What Was That Again?: In Which I Play Catch Up and Mother Theresa and I are in the Same Boat

So, remember that terrible horror of last week when I was right in the middle of my email and I had to leave? It was really upsetting. We don't have to talk about it. The good news is that I'm back, and I have this delusion that I have oodles of time to record all of my tales. Who knows if that's actually true. We'll see. By the way, I did finish last week's message, so go back and read the conclusion if you haven't already.

So, last week I left off with the psycho crazy rainstorm, I believe. A couple of days later, we met Sherolyn and Tara. Let me just tell you a little something about Sherolyn and Tara - they are my favorite people. Sherolyn is a recent convert, and she is so on fire, it's not even funny. She has been looking for the truth for a long time, and absolutely loves the church. She also adores all Disney related things and being fun, so we're basically best friends. Tara is her 18 year-old daughter who just finished her freshman year at Texas A&M. Tara is gorgeous and hilarious and adorable and basically the nicest person you'll ever meet. She's also the driest Mormon I've ever met - she was made fun of in high school because she strictly kept all of the same morals and standards the Mormon kids did, but she wasn't one. So, in essence, Tara is just kind of perfect, minus the fact that she needs some saving ordinances.

Enter: Sister Missionaries.

We've gotten to teach her a few times since we met her, and she just blows us away every time we talk to her. She agrees with everything we teach and has no issues with the church except for the fact that sacrament meeting isn't as upbeat as she's used to services being. Sherolyn told us the other day that Tara had asked her dad how he'd feel about her becoming a Mormon because it was something she was really thinking about. She drove us to the baptism on Saturday (stay tuned) and said that she loved how personal it was. Tara is golden. And amazing. And I love her.

Now, please contain your outrage and depression as I tell you that because Tara is 18, we have to pass her on to the Young Single Adult ward. My heart broke, too. It's okay. We'll make it through this together.

We've also met Yvonne, a sweet older lady who lives next to a less active member. We've been working with the both of them - Sister Thompson is getting ready to go to the temple so that she can be there for her daughter's temple wedding this summer - and that usually involves some backbreaking, sweat dripping service project. Last week it meant that we spent 3 hours in the afternoon (translation - HOT,) pulling out the most stubborn tree of all time. I'd also like to mention that it was heavier than anything I've ever tried to lift. We felt really cool after that. Yvonne has agreed to take the discussions, but she said that it's so that we can, "Share ideas." Translation - we're going to chat about religion for a while. I'm trying to be hopeful, so we'll see how it goes.

Some of the most important news to convey is the advent of a bike into my life. It doesn't have a name yet - that's probably has something to do with the fact that every time it's in the near vicinity the only thing I can think about is how stinking hot it is outside. If the temperature and humidity were more agreeable, I would have no complaints about bike riding. I never thought I would even think about liking being on a bike, but cross my heart, I really love it. There's something really energizing about being outside all the time, and let's get real - even if you don't see a single person, any day that you bike around in 90+ degree heat is a success.

Last week, I was able to go to Tim's baptism. Can I even tell you how cool that was? I don't think so. It was a lot of fun, and it was really funny to see the difference between his baptism and Megan's. You could definitely tell that it was a baptism for a teenager, but there was still that Spirit there. Henry, one of the Priests in the ward, was able to baptize him, and it was really incredible to realize that these two young men were performing work with eternal promises. It was just amazing. I don't know if I can ever tell how much I love that family.

We have also been able to start teaching a family that was just absorbed into the ward from the boundary switches. Layla and Jace have 7 kids, including twin 2 year-olds and an infant (the patience of that woman is astounding,) and they are some of the kindest, most soft spoken people I've ever met. You can tell that the Lord has been preparing them just from the sheer number of member friends and interactions they have, and they are just so open. We've been able to teach them with one of the members of the ward, and it's gone really well. This is the first time I've taught a family where everyone is interested, and it's a really special experience. We're hoping to get a baptismal date invitation extended soon.

This week I've been learning a lot about trust. In the words of Bethany Smithers, I have a lot of pride issues. I drew this picture while I was studying this morning, because this is a lot like my life.

I think that I can do everything, and even if I don't think I can, I don't like letting go of control. It's an issue, especially in a calling where there's really very little I can control. Very, very little. It's going to take a lot of practice and a lot of time, but just think of how much better things will be when I get that figured out - or sort of figured out.

Have a lovely week, people. Do some good things, share the gospel, and enjoy the ride. I love y'all!

Love, Sister Liljenquist

Sister King and Sister Andreason enjoy delicious Chick Fil A soft serve. They said it was good.