There & Back Again : Harvest Time!

Harvest Time And HAPPY BIRTHDAY today Sister Hall!!

Oh. My. GOSH! It's JUNE!!!!! Where has the time gone?! For those of you who do not know, June is a VERY special month. See June is Harvest month and our mission has a goal of getting 60 baptisms in June.... and that is a butt load of baptisms =) Lots of miracles will happen, I can just feel it!

This week has been full of ups and downs, but the ups are wayyyyyyyyy cooler than the downs, so I'm just going to fill you in on the ups.

So while walking around the water front, we are talking with people and we come across this big Mexican man whose name is Carlos. So we stop to talk with Carlos and find out that just this morning he had a conversation asking God why God had given up on him, and then these missionaries come along! Can you say inspired!??? So we start talking with Carlos, and Carlos is just going through the ringer right now. He is being sued, he got caught for drinking and driving and was in jail, his girlfriend cheated on him with his brother and is pregnant and they dont know who the father is, he got into an accident, and he is an ex-gang member.... While complaining to us for a good 10 minuets, all I could think of was, "And you blame God for the stuff you are going through?" So I politely interrupt him and explain to him that God can only bless us if we are willing to follow His commandments, and you have made some decisions in your life that makes it hard for Him to bless you. Our message will help you to find happiness and help you to make good changes in your life. When can we come over? haha we are seeing him this tuesday.

We are now friends with the guy that owns a fish and chips (and hotdog) shack/stand by the beach. *SCORE* We talked with him a little about God and our church and gave him an Arabic book of Mormon and he said to come by any time and he will give us free fries!

Sammy (who we have been working with for a couple weeks) still won't come out to church with us... stubborn man he is. The reason why he won't come out is because he doesnt want to be a burden and he is weary of strangers taking him. Thankfully we have the Kay's coming with us to teach him and they have offered to drive him, however he still said no. Then we find out the Sammy used to be a concert pianist and really LOVES music, so brother Kay decides to use this to our advantage and asks Sammy if he will come to church if the sister missionaries do a musical number in church. *my jaw drops* Then Sammy says HE will play the pianno for our musical number and to get him the sheet music! ->gahhhhh <- I look Sammy dead in the eyes and tell him if he comes to church then I will sing....

Oh the things I will do to get an investigator to church -_- (That truly is a miracle!!-J)

This experience is for Justin :) SO we have an investigator who happens to be Muslim and the missionaries have been trying to get her to read her Book of Mormon for a few months now and she hasn't been AND they haven't been reading with her *gasp*! So Sister Ogden and I go in and I ask her :

"Angela, why do we ask you to read the Book of Mormon?"

Angela: "Tuthfully I do not understand."

Me: "AH, well lets change that! Can you go grab your Arabic Book of Mormon?"

->she runs to grab her Book of Mormon

I then have her read the introduction out loud in her own language and at the end of each paragraph we talk about what happens and why it would be important to read the Book of Mormon.

Cue the Light bulb!

She finally got it! She looks at me and says this makes so much more sense! And the next time we go and see her I ask her how her Book of Mormon reading has gone and she says its been great! She has read 5 chapters and said she couldn't put it down because the story of Nephi was so interesting!

I have saved my favorite experience this week for last...

Sister Ogden and I went to an appointment, but they werent there so we decided to tract 5 houses to the left and 5 to the right. We knock on the first door and this women answered it. We start talking with her, asking her how she is doing, blah blah blah, and then she realizes we are Mormon. She starts asking about the usual stereotypes and we set her straight and then she asks us what we do. I start talking and am getting into Joseph Smith and straight up recite the first vision right there on her door step! The spirit was SO strong and I looked her dead in the eyes the whole time! You could tell she could feel something because after I bore my testimony she said.... "Well I can't promise you that I will convert, but if you want to come in for a drink and talk you are more than welcome." SHE LET US IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Haza! We went in and she gave us some water and some cookies and we just talked. We talked about religion, we talked about families and raising kids, we talked about what we think happens after we die and then we got to the good stuff. She then asks the questions all missionaries pray people will ask "What makes your religion different?" Cue the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith! We explained the Book of Mormon, she asked questions, we answered and it was just awesome! We invited her to read and pray for herself to know if it was true and she said she would. We got her number and said we would call sometime and try to come back to see how things went and then we had to skidatel. It was the coolest experience! She was just so nice and open about what we talked about and it just felt so natural AND she gave us cookies! A beautiful day in the kingdom indeed =)

Birthday jog jump!!

Pre- present opening!

Post present opening!

Birthday Pancakes!

I want to thank everyone for the birthday wishes! It was wonderful to hear from you all and I really appreciate the thoughts and kind wishes!
Mom & Dad you are the greatest and I LOVE the package and the skirts! I really appreciate all the thought you put into it and i just love you guys so much! :)

Proof!

Jill thanks so much for the shirts and the necklace! I am wearing the coral shirt and the necklace right now... here Ill take a picture... there, some proof :)

Chris and Kerry THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!! I Adore the card and the gift is FAR too generous!

Grandma and Grandpa, You guys are too cute and thank you so much for the gift as well! I really apprciate all you have done for me!

The Bennetts, you guys are awesome! I loved the confetti! and threw it everywhere! haha my companion thought it was less funny hahaha!

Vanessa & Melissa, you guys are da best and I miss you guys!

Alex Williams you are sweet as the day is long and I cannot wait to watch Duck Dynasty with you!

Line of the Week: "When I think of the harvest I get all anxious and nervous and excited!..... kinda like my first date..."

Scripture of the Week: Issiah 41:10

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am they God: I will strengthen thee; yea I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

A Huku for you:
Harvest Time

The Field Is All White

June Is Here

I LOVE YOU ALL!

And Jill, please stop puking and get better :)

Love Sister Hall