The Last Melon (:

What a joyous journey this has been, eh? I have enjoyed every minute, every heartache, every trial, every laugh, every cry. I have learned so much and I will never be the same. The Lord has changed me so much and I am so grateful that I have been able to serve this mission for the Lord. I struggled at the beginning, but I pushed through it and I came out stronger on this side. (:

Well, this week, Gwen got baptised!! It was such a stressful day! We had to fill the font in the morning because the heater takes three hours to heat up the font. So we waited for that. It was good, I got to play the piano and Sister Perry and I had some good laughs. The Elders Quorum had an Amazing Race at the chapel and one of the things that they had to do was eat a baby octopus. Well, guess what we found? A baby octopus that someone hadn't eaten. They just left in on the bench in the kitchen. So, Sister Perry and I decided to take photos with it. It was pretty gross. (As a side note: one of the kids later at the baptism, ate it....yeah, after it had been on the ground...and in the rubbish bin. YUCK!!)

We went out to visit some people while we waited for the font to be filled and it was a pretty cool day. Then we went back to the chapel at 3:30 because Gwen wanted to get there early so we could walk through everything. It was so cool. She said that she just felt way calm and that she was ready to be baptised. It was really cool. (:

People started coming and it was really cool to see Gwen's parents walk in and then her son and some of the friends that she had invited. She was simply glowing. It was amazing. And everything ran so smoothly. The talks were amazing and when Elder Romney said the prayer and baptised her, the Spirit was so strong. (: It was so cool. And then as Elder Christensen confirmed her a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the next day, she looked happier than she had ever been in her life. And she even got up and bore her testimony!! The woman who had anxiety so bad that she wouldn't even step foot in the chapel, got up in Sacrament Meeting and bore her testimony. It was so cool (:

It's been hard to say goodbye to everyone that I love in New Plymouth, but I know that I have served as hard as I could despite the different challenges I faced.

I love the Lord. So much. I love this Gospel and I know it's true. It doesn't quite feel real to me that I have served my time and will be heading home tomorrow, but I know that this is the Lord's plan for me. Thank you all so very very much for the support you have given me. I love you all!!!

Arohanui,
Sister Rachel Pearce

0097-> The Cake that I made for Gwen's baptism (:

0101-> Baby Octopus alert!

0103-> GWEN'S BAPTISM!!!!

0119-> At church on Sunday. (:

0138-> Goodbye to one of my best friends in the whole wide world. (':

17 Months and 3 Weeks old!

Who knew this day would come? I certainly didn't! This week is going to be the best week ever! 

It wasn't the most exciting week last week. There was a public holiday and seriously everyone was commemorating Anzac Day. So, really it was kind of a slow week. (: But we did have a couple of cool moments, as always. (: 

Monday was probably the best Preparation Day I have ever had in the mission field. The weather was really good, so we decided that we would go to Back Beach. I am not kidding you, the weather was absolutely perfect. No wind. Not too hot and not too cold. It was perfect. The tide was out and so were all of the star fish and sea anemones. It was SO COOL!! We found so many cool shells and paua shells and crabs and star fish and sea slugs. Man, it was the best Preparation Day ever! I attach and send heaps of photos. (:

We had a lesson with one of our less actives named Skye this week. And it was such a cool lesson! Sister Cardall came with us and we didn't teach what we had planned, but we did teach about standing alone. President Monson's talk kept coming to my head, so we shared Dare To Stand Alone (http://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages-for-youth/dare-to-stand-alone-5) and it was so inspired! It was a really cool lesson. (: 

Sister Cardall called us this week and asked if we could drop her off to a sister that she was going to be visiting teaching. So, we dropped her off and then we got invited in! It was such a cool visit. This sister is from Idaho, but had her name removed from church records a long time ago. So, we chatted with her for a while and then they told us that the Elders were coming, so we jetted off in like two seconds. But it was cool and we are definitely going to start visiting her more and more. (: 

One day this week we were trying to decide where we needed to be and Sister Perry says, "I really feel that we need to visit Gwen!" So, we drove to Gwen's house and as we sit down Gwen says, "Man, I was just going to call you because I have an awesome story to tell you!" So, she went on to tell us that every morning after she finishes night shift she buys a pie for breakfast (not the pie that I know you're thinking of right now. A meat pie) and this particular morning she got there a little later than usual. Well, in front of Gwen was Bonnie Heath. The less active member I mentioned last week. So, Gwen got way excited and called out to her and started telling her how she was taking the missionary lessons and that she was going to be baptised. And then! Gwen brought up Bonnie's mission and apparently Bonnie got real excited and was talking about her mission. And then Gwen, the awesome missionary she is, invited Bonnie to her baptism. And Bonnie said that she has May 2 off and that she'll try really hard to make it. How flippin' cool is that? (: Gwen is so awesome!!!!

