The Sun Will Come Out!

Dear Family!

After a very cold cold week, it finally warmed up yesterday! I love the sun! Sunday after church I just sat on our porch basking in the sun and napping and eating. Mmm, so good! And it is warmer today. I am going to have to re-adjust to not wearing tights however. 

This week went by so extremely fast, I don't even know where the days would go. We would start it and then it would be done! I don't know how missionaries function out west. Doing 2 wards is exhausting let alone 3 stakes. I can't believe May is next week! Ahh! Anyways enough about time, I'm getting old.

So we finally had the break through with Barbara! We figured out her problem with baptism. She had an absolutely scarring experience when she was baptized into a different church then a member may have put false ideas into her head about what our baptisms are like. So she feels a lot better about it! Thank goodness. She has still been pretty sick. We decided that when she comes to church we will show her the font and room and we will set a date with her there. So pray that all works out. So she is doing pretty good! 

I just have been feeling my testimony strengthened so much this weekend! God puts us at the right place at the right time. He is definitely there for each of His children. I love being a missionary and being aware of that. He puts us in the paths of people that need Him. That is how great His love is! We learned even more about that at Stake Conference this weekend. It was so good. I love stake conferences! Especially Saturday night sessions. It's just a hidden treasure! The whole weekend was just a spiritual power house. Elder Ward, our area authority came. He is an amazing man! It is incredible how he can just get up there and go. He doesn't have a talk prepared he just says what needs to be heard. he gave some powerful talks.Saturday he talked about the proximity principle, how we are all placed in our own "field", the Lord places us in specific places for specific people. We are meant to be in their lives! That was cool. He had all of us missionaries stand up and quote D&C 4 from memory. That was cool and nerve racking. I was worried he was just going to call one missionary out and we made way too much eye contact to make me feel comfortable, thankful our mission president suggested all of us! Whew! A huge focus was councils. Family, ward, stake, couple, just every type of council. Then the stake president tied all the counsel of councils to how we need to apply it to our prayers. That is so neat, that we can council with Heavenly Father about our lives. I am just in awe with how aware He is and will help us. It is neat to sit down and ponder what His answers are, you realize He answers more than you can think! 

Cool story! I met Brad and Amber Simmons also at Stake Conference! They are in the North Stake but we had a meeting during their time. Brad is Camille's bro-in-law. Gregg's brother. They just moved out to Waukesha. Small world!

Well it sounds like you have had a fun week with the boys and now with Lindsey! I love you all so much! I am so happy out here! Prayer! It keeps me happy, I am learning how to access the atonement so much more. We can always live joyfully, even with the hard times. I know I probably won't always feel this way, I have got to grow somehow but I love this feeling. This is truly the Lord's work, it's his rescue! It will all work out because He is in charge! I am just so happy, I love it!

I love you more than I love this warm sun!

Anne

Feeling Good!

Dear Famille
\
Life is just good. The gospel is just good. I love it! I do have a bitter sweet relationship with food though. We fasted twice and over indulged twice in four days. Monday, I think I was the most full in my life. We spent the day saying goodbye to people for Sister Caramia. We ate at 2, 4, 6 and 8. I couldn't fall asleep I was so full! But it was good! Tuesday I realized I needed to pack too. So I packed one suitcase to take with me and let me just say, it made me want to get rid of everything because I have been living just fine with that one! We go back to my apartment every couple of days, so you can still send stuff to that one. We went and dropped off the temple square sisters at President Cutler's house and Sister Green and I were sent off home together. It is strange to be in two areas because I feel like I have left and then we just go out.

Sister Green and I are doing really well together. It is kind of difficult to have non-english speaking companions so we are having a very good fresh start together! We both have the same desires to be obedient and just to find and teach. So we are very united which makes a huge difference! It just feels like a perfect fresh start, it feels so good.

Tina is doing fantastic. It was sad for Sister Caramia to say goodbye to her. Tina shared with us what she wrote in her journal about her baptism and confirmation. It was so beautiful! One of the best moments of my mission. This gospel is so real. I cannot deny the Spirit I feel and the miracles I have seen. It is the sweetest of experiences. I brought Sister Green to meet Tina and we taught her the Restoration again. Church this week I think she felt a little stress about being new and not knowing everything, but we pointed her to the Book of Mormon and she felt a lot better.

