More Cousins on Missions

Dear mom and papa and family,

OH MY GOSH. ABBIE AND JAMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited to hear that wonderful news! Crazy! I just wrote all the Hulmes today, so hopefully they will get it soon, but that was part of my questions for them all. I wanted to know about missions! Oh my goodness SO exciting! Congratulations kids! I love you guys! And Abigail. Write me immediately! I need a letter from you girl! I love you!


So I don't have much time. But I will try to fill you in as short as possible. So G is doing fine. Not much to report. H about the same. But this week something else happened that was REALLY exciting! So about 2 weeks ago, we found this kid named T. He is 18 years old. He goes to college in Evesham but lives a little ways outside in a town called Honeybourne. He is a good kid. We met him and set an appointment to see him the next day. He showed up, an hour early. But waited for us. He loved the idea of prayers, and he was really attentive. He did ask us a lot of questions about ourselves so we were a bit worried that he was meeting us for the wrong reason. But it was great. He read from the introduction to 1 Nephi 4 in that night before he met with us! So we set a time to meet with him the next week. We saw him this last week 4 times. And he came to church! He has prayed about whether what we are teaching him is true, and he has received what he feels is an answer. After he prayed, all his strength left him. So he kept praying, and it would return little by little. In one lesson, we taught him part of the plan of salvation. At the end, we gave him a chapter to read for when we would see him the next day. And both Sister P and I thought we were giving him one chapter (2 Nephi 31) but actually we gave him 2 Nephi 2 - ALL about baptism. So we saw him the next day, and we started reading it with him, and part way through, Sister P felt inspired to invite him to be baptized. And he just said, yeah, when? Where? What do I wear? When we told him it would either be in Cheltenham or Worcester, he was like, yeah, I think I can get the bus there. What a good kid! We told him we probably would be able to find him a lift. Ha-ha. So that was GREAT! We are so excited! So when he came to church on Sunday, everyone was able to meet him. And they all loved him and invited him over. And it was SO great! It was also great, because nobody else came but us and T for gospel principles, so we continued on in our lessons. And at the end, we asked him to pray, and he did! And it was great. He is such a good kid, and is really trying to do what's right. We are so blessed to have found someone who wants to learn! We are so excited! So right now, the plan is that T C is getting baptized on February 19th. How cool! (and it's really cool, because I thought it would be cool to baptize a boy that was 17 because papa was 17 when he was baptized. and this kid, his name is T. last name pretty close to Clark. and he is 18! what are the chances!? SO coool!!!

Did Caroline really name her dog after me!? Wow! I can't wait to meet this dog! That’s really sweet!

We had a great week teaching T and Ty. we weren't able to find a member to come out with us at all this week, so we decided we needed to be bold, and be "men" (we want to be men, because we don't think that men shy away from hard things to teach like we sometimes could...) and we decided to be men and to bring The Family: A Proclamation to the World and read it with them. And guess what? They LOVED it! So much! So we left it with them and asked them to highlight their favorite parts, and we'd come back and talk about it. And they both really loved how family is central to God's plan. And they loved it all really. And so I think they are now thinking about getting married. They didn't know before how really important it is. They only know one couple who is married. ONE. Can you imagine? The world is so different over here. Nobody is married! And it is just expensive and has no reason to them. So we are excited that they now are starting to realize the importance! Hopefully they will have the desire to change. We love them so much though. And want so badly to be able to have the happiness that comes with having a family.

Well, your week sounds like it was fun! Sorry about your eye! What a pain! But I am glad it all worked out and that you got to go to Lucy’s! I am jealous. That sounds like so much fun to go over there right now and help. But alas. I'm across the world. But it sounds like you guys had fun. And you will have to make me these meals when I get home. I miss your meals mom! But we have been making more fun healthy food.

Yesterday was Sister P's birthday. And we went to Cs for our weekly time to make a treat with her and then read the scriptures. Well, her mom came in, and she was filling up a lighter. I didn’t' know you could fill up a lighter. But I wouldn't because of what happened after. So she was filling it up, and the stuff she was filling it was kept dripping out. And then C was telling her mom that that really wasn't a good idea. But she didn’t' really listen. And then V just lit the lighter, and the fire caught her sweater and her whole hand, so she dropped it. But there was the fluid on the floor, so the fire spread. And we just all stood there in shock. She covered it with a towel, and it went out after a bit. But oh my goodness. We laughed so hard. C was a bit upset with her mom. But we laughed. Oh, and nobody was hurt. Otherwise we wouldn't laugh. But needless to say, she just threw the lighter away after that. Oh my goodness. Hilarious! And this was right after Sister P complained that nothing really excited had happened on her birthday. ha-ha. Good times.

Anyway. This has been a great week! we worked SO hard. Oh, I found out that I have shin splints. I was having a really rough time walking because my shin hurt so badly. So I called Sister Ogden after it hurting for a week. And she called Dr. Simonson, and he told me I have shin splints. From walking too much. How annoying! So I’m taking medicine to calm it down so I can walk normally again. And then maybe run. That’s fun.

Hmm. what else. We taught Young Women’s yesterday. We were supposed to talk on creating a spiritual environment in the home. We were given the manual, and knew that we had to do something else to make it more interesting. So we read from 1 Nephi, all about the difference between Nephi and Laman and Lemuel. They went on the same trips. Asked to do the same things. Had the same trials (i.e. ship, plates, and bow) yet their attitudes were completely different. Who would you want to be? Who would you want to be around? Someone who complains ALL the time? Or someone who is strong and thinks of solutions. Definitely Nephi. Anyway, it turned out to be a pretty good lesson. We were pleased. We have become part of every priesthood/auxiliary presidency it feels like. We are just running everywhere doing everything. Learning valuable tools.

Anyway, things are going great! I love it here! We are so happy! I love you so much! Thanks for all you do. Thank you thank you! I love you!
Love,
Annie