Alligators, Alligators, Alligators.....

Monday:

Alligator farm was the most ghettotastic place I have ever been!! Well except for a few places in North Baton Rouge but I won't tell you about those until I get home!!! :) We go and this tour guide is Cajun through and through so we go and the first alligator we see is in what he calls "detention" he proceeded totell us that this 12.5 foot alligator escapes abot once a month. This happens becuse some of the tin fencing has holes and the smart ones know how to get through.......... he said they were tired of the nieghbors calling them to get the alligator out of their yards. HELLO! I see an issue here! Fix the dang fence becuase they shouldnt be able to get out in the first place! Then he tried getting it to come to him and it wouldn't so he said well looks like I will have to go to her. He then lays down on the ground 5 inches from its face and then starts tapping its nose! Yeah the alligator did not like that!! THere was a mom with her two little boys that that started swearing up a storm! Then we left and I got to pet a little 3-4 year old one and then hold a baby one!!! :) I guess you can say I am a professional now. PS what made it more ghettotastic was the fact that they had tin baby pool sort of things inside the gift shop with alligators in them..... with no signs saying don't touch or "could kill you beware" granted they biggest one was 4 ft. but I went and being the genius that I am put my face near the rim and the thing lunged at me and almost took my face off.  But I survived... no need to worry! After the alligator farm we drove back and went to a less active members home becuase she wanted her grandson to get a blessing. it was super cool because usually whenever we go there the entrie family but her scatters. And I promise I shower every day so its not my hygiene thats the issue. but they were all there and we could totally feel the spirit and it was jsut awesome!! :)

Tuesday!

We taught our investigator named BJ the restoration!! What what!!! It went perfect! Well almost..... her nieghbor who is one of our recent converts came in part way through and was bring us way off topic at some points..... really though they were outrageous comments! :) But at the end of the lessons I extended the invitation to be baptized. She said that if she reads and finds out the BOM is true that the answer is yes! Sweet justice it was awesome!! :) Then we were able to go to the temple that night with a less active that is coming back. It has been 20 years and she is doing great. It is amazing to see missionary work come full circle!! 

Wednesday: Nothing too grand happened at all. Actually I cant remember Wednesday so I am assuming there was nothing too remarkable that happened!

Thursday:

We went to go see a less active family that a member told us to go see. So we make the long trip out there and we knock on the door and the womans son answers and we asked if his mom was home. He said yes and invited us is. So we wait in the kitchen while he goes in the back. He come out and says wait here she will be out in a few minutes then he left. So we wait in their kitchen...... 15 minutes passes and I think its funny..... 30 mintues passes and I start to think its not reall funny anymore......45 minutes passes and I start calling the sons name to see if he will come out... nope.... finally an hour passes of us sitting in their kitchen so we leave. I would have left sooner but the member that told us to go see her said that she takes forever toget ready and to get out of bed. So I didn't know if thats what she was doing and I didnt want to offend her by her spending that time to get to ready then come out to no one. But after an hour I said we are leaving. I even fake sneezed to see if anyone would come out. Then I took the phone off silent and went to ring tones and made it go off. That didn't even work... I was out of ideas and took the hint that we should leave!! :) So that was delightful!! :)\

Friday:

We worked on trying to visit people on the roster we have never met before......... 23 unanswered doors later the gospel is still true and people still dont like us!! :) Just kidding people love us... most of the time! :) Our Friday dinner appointment was interesting..... the Elders told the person feeding us that I wanted to drink some buttermilk..... straight buttermilk....... I didn't think that it was funny... I took a few sips and then about tossed my cookies so I made Elder Mapa finish it! 

Saturday:

We went back to BJs and watched the restoration DVD with her. SHe loved it! It was the 20 minute one and when it was over she said "Thats it? I want more!"  What words can make a missionary want to jump out and shout for joy more that "I want more"? So we are going to go back and watch the longer one with her!! Saturday night we invited investigaotrs and recent converts to come play volleyball with us at the church! It was super fun and its nice to just have fun with people!

