DC Week 3!

Well hello family!! :) 

Another busy week, but so so worth it.  I am loving every little bit.

I think I am finally getting used to Maryland driving (knock on wood). My companion doesn't have a license, so from day one, they threw me right out driving on these crazy roads (in the rain, I might add). I usually get an average of several dozen honks a day. It's so great! For exercise in the morning, Sister Lawrence has been teaching me hula, (which is way more than a work out than I thought--she makes it look so easy!)
  
I want to share a few sweet experiences...

My first week, I met a man who came into the VC, Howard (Howie), from Vietnam. We must've spent an hour and a half talking about everything from prophets, to the Book of Mormon, to Joseph Smith, to the Plan of Salvation, to the Word of Wisdom, to temples.  He had so many questions, and such an eagerness to learn about what we believed. I bore my testimony multiple times throughout the course of our visit, and to make a long story short, after several more visits to the VC and several meetings with the local Elders, he has a baptism date for March 24!  Oh I love Howie. He has such a desire to follow Jesus Christ and truly believes this is the true church. He's awesome. (He's been teaching me Vietnamese too!)

Another neat story: Last night, Sister Lawrence and I visited with a man from Sierra Leone, (Sorie).  He's been to church a few times, and had several of the first lessons. After a discussion on prayer and strengthening our relationship with God, he too was ready to be baptized, and even told us that was his desire.  I extended my first official invitation to "...follow Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God"...He said yes. We now have another baptism on March 24.
 
One more tender mercy: Later last night, Sister Lawrence and I went tracting to fill our extra time before heading home.  After several dozen knocks, our last door of the rainy night was golden. A young couple from a small town in Ohio.  We have a day next week we will be meeting with them.
 
The Lord is good.  He is so good. I am discovering that when you look for the little things, and "[...] slow down to focus on the significant" as President Uchtdorf has said, we will find more tender mercies than we can count.

I love you all so much.  You're always in my prayers.

Sister Graff

PS--My Spanish has been improving a lot.  I have been speaking it constantly with the Spanish sisters, and to visitors as well whenever I get the chance. (Little kids mostly--they're less intimidating :) It's becoming easier and easier to understand and speak. Love it.
 
PPS--I have also been working on my Ponpayan, Italian, and Estonian. --Those are a little more choppy but it's coming along!

Pictures:
1. (2/22) Temple Trip!
2. (2/22) Foggy day...
3. German Chocolate, Yum!
4. (2/22) Left over icecream with some of the Sisters: Lawrence (Guam), Wankier (Utah), Kaarma (Estonia)
5. (2/23) Mormon/Baptist Choir night at the VC...
6. (2/23) Howie!