An "almost" dog attack, pork skins and worn out shoes!

This past week has been adventurous and such a blast! I love my new companion Sister Hall so much! The work is going strong, and I feel like we make a really good team. We are really focused on our purpose and meeting our goals!

So, like I said, lots of adventures. Last Thursday we were almost attacked by a dog! We were out trying to visit a less active member and as we were approaching the house there was a dog in the driveway. He started barking at us like all dogs do, but immediately we noticed that he was a bit more aggressive than one would expect. The owner came out (turns out the guy we were looking for doesn't live there anymore) because he noticed all the commotion. As we were trying to talk to him, the dog started walking towards us...he came close to our car, and we tried to get in the car but the doors were locked and to open it you'd have to go to the drivers door. So we walked around our car to avoid him. This dogs hair on his neck was stuck out (which apparently means he's mad) and he was barking.The owner said, "Oh he's just barking because he doesn't know you. Stick your hand out to him so he can smell you." Of course, that's very logical! Luckily Sister Hall was prepared with pepper spray and she held that out to the dog. She told the owner that she'd spray the dog if it tried to do anything. The dog started walking around our car to come near us, still barking at us too, and Sister Hall sprayed the pepper spray just to the left of it to try and ward it off with the smell. The dog flinched though and caught it right in it's mouth!! He seemed fine for a minute, but then a second later he was thrashing around in the bushes! The owner (who was an old guy) didn't do much during all of this, just stood there. Quickly we told him to have a good day, got in the car, and went on our merry way. Our feathers were a bit ruffled, and I'm just glad Sister Hall kept us safe.

Later that day, we decided to be brave and tried a common commodity here found at gas stations...fried pork skin. So that's what we got, pickle flavored! I ate it but had a hard time getting it down. Sister Hall didn't think it was that bad. It definitely isn't a snack I'll be anxious to eat again! After that, we were driving down the road and saw a big snake! We couldn't tell if it was dead or not, but as I jumped out of the car to take a picture of it, it scurried off into the grass.

A few days ago we were doing some more tracting in the ghetto. A man in a truck pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex we were at, and he motioned for us to come over. We walked up to him and asked what we could do for him. He asked us, "Do y'all know where you're at?" We said, "Yes." He said, "This is a bad part of town," (mind you, our house is about a 2 minute walk down the road) "with the highest crime rate in Tuscaloosa." I told him thank you for his concern, but that we were aware of that, and that we don't hang around these places at night. And then we continued on our efforts in tracting. I wanted to tell him that these people in the ghetto need and deserve Jesus too! God is no respecter of persons!

Something else that happened lately is "side walk teaching" (a term I just came up with)! We went to a park near our house and drew the Plan of Salvation with chalk on the side walk. We are trying to teach even when we're not there ;) We'll be going to another park to do it as well. Hopefully it can help someone learn about the Gospel, but I like it for the mere purpose that I get to be a kid and draw with chalk. :)

Don't have much else to report, except that it's getting real hot here and I've got some good tan lines developing. There is a specific tan line us sister missionaries get. The upper part of our feet gets tan, but our toes aren't exposed so we get white toes :)

The Gospel is true. This week's challenge is to bear your testimony. Either by word or by example. Be a light!

Love,

Sister Griffith

 Shhh, don't tell anyone, I'm still bouldering!

A beautiful rainbow after a rain storm

The bathrooms at our local park....no doors. Reminds me of China!

I inherited some shoes from an older lady, and I wore them out!!!
(just kidding, the shoes were really old and when
I walked with them in the rain they fell apart....literally.)

Yum!

More yumminess 

AL avenue :)

 Out tracting in an area called Holt

Mr. Snake

ROLL TIDE

Someone parked their electronic wheelchair?

The Plan of Salvation!