#59 心里 xīnli (heart)

Hello everyone! Another week has come and gone and I still can't think of any better introductions to my emails! So here it is! 

We did a lot of service this week! We have been helping an older Brother in the ward build a shed! And may I say I think it is coming along rather nicely! Another thing we did was help a lady who was being evicted from her home move alllll of her stuff into a storage unit, we have spent lots of time calling members, Coordinating trucks, and leaving voicemails! We have spent almost 6 hours between her home and the storage unit which has made things rather crazy. 

We got transfer calls last night and I am staying here in Templeton and I will be receiving elder Sexton. Who I have only heard good things about. Interestingly enough Elder Kelsey is being sent to my last area in Camarillo! So I have been able to give him a solid list of members to visit and places to go!

Now let me explain the title of this email. Last night we had a mission wide testimony with all the missionaries who are going home this week. One of the elders made a comment that made me reevaluate and reconsider my service, he talked about how sometimes as missionaries we labor with 'all our might mind and strength' but how we often leave out the 'heart' which comes first in that familiar scripture. It got me thinking about how we can work hard, but if our hearts aren't in it, you won't see as much success. So in closing, you not only have to work where you are, but you also have to love where you work! Just something for you all to chew on this week. 

Funny story for this week: we helped our Russian friend Elaina with her house again this week and we had to leave early to get to a member who wanted to pay for our lunch. But Elaina insisted on giving us these Russian pastries so we left full and headed up to eat at Carl's Jr with a member, who went ahead and ordered some of the biggest burgers on the menu for us. On this extremely full stomach we went to do some more heavy lifting, we were just trying not to throw up the whole time.

You all are the best!

1 & 2 The full storage units

3.some pictures a few of the members kids made for us!