Week 52

Subject: Our apartment smells like tobacco now

Hey everybody!

What a week it has been! I've been having some trouble sleeping and haven't had much of an appetite, but otherwise, I'm holding up just fine. There's always some kind of challenge... I woke up at 3:30 this morning and was wide awake, so I got up at 4:30 and cleaned the kitchen and bathroom. It helped to make our p-day smoother, so maybe it was a tender mercy in disguise :)

This week brought so many unexpected surprises. Our contacting miracle, D, the one who came up to us, came to FHE on his own on Monday and just joined right in! Everybody loved him, and the Institute president begged to come on teaches with him :) Funnily enough, after our teach with him on Thursday, he asked us not to bring a 'chaperone' who talks 90 percent of the time and doesn't let us fulfill our role. It was refreshing, actually. It's really frustrating taking members who take control of the lesson. I wonder, though, if he saw it as a male-female thing. Being dominated by the opposite sex and all... It was a good lesson though, and he stuck around for a long time talking to Elder and Sis. Anderson afterwards. He's played World of Warcraft professionally before and was in one of the top guilds. Not my thing, but that's pretty awesome.

We also had that surprise with C. We met him on Tuesday and felt impressed to just ask him how it was going quitting smoking. He said he had reduced his smoking, but wasn't quitting, per se. We asked him if he'd like to and he agreed to go on the program! It has been a really special week with him. He gave us his pipe, so I decided to keep it as a souvenir. We've got it sterilizing in bleach in our apartment. It's awesome! We went to clean up his apartment too, and absolutely scoured the place. It needed it. There was loose tobacco everywhere, and he was very grateful afterwards. Poor Sis Lövgren used an entire roll of paper towels in the bathroom and I took wads of tobacco, cigarette paper, and leftover food out of the old dish water in the sink. We hoped it would help him not fall into the habit again if everything was fresh. He helped us with the baptismal program for Fadi and then came to the baptism in a suit his son had bought for him!!! He looked so good, clean, and happy. He said that he had had one cigarette, but it was nasty to him. I was so proud of him. And then during the closing hymn of sacrament meeting, I felt like I needed to just go over to him and ask him when he wanted to get baptized. I asked Sis Lövgren about it, and she gave me the go. So, I did just that. I went over and said, C we've been wondering when you would like to get baptized. He said that he'd actually felt that at the baptism yesterday, that it was leading to that, and that he'd like to. So, we decided on a date! It felt so good and he was so excited! We've still got a little ways to go, but he's basically ready. He's made so many big changes, going from being anti-religion to ready to be baptized in just over 6 months. It's a miracle. He also has really awesome longish, shaggy hair that I half hope he doesn't cut.

Saturday was also a wonderful day. Everyone in our district had a baptism, so it was a full, fun day! We baked a ton of cookies and sang 'Be Still My Soul' three times. The last time was the best because we did it a cappella right in front of the baptismal font, so the acoustics were awesome. F's baptism was really sweet. I'm grateful we were able to help him get there despite all the texts about my beauty. It was S's first time baptizing and he just couldn't get the prayer right, so he had to do it three times. The Spirit was so strong the whole day. It was wonderful. The confirmation was done in Arabic and everyone in the ward thought that was really cool.

I have been so grateful this week for how much the Spirit has been with us, guiding us. I know more and more that the Lord really is always with us. I'm just so grateful for all the miracles this week.

I also made my first from-scratch layer cake for Elder Carlisle's birthday. It turned out really good! You would have been proud, Dad. Oh, I also decided that I'm going with the money, so I'll be going to Utah State for my master's program. I never thought I'd go back to Utah, but I dont' think it will be that bad :) Plus, I have mission friends who will be there, so I won't be as alone as I would have thought. Well, we have to go play some football now, so I best be off. I love you all! Keep me in your prayers, if you will...

Love,

Amy