We got to go to church from 8:30-4:30 yesterday! That was exciting! 2 wards and being in President's ward. His daughter just came home from her mission last week and it was her homecoming talk this week, that was neat. It was crazy to see President Cutler with his family. It is a really good ward! For me church just flew by! And after we got an awesome rain storm! Hours of rain! That is how it is done! I love when Wisconsin does that!

I haven't got to teach in ASL this week sadly but there is a deaf member in our ward so I got to talk to her. It was intimidating signing again to someone who actually signs. We worked really hard to find new people to teach this week. Lots and lots of doors, sometimes it is hard. Which just makes it better sometimes. I learned a lot about grace this week. That enabling power of the atonement. I really just feel a fullness of joy. When times get hard, I always know I can turn heavenward and I just feel buoyed up. I am just so happy, I love being a missionary!  We are working hard and one of the best feelings is when you go home at the end of the day and you know you have done all you can. You are so tired and just sleep like a baby and then it is time for round two! I just want to do this all my life. I love it.

It sounds like you are having a great week with the kids! They look like they are in heaven. Boy heaven. Lindsey and Abe need to go on a cruise again so I can watch the kids. I hope you continue to have fun!

I love you more than all the rabbits in Wisconsin (there are a lot btw)..the whole world...(even more)
Anne

A Wonderful Morning

Dear Family,

It was just a beautiful week. I won't keep you waiting! Tina is officially a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!! She is baptized! Wow! It was a beautiful day! All week it has been rainy, which I absolutely love and adore, stormy, hailing, you name it. Apparently there were tornadoes down south. In the apartment we are in I am okay with that now, we have a cement basement so if needed we can hide! Anyways, Saturday morning the clouds parted and we just had a wonderful sunny day. I told Tina it was Heavenly Father smiling down on her :) 

She was beautiful! 

We had a really good turn out too! over 40 people came! Tina was so happy! She was talking and laughing and smiling! You could tell she was super nervous though but more excited. One of her biggest concerns was that she would disappoint people with her reaction because never really acts to happy but her happiness was contagious! 

​Sister Askerland is the one who found Tina with Sister Wu and then Sister Caramia and I have been teaching her. 

It was so good! She said she just felt so warm inside and that while she was being baptized it felt like she was in a different world. She was beaming afterwards!

​After! This is with her housemate Robbie! The Sisters actually contacted her but she dogged them! See her beautifully marked Book of Mormon?! It's awesome! Members gave her the pictures! Robbie insisted we hold everything up for the photo! So cute! She loved the scriptures you gave her! She brought them to church and started marking them! While we were waiting for her and Ted to get changed (he got baptized too! double baptism!) We gave each of the members note card to write a testimony and favorite scripture for each of them. Our plan was to make a little book and give it to them but after the baptism everyone came up and gave them the note cards and introduced themselves. It worked even better that way! It made Tina a little emotional! They could just feel the love! Then she said she couldn't wait to get the Holy Ghost! Sunday she was confirmed and received the gift of the Holy Ghost and she just came of the stand beaming! She said she felt hot! Not just a warmth! So happy! So this is Tina! The newest member of the West Allis ward!

Everyone was super sad when they realized Sister Caramia was leaving this week. So we are having a crazy week saying goodbye. We are having a goodbye dinner with Tina tonight. She is sad she is leaving. Sister Caramia is sad. It is strange having this be the middle of the transfer. We got a very good phone call saying we only have to take over two areas and not three after all! So yay! Just West Allis and Muskego Lakes. Muskego Lakes has deaf members so I will be able to do more ASL! That will be exciting! 

