Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Now time for the info everyone wants to know!!!!!!!  I am serving ni Parkway 2nd ward and our area is in Chesterfield MO. The ward is about 250 people and basically reminds me of any typical ward youd find in Arizona! It definitely reminds me of home. Or first Sunday was great and everyone is really kind to us.  The ward is about a year old and they said that they haven't seen sister missionaries in years so we are quite the hot item in the area.  We are really close to the city, and I mean really close. Like 15 min away from the temple and 20 min away from the arch. And we are in one of the wealthiest areas in St. Louis. To give you an idea, we are teaching a part member family that lives in the same neighborhood as 2 Cardinal baseball players. NUTS HUH!!!!!!!!! I am soooo not used to this. I am used to poor people who smoke and don't have teeth. Never did I think I would serve in an area like this. But I like it thus far! My companion is Sis. Williams and she and I came out in the MTC together! 

The ward is really missionary minded. We have already gotten a referral, picked up a part member family as investigators and our Ward Mission Leader is on fire! (and its surprising we are doing so well because the elders left us with not really anything.  Oh, the perks of whitewashing)! I super, super miss Columbia and everyone there but know that I am here for soo many reasons. I know that my experiences prior to being here have prepared me to serve here. It's nuts how the Lord just works everything out and how he truly knows what we need.

Like I mentioned, our Ward Mission Leader is on fire. Right after transfer meeting, we had a correlation meeting with him and the other elders. It was great. He talked to us about how every investigator we have we need to "teach to baptize." That as soon as we start teaching someone we need to pray about a date for them to be baptized and what the necessary steps they need to take to reach that goal. This really reminded me of a talk given by Pres Monson I mentioned in one of my earlier emails about how a missionary baptized a lot of people because he pictured them all wearing white! When we teach this way and make goals then we show our unshakeable faith that our message is truly life changing and that the spirit can change peoples hearts. I just really loved the words that our WML said and I am working hard to change my perspective.

These past couple of days we just have been working on getting used to the area and trying to meet our investigators, less actives, and ward members. And I can testify that the Spirit has truly guided us and who we need to see and where we need to be. It has been remarkable. One instance, yesterday we went to see a lady in the ward, Sis. Mckinney. When we got there she told us her whole conversion story and it was amazing. She has been through the most awful of circumstances but she spreads sunshine because she knows how the gospel has changed her heart and her life. She LOVES missionaries and is such a hoot. She told us we were an answer to her prayers because she has been pretty down lately. While sitting there listening to her story, I was so inspired. She talked a ton about the missionaries who taught and baptized her! I realized that we are placed in certain areas for certain people. There is always someone out there who needs the love and talents of certain missionaires. So shout out and thank you to all the missionaries who have left big impacts in their various missions and for the lives that they have changed. I feel blessed to have been able to witness someone whose life has been touched by the missionaries. This is no simple work that we are apart of. We are truly in the business of changing lives and sharing the sweet message of the gospel! "The Kindgom of God or Nothing" As John Taylor said!

I love this gospel and I love being a missionary. I love that I get to be people's cheerleader as a full time job! But somtimes it isn'
t easy, so thank you to all of my cheerleaders! You all ahve been an answer to my prayers!

Love you all and miss you dearly. PLease write me!! My new address is:

15517 Peach Hill Ct Apt 801

Chesterfield, MO 63017