Well, that's about it for this week! I'll send some photos! 

I love you all!! Thank you for supporting me as I have served the Lord. 

0004->Back Beach!! 

0007->Classic Name in the sand. 

0010->Love hearts in the shadow. (:

0016->Classic badges in the sand. (:

0026->Sister Perry and I . (:

0032->Sea Slug!

0036->Star Fish!

0038->A beautiful view.(:

0040->A cool waterfall coming from no where. (:

1040197-> Coolest jumping photo ever!!!! 

1040224-> Us and Gwen. We finally got a photo with her! (:

A Week Of Teaching, Testifying and Inviting!

This felt like the longest week of my life, but it was an incredibly good week!!

Monday night, we had Family Home Evening with Gwen at the Riggle's house. It was so good. We taught her about the Word of Wisdom and it was an awesome lesson. She accepted everything and every question she had, President Riggle was able to answer it and she committed to live the Word of Wisdom. It was so awesome. (:

Tuesday was woke up and it was freezing cold. Like I thought it was cold in Hamilton last winter, but this cold is like Antarctica. Then as we were driving around throughout the day, we saw the mountain and it had heaps of snow on it! 7291. We quickly learned that the status of the mauga (mountain in Maori) determines the status of our warmth, or should I say lack of warmth. So, that was cool. Literally. (;

District Meeting was about inviting people to be baptised the first time we teach them and we talked about different techniques that we could use to do that. Then Sister Perry went out and applied it! One of the recent converts in our branch, Kelly, gave us a referral for her friend Donna so we went over to Donna's flat on Thursday and started teaching her the restoration. Man, it was an awesome lesson and Sister Perry and I were teaching in awesome unity! And then at the end, we extended the baptismal invitation. And Donna said that she would definitely think about it. It was amazing. (:

I'm kind of jumping around in the week, so try to keep up. (:

Tuesday evening, as we were heading in for dinner, we got a call from Kelly. It was Cassy McIlroy, one of the other recent converts and she told us that they were in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. Apparently Sister McIlroy, Kelly, and Cassy had gone down to Stratford to play in the snow and whilst throwing a snow ball at Cassy, Kelly had fallen and couldn't get up. So, they asked us to meet them at the hospital so we could say a prayer together.

We got to the hospital and Kelly was totally out of it on pain meds. It was so much fun! She was saying some hilarious things! Haha. I'll send photos in another email because they are too big. But it was probably one of the funnest times I've ever had. (: And we were able to teach a lesson to one of the volunteer Ambulance workers. It was awesome. (:

We have this new investigator, her name is Jess. And she is amazing. She has had a really hard life, but the past two times that we have visited her, she has said that it is totally an answer to prayers. For the moment, we are starting simple with her because she has no self esteem and doesn't really have a correct knowledge of who God is, but she is getting there. We are really excited to keep teaching her. (:

We had another lesson with Gwen this week and this time we taught her the commandments. We took Sister Joyce with us and that was totally inspired! They've met previously and Gwen knows one the less active members that we have been trying to contact for ages! So, hopefully Gwen can be a good tool in getting her back. (:

And last, but not certainly not least, the Gospel is true! Our mission is focusing more on becoming a Preach My Gospel mission and so lately I have been spending a lot more time in Preach My Gospel. I was, you know, reading it and studying it before, but I never really took it in and applied it. I have started doing that lately and man, it has become the best thing ever! I have learned so much and seriously my teaching skills have become more and more solid as I've been striving to apply the things that I have learned.

How grateful I am to be a missionary. Every day as I watch the Lord work through me to bless His children, I become more and more overwhelmed with His love, not only for me, but for all of His children that don't have this knowledge. Can you believe it? That is how much He loves us! I have definitely come to know Him as I've given my life to Him. I've come to know that I do have worth and that He loves me. My relationship with Him and with the Spirit has become something that I would never jeopardize.

