Spring is in the air. And Sister Hoopes has her 1st baptism this Saturday! :)

I got this emailed to me from a sister in Kenzie's area that was feeding them dinner that night.  Looks like fun!

Dad,

 

 

This week was pretty awesome! On Tuesday Sister Grenfell went to a meeting and I stayed in the area (first time without her here) and it was a really great experience. I was in a tripanionship for the day with Sister Packer and Sister Holladay. It was a cool experience to be with them and take the lead in all the lessons we taught. It helped me feel like I wouldn't be so lost without her, of course I missed her bunches, but it made me less nervous for the time she may get transferred or vise versa. When we taught Sister Torgerson this week I really felt the spirit. We talked about the holy ghost and times I have felt it and times the other Sisters had felt it. I never realized how much talking about those experiences allows you to feel the confirmation of the spirit even more! When we taught Sister Carroll we had a good break through. At the end we invited her to watch conference with us and she accepted! When we went over to watch it with her she payed really close attention and we had a really great lesson with her and her husband afterwards. We invited them to attend church and they said they wouldn't make any promises but they would try... That's better than we have gotten before so we are hoping the spirit works in their lives to help them get to church. We also moved houses this week. We are now living with Brother and Sister Voge. They are so nice and he was the old bishop so he knows a lot of the people we are teaching and things. When we come home every night they always greet us and ask how are day was and offer us cookies (SO MANY COOKIES.... its bad). But they are so kind and its just really nice to have someone there to welcome you home at night. Thursday night we met with Charlie Tilburry (or Gibbs) and she is a less active member and has been for a while but we took her to a scripture study class that the missionaries teach and she actually really enjoyed it. It was a really great experience. There ended up being 4 sets of missionaries and Charlie which was interesting but we had a really great discussion about 2 Nephi chapters 3 and 4, AWESOME CHAPTERS. Sister Grenfell and I have been working with Sister Pitts (the bishops wife) to practice a song that we will be singing at Carissa and Ryan's baptism this Saturday. We will hopefully be able to tape it and send it next P-day :D We have also been working with a young woman in our ward who is struggling right now. She is having a hard time wanting to live the religion and feels like she's doing it because her parents are making her. Sister Pitts invited us to start meeting with this young woman in their home and so we have been over the last few weeks. This past time we met with her we pretty much bore testimony of God and how we are his children and he loves us. It was very powerful and by the end all four of us girls were in tears and we couldn't deny that the spirit was there. I am so happy we have the privilege of helping this young woman gain a testimony of our Heavenly Father and that I am able to strengthen mine in the process. We unfortunately were not able to carry on the Hoopes family tradition of the big breakfast! But it was a great conference experience nonetheless. The first session we watched with Carissa and Ryan in the Olson's home (members that we adore), then part way through we went over to Sister Bolas's (another member) and watched the rest of the Saturday morning session with her and Lynne (an investigator). Sunday morning we watched it in the Olson's home again and Sunday night we watched it at the stake center. Conference was really great! Here were some things I took away from it:

 

When Jeffrey R. Holland said "Yes it is worth it, because the alternative is desolate... Be strong in the gospel, defend your faith with courtesy and compassion but DO DEFEND IT." I LOVED THAT!

 

Ballard when he talked about how he learned the importance of following up on his mission, that had me laughing pretty hard. And I loved the invitation he gave to families with missionaries and without missionaries to get a copy of preach my gospel and study beside the full time missionaries! PRETTY SWEET!

 

And the last thing I really loved was when L. Tom Perry said "We must teach our spirits and bodies to work together to keep the commandments of God." I feel the happiest when my spirit and my body are on the same page. Its always more enjoyable when you're not experiencing an inner battle between your mind and your spirit. I feel that way being out here on a mission. I know in my mind and in my soul that I'm in the right place. Its not an easy thing to be out here but I know its right.

 

Thank you for all of your love and support Dad, you mean so much to me and I'm thankful for the time you take to pray for me and diligently write me every Monday! :) You're the bomb.com. I LOVE YOU!