take the stairs when we get down to the first floor we see these two Latin ladies who look so confused. We hear banging on the elevator door. It was the elders! We then hear a HELP! We go over to the elevator and ask are you guys stuck?!? Sure enough they were. The elevator was jammed and wouldn’t open. We had to call 911 and 15-20 min later the fire fighters show up to save the day. Once the elevator door opened, all the elders fell out. It got really hot in there. Next time they will take the stairs hahah 

For Fourth of July we had to be home at 7. So we finished our planning, changed into our pj’s and just lounged around and watched church movies. Then we went out to our porch and watched the fireworks which was pretty cool. There were some really good ones. It was a fun night! :) 

Yesterday me and Sister Smith taught primary and it was a fun class. It was the 10 year olds. We taught about the ten virgins and how we need to be prepared. After the lesson we played a game. Me and Sister Smith made bingo boards and made the little paper lamp for the markers. It was fun and the kids loved it. Being in primary before I left helped a lot!! Blessings!!

This week I was reading a story called Matthew Cowley’s Mission to New Zealand and he said this in regards to when he will be released from his mission. I look forward with dread to the day when I will be released from this work. My love for this people has reached such a degree I fear that I will be robbed of contentment after I return. If it was not for the tie which binds me to my father, mother, brothers and sisters I would like to devote my whole life to the interest of the pacific islanders." As I read this, I could relate to him so well. I know exactly how he feels.  I love the people here and the work so much! Thinking about my time running thin, makes me very sad because I feel like there is so much more that I need to do and accomplish, but I am so grateful for you all and your love and support!!! Thanks for all the prayers!!! I love you all so much and miss you!!!! :))) have a good week!! :)