1/2/17--Every sickness and a birthday!🎉

Well I think the title of my email about explains what this week has been like. I have to say this weeks as another slow week in the work however this week is already looking up in our lesson numbers because we have so many people already lined up for lessons. Especially other people we haven't had a lesson with since I got here. So I hope this week will look up in terms of some of the missionary week.

Some of the highlights were one lesson that was absolutely crazy and all the kids were running everywhere. It was the hardest lesson I have taught because no one was paying attention. Fun news one of our members finally got permission from her less active husband to get her daughter blessed and she is going to do it when they go to Ecuador next month. Then a miracle happened with Wednesday we had a meeting with out branch president to discuss the less actives and Hermana Voss said we usually do it at their house so they will feed us. So we did t eat and I was starving. Then we found out it wasn't at their house so we wouldn't eat and we were trying to figure out what to do. As soon as we pulled into the church parking lot a member called offering to feed us! Miracle! Then after the dinner we did a look up trying to find someone and they invited us right on in to the birthday party. They allowed us to show the Christmas video then made us stay for cake. So we ate and left as soon as we could. We felt bad just walking right on in to this Dominican party. It was funny we went from staring to having a ton of food! So there were some perks to missionary work this week.

Anyways now on to explaining the title of my weekly.

So last week Monday through Wednesday I had a nice little cold so I was sneezing and blowing my nose all the time. It wasn't fun at all. Hen on Thursday we went back to the doctors so that she could attempt to clean more earwax out of my ear and she couldn't. So I have to put more drops in and hope the wax loosens up. Hopefully this week we will have more answers. The funny part was a I had to take a hearing test so hey left Hermana Voss in a small waiting room with a guy. I came out and she said "Why did you have to leave me? I got left in this room with a boy and I didn't know what to do!" Oh the life of a missionary when you leave your companions sight and have a small heart attack. Then on Friday I woke up with a terrible stomach ache. I really didn't feel good like all day! So I called our nurse and she said I most likely got he bug that most of the mission has. So I spent most of the weekend with a stomach ache.

Now on to the fun part of my birthday! So to start it off on Saturday we went out to eat at a place called PS Burgers and they have a Texas burger that may I say is so good! It was a burger with BBQ sauce and bacon. So of course I wore my Texas get up! I loved it! Then we had some funnel cake fries with strawberry sauce to dip it in. It was so good. Then for New Year's Eve we had to be in our apartment at 6 so we went home and I watched the Lindsey Stirling face to face which was really good! I highly suggest watching it! Then we found a trivial pursuit in the coolest so we played. I have to say I learned a lot from it! However will show you my favorite question! I thought it was super funny my companion however didn't find it as funny as I did.

Then we went to bed and I set an alarm for 11:55. So we woke up and my companion was half out of it so she sang happy birthday to me about 4 times before midnight. So we rang in the new year in bed with my companion singing feliz cumpleaños a bunch of times. Then for my birthday one of the member's was so proud he got me a big thing of cookies. When he saw me his face lit up and he was so happy to give it to me! It made my day! Then Hermana Voss told everyone we saw that it was my birthday and they all would hug me first and say happy new year then they would ask if really today was my birthday and I would say yes so they would hug me again. It was so cute to see everyone get so excited to tell me happy birthday! Then we had a linner at the branch president's house which was super good! It kept me full all night! Then we spent most of the evening knocking. It was so funny at one house the little kids answered the door en ran away yelling strangers! It made us laugh so much! Then when we were looking up a person they had two doors. The first to a covered patio the second into their house. So you have to go through the first one to get to the second one. So Hermana Vos went to go through the first one and it wouldn't open all the way so she pulled the handle to close it and pulled a little too hard that she pulled the door handle off! It was sooooo funny! Overall we talked to a bunch of people, made some memories, laughed, and ate our little hearts out!

I know some of you may have already seen this but I just absolutely love this video for he new year. So here is a link to an awesome video!

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2010-12-21-new-years-look-not-behind-thee?lang=eng

I know when can put our past behind us and start new. Become the person we want to be. I know that through the Savior we can change. I love how this is a gospel of changing and becoming He person God wants us to be. I love y'all have a great week!