My decorated desk area
Opening some birthday presents
Me and my polka dot birthday balloons
Our new apartment is so huge and spacious and nice and clean! I really like it!!! Everything fits in it so well I'm really pleased with it. The move went fast. We packed all our personal stuff and our dry food and dropped it off, then we used my suitcases for the dishes and leftover stuff. Two carloads and we had EVERYTHING out except furniture. It was awesome! And we unpacked SUPER fast. Thursday night our YSA loaded up our dressers and beds and took them up for us. They all had a blast helping! Even Richard came. They were all happy and working together. There's a new spirit in the YSA. We felt like proud parents while we were driving up to drop the stuff off. Then Friday the Frogues came with their country trailer to load our desks and table and CV2's stuff.
Totally a Kentucky moving trailer.
Richard is going back and forth. We're probably not going to have him baptized this Saturday. He needs more testimony and more consistency. He still tries to fight a lot of it. It's going well though. His girlfriend is doing great! She loves the gospel!!! So that's good.
Calvin is doing so well! We taught the Word of Wisdom this week and we were nervous about it, but it went SO good! He is working on quitting tobacco so he's been using an e-cigarette. He went and bought a cartridge that's just water vapor after we taught him! Now he just wants to stop the habit. WHOO HOO!!
Ok I only have a few minutes left and I've talked about most everything... but here's a few more things from the week:
Monday:
For FHE we had a board game night. Oh the unity that happened was shocking. They were all playing together and not one person was left out and there was so much laughing! Afterwards we all went to Sonic and bonded more. That's when Abbie offered to take me to Texas Roadhouse for dinner on my birthday.
Tuesday:
We met with Annalee and got to know her more. She helped us come up with a TON of FHE ideas! We have 2 pages of ideas now! So today they needed an activity last minute and we volunteered. We just pulled something off the list. It's awesome! So we have a great bunch of games planned for tonight.
We also got our oil changed.... 4 1/2 hours in Firestone. Good thing they had wifi. We were able to do a lot of Less Active finding on Facebook.
Wednesday:
I went to District meeting just feeling so good! Full of the spirit and God's love! I received revelation for an investigator and I just got really pumped up for this next week!
We also taught Richard and Robert (member) came. We talked about the Holy Ghost and how we come to know the truth through Him. It was such a good lesson. Richard was just floating at the end! He was laughing as he was saying the prayer and telling Heavenly Father how the gospel is like Star Wars - Oh goodness.. It was a good lesson.
At institute Sister Bolos taught. She did such a great job! She was hyper that night and we were having so much fun talking to her and Elder Bolos on the way home! They're like another set of mission parents. They crack me up!!!
Thursday:
MOVING DAY!!! That's all we did... we did have the sports night and we played ultimate frisbee and then moved our beds up. It was just a really good day. One where you go to bed just SMILING! I love those days! We slept in our new apartment that night.
Friday:
More moving.... and cleaning. Oh it was long! That's it....
Saturday:
MY BIRTHDAY!!!! I pretty much already talked about this. I woke up to many decorations and surprises. I had a great study and while I was kneeling to pray, I had a great thought: "20 years ago, I left the presence of my Father in Heaven." 20 short years ago I was with Him. How incredible? It was just a little wonderful thought from God on my birthday.
I opened my presents at lunch and they couldn't be more perfect! Sister Frampton said that so many times!
We did Facebook and then dinner! Dinner was a dream come true. There were 8 of us and all together we ate 44 rolls. I had a steak, and got to sit on the birthday saddle! I'm so happy! Everyone was dying at the end and rolling and just ... Full! I had no clue they told them it was my birthday and when they got the saddle the whole restaurant gave me a YEEHA!!!! HAHAHAHAHA dreams do come true! And the elders, all 3 sets, got me a cake.We went home and had the cake that Sister Frampton made and the elder’s cake. It was a party!
On the saddle at Texas Roadhouse for my birthday - Side saddle...missionary style.
Blowing out the candles on my two birthday cakes.
Sunday:
At church Richard bore his testimony. We were all worried. He did a good job though. I bore mine. Then President Spann bore his. He is in the Stake Presidency and works closely with the YSA. He was talking about a man who only has a few days left to live and has been on an artificial heart for 2 years. My mind immediately flashed back to Nashville and visiting Brother Lopez in the hospital, who has the same condition. During Sunday school, Jordan was teaching and he mentioned Brother Lopez... I knew it was him then. I just couldn't hold it in. I cried. I went to Sister Spann after and talked to her. They had just visited him. He didn't get a heart transplant and his other organs have stopped working. He will die this week. I'm so thankful to have known him! We left church the 3rd hour because I couldn't stop crying. Brother Lopez has the strongest testimony. The strongest! When you walk into his room, you can feel it. He lifted my testimony when mine was weak. And now I know he can't wait to do missionary work in the Spirit World. I am going to call his wife today and have her tell him I love him. He can't speak anymore. I'm so blessed though that I'm here because he is in the 2nd ward. I will most likely get to go to his funeral. He changed my life. I'm doing ok now. I just had to cry it out and read about the Plan of Salvation. God's plan is so perfect and I was able to know this yesterday. I will get to see Brother Lopez again one day. I look forward to that day. He is precious.
Well... I have to go. I just want to tell you how much I felt Heavenly Father's love for me this week. Each night as I was exhausted and knelt down, I just felt the love of God flowing right through me. It's filled me so much this week that I constantly feel it and I feel like smiling all the time and like tears of joy are always about to burst from my face! He loves me so much! His love is so real and I feel it. I talk to Him constantly! I don’t just pray... I talk with Him. We talk all the time! So often it's like... He's just there. God loves each and every one of us just the same as I felt His love. It's indescribable. Oh I just can't even put it all into words! God is great! That sums it up pretty well. This next week will be full of finding new people to teach!! Wish us luck and please pray for this area and Brother Lopez's family. I love y'all so much. Remember, the gospel is SO true. Have a great week!
~Sister Rokovitz~
