Oh boy. oh boy. Life is crazy. But the good kind of crazy of course. Sister Lister has made her arrival and I already love her. She is so willing to try new things and her theme song is "I will survive." Hehe After her first day here and a street display full of rejection, I asked her what she thought. She just turned to me and said "dang. missionary work is hard." Hehe Add the constant German headache from all the translating on top of it all? Man whatta trooper. I don't miss those days. Yep. We are definitely putting the work in missionary work. But we are balancing it out with singing(more like yelling) songs at the crack of dawn and downing a whole batch of brownies in one sitting. I promise I won't kill her. :) It just cracks me up. Because it's so true when they say they do literally everything you do or follow you around everywhere. Haha I forgot about that part.... But it's keeping me on my toes. So it's all good. :)
We had another first this week when we taught the restoration to Katy over the ice cream counter. #win but it actually turned out well with minimal interruptions and she wants to give a Book of Mormon to her boss. Like how cool is that? Yes please. Keep sharing the love with everyone. If you feel so inclined, you could just pass out Books of Mormon as a free gift with the ice cream? That's cool too. Hehe but really. The message in that book really is contagious so it doesn't surprise me.
Remember that lady from last week who hadn't been to church in over 30 years? We taught her and her son the restoration this week. So cool. She didn't remember hardly a thing, but she just kept saying how the feeling is what she remembered and she hadn't felt that in so long. Oh man I take the gift of the Holy Ghost for granted way way way too often especially as a missionary considering the constant companion part really kicks in when you slap on that name tag. Her son just really ponders it. You could tell after every question we asked that he was just really thinking about it. Really letting the Holy Ghost speak to him. So cool. Well on his way to finding the truth!
Okay here's a good one for you that actually has a little more back story to it. Here Sister Hadfield and I are feeling all hopeless and such, but trying to push through and do missionary work and stuff and we are street contacting. Hello. Extremely friendly smile and hello back. And we walk right past her. I know. Bad missionaries. So then we stop and we are just talking about how unusual this is that someone is that friendly and finally I just decide Heavenly Father has given us way too many chances at this point and so we turn around and go back and talk to her and she tells us how she has been to a baptism and a temple open house and has a Book of Mormon and pretty much has just had 47464748 chances to accept the gospel. She tells us she is not interested... Yet. But her son is! And out walks this little 10 year old boy. I didn't know 10 year olds were interested in the gospel but okay.... #josephsmithstatus we show Because of Him movie right there on the street and set up a return appointment. Go to the return appointment and he has read 20 chapters in the Book of Mormon? What the heck? So fast forward. Yesterday he, his dad, and his dad's friend all come to church! We met with them afterwards and read the Book of Mormon together over tea. (Also a funny story because that was Sister Listers first time having tea...... Hahaha oh good stuff) and he is just reciting the whole story of first Nephi to his parents and the friend came too! Oh man. I love missionary work. This kid is a genius.
Really. I feel like I could tell you so much more like the fact that we were walking home last night and talked to this guy and turned out he was also a member and hadn't been to church in a while and now wants to come back or the fact that some random girl just walked into church yesterday and is going to institute this week and signed up on our missionary eating calendar or that we talked to this way cool lady at the street display who totally opened up to us about how hopeless she felt and that she already had a Book of Mormon and wanted to read in it or that we finally had a real lesson with Serge again or.... Seriously. I could go on forever. I don't know if it is this miracle fast, golden power or what but I definitely feel the whole not room enough to receive them deal-io. Gah. God is good.
Hehe I love you all so stinkin much.
Keep on keeping on.
Xoxoxoxo
S. Heywood
Yes. That's the crew. 20 Book of Mormon chapters later....
Serge. He's awesome. Pretty much the nicest person on earth.
Comp pic. Yes. I'm the luckiest.
Street displays for dayzzzzz.
Coolest pday ever. Like flying hair and this perfect view and the closest thing you get to a missionary roller coaster. Eep. So fun.
Setting up this place. 10 people in 2 hours flat. Skill.
Ice cream and the restoration.
I decided my new favorite hobby is taking first selfies with old people. Funniest thing. I love it.
Coolest street performance yet.
Sister Lister...love her already!
