It’s JULY!!!!!!

Hey how’s everyone doing over there? Or wherever in the world you may be.  Happy 4th of July.  We didn’t actually even do anything to celebrate it. I thought about it on July 1 I think and I sang the star spangled banner to my companion and I craved hamburgers, watermelon, and potato salad! But on the actual day I didn’t think about it at all.  And in answer to Nami's question...I haven’t seen an American flag in quite a while haha. So maybe I’ll just have to be double patriotic next year. :)

So this week there is a typhoon. But it’s not going to hit us. It is going to hit up north. But it has been raining almost nonstop for the past 2 days.  We went into a lesson and then it started raining super hard and when we came out there was a flood!  It was only about up to the ankles but the water was super nasty and almost black. We were going to just wait it out and see if it went down but it looked like it was going to keep raining and we didn’t want to end up swimming home so we just went.  It was pretty darn gross but we survived.   Our area floods really bad when it rains hard.  So if this rain keeps it up for very much longer were going to be out of luck!  We already were out of luck yesterday cause if it rains...not many people come to church. So we only had one investigator...but that’s better than nothing.  Good thing tatay molina is so awesome :)

This week we also got to go have a mission activity. We watched Meet the Mormons and we were all supposed to get a flu shot. But then the word got out that it was optional....so we chose not to. Shots or no shots...I will always choose no shots.  So we just ate cake and hung out.

One funny story. We taught a family this week and they said we could come back on Sunday. So yesterday we went back to them and knocked and the boy came out and said oh hi sisters. Wait a minute.  Then he went back inside and talked to the mom.   (Who isn’t a fan of us) and about three minutes later we see him hang a blanket up in the window so we can’t see through. And then the door closes.  And they just pretended that we weren’t even there.  I guess that’s one way to avoid the missionaries! haha oh my goodness crazy stories. 

Then. We went back to the family that should be baptized before I leave.....and I don’t think it’s going to push through. :'(  It was the day that we had set the goal as 0 smoking...and then we walked in the house and found a half empty box of cigarettes on the couch.  We were so sad. But he’s still improving. He’s gone from smoking a whole box a day to about 3-4.  So I’m still super impressed with him.  But I confiscated the remaining cigarettes haha. And we just went home and cried.  And the lesson that we can learn here is that conversion can’t be rushed.  It can’t be squeezed in before you go home.  We were lucky enough to find him and be able to see him progress so far...And hopefully he will continue to progress and be baptized.  Whether I see it in person or not. We had a lesson about the Saviors atonement and how he said 'not my will but thine.'  And that took on a whole new meaning to me.  

Another cool thing that happened this week was finding our referral!  We got the referral 3 weeks ago from the elders. They had talked to her on the street and sent her name and address to us. And we had tried and tried but she was never at home!  But just last night we just felt like we should try again.   No one answered but her neighbors were at home so we talked to them and asked if they knew her.  They did and turns out that her house was actually two doors down the other way!  The address that the elders had given was wrong and we had been trying for 3 weeks at the wrong house!  But I’m just thankful for my companion reminding me to work till the end. Cause at that time it was pouring rain and we were soaked. But we decided to ask the neighbors instead of just going home and taking an early night... And we found her!  And she is super cute and seems interested!  

So this week was good and fast. I feel like a lot happened!  I’m sure that more things happened but I can’t remember them hah. So next week ulit!  Take care and I’ll see you in less than a month. :)

--Sister Van Tassell