Howdy there!!
I am so glad to hear that it is starting to cool off back home in good 'ole UTAH :) I'll be honest... it still has not cooled off here! Everyone says that around October it will start cooling down. I am so excited for it to cool down! Don't get me wrong... I enjoy being wet all the time but it will sure be a nice change to have it be a bit cooler ;) I don't even know where to start from this past week... So last Monday we got a text from a random number that said something about I talked with y'all a few weeks ago. I've been going through a really hard time and would like to learn more. His name was Cesar. It turns out that Hermana Ostler and I had talked to him in ACE (a trailer park where Los Juanitos live) and we had given him a pass along card. He said that he wanted to come to church that day but we never heard from him again after that. Well, he finally texted us! I guess he got put in jail for a few days and it really changed his perspective on things. He is only about 21 and he was praying in jail and saying if there is a God, please help me to get out of here. His story was actually really funny... I guess when he got out he was just like skipping and dancing and some people on the road driving by yelled at him to stop and he was like are you kidding?? I'm FREE!! Don't worry, we bring a member with us to teach him so we're not in danger or anything but it was just awesome to see him have the desire to change. He didn't make it to church yesterday... so we are going to keep working with him and see if he can turn around his life. WEDNESDAY... wow. I don't even know what to say. Elder Neil L. Andersen and Elder Tad R. Callister visited us. When he walked into the room it reminded me of the World wide Broadcast that I got to be a part of my last night in the MTC. The Spirit that floods the room is incredible. Before everyone started to talk... Elder Andersen told us that he was going to shake every one of our hands :) So we all lined up and for the first time in my life I got to shake the hand of an Apostle of the Lord. It sure was incredible :) Of course I can't include everything that I learned from that meeting... it would take hours or days to do so... but some of the most important things that I got out of the meeting were how important the Atonement of Jesus Christ is in our lives. When I was set apart as a missionary it said that I would meet people that felt like they were beyond fixing... but there's a quote that may be from Elder Holland that says no matter where you are, you can get there from here. You can't go beyond the reach of the Atonement. It's something that I don't believe we can fully comprehend in this life but I enjoy learning more about it everyday. The other thing was to be patient with ourselves. He said to keep trying and working hard and doing your best but to also be patient with ourselves and that over time progress will be seen :) The most important thing that he said to me was something like this... From the First Presidency and the Quorom of the Twelve... yes we want you to become Preach My Gospel missionaries, yes we want you to be exactly obedient, yes we want you to have success... but above all, we want you to have a firm and deep and unshakable testimony of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It wasn't exact.. so don't quote me on it but it was something very similar to that. I have better notes in my journal. I watched a video this week by Elder Holland that says as representatives of Jesus Christ, we have to expect to walk some of the path that he walked and feel a sliver of what he felt. That's why we have such hard days... that's why people yell at us sometimes... but it's all worth it in the end. Because when we are on the Savior's side, we'll win :) Let's face it.... we all know how competitive I am and how much I like to win. So, I KNOW which side I want to be on!!! After that meeting, we stopped by Krispy Kreme. We had seen it on our way driving and I was SO excited because I had no idea they were here so we stopped on our way back! It started to rain, I was eating a Krispy Kreme dounut, and I had just heard from an Apostle. Heaven? Pretty close I'd say :) That night when we were going to some of our appointments we heard a little mowing from a kitten... we couldn't figure out where it was at first. Eventually we found them. There were 5 little kitties that were down in a little ditch with beer bottles and all sorts of garbage. We looked around for a mama but couldn't find one anywhere. We left them during our appointment to see if when we came back out the mom would be there but there was nothing. So that night, one of our recent converts (Helma, Roger, and Meagan) came and got them :) They called the emergency number from the animal shelter and I guess someone came and picked them up that night. So they were saved! :) Good thing, because they were so cute and it about broke my heart. But Hakunah Matata, they are safe :) Thursday and Friday were pretty funny as well. On Thursday I got a package from Jackson with a hoodie from Mexico in it!!!! :D It's pretty much the coolest thing ever. I also got your package mama :) Thank you!!!! I loved it :D Our 2 investigators that are the engineers are doing really well! They fed us and a couple from our ward dinner. It was so good! They came to church this last Sunday as well :) They haven't committed to a baptismal date but they are doing so great!!!! Thanks for praying for them :) Then, right after that appointment we had another appointment with Heidi y Angel. They fed us too! It was papusas. They are so stinkin' good. I guess they're a food from El Salvador? YUMMY. Friday, we ended up having 2 dinner appointments again! It was the craziest thing because that hardly ever happens and we had 3 inv. feed us within 2 days!!! I was SSSSSOOOOO full I could barely move. It was pretty intense. But all is well and you have the assurance I am definitely not going to go hungry on my mission. :) Saturday we found some new appartments to visit way out in the corner of our area! They're in the middle of no where. It's all these factories and then boom... an apartment complex. So we hope that we'll find some new inv. there :) We had transfer calls on Saturday and I am staying with HERMANA LeBaron and the WHITLEY's for at least 6 more weeks :D YAYE! Thank you for all your support and love. Can't begin to explain how much it means to me :) I heard that the Holy War of BYU and UTAH is this Saturday... so can I just add a..... GGGGGGOOOOOOOOOO CCCCCOOOOUUUUGGGGAAARRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!
I am sad to be missing the game but it will just make me that much better of fan when I get to see it again :)
LOVE YOU ALL!!!! Thank you so much for all you do for me. You're always in my prayers. P.s. Never doubt the power you have as a member of the church. MEMBER missionary work is SOOO important!! Keep it up :)
-Hermana Jenny Hadlock
After we had a really good day,
when we were planning at night
On our way to hear Elder Andersen :)
First time I have seen a lake since I've been out!!! :) It made me want to go boatin' and fishin :) :)
Also, I hit my 4 month mark yesterday!! Crazy aye??
I totally forgot to write about William!!!!!! This man in this picture is William :) Yestrerday, we met him outside just leaning against his truck. We started to talk with him and teach him. He told us that just a little bit ago his sister had passed away from cancer. We started to talk to him and I actually had the opportunity to show him a picture of Michael. (The one of him dunking of course :) ) and I bore my testimony that we can live with our family after this life. He was grateful to hear it and said that he knew his sister was happy and in a better place. While we were teaching him a random car drives up and someone gets out and just brings him over a pizza. They give it to him and then just leave. I guess it was his friends or family or something like that... but we tell him he can eat it and he says to my compa and I no WE can eat it. He refused to eat it until we ate some first. He was so nice. I am so grateful for these people I get to serve. They are so humble and so willing to help others even when they are in hard times. We are going to try and go back and teach him again. He is from El Salvador. He could barely understand our spanish because they have such a different accent but all is well :) I know that my experiences with Michael were able to help him even if it was just a little bit. So here he is... our good friend William and his pizza :)
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