9-22 Letter

Sam, in what looks like some type of Indian garb.

Family!!! I love you all so much. The end :).  

This week had some funny things...where do I start...

Here are some journal entries.

Today, while I was showing someone the BOM on the subway, I didn't see Sister Mendenhall get off! So someone came to me and said "Hey, your companion got off at the last stop." So I got off at the next stop and as I got out a sense of freedom filled me!  "I'm Freeeee!" 

It looked just like Paris. I closed my eyes and took in the smells, sounds, and then opened them. And for a moment I was in Paris. Even the tile on the wall was the same color! Then I started quietly laughing a bit as I walked to the other side of the platform, thinking about how worried sister Mendenhall probably was. The thought came into my head, "hmmmm, I have $500...I could just run away...but President probably wouldn't appreciate that."

Of course, I am kidding. It was kind of funny/exciting to be on my own but when I got back to sister Mendenhall, I saw her and ran for her,  imitating one of those cute reunion things in my head. It was good to see her:  it's funny how my trainer feels like my mom away from home.

Sam will learn to love Indian food while in Toronto

Today was also the Harvest Ball at the Church. On of our investigators, Eileen came. She is very independent and fit right in dancing to the music!  We ate food, but ended up eating outside of the ball because they were playing pop music (we can only listen to hymns/classical/efy music). Of course they play "just give me a reason" (Tanner and I used to sing to that song), country songs which I know, and Let it go!!  It was awful. I instantly started to get a homesick and yucky feeling. So, we went upstairs and called Potential investigators and I played a talk by president Hinckley in the background and my soul was at rest again.  

Whenever we walk out of the apartment, I start whistling "here comes the sun" by the beetles, to which sister Mendenhall always says "I didn't know that was a hymn?!" She stated once, "You must have been a pretty big beetles fan at home." But really I was just a Reeves Family Home Video Fan if you know what I mean [note from the editor--yes, apparently I used that song in too many family vacation videos].

It got pretty cold on some of the days this week! Luckily I have a hand-me-down coat.  Its  pockets are torn, but it works! We will be getting winter stuff sometime.  The rain was crazy yesterday. Luckily I have an umbrella so that has been nice even though the wind is determined to break it. 

Yesterday on our way to church I missed the bus stop so I had to run back to my companion while she and the elders were waiting for me, standing for me in the rain. We were all soaked. It was kind of funny to look at Elder Perrett (our DL) report during ward counsel and see the water running off the top of his head.

Eileen is now a progressing investigator!!!! We had our first real lesson (not chapel tour) with her last week. We didn't know what we were going to teach her because the Restoration just didn't feel right...we both had the Word of Wisdom in the back of our minds. A member had dropped by the gospel principles book to her earlier that week and she read 3 chapters! (She didn't even have the Book of mormon yet). She stated that she knew "Mormonism was a right path and the only problem she could see was the nicotine, but with the Lord on her side she could do everything."  So guess what we talked about in the first lesson: the Word of Wisdom!  We reset up her baptismal date to give her some more time and created a calendar to help her get off cigs, e-cigs, and coffee. She struggles with Bipolar and is nervous that all these changes will affect her mental health poorly, but I know that she is right, that with Christ we can do all things. We texted her 1 Ne 3:7 today! It is such a great verse for all of us to apply to our lives! Read it! :) I told her that she should say a prayer every time the temptation comes and she said she thinks that is a good idea.

Oh. I lost my planner and buss pass this week...ugh.

Anyway, while we were waiting for this bus I started talking to this girl about her bag and how it was cute and mine was functional but not cute. We talked about her majoring in English and how my dad did..anyway I told her I was a missionary for the church etc....and she said, "that is nice but how would you feel if I told you I was an atheist?" and I smiled. I thought about Cole and Brandon (my friends from track) and how much love I have for them. To be honest I can't remember what I even told her; I think I explained to her that whether a person was Budhist, Muslim, Christian or Atheist, they all need Christ's restored Gospel and that they can come to know of its truth for themselves.  All I really can remember is having this Love for her. Love that she was an atheist. (If you stop reading here you'll be so confused). I love that out of all the religious people in the world, I am the one that can share the message of Christ with her. I love it because I know my message is true--that THIS is Christ's church on the earth today. I know that she can know for HERSELF that God is real and that he has a plan for her. That is was I love about my message. I love that people can know for themselves. So I love talking to atheists. Because you can't convince people of religious beliefs (and have them converted to it), especially atheists.  They want to know and experience it for themselves, which is great because they can when they sincerely learn of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She said she'd check out the website!

