Watermelon

This week I've really learned about how the life of a missionary is a roller coaster of ups and downs, and that's okay! There must needs be an opposition in all things! :D This week, to juxtapose our previous weeks of many referrals, tons of lessons taught, and topped off with a cherry of a baptism, Sister Stephens and I were humbled and realized that even when we're doing our best, there may still be things that don't work out and that's okay! This week we taught half as many lessons and a lot of people wouldn't respond to us either over the phone or at the door- but we were still very blessed. 

One of those blessings was President Smith announcing that missionaries can now go to the beach without needing a member to drive them! Sister Stephens and I jumped on that and went there two mornings to go running right on the shore! The beaches here are so beautiful! White sands with emerald ocean. I'll have to take pictures when we go back next time. I serve in such a beautiful area!

Another blessing: We had dinner twice with member families this week! Once was with the Prices, a young married couple- Sister Price is in the Young Women's presidency and she's so sweet. We had rice and chicken sauce with peas and blueberry cake for dessert. Another night we had dinner with the Brills- Brother Brill is a chaplain on Eglin air force base, and is an amazing speaker as we found out in church last week. He and his wife met at Utah State (so they had fun when they found out that I went there...) and they have five awesome kids, two of whom are on missions right now! We had super tasty breakfast for dinner with them. Their daughter Alivia went to teach Jim and Vicky with us this week- she did awesome! It was her first time teaching with the missionaries, and boy is she a natural! She answers our questions really simply but sincerely, makes good brief comments, and shares personal experiences that invite the Spirit! She's such a sweet girl! 

On Wednesday, Sister Stephens and I were the adults present at Young Women's because all the leaders were either out of town or picking up Noah Mcsheehy in Tallahassee. Noah just got back from his mission, and there at least two dozen Mcsheehy's in the ward- he's all everyone has talked about for the past two months. We got to meet him at the ward service activity on Saturday- he's definitely a freshly returned missionary, haha! :) 

On Thursday, we were biking to the apartment to be picked up for our dinner appointment, and as we passed the Choctawtchee High school, we saw a man with a truck in the parking lot that was pulling a load full of watermelons that he was selling. We passed him, but I called out to Sister Stephens that I was going to turn around to talk to him. I went back, and said that I wanted to buy a watermelon and did he take debit cards? He said no, he only took cash, but asked how I was planning on taking a watermelon with my bike. I said I was going to put it in my bag. He laughed and said, "really? Do you think it would fit?" I said yes, so he said I could try fitting it in my bag. My bag's not that big, but I managed to squeeze a medium sized oblong watermelon into it! He was so amused by that and by my determination, he said I could keep it for free! How sweet! Then Sister Stephens, quick on her toes, said, "We can't give you money, but we can give you Jesus!" :D He laughed at that, but totally talked with us for about ten minutes as we got to know him. His name was Chad, and he lives in the area, but has a watermelon farm in Alabama and sells them every summer. We gave him a pass-a-long card with our number on it, and he said he'd watch the video, and then we were off! Thank goodness our apartment is just around the corner, because boy was it awkward and heavy to have the watermelon  in my shoulder bag! It was quite the sight! :)

Another blessing: The elders handed off one of their investigators to us, a single mom named Sarah who said she'd be more comfortable if the sisters taught her. Holy cow, does she have a strong relationship with God! She's so prepared, she just needs some encouragement and invitations. 

This week I've been thinking about how I can become the person God needs me to be. I found this awesome quote that I love: "We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day." That happens as we rely on the enabling, strengthening and cleansing powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Through Him, our weaknesses can become strengths and we can become more and more like Him each day. And as we come closer to Christ, we come closer to Heavenly Father.