Abby Had a Great Week!

Mom,

My week was fantastic! We met President and Sister Clark and let me tell you how much I absolutely love them! They are so great and they are exactly what I need and what the California Fresno Mission needs. I met with both of them for about three minutes each, but it was still great. They both asked me how much time they have with me and both were excited that they get basically my whole mission. President Clark is such a spiritual man, but he is also hilarious. He will be awesome with all of us. Sister Clark is very charismatic and personable. She is going to be great for us too.

I got the pictures and I love them! (I sent copies of our family pictures we had taken before she left) They are so beautiful! And I actually like the pictures of me--weird right? I usually don't like pictures. I did get the necklace too and I love it! It's so pretty and I just...love it so much! I love keys. You know me well. And I got the Hottamales! Thank you so much! I was so excited when I got them! Keri sent me a package too.  Our Fourth was great. We went to a member's home in another ward. Most of our zone was there. We had a BBQ and then we set off fireworks. I got to know a couple of the elders that I didn't know very well. They are all great.

We haven't had a chance to visit with the man who had the dog that bit me, but we are visiting with him on Wednesday. It'll be awesome and I am so excited!

NO WAY! That is so weird! You're sure it's them? He is serving in the West Virginia Charleston mission. That is so crazy that they are related!  (Abby's companion's best friends family is moving to Middleton and they are related to our good friends, who also live in Middleton) He wanted to know what stake and ward we were in so I will tell Sister Ard to tell him. But seriously, small world!

I'm glad your primary class is still going well, and I am so glad people are still asking about me. It's great to know they care. I think about some of those people a lot and I pray for them. I know they are praying for me because I can fell those prayers.

We had dinner with a couple families this week whom I love. The Burts are amazing and they are always so willing to help us. They told us if we ever don't have a dinner just to call them and they will feed us. Sister Burt is one that served in the Boise mission in I think 2004. The Lees are also a great family who also told us they would feed us if we ever needed a dinner. They fed us burgers yesterday and it was yummy. He is a convert to the church and he's hilarious! I love the members here so much and I will be sad to leave when I do leave, whether that's in six weeks or six months.(She is talking about transfers, not leaving to come home!!!!!)

What kind of phones did you get? Probably smart phones, just because I am gone right (just kidding!)? Is it still the same phone numbers?

I have not heard from Hunter in a couple weeks. I did email him though. Tell him to email me back! I bet he's not that excited. But it will be a great experience for him. If he goes at it with a different attitude.

I only have two EFY CDs, but I can listen to any LDS artist whose music is LDS like. If you can send me whatever Church music/LDS music you have, that would be great. If you want, you can burn them onto another CD using my computer so you can still have them at home.

I know that you and Dad are proud of me and I am grateful for that. It keeps me going everyday. I am glad that I can share what I am doing here with people back home. I hope that it will keep working!

I love you so much!

Always <3,

Sister Abby Reese  

Dad,

I had a great week! We met President and Sister Clark and I know they are meant to be here. They have already helped me so much and I know they will help me even more. They both were excited when they found out they would get me for most of my mission.

I have been praying all week for you to have a good time at Scout Camp. I'm glad you did and I'm glad your boys were good for you. I hope your Fourth was good. Mine was awesome! We got to spend the night with our zone. We went to a member's home in another ward and they BBQed burgers and hot dogs and then we lit off fireworks. It was fun! I'm way glad we got to go because I got to spend time with missionaries I don't know that well.

(Bill told her about an experience he had when we went to Hawaii and visited the USS Arizona and shared with his scouts last week at scout camp)  I really want to go the USS Arizona Memorial. Just so you know. It could be like a welcome home gift in sixteen and a half months! Really though, it sounds like it would be an awesome experience and I bet the boys enjoyed that. Sometimes tragedies like that happen and they are hard to recover from, but they happen to test us and to help us grow. I have seen that as I have been here. Some days are hard, but I know that I grow in those days the most.

I miss trek. It'll be cool for Hunter, even though he's not going all the way there. I hope he has a good time anyway. That was one of the coolest experiences in the world when I got to go with you and Mom and Brittany.

We are going to visit the man whose dog bit my ankle on Wednesday! I'm excited! He will be baptized. It's gonna happen. I just know it.

I know that I am here for a reason, and I know that Heavenly Father asked me to be here before I was born. He asked me if I would serve a mission here in California because there are people here that I will teach that need me. I am so grateful for that knowledge and I know He will lead me to them as I continue to talk with everyone and seek those people who need my help.

I love you, Dad. I hope you all have a great week. When are you going camping again??

Always <3,

Sister Abby Reese