HOLY CRAZY! LIFE IS INSANE!!!!!

Dearest darlingest momsy and popsicle :) and clan and all you wonderful friends and fam that i LOVE!

as stated very firmly above, life is insane. and bc you are all living it, i'm sure you'll agree. i love hearing what is going on in your lives! i'm so sorry i've been not the best at responding, but please know i'm thinking of you and trying to get letters out--especiall mom's really super huge and top-secret one :)

it's official. david archuleta is here. same day as petah. so crazy. can't believe it. and i've been very very close to him like 3 or 4 times and remained very calm and collected. he is tiny. he is beautiful. and he's in the mtc choir, which is making many ppl pretty uptight, since lots and lotsa ppl wanted to be in it and didn't make it for one reason or another. all we did was fill out papers that listed our experience. not too fancy. but those poor ppl will have to deal bc i highly doubt elder archuleta got down on his knees on his first whirlwind of a day here and begged to be in the choir. let's be logical. "oh, i'm not famous enough and i'd like my mission to be an extension of my career, so may i PLEEEEASE be on tv!?!?!" yeah. not happening. but for whatever reason, he was there dark and early the very next morning at rehearsal. wowsa. and sis. w was telling me how ridiculous it is that ppl can't seem to let it go. she said at breakfast yesterday, " there are worse things than having a really good singer in the mtc choir for general conference." and i said, "amen." and that was even coming from a not-on-the-david-archuleta-bandwagon sister wight. so there. they can all suck a toe, right? well, i'll be nicer. but it's still in the "i don't have control over it" category, so i guess it is, like many circumstances i will face on my mission, not worth complaining about. and HECK! i wouldn't complain anyway! i get to see someone whom i've been dreaming of singing with for about a couple years now almost every day! SWEET! even though we do no more than possibly smile at each other in passing... if that's happened, yet. he's very private, i believe. and doesn't seem to want any attention.

well, enough of that. now my time's almost up bc this lady from the manila office emailed me about a favor and stuff. i'm sorry!!!!!!!

i am in in-field orientation all day today, so this is a nice break. it's really good, actually. even though we sit a lot, there are lots of things i didn't know before that will help me in the field. and no pday for us bc of gen con this weekend and everything. so weird. i don't have a clue when i'll pack and clean bc we're gone almost all of tomorrow to sing. oh my. it's been a blur. i can't even believe i've been here 5 and 1/2 weeks. i cried when i said goodbye to bro. may last night. one of our teachers. and the thought of saying goodbye to br. langer is way worse. i love him so much. i can't even discribe it. i wish i could. but it's crazy amazing. i love these ppl, especially my dear japanese friends and zone and teachers, so much. and the filipino ppl i've met here are incredible. i can't wait to be around them always. even though i've been crying myself to sleep practically for the last couple nights bc i'm terrrified. i'm still so excited. honestly, if i can do this, i can do anything. i've never been more scared in my life. but i know i'm going to love it. i know i'll love it like i love br. langer, the best teacher i've ever had--- i hate it bc it's hard on me, but i love it for how it makes me grow and for the feelings i get here. the love of my Savior and God's children. and life is that kind of teacher. we just have to be humble enough to love it-- bc it is God's plan for us and He loves us.

i hope you understand what i truly mean. bc i didn't say it well. i love my mission. i've never made a better decision in my life. but there are hard things--- like languages and fear and goodbyes. but they're all part of a journey. a beautiful, glorious one that I LOVE SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!

thank you for being central parts to my journey. you are my strength and my support. Heavenly Father helps me in countless ways thru you. thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!


that is my testimony, or a part of it. God lives. He knows. He loves. Joseph Smith restored the true church of Jesus Christ. the bom is true. in the name of Jesus Christ. amen.

love sis r