Expect the Unexpected

I love the life of a missionary! And it's definitely an interesting one. I swear, (not really. missionaries don't swear) this week the stories just got weirder and weirder. But I'm starting to feel less + less surprised. I've come to expect the unexpected. Throw anything at me :)

We started with spoon collections + rock collections--Harley prepared me for these! :)

No shoes. No shirt. No problem right? We have taught sooooo many people shirtless this week. And Ricky felt it was necessary to take off his shirt right in the middle of the lesson to show us the Virgin Mary on his back. Why???! I like when people wear shirts.

Speaking of Ricky he also tried to tell us Tampico juice is the best thing you can drink for your health + it has no sugar jajajaj.

I saw my first possum! That was crazy!! It totally looks like the giant rat from Princess Bride but smaller.

Our investigator Doug--Book of Mormon Doug believes Lehi was a prophet but cannot believe Nephi is a prophet. Yeah it doesn't make sense to me either, I mean without Nephi we would have no words of Lehi.

Our other investigator Jeremy who is actually Doug's son but they are not friends shared with us the weirdest "Counting Song Poem." That time Hna. Rocha + I could not hold in the laughter.

Expect the Unexpected.

Like when we learned our investigator almost went to jail because he was with his friends and his friend was an arsonist.

Or when a sister in the ward who just received a foster baby who is struggling with formula, that with one phone call she was able to receive two bags + a freeze full of breast milk.

I guess I never expected to become so worried when someone says they have been searching the internet though. That's when you know the hard questions are coming. If only they would search lds.org or Mormon.org.

Our one investigator told us she hates + won't date whites. But she accepted a baptism date, so on the 29th hopefully she'll be baptized by one.

Or I didn't expect to be giving cheer tips but it really helped this less active family to like us, they even invited us back for dinner!! Which is a miracle cuz at first they did not like us! The mom was like "Why did you serve a mission. To get a husband," super mean. But now she says she'll FB me one day. And when we went back I played my favorite activity with them. Write down a question you have, don't show me, we'll read 1 Nephi 1 and everyone always receives their answer! Always!!

Or when I taught in my first trailer for it to be the nicest + cleanest place I've been in so far! Except for Velva's house yesterday but that's a story for later.

People have been farting in our lessons! One time we were teaching Don + his roommate was asleep on the couch just farting!!

My companion didn't expect me to drink so much milk! She can't believe it. I guess I drink more than double of what her + her companion drank in a week. So mom muchas gracias for the Gossner box milk! I was dying I was so excited!!

Don told us one time he gave his dog mouth to mouth. Expect the unexpected.

And I definitely didn't expect to get the most homesick I've been yesterday at church. But the relief society lesson was on strengthening families. Well instead of teaching the lessons everyone was just reminiscing and talking about their family traditions. And graham crackers. And gingerbread houses. And brothers. And then we went to Velva's-she's like 80-but her house reminded me of Grandma's + the TV was as loud as when Grandpa watches it. But she was funny! As soon as I said the opening prayer right at the Amen she began to say the closing prayer for us.

We've learned to expect miracles:

Don couldn't do his reading cuz he lost his glasses on Coffee St. Well the next day we were walking there + I found some glasses buried in the dirt + sure enough they were his!! They were completely flattened but not broken.

My favorite moments have been when we knee with people for their first time to say an out loud prayer!! Literally nothing is better! And without fail this week everyone has poured their heart out + started to cry. Prayer is for miracles!

Fasting is for miracles! We fasted for the Spanish members of our ward because they don't always feel welcome so not many come. Well yesterday lots came! And I bore my testimony in Spanish!!

xoxo

con amor,

Hermana Slade.

BTW: Missionaries are hardcore stalkers and yesterday Hna. Rocha + I took it to a whole new level! Don. We really wanted him to go to church so we showed up at his house at 9:40 + Harvey answered and said Don had went ot United (grocery store.) So we decided we would find him there. We went to the store and had a ride for him follow us. Then we went in and found him. He was just ready to leave with his giant coffee. So we invited him, he said yes, and we pointed at his ride. And we brought him + his coffee!

Line of the Week:

On the phone with Velva.

Velva: Who is coming?

Hna. Rocha: Two missionaries. I'm Sister Rocha.

Velva: Okay

Hna. Rocha: And my companion is Sister Slade.

Velva: What! You're coming on a sled!!

Hna. Rocha: No, Sister Slade.

Velva: What!!