Everyday I am out teaching and talking to people that do not believe in Jesus Christ. My job as a missionary is to bring those to come closer to Jesus Christ by faith, repentance, baptism, the holy ghost, and enduring to the end. I have found that as I have been giving this "gift" away I have found a greater and more personal joy than I have ever had. I know that as we become a more dedicated and christlike people, putting the things of the Lord first, we can qualify for the greatest happiness known to man.
It was SO awesome being able to talk to all of you on Sunday. Afterward as my companion and I were riding our bikes to our appt. we felt like it was a fairy tale that we had just talked to our families. Looking back I thought "I just talked to my family...what?" You all sounded so good! It made me super happy. I was glad I was able to not be emotional----I cried when I hung up the phone. Because I really do miss you guys and miss just talkiong with you. But 7 months(till Christmas) isnt too long right??? LOL!!
On Saturday night there was a mothers day activity at the church-of course we went. It was super fun!! All the men served the women and they had a program and everything. We(me and my comp. and 2 elders in the branch) did a musical number. We sang one of the primary songs about mothers. Well-it is 3 verses long. I decided we needed to do something fun with it. So the first verse we sang normal, the second Hna bird played it all staccato and the three of us did the whole up down thing(one person goes up while the other down. And for the third we did it all dramatic like! I sent pictures no worry. It was super funny! We got a standing ovation!! LOL They gave all teh missionaries roses because our moms are far away and we cant be with them(I had tears in my eyes---I didnt need a reminder that I was away from my mommy). It was just a really good night and we were able to get to know tons of the members better. They LOVE us! LOL
I ate pizza for the first time since being in Texas this week! Oh how I miss it :( I never eat American food anymore.
So cute story----LOVE the Elders. SO my bike has this seat cover to help coushin and make it not hurt as bad. Well, mine was falling apart. Kinda ghetto but I thought whatever. I complained one day to the Elders how much my butt hurt cause of the ridiculous seat. So on Sunday when we were leaving to get on our bikes I saw that I had a new cover on my seat. one of the Elders gave me his and just put it on there without saying anything. I LOVE the Elders! they are always looking out for the sisters and will do anything for us.
I am trying to think of any funny stories to liven up my email. I feel like ridiculous things happen everyday. My comp and I have a wall of funny things and add a post it to it everyday. So funny! The most funny things usually happen to my comp--her tripping or something. LOL! I will try and have a good story for next weeks email.
It is getting humid here! I dont think my hair could look uglier. I live in the desert for a reason!
Remember that there is a girl in Texas that LOVES all of you!!
-Sarah
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Happy Mothers Day
"But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall work and not faint." -Isaiah 40:31
One of the recent converts here in Galveston has that scripture on her wall and I loved it! I really feel like Heavenly Father will give us the strength to fulfill all that He asks of us. Sometimes it is really difficult to press forward-especially when you are tired and sweaty. The Lord gives us strength to resist temptation and to come unto Jesus Christ. We just have to be aware of His hand in our lives. Once you learn to be worthy and recognize the spirit you realize how often it will help guide you in your life. It is one of the greatest things I have been able to recieve here.
This week went well. another week on bikes---except it is getting SUPER humid. Like on sat. we had to go home and change our clothes we were so sweaty. like you know the sweat lines on the back of your shirt from wearing your backpack....yes, please picture the magic of a moment like that. SO HOT! I need to better learn how to crive my bike one handed so I can have a fan going in the other! LOL
MOTHERS DAY!!! YEAH!!! I am SO excited to talk to ya'll on Sunday. SO awesome! I promise I am not going to be awkward. It is my ultimate goal on my mission to still be a human being. :) MOM and Dad you should have recieved the call info in emails. Mom you need to call me at 3 pm my time. :)
We have an awesome new investigator Kelvin----he is from Nicaragua. So cool! He came to church on sunday and we have a noche de hogar set up for tonight with an awesome family in the ward. It is going to be cool. He is SO getting baptized. We just have to get him to stop smoking---story of my life.
The elders had a baptism on Sunday nad me and my comp were in charge of the Restoration message while they were changing. She played the paino(so good) and I sang. It turned out really well!!
I am including my companions email in this because she is seriously hilarious!!! She says things way better than I do. enjoy some of the funny moments that happened this week. Really though.....it is HOT here! I am so nast!
