August 15th

Hi Family!

So much news indeed! Congrats Katie! I can't believe I have a new neice! That is four now that I haven't seen yet. I am so happy for you and Joe. Hope all is going well for you at this tender time.

Colin, congrats on the mission call! That is so exciting! Not too surprised about where you're going, totally called it : ) I just wrote Meesa a letter for the both of you to read. Best of luck!

Mom, how did Seminary go?

Dad, sounds like you had a marathon Sunday! Wow. Thanks for sharing. And yes, I swear it got cold within one day!! I woke up one morning and I was freezing! The day before I had slept without a blanket, windows open, and with a fan on because it was so hot. I totally don't get the weather here. I have tried to stay positive about the upcoming winter, but it is so hard. I can't believe I get to do that all over again! Haha, I prefer to just not talk about it...

Last week in Botannica was good, a lot more trying than the week before, but you need one of these every now and then I suppose. For some reason, it was hard to find meetings, and most of our scheduled meetings feel through it seemed like. That isn't really such a big deal I guess, but it was hard because most of our investigators couldn't met with us, the two with Bap Dates included. We were able to meet with Lena (the one I've written you all a lot about) twice this week which was really nice. She is doing really well, still the same problems, but we're trying. Becasue our initial plans fell through, we ended-up using our Back-Up plans a lot, and even our back-Up plans needed a back-up plan : ) It was good though, and it all paid off Sunday night and on Thursday evening.

Sunday night, a member named Zina gave us a refferal, and we were able to meet in Zina's home with her and her reffered neighbors, a mother and babushka. They aren't very religious, but they believe in God. Actually, the babushka is Muslim by birth, so I'll need to get permission permission to teach her again. Both very very sweet ladies and they seemed genuinely touched and interested in our message. The members here are eager to help, but they are really funny in the lessons because they can go very off topic if you don't prep them. It was so funny. She brought up two dreams she has had, Baptizms for the Dead, and hep Patriarchal Blessing fell out of her scriptures, and she said out loud "Oh, that's not allowed to read to you all, and hid it behind her." Haha, my comp and I were just dying inside. We obviously didn't prep her enough. But, the two ladies didn't seem to notice, and so it wasn't a problem. They took the Book of Mormon, agreed to meet with us again (though they couldn't say when), promised to read it, and really seemed interested. They liked us too which helps I think. We'll see. I'm trying not to get my hopes too much lately, it seems like every time I have a good new contact, I get carried away and start picturing them as the future relief Society President or Branch President... So, I'll just say it was a very good meeting and we have plans to meet with them again. We have received some good refferals lately from our members. We haven't been able to meet with the reffered people yet, but it is in the process. It is nice to feel thought that the members are willing to give us a shot and teach their friends. Those lessons are always so much better.

We also saw a lot of little miracles Thursday after our Weekly Planning session. I was slightly bummed because, yet again, our lessons had fallen through. As I was digging through my planner and the Area Book, trying to think of the very best way to use our time, Sister Schill and I decided to get down on our knees and pray. It was kind of a desperate plea from my end, becasue I was feeling kind of tired of trying to find things to do and people to meet with. Thirty minutes later, we were still in our planning session and hadn't really figured things out, but our cell phone rang and our investigator Lena called and said that we could meet with her that night. It is pretty rare when an investigator calls you to meet, so we felt so blessed. On the way to her house, we got contacted by three different people on one bus. Also rare. We got to our lesson with her and didn't have any more Book of Mormons to even teach out of. Then, sfter our lesson with her, we found two decent street lessons, and ran into a member named Uri walking hiss dog. He gave us a refferal right there on the street. We were freaking out! Sometimes I wish I was so hard for the Lord to work through. Here I am, frustrated that nothing has been or is working out, and all I needed to do all along was pray and ask for His guidance. I swear, the more my plans fall through, the better our day goes. haha. Oh, I just love my mission : )

Have a great week! Say hi to Whitney Robb for me!

Sister Hakes