Well, I won't pretend this was an easy week.
I did get the box on Thursday, and I haven't gotten your letter yet mom, but it may be here today. I haven't checked, since the mail hadn't come when we left for the library. Pooch and my shoes were a nice reminder of home, and the letters were very much appreciated. Tell Linda that Hattiesburg isn't in the mission anymore, but West Bank is. Also tell her I agree, this is the best mission on earth, but unfortunately it doesn't mean everything is going to go swell.
Every week, or sometimes for multiple weeks, we are supposed to work on one of the Christlike attributes in Preach My Gospel. I have been working on humility for a while, and this last week we decided to work on it as a companionship. Needless to say, it was a very humbling week. Opening an area is difficult. One of our recent converts (she was baptized in February) is going through a really hard time right now, and our two investigators are making very little progress. One of them has a really big smoking problem that we are trying to help her overcome, but she doesn't want to give it up yet. The other we are trying to help understand the Book of Mormon, but she has difficulty reading and a three-year old son who is constantly distracting her so we are really struggling to get her to read. We got in contact with some of the Less-Active members of the ward, and are teaching there, but none of them are ready to come back to church yet. The list of Prospective investigators left behind by the elders who were here two transfers ago is very long, and we're slowly but surely working through that list but haven't had any success there. It's just been frustrating to see people who you love so much not make the changes you know they need to make to be even happier than they already are.
I'm not going to relate the rest of the difficulties this week, but we did do a lot of service. Specialized training was in Alexandria this week, where the entire Zone got together and we uncovered a cemetery. And by uncovered, I literally mean that. It was a jungle. There were about 30 or so of us, and we worked for 7 or 8 hours to get as much done as possible. Which leads me to my new list:
strange things you learn on your mission:
How to use a machete
What a femur looks like halfway decayed
What Gava tastes like (note: don't drink it)
How to repair a lawn mower
What poison ivy looks like
What someone who got into poison ivy looks like (it wasn't me)
I will also have you know, I thought I would get out of sanding things and mowing lawns on my mission. I was incorrect. I have mowed more grass this week than I did all year.
Anyways, it was a really fun project, but really hard and super sweaty. I don't think I have sweat that much since I was catching in full gear in the Arizona summer. It's kind of gross.
I got the pictures of Krystal, and I was thinking about her on Saturday. Also if she ends up reading this, I was thinking of Lindsay Parkin on Friday and wish her the best as well.
Um, I didn't leave the dress home on purpose, but I don't think I need anything right now, unless you want to give me a Wal-Mart gift card for food. Kidding, we're fine. Love you much, good luck Katie and Dad in Bulgaria, and Nana and Rachelle and Mom with the house! Good luck Cody (Carrie are you going back too?) in school since I think it starts next week right?. Good luck puppies on staying cool :)
Love you, love you, love you,
Cass
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