Prison Boys

Sup fam!!!! Nothing too crazy this week so I'll just throw in some highlights! 

 

 

- We got referred to a house where 12 dudes live. It's basically another frat house full of grown men. We are now teaching 4/12 of them and they have told us their life stories and how they have all gone to prison but are turning their lives around. They also told us all of their prison names haha. We now refer to them as the "prison boys." 

- 2 weeks ago we were at an apartment complex and as we were walking back to our car we saw this old man standing by his truck. We asked him if he wanted to hear a message, and he said yes. We asked if we could come back because it was late and we needed to be home and he said he wanted to hear the message right then so we whipped out a minute resto. He told us he had been searching for a different church to go to. we went back this week and had a lesson with him. he told us he use to be a meth and drug addict and was homeless. he told us he didn't want to live that life anymore and that he wants to change. he told us that he thinks about suicide every single day and ever since that night we talked to him he said "I don't want to die anymore. you guys have given me hope for a better life." 55 years and this guy Gary finally feels hope. I hope that he can change his life to live a better life. 

 

Gary has a long road. just like the "prison boys" and a lot of other people I have met on my mission. or even a lot of us. BUT it all starts with a desire.

 

A desire to change. 

 

Little by little every single day! 

 

No matter how hard. 

 

And it all starts with that faith and hope. 

 

I read a talk by President Nelson that I love so much!!!

 

"Would the Savior’s Apostles have continued to teach His doctrine after His death, at the peril of their lives, if they had doubted Him? Would Joseph and Hyrum Smith have suffered martyrs’ deaths defending the Restoration of the Lord’s Church unless they had a sure witness that it was true? Would nearly 2,000 Saints have died along the pioneer trail if they did not have faith that the gospel of Jesus Christ had been restored? Truly, faith is the power that enables the unlikely to accomplish the impossible." 

 

"The Lord does not require perfect faith for us to have access to His perfect power. But He does ask us to believe." 

 

And it all starts with a desire 

  

Funny moments this week: 

 

- We were walking to a lesson this week and heard gunshots it was pretty wild 

 

 

- This week I was sleeping and woke up at 4 am thinking it was  6:30 am. I completely knelt down and said my morning prayer and looked at my watch just to see that it was 4 am :) 

 

- Saturday night I woke up in the middle of the night. I looked at the time and it was 2:30 am so I went right back to bed. I woke up 2 minutes later to sister waite flipping the light on, so I sat up thinking "ain't no way it's already 6:30 and I slept for 4 hours". Then she goes "wrong time" and lays back down and we both go back to bed. I checked my watch again and it was 2:32 am.  We woke up the next morning and could not stop laughing about what had happened 

 

- Every saturday night we do this thing called zone prayer where we get on zoom with our zone and send in our peoples names and we pray for them all together. 

Right before Sister Waite looks at me and goes "these names are so hard, rip whoever has to say the prayer tonight" 

Of course I got called on and I laughed. The. Entire. Time. 

I could barely get words out and Sister Waite was rolling on the ground laughing 

Don't worry, I repented! 

 

I love you all!!!! 

 

Love, Sister Liljenquist <333

 

Things I miss: 

- Jdawgs 

- Mel's cooking 

- Going to top shelf with my cuz ben and chuck

- Driving around jamming to music with Tan

 

Also I sucked at taking pictures this week so forgive me, I'll be better next week 

 

And Travi was front row at the jazz game, that's all I'm sayin 

 

 

Pics: 

1. fax 

2. let's goo 

3. Chili's molten lava cake goes hard