 

Book of Mormon Musical--Going downtown with the whole zone was awesome!!  For some reason I was super nervous. I wanted to puke, which was weird because I contact every day! So we just had a ton of pamphlets and Book of Mormons and just talked to everyone that would listen. A lot of people feel like missionaries are pushy....which I can sort of understand....it's just hard when you are only given 1 minute to communicate your purpose/brief message to not come off as pushy. But anyway there was this interesting/mentally disturbed lady who was yelling at everyone outside of the theater.... She was singing/yelling. I don't think I've heard so many F-bombs dropped in my life. In essence, she was telling everyone to dance.

I contacted this cool girl and after telling her a little about our purpose as missionaries, I asked some question and she said back very kindly that she had hadn't felt loved from our Church because of our stance on Gays. "I am gay," she said. In my mind I went back to the experience with Gabriel and decided to be bold. I said, "I am so sorry you haven't felt love; while we do believe marriage to be between a man and a women, we are all children of God and he loves us so much. We must be loving to each other...." I don't know what else I said but the spirit was there and I remember leaving her with a feeling of peace and love. 

Mom- I love that story about the man and his some coming across their Bishop, who was smoking. When they boy expressed later condemning words about his Bishop, who smoking, suggesting that such a thing is not fitting of Bishop, the man replied, "You are right son; he shouldn't be smoking, but HE IS STILL OUR BISHOP and DON'T YOU EVER FORGET THAT."

The boy didn't forget and now many generations later his family is still enjoying the eternal blessings of the gospel. However, the members that went inactive because the bishop smoked, generations later, their family member do not enjoy in the enternal blessings of the gospel. Imperfect people in the church help us to grow! The gospel is perfect the people teaching aren't. Get over it. :)

Family history-mom! did you know you can get patriarchal blessings from our ancestors?! MY comp has some from her's she requested on lds.org

Dad I love the thought you gave about Katie. My favorite line is: The holy ghost will show you show you who you really are, but he will also show you who you can become. He will fill you with hope that you can overcome; Satan will feel you with insecurity. 

ah I love you all! I love feeling God's love for the random people I meet on the street. He lives and Loves all of us!!!

Sister Reeves

The Work is Progressing

A month has past Since I left home. So crazy! It feels like years ago but then again, I can't even believe that it is P-day again. Feels like yesterday. Emailing is crazy as always! Dad- I printed off your letter from last week and read it. ahhh! I loved it. The way you write your mission president is soooo english major!!! It is beautiful. My comp and I had fun reading it. You sounded like a superb missionary from the get go. I forgot to bring it with me to the library. But I love your comment about how as a missionary you feel SO many emotions in ONE day.  I met a old guy yesterday on the bus. I asked him how his day was . He reported that he had just returned from dancing.  He is 84! He is from Holland so I said..."Goede Dag, Meneer!"  I don't know how to spell it but or if I said the right thing (i.e. if I called him a girl or guy) but he nodded and said, "Jah, Meneer" or something like that and then I had to get off the bus! It's the worst when it's actually a great contact and you have to get off the bus.  

Sam, Sister Mendenahll, and Sister Bodine (friend from Orem)

Sisters Reeves and Mendenhall

So a couple of days ago I had the hardest time street contacting. I'd open my mouth and NO words would come. They'd ask a question, and it was as if I got hit by a train. I would have no idea what to say! For instance, someone said, "Well, I read the Book of Mormon, and I prayed and learned that my church is still true.

In my mind, I'm thinking, "Welp! Great. Have a great day! Bye."  It was like I couldn't speak English, as if I am totally confounded, but I tried to respond. Nothing intelligent.  It was tough and I wanted to cry. I was opening my mouth and the spirit wasn't filling it. "What am I doing that is making it so the spirit isn't with me? What am I doing wrong?"

The next day I told my companion during companion study/training about my experience in street contacting.  She said on the mission you will learn so many things. You will learn to be humble and learn how to be better at street contacting. The spirit cannot call it to your memory if you do not know. So in essence, I need to start learning on street contacting. Learn what things to say and to testify of! It'll be a hard thing to work on 'cause it's pretty vague but I'm going to Ponder it this week.

