Cows or Llamas?

Happy Birthday Week to Me!!! (and Hitler???) AND GRANDMA!

I forgot to tell you about a signature Amanda moment from last week that I'm sure you'll love:

"That is a super skinny cow!"-Me
"That's because it's a llama."-Sister Smith

Then this week Sister Smith received a letter from her sister in which her sister said how hard she laughed when she read that conversation in Sister Smith's weekly email last week. Now her family probably thinks I'm uneducated! They don't know I've just struggled with proper animal identification my entire life. She did say that she'll tell them this week that I am cultured and not dumb just to clear up any misconceptions.

We had a lesson with the guy I told you about last week that came up to the truck window while we were praying. He will heretofore be called Mikky D because he asked if we could have the lesson at McDonalds. It was kind of strange, but it worked for him. The lesson went really well. He is old and has health problems, so our challenge will be helping him feel the Spirit to the point that he wants to make the effort to change his life at this late stage of the game. He is very open though and has a deep love for Christ. 

"Sister. I don't know how I feel about teaching a lesson at McDonalds."-SS

"They do it on the District 1, so we're fine."-SP

"Oh! You're right. We can totally teach at McDonalds."-SS

"This probably makes us even better missionaries. We're following the District with exactness."-SP

"We need a picture!"-SS

We are teaching the 8 year old brother of a member right now and because the parents aren't members, he is considered a convert if he gets baptized. We are really excited about that and hope to put him on date for May. He remembers so much of what he learns in Primary and really wants to be baptized. He is a great kid. Normally I would be uncomfortable at the idea of baptizing a young kid whose parents aren't involved in the church, but he is so on board and his sister does a good job of getting him to church. I think this will really bless his life.

The Fairway Groves ward mission leader is amazing. He is always trying his hardest to magnify his calling. He invited his neighbor to go to the VC last night and she accepted so he told us to meet them there. We shared a good lesson about Christ and temples (because she had a lot of questions about temples). She is very open and interested and said she won't look anything up online because it is disrespectful. We hope to take her back to the VC to watch Meet the Mormons and JSPR (Joseph Smith movie)

Sister Smith had two exchanges this week, so that meant I had two exchanges this week since I am her other half. The first one I was with Sister Rasheed! We were excited to be together again. We had a good day. We started by doing service at a place called A New Leaf. I'm not 100% certain what they do there, but I would assume they help people turn over a new leaf. Just a hunch. We painted a cinder block fence and I rather enjoyed that. We found a new investigator from a member referral! She is open and somewhat interested, but is also very devoted to her current church. We had two good lessons with other investigators and had a member with us for the evening. Our ward mission leader's family took us out to eat for my birthday because he is going to be out of town this week. They took us to Matta's and it was a lot of fun. Their children are the most adorable kids you've ever seen. I wouldn't be surprised if they're on Pinterest. The wife's sister actually served her mission in MN and served in our ward! Her name was Sister Pitts. I remember the name, but not much about her. She remembered our family (which I'm not sure is a good thing...). I know I went out with the sisters once in high school, but I don't remember who the second sister was...maybe it was her!

 Service!

My second exchange was with a sister named Sister Solipo. I really like her! She came out the transfer before me. We had a lot of fun just talking with each other while we walked between apartments and such. We had a hard time finding people home, but such are Saturdays in missionary work. We did help a lady move. She was interesting and had a TON of stuff. It was overwhelming.

So many people that we are teaching have had deaths happen in their life last week. It made us so aware of Satan and how he will try us when we are progressing in the gospel. We are giving them a week off to mourn and we will make them cookies and take them over with a Plan of Salvation pamphlet so they will know we're here and we care, but so they can also not feel pushed around by us.

D&C58:28 stuck out to me in my studies this week. Read it and figure out how it applies to you!

The primary president in Fairway Groves found out my birthday is this week so she asked me to come into Primary so the kids could sing to me. So I did that yesterday and it was so cute! When she introduced me, the ward mission leader's son (who took us to dinner) started loudly saying, "THAT IS MY MISSIONARY! THAT IS MY MISSIONARY!" It was cute. Obvi we're besties. 

Random quote:

"I like the sisters better because they talk about Jesus more than the elders do."-adolescent at our dinner appointment.

As you can see, my ambition with emailing each week is waning. I can't wait to just talk to people and not type to people! It gets exhausting. Sorry I'm lame!

Love,

Sister Poppe

We were both in navy and white, thus a photo was warranted

Why are we so cute?

Bday week dessert. Fresas con crema at a 

random hole in the wall Mexican place

Nutella pancakes to kick off birthday week!

Nacho Libre ward talent show

Cryptic email from President Jenkins...

he literally sounds like a mob boss. 

And I told him that.

 

Scooby Doo and TLC

Hello!

