We Finally Got a Monsoon Storm

July 22, 2013

Unfortunately nothing has happened with E. this past week. He wasn't able to make it to mutual but this week we will try setting something up again.

This week was AWESOME! Not necessarily for any specific reason.. It's just such a great feeling to be a missionary. There's nothing like it :)

I love church. I have gained a very strong testimony of how important church is. When I go I feel so much love from the members and my favorite part is while the prelude music is playing to see all the mingling and fellow shipping that goes on. The nicest people in the world are at church all at the same time and they're so kind to everyone it makes me smile so much my mouth hurts!!

We email from a high school library and I just saw a high school couple hug each other a second ago and it seemed so weird. :S I must be a missionary! >:D

Saturday night we got POURED on! It hasn't gotten worse than a light sprinkle but we finally got a monsoon storm. We got so soaked. It was the bomb. We had an appointment with one of the coolest families I've ever met at 8:30 that night and when we got there our shoes were mobile puddles and our shirts and pants were drenched. The family insisted we still come in and even forced us to sit on their leather couches! We threw blankets down first but when we got up to leave we had soaked everything. Their fault. ;)

The Spanish Elders had a miracle this week I want to write about! There's a lady they've been teaching who has had bone cancer and has been in a wheelchair for awhile. On Thursday they gave her a priesthood blessing. The next day they got a call from her and she was very emotional and asked them to come see her. When they got there she was walking. Her bone cancer was gone and her legs were strong enough to walk. Her husband told them he was willing to give everything bad in his life up to become a member of the church and gave them his alcohol, cigarettes, and lighter. The husband, wife, and 3 children are being baptized on August 3rd.

Funny story: I went on exchanges with a missionary in my district Elder Wright on Friday. Our dinner appointment fell through but the Sister still wanted to give us money to go get something to eat. We went to a gas station cause Elder Wright has been wanting a slushy since he got here 5 weeks ago and has been craving a brain freeze. Anyways, he drank the slushy super fast and got a major brain freeze.

We're teaching a man named Brother Sargent. I don't know his first name cause the first time I met him he told me his last name and I asked if I could call him Brother Sargent since we're all brothers and sisters. He's 70 and is a difficult person to teach because he's so non denomination and thinks everyone is right. This week we explained the apostasy AGAIN and it finally started to make sense to him! We also told him that his baptism was invalid in the baptist faith and he needed to be baptized again. He got mad but he was confounded and couldn't say anything. He kept on saying, "yeah but..... You see.... Well..... AH!" He finally just said, "I don't think you're right because that would mean only mormons have been baptized properly. And we were like, "FINALLY you understand!!!!". He's getting more serious about his investigation now and is sincerely praying about the book of mormon and Joseph smith. He's such a funny guy, I wish you all could meet him.

I have come to know for myself that Joseph Smith is a Prophet. The church of Jesus Christ has been restored. It heals every hole in our heart. The shade of the gospel extends to all who choose to let it heal them. Everything we have is a blessing from our Father in Heaven. He loves us. I know He's real. I know it.

I love you all and pray for you every day.

Love Elder Janis

Crazy Cactus

 We had Arbys for dinner one of the nights!

The room picture is unfortunately my room. This was when we first moved into the new apartment and everything on the floor is not mine...... It got taken care of soon after this memorable picture was taken.

the shoulder bag picture needs to be explained.... :D New worldwide policies for missionaries include not being able to wear backpacks because Elder Nelson says we look like mountain men in suits; not representatives of Christ. So I'm not wearing a shoulder bag yet but I'm getting excited ;)