TEMPLE

Not much to say for this week, BUT we were able to attend the temple on Friday night! 

It's insane the amount of peace that comes from going to the house of the Lord.

And I truly believe that the temple is where the Earth and Heaven meet.

If you haven't gone to the temple this month, I challenge you to go! 

Go touch Heeeeaaavveeennn!

Sincerely, Sister Soloa'i

B E D B U G S : Can't Live With 'Em, Can't Live (in Indy) Without (getting) Them

^Gross. Gross gross gross. Ick ick nasty ew.

So there we are Friday night, planning, eating Mom's yummy cookies she sent (thanks Mom!), enjoying the end of the day...

But no.

"What is that??" -Me

"IT'S A BEDBUG!!!" - Sister Alexander

*freak out*

We stayed up cleaning EVERY. SINGLE. INCH. of our apartment for fooooooorever. 

We sprayed alcohol everyflippingwhere, we washed every little piece of cloth, and we vacuumed like madwomen. 

Aaaaaaand we're officially bedbug freeeeeeeeeeee! 

But. When you're a missionary and you get bedbugs, you also get exiled. Other missionaries are afraid of you (and they honestly should be). 

Rest in peace our only discovered bedbug, Ramone. 

This week we had the super fun opportunity to stand outside the gates of the play "The Book of Mormon" and hand out books of mormon!! 

It. Was. So. Fun.

If you haven't seen the play...

Simply don't.

The book is MUCH better.

It was so cool to stand outside, with other awesome missionaries, and testify of what we know to be true and what we know brings complete, everlasting happiness. 

It reminded us of Lehi's dream with the great and spacious building and the people mocking those that were partaking of the Tree of Life. Haha!

The church IS true and the book is blue!

EXCITING NEWS:

We've been teaching this stellar guy, Tim, for quite some time now aaaaaaannddd

HE'S GETTING BAPTIIIIIIZED May 7th!!! 

Tim is blind.

Are you shocked?

We love him and it's been such a blessing to see him grow, learn, and see how the gospel has blessed his life soooo much.

We had the simplest, but most amazing experience right before we asked him to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized: We were just sitting in silence at the end of a lesson and we felt promoted to just say, "You know it's true, don't you?" And all he said was "Yes." 

Spirit was SO strong! So amazing! 

Have I mentioned how much I love to be a missionary?

Sincerely, Sister Soloa'i

This is S and she was teaching better than we were in our lesson, so we figured we would just hand over our name tags.

Cute, bright, painted walls are EVERYWHERE. They make me so happy.

The sun fiiiiiiiiinally came out today... so naturally, we planted a garden.

Me when people cancel our lessons.

I LOVE INDY

"I'm not wearing pants. Should I put on pants?"

So. Preeeetty sure our apartment is broken because every. single. night. the fire alarm goes off for like a minute and then stops.

Like. What the heck.

I lay cowering in my bed every night and pray I'm not about to die.

Also, I have the world's hardest sleeper as a companion and so I don't even have a friend to freak out with at 3:00am.

But... haven't died yet so all is well!

This week, our blind investigators dropped us.

It was really sad because we had really grown to love those people and now they're not even in our lives anymore.

I felt like they were breaking up with us, honestly. They started going on about how they didn't want to "lead us on" or make us feel like our little relationship was going in a direction they didn't want to go (baptism). And one of them even started tearing up and asked if we could still be friends.

Ha. What is even going on.

To top off the whole breakup, we went and listened to sad sounding hymns (is that even a thing?) and ate ice cream.

It seems like Indy doesn't know how to dress themselves.

One day, it seemed like every door we knocked on had a naked man on the other side. One dude, wet, and hiding behind the door, opened up and just said, "Hey, I'm in the shower."

K. Cool. Bye.

Another guy answered the door a crack and said, "I'm not wearing pants. Should I put on pants?"

Yes please. We actually ended up teaching him though so that was awesome.

But still.

Indiana, I love ya. But please put on some clothes.

The highlight of this week was when we tracted into this elderly lady, Elenor. We knocked and she opens her door wiiiiide open and goes "Well hello! Come on in!"

She. Was. So. Nice.

We sat down with her and we had probably one of the best lessons I've ever had on my mission thus far. We taught the restoration and the whole time she just sat there and cried and said how beautiful it was. She's really old and is taking care of her sick husband so she can't come to church, but it was just an amazing experience.

I LOVE Elenor.

Meeting people like her and loving them soooo much just within such a short time, is probably my FAVORITE thing about being a missionary.

I love this gospel. I love the love that's in this gospel.

Sincerely, Sister Soloa'i

Mushy, Spiritual, True Things

This past week I feel like the Lord really made it clear what my weaknesses are aaaaaand it basically blows. BUT also rocks because I've never felt so humble in my life.