More exciting news! I finished my first journal! I have never finished one before! It only took me a year! I thought you would be happy mom! That means I do write in it :)

We had a wonderful missionary fireside last night! I was so nervous but it turned out so well! We talked about non threatening ways to do missionary work and discussed ideas for family mission plans. I just love this ward. I am very happy here! I just really love this work! There is no where I would rather be! The happiness and joy that fills my soul is wonderful! It is all because of Him. On hard days I always have hope in His plan, as Ether says it is in an anchor for my soul. The Savior atoned for us so we don't have to be alone in this world and so we can make it back home! I love it! I love seeing Tina make those steps! She is now on the path! The gate is unlocked!

I love you more than all the rain this week!

Anne

I love Conference!

Dear Family,

This was a great crazy week! We had a lot of planning we had to do! So last transfer there were 6 missionaries in our ward (3 companionships) and 3 of those missionaries were going home so one of the Elder's areas got closed and now we are down to 4 missionaries. Which I might add is the least I have ever served with, crazy! But those 3 Elders thought it would be great to hold a fireside, and they decided it should be held after they left. We tried and tried to meet with them to plan, but Elders :) So we ended up planning that whole thing for the 12th and then Tina's baptism for the 11th. Which it will actually be a double baptism because the Elders are baptizing someone as well. So a lot of planning and calling and asking! I guess I am just preparing for future callings. Props to mom and dad for doing this for years! I bet you are just pros by now! So that was fun, it actually relieved a lot of stress just getting it taken care of and not putting it off until the last minute. 

We finally got to see Barbara this week! We just ended up stopping by because sometime the whole appointment thing doesn't work. She is just having some fears of what the actual baptism will be like so we invited her to Tina's and hopefully it helps calm her fears! We will keep praying about her! But Tina is doing amazing! We watched both Saturday sessions with her at her house because she has BYUTV! Awesome! Hopefully she will stumble on that channel more often! She is just doing so well. It is amazing to just see her testimony grow and grow! I think she is ready for Saturday! I am so excited for her! She knows that this isn't the end, but the beginning of her journey back home. I just love seeing this gospel change people! I would do this forever! I will in my own way when I get back home. Watching conference was so great! It just instilled in me a greater desire to follow our Savior. I loved Elder Bednar's talk about Godly Fear. I can't remember if it was his or someone elses who talked about obeying the commandment's out of a love for God. I think that was Uchtdorf, so good! So many good things. I just downloaded all of conference to listen to at home. 

One of the returning less actives had his mom break her hip this week. I was concerned this would shake his testimony pretty hard, but I think it is doing the opposite. He asked if his mom could get a blessing and he just loved it and held dear to it. He has been sitting in the hospital reading talks and scriptures to his mom too! And just receiving amazing spiritual strength! We just keep seeing the gospel in action everywhere! 

This week will be crazy with everything going on, but it's hard to believe next week will be crazier. Sister Caramia will be leaving on the 15th and then the crazy hits. Our mission president doesn't want to close any sister's areas because more sisters will be coming and he would just have to reopen them. So just how everything is happening and with the temple square missionaries we will be short a few sisters. So me and another missionary will have to take over 3 areas for 3 weeks! Ah! It's crazy! So wish me good luck for next week! I will still be in the West Allis area but we will be covering Muskego Lakes and Oak Creek as well. After 3 weeks I will just be back to West Allis. It is weird knowing what is going to happen before it does, I am positive I will be here until at least the end of June so that is nice! 

I hope you had a happy easter! For us it was good! A nonmember family invited us over for dinner! We have tried teaching them but they wouldn't listen. But, they love the missionaries and feed us occasionally. It was so kind of them! We watched Sunday conference at the church and I just loved it. I loved all of it, I was sad we didn't get to hear the prophet as much so I can't wait to listen to priesthood session.

I am sorry my letter is all over the place, I hope it makes sense. I am just a little tired and all over the place. But I still love you! I am grateful we got to see conference all at the same time! That is cool! All your kids watching at the same time! I enjoyed every minute and I cherish the words said! I am so grateful for this beautiful Easter weekend to remember what the Savior has done for each of us and how we can have His help everyday! 

I love you more than all the Easter feasts!

Anne

I Believe in Miracles!

Dear Family!