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!! And I will be a missionary for the rest of my life.

Sister Rachel Pearce
7304-> Us and Kelly. (:

7279-> Us at the pretty park we found on Monday. (:

7285-> Welcome to New Zealand!!

96-> Kelly at hospital. (: Sill Kelly! Feet aren't for breaking. We love Kelly! She has become one of my best friends ever!

123-> Cairo, Mikaela's nephew. (: We put blue tack on his face and he thought it was so awesome! (:

Here are two more photos from her companion, Sister Perry

The Temple and Miracles :D

I swear, each week gets better and better and sometimes I don't know if my joy could ever be more full!

We all decided that Gwen's baptism would be better later, so we all decided on May 2nd. How cool is that, I will get to have one more baptism right before I leave for home. That is one moment when my joy was full this week.

On Tuesday, we headed up to Hamilton. Sister Fisher and Sister Inia rode with us and it was so fun! At one point, Sister Perry had fallen asleep in the front seat and Sister Inia fell asleep in the back seat and so Sister Fisher and I were just reminiscing our missions and talking about our feelings about returning. It was really cool and so needed! I love Sister Fisher. (:

Normally when we go to Hamilton, we stay with other Sister Missionaries down there, but this time we got to stay in a hotel! Man, it was so fun to be with the other four sisters in the zone and we played some hilarious games. Man, it was a blast!

Then on Wednesday, we got to go to the Hamilton New Zealand Temple. Good golly, how I have missed the temple, eh? And this time, we got to do Initiatories and a Session. It was so good to be in the temple for a longer period of time. And we got to eat Fish 'n' Chips in the Temple's Cafeteria. (: You can't get any better than that. I received some really awesome revelation in the Temple and I learned truly what God's love feels like. I have felt it before, but this time I felt it for me and for the people that I am teaching. It was absolutely incredible! The Lord's love is powerful and it is real! While in the temple, I saw one of my favourite members from Lake Ward, Sister Swamy. I ran up to her and luckily she remembered me (; Just kidding, she loves me!! And she told me that Christine and Lawrence are doing so well! Christine and Lawrence are the couple that got married and then baptised. Well, Sister Swamy told me that Lawrence has just gotten the Melchizedek Priesthood!!!! How amazing is that. That was another time my joy was full this week. Tears simply streamed down my face when she told me that.

The drive back was absolute madness. It rained the whole time and it got dark about half an hour into our drive. And the drive back, unlike the States, is not straight and wide. It is twisty, windy, and narrow. It was fun and crazy, but I really hope that I never have to do that drive again. (:

Sister Fisher and I went on exchanges on Thursday and it was so much fun! We got to teach so much and it was such an awesome learning experience. (:


General Conference was absolutely stupendous, eh? I learned so much! And I truly gained a testimony of what is means to sustain the prophets, seers, and revelators. And all of our other leaders. When I raised my hand, I knew that I was promising to help and support them. (:

What an awesome week, filled with fullness of joy. (: I love the Lord. Do you? I am a consecrated and devoted Disciple of Jesus Christ. Are you? I know He lives! Do you? He loves you! He loves me.

This week I challenge you to read the Book of Mormon every single day, if you aren't already. (: When Elder David A. Bednar came to our mission and spoke, he promised us this, "If you will read the Book of Mormon every day for the rest of your life, you will NEVER go less active." And the promise applies to us all. (:

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!! And I will honestly say that I am excited to see all of you. Because I really am and I don't think that there is anything wrong in admitting that. (:

Arohanui,
Sister Pearce

7265->This a mushroom that Sister Fisher and I found in Stratford..(:

7267->This is the cutest group of girls ever. Staffy and Ashlee just got baptised and Radee is going to be baptised! They all live in Stratford and they are so awesome. (:

From the editor:

Again a couple of extra photos from Rachel's companion:

This one came with the text that Rachel had died her hair.

Then when called on it I got this one.

Goofy kids...

No and Then Yes (:

This week was crazy! Crazy good. (: But nothing really exciting happened on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, so I'll start with Thursday. (:

So, Thursday started off down in Hawera at Zone Meeting. It was a pretty good Zone Meeting. We talked about how we can better help our members to be missionaries and I learned quite a bit! So, Sister Perry and I have devised a plan about how we are going to work with our members in the next few weeks and we are really excited! 

