7.5 months--I shouldn't count, that's just so you know how long you canprocrastinate writing me :-)

Hi everyone...I
'm not sure who everyone is anymore, who all does this email get to?

It has been a good week for missionary work here in Independence 4th ward. We had A LOT of investigators at church on Sunday. They brought their friends, so it was really cool. This little family we're teaching that's super cute and the mom speaks some English, were the ones that came. I think I might have already talked about them in my last email. The daughter has already memorized “Did You Think To Pray?” and some other hymns and the little bro had read the first few chapters of the Book of Mormon. Beautiful beautiful beautiful. We love 'em.

The man from Guerrero that we're teaching English/The Gospel, came with us and a member to the Visitor Center on Monday and wow. It was awesome. He felt the Spirit and opened up about his family that he's not going to see for another year. He's been trying to read the Book of Mormon on hi sown. It's in vosotros (thou thee), so he's not really getting it. But he's tryin. It's too bad he can't come to church. He works Sundays and it's not exactly one of those choose your own hours jobs. We're just doing service for him, planting a seed of faith. If he builds enough here he can go home and bloom in a year. But of course, I'm not that patient, so for now I'm going to try to find him a different job, through employment services.

This morning we had the dreaded VC goodbye breakfast. The Meachams are going back to Morgan Utah and Sister Madsen is headed home to Sandy. This one was a lot less teary though. More humorous. I'm glad they've changed the format. Sister Madsen said something really cool in her testimony. She quoted Brigham Young saying Zion is like a ship sailing into the harbor of Celestial Bliss. She said each of us has an individual and necessary role to play on that ship. Our individual talents are what brings success. She said, Maybe you're not the missionary that needs to baptize the universe, maybe youre role is to keep the recent converts going," but she was thankful when the Lord blessed her to still be part of those baptisms. And as I've thought about that, I really really want to be the previously-mentioned missionary, but I've noticed a pattern of service and foundation-building and I'm happy with the progress I've seen those two areas. I'm happy with the progress I've seen be made in myself. I'm exhausted and I have to keep saying “6 more weeks, 6 more weeks,” like Dad told me before I went into the MTC, but that mantra has served me well and things are steadily better one transfer (6 weeks) at a time.

Speaking of which, transfers are next Thursday. I want to stay in this ward, but I got a fortune cookie last week saying I'd be 'travelling for business and pleasure,” so I know my fate is sealed. Not really, but I see a lot more reasons for my companion to be in this ward than me to be here, so if somebody's going, we know who it is. I actually like transfers. I mean I hate saying goodbye, but it keeps life interesting and different missionaries are led to different parts of their area. There's some sections it just doesn't seem like we ever get to within our ward boundaries, so hopefully the next misionera does. My address won't change for the next 11 months. No worries. They have to keep us close to the VC.

Life's bueno. Missouri's cold. Church is true. Thanks for the Valentines.

Ofa 'atu. Love ya,
Hermana Deb