July 14- Coquillan It!

FAMILY/FRIENDS/EVERYONE!

Can I just say that I think I am so clever because of my title? Well, if that is allowed I am going to say it. I am staying in Coquille this next transfer with Sister Hamilton! WAHOO!! It is going to be a sad day when I have to leave... but for now we are going to COKILL IT!! (cheesy I know. oh well.)

I have learned a lot while coming out here. One of them being that the following list is of the devil.

1.ipods. It is impossible to talk to someone when they are cut off from the world.  

2.screen doors. It would be polite if you would open your screen door so I can see your face. 

3. dogs. No one can feel the spirit while a dog is barking. No one. 

That is the end of my mini rant via email! Oh, actually if I am still ranting, Sister Hamilton is taller than me. It is a struggle.

As for missionary work, we had a pretty good week! We worked really hard and have a lot of amazing potentials! On Tuesday I went up to Northbend AGAIN on exchanges which made me really excited! We did a lot of service for people... pulling ivy out of someone's yard, working in a soup kitchen, and feeding someone's fish. Wait, did I say feeding fish? The sisters were supposed to be feeding a lady in the wards fish while she was out of town but they forgot. We had to go and scoop the dead fish out of the pond. I found out later that the fish are super expensive! oopsy!! But working in the soup kitchen amazed me-a bunch of churches are working together to put on this restaurant. Everyone who works there is volunteer, and the owners of the place work full time for no profit! It was amazing to me to see how all the different faiths could come together and pull of a task that seemed gigantic and impossible! I am so grateful for all of the good people in the world. 

This week we were super involved with the primary. We taught little kids how to share the gospel at a primary activity and then taught singing time on Sunday. Have I ever mentioned neither Sister Hamilton or I are musically inclined? It was still so fun to go and sing! Those little children sing with all their hearts, whether they are hitting the right notes or not! The spirit was so strong, they are so precious! One of the little girls drew me a picture to say "thanks" for all the great things I do!

We had a pretty exciting lesson this week with the Jones' family. (I am partially biased because of their last name) Sister Jones is a less active member and brother Jones isn't a member. When we first started going over Brother Jones would sit in the other room, then he started sitting in during our lessons, and now he actually participates! I always thought he was a mute rock, but I guess not! Not only does he participate but he gets excited when we come over! Wahoo! During our lesson this week we made leaps and bounds of progress. Last week we challenged them to read a verse from the Book of Mormon together every day. When we showed up they solemnly said,"We didn't read a verse a day. But before you came over we read three chapters together." UMMM THREE CHAPTERS IS A LOT MORE THAN SEVEN VERSES. We taught a lesson on prayer and found out, to Sister Jones' amazment, that Brother Jones has prayed before when his life was in danger. For the first time in their whole marriage (they are in their 70's) they promised to pray together before going to bed every night! The progress is slow, but we are getting there! The joneses are probably one of my favorite families at the moment which is why I am telling you all about them :)

Maria is also getting baptized in two weeks! She is a sweet eleven year old girl who has started opening up to us ALOT. She is pretty cute, apparently she never cries. Every. But almost every lesson we have with her she gets really embarrassed because she starts to get teary eyed! She has started talking to and opening up a lot to us! 

You come across people out here that don't want to listen to your message which is fine. You say, "oh well" and move on! But I would probably say that the hardest thing about being on a mission is that there are certain people that you grow to love. It is when those people reject the gospel that it is so sad! But you just keep trying, because one day they are going to accept the gospel :) Before I came out here I didn't know that you could love so many people! I came across a really cool scripture in 1 Cor 13 which states, "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." Paul is saying he can do so many marvelous things, he has so much faith, he can move mountains for heaven sake! But if he does ANYTHING which isn't motivated by love it doesn't mean diddly squat. Sharing the gospel with someone is probably the biggest act of love you could offer them!

Love you all!

Sister Jones