February 28, 2011

WOW!!! CONGRATULATIONS MITCHELL!!!! I can't believe he is going to Madagascar!! that is so cool! I'm so bummed I won't get to see him but he is making the best decision in the world so thats ok.
I can't believe he leaves one week before I get home! Did sami tell you her wedding date? I'm still waiting to hear when and where it is. I couldn't believe she is waiting either. She's so great :) I am doing much better this week. I had the pain from my ear infection for a good 10 days, even with the medicine. I popped some membrane and so it caused all kinds of problems but I took care of it. I'm feeling 100 times better. Things are also much better with my companion. I just had to quit being prideful and be willing to help her. She just requires a lot of attention and it was really hard with everything else going on. It's still stressful but that's missionary work. We arent' teaching a lot of people but I have had some really amazing experiences this week. One of them is with J. He took all the lessons months ago and really wanted to change and be baptized. He gave up all his addictions, and friends but because he was on parole he couldn't be baptized and he didn't have a court date or anything set and so he gave up. In doing so he went deeper into all of his addictions and became really mean and bitter. He showed up to institute this week and said he got off parole and his charges were all dropped but that he didn't want to change and come back. I knew there was a reason he came and told us so we asked to meet with him. He was really cold at the beginning of our appointment but the spirit worked really hard on him. By the end of the appointment he commited to come to church, read in the book of mormon, pray, and meet with us 3 days a week. It is amazing to see the change that comes in a person so quickly through the spirit. The other amazing experience was with a recent convert named A who I love! I have become really good friends with her but she has had no desire to keep the commandments and went worse into her addictions than before her baptism. Because of them she has been in a really dark spot with no vision or desire for a future. This week she finally woke up and asked me to help her. She is doing the 12 step addiction recovery program and FINALLY is changing. I am so excited for her. She calls me angry eyes because of my facial expressions and the other night when I called her she said "angry eyes I don't want to smoke or drink or do drugs ever again and anything you tell me to do I will do. She talked to bishop on sunday and started the repentance process. It was the first time she had been to church in 2 months and she has only been a member for 6. I'm so excited to see her changes. I love the gospel. It can change someone faster than anything else in the world. It is such a blessing in our lives. It is the only thing that brings happiness. I love being a missionary even if it is the HARDEST thing i've ever done in my life.