Awkward all the way around

Wow, this week.

Here's a list of things that happened:

 We tried to convert the Stake Patriarch. It was 8 pm on Wednesday night.  We saw an old couple walking from the mailbox, so we creepily glided up to them in the dark. Blinding them with our bike lights, we began our approach on the unsuspecting couple.  And then we heard the words, "so how long have you been in our ward?"  Followed by, "let me introduce you to the stake patriarch."  hahaha Whoops, we tried. 

 We also tracted into the executive stake secretary's wife and tried to invite her to learn more about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Yeah, she already knows all about it. We even faced a devil bug thing in order to knock on the door. 

 Our YSA bishop asked us how long we had been out (4 MONTHS WHAT?!?), and then told us that after we finished our missions we needed to come back because he had two young men picked out for us. 

 I WAS HUGGED. BY A BOY. IT WAS AWFUL.

We had a lesson with our recent convert C in our YSA ward, and her nonmember brother A joined in. It was a great lesson, and then it was time to go. We were all saying goodbye, and A (the brother, who's our age-ish and MALE) shook Sister F's hand, skipped me, shook the hand of the member friend we had brought a long, and THEN PUT HIS ARMS AROUND ME AND HUGGED ME.  IT WAS TERRIBLE.  THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARES. I kind of half ran away while yelling “OH NO STOP! IM A SISTER MISSIONARY! THIS IS AGAINST MY RELIGION! OH, NO STOP! It was awkward. 

 I also witnessed the funniest moment and was simultaneously absurdly proud of my companion. We had dinner with the 16-17-year-old young women in one of our family wards on Wednesday. They talked about boys the entire time, and Sister F and I didn't know how to handle it. We finished dinner and tried to start the lesson. We managed to hold their attention for about 10 seconds and then they were back to the topic of boys. We were going to teach them the restoration, but then Sis F loudly said, "well maybe we should switch the topic" and flipped open to the chastity pamphlet. HAhahahahahahahahaha I laughed so hard I cried. It was hilarious. 

 Also, I came up with a joke. What did the halibut say to the flounder? I'm good, halibut you? Ha. Haha. 

 Now onto the spiritual stuff. Street contacting/knocking on doors is not easy. It is awkward, uncomfortable, and scary. Approaching people is painful, to say the least. What I've noticed, however, is that while I go into tracting with a feeling of dread, I leave feeling elated. As I push through the painful to do the Lord's work, He sustains me and helps me feel of His love for this work. That right there is the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He can change us. He can change our bad into good, our awful into wonderful, our pain into joy, our depression into hope.  He can change our very nature. In order for Him to do so, the scriptures tell us that we basically need to pray a lot and stay humble. So go do that, it's totally worth it. 

 I have to go figure out what's happening with the smartphones the mission is getting.

So bye,

I love you all. 

 

I thought the beach welcome sign was a taco from afar....