How do i love thee...

Well, Pamilya ko!!!!! Kumusta po kayo?!?!?

How is evwybody?? THANK YOU for your letters! I've been able to read from youngest to oldest, up til Rae. So i need to read Rae's and Mom's and Dad's still. AND I WILL! I'm sorry! I got to look at the cute notes from the Millers, Thanks, Lou! SOOOOO CUTE! and i read Noah B's letter :) tell him i'll write him back asap and his puff ppl are stinking the COOLEST! seriously. what a talented young man.

Becca, I am doing mighty fine! I think your letter was super, so i wouldn't be surprised if it was even the best letter i've ever read! it had to be the best you've ever written! joseph, thanks for the line ;) it was so fun to hear from you. how is school going? how are your friends? Lou, don't you worry, girl! I totally miss you, too! you all make me smile so much! memories with you make me grin :D i love having some fun pics of our family on my camera to look at. however, Rae darling is missing :( that is sad news. she must have been out with some cute boy the night we snapped those ;) so i need a cute lil pic of pamilya natin. cuz our pamilya is da best!!!

so funny story of the week... or one of them. i was walking along in the capeteriya, when all of a sudden... i hear a loud clatter and some gasps and a poor, frantic face of an elder as he hurried to clean up his dropped tray. i stood by for a moment in a bit of a traffic jam and then, just before he could start apologizing profusely, i realized my knee-highs were splattered with ranch. he had a small bowl full of ranch dressing for his salad that had somehow ended up on my tights. poor soul. but he was so sweet. and so was sister wight. she told him that of all the ppl he could have spilled on, i was probably the best one. how nice is that??!!?! yeah, she's pretty cool, no big deal :) but anyway, ironically enough, his name is Elder Pitts. Go figure.

So i heard from krek. i'll write him back soon. his letter was full of personality, as per usual. it was fun to read. and christina from our ward wrote me a very sweet letter that i need to respond to soon as well. bless her. she's so selfless. i love getting love from home. it is a huge blessing. especially since, in all honesty, it is very difficult for a girl who just loves love to not be able to receive any of that kind of sweet attention. bless aaron and his thoughtful package. i'll be getting him his thank you, but will you thank him? he's sooo great. i don't know how he does that. i love your love, everyone!!!!! i feel like i just need some every now and then.

so couple quick happy thoughts before dinner-- i know, right??? at 4;40 ?!?!?!? but they've conditioned me. i'm already hungry right now. and i'll be hungry at bedtime. those bums-- I knocked on this lady's door whose office is next to the women's bathroom in one of the buildings. (why are all the buildings numbered with an M? this makes no sense. if they're all #__M, then WHY PUT THE M???) but the toilet inside the bathroom was possessed. no kidding. it's not even automatic and it was flushing nonstop. so sis w and i stopped in for a visit with the building maintenance lady. so sweeet!!!!!!!!!!!! she made my day. she gave us a "mom" hug! and told us to come by for one any time! I think i want one tonight on the way to dinner.

another story: i french braided my own hair. like 3 times now. and i'm getting better. this is crazy bc i've never french braided anything successfully before. WOOHOO! and alyssa, we go to Music and the Spoken Word each week on sunday and there was a crizazy amizazing organ solo last week. insane. that's you in 10 yrs. no joke.

mom, there is a notary public. i'm sending you a top secret letter along with information on package sending to the P and in that info, it says that the safest way to send money is prob thru a bank account and debit card, but we should only keep a little in the acct at a time.... so we should prob switch asap if possible. i'll take care of that tomorrow, prob. will that work???

i am now the coordinating sister for our branch.. i didn't think i could get busier, but  i just did. but not much. it's reallyokay. the only diff is i have a few meetings a week and i have to miss gym sometimes if necessary :( :( :( but i get to serve my sisters!!!! so fun. sis w and i are now the minority in our room. lol well kinda. sis aoina is samoan and from new zealand. sis obeira is from kiribati and so are the two other sisters, palai and teunaia. sweet sisters with amazing stories. how dang spoiled i am!!!!!!!!!

one more quick note before i go :(. something made me laugh and does frequently and reminds me of alysssasss lisp talk that she doesss. sis w's younger bro abbreviates words in speech, too, just to make fun of ppl like lou does. and he says things are "tots innappropro" like totally inappropriate!!! so funny. love love love.

also, sis w likes mika songs, too. so you can't think i'm weird for liking him anymore. we've sung like 3 mika songs in the shower. that's bonding. that is love.

anyway, yes, i kinda do want those lyrics. i'm writing my own raps anyway... or at least i will when i have time.... but i dont have time. it's the Lord's time. so i shouldn't write raps... maybe. but it builds zone unity :) and unity with the japanese-going elders who are our laundry and bolibol friends.... is that good enough justification? you ponder on that and let me know.


mom, thank you so much for the scripture you gave.. and then for the thoughts you shared from experience and study. you have no idea how perfect that all has been for my needs. thank you for being inspired.

i love you all so much.

i am trying to be a better, more focused missionary for you. because you deserve that and the Church deserves it, and my God deserves it and everyone whose lives will cross mine deserve it. i am so imperfect. i waste time and mess up and get discouraged or scared or something else equally negative frequently. but i am trying. i'm a human being, but like E Holland said specifically to me and the missionaries here, I have no right to lower the standard that has been set for missionary work. i am trying.

love, sis richardson