Week 30 - I think I Time-Traveled?

 Hello you wonderful people and everyone else!

Why do I think I time-traveled? Because this week literally feels like it lasted for maybe a day. Maybe. I honestly don't know how it's already Monday again! If the rest of my mission went at this speed, I'd be home before I knew it. It really was an amazing week though, because the reason for it going by so freakishly fast was we were very, very busy!

The past couple of days, I haven't even taken a lunch or dinner break, and I often work past 9:00 working on things. I spend a LOT of time making spreadsheets, creating calendars, contacting people and following up with assignments we've given them, editing videos, and sitting in meetings. The weirdest part? All of this is missionary work right now! It blows me away. It makes me soooo happy though. I'm much better at all of this than I am at talking to strangers in a Walmart haha.

One major addition to our plates of things to do this week was Instagram. Yep, you read that right. Our mission is one of the few missions piloting Instagram missionary work, and somehow I ended up becoming one of them along with Sister Astle, so now photoshoots count as missionary work too. What?? So weird. As most of you should probably already know, I am NOT the kind of person you'd look at and think, "they have a good instagram profile," because I genuinely don't. I guess that's gotta change now, so wish me luck. The cool thing about Instagram from what I've heard though is that the number of people who respond to messages and comments is SO much higher, and a lot of our instagram missionaries have actually found people to teach through it, so I'm excited. Facebook can be a little more hostile.

For our Facebook page, we're trying to revamp it with an influx of unique, creative, and entertaining content, so if any of you have ideas of what we could do or what kind of videos you personally enjoy watching, please send them my way! 

Our people are progressing along slowly but surely, so that's a bonus. Denise went to "girls camp" this weekend and absolutely adored it! She's honestly more incredible than I can properly describe. Take this for example: we were over having a lesson with Ted, Angela, Denise, and their friend who referred them all, Skyler. Skyler turns to us and asks us, the missionaries who should definitely know the scriptures pretty well, where the verse about God being the same yesterday, today, and forever is. Obviously we'd both heard that verse plenty of times, but we had no idea it's exact location. BUT THEN DENISE SAYS, "Oh! I love that one. It's right here on page 57, 2 Nephi 2:4." My and Sister Astle's jaws dropped open behind our masks. We couldn't believe it!! Man, I love them all so much.

One of my absolute favorite parts of this week was last night. I got to do a Zoom devotional with my home ward!! Sister Astle and I talked about modern missionary work and how we can all contribute to it and the miracles we've seen come from it, and I can't properly express how much I loved getting to talk with my bishop, parents, and members of the ward to answer questions and share stories. Sister Astle got to do one with her ward as well, and it was just so cool.

This has been a relatively short email for how busy we've been, but take all of the things I've listed and realize that's what happens daily for hours and hours and that's how my week got filled. 

I love you all!

Sister Balls