April 21

Another week has passed and has once again FLOWN by! It's been a wonderful week full of miracles and awesome missionary work :)

My musical talents have been useful as a missionary especially in the past week. I was asked to sing a solo at a funeral Saturday. I sang "Be Still My Soul" and my companions and I sang a couple of other hymns with some other with some women from our ward. It was for a man we call "Brother Papa". He was not a member of the church, but his late wife "Sister Papa" was/is. He loved the church and was an awesome man. I only met him once when he was in the hospital several weeks ago, but he was so nice and so funny and fabulous. I'm happy to know that he can now see his wife again. I didn't think I did a very good job as nerves sometimes get the better of me... but many people said they loved it. I must have not done too badly, as I've been asked to sing it in Sacrament Meeting this Sunday. Hopefully I won't be as nervous. Singing solos is not nearly as difficult though, as leading the music for the Primary children! I filled in for Sister Newton on Sunday, and it was terrifying. I know I've done it before, but I don't remember it being so scary. The children were wonderful though, and I survived the experience with the help of Sister Miller. The bishop's wife chuckled as she thanked me for my help, and told me it would probably the first calling they give me after mission.

We set a baptismal date this week with a brand new investigator. Mr. BC is planning to be baptized May 8th. He has lots of learning to do between now and then and changes to make in his life, but he is excited about becoming a more faithful Christian and coming closer to God. We are praying faithfully for him and the others we are teaching. It's an amazing priviledge to watch so many people change and grow :) I'm so grateful to be a part of this work.

Yesterday as we were finalizing our plans for the day, our apartment phone rang. Very few people know or use that number and it's usually other missionaries. Imagine our surprise when it was a young man (Mr. M) looking to speak to the missionaries. His fiance in Houston is a member of the church, and he wants to learn more about her faith to improve their relationship. He wanted to know if we could meet w/ him before noon when he left for Houston for a couple days. We quickly rearranged our morning plans and met w/ him in the hospital courtyard around 10. (He's a doctor.) He's so interested to learn more, and we're so excited to help him. We had a wonderful lesson w/ him and will be meeting w/ him again this Tuesday.

My Daddy wants animal stories... this week's a not that exciting... and a little weird :) A few weeks ago we found a small turtle (about the size of circumfrence (sp?) of a tennis ball) that had died on the sidewalk... pretty much just seemed like the sun had gotten the better of him. Sister Miller took him home in a paper towel. She put him on our back patio where he "lives" and we talk to him. His name is Wettle. We tell him to make good choices and watch the apartment while we're gone... We're crazy. Sister Stott will be taking him home for safe keeping this coming week.

Being a missionary rocks! I love mail! I love the gospel! I love you all!

*~Sister Pilmer~*