Well my fellow friends and family! I want everyone to know that I love my mission and hate the weather!! However, with all the snow we have been getting we have had some awesome opportunities to shovel. Last week my companion and I decided to borrow some shovels from some members and drive around and find some people to help shovel and clear some driveways or parking spots etc etc. We had some cool experiences and everyone we helped just loved it and so did we. However, I think my greatest joy came when we saw this young girl and a lady that seemed like it could be her mom shoveling snow. My comp and I ran up and began helping them. The girl Sophia is in 8th grade and the other lady Antoinette was her aunt whom Sophia had been living with since she was 2 days old. We talked and shoveled, laughed and shoveled and had a really good time chatting and telling them who we are and what we do. When we were done we got their information so we could come back to share a message with them. We started walking to our car and we heard someone say "Hey, wait!!" When we turned around it was Sophia asking if we were going to shovel more people and that she wanted to come. We were so happy she started walking with us and we walked around the entire complex trying to find some people to shovel out. Keep in mind we probably looked crazy because it was snowing even more as we were looking for people to help shovel out. As we walked with Sophia she told us her life story and told us the things she had gone through as a child. She has gone through a lot more as a 13 yr old than most people have their entire lives. Sophia was just a neat girl. We are excited to meet with her sometime this week. We spent about an hour just walking and shoveling. It was great. When we finished we went home to change and headed to the Washington Dc visitor center with Phuong and two members of the church. It was just amazing. We asked her how her reading in the Book of Mormon went and she said that it was very difficult to read because of the language. Then (take note, this is why i love Visitor Center Sister Missionaries) the Sister who was giving us a tour went and got a copy of the Book of Mormon in Vietnamese. It was the coolest thing watching Phuong's face light up. She said she felt like God knew her personally and was so excited that he speaks her language. We read 2Nephi31:3 with her about how the Lord speaks to us according to our own understanding and in our own language. It was just awesome. We then watched the Joseph Smith movie and the Spirit just filled the room even more. When we were done we went out in to foyer and if you have not seen the LDS Washington DC Temple i suggest you google it because this is the sight that we were looking at. As we stared at the temple and taught her a little about it Phuong turned and said "you know... a year ago I would have never thought I would have this opportunity. Now I'm learning and growing so much." It was sooo amazing to hear her say that. That's exactly how I felt when I met Daniel. I was learning and growing so much that it was almost impossible to even believe it. The gospel is just great. So this Sunday at church was just awesome and crazy. Aleyda and Phuong were at church and as we were sitting there Aleyda got up to go to the restroom came back, sat down beside me and said... "umm my water just broke." Put that on your top ten things not to tell a missionary. WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I SUPPOSE TO DO!?!!? They did NOT train us for that at the MTC. I was like "uhh, uhhh let me go get someone." As I'm pacing back in forth in the hallway I finally come to my senses and realize "what in the world you are in the ward where EVERYONE goes to Johns Hopkins!!" So we go find a sister in the ward who is an OB/GYN. And she is pre-coaching Aleyda through, asking her how she feels and if she's having any contractions. She then said she wasn't hurting but just felt scared. Well to make a long story short we have one of the sisters in the ward who just loves Aleyda to death take her to the hospital. Now for the best part the sister who took her has 3 boys and the middle one when he found out they had to leave early thought he was being punished and started crying and saying "but mama i don't wanna go home, I'm sorry. I don't. i don't wanna go home. please I wanna stay" It was soo sad but funny and awesome that it was a "punishment for this little kid to be taken from church." Oh man this was soo good. I can't make this stuff up. So all this happened in the first 2 hours of church. As I go back in finally getting my head clear My comp and I walk into joint meeting Priesthood and Relief Society and the lesson was over missionary work. Our Ward Mission Leader, Bro. Cheung, is doing a phenomenal job and asks us and the Elders to get up and share some interesting things about ourselves. When we all sit down I finally calm down from all the stress of the morning and Bro. Cheung is talking to the members about feeding the missionaries and says "And everyone, if you have not had the pleasure to have Sister Norris in your home you better do it soon because she leaves next month!"
I near about lost it!!! You can put that in the top 10 things never to announce in meetings. I almost feel out of chair. I was thinking "You know, no one may be able to eat with us because I'm gonna get sent home early for killing my Ward Mission Leader." It was probably the funniest thing ever. However, I wanted to die. I jokingly told Bro. Cheung after the meeting that I was going to kill him. He kept the secret from me about my family moving and couldnt hold water when it came to me finishing my mission next month. Gotta love Bro. Cheung, eh? Well, all joking aside Bro. Cheung is just one of the greatest men I have had the opportunity to meet and work with on my mission. I love him and well... I love this work. Its great. I am excited to keep seeing miracles and helping the Lord.

Ps. Aleyda went to the hospital and it was defintely false alarm so we are still anxiously awaiting little Noah Josiah any day now.