July 29: What's up familia?

Hola from Iowa City!! 

 

Things here are super duper as ever and this week has been remarkable. INCREDIBLE. I have learned so much and grown so much that I am almost 7 feet tall (be jealous, Nate)!! Just kidding. But really, it's been an incredible week!

It all started with the super-de-duper package from Momma!! Wowsa I laughed so hard at all of those cards, you have no idea :) I they are all currently in my talk binder so I can look at them, read them, and feel happy :) The socks are great and the mints tasted yum ;) So thank you muchisimas from the bottom of mi corazon!!!

I'm glad you're still enjoying the oboe while I'm gone. It is the best instrument, ya know ;) If I was watching it with you I probably would have cried too....but because it probably would have burst my ear drums hahahaha......

Ok lame jokes done. TREVOR I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!! I sent a letter to you with the medical release thing that dad sent but I dunno if it'll get to you in time (So mom and dad please forward that to the MTC por favor...?). Basically I was just crying and writing you a letter and thinking about my favoritest Trevor in the whole world going on a mission and how I won't get to hug and see you until July 2015..... But I'll be brave, I promise :) Because MISSIONS ARE THE BEST!!! And you are going to make one fabulous missionary. I've thought a lot about you this past week and have tried to become better as a result of that. You are such an example to me, little bro and I know that you're gonna be incredibly amazing as a missionary. Enjoy the In-n-out and don't get too fat in the MTC. If you do get fat, don't worry, I'll still love you :) But get fat spiritually!!!

I didn't used to think that I would still be in the states for my bday, but here I am!! Wahoo for America!! Really I cannot think of anything I really need. The only thing I want is my quilt, but there aint no way that that pup could fit into my suitcase. So I'm fine :) But I would't reject any packages, that's for sure :) Thanks for your generosity, Momma. There's a lot of mommas out here that don't love their kids like you love us, and it's really awesome and humbling to me. So I hope you know how fantastic you are as a mother :)

Nate!!! Are you Micheal Jordan yet or what? Thanks for the card--it fit in hilariously into our week because we were all trying not to say "crap" that week. Everytime we said crap the other two would say "five" which would signify 5 crunches/situps that evening....Hna H and I currently have six packs.

Sissa!! Way to go on the license!! That is super duper sweeeeeeet!!! I'm so proud of you and your independence :) That was the sweetest day ever when I got to go drive by myself. NO TEXTING AND DRIVING EVER. No matter if Jazz and I ever did it....Just don't. I love you!!!

Good luck on finals James!!! And Jasmine--I LOVE YOU!!!

Questions:

"How are your investigators?"
We currently have 7 investigators.
Martin has been investigating the Church for about 3 years now and is barely progressing. He just won't come to Church. We're gonna make a HUGE push for Church this week and are doing everything we can just to bribe him and his wife Nancy to come. (By the way, church cookies are the coolest and they work!!! Just not for Martin and Nancy quite yet). Nancy is a member and is one of the 9 daughters of the Santos family (Matilde the mom has 11 kids and they're all in the ward. 8 are married and have kids and we're trying to get them all active and doing good things and whatnot). He is absolutely incredible and has TONS of faith in Jesus Christ. He has tried to quite smoking for years, and right before we got here he quit--solely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He's quite an amazing fellow!

Dawn and her two daughters Storm and Sterling won't come to church either!! They are the kindest people and as blonde as the sun. They are eager to learn and very ready to listen. Their scheduling is real hard, however.

Becky and Joe. It was a miracle that we found them! She has schizophrenia and it was cool to relate to her and tell her that I had an aunt with a similar condition that will also be perfect after this life. They came to Church, and a talk was given about mental illness. It was INCREDIBLE. The Lord knows His children so much and just prepares things up the wazoo so that they come unto Christ! The whole time she kept turning to me and telling me that she loves it here and that she's learning so much and it was cool to tell her that this was all happening because God loves her. That's the reason for all good things, folks! Because God loves you. They dropped us on saturday, actually. We invited them to a baptism, but they accidentally (we found out later when we dropped by) thought that we were inviting them to their own baptism. Hahahahaha aren't they the greatest?? We're probably going to pass them off this week. They're actually not in our area, and even though we got them approved, we feel like they should go to the second ward.

James is moving on saturday, darn it all!! We found him roofing his house one day. We went to go find a LA and crossed the street and I felt to go talk to them. Him and his bud turned off their music and came down from the roof to talk. His bud asked a bunch of weird science questions that were fun to answer but James was genuinely interested. So I went back with the called-to-serve Sister Zimmerman and taught him about the BoM and the Resto last week. He accepted baptism but wanted to do his research first. He was so stoked to read the Book and it is incredible how much the BoM made sense to him. He just soaked up everything we said like it was 100% true and didn't question a thing. He had questions, but just loved it all! It was cool to witness what it was like to teach someone who is completely prepared. We're going back to teach him this week before he goes back to live with his dad for school this fall.

We're also working a lot with trying to get the members involved. Most of them are here for med school and are starting to get involved with the work. It's great!! We had a family of 4 get reactivated yesterday (4 times in a row to church) and I've never felt such joy!! It was like gettting four baptisms!! They are incridible. We first met them and basically she and her hub got baptized 2 years ago. one year later they were shoved into the temple and it terrified her real real bad. She was totally freaked out and they started investigating other churches. Now they're making goals to go back to the temple and they amaze me. Really I just wish you could meet them!! They are so kind and so full of faith and desire to do what is right!! Ahhhh!!! I love them!!!!!

"How is your branch doing?"
So we're in a ward. It's actually bigger than the 20th ward back home and has millions of screaming children that love to call us "sistew missionawies!!!" It's the coolest being a celebrity :) Over the past couple of years the baptismal rate has declined and the new bishop is pumped and we're ready to get those numbers up again. We're working hard with the members and the elders have like 8 dates set with investigators for el bautismo. We really have incredible leaders and I want you all to meet all of them.

"Tell me about how you teach people? What are you appointments like?"
So at first it was awkward teaching in a threesome but now it's the coolest!! We've figured it out and love it. So normally we start off with normal conversation (if it's a member) or just dive right into the good stuff if they're an investigator/potential. We keep it all focused on Jesus Christ and the plan of salvation (we're better with the former, and are working on the latter) and teach PMG lessons. We're focusing on concentrating our information and making it short, powerful, and ground shaking. Usually we'll share a passage of scripture or two and always end with a prayer unless Lucienne's cat has a seizure as I'm saying it (which actually happened!!!! Again, cats are the worst).

"What miracles have you seen this week?" 

Every day is a miracle here in Iowa!! We had the sweetest opportunity to be with two 17yr olds from the stake in a program named called to serve. They go out with us on mini missions and we saw miracles up the wazoo!! We first went to go to service in west branch and helped a family move. Then Bishop took us to McDs but on the way Hna H and P talked to this dude (anti mormon...) and I was on the phone gettign dropped by Becky and Joe (but thankfully we salvaged them that afternnon and we're still on track). Then we got to McDs and got anti-ed again!! This man walked up to me and said hey and we listed, bishop talked, and I stood up, shook his hand, said nice to meet you, and bore testimony of Christ and he left. Then we saw huge miracles that day--and I have no time left!! Arg. I'll write you a letter. Loves!!

"Have you guys been trained on what to do if there is a tornado?"

Yeah!! Go to the window and take pictures!!

"What can I send you?"

Love and prayers for the people of Iowa!!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

Hermana Harkness