A mission is a lot like living a reality T.V show. 10-27-14

 This week has been absolutely nuts!! Seriously, Sister Yellow and I 
 decided Mormon missions would make a great reality t.v. Show! It 
 started on Tuesday when we met the sweetest old man. He invited us to 
 come back the following day, but he wasn't home when we came for our 
 appointment. Instead we met a large portion of his family that lives 
 next door. We taught them instead and they invited us to come back the 
 following night and said they would make sure J was there too. We 
 get there and the house was full! There was 15 people for us to teach! 
 We were having so much fun laughing and joking with this family, it 
 totally felt like a Purdy family party, but we also were able to 
 testify to this incredible family. Then out of nowhere J flipped out 
 on is! He yelled and cursed at us and kept yelling how Mormons are a 
 cult. I have never had someone speak so hateful to me before in my 
 life. I guess he had been drinking and his whole family defended us 
 and asked us to ignore him and to please stay, but at that point it 
 would have been impossible to bring the spirit back. Instead we set up 
 a time to meet with them another day. 
 
 The following day we were teaching another family that has twin 4yr 
 old boys. During our visit it had come up that this family didn't have 
 much to eat or drink and so after the lesson Sister Yellow and I 
 decided to go home and get all the canned food and noodles and what 
 not that we had been given by other people. We loaded it in our car 
 and drove back to their house. We had been gone for maybe 20 minutes, 
 but by the time we got there the whole street was filled with 
 firetrucks, ambulances, cop cars, and nosey neighbors. Apparently one 
 of the twin boys had set a mattress on fire and the entire house was 
 destroyed by the fire. We were able to talk to the mom a little, but 
 she was clearly preoccupied. I am still shocked all that could have 
 happened in just 20 minutes! 
 
 Crazy event number 3... I am going to summarize this one by saying 
 that there is this lady the elders were teaching who now is convinced 
 all the missionaries are hit men who have been hired by one of her old 
 roommates to kill her. She also thinks various ward members are in on 
 this scheme. There is more to that story, but I don't even know where 
 to begin... 
 
 Oh and our neighbors had a party and they woke us up in the middle of 
 the night and Sister Yellow discovered, I am not pleasant when I am 
 awoken suddenly because my first thought was should we yell at them or 
 call the police. She quickly rebutted, "well, definitely don't yell at 
 them." They didn't take too long to quiet down though... 
 
 So all in all this week has been absolutely nuts! We were cussed out 
 (worse than I ever have been on my mission) twice, one of our 
 investigator's house caught fire just after we left, and someone else 
 swears up and down that the missionaries are undercover hit men and we 
 are trying to attack her (she yelled this at us while running down the 
 street). And that is just what happened in the last three days! I wish 
 I could even remember the first half of the week. Being a missionary 
 is hard! However, I am grateful for every crazy hard and outright 
 insane thing that has happened to me through my mission. Sister Yellow 
 and I were talking about how incredible it is that we can have weeks 
 like this one and yet still be happy. We still love what we do and 
 wouldn't want to be anywhere else. When we stepped back and asked why 
 that is, it was easy to see. It's because this gospel is true. I know 
 it is. That is something that no bad day, or week, can ever take away 
 from me. I am so grateful that every single day I get to step outside 
 and talk to everyone about this happiness and peace that comes from 
 living the gospel of Jesus Christ. 
 
 
 I love you all so so so much and I hope you have an incredible week! 
 
 -Sister Upshaw 
 
 Here are some pictures for your enjoyment: 
 
 
 

We decided we want these for Christmas. I will return! (I don't 
 even like cats, but I couldn't resist)  

The first two are from P-day. Sister Blaine is serving in Shell's 
 ward. 

Sister Yellow and I were so exhausted this week! Let's be real... 

We are tired every week, but she wouldn't let me go to bed... I can't 
 remember why, but I remember being done with planning and wanting to 
 go to sleep... Lol 

(obviously she was really tired, she couldn't even spell it correctly haha)