The cool thing about the Lord though is He wants us to be happy and He always answers our prayers! 

One night this week, I was praying and asking Heavenly Father to pleeaaassee let me feel somewhat useful and receive some kind of confirmation that I could do this whole missionary thing. 

And the next day was probably THE BEST day I've had on my mission. 

Every lesson went so well and I was able to testify of Christ completely with the Spirit. And also just really TALK and LISTEN to people and help them with their needs and greater solidify my own conversion. SUCH a good, good day.

The Lord hears us, people! He knows us and He's waiting for us. 

AND He love us soooooooooo (SO) so so so much it's ridiculous. 

My favorite thing about my mission? Being able to see miracles DAILY in people's lives. I've been out in the field for like... what? A month? But I hold that month so dear and have experienced and learned so much from it, that I would never ever ever ever trade it for anything in the whole, wide wooooorrrld.

Simply put, the gospel of Jesus Christ IS restored and it IS this church and it absolutely, undoubtedly, completely brings everlasting, eternal joy. 

HOW COOL IS THAT?!??  

Sincerely, Sister Soloa'i

Do You Ball?

No. The answer: hard. no. 

I have the GREAT blessing of having a retired college basketball coach for a mission president. I also have the GREAT blessing of being forced to play said basketball for 2 hours when President stops by our zone to teach all of us his many, many skilllzz. 

If you know me at all, you know I DO NOT basketball. I barely sport. 

Shout out to dance for being the only source of exercise I enjoy!

Seriously, what is basketball? I have so much respect for you if you actually know how to dribble that thing without falling on your face... One poor soul did. HAHA. 

I did get complimented on my shot though! THANKS REGAN for making sure I at least know how to throw that dang thing without looking like a total fool. 

But even though I'm almost 100% positive I've never looked more ridiculous or felt more awkward, zone unity is a thing and it was so much fun to just hang out with all these amazing missionaries I'm blessed to serve with. 

But I'll never play again. 

Never. 

First and last. 

I feel like I've been officially initiated into a missionary.

Why?

Because I ate THE MOST horrid meal and totally played it off like, "Oh my goodness! This is the greatest thing ever!" 

First, I just want to say, I am ETERNALLY grateful to the members that feed us. I love these people and I love being welcomed into their homes and getting to feel the sweet spirit that abides in them. It rocks.

But. 

I.

LOATHE. 

Tomatoes. 

Here is my sad tale: My companion and I are sitting there, waiting for this kind brother and sister to finish cooking dinner (omelettes) and we're chitting, we're chatting, we're having a grand ole time. 

And then.

I notice out of the corner of my eye that a huge bowl of chopped tomatoes have made an appearance and before I can say anything, this brother is scooping them out GENEROUSLY onto my omelette (everyone seems to think that vegetarian means I just looooooooove alllllll vegetables). When he feels like my omelette has been sufficiently tomatoed, he sets the bowl aside and I'm thinking, "Okay. Cool. That wasn't a ton. I can handle that."

BUT THEN.

My dear companion says, "Brother, I'm not a huge fan of tomatoes, so you can totally load up Sister Soloa'i's!"

I watch in horror as he then proceeds to take that massive bowl of tomatoes and straight up dump it all into my omelette.

I almost cried.

I almost murdered my companion.

That thing was more tomato than egg.

AND I ATE EVERY BITE. 

Mom, you would have been so proud.

This week was pretty difficult in a lot of different ways. One of them being that NO ONE wanted to talk to us. 

We're two teenage girls talking about Jesus, give us a break people! 

We ran into one lady out walking her dog one day and before we even got near her, she said, "My dog will bite you! He's not friendly!" That thing was the size of my head. Pretty positive it was nice little thing too. 

But the cool thing is, is that every time we felt like we were having a bad day, the Lord always gave us little examples of grace and tender mercies. Whether it was something like we came across a really pretty blossom tree, or someone said they appreciated the work we were doing (even if they themselves weren't interested), or the sun actually shined that day, the Lord never ended our days without allowing us to feel His love in some way first. 

It seems that He's constantly telling us He's with us and loves us. I have such a huge testimony of His love in EVERYONE'S lives. WE just have to notice it. 

Sincerely, Sister Soloa'i

There is this produce store we discovered called Jesus Produce and we buy almost everything there because it's sooooooo cheap... and mostly expired. But whatevs. We're hungry and we're poor and so far, we haven't gotten sick. And hey! All the proceeds go to the homeless apparently! So win win!

LOOOOOVE L O V E lovelovelove

I feel almost guilty for loving my mission so much.

Am I a freak?

Seriously, people. My companion is the bees knees and I looooooove all the missionaries and just all the people I've come in contact with so far.

