Laramie Week 6!

More stories to share! It is crazy that it is week 6 here! And for those who are wondering, I will find out this Saturday where I will be the next 6 weeks. I personally believe it will be the same place, but it is always possible that I move!

I had a really simple but awesome experience yesterday. While shopping at Wal-Mart, I went past a giant display of Tostitos, salsa, and queso dip. I thought about buying that so much. For some reason, I love eating chips and salsa. I think it is one of the most delicious things ever. But, I decided to hold back and not 'waste' my money on unhealthy food. Later last night, I went to FHE with the ward. Lo and behold, the snack/treat after the lesson and activity was Tostitos with salsa & queso!!! Even more than that, this morning I found out that one of the other Elder Zone Leaders living with me bought some Tostitos chips too! I had some this morning with my queso dip and salsa leftovers that I got to take home from last night! He hadn't bought them once this transfer until yesterday. Haha. God rocks. It is EVIDENCE again that God loves me and is involved in the little things in my life. I love it when I have a deep desire or question that I'm trying to figure out in my head - I didn't actually get on my knees and pray to God for chips & salsa - and God comes through answering my unspoken prayer. God is just so amazing!!! :) I love Him so much, especially when He reads my mind and gives me what I was looking for without asking Him. This was not the first time this has happened and certainly not the last! What I love most about this small experience is that God cares about the simple inconsequential things in my life. I love that we have a God who cares about me having chips & salsa - something that really doesn't matter a whole lot - just to remind me that he cares, he knows me, and he is listening to me.

I had my birthday this last week on March 6th and have what I think are 2 funny stories from it that I hope will translate via typing.

Every week on Thursdays we have our District meetings (6 of us missionaries get together for training). My District leader is finishing his mission next Tuesday. So on my birthday in the church building, he starts off the meeting (after opening song and prayer) with announcements by writing his favorite number on the board: "12." He said his favorite number the next day will be "11" because it will be that many days left on his mission before he goes home. I announced it was also my 23rd birthday so he wrote "23" on the board. We were skeptical that he could turn his favorite number into a legitimate announcement. Unexpectedly, he was able to make the announcement that our Zone Conference is going to be on March 12th. So he changed it from "12" to "March 12th" And in further discussion he was able to change the "23" for my birthday to "23 months" left on the mission. He makes fun of us every chance that he gets that he is leaving in a few weeks and we have so much time left. I wonder what I will be like 22 months from now in my last 6 week period on my mission - if I will be 'trunky' (mission lingo for ready to go home) or still super focused on mission work and meeting with people. Definitely TBD since he was very decided to not be trunky - he had a companion that drove him crazy who was super trunky about 1 year ago, but has since become that way himself.

For dinner, I got to eat with a bunch of awesome members in the YSA ward. It was fun. The one who put it together had a friend make a cake for dessert. I requested some cookies and cream ice cream for dessert with the cake that was being made. Turns out the person who brought the dessert had no idea it was my birthday! At the supermarket she was pretty irritated that me, a missionary who is getting free food, would specifically request an additional free dessert item! She felt a lot better about it when she was told it was my birthday during dinner.

One last thing about the mission, it's sometimes rough. It is not easy to figure out how to present what I am offering in such a way that people want to listen/learn about it. Sometimes it appears that everyone is content and happy with where they are at. Inviting people to change is not particularly easy; Inviting myself to change is hard! Fortunately for myself and my companion here, we are able to share messages with many members to strengthen their faith when we don't have many non-members we are teaching. Like anything in life it can be super easy to focus on the lack of immediate success and become discouraged (i.e. school, relationships, finances, working out, etc).

But, I know that people can and do change. Specifically in Laramie, there was a college student baptized the first weekend I was here who was adamantly atheist and another being baptized this week who likewise didn't believe in God or Jesus Christ. The manager of Salvation Army who was baptized a few weeks ago smoked and drank coffee on a regular basis, but has given both up! I'm learning the importance first hand of focusing on my purpose instead of getting caught up in the moment (wow isn't getting caught up in the moment the easiest thing to do ever? Well, it is for me.) As 'Preach My Gospel' says, "You will be saddened [when people don't accept or act on the message] because you love them and desire their salvation. You should not, however, become discouraged; discouragement will weaken your faith. If you lower your expectations, your effectiveness will decrease, your desire will weaken, and you will have greater difficulty following the Spirit." I know that there are people out there that want what I have and that by pressing forward in faith miracles will happen! I just have to do the little daily disciplines, for "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise." (Alma 37:6 in the Book of Mormon).

Have a great week! :)