Sun, Jul 28, 2013

(From Arlene - only 2 more weeks until Sister Welch returns home.  This is her final email message.  The young performing missionaries won't be able to email from this point forward.  Sister Welch has said in the past that letters are like food and water!  If you have a minute and want to drop her a note, her address is YPM Sister Amanda Welch, P.O. Box 215, Nauvoo, IL  62354)

 

Hello!!!!!!!!!

I absolutely LOVED getting your package!... Your letters may or may not have made me tear up a bit...! And it was so sweet of you to include that iPod! I love having it, even for the short amount of time we're here! You are the BEST!! And the pictures, too. All the YPMs were impressed by your photos. You are so talented!! They look so good! So fun to look through all of them! And you even got a picture of our directors and tech Elders! Everyone here always comments on how nice and wonderful you are and how much they loved getting to know you. To which I reply, "I know, isn't my family the best?!"

I have flight info! Because sadly, I'm only here for two more weeks... :( My flight number is Southwest 816, and I arrive in Phx at 5:55

Do we have an appointment set up for me to be released? I promise I'm still focused as a missionary, I'm just trying to make sure we've covered all the bases! 

Speaking of our bishopric... I guess I can speak in church... Just know I don't really have a lot of extra time to write the talk here, but I'll think about it... Are we sure I can't just sing in church instead? I'm really good at inviting the Spirit that way, especially after spending a whole summer of learning how  :) I kid... Kind of....

I'm sad to hear that Grandma isn't doing too well... Uncle Brad sent me a letter and told me both Grandma Renee and Grandma Black have had accidents... So sad! Keep me updated!

DAD!! I briefly read the part of your email about Valhalla, and I'm so glad everything worked out! So nice to see how the Lord helps us work everything out when we are trying to do the right thing! I've seen a lot of that here in Nauvoo. If you do your best and work hard, the Lord will make sure everything happens the way it's supposed to. What a neat principle!

Oh man, I love you guys!

So... This is my last email... Next week, we'll be working on the YPM sociable we perform for the site and temple missionaries before we leave, so there won't be any time to email. Oh! I get to sing "Make Me Whole" for it! I'll make sure to write down my experiences in my journal so I can share it with you when I get home! Pray for me to have the Spirit.

If there has been one thing I've learned here in Nauvoo, it's that the work is the most important thing, and that I really have very little to do with it. I am just the instrument. If I am in the right place at the right time, striving to do what the Lord has asked of me, He will place me in the lives of people who need to hear what the Lord would have me say, and vice versa. Sister Smith and I were talking about this last Sunday during a break between groups on the Trail of Hope. Our words don't matter, it's all about the Spirit. As long as we are open to it and the people listening are open to it, He will be there and we will feel His presence. This was shown to me right after our conversation when a Spanish-speaking group came to hear my vignette. Sister Osorio--one of our tech sisters--was translating, and warned me that she was going to translate while I delivered the piece, but to keep going while she did so. It was insane! So many words were being spoken... so many that I still am not sure if I said all the right ones! I prayed the whole time for the Spirit to be felt, and that I would say the words I was called to. I think it all worked out! 

 

 

 

 So many neat experiences! If I had the time I would send you more... But I guess you'll just have to wait two weeks, and then you can read all about it from my journal! Pressure's on for me to write down all that I can! My testimony of journal writing has grown so much here! I remember things better now that I write them down. And, if I forget in the future, I'm comforted that I've got the experiences I've had here written down somewhere, so I can look back and reminisce. I guess the prophets know what they're talking about or something when they advise us to keep records! :)

 

 

I love you so much! I love Nauvoo! I love the Holy Ghost! He has born witness to me that this gospel is true! He has brought words to my mouth so many times as a missionary, there is no way that he isn't real! Someone said today in church, I think Sister Dahle, that the Holy Ghost is her best friend. What a neat thought, that the holy ghost can be our best friend if he is constantly with us. And he can be if we live worthily! I know this gospel is true, that Christ is our Savior and that He lives, and loves us! I'm so grateful for the Atonement, and that I can return to live with Him and our Father in Heaven again because of it! Without the Atonement, resurrection wouldn't be as awesome, right? We wouldn't be able to be exalted beings... We would just suffer. How lucky we are to have an Older Brother who loves us so much that he would take upon Him our sins, so that we can live with Him again! ah!!! It's so true! I feel it every day as I work and live here in the City Beautiful! I love it so much! It's hard... Exhausting really. But so worth it! I love the gospel and I love you!!!! I'll see you soon!!

xoxo Sister Welch

p.s. I'm looking forward to your letter Em! I'll (hopefully) write you all back this week! Yay letters!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

They eat a lot of otter pops in Nauvoo!