100% Claudy Apple Juice

This week I looked down to make sure I had remembered to move my name tag to my shirt from my coat, and it hit me that even though sometimes I think it would be nice to have a break or go home for a while or something, if President Monson called me up and told me that the Lord had excepted my efforts and I could go home, I still wouldn't want to. And that was a big deal for me.

Missionaries always talk about how tired they are. And we say we're tired because we don't sleep much or because we walk a lot or because we talk to a lot of people, but I think I'm tired because never before in my life have I felt driven like I do. The truth is, if I wanted to sleep more or walk less or talk less, I could. No one is making me do the things I do. But ever since I was set apart to preach the gospel, I have felt this urgent purpose propelling me forward. I can't sleep more than I should. I can't walk less than I should. Because I want to be doing the things I feel driven to do, to fulfill my purpose.
I'm tired because the parts of me that fight against that purpose, that passion, can't keep up because they don't want to. But this life is our chance to cast off the impurities and become precious, just like metal is purified by fire.

Yesterday all 8 of the Dortmund missionaries got the chance to go to the temple with the ward. It was a wonderful experience to be there with so many people that I love in a huge group. I may have done a poor job of hiding how hungry I was though, because Br. Oelkrug told me I could bless the food so I'd be right up front and could eat first. Some things never change.

We got home from the temple pretty late in the afternoon, then taught a lesson, so when we got home I was ready to go straight to bed. But then a sister in the ward called and told us her 9 year old daughter had decided to be baptized and asked us to teach her the lessons. All of them! In 2 weeks! So that kind of threw going to bed early out the window. It's totally fine though because I am so excited! I've been wanting to teach this girl for a while to help her decide if she wanted to get baptized or not. I can't wait to talk to her about it on Thursday.

Sorry, I forgot to explain that a golden is what we call green missionaries, or new missionaries. We call them golden because they come in full of fire and faith and haven't been affected by rumors or reputations of what missionary work is or which areas are bad. It's a great, positive name and I love it.

This week, we played soccer for 2 hours and I was mostly goalie and I was boss at it. Don't scoff. I'm serious. But then my hands hurt really really bad for like 4 days.

I love you bye!!!