Interviews

Hi All!

It has been a busy week in La Joya. Like Trent, we had interviews this week too. I thought interviews with President Taylor were long, but Trent’s mission has ours beat. President Beck (the last mission president) did 2-3 minute interviews. Those were speedy interviews. So when President Taylor came and did 8-10 minute interviews it seemed quite long. Actually, I really enjoyed interviews. I usually do, but this makes my favorite interview experience. I really enjoyed it because President asked some really good questions. I thought I would share the three questions he asked all of us, because they were really good questions.

First he asked, what are you trying to improve in your life? Then, what would your companion like you to improve? Finally he told us to imagine that the Savior came into the room, put his arm around us, and told us He is proud of our work, and accepts our service. Then he tells us one thing we could do better. What is that one thing?

Wow. Those questions left me with a lot to think about. They are pretty good questions for throughout your life, but especially as a missionary where we are working so hard to improve and to do the Lord's work. It was a really good experience. It was interesting because I am now on the tail end of my time as a missionary. The next interview I have with President is my exit interview. Yikes! It was cool with the third question to be able to look back on my time here
and to realize that my work has been accepted. I have not been a perfect missionary, but I have done my best and tried to serve as the Lord wants. I felt the spirit so strong as I thought over my time, and then as I thought about what I would like to improve over these last 9 weeks. I've got plenty left to do, and I am trying to throw all I have into what I have left and make it count.

We taught a really fun Plan of Salvation lesson this week with Nathan. He's 9, and so our lessons are a little more interactive, which is fun and also challenging. We decided that for teaching the Plan of Salvation we were going to draw it all out on the floor with jump ropes and broom handles and who knows what else, and then spend the lesson walking through. We used coats to represent our bodies (ie come to earth and get a body= put on the coat, die= leave the coat in the "earth" circle, resurrect= get your coat back but imagine it's a way cooler coat). It was pretty fun. We had the lesson stretched
from one end of the house to the other, and we had some good laughs as Nathan and Manuel came up with their different death stories (figures that 9 and 10 year old boys would want to have super drawn out deaths... it was pretty comical). It was a really fun lesson, and also really good. Kids can be a handful to teach, but it sure can be fun sometimes.

Besides that things have been moving forward as normal. We're keeping pretty busy, and the weather has gotten really nice, so we're constantly out on bikes. I really like that. People are actually outside right now, so we are talking to lots of people. I keep telling Hna Harding to enjoy it while it lasts, because eventually when summer hits only the crazies and the missionaries are out on the streets during the day. This next week is already looking rather crowded, so it should be another fast week. I wake up in the morning on P-day and wonder how it came so quickly. Time sure manages to fly by really, really fast as a missionary. Thanks for all of your prayers and support.

Love you lots!

Hermana Okeson