Week 17!!!

Hello everyone! 

How was Valentine's day?!?! What even is Valentine's day... missionaries don't know. :) 

This week has been just a tad rough... we have had to drop a few people and we have gotten a few texts saying that the Mormon is not for them... the Internet is the WORST thing when it comes to investigators because there are so many crazy ideas about Mormons on that thing! But we have been doing a ton of street contacting to try to find new investigators which is my favorite! We snag a water bottle and hit the pavement in short sleeves and it the best! Everyone is outside when it feels like summer so we get to talk to SO MANY people. We have found some pretty incredible people to talk to, most didn't live in our area and they were just visiting, so we are often referring people to Elder Western and Elder Julander... but that's okay, we are all on the same team here! 

This week we have been seeing a lot of our RCLA's. Palmira Miranda and Khamphiane are some of my favorite people in this entire world. Palmira is the little Puerto Rican lady who can't tell if she's speaking Spanish or English half the time and she lives in the dark... idk she doesn't believe in lights I guess I don't know? We went in a read the Book of Mormon with her. She started talking about her family and how much she loved them and that that she often looks back and asks herself "if I loved them so much then why did I leave them?" She came from Puerto Rico for a job.. She has many memories of working on farms and washing laundry in the river by her farm and talking with her dad. She expressed how much it meant to her that her family's temple work was done and she had us all in tears. It was such a spiritual lesson! She then fed us Mexican pastries and hot chocolate..... they are so RICH and she kept putting more and more on my plate and she got us bags of them and so I'd slip one off my plate and into a bag when I could. I LOVE LOVE LOVE HER. 

We were able to get a few referrals the past few days which we are super excited for, Agustin is a GOLD MINE. He has so many non-member friends so it works out great! We are going to start trying to teach them this week! We had a referral from out bishop named Cedric as well, he is committed to be baptized so hopefully everything works out with that! He is a cool guy and loves Heavenly Father.. he says he just needs help to come closer to him so HEY WE'RE THE MISSIONARIES! :) We will definitely be there for him to try and help him make those steps! 

Sister Jardine and I have a blast. We do lots of service for new members moving in. We eat lots of apples and peanut butter. We are always laughing and quoting people, it's been so much fun ALREADY! We workout in the morning and watch the district.. We made a motivation nation wall during dinner one day... sometimes I look at the things we do for fun and think wow..... like the other night the district leaders called us to report in our number and they asked how the companionship was and we were like it's so great! I guess they have noticed that we have a ball and said "so like what do you Sisters do for fun on P-day?"... we literally cut out pictures from the Ensign and sing hymns in creepy voices with super clashy harmonies, and then we laugh at each other. We are going to be so weird when we get home. 

This week I have been studying conference talks and I have such a testimony of improvement! I'm so grateful we are not perfect and that there is always room to improve... how boring would it be if we were PERFECT? I'm grateful for a Father in heaven who loves us all enough to tell us where we can improve, whether that's more meaningful prayers, not forgetting to study your scriptures, clean more, not procrastinating, etc. Whatever it may be he is willing to help us! I also have such a testimony of being clean. The spirit lives in clean places and has more of an opportunity to provide comfort if we are living clean lives (physically and spiritually). 

I love the gospel! It's the best thing for people. There is a scripture that I love, in proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

I know our Father in heaven wants us to be happy, and that we can reach happiness in its fullness with the gospel. As we come closer to out savior, we realize how much love and hope there is for all of us and we don't really have a reason to be a grump. :) 2 Nephi 4 is a good chapter in the Book of Mormon, and I challenge you to read the talk "What Lack I Yet?" I promise we can continue to become happier if we apply those in our lives! 

Love you all so much, shout out to Sister Madsen for getting her call to SPAIN!! Whoot whoot! 

Xoxo

Love, Sister Bair