Sorry about that! This week was awesome! So Tina is just on fire! I have been so worried making sure she is ready so we have made sure to teach everything! I have never done this before, it's wonderful! 

We had interviews with our mission President this week and he asked what my Preach My Gospel Studies are. I replied it's just been for Tina and Barbara because I have never been able to teach some of these lessons and don't know what I am doing! But it is so good! So we met with her this week three times :) 

We started on Tuesday with the Law of Chastity. We were really straightforward about the whole thing, because there is no other way to do it. After she just had this face that seemed to say, "Why in the world are you talking about this right now? Why would you talk about this?" So we felt a little awkward. 

We came back two days later and talked about temples with Sister Cutler and Tina told us after we left Tuesday she just started laughing about these two 20 year olds talking to a 50 year old about chastity. She remembered teaching her kids and just laughed. She thought it was sweet. But our lesson about the temple was really good! I think she likes that whole idea of being sealed. 

Sister Cutler also left her with the For Strength of Youth because if we live those things we can go in the temple. We saw her again on Saturday with our Relief Society President and went over the baptismal interview questions and she then asked us to teach her about tithing and fasting! We were shocked but realized she read the For Strength of Youth! So we ended up teaching her that on the spot too and she accepted it no problem! It was great! She officially is ready to be baptized. She knows everything and has a testimony! 

We asked if she remembered what visiting teaching was as well and responded with, "It's when two sisters will come into my home and teach me the gospel and then me and and another sister will go into other sisters home and do the same." AHHH! She is ready to do visiting teaching too! Ahh!! I was so excited! So was the Relief Society President! Oh boy! It's music to the ears! 

Also her prayer when we closed was absolutely beautiful! She is so excited to be clean, to have the Spirit and to be a part of this church. She loves the Book of Mormon. She was talking about the Bible and how it is so good but things got lost. And that is why she loves the Book of Mormon because it is 100% true! She has such a strong testimony I feel of everything! Book of Mormon, prophets and baptism! And she quit coffee officially! And she is defending the church! And defending her baptism. I could go on forever about Tina. I just love her and I love how much Heavenly Father loves her. 

She is incredible. I also should mention she finally stayed for all three hours! And she made comments in Sunday School. She is also making friends with the member and even had a member ask if he could baptize her! It warms my heart!

Barbara has been sick this week so there will be more to come. We may have to push back her baptism a little bit, but that will be ok. We have had an awesome crazy week! I got to see Sister Morales before she left. We snuck into transfer point during our lunch hour and saw her. I also got to say goodbye to Sister Homan before she left and say hi to Sister Goldwater my MTC comp. She is training a new missionary now! It is so exciting! I don't know what else to talk about Tina is just a rockstar and has taken up a lot of my thinking space!

It's been cold but now it is warming up! I can't wait for rainy season! It is about to start! It is just a beautiful time of year! It is a beautiful time to be a missionary! I love this work! I don't think I could be happier. This is definitely where I am meant to be! I love it! I love all of you! Thank you for all the support! Easter is this Sunday. 

I am assuming all y'all with Facebook and internet use know all about the He lives video, if not watch it! It's beautiful! I am so grateful for this time of the year to have an extra reminder of the resurrection of our Savior. He is everything! Have a Happy Easter! This is my first second! My second easter away from home! Crazy! I just love my mission and the path it has put me on to my Savior, I cherish this time!

I love you more than I love all the Easter candy in the world!

Anne

The Spirit of God Like a Fire!

Dear Familia!

Oh boy! Was this week just sensational? Yes! My soul is just filled with delight, I have no idea how this works! But I do know it is the Spirit and that this is the Lord's work! How beautiful are the mountains we get to walk on? That probably made no sense because there aren't mountains here. Anyways! Lets start with an update on the wonderful people we are working with. We met with Barbara again this week. She is doing so well. She is reading the Book of Mormon and loves it. We haven't taught her the Word of Wisdom yet but she said as soon as she started reading she lost the desire to drink and she has been declining any alcohol given to her because she feels she just doesn't need it anymore. Okay. Without us even asking or talking about it she has already tried invited some friends and family to her baptism. Okay. It's so great! I don't even know what to do! Just teach her what she needs to know and help her be baptized! She had the flu on Sunday so she couldn't come to church but she is progressing so well!