We rode with the Cardalls and on the way home we got Pita Pit. I am telling you all, if you only come to New Zealand to try their Pita Pit, you won't regret it. (: It is the best food I have ever tasted in my life! Yum, Yum, Yum. (: 

We got home at quarter past 2 and so we hopped into our car and headed off to pick up Lisa so we could all go an teach Gwen. The lesson with Gwen did not go how we wanted it to go, but it went how it needed to go. And, holy cow, did I learn the power of taking members to teach with us. Gwen told us that because of her bi-polar that she needs to stay as stress free as possible and she really felt that having a baptism date was making her feel really pressured and that her bi-polar was going nuts and because of that that she was turning back to alcohol and she said that she is trying really hard to get clean because she knows that after she gets baptised that she won't be able to do that kind of stuff anyway. So, we told her that she doesn't have to get baptised on April 18th if she doesn't feel that she can be clean by then and she said that it made her feel a lot better and a lot less stressed. We felt good about the lesson and how inspired everything Lisa said was, but we were sad that we lost her for April 18th. 

I don't know if I told you about the Chapmans last week? Well, anyway, they were a part member family and then Te Ata (the dad) decided that he would get baptised! So, 2 weeks ago he got baptised and then at District Conference, he was ordained to the office of Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood. Well, on Saturday, Te Ata was able to baptise his 8 year-old son, Te Ata Hemi, and it was probably the most spiritual baptism I've ever been to. 

And guess who came? 

Gwen. It was a miracle in itself that she came and we were so excited! Well, when we were standing in the Relief Society room and Te Ata choked up when he was saying the baptismal prayer, Gwen started to just cry. There were just tears streaming down her face. And to be honest, there wasn't a dry eye in that room. As we walked back in to the chapel, Gwen just kind of stayed behind and we let her have a moment and then she came back into the chapel. After the service was over, we were talking with her and she just started crying again. She said that felt totally at peace and she felt that the 18th of April is a totally realistic date. 

When she said that my heart just filled with joy! I have never felt so much excitement for anyone in my entire time as a missionary. Gwen just told us that no matter how long she takes medication for and no matter how many therapists she sees, she won't ever be truly healed unless she becomes spiritually healed. How awesome is that? I have never met anyone who is so in tune with the Spirit! We love her so much! So, that's my no and then yes.(:

The Cardalls were awesome and invited our whole district over for Easter Lunch, it was such a cool time! (: 

Funny moment of the week: So, the day that we changed our clocks back, we got an extra hour of sleep, right? Well, the alarm always goes off at 6:25. So, it went off and I got up to turn it off and all of a sudden, Sister Perry sits straight up in bed and goes, "WHAT TIME IS IT?!" And I was way confused and still groggy, so I said, "6:25." And then she starts scurrying behind the curtain (her bed is next to the window) and she goes, "Where's my candle?" And I was still trying to wake up and so I thought she was just being funny and I started to laugh and I said, "I don't know what candle you're talking about! Your candle from Sister Cardall is there.." And then she lays back down and says, "Oh, no, it's, you know, one of those little circle tea candle things." And she was like trying to show me with her hands. At this point, I was in fits of laughter and I just said, "I don't know what candle you're talking about.." And she lays down all defeated and she sighs and says, "She's being so rude to me, she's laughing at me." And I just could not control myself. I was like cry laughing. (: And we were talking about the experience later and she couldn't even remember half of the stuff she said. So, we came to the conclusion that she was half sleep talking, half awake talking. (: She must've had a crazy dream about a candle and just had to find it. (: It was probably the most awesome moment of my life. 

It was so amazing to be able to celebrate Easter as a missionary for a second time. Because He Lives we can live a again! I know it's true. I know it is. My Saviour lives. And I am so grateful for the Atonement that He made on my behalf!! Share this inspiring message with the world! 

7235-> My beautiful (and unwilling) companion and I. (:

7239, 7240-> This awesome Yoda mural in town! A photo, to take, I must! 

 

7243-> We also saw this really furry chicken at the zoo...I haven't ever seen anything like it! 