Sunday 

We went to church and then spent the afternoon at the hospital visiting one of our memebers was is in their. And we went to a members house for dinner and they bought us little caesars pizza. I always feel super awkward when that happens.. like what do you say??? Please tell me becuase I cant wuite figure it out. The member said "Sorry my husband is out buying dinner dont judge us or be mad it has just been a crazy week." I responded "Do you need help unloading your dishwasher?" hahaha I didnt want tosay that it was okay because it isnt but they have their agency :)

Monday 

We tried to visit more people on the ward roster we havent met before. We pull up to this one house and the woman is in the drive way with her dogs. W eare getting our stuff together and I jokingly say Sister we need to hurry before she runs in the house! So we get out and start going up the sidewalk and she starts walking to the door to let her dogs in. so she opened her door and let the dogs in and then went in herself and closed the door on us without saying a word. Well on the off chance that she is blind and was unable to see us coming right behind her, I knocked...... no answer so I knock again..... no answer. So that was fun!!! :) Then the next house people pulled down the shutters to see who it was and then shut them..... yup they never answered... I think they wanted us to think they werent home.... haha then we went to Pres. Riggs home for dinner.

Well I hope you all have a good week!! I love all yall so much!!!

Your favorite Missionary

2 Missionaries walked into a bar...then broke into their ward mission leaders house.........

May 19th -

Why hello fine people!!! I hope this finds you well!! It has been a crazy busy and...interesting week!

So starting with Monday night. You know that less actives house that is in the middle of nowhere and when Sister Wily and I went there we were freaking orsleves out... yeah well Sister Brady and I went there again and it was good but while we were there it had rained so at 8:45 when we went to go leave I put the car into what I thought was reverse but when I pushed the gas nothing happened it just made the noise of tires moving... I though maybe I put it in neutral but when I checked nope it was in reverse... We were legit stuck in the mud. Now Lousiana mud is super sticky and hard to get out off. Ssiter Brady tried to push while I was reversing and it didn't work. so finally I put it into drive and it moved like 4 inches forward. so then I reversed..... needless to say I did like a 50 million point turn and we finally got unstuck!!! People here need drivways of gravel not grass!!! :) So that was fun and got the car all messy!!! 

Tuesday was interviews with Pres. Wall!! I love that man!!! My letter this week talks alot about the interview!!! :) It was what I needed to hear!!!

Wednesday we went to the hood!! :) But don't worry mama we had the Spirit to protect us! We did a service project as a zone at a african american history museum! AND GUESS WHAT I DID!!!!! you will never guess but few things have made me happier in life... just kidding....kinda!! This little white girl planted cotton!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so excited!! The woamn was listing all the jobs taht needed to get done and when she said planting cotton my hand went flying up!!! Who ever gets the opportunity to plant cotton, in Louisiana, at a legit afriacn american history museum!!! Not many people!!! It was so fun! Life goal....check!!! jk :)

Thursday we went on exchanges! It was really good and very much needed! I stayed in Praireville with Sister Lindstrom!!! She was Sister Bradys comp in the MTC!!! :) it was good!!

Friday, our district leader got permission from pres. wall to do a temple session for our district meeting! It was super cool to all be there together!! it was just super awesome!!

Saturday..... us 7 missionaries (there are 3 assistants now since e. asuao leaves in a week) we all accidently walked into a bar and it was super awkward. but the funny thing is that we all walked in a different times. When sister brady and I walked in we just stood in the door way and everyone just loooked at us. the woman said thisis a bar so seat yourself....... my face was super red and I said "well I don't see the people we are meeting yet so I am just going to wait outside!" Then we walked next door to the actual restaurant!! :) It was super funny!!

