I can’t tell if that person is laughing or crying, but either way they seem crazy; let’s walk faster…

Dearest Darlingest Momsy, Popsicle and Other Interested Parties,

This week has probably been the hardest but the week I have grown the most on my whole mission. It's incredible how God blesses you with opportunities to get closer to Him and understand better His will for you. It doesn't seem fun at the time, but you grow and grow and eventually will stand with Him and understand why you had to go through those times. I am excited for those days, but, like Paul, I "glory in my tribulations" because I know I am getting closer to Christ and to my Heavenly Father. How blessed am I!

Let's start with the worst day: 3 July 2013. Seriously. So bad! Hahaha! I'll just type up little portions from my journal.

 "The first man we stopped on the street this morning kind of set the tone for the whole day. He told us all about how Joseph Smith was a phony and a criminal and told us why God didn't exist. I didn't even know what to say. So inadequate."

"Our appointment with S-- had fallen through so it was just a long finding time. Finally we finished, and so I decided to do a bus contact home. I just happened to sit next to the least friendly person I've ever met. I said, 'It's a nice day!' and she said, 'No, it's not a nice day!' and there was clearly a tone that said, 'Do not talk to me.' So then I spent a nice 15-minute bus ride sitting next to a lady who was clearly angry at me. Awesome."

Later in the day, we were walking along this road on the way to the Medical Place where I got set up. We stopped a man and he heard the word missionaries, threw his hands up in the air, and walked away. Then "this woman was walking toward us and I thought, 'Heavenly Father sent this woman to us to make up for the rubbish day' and so we stopped her and she pointed her finger right in Sister Jones’s face and said, 'Get away from me.' Oh my goodness. At home, if I would have met any of the people I did today, I would probably be sad for three weeks. We just happened to meet every grumpy person in East Kilbride. Ah! So crazy."

After we stopped those people, especially the lady who told us to get away, we just stood there on the street and realized how sad the day had been. We were laughing our heads off, but we were also crying. Sister Jones was bawling. It was so funny but it was also so sad in so many ways. It reminded me of the quote from Ellen Degeneres, "Laugh. Laugh as much as you can. Laugh until you cry. Cry until you laugh. Keep doing it even if people are passing you on the street saying, ‘I can't tell if that person is laughing or crying but either way they seem crazy, let's walk faster.’ Emote. It's okay. It shows you are thinking and feeling."

Seriously. We were crying and laughing on the street. It was absurd. What a crazy day it was!

Anyway, on Tuesday, we went to see our referral. We'd gotten his name from the Hamilton sisters, I believe, and we'd had it for a few weeks but they knew he was on holiday so they told us when we could contact him. It's been exciting to have, and so we went to his door and were pretty happy about it. When we got there, it was the man we were looking for, but he was very not interested in the gospel. Neither was anybody else on his street. But it was the prettiest street I've ever seen (I sent a picture of it), and we also talked to a lady who wasn't interested and then as we went down her steps, her nun was coming up the stairs. Haha! So funny!

We got to meet twice with a lady whose name is P--. Sister Jones and Sister Robertson chapped into her and she told them she'd actually met with the missionaries before. They went home and she was a former investigator whose name they had marked as one they wanted to go and visit. Crazy! She is incredible and is so prepared. She has two girls that she knows need a spiritual foundation, so we gave both of them a Book of Mormon and they said they would read 2 Nephi 31 this week. She is married to a Mormon who isn't active but whose father is very active in the ward. So many connections that are not coincidences! We are happy that we get to teach her.

We also chapped into this man who was possibly the strangest gent I've ever met. His wife told us to go away but then he wanted to talk. And he might have had dementia maybe, or just was kind of different. He told us that people are so immoral and dress so scandalously. He told us that he wanted to hug us. He told us his wife had cancer. He told us he had a Book of Mormon. When Sister Jones asked his name, he said, "Oh, do you want to date me?" Ha. It was so odd but also really funny.

Independence Day was good! It was pouring rain outside in the morning (it was sort of bad weather mostly all week). I wrote in my journal, "Usually on the 4th of July, it is so hot that I am sweating and wearing sunglasses. This morning was raining buckets! Ha ha ha!" Anyway, that was funny. The best part about the 4th of July was that a member, Sister Green, had us over and celebrated with us. They had an American flag on the wall and we sang "America the Beautiful" and "The Star Spangled Banner." They also sang us some Scotland songs and told some jokes. We ate "American food"--roast chicken, tatties (potatoes), vegetables, and apple pie. She also bought us a watermelon. It was so sweet and was a 4th of July that I will remember! 

We taught a lady named L-- who worked riding horses! That was cool. She doesn't believe in God, and so we tried to keep things really simple with her. I did feel that the Spirit was guiding me in what to say. We tried to get in contact with her again, and she hasn't gotten back with us, so it probably won't go anywhere, but maybe we planted a little seed to believe in God. 

Church was really good. We went to ward council, which we've never been invited to in this ward, and it was so good. Missionary work in East Kilbride is starting to go through the ward council just like it is supposed to. The Bishop gave us a bunch of ward directories and asked us to combine all the notes made by people onto one list. We are excited for the responsibility and then we will be able to go through the list with the ward council and they can tell us who to focus on! I love when missionary work goes the way it is supposed to. The bishop is really trying to do things the way the Lord wants them done. And that is the way we should do it!

We went finding yesterday at this castle and lake. So many people were out because it was gorgeous weather. We met two people who talked with us for a long time. One doesn't accept the Book of Mormon but really should be Mormon because he believes everything we do except that Jesus Christ came to America. Anyway, he was really nice. We also met a man who told us he was a prophet. And since we talked to him for awhile and I was chatting with him, when we walked away Sister Jones said, "Sister Ricks, you didn't really think he was a prophet, did you?" Haha.   She was just making sure we were on the same page and that I believed in the church and everything. Luckily, I do! :)

Well, that's about it. It was kind of a tough week but I have faith that it is getting better! We got 19 lessons this week, which is really good here. I am feeling happy and fairly positive about the work.

I've been thinking about how God turns our weaknesses into strengths. I feel like one of my strengths is stopping people, because I feel really guilty when people go by. That is a strength and also a weakness. I really hate stopping people and I still get scared. But He's blessed me not to love it, but to do it. So that is great.

I love you all and pray for you! Have a fabulous week!

Love,

Sister Ricks