Half Way!

That’s right, this week I reached my 9 month mark which is my exact half way point.  It’s crazy to think that.  It feels like missionary life is just normal now, nothing different at all.  Even when I get dressed and look at myself in the mirror it doesn't look right without a black name tag.

So I wanna take some time to talk about things I heard about my mission:

- oh that’s nice

- to bad you didn’t go somewhere cool

- wow it’s gonna be hot there

- well you will never be cold

- it’s all desert there

- there’s more cacti than people

- you are gonna sweat a ton

- it will be so hot your shoes will melt to the sidewalk

- you will come back tan

Well I think I must be in the wrong mission cuz it snowed 4 inches over the weekend!   Really, we didn't know what to do.  We ran to Walmart (cuz that’s the only shopping here)  and bought boots and gloves and socks!   We just kept saying Tucson Arizona Mission....  are you sure?  Cuz it’s snowing....

But anyway, this week started fun.  We came home from on Monday to find our apartment door slightly open so I grabbed my pepper spray, kicked the door open and screamed "Hello" and then there was someone in there!  So I screamed  "I have pepper spray"  and he came out with his hands up.  It was the plumber fixing our shower......     So that was fun and my companion loves to make fun of me for it.   

We also got to help build a house.  Then we had a half mission conference with a member of the 70.  It was fun cuz he talked about a true successful missionary.  I also got real sick, well I’ve been sick for the past month.....  but this week was bad.  I just slept for 5 hours one day.   So I got a blessing from the Senior Elder missionary.  It was awesome.  He not only expelled my sickness from me but also rebuked it.  I’ve been feeling better ever since.     

I also winged a talk (and piano playing)  for our Spanish group.  Oh I also forgot to say last week I got to translate the primary program.  That was exciting.  I think I said broom instead of choice once... 

Very eventful week!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Yeah snow!

This was on a member's porch.   Isn't he cute?

Me and my companion in the snow!

43 Lessons!

This week was awesome.  We taught 43 lessons.  We are just on fire out here!   We literally ran everywhere we could.

We also got to be a part of a house dedication and that was just amazing!   It’s probably one of the most spiritual experiences of my mission!   It was crazy to just feel when the Spirit really accepted it and it was just so amazing all of us were crying.        

Oh, sad thing I proved that my mission president forgot about me.....   He didn’t remember how long I had been in my area at all.  It was real sad.   But hey I guess that’s what happens when you are 3 hours from the mission home.

But we love it out here and never want to leave!

Hermana Grove

Fun Times

So this week started out well, still rough but ended up being one of the best weeks of my mission so far.  We just worked and worked and were able to find 3 new investigators and ended up teaching a total of 34 lessons (including less actives and members)   It was just amazing.   My new companion and I are getting along pretty well.  We both have been used to being senior comps, so once we figured out that we just work together and both know about the same amount, we work real well together.  

But of course all that success really was just miracles from God.  We just had a ton of miracles.  And I could really just feel that all the prayers helped a lot :)

Much love

Hermana Grove

November! What?

Wow ya it is November.  That’s just crazy.  This time last year I was just finishing with submitting my papers to be here.  It’s so weird how fast time goes by.    

So this week has been interesting.  I’ve still been struggling with Sister Hansen going home but it’s getting a bit easier.  I now understand why if your companion dies you go home,  just a mission "death" is hard enough to handle.    

We also did have every appointment and I mean every - even dinners- cancel on us this week.  But we still pushed through.    

I got bit by a dog.....   but it was ok because I had on my nice new boots and they protected me from the evil thing.   Oh my boots, they are super cute!  When I went to Tucson we got to go shopping and I found the cutest Steve Madden's for like $25 at Ross.   Shoe shopping is my therapy.

Also I didn’t have to translate for stake conference cuz there was no one there who needed it!  Yeah!

Hermana Grove