How is everything?! Thank you so much for the emails, they really make me so happy. I love hearing about all of the summer activities going on, especially since here in Washington, it feels more like October! We have been in a solid week of rain and clouds, and I feel down right soggy by now. Good thing I love rain.
This week has been awesome. So it was my first week in a duo, and it has been alot harder but also alot better in many ways. The first day without Sister Christoffersen, I was literally the biggest baby and just so sad. Looking back, I realize that I was acting kind of like Anne of Green Gables who says she is "in the depths of despair." I thought my life was over without my sweet, gentle, wonderful trainer (I've learned that new missionaries almost always get strangely attached to their trainers). But after a day of that, I learned a very valuable lesson. And that is, missionaries CANNOT be focused on themselves!
That day when I was so focused on poor me without my trainer was one of my worst days of teaching and working. So that night I had some serious repenting to do and then made a promise with Heavenly Father to devote the following day to him. I was done thinking about myself. It would seem Sister Ruiz made the same commitment because we have been, as missionaries like to put it, "on fire" ever since. The past few days have been full of more walking, knocking, finding, talking, teaching than I knew was possible! It is seriously the best feeling ever to come home just worn to the ground, knowing that you gave your all to serving Heavenly Father and His children that day.
And we have definitely been reaping the blessings of our labors! We teach so many impromptu lessons, it is incredible. Sister Ruiz and I have this goal to make every activity worth while, which means that if we go to find an old investigator and they're not home, then we need to find someone to teach. For example, yesterday, we went to these apartments to find a lady who we had an appointment with, but she wasn't there. So as we walked back to our car, I saw a truck with the doors open and two guys inside. I walked up to them, found out they spoke Spanish (which I always love because the Spanish-speaking people always seem to be so open and nice) and started asking them about themselves. We quickly got onto the topic of religion and were able to stand their for half an hour, talking about the Restored Gospel. It was especially exciting for me to find the Spanish kind of flowing! And now we get to come back to those apartments and teach Carlos and Eric!
The past few days have all been like that, just crammed with talking to everyone on the street and teaching. It is so exciting to be a part of Heavenly Father's work as the happy news of His gospel is spread to more people every day. Sister Ruiz is really good at making me take the lead, so I really feel like I'm learning how to be a real missionary instead of just a little third wheel. And remember how I used to HATE talking to street contacts with a passion? It has become so much less scary, and I can honestly say that I enjoy it. You get to meet SO many interesting people!
I love you all so much!
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