The members here are unreal. They contribute so much.

It's so much fun to teach people about something I love so much and that I know will bring them so much joy.

Currently, love life.

This past week L was baptized! Y A Y !

We just love her and it's amazing how the gospel can just totally change people's lives around for the BEST.

I've seen so many miracles, it's ridiculous.

(Cute L's baptism!!)

Something cool that happened with L this week: she has this crazy job at a bakery that she works aaaaaaall night at and then she sleeps aaall day. She's ALWAYS like half dead whenever we see her and it got to the point where she started making excuses to not read her scriptures and pray because of how tired she was.

So we were really worried because like L. Gurl. You're getting baptized. You can't stop reading and praying right before you get baptized! Satan is real and he knows how important this decision is!

So we made her a promise that if she read her scriptures more diligently, that the Lord would bless her with having the energy she needed and she would be able to feel more rested.

Oh. My. Gosh. Heavenly Father delivered.

The next day when we went over, she was supaaaa awake and so excited and said she had woken up at 5:00amthat morning and had read and read and read her Book of Mormon and had completed all of 1 Nephi and had started on 2 Nephi.

WHAT.

She was so excited to show us all she was learning and had so many questions and it was just THE raddest thing eva.

Ohhhhhh how Heavenly Father loves His children and His work.

Okay. So. HAHA. 4 of our current investigators are blind.

They are the coolest, kindest, best people in the WORLD.

But like... what the heck??

Anyway, we adore them and their desire to find truth is amazing and they ask the greatest, most inspired questions. Teaching them is probably the highlight of my week.

Shout out to Regan:

We're teaching this lady named Ms. Jackson and so duuhhh I sing Ms. Jackson by Panic at the Disco every. single. time. we go over there.

My companion hates it.

No one has good taste in music.

I miss you.

Mom, thanks for instilling in me all those weirdo nursery songs like Nobody Likes Me, I'll Go Eat Worms and The Cat Came Back because it's been a real source of comp unity.

Psych.

I sing constantly as we tract and I receive death threats from dear, Sister A on the daily.

Heh. She loves me.

(We get asked if we're sisters on the daily)

The gospel brings so much joy. AKA Jesus Christ brings so much joy. I've never felt more complete or happy and I don't care how cheesy that sounds because it's soooooo true.

Sincerely, Sister Soloa'i

(...frog legs? I've played my vegetarian card so many times since I've been here. It's been such a blessing.)

You Just Got Hoosiered

HEEELLOOOOO OUTSIDE WORLD.

I LOVE my companion.

L O V E.

She's seriously the best. And we look like we could be sisters, it's weird.

Cool little story about her: the day I was supposed to meet her, we went over to the mission office and all the new baby missionaries (me included) were in this room getting trained and I was fighting so hard to stay awake (don't judge, I was running on 2 hours of sleep). I was staring outside the door, wondering what freedom felt like (kidding) and this random sister walks by the door. I didn't see her face and it was only for a moment, but I instantly thought, "That's my companion." and lo and behold, IT WAS.

Thanks for the heads up, Spirit, because I was seriously stressing about it.

We get along so well and she's just so SOLID and is such a wonderful missionary. She's only been out 3 months which is nice because I feel like we're learning together.

I've never felt so confused about how I'm feeling in my entire life. Some days I'm like, "Okay. This is way hard and I'm the absolute worst at being a missionary wah wah wah." and then other days I'm like, "Okay. This is the bomb and SWEET IS THE FLIPPING WORK!"

I love it here though. And I LOVE the people.

But.

Hoosiers be cray.

Their ability to talk... and keep talking... is like... astounding. One second we're talking about the Savior, and the next I've heard their entire life story, what they ate for breakfast, how many pairs of pants they own, and whether or not that bird up there is a Pileated Woodpecker.

^true story. I kid you not.

A convo that never ends and that you just can't escape = getting hoosiered.

But I seriously adore these people and honestly, they can talk to me about their bird fetishes any day, any time... as long as they accept my Book of Mormon copy.

Most of the members in my ward (White River, WHATSUP) are converts and their stories are just incredible. They do this meeting here on Sundays called "Why I Believe" and it's where recent converts come and share their stories of their conversions and baptisms.

It's absolutely beautiful to hear some of the most heartbreaking situations be turned into stories of love and rejoicing in the Savior.

I. LOVE. THESE. PEOPLE.

A mission is pretty hard, people. Those RMs weren't lying!

I'm sorry I didn't listen to Ashty!!

But the blessings and the miracles I've already witnessed, I would never trade for anything. I love being a missionary. I love the joy the gospel brings. And I loooooooove my Savior, Jesus Christ. He truly does live and does loves all of God's children. All of them.

Sincerely, Sister Soloa'i