Full of Faith Forever: Santa Cruz week 9

Monday we pretty much did p-day stuff. Laundry at the McArthers' house (we always do it there:)). Went to dinner at pleasure pizza with a member name Lillian whose birthday it was as well :). We went to the YSA Bonfire at the beach FHE but left early cause I didn't feel well.

Tuesday the Hogwarts express unfortunately left without us. We were sad. lol. I slept in a bit because of bleh and missed the funny texts about district meeting. The first text said we weren't going to have it this week, the next one changed the time from the usual 10:30 to 10, and the last changed the time to 9:30. We were then asked to be in charge of the activity and thankfully Sister Palmer had one from her last area, which meant that Elder Ball knew it as well (he was in that same area for her first three months). The activity is basically commitment wars: you sit across from another missionary and spout out commitments until one of you cracks and can't think of any more. Elder Staker (DL) decided that Elder Lund and I (both of us in training) were the victors. lol. Afterwards we all went to Marrianne's Ice Cream. :) After Lunch Sister Palmer and I rested by playing yahtzee (which we borrowed from the McArthers) until we met an awesome less active named Lauren. She loves butterflies, kids, and knows ASL (and was an interpreter for ages). She dances and was a kindergarten teacher (like Bre, Sister Palmer's twin, does and wants to be!). It was awesome. I convinced Sister Palmer to sing at the October Outgoing (the meeting where missionaries bear their testimonies before going home) with me. Hopefully that happens (the program is still being decided, as so many people want to be in it!), but if it does we want to sing Hymn #165. I would sing the first verse, she would sing the second and then we would both sing the third. We would also both sing the chorus. The difference is that she would sing in French. xD

Wednesday was interesting. We went to see a less active but she wasn't home, so as we turned to leave I apparently didn't swivel my feet or something but I hurt my left meniscus. OUCH. So yeah, it'll heal in 4-6 weeks (if nothing else happens to it!) and I ice it every day 2-3 times for 15 minutes. Also no kneeling :( Hooray. xD We later went to see Krystal (awesome YSA less active who wants to come back to church!!!!!!) and she gave us Santa Cruz bumper stickers. Sister Palmer has a mermaid, and I, of course, have a butterfly. :)

Thursday we both slept terribly (mostly cause I just could not get comfortable cause of my knee). We met with Brenda later and she is hoping to finally get sundays off from work!! She is hopefully coming back to church starting the 13th of September. :) I shared my song Still Have You with her because her sister recently passed.

Friday we dropped the eternigator (eternal investigator). Carol Beth had been investigating for YEARS and still was not progressing towards baptism. We are keeping the door open, but will be seeing her less than we already did. She travels a lot so that was my second time meeting with her. Our awesome recent convert was out of town, named Renee. She speaks Czech and French and we visit her when we want to feel better. :) She's just awesome.

Saturday we got trims from a less active named Laura. She is professional and does our haircuts for free! :) SLV day, but surprisingly nothing weird happened, lol. We had Chinese for dinner and that was an experiment. I have realized very much that I don't really like super spicy food of any sort. Gah. Afterwards we went home and she decided to draw so I wrote a song so I wouldn't feel left out of the artisticness. lol

Sunday was our stake wide fast for rain. :)

An awesome recent convert , named Nicolette, who's lessons we've been doing came to the YSA (she usually goes to her home ward) She is awesome. :) I totally feel the spirit in our lessons with her and last week something came up that wasn't in the lesson and was totally from the spirit and it was awesome. :)
Funny thing: Nicolette bore her testimony then so did everyone else in her row so I had a thought that was confirmed by the last person to go who said everyone had been told to go up. lol. Mom, you're email was really funny because I got up and said that that would sometimes happen in my family, lol, where one person would go up and then eventually almost the entire family would go!! xD it was really funny. Also I said "I was asked a couple days ago (by carol beth) for reasons I enjoyed being a missionary. I gave a couple random ones then said that it brings me closer to the Savior than I have ever been.Back home I kind of read my scriptures, but usually just a verse or something, or sometimes not at all. Here on my mission I have an hour set aside every morning where I read the scriptures or a talk and I can totally see the difference. When I didn't read my scriptures at home, sure I could see something different, my day wouldn't go as well or something, but nothing like it is now. Now, I can literally tell if I haven't read the scriptures that day. The spirit is just not there no matter how we try and keep it, the day goes wonky and all the appointments fall through. So I know that when we read the scriptures there is a difference and the blessings we get from the spirit when we read make our lives so much better".

Sister Palmer and I were invited to Monterrey by the Seaside (spanish) sisters down there. One of them is Hermana Grant, who came on the plane with my group so that'll be fun. Hopefully we are going to the aquarium. It'll be fun. :D We were planning on leaving Santa Cruz anyway as it is Labor Day and most likely no one will be able to get anywhere. lol.

We found out there is now a missionary couple in Alma and SLV!!!! We have yet to meet them, as they are still figuring out where they will be parking their living van thing whatever it's called. xD