Tina! This woman is so wonderful! She told us she knows God wants her to be baptized. She has been studying and marking up scriptures about baptism and prophets. We talked to her about General Conference, prophets, apostles, priesthood. I love it because she is the first person I have taught that understands that we have that authority, that Christ's church would have his authority and it is as the scriptures say "One lord, one faith and one baptism" It is so neat. We were worried this week because we had church at a different stake center because the other stake needed our bigger building. But she came! And it wasn't a problem! And she loved it! She brought a notebook and took notes in Sunday School! Isn't she just beautiful! The ward already assigned her home teachers and is working on visiting teachers. This gospel is changing her. She is so much more confident in herself and happy because she has been reading the Book of Mormon and being edified by her. It is definitely the power of God!

And this isn't where the great stuff ends! This Saturday we had a very special event! Our whole mission gathered together for a mission conference so we could hear special servants of the Lord speak. We had Elder Craig C. Christensen from the presidency of the seventy and Elder Daniel L. Johnson from the first quorum of the seventy come and speak to us with our area authority, Elder Jack Ward. It was so good! First off! Guess who I saw! Literally everyone! Sister Morales! That was an exciting moment! I gave her a special hug for you mom! It will be only a week old hug! I saw all of my old companions, all my old districts! It was almost a sensory overload! So many missionaries! It was so beautiful though! It was an empowering experience. President and Sister Cutler bore their testimonies than Elder Christiensen talked! He is definitely a special witness of Christ. The words he said were meant specifically for our mission, specifically for me (as well as everyone else). He talked about how there are four pillars of the atonement.

1. Christ overcoming death, we will all rise again. 

2. Christ helping us overcoming spiritual death, through faith and repentance we are all made clean.

The other 2 were r3ally good, and I have never categorized like this before.

3. Christ suffered all our pains and trials so he could heal us. As he said when he healed those during his ministry "By your faith, ye are made whole" Through him all wounds can be healed, physically, spiritually and mentally.

4. Grace, the the enabling power of the atonement that allows us to do things we could not do on our own. 

He then went through a question and answer session with him and all others there and it was a sacred experience. I am sure it was personal for all there. As I listened I had just a wonderful feeling of the absolute possibility that we can be steadfast and immovable in Christ. That we can make it home again. As we put Faith above all else miracles will happen. I am so grateful for my mission! It has put me on a path that I have no idea how I could have got on without it, nor do I want to know how I would have had to get here. I know that my Savior is therefor me. I know I can always have perfect hope in His promises because He will fulfill His word. I know that those God has called are all there for a reason to fulfill God's work and to bear witness of Him.

I just love you guys so much! It sounds like you had a fun week celebrating birthdays! I hope you all continue to be safe! I love you dearly!

I love you more than I love our car!

Anne

A week of miracles!

Dear Family! 

I can't even begin to express my feelings for the multitude of tender mercies Heavenly Father is pouring down! I am just going to start by tell you the story of Barbara and how the Lord has prepared her. 

