Having Fun While Serving

If you don't know how much I love being a missionary by now- then you haven't been reading my blog! Ha Ha- I love my mission! I love being a missionary, if I haven't said it enough.

It is honestly just the best thing ever. EVERYONE SHOULD SERVE A MISSION.. if they can!  

Add caption

Yesterday I was at the Visitors Center on shift, waiting for people to come in when this family walks in and they look slightly familiar to me. Then they said they were from South Jordan, and so I looked again, and realized it was the KanKamp family! I hadn't seen them since we lived down the street from them when I was 5 years old and I totally recognized them. It was crazy! My first best friend Rachel was there, only 22, and still as shy as I had remembered when I was 5. It was hilarious. What are the odds of that.. 17 years later and I still remembered them. It was pretty fun taking them through, talking about all of our memories that we had when we would all play together. It's funny how much you can remember at such a young age. The Visitor Center is the best, I get to see people I know all the time. I'm pretty lucky to be serving here. 

Rachael & me

Rachael, me, & Alyssa

Rachael, me, Alyssa, Lauren, & Brandon

Me & Alyssa

Ok, so Fausto is doing awesome! We changed his baptismal date to Thursday July 26. We are so stoked for him. Last time we were there he insisted on having us over for dinner 2 times a week, every week. We said, "Oh no, no esta bien Fausto.." and he just went on to say how much he appreciated us and for the spirit we brought into his home for his children and how feeding us was the least thing he could do. So last night when we went over, he had prepared a nice authentic Dominican meal for us once again. He joked about how he hoped the food wouldn't make me sick again.. luckily it didn't. They even bought a Mexican cake for sis Caudel's birthday, on Sunday, and sang to her the traditional Dominican birthday song. It was pretty awesome. I love all of the culture that is surprisingly here in Missouri. Who would have ever thought that I would teach people from Africa, Pakistan, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, the list goes on and on. It's so great. Last night when we finished up teaching Fausto and the kids, I asked him if he would read a certain chapter in the Book of Mormon and he said, "you are so smart. How do you know the Book of Mormon so well?" Haha I just laughed, if he only  knew how helpful Preach My Gospel is when you're teaching. :) I love Fausto and his family so much. When he was saying the closing prayer last night, my heart just felt so full and I couldn't help but feel immense gratitude to my Heavenly Father for allowing me to be serving here and to be teaching such humble, amazing people. Time honestly is slipping through my fingers, and people remind me daily how I only have about 100 days left in the mission field. It's terrifying, but also motivating. It makes me want to work harder and strive to change that much more.

Oh yes, yesterday we were able to have a little mini missionary come out with us. The Stakes in the area select certain young women around the age of 18 to come and live mission rules with the sisters for the weekend. And so we got to have Brie with us yesterday. It's funny because her older brother was actually in the Platte City branch that I served in, so we already kind of knew each other. Anyway, Brie came out with us and I could tell she was so exhausted. I forget how I felt at the beginning of my mission, always sooo tired because your days are so long and exhausting. Brie got to experience it all yesterday, rejection, walking/sweating in the heat, talking to random people on the street, sitting in a lesson where everyone is speaking Spanish and you're totally lost, eating food that you have no idea what it is, all that good stuff.. She was pretty quiet most of the day, but it helped me to see that wow, I really have grown a little bit on my mission, and props to this girl for sticking it out so well. She never complained once! I was very impressed. What a good example to me. 

So many other great things happened this week, but I forget about a lot by the time we get to email. All I know is that Sis Caudel and I have so much fun. We are always laughing. I love having companions that work hard, but have fun while they're doing it. Missionary work would be so tedious if we were serious all the time. This work is true, and I love it with all my heart. I've got to make every second count because I know it'll be over before I can even catch my breath. 

Love you all! 

Love, Hermana Conrow :)