Called to Serve: Everything is Bigger in Texas... ESPECIALLY the Mosquito bites

Last week my companion was sick so I had about 5 minutes of email time so sorry there was no weekly. But I have so much to talk bout!! Okay so go back in time to the MTC I'll start there.

MTC:

So The last day in the MTC was so sad. I had to say goodbye to my second family. We decided we were going to take "family pictures" outside of the temple during our temple walk so we all matched. Haha yes we were "that district" So we all wore blue and everyone that saw us laughed but it's alright we HAD to take a family picture so I can hang it on my wall haha too funny. Then I happened to be talking to my district about how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE letters! And Cayson (Elder Williams) decided he would be funny and write me a silly note that literally said "Sister Wade calm down" after he thought we were starting a heated discussion haha. I put it in my binder out in the field and every time I get stressed out I see it and just laugh. Even though he was trying to be funny it definitely was a tender mercy to be able to have that and have something that can help me during my stressed out times. But the sisters had the opportunity to ask the Elders in our district for a priesthood blessing before we went into the field. I had Elder Lyman give mine. Woah. It was so powerful! It was amazing to feel my Saviors love so much through the blessing! I felt such at peace and comforted. The power of the Priesthood really is real and it WORKS! Without a shadow of a doubt it works!!

The Field:

The first week in the field was CRAZY!! I was sick and had to go to the doctor and literally lost 8 pounds in 4 days so that was fun haha but I'm all better so no worries!! Then my companion got sick and we weren't able to do anything pretty much all week haha But we had the most amazing tender mercy happen to us while we were sick!! So it was the day Sister Ingold got sick and I was feeling better (haha funny how that works) but it was a really rough day. We couldn't leave the apartment and I was seriously missing people! I felt like I was isolated. It was bad and I had been getting more homesick, because literally sitting there all you can do is be homesick. But i was sitting in the living room writing letters and hearing people walk by our door. I was kinda worried someone was going to come to our door haha. When all of a sudden I hear the loudest banging on our door. I literally jumped 5 feet. I walked over to the peep hole and someone was covering it. So now I was really freaked out. But slowly the moved their hand back and they were holding a picture of Jesus and I realized that it was our zone and district leaders haha. (They are seriously my favorite people ever!!) They had come to check on us. It was definitely and answered prayer for both me and my companion. The Lord is so great! I can't tell you how many tender mercies I have received being on a mission. It is AMAZING!!! I love it!

Oh fun fact though, I may need to be buying a fake engagement ring!! hahaa too funny too funny! Apparently a lot of missionaries get proposed to here in El Paso and when that happens we have to be emergency transferred so they have started telling the sisters to buy engagement rings so we don't have to go through all of that haha. But it is usually more for the blondes so good thing I am not a blonde but it is still a possibility.

I am right next to the border though so it's way cool! We can literally stand in one spot in our area and see Mexico and look the other way and see New Mexico! It is way cool! And the view is pretty dang gorgeous!!

Well because we are so close to Mexico we run into A TON of people that don't speak English. So when we go knocking doors it's so funny when we hit a Spanish house and can only say "We are missionaries for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" and the first article of faith. But we aren't allowed to study Spanish because we are called English. But we are allowed to read from the El Libro de Mormon so we do every morning haha WE ARE TERRIBLE!! But I placed my first Book of Mormon and it happened to be an El Libro de Mormon so I guess something is working right?

But anyways I am serving in the UTEP University ward. Which is a singles ward!! Man I love it there! We have THE best ward! A ton of them are from the army base too so that is way cool to meet them and talk with them and their experiences. And they feed us GIANT meals every time we meet too so it's just amazing! But apparently the bishopric wanted Elders not Sisters because they have had a problem with people in the ward falling in love with the sister missionaries and then being mad when they can't date haha too funny! And our area just split so we have 2 sets of sister missionaries in the ward! But they'll get over it I guess haha. But they love to feed us! And cause we are in a singles ward and people don't want to make food they literally take us out to eat like everyday!

So this week was lots better! we could actually do things! But we have to do a TON of tracting and knocking doors, because when the area split all of the investigators were on the East side and we are on the West. But one day while we were tracting we heard the ice cream truck and so we may or may not have chased him down at a full sprint in skirts in the 100 degree weather but no big deal. Haha he thought we were crazy. And no he didn't want to talk about the book of Mormon. haha

Wow guys I can't tell you how true this gospel is!! I love it with every fiber of my being! I love being a missionary and knowing this is where I need to be. I can feel the Lord directing me and helping me to find those people that are ready to receive this gospel. During our district meeting our Zone leader stood up and reminded us that the people we are teaching and coming in contact with fought just as hard as we did in the pre-existence to come to earth and receive this gospel. I had never looked at it that was but it is so true! We need to remember that with everyone we come in contact with. Oh and then during fast Sunday this week one of the other Sister Missionaries stood up and said "Jesus Christ never second guessed going into the Garden of Gethsemane for YOU. You can't ever second guess doing something for Him." Wow I love it! I know I am supposed to be out here I know I was called to this mission and this area in my mission for a reason. He knows the big picture and is placing people in my path to help me become more like Him. And for me to help them become more like Him so that we can be Exalted in the last days and live with our families forever!

I challenge you guys to see the Lord's hand in your lives everyday. He is there. He is helping you. You just need to find Him.

I love you all and I have SO MANY STORIES TO TELL WHEN I GET HOME ALREADY!! haha

Sista Wade

These Elders we found at the MTC that are going to
Macon, Georgia!! Spanish speaking
(I am pretty sure one is Elder Ballard's companion haha)
They are kinda my favorite. No big deal...