So Barbara has been looking for a church for years. She has been baptized Lutheran and that one is the one she kept going back to but bad stuff just kept happening. In 1996 she requested a copy of the Book of Mormon from Salt Lake. She got the Book of Mormon in the mail along with a letter asking her to read the introduction, 3 Nephi 11 and Moroni 10:3-5. It also said two Elders would come, but they never came. Her best friend of 35 years was baptized in 2000 but left the church. She ended up coming back to church 9 years ago and has been sharing the gospel with Barbara ever since. 8 years ago Barbara has had several unexpected deaths in her family. Her friend, Karen, shared with her the importance of temples. Barabara has always been a little hesitant to learn from people other than her friend so it never went farther then their discussions as friends. Now 3 weeks ago the Elders had this strong impression to knock this neighborhood. They did not like this neighborhood. Everyone rejected them without fail. All they did was give away one passalong card to Barbara who was on the phone so she didn't talk to them at all. They had no idea what they did! She decided it was time! She requested the movie on the card and we brought it to her! We also gave her another Book of Mormon and gave her an assignment to read the introduction and 3 Nephi 11 and we read Moroni 10 with her and promised she could know these things were true. We came back the next week and she showed us that letter and we had given her the exact same thing to read. We also showed up and she had her member friend there. We taught the Plan of Salvation and oh boy! Karen's testimony made it so powerful because she knew exactly what Barbara needed to hear! Barbara also said she had been reading the Book of Mormon everyday! She was hugging and told us how comfortable she feels reading it! She love it! We felt the prompting to invite her to be baptized and she accepted a date for April 25th! Right after she accepted her friend said, "I knew you gonna get baptized! I already asked to give the talk on the Holy Ghost!" So we aren't going to have a hard time planning :) She also came to church this week and loved it! She is so amazing! You can just see God's love for her! 

Also Tina is doing incredible! She finished the Book of Mormon! She is just progressing beautifully, the gospel is changing her. She smiles more and you can see a light in her eyes, hope! We had a lesson on the Word of Wisdom this week! Her only hold up was coffee and she cut down this week from 1 pot to 1 cup which is so good! We had another lesson and went over Mosiah 18 and what baptism is about. She is so excited! She said a beautiful prayer about her baptism. It was probably one of the best moments I have had as a missionary so far. She has a testimony and she expresses it! She also is still coming to church and loves it! She said next week she wants to take notes! We are encouraging her to read some general conference talks and get excited about it coming up! We are so excited for her! She is excited! She gave us girl scout cookies too! What more could you want? 

I also got a pluthera of packages this week! That was exciting I couldn't believe it! Every sibling sent a package and I got a card from Valine! I can't believe I am 20 though. That isn't cool. Not cool.

I was 27 this week and looking for Faith. I think the people of Ammon had more than Faith they had hope. They had hope in the Savior. They KNEW he died for them and they KNEW that all would be well and made up to them. They followed Him with all their heart, all their souls.  

 28 And they did look upon shedding the blood of their brethren with the greatest abhorrence; and they never could be prevailed upon totake up arms against their brethren; and they never did look upon death with any degree of terror, for their hope and views of Christ andthe resurrection; therefore, death was swallowed up to them by the victory of Christ over it. 

 29 Therefore, they would suffer death in the most aggravating and distressing manner which could be inflicted by their brethren, beforethey would take the sword or cimeter to smite them. 

 30 And thus they were a zealous and beloved people, a highly favored people of the Lord.
These are just some of the most beautiful verses to me. I've read and read them but if you read along with True to Faith's definition on Hope it just gets so much more personal. I have been thinking a lot about what that kind of dedication would be. How we get to that. That is where I want to be. Nothing wavering. With such a trust in Christ that they would give their all. I love it. 

I hope you guys have fun celebrating together! Be safe! Be happy! I love you so much! 

I love you more than all the birthday packages in the world! 

Anne

Prayer Works!

Dear Family!

This was a week of miracles! Crazy, crazy stuff! So we were visiting someone and missed a phone call and we listen to the voice mail and it was this man that the Sisters found a while back. One of the Sisters was Sister Wu from China and they had found this other man from China and gave him a Chinese Book of Mormon. So he called saying he read the whole thing and had a few questions and wanted us to come answer them. Yes! So we are going there this week! I am pretty excited! We will see how it goes. We are trying to invite a member who also speaks Mandarin. 

Then later that day we get a headquarters referral. They are typically from mormon.org. Most frequently we get free bible requests then Book of Mormon and maybe missionary visits. This time it was my first ever one from a pass-along card for the Finding Faith in Christ dvd. That never happens! We hand out a bajillion but I have never seen anything come from it. So we went and contacted her! Her name is Barbara. Miracle! So the Elders had tracted into her a week ago and she was on the phone and couldn't talk so they just gave her a card and left. She actually called the number on the card! You want to know why? Because her best friend of 35 years is Mormon and has been trying to get her to investigate for years and she decided the time was now. I don't know how I controlled myself in the situation because she is inviting her member friend to her next lesson, so she already has her fellow shipper taken care of. She said she read the New Testament every night but committed herself to read the Book of Mormon instead! And she really wants to come to church. Just incredible. I can hear angels singing in the background. Just an absolute miracle!

