Happy Birthday to Me!!! =)

Hey everyone!

So this is my one and only birthday in the mission... and guess what I am doing.  Bet you can't guess...  It's p-day.  And my favorite place is Enterprise.... so we went to Enterprise!  Yup!  Fun stuff!  We are going to go mini golfing with the sisters, and have dinner with Gene and Larry and see people and just have fun.  I love fun!  Thanks for all the birthday wishes!  I really appreciate them all.  They make the day so much more special!

So for this week... it's been crazy stressful.  Because we are putting on the Living Christ Fireside again in La Grande so we are stressing to get all the musical numbers and readers and such.  It is coming along pretty good.  Though we are still waiting to hear back from some people.

This transfer really is flying by.  It's already week 4.  Every transfer gets shorter. I'm tellin ya... it's not cool!  Only 7 months left... can't hardly believe it.

Last Monday we went shopping around La Grande.  They have a small JC Penny and Bealls.  I kinda spoiled myself a bit since it was kinda my birthday.  haha.

On Tuesday after visiting people we were able to go to an Elgin Relief Society activity.  We don't get to go to many of them.  We thought it would be a good opportunity to get to know the members better.  Making friends with the members really has helped us in doing missionary work.  We have had many more opportunities to serve and teach and share our talents.  

Wednesday we went to Elgin again.  We went to lunch with an investigator that we thought was super not interested and didn't like talking.  Turns out... she wants to get baptized as soon as she can.  And she talked to us for a good hour and a half.  We didn't really say anything.  Her husband goes to Alaska to fish every summer.  He is the captain of a ship. So he is gone from August to December.  She wants him to baptize her, but he isn't worthy yet.  So in the future some missionaries will be working with both of them.  But for now, we are just working with her and trying to get her in the habit of reading scriptures and going to church.

Thursday we kind of had a birthday party at the Chandler's house.  It was his birthday, and they sung to him, then sang to me too.  So it was a joint party!  It was great.  Then we went to a less active's house and committed her to go to church.  She was totally going to go.  And we even went to remind her on Saturday night, but she had to go to the hospital for heart problems :P  Poor girl.  So she didn't go yesterday.  But hopefully she is feeling alright and nothing is wrong so can go next week.  

Friday was rough.  Seemed like no one was home.  Probably because school started today.  So it was everyone's last weekend.  We practice our organ piano duet a lot that day because no one was home.  We had dinner with a super cute couple though.  Then she trapped us at her piano.  Made us play some songs for her.  haha.  I wasn't complaining=)  It was raining pretty hard outside.

Saturday morning we went to the broadcast of the Meridian Temple ground-breaking at the stake center.  It was good.  Elder Bednar talked about how the dedication of this ground is like the dedication of our lives.  We dedicate our lives to the Lord.  We promise with him to keep his commandments.  And when it gets easy (when the temple is close) don't procrastinate.  Don't slack even when it's easy.  Always go to the temple.  Always do your best.  It was a great message.  And it probably made no sense.  haha.  sorry.  Also on Saturday I got a package from Grandma and Grandpa Thompson!  thanks!  We helped a less active lady clean her house.  That was good.  She has the cutest 4 year old boy.  Hyrum.  He is a doll.  Such a lover.  Just loves hugs.  Wish I could give him one!  Then, after dinner we went to the wedding of Gloria.  The lady we helped lay sod in her yard.  She invited us to the wedding.  We felt so out of place.  And not comfortable at all.  We actually showed up late.  So didn't even get to see the ceremony.  We got there and they were still on their drive around town so we waited there with the elders.  Would have talked to people, but most everyone was going to the coolers to get the beer :/  So awkward.  We just stayed long enough to give Gloria a hug, then jetted out. (After we took fun pictures in the picture frame)

  Note to self... Weddings are super awkward as a missionary!!!  Luckily there were some members there, and the bishop that married them.  So we hung around them.

Sunday was our duet. It went well.  It was scarier to play the organ than the piano!  But it was fun and challenging too.  Skills you learn on the mission... I already knew how to play, but now I can use the pedals better.  We played "Oh, How Lovely Was the Morning"  such a pretty song.  And I had to use the pedals, and both keyboards.  it was pretty intese.  Plus I had to adjust the volume throughout the song. =)  Fun stuff!  

That was the week.  Crazy!  Now off to some fun activities =D  Seeing old friends and doing fun stuff.

I wanted to do a challenge.  I sent some pictures to go along with it... I started reading the Book of Mormon again, this time I am drawing pictures on every page showing what the scriptures are about. 

 It's really quite fun!  I'm going to try to finish it before Christmas.  So you should too!  Then when we call on Christmas we can talk about it!... you don't have to do pictures.  You can just read it if you want.  Or another good one is marking 'commandments and blessings'  That is pretty cool.  Or marking Christ... or whatever else you can come up with =)  I've found that it's a lot of fun, and very effective, to get a new paperback BofM and just have one theme marked in it =)  So I issue this challenge.. starting now!  haha =)  have fun with it!

Thanks for all your support!

love you!

~Sister Radmall