Sounds like a crazy week at home! Fin Fun is not so much fun with the fins, huh? I hope you are all able to enjoy the reunion regardless! And Todd enters the MTC this week, right?? Does that mean he gets set apart today? Man oh man! Tell him I said congratulations and to have so much fun in the MTC! New York is so blessed to be getting him. Congrats to Jeren as well for graduating, and best of luck with the move! Exciting things are happening!
Heather Williams wrote me about the boating trip and I laughed out loud, imagining Dad race-car driving the boat and the youth flying off the back. Maybe that's a sign that you need to get that boat you've always wanted, Dad! Every time time I see a boat here, I think of you. :)
I can't believe you got to meet Bishop Tuke and Amber! They are some of my favorite people in the WORLD! Bishop really does love his ward. He is the most fun-loving, hard working leader. I have so much respect for that man. And Amber is one of my best friends out here. Did they come to the house? Bishop texted and said that he is so impressed by my parents, that you're wonderful people, and also that Mom bribed him with cookies. :)
Sister Luke and I worked soooooooo hard this week. We try to work hard every week, but some weeks your labors feel more fruitful than others. However! I still feel so blessed that Heavenly Father is orchestrating so many great things in this area. :)
For example. We walked into FHE last week with a whole entourage of nonmembers behind us! I felt like the leader of a small gang! Derek, Marco, Skyler, Dalton, and Josh were ALL there. So was Tori... but he doesn't count as an investigator. Yet. ;) Whoever is in charge of planning activities is truly inspired, because they planned "get to know you games," like do you love your neighbor. Perfect timing indeed!
It really hit home for me this week that the Book of Mormon changes people. It is amazing to see the difference in progression between an investigator who reads it and an investigator who doesn't. We taught the Word of Wisdom to Derek and Marco separately, and even though we started teaching them together, and they're the same age and have similar backgrounds and interests, Derek is willing to live the word of wisdom and Marco is not. The difference? Derek has been reading! There really is a power in the Book of Mormon. He's set for baptism on August 23rd. :)
On Thursday, I did something suuuuuuper scary.... Ran the area without Sister Luke for the first time! Our sister training leader came to Robindale for the day on exchanges. I got to drive for the first time in six weeks, navigate our whole huge area, lead planning, lead all the lessons, coordinate all the members, by mahself. It felt like someone had just handed me my big girl pants and told me to put them on. As nervous as I was, I actually really liked the feeling of running the area. As Pres. Richardson would say, I can "add that experience to my rolodex of life" and know that I can do hard things when called upon!
The members in our ward are the most wonderful people ever, I'm so grateful for all they do for us. We have members with us at nearly every lesson, and they've become some of our closest friends. Sometimes having members there is more helpful, and sometimes, well... Story time. We have a new investigator, Zach 2.0, and as we were teaching the lesson, we ask the member, "How has the Book of Mormon blessed your life?" The member says, "Well, if the Book of Mormon were a movie, it'd probably be rated Z." Uhhhh?!? Sister Luke is a very skilled teacher and saved the lesson from nosediving. We're still laughing about it several days later!
Sister Luke's uncle Jared had a 3-hour layover in Las Vegas on Wednesday and we got permission for him to come to dinner with us! Funniest guy ever... Apparently he has a history of dressing up to mess with Sister Luke's friends when she was in high school. He's dressed up as a detective, a gangster, a flamer, and I think a clown... This time, we had him dress up as a redneck. The tradition of messing with people continues. :) Apparently Sis Luke has seen lots of her family on her mission. So, if anyone's driving through Vegas... *cough* *Smedleys* *cough* I betcha I can get permission to say hi!
Sis Luke and I have so much fun together. One morning, I put on her nametag before personal study. We got through all of companionship study and STILL she hadn't noticed, and I'm sure we would have walked out the door to district meeting like that if I hadn't said something. We left our nametags switched all day. Haha :)
We spoke in church yesterday! My first experience trying to go more by the Spirit instead of writing everything out. Of course they had Sister Luke speak first, and she speaks simply and powerfully and then I have to try and follow her. Oh boy. I felt like I repeated myself a lot, but besides that I think it went well. :) Spoke on how we are motivated to share the gospel as we learn about the Atonement. Used Alma the Younger's conversion story. What a cool story!
Last night as we were out trying to get a lesson, it started POURING rain! Flash flood city! I tried to take a couple pictures of the road so you can see how crazy it was. You could feel the thunder under the ground through the car, and we got drenched just running from the car to a door. It felt like we were in a movie. Hopefully you can see how awesome it was, even though the pictures don't do it justice. Less than 24 hours later, it's all already dried up!
Have a wonderful week!
Lots of love, Sister B
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