Even dog bites can be miracles!

This week was a week of big miracles! We had so many people who really surprised us. The biggest two were two women named L. and P.; L. told us a few weeks ago that she read Mosiah 18 and wants to be baptized! When she found out that she must get married or separate from her boyfriend first, since they're living together, she started to cry, and claimed that she 'would never be baptized', because he wouldn't marry her, and they have children together. We fasted with her to help her talk to him, and just a week later (this week), she told us that her boyfriend is moving to Maré (an outer island) to build them a house at the end of this month and she's staying here and applying for jobs so that they can be married as soon as possible, and then she wants to be baptized right after, before they move to Maré to start their married life together in their own home, since they're living with her parents at the moment! They planned it all out together!

The second was P., she was a miracle contact that I had on an exchange with Sister Tehanin a few weeks ago. We had spent the entire day porte-à-porting (door-to-door) in an apartment complex because all of our lessons fell through, and we hadn't had a lot success. One or two people said that we could come back another day, but nobody really seemed interested. Finally, we decided that we would just do this one last apartment building. We knocked on all the doors, working our way up to the fifth floor. Then, the very last door of the building, we meet Paola, who asked us to come in pretty much the moment she opened the door. She comes from the same tribe as Sister Tehanin up north! We had our first lesson with her this past Saturday, and taught the Restoration. At the end, of the lesson, we asked her to pray and ask God before we saw each other again if what we had taught was true, and she said that she already knows it is true and she almost cried when we handed her a copy of the Book of Mormon that we had brought for her. We were just in amazement when we left her apartment. It was worth walking up all those stairs!

Now for the story of S. S. is an ami who really didn't want to be one, but all of his siblings have slowly, one by one, been baptized. We started teaching his wife, but he would tell us we could only come over when he wasn't home. Then, he started allowing us to be there when he was home. Then, attending the lessons, but saying that he would never participate. Then, he started reading the Book of Mormon and participating. Two weeks ago, he said, out of nowhere, "I know I'll be getting baptized, I'm just taking my time. No rush. But I know it'll happen". WHAT?! This week, we watched a Church movie (The Testaments) and he LOVED it. At the end of the movie, it says, "le Messie est venu, et Il reviendra" (the Messiah has come, and he will come back). Afterwards, he was just alking around saying, "Il reviendra" (he will come back) over and over again. It was hilarious. We just love their family so much!

A. is getting baptized this Saturday! At our lessons this week, he just has grown up so much and he showed us how ready he is. It's so excited to be here and be able to be one of the people who teaches him.

Ok, so about the title of the email. This week, we were working out, and a large dog attacked me and bit my knee. The owner heard it all, and came speeding over in his truck. Luckily, the dog was tied up, I just had walked a little too close because he hadn't shown any signs of aggression, and it was a dog that I knew. Luckily he didn't break the skin thanks to my pants, so I just have some massive bruises. Come to find out, he's actually a trained attack dog. His owner is an attack dog trainer named M.F., and he was super nice. He told us that he used to meet with the missionaries, and actually knows a ton of the members of our ward! He invited us to come over and teach his family sometime this week!

So that was my week! Thank you all for your continued prayer and support! I love you all!

Another 6 weeks in Ducos!

It's official! Sister Harding and I get to be together for another 6 weeks here in Ducos. I'm so happy to stay; I love Ducos so much now.

I gave a talk this week in sacrament meeting. It was a little bit crazy, because I found out at 8pm the night before, and they didn't give me a subject or time limit... I asked, and he said not to take the whole meeting and that my subject is "Christ". It was alright, and then the Elders both spoke after me. In all, not the worst thing ever for only my second talk.

Other than that, there really wasn't too much to talk about this week. We had 11 lessons, which is pretty much a record for right after the holidays! A little boy we teach (his name is A.) is getting baptized this month! His whole family is basically all members, but he's 9, so he has to have the missionary lessons in order to get baptized. It's so much fun to teach him. He opens and closes all our lessons for us. He welcomes us, and selects someone to choose a hymn and pray, and then leaves us the time for the lesson. It's so cute!

Well, I love you all so much, have an awesome week and don't forget to read the scriptures this week!