God Is Aware Of Us

Not gonna lie, this was a pretty tough week. Really eventful, but also super difficult at the same time. It was probably one of my most dedicated weeks, but also one of the weeks with the least results. That's just how it goes sometimes. But let me tell you, I learned a ton.

I think one of the biggest things that I learned is that God is aware of us and listens to our prayers. Even if He doesn't answer our prayers the way we want Him to answer them. On Saturday, I got to celebrate my birthday. So on friday night, I prayed to God begging Him to help me forget myself on my birthday. Let's just say He provided.

Woke up on Saturday with those early morning birthday butterflies, ready for a good day. My companion then wakes up two hours later with a sore throat, migraine headache, and a cough. I spent the morning taking care of him. Then I thought that I would treat myself with some scrambled eggs for breakfast. Well, the second egg came out green and smelled terrible, so I threw everything out. And then on top of that, we get a text from our friend, who was suppose to get baptized this week, saying that he lied to us and he's not married, so he can't get baptized. Fun morning. 

I'm not gonna lie, I was so focused on the needs and problems of others that, for the most part, I forget that I even turned 21. I felt so much gratitude that day, and gained a lot more trust in God. I know that He is aware of our needs, and His plans are always greater than our own plans. 

highlights

- halloween: last year, halloween was kind of a let down. So this year we went all out! We held our zone meeting on Halloween, and everyone brought food, desserts, and candy!! It was exactly what everyone was needed, eventough they all went home with an upset stomach. I was also able to spent Halloween in another area helping out other missionaries. The area and ward we super excited, and the members were literally working shoulder to shoulder with the missionaries. On our exchange, we met Lucas. He's an older man who suffered a stroke and is paralyzed on half of his body. We had a super spiritual conversation with him and marked him for baptism! I learned a ton this day!

- double-ward activity: this day was two years in the making, but we were finally able to have our double-ward activity! You don't even know how important this is for the members and the wards. These inter-ward conflicts will finally come to an end. The only problem was, it was to morning of, and no one had planned the activity. So we called over the other missionaries, planned everything and invited everyone. And it went super well! About 70 people showed up, we shared a message, played musical chairs, and ate some sandwiches (it was a lot cooler that it sounds). But most importantly, the wards were talking to one another, and everyone was happy!

other cool things that happen

- I returned back to the toe doctor, and she cleaned up my toes and put a toenail "seatbelt" on to help with the growing process. 

- I had the worst sleep of my life on the halloween exchange. We slept in a brand new house, without any of our stuff, with just two beds covered in plastic. (picture included). I used two floor mats as a blanket. 

- Some members held a birthday party for me, and it made me super happy! We ordered pizza, bought a cake, and had a great time!

- Some of our friends that have been progressing for a bit now lost all desire to continue. This put a damper on the week for sure. 

- Today we with have a big almost mission pday at two rented out soccer fields! 

Love you all and hope you all have a fantastic week! Thank you so much for all of the birthday wishes!

Elder Ware