05-30-2016

To my favorite people

This week was a much better week. Talk about a 180 flip. Thank you for
all the love you guys have been showing. Muchas gracias

We are teaching a man named Rick. He is awesome. He's an older man
that is working toward becoming sober and we meet with him almost
daily. Rick is the best. He is homeless and the nicest man you've ever
met. We meet with him at Safeway and I just love him. He buys flowers
and passes them out to people as they walk in. Could he be any
greater? Umm yes. He brings us chocolate bars and tells us that we are
his angels and he wrote us a poem this week. Every night he walks us
to our car and opens the door for us. I love him. I love meeting with
him because he is so full of life. He has been through so much and
here he is trying to get clean. He bears his testimony of the Savior
again and again. It's so simple but so profound. He relys completely
on the savior. I love when he walks into our lessons. He has his beat
up Book of Mormon and you just know he cherishes the gospel. We all
can find new life in Jesus Christ. I included a photo of me my
companion and Rick, the poem he wrote for us, and him opening up our
door. Team Rick for life

Side note which is so funny. As Rick was walking us to the car one
night he asked my companion if she needed to do 12 step with him,
because her parking was so bad. HAHAHA it was so funny

This week my saving grace has been an hermana in my zone. Hermana
Bennett is the best thing you've ever seen. She is from North Carolina
which is secretly my favorite state and the cutest thing. She has been
such a blessing this week and I love her mucho grande. She's teaching
me Spanish but it's not going very well because her Spanish is a lil
rough hahah the phrases she taught me are "I don't know" "I don't know
much English" "I'm sorry I don't understand" hahaha so the essentials
right haha

This week we have been teaching one of our investigator's foster kids.
She is 14 years old. It was by complete chance (except we know chance
is not a real thing). She told us her story and it completely broke
our hearts. She was abandoned by her mom and now the state has control
of her. She wants to know why this has happened to her. She just wants
to be loved, she wants to be wanted. It was really spiritual teaching
her about that God loves her and that she is HIS daughter. I think
that statement is so often stated but so profound. We always belong to
someone. She is seriously so cute. She came to church with us and one
of the elderly ladies just ate her up. She invited us over for a feast
at her house. It was the best meal ever. The girl was almost in tears
as she had never had family meals or had a party in her honor. To make
it even better, this old lady took her out shopping to get her new
clothes. PEOPLE ARE SO GREAT. PEOPLE ARE SO GENEROUS. I just loveeeee
people

We helped a lady unpack her house this week. She has over 1,000 piggy
banks. It was the most interesting and entertaining thing that has
ever happened. Who knew piggy banks were so great.

We went chalking this week. Chalking is so awesome. We went to a park
and colored all these things with the theme "FAMILIES ARE FOREVER". It
is such a clever way of talking to and finding people to teach about
the gospel and gods plan for us to be with our families forever.

This week a member invited us over to her house. She lives right next
to all of these vineyards. It's STUNNING THERE. She has a pizza oven
in her backyard and we made the best homemade pizza ever. Oh my gosh
pizza is my weakness.  The vineyards are so beautiful. I can't wait
for the trees to get bigger. I think I broke the law and went into one
to take a picture... Oops you gotta do what you gotta do

This week I have really seen the power of prayer. I have never prayed
more in my life. I have never felt more strength. God is real. I see
his power everyday. I get to be a apart of an amazing work. There are
not adequate feelings that describe how it feels to be a missionary.

It's the hardest thing I have ever done but it's the best thing.

I've said it before but I'll say it again-- God is so good

I love you all and miss you.

Godspeed

Sister t