August 8th-15, 2016

Hello Family! SUCH A GREAT WEEK. Gosh it just keeps getting better and better. So we got transfer calls and we're STAYING TOGETHER! That will be 3 transfers with Sister Bishop. She's the best so I'm freaking excited. We're gonna kill it. This is how the conversation went:

Us: "So what's happening to us?" 

Elder Suchomel: "you're both staying."

Us: "AAAHHHHH!!! ARE YOU LYING???"

Elder Suchomel: "haha no not lying, you're staying!"

Us: " AHHHH Why??" 

Elder Suchomel: "here, President will tell you"
(we didn't know he was there so we were all business at this point)
Bateman: "Hello sisters"

Us: "Hello President"

Bateman: "why aren't you screaming with me on the phone?"

Us: "we didn't know you could hear us!!!" (embarrassing)

Bateman: "We're letting you stay together because we want you to keep doing what you're doing creating a model area. Go kill it one more transfer."

Miracles upon miracles this week. We were bummed because like 4 of our investigators dropped us. The week started off kinda dumpy but then we found 3 new investigators and they're all SMART and EDUCATED and have ALL THEIR TEETH!!! This is big people, this is Missouri and most people don't have their teeth. But we found solid people. Then at church we see a guy we didn't know so we introduced ourselves and we immediately recognized his name, he's been less active and his wife is a non member and he said "I'm hoping to get back to church, I'm glad to be here. Come over this week and meet my wife." Us: SPEECHLESS JAWS DROPPED. So blessed. Then we were trying a bunch of former investigators and potentials and set up a bunch of return appointments! Usually people are not interested again, but it seemed like everyone we talked to was! Then we stopped by another part member/Less active couple that we've been trying to meet and he was standing outside when we pulled up and he is like 6'5 and was wearing knee high cowboy boots and had a belt buckle the size of my face. Sister Bishop mutters "he's gonna kill us" but he turned out to be the SWEETEST GUY EVER. This is what he tells us "I got baptized in 1968, and I miss the church. Ya'll can come back and meet my wife." I literally almost started crying. WHAT IS HAPPENING I DON'T KNOW. After transfer calls we were talking about how the pressure is on now and how President has high expectations of us and how we need to up our game and create a model area that our sisters can learn from us and then ALL these miracles happened. God answers prayers, he is aware of our needs, and he will BLESS us for obedience and diligence. My favorite quote these days is "Pray like it's all up to God, then work like it's all up to you." Life is swell. 

If ya'll remember Haley Sindel, she got baptized in the YSA when I was there in October, she just got her mission call to Ecuador! I about cried. She's incredible. 

If you remember Madi who was staying here with the Allreds, she's been emailing me because she's home now and she has me send her scriptures to read and talks and then she reports what she learned :) It's like I still get to teach her! I love that girl with my whole soul. 

Thanks for all your emails, I love you guys! Thanks for all you do.