Conference!!!!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!!! I love you!!!!! <3

 So I have like 20 minutes left hm what can I write

 Merry and her family threw a surprise birthday for me on MOnday. :) That was sooooo fuuuuuun....I'm so glad I'm not leaving this area. Too many families I love here. I can't imagine saying goodbye to anyone.

 Lizzy's been so stressed it's been causing some bad medical problems. We got a priesthood blessing for her. it was a super powerful experience. She still doesn't like the idea of organized religion, or hte idea of one true Church or one right religion, but she seemed to really enjoy that blessing. I don't know if I wrote about it last week, but we showed her the Gospel Library app and she FLIPPED A LID, she was so excited about everything there!! And she was excited to hear about the women's conference, too. She had a conflict and was sad until we told her it was a broadcast. Then she got excited again that she could listen to it while she did stuff. Technology is so great, guys :)

 We've been trying to contact David and Cindy all week. Cindy left us a voicemail that sounded like a not-goodbye, like she expected us to cut her off and never talk to her again so I'm saying goodbye but I don't really want to. She really embarrassed herself, we don't think she's comfortable around us anymore. :C Which is reaaaally sad....we really, really don't want to give up for her. I saw what this did for her, for just a few weeks she was a little bit happier, a litlte more hopeful, a little more certain that there was a Father in Heaven who loved her. it's hard to give up on someone when you've SEEN that. We're going to keep leaving her notes and trying to convince her tat we still love her and we're not going to cut her off just because she was drunk at church.

 The women's broadcast was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! The women here basically partied all day, haha!! We ate salads and cakes and ice cream and made crafts and we had display tables for family history, history of the scriptures (one sister brought a 200-year-old German family Bible, SO COOOOOL!!), and the temple open house coming up this month. :D We've been handing out invitations to that like candy, btw. Lots of people didn't get to see the Gilbert temple when it was open, so they get another chance! Not to mention, people have heard how "secret" our temples are, so they get kinda surprised and really intrigued when we hand them an invitation and say, "Do you want a guided tour?!?" haha. 

 Anyway, the broadcast. I know I had so many questions answered. We had Tanya there...it was really kinda cool, I loved hearing hte women speak, but she felt a difference between them and when President Ucthdorf talked. There's really a difference when an Apostle of the Lord speaks. 

 Tammy and Tallie and their mom (who was baptized years ago but has been struggling with church attendance) were there too and loooooved it. They're getting more and more excited about the temple celebration!! And their mom was hit hard, too. She;s got a sudden fire to make her home more Christ-centered, to read scriptures and to pray (she struggled with that hard before) and help her daughters feel the Spirit more. That was really cool to see. 

 I have so much more to say, dangit, but I love you all and you're all amazing!!! I'm still happy, I've never been happier! The mission has been the best thing of my life! I know Christ lives, I know God loves us, and I love the scriptures! I know the Bible and hte Book of Mormon are true books containing the Word of God! 

 You are all awesome! <3

 -Sister Stratford