So cool thing that my mission president (who's awesome) is initiating! Once a week, all the missionaries are going to study Navajo for 30 minutes with a member in their ward. So there's a sister, who's gonna teach us Navajo! We're so excited. We're supposed to learn a door approach, a prayer, and our testimonies. So yeah I'm gonna have some cool things to say in Navajo when I get home!!
We talked to some incredible people this week! One was a very short lady with a walker, 81 years old but looks only about 65, and she wears a raccoon mumu (the dress thing that's very island-ish) everyday. She invited us in and showed us these incredible paintings that were all throughout her house, and we found out that she did them all. She's an amazing artist, sculptor, and poem-writer. It's fantastic. So we stopped by again this week, and she says "oh come in, follow me" and takes us straight back to her dining room where she literally has thousands of original artwork spilling off the table and in boxes around the table. She grabs two binders and hands one to me and one to Sis. Farnsworth and says "these are for you." We opened them in it is a brief history of her life that she hand wrote, lots of poems, and copies of artwork she has done. And she just gave them to us! She asked us to show it to people and tell them that they could buy one from her for $60...and she just gave them to us!!! She's amazing. And she's so faithful....almost all of the poems that I've read from her have something to do with God, and it's incredible. Some of them are really good, too! So we'll keep stopping by and hopefully she'll let us share a message with her soon!
Fun fact, I've gotten to use my nail art skills several times already! One Sister I love always asks me to do her nails, so I do when we have time. And there's a lady in the ward who we visited this week, and she just had shoulder and carpal tunnel surgery. Same arm, same time! When we visited her and I trimmed and shaped her nails for her. So who knew I would be using my nail skills on my mission! It's fun though, and I'm glad I get to do it!!
This last week was Relief Society's birthday, so there was a dinner at the church that night. I think it was Friday. My che (chay...means grandpa...so my adopted grandfather, who is the Navajo man we read the BoM with) came! So that was good. And after, Bishop came up to us and was just talking with us and cracking jokes. He's such a great bishop! He loves to joke around, but takes gospel things seriously, and it's so great. And of course we got a ton of leftovers from the dinner. So we're set for the next couple days with this red Watergate salad type thing...it's good.
Also, we ran into some Jehovah's Witnesses this week! We were going to go visit a Sister and we saw these two guys walking around in shirts and ties with their hair slicked back all professional-like. And they were carrying briefcases and knocking on doors. One of them was trying to figure out how to get into her house (you have to knock on the back door or you'll get eaten by their dog), so we showed him the way to the door, and let him go first (we didn't know he was JW yet). When her daughter, answered the door, he kind of shoved a paper at her and said without looking at her "here, you're invited have a great day" and walked away. Well we all looked at it and it was for the JW and we just had to laugh a little because it was just such an awkward approach!
And yeah it is awkward to knock on doors and to talk to strangers, but at least my companion and I act happy and try to get to know you before we give you a message! It made me really grateful for the MTC and all the programs in place that help me to be a better missionary. Just sayin'.
Side note to future missionaries! It ain't easy. But just because it's not easy doesn't mean you can't be happy. Sis. Farnsworth and I think our district is depressed, and that's not a good thing. When we started talking about "being content" Sis. Farnsworth and I immediately thought of being happy, but everybody else thought of being apathetic, being okay with things the way they are (meaning you're not trying harder). What? Doesn't everyone think of being happy? So we figure that means they're all getting depressed because of the hard job that is missionary work. DON'T DO IT. It's not worth it!! It's gonna be hard, but there are little things everyday that make you happy, and as long as you remain hopeful and optimistic, it'll all be fun and worth it and you won't ever wanna leave! That's one of many things that define a good missionary.
In the latest food news, I ate pickled beets this week. Yup. You read it right. Pickled. Beets. They were weird and kind of nasty, but our friend who is 100 years old, gave it to us to try because she loves them, so we couldn't tell her no! And she made us eat all the ones she dished out. So it was just weird. But I love her, so I did it, and I won't do it again unless she insists. I don't recommend them. But then she gave us a jar of pears that she had canned last year. Yeah, that's right, she cans things still. And apparently she makes the best homemade bread, so I've made it a goal to get her recipe and learn how to make the best homemade bread. And I had the best pineapple upside down cake last night...SO good. I want the recipe for that too. So I'll be bringing home lots of recipes, basically! And at some point I'm going to learn to make fry bread. I already know the secret ingredient, I just need the rest of the recipe and be taught how to do it :)
So your challenge for the week is to read from the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it is true, just as Moroni directs (Moroni 10:3-5). You might've done it before, but that's okay, do it again. You can never go wrong when you ask the Lord a direct question like that, and if you have faith and are sincere and will act on your answer, then God will answer you. Don't doubt it.
Your scripture is 2 Nephi 11:6-7. It's a good one! We read it to Lindsey yesterday.
Thank you so much for all of your prayers and love and support! I can feel your strength everyday. Keep reading from PMG, and reciting the First Vision! I love you all so much, and hope you have a fantastic week!
No comments:
Post a Comment