Laughing with Flat Tires (Week 46)

Aurora at a Nature Preserve

July 27, 2015

Hey everyone, 

As the title says we got flat tires.  Yes, that was plural.  The first day it happened was right after we biked over the causeway.  Sister Skousen tire was flat.  I noticed so I stopped.  Sister Woolley had no idea since she was up ahead.  Sister Skousen walked her bike and I rode like mad to catch up to Sister Woolley.  Panera, our safe haven, was pretty close, so we walked there, bought a drink, and made some phone calls.  We ended up walking to Sister Cormac and chilling there.  We waited out a storm at her house and also got the bike fixed.  Sister Cormac's baby was sleeping so she couldn't take us to Walmart to get a tube.  The Elders were awesome and got one for us.  They also helped fix it.  Now that I have seen two tubes replaced.  I know I could do it if I needed to.  (Useful skill to have as a missionary.)  Also while at the house I tightened my brakes, since I don't have the tool for that.  We tried being diligent by making phone calls to potentials and formers in the area book.  We called all of them.  That isn't a lot of potentials and formers.  I am used to having a ton in the area book.

Okay the second time it happened was two days later.  It happened right after the miracle below.  Thankfully, the people we eat dinner with (the Jackson who are super amazing) offered to drive us home, so we didn't have to bike over the causeway at night.  We weren't going to take them up on their offer, but we kinda had to since the tire popped again (it was the same one).  They took us home Sister Woolley and I put our bikes away.  They kept Sister Skousen's bike and they went to the store and fixed it that night.  In the morning it was in the backyard.

I really love the ward I am serving in.  It has to be the best ward I have ever served in.

Both of the times the tire popped we laughed a lot.  There wasn't much else we could do.  I mean, why get upset it won't solve your problem.  Laughing won't solve the problem either, but at least we are happy while we do it.  Good times, although I would have preferred to have been working, but it is all okay.  Even though we didn't get good numbers, I feel like we really tried our hardest.  We took members three times to go see Connor.  He wasn't home for any of them, but whatever we did our part.

The good news is that Connor did get into contact with us yesterday.  He was in Palm Bay all week working.  He called us on Sister Hull's number, so I am assuming his phone isn't working.  At least he isn't ignoring us.  Also Sister Hull told us they were all ready for church, but the car won't start.  That is good at least he still wants to come to church.

Alligators at the Nature Preserve

Last Monday a member took us to a nature preserve.  We saw lots of birds, but the cool part is we saw 9 alligators.  All of the pictures are from the nature preserve.  It was a lot of fun.

Nature Preserve - Birds

Miracle: One evening we wanted to either go heart attack the Piers Family or have a quick lesson with Connor.  We felt like we should go to Connor even though he was farther away and there was another reason why we shouldn't go there.  In my head I was calculating out how long it would take to bike there, teach him (even for a short time), and bike home.  It was clear that we couldn't make it back by 9:30.  We had said a prayer as a companionship and we all felt good about going to Connor's.  Logically it made sense to heart attack the Piers's.  They were closer and we didn't need to stay for a lesson.  We would probably make it home by 9.

Nature Preserve - Turtles 

With all this in my head, I was biking as fast as I could to Connor's.  When I stopped for a light, Sister Woolley said she just noticed a street that was where the people from the media referral we got that day live.  The address had said Melbourne on it, so we had discounted it since we don't cover Melbourne (the Elders do).  It turns out it was in our area, they just had the wrong city listed.  We turn back confident that was the reason we felt we needed to see Connor.  The media referral people just moved here from Colorado.  How awesome is that?  Way cool, right?  They were hoping we would get there in time to help them unpack, but we were a few days late.  They said they are busy unpacking the things they can't have help on, but they want us to come back later.

I think it is so interesting how God works.  He wanted us to see the media referrals, but he couldn't get us there unless he told us to go see Connor.  I am really grateful we have God on our side.  I don't think I could handle missionary work, particularly whitewash training without him.

~Sister Aurora Pack