Mawrigge. Mawrigge is Wut Bwings Ussss Twwogetha Twwodey

So.

TIM AND DAWN got maaaaaarrrriiied this week!

Was the PDA strong?

Yes.

Was I extremely uncomfortable.

Best believe it.

I don't know if it's because I'm a missionary or if it's just my personality or (probs) a mixture of both, but if you are in love... Don't come near me with that. 

But. 

Still one of the happiest days of my life! 

Best part: Tim starts introducing us to all his blind friends, "These are my sisters." 

Wah. I love him.

Meanwhile, in drier (the HUMIDITY. it's suffocating me. or... like drowning.), windier Wyoming another wondrous wedding was taking place...

First of all, can I just say that whoever came up with this...

is the straight funniest human in all the land.

Ashty and Kim, you got married.

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S.

This week we had to say goodbye to President and Sister Cleveland.

NOOOOOOOOOO.

I love them.

L O V E T H E M.

I don't think I'll ever be able to adequately explain how much they've influenced my life for the better and played such a huge role in my conversion to Christ. 

Plus, their selfie game... I mean. 

Mine on the other hand, is not as strong... obviously. #cantaloupeface

Sincerely, Sister Soloa'i 

P.S. Remember how I said it's humid? Well. It still is. BUT. The RAIN is cuhrayyyzeee.

P.P.S. Hoosiers do graffiti well tho.

P.P.P.S. Marriage selfie mid ceremony... We were too excited to wait until after.

'Cause You'll Always Be Muh Baaybaaayyyyy

Sing it Mariah.

Not much to report this week. 

At all.

Soooooooo.

Enjoy this posterity pic!

Aaaaaaand enjoy your upcoming week!

Sincerely, Sister Soloa'i

Momma, Baby, and Grandbaby.

Baby Come Back to Meeee

Sing it Vanessa.

This week was the last week with my dearest, (drive me) crazy, just-kidding-I-love-you, best, cutest, loudest, boldest, raddest, trainer.

*Ugly cry*

I don't remember if I ever told you this little tidbit about Sister Alexander and me...

But.

The reason why we ended up as companions is because in the MTC I fake taught (TRC investigator) one of Sister Alexander's old companions and she called President Cleveland and told him to put us together. 

Waaaa laaaaaaa! Our companionship was born.

Pretty cool how the Lord does things.

Preeeeeetty cool.

But really though. I am so grateful for her.

I debated writing a nice, sappy, paragraph about all the attributes and talents that I love about her and then I was like, "I wouldn't even be able to write them all."

Whoops. Accidental sap right there.

Just know that I  L O V E  H E R. 

So. 

Friends, family, fans (Jk LOL), and creepy strangers that may read my blaaawg:

Do me a favor and pray for me, yeah? 

Why you may ask?

I'll tell you.

Because tomorrow I meet the sister I will be training for the next 3 months.

*stress. sobb.*

I am really excited and feel really blessed to have the opportunity aaaaand I'm pumped about the miracles that I will undoubtedly see from this new companionship...

But I'm preeeeeeeeeeeeetty nervous.

But guess what??

"Whom the Lord calls, He qualifies." - President Thomas S. Monson 

Have a WONDERFUL week everyone!

Sincerely, Sister Soloa'i

Ignore my mega awk arm. I have hyper-extended elbows, okay?? Don't judge.

Meet my veeeeeeerrryyy best friends here. And everywhere. I love them

I have absolutely no idea. but hey, here's my district.

Meet the Winnings. The cutest senior couple in aaaaaaalll the land.

So We Uhhhh... Broke Your Swing.

If you don't know what Tiwi is, consider yourself #blessed.

It's this little device that's in our car that tells us when we are speeding and driving aggressively and whatever. It's actually a really great tool that helps us stay obedient, but it talks to you when you're doing something wrong and it can get rather frustrating. 

Weeeeell, we were driving a member to a lesson this past week and we kept accidentally going over the speed limit and so Tiwi is all like, "Check your speed" over and over again. 

Well, finally after the like fifth "Check your speed" the member just yells from the backseat, "Oh shut up! I know we all hear the Holy Ghost differently, but what is that??!" 

Probably one of the funnier things that has happened during my mission.

TIIIIIIMMMMM WENT TO THE TEEEEMMMPPPLEEEE THIS WEEEEEKKK!!! 

SO amazing. SO SO amazing. 

Ugh. We love that man.

We started teaching this one kid (okay, he's like 27) this week. 

His name is Wale and he's from Nigeria and he is soooo solid. 

Our first lesson with him went SO well and he asked so many great questions and accepted our baptismal invite and everything was just going GOOD. 

But then.

We get this text from him later that night saying he read a bunch of anti-church literature on the internet and wasn't so sure about meeting anymore. 

Nooooooooooooo.

Well, we ended up getting to have another lesson with him and teach about the Book of Mormon and answer some of his concerns, but he still felt a little uneasy.

We were practically devastated because Wale is SO cool and he was so excited at first. It was just really sad to see all that excitement and joy just get replaced with fear and uneasiness. 

I once heard this quote that said, "If you wanted to get to know Jesus, you wouldn't interview Judas." 

Anyway, we decided to fast for him yesterday and let me tell you, fasting is POWERFUL, you guys. Every time I've ever fasted on my mission, answers have come SO clearly. 

So there we are, standing outside the chapel, greeting people, when out of the blue, Wale texts us and says: "I would very much like to come to church today." 

*Que reverent, missionary version of a freakout*

Wale's living situation isn't ideal and it's a BIG sacrifice for him to come to church and so the fact that he even wanted to, was just incredible. 

It was an AMAZING day at church with him. He kept saying how he felt so welcome and at one point he said, "I think I'm going to like it here. Actually, I know I'm going to love it here." 

He'll be attending the YSA ward so we sadly have to let those sisters take over his lessons, but we are just SO excited and happy for him! 

The gospel brings joy, people! 

Quick funny side story:

In the MIDDLE of sacrament (like the middle. like. dead silent, Spirit is strong kind of middle) Wale's phone goes off.

Not just any ringtone either, oh, no.

But this really trashy rap song.

With swear words.

In the middle of sacrament.

And he cannot for the life of him shut it off.

I literally almost busted a gut laughing (quietly, of course) so hard.

After about a good, solid 30 seconds of failed attempts to shut it off, he gets really frustrated and just riiiiiiips out the battery. 

HA HA HA HA HA HA.

Okay, last story:

So last night we were over at a member's house having dinner and at one point we were out with their kids and teaching the new member lessons because some of their grandchildren are recently converted. 

Aaaaaand we were actually in their neighbor's yard (their yards are so close together that it's practically theirs) and Sister Alexander, me, and these two other kids were sitting on this bench swing.

You know, talking about Jesus.

When all of a sudden, the bar that holds the swing up, the METAL bar that holds it up, just bends and the swing comes crashing down.

Remember when you were like 10 and you accidentally hit a baseball through your neighbor's window?
Yeah that was me.
As a 19 year old missionary.

We decided to go over and knock on the door and explain ourselves.

Oh my gosh.

I've never felt fear and anxiety like that since I hit the neighborhood girl (she had it comin') when I was 8 and had to fess up to her mom when she started crying.

The neighbors were SUPER nice though and we're going back tomorrow to bring them cookies and hey, gospel discussion anyone? 

Moral of the story: don't eat that second helping of mac and cheese during dinner.

Love you all! Thank you for all your emails! Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Sincerely, Sister Soloa'i

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE President Cleveland?

When no one answers when you tract: f a m i l y  p i c t u r e

The very swing that died.