Wow, I don't even know where to begin. My heart is pounding right now thinking about all the experiences that I have had already and trying to write about them. First off, I am in the Plano, Texas area, and we have a car (which is a huge blessing). However, I am the driver! I was terrified in the beginning because people have serious road-rage here, but Hermana Rodriguez assured me that and spiritual gift that I ask for the Lord will bless me with. So I have been praying to be a better driver. My directional awarement is still awful, but I the Lord has truly blessed me to drive safely and to stay calm.
My companion's name is Hermana Rodriguez. She is from Washington. She had long, shiny black hair, and pearl-white teeth. It was so crazy because at the transfer meeting (my first morning in Texas) I saw her, and I knew that she would be my companion. After we were paired up, I sat down next to her in the church pews. She introduced herself, and she told me that she knew that I was going to be her companion. "A few days before I called the Elders to see who the new missionaries coming in were. And when they said Hermana Lamb, I felt that you would be my companion. People thought I was weird for trying to guess, but here you are," she said smiling.
Even though I haven't known Hermana Rodriguez for very long, one thing I have learned it that she is so in tune with the spirit. I love being around her because she acts on those promptings and feelings. I know that the Lord has answered my prayers with this companion. My prayers before the mission field consisted of something like, "Lord please don't give me a hard companion my first transfer, please. I am not ready. I need someone that I can get along with." And wow we clicked right away. I really love her.
The other day--while we were tracking-- we introduced ourselves to this man fixing his car. He shook our sweaty and slightly swollen hands. "Que bonita contraste," (what a beautiful contrast) he said looking us up and down. He was slightly creepy, but it was funny to hear him explain the difference between us. Hermana Rodriguez is dark naturally, but from this sun, she is very dark now. Standing next to me (a pale-white girl), I am sure people are shocked to hear me attempt Spanish.
So Hermana Rodriguez and I live with a ward member named Sister Burroughs. She is an older lady in her 70's I think, and we also live with her Granddaughter. It's really nice to be in a home, especially one with air conditioning. Everything in pretty spread out here, so there is a lot of driving involved. Hermana Rodriquez was on a bike last transfer, and I don't know how she survived. She said that they would be dripping sweat every time they knocked a door. She said that they would run their hands along their arms to squeegee the sweat away (pretty gross huh?) I hope I don't have to ride bikes anytime soon. It's crazy because I am dripping sweat just standing outside. It's like breathing through a warm rag. I guess the kind of heat the have now is not normal (check of the weather). It's over 100's; however, I think it helps for us to get pity contacts: haha people probably feel sorry for us walking around in the heat, so they sometimes let us in.
One day I said dramatically to hermana Rodriquez, "Where is the shade?" We were tracting in this trailer park, and we literally could not find any shade to say our prayer in. It was pathetic but also humorous. I hope someone saw us wandering around looking slightly delirious.
Cool experience that I want to share:
So Hermana Rodriquez told me to just start driving one day. "You know what we are gonna do. . . I just want you to drive wherever you feel you should go," she said dabbing her face with a hanky. So I drove around for a while. I really don't know this area, so I was pretty confused. We eventually ended up in this neighborhood where Hna. Rodriquez said there would be Hispanic families. I drove slowly past this one street called Frances. My heart literally hurt as I started going further. So, I found a place to turn around.
"Are you going back to Francis?" Hna. Rodriquez asked.
"Yeah I really feel like we need to," I said.
"I was just going to tell you to turn around," she smiled.
We said a prayer together, and we made sure to make our prayers very specific. We prayed that we would get in two doors. We started knocking the doors on one side of the street. We got into one house. "That was an answer to prayer," we decided. We continued knocking doors. Eventually we knocked this one door--the screen was dirty, and the house looked dim.
A large black lady spoke to us from behind the screen. We introduced ourselves, and this woman (Mary Pippins) let us in. She had a slow southern drawl, and she ushered us to take a seat on a dingy, sunken-in couch.
Mary sat down in a love-seat across from us. She wore a cut-off yellow shirt that read: Lend a helping hand to the homeless." Her hair was short and fuzzy. She sat with her hands resting on her knees.
"I'm cookin' fish, and I don't have no air conditionin. Sorry bout that," she said wearily. We assured her that it was fine, and that it felt better than outside (which was partly true).
Mary had heavy eyes, and I could literally sense this woman's pain. She told us about herself, her family, and her health problems: she suffers from gout in her feet so she can't work. She also told us that she suffers from depression.
I inched forward in my chair as I listened to her talk. I could not believe how much love I felt for this woman. I wanted to grab her hand, take her to the car, and drive her to church. She was searching for something better in this life, and I knew that the Savior wanted to help her so much.
After I explained to her that I also suffer from depression, I asked her when she feels most at peace.
"When I'm on the computer, or the TV. I love me some T.V.," she sighed.
I bore my testimony to Mary. I said a lot of things that I don't really remember, but I do remember telling her that the gospel and Jesus Christ are the only things that have helped me when I feel down.
"Mmmmhmm. Yes i would like that," she said rocking her head slowly up and down.
We invited her to church.
"I would really like that. I don't have any friends. I would like some friends," she said.
"Well you got two now," I assured her. She smiled leaning back in her chair.
We prayed with Mary, and tears filled her eyes. The spirit was so strong, and I was so happy in that moment.
However, I felt a little bummed because we would have to hand this woman over to the English speaking missionaries, but I knew that the Lord sent us to her house. This woman was searching for something higher than herself. And her heart was so humble. She was so beautiful to me. And we are definitely going back to visit her soon because she wasn't able to come to church this Sunday.
We have met so many great people already. It's amazing how the Lord works when we are obedient. He is literally bound when we do what he says. So whatever we ask for in his name, it will happen. I have seen this in different ways here. It's so cool.
Right now we are teaching this 18 year-old girl named Crystal Molena. She is 18, and she has a really great knowledge of the important things in this life. She used to be Christian of some sort, I think. But her family doesn't go anymore. They have already listened to the J-dubs, but for some amazing reason they wanted to hear us also. Her mom said that the JDUBS gave her a headache. This made me laugh. Her mom only speaks Spanish, so I do my best to talk to her as well, but I do better explaining myself in Spanglish to Crystal who speaks both.
We have taught them twice. The second time we talked about faith, read some scriptures, and showed them the Joseph Smith video. The kids are usually super rowdy, and their is always Spanish rap music playing in one of the bedrooms. But this time they invited all the kids to come in. The two teenage boys dragged their feet to the table and mostly texted the whole time (which reminded me of someone). But what was so cool about that experience is that during the movie, I watched as all of them grew quiet, even the little seven year old. It was amazing. We tried to ask them how they felt. They said they felt good even though they weren't sure if the Restoration was true. We tried to explain that what they were feeling was the spirit, and we read them scriptures about that. However, I am coming to find that people don't always understand when and how the spirit speaks to them, and they don't understand what it takes to get an answer.
We are praying for Crystal to feel that it's true and to come with us to church. But she has her agency. But I wish people would just realize that they can get an answer if they read and pray. "Prove God," I want to say to everyone we meet because they can, and they won't be able to prove him wrong if they ask.
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