*Irmã Craig*: Go for the temple, or go home! August 18, 2014

Family!!! For the record-- The picture of the food I sent... You all have eaten it. By show of emails...who has eaten those brookeside chocolate covered ACAI?!?!!? Then you have all eaten acai. Its a dessert, and chocolate covered its horrible...but put granola and a little sugar, and its the best thing in the world. Y'all don't even know. There isn't one person down here that doesn't like Acai, including americans. Its like ice cream.... but better...and healthy, super healthy.

Okay...This week- AWESOME! We started to teach a little bit more of Lena's family!!! Ya, her mother in law is HILARIOUS! Isabell, and Lena...we taught them the Plan of Salvation this week, and at the end...we invited them to pray...and they both just looked and were like ya, we will pray...but...that makes sense, I believe this. And just start talking about how there is no doubt that this is the plan God has for us. AWESOME! Just need to get that little Lena married, and everything will be perfect.

Since I have arrived here in Gama, I have gotten really close with a family here. They are hilarious, and awesome. I have sent pictures before. Anyways, we are working with them for the them to go to the temple together and be sealed. It is a lot of work, as this is the time that Satan is really trying to prevent them. But this family is INCREDIBLE. I am really excited to see them go through the temple. This week, I really got struck about our work. When our new President arrived, he talked about how we are to focus on the less-actives, members who aren't in the temple yet, and investigators. And this week, I really saw the importance of working with members. Seeing them go through the temple together, to be sealed as a family, will be just as rewarding as a baptism. I love this work. You seriously learn something EVERY day. One day you think you are going to work with a bunch of new contacts, and you end up sitting with a member, working to strengthen her...and you know that it is the best thing you could be doing in that moment. It is amazing how the spirit will testify to you, in those quiet moments, that what you are doing in that moment is 100 percent right!!

I love the spirit. I love it when he talks to me.

I can't believe this transfer. It is passing by SO FAST! It is almost over!! Ah, and I don't want my companion to leave! She is awesome! Gall, missions are hard guys. Haha. Saying hello and goodbye every 6 weeks. Its just not fair.

Today was our Zone Activity. We had churrasco (grilled some meat...yum) and played soccer for hours on end. In the blistering sun. IT was a blast!!!

Things about home-

Can't believe Ty-dawg is coming home already...the kid just left. Oh wait, that was me. Haha. And what?! DEREK DRIGGS? Already? Tell the kid hi! I don't even believe it!

Okay, I absolutely love the mission guys. I mean, I know there are those days....sometimes even weeks, where I am like...this is hard. But its those hard ones that make it pay off! Opposition in all things, we need to know sadness, to know greatness! And that is something I learn daily here. Ha!

I love Gama. I am staying here. For the rest of my mission and after. OH that reminds me. 2 things, one I think I am going to live here the rest of my life, that cool with everyone? 2) This week we had a lesson with our BISHOP!!!!! It was awesome! And hilarious. Sister Valen and I were eating lunch in their little snack store, and we were sitting there, and Bishop's brother calls over a dude and starts talking "have you ever seen these girls? They are from the Church of Jesus Christ..." And he basically sits the kid down himself. And so we start talking, everyone is just laughing, its a bit awkward. But then bishop decided to sit down with us. We were explaining a little bit about the Restoration, and about Authority of God. And my companion uses the example of a drivers license. "If I don't have a drivers license, can I drive? Yes, I could...but that wouldn't be right" Talking about how our Church has the Authority to make covenants in the name of God..." Anyways, it was an awesome short little lesson. And after Bishop starts talking about our authority example...and he looked at us...and was like "Good thing you didn't ask me to testify about the Drivers license authority example, because I have been driving for 2 years without my drivers license." And in that moment, we all broke out laughing, like...WHAT? HOW? haha.. So the story about our bishop, is that when he was little he was paralyzed, told he would never be able to use his hands/arms...but then one day, he received a blessing talking about his Mission, that he would serve. And since that day, he has worked on this problem. And he has been able to do small things. He served a mission and everything, but he can't do a lot. And so, he went to RENEW his drivers license, and they didn't let him renew it because of this....

Anyways, it was hilarious. Hope that all made sense. Bishop is awesome.

Love you all, glad things are good at home. Miss you like crazy. Come to Gama. Its too legit to quit here.

Sister Craig

I went picture wild this week. Just cause I felt like it.