Gulfbank Sept 23, 2013: I ATE FISH.... and LOVED IT.

Just sittin in the street

Hola hola

      This week was kind of just a workin week :) I mean they all are, but we really only have one progressing investigator and so we have just been digging and trying to find people. For me one of the hardest parts of missionary work. Its so emotional because you work so hard but the outcome isn't visible and so it really sometimes feels like you're doing nothing haha but its ok!!! Because the Lord is on our side!! and with Him all is possible :) and we just need to have our faith in the right place and keep movin' knowing that we are doing what he wants!

We got a call from our investigator saying that he might be going to church with his grandma and taking his son and girl with him, which was really sweet because that's just something that everyone wants, to be all together with your family and so even though we were sad he wasn't going to be at church, we were happy that he would be with his family. But the night before church so Saturday night ahha he called us, something didn't work out and anyways,  he said that he didn't want to go to church because he didn't feel comfortable, and then he told us he was sad because he was going to surprise us and show up but he couldn't get ahold of his ride so we had to figure that all out haha. anyway the point was that he showed that he wanted to come to church because he was comfortable and that made us SO happy. He decided to come because he wanted to be there and he felt welcome. That just, AHHHH that just makes me so happy and so I just want everyone to be so nice!!! haha that sounds weird but if you don't know someone at church, go say hi to them!! You are in the house of the Lord and every person should feel personally responsible to make every other person feel welcome! at least smile and wave. that's it :) What would Jesus do?

We had special training and mission presidents interviews this week! That was fun :) We learned about the POWERFUL FIRST LESSON. That's what we do in our mission where we explain our purpose with power and then teach them a lesson and invite them to be baptized, obviously only if it is right :) but it is really wonderful, its a way to create a strong spirit, testify of the love that God has for them, and allow them to know the things that we expect and that way they can tell us if they are interested in desire what we are telling them. The interview with President was awesome, I just love that man, he is so incredible and so caring, I cried as usual just like I do in every situation that it might possibly be acceptable haha. He gave me a blessing as well that said some pretty powerful things that just made me realize how aware the Lord is of our struggles and that He is right there, He's right their to hold our hand. He talked to me about allowing the Savior to take the burden off my shoulders, and without thinking about it my immediate response was but I feel bad. And he said, why do you feel bad? Why would you feel bad about doing something that the Savior would be so happy about, it makes Him happy when we ask Him to carry our burdens, when we allow Him to make our burden light, because He already suffered for all sadness, anxiety, stress, fear, emotion that we will ever have, what makes Him sad, is when we wont lean on Him and rely and have faith in the fact that He overcame the world. I testify that we have a loving Savior, that if we allow Him, He will make our burdens light. But He cannot take away your agency. We inflict pain on ourselves when we don't kneel down and pray and ask Him to take some of the pain away. I know that without Christ we cannot return to our Father in Heaven, that we can't live with our families forever, and I want that more than anything. The Lord is always with us and if you doubt that read the words of the hymn "Abide With Me Tis Even Tide" and pray and ask, and He will be their.

I love you all :) I hope all is well and everyone is happy :) 

Oh I tried Talapia! and I loved it, it was so yummy :) Also a really nice guy gave me free cinnamon twists from taco bell! Oh and also we got this new missionary life booklet and its all about helping you feel better about things youre stressed about and one that I have taken a particular liking to is one that is about working out and one of the suggestions is marching to approved music. you bet I jumped on that one ahha I have even come up with new marches, theres the straight legged jazz fingered march, and the twinkle toes one, and the drunken chicken one (hna B named that one because she told me I looked like one) and then when you get really fancy theirs the marching leap dance moves across the room. I like that one :) It really works! try sometime when you cant get your body movin haha :)

Te amo <3

Hna Liz Koch

Big Rain