Sleep-deprived & Loving It

This week has been super great! I'm sorry these letters are always so long but so many things always happen and I have a hard time picking which things you guys would want to hear/care about.

Obviously this letter has to start off with Sister Joseph. She gets crazier every day. We were driving through a Jewish neighborhood the other night and we hadn't said a word in like 15 minutes. All the sudden she just blurts out "I wish they'd make a movie "Meet the Jews." I'd watch it." Ahahahaha Meet the Jews, I seriously died it was sooo hysterical. And then we got onto an on ramp and it kept spinning around, like it was a full 360 spiral, so after we'd been turning for a couple seconds she was like "this is like a curly fry from Arby's!" I'm pretty sure we are out of our minds and so I'm sorry that's probably not funny to anyone else, but I find her hilarious. I'm so glad she's my companion. After being the "designated driver" for 2 days she threw me the keys and was like "I've had enough, you're driving." Which is good cause she almost killed us like 4 times. What better way to die though than with someone you love? Haha JUST KIDDING. 

The YSA is good, I had to give a talk yesterday so classic Sariah ... I just gave the one I gave in Belle Harbor. I ain't no spring chickun anymore I can't be writing a new talk every week. Nah I wrote a new one, I'd attach it but it's just a bunch of random thoughts that make no sense. Basically I just talked about the commandments and why it is hard for us to keep them, I talked a lot about self-justification cause I'm pretty much an expert on the subject haha. I shared this scripture in Alma 18:5 "Now this was the tradition of Lamoni, which he had received from his father, that there was a Great Spirit. Notwithstanding they believed in a Great Spirit, they supposed that whatsoever they did was right;" cause I feel like we all profess to believe in God but we think that because we already believe we can do whatever we want. It was good, I learned a lot from preparing the talk. It's crazy that we know the commandments are there to protect us and make us happy, yet so often we try to get around, under, or over obeying them. I know that obedience brings blessings. 

We had Eduardo's baptism last night, he was supposed to get baptized last week but got sick. But the baptism was soooo good! Lots of fellowship action going on. I don't think members realize that nothing happens in missionary work until they do something. We literally cannot do effective work without the members. The covenants we make really are the most important things in our lives. 

Probably one of the funniest things here is the diversity. When we go out street contacting we get rejected in pretty much every language. I've wondered though, are they rejecting us because they don't like Mormons or because we can't speak their language? Both? I dunno. We have taught some interesting people...I actually have quite the list. My favorites so far have been the the model, the clown, the "exotic dancer", and the guy who runs The Today Show. There's a guy in the ward who works at the same Brooks Brothers where Abe Lincoln shopped. LEGIT. Anyway I never thought the hardest thing about spreading the gospel is that you can't spread it because you don't speak the same language. The elders are teaching us some Spanish so hopefully that'll help. So far I can say "I'm a missionary" and "free English classes at the church, here are the directions." And then I hand them a card and walk away haha. Also, I went on an exchange with the Spanish Sister Training Leader (STL)...AWKS. I sat through 5 lessons and a branch council, all in Spanish, and the only word I understand is "casa" which I think means "house" but I dunno why they said it so many times, I swear it was every other word. I felt super stupid for like 24 hours cause I couldn't say anything. Now I know what it's like to be dumb...literally. 

But yeah it was a crazy week, having 2 pools is really stressful just cause I can't keep the members or the bishops or the people straight so I'm always making really stupid mistakes. It's good to know that the Lord will accomplish His work whether I know what's going on or not, so I am just trying to keep up! I'm learning a ton and am so glad to be here. This gospel is absolutely amazing! 

I love you all,

Sister Wadsworth