We also when on exchanges this week. Sister Askerland came here, I replaced her actually so it was really helpful to have her here. She is just my hero. The greatest missionary I have ever worked with. She really inspired me just to be a better missionary. We had an awesome prayer experience. We were just all over the place that night and we got home and we couldn't find our phone. It's terrible for a missionary to loose their phone because there is so much on it! So we said a prayer and when we finished we got out of the car and this guy was getting in his car next to us and let us borrow his phone to call ours. The phone was gone. So we both felt like we should go back to one of the places we had been that night. We pull up and the phone just lights up on the side of the road. There was nothing on it, it shouldn't have lit up but it did! It was so neat! It reminded me of something a woman said in Relief Society a few weeks ago, she said she hope she was always humble enough to pray for the little things like finding something. That was a great experience. 

Saturday we went and taught Tina! She is SO amazing! I just love her! Her Book of Mormon is just all marked up and beautiful! She is so getting baptized. We taught her about prophets and the commandments which was pretty funny because all the sacrament meeting talks were on prophets! I told her we had no idea. We brought a member and she seemed to warm up to her just fine! We also set her baptismal date for April 11th and we are praying with her a lot about it and talking about it a lot so she can get excited and work towards it. 1 month! 

Also daylight savings is not a missionaries friend. I will just leave it at Sunday we were miserably tired :)

I about freaked out when it dawned on me my 20th birthday is this week. Ahh! I can't handle that. Can I just be a kid forever. It will be interesting. 

I hope you guys just a have a fabulous week! You are so wonderful! I don't have to feel jealous about your regional conference with Elder Perry because he may be the apostle coming next week to our mission! It is so warm today though! The snow is starting to melt! I love it! It is weird though because the last time I felt weather like this I was in Sun Prairie. So weird. I love you all a ton! Keep up the great work! You are just great! I love you so so much!

I love you more than I love this weather!

Anne

S'Wonderful!

My dear Family!

Can you say just marvelous? Because that is what this Sunday was. Wow! It was probably my best Sunday as a missionary. First of all the long and awaited Tina came to church! We were able to find out one of her setbacks in coming to church because the Spirit! She has some struggles with anxiety and we were able to figure out the 3 hours scared her and we set a goal to just come to the first hour. We had no idea that was holding her back but wow, the Spirit works. We also had a member of the bishopric give her a priesthood blessing to help and it was so perfect. She felt the Spirit and she drew power from it to come to church. During that visit we found out she had come across anti and anti people. She defended the church! She told us she knew what they said wasn't true and went and looked it up on lds.org. No way! So she came and we sat down with her in the back and so many people came in! Almost every less active we have been visiting regularly came. They just kept filing in and my eyes got wider and wider. Then! Trish and Callieblue walked in too! Trish also defended the church as well, she seems a little more wary about being a member but her daughter loves it. Her heart will continue to soften. We had 3 investigators at church! Then the Elders had 3 as well! It was a great Sunday! And Fasting is just great too! If I was capable I would totally do a 40 day fast because I can't imagine the blessings you would receive and power from the atonement. Anyways, after sacrament meeting I asked Tina if she had any questions and she asked "Was it okay for me to take the sacrament before my baptism?" Yes! All I focused on that was her talking about her baptism! So good! She is just doing incredible. 

I just want to end there! I guess I shouldn't have started with that but too late. In my district we have 3 Elders going home at the end of the transfer. So they are all just working hard and doing their best. We had a really, I wouldn't say heated, passionate maybe, discussion on how we can help the members with missionary work. We hashed a lot of things out and now we have a plan to go to every house on our ward list, talk about it and personally invite them to a fireside in April. It's going to be a lot but if we do it right I know we will see lots of blessings.

