Oh Say Can You SINNNGGG!

Helloa Familia!

What a fun week this has been :) So coolest opportunity EVER, on Saturday (August 3rd) a couple of us missionaries (I think about 42 of us?) got to sing the national anthem at the Rays game in the Tropicana Stadium! It was awesome!!! I am seriously so lucky and it was hilarious to see how ecstatic the Elders were to be singing o the pitching mound. It was a really neat experience to be able to sing in front of thousands of people and the best part that I loved about it was standing their singing with the name of Christ on me. It was beautiful to stand in front of a small portion of  "the world" and sing our nations "Star spangled Banner" and sing it for God in the spirit it is meant to have, it's cheesy but I really felt that sweet spirit in standing steadfast and immovable. It was also a sense of relief after we sang to have the crowd go wild, it was funny because I wasn't positive as to how they'd react and good grief I was so giddy and surprised to hear the type of cheering they gave after. Ha, ha maybe it was so loud because of the missionaries in attendance in the stadium. Either way that was a highlight and invigorated me with a deeper sense of gratitude and feelings of adoration in being a member of God's church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I loved it!

It was so much fun too because we got to watch the game after and it was a blast to be in a huge section of missionaries and I usually am not a fan of baseball but I had never been to a game before and now I am wondering how in the heck I had never gone to one before, I love it! :D Oh and the Rays won, woot woot! Oh and another cool thing, they had a big tank of sting rays in the stadium, ha ha

Anywho an even bigger highlight was our branch's testimony meeting yesterday, it was such a powerful meeting and so many beautiful testimonies, I'm so proud of this sweet Gulfport Branch, they are coming along so much better from where they were at the start. My heart was full and I had to get up and express my gratitude to God. It has been so overwhelming the happiness and love of God I have felt form Saturday to Sunday, how could I not express my thanks. Good grief, my heart has been touched deeply lately and I am just overwhelmed by the goodness of God. The bigger picture is wonderful and I pray and hope we can all give our thanks and even better our hearts and wills to God for that is not only the best thing but truly the only thing we can give to our incredible, loving, Heavenly Father. God is Great! I love and miss Him so but what better way to be closer but by doing the things we need to. I find myself constantly striving to more fully giving my heart to Him. It can be hard at times and I'm striving more and more to not be so selfish. And what I love about it is how much I feel God's love for me for what I'm giving in the moment. As long as I'm trying I know He is accepting, I hope we can do that for each other, that we will love and continue to accept each other and encourage each other to be better.

Oh and nice scripture thing that our stake over here is doing, they have every week a scripture that you're suppose to read every day and this week's scripture is 2 Tim. 3:15-17, it's nice! 

Oh and other great news, our investigator Betty Waters finally committed to a baptismal date for August 17th!!!! She's having her baptismal interview today and keep her in your prayers, it should go well and ah I'm so excited for her, I love her! Ha ha she cracks me up too, she teased me yesterday after my testimony and called me a water bucket, I'm such a cry baby when it comes to bearing testimonies! I adore her and she loves us and I'm hoping we can soon teach her adorable grandson Kevean, who's 7 and he has practiced praying for us and is a pure delight. His prayers are so good for a 7 year old. 

Anywho, I'm very proud of Betty, it's a huge and hard transition, she's a 73 year old baptist woman and has been to that church for over 20years and is really close to those in her church. I am amazed with her faith and I can't wait for her to go to the temple. That'd be neat if her church friends would join our lessons but... I don't think they're to happy with us :)

Funniest thing by the way that I forgot to write about, a couple district meetings ago our Elders were practicing a role play on how to help an investigator commit to baptism. At every district or zone meeting we always practice a role play of some sort. This one was the best one yet! So Elder Lagoona was the investigator and Elder Ryan and Tanner were teaching and the 1st role play went great and they did a good job on not putting up with excuses and reminded him of how he felt the fruits of the spirit like the Galatians scripture describes. So on the 2nd time that they repracticed it was even better, Elder Tanner was super bold and ha ha the best part after he asked Elder Lagoona how he felt and his response straight face and everything said, "I feel good, I feel the fruits, I feel the fruits coming back."

Elder Ryan straight face, " Yeah, we feel the fruits too."

A little bit of silence and Me, "BAH HA HA HA haaaaaa"

And the whole district busted out laughing. We were all crying with laughter it was so funny and we are now making shirts that say, "Can you feel the fruits?" So ya'll can you feel the fruits? Well I've gotta run but I love you all so much, more funny stories next week and I love you, I love you, I lvoe you!!!!!

Remember Who you and how much God Loves you and I love you, Love love love, 

Sister Tasha Cosette Bush