Monday, June 18, 2012

So MANY MOSQUITOS (Email from June 18)

Oh my word.

So we've had a good week. But I just need to talk about the mosquitoes for a minute. They are everywhere. My legs are covered in mosquito bites. Some new ones (more splotchy pinkish patches) and some old (little red dots) and some that were big and got the top cut off when I shaved my legs and now are scabs (you're welcome). They fly and invade. They come into our car while we are getting out. They swarm front doors of houses. I've only seen about five skeeter eaters, there needs to be more of those.

OH, and then when you smack them and they're all bloody? Yeah. Twice. The first time, I smacked it on the dashboard of my car with my hand, then looked at all the bright red blood all over my fingers and screamed. "I KNOW WHAT THIS IS! I KNOW WHAT THIS IS! PULL OVER SO I CAN WIPE MY HANDS IN THE GRASS!!!" The second time, I smacked the mosquito with the map on the side of the car and it splattered blood all over the car (but it came off real fast with some kleenex and water). We had two teenage girls with us (young womens girls) and all four of us screamed. That map, with its bloody stain, is now the mosquito-smacking map.

All our Mexican boys and The Woman In The Store don't actually live in our area. We are in the process of meeting with them and the elders in their proper areas and will be turning them over. This is very sad. But it's important they be taught by the missionaries in their areas because the missionaries there know which members to bring to their lessons and all that. And it'll help us with miles, too. We know that we are not gonna be in this area forever, either, I mean we'll be transferred at one point, so it makes sense they need to go to the missionaries they're supposed to be with, but it just takes me a few days of freaking out about losing them for me to be all right with phoning those ELDERS and saying, "Um, we have an investigator for you."

BUT ANYWAY. 

We had zone conference on Wednesday, it was very nice, I felt like I was being rebuked for not doing enough the whole time. Elder Koelliker of the seventy came and spoke to us (and his wife). Three zones were involved in this zone conference. Elder Koelliker is a cool guy, he is soft spoken mostly, kinda serious, but a lil sense of humor. Very spiritual man. Wants us to awaken the light of Christ in people. Anyway, this mission doesn't OYM (open your mouth) a lot (also called street contacting) and we need to. 

Anyway, we passed out eight book of mormons this week. We are very happy. Our district leader challenged each companionship to pass out two. When Sister Frazier (the greenie who has now gone to her comps in Valdez) was with us, her bold greenie fire prompted us to OYM to a native man in the parking lot of this apartment complex (something I've actually never done before....just go up to someone who is NOT in their doorway and start talking about the gospel....usually I just start talking about their dog and stuff). Anyway this Native Man in the Parking Lot actually listened. Said he had Mormon friends and had read some from the Book of Mormon and had lots of questions. He is a very nice man, thoughtful-sounding when he talks. We gave him a book of mormon. I felt like a real missionary. BAHAHAHAH. Then we went and tracted three other random apartments and handed out 3 more. The next day Sister RIvera and I tried to find this guy in another apartment complex and he wasn't home. We had a bunch of other book of mormons and I OYM'ed to a couple of people in the laundry room, Sister Rivera was just a tad bit shy, hee hee, but it turned out okay, the girl is a Wiccan and I said hey one of my really good friends back home used to be Wiccan. ..Which was cool cuz for a second the girl kinda looked like we were gonna judge her, pssh yeah right. She took a book, she said Wiccans like to borrow things they like from other religions, so she said sure she'd read it. 

Oh my favorite one was when we asked a woman to read the book and she said "Well, you can't come back for a couple of weeks, or maybe even a month, cuz I read very slowly." She was very sweet, and I realized she was serious. Which was awesome. 

Anyway. 

Mosquitoes....

I am glad daddy liked what I sent, I love my daddy super a lot. Mommy, thanks for your list of funny and good things, I love Greggie and how we likes "popper" (pepper) in his tomato soup. 

Open your mouths and they shall be filled with the things you need to say. The Lord really does support us as we're bearing our testimony. Just hand the book to them and say, "I know this book is true. This is my favorite book. It proves that God loves children all over the world, not just in Israel. I know that you can find peace and comfort in these words, and we want to give it to you." 

The coolest part is telling them it's free when they ask how much. 

I LOVE YOU ALL. 

I am so grateful to be a missionary. I love the people we're teaching, even though half of them I have to give to other missionaries. I love this area, I've been here for six months and it feels like home. I know my Savior lives, I can feel the Spirit when  I am bearing my testimony. The Lord wants his children to hear the gospel. He has the same goals as us. I know the gospel is true, and I am so blessed to be able to be here in Alaska sharing it with others.


LOVE,
sister ashbrook

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