HEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! How are you, dearest family and friends??? I'm fabulous, thank you! I really hope you are, too! I'm loving life and my mission and--of course--the Philippines! :D Couldn't be better! Except of course that I wish I could teleport you all here for my birthday and then again for Christmas!
Speaking of... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RAISY DOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy sweet 19! Haha it's your last year of teenagerhood, so soak it up! ;) Have fun and be a kid! And love life! We love you, so remember that every minute! I hope your birthday is the bestestest ever! You are such a sweet woman and an incredible human and a talented child of our Heavenly Father. He has given you SO MUCH and I hope you feel the importance of your mission in this life! You mean everything to me and I hope your day is extra special!
Mom, before I forget, i have a special assignment for you :) are you sick of these, yet? it's a way off, but i thought I'd give you a heads up. i feel like a really REALLY want to be an EFY counselor when i get home! i don't really care where, or if i need to be a counselor for one of the other programs like OFY or something, but i want to do it! and i think you can apply in the spring time when it starts to get closer. could you find out about that for me? i think i'd prefer at byu-i because it's my favorite, but i would be willing to do an area one instead if needed--wherever. if i need to talk to President when it gets closer to get permission to apply online, i will do that. or if you could do it for me, that would work, too. If my packet is right that they gave me in the MTC, my release date is about Aug. 22. But i'm not 100% sure and that will differ with your plans to come. by the way, when are you planning flights and stuff? i'm not trunky ;) i just want to know so i can make sure the office knows and everything. because it needs to be worked out well in advance, i believe. and right now happens to be well in advance haha. 9 months, to be exact!
HAHAHAHHA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dad... I love you! WE love you! You made us laugh hard core with that Stromberg stuff you dished out :D I hope Maree's feast was fabulous. Mom is very talented, as we all know! And that dear Becca of ours... hahha i love imagining how and what she would say. it makes me grin ear to ear! THat's really cool about the sunday school lessons. I will love being a part of that, even though it will be somewhere in the middle by then. I love revelation. That is such a powerful thing.
All is well here in the Philippines :) haha for the most part, as usual. the funny thing is, it's ALWAYS dark at 6 pm here. it makes the last few hours of work a little difficult and it is kind of strange, but i've kind of accepted it. i mean, what else can you do? :)
Wow, Maree' picked strombolli?? YUM!!!! I miss cheese. a lot. I will have to pick... decisions like that are really hard because i miss a lot of food. Especially yours! Depending on the weather, I might pick a soup (homemade chicken noodle or cheesy potato), or maybe sour cream noodle bake or homemade burgers. i do miss real burgers. and the cake... i love banana sour cream cake!! so much. and better than anything cake actually sounds super delicious as well. definitely cookies and cream ice cream or some good ol' superman (play-dough)! i never was very decisive, was i? but hey, it would depend on my mood! there are so many good things to eat!!!!
Our Thanksgiving was funny :) We had a delicious lunch at Bishop Soleta's house. He's the most recent former bishop. We ate some special mashed potatoes, green beans, and roast! Roast from a crock pot! Bishop is soo cool. He is a very good cook, too. and we also ate dinner at Bishop Montemayor's house :) He was the bishop before Bishop Soleta, I think. His son is our ward mission leader and his daughter works with us a lot. John and Joyce are their names. We love them a lot. and Bishop is the sweetest, most giving guy in the world. He is very quiet and very kind. He bought us super yummy pancit and fried chicken and lumpia from Lydia's restaurant (a local place close to our place and the church). we were very happy, needless to say!
Wow, it sounds like the Richardsons are experiencing some really high highs and very low lows. THat is all wonderful and difficult to hear. You are all in my prayers and i will double my efforts on their part. How I ache for Jonathon and Ashlynn and all those suffering from Satan's attacks on their family. I know he tries really hard on all of us and sometimes we take a hit. but i do know the power of the Atonement is real. THis is the Living Christ's Living Church and He will not fail. He will not let us fail if we will stand firmly on his side. and we can strengthen ourselves and those around us in this battle. we know who will win.
and i am so happy for Jerrica and Darrin and Jory and Morgan :) WHat beautiful and blessed families. Heavenly Father will help us all to obtain the deepest desires of our hearts, which are fulfilled in the eternal family. even when it seems far away, i know it is really very near.
Mom, you are outstanding. My family is a very blessed one. I know that none of us are perfect, but there is holiness in striving. There is a holiness in the day-to-day things that bring us just a little closer to our heavenly home.
THank you for all you have shared with me! know that we are happy and your faithful prayers are needed on behalf of those we teach--both members and investigators. we want them to partake with us in the joy we experience because of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
THat's a great hymn! let's sing these, too! How Firm a Foundation! and I Feel My Savior's Love. I especially like this part: He knows i will follow him, give all my life to him... I hope he knows.
I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! best of wishes this week! and thanks for ash's love and address!
love, sis. r and s!
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