Things are good here.

Mom: First off, thank you so much for the package! It was awesome! I especially love that cd that has spanish hymns on it. It was great. 🙂

I wish I had prepared more as well, for the mission. I do not feel like I was as ready as I could have been when I came out on the mission, and I wish I could have spent more time preparing myself mentally and spiritually for what was going to be coming on the mission. But I think that is something that every missionary feels, no matter how much they prepare before. It is always an adjustment, and you will always see how much you really do have to work and improve on. You see your imperfections with perfect clarity, and it really is hard sometimes. But it is also so amazing.

2. Sister V. is from Peru. She lived there for 3 years, and then they moved to the U.S. She is the only completely active member in her immediate family. She is amazing. 🙂

3. We are struggling keeping investigators lately. So we don’t really have an except A. and L. They are getting married on the 5th of May, and then baptized on the 12th. A. is so awesome! She has wanted to get baptized for so long, but because she wasn’t married she couldn’t. She is such a strong woman, and yet so sweet and loving and kind. And her kids are adorable.

4. See question 6

5. Sister V. saved a life this week. A little girl was walking down the stairs towards us and Sister V. caught her as she was falling.

6. It’s funny that you asked your special question about dealing with sadness and despair, because Sister V. and I have been struggling with that a little bit lately. We have been going through a kind of “mourning phase” since we lost one of our golden investigators, J. We don’t know what happened to him, but he has been avoiding us for the last 3 weeks. We really don’t know why. We have talked to him a couple times on the phone, and a couple times in the street, but he is so different now from the person we met several weeks ago. We have been so sad, and down on ourselves, and it’s like we don’t know where to go or what to do. Let’s just say it “really threw us for a loop”. But something that has helped me a lot is knowing that the Lord is in charge. He cares for all of his children, and even though they make choices he may not agree with, he still will prepare another opportunity for them to learn, and to grow. I have also taken comfort in the scriptures. This morning I read Alma 28, and it was perfect for me. It talks about a huge battle that takes place and lots of people die. The people that are still living, that lost loved ones, are mourning their losses. In verse 6 it talks about how they were sorrowful, and it was a solemn day, but it was also a time of fasting and prayer. They turned to the Lord in their time of need. Then in verse 8, it talks about the experiences of Ammon and his brethren (who were missionaries at this time, serving in that place) and how they had sufferings, sorrows, and afflictions, and yet they also had “incomprehensible joy”. Even though they had hard times, being a missionary brings them the most joy out of anything. That is something that I have definitely seen in my time as a missionary. Then there was a verse I really loved in Alma 29, verse 13. It says, “…And that same God hath called me by a holy calling, to preach the word unto this people, and hath given me much success, in the which my joy is full.” I then started to read through the list of people I have seen baptized. I have watched people come closer to Christ, and seen them make covenants with Him, and that is enough to bring me joy at this time. Life as a missionary is hard. People let you down, people break your heart, people reject you. But there are people out there who are earnestly searching for the gospel, and when you meet them, and help them make changes in their life for the better, it is indescribable the way you feel. (“My cup runneth over” as the grandma says in Hope Floats) So it is not completely okay that J. wants nothing to do with us, but I feel blessed to have had the experiences I do, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Well, I think that is all. I was very longwinded today. Sorry. Well, not really sorry, because I know you love to hear stuff, but now I am out of time. I love you so much!

Dad: That is awesome you are still getting work done. I am so glad I have a dad that is such a great hard worker. I have seen a lot of men on my mission that work really hard to support their families, and I have seen a lot of men that don’t do near enough, and it makes me glad that I have the dad I have. 🙂 Ha ha. That sounds like fun riding the dirt bike up on some dirt. I want to do that! I have gotten Sister V. really into motorcycles lately. It’s funy, because before she didn’t notice them at all, but now she lookd for them, and when she gets home from the mission she wants to buy one. Ha ha. 🙂 Anyway, I have to go. Sorry. 🙁

Emily: Hey sorry this is going to be super short, but I’m glad you had a great b-day….Congratulations on finishing clinicals…..Send me a picture from your senior pictures…I miss being a kid…I think that is all…

I love you all SOOOO much! Have a great week.

Love, Kelsey

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