Dear Family,

It's been a wonderful week and serving in Riverview is becoming a littleless tornado a little more sun shower. I played piano in sacrament meeting (hehehe). Hymns made easy. I think I hit the majority of the notes. The second verse was fairly accurate even if the third was mostlyA Capella. The three investigators I mentioned in my letter last week were there with their friend.

I really enjoyed Relief Society. It was the highlight of my day. This week it was the combined Spanish/English again. And the teacher was teaching in English and not waiting for her translator, so she was talking at the same time and trying to translate answers to questions and everyone was participating, because the teacher asked, "What are some daily difficulties you face?" That's a loaded, but very therapeutic question to respond to. The southern African American sisters were going off and the Latina grandmas were like, "Lemme jus tell somsing to ju!" and the Utahns would stand when called upon and quietly give very long, entailed, profound responses that the sister translating had some issues coveying. At the end we were asked to read our scriptures and pray everyday this week, I quietly said, "Si, se puede." (Yes, we can.) with a smile and I accidentally set off the grandmas who chanted that with their fists in the air a few times. It really was a spiritual lesson. I don't know how, but it was. I think our investigator liked it, too. The testimonies weren't translated at the end and one sister finished the lesson with hers and I could tell our investigator was touched.

This week has been awesome. There were 9 nonmembers at church. This area of Kansas City has a lot of room to grow and it's exciting. People are humble and have to make sacrifices to come and so the regulars are so solid and blessed with so many missionary opportunities. I love teaching in Spanish and I'm learning a lot. Especially from my companion, Sister Werrett. She is a lot like Megan. I like her lots. So I we're very busy and I'm doing my best to learn the ginormous area.

Happy belated Independence Day from Independence Missouri! They have this huge fireworks display right behind the Visitor Center. There were a about 2000 people in attendance and lots of them had to come into the VC to use the bathroom so we took them on tour until the fireworks got started. I took a couple people to the Christus statue who wanted to meet with the missionaries when invited to do so. It was exciting. And one of the eternigators [eternal investigators] from 2nd ward brought in this huge picnic for all the sisters at the center and we went out on the back porch and had the best seat in the house to watch the fireworks. President Van Komen was there. It's a hard calling. Sister Van Komen skipped and went to sleep instead, they'd had such a crazy week. It was his birthday though, so hecame out and one of the sisters had made him a card.

There's been a lot of big names here. I got to take two former mission presidents on tour in Spanish and that was fun. One was traveling homefrom the Dominican Republic and the others were former presidents from Bolivia. They were really nice. They complimented my Spanish. So you know they're REALLY nice.

We're 3 for 15. President Uchtdorf, his wife and twins were doing their family vacation of the church history sites. Sister Williams came in from Lenexa, KS, because she was in his stake in Germany. She speaks about 5 languages. And it was neat to shake his hand and welcome him there. It sounds silly, but it is a testimony building experience. I've spent sometime with "Apostle Sheldon," one of the leaders of the Church of Christ-Temple Lot. I've helped teach the son of the prophet of the "Remnant Church of Latter-Day Saints." I've taken "Community of Christ" leaders and pastors of other denominations on tour. Some of them have been wonderful, because you can see they've filled their lives with service. Others have chips on their shoulders you can almost see. But no matter their personality, they are not called and set apart by the authority of God. When you talk to bishops and Stake Presidents and particularly mission presidents, you sense authority. When they speak it's by the power of the Holy Ghost. Elder Holland and President Uchtdorf both have a comforting aura of power and and attitude of kindness that can only come from someone higher.

I have a testimony that this is Christ's church on the earth today. "And also unto my faithful servants who are of the high council of my church in Zion, for thus it shall be called, and unto all the elders and people of my Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, scattered abroad in all the world; For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Churchof Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light maybe a standard for the nations; And that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon herstakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth." Doctrine and Covenants 115

We've been promised that Christ's church will never again fall into darkness and that if we are prepared we shall not fear any calamity that may fall upon this country or around the world. We are set apart and peculiar and I know our leader are men of God set apart by His authority, His Priesthood.

Love you all. Thanks so much for being there for me. And for those that are getting this that aren't in my family and have written me I'm writing today.

Love Sister Deb