Service is the key

Family,

It is a BEAUTIFUL day today. I just love seeing the sun and feeling it on my face :) Tell Kylee that I'm cheering her on for her last game!! Cant believe Senior night for basketball is over......Makes me a little sad to think how fast time is going. My Zone leader, Elder Crandall, said that his aunt works with you? I don't remember her name.....What movie are y'all thinking about seeing?? Sounds like a fun day :)

Last week FLEW by. We had so much going on. We had Zone training on Wednesday and Zone conference on Friday. Zone conference is the big one we have every three months with all the missionaries in the area. IT WAS AMAZING :) it usually last about seven hours. We talked a lot about how to get our members more involved with the work. Sister Reiher had us over on valentines night for pizza and some blue bell ice cream. Did we eat blue bell growing up? Because....its the most amazing ice cream on this earth! We taught Ailynn about keeping the Sabbath Day Holy. She is progressing just peachy :) Her baptism date is for June 14th. Its pretty far away but we prayed about it and it felt like the right day. Saturday night we were going to knock some doors in a neighborhood that we had previously picked, but we felt strongly about doing something different. We said a prayer and decided to go rake some leafs for our investigator named Lidia. We borrowed some tools from some members and headed over to her house. After racking for about a half hour, she pulls up into the drive way. She came over to where we were and began to cry. She hugged us and asked "How did you know I was having a bad day?" Its amazing to me how in tune we can be with the spirit. If we are doing all that we can to keep Gods commandments and live righteously, the impressions that come to our minds are true and pure. :) 

There is a story that our mission president shared with us in our training and it goes something like this: 

      One time in the heat of a terrible battle the commanding officer asked a young private to deliver a message across enemy lines to the General at headquarters. The private took the envelope and said, “I’ll try Sir.” The commanding officer placed his hand on the shoulder of the young soldier and said, “I don’t want you to try, I want you to deliver this message.” So the young soldier stood a little taller and said, “I’ll do my best Sir.” The commanding officer stopped and sharpened his gaze and said, “I don’t want you to do your best, I want you to deliver this message.” To this the young private took a deep breath, stood as tall as he could and said, “I’ll do it or die Sir.” The commanding officer then placed both his hand on the young man’s shoulders, looked directly into his eyes and said, “I don’t want you to die, I want you to deliver this message.” The private responded, “I will do it, Sir.”

What I love about this story is it reminds us that we do those things that are important to us and in the end, we decide what is important. In deciding what is most important, may we always seek to do what the Lord would have us do. He requires our “sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.” (D&C 59:8) He needs us to place our personal will upon the alter so we can truly follow him. He needs us to say, “never the less, not my will but thine be done.” (Luke 22:42). This is being consecrated! He doesn't want us to die in the battle or give up the fight, nor does he want us to "just try" but instead he requires us to JUST DO IT. :) And we can do it.

I love y'all with all my little Texas heart!! :) Thank you for the Valentines letter. it was just too cute :) I miss you guys more than you could know! LOTS OF LOVE! 

Pic 1: Making a cake for valentines day :) 

Pic 2: We roast marshmallows ........in our oven