Cherie's Letter

Hello Family! It is getting harder and harder to enjoy p-days these days. It seems the ability to relax a little brings lots of thoughts about the inevitable end of my mission, which makes me grumpy, tired, and most of all sad. Don't get me wrong, I am excited to come and see you all, it’s just I really don't like thinking about it when I don't absolutely have to. I have been praying to just forget about it during the week, and as a result, my weeks are blissfully ignorant until p-day comes around. Oh well, I guess at the end of your mission, p-day just has to be endured. We'll go get some frites and ice cream, and I'll be fine ;)

Anyways, it’s so great to hear from you all. I have been enjoying getting to be a part of all the excitement and fun stuff surrounding the wedding plans and all. I am excited to help a little when I get back! As for dress shopping, if Jamie still hasn't found a dress when I get home, I'd be happy to drive up and help her :) Can I borrow the car?? HeHe! Oh, and I'm so sorry I didn't thank you for the Easter package! It was great! We even used the eggs you sent to do a fun little Easter egg lesson on Easter- kind of a mini version of what we do every year with the eggs. It was a huge success!

This week has been great! We are seeing so many rewards from our efforts to find new people to teach. We are finding so many people who are truly prepared to investigate and gain testimonies of the Gospel, and as we begin working with them, it is such a testimony builder to see them grasp these wonderful truths and find the joy that is contained in the pure doctrines of the Gospel. Or rather, the application of the pure doctrines of the Gospel. My companion and I are doing great! Zr. Holbein is SUCH a great missionary. She is doing so great jumping into missionary work and doing her best to talk with these Flemish speakers. I read aloud the journal entries I had written at the beginning of my mission, and we realized that she and I are very similar, and the things I struggled with and felt inadequate in are the exact things that she struggles with and feels inadequate in. It has been so wonderful to work with her and know that even if I am a super old missionary, I can still teach her a lot. She still needs me to work my hardest to show her by my example how to be an effective missionary- which means that I still need to keep improving and becoming that kind of missionary :) If I were ever struggling with working my hardest, that thought is enough to keep me energized and working hard!

Our investigators Heidi and her mother Marie are doing great! They are set to be baptized on May 30th, even though their lessons will be done by the end of the week. They are so wonderful and committed to living all of the principles that they have learned. Heidi is a very special friend of mine now. She got stuck in Madrid, Spain this last week with the problems with flying, and she wasn't there for one of our lessons. We arrived, and her mom said "Heidi isn't here, but she wanted to talk to you for a minute;" we called, and I chatted with her for about 30 minutes while my comp did a great job carrying on a conversation in Flemish with Marie. It was so fun, and reminded me of what a miracle it is that we can get to know such wonderful people and communicate with them in their own languages. It is so great! I love my mission more and more each day and love the people we get to work with.

Oh, before I forget, I was thinking about mistakes I've made in my life the other day, and I need to confess something- Mom, one time in like 11th grade, I took one of Gramsie's broaches to use for the renaissance thing at school (with permission, of course) and I was not really very responsible with it, and someone stole it! I don't think I ever told you because I was scared you'd be mad at me. I'm sorry. Ok, I feel much better8

Love you all! I hou van jullie!
Zr: Beebs