what a great week it has been.  glad to hear that all of you are doing well and happy!   Happy happy happy! 

we had an awesome experience on monday night! we went to teach a new investigator her name is Heather and we met her at Cermack ( a store here like a market)  and she live in a rougher part of town. so we taught her and the lesson was super good! and spirit strong.  (it was a really hot night and i felt so bad for their family because their house is so run down and there were roaches coming out of the walls. it was SO gross!)  so we left thier house and started walking to our car. (it was dark by this point) and Sister Pankretz decided to knock on just one door. so we did and no one answered, but then as we were coming down off of that porch there was this man walking.  and he was weeping, just baling, dears running down his cheeks, and so we talked to him and he was histerical.  he was a hispanic and we asked him his name and he said "well, i go by many names." and so we said, well what name do you prefer?  he responded L-U-I-S.   (weird that he spelled it out haha) but anyways all of a sudden sister Pankretz and I felt the spirit make like a huge bubble around us. like there were angles surrounding us and protecting us from what ever was going to come. he was really  struggling and just kept saying i will never be forgiven. i will never be forgiven. we asked him, why are you crying?  "i have done a lot of bad things in my life and i can never be good.  I am just a sinner."  we just talked with him and then he dropped his phone and he said. i saw you. i saw your light and i had to come to you. sister pankretz and i looked at each other like what?  he said i just had to come to the light.  (that was cool to hear) (remember it was almost completely dark, especially in this area, there was maybe one street light half a block down.)  so right after he just started telling us "get out of here! its not safe! get out! leave!" so we said goodbye and sister Pankretz and I followed our own promptings to get out and got in our car and went home.  it was crazy! I dont know why we were supposed to run into him but we did. and i felt so safe surrounded by the spirit, yet so unsafe at the same time. it was a weird phenomenon.  pretty cool, if you ask me. 

Tuesday we went and let mutual for the young men and young women. we played jeopardy all about missionary work with them. it was So much fun. and it was great to see them get so excited during role plays.  so much fun!  

this week we spent a lot of time at the Lewis familys house. they are a part member family and Sia - the mom - is less active. but she has 6 kids and they are 12 to 9 months old and SO funny! i just love them! we have been helping them prepare for the primary program that was yesterday. and they are just so awesome. the last time we were there they didnt want us to leave. i just felt so loved and welcomed and it was great! i love them and they did such a great job on their parts in the program.  

As Cody Owens said "i am no longer a baby missionary! "  i am out of my training!  I have reached 3 months on my mission, and am surprised at how fast it has gone. crazy!  to celebrate (sort of) Rosa, our Abuleta Mango out here, bought us Garretts Popcorn.  the famous chicago Popcorn! it was So delish!  we had the cheese and caramel and a caramel nut flavor. so yummy!! 

Then on Saturday we had an aweomse lesson. well you see. Teri dosent know that she is investigating the church. but she is.  we dont have "traditional" lessons with her, but we are teaching her through service (she is the one that lives in the barn) so we went to help her pick apples. they pretty much have a mini apple orchard on their land. so we picked apples and made pies and cobblers and crisps.  and taught her about the book of mormon. we wrote our testimonies in a copy of one and gave it to her and she loved it. she felt the spirit as she was reading them. it was so cool!  

And sunday!  ( my favorite day of the week)  even though it was rainy. this raniy day did not get me down! (insert mamas and the papas song here - monday monday) .  it was the great primary program. it was so cute and the spirit was SO strong! it was aweomse. pretty sure i shed a couple tears.  

then  later that night we went to find an investigator Nellie at the laundromat. She told us to meet her there. so we went and didnt find her. so we went back to her house and went back to the mat. then we thought she was at another one. so we went to that one and she wasnt there. we really wanted to see her.  and so we decided to go home. but we passed by the first laundry mat again and sister pankretz slowed down as we passed to see if i could see her, and if she had not slowed down, then i would probably be dead right now.  just one block later we came to an intersection and  right before we were about to cross( becuase we had the green light) and car from the right came half way into the intersection.  i know that my side of the car would have been smashed. but sister pankretz was very alert and stopped promptly and all is well.  just another example that everything happens for a reason.  

also. puppies. puppies are so cute! a member in our ward just got this puppy. we went over to see it. SO CUTE!!  

the church is true. 

everything happens for a reason.  i love being a missionary!  i love sharing Gods message.

love you all!  

Sister O'Neil