Sorry no pictures again this week.  I have to get my SD card fixed

Ok I’m going to put my focus on this letter so I can get it done fast.

       So as you all know I’m in my new area. And I was so excited to be here cause it reminds me of my first area. But then I got to know my way around and it’s basically not progressing at all. People listen to us because I am white and then the next time we try and teach they hide in their house or don’t let us in.  So I will admit that this week was a real struggle for me. Because I know that there is a reason for every area I am put in and every companion I am put with…but sometimes that reason is a little difficult to find.  And then you get closer to going home and you have the added temptation of getting lazy and saying oh I’m almost to go home so let’s just not work as hard.  Or the area is dead so maybe I’ll just try and enjoy myself this week. But then I think that there is absolutely no point in being here if I act like that. I might as well get on a plane and go home. But since I can’t do that….I might as well stick it out and work hard while I can :) And I’ll see if I can keep up the good attitude for 10 more weeks haha.

But on the other side of things...Cool things that happened this week:

1. We found a guy with the last name Celestial! We were super pumped to teach him but unfortunately his wife doesn’t want us there.  So maybe next time haha.

2. We were walking down a street and then I just thought of going to one of our OYMs and it turns out that they were at their house and willing to listen. So we were able to teach.  And the coolest part is that when I mentioned it to my companion she automatically said ok, let’s go…maybe its revelation.  So I was impressed with her willingness to turn around and walk right back where we came from even though we didn’t have an appointment there.

3. I had a dream of teaching a family.  I’m not sure if it’s a family that we are going to find (I hope so) or just a sign that missionary work is really my life now.  That I even dream about it.  Either way works for me haha.

      So I have to say that even though this was a little bit of a rough week….im glad that there is always a bright side.  Sometimes I sit around Sunday night and think about what I’m going to write and a lot of it is the down side of things.  But then I get to the computer shop and type it out and it usually doesn’t sound too bad haha.  I read a really cool story about a girl who had to get chemo and she said that she couldn’t go 6 more times and that it was just too hard.  But then her mom asked her if she could go today? And she said yeah I think I can make it through today.  And then her mom told her how she had to do it one day at a time.  We can’t do it all at once.  But we CAN do it one part at a time.  That’s what I love when I look back at my mission so far.  There have been things that at the beginning I couldn’t do. (speak the language, have patience haha, etc) But as the days and months pass I find myself learning how to do the things that I couldn’t do at the beginning.  Slowly and surely. One word at a time. But after a year you look back and see how many words have added up and how you can have a conversation.  And that is what we have to keep us going.  So don’t be afraid to look back…only if it is to see how far you have come. J

I love you all and I’m so thankful for your support. You are the best. Keep on Keeping On!

XOXO from Noveleta

--Sister Van Tassell