SURPRISE! Smoke alarm at 6:20 a.m.!

TERESA - Hello Hello!

First of all, how's everybody doing? I hope you are all doing splendidly! My past week has been pretty crazy but nice as well.

Monday was a day of getting things sorted for Sister Baxty leaving me to go to Johnstone :(. We went and visited some families for her to say bye. We also had FHE at Bro. D.'s home. Everyone was there including I.S., our investigator! We watched the end of President Hinckley's birthday DVD ha-ha, it was interesting!

Tuesday was so fun! It was Baxty's birthday so I tried to make it a little more special for her. I got up earlier and decorated the flat with birthday banners and some balloons (I thought it was pretty neat looking actually :)! ) Then I attempted to make French toast and the smoke alarm went off! Of course that would happen to me at 6:20 in the morning! Ha-ha but Baxty woke up and helped me stop the alarm and was so surprised. I put candles on two cupcakes we'd made the night before and sang happy birthday for her. I also made her a card that told her how much I LOVE her! It was nice. I made the French toast and it turned out really well! Then we went finding and then the rest of the day was a surprise. I took her to Sister G.'s and they threw her a little surprise lunch. Then we went and taught Brother I.S. a lesson on the law of chastity. It went soooo well! He said in his prayer how important it is to keep ALL of the commandments! Gosh, he's progressed so much! It's been a pleasure teaching him. Then we went out to the L.'s (one of the best families ever and they made her a giant cupcake! It was so good to be there :) After we had dinner at Pizza Hut with the E. family and they totally got her the best cake ever! You know, it wasn't even my birthday and it was the greatest! Ha-ha She really loved it and I was glad about that. :)

Wednesday morning Sister Baxter got dropped off to Johnstone as I went to the mission home. It was really sad to see her go, not going to lie. I was a little tired but Heavenly Father seriously gave me the strength I needed for the day so that I could be my enthusiastic self! I went to the training meeting and it was great as always to see everybody there again! It was not as small a group as it was before, last time I trained, but it was still rather tiny. They selected my sister and I got Sister Peterson! I thought it was funny that I was getting another Sister Peterson again. The first one I "killed" off and this one was being "born" into the mission! I thought that was funny. But she is really sweet. She is from Salt Lake City Utah located in Holliday. She is one of 9 kids and she is the youngest! She is actually already 22 and will be turning 23 in August. She is a natural for sure. She really wants to focus on the people and really adapt to teaching people not lessons. But it's been really good so far serving with her! I never fail at seeing what a humbling experience training is. You seriously have to get rid of any shred of pride and do exactly what the Lord wants you to do. I'm so grateful for this experience! But the training process is sooo different now. We are the first group in the mission to do it differently! So this was a curve ball thrown at me thinking I had some idea of how to train since I'd done it before. We are to really focus on Preach My Gospel. We are to have an additional hour of companionship study and to watch the PMG DVDs! It's been great so far! I have been learning loads and hopefully applying it to be a better teacher :). But anyways, after we left from Edinburgh we had dinner at the T. family with Sister G. and the B. family. It was good to throw Sis Peterson right in there to meet a few of the members already. I know for me, I always love meeting loads of members before Sunday, that way I already have an idea of who people are at church.

Thursday and Friday were great! We went out finding and little miracles happened! We reached our goal of QGC's and found some potentials that we are really excited about seeing this week! We are also doing a better job at making sure Brother I.S. is being fellowshipped by the ward members, especially the Elders Quorum. We have had some great teaches with more members of the ward with him. We showed him the testimonies of the apostles and he LOVED them! He said that he wanted to bear his testimony to us of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and keeping the commandments! It was amazing! He is progressing in leaps and bounds! When we first met him he wasn't even sure if he believed in God now he's praying to him and wants so much to follow his teachings! He's way excited for his baptism and is inviting all the ward members and is going to invite his friends and family! We are totally excited! Those will be great teaching opportunities!! We also had a lesson with another investigator named P. She is really great but it's a slower process with her. She is still trying to figure out if Jesus Christ is really the Son of God. So we are working with her on that. We taught her the Restoration and she said that she would still have to think about it but that she would definitely read and pray. She's very willing and open, so that is nice.

Monday was terrific! It was Zone Development and the Assistants to the President were there again! It always adds a different feeling when they are present. We talked about being enthusiastic about the work. They even asked us, Sister Peterson and I to do a training model in front of the whole zone! They did a dull and boring QGC and we followed after with an enthusiastic one. It was hilarious! They said they choose us because I'm very enthusiastic! Ha-ha how nice right? I'm glad that's what they see me as! But anyway, we had some zone games and all that and finished off the day with some finding and FHE. This was probably one of the BEST family home evenings ever! We talked about Samuel the Lamanite and everyone participated. We played some really fun games after and we all had a great time. It's been really good lately! But that is the update with me!

Ok mom, I got your Personal Progress thing (Cary - I have been working on the Young Womens Personal Progress in Relief Society) that you asked me to do. I loved D&C 11:12-14 the best. I read all of them but this one just struck me. The Spirit is the most important thing we can obtain. It leads us and guides us to become Christlike, to become perfect. And the Lord wants us to have it! He wants us to be so happy :). And if we receive this spirit and show endless faith and trust in Him, then ALL of our righteous desires will be given to us! How great is that? We have the MOST loving Heavenly Father and Savior. I'd say that the Holy Ghost helped my desire to serve a mission. And it was the BEST choice ever! I know the Holy Ghost helped me throughout my life to make this goal a reality. Without it, I seriously wouldn't be here. Thank goodness I am!

I love you all! Thank you for all of your help and love and kindness! You all mean so much to Rachie and I!!

Love Always, Sister Teresa Kullick

P.S. Thank you so much for that letter you sent me in response to my concerns. I REALLY needed that. I totally cried while reading it, imagining you telling it to me. Thank you, I love you SO much.