 

Well, it's an incredible time to live on earth! The Lord is hastening His work and it is so cool to be a part of it. (: Keep up the good work, my friends! I love you all so much!!

Arohanui,

Sister Pearce

 

From the Editor:  Sister Pearce's companion sent me these.

 

#BecauseHeLives

Confession time: I forgot my list of things to email, but I will really try my hardest to remember what we did this week. (:

Monday, we bleached T-Shirts with the elders. That was pretty fun. Elder Christensen, Sister Perry, and mine were the only ones that worked out properly. So that was funny. (:

We visited a lot of members this week because this coming Sunday we have an "Invitational Sunday." Last month the members were meant to fast and pray to have names brought to their minds about people that they can bring to church this Sunday, Easter Sunday. So, we were visiting them and sharing a message with them and then committing them to invite someone. We got commitments out of a lot of members, so it is going to be a really awesome Sunday!! 

This week was Gwen's birthday! We were so excited when we found out because we had planned to heart attack her front door and this just gave us a perfect opportunity! So, we probably really obviously asked her when she wasn't going to be home and she said around 4, so we went over there and we put heaps of hearts on her door! (: 7198, 7202 I love doing that. (: I love putting a smile on people's faces! 

I think the ultimate highlight of the week though, was District Conference. Because we aren't a Stake yet, President Rudd holds the keys for our District and so he and Sister Rudd and his two counselors and their wives were there as well!!! President Rudd invited all of the missionaries in the Taranaki Zone to go down to Hawera on Saturday night to attend the adult session on District Conference. It was probably the best Stake/District meeting that I have ever been to. It was absolutely amazing. The spirit was so strong and the talks were all about becoming better missionaries and also about better using the full-time missionaries. President Rudd said something really cool, as well, "Heavenly Father has turned His keys for member missionary work. People who may have not accepted us in the past will accept us now. That is why it is so important for the members and the missionaries to work together." And then he talked a whole heap about rescuing the lost sheep. Who are you going to rescue this week? 

Then the Sunday session was also really good! Gwen came to that and she really enjoyed it. I cannot believe how prepared she is to accept the Gospel. I am so excited for her to enter into the waters of baptism in April!! 

My dear family and friends, I know that this is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that I am a daughter of a loving Heavenly Father and I know that He loves me. I also know that He loves you. I know that Jesus Christ is my Saviour and that he performed the Atonement for all the things that I have done wrong, but also so that I can progress and change and become more like Him. I know that the tomb is empty!!!!!!! How exciting is that? Jesus Christ died and then was resurrected three days later and I know that that is true. I know that because of His amazing sacrifice, we have the opportunity to live again. 

If you have been blessed with a testimony, I invite you to invite someone else to learn about this beautiful truth. And if you aren't sure, I invite you to ask. Ask someone you know who is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to help you! Or better yet, find the missionaries and ask them! Take the challenge in Moroni 10:3-5 and ask God the Eternal Father in the name of Christ if this is true! He will answer you through the power of the Holy Ghost that it is true. It is true. I know it. (: 

Invite someone this week. Rescue someone this week. And I expect stories next week. Miracles can happen, my friends. The Lord is Hastening His Work!!

Arohanui,

Sister Pearce

7211-> Me and one of my very favourite less actives. Waitangi. She is an absolute miracle. She came from hard drug abuse and is now almost fully active in the gospel. I love her!

7214-> Sister Perry, Sister Rudd and I. (: I love them!!

Hard Work and Diligence (;

Sorry about the lack of photos last week, I always seem to run out of time!! I will strive to get better at sending photos. (:

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we went on exchanges!! I absolutely love exchanges and I love being able to work with the other sisters to improve! I went to work in Stratford with Sister Taylor, who is from Riverton! She is so amazing. She is so kind and loving to literally every person that she meets. I don't know if I am being totally facetious saying this, but I imagine that Sister Taylor is a lot like what Heavenly Mother is like.