Our first baptismal commit, George, has disappeared from the face of the earth! So that is a bummer. But we have Mike and Eileen committed to baptism last weekend! So that was great. We met Mike at a Tim Hortons (grocery store) and taught him, we are going to drop off a Book of Mormon hopefully this week. Eileen I met on the subway and she came to church! Our first investigator to come to church! She enjoyed it and sure talked a lot. She sort of drove me crazy because she was always wandering off and we needed to stay with her but because sister Mendenhall had to talk to people in the ward, and as companions we need to be in sight of each other, it was sort of tough. But she is a really sweet lady with a sincere desire to know the truth. :) 

I made bread today! 

We met with one of the coolest 20 year olds I've ever meet. We street contacted her and she told us that she was Christian and coming closer to Jesus Christ but she hadn't found a church that she felt she could call her own. Her name is Ebony.

So we met with her Sunday night and at first the whole family left the house the moment we walked in the door, and then slowly they trickled in, one every 5 minutes. (Which made it kind of hard to teach the lesson because we kept having to rewind, explain and go forward.  But she had so many questions it was great. As for the questions she had, everything can be answered with the Gospel of Jesus Christ; it will just take TIME. So hopefully she holds on and lets us keep meeting with her. Her and her Dad said that they would read the intro to the BOM and pray. Her whole family seems really great. When we were explaining the first vision it was totally silent so that was cool. We should have stopped and told them that that was the spirit....but we only had 20 minutes and with everyone coming in at different periods we were quite flustered so we felt stressed. The lesson ended well (except for the argument that the dad wanted the daughter to pray and the daughter wanted him to).  We can't meet with them till next week. But hopefully they hold on!!

There has been a christian vocals/rock/pop concert here in Toronto! JUST like in the movie God's not Dead. Ebony went to it. That is on my list of things to do in life! 

The Church is true! I love the atonement of Jesus Christ and the fact that we can be cleansed from the effects of sin everyday. 

Okay, remember how I was telling y'all the scripture in Mosiah about understanding with your heart and then challenged you? Well I gave the wrong reference! The correct one is: Mosiah 12:27. Take one principal from the gospel  and learn the principal with your heart. Take the time to meditate on it. Take the time to let the spirit teach you. Tell people what you are learning.  Will you do this?

Man I wish I brought my journal! That is all I can remember from the last week. Oh yeah! WE had An EXCELLENT zone conference. Some highlights:

• "Will you give a portion of your potential to the Work? Or will you give your all?"
• After the trial of their faith and the Savior left, the Disciples of  Jesus Christ became converted. They became fearless leaders.
• Everyday of your mission you'll be faced with choices like peter's ---What witness will you be?
• "Be Thou humble in thy calling and the Lord thy God shall teach thee. To Serve his children gladly with pure and gentle love" What a great song!!!

We talked about how we must have the spirit in our planning sessions and how we need to have more member present lessons. I Cant summarize it well....it was really good though, exactly what we need.

The Book of Mormon musical is coming out! It will be a great way to increase lessons! We are going to be contacting downtown by it! So more about that next week! We will be using the line "The book is always better" cute eh?:)

WE went on exchanged monday night to tuesday... IT WAS FANTASTIC!!! I loved it. I sent you a picture of the Sister Hsiung who was my companion. I learned so much and enjoyed her talkative personality. Sister Bodine went with my companion and they had fun! We helped someone saw down a tree..so that was interesting! Also, later we had the oddest lesson ever.

Sister Hsiung, companion for a day on exchanges.

Sam, and I'm not sure who . . .  

So this Lucy tells us she wants to meet with us, so we go to her house for the lesson. We knock on the door and her brother tells us she isn't home. (Which was odd because we texted and confirmed the appointment like 30 minutes before). So we call her and she says 'Oh! I am running late! Teach my sister." So we go to knock on the door again and the brother invites us in. But her sister is in the shower....So we start talking to the brother and after 5 minutes he knocks on the door to see how long she will be in the shower. 5-10 minutes. So we decide to teach the restoration to him and then again when she goes out (Sister Hsiung has been working on teaching short, powerful lessons with the pamphlets.) So we teach him.  He is very receptive, and we ask him to pray right then to ask if Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His son, and then after the prayer we have a moment of silence, which he will break when he feels like it. So we pray and the silence starts. And it goes on and on and on and on and on and on. Meanwhile the sister has come down stairs, looks at us, and goes to the kitchen (she is probably wondering what on earth we are doing). Sister Hsiung breaks the silence. "Are you..good?" oh yes yes. We asked him if he got an answer and he said he knew the church was true!  We set a baptismal date.

