Rats :(

Hello family!!! How are you all doing? So I hear that y'all are getting ready for Tonys Grove, well you all have loads of fun for me. Because I will miss it so much and I wish that I could go with you, but I am on a mission and that is very important. So what is up with y'all? How has your summer been going? I hope it has been super fun and that you all are having a great time. Well I am doing good down here in as the locals call it the "Training ground for Hell". Yes they really call it that because it is so stinking hot down here. This week has been good, still kind of slow because everybody is gone for the summer. But I know that things will pick back up soon, and we will find lots of people to teach! Ok so on to the stories of the week!!

Story 1 Ok to on wednesday we met a man named Bob (names has been changed and you will see why), he used to be really active and loved the church. But then he had a few trials and has not been back to church. So we decided that we would go see him. When we told everybody (the Elders, and a few ward Members) they told us to be careful and to not really talk doctrine with him. Then our district leader and his comp decided that they would come by if they could just to see how things were going, and because they like Bob and said that he is a really nice guy. So we had a member couple with us and we head over to meet Bob. And for a little while things are going good and we just talked about Christ and faith, and other things like that. But then the conversation turned south... And we found out why Bob has stopped going to church. Someone brought up the topic of eternal marriages and families, and Bob told us that this was just a wordly idea that the church taught and it was found no where in the Bible or in the Book of Mormon. Bob has had some trials in his life and so his views on things are a little skewed at this point. He also has issues with Joseph Smith and The book of Mormon, but we wont get in to that.  So he and I talked for a while and he would quote scripture to me and then I would try to give him the best answer that I could. The elders would talk every so often and the member that we brought with us bore a very beautiful testimony. And we did this for an hour or so, till we had to go home. But he was very nice and asked if we could come back another day. I feel so sad for him because he has fallen very far off the path, and I want to help him get back. So that is a kind of sad story but it was a really neat experience to talk to some one that crazy.                

Story 2 So this week we had an appointment with a less active family. So we go over to see them and they bring out this whole plate of cheese!! Not normal cheese but things like stinky cheese, blue cheese, cheese that tastes like eggnog, bree, and squishy cheese. And so I had to try all of them naturally and I can tell you one thing for sure. Stinky cheese tastes just like it smells, nasty!! And the other cheese were all so icky, except the squishy cheese that was ok. And then to top off the night the two girls bring in... Mom you may want to skip to the next story right now.. They bring out 2..Huge..RATS!!!!!  YUCK!!!!!! And they put one in a ball and just let him run all around the room. It was a very hard thing not to thing of Dewys hamster  in the ball, and fight off the urge to kick it. And then they let the other one just crawls all over the couch and us and everything!!! It was so nasty!!! I HATE RATS!!! So needless to say that we left very shortly after the appearance of the rats. 

Story 3 So I live in a desert right? And it is supposed to be really dry in the desert right? Well think again! we have had so many rain storms in the past week that you would think that we live in the rain forest!! On Tuesday we were leaving our dinner appointment and it started to lightly sprinkle. But by the time we got in the car and down the street it was pouring. And I mean that the streets were flooded in a matter of 5 minutes!! It was so bad that Sister Brown had to pull over and let me drive because she was to scared. And then I even had to park on the side of the road for a few minutes till the hail stopped. And then all of the sudden it just stopped. And then on Wednesday after we met with Bob it started to pour again but even harder then the last storm!!! And we were out in chaparral and it dark so sister Brown was to scared to drive again and so I drove home. That was one of the coolest drives I have ever had!! The thunder and lightning were so amazing looking, and it was just sop beautiful to see the power of nature uninhibited. And then it rained all night long and continued in to the next day. But for living in a desert we sure do get a lot of rain!! 

Ok so that was the week. Yeah sorry only 3 stories, again it was a really slow week. But hey things are going to pick up and I will have loads more stories to tell in the next few weeks!! I love you all very much and hope you are all doing well. Write back soon!! 
Love Sister Chatwin!!