HELLOOOOOOOO!

Kumusta kayong lahat?? How excited I am to read your sweet words yet again!

I am so sorry... I have a confession. i realized i received your emails just after i sent mine.. and it was definitely time for me to get off email. and i should have. but i read them first.. i'm sorry. i'm sorry i didn't just wait or let you know i had received them. i was over time. and i've resolved to be more exactly obedient. it's so important in this work. i should have waited, even though i was so anxious to read what you had said, because we have a time limit. it's for our good and i need to trust in that. but i'm so thankful that Heavenly Father blessed you with peace. I'm so sorry that you had to deal with that worry. but don't you worry! i'm okay! the week before, i didn't receive an email from Pres. Stucki. he still doesn't know... bc i'm positive it was due to computer problems. he sent a text to sis. gupta about her unfinished email. so at least they didn't happen at once, di ba? :) haha i got them, so it's totally okay! you can breathe easy! and i'm sorry.

mom, you're kickin booty! you're doing such a great job handling the changes. i know it's crazy and time flies when you don't want it to, but you should know that it's only because you're finding joy in the journey. because of your gratitude, you will be blessed even more abundantly--and be more aware of the blessings you have. how great is that!!! you're living "after the manner of happiness"--in obedience and gratitude. sweeet stuffs, babe! plus, i brag about you all the time. i'm sure sis gupta is so sick of hearing about how incredible my family is.. but i'm not sick of telling her! so too bad! muahhahahhahhhahahh!!!! (this was an attempted megamind laugh..) but seriously. i'm so proud of you all. and you inspire me to be healthy and active and full of love for people and for life. thank you, mom. it's truly and honor to call you my mother. i say that with a heart full of reverence and respect for the eternal blessing of family. i don't know what i ever did you get you, but i thank Him for you every day.
thank you for the spiritual uplift! wow, pres. rees is so smart! hehee what a guy. he's so right. we need to experiment upon the word and exercise a particle of faith and plant the seed! it makes perfect sense! and if it's really wrong, we can know right away, according to the scriptures.. if it teaches us to good and believe in Christ, it is of God, and if it persuadeth to do evil and not to believe in Him, it is of the devil. so if we're just deciding if something okay that has come to mind is of ourselves or of God, we have to try it out to know! and i firmly feel that as we do so, our spiritual senses will be sharpened and we will come to better discern promptings of the Spirit. we just need to exercise the faith to give it a whirl!
also, the torch carrier is so sweet! thank you for sharing that with me :) those souls are so blessed. they are here, in this way, for so many reasons. they teach us--through their examples, their spirits, and the experiences we have with them. we can learn patience, selfless love, service, understanding, and so much more by their examples and by caring for them. what a beautiful gift!

in sacrament meeting and relief society, the main theme seemed to be challenges as blessings. in rs, we discussed E. Eyring's mountain climbing (?) talk from conference. i loved that one so much. i drew a little bit of understanding from worldly wisdom and the words of a prophet... in one of my math classes, there was a quote on the wall that said "life's the toughest teacher; it gives the tests first and the lessons after." and then in relief society, the words --paraphrased-- were shared, "through our challenges we gain the education we are here to obtain." only it was surely better than that. but it's so true! we are here to learn to be like our Heavenly Father. How can we possibly do that without an education? the experiences of this life are for our education and growth. we are in training. we are preparing. and with that knowledge, are we study every day out of the books by which we will be judged-- the best manuals we could be given?

family, i need to improve my prayers. i need to improve them in sincerity and specificity. what counsel have you on this subject? dad, what wisdom have you gained through your personal experiences with prayer? aaron, how did you learn to really pray on your mission? has it changed the way you pray today? maree, alyssa, joseph, and becca, how do you feel about your prayers to Heavenly Father? what does He want to hear from you?

my time's nearly up and i need to address your correspondences! daddy, thank you for your sweet apology :) lol i was not the least offended! i laughed lots, as per usual :) dad, thank you for trying to be like your father before you :) in all his humility and quiet strength.i love it. and i am so amazed at the bold and loving missionary he was and is. i feel it with all my heart--he's one of the best missionaries on the other side of the veil. he has to be! he loves the Lord and all God's children with all his heart! what an example!

tell the richardsons i'm thinking of them and will be responding to their awesome notes soon. jory doesn't need to worry. he's totally a ladies' man.

aaron, how the heck are ya??? smile, buddy! your smile warms everyone's heart! you have a letter on the way. sorry, i know it's been a while. i have a lot of ppl to catch up on, but i made a lengthy letter just for you!

keep on keepin on loved ones! I know our Father is watching over you.

all my love, sis r