Week 18 Auckland NZ: We had fleas!

Kia Ora Friends and Family!

I feel like it was just yesterday I was typing last week's email. So here's something I know my dad will make fun of me for. Our flat had fleas. We would wake up in the morning with more bites than the night before, all super itchy, like dogs get. It is really common here for flats to have fleas and bed-bugs, it was just weird because our flat was never before infested so we didn't know where they came from. We decided to flea-bomb the place. It was kind of cool to us because we had never done that before. We set it off in each room and closed the door and it sprayed for a few minutes, then you let it stay contained for a few hours to kill everything. Then you wash things/vacuum afterwards.

After we already had flea-bombed, I was praying -and this happens a lot-, afterwards Sister Rich said she had revelation that the source of the fleas was the mission-provided sheets they gave to Sister Young. She was the one who got bitten the most, second was her companion, and next was me who slept in the bed she would often sit on to talk to us in our room. Rough. So we washed those first thing, and it's been pretty good to know we are flea free now. Never thought that would be a thing I would encounter on my mission but here we are hah.

Positives:

• We helped a guy find his keys as we were tracting, and he was in a hurry but he told us to call him later to share our message with him.  It was pretty legit.
• We were out tracting one day and we went and knocked on a particular door. Usually after 3 knocks and no answer, we decide the person isn't home/not coming, so I took a step back from the door to start leaving, but Sister Rich just knocked again. I had no clue why, but we waited for another minute and a man named Nick opened the door. He had been sleeping and woken up to our knocks. He was a non-active member of our church and had recently moved to the area. No body in our church would have known how to contact him to see if he needed any help or was interested in information about the local meetings. He told us God always sends missionaries his way to find him when he needs help, as a reminder that he is being watched over. He said he never wakes up to open the door, but he felt pushed to wake up this time. He invited missionaries to come back to visit. That was a miracle. That was an example of God using us as a means to reach his children and express His love to them. It was a really cool experience.
• Also while tracting another day, we knocked on the door of a man named Conrad. He had taken lessons decades ago and wanted to be baptized, but had concerns that he had never voiced that stopped him from going through with it. It was cool to be able to listen to his end of things and try our best to resolve his concerns. He also invited missionaries back to discuss the gospel with him.
• Just yesterday we only had 30 minutes, but we felt prompted to go knocking in a particular neighborhood. We found a man who was willing to read the Book of Mormon- he told us to give him 2 weeks to finish it. Despite not particularly enthusiastic feelings about learning more, it was a cool opportunity to give him a chance to read the word of God. The Book of Mormon truly testifies of itself.
• We went on walks this week for exercise and it was nice to get out and about.  Here is a pink road we walked on.

• One of the women we are teaching bought us ice cream and I'm not sure how approved it is, but we also played Connect Four with her and her son.  It was a good ice-breaker and she is so keen to learn more. It was a really awesome appointment and she was really accepting of the idea of a God.
• We made mashed potatoes and broccoli and cheese (photo below).

Negatives:

• Obviously the fleas weren't all that great
• We went back to Angel's and she gave us pigs feet. Thankfully she packed them for us since we didn't have time to eat at her house and so we were able to chuck them. (Full on hooves, with hair and everything on it. WOW.) She also gave us super yummy pineapple though, so that's good

Simple Truth  (sorry if these get repetitious- truths don't change):
God is a loving God,  and he will never abandon us.

3 Nephi 22:10
"For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee."

Food Review:  Pascall Pineapple Lumps
The first one I tried was stale, so I inspect them before I buy them now.  They are basically pineapple-flavored chewy marshmallow covered in chocolate. They're pretty good. 
Score: 40/73

I hope you all are doing well!

马姐妹
Sister Martinez