(This email is from 2 weeks ago)

Ola! how's my family doing??????????????   I got a letter from Grandma and Grandpa Davenport yesterday which was awesome.  I'm pretty sure they know more about Brazil now than I do. haha I also got a letter from Linda Pack in Dodge City.  She's been going to church and reading her scriptures still and Kim and Daniel are good too.   Kim just got a job which I'm so happy for her doing.  sounds like life is good :)  also I've officially heard what 50mile and hour gusts of wind sound like too.  Fortunately it didn't catch us at the time we were walking!  That would have been fun. haha

 

Tomorrow we're going to the TEMPLE!! so excited.  Feels like it has been forever.  We've been trying to figure out how to get to Topeka and had a ride there, but not back.  The APs sent us a message though that they'll come and pick our whole district up in the mission van! So nice.  We didn't have the miles and were really struggling to figure out what to do, but all is well :)  If that's our biggest problem we're doing good. haha 

 

This last Sunday we had 3 people come to church!!! Debbie came again and she has been participating and talking with people and it's so great.  The last time we went over and visited with her, she was talking about how much better she feels when we come over and when she reads her scriptures.  She's also signed up to feed the elders a couple times this month.  Hahah sooooo cute!!!  Also, did I ever tell you about her Crazy neighbor Glen?  He's really nice, but he's strange.  Since apartment walls are always paper thin it seems, Glen can be heard loud and clear everytime he "prays"  He goes off saying "Diyee diyee diyee diyee.....I command all evil spirits to go STRAIGHT to Tubamaka right now. RIGHT NOW.....Duck duck duck duck...." And boy oh boy he can go on for a while.  It's pretty entertaining, but I feel bad for Debbie who gets woken up by him at 6 in the morning, and he does it at random times throughout the day too. But Debbie just keeps her chin up and stays positive :) She is always so sweet and told us that we were like rays of sunshine. Aww :)  Adam was also at church but only because he thinks Sister Tycz is awesome and has known him for 5 months or so now.  We don't ever get to teach him much, but we keep trying because he's awesome.  He stayed for all of church though.  We're eager to see his reaction to it or if he'll come back.  haha Marcie came with her daughter Chanice which was super cool too!!! They'd never been to the LDS church before and Hope East (the bishop's daughter who's 7, same age as Chanice) came back and met Chanice and took her to class after Sacrament meeting.  so perfect!  They live kind of far south but since we'll get a new amount of miles this month, we are definitely going back to visit.

 

Since we're guessing/pretty sure that Sister Tycz will get transferred next Wednesday, she's been writing down everyone she wants to see before she leaves.  The list is pretty long, but I hope we can get to everyone.  She has been here in Emporia for 6 months so you get to know people pretty well in that time.  I'm already getting sad to think that she'll be leaving, we've been companions for 3 months and boy did that time fly. sheesh! She is so awesome and we've been becoming good friends.  I know that it's good to have new companions, to learn from different people and get to know and love them as well though.  I'm a teensy bit nervous to have to know where everything is though, you know how AWFUl I am with directions. haha Sister Tycz and I one day decided to try and describe each other in one word....the word she picked for me was proper. haha Me always trying to act appropriately in each situation.  I told her hers was exciting because she always makes things fun, and we end up laughing... like last night for instance!  We got to bed 20 minutes late because we were busting up about random things. bahah

 

Wednesday, after we had met with Debbie for a while and talked about the Holy Ghost and his role, we were walking home and ran into this older man who we had passed earlier.  We said hi and started talking with him for a second, offered him a Book of Mormon and he wanted it! Sweet!  and get this, His name is Greg.  I know that that book is a powerful tool though, but it has to be used right.  When read with real intent, and an open heart, listening for answers to your prayerful questions, you WILL receive an answer and come to know it is true, or have your testimony of the book strengthened and rooted more deeply.  As we continued walking home, a man pulled over in his car and asked us where Exchange street was.  We pointed it out to him and he said, "Oh you're mormon missionaries right? My doctor in Mexico was Mormon and taught me some things"  He was super friendly...maybe a little too much?  haha he said we looked like we could be movie stars we were so pretty. not sure if that's a culture thing or what but when we go see him, we're going to bring a member with us just in case :) haha

 

Thursday we went to ESU (Emporia State University) which is just up the road, to set up a table for the Winter Welcome.  There were a few other churches there with tables set up too.  We had a big ol' poster board and candy and Books of Momon, and pamphlets....you name it we had it. A few people stopped to talk to us, one of whom was Adam.  He said he'd met with missionaries for a while, but sounds like he wasn't too interested.  He said he would come to Basketball on Tuesday night though which would be awesome.  There are so many people who are content with where they are at.  It's cool that they feel happy, but it breaks my heart that they have no idea what they're missing. 

 

Friday, after District Meeting, we went to the college for lunch with the other Elders in our district, and I started talking to this guy who is from Brazil. He always hangs out in the game area and Brother Gifford who works there told me that he's from Sao Paulo, Brazil.  I said something random to him in Portuguese and he said it was pretty good but didn't correct me. Bah. He said I could come to the game place and he'd help me with Portuguese.  That would be awesome, because I need practice teaching the lessons in Portuguese so some doctrine will probably come out in our chat. haha I feel so sneaky sometimes, but honestly, friendship is a good gift for people, but the gospel of Jesus Christ is better.  Jesus Christ understands people in ways we never ever could thankfully because of the precious gift of the Atonement.

 

Sunday after church, sister Tycz and I went over to Janet and James Hambleton's house (since that's the only time she's really free from kids because they run a daycare and are busy busy busy)  and she trimmed our hair for us.  So nice!! It was getting pretty splitty on the ends there.. blegh  They are both so sweet though. LOVE Them.

 

Well I hope everyone is doing good in California/Idaho/Texas or wherever you are!  I pray for you and love you!

 

-- Love always and forever

Sister Harston