"Hush my mouth and feed me some grits!"

Is it only the end of week 2 of the transfer?! I feel like it's been an eternity... Time has seriously slowed down this week.

Dad: Do you know a guy named Jim Lemon? or Lemmon? He came up to me at church yesterday, asked if I knew Ovando and Edna Gubler! CRAZY. Small world! After chatting for a little bit, he said, "Yeah, yeah. I know Ovando and Horatio and all of those guys. I probably know them better than you do!" To which I responded: "Ain't that the truth!" haha I thought it was cool.

Mom: Thank you for getting that package out to me. I've needed it- bad. It's been 104 degrees the last couple of days. And, let me just say, tracting in the heat for several hours at a time is NOT FUN. I've sweat more now than I ever have in my life. It's terrible and disgusting. Blech. I could also use more downeast basic shirts too- just in white and black. AND STOP TELLING ME ABOUT YOUR WEIGHT LOSS! Seriously! I mean, congratulations and all. 30 pounds? That's great! But seriously. :P I'm dying here. I've gained 7 pounds! Don't make me feel worse about myself! :P 

BAHAHA! SOOOO... Let me share with you my favorite quote from the week. :) My companion had some trouble with her email last week, so we went to the public library here in Parma on Tuesday. This guy from the ward comes walking in, shouting and waving his arms like he knows the place. Turns out that he's from our ward! hahaha. AND he's a convert from Mississippi- who LOVES the missionaries. So, he walks up to me and asks me where I'm from. And as soon as I said "South Carolina" he goes off dancing!!! And then he waves his arms around and yells SO LOUD (keep in mind, we're in a library)....

"YOU'RE FROM SOUTH CAROLINA?! WELL HUSH MY MOUTH AND FEED ME SOME GRITS! WE'VE GOT OURSELVES A SOUTHERN GIRL!"

Funniest. Moment. Of. My. Life.

Okay, so, last time I emailed, I asked if you guys would join me in a Book of Mormon reading challenge. And I totally forgot to say how long or when to start. Sorry! But I'm going to start tomorrow, July 8. And I want to finish in 90 days (2 transfers). So that comes out to reading at least 6 pages a day. :) Up for the challenge? :)

Oh, and another favorite quote from the week! This one was in Relief Society- we had a testimony meeting at the end- and Hansen (one of our recent converts [17 years old]) gets up and, at the end of her testimony, says, "I didn't pray last night... and I feel really bad... But any prayer that I WOULD HAVE prayed would have been answered today." 
Now that's faith. :)

4th of July was this week. Whoo-hoo! 
There was a community flag ceremony that morning at the high school- which we participated in. The churches from all over Parma came together and we had a flag raising, prayer, 2 non-denominational speakers, refreshments, musical numbers, and a parachute jumper! It was good fun. This really is "small town USA". And we went home early that night! haha. We weren't allowed to be out past 6/6:30pm, so we went home and watched 17 Miracles and The District. It was a good time. And we made cake balls. Yummy. We tried to watch fireworks out of our window... but they ended up just being small little flashes of light in the distance. Not worth it. 

 Now onto the juicy stuff that happened this week.

I feel like each of my companions has had some major event happen (while they've been out) that they've needed to get over. And, the longer I'm out on my mission, the more I really do receive a confirmation that I'm out here for THEM. I may not get baptisms... I may not teach a million people... But I WILL help my companions.
Long story short- My companion got a... not so good letter from her sister this week. So we spent a lot of time together helping her get through. There were lots of conversations where I had to say, "You are NOT going home. Do you hear me?!" Yeah. Pretty much summarizes my week with my companion.
Sometimes... I wish I could just filter what parents write home to their children that are on missions.... Mom and Dad, unless someone dies, just don't tell me! 

Hahahahaha. So. We went tracting this week.... (funny stories to follow)

Well, first of all, we had a district tract in Nyssa for the Elders there. (The zones all over the mission are starting to do tracting splashes- patterned after the one that my comp and I started in Kuna.) While my companion and I were tracting in Nyssa, we found SO MANY PEOPLE for the Elders to teach. It was ridiculous. 
So now I know it's not a problem with my door approach or anything... Some people are just prepared! And some aren't.

But, anyways, after having that great success that morning- we decided to go tracting in our own area to see if we could find anyone to teach! FAIL.

House #1 Catholic Kid.
  We went to this house and were talking to this teenager at the door. It went really well! And we placed a Book of Mormon AND got a return appointment for Tuesday! Awesomeeeeee! After walking down the street, 2 minutes later, this kid comes running down the street yelling, "Wait! WAIT!" and waving the Book of Mormon above his head.... He hands the book to me and says, "Sorry, we're Catholic." To which I say, "That's okay. You can still have the book- It's yours!" Then he panics, throws it into my hands, and runs away back to his house.... haha Awkward. So much for that return appointment.

House #2 Crazy Guy.
   We knock on this guys door... Man. He was crazy. But he was also that annoying person that acted like they didn't know anything about anything and so they would ask you a ton of questions to get you excited and then they throw you to the ground and say they don't need you. Yeah. It was terrible. Thanks a lot, dude. Well, I'm here if you ever want to talk again! 
"What's the Bible?"
"Who is Jesus?"
Yeah. Some people have those questions... but he did NOT. He knew. Heeee knewwwww.

House #3 Anti Woman.
   My first anti experience! It was... insane. We knock on the door... and, wow. She just let us have it right from the get-go. And my companion (oh, my sweet companion) just starts going off on this lady! I literally didn't say a word the WHOLE time, while they were waving their arms and yelling at each other. Bad. Bad bad bad. I finally had to take my companion's arm and say, "That's enough, Pritchard." Turn to the lady and say, "Jen, I know that this gospel is true. But thank you for living your faith. Have a great day." And I dragged my companion to the car. Oh goodness. I hate Bible bashing. Hate it. HATE IT.

Well... that was pretty much my week. Yup yup yup. Glad I could share my life with you all. ;)
Really though, people. You need to write me letters. My side of the mailbox is forming spider-webs... while my comp's side... I don't even want to talk about it. haha

Love you all. Repent and send me mail. ;)

--Sister Gubler