Our whole Zone is working hard to prepare for the apostle to come. We are working hard. Our Stake President set a goal of 70 baptisms this year so our mission president is really pushing us. It's so weird to be in Milwaukee in the center of all the mission stuff. The mission office is in our area which is strange. If we ever need Book of Mormons we just go and pick them up.

We had a crazy Friday and Saturday. Appointment after appointment. We were running from place to place. We met with our neighbor Vitahlese. He and his wife are from Africa. He taught us more than we taught him. He just went through the bible and kept asking do you believe this? Do you believe this? He basically pulled the law of chastity out of some verses and asked if we believed in that too. Yes, yes we do. It was crazy, he said he didn't study the Bible a lot but he was pulling stuff out right and left. They invited us over for lunch next Sunday and we will see how he accepts the Book of Mormon, because if he does he would be the most rock solid member ever. 

I can't even tell you how inspired your letters were this week! They were just what I needed! I just love you guys so much! This week I was reading the story of Abinadi and I realized how harsh his message would have been taken by the people of King Noah. He had quite the task given to him. But he did it! 100%! I think it is so neat that God could trust him enough to not shrink at the task he had to do. I hope I can live in that way. As our Zone Leaders said to us, #zoneofAbinadis :)

​Surprise! It's official!

I hope you all have a fantabulous week and stay warm! March is here!

I love you more than all the hot chocolate in the world!

Anne Goes Double Digits

Dear Family!

Wow! Life sounds so crazy! It sounds like you are doing great work as relief society president! Busy busy busy though! I guess you won't ever get to go with dad to byu-i. I am glad you had a kid to sit with in church though. This week has been great. I finally had the courage to start the Book of Mormon in ASL. It seemed like just a big task! 17 discs and 60 hours! But I did! It is incredible! I understand a lot more than I thought I could. 

We have a wonderful investigator named Tina, she is so sweet. She told us that she had read a little bit of the Book of Mormon, later we found out that little bit is clear through 2 Nephi. 2 Nephi! Can you believe that! She read the whole thing and loved it! She even marked passages. We were in shock! She is just doing great! We just have the struggle of getting her to church! Isn't that always the problem. We have some great recent converts and less actives we are working with though that ARE coming to church! It is kind of incredible! This being Sister Caramia's first ward, she sometimes get upset or frustrated that more people aren't coming but oh boy! It is quite miraculous. We really have a good ward. Almost everyone is a convert in this ward. 

Sister Caramia randomly turned to me in the middle of language study and asked "How you say 'I would like to order a hamburger" I about died! It was just like the Pink Panther! I explained to her why I was laughing and we sat there staring at each other going back and forth with the whole "er" "or". It was just like the movie. Hamburger! :)

This week has just been all over the place. I can't believe that it is Monday again. We have been so busy yet I have no idea what we have been doing! Isn't that a conundrum! Sundays are always the craziest. We had 2 investigators at church and a lot of less actives! It was fantastic! But it is always a frantic Sunday taking care of everyone! Sunday night we were in charge of a BYD about the Book of Mormon and missionary work. That was fun! I drew the Book of Mormon map to help the youth explain the Book of Mormon to their friends. Then we had them do role plays, which of course youth don't like because they are the worst but it was still fun. We made lots of cookies and treats for the activity. My peanut butter cookies were a hit. I will have to make them for you when I get home. I am pro. 

I got an awesome package from Harriet in the Sun Prairie ward this week. She made me cookie and sent gifts! It was so sweet of her! I just love her! She is the best! I can't believe I am in my 3rd area. Now when people ask me how long I have been out the say I don't have much time left! Yes I do! Almost half my mission! I am one of those missionaries that I saw when I first came out and just stared at with wide eyes. "You have been out for ten months?? I have only been out 10 days! How??" I love being a missionary. It is really fun especially here in Milwaukee. We are going to have to start riding the buses soon. That will totally be a different pace of missionary work. I am going to have to learn this area fast! 

I am so grateful for all of you! I love you so much! Thanks for all the love and support! This is the Lord's work and he has a great plan!

Love you more than I wish it was warmer!

Anne