Here Comes The Heat

California is a very much different climate to say the least. It is very hot, dry, and the air is basically smoke (In Fresno anyways). People here call it "Smogville." Somewhat unsettling when I am running in the mornings. We have to drink a ton of water every day or else we die. It is typically in the 90s and it is still the Spring. YIKES. Maybe I will come home tan ;p (ya right. Ginger genes) Good news is, it poured all day on Saturday (which was also my half birthday!).

On to more spiritual things about the past week. We worked at a sweet service project on Saturday. We went to the Fresno State Bulldog Stadium and primed every single door that exists. It was a long four hours in the rain haha but afterwards I did cartwheels on the football field. Woohoo! It was super fun. We also found a couple more investigators this week which is super great! We are so excited to teach more people that are not already members. We teach a bunch of less-active and part-member though so it seems to balance out. Our investigator with a baptism date dropped us and it is really sad to see her do that, but she has her agency (freedom to choose). Also, my companion and I decided to do the PURIFICATION CHALLENGE. It is not as dramatic as I make it seem, but it is intense. It goes over the course of 40 days and we open with a fast (sacrifice two meals for 24 hours) to figure out what we should change to "purify" us more. It can be either sacrificing something or start doing something. Anything really! So we are on day 3. Hopefully my Companion and I stay together for another transfer (6 weeks), because next week is transfers! AH! I have been out almost three months now. I am almost done with training! WOW! 

Oh, another thing that happened is I gave a talk during sacrament meeting in one of our wards. We go to church for 6 hours every Sunday by the way since we have two wards and that does not include the meetings before and after. I have to go now, I am out of time. I love you all. Goodbye

Take Two

Ok. Now I have time to actually sit down and type out a real blog post. I hope you all are ready because a lot has happened in the past two weeks.

Last Monday, my companion and I went with a member to a place called Superior Dairy. It's similar to Young's Dairy, but super fancy. We rode the train to Hanford, which about 30 minutes south of Fresno and then we walked a couple blocks over to SD. DELICIOUS. I totally recommend it if you ever go, but I practically ate a serving that could satisfy at least 4 people. Oops, not my fault the portions are incredibly huge. 

Oh, we also had our mini missionary last weekend. She is so great! A mini mission is basically where seniors in high school can go be a missionary in the area for a week or weekend (varies on the area) with the local missionaries. The even get set apart. I absolutely adore Sister Kellog, but now she is just Danni Kellog from Clovis. 

We are working incredibly hard over here to "Harvest" the work. We are teaching new investigators, and some are now progressing, and one even has a baptismal date. It is remarkable about what all is happening. The Lord is preparing people alright. We are also working with several less actives and part members. 

I cannot believe I forgot this, but...at one of our Zone conferences, which is where missionaries from multiple stakes get together, my companion and I put a dead frog in an Elder's car hehe And they are in our zone (stake)! We found it the other day and picked it with this in mind. They have yet to say anything, but it is still hilarious! 

I cannot remember what else has happened, but the work is moving. I am loving every minute of being a missionary and I love the work that I am doing.

Happy Easter

Sorry for the late greetings, but Happy Easter! Wow, a lot has happened these to past weeks (sorry about the slack on last weeks blog). Well General Conference was this past weekend. It was AMAZING! General Conference is a biannual conference that takes place in Salt Lake and is broadcasted through the whole world. It is so special because that is when The Prophet and his Apostles speak to us and a number of other General Authority Leaders. There are 4 sessions (2 hours long a piece) and they are all different. One of the sessions was hilarious though, because a member family in our ward invited all of the missionaries in the Stake over to watch it together. There were about 16 missionaries and they have a huge family so it was crowded, but it was fun.

I love members. They are so charitable. We had two Easter dinners, another family set up and Easter Egg Hunt for all of us missionaries, and another couple gave us personalized Easter Baskets. Oh, something EXTRA cool. One of our dinners was at Bishop Lawrence's house (his dad is a Quorum of the 70!) and their tradition is to have a real Pass Over dinner. We all dressed up in robes and sat on the floor. They had baskets and candles and they talked about the story of Christ as we passed the food around the circle. It of course was all hand food. It was super legit and a good learning experience. I loved it.

The work continues to progress and it is inspiring. This weekend, we are going to have a "mini" missionary stay with us and it is going to be so fun. That is when a senior in high school that wants to go on a mission goes out on a "mini" mission close to home and they stay with full-time missionaries. They will be with us for the weekend and I will let you know how it goes next week.

 

April Fools day happened on the same day that our Zone has weekly meetings....You can imagine the stunts that Our Zone Leaders pulled on us. When we were all inside, they took off one tire for each car and put them with our supplies that we ordered that wait for us on the stage. It was ridiculous and hilarious. And then the nerf gun war.....I encourage everyone to have one haha it is super fun. During the zombie run, a few people were still "alive" and bunkered in a room and barricaded the doors with chairs and tables so us being the zombies, which was quite a few, just slammed open a door and rammed in. It was brutal, but a blast.  Luckily I have no battle scars. 

Missionaries have fun, as well as work hard. I know that being a missionary is worth it. "Missionaries leave their families for two years so that other families can be together for eternity." It is hard to give up a year and a half and devote it to strictly the Lord, but it is the least I can do in return for all that the Lord has given me. For the youth that are thinking about going on a mission, go. Do not hesitate. If the thought comes up once, then act on it. I know that as a missionary, my family and friends are being blessed for my efforts. Not only am I being blessed, but the people around me are too. I love my Heavenly Family as well as my family on earth. Serving a mission is how I can help both. I wish you all a beautiful week and I know that the Lord is watching over all of us. I say these things in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen