Week 14: No Clue What To Name This…

How is everyone? I'm doing really well. It rained almost all week this week so we ended up driving a lot more than we actually wanted to. Sister Waters' back tire on her bike was flat this week, which didn't help. It's the second week in a row that we haven't been able to do much biking, and I honestly kind of hated it. I never thought I'd say it, but I'd rather bike around than try to walk or drive. Driving creates a lot of time for us to do tracting (door knocking) and we can never walk to the appointments in time because a lot of them are further away than a reasonable walk. We've been teaching a lot of lessons this week, which is good. We only have a few investigators that are really progressing and have dates set to be baptized. We keep praying to find new investigators and we do our best to find people everywhere we go. The work is steady and the key is going to be getting the members of the ward actively involved. That's what we're working on right now.

I don't have much to share, other than I've seen the Lord's hand in my life a lot this past week. It's amazing what power there is in prayer and honestly and sincerely asking God for help with your struggles. I know that all He's waiting for is us to ask Him, and He will send the blessings we need and He has to send. It's an amazing thing to see and realize, and I know each of you can experience it as well. 

Sister Rivers

Week 13: Temple Trip

July 13
July 13

Hello!

This week I got to go to the Orlando temple. It's literally down the street from Disney, and it was beautiful. It was a great experience to have. Half the missionaries that went are going home soon, but it was still good to get to know them a little better. I'll be sad to see them go. After the temple we went to Noodles & Co. I'd never eaten there and it was really good! 

Sister Waters' tire popped at the beginning of the week. We were biking around and at the end of the night she ran over some prickly things that got stuck in the tire. When she pulled it out, air started coming out and she stuck the prickly thing back in. On the bright side, it held up the rest of the night! On the downside, we didn't get it fixed until today so we had to drive all week. I can honestly say that as a missionary, I hate driving. It keeps us away from all the people we could've talked to while we were biking or walking, and it makes a lot more time for tracting... I don't exactly hate tracting anymore, but I still would rather be biking around or something than go tracting. 

I feel like we ate out a ton this week! We had YaYa's for dinner the night Sister Waters' tire popped, and we ordered pizza on Wednesday. Then we had a lesson with a less active member Saturday evening and she bought us Indian food. Have you ever tried lamb? It's actually pretty good. I was hesitant, but I've tried so many other new things since coming on my mission that I figured why not try it? I surprised myself by liking it a lot. 

We have three people with baptism dates! It's all very slow, but they are progressing nonetheless. It's amazing to see the changes they are making as their testimonies of the gospel grow and they gain more knowledge for themselves. One of our investigators is having a hard time understanding a lot of what we teach him, so it's going even slower than the rest. I wish he would understand and we could teach him more, but we have to make sure he understands what we've already taught before we can move on to the next thing. It's difficult, and definitely a trial of my patience, but he's still progressing and moving forward which is good. 

The Palm Harbor Ward had a convert baptism right after our ward ended church yesterday, and we got to take our most solid investigator. He was amazed by it and kept asking "I have to do that?" He'd never seen a baptism by immersion before, so it was a really cool experience for him. It made his desire for baptism grow stronger and gave him a bigger resolve to overcome the problems he's having with living the Word of Wisdom. 

Last week our mission president changed our schedule a little. Now we have to get up at 6am every day (including Sundays, which was the day we used to sleep in until 6:30am because we don't work out), and be in bed by 10pm so that we get a solid 8 hours of sleep. It's been a little hard to make sure we're home by 9pm, but it's been a good change. I've seen the difference it's making in everyone. It's been great, really. 

How are all of you? Anything exciting happen lately? Any fun plans for the rest of the summer? I've love to hear all about it!

-Sister Rivers

Week 12: We Love Curbs!

July 6

Hello all!

The title of this email refers to the fact that we can't get away from running into curbs. I usually run into one at least four times a week on my bike, and sometimes Sister Waters ends up jumping curbs when we're driving... it makes for a good adventure. haha. 

This week we were biking to the church on our usual route and noticed some handrails along the sidewalk had been taken down. It wasn't until we went back the other way to go home that we realized what had actually happened. A car had swerved off the road and taken out two handrails and hit a light pole! We were so lucky that we weren't in the area at the time it happened, and I know it was the Lord looking out for us. I think that may have even been a day we were driving instead of biking. It just testifies more to me that when you pray for safety in your travel, the Lord really does provide and protect you. And that's because Heavenly Father answers our prayers, even if they aren't in the way we would have imagined it. As long as you are praying sincerely He will answer- we just have to remember that it will be on His time and not ours. That's been a frustrating thing for me, especially lately, but it makes me so much more grateful and receptive when I do find those answers. 

We also saw a dead turtle this week.  It broke my heart! Last week we saw some dead armadillos, too. Did you know Florida had armadillos? I didn't, until we passed them. It made me so sad.

The sandals I've been wearing aren't approved anymore. Our mission president had all the sisters take pictures of their sandals (while wearing them) and send them in to be re-approved since there were some sisters wearing shoes that weren't the best to be wearing when we walk or bike most the day. So say goodbye to my cool tan lines! Haha. I'll be working on some different ones now since I'm wearing different shoes.

Well, that's all I can think of for this week. I'd love to hear from you and see how everyone is doing! I love you all!

-Sister Rivers

Week 11: I'm not even sure what to call this…

June 29

Things we weird this week. We didn't have district meeting on Tuesday like normal because we had extra training and interviews with President Cusick on Friday. It threw my entire week off, but also kinda made it go by faster. 

