My week in a very large nutshell... 6-30-14

 For those of you that get Chelsea's letters from me by email, I have been 

told that the whole message didn't come through.  So, here is the 

whole thing. 

This week was AWESOME! We have been having a pretty hard time in this 
> area lately and it has kind of been numbing me out. We noticed that 
> because we didn't have that many people to teach we had gotten pretty 
> lax in everything we were doing. This week we fixed that! We were more 
> diligent and worked harder and had a phenomenal week! We met all of 
> our goals and then some AND one of my favorite people decided this 
> week that she wants to be baptized! She is such a sweet girl and has 
> such a powerful testimony of gods love. I learn from Inita every time 
> we meet with her. Here are some other highlights from my week.... 
> 
> Happy part of my week: 
> 
> Tiwi has been unplugged! Okay so I don't remember if I told ya'll 
> about Tiwi... I think I have? Anyway, basically it is a little box 
> mounted on our windshield that records and reports anytime we speed, 
> make an aggressive maneuver, or do anything in the car Tiwi deems 
> "unsafe". Well... Last week our Tiwi was malfunctioning. It kept 
> saying this random phrase that we had never heard before, but we 
> really don't know what it was saying. It sounded like gibberish! I, 
> for one, am convinced Satan dwells within that little black box, but 
> the mission office seemed to think the box was just defective. They 
> gave us permission to unplug it until someone could come down and fix 
> it. Well they came down and just broke it even more! So we have been 
> driving without a Tiwi for 2 weeks and I am so dang happy! I swear I 
> actually drive better without it nagging me! It's like how Dad drives 
> better when Mom isn't in the car ;P (just kidding Mom! #loveyou) 
> 
> Sad part of my week: 
> 
> We went to firehouse subs for lunch on Thursday and everyone was glued 
> to the t.v. Sis Skeem goes, "I think Germany and U.S. Are playing" it 
> was the World Cup! Ahhh I almost cried! It was such a struggle to not 
> watch that beautiful game! She thought it was hilarious and took like 
> 7 years to finish eating! Haha that night a Colombian family we taught 
> who is obsessed with the World Cup (they have they're priorities 
> straight) told us ALL about the game. Literally I am surrounded by 
> people who don't care at all about soccer... My sweet Colombian family 
> are the only ones that have it together! Haha Florida needs to get 
> there priorities straight! 
> 
> Scary part of my week: 
> 
> Ahhhh we went out with a member and her driving was HORRIFYING! like 
> worse than my sister! (We all know which one) we were driving down a 
> dirt road going really fast and then someone PASSED us! I was like, 
> "wow! I am surprised he passed you! You are already going 60!" I think 
> I might have offended her because she immediately slowed down and said 
> she hoped she wasn't driving too roughly. I wanted to scream, YES YOU 
> ARE, WE ARE ALL GONNA DIE! Instead I assured her she was driving just 
> fine. Haha my comp was busting up in the back seat. She said she could 
> see the genuine fear in my eyes. lol The struggle is real! 
> 
> Obnoxious, yet still glorious, part of the week: 
> 
> Thursday night around 3 AM I wake up to a ridiculously loud siren and 
> blue flashing lights. The fire alarm was going off in our building. I 
> jump up and look outside and all of our neighbors are vacating. I go 
> back inside wake up Sis. Skeem who was still begging me to turn it 
> off... Haha So there we were at 3AM with all of our neighbors chillin' 
> in our PJs. We stood there for a solid 30 minutes while waiting for 
> the fire department. Meanwhile we got to know some of our neighbors 
> pretty well! Actually some of them who wouldn't even look at us before 
> are friendly now. Clearly we all bonded over our love for being awoken 
> suddenly at 3AM by a fire alarm when there isn't actually a fire... 
> Blessings come in unexpected ways right? 
> 
> TOTALLY MIND BLOWINGLY AWESOME PART OF MY WEEK: 
> 
> I got a picture from Sister Peterson last week. Two of my favorite 
> families were baptized back in Gibsonia! Is that cool or what?! I am 
> sooooooo happy! Two Sundays ago, the Prentices met with Bishop and 
   said they want to be baptized! When I was teaching them, they tried 
   dropping us twice, but because the member that referred them became 
   really good friends with 
> them, they stayed involved in church activities and always had a 
> connection to the gospel. I have such a testimony of fellowshipping! 
> Never give up! also the parkers was the very first family I found on my 
> mission! They are the greatest! When we met them that night she 
> was hesitant to let us in, but we said a prayer with her and her family and 
> she admitted to us that when we pulled up she had just finished saying a 
> prayer to know what it is that she and her family needed in their life (she 
> had felt like something was missing) I am so grateful for the spirit and 
> the miracles He works in people's hearts! 
> 
> 
> I love you all! The gospel is growing and so much good is happening! 
> 
> -Sister Upshaw 

They have an hour drive to District Meeting every week. This is what they do

(Sis. Skeem is very talented.  She makes up the little songs they do)