First of all. I LOVE YOU!
Okay so back to this week.
I
CRASHED ON MY BIKE. Let me tell you what. I hate bikes. But I also love
them but sometimes THEY JUST I don't even know how to explain this.
Hermana Johnson and I just left the house to head over to the Beck
church building because we needed WiFi for our online hour. So, here I
am, just chillin, ridin' my bike, down the same road I always go down,
doin' the same thing I'm always doin', nothin' in view, then HWA-PAM
I AM FLYING THROUGH THE AIR, SKIDDING AROUND LIKE A MANIAC, LIMBS
FLAILING AND SKIDDING TO A STOP. One moment I am humming an Adele song
under my breath and the next I am soaring through the air. (That is what
I get for an unconsecrated song stuck in my head...I've repented.)
It's all good, but I got banged up a bit. I'll send
pictures, but let me just tell you, they do not do it justice. Okay?
They don't. Mostly I was fine, scraped elbow, bruised in really weird
places, but my left knee got the biggest blow. It's still throbbing a
bit. But, as you can all probably imagine, this was not the funnest
experience for me. (It still isn't.) Hermana Raynor and Arellano came to
the rescue with a first aid kit to disinfect and bandage me up, but I
was just not having it. At one point she had to dumb cold water on my
leg and that was probably the worst part. I finally pulled out my iPad
and watched the bible videos on it to distract myself. I'll try to send
some proof.
Oh, the other day we were standing in a gas station
waiting for the other sisters to come pick us up when suddenly this
black guy bursts inside, stops and stares at us, then points to Hermana
Johnson (after apparently thinking very hard about something) and says,
"...YOU'RE the older one." We look at each other like...what? So I start
thinking about possible things he might be talking about...like, older
in life? Me. By a year. Older in the mission? Me. By a year. So...I say,
"nope. I am." Then he's like, "aww man, darn it, I always guess twins
right." Then he just walks off and leaves.
I don't know if I've already mentioned this, but
everyone thinks that Hermana Johnson and I are sisters. I don't think
our faces look too similar, but it's the blonde hair and blue eyes, plus
we keep accidentally matching, which sure doesn't help...anyway, this
week we've been asked like 6 times if we are twins. One time a cashier
rung us both up on the same receipt because we "looked like twins."
Another little girl asked us if we were twins. Like...it's been
multiple, multiple times this week.
Speaking of Hermana Johnson, the other night I get
woken up to the sound of my cute little greenie praying super loud in
perfect Spanish. In her sleep. Super loud. And she was praying
specifically for one investigator, so I'm like, it's cool. I'm sure God
heard that one, even if she didn't.
We also had a flash flood yesterday! I've never
experienced one of those before, and it was literally a "flash"! It
stopped after like 10 minutes of non-stop pouring. Luckily, we were in a
baptism during most of it, but I LOVE RAIN. I kind of just wanted to go
run in it! I wish we'd been on bikes...
We also invited a member to one of our lessons who
literally and quite boldly called our investigators to repentance. While
it was maybe verging on the "whoa, there, way way way too direct" side,
I think I learned a lesson in being bold, because they didn't seem to
startled by it.
I also got asked to direct the hymns for like every
single meeting we had this week...EVEN SACRAMENT MEETING. That was a
doozy. All I'm saying is..."A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief." All seven
verses. And I don't know how to properly direct 6/8. In Spanish. Slow
organist. Slow death.
And now...for the kicker...
There's
this donut shop next to where we live called "Donut Co." Supposedly, it
has been voted best donuts in Arizona two years in a row. Truthfully,
we only go in there for bathroom breaks, but a few nights ago we ran in
and ended up buying a donut each. There was this lady working
there...she was a little odd. Like, said weird things. (And I'm not just
saying that. Okay...just...wait. Wait until the end of this story.)
Like...while Hermana Johnson was in the bathroom a person came through
the drive through, and after she gave them her donut, she says, "I just
washed a toilet with these hands." ?!?!?!? Don't say that, lady! And she
really did. She was telling me about it before he drove up. She also
said other really odd things. But I just had a small conversation with
her, no big deal. Then later a member called us, so I took the call, and
I'm speaking in Spanish, and the lady working there says something to
Hermana Johnson about me, but yeah, whatever, right?
Well, on Saturday Hermana Raynor and Arellano come
into the house practically peeing their pants from laughter. They tell
us that they just ran to the Donut Co to use the bathroom, and that some
lady working there (and they described her. It's that same lady) was
talking to them, and was like, "Oh, two other missionaries came in here
the other day with nametags like that. Two blondes. One of them was
pretty new I think, and the other was special or something, she kept
signing with her hands and didn't understand much."
?!?!?!?
DJIAW FJIEA'G'EAJISD;FLEJA WHAT. SIGNING WITH MY HANDS?!
So ya'll can just enjoy that one.
Also there was a mini ward activity planned that we
were invited to (me and Hermana Johnson) so we showed up and LO AND
BEHOLD we had NO IDEA that we were teaching it! And it was about
Temples, probably the least studied topic of my entire mission. So we
throw in this DVD about temples that lasts 10 minutes and are in the
back just rummaging through Preach My Gospel for something to say after.
(Preach My Gospel is inspired, people.) It ended up being fine. But
that stress-shock took a solid two years off my life.
BUT this week has been so awesome! I
love when crazy stuff happens! I seriously love it. We have had so much
fun this week. Hermana Johnson is so amazing, this morning I was just
thinking to myself, "I LOVE MY COMPANION!" I really feel like we are
together for a big reason! She teaches me things all day! And we are
such great friends. We are seeing miracles all the time!
We had a less active that we've been working with
come to church yesterday! It was a big shock! Then he and his wife and
two little, adorable, kind of crazy kids came to a baptism yesterday
night with us. It was so fun! We love this family so much, and it was a
big step for him to come to church--alone--and we were so happy! We are
praying so hard that they can progress as a family, and that his wife
can be baptized! We love them so much!!
We also got a few good references for families that
we are going to pass by this coming week! Our investigators are doing
fine, still lack the motivation, but we are pushing forward with them
and keeping up faith to really find more prepared people! Keep praying
for us, please! :)
Also, I met my first Chilean the other day! Ya po! Que bakan!
Spiritual
insight...I have always, my whole life, whole mission, thought that God
wanted us to be dependent on Him. But I read a talk the other day that
flipped my world upside down. I don't remember who it was (I'll find
out...I think it was President Uchtdorf,) but he said something like "if
we are dependent on God, we become weak. It is through the struggle
that we learn." (Really botched that quote, but that's the gist of it.) I
had the thought...what?? Aren't we supposed to turn to God in
everything, trust in Him, look unto Him in every thought, etc? What??
But then I had a big moment of realization: Yes, God wants us to DEPEND
on Him, but He does not want us to be DEPENDENT on Him. He wants us to
be INDEPENDENT. And that's why sometimes He lets us struggle! BOOM. Mind
was blown. Instantly. What do you all think about that? Let me know.
I love you all so much. Say your prayers, read the Book of Mormon, and go to church and LOVE IT ALWAYS.
Love, Hermana Thomas
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