Happy Day of Friendship

Hola Querida Familia y Queridos Amigos!
Hope you are all having a marvelous Valentine´s Day. Here in the DR everyone refers to it as the Day of Friendship and Love, which I think is much more productive, especially as a missionary lol. Let´s spread that to the States too! Anyways, this week has been another long and trying one, but sacrifice brings forth blessings and the blessings are many! First of all, we have a baptism set for Saturday! Englibert is so ready to be baptized and we are all anxiously waiting for the weekend now. I was practically beaming when my district leader told me that Englibert basically taught HIM about the sacrament and why we partake of it each week. It is so incredible to see people change everything and have the light of Christ light up their lives. We will also be having our conference with Elder Nelson of the twelve on Saturday, so it´s going to be an exciting weekend! Another wonderful blessing this week was seeing 9 of our investigators in sacrament meeting. So amazing! The Lord truly is preparing people to receive His gospel and we are working hard to help these special people progress. I also struck by what a blessing it is to partake of the sacrament each week. Those moments during the passing of the sacrament are some of the most sacred I´ve experienced in my mission, and I´m so grateful that we have the opportunity to be forgiven each week of our weaknesses and mistakes. Sometimes it seems like I´m drowning in a pool of my own weaknesses, but going to church each week and remembering that the Savior overcame all of it for me, helps me get through.
In other news, we haven´t had running water in the house for four days and counting. I´m dying with only buckets to shower, but hopefully it´ll get fixed soon before I lose all sanity. Haha. Yesterday in church I had a funny experience when one of the elderly ladies in the ward approached me to ask me a question and addressed me as Hermana Bradley Cooper while looking confused at my nametag. If you don´t know who Bradley Cooper is...he´s an actor who happens to be very attractive, and one of the young single adult sisters started calling me Bradley Cooper to remember my name, and now it´s starting to spread. Haha. Hopefully that doesn´t stick too long. I also learned an important lesson this week. Never EVER tell investigators that something in there house is bonito...aka pretty or nice...because they will insist on giving it to you afterwards. I now have a very manly looking bracelet that has the Dominican Republic flag on it lol.
Anyways, all in all, things are going well. The mission work is taking off this week and I´m just trying to focus on the needs of these people and what Heavenly Father would have me do to help them. Every day out here is a trial, and I´m learning that I don´t have to be perfect to do the work of the Lord. As my dear Liz reminded me after she got back from her mission, ¨You don´t have to be perfect, you just have to die trying.¨ LoL. So let´s all keep striving to be the best we can and forget the rest!
Love you guys!
Hermana Bradley