Hello :)

 

 

This whole email thing is sooo stressful. Really they hardly give us anytime at all to write family and friends and it is also the only time we get to read our emails as well as write our mission president. So. I am going to do my best to write as quickly as possible. I might have to condense this a little bit. Sorry if there are some errors in my writing :) I just got your letter in the mail this morning Mom! I love letters from my family. Thank you so much for the sweet and supportive words. I am not going to lie.. the first couple of days I just kept thinking why on earth did I do this hahaha it was weird. I would just think about all of you guys and ache to be at home, spending time with you. And I was missing the MTC haha I could of stayed there for a few more weeks and I would have been happy as a clam. I think it all was just a big change and adjustment. But gosh I cannot express enough how much The Lord has blessed me in the last couple of days. I can really feel him strengthening me. What seemed monotonous (I don't know if that's spelled right) at first has now become really really fun and exciting. My companion and I didn't have a lot of appointments this first week so I think that had something to do with my attitude. I was bored haha but the last couple of days I have been able to meet a ton more people and I have been able to teach and get lost in the work! Working hard really does cure it all. I can now truthfully say that I love love love being a missionary and I know I am going to love it more and more as time goes on. The fact that Sandpoint is one of the most beautiful places too helped out a lot. Two days ago my companion and I went tracting down a street and I loved it every minute. It is fun carrying around a book of mormon with my badge on feeling loud and proud about the gospel. We were able to schedule a church tour with a cute young couple and set up an appointment with another person. Yesterday I got to go to church and it felt so good. We had some investigators come to! I loved watching them smile when the speaker said something great. I know they were feeling The Spirit. Going to Relief Society was like going to therapy... being at church made me feel normal after having been through a crazy transition. I also got to meet the Bishop and all the members who are great. We are going to the Downen's tonight for steak!!! Holy moly you have no idea how excited I am. They are so funny too. Brother Downen makes me laugh hard, I love it. Definitely my most favorite thing of all and I am sure for most missionaries is being able to go into a person's home and teach them the gospel and bear a simple testimony. I get excited about it everyday. It doesn't happen as often as I would like but I know that as we work hard and are diligent we will be able to see crazy miracles and hopefully the hearts of Sandpoint will become a little softer as time goes on. Despite my weird, surreal couple of days missing home. I have quickly realized that I am where I am supposed to be right now and that The Lord will help me with anything. I love it here and I am so happy to be here. I am already looking back and feeling amazed at how quick the week went by.

I know Heavenly Father is mindful of my family. I am so thankful that I will be able to be with you forever. I am not sure if I have already said this but I can't wait to share that knowledge with someone... that we can be with our families forever!! I haven't really had the chance to do so yet so this week I am counting on it. I love this gospel and I love being out here in Sandpoint serving the Lord and his children. One of my favorite scriptures that I read this last week is in Mosiah 24:13-15. Check it out, it's a good one :)

 

13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while your are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

15 And now it cam to pass that the burdens which were laid jupon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with easem, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

I attached some pictures to show you how lovely Sandpoint is. To answer your question mom... we aren't sure if the 15 year old at the MTC was a real investigator or not. We were told that some volunteers are members and some aren't?? So who knows but I do know that she felt the love of God and that the Spirit was very present it in our meetings with her. It was wonderful :)

The pictures make Sandpoint look Beautiful.  HaHa.  It looks like she wasn't able to get the right pictures uploaded.  I'm gonna forgive her on this one!!  If you want to see a picture of Sandpoint, ID just look it up in google images.  It does look like a beautiful place!

I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU! And I am praying for you every day.


Love, Sister Adrienne Rogers