I am in love with my new area. It reminds me a lot of my first area, but with less children. The wards are very similar though and I am so happy to be here. I didn't realize how stressed out I was in my last area until I looked down the other day and realized I hadn't bit my nails in almost a week. There is so much work here and the members are generous and loving. We have already seen many miracles in the short time we have been companions. I love Sister Smith! She is a best
friend companion. I have loved all of my companions, but Sister Smith is on my level. We have an identical taste in music and a love for hipsters, culture, and Reese's. We have the same level of love for intellectual conversations and are both sassy. We both already fear that this will be our only transfer together; it's just too good to be true! Here is a brief overview of SOME of the work here and the miracles. There is so much that I am sure I will forget things.

 Engagement photo...that I wasn't ready for. 

Now I just look like the man.

Work here:

1) My first transfer out we had an exchange in the area I am in now and we visited a couple on their doorstep that night. It was pouring rain and the couple wasn't overly interested. I had been out 3 weeks, my companion had been out 4 months and the other sisters had only been out 2 months. We were all inexperienced, but for some reason that couple stuck in my mind my entire mission, maybe because it was a night that I actually felt competent. They weren't overly interested, but I shared a scripture and felt really good when we left. Well, now that I'm in this area, I went back! We visited with them and they actually remembered me. The wife said, "I think you have a look alike in Mesa." At which point I fessed up and told them I had been there over a year ago but I didn't want to sound creepy so I didn't bring it up. We went back a few nights later and weren't able to teach them, but we taught their two friends in their yard. The one actually accepted a Book of Mormon and seemed genuine when he said that he would read it. The other guy was friendly and listened and enjoyed discussing stuff, but he prefers to be non-denominational (and we all know what is said about lukewarm people...). The couple had to leave to pick something up but they invited us back on another evening. So we will go back! I'm going to call them the Scooby Doo couple, because they remind me of Scooby Doo for some reason.

2) We contacted a referral that had only been contacted once before and the wife has never been open to the church. The husband is, but he wasn't home, so we talked to the wife. She started to thaw out a bit and eventually even warmed up. We asked if we could come back the next day and serve her and she agreed. We got a crew of 12 missionaries together and cleaned her yard and house. Her husband just had neck surgery and she is the only one working so things have gotten a little overgrown. It was like a TLC show! So we'll call them the TLC family. We will go back this week and talk with them. Their daughters are really interested and they have a love of Christ and are active in their church. 

                                         Service for TLC Family

3) Miracle! A random man that was contacted over a month ago never called the sisters back when they called. Sister Smith felt inspired to stop back, but she couldn't remember which house it was. We parked in the general area with the member we took with us (she is 19 and just put in mission papers...super cute girl) and were talking when a car pulled into a driveway. We prayed and as we did I saw the guy get out of the car. I kept peeking my eyes open to see what he was doing and he started walking toward the member's truck. I was starting to get nervous because he was getting really close! I couldn't find the lock on the door and the prayer was never ending and I was convinced we were going to die! He came up to our window just as the prayer ended and said that he had been waiting for us to come for four weeks. Sister Smith explained that they had called him to confirm their appointment and a woman answered and said he couldn't meet with them and every time they called back that woman answered and said she'd pass along the message and she never did! He invited us over on Tuesday and said that he is 50% Mormon. 50% less work!

4) There are SEVEN recent converts between our two wards, but they're all moving within the month. They had SEVEN baptisms in March! Crazy!

5) We're teaching a lady that is getting baptized in May and that is so exciting!

6) We went on a hike with an investigator this morning and she really enjoyed it. It was good getting to know her and establishing a relationship with her. Hopefully we can teach her as well. Her boyfriend is a less active member. She has good beliefs and just needs to feel the Spirit.

                                         Hike with our investigator

7) One of the employees from the assisted living home I volunteered in, in my first area lives in my new area! I loved that lady! We were at dinner and the family was talking about the neighbor they are working with and as they described her it sounded like the employee I know. I put it together and asked them questions and sure enough it is! We went to her house right after dinner and she couldn't answer the door because there were 1000 dogs at the door. I don't think she recognized me through the frosted glass either. We'll go back. This is no coincidence! This is a part of a greater plan.

8) There are a million more things I could tell you, but I am beyond tired of typing. Just know that I am busy and I am very happy!

We do cross fit two mornings a week in a member's backyard and it's good because it makes me feel like I would rather die or go on a road trip with 12 Chihuahuas or something equally as awful. I was so sore all week.

I met a million crazy people on exchanges this week.

I'm taking this time as Sister Smith's companion to learn to be a follower. I've never really been one, but she is so capable and such an amazing missionary that I don't feel the need to lead. I trust her enough that I can take a step back. Plus she is my sister training leader and the senior companion. I figure this is good practice for marriage.

Love,

Sister Poppe

Last lunch with MP and one of her sweet old lady friends we were meeting 

with.   She is 92 and we rode in her car, and took this selfie. 

#yolo

This is the box Sister Merrell cut the baby face out of to put on my mirror. 

We found it when we were moving out and I decided it should be a 

hole in face photo shoot thing.

My ward mission leader in the Brimhall Ward promised me cupcakes for 

my birthday in February (he is enthralled with the fact that I wrote my 

senior capstone paper on cupcakes) so he surprised me with cupcakes 

from Sweet Tooth Fairy my last night in the area.

I don't even know how this fish turned up in the church parking lot. 

We're in a desert.