"You know that's true."

Monday, October 30, 2017

Alexandria, Virginia

We didn't do a whole lot this week. Just going around to the ward and the investigators and introducing Sister Hansen to them! But there have definitely been some miracles, though. For starters, the trees and the weather! I've been trying to get pictures, but the trees are usually the prettiest when we are driving down the street and the pictures are pretty bad quality because they're quickly taken by Sister Hansen after I yell, "PRETTY TREES! DOCUMENT THIS!"  

Sister Hansen & Sister Kleven - smiling in the car.

We also were able to see C*, and we just go over to read with her. We've just finished The Doctrine and Covenants and we're starting The Pearl of Great Price with her. She's so cute. Every time that we read about something that has to do with God, she stops us and says, "Mhm...You know that's true." I love it. I love C*. I love my area. She said that she's going to lock me in her closet if I get transferred, but not the one near the door because someone would hear me when I bang on the door and try to help me escape. No, the closet in her bedroom is better suited for kidnapping, apparently.  

Sister Hansen & Sister Kleven - modeling in the car with the air conditioner as special effects.

On Thursday, we stopped by an investigator who has been dodging us for a while now. We weren't going to just leave it be, so we decided to catch him unawares one morning. And we did. He was very nice to us and said that we could sit outside at his picnic table in his front yard so that we could talk for a little bit. So I turn around and start walking down the stairs and the next thing we all hear is a very loud shriek. The noise came from near the ground, so we all look down to see what in the blazes it was.  ...I may have accidentally stepped on his dog. The poor thing just booked it inside and I just did a *facepalm* and said really loudly, "I'M SORRY FOR SQUISHING YOUR DOG" ...so we'll see if he keeps his return appointment with us. *sigh* I'm so embarrassing.  

Companions: The long and the short of it.

C* is still doing AMAZING! We have been able to have two lessons with him this week. Both have been at the church because we weren't able to get any women to come with us, but that's okay. There's a special spirit in the church. His baptismal date is still November 11th, but we're trying to decide on a time because-GUESS WHAT??- An apostle of the Lord is coming to our mission! He wants to greet all the missionaries personally and so we're having a mission wide conference on November 11th! We found out this morning that Elder Neil L. Andersen is coming! We are so pumped. C*'s getting baptized and Elder Neil L. Andersen is coming here. Best day ever? I think yes. 

Also, we put N* on date for baptism! On November 25th! We are SO EXCITED!  She was kind of hesitant about committing, but she eventually did. We're still working with her and trying to get her to come to church, but we love her and we know that she can do it. Miracle! 

Pizza. Delish.

I'm probably the strongest missionary you will ever meet. On Saturday, we got a text from Brother B* telling us that he would be working on putting up a deck in his backyard and said that we could stop by to get service hours if we needed them. So, we decided to stop by. WE GOT TO WEAR PANTS! Anyway, when we got there, Brother B* put us to work. And let me tell ya, it was flippin' hard work. We were there for four hours. I was handed a saw and was told to saw through a giant hunk of wood. He told me to just get it started for him, but I sawed through that whole piece of wood with ease. (And by "ease" I mean difficulty. But I am a missionary. And missionaries finish sawing through logs.) Sister B* took a video, so hopefully I can send that to you next week. But then we picked up a HUGE plank of wood, and while we were huffing and puffing and carrying it over to its designated spot, Brother B* was like, "We're pretty much carrying a tree right now." So, family, I carried a tree.  ..."Pretty much."  Then we got to help with hammering and drilling and the such, but I was so short that Brother B* had to stack four giant blocks together to make me a step so that I could reach the top of the deck. Everyone else is tall, apparently. 

Here are pics of us carving pumpkins today:

Anyway, I think that's it. We're still teaching and serving and stepping on people's dogs. You know, the usual. I love The Book of Mormon, and as C* puts it: "You know that's true."  

I love you guys!

Love,

Missionary