Hermana Birds email----
"""""""Ok so this week was absolutly amazing. I thought that I would start with a little info about the island, the apartment, basically mission life in Galveston...just to five everyone a little window into my life.
The apartment looks out to a swampy, marsh, pools of water...thing...it's super pretty and in the morning I like to make my little fruit smoothie and sit out and watch the sun come up..super magical and ultra relaxing. We also like to go take walks on Seawall which is this wall the backs up to the sea...so pretty.
Now remember this is an island and so I'm still trying to get accustomed to the island folk...a lot different than those that you find in Houston...all very tan and tend to walk around in bathing suits or wearing very little...They also always refer to the storm, "Before the Hurricane", "When the storm came"...etc. For many people it was a really faith building experience... so that's good!
The humidity is KILLER!!!! Like I walk out side and I feel that I am breathing in CUPS of water...I fear that one day I will drown of all the humidity! You sweat so easily and it is not an unfamiliar thing to have to change shirts in the middle of the day...we just sweat so much. I just want to give a shout out to Aaron Young who gave me the great advice to bring hankerchiefs. THANK YOU! My hair is always strongly humidified and I always look SUPER ugly...but I that still doesn't take away from the sister crushes forming. I recently had to save my companion(hna richards) from a 48 year-old man from Honduras, Juan...we are teaching his roommate Kelvin who is progressing so quickly. However Kelvin had to confront Juan about his many comments, stares, and innappropriate "linger-longers" (hand shakes that seem to last longer than they should, haha)...Juan said and I quote, "Kelvin, why can't you just let us be in love!"...Kelvin was then soo confused and asked us sincerely, "Hermana Richards, you are not in love with Juan?" Hermana Richards replied in such a way so as never to be miss understood, "NOOOOOOOOOOO, NUUUUUNNNNCCCCCAAA" (with a very animated and pioniative hand motion accompaning the answer)...so we have to pretty much stay away from him from now on! HAHA!
The bikes can sometimes trip up your feet, especially while speaking to others or attempting to talk to people sitting on their porches...the other day I was trying to speak to a woman whose dog absolutley was going to bite me if I came any nearer to the fence...so while trying to worry about the dog, get out a pass-a-long card and get off my bike..I so gracefully took a nice big fall onto thier front lawn...causing my so loving companion(hna. richards) to brakeout into uncontrolled laughter, the woman continuing to scream at the dog and me telling me that the dog bites....so I picked myself up, brushed myself off a little, and fully blushing at this point told her if she ever wanted to get closer to God to call the number...then I got back on my bike and laughed for a good 7 more blocks...SO EMBERASSING!
The bikes also tend to make one a little crazy...We are on track to baptize off of Avenue L and especially these two investigators that live right on top of each other. So trying to talk to the investigator upstairs and walk into the downstairs investigators house I so gracefully walked right into the door...hitting my forehead smack in the middle...it was sooooo beautiful and again my companion then couldn't keep from laughing...oh dear...what is one to do...""""""""""""""""" End of Hna. Birds email
Isn't she SO funny!! Luckily I havent tripped or hurt myself in anyway....yet (knock on wood). We seriously have so many funny things happen each day. It is sometimes really ridiculous!! We actually end up laughing most of the time.
We became best friends with the sheriff here-Ramon Hernandez.....We got his card in our bags in case of emergency. so tight!
We took some really cute pics----I will have to sned more soon. I sent a collage thing to mom----SO CUTE! I wish I had more but oh well.
Have a good week!!! I will talk to you on Sunday!!! YAYAY!!!
Loveyou-Sarah
One of the recent converts here in Galveston has that scripture on her wall and I loved it! I really feel like Heavenly Father will give us the strength to fulfill all that He asks of us. Sometimes it is really difficult to press forward-especially when you are tired and sweaty. The Lord gives us strength to resist temptation and to come unto Jesus Christ. We just have to be aware of His hand in our lives. Once you learn to be worthy and recognize the spirit you realize how often it will help guide you in your life. It is one of the greatest things I have been able to recieve here.
