Sister Audrey McBride: Week 39: Weeklong Exchanges, Transit & Biking Adventures, Insights Gained

So this week was actually really fun! I was nervous to have two more people living with us but now that they are gone it feels weird with just Hermana Dias and I! Hermana Walker (AZ) and Hermana Menezes (Brazil) arrived Monday night and helped us organize our map and area book. We divided the area in half and for the whole week I would work in only my half of the area! I got to choose so I got the parts and investigators that I wanted and also use of the bikes for the week. It was so great- I love using bikes because it is so much faster and easier on the feet.

L to R: Hermana Diaz, Hermana Menezes (both from Brazil), Hermana Walker (AZ) & I

One day I was with Hermana Menezes and the next with Hermana Walker and back and forth the whole week. It was great to learn from how they contacted and taught. We found a lot more people to teach and were able to focus more on our investigators. The mission is really focusing on placing Book of Mormon´s and in these last two weeks I have given out more Libro de Mormon´s than in all of my mission. I love testifying of its truthfulness and inviting people to read it. In the past Zone Conference, we were challenged to read El Libro de Mormon cover to cover and mark all the places that it talks about baptism and repentance. I love reading it in this way and I am learning just how important it is.

It was really wonderful. The Sisters were all really nice, good girls with fun personalities who are focused on their missions. I really love them! It wasn't so bad living with 4- we had fun chatting during lunch and at night. They had their air mattresses so I was happy. I did not want to have to share a bed all week!

On Saturday we had lunch with the Huertas Family and we have to take the train to get to their house. Here was an adventure: On the way back we put two of us on each bike to go faster to catch the train. Hermana Dias and Hermana Walker totally wiped out! We were behind them and saw the whoe thing! They were not hurt but they just laid there on the the ground laughing. Because it was so hot and sweaty the dirt stuck to them pretty good as well. It was pretty funny!

Probably Shouldn't Try Dos Hermanas per Bike Again...Glad they were OK

Taking the Bikes with us on the Train

Lunch with the Huertas Family

At night we made pizza, played Uno, and ate ice cream for our celebration on our last night together.

The ice cream flavors here are so good!

The week went by really fast. It ended on kind of a discouraging note when none of our investigators came to church despite all of our invitations and work. Sometimes that can be so frustrating and I don't know why it is so hard for people to come to church. I don't know if Maria del Carmen and Regina will end up being baptized this transfer. We are working so hard with them but they just aren't progressing very quickly.

Hermana Diaz & Hermana Menezes (both from Brazil)

As a result, Hermana Dias and I were both feeling frustrated last night. As part of my language study I read Alma 3-9 last night It is about Alma preaching repentance to different pueblos and how he was rejected too. He was spit upon and they tried to put him in jail. The story really helped me. I am here thinking, wow I am blessed! I've never had to deal with that. It also helps to know that we are not alone. I love how in the mission I can apply the scriptures to my life in a special way because I am doing the same work as many of the prophets did- inviting people to come unto Christ and repent.

Mom: The pants we will be wearing next October apparently are for mosquitos. There are a ton right now! I always have bites on my legs even when I use OFF. It isn't a problem in the winter. But in September & October it will be getting warmer and starting to become summer. Not sure why we didn't use pants this summer but I'm fine. It is so hot and humid here that I am fine with a nice airy skirt! I heard that the mission will provide the pants and that we don't have to pay for them. I am really tired of my clothes already, but I am trading some with Hna. Dias. Also, Hermana Abate Daga sent me a cute new skirt this week so I am surviving!

Love you all!

To read Sister Walker's entertaining account about this week, click HERE.