MY DEAR LOVED ONES!!!

OH, how I love you!!!!!!! I am so grateful for you! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for your emails and love! It means everything to me. 

You know, Mom, I surely noticed this morning as I ironed my shirt that another week had gone by and only one more til our next fast sunday! Time keeps marching. i feel that. and sometimes minutes drag, but the days really fly. some mornings i wake up and feel like there's no way i got enough sleep for that day, but once i start jogging back and forth across our apartment, i know i'm gonna make it :) lol it's funny how 8 hrs never seems like enough. i'm sorry each time i feel that way bc i know you're running on 5 most of the time. mom... please sleep, okay? you are fantastic and you deserve it! i know there's lots to do, but take care of yourself and it'll get done, babestum! :) you are wise. i know you're doing all you can, as usual. thank you for your sweet stories. i love your emails. they are full. full of everything good--the Spirit, visual feasts and tender mommy love that is so precious to my heart. oh, mom. how i've inherited tears from you! i cried only a little in the mtc. one night it was just 'cause i was terrified of coming to the P, but most of the time it was good crying. but dang, mom. i keep crying all the dang time and i think sis g is scared for me :) lol. i keep thinking it's time for something to come, but... it hasn't. it's just the mission. of course i miss you and stuffs, but i also cry about happy things and mostly it's just a mix. i'm so grateful. i've been protected emotionally from feeling the weight of most ppls' poverty here, but i've been so openly aware to the blessings of the Spirit poured out upon us. it is miraculous, this missionary work. and i have so much to do to be better. and i love what you shared about pres. rees and hope. lol! i can hear his voice! thank you for your insight. i totally needed that. if i think of eternity daily, then i will be a more focused, more selfless, more obedient, and more effective and loving missionary. and i will never regret giving all i could give every day.

you are such a good example to me. you praise me and say so little of you. let me clear this up now. YOU are MY mom for a reason!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

don't worry, i survived the mtc language representative working with us all day saturday. he interviewed us and observed our comp. and language studies and went to lessons with us. i sighed real big when he left. but he was super nice. his wife's gonna have a baby today or tomorrow and i was his second to last missionary to observe, so he was praying to get back so they could start her. so cool! their third child and first daughter. anywho, a sister, ward missionary and rm, worked with us that day. she cracks me up. she's stinking gorgeous and it's hard to not be jealous (but i'm learning how important it is to be thankful instead :) ), and her attitude is hilarious. her english is superb, too. she said to br. stephenson, the mtc rep, "you're wife is going to give birth in 2 days and you're not there??" lol. i like her. 

dad, your emails make me laugh out loud-- a lot!!!! holy cow, man, you're like always on a complete roll when you write them! jeez! i could reread them every day :) mom's and aaron's too. i always wanna read them 50 times, but i can't. you are a genius! hahah i'm glad you soaked up the educational nutrients of the galaxy quest 3d adventure! opposition really is in all things, isn't it? especially missionary work--i see it every day! but opposition is such a blessing ! it teaches us and stretches and and causes us to grow if we learn from it. there is so much to be learned. i feel like 18 months is too long to not see you, but too short to learn to be a good missionary. how will i do it?!?! there is SO MUCH to improve!!! and often, i think of how my siblings would view the work i do and i feel like there's so much more i can do to make them proud--to be a good example for them. we are examples in all we do. we are always being recognized. we have to be at our best all the time! and we can be! because we're on the Lord's side. He will bless us in every need we have so we can bless His children. and i mean we, like all of us. isn't that great!?!?! I wish i would have been a bolder member missionary. but i know how to be now. i'm learning. and that's the point of life, isn't it? you're a genius dad! bc you use what you know and you learn more every day! i so admire you.

shoot a mile! this can't be over! i gots lots more to tell ya! 

aaron, your email was grand! i'm glad to read it :) i have so little time and so much to write, so i want to get you info as quickly as possible. i still need to write your dad. i'm thinking of and praying for him. he's awesome. bless him. what did you mean about your 90 days? you mean there at your internship? have you been keeping track of all your info? i love Filipino families, too! they're bombin! soooo cute, eh??? i'm sorry you had that frighteningly gross experience. i'm glad you survived :) you're so strong! how's josh adjusting? when will you leave for sure to go home? what will you do there? what are your plans for the year? your efforts to help ppl not be socially awkward are funny :) hehehe you're awesome.

can i ask you a favor? can you look up some simple, cheap (for the fixins and ingredients) recipes for sis gupta and i to try? if you'll do that, i will make you some delicious indian food when i get home! deal? well, i'll do it anyway, but ya know. 

i have so much to tell yall, but i gotta go :( tell ashlynn i'm gonna write her, too! i love her so dang much! she's been waiting for a long time for a response now. and tell lou i wanna hear all about her events! and rae that i'm jealous of how all the little kids love her so much! she's such a sweet heart. she has so much energy and they love her always. keep an eye on joph. he's too cute for words. don't let anyone snatch his heart up! he's too lil! and booty, i've told sis gupta how stinkin cool you are, so keep it up! we'll have her come visit us and see for herself! you're so fun!

BIG HUGS AND KISSES!!!!! and a song just for you ;) love sis r

oh... that song should be... hmm.... hymn 300.

ps they love american music here. is it possible to be trunky already??? hahah but pretty soon i won't recognize any of them, anyway. the styles change. love ya tons!

oh, and here they call older sisters (or close friends, respectfully and endearingly) ate (ah-teh) and brothers kuya (coo-yeh). so joph is our kuya! i love these terms.