This week went well. another week on bikes---except it is getting SUPER humid. Like on sat. we had to go home and change our clothes we were so sweaty. like you know the sweat lines on the back of your shirt from wearing your backpack....yes, please picture the magic of a moment like that. SO HOT! I need to better learn how to crive my bike one handed so I can have a fan going in the other! LOL
MOTHERS DAY!!! YEAH!!! I am SO excited to talk to ya'll on Sunday. SO awesome! I promise I am not going to be awkward. It is my ultimate goal on my mission to still be a human being. :) MOM and Dad you should have recieved the call info in emails. Mom you need to call me at 3 pm my time. :)
We have an awesome new investigator Kelvin----he is from Nicaragua. So cool! He came to church on sunday and we have a noche de hogar set up for tonight with an awesome family in the ward. It is going to be cool. He is SO getting baptized. We just have to get him to stop smoking---story of my life.
The elders had a baptism on Sunday nad me and my comp were in charge of the Restoration message while they were changing. She played the paino(so good) and I sang. It turned out really well!!
I am including my companions email in this because she is seriously hilarious!!! She says things way better than I do. enjoy some of the funny moments that happened this week. Really though.....it is HOT here! I am so nast!
Hermana Birds email----
"""""""Ok so this week was absolutly amazing. I thought that I would start with a little info about the island, the apartment, basically mission life in Galveston...just to five everyone a little window into my life.
The apartment looks out to a swampy, marsh, pools of water...thing...it's super pretty and in the morning I like to make my little fruit smoothie and sit out and watch the sun come up..super magical and ultra relaxing. We also like to go take walks on Seawall which is this wall the backs up to the sea...so pretty.
Now remember this is an island and so I'm still trying to get accustomed to the island folk...a lot different than those that you find in Houston...all very tan and tend to walk around in bathing suits or wearing very little...They also always refer to the storm, "Before the Hurricane", "When the storm came"...etc. For many people it was a really faith building experience... so that's good!
The humidity is KILLER!!!! Like I walk out side and I feel that I am breathing in CUPS of water...I fear that one day I will drown of all the humidity! You sweat so easily and it is not an unfamiliar thing to have to change shirts in the middle of the day...we just sweat so much. I just want to give a shout out to Aaron Young who gave me the great advice to bring hankerchiefs. THANK YOU! My hair is always strongly humidified and I always look SUPER ugly...but I that still doesn't take away from the sister crushes forming. I recently had to save my companion(hna richards) from a 48 year-old man from Honduras, Juan...we are teaching his roommate Kelvin who is progressing so quickly. However Kelvin had to confront Juan about his many comments, stares, and innappropriate "linger-longers" (hand shakes that seem to last longer than they should, haha)...Juan said and I quote, "Kelvin, why can't you just let us be in love!"...Kelvin was then soo confused and asked us sincerely, "Hermana Richards, you are not in love with Juan?" Hermana Richards replied in such a way so as never to be miss understood, "NOOOOOOOOOOO, NUUUUUNNNNCCCCCAAA" (with a very animated and pioniative hand motion accompaning the answer)...so we have to pretty much stay away from him from now on! HAHA!
The bikes can sometimes trip up your feet, especially while speaking to others or attempting to talk to people sitting on their porches...the other day I was trying to speak to a woman whose dog absolutley was going to bite me if I came any nearer to the fence...so while trying to worry about the dog, get out a pass-a-long card and get off my bike..I so gracefully took a nice big fall onto thier front lawn...causing my so loving companion(hna. richards) to brakeout into uncontrolled laughter, the woman continuing to scream at the dog and me telling me that the dog bites....so I picked myself up, brushed myself off a little, and fully blushing at this point told her if she ever wanted to get closer to God to call the number...then I got back on my bike and laughed for a good 7 more blocks...SO EMBERASSING!
The bikes also tend to make one a little crazy...We are on track to baptize off of Avenue L and especially these two investigators that live right on top of each other. So trying to talk to the investigator upstairs and walk into the downstairs investigators house I so gracefully walked right into the door...hitting my forehead smack in the middle...it was sooooo beautiful and again my companion then couldn't keep from laughing...oh dear...what is one to do...""""""""""""""""" End of Hna. Birds email
Isn't she SO funny!! Luckily I havent tripped or hurt myself in anyway....yet (knock on wood). We seriously have so many funny things happen each day. It is sometimes really ridiculous!! We actually end up laughing most of the time.
We became best friends with the sheriff here-Ramon Hernandez.....We got his card in our bags in case of emergency. so tight!
We took some really cute pics----I will have to sned more soon. I sent a collage thing to mom----SO CUTE! I wish I had more but oh well.
Have a good week!!! I will talk to you on Sunday!!! YAYAY!!!
Loveyou-Sarah
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