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Monday, August 4, 2014

Letter from Cassidy August 4, 2014

HI!

Well here I am again trying to remember all the things that happened this week. This is my like 46th time writing a weekly email... you would think that by now I would actually be good at it... but oh well haha. This week was really good. The weeks are so different now that I don't work at the visitor center. I love it. I feel like I get to see so many more people. And this week I got to finally meet most of our investigators and I am starting to figure out the area and this is one good place! We found some really cool people this week and I ate a lot of ice cream so it was a definite success.

One of the coolest things was this lady named Amber and her family! Missionaries met with her awhile ago but for some reason lost contact for awhile.. I dunno.. anyways we stopped by and were able to teach her and her family, and it was awesome because she said she feels really confused about all the different churches and wants to know how she can know which church is the one true church (so basically she was telling the Joesph Smith story) and we talked about the Restoration and about how we can personally know the truth if we pray.. and she loved it. She even got all emotional when we briefly started talking about how we can be with our families after we die. She definitely was touched by the spirit. Which is the BEST.  So teaching the Plan of Salvation tomorrow is going to be the best thing ever. It is so fun to teach people who are totally open and willing to learn. You can tell such a big difference because they are actually able to feel the spirit and have it teach them because they are willing to be taught. And she has such a cute family I am praying that everything will work out!

Our other new investigator is this guy named Mark. PS I feel like 90% of the people I have taught on my mission have the same name... what is up with that? Anyways he is super cool and open too. He used to be Baptist but thinks that they have started to contradict themselves and change their teaching to fit what man wants.. so he is like against them now which is super interesting. But he said that he has researched our church and said all he could find was good and he took a Book of Mormon and really seemed genuinely interested. It was funny though because he was trying to give us all these tips on things... and "prepping" us for the weird arguments people might have... and it was actually hilarious because they were all of the arguments that my investigator Mark in my last area had. Funny how that worked out. Then he said... "Here is the test. If someone is trying to teach you about God... then they have to say the phrase 'Jesus Christ is the Son of God' and if they say that then you know they are good." So we said it and he thinks we are good. I wish it was that easy with everyone... hahah

I am glad we were able to find some cool people! Especially because like half of this week was filled with people straight up ignoring us. It seriously happened more than like my whole mission put together...  we would knock on someone's door and they would look through the window and then not open the door. It happened like 4 times in a row with some investigators.. and I was just baffled because how hard is it to open the door and say "sorry I am not interested" but nope. People these days. But it is okay because it gives us more time for people who are actually interested... or more time to be ignored by others. Either way. haha.

So it was my companion's birthday this past week which was fun because people felt bad if they didn't let us in so it made for a super solid day. And it was funny so this member had us over for this fancy dinner.. and then they had bought her this huge personalized cake which was super nice.. and then the family we went to after them had made a huge cake too... and then gave us a bunch to take with us... so we had this big cake in our car, and we the first family told us to come back because they had something to give us.. .and they had all the whole cake packed up.. and it was funny because the lady insisted on bringing the cake to the car for us so I had to run and try to hide the other cake... it was a nightmare. Serious fat girl probs. The biggest problem was it was all chocolate so I couldn't even have any. Talk about torture.

OH I forgot we had a super cool lesson with this investigator named Jay... and his girlfriend who is a member. So anyways we shared the talk from conference called "Where Your Treasure Is" and I really recommend that everyone go read that. It is such a good reminder of what really matters. We talked about how there are so many things that we have to do... or chose to do... that take our time and attention, but they aren't things that really bring happiness in the end. And so many of the superficial or worldly things seem appealing, but in the end leave us empty basically. So only when our heart is set on following Christ, strengthening our relationships with our families, and helping other can we be truly happy. And it was super powerful. It was amazing because they both were really touched by it and she even started crying and said it was exactly the reminder that she needed. It was one of those good missionary moments that make it all worth it.

Let's see... what else.... Oh I got to visit with this awesome old lady from Ukraine, I think, I dunno she had a crazy accent and she was telling me all these crazy stories from the war... and my companion was talking to her husband in Dutch... it was weird. Then our investigator flamed 2 appointments in 3 hours... then we went to help these lady pack her apartment to move.. and I felt like I was in a soap opera there was so much ghetto drama. I was trying not to laugh. The things that some people get worked up about are so funny.

We got to go to a baptism on Friday and it was super good. Third one this week. I am telling you this area is like blowing up. Anyways funniest part was this guy who rides a jazzy went up to like welcome the guy to the ward or something.. and he kept running into everything with his jazzy and then beeping and backing up... it was hysterical. I love jazzys. As long as they don't run me over.

Oh almost forgot that I almost died this week. Okay not really. We just had one of the sketchiest meals of my life. This guy that we read the bible with invited us to have dinner at his house.. well we ate outside because he is single.. but it was creepy my friends. It was some kind of "pork chop" but it literally had hair all over it... not sure if it was his hair or his dog's hair... I think that I hope it was the dogs. Anyways then these things he said were potatoes... but it looked like soup and it was bright orange.... I couldn't even do it. And a store bought salad (which I thought would be safe) but it was way expired.  I poured SO much salt over everything and he said "I already heavy salted everything it doesn't need any more" and I was like " I LOVE SALT OKAY" it was the only way I could get it down. But we lived. Mostly because my companion prayed before and literally said "Please bless that the meal he makes won't kill us." Prayer works. Livin proof. Also he was dripping sweat and it was flinging all over all the food... oh man it was so bad. I was literally about to fake sick. Well lets be honest it wouldn't have been faking...  But it worked out because after literally 15 minutes he said his back hurt too bad so we had to end dinner early (TENDER MERCY) so we didn't have to finish. AND that my friends is how I know God loves me.  Then we went and treated ourselves to the best ice cream EVER. We felt we deserved it after barely escaping death.

But overall it was a super good week and I feel like a stronger person... hairy pork chop and all. No really I am loving this area and my companion. There are so many awesome people here. I do miss Ashtabula surprisingly enough... I really am dying to know how Michael is doing. And the testimony meeting in this ward was really.... normal.... hahah no one went up and lectured us about how the government is possessed. I guess I really am back in a normal place. But things are good as ever I am super happy. And super out of time. I love you all and hope you have a good week. Thanks for all the letters you are theeee best.

Love Cassidy

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