Great to be a servant of the Lord!!

Hello!! My week was great!!! During the week, it seemed slow and unsuccessful... but looking back on it, it was really successful! So it's been good (: and yes, we have knocked many doors! We actually ran into a catholic bible study while tracting... and we joined! it was great (: there are so many religions here in Santa Maria... it's nuts!! But yes, my companion is a lot like me haha. We quote Brian Regan a lot!!

The ward I'm in has a dinner calender for us... so we are fed almost every night (: its great!! So much good food here!! But thank you so much for the work out program/system/thing-a-ma-jigs! (: I'll try them out!

But I'm so glad Justin and Colleen got sealed!! That's great!! and that's sad they couldn't get many pics... but 45 people huh? that'll do it... hahah.

But yes!!!! There is definitely a speeding-up in the mission work. It's awesome (: I'm so excited!! But yes, the summers in Bakersfield are very very hot... and I'd rather not have to spend all of my time there, but wherever the Lord needs me, I will go!! Maybe I'll serve in the same areas and meet the same people as he did throughout my mission!

I'm sad I missed Kori's baptism... but I'm so glad she made that decision!! It will be one of the best ones she will ever make (: but that sounds like you had a party!! too bad I wasn't there... the party would have been so much better ;) hahah.

So Elder Dopp and I taught a woman this week... Her name is Gloria. She's quite strange.... she believes that God's spirit has filled her right hand, and the Holy spirit has filled her left hand and they "guide" her. ........ yeah. super weird. Even when we are sitting and talking with her, she will start swaying her hands around.... and she says her hands like to dance?? and she dances with them... very strange. apparently "God's Spirit" likes plants and the "Holy Spirit" loves painting.... yeah don't ask. but she is a child of God, and we must treat her as such!

I will start writing grandma too. She is so kind for contributing $100 every month! Bless her heart. Thank goodness she gave me that 200 dollars! I still had 180 left, and I bought a bike with it!! A member got it off of Craigslist for us... and it's a piece of hud, but it's a bike (: and could you send like $40-$50 for a helmet? I'm currently using a childs helmet.... so yes, I need to get an adult, quality helmet! OH! and I need more candy!!!!!! I'm all out ): and make sure you send more of those mini melt-away mint chocolate chip looking things! those are good (: And get some gummy stuff! I miss gummy stuff!!

So on Thursday, we went on an exchange with the Zone Leaders, Elder Whited and Elder Haws, and we tracted a street. I went with Elder Whited, and we started tracting one side of the street. After running into a member, and declaring to a few people, we started heading to one of the last houses. I started heading up the the door when I realized Elder Whited kept walking down the street. I asked him where he was going, and he said "let's go talk to this lady over here." She was around the corner a ways, on a street that we weren't tracting. We started heading towards this woman as she was getting out of her car, about to go inside her home. After talking a little bit with her, we found that she was a care taker for disabled senior men and women and she had 3 children, one of them passing away when she was 7. We expressed to her about the Plan of Happiness and told her that she would see her daughter again. After sharing with her part of the first lesson, she gave us her number to coordinate with her to teach her again. I feel like it was a miracle that Elder Whited found her, because I wouldn't have even noticed her. She would have gone inside her home and we wouldn't have talked or met with her at that time.

Well, I hope all ya'll are doing great! Let me know about what's going on in the outside world!!! I heard the pope resigned... crazy.. okay! Love and miss you! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Teeples

Elder Dopp and I in our duds