Oh Heyyy

Querida familia,

Thank you so much for all the wonderful birthday packages--I loved it!!!!!!!! I got packages from Mom, Erin and Grandpa at Zone Conference on my birthday. I am so lucky! Thank you for all your love and thoughts and amazing balloons filled with cute notes and snacks and two pounds of See's candy (WOW! Luckily Sister Schow LOVES See's chocolate so I can share my stash with her!) and CD. I got a package from Melissa, too, with a cute scarf and hilarious pictures and a letter from Berkeley. Thank you for making my day so special! Somebody last week thought I was 26. Wait what? I just turned 25 but I'm supposed to look 18...

Like I mentioned, we had Zone Conference on Thursday. It was already a great day and then President chose me and two elders to share our talks on the Atonement. It was really special for me to prepare that talk because I was able to contemplate what the Savior did for me. It was the easiest talk to write and every word came from my heart. I then accompanied my district leader, Elder Walker, as he sang I Heard Him Come. I was super nervous to accompany him because I've never played for a soloist and there were a few tricky parts that could come off sounding feo. I practiced a lot (thank goodness we have a piano at home) and said many prayers. Sister Schow and Sister Fernandez were praying for me, too. :) The neat thing about it was that I could literally feel their prayers as I played. The song was great! That was a great birthday present. The AP's chose me to play the hymns--since they didn't tell me (but had already put my name on the program), I left it to one of them to play. :) I didn't want to play all the hymns, a special musical number, speak, and be sung happy birthday to. That would just be ridiculous. So Zone Conference was great and we focused on the thing that matters most--the Atonement.

I went out with members all day Tuesday and Wednesday while Sister Fernandez was on exchanges. That was less stressful than a few transfers ago when she did that. I pretty much left it to the Lord to help me know what to do because I don't know this area at all (and it is huge!). We have a lot of work to do as we just got a long list of less-actives and we need to find a lot of new investigators. I know there are people in our area who are searchers and are seeking the gospel in their lives and we're excited to execute our game plan this week and see miracles. We have a firm (I had nothing to do with teaching him) who is getting baptized April 14. He's from Peru and I've decided if I'd served/been from a foreign country, it would be Peru.

Next week I might be emailing a little later because we're planning on going to the temple! And I'll be emailing on Tuesday I think since it's transfers. Thanks for all your emails and thoughts and prayers. I apprecite what Jo said about praying for her own missionary experiences. That's how the work is the most effective--through member referrals! I hope you all are well. Love you lots.

Love,

kates