We have 3 dates set! It's so exciting, and they are all progressing at different rates in the gospel. It's so crazy to see how learning about the gospel and the Church changes people, even if they don't realize it, at different rates. One of our investigators could've been baptized already, but he's having some Word of Wisdom issues that he's trying to overcome. Another we started teaching maybe two weeks ago and she still doesn't know much, but I know she's interested and wants to learn more. The third date set we have is kind of unpredictable. One lesson we'll know what he needs and that he loves what he's learning, but the next we aren't entirely sure what he understands about the gospel and what we've been teaching and sharing. It just goes to show that everyone is definitely different and learns things in different way and rates. 

We found a cute little family this week. Well, we found them a few weeks ago but had to drop them because we could never meet with them. At first the dad wasn't interested in learning anything at all and only wanted us to come because he wanted his children to have God and church in their lives. It was amazing to see the change in his demeanor when we met with them this week. He had read the Restoration pamphlet we gave them and had questions about it! What's amazing is how excited his kids were to hear about the gospel, and how much more excited they got when he said they could go to church on Sunday. Unfortunately, they didn't make it. But it was an amazing thing to see how in such a short time he changed so much. 

I get to go to the temple! President Cusick tries to get the missionaries who are going home to the Orlando temple, and Sister Waters is going home next transfer (in August). We both get to go next week on July 9. That means that I won't be sending any emails next Monday though, because our Preparation Day will be moved to Thursday because of our temple trip. I'm so excited and grateful to get to go, especially because we don't even have a temple in our mission and I didn't think I would get to go when Sister Waters went. 

Well, that was my week last week. I'm sure there's a lot more I could share, but nothing else really comes to mind. What's going on with all of you? Anything exciting? Same old boring stuff? Let me know!

Week 10

June 22

I don't feel like anything extraordinary happened this week, but it was still a good week. We have two investigators with baptism dates! I think that's the most exciting thing of all. It's going slowly, but they are both progressing and growing in the gospel. 

This week we had a recent convert express her concern about her ten year old daughter and how active she is in the church. Anyone have any ideas of activities to use while teaching? Sister Waters and I are looking to find some ways to have interactive lessons with them this week. We have some ideas, but we are very open to more.

It's starting to get really hot and humid here, and you can definitely tell that it's summer! It rains a lot, too. What's crazy is that it will be perfectly clear in the spot you're at, and ten minutes later there's a giant storm cloud looming overhead. And half the time the storms only last for about 20 minutes! It's definitely a day to day adventure, especially since we're biking most of the time. 

Last week we went tracting in a thunderstorm, which was an experience to have. Not a ton of people opened the door, but we did get to say a few prayers with the ones who did. It's amazing how open people might be about saying a prayer with us, but if we were to go up and start talking about the Restoration or something they wouldn't give us a second chance.

This week we biked south to a couple appointments and had to go on this big wooden bridge. It was really rickety, and I thought for a couple seconds there that I was going to die. But I didn't! I made it through and we even got lucky when it didn't rain :) We also met a cute little family that doesn't live too far from the church. They have a little girl and a brand new baby, who are both just the sweetest. We shared the Because He Lives video with them and talked to them about how they can be sealed together as a family in the temple. We hope that the seed was planted and they eventually choose to come and find out more.

Like I said, not much exciting happened this week. Things are still going well though and the work is moving forward. I love the gospel so much, and I love that I get to share it with people every day. Sometimes it's hard for me to do, especially since I don't usually go out and talk to random strangers about anything, but I see how it can affect them when I do. I meet so many amazing and interesting people every day, and though they don't always want to learn more and aren't always interested I know I've planted a seed and that some day they might want to learn more. 

Sister Rivers

Week 9: Apples in the Spokes

June 15

So the most exciting thing happened this week! Just kidding, you might not find it too exciting. But it was definitely interesting. We were biking to an appointment on Thursday and had our dinner in plastic bags handing on our handle bars, as usual. We went down off the sidewalk to cross the road and there was a little gutter thing that we bounced over. I had an apple in my bag and when the bike bounced it swung over and got stuck in the spokes of my front tire! The bag broke and the apple split in half! I was sad, not because the bag broke or I had apple all over my tire, but because I had really been looking forward to eating that apple at dinner. I tied the bag together and we kept going though, because we were running a little late and there wasn't really anything I could do about the apple. The next two days we were biking again and my sunscreen bottle hit the tire. The first time nothing really happened, but the second time the cap of the bottle came off and sunscreen got everywhere and the bag broke. Sister Waters helped me get the cap back on and then ended up putting the things I had in my bag in hers to carry for the rest of the night. I felt bad, but she said it wasn't a big deal. She's the sweetest. 

Other than that, nothing super interesting really happened this week. There were transfers on Wednesday, and they closed an area in our district. Well, they didn't close the entire area. The area (Hudson) had both sisters and elders when I got here, and they took the elders out. The sisters are still there though. We had a couple people go home from the district and have a new missionary from Michigan, though I haven't had a chance to talk with him so I don't know exactly where at he's from. 

I got stung by a bee this morning, and I have no clue how it even happened. We were jogging back to the apartment after our workout and there was a sudden pain in my arm when I got to the bottom of the steps. At least, I'm assuming it was a bee or wasp. I didn't actually see it. I just know it hurt REALLY bad for a while and started to swell a little.

Well, that was my week. How was yours? Have you been reading the Book of Mormon? I encourage you to. It will change your life in more ways than one, and I promise you will see the blessings that come from it. I hope to hear from you all soon!

Sister Rivers

"There is a power in the Book of Mormon which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book" -President Ezra Taft Benson