Wow, a roller coaster of a week.

So this week has been really good and really bad at the same time. There has been a lot of good things that have happened, but some really awful ones as well.

This week got to be really cold again! One day it was in like the single digits but negative with wind chill. Talk about cold! 

On Wednesday we were tracting, and it was bitter cold and no one was really interested. But there was this guy trying to jump his wife’s van, and it just wasn’t working, so we kind of went over there to help, but we were more like UDOT workers haha. But at the end the car got jumped, and he invited us in to warm up. We had a cool lesson and were able to help him feel the spirit. 

Thursday was cool because we met some really cool people who were definitely willing to act on the message. The sad part is that they are here on vacations, and one of them has already left for Mexico again. There was also a cool lady from Columbia that we met, and will have a return appointment this week when she gets back from Florida.

Friday was kind of an awful day because we found bedbugs. It was so horrible. Apparently I have had bedbug bites for two transfers now. I thought the red marks were like poison ivy or something; but then we found bedbugs. So we spent like 8 hours that day cleaning the apartment and bombing it. But then later that day we went tracting in an apartment complex, and we met some cool black people who were praying for guidance right before we knocked their door. So we were able to pass them on to the English Elders.

Saturday was bad again too, at least for the beginning. We found more bugs so we had to clean EVEN more, and then set off more bombs. Then they still didn’t die so we had the housing coordinator come and spray. But it was an awesome day because I went on Exchanges with Elder Blood! He is probably my favorite person. We had lots of success and were able to visit one of his old investigators, and she was so excited to see us. We will now be working with her again and progressing her towards baptism. We were also able to visit some less actives that he knew and share messages with them.

Sunday we had a good day too; all less active work, and we had some good lessons.  I love less actives and want to help them out so much! 

Yesterday we had a good p-day and after a recent convert taught us how to make milanesa and guacamole. It was super good! 

The work is progressing and hastening, I know it is. The Lord is on our side and we will further His work! 

Love you all!

Making milanesa and guacamole

Me and Amanda

Por fin tenemos nieve

So we had a pretty darn good week this week.

But winter has come in full force. On Saturday it was like around 50 degrees, and then when we woke up on Sunday it was like 16 degrees with snow and ice everywhere!! 

Starting off the week we had interviews with President Cleveland. I love being able to talk to him, he is such a spiritual man! Then later that day we were able to meet with the Ayala family again and commit them to come to church! And they actually came yesterday!! Even though we did have terrible road conditions! 

So there is a cool story we had with some less actives. We went to visit them and they were kind of hesitant and not very participative. Then we just started talking about the basics and stuff, and he said that he should be doing better at living the gospel. So we committed him and his wife to read Alma 32 and to pray. So then we went back on Saturday and you could just feel the difference in their home. They had read and prayed, and they really understood the chapter we gave them. We had such a spirit led lesson, literally every word that came out of my or Elder Shepherd’s mouth was exactly what we were hoping would be said. It was SO awesome! And super uplifting! So we are trying to help them become fully converted!  

So I think this week we have found some gold mines for Hispanics. Hopefully we can use them to our full advantage. We found a trailer park that in 5 doors, 3 of them were Hispanics and turned into 3 lessons! Super fun talking to Hispanics! One family was super scared to answer the door. The husband was super hesitant and was like "who are you?!" He let us in and then he kind of was in a ball on the couch. It was weird cuz there was this weird tension in the room Then the husband, Milton, told us that they were scared of us because of all of the people who have been deported lately by immigration. So we told him that we weren’t at all affiliated with them, and then we had a lesson! So ya I guess immigration is cracking down and throwing people out of their houses.

Then Friday I went on exchanges with Elder Ebeling and we had some fun. Taught some cool people, there is tons of progress in his area right now! The district we are in is awesome!

While Elder Shepherd and Elder Gillman were in my area they met some cool people too who have tons of potential, so super stoked for that!

Then church yesterday was fun, because everyone kind of stayed home because of the weather, skeleton crew of leadership, I had to teach the youth Sunday school, and it was one of the most frustrating things ever! So props to all you Sunday school teachers!

Me and my awesome companion!

Wow, no puedo creer que sea 2016

So this week was cold! I miss the warm weather (even though it was an anomaly!)

This week was good, but there wasn’t the abundance of miracles that there was last week, but there were still miracles.

So on Tuesday we were going to stop by this lady, but she wasn’t home, so we knocked a house across the street. This super cool lady named Monica answered. We had a super awesome restoration lesson. At the end we asked her if she would be baptized and she said, "you guys have made me doubt [my faith] but if I knew this was true, then yes!" So we put her on date for Feb 6, so let’s see what happens!

Thursday was kind of long, but then we stopped by this black lady we met weeks ago to see if she had been visited. She had not, but she was still super interested in the message and we were able to give her a resto/plan of salvation lesson. Then we went and had tacos with the Garcia family. It was fun being with them for New Year’s Eve, but then on the way home we got a flat! But its ok that’s why we have spares.

Then on New Year’s day we spent it with the Branch President and his family. My new favorite pastime is playing card games. We had some epic Scum games, and the funnest Uno ever! 

Saturday we were able to visit a less active. If there is anything I have learned on my mission, it is the importance of visiting teaching and home teaching. We are here to support one another! So let’s do it! Let’s visit all our fellow men!

Sunday we were able to have a good lesson with Hno Ayala again and his daughters, we are gonna try so hard to get them to come to church this Sunday!!

But Sunday was so good. The spirit was so strong. The priesthood lesson was interesting to start out, the teacher Hno Cleto, said he was going to talk about salt. But then he used the scriptures and we were all edified! An interesting study, salt.

Love you all! Hope that you all had a fun New Years!

New Year's Eve