Well Family, We have reached the month of August. For me it's a celebration, for the South it's a month of dread. The Summer is always hottest in August. BUT! It started off fantastically with really cool weather and some rain. It was in the 80's Thursday through Saturday and was just heavenly. I even wore my hair down a couple days! Imagine that!
Monday night we worked on our yard. It was too hot to do anything in the day so I switched a bathroom bulb for the dead one on our porch and we got to work, pulling weeds and raking leaves. It was a mess and just because it's black outside does not mean it's cooler. I was sweating a storm, mostly because of all the squatting I was doing putting leaves into bags. It was humid which did not make anything better. I was shocked by the worms though, there were dozens upon dozens of big, fat earth worms all over the place. I saved as many as I could from going into the garbage bags by tossing them to the grassy part to the south of our house.
Tuesday as we were tracting I met a beautiful white cat with light blue eyes. I think he might have been blind because he reacted funny when I extended my hand to him. But he wasn't skittish and I got some pictures for reference (in fact he inspired a painting I finished last week). We also met the sister of one of our members. Her husband offered us water and allowed us in their home for a few minutes (one can only guess when a sweaty red faced girl is standing on your porch). She asked us if he had told us where she lived and explained no, sheer coincidence. She wasn't interested but was friendly enough.
Wednesday was the Independence Day of Vanuatu--Sister Boehula's country. We celebrated with green, yellow, and red (turned out pink) pancakes with chocolate chips (black) to represent her nations colors. I didn't have a recipe or mix so I made it up. I think they were nasty but Sister Cottrell and Sister Boehula said they were just fine. Then we had the whole Zone dress up in the same colors because we had ZDM. Sister Boehula was so touched to see everyone dressed up in her nations colors. She even made flags for people to hold in the picture. It was funny because she cut the poles herself from some bush in the back yard (we now have a broken knife, haha).
A storm blew in Wednesday night that helped cool down Thursday. And Friday we went to the doctor's office (how many times is that now on my mission? too many). Sister Cottrell hasn't been feeling well, the doctor said she'll be fine though and filled out a prescription for her and sent us on our way. Sister Boehula found a pamphlet on managing diabetes which made us all curious about how we could eat healthier. Sister Cottrell asked the doctor so many questions that he eventually turned to me and asked "Is she always like this?" and added on our way out "Watch her." Haha, we just laughed, Sister Cottrell is a talker and it's one of my favorite things about her.
Friday night our ward had a Talent Show! I wasn't planning in participating in anything but brought some of my watercolors I've done on my mission to share. To my surprise I ended up talking about them, it got a lot of people curious and one sister asked me to come over and paint her children. Not sure if I'll do that but if she's okay with it I might take some pictures and paint for her when I get home. It was so much fun to see everyone's talents, a lot of people volunteered right there on the spot to sing a song or involve their family. The little kids were so cute. And to end it all we had ice cream because the Bossier Ward is 3 years old! Happy Birthday!
The work was slow this week. We tracted a lot but found no new investigators. But there are some potentials on the horizon. But we had the opportunity to teach some different people and bare a lot of testimony. I love to bare my testimony even if it's just a simple truth of what we believe, "Jesus is the Christ and the only way to salvation."
To end the week, we met with one of our recent converts, Kenneth. He's been having some trouble with a friend of his and to comfort him we decided to read about charity in Moroni 7 because we have seen him exercising charity towards this friend, even though the friend didn't receive it. As we opened with a prayer and opened our books, Kenneth and Sister Boehula overheard a man playing his guitar and started singing along. And then Kenneth invited the man to join us! It was so cool to see him have the courage to invite someone so out of the blue to learn about the gospel. And the man came and sat and read with us and then Kenneth invited him to church! We were so proud.
I'm doing great and having fun. I'm excited to see what this next week holds. It's crazy how fast the time is flying by. I love it.
And I love you!
Your Sister Missionary,
Sister Lara Stewart
A Postcard Sister Boehula made from our zone picture last Wednesday.
A handful of survivor worms.
Who dat? Sister Boehula!
A Vanuatu Breakfast.
What a gentleman. Elder Anderson always makes sure to open the doors for all the sisters.
I don't remember why I stuck my tongue out but its the first day of August and I'm wearing 3-quarter sleeves and...
The Merrit's donkey, Charlie. I sacrificed a lot for this picture. The next day I counted over 70 bug bites on my person. Over 30 on each leg and several on my arms. Let's just say I will not be standing in their grass again anytime soon.
... My companions are wearing jackets!
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