Florida Lightning Storms/ Happy Fourth of July

 June 30, 2013

Hey Family and Friends! 

 Well, another week has passed! Crazy how time flies. It is already July! Thank you for your letters and emails and support! You wouldn't believe how much they mean! I haven't been homesick at all really until this last week. I don't think I'm supposed to tell you that, but oh well. When you have time to think, you think about home. The title "Florida Lightning Storms" is relevant to this week in a couple different ways :) We have them every day here, and the thunder is scary, but I love watching the lightning! It's beautiful! And like nothing I've ever seen!  

So yeah, it was a rough week, but actually a good one in ways too! The beginning was good. We met a couple while we were trying to visit a less active family, and they let us help them move! It was cool because no one ever lets us help. I remember when mom died and the sister missionaries came over to see if we needed anything and I didn't want them to help either. But they practically begged me, so I let them clean the bathroom and sweep and mop the floor ha :) And now I am on the other side of the situation begging people to let me serve them. Funny. Anyway, we blessed their home they moved into and that couple had us back over to help them clean their old apartment later in the week. It was gross, but I kind of like cleaning, plus I got to burn some calories. (Not biking is killing me). The lady asked us to say another prayer with her for her friend and her job. It was cool to see how much faith she had in our prayers. They aren't really religious, but it was just a first contact, and they have our number :) 

 

 

 We had to go to an orthopedic surgeon this week for Sis. Salvesen's foot. It was sad. The doctor was great, but she gave us some depressing work restrictions. We can only work for 4 hours per day for 2 weeks until the follow up appointment. She also said that Sis. Salvesen won't be back to full walking/biking condition for 8-12 weeks. Just for a stupid Lisfranc sprain and bruising in her foot! My grade 3 sprained ankle healed faster than that! Anyway, I have had to be strong, even though it hurts me so bad to not be able to work. That's what I was meaning when I said I have so much time to think. I hate it. We just study, and eat, and study some more. Super boring. But the Elders gave us priesthood blessings before church yesterday, and they were amazing. I was crying, of course. I am so so grateful to have the priesthood on this earth! It just shows how much Heavenly Father really loves us that he would restore His power and authority to the earth with the gospel so we can use it to benefit each other! We are truly blessed, even though things are hard :) Oh, I forgot to mention, this is all during the transition of our mission presidents this week. So we had to explain the whole situation about ten times. President Berry seems really great though, and we are excited to have him! :) 

 Saturday we had the BBQ I might have talked about that we missionaries planned. It went really well! I had been looking forward to it for a long time. The members didn't really do their job of bringing nonmember friends, but we brought our investigators, and they had a good time! There was tons of good food, and we played volleyball after! Oh man you should have seen Steve and Grace playing! And our bishop too! It was the best! I had never seen an 85 year old woman play volleyball, but she was rockin' it! Also, as we were taking our trash out on Saturday, (our dumpster is clear on the other side of our apartments, like a mile away) I saw a family moving in, so of course I offered to help! Especially after sitting in the apartment all day. The guy’s wife just left him after 20 years :( They were so nice, and of course we invited them to the BBQ that night! They came and had a great time! :) He texted us this morning and said thanks so much and that being around such nice people helped ease his pain for a while! And he said he was going to try to make it to church next Sunday! :) 

Releasing Taffy the Turtle

 

 Steve! He is doing so so awesome! He is keeping his commitments with word of wisdom, and we are going to make some more goals tomorrow! :) He asked us if he could get baptized next Sunday, because he wants his daughter to be here for it. She is leaving for a year in Germany in like a week. I told him if he wanted to be baptized that soon he had to quit everything right that second. So he said he would wait haha :) But his daughter is so cute! She is 17 and a soccer player! He brought her to the BBQ! It was so nice to meet her and her friend. But it made me sad/happy seeing her with her dad because it made me miss my dad so much. But it was cool because he is building his relationship with her back up by working on changing his life! :) Steve also went out and bought a shirt and tie, and wore them to church yesterday! He looked so sharp! Church yesterday was a rough one for nonmembers... But I just had to trust that the Lord took care of them and they still felt the Spirit somehow! Steve also stayed for the baptism after church! :)

 Yes, Grace got BAPTIZED yesterday! :) It was amazing! Sister Salvesen and I gave the talks. A ton of the ward came because it was right after church. Grace bore her beautiful testimony! :) I will probably send the pictures next week! Because I want to have more to send; I haven't taken very many lately. But I will send one of the baptism just because I know you all want to see it :) Grace's granddaughter, Jackie, is a convert and lives in Utah. She kept calling us being super protective of Grace and saying we don't need to rush the baptism and that Grace hasn't been feeling well and blah blah blah. She really has been kind of sick, but when I saw her playing volleyball, I made sure to tell Jackie she was fine to be baptized haha! Satan just loves to try to keep people from things like that! We can all testify of that! 

 Sorry this email is so long! I guess I just had a lot to say! Please pray that I won't die of boredom. And that I won't forget how to teach or talk to people after all this nothingness! I know Heavenly Father will help us, but I do need to have more faith in Him! Thanks again to all of you for all you do! :) I miss you A LOT!!! Have a great Independence Day and light off lots of fireworks for me!! :) 

 Love,

Sister Lowry