One cool as experience that we had while on exchanges goes something like this: in our planning on Tuesday night, I felt impressed to pray that we would be able to be the answer to someone else's prayer that next day. Sister Taylor thought it was really cool, but to be honest, I didn't really think anything of it. So, we started planning! We had planned to do some service at a place called Pioneer Village at 10, and then we would visit some people after that. After planning finished the night went on as normal! Then the next day after we had had companionship study closing prayer, Sister Taylor looks at me and says, "I think that we need to change our plans and visit the people we planned after Pioneer Village, first." So, I rolled with it because obviously it was from the Spirit! And boy, oh boy, was it from the Spirit. (:

We went to visit a couple who aren't dating, but they're living together (it's weird, welcome to New Zealand!), Thelma and Richard and we taught them a pretty cool lesson about faith! We each chose a scripture about faith and drew pictures to correspond and Thelma's photo was pretty interesting. (: Look up Alma 32:28 and try to figure out what she drew...but in order to do that you must think much like a dirty old lady. Sister Taylor and I were in fits of laughter. But then Thelma asked us to go and pick up her suitcase that she had left at one of the shops. So, Sister Taylor and I head off to do that. After we had come out of the shop with her suitcase, we saw a lady walking down the street and we walked down to talk to her. Her name was Sarah. And we learned that she was a less active member of the church living down in Patea, where there isn't a branch, they have to travel to Hawera. And heaps of people don't have transportation here and she just ended up going less active because she could never get to church. And then she said this, "I was sitting down there in the Laundromat praying that I would run into some church people and then I just felt like I needed to walk out here! Can you say a prayer with me?" So, I was able to say a prayer for her and we got her address to send down to the Hawera Sisters. Then we walked back over to our car and Sister Taylor says to me, "Sister Pearce, guess what we just did?" And I'm a little bit slow, but fortunately I was able to get this one and I said, "We just answered someone's prayer." What a testimony builder that was! We were able to answer someone's prayer. But guess what else that means? It means that our Loving Heavenly Father answers prayers as well. My testimony is so strong on the power of prayer. Holy cow. I love prayer!

Okay, if you thought the lesson we had with Gwen last week was amazing, it was. And this week we had an equally amazing lesson with her! We started at the very beginning because it's a very good place to start (movie reference(:) and began teaching the Restoration. Holy cow, the Spirit was really strong. We got to the Book of Mormon and we asked her if she had prayed to know if it was true yet, and she told us about how when the Elders first met her and gave her a Book of Mormon that she was a little bit skeptical, but then she said, "But as I've been reading it, I've been able to find answers to a lot of my questions and at this point, I am sure that it's true." I just about fell over. The Spirit was cutable in the room. Is cuttable a word? Well, it is now. (:  And then we asked for her feedback about church on Sunday and she told us how it was weird that we don't pass around a collection tray and asked us about it. Normally, we wait until the commandments to teach about tithing, but for some reason the Spirit prompted us to talk about it then. So, we began to teach her about tithing and Sister Perry pulled out the Malachi scripture and then Gwen says, "Oh, I don't have a problem paying tithing, I was just curious how your church did it." At that point I had fallen over in my brain. NOBODY EVER SAYS THAT! Golden. That's all I have to say. Golden.

And then one last awesome event from the week and then I'll sort out some photos. (:

Saturday night, Sister Fisher and Sister Taylor put on a Interfaith devotional, Easter, music thingy. It was amazing. I was able to play 3 different times. First I played the duet of My Heavenly Father Loves Me with Sister Cardall, then I accompanied a brother who sand I Stand All Amazed, and then my favourite thing of all, I got to accompany Sister Thalman and Sister Chudleigh while they sang "Because." That is the most amazing song I have ever heard. I don't know who it's by or what, but I do know that that is now my most favourite church song ever. (: It was such an amazing night! And so many non-members were there. It was awesome. (: In between the musical numbers they played the Bible Videos portraying from when Christ was born until He was resurrected and it was so powerful! Holy moly. (: I love the gospel!!

7183-> One of our less active members, Wendy. (:

7190-> We had a Relief Society party this week and one of our member's daughters-in-law made this beautiful cake!

7195-> Us and Sister Clarkson with Baby Boots on her lap. She absolutely loves and adores that cat. (:

7162-> This awesome garden that we went to with the Cardall's on Monday.

 
7166-> A cool as Water Wheel that used to be the power source for the lodge.

I love you all so very much and I am so grateful for my testimony of the gospel! Doctrine and Covenants 50:24 "That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day."

Another email had these photos:
7173-> The greeness! It's awesome. (:

1030886-> Pita Pit Date! It was delicious!

And finally:

1030910-> Me and Sister Clarkson and Baby Boots.