Hey Family!

Well, this week has been great! I've loved it to pieces!!!! I've decided that i could stay and be a missionary forever! this work is wonderful, amazing, and i just can't get enough of it! this past week we taught a new girl named, Elissa. We met her on campus, from doing our public forums- when we hand out surveys. it was neat, b/c i specifically remember standing in front of our table w/ all of our pass along cards and pamphlets, looking out  at all the students, trying to decided who to go talk to! so many to choose from, and i see this girl and felt prompted to talk to her. turns our her best friend and fam. are members and she knew a little bit about the church. she was super nice, and eager to meet w/ us.  so later that day i called her up and set up an apt. for this last Tues. we taught her the restoration and she just soaked it all in. she even said the closing prayer! it was so sincere and she thanked Heavenly Father for us and asking him to be w/ her on this new journey. we asked her when we could meet w/ her again, and she's like, how about this Thurs.? we were so taken back, usually people are like, well, maybe next week, or I'll call you. we met w/ her two days later on that Thurs and taught her the plan of salvation. she loved it. she had already read 5 chapters in 1 NE in those 2 days. she came to church yesterday, loved it, participated in Sunday school and said she wants to come back next week! so amazing! how the Lord prepares his children and when the timing is right, we are led to them. i have such a strong testimony of that! never ignore a prompting to reach out to people and share the gospel, we never know who that Lord has prepared for us. I'm excited for this Tues. we'll be meeting w/ her again.

 Mom, i bore my testimony too in sac. mtg. at the student branch! that's neat that you did too! we did it together. it was interesting to me, Sunday morning at the ward- i didn't feel anything to bare my testimony, but at the student branch, my heart was beating so incredibly fast, there was no way i could have sat there and not stood up. I'm thankful for the time we have to share our feelings of what we know to be true.

this last Friday night it stormed a good one. we got at least a good foot of snow! our mission pres. wife called, sat. morn' and told us that we had to stay indoors-b/c the weather was so bad. i guess it worked out alright b/c it was sis. Bradshaw's b-day! so we had a grand 'ol flag! i woke up early that morn' and TP'd the bathroom and put silly post-it notes all over, and made her breakfast in bed ( to carry on the fam. tradish)  it was rather nice to have a good long nap, and then, we played balloon volleyball!--w/ the balloons and yarn you had sent me in my Christmas pkg. for this very thing- of  being stuck inside! so thanks! I'll send you a pic! it was soo funny, the night before when all of the snow began, we walked to a less actives house instead of driving, and we had to walk up a steep hill from the ditch and low and behold in matter of  a split second and a very loud scream, i face planted on my face! i was laughing SO hard and couldn't move- my tummy hurt so bad from laughter! i eventually stood up and brushed off my body of all the snow. oh man, it was so funny!
 I'm so sad to have to go back.  i feel like, i have just settled in, and getting used to everything, and really getting connected w/ all the members and investigators here. its so sad to just have to leave during the middle of it all. Pres. Summerhays even called Pres. Holmes and asked if i could stay, and he said no. but i guess this mission is getting 2 Temple Square sisters- that's cool!
thank you for all your prayers and love and letters and happiness!!!

a brief description of da pics i sent
~at the Red-Cross Blood Center- every Thurs we volunteer there, and I sit in the Canteen and get donors food and drinks, and we had soft pretzels that day, and i was warming up some cheesy stuffs for them and it exploded
~before and after pics of shoveling out our car after the storm
~karate balloon tricks
~how is it, TWO Range Rover beauties side by side, had to get a pic next to them. I can only dream.....

(AJ's pics never attached-maybe next week)