Email Week 31!

Wow, this week was super rough. Not just missionary work wise, but so many scary things happened in our stake. A family in one of our wards daughter was almost kidnapped. Some creep broke into their home and took their 5 year old daughter. Luckily the dad heard the front door shut, and long story short, he got the daughter back. The guy got away from that house and hid downstairs in a house across from us, and a lady found him and her husband caught him and the cops finally got him. Scary stuff. Everyone has been talking a lot about Elizabeth Smart because of it, and I found out that where Elizabeth Smart was found is actually in our area. She was found where the Sonic is in our area.....that's kind of crazy and suddenly made it all seem so real. There are some messed up people in this world, and it has made me so much more thankful for the gospel. Without it, I wouldn't even want to be here, life would be even more scary. 

Another thing, a recent convert in one of our wards who was just baptized in June, unexpectedly passed away. So that was very sad. I didn't teach him but I did get to meet him a couple times. He was a very nice man, and a hard worker. His sister is a non-member and she has really been struggling with it, so the bishop has been teaching her the plan of salvation, which I know will help her so much. I can't imagine mourning for someone without a knowledge of the plan of salvation, it must be so hard. I am so thankful to know that we can be with our loved ones forever,, and that we can ALWAYS find peace in our loving Heavenly Father's arms.

Then a lady who helps us SO MUCH, and who I LOVE was in a pretty bad car accident. She is doing okay now, she was literally protected by angels, as well as the kids in the car with her. I know we are constantly being watched over, and NOTHING will happen to us that isn't supposed to happen. 

Even through all of these rough experiences, my testimony has grown so strong. I really don't even want to think about where I would be right now if I hadn't chosen to finally really embrace this gospel, and to serve a mission. I am so proud of the person I am becoming, and I wouldn't want to be any different. It's so funny to look back on my past, especially high school, and see how everything that I thought was such a BIG DEAL, really just DID NOT MATTER. I wasted so much time, I could've been this happy a long time ago. But, I have learned from all of those "big deal" situations. I have learned the importance of having support from good friends and most of all the importance of family. The cheesiest but most true statement is that family are the ones who are there for you when no one else is, and I am so thankful for my blood family, as well as my "friends" who have truly become a part of my family, who have been there through all of my trials and stupid decisions, and for the love they have always shown me, even when I didn't deserve it. I'm thankful for the Atonement, and how we truly can be made completely clean through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. I'm thankful that Heavenly father has this perfect plan laid out for us of what we need to do to return to live with Him. He has made it so easy, it is us that makes it hard. It's as simple as obeying what He's told us, He is the source of all truth and right, if we just follow Him, we can be happy. That's it. Don't listen to the adversary.....he's a punk !

We have been watching these AWFUL and cheesy Book of Mormon DVD presentations recently....they are literally the most cheesy videos I've seen in my life....but they have WONDERFUL messages (and they're super fun to quote... haha). You should look them up, they're great!

I'm running out of time, but I again want to bear my testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ, that He lives, that He loves us, and that when we rely on Him, everything will be okay. I KNOW that, because there is no way I would still be here serving, or even surviving, without His divine help. I just couldn't do it alone. He is by my side always, pushing me a long when I want to give up, when I'm feeling down, and even when I'm sick, He guides me along and helps me keep working because sharing this gospel, this everlasting peace and happiness, matters more than anything else, and I am so blessed to be able to dedicate 18 months of my life to this service.

I love you all, and remember, be a missionary, a representative of Christ, in ALL YOU DO! Never forget the covenants you made at baptism. I challenge you to listen especially close to the sacrament prayer this sunday. Truly let the sacrament change you each week, as you remember what our Savior did for you.

Have a wonderful week!

-Sister Love