Then we invite the sister in, teach the lesson, pray that same way except the silence is much shorter, and she answers all the questions well. We extend the invitation to get baptized, to which she responds, "I've already been baptized." 

So we explain proper authority again and then ask again, to which she gives the same answer: "I've already been baptized." Silence. "In the latter day saint church," she says.

"Wait, what? Come again?" What is happening?! She was baptized when she was 12 in Taiwan.

Anyway, Lucy, the person who invited us to come in the first place never even came! But we had 1 commit and one lesson with a LA...it was so odd. I can't accurately explain it, especially because I am racing against the clock!

 I LOVE YOU!!!!! 

Toronto Skyline

Downtown Toronto

Settling In

Boy, she looks domesticated.

Sam and her companion, Sister Mendenhall.

[In regards to a question that Lisa asked Sam about working with members to obtain referrals, Sam responded]:

In our mission we have found most of our investigators through street contacting. The mission goal is 12 baptisms a week for the whole mission. I know that President hinckley said there are more effective ways to find the Elect such as working through members. I am just trying to introduce the idea to my comp that less actives are gold minds for referrals. The only issue with that though is that finding a referral through them takes the time of having lessons with them, helping them feel the spirit, and get over social issues (most of the less-actives we work with KNOW the church is true. But because they were offended, they stopped coming. ugh.) There are a couple people that have issues with the Bishop...I don't know who to believe! So many stories...anyway. 

Yes, we need referrals.  We really don't have any solid investigators. So it's hard to devote your time to referrals when it is a long process of getting the referral... does that make sense? So i'm trying to brainstorm that.

[Note from Jeff, the editor:  I am going to use the first initials on last names  or just first names when possible for the sake of these people's privacy):

Okay! So this weeks highlights. I invited George to be baptized! (Sister Mendenhall and her companion found him at a grocery store, and later he called and said he wanted to meet with us). We did a chapel tour with him and a brief overview of the restoration. The spirit was so strong. He accepted to be baptized saying that he had been waiting his whole life for something like this. It was great. Then he got sick and couldn't meet with us, and didn't show up at church. He hasn't answered any calls/texts..so we're wondering what is going on.

We invited less actives--Hosny, Sister D., Sister G., Cynthia and Janelle--to church. Hosny came with her daughter so that was great! She was going to go up and bear her testimony on the BOM but one guy....who gave a nice testimony....took way to much time. So that is a bummer. But we are having fast sunday again at the end of the month because of conference! So that is good.

I am going to be trying some new Canadian candy today! I've had one bar so far...I can't remember the name but it was odd. So far 1 USA and 0 CAN. 

haha :)

I had a really cool experience on personal study. This is what I wrote in my journal: I feel my Savior's love. What an honor it has been to be rejected in this work, so that I might come closer to the Savior and taste a bit of what he felt. How much joy I have felt when his teachings have been received. I am coming to know MY savior. I am starting to feel the prints in His hands. I, of course, have so much to work on and so much more to know, but I feel my savior's love. I know that we have a Prophet and Apostles on the earth today. I know that because I know my Savior. I know what he sounds like and what he feels like. When they speak or read the Scriptures they testify of my Savior.

My testimony of Prophets have grown so much! God establishes prophets through patterns. We can know if someone truly is a prophet by seeing the fruits of their labors and if they follow after the patterns God has established such and giving them the Priesthood, Apostles, testifying of Christ, among other things. Still learning! Love it. My companion studied something great today in Mosiah 15:9-10. We need to understand the doctrine with our heart before we teach it. I am not sure if I told you about the experience I had in the MTC with the choir, but it was truly phenomenal and my testimony of the strength of our Savior grew so much. Bro. Egeat (im not sure how to spell it) is the choir director and I believe that he understood the lyrics in the song with his heart. He had studied it out with his heart and when he taught the song it was so powerful as he told us of the meaning of the lyrics and scripture stories they related to. I can't just teach the restoration. Anyone can teach. But few can teach what they have taken the time to understand with their heart. So that is my challenge for all this week. Take one principal you have learned in the gospel and learn the principal with your heart. Take the time to meditate on it. Take the time to let the spirit teach you. Tell people what you are learning.

