March 17, 2014 Have a good attitude and love the people (:‏

What a week!!! This last week was such a roller coaster but it sure was better than last week. Last Monday we went to the car wash as part of the usual routine. As you all know... it's one of my favorite things!! :) Hermana Asay loves to sing in the car wash and turn up the music and it's a blast! She really is such a fun girl :) We are so similar in some ways and really different in others. After we finished everything for Preparation Day we headed out to our appointments. I went to take a picture and realized my memory card was gone when my camera said it couldn't record. I was way sad and we said a prayer that we would be able to find it. I realized that I had left it in the computer from when I e-mailed y'all. The last time that happened to Hermana Asay's other compa it was gone... :( So we were praying hard it would still be there. We drove back to the library as fast as we could. We ran up the stairs and we found a Hispanic lady sitting where I had sat. I started talking to her in English when I could tell she didn't understand me. So I switched to Spanish and asked her if I could check the computer. When I did ... there was my memory card!!! :) Miracle. After that... we got her information. She said she would be willing to listen to a message so we will be getting that set up soon hopefully :) On Tuesday we got to eat dinner with some of the recent converts here. Her name is Dariela. I think I have told y'all a little bit about her. She is incredible. It was really good and fun to get to know her a bit better. It amazes me how much people are willing to give for us. It sure humbles me a lot. Wednesday was so good! We got to go to the Franco's house and build a fence. I guess a tree knocked their old one down and some people had tried to break in or something like that so they were going to put up a new one! Hermana Asay and I pretty much spent the couple hours we had to help hauling the wood out of the trailer to where they needed it. Some of our investigators were there and it ended up being a blast!! I will send pictures. I honestly love service projects. On Friday we went out to knock a trailer park. We have a few solid investigators right now but we could definitely find more people. We actually ended up meeting the uncle of Suzeth at one of the trailer parks. She is a recent convert here. She is actually one of Hermana Kirkham's baptisms :) We are excited about them and to see where it goes!! After dinner that night we came out and there was an ice cream man. Here a lot of them are Hispanic. Instead of the trucks... they have little bikes with carts on the front. I will send a picture the next time I see one. My goal on my mission is to baptize a poleterro (ice cream man) so we jumped in the car and chased after him!! He wasn't too interested but it ended well enough :) I bought some takis. They are basically mini tortillas wrapped up... baked... with chili and lime. They are pretty hot :) To add to it he opened the bag and put more hot sauce... needless to say I was sweating when I had gotten about half way through the bag :) Hahahaha. My face was "glistening" because it was so hot! Too funny :) After that we had another really cool thing happen... We went to an appointment but they weren't there. So we talked to some people that were outside across the parking lot. It turns out earlier that day we had put a card on the boys house in the trailer park so that was the second time to find him in one day. The girl's mom came up not too long after. We started talking to her and it ended up that she knew Hermana Franco from our ward and that she had invited her to church a bunch of times. Pretty cool huh?? :) If we are doing what's right... God truly will guide us to those who we are supposed to meet. It was a pretty cool experience. On Saturday it PPPPOOOUUURRREED rain!!!! My compa was right when she said, "You don't know what rain is 'til you've seen a TEXAS rain storm." It was NUTS! I should have taken more pictures. There was literally a waterfall coming off the top of the gas station! I pulled under it and started laughing and just said, "hey, free car wash!" Oh and speaking of car washes... we got out to our car on Saturday and I could tell something was weird when I opened my car door and there was little brown pellets in my seat. I recognized them real fast :) We're not really sure how... but mice had gotten into our car and it had left little poop trails!!!! My compa was super grossed out :) I guess mice just seem to really like me here on the mission. Who knows why? ;) So today at the car wash we cleaned out everything really well... (it already was pretty clean we just deep cleaned) and hopefully they won't be coming back! :) We left after eating dinner and the member gave us a trash bag to try and keep us a little dry... I will send a picture :) It must have looked pretty hilarious! For some reason that day I had felt really off. I couldn't seem to focus in lessons and I was just feeling really weird. I think everything had just been building up and that the adversary had been working especially hard. I eventually broke down that night and talked to my compa about everything. It sure helped a lot to get it all out. I ended up getting a blessing that night from Hermano Jose Franco. I immediately felt so much better! There was such a peace that came over me. I knew that Heavenly Father was aware of me and that He knew exactly what I was going through. One of the things that touched me the most in the blessing was that it said Heavenly Father knew I was doing my very best and that was all He asked of me. I want to keep working hard and giving it my very best :) It sure is hard to believe 2 days ago I completed 10 months. I am older in the mission than Hermana Ostler was when I was with her. She will be headed home in almost exactly a month from now. INSANE right?!? I don't know where the time is going so I am just trying to enjoy every minute and give it everything I have got. Yesterday I learned something really cool in church. Hermano Jose Franco was giving the lesson... and he said something along the lines of the eye can't do the job of a mouth and a mouth can't do the job of a foot. It's the same with us in this life. Jesus Christ is the head of this church and a guide in our lives. If he has assigned us the job of the eye... we won't be able to complete the job of the foot no matter how bad we want it. Nevertheless... our part is vital even if it may appear small. I don't know if that makes sense... but it sure hit me and I love it!! I know God has a role for me here in Texas and I am doing everything I am to try and complete it. That's about it for this week :) The weather was really good and sunny for a few days and sure cold and windy for a few!!! Can't believe I am saying this but I am looking forward to some heat :) I love the people here. It never fails. All of us have our trials but the key is a good attitude. So just get 'er done! Do it with a smile. I love my compa Hermana Asay. I love the people here. I love my mission. And ah shucks... I sure love ya too :) Hope you have a great week!! Get out there and get 'er done! I wrote a quote this week that said something like this..."After the greatest falls... come the greatest triumphs." I've had a few falls... it's time to get back up and "RUN FOREST RUN!!!!" Hahahaha :) I love y'all!! I know this is the true church of Christ. Share it with others :) Both by your example and by inviting them to listen to a message about your faith :)

God Bless Texas!

-Hermana Hadlock 

In my old apartment we accidentally melted the top... :) heh!