from a missionary feeling quite awkward in a REALLY sketch internet cafe (2/21/11)

Hi family!

well, thank you president's day -- i used to really love this day because i got out of school - well, now it just means a really dirty internet cafe. However, i'm really really glad that i got to read all of your emails... pday would kind of suck without them :)

so -- this week has been described by sister kim and i of this "God has opened the windows of heaven and is not only pouring out miracles, but dumping them by buckets and buckets on our heads." it has been really good. in the ward it's crazy because most of the people are young families that have gone to byu or byu-i or something. crazy? yeah. but it'sreally awesome to have so many people that have really really firm testimonies.

one of my favorite stories came from a family that we finally got in touch with this week. both parents had a really rough go in the beginning, she had to drop out of college and he had just barely graduated when they had their first daughter. they have been through a lot and within the last few years they have been really brought together as a family and it has been really cool. we met withthem and i just felt an overwhelming love for them. i didn't know that i could love people this fast and this much. i think it's a minute fraction of what our Heavenly Father feels for us - he lets me feel that for other people and it's amazing. we really are loved. no matter what we have done, no matter where we are, we are loved. we got to say a little tiny bit of that to this family and it was amazing. they were crying and the spirit was really strong. the mom and two daughters were at church and it was really good.

we also met another family (mom and two daughters) and they gave us a chinese new years! it was the last day of chinese new years and so they let us help them make dumplings and i ate with chopsticks and i was really proud of myself. the mom doesn't really think that there is one christian religion -- even though she has been baptized. we talked about the restoration and told her truly how important this gospel is to us. her daughters haven't been baptized and the one that is 16 doesn't like church and really doesn't want to come - we invited her and she said she wasn't really sure... but as we were leaving (in the pouring rain and thankfully they were sweet enough to give us umbrellas since we forgot ours) she said "seeyou at chruch on sunday! and she came into the church at the very end and we were WAY hapy to see her there.

well family, i love you more than you know. i'm amazed at how much you all do for me and i'm so glad that you are all my very best friends.
i love you. the church is true. Christ really did atone for us and He is ALWAYS there. always.

love you
sister mich