Sunday was super crazy!!! We went to church and there was a woman there that came in and said to me and sister brady... I need a priesthood holder. well it was 45 min before church started so every priesthood holder that was there was in PEC. so I said we can wait with you so I can tell you who walks in that is a priesthood holder. So we were waiting there and this guy gotout of his car and I said "I have never seen him so I dont know" and the woman said her spoke at the singles conference yesterday. that is Elder Parker of the 70!!! So she went out to talke to him and us and hte elders stayed  by the doors. He came in and asked the elders is they had an oil. Elder Adkins left his in Gonzales when he was on exchanges and Elder Mapa said "I think mine is in the car" Well remember when I told you that my branch pres in the MTC told us sister to carry oil, for when something like that happened! Well you can bet our burning buns I said here use mine! Elder Parker was like leave it to the Sisters to help the Elders out.... I just think its pretty cool that the first person to use the oil I carry with me is a 70!!! :) Moving on to 3:15 Sister Bradyand i are doing our studies at the aprtment and the elders call. they said the whitehats decided to get baptized today....at 4.... but we cant get ahold of brother fitt(the ward mission leader)a dn the white clothes are at his house.... we need you to go there and get them! So we went and had to do a little trespassing and find our way into the house then to get the clothes.... brother fitt was cool with it.... I just felt awkward!! :) So we get back and the whitehats got baptized!! The elder ahve been working with the family but Sister Wily and I met with the mom once an week and taught her!!! :) It was super neat to be ableto welcome her out of the water!! :) She was so happy!! I have never apprecieated a wet hug so much before that moment in my life!! :) It was just super cool!! and the spirit was so strong even though we only have 1 hour to prepare!!! :)

I love you all!!

Your favorite missionary!

Gladys Knight

 K, so me, Maddy's mom am pretty proud of myself.  I am becoming so tech savy!  LOL.  Maddy's letters are seriously so entertaining I have to share them, and I am pretty sure that is why she set up this blog a long time ago!  So I promise to try and be better!!!

May 5th -

Why hello!

 

So this week has been crazy busy!! Tuesday night there was the Gladys Knight performance. i had no idea who she was until I was out here and they were talking about this thing! But she is actually pretty good! So like 20ish years ago she converted to the church and pres. Hinckley asked her to oraginze a choir. So now she travels around with this grammy award winning choir talking to people about her conversion and just singing gospel music! So we just invted a bunch of people! And they started the thing by having hte choir enter down the aisle between the chairs in the gym then make their way up to behind the podium. Well guess who followed the choir in! Gladys Knight! adn guess who was sitting in an aisle seat! This girl!! So she was going and high fiving people so naturally I stick my hand out and instead of high fiving me what does she do? She grabs my hand and just smiles! Then she kept going but the purpose of this story is tat I am Gladys Knights favorite person.... I had to make that conclusion in case you didn't catch it! :) But this is one of those things taht they encourage people to rise their hands and say amen and to stand and clap and stuff. and everyone was nervous to do it b/c it was a mormon church and they didn't knw what exactly to do. But a few people were getting up and clapping and swaying so I stood up was clapping my hands saying amen and.... well really I was jsut workin it. And all the missionaries I was sitting by were laughing!! :) Sister Thornely (yeah she was there and I got to see her and it made my day!) was embarassed and I jsut loved it! But by the end they were all standing up clapping shoutin amens!! It was just super awesome!! and I great way for one night to really blend with the culture of the South! :) We didn't get home until 12 that night because the last one got over pretty late! But we are already seeing miralces! 2 or 3 sets of missionaries in our zone meeting the next day said that the people they brought came out saying "How can I get baptized? I want to get baptized!" from that night the Baton Rouge Zone (37ish missionaries) got 110 referrals!!  It was so awesome!! One ward alone got 63!! Our ward got 9 but since we have the zone leaders and the assistants in our ward they went to help the BR North missioanries contact their 63 so Sister Brady and I contacted the 9. Now nine doesn't seem lke too many but we were asked to contact all those referrals in the first 48 hours. Some of the people we had to go to their homes 5 times before they were there. Now the referrals were from info card that people filled out and gave to the ushers at the performance. and if they filled out that info card they would get a package delivered by a church representive (aka missionaries :) )with a restoration dvd, a bom, and a sampler gladys knight cd inside! So we went out to try to find and contact all these people and we had some pretty cool experiences!

Sunday ms BJ came to church for the first time!! She is an investigator that we have been working with!! She was a referral from our recent convert! and she finally came!! She loves having us over! She calls Sister Wily and I her daughters and when she had surgery 3 weeks ago we brought her over a little care package wil a picutre of us in it and now she has that picture on her table by her couch! She came to Gladys Knight but didn't sign up for a package because she said "I already got myslef some missionaries!" :) But we went by to see how she liked it the next day to follow up and she said that she really really like it! As we left she said "I want you to know that I really am think about becoming mormon!" :) 

I miss you and love you!!

 

Your favortie missionary!!