March 2, 2012

So I got to have two P-days this week! How great is that! The VC training has P-days on Fridays so I lucked out! And I am so so glad because, to be honest, it's getting really hard to sit in these classes. haha I am so ready to leave! I am stoked to go to Hawaii!

But anyways, let me just say that Heavenly Father loves us and dreams come true : ) For my last devotional on Tuesday- guess who spoke! The one and only: Elder Holland! How sweet is that! He is my favorite speaker! He is so powerful and always motivates you to want to be better! It was so cool too because right before devotional started my district was talking about who they thought it would be and some of them said “word on the street is Pres. Monson is speaking” (which is the word on the street every Tue. haha). But we started saying who we hoped it would be and I said "Oh I just hope its Elder Holland, that would make my heart so happy!" and then walks in Elder Holland!!! How awesome is that! And not only did my favorite speaker talk, but for the musical number the choir sang "Come thou Fount!!!" I don't know how many of you know this, but that is be far my FAVORITE song! Wow- I was just feeling so loved! It was a very blessed experience haha : ) And man oh man did he call us to repentance. haha He just kept talking about how we have no right to compromise the image that everyone has of what a missionary should be. And how we should be changed so much from our mission and that when we get home we should never go back to being what we were before we left. I just loved how he talked about his mission too, he kept saying how his mission has had a greater impact on him and has changed him more than any other mission has changed someone before and I just kept thinking wow I don't know what kind of experiences he had out there but I want to make my mission mean just as much to me as his does to him! His talk really made me realize how much I need to step it up and give it my all and I just need to figure out what I can do to really have my mission change me the way his changed him. I wish you all could have heard him speak because it was just amazing and exactly what I needed to hear right before I go out in the field!

Also another tender mercy this week.... I got to see JAN!!! Highlight of my day on Wed for sure!!! It was so great I just cried when I saw her! I just love that girl so much and she is doing so great out there! She is so happy : ) I was going through the God's plan for us video and when I stepped out lo and behold Jan was there waiting to see me! It was so great, especially because I was missing my companions and it was just so nice to see a familiar face! I really really hope I will get to see her again on Sat!

Another sweet part about the VC Training is that we get to work in the referral center! Wow- talk about our church tapping into its resources! The church is so high tech! Here we are in Provo UT chatting with a girl from Georgia! She has been taking a religion class at college and they are talking about Mormonism so she decided she would check out Mormon.org and she got on chat and just started asking us questions about God! So cool! It’s so amazing to me that when I am working in the VC in Hawaii I will also be teaching people from all over the world thru chat and on the phone! Missionary work has gone far beyond knocking on doors, let me just say that! I will even have an online area book so I can keep meeting with the same investigators and teach them up until baptism and then some lucky Elder in their area just shows up for the first time and has a baptism! haha I love this work and I love that people are building the Kingdom all over the world in all sorts of different ways!

Oh I wanted to tell you really quick that I found out I will be coming home on July 23. (haha) I know it’s a little early to talk about that seeing as I haven't even left but I just found out so.... Grandma C- that might be around Bear Lake time. haha I hope I don't mess up any plans but I would love to get to come for the last couple of days when I get back ; )

Ok so I have been learning a little about what I will be doing in the VC and it almost reminds me of being a tour guide in Disneyland. haha I get to drive people on the trams to and from the PPC and the VC and I just get to meet people from all over and talk to them and I am just so excited! I can't tell you how bad I want to get going!

I am about out of time but really quick I want you to be looking for a Hermna Turner from San Diego. She is in VC training with me and she is serving in the IF VC! How cool is that! So look for her some time when you're in the temple VC! OK

Well I love you and I will call you on Tue morning! ps the Work CD may be in the pocket behind your seat in the Van? Sorry to make you look all over the place for that! I love you all soooooooooo much you just have no idea! I miss you like crazy but I know that this is exactly where the Lord wants me and I am so grateful that He has blessed me with this opportunity to serve!

Love ya!

Sister C.