KNOW HOPE

Aloha! (I never know how to start out these things)

This week was so fun! My friend Callie was able to see me in Carthage, and that was definitely a highlight! I love that I get to see people I know so often! It's the best :)

We also had a day of service this week! On Friday we got to do service with the BYU Young Ambassadors, and then afterward we got the chance to watch them perform! Again, I am SO grateful to be surrounded by music.
 

During Service :)

 

We painted flower pots with them, and walked around Burlington! There were a TON of old churches there, and it made me realize that I'm completely obsessed with old churches. They're SO beautiful, and they remind me of Portland. :)

When we were changing after doing service, I looked in my bag and realized I had brought two
different shoes...and they were both the left shoe. That was my "Natalie" moment for the week. Hahaha. A lady ended up giving me her shoes for a couple hours, which was soo nice. i love people.

This week we had an amazing lightning storm!!! Sister Stirling and I were leaving the jail at about 9:15 PM and as we walked out we noticed that there was a light flickering. i assumed the lights on the outside of the jail were starting to burn out, but when I looked up I realized the whole sky was lighting up. The insane thing is that the storm consitsted of constant lighting, and no thunder. It was the weirdest thing I have ever seen. It felt like the paparazzi was in the sky and they were taking pictures of us. Hahaha. I sent a video earlier that Elder Hanson took of the sky :)
 

thunderstorm video

I got to meet Callie!!!!! ♥ I knew her from twitter and she was able to stop by to see me on her way to BYU!!! Soooo so fun she is so cute :)) Also she caught an awko photo of me giving a tour so ENJOY!!

 

Another great part of this week was making hilarious Mormon Messages with Sister Garrison. I'll have to see if I can find a way to send them at some point because they are SOOOO funny! Hahaha! Like I always say, i LOVE these sisters that I serve with! Seriously, they are the best.

A funny part of being a visitors center sister is that people are always taking pictures of you...within 5 seconds of meeting you. It's so weird! yet funny! I just want to know where all these pictures even end up hahaha.
 

Sunday was probably the craziest day of the week. Carthage is only open 12:30-4 and we had 823 guests. IT WAS INSANE. We had soooo many people!!! We also have the YPMs come and do a vignette, and that brings a ton of people. I was able to watch one of them  and it was perfection. There were two acoustic guitars present..need I say more? 

Super cute girl I met this week! I just love her!!! ♥

Well, I'm still in Carthage, and I'm still loving it! the spirit is stronger here than I have ever felt in my entire life! At the end of one of my tours a man looked up at me and said, "How do you do this everyday?" I ask myself that sometimes as well. Being in the Martyrdom room is an EXPERIENCE, and it's absolutely insane that I am able to have that experience multiple times a day. Sometimes I just don't understand how I got this lucky.

Well, this week I learned that we all need to be humbled once in awhile. Heh heh. I wish I was better at humbling myself so life didn't have to do it for me. Maybe next time hahah.

Well, the songs that have been running through my head this week are:

Coattails-The Broods

Addict With a Pen-The Broods

East of Eden-Zella Day

ALSO! Remember HOPE, Hold On Pain Ends. I gave a short lesson on that last night.

I have to run to go grocery shopping, but i love you all SO MUCH and I am so happy to be out here serving a mission. ♥♥\

With love,
Sista Pug

P.s. Sister Mikolyski drew me holding a baby wolf and it's kind of the best thing ever...so enjoy