Hello Familia!

So finally after all the merry-making from this week, I tell you tidings of great joy!

The Erikson's name their children by the bible, but not in the way everyone else does. Their oldest Gavery, is Ukraine for Gabriel who told Elizabeth that she was carrying John the Baptist. Their second son, Fisher, is named for Jesus's call for fisher's of men. I think it is so cute and touching to see their children, who have been named not from the common John, Matthew, David, but for good works instead.

Thursday we tracted 2.5hours, not including the 3 miles we rode. I made sure this time we were riding on flatter land. The hills here are crazy, but you also have to think about sidewalks and shoulders, not all the roads have them. Afterwards we returned to our car and rushed off to a dinner with members. It was wonderful meeting with them and as we left I felt like they were opening more up to us as missionaries. I've noticed that with many members this week. I hope this feeling will lead to more action from the members and their participation in the work. Have you talked to anyone about the church this week?

Our ward had a funeral this last weekend, and Sister McGrath and I were called last to help for the viewing last minute on Friday then volunteered to stay and help with the lunch after the funeral service. We were amazing by the perfect timing of our activities that we could go help then after the viewing we were driving back home and I had the thought that we still hadn't seen a less active sister in our ward who lives by the way we take home. Though we could have continued and taken our dinner break, gone home to start our weekly planning that had been forsaken for a service project that feel through that morning, I pulled us over and we went to Sister Tainter's home. We found her alone in a bathroom, redoing the floor in prospect of moving in just 5 days. No one had come to help her like she was hoping and had been alone. We asked if we could help and she said "I couldn't ask you to help in your skirts." Then Sister McGrath remembered, "No we have jeans in the car!" Though our morning service had fallen through, because we had a brought a change of clothes, we had what we needed to help Sister Tainter right then. Truthfully I don't know how much we truly helped physically, but just our being their helped her so much. And it helped us too, it lifted our spirits even higher than they were after our service at the funeral viewing.

It rained that evening and the next morning all was fog and we exercised in the morning through a gently falling mist, the water droplets tickled and felt good. We had breakfast with a member and their non-member friend. I finally had real Southern grits and it wasn't that bad. Yes, I know grits is made from hominy but it actually wasn't that bad. Later that evening we had dinner with the Pearcy's. They told us before had that their daughter Glennannah was having a birthday the next day and they were celebrating with us. So we made a crown, she loved it and wore it to church.

Then last night after a dinner with members they showed us cool science projects. the first putting rubbing alcohol in a glass bottle and lighting the top. Whistling blue flames! the second putting a bar of ivory soap in the microwave. Sisters try this out! they were so cool!

My time is up on the computer. Everyone have a great week. August and the month of birthdays is upon us!!!

Love, Lara