Wow, obedience is key!

Hello all!!

Wow this week has been a little crazy.  First, there is no such thing as a holiday on a mission.  We can stay for 1 hr at a members home for dinner and then we have to leave.  It is a challenge, cuz we want to socialize but it is also a blessing.  On the 4th of July that is what happened, we went and ate with the members and people, then we left.  Well, later that night as they lit fireworks, the deck collapsed.  Not just any collapse but right down the middle.  We had been walking on that exact same deck, 1-2 hrs before.  The deck buckled and there were probably about 15-20 people on the deck.  Nobody died, thank heavens, but the relief society president has 2 broken legs, ankle, and knee cap.  Our bishops wife cracked some vertebrae in her back and some cracked ribs.  Those two were the worst.  But there were some miracles.  One of the boys in the ward grabbed the grill as it was falling and saved everybody beneath.  Another lady in the ward had her little baby in her arms and somehow was able to protect him and save him.  Also, somehow her glasses ere in her hands, and she never takes them off.  They thing that what caused the problem was all the rain and the humidity caused the deck to rot, then also separate from the house.  Luckily, it is expected that everyone will make a full recovery.  SO here is my plug for obedience.  While that white handbook may be super long, those rules are there for a reason.  And as you follow them as a missionary you will be protected.

You want to know about the weather... Well it is hot and humid.  And always is.  Even when it rains it is still hot.  You can never escape it.  Unless you can find a place with AC, and not very many people have that.  At least the memorial is nice and cool.  And the church.  The rain is a little crazy, but I have heard that it has rained a little bit in Utah finally.  YAY!!  End that crazy heat. 

So there is a sister missionary who has a blog.  She is one of the older couples.  It is calledsaldyches.blogspot.com  or salldyches.blogspot.com  and guess what?  She is from Moroni!! And she know Janeen and Robert.  She and her husband are so nice and they are super sweet.  They have fed us, and drive us places when needed and help us all the time.  So you should tell Janeen and Robert, and check out her blog.  Apparently there is a picture of me on it doing Facilities Management (FM) stuff. 

We've met some really great people out here.  They are slow to accept the gospel but we are working with them all the time!  But they are great. 

There are so many miracles out here in this area.  It is said that if we were worthy we would be able to see the angels sitting in the treetops here at the Joseph Smith birthplace.  I think that Elder Worthlin said that.  I feel so blessed to be serving here.  This place really is sacred, and it is amazing to be able to learn the history and to share it with others along with my testimony.  Not only do we talk about his birth here, we also talk about his whole life.  And that can be a little daunting teaching older members of the gospel about Joseph Smith.  But I am constantly learning more.

The greatest thing about a mission is seeing people come closer to their Savior!  Here it can be hard to notice people's improvement since they are set in their ways, but we work with everybody, and love everybody, and are learning how to feel our Saviors love for people as well.  It is so cool to be talking with a person and to walk away feeling like you already love them as a child of God.  It was also a little odd the first time, but I'm learning. 

So I forgot my camera cord, so no pictures today, but definitely go to Sister Dyches blog and check it out. 

I have been doing M-100's 3x a week.. Or really I am starting to do them 3x a week this week.  But the journey of 1000 miles starts with 1 step right?

So today I was reading in Alma, in the war chapters.  And who doesn't love the war chapters?  Great stories and super cool tactics.  But it struck me how they were always fighting for liberty.  No matter what, even if there were dissenters in their mix, it was always for Liberty.  So that is my July 4th good plug.

So cool fact, our site director used to be a mission President in Germany.  He is a really nice guy and his wife is superb!! She is so sweet and loves everybody like her own and she is just so kind!  And right now he is talking to a former missionary in German. :) Course I have no idea what they are saying, but hey, it is cool to hear. :)

I haven't had a chance to practice my french yet, but the site directors wife went on her mission to France so maybe we can practice, but she claims she has forgotten it all. 

I love you all!  And can't wait to hear more from you!  I pray for you all and love every one of you!!

Lots of Love,

Sister Lundahl