Don't let the Bed Bugs bite!

This week has been insane! Half of my old district have moved on to other areas in the mission, and Sister Short and I are still chillin in Osceola! Continuing on with the work! Which, reminds me, we have a new investigator! His name is Ulises. He's a super chill dude. We ran into him when we went to visit his mom, who is a less active member. However, Marta speaks very little english, so she called him in to translate. We asked him if he would like to learn more, and he accepted! So, we have been teaching him the last few weeks, and he came to church! He described his experience as a Jacuzzi. At first, it was awkward and uncomfortable. However, after he settled in, it became more peaceful and he didn't want to leave. So, yes. Church is like a Jacuzzi. 

Another cool experience from this week was our service time at a thrift store called Cross Ministries. We got a call from Mike, the person who started it all, about if we wanted to come help load a truck (He hadn't realized that the elders left), but we accepted and went to help. We then found out that this thrift store was so much more. The truck we were loading up was being filled with tons of medical supplies that hospitals and clinics nearby no longer wanted/needed, and they were getting sent around the US to start up clinics. They also have contacts in third world countries that come about twice a year and pick up more supplies, or, if it is small enough, they mail it. The list goes on. It was amazing to work alongside them. 

On to a less happy subject... Bed bugs. No, they are not just some funny joke that you say before bed. They are real. It started a couple weeks ago when Sister Short woke up with a bump on her knee. We figured that it was just a spider bite, and went on with our day. However, then we got a call from Hermanas Esplin, Mora, and Monson. They had bed bugs, and we had spent the night over there just a week before. So, we looked all over, but we found nothing. However, every morning, Sister Short would wake up with even more bumps! (Luckily, I am not susceptible to the bites, though they could have been feasting upon my blood and I would never know.) Then, we walked into our room late Thursday evening and saw.... A bed bug crawling on the mattress. So we smashed it and flushed it down the toilet, only to find out that we have to have a bug to show the exterminator in order for him to really do anything. So, we prayed about it, then went to do our laundry. Lo and Behold, there was a bed bug in our dryer lint. So, Gary the Bug is currently hanging out in a nice plastic bag until the bug killer arrives, and we are having a sleep over elsewhere until that happens.

Elder Rutledge, Elder Alton, me, and sister Short hanging out by the non-existent lake.

My totally fantastic new district, Elders Lovin, Brown, Clayson, Orme, Fuller, Barrett, Hermana Esplin, me. Front Row, Elder Rutledge, Elder Williams, Hermana Tolson, and Sister Short

We found the home of a few more creepy mannequins... Iowa has an obsession.