Too Much Happiness!

Thank you so much for your emails and letters, they are so wonderful and brighten my day so much!  I have so much to respond to and SO much to tell you about, which means I'm going to be typing very fast so hold on for the ride!  Okay, so first of all THANK YOU mom for that wonderful package!  My whole district thinks I'm the most spoiled girl in the world because I have such wonderful friends and family who keep sending me things!  But seriously, those cinnamon rolls were so good and made me feel almost like I was back at home watching Conference with you guys.  And the Elders loved them. :) 

Okay, so this week has been the craziest week of my life, but it has been such a happy, splendid time with so many exciting things, so I'll dive right in.    CONFERENCE!! Oh my gosh, I don't know how to express how incredible that experience was. I loved every single last part of it, from the early morning rehearsals, to the meticulous grooming checks for the sisters, to the bus ride (in the "real world", it was so weird), to sitting RIGHT in front of that massive, deafening organ, to sitting in that comfortable darkness during talks looking out at the overwhelming expanse of Saints in the conference center, to of course actually SINGING in General Conference.  Words cannot describe the thrill that went through me in each song we sang, especially the last one, "Praise to the Man."  And THEN, singing the intermediate hymn, "Called to Serve" with all the saints of Zion! 

As I stood and looked out during that song, I imagined my family at home, Dan and Jeff in Michigan, all my wonderful aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents across the nation, my friends in their little apartments, missionaries across the world, and members of the church everywhere singing our hearts out.  Singing that we will move "onward, ever onward" as "children of a King!"  It was one of the most wonderful moments of my twenty one years, and I will never forget it.  Listening to Elder Holland's talk was a similar experience.  I don't think a General Conference talk has ever spoken so personally to my spirit or made my heart burn quite the way that talk did.  I can't wait to go back and read it again and learn more about how to build up others around me, refrain from being envious, and always turn to my merciful Savior for repentance and daily progression.  It was absolutely beautiful.  

I love you all so much and I love this gospel with all my heart.  I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father has blessed me to be one of His missionaries.  Every morning I wake up and can't quite believe how lucky I am.  I know that Jesus Christ lives and that He is truly the merciful, patient, eternally GOOD Savior of the world that Elder Holland testified of.  That he is the Savior of each of us individually, and I love Him.  Thank for being so wonderful.  And go back and read conference!