"Oh no it's okay, the GPS told us to go this way"

Hey Family!!!! 

     It was so good to hear from you! I look forward to reading your emails/letters alllllll week.  So how is everyone?? What's new??

     So, this last week was great! On Monday we had zone pday and just went to the church and watched The Work and the Glory.  They wouldn't tell us what movie we were watching until we got there and I thought it was going to be like a cute Disney movie or something so I was excited!!! But then it wasn't.... haha but it was still fun to be with our zone!

     Tuesday we had zone conference! It was combined with our zone and another one and they had different missionaries do a musical talent and I played the piano.  James O'Neill Miner was in charge of it.   Sister Toala from Samoa sang "I Heard Him Come" and it was definitely my favorite.  It was so beautiful and the spirit was so strong when she sang!! I really like that song too. 

     After the zone conference, the exchange sisters came so there were 6 of us in our little apartment! (I will get a picture of it this week so you can see what it looks like haha) Monday, Tom had called us and invited us to this dinner about MS and wanted us to be his guests so Sister Johnson and I went while Sister Wilcox went with the exchange sisters to a lesson.  We thought it was so sweet that Tom wanted us to come with him! He saved us seats by him and then after the MS presentation we had a lesson about the plan of salvation with him.  It went really well!! He really liked the part of the resurrection and said it is something he would like to believe so he said he would pray about it.  Oh! So on the way to the dinner, Eugene called us!! We haven't talked to him in a few weeks now because he was just ignoring us so we had dropped him and then he called us and said he missed us and wanted us to come over and have a lesson! SAWEEET!!!!! I will talk about his lesson in a little.

     On Wednesday we had district meeting and we always go out to eat together afterwards and we got to go to the city and it was really cool!! We ate at a place right across from Fox Theatre and it was fun to be down town!  Sister Johnson was with the exchange sister this day so I was in charge of Sister Wilcox, and the other 2 sisters (Sister Ash and Sabey).  I drove!!! It was so weird... I haven't driven at all since I've been here because Sister Johnson is in charge of that and it was just so weird to be like in charge of everyone and what we were doing that day. 

     On Thursday I was with Sister Grover for exchanges and we started out by having a lesson with Eugene.  Sister Grover had me teach like the whole lesson and it was so weird to feel like I was in charge.  I was super forward with him and asked him about baptism, why he decided to call us, and how important it is that he reads the Book of Mormon (he just reads the Bible), and that he needs to keep his commitments.  He responded really well and wants to meet with us again this week.  He said he wants to be baptized and he will know when he is ready to be baptized and that maybe in April he will! Cool huh? That night after the exchange sisters left we went to dinner with Elder Christensen and Elder Nelson at this place called Crown Candy (it was featured on man vs. food - there's this challenge you can do where you eat 5 malts in under 30 minutes and you get them for free and I guess the guy on that show did it)  Anyway, it's in Pagedale which is super ghetto and probably the 2nd most dangerous city here (don't worry we are there about twice a week and we stay in the safe parts - the Elders keep us safe too).  So anyway, this is probably borderline one of those things you don't tell your parents until you get home but the Elders in Pagedale don't have a car. After dinner we drove away and they started walking to the bus.  They watched us drive away and we were just following where the GPS told us to go and then like 10 seconds later I got a call from them and they are like:

Elders: "You guys need to turn around"

Me: "Oh no it's okay, the GPS told us to go this way"

Elders: "No... like you're going to get shot... you need to turn around right now"

Me: "SISTER JOHNSON!!!!!!! TURN AROUND TURN AROUND TURN AROUND!!!!!!!!!

Elders: (they are laughing super hard at this point while I'm like yelling at Sister Johnson)

So we like turned around ASAP and once we had turned on a different road I asked if they were joking because they were laughing and they were like, "No thats literally probably the most dangerous street in our area."

ANYWAY hahahaha we lived!!!!

     On Thursday or Friday we had a lesson with Jade and when we got there she was moving like right then.  She's moving like an hour way so we can't even teach her any more! We are so bummed!!!!! We also had a lesson with Gracie and talked about the Plan of Salvation and she is seriously so smart.  She understood it really well and even had really great questions! It's so awesome when you can tell that they REALLY understand it and it makes sense to them which is fabulous!!  We also had a fireside on Friday night and it was a James O'Neill Concert and he asked me to play my piano piece at it.  Friday was so nice! It was the first day I haven't had to wear a coat here - I LOVED IT!!!!!! Oh but before the fireside we had dinner at a young couples apartment in our ward and the husband was a wrestler at Alta! weird huh?? Thats 2 people in my ward here that went to Alta! After the fireside, Elder Facer and Elder Melton (office elders) drove us back to our apartment and we had a mini talent show in the car.  I of course did my weed wacker (it's a real crowd pleaser - I'm sure it's really attractive too).  Saturday we pretty much tracted all day but it wasn't too cold so it was actually kinda fun! 

     Oh so you know how I was telling you how the Elders passed out Book of Mormons after the Book of Mormon musical? They passed out 1,160 Book of Mormons!!!! Plus like over 500 pamphlets, pass along cards, mormon.org cards, etc.  I wish the sisters got to do that! 

     Also, I still don't love being in a trio.  I think I like most of it except for when it comes to teaching it's just weird.

     Thanks so much for the packages!!! They totally made my day just picking them up at the office haha.  I'm saving the Easter Basket one until Easter so I haven't opened it yet! But the dress you sent me is ADORABLE and I wore it the next day haha.  Thank you!!! The clicker is super awesome, (I'm going to try it either sometime this week or next pday) as well as the binder and the thing about our mission presidents and of course the PAJAYJAYS!!!! Woohooo I've worn them every night since I got them - I'm so excited about those!! I would love some more pictures :)

     Anyway, today, we are at the library and then we are going to go to lunch and then to Barnes and Noble to get a journal - can you believe I have already almost filled one up? And then maybe do something with the Elders.  We wanted to go to the botanical gardens today but it's kinda rainy and cold and we want to go when it gets warmer.  Well... I think that's about it!! I will send you some pictures from this last week.  I hope you have a really great week and that you have fun in Costa Rica.... (glad you're going somewhere fun AFTER I leave). I love you all so much and I can't wait to hear from you again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Be safe on your trip and have a fabulous week.  I miss you all and I pray for you and I LOVE YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Taylor

xoxoxoxoxoxo