I'm excited to know how it goes! 

On some days when I start thinking of what I could be doing at home (track, teaching the gospel to my friends, etc) I get lost in my mind, and I forget why I am here. But I get on my knees and ask to get lost in the work that day. And I always do. It is so great.

Yesterday we picked a street to tract. We met a man named Gabriel.  We began with "We are Missionaries.....We are asking people a question today, "What does religion mean to you in your life"

And he said, "Religion? Honestly, I have felt a lot of hatred from religion. I am gay."

"Oh no," I thought it my mind. He is going to find out we're Mormon and that we do not support that lifestyle and then he is going to have further evidence that religious people are gay haters. And then he is going to start getting mad at us...ahhhh

He asked a series of questions that were devised to trap us I think. He then asked us our stance on Gays. I was so glad Sister Mendenhall handled the question because I would have beaten around the bush and told him that God Loves him and gotten on a different topic. She stated:

We believe that Marriage is ordained of God. That it is between a Man and a Women. That these families are central to Gods plan. That we all have struggles in life and through Christ we can receive strength in all kinds of trials. That through Christ we can resist temptation to like the same sex, smoke, etc She stated exactly our stance. 

It was so bold. As our conversation continued we were able to testify of Gods love for us and for the importance of having Christ in our lives. It was SO dramatic to see the change in his behavior, the spirit was so strong. Be Bold. The Spirit will testify of short, bold statements. What I would have said would have not answered his question and the spirit would not have testified of my words and the spirit of contention would have been there. She is great! I am always learning from her. We had several other experiences on that street of being bold. It was so cool to see the Lords hand in the work. I know we planted seeds. I know that truth brings people closer to accepting the gospel. 

So I am so grateful for the agnostic we met that has decided to get off the fence and choose God. To see God in his life even though it doesn't make sense on paper. Because I know that while he might not accept the full truths of the gospel in this life, that he is much closer to accepting them in the next. Truth is great. Either Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon or he Didn't. Sometimes I look at the gospel and I am like wow! This sounds crazy. But then I think about the spiritual experiences I've had reading the Book of Mormon and how someone who had such little education could not have written something that is so profound, that the spirit testifies to me that it is true. The Book Of Mormon is they Key Stone of our Religion!

Pray that we will find one family to baptize this transfer! 

Sister Reeves

Sam and Sister Horton, a friend from Orem.

I assume this was taken at a Zone Conference . . .

First Letter From Canada

This photo was untitled; however, best I can tell, it appears to be a 

selfie in the mission, likely on the way from the airport.

Okay, thank you for all of your letters. It was so fun to hear from home but also very weird. We are sooo busy that I never really think about home much. I'm trying to be a pure vessel for the Lord in mind as well so I'm not sure how to do it and think about home if that makes sense? But of course I miss you all so much!! 

Ok so it was funny at the airport. I decided that there are two types of people in the world. The ones that look at you and quickly divert their eyes, and the ones that stare. It was kinda weird sticking out like a sore thumb but now I love it. Because we see so many people we don't get the chance to talk to all of them but hopefully they notice my name tag and they get a good impression of Missionaries in their head. If that makes any sense...

The Book of Mormon musical is coming to town and the mission had set up something really great. Have you read the official church stance on the play? It's great. But we are going to have 3 members following missionaries around all day taking pictures of them doing the work and tweeting what they do. So the message gets out and people have a more accurate idea of what we're like. The play will bring more publicity to the church so hopefully people will actually LOOK at the I am a mormon cards. We hand out soooooo many each day.

So the day we got to the mission home we had a fantastic dinner (I am like a bottomless pit, which could get to be a huge problem). Then the APs drove us to the hotel where we slept. Elder Karl is officially the WORST driver. Ever. We started singing hymns, hoping that angels would protect the car. I can't even describe it..imagine driving in Paris in a huge van with a trailer and never looking before you crossed into a lane....!!! haha

I saw Sister Bodine (friend from Orem High) at the Chapel! It was great. She is so cute. My trainer actually trained her! So that is really fun. My trainer is fantastic.  She is really really obedient (so much so that on the first night when 10:30 hit and I still had to brush my teeth she said no way), so I sort of had a breakdown.  I was running late because I was recording down into my journal, and daily planning had gone late and I was just feeling overwhelmed with all the stuff that I had to do before 10:30. But Lately we have been getting in earlier and it's been way better :) Lean on the Lord. It's the only way!

