The week in which I became Hmong and wrote a poem

She finally caught the Onalaska Fish!

Okay so I don't have a picture yet but I ate a pepper. A really, REALLY spicy pepper. Called a Thai Pepper. I thought I would melt.
Why did I do this you may ask? Well, because I needed a Hmong name... let me explain. There are a lot of Hmong people in Wisconsin, and we have Hmong elders in the ward. We also have two strong Hmong families that come. Every missionary who comes needs to get a "Hmong name" but in order to get one, initiation is necessary. So I ate the pepper, and now I'm adopted into the X. family. My name is Paj Nag Xyooj. Or, in English, Pana Xiong <3 It means Rain Flower- or the flower shape that a raindrop makes when it lands :) YAY!! The X. family picked it out for me:) I love it! YAY!

So we had dinner at a fancy restaurant downtown with some members the other day. The fancy restaurant wasn't as cool as the family's story (although I did try lobster for the first time- that was cool..) Turns out this Polynasian family had been searching for the right church their whole lives. It wasn't until their son- who was 12 at the time- learned about the gospel that his whole family followed him. They were all baptized together because of their son's example :) How amazing! they now have another 12 year old son who is a great missionary already :) I thought these kids were very impressive.

Fishergirls of Wisconsin

This week was great- The Lord needed us to go to the college campus on Tuesday to have lunch (Herbert and Gerbert is the BEST sandwich shop EVER!) and to contact. The whole time we thought it'd be funny if we ran into the one student  is a member of the church on campus, but didn't really think anything of it. We've been trying to have him register a booth on campus for us to set up a display, but I guess he's been busy. So anyway, we're eating lunch and all of a sudden I see the member from across the room! So taking this "coincidence" as a sign- we went and talked to him. He immediately apologized for not getting the booth earlier, and right after we left he signed us up :) YAY! Tuesday we'll be spreadin' the gospel to the children :D WHOO!
Other than that miracle, we've been getting our creative juices flowing. I wrote a poem :) Here's my poem:

The Missionary Desk
By Sis. Roberts

How many times have I sat at this desk
and read of the words of God?
How many lessons I've learned sitting here
holding fast to the iron rod.

How many names have been etched in the wood,
hoping that they'd be remembered?
How many times has this old desk been moved,
and still it remains even-tempered?

How many dreams and how many plans
have been made on this surface, so worn?
How many people, how many times,
have been changed by a vision, here born?

How many heartaches and how many tears
have been shed on the peeling brown paint?
How many prayers of desperate need
have bent these boards with their great weight?

So many learners, so much learned,
and in awe I sit here today
At the thought of the many and many to come
who will sit at this desk everyday...

So to one and to all I say- STUDY THE SCRIPTURES! They are beautiful gems of truth that fill the soul with light!

I love you all so much! I hope you're having the time of your lives :)

I love you!

Sis. Roberts