Weekly email #4 Honorary Member of the Mormon Battalion!

Hey everyone!

First off, Mom and Dad, I want to remind you that my birthday is this month. In 20 days, actually. =P I just don't want you to forget without me constantly nagging you. I'm glad you had a wonderful Easter and that the program went so well. I bet you rocked it, Mom! You sing beautifully! Wish I could've heard it.

Hey, I need box with a lot of things in it.

basketball shorts

black sequin skirt

EFY CD's and Liken CD's

picture of you and dad

This week I went on exchanges. The training sister went with my companion, and I went with Sister Kober's TWO companions. So I left my area. Which was hard, btw. I love being in Chula. But one of Sister Kober's companions was Sister Memmott, my MTC companion! That was awesome. They don't have a whole lot of people to teach in their area, so an hour of our day was dedicated to tracting. I DON'T LIKE TRACTING! It is hard! A born again Christian lady told us to read the last page of Revelations and that she'd pray for us to receive the truth. Yeah........Street contacting is easier.  

Easter was cool. Sister Warner, the RS secretary, had us over to her house for dinner. She had a nice family with some little kids that were into the Easter eggs. The food was yummy. We did resurrection eggs with them afterwards. So I had a good Easter.

 As I was reading through the Book of Mormon this past week, ready to highlight any mention of Christ, I was again impressed with how obedient Nephi is. I was reading, wishing that I could be just like him. Then during a companionship study that we were doing, we read D&C 33:8, which says that if we open our mouths to preach the gospel we can be like Nephi of old!!!! I was so excited!!! Sister Brown can testify to how excited I was. What great news. There's hope for me yet. 

The work is picking up here. We added 5 investigators, all of them formers. I used to be scared about testifying about the gospel so blatantly, but now it's becoming easy. Well, not easy. But I know that's my calling. I can feel some of Heavenly Father's love for His children, and I love it. I want to be as much like Christ as possible, showing God's love for His children, that when people see me and my companion, they know that we are messangers of Christ. I really want to do as much as I can to build up God's kingdom. 

Guess what I got to do today!!! I got to go to the San Diego temple! Can you say B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L?!?!?!?! Wow. Breathtakingly (is that one word?) beautiful. As I was sitting in the temple I realized that general conference is this weekend, which means that 6 months ago I was sitting in the temple waiting to do baptisms for the dead, and Heavenly Father told me to read D&C 4 which is all about missionary work. At the time I thought "that's interesting" and moved on. Little did I know that Heavenly Father was letting me know what was coming. President Monson announced that 19-year-olds could go on a mission and then Heavenly Father told me to go. So here I am, 6 months later, serving in the field. I wear my name and Jesus Christ's every day. I am a representative for our Savior. I can hardly believe it. A lot has happened in 6 months. BIG changes. I am so grateful for them. Never in my wildest dreams (meaning 6 months ago) would I have imagined I would have gone through the Salt Lake temple, have a mission call to one of the most beautiful places on earth,  and be in my first area. All that from one general conference to another. Dang, gina. Life is good.

I love you!!!! The work is hastening, and it is so exciting. -Sister Audrey Bishop