10. SLUGBUG YELLOW!

Happy Monday!

 

 

This week was phenomenal, we stayed busy and had just a happy attitude about everything. 

 

 

We got to do a ton of lessons with members of the church in our area (We call them members of our ward which is just a fancy word for congregation). They all went awesome! The people are super kind and always give us way too much food, but I'm not complaining. 

 

 

We saw Ibrahim again this week; he seems to really like having us over. He always says he needs our help in the garden, but really we just pick about 10 cherry tomatoes and then he cooks us a full African meal and chats with us. He loves to laugh and knew that there was Stake Conference (when a bunch of wards meet together at once) but he wasn't interested in going. He texted us after to ask if we like okra, then told us to "preach the gospel, flip some people off, and resume your life". He has great advice, obviously. I was almost tempted to follow it when we were yelled at on the bus, but I kept it together. We are gonna keep visiting with him and just loving him, but we could use some prayers to help him come back to church!!

 

 

We've seen some awesome miracles this week, one of which was so in my face that I was standing all amazed in the McDonald's parking lot. So one morning, we were hustling for the bus. We were late for a meeting and needed to catch this bus or else we would really be screwed. We were walking towards the stop when this old dude called to us from his truck. I just wanted to wave and keep going, but my companion stopped to talk to him. I was so frustrated as the bus passed right by us. Turns out the guy (Rob) used to be a member, but left a long time ago. He said he has seen us walking around and he was really drawn to the fact that we are always happy and smiling, so he wanted to talk to us. We laughed with him a bit and got his number so we could visit him. While we were talking, I was trying to figure out how to get to the church for our meeting. Miraculously, just as we finished talking, we heard a honk and a woman from our ward pulled up! She offered us a ride and we got to the church just in time! Turns out she never goes past the McDonald's, but she was way late for work that day so she happened to be there. It was amazing how everything lined up to help Rob and help us too; God really is in the details!

 

 

As for the title... well. We get bored walking around so much so we started playing slugbug, but it has gotten way out of hand. We slap each other for bugs, any yellow cars, fiats, mini coopers, kia souls, usps trucks, uhauls, shirtless men, teslas, and a few more I can't remember. So maybe a group of 4 sisters beating each other up on the street isn't the best look. But I have never been more aware of traffic; if a car hit me on the sidewalk I could tell you the exact make and color. 

 

 

This week I decided to study patience! I did this activity to assess my "Christlike attributes" and patience was my lowest one. I totally see it, I wish I could be this awesome missionary who is fluent in Spanish already, but I'm not. And I'm not good at being patient while I work towards that. One thing that I have learned from all my studies is that you will be blessed for enduring your trials: the trial will pass, the sun will shine again. BUT! You are so much more blessed for enduring trials: you will come out of the hard times changed and better prepared to meet the next hurdle of life. I've learned that enduring trials well means enduring them patiently. Trust God when He says He has a plan for you! Trials are blessings if you are patient enough to see them become such.

 

 

Have a great week! Listen to some CoJo and Morgan Wallen for me this week!

 

 

Hermana Trash

 

 

PICS!

1&2: Lunch at Ibrahim's house. He made plantains, rice, peanut butter and beef soup (surprisingly delicious), and this crazy Habanero hot sauce. Sis Peaua LOVES it, but I just think it tastes like pain.

3: We call the Shopping Cart the State Bird of Oregon, they are everywhere, even in the most random places.

4&5: Pretty views of Oregon!

6: We talk to some interesting people on Facebook, Betty is sweet but I think I had a stroke reading her texts.

7: My zone of missionaries at Stake Conference. Good looking group, eh?