It wasn't an average week, but it wasn't an eventful week if you know what I'm saying.
EXCHANGES: We had exchanges this week. Sister Brophy came to Decatur with me. I absolutely love exchanges, and I always see so many miracles. This exchange, we were able to find a few people that were interested in Bible studies and such. Not really anyone "promising" but that doesn't really matter. While I realize that getting people baptized is one of the most amazing things we can do as a missionary. Sometimes people just need friends and to know that we're actually friendly people. This week was a lot of planting seeds. Sister Brophy sent me this really good talk about promptings that changed my perspective on revelation and purpose as a missionary. I highly recommend watching it, it's called: "You ARE receiving revelation...Now act on it!" By Loren Dalton.
ORGANIZATION IS KEY: One thing that we did this week that I'm very proud of is that we have started being more organized with our days. We cover a lot of cities that are spread out so we figured out a system. When we schedule an appointment in one city, we contact other people who live in that city and make appointments with them the same day. We also look up places that we feel we can tract or street contact in advance. It helps us to have a more productive day and to not waste time in a city that we dont usually go to. Oh, and it also helps us save car miles. I really like having a planned out day, that's a habit I definitely want to keep after the mission.
JUDY: So we had just gotten to Bridgeport and decided to go tracting. We weren't feeling it because it was super hot, but we decided to buck up and just do it. Literally, the first door we go to, the door is open and we decide to just knock and call in. Out comes this sweet lady. We ask if we can share a message...and she let us right in. THATS A MIRACLE. So we get talking, her close friend had just died three days ago, and she was morning when we knocked on her door. We were able to teach her the Plan of Salvation and everything made sense to her and gave her some comfort. THATS A MIRACLE. We're scheduled to come back and talk with her again. She said that we were sent from God to visit her. THATS A MIRACLE. I love being a missionary :)))
SPOKE IN CHURCH AGAIN, SECOND TIME IN A ROW YAY! ALSO, SPIRITUAL THOUGHT YAY: We'll what's nice about this week is that I actually knew that I was speaking. They had all the missionaries speak for 2nd hour about missionary work. I would write it all down for you to read, but that would take forever. I wouldn't want that, and I'm sure you wouldn't want that. So I'll just summarize it. Basically I tried talking about repentance and taking all the qualities of repentance that people could think of and putting it towards missionary work. Just like repentance, missionary work is a process. We all start somewhere. We don't always feel the most adequate, but the most important thing is that we keep trying. Repentance is supposed to be more of a way of living and less a thing you do once every month or so (I said that nicer at church though) We might fail today, but we can always try again tomorrow. Whats most important is that you start where you're at, and you start now. I invite you to read D&C 16:6 (I hope I got that scripture right) and ponder, truly ponder throughout this week, about missionary work. How to do missionary work, the blessings that come from missionary work and so forth. You'll find confidence and strengthen your testimony as you share the gospel, I know this to be true because I have tested it out myself.
Also something crazy...a member in the Watauga Ward sent me a picture of Elder Albee, an Elder in my MTC District that she met on a trip to California. How crazy is that?!?!?! The world is so small
Wowza sorry this is a long one.
Here are some pics:
Exchanges
Exchanges with Sister Brophy
We were at a members house and they took us on a tour of their property. It was very swampy but it was legit. We got to feed their horses. It was legendary
horse
cow
kinda chaotic but oh well
- Monday and Tuesday were my last days in Watauga which I was muy sad about, but also I knew it was time. I'd been there for 6 months. My suitcases had time to collect dust! Anyway, I got packed and said bye to everyone. Pictures will be provided at the bottom. 
- So Sister Liechty and I did something we call "pinkwashing" it's when Sisters come in and take over an area from elders. Let me tell ya, one of the hardest parts about doing this is always the apartment. Way back in my second transfer I helped Sister Lunt clean her apartment when she pinkwashed Africa, that was bad, and so was this apartment. I don't think it had ever been dusted or vacuumed. The bathroom by itself was too scary to go into for a while. They had a couch that had been sitting outside for 2 years, and they brought it into the apartment and let it stink everything up. Lots of deep cleaning this week to say the least. 
: the elders before us also didn't really have a big teaching pool of people so we also have to find people to teach and organize Area book because there are a lot of people they haven't contacted in months ahhhh. Plus, we don't know any of the members. So the big question is, what do we do when there is so much to do? All in all its gonna take some patience. 
: We were invited to two parties this week. We thought it would be a good way to get to know some people so we went. We helped Sister Lindsay make Carne Asada and enjoyed her party and got to know a lot of members from that. Then we went to Cecil Browns 80th birthday party which was what I would call 
spectacular
and pretzels 
and ribs 
of course. We got to meet a lot of members and friends there as well. Guess who I saw there? I saw Sister Atkinson from the my little Watauga Ward!! How crazy is that? I got to give her a big old hug. That was such a big mercy from God. 
: I don't know why I used the word logistics. I just wanted it to sound cute with alliteration lol, but I really just wanted to tell you about the area. So, we share a ward with the Bowie Elders which is kind of crazy, but the ward boundaries are too big for it not to be shared. We cover 5 small towns
and use way more miles compared to what I used to in little Watauga. Some days we have to drive 30 minutes just to get to dinner
. I am highly allergic to everything in Texas, but it's all worth it when you see the beautiful sunsets
and gorgeous green patches of trees. Beautiful nature always lifts my spirits, that's why I've just loved being out here. There are a lot of bugs
, even in our apartment, so I've actually had to just suck it up and pretend like they don't scare me. I don't know why President Chapman has been so kind to me, he put me in the best possible place to be and I just love everything about it here. 
and keep going til you see a stop sign
, then turn left" and "look for the only two story house and then turn right" there were so many directions it filled up the front and back of a pass along card. It was amazing! And guess what
We made it!! I don't know how but we did
with President and Sister Nelson. I cannot tell you how amazing it was. They are truly inspired by God. Something for yall to remember: President Nelson is a prophet and seer, meaning he can see things that we can't. He can see the dangers
around us and ahead of us. That being said, he gives us invitations that will protect and strengthen
us from dangers that we might not be able to see. When he asks you to do something, do not take it lightly or think that he is just inviting you to do something random. His talks are meaningful and his invitations purposeful. I love our prophet President Nelson with all my heart! And I'm thankful we have Him to lead and guide us. I would invite you to study the importance of prophets in modern times as well as in ancient times. What would we do without them!! 