So we are just building up our teaching pool so as of right now we have basically zero investigators. We've taught two less active lessons, which went well.  The spirit was so strong but they ended up not showing at church. It'd be way nice to have a lesson....the spirit is so strong in them. We contact/tract all day. We set up two appts last week which we brought members to but they both fell through. So we tracted. Mom, I'm not sure if you did any tracting on your mission because you never mentioned it? But I always think of you, Dad, and tracting in holland, and how you and your companion would play a game where he would make you talk to middle-aged, successful men. 

Our area is a bus/walking area by the way! So that is great,  but it makes it hard to get home on time because we try to talk to everyone we see. My companion usually sits at one end of the bus and I'd sit on the other. In the beginning I dreaded going out of the apartment because it meant getting on the bus (I would still talk to people, but I just didn't love it). But I prayed that I would get more comfortable and I am! I think I am making a lot of progress. My favorite thing is when people ask me what I am doing here. Usually we talk and I just ask them questions about themselves and then introduce myself/my purpose. Then we share a quick thought, give them a card, and take down their info (if they are willing to part with it, ha) and give them a call later in the week to set up an appointment. None of them have gone through yet. 

We met a lady named Shannon and I think It was our best contact yet. We are calling her later today.  She recently divorced. She has a child with polio and has felt God help her in her life. Pray that we can meet with her!!!

We have met two drunks thus far....one was so sad. She was bawling her eyes out and was so excited to hear that Jesus's church was on the earth. She said some...not so nice things about Muslims. Poor girl. I wanted to just hug her and tell her it was going to be okay, and to receive the gospel in her life. Then we went to talk to someone else and the cops came to talk to her....

I saw a funny thing on an apartment door: "Cats are like potato chips....you can't just have one." It really made me laugh. haha that was probably the funniest thing all week. Pretty lame....#lifeofamissionary

I love my IPOD! It's great because I hadn't previously listened to a lot of the music on it.

We have a gym in our apartment building! I jumped roped one day, stairs another day, hamstrings and arms, any way it's good, I'm not sure how to incorporate fast twitch stuff into my work outs though. Yesterday we met a guy that was 16 and his 800 time is 1:53 pretty (good eh? ;)

The first couple days we ate pasta a ton. I could eat it every single day :) hmmm i've made cooked veggie tables, GF pancakes, and tons of oatmeal.  We went to Tim Horton's (a donut shop) yesterday...the donut was really good. Hopefully I can go their sometime and share more pictures because I can only send one a time on this camera! Gah!

Sam's breakfast

Our apt is pretty nice! lots of space, however i'm pretty sure there is mold in the bathroom. There is no AC, and we we have the fan on all the time. But I've been able to sleep pretty well. My comp played basketball in highschool so that is fun. We will play sometime but i'm sort of nervous because I didn't bring my knee brace. Maybe i'll find one here.

There are many people from War countries here. A LOT of muslims. They are a pretty hard contact because they don't budge, and retention rate isn't great because unfortunately once they join the church they don't get much support from their community. Plus, we can't divulge any information if one get's baptized because they could be killed if they go back to their country. But they are always so nice, and very family oriented. I'd say that the top religions in this area are Muslim, Catholic, and then Hindu, and then a mix of born again christians (who always want to argue and it's so frustrating because their hearts are so hard and they use the Bible and the whole revelations verse about not having any more scripture.. I just wish that the Plain and Precious things hadn't been taken out of the bible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! gah!)

1790 Eglinton avenue east Unit #204

North york Ontario M4A2T3

This is my address I believe?! Maybe test send a letter to it?

LOVE you all!

The work is tough! But if the lord needs me to tract for the next 18 months i'll do it! haha  We're trying to think of ideas to get more referrals from members. I'm actually really excited about that. We are planning a party. The church here is HUGE. It used to house the old mission home.

Love you:)

The book of mormon. is amazing.  I LOVE IT!

I'm guessing that these are Sam's roommates and companion from the MTC.