June 25, 2009 "We got the beat"

OH HEY!!!!!!! So- sweet day sweet day. My life is just sweet. I wish I could just really express how sweet it is- because then everyone would want to go on missions. And if everyone went on missions- well that would be awesome. OK! So for crazy! We went to the temple this morning and you will never even guess who was in the session? Jennifer Funkhouser from the ath dept!!! Crazy. Business! She is here receiving her endowment! And what are the stinkin odds that I would just happen to be in that session!? I don't even know. Heavenly Father loves me. It was SOO good to see her. Totally made my life. Also made my life today. We went to the temple with the Nauvoo sisters who have prep day and a bunch of the single senior sisters and then they took us out to eat after!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! I am ALL about that right about now. And it was seriously the best place in the WHOLE world. Well. In the world I exist in right now. It was SO cute. It was this little bistro/cafe way cute place. It kind of reminded me of the co-op. Food was TASTAY! I had a veggie sandwhich with HUMMUSSSS!!!!!! I haven't had hummus since I've been out. I was in HEAVEN. Oh. Heaven. SO good. And I'm obsessed with the senior sisters that took us out to eat. They are the coolest. Literally. I'll tell you more about them later. Because I love them. Favorites. But I only have a few more minutes. Sorray. Ok. So! What else is sweet? I'll tell you. My mission. Ok! This is a good story. This is probably the best. So! My new comp S Barry is an ASL sister. And I don't know ASL. So it's hard for her to get in language stuff. But! I have been picking up some stuff! Regardless- she does language studies every day. She's so good. But! There was a deaf family that came in yesterday and we TOTALLY gave the tour together. It was AWESOME! I gave the tour and then she interpreted it while I was speaking. It was intense yo. But! Everyone in the whole tour understood. It was just amazing. You could just feel Heavenly Father helping us. Because half the tour was deaf and half wasn't. But it just all worked out. We've been trying REALLY hard to get more referrals. S Barry is just killin it. I'm so proud of her. She's so awesome. And she's such an example to me! Just know- that whenever you go to a church history site or something- just give the missionaries referrals. Because you should be doing missionary work anyways. And that just helps it a long:) I LOVE being at Carthage. I LOVE when families or groups come in really wanting to have their testimonies strengthened- because they will. No doubt in my mind. The Spirit is SO strong here. People will even just comment on that walking on the grounds. I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE the feeling of knowing when the Spirit has come into the room. And from that point on it doesn't matter one bit what I have to say, it's just purely the Spirit testifying to each individual of what they need to know. I LOOOOOOOOOOVE THAT! It's just awesome. I don't even know what more to say- besides AWESOME. I have to admit it is kind of hard sometimes to really care individually about every single person that comes into the jail- especially since SO many people have been through lately. And it's hard with big tours too. I just really want everyone that comes in to feel important and appreciated and loved. And to have a good experience. And to have their testimony strengthened of whatever it is that they need. I just love it. Man. I just love it. I don't even know. So what if I'm kind of redundant and sound way missionary-ish:) Heavenly Father truly will bless you to do all the things He needs you to do when you are really giving it everything you've got. I just feel so blessed always. Always always. And I LOVE having E Picard and S Clive out with me. It's such a strength just knowing they're out there too. And I KNOW that they're just awesome missionaries. Oh I know it. I need to go pretty quick here- I'll try and get a better e-mail in next week. We're kind of pressed for time today. But! I just love you. Best. Family. EVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep on with the keepin on. Keep doing missionary work. It's good to hear about those efforts:) And- if you want to drop me a line- SWEET. Well- I suppose a letter? Whatevs. I'll be looking for the pics. I'm EXCITED! Hahaha. I just love everything! And I'm just so excited about everything! Except ok! It is stinkin hot outside by now. So we go running at 6:30 in the morn. It was already in the upper 80's at 6:30 in the morn. hello! And like 80% humidity. I was dying. I got done running and looked like I had just stood under a showerhead for 5 minutes. But- I suppose that's how it goes in good ol Nauvoo. Well Carthage. Whatevs. I actually like the heat. I've been trying to sit out in the sun in between tours to work on being brown and greet the people coming up the walk. For some weird reason I'm kind of about the humidity? Who knows? I will tell you that I have a sweet farmers tan and even a tan line from my danskos. Try not to enjoy that last part too much Hann. Don't be jeal. I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sister Picard