Cactus is Bad!

So this area is crazy!   There are so many white people which makes our work crazy hard!   We have been just finding all the time!   But ya we taught only 4 lessons.  O so one of our finding techniques was bus stop contacting with street contacting for when there is no one at the bus stop.  So we talked to one lady who thought she dated Jesus Christ and that he died last year but was resurrected and she is dating him again.  She is even going to the government about it.  Then we were walking and saw a couple girls we saw earlier but didn’t catch so we started running, and I mean running to try to catch up to them....  they J-walked to cross the street......    I was so mad.    

Now for why cactus is bad......  So this morning we went hiking up a cactus covered mountain and on the way down I sat on a jumping cholla.....   It’s a really mean cactus so I got cactus thorns in my butt.....   And here’s the worst part.  It stays stuck for a while and so you grab it with some rocks to pull it off you, but I couldn’t reach it and my companion was way far down so I had to have an elder pull it off for me......  It was so bad.  And it hurts a lot.....

But in other news I hit my 3 year mark of being baptized this week!   I can’t believe that now!   I’m so grateful for all the elders who taught me (thanks Elder Ryan, Longhurst, Colbert, Walker, Thurston).  You guys rock and I only hope I can be part way as good as you all were for me.  That’s why I’m here is to try to help others find the truth just like those Elders helped me out.

Hermana Grove

And It’s Back to Tucson!

Yep I’m back.  Transfers were today so I got to enjoy (I’m using that loosely)  the 4 hour transfer van ride back to Tucson.....  It wasn’t to bad cuz there were some cool people on there.  I was so bummed out to have to leave New Mexico because it is just so amazing but I know it’s time for me to go so I can help others.  So my new area is just across the street from my first area and is Spanish!   Yeah for that!  Also by being transferred I got to say good bye to my trainer as well as one of my favorite elders out here that I got to serve near out in New Mexico. It’s crazy to think that I’m over halfway thru.  Some Elders were joking that I’m just as good as dead (going home).

Also last Tuesday I got to go down to Columbus which is a border town  where you get there and you just aren't exactly sure if you are in New Mexico or Mexico because everyone speaks Spanish and is from Mexico and it even looks like it!  During that trip we got to talk with a crazy guy who wanted to fight us and said we challenge him...   And I also got pulled over by boarder patrol cuz we made so many U turns they thought we might by dealing drugs  lol....

On Sunday we had one of the strangest dinners I’ve had for a while.  The family asked us not to bring up religion since their son and grandson would be there and would "get up and leave if the subject of religion came up".  So we did our best not to bring it up and that was super HARD.  I didn’t realize just how much that’s all I talk about now.  But it was so sad to see people almost ashamed with their religion that they couldn’t even talk about it near their family. 

Hermana Grove

This is my "baptism".   Well he was a member but just hadn't been to church or acted like it for over 50 years!    We both cried so much when we had to say good-bye.

We love BYU!

Elder and Sister Jack, our CES senior couple I love and miss so much!

We love Silver City!

Thanksgiving!

I am thankful to have a cell phone as a missionary......

So this week was fun.  We went Tuesday knocking on doors in about 40 degree weather (not to bad but COLD).

On Wednesday we got to help with the food bank.  I also got to watch another Elder get set apart.  That makes 3 that I have seen set apart but I have also now seen 3 missionaries go home.....      

Then Thursday was THANKSGIVING!   It was awesome.  We started with breakfast at a recent convert's house and we made them eggs and bacon and toast.  Then lunch with the members that live on a ranch so we got to eat well and have so much fun.   Then dinner with some other members and we even got a lesson with an investigator in there somehow.   

Then Friday was a bad day....    

On Saturday we did this thing called a treasure exchange where we set out a TON of stuff on the front lawn of the church like a yard sale but gave it away along with a bunch of Book of Mormons.   Then at night we got to be in a parade and so that was fun.  I just got to walk and wave and look pretty. 

Then Sunday was just boss and we did some massive work.  But today was so cool!  We went on a hike down in Clifton Arizona up a slot canyon so we had to go up some serious rocks and needed a lot of help, but we made it.  However getting down was harder and took our zone forever.  Well there was one point that my companion tossed her bag to an elder to hold while she got down a small drop.  When she got down he tossed it over a pool of water to her.....  well the phone was in the front pocket.   So the bag made it but we watched as the phone flew out, hit the rock, broke and then fell in the 3 ft pool of water.......    it stayed there till someone already wet fished it out.  So we are without a phone for the week.....     Oops.

Hermana Grove

Yeah hiking!

We made it!

Here's the view from the top of the slot canyon

Thanksgiving out at the McDonald's ranch  

They even made me chocolate pie :)

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