Post Hurricane clean up 🌨

 Hello family!!!

I am glad to hear that y'all are doing well!! I loved hearing about Dallin's Family Home Evening on Earthquake preparedness!! I am glad to hear that we will all be safe if an earthquake comes. You all will have to fill me in, cause all I know now is Hurricane Safety.

Well this week was quite a fun one!! Because of the lack of power, water, and sewage we ended up staying at President Clarks for almost an entire week!!! Isn't that crazy!! By the end they felt more like grand parents than our mission president!! Monday night we had family home evening with them and we ended up sharing family History stories!! We had to share a trait that we loved from our family. That was cool to think about! As I thought about it I had the interview with grandma come to mind, all of the examples of you guys, journals, and grandpa come to mind and it really is amazing to think of how all of these people showed just consistent faith. Never once did they deny what they believed but rather they faithfully did Gods will!! They showed it through studies and prayer and temple attendance it is amazing!! Also I would love to help with the project with grandma. I am just a little confused as to what it is.

On Tuesday we started the real service!! We had the unique opportunity to help in a shelter. They last minute had to form this shelter because an old folks community flooded. So this story was madness!!! The lakes were over flowing so they relieved them and it flooded this community and they old people had to be saved on boats!!!!! And we aren't talking old 70-80 we are talking old 90-100+. The ones who didn't get flooded yet had 20 minutes to gather their belongings and
evacuate! So they loaded them all up on buses and took them to this shelter! Well the Red Cross was supposed to be running it but we showed up and literally no one was there. Sooooo....basically 20 or so missionaries took charge and organized the place!! It ended up being super fun!! We got to push old people in wheelchairs off the bus and talk to them!! We set up dog kennels and cots and cooked!! IT was great!! I made so many old people friends!!

The next day we went to help again, but red cross was there by then. So we ended up playing cards with this man named Alfred! When he found out we were mormon he turns to us and goes "No wonder you guys are bad at this game, yall are a bunch of mormons!" Hahaha. Well a companionship one and we were all like "hey Al, you just got beat by a bunch of Mormons!" He turns and says "Thats because I had a Mormon for a partner!!" Hahaha, it was a blast!! Well after that we went to lunch with Sister Clark and then we went and did service at the Bishop storehouse. Well that was just great! Our service ended up just being us making lunch for everyone, eating lunch, and then cleaning up lunch. Then President came to drive us home. SO that was great!! (Honestly, this whole week felt like we were in Middle School again being driven around by your parents everywhere)

Finally on Thursday we got the news that enough of our zone had power, water, and sewage to go home!! SO that night we had our final dinner with the Clarks and headed home! Well that drive was the scariest drive of my life. We ended up driving with a GIANT rain storm in the dark and scary bolts of lightning!! It got so bad we were driving 25 when the speed limit was 70 and you couldn't see ANYTHING!!! At all!!!
It was insane.. we ended up taking so many breaks and waiting a little till it passed but then you drove and you were stuck in it again. SO we eventually just pushed onward! We got home late so we ended up just staying the night with the other sisters. But they didnt have AC yet sooooo we slept in 83 degrees plus humidity and drove home in the morning. Well lets just say we no longer have a fence on our house, and our roof has to get replaced!! But other than that no harm!!

Saturday and Sunday were just clean up!!! IT was great being able to
do that kind of service!! Sunday Kelley came and helped and wow, it was just so cool to see people be so grateful for our service!!! I loved it!! Always look for those opportunities ALWAYS!!!

Sister Badal