Walking...walking...

Hello my dear mom!

Welcome back to the USA!  It looks like your trip was amazing!!!  I want to feel bad for you for being tired... but I don't, haha.  So cool!  I love the picture you sent of the sister missionaries right in the middle of Florence, Italy!  There was a mom here the other week that took a picture with me, because her daughter is in France right now, it totally reminded me of you.  I don't have a ton of time to email, but I will try and give you a good update of this week.  So I am a trainer!  Sister Hart is so sweet.  Bottom line to training ... it is super hard.  It is way harder than I thought it would be, that's for sure.  I want others to be able to look at their missions the way I do.  I can't even express how much love I have for my mission, but I remember how it was at the beginning.  Everything is so new for her, especially here in Hollywood!  She isn't too fond of her bike yet, but I just keep telling her to go.  I think one of the stresses of training is that it's true, you will never ever forget your trainer.  I still remember things that my trainer did with me.  I want to give her that love and joy that is found in a mission.  

Hna Warner and her new companion, Hna Hart

This week was one of the longest weeks I have had in a while!!  I was just exhausted in every way, shape and form.  Emotionally, mentally, and physically.  I have felt a bit overwhelmed, feeling like I have the area on my shoulders.  Friday was especially hard.  I just felt done for the day!  But at the end of the day, I asked my district leader for a blessing.  I have been with my district leader (Elder Roberts) my whole mission, every single transfer!  So he knows me really well.  I received one of the most beautiful blessings I have ever gotten from him.  He said every single thing I needed to hear.  That Heavenly Father knows I am doing what I can, but I need to continually pray!  (which is all I ever do on my bike, pray!)  I literally felt His love for me and His arms just wrapped around me. I knew He was there and that he wanted me to be happy. Later that night we got a call from President Weidman. He told us that he had been thinking about us a lot that day and that he felt like he needed to call us.  He told us how what we are doing is a task that is particularly hard! Wow, all I needed to hear! But that we were doing well.  I cannot tell you how full my heart was this night.  One of the hardest days I had had in a long time, turned to me one of the most spiritual experiences ever. I felt so much love from my Father and knew that He had answered my prayers.  I have the greatest testimony of prayer because of my mission, it is so powerful. (if you read my Patriarchal blessing, it talks about prayer).

We did a lot of walking this week!  Like hours on hours of walking.  We don't have a lot of people to teach right now, so we are working really hard to find more.  I received a lot of answers through General Conference of what I need to do to find more people.  I have been praying so hard about it.  But we had a really cool experience last night.  I am not a huge fan on street contacting... it's just awkward, but hey, you gotta do it in missionary work!  We contacted this couple last night and then this man came up to us and told us about how he used to go to our church for a period of time.  It really was a tender blessing and we saw the Lord work through us.

  

We literally walked soooo much!  But I am so happy!  I love being here more than anything.  It is so interesting to see people's perspectives on their missions.  Brooke was telling me about some missionaries from her ward. But all in all, this is just a hoot and a holler here!  I am going to print off your email because I didn't read it all.  So happy everything is going well at home!  I love you more than anything in the world!!

Love,

Michelle

Daddy, 

Thank you for your sweet email :)  I like what you said about the spirit.  It is something that I have been working really hard on the past few weeks, to really be able to rely on those sweet promptings of them.  To be able to stop for a second and let the spirit work through these people.  We have been focusing on teaching simply.  That through teaching the very simple doctrines of the gospel, the spirit will always be present.  I am so happy!  Honestly it has been a hard week.  Training is taking everything out of me that I have.  I am so exhausted, but I am trying my hardest. I am working so hard to give her opportunities to work.  She isn't my trainee, she is my companion :) 

I love you more than words can express...