What great emails I've received from you all! i am overfilled with joy that you are doing so well! i want always to hear more and more! your victories are my victories, your struggles my struggles, your tears and laughs are mine as well, and i love sharing in your joy most of all! thank you thank you thank you for your messages of love and comfort and just plain old awesomeness! (for which there is no charge ;D)
gosh, i love you!
i got priscila's address! thanks! love you too, dear!
joseph, i am THOROUGHLY IMPRESSED!!! and that's an understatement. HOLY AMAZING! that's SOOOOO COOOOL! i'm sending a super-smacking, face-thwacking, double-dacking high five your way!!! hehee and your email was so funny and fun to read, broseph! you are PHENOMENAL.
lou, i have every confidence that you will be successful in your goals as long as you're willing to do what it takes to get there. makes sense, doesn't it? you know, love, you're very right about that connection with the gospel and running. you and mom have had lots of spiritual experiences running and you've inspired me in so many ways. that's just what i need to do when it comes to the work--push through and give it my all, trusting that my efforts in His time will yield the fruits He has promised. goodness, what a blessing it is to have you as a younger sister! you know, i know you sit just where you are in our family on purpose, too. and i wouldn't switch ya 'cause i need you there, too. thank you for doing what you do and for being you! i learn so much from you!
dad, thank you for your advice and experience. thank you for your insight and for the service you gave and continue to give. i really do need to seek to serve more in the every day opportunities that come along. there are surely an abundance of those that i haven't noticed before that i will begin to notice now as i live a little more outside myself. thank you! and i'm definitely going to do some studying on ammon, that great missionary. there is so much that i am learning that i didn't know i knew, but even more that i'm learning that i thought i knew, but didn't. haha! funny how that works. it's supposed to be humbling, so i sure hope it does its job on me.
mom, thank you for the song and for the awesome news about our family and relaying everyone's love. i have prayed and thought about them so much. it's miraculous to see prayers answered and know that hearts are being softened and comforted. oh, how i ache for them. but i know the Savior knows them and understands exactly how they feel and He can heal what I cannot.
how are the new jobs coming along, parents of mine?
aaron, the song was brilliant!!! like... wow. wow. you both sounded sooo good. i'm so proud of you! way to go! i think i might listen to it every week! but i feel like that's bawal since we're not supposed to use headphones that isolate us from our companions... shoot a mile. i think i just broke a rule. kinda, bc there is no other way i could listen to it here in an internet cafe. so i guess i shouldn't have. but DANG it was GREAT! Again, WAY TO GO!
oh! i wanted to quick say that i totally smelled Uncle Chewie this week on a jeepney! some guy was wearing his cologne that he used to wear when i was a kid and would go to their house a lot! and i loved it! it was just like being a kid again, eating pickles in their kitchen with hannah and going to breakfast at the diner on main st. good times.
everyone keeps acting like im going to palawan next transfer. that's an interesting thought. actually, it's not a new thought at all. sister gupta's been prophesying since i first got here and sister ronquillo feels like it's true. all of her american companions have gone there. goodness! you should look up palawan on the internet. there are GORGEOUS tourist spots! i saw pictures when sister g was choosing one to print on a shirt for her brother/friend. anyway, we'll see. it's only halfway thru the transfer. but the truth is, i'm probably not staying here. who knows? anything could happen. at least if i go to palawan, it will force me to learn better tagalog :) actually, it's getting easier all the time. i understand lots better. speaking is still difficult sometimes and easier other times. but i'll get there. i just need to work harder.
kevin was confirmed sunday! official na siya. sweet! and he bore his testimony in gospel principles--how he gained a testimony of the restoration and it was beautiful. he just said he pretty much was like joseph--searching for the truth. and then when he read and prayed about the book of mormon and everything, he just felt it was right. cool guy.
and leah!!!! she's soooo gonna be ready for baptism. she's the smartest person holy cow. and she's really feeling like she's found the truth she's been looking for. she just gets everything we teach her. i just want it to begin to take deeper root in her as she repents and changes to become one of His fold. her baptism should be september 29 if we can get her prepared by then. she's awesome. she was referred by an rm intern at her company who was only here for a few months. she speaks super super english and attended the foreigner branch at first and the elders were her first missionaries, but she's in our area, so we have taken over :) lucky us.
anyway, we also had lots of LA members come to church!!! love that. our work was super this week and i loved it. it's evidence that as i am beginning to actually give my heart to the Lord and WANT to do His work and His will, that He is blessing us. the blessings were sure instantaneous! and i'm beginning to feel joy that was missing in my work before. I want not just to do His will, but to unite my will with His. that's when change comes.
i gotta go! i love you! i hope i didn't forget anything! you're the best!
all my love, sis r
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