Hooray for big long emails! Melissa sounds great!
Was not conference great? I love it. It's so weird that I only have one more of those left! It was a bit weird to be watching it again - since the last conference was just a couple weeks after I arrived in Boston! I've learned a lot of really good things since then. And I hope to just grow more and more until NEXT time (and of course all throughout my mission until I come home).
I was a bit bummed that they didn't announce any new temples. I was ready with my predictions, there. I was also surprised that they released the whole Presiding Bishopric AND the whole General RS Presidency! I feel like Julie B. Beck hadn't even been in for very long! Was that a shock to anyone else?
We watched both Saturday sessions and the Sunday morning session at the LP Chapel. It was GREAT! I want to always watch at a church building. Do they even broadcast them to the churches in Utah? I hope so. It was just lovely to sit there and absorb. Every time I watch conference I am more and more thankful for modern revelation, and my testimony of living prophets increases. H*, who had basically dropped us, CAME TO THE SATURDAY MORNING SESSION! Isn't that great? Elder Winegar, who is the person who originally invited her to start meeting with us, called her up and invited her to come. She was very sweet and excited to see us. Hopefully we can work back up to the point of her meeting with us regularly again.
For the Sunday afternoon session (although all sessions are technically in the afternoon because of the time difference) we went to L*'s house. That was great for many reasons, not the least of which was her hideously/awesomely fluffy cat Luna. She is so sheddy and playful and I just squeezed her to bits (ooh - I think that Scottish guy - E. Baxter, I think? - is getting to me). It was great. Also, L* is just amazing so I love spending time with her. She made us dinner, afterward, and for dessert - TRADER JOE'S LEMON TRIPLE GINGERSNAP ICE CREAM. Oh my lands (<---who AM I?) it is the greatest flavor of ice cream that I have ever come across in my 263 months of life. Anyone within the sound/sight of my words who lives near a Trader Joe's --- you simply MUST try it. You shant regret it.
I had a lot of insights, and, as always, was so grateful to feel things specifically directed toward me! I won't share everything I learned (because I'm only alloted so much time here at the library) but I'll share some.
*The love of God is like a gravitational pull. If we can open our hearts we can feel a Celestial force drawing us nearer to Him and His Son. (What a shocker that I loved the physics analogy- haha)
*Henry B. Erying is one of my favorite people in this whole world. He always cries, and that always makes me cry. Also he a little bit looks like a turtle.
*Jeffrey R. Holland is wonderfully scary. I love it. Can you imagine how intimidating it would be to be interviewed by him when asking for his daughter's hand in marriage? hahhaha so glad I don't have to deal with that.
*What we do today determines how/how much we will be able to serve in the future.
*The difference between those in tune with the spirit and hose who are tone-deaf or off-key is the regular study of the scriptures (also loved the musical analogy :) )
*I loved the closing prayer of the Saturday afternoon session when the speaker said, "We are thankful for what we have heard - the music and the spoken word - but we REJOICE in what we have felt.
*Our degree of gratitude is a measure of our Love for Him
*Without rudders, motors, etc. (let's remember from my farewell talk that I am not well versed in nautical terminology) our destination is inevitably just downstream - but God didn't launch us as toy boats - we've been giving power and the ability/right to direct ourselves!!
*There can be no genuine happiness apart from the family
*Discipleship is not a sprint or even a lengthy marathon - it is a MIGRATION!
Funny little side-note about Conference: After the Saturday morning session, we all stood up and started stretching and a man in front of me and to the side stood up and turned around, so I smiled at him, and then realized that it was RANDY PAUL! [Editor's note - Randy is a friend of ours that lives here in our Highland ward!] HA! He recognized me and tried to hug me (I held out my hand to be shaken like a good Sister missionary) and we chatted for a bit. It was a cute little miracle that God gave me, because it's always easy to get homesick around General Conference time! I have very fond memories of laying on the couch (which I suppose is now at the D.I.), listening to conference on the radio and watching Mom clean. Man, I was such a good daughter.
Here's a funny story for you. Last week sometime we were waiting for a bus and a big black man started up a conversation with me! We started talking and he found out I was from Utah and asked some questions. I was real eager and answered his questions with the Book of Mormon, but he quickly told me, "Naw, naw - I don't want no pamphlets." haha. He was very nice and talked to us for a long while. Could be because he thought Sister Edwards was very pretty (a point he made very clear by repeating himself several times). We ended just getting off the bus before him with nothing more (since he wouldn't take no pamphlets). Then two days later we got a text from Britta (a member) that said, "Do you remember meeting a guy on the train named O*.?" we told her yes and she said, "I just invited him to dinner on Friday" hahahaha! Britta said that when he found out that she was from Utah, he said, "I just met three girls from Utah. They called themselves 'Sistahs'!" haha. Britta asked if they were wearing black nametags - he said yes and she told him, "I bet I know them!" He couldn't believe that she knew us! That does very little for eradicating the perception that everyone in Utah knows each other, but oh well. He told her like 8 times that he would come, but didn't actually show up. So it was a bit of a bummer. We were so excited all week to see him and teach him. But at least he had two positive interactions with a total of 4 pretty mormon girls. :)
M* bought me a bag for an early birthday present! I was complaining about my dumb ol' purse that was falling apart while we were at Target last week (because she drove us there because we had to buy a vaccuum and didn't think we could get it home on the bus). That was a dangerous thing. It was so nice of her! It's an over the shoulder, satchel-type bag which is WAY nicer than a purse because it's easier to get into. And it's better than a backpack because it's easy to pull in front of my body for when I'm on the T! M*, if you read this, I will find a way to get you back. When you least expect it.....
Whelp - that's all, folks! I hope you have a LOVELY time in California! Boys, don't fight. Dad, don't make everyone listen to Genesis the whole way there, and Ma - I expect at least 20 dozen hotpads to be crocheted over the trip. Andrew - stay in Russia (or Ukraine, if you insist). I love you and I'm so grateful to be part of our family! I won the spiritual lottery approximately 700 times, apparently because I feel so lucky to be born at this time, to this family, and to have the privileged life I've lived so far - with hope for a future of continued learning and happiness.
Love you,
Sister "How many weeks until the May Ensign comes out?" Broekhuijsen
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