Hello my wonderful friends and family! 

It has been yet another great week and I'm SO excited to tell you about it! 

- I got to participate in a little jam session with a few people from the ward and their musician friends. (Great missionary opportunity). They were sweet enough to include a familiar tune in the set list just for me! Not gonna lie, I got a little choked up while singing this one. Enjoy!! 

- We had Zone Conference this last week which was great! I learned so much and have enjoyed applying those things into each day. One thing that we talked a lot about was faith. They emphasized it so much that I left the meeting thinking "I'm going to have more faith! I'm going to exercise more faith!" The next day my companion and I were visiting people and came to a cute little blue house. As we pulled up she said, "Oh we've tried to visit here several times but no one ever answers the door." Remembering that I was going to try to have more faith, I said "Well maybe this time will be different." We knocked on the door and not only were they home but they invited us in! This was an investigator couple that had met the missionaries only once before when they visited St George, Utah and visited the temple grounds about two or three years ago. It's also fairly uncommon for anyone to let us in, seeing as most just talk to us on the doorstep. We ended up having THE BEST conversation about temples and families. We got to share the Proclamation to the Family with them and discuss how families can be together not just for time but for eternity. It was one of the best and most spiritual experiences I have had on my mission so far. Once we left and throughout the day, I thought about my experience receiving my endowment with my family and then being able to see my mother get sealed for time and eternity to her parents all in the same day. I just want to tell you that I know that families really can be together for eternity. I know that this gospel is true and that with this gospel we can be better and happier as individuals and as families. I can also tell you that having faith AND exercising that faith is what can bring about true miracles in our lives. 

Love and miss you all! Sister A

Hello my friends!
First off- HAPPY BELATED MOTHER'S DAY to all of the mothers out there!
Second- I got to skype with the fam yesterday which was AWESOME! Loved seeing everyone.

Here are more random thoughts!

- I thought I lost our apartment keys but found them- in my purse. There was a hole in the pocket!

- Some fellow missionaries took me to Joe's Ice, an Italian ice place owned by a member. Missionaries eat free! Really good!!

- Went to visit some less actives and their cats loved us so much they followed us.

- And found Belmont Avenue. Go Bruins!

- We're still teaching some great investigators and they are really progressing!

- I told my trainer/companion that I would like to get better at door-to-door contacting. So we decided that some classic tracting would do the trick. We chose a street and knocked on each door. Although many were not home or weren't interested, I must say that the experience influenced me greatly. I was reminded yet again that this is work has nothing to do with me. Of all of those doors we knocked on, only one person seemed interested. But that doesn't mean that the Lord isn't preparing his children to hear the gospel. For all I know, more people could have learned something about the gospel that they didn't know before just by simply reading my name tag and seeing the name of the Church. I'm so glad that I am where The Lord wants me to be right now. Because even if I don't know it, others will come and are coming closer to Christ. I know that Heavenly Father loves all of us, His children. And I know that He wants us all to know of the joy that this gospel can bring to our lives.

I love and miss you all!!!

Sister A

Skyping on Mother's Day

Hello my friends! I'm sorry but this email will be in bullet points. I've been jotting down my random thoughts as they come throughout the week.

-My area is called the Anaheim North area. It's a fun family ward. 

- Forgot to tell everyone that when I was in the Salt Lake City airport I saw Mitt Romney! He was just walking to his gate all by himself. Would have said hi but he looked like he was in a hurry.

- had exchanges (you switch companions with another set of sister missionaries for the day) yesterday with our sister training leaders. I went with Sister Kaitu. She's from an island near Fiji and wants to be a police officer. Yeah. She's kind of awesome. We had a bunch of service opportunities yesterday. We got to help clean the ward building and then do yard work for a nonmember. So fun! 

- we went to visit some less active girls late in the afternoon but when we got there they said that they were just leaving. So after we talked with them, Sister Kaitu said I had to see the next street over. When we got there, each tree along the street (a lot of trees) had been made into a fairy house! Pics below. SO cute I HAD to take pictures for mom! 

- teaching some awesome people. A couple, John and Kristina are committed to baptism at the end of this month! They've been investigating the church for almost a year! Let's pray that they continue to prepare themselves for that beautiful day. We're also teaching Juan who is golden!! He's diving right into the Book of Mormon and loves it! We've been visiting the Ramirez family, too. Their 14 year old son was diagnosed with cancer and is going through chemo right now. We went over and read some of the Book of Mormon with him which was great. He asked some great questions and really liked the stories we read. Wonderful kid. Wonderful family. 

- visited an older woman with Alzheimer's this past week. Turns out she likes music so we got to sing some songs for her which she loved. At first, it was hard for me to keep from getting too emotional. I kept thinking " this is hard. I can't keep singing. I'm gonna sound awful. I need to stop." Then the thought came,"this isn't about you." What a great reminder that it is always about others. Especially in missionary work. When we focus outward and help others we forget about ourselves. President Hinckley was told as a young missionary "forget yourself and go to work." Sometimes we think "but how can I help others when I can't help myself?" I learned in the MTC that when we help others, The Lord helps us. He will take care of us if we can take care for those around us. I hope we can all try our best to remember this! 

I love you all!
Sister A

P.S. When we asked Micah if she needed anything she just said, "SEND CHOCOLATE"