Filled with Joy

 Aloha!!! I hope everyone has had a wonderful week and I can't wait to tell yall all about mine!!! 

We had lots of awesome lessons this week where the spirit was just so strong and that is just like the best feeling ever!! 

We had a lesson with our friend Michael this week and it went sooooo good. We read the introduction to the Book of Mormon all together and talked a lot about the foundation and history of the book. He said that we answered a lot of his doubts and questions that he hadn't voiced and that he's excited to grow his own testimony!!! And we were like YAY!!!!!!! hes so awesome 

We got ambushed not only once, but twice this week by the elders that we ward share with. We were at the gas station and all of the sudden they show up with water guns!!!! And I was like "sister we have to go get a gun" and sister Crawley was like "oh fret not, I have a water gun in the back seat" so we hurry and fill up our little gun and we drive off after them. We catch them at a red light and have a full on water gun fight while we are waiting for the light to turn!!! Hahaha It was so much fun!! Thennnn we had dinner with the Hill family, but we got there early, so while we waited another water fight happened! And Brother Hill (who happens to be the athletic director at UK) literally drove up while it was happening and started laughing so hard, I was literally dying. It was so funny!! 

We've been talking to everyone about the gospel. And when I say everyone, I mean literally everyone. We'll be actively driving away and Sister Crawley will be like "should we go talk to them?" *meaning one singular person on the sidewalk* "We should go talk to them" and then whipssss the car around hahahahah and then we go talk to them and do all the missionary things and it's so great. Having the opportunity to bring Christ's light into people's everyday lives is so special. 

Sister Crawley has been teaching me how to play the ukulele!!! Since our curfew is 9 and we don't go to bed until 10:30, I've been calling it "after 9 music time!!" Sister Crawley and one of the STLs that we live with are both very musically talented and so they play and sing and teach the rest of us and it is the best!! Yesterday we went and visited a member who is in a nursing home and Sister Crawley played the ukulele and we sang "Amazing Grace" to her and we got to testify that Christ’s grace is truly what leads us home. I felt the spirit so strongly and it was such a special experience. 

We had our ward Halloween party this weekend and we got to judge the best trunk for trunk or treating, the best family costume, annndddd we judged the chili cook off! It got really competitive though, because winning that chili cook off is a BIG deal around here! 

Guys I'm getting to the point where I can say that I love being a missionary. After the last couple months, I literally never thought that I would say that. And I'm scared to actually say it because I don't want to jinx it and lose this feeling but I am so happy and just filled with so much gratitude 💗

I have so many ideas for my little spiritual thought today, but I think I want to share something from Elder Eyring's talk from this last conference. I was scared of this talk when I first listened to it because I felt so called out for wanting to give up and for not knowing how to continue forward. But I was brave this week and listened to it and it pierced me straight to my soul. Here's one of my favorite parts: 

The Lord is going to allow us to go through dark, scary, and lonely periods because he loves us. It sounds backwards but He knows that these experiences are what help us grow, even though they are uncomfortable. And the best part about it, is that He doesn't allow us to go through these moments of uncertainty alone. We are never truly alone. And when we exercise our faith in Him and look back on our trials, we will see that He was there the whole time. Sometimes these moments of proving and strengthening feel like they will last for an eternity. But I can promise that as we take it a day at a time, a step at a time, and go from grace to grace and continue to trust in Him, that the burdens on our shoulders can be made a little lighter, even if we can't yet see the light at the end of the tunnel, just like it says in Mosiah 24:14-13 ✨️ 

I love you all so much and I hope you have an amazing week filled with joy 🦖🤸‍♀️✨️👯‍♀️

Also I hit 4 months!?!! Yay!!!!