I LOVE being on a mission

I have never heard so many random pieces of advice/information from people, in my life. haha I've learned about dating, marriage, birth, and how to pop bigger pieces of popcorn (put/store them in the freezer before use!:) As well as insights into how different personalities work. Did you know, not everyone is loud and wants to be asked a bijillions of questions? I do now... haha. The Visitors' Center is on fire. We can barely keep up on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights, with youth groups and family home evenings! We hit 5,000 people through the door in the past two weeks on Saturday at 1pm. 

We had to go up to Gresham, Oregon for a doctor appointment and on the way back got sidetripped to none other than a RUSSIAN BAKERY!!!!!!!!!!! nevermind we'd already been to DONUT LAND (The only good donuts...in the world.) (Sister Holman thinks it's really funny to have people ask me and Sis. Arts what our favorite donuts are, because we flip out about it. :p).

So, of course, I got a GIANT, like 84 ounce mineral water--because it's all in Russian--, and some chocolate Russian cake, and some of the most delicious apricot juice, this side of the Atlantic Ocean :)
 As we were jumping into the car that morning, coming from Donut Land, we had to hurry and were freaking out trying to be speedy to get into the car. We had had the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Showtunes on earlier, and as we JUMPED in the car, "Who Will Buy" from Oliver! the musical, greeted us. Bhahah, we couldn't stop laughing. It's been such a great week, I don't know when I stopped having a good time. Good parties, all around. We've been teaching in the Visitors' Center, as much as we possisisisbly can, and on the downtime, I study out of the Church Almanac, which contains the growth of the Church for each year! Mostly, I study the maps with the temples on them...;) It's really cool finally hitting our stride, and knowing what's where in the Center, to be able to show people who want to see a Finnish Mormon.org "I'm a Mormon" video, for example. I've pretty much memorized their lives. Also!!!!! There was a youth group in the other night, and TWO OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR DISPLAYS CAME with the youth. Just boppin around, like hey, I'm just here to help, blah blah. We should've gotten a picture, but for them it's kind of embarrassing, and apparently blase ;) haha

Ouff, it's kind of frustrating to have people come into the Center, and say, "Oh, we're members, we're good." Oh, yeah?! Really!? Have you been here before!? Did you know everything's touch screen and if you sit in front of the Jerusalem exhibit without touching anything, it's just a screensaver? Did you also know that if you pick-up a Book of Mormon in another language it'll start reading to you from Moroni 10:4-5, where it talks about knowing for yourself about the Gospel, and that we are promised we'll get an answer!?

Nope, didn't think so.
People tend to think we're tour guides, and to a point we are, I mean, we know where everything is, but they're missing out on SO MUCH! by thinking they can do it on their own! My heart hurts that they'll not get to see the amazing videos we have for them. :(

I have learned and changed so. It's weird to look back at how angry or mean I used to get, ever. Here, you do the right thing, or you don't. If you don't obey and don't listen, which I've struggled with, then you are sad and ashamed, and can't do the work of the Lord, with His help. And then, what's the point. Boof. Pointlesssssssss

Transfers are coming! We're in a trio right now, and the Lord has blessed us immensely, the more we work. We don't do ANYTHING to affect someone changing, and they do, etc. woof.
Today, we went ice skating, and a Zone Leader split his head. I prayed in companion prayer that everyone would be alright, but what can you do, when people have their agency! :(

Please don't pre-judge people the missionaries teach, by not helping them, or thinking they will suck all our assets away. They might, but sometimes, they just really need your help; it breaks our Hearts! to think that anyone wouldn't love the people we teach. I know you all are the bestest ;)

I love you all!
Googma!
Sister Bothwell