Hello Everyone!!!

First I'll try to respond to your emails... :) It sounds like you're all doing great! I missed yall this weekend but it was fun being here too! I missed your cinnamon rolls mom.

Dad, you and I must have been thinking the same thing during conference cause as a missionary I feel like every meeting you are in with an investigator my thoughts are, "what are they thinking?" "what are they getting out of this?" "Oh crap.... their asleep..." haha (That happened yesterday for a minute) I hope yall are doing well! I think of you every single day and pray for you!

Conference was great wasn't it? Man it sure is a different experience in the mission though let me tell ya. We run around like mad women before during and after conference trying to get investigators to members to watch it.. and when they bail we are in trouble cause then we have to drive clear over to the church to watch it. There is a rule in the mission that if you don't have an investigator watching conference with you you can't be at a members house... :/ Kinda weird, but oh well. So we spent 2 sessions at members and 2 sessions at the church. And we were late to every session because we were running around so much. It was kinda upsetting that we only got 1 investigator to watch conference because we had 3-4 that said they would and then they bailed last minute. People here don't know how to commit. Although we had 2 investigators watch it on their own at their houses so that is good. Thomas, the investigator that watched conference with us, really enjoyed it. We are hoping some specific talk hit him because he has been receiving the lessons for 8 months now and we are trying soo hard to help him just take the step. He is just stalling because he is living with a girl friend who is Jehovahs Witness... :/ Pray for him if you will.

Speaking of Jehovahs witnesses... last night we were out on our bikes and we met this lady who was jehovahs witness and it was really interesting to talk with her for 30 minutes. She seemed open to hear what we had to say but she also questioned us on things. It was a cool experience because she asked me how you can tell a true christian and without thinking I said, "Love" and then she said and do you know where that is found in the Bible? And without thinking again I said John 14. And she looked at me darn I thought I could stump you. But she seemed impressed! When we rode off I realized that was the spirit. Hopefully she will take that talk and really think about what we taught her. She will be a good mormon some day.

What was your guys favorite talk?! My favorite was E. Hollands or President Monsons. AND when the choir sang Come Thou Fount all us missionaries in the church started tearing up because that is our mission song and the spirit was soo strong. We all knew that was a tender mercy of the Lord since this is our Mission Presidents last conference in the mission. We all just pictured him and his family crying listening to that. :)

Wow! I made it through my first transfer and I'm still alive and kickin'. Haha The new transfer starts today and I'm still with Sister Atterton in South Shore. It'll be a good transfer. Now that I'm starting to get the hang of things a little bit. This past week we worked so hard! We found 6 new investigators and set 4 new baptismal dates! It's going to be a good month. Dad, you asked about the house we are staying in and yes I got very lucky. It's the nicest place in the mission. The area and the neighborhood I'm staying in. We live in a gated community. Oh and the house we are staying in has EXACTLY what mom wants in a house. I wish I could send you the plans! 2 days ago we were riding down our street on our bikes and there are 2 bays and 1 of them had an alligator in it. Not joking!

The weather here is nice. It's heating up quick and I'm already as dark as an Indian. After summer I'll look like an African American. :) Last monday for P-day we got together with our Zone and played flag football for 3 hours! It was soo much fun! I got 2 touchdowns running past the elders and they were pretty embarrased. haha Our zone is really fun!

This week I have learned so much from the members in our ward. We had 3 different dinner appointments from members throughout the week that really changed my perspective on life.

1. Sister See. She is a convert and she has gone through heck throughout her life. She has lost 2 children, one at age 13 and one at age 33. She has overcame cancer, and her husband now has lung cancer. She is the happiest and nicest lady I have ever met. When she was talking about her life I had this big ball in my throat just cause I felt like I needed to cry. Haha She was saying I look at death this way, We are all going to california and my 2 kids just got on the earlier train. Erica was with us at that dinner appointment and she was in tears because of the strength Sister See's has. I need to work on my optimism like she has. She has such a strong testimony of Christ and knowing that He is with us every step of the way throughout life.

2. President and Sister Norman. They started their mission last year in Hong Kong and then sister Norman got sick so they had to come home. They are the PERFECT member missionaries! She comes with us to several appointments a week and our dinner appointment with them was so different than others because they were talking about the people they need us to meet and teach. Anyways they are such great missionaries and I can't wait to be a member missionary like them. Sister Norman teaches early morning seminary here and President Norman is in the stake presidency but they may go back out on their mission after their callings are done. The thing that stuck out to me when we were over there is how great they are.... but they told us of their 4 kids who have all chose to take their names off the records of the church. You could see the sadness and hurt in their eyes. It made me realize that even if parents are so strong in the church their kids still have the agency to choose. It made me reflect on how much sadness and hurt I caused you guys and I hope you'll forgive me for that.

I don't have time to finish the 3rd... but I'll write it in my journal to share with you later! I feel like everyday I am learning something new that needs to be applied in my life for when I'm a mom and have a family. The mission is super duper hard!!!! But in my studies this week it has been re-enforced that the Atonement of Jesus Christ isn't just for the redeeming power, but also for the enabling power. The enabling power of the Atonement strengthens us to do things we could never do on our own. So the Atonement has taken on new meaning for me this week and for my mission cause I'm going to need it every single day. Also the ability to act and not be acted upon. Nephi asked for strength to break the bands, not to have Heavenly Father break them for him. I'm grateful for yall and for your love!

Mom and Dad thank you for the support you give me in paying for my mission! :D I love you!!!

Erianne

ps Sorry my email is so scattered! I have so much to share and so little time.