Missionary Rick

I sent Rick a postcard today so he'd have some mail in a couple of days. It's funny how everyone compares how much mail they get in the MTC. I'm glad you are going up there with him today, that'll be fun. I've been telling everybody how my little brother is going into the MTC today. Hey, maybe I'll actually get some letters from Rick now that he'll know how much letters mean to missionaries :) You know, it's kind of strange sometimes when I think I'm on a mission the same time as my brother who's 7 years younger than me...

Well, this last week has been just a lot of people not wanting to talk to us...even people that normally want to talk to us... But actually it was pretty funny to watch these people hide from us. I really never thought of myself as scary, but I guess the name tag strikes fear into those who have a guilty conscience... So we went to visit a less active woman, and we knocked on the door and asked for her and the husband (who was not a member of the church) let us in and told us to have a seat while he went to get his wife. She poked her head around the corner from the kitchen -"Who are you?” she suspiciously demanded. And when we told her she hurriedly shook her head and flatly stated "I don't wish to talk to you" and went back in the kitchen (where her husband also stayed) out of our sight - leaving us alone in their living room. It's a rather ridiculous situation when two people hide from you in their own home, don't you think? So after a moment we just called over to them that we'd just let ourselves out and we hoped they'd have a nice day. We had to hold in our laughter until we got back in the car so no one would hear us :)

But things are going well. Amber is getting married on Saturday and then she'll be baptized in the next couple weeks and we've been helping her out here and there where we can. There is another couple in the ward that the elders are teaching that are getting married in the next couple weeks, too, but this one is funny because the guy is getting baptized right after the wedding! All in one day, why not?! Whatever makes people happy, I guess.

We were watching that movie that they made years ago (which I don't think I ever watched) about President Hinckley with a member last night. And I didn't expect to get all emotional, but when I heard his voice telling one of his experiences, I guess it was the first time I'd really heard his voice since he died, but my eyes welled up with tears. I don't know exactly why, but I know that he was a prophet and that we have prophets on the earth today, and if that knowledge means so much to me that just hearing the voice of a prophet would bring me to feel that much love, how important is it that I share that knowledge and feeling with others, so they can experience that same love and peace. I just have to have faith that there are people that are waiting for it, looking for it, even if they don't exactly realize it. And that Heavenly Father is preparing them to hear and accept it.

Well, hope you have a great week and don't be too sad, Mommy. I love you!

~Melissa