Burning heart, freezing toes

I have not yet experienced COLD like this! The temperature here this week won't get above freezing.. Perfect time to be riding a bike around! It's so cold that at night, within 10 minutes I get brain freeze because it's so cold outside. I guess I should've just expected that! Apparently last year the temperature was really moderate during the winter though. But nonetheless, the work is going forward. I've put a lot of work into our area book and sorting out former investigators. Maybe I got that quality from Dad, but records really do need to be kept well. Otherwise you have no idea where people are at in their progression and who is worth giving another visit. We spent quite a bit of time up in the very northern tip of DC. We call that area the "Jew Square" because there are 2 synagogues up there on 16th and many Jewish people. While riding up there, we ran into a Jewish lady from New York. When we GQd her, she said that the Mormons helped her unflood her basement, and that they were angels! But when we invited her to share our beliefs, she took it as a form of disrepect. It wasn't until the next day that I found what my response should be. I'm reading our search for happiness, which puts our beliefs into really simple terms. And Elder Ballard points out that we believe it is our divine comission to share our beliefs. We have no intention of disrespecting nor taking away other's beliefs, in fact, we will defend their privilege to do so. However, it is our obligation as disciples of Jesus Christ to invite them to come unto him and receive a remission of their sins. That is a calling that each of us have. I just wish people would respect that idea. Out here I've been ignored, cursed, and disrespected, not anything like the Chinese! It's really sad because it closes them to learning of something more. I think people are just tired of being sold to. This area definitely has it's challenges, but I'm seeing all the blessings as well. There are humble people, people from every land. There isn't a much more diverse area in the world. People from El Salvador to Ethiopia to South Carolina all converge in this special place. I didn't get to go check out the inauguration, that day sucked! Everyone was gone! Zone Conference yesterday was so wonderful. President Eyring's younger brother is now the director of the visitor's center. President Matsumori invited him to bear his testimony at the end. He told us that when his older brother set him apart, he blessed him that all who would hear his testimony, would know in their hearts that it was true. And then he bore his testimony to us. It was so powerful, it pierced me to my very core. I'm so excited to be near that man! He looks and speaks just the way  his older brother does :) Excited for a new week, hopefully people start keeping commitments!