Happy Fourth of July!

Hello everyone! I hope life is treating you all well! 

We had a good week this week! It's been pretty hot, it got up to 99 on Thursday. That's not normal for here apparently. I've had a ton of people say "It's not normally this hot!" "Normally it rains until the 5th of July, then we get summer until September!" "We're having a serious drought!" "I just can't handle this heat!" 

It makes sense though because people here aren't used to heat, they don't expect it, so no one has A/C because normally it doesn't get hot enough to need it. But this summer is pretty hot. It doesn't normally get this hot until August. I keep apologizing for bringing the sun here with me. But, I'm not that sorry because I love the sun, and I'm working on a pretty fun foot tan. Hopefully it will show up before it starts raining again. 

On Wednesday we went to visit a part member family, and when we walked in the fence, 3 tiny dogs ran over to us and were barking at us. I started to talk to the mom, when out of nowhere I felt something clamp onto my ankle! The smallest dog bit my ankle! I got my first dog bite and it left a bruise and a few little teeth marks. But no blood. Haha!

That night we went to visit another family that all got baptized a little while ago but we feel like they are avoiding us. Two of the kids were outside though so we were thinking that this was our chance to get into the home. So we talked to the boys and found out their bunny had escaped. So we told them we would help catch it. So, for 15 minutes we chased this bunny around the neighborhood, through peoples yards, looking under their cars, and when the bunny was exhausted it laid down and I finally caught it. Poor thing. Anyways we carried it back home and got inside, but the parents were asleep so we left them a note and then left. 

On Thursday we had weekly planning and I made it my goal to bear my testimony more when I'm knocking on doors. Because when we say "Hi, we're missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Would you be interested in learning more about Jesus Christ?" It's pretty much inviting them to say no so we can get to the next door as fast as possible. SO, I made it my goal to put more effort into the conversations I start with people when I knock on their door. I really want to bear my testimony more so they can feel the spirit right away. It's hard though, but if I practice I'll be better. So, I started during knocking Thursday night to work on my goal. 

We knocked on this guys house and started talking about the Book of Mormon and he said "If you read the Bible the Book of Mormon isn't anything like it. It doesn't teach the same things at all." And so I started to bear my testimony about how I've felt the Spirit testify to me through the Book of Mormon and that I've grown closer to Jesus Christ through reading the Book of Mormon than anything else. But I was only able to say about 3 words before he cut me off and said "I don't want to hear your testimony." Then he said a few more anti things and shut the door.
:(  Some people are rude, but I guess there isn't a testimony without the test. Also, he was a good person to practice my new goal on. 

Friday we had the chance to help out a family in the ward with some yard work. They were clearing some blackberry bushes out of a part of their yard, so we helped with that for 2 hours. It was exhausting work, but it was worth it. By the end it was so satisfying to see what we had accomplished, and afterwards we ate some watermelon and then the mom of this family shared some experiences from her mission that were exactly what I needed to hear that day. Service always brings blessings. Sometimes in ways you don't expect. 

Saturday was fun. We went to a ward 4th of July Breakfast and we got to know a bit of the ward better. Then we knocked doors in the very hottest time of the day. But we found a few people who might be willing to let us teach them this coming week! :) 

We got permission to have a zone fourth of July party in the evening since we weren't allowed to knock on doors after 5. So we had a barbeque and played minute to win it games. They were pretty fun. We accidentally ended up with a ton of exploded water bottles. (turns out they pop and spray water if they hit the ground) So about half of our time was spent mopping up water. Another activity was to get a powdered donut from your forehead into your mouth. 4 people from one team and 4 people from my team were able to do it in one minute, so they had to have a tie breaker. Since I couldn't do it and another sister from the other team couldn't, they made us go against each other until one of us got the donut in our mouth... So, I spend about 5 minutes with a donut on my face trying soooo hard to get it in my mouth. I got powdered sugar in my hair and my eyeballs and my nose and my mouth and my shirt, but... I DID IT! And my team won! haha. It was a blast. 

Then we went home and listened to fireworks from inside the safety of our apartment. :)

Sunday was a whole lot of church. We were at the chapel for 8 hours, but it was good. Lots of spiritual upliftment! 

This week I've been thinking a lot about America and why we celebrate the 4th of July (I have a companion who rolls her eyes at the pride we have for our country, those darn New Zealanders just don't understand. ;) ) Anyways, I was thinking about it this week, and I love America because it truly is a promised land. It's talked about in the Book of Mormon and it is still in these days a promised land. It is a place where we have the freedom to worship God however we want, and if it weren't for this country and our freedom of religion, then the gospel wouldn't have been able to be restored by Joseph Smith. We are SO blessed to be here in America. Other countries now have freedom as well, but I know that America was blessed to be the place, the Gospel of Jesus Christ would be restored and I am so grateful for that freedom I have. I'm grateful for soldiers who fight for my freedom, I'm grateful for the founding fathers of this country, and all the rest that worked so hard for our freedom, and I'm grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ who sacrificed His life, so that the Plan of Salvation would work towards our ultimate freedom from sin, death, pain, and tribulation. 

I love you all, and I hope you will all spend some time thinking about what the 4th of July means to you. Not just about the fireworks you got to see, but the deeper blessings that we celebrate on that day. 

Have a great week! 

Love, Sister Warburton

Pictures!!

The sisters I was with at Zion's Camp.

​My dog bite. Haha!

My cute zone! My eyebrow is white because of the powdered sugar. 

And our zone again.

Elder Nelson is my district leader, I don't know if I remembered to say that. Also, it's right after I won the powdered donut challenge.  I look really nice. 

I look like I'm in a jungle, but it's actually just someones yard!

My nickname "Quince" is a street name. I thought that was pretty cool. :)

Me and another cat.